SECTION A READING COMPREHENSION ［25 MIN.］?

? In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer. ??

TEXT A

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    Many of the home electric goods which are advertised as liberating the modern woman tend to have the opposite effect, because they simple change the nature of work instead of eliminating it. Machines have a certain novelty value, like toys for adults. It is certainly less tiring to put clothes in a washing machine, but the time saved does not really amount to much: the machine has to be watched, the clothes have to be carefully sorted out first, stains removed by hand, buttons pushed and water changed, clothes taken out, aired and ironed. It would be more liberating to pack it all off to a laundry and not necessarily more expensive, since no capital investment is required. Similarly, if you really want to save time you do not make cakes with an electric mixer, you buy one in a shop. If one compares the image of the woman in the women’s magazine with the goods advertised by those periodicals, one realizes how useful a projected image can be commercially. A careful balance has to be struck: if you show a labour-saving device, follow it up with a complicated’ recipe on the next page; on no account hint at the notion that a woman could get herself a job, but instead foster her sense of her own usefulness, emphasizing the creative aspect of her function as a housewife. So we get cake mixes where the cook simply adds an egg herself, to produce “that lovely homo-baked flavour the family love”, and knitting patterns that can be made by hand, or worse still, on knitting machines, which became tremendously fashionable when they were first introduced. Automatic cookers are advertised by pictures of pretty young mothers taking their children to the park, not by professional women presetting the dinner before leaving home for work.?

66. According to the passage, many of the home electric goods which are supposed to liberate woman___.?

A. remove unpleasant aspects of housework?

B. save the housewife very little time?

C. save the housewife’s time but not her money?

D. have absolutely no value for the housewife ?

67. According to the context, “capital investment” refers to money___.?

A. spent on a washing machine?

B. borrowed from the bank?

C. saved in the bank?

D. lent to other people ?

68. The goods advertised in women’s magazines are really meant to ___.?

A. free housewives from housework?

B. encourage housewives to go out to work?

C. make housewives into excellent cooks?

D. give them a false sense of fulfillment ?

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TEXT B

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    The “standard of living” of any country means the average person’s share of the goods and services which the country produces. A country’ s standard of living, therefore, depends first and foremost on its capacity to produce wealth. “Wealth” in this sense is not money, for we do not live on money but on things that money can buy: “goods” such as food and clothing, and “services” such as transport and entertainment.?

    A country’s capacity to produce wealth depends upon many factors, most of which have an effect on one another. Wealth depends to a great extent upon a country’s natural resources, such as coal, gold, and other minerals, water supply and so on. Some regions of the world are well supplied with coal and minerals, and have a fertile soil and a favourable climate; other regions possess none of them.?

    Next to natural resources comes the ability to turn them to use. Some countries are perhaps well off in natural resources, but suffered for many years from civil and external wars, and for this and other reasons have been unable to develop their resources. Sound and stable political conditions, and freedom from foreign invasion, enable a country to develop its natural resources peacefully and steadily, and to produce more wealth than another country equally well served by nature but less well ordered. Another important factor is the technical efficiency of a country’s people. Industrialized countries that have trained numerous skilled workers and technicians are better placed to produce wealth than countries whose workers are largely unskilled.?

    A country’s standard of living does not only depend upon the wealth that is produced and consumed within its own borders, but also upon what is indirectly produced through international trade. For example, Britain’s wealth in foodstuffs and other agricultural products would be much less if she had to depend only on those grown at home. Trade makes it possible for her surplus manufactured goods to be traded abroad for the agricultural products that would otherwise be lacking. A country’s wealth is, therefore, much influenced by its manufacturing capacity, provided that other countries can be found ready to accept its manufactures.?

69.The standard of living in a country is determined by ___.?

