21 you are in the same group with about 20 percent of the users．But if for
some reason you feel that glasses are handicapping your appearance and
you'd rather have invisible glasses，you'll have lost of company．About 79 percent of lens users hope to improve their looks．
Question：The majority of contact lens wearers seem to feel that ． Passage V
The invention of light bulb by Thomas A．Edison in 1879 created a demand for a cheap，readily available fuel with which to generate large amounts of electric power．Coal seemed to fit the bill，and it fueled the earliest power stations．Since the First World War，coal-fired power plants have AnswerⅢ：their looks contact lenses are more attractive than glasses．／contact lenses can improve their looks Passage IV
It is estimated that some seven hundred million people--about half the world's population are unable to read and write，and there are probably two hundred and fifty million more whose level of attainment is so slight that it barely qualifies a literacy．
Recently the attack in illiteracy has been stepped up．A world plan has been drawn up by a committee of UNESCO experts in Paris，as part of the United Nations Development Decade，and an international conference on the subject has also been held．UNESC0 stresses that functional literacy is that aim．People must learn the basic skills of responsible citizenship；the ability to read notices，newspaper，timetable，letters，pricelists，to keep simple records and accounts，to sort out the significance of the information gathered，and to fill in forms．
The major areas of illiteracy are in Asia，Africa，and Central and South America．In Africa there are at least one hundred million illiterates，comprising eighty to eighty-five percent of the total population．In Europe the figure is about twenty-four million，most of them in Southern Europe，with Spain，Italy，Portugal，and Yugoslavia heading the list(the United kingdom has about seven hundred thousand)． Questions：
1)Studying carefully the clues in the passage, we learn that the total population of Africa is approximately one hundred and twenty-five million.
2)The figure of illiteracy in Britain comprises .
Answer IV：2)zero point one percent of the illiteracy in the world 第三节判断、推理
accounted for about half of the electricity produced in the United States each year．In 1986 such plants had a combined generating capacity of 289，000 megawatts and consumed 83 percent of the nearly 9000 million tons of coal mined in the country that year．Given the uncertainty in the future growth of nuclear power and in the supply of oil and natural gas，coal-fired power plants could well provide up to 70 percent of the electric power in the United States by the end of the century．
Question：According to the passage，the reason why coal became the principal source of e1ectricity in the United Stateds is ． Answer V：it was comparatively plentiful and inexpensive. Passage VI
What is acid rain? To answer this question，we need to go back two decades．In the 1960s，people in Sweden were alarmed to discover that fish in their West Coast lakes were dying．There were no apparent reasons for this——no poison in the water，for example．The lakes were still clear and fresh．
When the scientists did their tests，however，they found that the 1ake water was much more acid than normal．Some 1akes，in fact，were a hundred times more acid than they had been in the 1930s． And the cause for this? It was the rain．Instead of being clean pure water，it had become contaminated by industrial processes and was now very acidic．When it fell on parts of Sweden where the soil was already acidic，the result was that acid water poured into Sweden's lakes．This eventually killed the fish，and caused a good deal of other problems，which are still being discovered．
Question：The acid rain killed the fish in the West Coast of Sweden? PassageⅦ： The legal basis of all insurance is the“policy”．This is a printed form
22 the industrialized areas，then world reserves would already be exhausted of contract on stout paper of the best quality．It sates that in return
for the regular payment by the insured of a named sum of money，called
the“premium”，which is usually paid every year，the insurer will pay a sum of money or compensation for loss，if the risk or event insured against actually happens．
Question：The meaning of the word“policy”here means . AnswerⅦ：a printed form of contract on stout paper of the best quality． by 1985． All this only goes to show just how important it is to set up a plan to conserve and divide up fairly natural resources on a world-wide scale． This is a matter of life and death(生死攸关)because world population is exploding at an incredible rate．In the southern poor parts of the globe，the figures are enough to make your hair stand on end(毛骨悚然)．
PassageⅧ As you might have guessed by now，a detergent is not usually made of a single substance but of a combination of substances．As a matter of fact there are at 1east 12 different kinds of substances that can be combined to make a single detergent．Each combination is carefully designed so that a particular detergent does a specific job．For example，detergents designed for use in washing machines contain chemicals that prevent the metal parts of the washing machine from corroding．A detergent used to get rid of“protein dirt，”such as blood stains，may contain a chemical called an enzyme that helps break down protein．Other detergents may contain substances to protect a person's skin，to bleach white clothes or keep colored clothes bright，to make dry detergents easy to pour，and to make a detergent easy to dissolve in water．
Why do detergents need to be able to dissolve in water? Because detergents can’t do the job alone．Without water，the dirt can’t be carried away．For the cleaning process to work，water has to do two jobs．It has to spread easily over the surface of the object being cleaned．And it has to attract bits of dirt away from the object being cleaned．
