Part A Reading Comprehension
Text l
From China to America, political leaders are wondering how to handle with the newly-elected Russian President Vladimir V. Putin. The 47-year-old leader has not yet to reveal details of his foreign-policy vision, but this is much clear. He wants Russia to stand tall—or at least, taller—in the world. "It would be unreasonable to be afraid of a strong Russia, but one should reckon with it, "he declared in an "open letter to voters shortly after they elected him on March 26." One can insult us only at one's own peril."
The important point is whether Putin's efforts to build new respect for Russia will lead to confrontation with the West. For now, Putin seems hopeful of putting Russian—Western relations on a better standing— despite U.S. and European criticism of the Chechen War. Putin is the one taking the initiative, media say, for a tête-à-tête with U.S. President Bill Clinton. The pair discussed a possible meeting when Clinton called Putin on March 27 to congratulate him. They hope to meet before the July Group of Eight meeting in Okinawa. "Putin wants it to be constructive, "says Robert Legvold, a Russia watcher at ColumbiaUniversity.
The new president, Putin seems willing to negotiate arms control and security issues with Washington. Clinton wants Russia's agreement to revise the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty so that the U.S can build a limited national missile defense. Putin would want something in return — perhaps the right to sell its missile-defense technology to potential customers such as South Korea. Putin is also looking for a deal from the Paris Club of creditor governments on reducing $ 40 billion in Soviet debt. Encouraged by Putin's promises to enforce the rule of law, the creditors are likely to give him a break.
Any sober calculation of Russia's global status suggests that Russia needs the West more than the West needs Russia. And whatever is generally thought, Russia has more to gain from America and Europe than it does from China. That's why the West should be unafraid of laying down rules for Putin—and brace for a time of testing. Putin is often described as both an opportunist and a cynic, but there is no doubt one attribute that he respects: power.
1. What does the sentence "one can insult us only at one's own peril " mean in the first paragraph?
[A] One can insult us only when one is in peril.
[B] Anyone who offends us will be in danger.
[C] Anyone who is in peril can insult us.
[D] We'll never offend those who are in danger.
2.According to the passage, which of the statements is NOT true? [A] Putin was elected on March 26.
[B] Clinton called Putin on March 27 to congratulate him.
[C] Clinton wants Putin to maintain the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty.
[D] Putin wants the right to sell its missile-defence technology to will-be customers.
3. Which of the following statements about Putin is true?
[A] He was born in 1950.
[B] He is often considered as the one who takes advantage of any opportunity to gain power or money.
[C] He has shown details of his foreign-policy attitude.
[D] He is very powerful.
4.What does the last paragraph imply? [A] China is vital to Russia. [B] Russia is a threat to China.
[C] Russia needs the West in some aspects.
[D] Russia is a threat to the West.
5. In the last sentence of the last paragraph the word “ cynic ”s closest in meaning to
[A] "a fault-finding critic".
[B] "a peace-loving man".
[C] "an outgoing man".
[D] "a favorite companion".
Text 2
No people doubt the fundamental importance of mothers in childrearing, but what do fathers do? Much of what they contribute is simply being the second adult in the home. Bringing up children is demanding, stressful and exhausting. Two adults can support and make up for each other's deficiencies and build on each other's strength.
As we all know, fathers also bring an array of unique qualities. Some are familiar: protector and role model. Teenage boys without fathers are notoriously prone to trouble. The pathway to adulthood for daughters is somewhat easier, but they must still learn from their fathers, in ways they cannot from their mothers, such as how to relate to men. They learn from their fathers about heterosexual trust, intimacy and difference . They learn to appreciate their own femininity from the one male who is most special in their lives. Most important, through loving and being loved by their fathers, they learn that they are love-worthy.
Current research gives much deeper—and more surprising insight into the father's role in child rearing. One significantly overlooked dimension of fathering is play. From their children's birth through adolescence, fathers tend to emphasize game more than caretaking. The father's style of play is likely to be both physically stimulating and exciting. With older children it involves more teamwork, requiring competitive testing of physical and mental skills. It frequently resembles a teaching relationship: come on, let me show you how. Mothers play more at the child's level. They seem willing to let the child directly play.
Kids, at least in the early years, seem to prefer to play with daddy. In one study of 2 1/2-year-olds who were given a choice, more than two-thirds chose to play with their fathers.
The way fathers' play has effects on everything from the management of emotions to intelligence and academic achievement. It is of particular importance in promoting self-control. According to one expert, “children who roughhouse with their fathers quickly learn that biting, kicking and other forms of physical violence are not acceptable. ”They learn when to "shut it down".