A. its goods and services?

B. the type of wealth produced?

C. how well it can create wealth?

D. what an ordinary person can share ?

70. A country’s capacity to produce wealth depends on all the factors EXCEPT ___.?

A. people’s share of its goods

B. political and social stability?

C. qualities of its workers

D. use of natural resources ?

71. According to the passage, ___ play an equally important rule in determining a country’s standard of living.?

A. farm products

B. industrial .goods?

C. foodstuffs

D. export and import ?

???
TEXT C

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    How we look and how we appear to others probably worries us more when are in our teens or early twenties than at any other time in our life. Few of us are content to accept ourselves as we are, and few are brave enough to ignore the trends of fashion.?

    Most fashion magazines or TV advertisements try to persuade us that we should dress in a certain way or behave in a certain manner. If we do, they tell ns, we will be able to meet new people with confidence and deal with every situation confidently and without embarrassment. Changing fashion, of course, does not apply just to dress. A barber today does not cut a boy’s hair in the same way as he used to, and girls do not make up in the same way as their mothers and grandmothers did. The advertisers show us the latest fashionable styles and we are constantly under pressure to follow the fashion in case our friends think we are odd or dull.?

    What causes fashions to change? Sometimes convenience or practical necessity or just the fancy of an influential person can establish a fashion. Take hats, for example. In cold climates, early buildings were cold inside, so people wore hats indoors as well as outside. In recent times, the late President Kennedy caused a depression in the American hat industry by not wearing hats: more American men followed his example.?

    There is also a cyclical pattern in fashion. In the 1920s in Europe and America, short skirts became fashionable. After World War Two, they dropped to ankle length. Then they got shorter and shorter the miniskirt was in fashion. After a few more years, skirts became longer again.?

    Today, society is much freer and easier than it used to be. It is no longer necessary to dress like everyone else. Within reason, you can dress as you like or do your hair the way you like instead of the way you should because it is the fashion. The popularity of jeans and the “untidy” look seems to be a reaction against the increasingly expensive fashion of the top fashion houses.?

    At the same time, appearance is still important in certain circumstances and then we must choose our clothes carefully. It would be foolish to go to an interview for a job in a law firm wearing jeans and a sweater; and it would be discourteous to visit some distinguished scholar looking as if we were going to the beach or a night club. However, you need never feel depressed if you don’t look like the latest fashion photo. Look around you and you’ll see that no one else does either!?

72. The author thinks that people are ___.?

A. satisfied with their appearance?

B. concerned about appearance in old age?

C. far from neglecting what is in fashion?

D. reluctant to follow the trends in fashion ?

73. Fashion magazines and TV advertisements seem to link fashion to___.?

A. confidence in life B. personal dress?

C. individual hair style D. personal future ?

74. Causes of fashions are ___.?

A. uniform B. varied C. unknown D. inexplicable. ?

75. Present-day society is much freer and easier because it emphasizes ___.?

A. uniformity B. formality C. informality D. individuality ?

76. Which is the main idea of the last paragraph??

A. Care about appearance in formal situations.?

B. Fashion in formal and informal situations.?

C. Ignoring appearance in informal situations.?

D. Ignoring appearance in all situations. ??

TEXT D

    Massive changes in all of the world’ s deeply cherished sporting habits are underway. Whether it’s one of London’s parks full of people playing softball, and Russians taking up rugby, or the Superbowl rivaling the British Football Cup Final as a televised spectator event in Britain, the patterns of players and spectators are changing beyond recognition. We are witnessing a globalization of our sporting culture.?

    That annual bicycle race, the Tour de France, much loved by the French is a good case in point. Just a few years back it was a strictly continental affair with France, Belgium and Holland, Spain and Italy taking part. But in recent years it has been dominated by Colombian mountain climbers, and American and Irish riders.?

    The people who really matter welcome the shift toward globalization. Peugeot, Michelin and Panasonic are multi-national corporations that want worldwide returns for the millions they invest in teams. So it does them literally a world of good to see this unofficial world championship become just that.?

    This is undoubtedly an economic-based revolution we are witnessing here, one made possible by communications technology, but made to happen because of marketing considerations. Sell the game and you can sell Cola or Budweiser as well.?

