Never before in history have people been so aware of what is going on in the world．Television, newspapers, radio keep us continually informed and stimulated our interest．The sociologist’s interest in the world around him is intense, for society is his field of study．As an analyst, he must be well acquainted with a broad range of happenings and must understand basic social processes．He wants to know what makes the social world what it is, how it is organized, why it changes in the way that it does．Such knowledge is valuable not only for those who make great decisions, but also for you, since this is the world in which you live and make your way.

1．The passage chiefly concerns ________ .

A．the work of a sociologist

B．the new media

C．modem society

D．decision-makers

2．It can be inferred that a good sociologist must be ________ .

A．persistent

B．sensitive

C．objective

D．curious

    Besides giving off gases and dusts into the air, humans produce waste that is poured on the environment. Often, this waste produced by major industries and people is harmful to both nature and human life.

    One of the main causes of the large amount of dangerous waste is that people do not realize how large a problem it is. Because it can be simply removed and sent to a landfill (废渣填埋场), the problem is often believed to end there. In addition, industries have often shown an unwillingness to find ways to deal with dangerous waste because of the related expenses. Many industries and governments build simple landfills to store waste, and often just pour waste chemicals into nearby bodies of water. Often, chemicals used for industrial production cause dangerous forms of waste. The amount of these chemicals has increased greatly in the past, but it is often difficult and expensive to get rid of these chemicals or to store them in a way safe to human life and the environment.

    Every year, major health problems result from dangerous waste. Sadly, it is often only after someone has died or become seriously ill that governments will take measures to reduce levels of harmful waste.

    Some governments have realized how serious the dangerous waste problem is and are now trying to settle this problem. They are also trying to limit the amount of waste industries are allowed to produce.

    Not only governments but ordinary people as well must work together to solve the problem. They can choose not to buy those products which require the production of dangerous waste, and produce less harmful waste themselves. Many scientists think that waste production can be cut. The waste can be reduced by at least one third using existing technologies and methods.

1. What would be the best tide for the text?

A. Measures of Reducing Dangerous Waste

B. Danger of Harmful Waste to Mankind

C. Dangerous Waste and Water Pollution

D. Environmental Protection

2. According to the text, people ______.

A. do not produce harmful waste in their daily life

B. do not know where to place the dangerous waste

C. are not clear about how serious the dangerous waste problem is

D. are not sure about where harmful waste ends

3. What troubles industries most in dealing with the dangerous waste problem?

A. How to get government support.

B. How to increase their production.

C. How to store harmful waste.

D. How to cut down the related costs.

4. What can he inferred from the passage?

A. The polluting industries are not allowed to sell their products.

B. Present technologies have settled the harmful waste problem.

C. Everyone should obey the government rules for the problem.

D. To solve the problem requires the efforts of the whole society.

    Have you ever had the strange feeling that you were being watched? You turned around and, sure enough, someone was looking right at you!

    Parapsychologists (灵学家) say that humans have a natural ability to sense when someone is looking at them, To research whether such a “sixth sense” really exists, Robert Baker, a psychologist (心理学家) at the University of Kentucky, performed two experiments.

    In the first one, Baker sat behind unknowing people in public places and stared at the backs of their heads for 5 to 15 minutes. The subjects (爱试者) were eating, drinking, reading, studying, watching TV, or working at a computer. Baker made sure that the people could not tell that he was sitting behind them during those periods. Later, when he questioned the subjects, almost all of them said they had no sense that someone was staring at them.

    For the second experiment, Baker told the subjects that they would be stared at from time to time from behind a two-way mirror in a laboratory setting. The people had to write down when they felt they were being stared at and when they weren’t. Baker found that the subjects were no better at telling when they were stared at and when they weren’t than if they had just guessed.

    Baker concludes that people do not have the ability to sense when they’re being stared at. If people doubt the outcome of his two experiments, said Baker, “I suggest they repeat the experiments and see for them.”

