C

Some futurologists have assumed that the vast upsurge(剧增)of women in the workforce may portend a rejection of marriage. Many women, according to this hypothesis, would rather work than marry. The converse(反面)of this concern is that the prospects of becoming a multi-paycheck household could encourage marriage. In the past, only the earnings and financial prospects of the man counted in the marriage decision. Now, however, the earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner. Data show that economic downturns tend to putting off marriage because the parties cannot afford to establish a family or are concerned about rainy days ahead. As the economy comes to life, the number of marriages also rises.

The increase in divorce rates follows to the increase in women working outside the home. Yet, it may be wrong to jump to any simple cause-and-effect conclusions. The impact of a wife’s work on divorce is no less cloudy than its impact on marriage decisions. The realization that she can be a good provider may increase the chances that a working wife will choose divorce over an unsatisfactory marriage. But the reverse is equally plausible(似是而非的). Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. By raising a family’s standard of living, a working wife may strengthen her family’s financial and emotional stability.

Psychological factors also should be considered. For example, a wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house. She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce. On the other hand, if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union.

Also, a major part of women’s inequality in marriage has been due to the fact that, in most cases, men have remained the main breadwinners. A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of the house. Depending upon how the couple reacts to these new conditions, it could create a stronger equal partnership or it could create new insecurities.

64．The word “portend” (Line 2, Para.1) is closest in meaning to“_____”.

A．defy       B．signal     C．suffer from   D．result from

65．It is said in the passage that when the economy slides_____.

    A．men would choose working women as their marriage partners

    B．more women would get married to seek financial security

    C．even working women would worry about their marriages

    D．more people would prefer to remain single for the time being

66．One reason why women with no career may seek a divorce is that_____.

A．they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom

B．they are afraid of being bossed around by their husbands

C．they feel that their partners fail to live up to their expectations

D．they tend to suspect their husbands? loyalty to their marriage

67．Which of the following statements can best summarize the authors view in the passage?

A．The stability of marriage and the divorce rate may reflect the economic situation of the country．

B．Even when economically independent, most women have to struggle for real equality in marriage.

C．In order to secure their marriage women should work outside the home and remain

independent

D．The impact of the growing female workforce on marriage varies from case to case.

                            D

   Many disease researchers have warned that rising global temperatures could lead to more diseases. for example by allowing tropical diseases to expand their ranges into what are now mild regions. This is a particular fear for the diseases carried by insects such as malariac(疟疾） and

sleeping sickness.

   But the reality is more complex, argues Kevin Lafferty. a disease ecologist. He argues that a warming climate could favour some diseases in certain regions while controlling them in others.

     Lafferty does not deny that climate change might allow malarial mosquitoes to spread to new areas. However he believes that hotter and drier conditions may also get rid of mosquitoes from areas where they currently exist. If this were the case, he says. there would be little. if any, net

increase (净增长） in the risk of disease.

   In addition, many mild regions such as southern Europe or the southern U.S. have good sanitation（卫生设备） and insect control programmes which, Lafferty says, would prevent diseases from becoming common even if climatic conditions were suitable.

    Finally, he argues, climate change could wipe many species off the plant. Infectious pathogens（病原体） depend on their hosts for survival so they too may become endangered-especially if they,like malaria, rely on more than one host.

    But Mercedes Pascual of the University of Michigan points out that there are large human populations in the east African highlands, just outside of the existing range of malarial mosquitoes.She said as temperatures rise, the mosquitoes will reach these areas. So the disadvantages will

outweigh the advantages of decreased risk elsewhere.

    Most of the ecologists do, however, seem to agree on one point: predicting where a disease is going to go next involves far more than just considering climate. No matter what the results of the debate are, they all agree that health concerns should continue to play a critical role in climate policy and the debate shouldn't be regarded as weakening the case for action against global warming.

53. According to Kevin Lafferty, climate change__________

    A. will not increase the spread of insect-bome diseases

    B. may not significantly increase the risk of disease in the whole world

    C. will not affect the dry regions where sanitation is good

    D. may not affect viruses that depend on more than one host

54. What does Mercedes Pascual think of Lafferty 's conclusion?

A. She disagrees with it.   B. She supports it.

C. She is not sure ofit.    D. She thinks it needs proving.

55. We may infer from the passage that ___________

    A. climate is the only factor in the predictior of the spread of diseases

    B. when making a climate policy one should take health into account

    C. the debate mentioned in the passage furthers the debate on global warming

    D. a policy should be made immediately to try to stop climate change

56. We can learn from the passage that ___________

    A. all the disease researchers agree that climate change will spread disease

    B. nothing can be done to stop the present global warming

    C. scientists have found ways to stop the wild spread of disease

D. ecologists have different views on whether the global warming will spread diseases further

D

Many Chinese have been greatly shocked by the traffic accident caused by the drunk driver Sun Weiming, who has killed five and injured some others in Chengdu, Sichuan. However, such a case is not rare.

   Today, the traffic accidents may have been regarded as a social problem. The car has killed and disabled more people in its brief history than any bomb or weapon ever invented. Much of the blood on the street flows actually from rude behavior of drivers who refuse to respect the legal and moral (道德的) rights of others. In fact, the enemies of society on wheels are rather harmless but just ordinary people acting carelessly, you might say. But it is a principle both of law and common morality that carelessness is no excuse when one's actions could bring death or damage to others. A minority of the killers go even far beyond carelessness that can be imagined.