At play and in other realms, fathers tend to lay stress on competition, challenge, initiative, risk-taking and independence. Mothers, as caretakers ,stress emotional security and personal safety. On the playground fathers often try to get the child to swing ever higher, while mothers are cautious, worrying about an accident.
We know, too, that fathers' involvement seems to be linked to enhanced verbal and problem-solving skills and higher academic achievement. Several studies found mat along with paternal strictness, the amount of time fathers spent reading with them was a strong predictor of their daughters' verbal ability.
For sons the results have been equally striking. Studies uncovered a strong relationship between fathers' involvement and the mathematical abilities of their sons. Other studies found a relationship between paternal nurturing and boys' verbal intelligence.
6. The first paragraph points out that one of the advantages of a family with both parents is
[A] husband and wife can share housework.
[B] two adults are always better than one.
[C] the fundamental importance of mothers can be fully recognized.
[D] husband and wife can compensate for each other's shortcomings.
7. According to paragraph 3, one significant difference between the father's and mother's role in child-rearing is
[A] the style of play encouraged.
[B]the amont of time available. [C] the strength of emotional ties. [D] the emphasis of intellectual development.
8. Which of the following statements is true?
[A] Mothers tend to stress personal safety less than fathers.
[B] Boys are likely to benefit more from their fathers' caring.
[C] Girls learn to read more quickly with the help of their fathers.
[D] Fathers tend to encourage creativeness and independence.
9. Studies investigating fathers' involvement in child-rearing show that
[A] this improves kids' mathematical and verbal abilities.
[B] the more time spent with kids, the better they speak.
[C] the more strict the fathers are, the cleverer the kids.
[D] girls usually do better than boys academically.
10. The writer's main point in writing this article is
[A] to warn society of increasing social problems.
[B] to focus the father's role in the family.
[C] to discuss the responsibilities of fathers.
[D] to show sympathy for one-parent families.
Text 3
Until men invented ways of staying underwater for more than a few minutes, the wonders of the world below the surface of the sea were almost unknown. The main problem, of course, lies in air. How could air be supplied to swimmers below the surface of the sea? Pictures made about 2,900 years ago in Asia show men swimming under the surface with air bags tied to their bodies. A pipe from the bag carried air into the swimmer's mouth. But little progress was achieved in the invention of diving devices until about 1490; when the famous Italian painter, Leonardo da Vinci, designed a complete diving suit.
In 1680,an Italian professor invented a large air bag with a glass window to be worn over the diver's head. To "clean" the air a breathing pipe went from the air bag, through another bag to remove moisture, and then again to the large air bag. The plan did not work, but it gave later inventors the idea of moving air around in diving devices.
In 1819,a German, Augustus Siebe, developed a way of forcing air into the head-covering by a machine operated above the water. Finally, in 1837,he invented the "hard-hat suit" which was to be used for nearly a century. It had a metal covering for the head and an air pipe attached to a machine above the water. It also had small openings to remove unwanted air. But there were two dangers to the diver inside the “hard-hat suit". One was the sudden rise to the surface, caused by a too great supply of air. The other was the crushing of the body, caused by a sudden diving into deep water. The sudden rise to the surface could kill the diver; a sudden dive could force his body up into the helmet, which could also result in death.
Gradually the" hard-hat suit" was improved so that the diver could be given a constant supply of air. The diver could then move around under the ocean without worrying about the air supply.
During the 1940s diving underwater without a special suit became popular. Instead, divers used a breathing device and a small covering made of rubber and glass over parts of the face . To improve the swimmer's speed another new invention was used : a piece of rubber shaped like a giant foot , which was attached to each of the diver's own feet . The manufacture of rubber breathing pipes made it possible for divers to float on the surface of the water, observing the marine life underneath them. A special rubber suit enabled them to stay in cold water for long periods , collecting specimens of animal and vegetable life that had never been obtained in the past .
The most important advance, however, was the invention of a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, which is called a "scuba".
Invented by two Frenchmen, Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan. the scuba consists of a mouthpiece joined to one or two tanks of compressed air which are attached to the diver's back . The scuba makes it possible for a diver-scientist to work 200 feet underwater or even deeper for several hours. As a result, scientists can now move around freely at great depths , learning about the wonders of the sea.
11.During the period 1490 — 1979 the main progress mentioned in this passage was [A]an Italian professor invented a large air bag.