1. The purpose of the two experiments is to ______.

A. explain when people can have a sixth sense

B. show how people act while being watched in the lab

C. study whether humans can sense when they are stared at

D. prove why humans have a sixth sense

2. In the first experiment, the subjects _______.

A. were not told that they would be stared at

B. lost their sense when they were stared at

C. were not sure when they would be stared at

D. were uncomfortable when they were stared at

3. The underlined word “outcome” in the last paragraph most probably means ______.

A. value

B. result

C. performance

D. connection

4. What can be learned from the passage?

A. People are born with a sixth sense.

B. The experiments support parapsychologists’ idea.

C. The subjects do not have a sixth sense in the experiments.

D. People have a sixth sense in public places.

A letter to Edward, a columnist (报刊专栏作家)

Dear Mr. Expert,

    I grew up in an unhappy and abusive home. I always promised myself that I’d get out as soon as possible. Now, at age 20, I have a good job and a nice house, and I’m really proud of the independence I’ve achieved.

    Here’s the problem: several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine—so much so that they make mine theirs.

    It started with a couple of them spending the weekends with me. But now they seem to take it for granted that they can show up any time they like. They bring boyfriends over, talk on the phone and stay out forever.

    I enjoy having my friends here sometimes—it makes the place feel comfortable and warm—but this is my home, not a party house. I was old enough to move out on my own, so why can't I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy (隐私)?

Joan

Edward’s reply to Joan

Dear Joan,

    If your family didn’t pay attention to your needs when you were a child, you probably have trouble letting others know your needs now.

    And if you've gathered your friends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere (气氛), you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with—or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy. You need to understand that in true friendship it’s okay to put your own needs first from time to time.

    Be clear about the message you want to send. For example, “I really love your company but I also need some privacy. So please call before you come over.”

1. We can learn from the first letter that Joan Edward ______.

A. lives away from her parents

B. takes pride in her friends

C. knows Mr. Expert quite well

D. hates her parents very much

2. We can infer from the first letter that _______.

A. Joan considers her friends more important than her privacy

B. Joan’s friends visit her more often than she can accept

C. Joan doesn’t like the parties at all

D. Joan dislikes the boyfriends her friends bring over

3. According to Mr. Expert, why can’t Joan tell her friends her feelings?

A. She is afraid of hurting her friends.

B. She does not understand true friendship.

C. Her family experience stops her from doing so.

D. She does not put her needs first.

4. The underlined word “conflict” in the second letter means _______.

A. dependent life

B. fierce fight

C. bad manners

D. painful feeling

5. The second letter suggests that Mr. Expert _______.

A. is worried about Joan’s problem

B. warns Joan not to quarrel with her friends

C. advises Joan on how to refuse people

D. encourages Joan to be brave enough

    Since many of you are planning to study at a college or university in this country, you may be curious to know what you usually do in a typical week, how you can get along with your fellow students, and so on. These are the questions I want to discuss with you today.

    First, let’s talk about what your weekly schedule will look like. No matter what your major may be, you can expect to spend between four and six hours a week for each class attending lectures. Lectures are usually in very large rooms because some courses such as introduction to sociology or economics often have as many as two or three hundred students, especially at large universities. In lectures, it’s very important for you to take notes on what the professor says because the information in a lecture is often different from the information in your textbooks. Also, you can expect to have exam questions based on the lectures. So it isn’t enough to just read your textbooks; you have to attend lectures as well. In a typical week you will also have a couple of hours of discussion for every class you take. The discussion section is a small group meeting usually with fewer than thirty students where you can ask questions about the lectures, the reading, and the homework. In large universities, graduate students, called teaching assistants, usually direct discussion sections.

    If your major is chemistry, or physics, or another science, you’ll also have to spend several hours a week in the lab, or laboratory, doing experiments. This means that science majors spend more time in the classroom than non-science majors do. On the other hand, people who major in subjects like literature or history usually have to read and write more than science majors do.

