Part A

   Directions:
   Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)

   Text1
   What our society suffers from most today is the absence of consensus about what it and life in it ought to be; such consensus cannot be gained from society's present stage, or from fantasies about what it ought to be. For that the present is too close and too diversified, and the future too uncertain, to make believable claims about it. A consensus in the present hence can be achieved only through a shared understanding of the past, as Homer's epics informed those who lived centuries later what it meant to be Greek, and by what images and ideals they were to live their lives and organize their societies.

   Most societies derive consensus from a long history, a language all their own, a common religion, common ancestry. The myths by which they live are based on all of these. But the United States is a country of immigrants, coming from a great variety of nations. Lately, it has been emphasized that an asocial, narcissistic personality has become characteristic of Americans, and that it is this type of personality that makes for the lack of well�瞓eing, because it prevents us from achieving consensus that would counteract a tendency to withdraw into private worlds. In this study of narcissism, Christopher Lash says that modern man, "tortured by self�瞔onsciousness, turns to new therapies not to free himself of his personal worries but to find meaning and purpose in life, to find something to live for". There is widespread distress because national morale has declined, and we have lost an earlier sense of national vision and purpose.

   Contrary to rigid religions or political beliefs, as are found in totalitarian societies, our culture is one of the great individual differences, at least in principle and in theory; but this leads to disunity, even chaos. Americans believe in the value of diversity, but just because our is a society based on individual diversity, it needs consensus about some dominating ideas more than societies based on uniform origin of their citizens. Hence, if we are to have consensus, it must be based on a myth-a vision about a common experience, a conquest that made us Americans, as the myth about the conquest of Troy formed the Greeks. Only a common myth can offer relief from the fear that life is without meaning or purpose. Myths permit us to examine our place in the world by comparing it to a shared idea. Myths are shared fantasies that form the tie that binds the individual to other members of his group. Such myths help to ward off feelings of isolations, guilt, anxiety, and purposelessness-in short, they combat isolation and the breakdown of social standards and values.

   21.In the eyes of the author, the greatest trouble with the US society may lie in��

   [A] the non�瞖xistence of consensus on the forms of the society should take

   [B] the lack of divergence over the common organizations of social life

   [C] the non�瞐cceptance of a society based on individual diversity

   [D] the pervasive distress caused by national morale decline

   22.The asocial personality of Americans may stem from��

   [A] the absence of a common religion and ancestry

   [B] the multiracial constituents of the US society

   [C] the want of a shared myths they possess in life

   [D] the counterbalance to narcissistic personality

   23.Homer's epics is mentioned in Paragraph 1 in order to��

   [A] exemplify the contributions made by ancient poets

   [B] illustrate the role of shared fantasies about society

   [C] show an ideal stage of eternal social progress

   [D] make known myths of what a society ought to be

   24.The author concludes that only shared myths can help Americans��

   [A] to bring about the uniformity of their culture

   [B] to regain their consensus about a common experience

   [C] to stay away from negative feelings in their life

   [D] to counteract the effects of consensus about society

   25.It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that Christopher Lash is most probably��

   [A] a reform advocate

   [B] a senior psychologist

   [C] a reputed poet

   [D] a social historian

   Text2
   When a disease of epidemic proportions rips into the populace, scientists immediately get to work, trying to locate the source of the affliction and find ways to combat it. Oftentimes, success is achieved, as medical science is able to isolate the parasite, germ or cell that causes the problem and finds ways to effectively kill or contain it. In the most serious of cases, in which the entire population of a region or country may be at grave risk, it is deemed necessary to protect the entire population through vaccination, so as to safeguard lives and ensure that the disease will not spread.

   The process of vaccination allows the patient's body to develop immunity to the virus or disease so that, if it is encountered, one can ward it off naturally. To accomplish this, a small weak or dead strain of the disease is actually injected into the patient in a controlled environment, so that his body's immune system can learn to fight the invader properly. Information on how to penetrate the disease's defenses is transmitted to all elements of the patient's immune system in a process that occurs naturally, in which genetic information is passed from cell to cell. This makes sure that, should the patient later come into contact with the real problem, his body is well equipped and trained to deal with it, having already done so before.

