2. The example of English Channel Tunnel shows __________.

　A. it's not easy to complete a huge project

　B. there are many problems to be solved before doing something

　C. discussions among countries usually take a lot of time

　D. the preparation takes longer time than the construction

1. Which is the longest tunnel in the world at present?

　A. The English Channel Tunnel.

　B. The tunnel between Lyon and Turin.

　C. The Taiwan Straits tunnel.

D. The passage doesn't mention it.

4. Which of the following best describes how the writer feels about stage schools?

　　 A. He thinks highly of what they have to offer.　　

　　 B. He favours an early start in the training of performing arts.

　　 C. He feels uncomfortable about children putting on night shows.

　　 D. He doubts the standard of ordinary education they have reached.

E

　Experts have put forward detailed plans for a tunnel to join Taiwan with the Chinese mainland. The shortest proposed route would be 126 kilometers---more than twice the length of the English Channel Tunnel. And the longest proposed route would be 207 kilometers.

　A recent conference in Xiamen, Fujian Province brought together more than 70 experts. The event was co-sponsored(共同发起) by universities from Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.

　Fujian is the province where both proposed routes would begin.

　There is no direct passenger access between the mainland and Taiwan by air or sea at the moment.

　Experts say that it is better to start research sooner rather than later, although there is a lack of government funding. There are no technical problems to build a Taiwan tunnel. But it will require an improved political relationship across the Straits(海峡).

　A professor of Tsinghua University said, "A special feature of huge projects is that the period of preparation is longer than the period of construction."

　For example, he said, the English Channel Tunnel took 14 years of planning and had been discussed for two centuries. And preparations for the huge Three Gorges(三峡) dam on the Yangtze River began in the 1950s.

　The Xiamen conference focused on the longest southern route, which would use the Taiwan-controlled islands of Jinmen and Penghu as stepping stones.

　The first stage of the new project could be a bridge to cross the five kilometres between Xiamen and Jinmen. This would mean that travelling from Xiamen to Jinmen by car would only take five minutes.

　The longest tunnel now being planned anywhere in the world is the 54-kilometre land tunnel to link Lyon in France with Turin in Italy. The tunnel will not be completed until 2015-2020.

3. “Professional work” as used in the text means ________.

　　 A. ordinary school work　　　 B. money-making performances

　　 C. stage training at school 　 　 D. acting, singing or dancing after class

2. In the writer’s opinion, a good stage school should ________.

　　 A. produce star performers

　　 B. help pupils improve their study skills

　　 C. train pupils in language and performing arts

　　 D. provide a general education and stage training.

1. People would stop feeling uneasy when realizing that the children they’re talking to________.

　　 A. attend a stage school　　　 B. are going to the theatre

　　 C. have got some work to do 　　 D. love singing and dancing

5. What is the advice given in the test?

A. Never drive faster than 30 miles an hour.

B. Try your best to save yourself in a car accident.

C. Never forget to wear the safety belt while driving.

　D. Drive slowly while you're not wearing a safety belt.

D

　When a group of children politely stop a conversation with you, saying: “We have to go to work now,” you’re left feeling surprised and certainly uneasy. After all, this is the 1990s and the idea of children working is just unthinkable. That is, until you are told that they are all pupils of stage schools, and that the “work” they go off to is to go on the stage in a theatre.

　Stage schools often act as agencies(代理机构)to supply children for stage and television work. More worthy of the name “stage school” are those few places where children attend full time, with a training for the theatre and a general education.

　A visit to such schools will leave you in no doubt that the children enjoy themselves. After all, what lively children wouldn’t settle for spending only half the day doing ordinary school work, and acting, singing or dancing their way through the other half of the day?

　Then of course there are times for the children to make a name and make a little money in some big shows. Some stage schools give their children too much professional work at such a young age. But the law is very tight on the amount they can do. Those under 13 are limited to 40 days in the year; those over 13 to 80 days.

　The schools themselves admit that not all children will be successful in the profession for which they are being trained. So what happens to those who don’t make it? While all the leading schools say they place great importance on children getting good study results, the facts seem to suggest this is not always the case.

4. Some people prefer to drive without wearing a safety belt because they believe _______.

A. the belt prevents them from escaping in an accident

B. they will be unable to think clearly in an accident

C. they will be caught when help comes

　D. cars catch fire easily

3. According to the text, to be "thrown clear" of a serious accident is very dangerous because you ________.

A. may be knocked down by other cars.

B. may get serious hurt thrown out of the car

C. may find it impossible to get away from the seat

　D. may get caught in the car door

2. The reason father was in a hurry to get home was that he __________.

A. wasn't feeling very well　 　B. hated to drive in the dark

C. wanted to take some exercise　 D. didn't want to be caught by the people