1. The main purpose of this text is ________.

A. to help the students to learn about university life

B. to persuade the students to attend lectures

C. to encourage the students to take part in discussions

D. to advise the students to choose proper majors

2. We can learn from the passage that university professors _____.

A. spend about 5 hours on lectures each week

B. must join the students in the discussion sections

C. prefer to use textbooks in their lectures

D. require the students to read beyond the textbooks

3. A discussion section does NOT include ______.

A. working under the guidance of university professors

B. talking over what the students have read about the courses

C. discussing the problems related to the students’ homework

D. raising questions about what a professor has said in a lecture

4. According to the author, science majors ________.

A. have to work harder than non-science majors

B. spend less time on their studies than non-science majors

C. consider experiments more important than discussions

D. read and write less than non-science majors

    Geneva is situated between the Jura Range and the Alps on the western end of Lake Geneva. Capital of Peace is one of its names—the European headquarters of the United Nations lies here in Palais des Nations. Another worthy name for this city with a humanitarian tradition (人道主义传统) and international character is the World's Smallest Metropolis. Parks, splendid stores and lively streets in the old part of town and its 2 000-year history wait to be discovered.

    The Jet d’Eau together with the Flower Watch is おthe main attractions every year for the tourists visiting Geneva. The Jet d'Eau has become the symbol (象征) of Geneva for a long time. This is a 140 meters high water monument with a rich history. Eight 13 500-watt projectors light the grand column (圆柱) of the fountain in the evening, from early March until the second Sunday of October. The Flower Watch, which was created at the edge of the English Garden in 1955, reminds us about that Geneva is the birthplace of the Swiss clock and watch making, and that this industry has become internationally famous, as well through the quality of the watches as through their beautiful appearance.

    Sails on Lake Geneva are also enjoyable. The Lake of Geneva, lying among the Alps, is a true inland sea, making possible a wide range of pleasant boat trips, you can relax and watch the beautiful scenes pass by.

1. Which of the following is NOT suitable for describing Geneva?

A. Capital of Peace.

B. Palais des Nations.

C. The World’s Smallest Metropolis.

D. The birthplace of the Swiss clock and watch making.

2. The Jet d’Eau in the second paragraph refers to ________.

A. the water fountain

B. the English Garden

C. a new scene with electric lighting

D. the name of a famous watchmaker

3. What do we learn about the Lake of Geneva from the text?

A. It is the symbol of Geneva.

B. It lies among the Jura Range.

C. It has a direct passage to the ocean.

D. It is a large body of water of tourist interest.

    The national weather map shows a high pressure (压力) area all along the eastern coastline which brought them very pleasant, sunny weather from New York to Florida．But showers and thunderstorms are taking place from the Ohio River all the way south to the Gulf coast, bringing heavy amounts of rain over the southern states.

    By far the worst of the storms has taken place in and around Texas．Some Texas stations have reported up to fifteen inches of rain in a twenty-four-hour period with high winds and thunderstorms．Two tornadoes (飓风) were reported along the Gulf coast of Texas, but we are not dear about damages and injury.

    Heavy amounts of snow were reported in the Rocky Mountain region (地区) with record cold temperatures in Denver and Boulder．As much as a foot of snow has fallen in some of the mountain stations.

    Temperatures in Arizona and the southwest desert went over the one-hundred-degree mark again today under bright, sunny skies.

1．Where do you think the weather is the best?

A．In Arizona.

B．In the East.

C．Along the Ohio River.

D．Along the Gulf coast.

2．What’s the weather like in the southern states?

A．Sunny.

B．Pleasant.

C．Rainy.

D．Snowy.

3．________ in Texas.

A．There are storms

B．There are strong winds

C．There are tornadoes

D．All of the above

4．According to the report, which state had the highest temperatures?

A．Texas.

B．Arizona.

C．Boulder．

D．Florida.

Taiwan Quake Kills 1,700

    President Jiang Zemin, who also serves as general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, has extended condolences to victims of a devastating earthquake that rocked Taiwan early yesterday morning.

    The magnitude 7.6 quake occurred at 1:47 a.m．(Beijing Time) yesterday.

    The toll of the powerful earthquake was 1,712 dead, with more than 4,000 injured and almost 3,000 trapped, according to media reports at press time.

    Jiang said the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are as inseparable as flesh and blood and that residents of the Chinese mainland are deeply concerned that their compatriots in Tai-wan are suffering.

    Jiang said the Chinese Government is ready to offer any possible assistance to alleviate the quake-caused losses.