   There are dangers inherent in the process, however. On occasion, even the weakened version of the disease contained in the vaccine proves too much for the body to handle, resulting in the immune system succumbing, and, therefore, the patient's death. Such is the case of the smallpox vaccine, designed to eradicate the smallpox epidemic that nearly wiped out the entire Native American population and killed massive numbers of settlers. Approximately 1 in 10,000 people who receives the vaccine contract the smallpox disease from the vaccine itself and dies from it. Thus, if the entire population of the United States were to receive the Smallpox Vaccine today, 3000 Americans would be left dead.

   Fortunately, the smallpox virus was considered eradicated in the early 1970s, ending the mandatory vaccination of all babies in America. In the  event of a re�瞚ntroduction of the disease, however, mandatory vaccinations may resume, resulting in more unexpected deaths from vaccination. The process, which is truly a mixed blessing, may indeed hide some hidden curses.

   26.The best title for the text may be��

   [A] "Vaccinations: A Blessing or A Curse"

   [B] "Principles of Vaccinations"

   [C] "Vaccines: Methods and Implications"

   [D] "A Miracle Cure Under Attack"

   27.What does the example of the Smallpox Vaccine illustrate?

   [A] The possible negative outcome of administering vaccines.

   [B] The practical use of a vaccine to control an epidemic disease.

   [C] The effectiveness of vaccines in eradicating certain disease.

   [D] The method by which vaccines are employed against the disease.

   28.The phrase "ward it off naturally" (Paragraph 2) most probably means��

   [A] dispose of it naturally

   [B] fight it off with ease

   [C] see to it reluctantly

   [D] split it up properly

   29.Which of the following is true according to the text?

   [A] Saving the majority would necessarily justify the death of the minority.

   [B] The immune system can be trained to fight weaker versions of a disease.

   [C] Mandatory vaccinations are indispensable to the survival of the populace.

   [D] The process of vaccination remains a mystery to be further resolved.

   30.The purpose of the author in writing this passage is��

   [A] to comment and criticize

   [B] to demonstrate and argue

   [C] to interest and entertain

   [D] to explain and inform

   Text3
   The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it is trying to track down as many as 386 piglets that may have been genetically engineered and wrongfully sold into the U.S. food supply.
   The focus of the FDA investigation is pigs raised by researchers at the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. They engineered the animals with two genes: One is a cow gene that increases milk production in the sow. The other, a synthetic gene, makes the milk easier for piglets to digest. The goal was to raise bigger pigs faster.

   There has been no evidence that either genetically altered plants or animals actually trigger human illness, but critics warn that potential side effects remain unknown. University officials say their tests showed the piglets were not born with the altered genes, but FDA rules require even the offspring of genetically engineered animals to be destroyed so they don't get into the food supply.

   The FDA, in a quickly arranged news conference Wednesday prompted by inquiries by USA TODAY, said the University of Illinois will face possible sanctions and fines for selling the piglets to a livestock broker, who in turn sells to processing plants.

   Both the FDA and the university say the pigs that entered the market do not pose a risk to consumers. But the investigation follows action by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in December to fine a Texas company that contaminated 500,000 bushels of soybeans with corn that had been genetically altered to produce a vaccine for pigs.

   Critics see such cases as evidence of the need for more government oversight of a burgeoning area of scientific research. "This is a small incident, but it's incident like this that could destroy consumer confidence and export confidence, "says Stephanie Childs of the Grocery Manufacturers of America. "We already have Europe shaky on biotech. The countries to whom we export are going to look at this."

   The University of Illinois says it tested the DNA of every piglet eight times to make sure that the animal hadn't inherited the genetic engineering of its mother. Those piglets that did were put back into the study. Those that didn't were sold to the pig broker. "Any pig who's tested negative for the genes since 1999 has been sent off to market, "says Charles Zukoski, vice chancellor for research.

   But FDA deputy commissioner Lester Crawford says that under the terms of the university's agreement with the FDA, the researchers were forbidden to remove the piglets without FDA approval. "The University of Illinois failed to check with FDA to see whether or not the animals could be sold on the open market. And they were not to be used under any circumstance for food."
The FDA is responsible for regulating and overseeing transgenic animals because such genetic manipulation is considered an unapproved animal drug.