   Researchers have estimated that as many as 80 percent of all automobile accidents can be attributed to the psychological condition of the driver. Emotional upsets can change drivers’ reactions incorrectly, slow their judgment, and make them blind to the dangers that might otherwise be evident. The experts warn that it is vital for every driver to make a conscious effort to keep his/her emotions under control.

   Yet the .irresponsibility; that accounts for much of the problem isn't only put upon drivers. Street walkers regularly ignore or break traffic regulations. They are blamed in most vehicle walker accidents, and many cyclists even believe that they are not subject to the basic rules of the road.

   Significant legal advances have been made towards safer driving in the past few years. Safety standards for vehicles have been raised both at the point of manufacture and through regular road inspections. In addition, speed limits have been lowered. Due to these measures, the accident rate has decreased. But the accident experts still worry because there has been little or no improvement in the way drivers behave. The only real and lasting solution, say the experts, is to make people believe that driving is a skilled task requiring constant care and concentration. Those who fail to do all these things present a threat to those with whom they share the road.

67. Traffic accidents may be regarded as a social problem because

   A. auto driving has become dangerous and harmful in today's society

   B. people usually pay no attention to law and morality when driving

   C. they have caused serious psychological problems among drivers

   D. the car has killed and disabled more people than any weapon in history

68. Who are NOT mentioned as being responsible for the road accidents?

   A. Careless bicycle--riders.             B. Careless people walking in the street.

   C. Irresponsible auto drivers.            D. Irresponsible auto manufacturers.

69. Discussing solutions to traffic accidents, the author seems to be

   A. doubtful and hopeless               B. angry and disappointed

   C. objective and concerned             D. anxious and annoyed

70. The author writes this passage to

   A. show his worries about drunk driving

   B. help protect street walkers from car accidents

   C. discuss traffic problems and possible solutions

   D. warn auto drivers to refuse drunk driving

C

Some experts feel that cars are certain to fall into disuse. They see a day in the not-too-distant future when all cars will be deserted and made useless. Other experts, however, think the car is here to stay. They hold that the car will remain a leading means of city travel in the foreseeable future.

    The car will undoubtedly change greatly over the next 30 years. It should become smaller, safer, and more practical, and should not be powered by the gas engine. The car of the future should be far more pollution-free than present types.

    Unless changes take place in the power system, the car in the future will still be the main problem in city traffic jams. One suggested solution to this essential problem is the automated (自动的) system, which seems to hold water.

    When the car enters the highway system, a small arm will drop from the car and connect with a rail, which is similar to those powering subway trains electrically. Once joined to the rail, the car will become electrically powered from the system, and control of the car will pass to a central computer. The computer will then monitor all the car’s movements. The driver will use the telephone to dial instructions about his position and the place he heads for into the system. The computer will find the best way and reserve space for the car all the way to the correct exit from the highway. The driver will be free to relax and wait for the call that will warm him of his coming exit. It is believed that an automated highway will be able to deal with 10,000 cars per hour, compared with the 1,500 to 2,000 cars that can be carried by a present-day highway.

48. What is the main concern of the author of the passage?

A. How to make cars pollution-free.            B. How to make cars smaller and safer.

C. How to solve the problem of train jam.   D. How to develop an automated subway system.

49. We can infer from this passage that __________.

A. the car connected to the rail on the highway will be powered by electricity.

B. The lack of oil is forcing people to find new means to power automobiles.

C. The driver under the system will be told where to get out of the highway.

D. The future car will become larger, faster, prettier and less expensive.

50. What provides cars with electric power in an automated highway system?

A. An engine.         B.A rail.    C. A computer controller.            D. A small arm.

51. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. The driver puts his information in the system by email.

B. The new system can deal with 10 times as many cars as the present one.

C. After entering the automated system, the driver needs to do nothing but relax.

D. Some experts are not confident of the future, while the view of the author is hopeful.

       A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be “running out of control”．This idea is dangerous．

       Science can be a force for evil as well as for good．Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions．The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science．But here is a real danger．Science is advancing so fast is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference．And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing．

       Some people go even further．They say that despite the moral and legal objections （反对）, whatever is scientifically possible will be done ——somewhere, sometime．They believe that science will get out of control in the end．This belief is dangerous too, because it a fuels sense of hopelessness and discourages them from making efforts to build a safer world．

       In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science．Without a common understanding, the challenges of “controlling” science in this century will be really tough．Take human cloning for example．Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact （影响） on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques．The outcomes are hard to predict．

       Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies．Only through the united efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can science best serve mankind in the future．

What can we conclude from the recent study?

       A．People think highly of science．

       B．People hold mixed opinions about science．

       C．Science is getting dangerously out of control．

       D．Science is used for both good and bad purposes．

According to the passage, what will happen if we hold that science is getting beyond control?

       A．The development of science will hopelessly slow down．

       B．Businesses will have even greater influence on science．

       C．The public will lose faith in bringing about a bright future．

       D．People will work more actively to put science under control．

The discussion should reach beyond scientific societies because __________．

       A．scientists have failed to predict the outcomes

       B．the ties between different areas need strengthening

       C．united efforts are necessary for the development of science

       D．people need to work together to prevent the bad use of science

What is the main idea of the passage?

       A．Science and its applications bring us many dangers．

       B．The development of science mostly lies in people’s attitudes．

       C．Mankind can largely take control of science with their efforts．

       D．The future of science will be influenced by the dangerous ideas．