    No major tremor is expected in Taiwan in coming months, but aftershocks may shake the island for quite some time, said Chen Jinhai, vice director of the Seismological Bureau of Fujian Province, which lies across the Straits from Taiwan.

    Taiwan was stricken by two earthquakes in1941 and 1964, both measuring about magnitude7, Chen told the China Daily by telephone.

    Most parts of Fujian, especially the coastal areas, felt the Taiwan quake, he said, adding that his bureau received no report of casualties.

    The seismic wave also traveled to Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces, where people reported that they felt the earthquake.

    The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council issued an urgent directive yesterday, asking its local branches to express sympathy and solicitude for Taiwan compatriots on the mainland, whose relatives in Taiwan suffered casualties and property damage in the devastating earthquake.

    The office also urged its branches to co-ordinate with local governments in helping those Taiwan compatriots who want to go home.

1．In the 1st paragraph, “early yesterday morning” quite probably refers to ________ .

A．1:47 p.m．(Beijing Time) yesterday

B．1:47 a.m．(Beijing Time)yesterday

C．1:47 a.m．yesterday

D．1:47 p.m．(Beijing Time) today

2．How many people were badly hurt in the earthquake according to the media reports at press time?

A．1,712

B．3,000

C．4,000

D．7,000

3．The seismic wave has traveled the following areas EXCEPT ________.

A．Guangdong

B．Tianjin

C．Jiangxi

D．Taibei

4．Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．People on the mainland are deeply concerned about after Taiwan compatriots.

B．It’s estimated that some major seismic waves and aftershocks in the coming months are not avoidable.

C．Inhabitants in the coastal area of the mainland also felt the seismic wave.

D．Taiwan has experienced 3 devastating earthquakes ever since 1940s.

    A new law in San Francisco, California makes owning a hand-gun a crime．Citizens of San Francisco must give their guns to local police within the next 90 days or they could be sentenced to 90 days in jail．The ban on hand-guns in San Francisco permits only police, store owners and a few others to own hand-guns．The ban does not affect rifles and shot-guns．People who are against the law say it breaks the right of laws and principles to have arms, and they are taking court action to try to have the law ended.

    A committee of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (石油输出国组织) reportedly has proposed and increased in the price of oil produced in some African countries．The publication Middle East Economic Survey said the OPEC experts committee has urged raising the price by as much as two dollars thirty cents a barrel (桶)．African members of the OPEC which would be affected by the proposed price include Nigeria, Libya and Algeria．The business publication said the OPEC experts committee will argue for its proposal at another OPEC committee meeting later this month in Abu Dhabi (阿布扎比)。

1．Most probably the passage above are taken from ________.

A．textbooks

B．a magazine and a book

C．broadcasts

D．a tourist guide

2．The word “ban” in the first passage means ________.

A．shop-keeper

B．governor

C．officer

D．order that forbids

3．Which of the following statements is not true?

A．The first passage is about the ban on hand-guns in San Francisco.

B．A punishment could be given to citizens of San Francisco, if they don’t give their guns to the local police.

C．The people who disagree with the law will try their best to end the law by taking court action.

D．Owing a shotgun will be considered a crime in San Francisco.

4．The best headline for the second passage would be ________.

A．An OPEC Committee’s Report on 0:1 Price Increase in Some African Countries.

B．An OPEC Committee’s Proposal for Oil Price Increase in Some African Countries.

C．An OPEC Expects’ Arguing About Oil Price Increase.

D．Something About the Committee of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

5．Which of the following statements is true?

A．The committee of the OPEC has decided to raise the oil price.

B．The members of the OPEC would be affected by the price increase.

C．Another OPEC committed meeting will be held later this month.

D．What the committee has argued is raising the price by as much as two dollars thirty cents.

1．How many tablets a day should a child of four take?

A．One

B．Two.

C．Half a tablet.

D．None.

2．Which of the following do the tablets contain?

A．Artificial coloring.

B．Minerals.

C．Preservatives.

D．vitamin B4.

3．Which of the following typical values providing the full Recommended Daily Amount do the tablets contain most?

A．Vitamin B2.

B．Vitamin E.

C．Vitamin B3.

D．Zinc.