E

The Pathfinder

    When we found him, he was a sorry sight. His clothes were torn, his hands bleeding. Before we reached him, we saw him fall. He lay a moment. Then he pulled himself to his feet, walked unsteadily a few yards through the woods and fell again.

       After we got him out, we went back to find the gun that he had thrown down. His tracks showed that for two days he had circled in the forest, within 200 yards of the road. His senses were so dulled by fear and tiredness that he did not hear the cars going by or see the lights at night.

       We found him just in time.

       This man, like others before him, had simply been frightened when he knew he was lost. What had been a near disaster might have turned out as only a pleasant walk, had he made a few preparations before he stepped from the highway or off a known path.

       Whatever sense of direction that a man may have, it’s still largely a question of observation. A skilled woodsman always keeps an eye on his surroundings. He notes that the shape of a mountain, the direction water flows through a swamp, and the way a tree leans across a path. With these in mind, he may be turned around many times, but he is seldom lost.

       There are exceptions, of course, and once in a while a man does come across some strange problem that puts him into the “lost” situation. A rainstorm or sudden blizzard may catch him without a compass(指南针)in his pocket. Darkness may find him in a rough area, where travel is dangerous without a light.

       When this happens, the normal first reaction(反应)is the fear of being laughed at as a result of his poor knowledge in the woods. He may also be concerned about the inconvenience that he will cause his friends when he doesn’t show up. This false pride may lead him to keep on the move in a false effort to find his way against all difficulties.

       The person who thinks ahead is seldom in great danger. He’ll be safe if he observes carefully, thinks ahead, and remains calm.

  72. The author suggested that if the man had not been found, he would have __________.

       A. been shot by a gun

       B. become confused

       C. been attacked by wild animals

       D. been in great danger

  73. According to the passage, if a person gets lost in the forest, at the very beginning, he would __________.

       A. worry about being laughed at

       B. push himself to find his way out

       C. feel it is convenient to ask for help from his friends

       D. be concerned about being frightened by wild animals

  74. When a person tries to find his way in the woods, __________ is the most important.

       A. intelligence       B. observation      C. direction    D. chance

  75. The author tells the story of the lost man as an example of people who __________.

       A. go into the woods by themselves

       B. don’t know how to signal for help properly

       C. are frightened when they think they are lost

       D. notice everything when stepping from the highway

                                     D

To find out how the name Canada came about, we must go back to the 16th century. At that time, the French dreamed of discovering and controlling more land across the world. In 1535 Francois I, King of France, ordered a navigator (航海家) named Jacques Cartier to explore the New world and search for a passage to India.

Cartier first arrived at the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, which he wanted to explore. He did not know

what to expect but he hoped that this Gulf was just an arm of the ocean between two islands. If it

was, he would soon be on his way to the Far East. So he sailed upwards along the St. Lawrence

River. However, instead of reaching Asia he arrived at Quebec or Stadacona, as the Indians called

it. It was at this point that the term “Canada” entered the country’s history. Clearly the word

“Canada” came from an Indian word “Kanata”, which means village. Cartier first used it when he

referred to Stadacona or Quebec. What a huge “village” Canada is!

57. What was Cartier ordered to do?

A. To build a new country                  

B. To find the New World

C. To get in touch with the American Indians   

D. To know more about America and find a new way to Asia

58. When Cartier reached the Gulf of St. Lawrence he hoped ________.

A. he had got to the Far East             B. it was a water way to the New World

C. it was a water way to the Far East       D. he had sailed into the Pacific

59. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Quebec and Stadacona were tow islands.    

B. The Indian language for village is Stadacona.

C. Quebec and Stadacona were two villages in Canada. 

D. Stadacona was what the Indians called Quebec.

60. Canada was first used to refer to __________.

A. Asia     B. the New World       C. a village         D. Quebec

                                     E

A United Nations report says the number of people in the world is expected to reach 6500 million this July. By the middle of the century, the population could reach more than 9000 million. That would be an increase of 40﹪.

These numbers are fresh estimates for a report on world population change from 1950 to 2050. Hania Zlotnik is director of the U.N. Population Division. She says the world has added nearly 500 million people in the last six years.

But, in her words, "the good news is that new estimates show that it will take a little longer" to add the next 500 million. Mizz Zlotnik says this will probably happen by 2013.

The U.N. report says most population growth by 2050 will take place in less developed countries. Their population is expected to increase from 5000 million today to almost 8000 million. The population of more developed nations is expected to stay about the same, at just over 1000 million.

The report says nine countries will be responsible for about half the world population increase by 2050. These include Bangladesh, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and India. The others are Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda and the United States.

Twelve countries are expected to have populations at least three times the size now. These include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and East Timor. The others are Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger and Uganda.

The report says birth rates remain low in forty-four developed countries.

Today, worldwide, there is an average of two-point-six children per woman. This number is expected to fall to just over two children per woman in  2050. But U.N. population experts note that they cannot be sure which way birth rates will go in the future.

The U.N. report also notes that AIDS has increased death rates and slowed population growth in sixty countries. The area most affected by the disease is Southern Africa.

There, how long people live has fallen from an average of sixty-two years in 1995 to forty-eight now. Researchers believe life expectancy will fall to forty-three years by 2015, then begin a slow recovery.

67. Which of the following statements is true?

  A. The population growth will slow down in the next few years.

  B. Most population growth will take place in developed countries.

  C. There is an average of 2.6 children per woman in developed countries.

  D. The area most affected by AIDS is Uganda.

68. Which one is the best title of this passage?

  A. AIDS slowed population growth.

  B. Most population growth will take place in less developed countries.

  C. Population growth and death rate.

  D. UN world population report.

69.The author believes that the population growth results from_______

  A. The birth rate in developed countries is too high.

  B. The birth rate in developing countries is too high.

  C. AIDS hit only a few countries.

  D. A decrease in death rate.

70. Which of the following best describe the author’s attitude towards the rapid population growth?

  A. sympathetic     B. happy       C. optimistic     D. critical

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