Passage 16

Tea drinking was common in China for nearly one thousand years before anyone in Europe had ever heard about tea. People in Britain were much slower in finding out what tea was like, mainly because tea was very expensive. It could not be bought in shops and even those people who could afford to have it sent from Holland did so only because it was a fashionable curiosity. Some of them were not sure how to use it. They thought it was a vegetable and tried cooking the leaves. Then they served them mixed with butter and salt. They soon discovered their mistake but many people used to spread the used tea leaves on bread and give them to their children as sandwiches.

Tea remained scarce and very expensive in England until the ships of the East India Company began to bring it direct from China early in the seventeenth century. During the next few years so much tea came into the country that the price fell and many people could afford to buy it.

At the same time people on the Continent were becoming more and more fond of tea. Until then tea had been drunk without milk in it, but one day a famous French lady named Madame de Sevigne decided to see what tea tasted like when milk was added. She found it so pleasant that she would never again drink it without milk. Because she was such a great lady her friends thought they must copy everything she did, so they also drank their tea with milk in it. Slowly this habit spread until it reached England and today only very few Britons drink tea without milk.

At first, tea was usually drunk after dinner in the evening No one ever thought of drinking tea in the afternoon until a duchess (公爵夫人) found that a cup of tea and a piece of cake at three or four o’clock stopped her getting “a sinking feeling” as she called it. She invited her friends to have this new meal with her and so, tea-time was born.

 

76. Which of the following is true of the introduction of tea into Britain?

A)　　　　　　The Britons got expensive tea from India.

B)　　　　　　 Tea reached Britain from Holland.

C)　　　　　　The Britons were the first people in Europe who drank tea.

D)　　　　　　It was not until the 17th century that the Britons had tea.

 

77. This passage mainly discusses　　　　　.

A)　　　　　　the history of tea drinking in Britain

B)　　　　　　 how tea became a popular drink in Britain

C)　　　　　　how the Britons got the habit of drinking tea

D)　　　　　　how tea-time was born

 

78. Tea became a popular drink in Britain　　　　　.

A)　　　　　　in eighteenth century

B)　　　　　　 in sixteenth century

C)　　　　　　in seventeenth century

D)　　　　　　in the late seventeenth century

 

79. People in Europe began to drink tea with milk because　　　　.

A)　　　　　　it tasted like milk

B)　　　　　　 it tasted more pleasant

C)　　　　　　it became a popular drink

D)　　　　　　Madame de Sevinge was such a lady with great social influence that people tried to copy the way she drank tea

 

80. We may infer from the passage that the habit of drinking tea in Britain was mostly due to the influence of　　　　　.

A)　　　　　　a famous French lady

B)　　　　　　 the ancient Chinese

C)　　　　　　the upper social class

D)　　　　　　people in Holland

 

Passage 17

A mysterious “black cloud” approaches the earth – our planet’s weather is severely affected.

Throughout the rest of June and July temperatures rose steadily all over the Earth. In the British isles the temperature climbed through the eighties, into the nineties, and moved towards the hundred mark. People complained, but there was no serious disaster.

The death number in the U. S. Remained quite small, thanks largely to the air-conditioning units that had been fitted during previous years and months. Temperatures rose to the limit of human endurance throughout the whole country and people were obliged to remain indoors for weeks on end. Occasionally air-conditioning units failed and it was then that fatalities occurred.

Conditions were utterly desperate throughout the tropics (熱帶地區(qū)) as may be judged from the fact that 7943 species of plants and animals became totally extinct. The survival of Man himself was only possible because of the caves and cellars (地窖) he was able to dig. Nothing could be done to reduce the hot air temperature. More than seven hundred million persons are known to have lost their lives.

Eventually the temperature of the surface waters of the sea rose, not so fast as the air temperature it is true, but fast enough to produce a dangerous increase of humidity (濕度). It was indeed this increase that produced the disastrous conditions just remarked. Millions of people between the latitudes of Cairo and the Cape of Good Hope were subjected to a choking atmosphere that grew damper and hotter from day to day. All human movement ceased. There was nothing to be done but to lie breathing quickly as a dog does in hot weather.

By the fourth week of July conditions in the tropics lay balanced between life and total death. Then quite suddenly rain clouds appeared over the whole globe. The temperature declined a little, due no doubt to the clouds reflecting more of the Sun’s radiation back into space, But conditions could not be said to have improved. Warm rain fell everywhere, even as far north as Iceland. The insect population increased enormously, since the burning hot atmosphere was as favorable to them as it was unfavorable to Man many other animals.