    The skilful way in which American football has been sold to Europe is a good example of how all sports will develop. The aim of course is not really to spread the sport for its own sake, but to increase the number of people interested in the major money-making events. The economics of the Superbowl are already astronomical. With seats at US $125, gate receipts alone were a staggering $ 10,000,000. The most important statistic of the day, however, was the $ 100,000,000 in TV advertising fees. Imagine how much that becomes when the eyes of the world are watching.?

    So it came as a terrible shock, but not really as a surprise, to learn that some people are now suggesting that soccer change from being a game of two 45-minute halves, to one of four 25-minute quarters. The idea is unashamedly to capture more advertising revenue, without giving any thought for the integrity of a sport which relies for its essence on the flowing nature of the action.?

    Moreover, as sports expand into world markets, and as our choice of sports as consumers also grows, so we will demand to see them played at a higher and higher level. In boxing we have already seen numerous, dubious world title categories because people will not pay to see anything less than a “World Tide” fight,and this means that the title fights have to be held in different countries around the world!?

77. Globalization of sporting culture means that ___.?

A. more people are taking up sports.?

B. traditional sports are getting popular.?

C. many local sports are becoming international?

D. foreigners are more interested in local sports ?

78. Which of the following is NOT related to the massive changes??

A. Good economic returns. B. Revival of sports.?

C. Communications technology. D. Marketing strategies. ?

79. What is the author’s attitude towards the suggestion to change soccer into one of four 25-minute quarters??

A. Favourable. B. Unclear. C. Reserved. D. Critical. ?

80. People want to see higher-level sports competitions mainly because ___.?

A. they become more professional than ever.?

B. they regard sports as consumer goods.?

C. there exist few world-class championships?

D. sports events are exciting and stimulating ??

答案与详解

TEXT A ?

短文大意：这篇文章讲的是现代的日用家电产品的缺陷，它们只是改变了家务劳动的方式，而不能真正节省时间，且其商业广告具有很强的误导性和迷惑性。?

66．答案：B?

【参考译文】根据短文，许多被认为可以解放妇女的家电产品如何？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】本题可从文中第二、三句找到答案“Machines have a certain novelty value… but the time saved does not really amount to much… ”即家用电器具有一定的新颖的价值，但是并不能节省多少时间。故选项B为正确答案。?

67．答案：A?

【参考译文】根据上下文，capital investment指的是什么钱？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】短文第四句话说“It would be more liberating to pack it all off to a laundry… since no capital investment is required．”即与其在家使用洗衣机这么麻烦，还不如直接把衣服送到洗衣店。那样也不需要基本投资。由此可知，capital investment指购买洗衣机所需的花费。故选项A为正确答案。?

68. 答案：D?

【参考译文】在女性杂志上做广告的产品的真正目的什么？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】文中在提到女性杂志上的广告时讲到“on no account hint at the notion that a woman could get herself a job，but instead foster her sense of her own usefulness，emphasizing the creative aspect of her function as a housewife．”即决不要使家庭主妇意识到那将会多一份劳动，反而要使她感觉自己很能干，强调她作为家庭主妇的创造才能。这说明这些广告都利用了家庭主妇的心理弱点，给她们造成了一种虚假的满足感。故选项D为正确答案。?

TEXT B ?

短文大意：这篇文章首先介绍了决定一个国家生活水平高低的主要因素，还详细论述了影响国内财富生产能力的因素。?

69. 答案：C?

【参考译文】一个国家的生活标准是由什么决定的？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】短文第一段第二句说“A country’s standard of living，therefore，depends first and foremost on its capacity to produce wealth。”即生活标准的高低最主要的取决于国内生产财富的能力。故选项C为正确答案。?

70. 答案：A?

【参考译文】下列哪一项不是一个国家的财富生产能力的决定因素？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】文中第三段提到“… the ability to turn them to use… Sound and stable political conditions, and freedom from foreign invasion, enable a country to develop its natural resources peacefully and steadily, … the technical efficiency of a country’s people”故选项B、C、D都是决定一个国家财富生产能力的因素，只有选项

A不是决定因素，故为正确答案。?