[B] men invented the best diving devices.
[C] an Italian painter designed a complete diving suit.
[D] an air bag.
12.An invention of an Italian professor
[A] gave later inventors the idea of moving air around in diving devices. [B] can "clean" the air. [C] was used to remove moisture. [D] was nothing but a plan.
13.The German, Augustus Siebe, invented the "hard-hat suit" which was used
[A] for nearly a hundred years.
[B] for almost a thousand years.
[C] for over a century.
[D] for a century or so.
14. Soebe's invention was not a perfect one, because
[A] too great a supply of air could result in a sudden rise to the surface.
[B] a sudden dive into deep water could cause the crushing of' the body.
[C] the air pipe attached to a machine could be above the surface.
[D] both A and B.
15.The word "scuba" is
[A] a certain diver’s name.
[B] an original English word.
[C] named by the inventor.
[D] the first letters of five English words.
Text 4
In January 1995, the world witnessed the emergence of a new international economic order with the launching of the World Trade Organization. The WTO, which succeeds the GATT, is expected to strengthen the world trading system and to be more effective than the GATT in governing international trade in goods and services in many aspects.
First, trade liberalization all over the world is expected to increase via the dramatic reductions in trade barriers to which the members of the WTO are committed Under the WTO, members are required to reduce their tariff and non-tariffs on manufacturing goods. In addition, protecting domestic agricultural sectors from foreign competition will become awfully difficult in the new WTO system.
Second, rules and regulations governing international trade will be more strongly enforced. Under the old system of the GATT, there were many cases where trade measures, such as anti-dumping and countervailing duties, were intentionally used solely for protectionist reasons. The WTO's strengthened rules and regulations will significantly reduce the abusing of such trade measures by its member countries. The WTO is also equipped with an improved dispute settlement mechanism. Accordingly, we expect to see a more effective resolution of trade disputes among the member countries in this new trade environment.
Third, new multilateral rules hate been established to cover areas which the GAIT did not address, such as international trade in services and the protection of intellectual property rights. There still remain a number of problems that need lo be resolved before international trade in services can be completely liberalized, and newly-developed ideas or technologies are fairly compensated. However , just the establishment of multilateral rules in these new areas is a distinguished contribution :to the progress toward a global free trade system.
Along with the launching of the WTO, this new era in world trade is characterized by a change in the structure of the world economy. Today, a world-wide market for goods and services is rapidly replacing a world economy composed of relatively isolated national markets. Domestic financial markets have been integrated into a truly global system, and the multinational corporation is becoming a principle mechanism for allocating investment capital and determining the location of production sites throughout much of the world.
16. Between WTO and GATT
[A] WTO and GATT govern the international trade at the game time.
[B] WTO is the pre-existence of GATT.
[C] GATT is the pre-existence of WTO.
[D] GATT is more effective than WTO in some aspects.
17. According to this passage, under the WTO,
[A] measures of anti-dumping and countervailing were solely used for protectionist reason.
[B] it is still easy to protect domestic agricultural sectors from foreign competition.
[C] people can enjoy better life.. .
[D] members should reduce their tariff and non-tariff on products.
18. Which of the following is NOT true about the WTO?
[A] WTO has made good preparation for liberalization of international trade in service.
[B] WTO ensures effective settlement of trade dispute.
[C] Under WTO, regulations concerning international trade can be more strongly enforced.
[D] WTO covers intellectual property rights.
19. It can be inferred form this passage that
[A] under GATT some measures can not be effectively enforced.
[B] under GATT, the intellectual property right cannot be properly protected.
[C] it is not easy for a country to get absorbed by WTO.
[D] WTO cannot change the structure of world economy totally.
20. Which can be the best title for the passage?
[A] The Launching of WTO.
[B] The Influence on WTO.
[C] The Superiority of WTO over GATT.
[D] The Influence Caused by WTO.
Text 5
Evolutionary theories. The Belgian George Lemaitre proposed the idea that about 20000 million years ago all the matter in the universe—enough, he estimated, to make up a hundred thousand million galaxies —was all concentrated in one small mass, which he called the' primeval atom . This primeval atom exploded for some reasons, sending its matter out in all directions, and as the expansion slowed down, a steady state resulted, at which time the galaxies formed. Something then upset the balance and the universe started expanding again, and this is the state in which the universe is now. There are variations on this theory: it may be that there was no steady state. However, basically, evolutionary theories lake it that the universe was formed in one place at one point in time and has been expanding ever since.