 

81. In the British Isles the temperature　　　　　　.

A)　　　　　　stayed at eighty

B)　　　　　　 ranged from eighty to ninety

C)　　　　　　approached one hundred

D)　　　　　　exceeded the hundred mark

 

82. Few people in the United States lost their lives because　　　　　.

A)　　　　　　the temperature was tolerable

B)　　　　　　 people remained indoors for weeks

C)　　　　　　the government had taken effective measures to reduce the hot temperature

D)　　　　　　people were provided with the most comfortable air-conditioners

 

83. Millions of people in Cairo (開羅) and the Cape of Good Hope (好望角) were subjected to a choking atmosphere because　　　　　.

A)　　　　　　the temperature grew extremely hot

B)　　　　　　 the temperature became damper and hotter as the humidity of the surface waters of the sea increased

C)　　　　　　their conditions were too dangerous

D)　　　　　　nothing could be done with the hot temperature

 

84. By the fourth week of July conditions in the tropics were such that　　　　.

A)　　　　　　human survival would be impossible

B)　　　　　　 more and more people would lose their lives

C)　　　　　　fewer people could be saved

D)　　　　　　survival or death was still undecided

 

85. The insect population increased due to　　　　 .

A)　　　　　　the hot air

B)　　　　　　 the tropical climate

C)　　　　　　the rain clouds

D)　　　　　　the damp atmosphere

 

Passage 18

In a family where the roles of men and women are not sharply separated and where many household tasks are shared to a greater or lesser extent, notions of male superiority are hard to maintain. The pattern of sharing in tasks and in decisions makes for equality, and this in turn leads to further sharing. In such a home, the growing boy and girl learn to accept that equality more easily than did their parents and to prepare more fully for participation in a world characterized by cooperation rather than by the “battle of the sexes”.

If the process goes too far and man’s role is regarded as less important - and that has happened in some cases – we are as badly of as before, only in reverse.

It is time to reassess the role of the man in the American family. We are getting a little tired of “monism” (母親崇拜), - but we don’t want to exchange it for a “neo-popism (新父親崇拜)。” What we need, rather, is the recognition that bringing up children involves a partnership of equals. There are signs that psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and specialists on the family are becoming more aware of the part men play and that they have decided that women should not receive all the credit (信任) – not all the blame. We have almost given up saying that a woman’s place is the home. We are beginning, however, to analyze men’s place in the home and to insist that he does have a place in it. Nor is that place irrelevant to the healthy development of the child.

The family is a cooperative enterprise for which it is difficult to lay down rules, because each family needs to work out its own ways for solving its own problems.

Excessive authoritarianism has unhappy consequences, whether it wears skirts or trousers, and the ideal of equal rights and equal responsibilities is connected not only with a healthy democracy, but also with a healthy family.

 

86. From the passage we know that the author is very concerned with the role that　　　　.

A)　　　　　　parents play in bringing up their children

B)　　　　　　 men play in a family

C)　　　　　　women play in a family

D)　　　　　　equality plays in a family

 

87. The author means to tell us that　　　　　 .

A)　　　　　　a man’s place is in the home

B)　　　　　　 a woman’s place is in the home

C)　　　　　　a woman should be equal to a man

D)　　　　　　a man should have an equal share in family matters

 

88. According to the author, a healthy family should be based on　　　　.

　　　　　　A) cooperation　　　C) momism

　　　　　　B)　　　 authoritarianism　D) neo-popism

 

89. Who will benefit most from a family pattern of sharing in tasks and decisions?

A)　　　　　　The children.　C) The man.

B)　　　　　　 The woman　　D) The psychologist.

 

90. We may safely conclude from the passage that　　　　　 .

A)　　　　　　male superiority maintains a healthy family

B)　　　　　　 authority and democracy are very essential to a healthy family

C)　　　　　　authoritarianism does no good to a healthy family

D)　　　　　　women should be equal to men

 

Passage 19

I don’t think there is anything wrong with your blood. The key to your problem is that long nap (打盹，小睡) after dinner.

If you didn’t sleep for hours during the early part of the evening, you would be more ready to sleep at bedtime. If you didn’t nap after dinner, you would not want to stay up so late, and you would not feel the need to take a sleeping pill. The pill is still working in your system when you get up in the morning. This helps account for the fact that you feel tired all day.