71. 答案：D?

【参考译文】根据短文，在决定一个国家的生活水平高低这一点上扮演同样重要角色的是什么？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】短文最后一段提说“A country’s standard of living does not only depend upon the wealth that is produced and consumed within its own borders，but also upon what is indirectly produced through international trade．”即生活标准不仅取决于国内财富生产能力，也取决于通过国际贸易获取财富的能力。国际贸易能力也就是进出

口能力，故选项D为正确答案。?

TEXT C ?

短文大意：这篇有关时尚的文章介绍了不断变化发展的时尚，包括媒体的宣传，促使时尚变化的因素以及时尚的循环模式等，指出了现在人们追求时尚更加随意和自由。?

72. 答案：C?

【参考译文】作者认为人们怎样？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】短文第一段第二句说“Few of us are content to accept ourselves as weare，and few are brave enough to ignore the trends of fashion．”即人们都不会满足于自己的现状，并且都不会忽视对于时尚趋势的关注。由此可知，作者认为很少有人忽视时尚潮流。?

73. 答案：A?

【参考译文】时尚杂志和电视广告似乎将时尚与什么联系在一起？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】短文第二段说“they tell us，we will be able to meet new people with confidence and deal with every situation confidently and without embarrassment。”由此可见，时尚杂志和电视广告是把时尚与自信联系在一起。?

74. 答案：B?

【参考译文】时尚的变化因素怎样？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】短文第三段提到了多种促成时尚变化的因素，如 convenience，practical necessity及the fancy of an influential person等，因此促成时尚变化的因素是多变的。

75. 答案：D?

【参考译文】当今社会更自由更随意是因为它强调什么？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】短文倒数第二段告诉我们“It is no longer necessary to dress like everyone else．Within reason，you can dress as you like or do your hair the way you like instead of the way you should because it is the fashion。”
即你可以按自己的喜好穿衣，留自己喜欢的发型，而不必考虑时尚，所以说，现在的社会并不一味推崇时尚，它强调的是个人喜好，即个性。故选项D为正确答案。?

76．答案：A?

【参考译文】短文最后一段的主要观点是什么？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】最后一段的首句为该段的主题句，即“At the same time, appearance is still important in certain circumstances and then we must choose our clothes carefully.”即外表有时也很重要，在有些场合我们穿着必须慎重。故选项A为正确答案。?

TEXT D ?

短文大意：这篇文章介绍体育文化的全球化及商业化运作现象，分析了其全球化、商业化的原因。?

77. 答案：C?

【参考译文】体育文化的全球化意味着什么？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】短文第二段说“Just a few years back it was a strictly continental affair with France…But in recent years it has been dominated by…”，由此可见体育文化的全球化使许多国内的体育运动项目将走向世界。故选项C为正确答案。?

78. 答案：B?

【参考译文】下列哪一项与大规模的变化无关？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】短文第四段说“This is undoubtedly an economic based revolution… onemade possible by communications technology，but made to happen because of marketing considerations．”这里提到了“好的经济收益”，“通讯技术”及“市场策略的支持”，没有提到“体育运动的复兴” 故选项B为正确答案。?

79. 答案：D?

【参考译文】作者对于把英式足球改变为4场25分钟的比赛的态度如何？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】短文倒数第二段最后一句说“The idea is unashamedly to capture more advertising revenue，without giving any thought for the integrity of a sport which relies for its essence on the flowing nature of the action．”
作者认为这做只是为了获得更多的广告收入，而破坏了足球运动的完整性及精彩性，这种做法是可耻的，由此可见作者是持批评的态度。?

80. 答案：B?

【参考译文】人们为何喜欢看高水平的体育比赛？?

【试题分析】本题为细节题。?

【详细解答】短文最后一段第一句有“as sports expand into world markets，and as our choice of sports as consumers also grows，so we will demand to see them played at a higher and higher level．”据此知体育正扩展到全球市场，我们作为消费者对体育的选择也在增长，因此我们要求看到更高水平的比赛。故选项B为正确答案。?