   31. The 386 piglets wrongfully sold into food supply are from��

   ［A］ Europe
 
   ［B］ an American research organization

   ［C］ a meat processing plant

   ［D］ an animal farm

   32. The purpose of the transgenic engineering research is to��

   ［A］ get pigs of larger size in a shorter time

   ［B］ make sows produce more milk

   ［C］ make cows produce more milk

   ［D］ make pigs grow more lean meat

   33. The 4th paragraph shows that the University of Illinois ��

   ［A］ was criticized by the FDA

   ［B］ is in great trouble

   ［C］ is required by the FDA to call back the sold piglets

   ［D］ may have to pay the penalty

   34. The FDA declares that the wrongfully sold piglets��

   ［A］ may have side effects on consumers

   ［B］ may be harmful to consumers

   ［C］ are safe to consumers

   ［D］ may cause human illness

   35. It can be inferred from this passage that��

   ［A］ all the offspring have their mothers' genetic engineering

   ［B］ part of the offspring have their mothers' genetic engineering

   ［C］ none of the offspring have their mothers' genetic engineering

   ［D］ half of the offspring have their mothers' genetic engineering

 
   Text 4
   The United States is said to have a mixed economy because privately owned businesses and government both play important roles. Indeed, some of the most enduring debates of American economic history focus on the relative roles of the public and private sectors.

   The American free enterprise system emphasizes private ownership. Private businesses produce most goods and services, and almost two�瞭hirds of the nation's total economic output goes to individuals for personal use (the remaining one�瞭hird is bought by government and business). The consumer role is so great, in fact, that the nation is sometimes characterized as having a "consumer economy."

   This emphasis on private ownership arises, in part, from American beliefs about personal freedom. From the time the nation was created, Americans have feared excessive government power, and they have sought to limit government's authority over individuals-including its role in the economic realm. In addition, Americans generally believe that an economy characterized by private ownership is likely to operate more efficiently than one with substantial government ownership.
   When economic forces are unfettered, Americans believe, supply and demand determine the prices of goods and services. Prices, in turn, tell businesses what to produce; if people want more of a particular goods than the economy is producing, the price of the goods rises. That catches the attention of new or other companies that, sensing an opportunity to earn profits, start producing more of that goods. On the other hand, if people want less of the goods, prices fall and less competitive producers either go out of business or start producing different goods.

   There are limits to free enterprise, however. Americans have always believed that some services are better performed by public rather than private enterprise. For instance, in the United States, government is primarily responsible for the administration of justice, education, the road system, and national defense.

   In this mixed economy, individuals can help guide the economy not only through the choices they make as consumers but through the votes they cast for officials who shape economic policy. In recent years, consumers have voiced concerns about product safety, environmental threats posed by certain industrial practices, and potential health risks citizens may face; government has responded by creating agencies to protect consumer interests and promote the general public welfare.

   36. In Line 1, Para. 4, the expression "economic forces are unfettered" means .

   [A] prices are determined by consumers

   [B] supply and demand are allowed to operate freely

   [C] economic regulations are not enforced

   [D] the economy is growing

   37. The last paragraph tells us that .

   [A] a mixed economy is guided by both individual citizens and the government

   [B] the role of the government in a mixed economy is more important than that of the consumer

   [C] individual Americans can influence the economy in multiple ways

   [D] the government does not regard the concerns of individual citizens

   38. According to the text, the U.S. is sometimes called a "consumer economy" because .

   [A] most goods and services are produced by consumers

   [B] privately owned business plays a major role in the economy

   [C] individual consumption plays a major role in the economy

   [D] consumers' rights are very important in the U.S.

   39. This text is mainly about.

   [A] how average Americans view their economic system

   [B] the role of the government in the American economy

   [C] how supply and demand determine prices in the American economy

   [D] the roles of the public and private sectors in the American economy

   40. From the first sentence of the third paragraph, we learn that .

   [A] American political beliefs have influenced its economic system

   [B] Americans fear excessive governmental control of the economy

   [C] private ownership is important because of American beliefs in personal freedom

   [D] personal freedom is the basis for private ownership in the U.S.