In the United States, it is not usual to telephone .someone very early in the morning. If you　 telephone him early ill the day, while he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call shows　 that the matter is very important and requires immediate attention. S,,o il is with the telephone calls made after 11:00 l)m. If someone receives a call during sleeping hours, he may think that it's a matter of life and death. The time chosen for the call communicates its importance.

　　 In racial life, time plays a very important part. Ill the USA guests tend to feel they are not　 highly regarded if the invitation to a dinner party reaches them only three or four days before the party date. But it is not true in all countries. In other areas of the world, it may be considered　 foolish to make an appointment too far in advance because plans which are made for a date more　 than a week away tend to be forgotten. The meaning of time is not the same in different parts of　 the world. Thus, misunderstandings begin to exist between people from different cultures that　 treat time differently; being on time is valued highly in American life, for example. If people are　 not on time, they may be regarded as impolite or not fully responsible. In the USA no one would think of keeping a business friend for an hour; it would be too impolite. A person who is 5 minutes late is expected to make a short apology. If he is less than 5 minutes late, he will say a few　 words of explanation, though perhaps he will not complete the sentence.

63. A call at midnight would mean

　　 A. the matter is less important

　　 B. the matter is least important

　　 C. the matter requires immediate attention

　　 D. it is a matter of life and death

64. According to the passage, time carries　　　　 meanings in all parts of the world.

　　 A. the .same　　　　 B. different　　　　　　 C. similar　　　　　 D. secret

65. In the passage, the author suggests that invitation cards should be sent

　　 A. three or four days before the party date in all cultures

　　 B. three or four days before the party date in some cultures

　　 C. two weeks before the party date in the USA

　　 D. at your chosen time

66. The best title for this passage is

　　 A. The Voices of Time　　　　　　　　　　　 B. The Saving of Time

C. The importance of an Announcement　　　 D. Time Is Money

Life in 2060

　　Let us suppose it is now about A.D. 2060. Let’s make believe (假装；虚构) it is about sixty years from now. Of course, things have changed and life is very different.

　　Voyages to the moon are being made every day. It is as easy to take a holiday on the moon today as it was for the people in 1960 to take a holiday in Europe. At a number of scenic spots on the moon, many hotels have been built. The hotels are air-conditioned, naturally. In order that everyone can enjoy the beautiful scenery on the moon, every room has at least one picture window. Everything imaginable is provided for entertainment (娱乐) of young and old.

　　What are people eating now? People are still eating food. They haven’t yet started to take on heir (继承) supply of energy directly as electrical current or as nuclear power. They may some day. But many foods now come in pill form, and the food that goes into the pill continues to come mainly from green plants.

　　Since there are several times as many people in the world today as there were a hundred years ago, most of our planet’s surface has to be filled. The deserts are irrigated with water and crops are no longer destroyed by pests. The harvest is always good.

　　Farming, of course, is very highly developed. Very few people have to work on the farm. It is possible to run the farm by just pushing a few buttons now and then.

　　People are now largely vegetarians (素食者). You see, as the number of people increases, the number of animal decreases. Therefore, the people have to be vegetarians and we are healthier both in our bodies and in our minds, and we know the causes and cure of disease and pain, and it is possible to get rid of diseases. No one has to be ill any more.

　　Such would be our life in 2060.

36. When was the passage written?

　　A. In about A.D. 2060.   B. In about 1960.

　　C. In about 2000.      D. In about 2004.

37. According to the passage, what will be on the moon in about A.D. 2060?

　　A. Many tourists.    B. Many other animals.

　　C. Many plants.     D. A sea.

38. What will people eat then according to the passage?

　　A. Biscuits in pill form.   B. Foods in pill form.

　　C. Foods in water form.   D. Foods in gas form.

39. The passage tells us that in 2060, ____ on the earth than now.

　　A. there are fewer population   B. there are more pests

　　C. there is less water       D. the crops are getting better

A few days ago I got a call from my old college friend whom I haven’t seen for a very long time. The topic, which was about all the good old times that we had changed to a touching story when he started talking about his father.　　
His father’s declining health made him stay at the hospital. Because of his illness, his father suffered from insomnia (失眠) and often talked to himself. My friend, who had not been able to sleep for a few days as he had to keep watching his father’s condition, became irritated and told his father to keep silent and try to get some sleep. His father said that he really wanted to sleep well because he was very tired and told my friend to leave him alone in the hospital if he did not want to keep him company.　　
After his father finished talking, he fell unconscious (失去知觉). My friend was very sorry for speaking the ill words towards his father. My friend, whom I knew as a tough person, cried as a baby on the other end of the telephone. He said that from that moment on, he prayed every day, asking God to let his father wake up from his coma. He promised himself that whatever words came out from his father’s mouth after he regained his consciousness, he would gladly take them. His only hope for God was to give him a chance to rectify his past mistake.　　
Often, we complain when we have to accompany or watch over our parents for years, months, days, hours or even minutes. But do we realize that our parents keep us company and watch over us for as long as we (or they) live? From the day we were born to our adulthood, and even when deaths come to us, they are always at our side.
Imagine how sad our parents will be when they hear a seemingly innocent word of “no” come out from our mouths. We can make promises to ourselves that from now on there will be no more complaints that come out from our mouths when we have to watch over or accompany our parents. No more complaints come out from our mouths when we feel that our parents have treated us like little children. There are so many unlucky ones who have neither fathers nor mothers. They long to have the things that we most complain about, but never have them.
Actually, it takes only a second to think and light the lamp that will bring us to a place where peace is dwelling.
【小题1】Which of the following word can be used to describe the writer’s friend?