You should get out of the habit of sleeping during the evening. Right after your evening meal, engage in some sort of physical activity --- a sport such as bowling, perhaps. Or get together with friends for an evening of cards and conversation. Then go to bed at your usual time or a little earlier, and you should be able to get a good night's rest without taking a pill.

If you can get into the habit of spending your evenings this way, I am sure you will feel less tired during the day. At first it may be hard for you to go to sleep without taking a pill. If so, get up and watch television or do some jobs around your house until you feel sleepy. If you fall asleep and then wake up a few hours later, get up but do not take a sleeping pill. Read a while or listen to the radio, and make yourself a few hours’ sleep that night, you will feel better in the morning than you usually feel after taking a pill. The next night you will be ready to sleep at an earlier hour.

The most important thing is to avoid taking that nap right after dinner and avoid taking pills.

 

91. According to the writer, it is difficult for you to go to sleep because　　　　　 .

A)　　　　　　you get the habit of staying up late

B)　　　　　　 you haven’t taken sleeping pills

C)　　　　　　you sleep for hours after dinner

D)　　　　　　you fail to do some exercises

 

92. Which of the following is NOT true if you want to get out of the habit of sleeping during the evening?

A)　　　　　　Go to bed earlier than usual.

B)　　　　　　 Talk with friends after dinner.

C)　　　　　　Stay with friends after dinner.

D)　　　　　　Do some physical labor.

 

93. You feel tired all day probably because　　　　　 .

A)　　　　　　you stay up too late

B)　　　　　　 you get up too early in the morning

C)　　　　　　you take sleeping pills

D)　　　　　　you wake up too frequently at night

 

94. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A)　　　　　　You mustn’t take sleeping pills in order to get a good night’s sleep.

B)　　　　　　 You should stay up if you want to sleep effectively.

C)　　　　　　Food is necessary at night if you fail to go to sleep.

D)　　　　　　It is very important to get out of the habit of taking a nap after dinner.

 

95. We may infer that the author is most probably a　　　　　　 .

A) doctor　　　C) scientist

B) reporter　　 D) professor

 

Passage 20

Have you ever been afraid to talk back when you were treated unfairly? Have you ever bought something just because the salesman talked you into it? Are you afraid to ask someone for a date?

Many people are afraid to assert (表現(xiàn)) themselves. Dr. Alberti, author of Stand Up, Speak Out, and Talk Back, thinks it’s because their self-respect is low. “Our whole set up (體制) is designed to make people distrust themselves, ” says Alberti. “There’s always ‘superior’ around – a parent, a teacher, a boss – who ‘knows better’. There superiors often gain when they chip (削弱)　away at your self-image.”

But Alberti and other scientists are doing something to help people assert themselves. They offer “assertiveness training ” courses – AT for short. In the AT courses people learn that they have a right to be themselves. They learn to speak out and feel good about doing so. They learn to be more active without hurting other people.

In one way, learning to speak out is to overcome fear. A group taking an At course will help the timid person to lose his fear. But At uses an even stronger motive-the need to share. The timid person speaks out in the group because he wants to tell how the feels.

Whether or not you speak up for yourself depends on your self-image. If someone you face is more “important” than you, you may feel less of a person. You start to doubt your own good sense.

You go by the other person’s demand. But, why should you? AT says you can get to feel good about yourself. And once you do , you can learn to speak out.

 

96. As used the first line, the phrase “talk back” means　　　　　.

A)　　　　　　persuade somebody to change his mind

B)　　　　　　 answer showing disagreement

C)　　　　　　talk and go back

D)　　　　　　fight bravely

 

97. The passage mainly discusses the problem that　　　　　　.

A)　　　　　　people are easily cheated when they buy something

B)　　　　　　 people are afraid to speak for themselves

C)　　　　　　some people think too low of the themselves

D)　　　　　　some people are afraid of superiors

 

98. We may infer from the passage that the author’s attitude towards the whole set up is　　　　 .

A)　　　　　　positive

B)　　　　　　 negative

C)　　　　　　hostile

D)　　　　　　appreciative

 

99. One thing that “Assertiveness Training” does not do is　　　　　.

A)　　　　　　help people overcome fear

B)　　　　　　 show people they have a right to be themselves

C)　　　　　　help people to assert themselves even if others suffer

D)　　　　　　help people to feel good about themselves

 

100. A best title for this passage is　　　　　.

A)　　　　　　Assertiveness Training

B)　　　　　　 Development of Self-respect

C)　　　　　　The Importance of Self-image

D)　　　　　　How to Feel Good About Yourself