Question：The word“detergent”means ． AnswerⅧ：a combination of substances，which removes dirt from the object being cleaned．
第五节辨析作者的观点及态度 PassageⅨ
It remains to be seen whether the reserves of raw materials would be sufficient to supply a world economy which have grown by 500 percent．If the underdeveloped countries started using up petrol at the same rate as
By the year 2000，the southern parts of the world would then have a population greater than the total world population today．So we should start acting right now to bring births under control within fifteen years so that population levels off．
Question：The purpose of the author in writing this passage is ． AnswerⅨ：to urge people to start taking action right away／to urge people to divide up fairly natural resources and bring births under control．
阅读部分练习题
阅读短文并回答问题 Passage 1
Just as man has found great uses for the materials，which he can dig up from the ground，so，too，he has found important use for the gases，which he can obtain from the air．Oxygen and nitrogen can be made from other materials，but they are usually obtained from the air because air is so plentiful．Some of the other gases，such as argon，can only be obtained from the air．There is so little carbon dioxide in the air that it is better to obtain it in other ways．The problem，of course，is to find q quick and useful way of separating the gases in the air．Let us read how this is done．
We remember how air can be made into a 1iquid．If the liquid is warmed again，It“boils”and turns back into a gas．Now oxygen does not boil away from liquid air so easily as nitrogen．By careful arrangement of the boiling，it is possible to make the nitrogen turn back into a gas and leave the liquid oxygen behind．The oxygen can be turned into a gas later．In This way the oxygen and nitrogen are separated．The other gases，such as
23 argon，can also be obtained separately by very careful arrangement of the How many ends does a detergent molecule have?
boiling．
Questions：
Why people usually obtain oxygen and nitrogen from the air? 1)Because air is plentiful．
What happens if the liquid is warmed again? 2)It boils and turns back into a gas．
Does nitrogen boil easily than oxygen does?3)Yes，it does． Can the nitrogen turn back into a gas?4)Yes，it can．
How are oxygen and nitrogen separated?5)Make the nitrogen turn back into a gas and leave the liquid oxygen behind. Passage 2 Scientists call the process of water spreading over a surface wetting．But water doesn't always do a good job of wetting a surface．You’ve probably noticed this when looking at the surface of a waxed car after a rain．The water sits on the car in tiny beads．That's because the water molecules are strongly attracted to one another．They tend to bunch together which makes them form beads．However，chemicals called surfactants can weaken the attraction of water molecules for one another．(They weaken the surface tension．)So surfactants are put in detergents to allow the water to spread out on a surface．(Lowering surface tension also causes detergents to form suds．But suds aren’t a necessary part of the cleaning process．) A detergent molecule has two ends．One end is hydrophilic(“water loving’’)．That is，it is attracted to water．The other end is hydrophobic．That is，it is repulsed by water．However, this hydrophobic end of a detergent molecule is attracted to substances such as fats．The result? With the help of some mechanical action，like scrubbing or tumbling，the hydrophobic end of the detergent molecule drags the fat off the surface to be cleaned while the hydrophilic end pulls the fat into the water．So when the water heads for the drain，down goes the fat with a nice sounding gurgle，leaving a clean dish or even a clean sea bird behind． Questions：
A detergent molecule has two ends．
What happens on a waxed car after a rain? The water sits on the car in tiny beads． What function do surfactants have?
It can allow the water to spread out on a surface．
Which end of the detergent molecule pulls the fat into the water? The hydrophilic end pulls the fat into the water．
What does the word“hydrophilic”mean?Hydrophilic is one end of a detergent molecule which is attracted to water. Passage 3
Since no one knows what scientific discoveries will be made between now and the year A．D．2000，each of us can make his own predictions． With the scientific information that we have available now，let's make and estimate of progress in air travel．It is likely that within 50 years we shall travel through the air at a speed of 10，000 miles per hour．Too fast? Not at a11．Jet-propelled planes can now travel at least 1，000 miles an hour，and jet planes will he outmoded shortly by guided missiles．The X一15 rocket’s speed in 1961 was 3，690 miles per hour，and scientists are hoping to double and even triple this speed. They will accomplish this speed-up，because there is no apparent scientific obstacle to prevent it． Some day，certain aerodynamic problems will be overcome and missiles will be enlarged to carry at least 25 passengers．When scientists have solved all the problems of constructing and increasing the speed of apparatus-carrying missiles, their skill will lead them to the next step missiles for interplanetary flight．This prediction is a scientific possibility in the near future． Questions：
1)How fast do jet-propelled planes travel now?
1)It can now travel at 1east 1,000 miles per hour.
2)Is it possible for a missile to carry 24 passengers some day? 2)Yes，it is．
3)In what conditions will scientists invent missiles for interplanetary
flight?
24 tractors，and working(or sitting)in music halls where rock bands are
3)When scientists have solved the problems of constructing and increasing the speed of apparatus- carrying missiles． 4)Is there any apparent scientific obstacle for the X一15 rocket’s speed to become 7,380 miles per hour?4)No，there isn’t．
5)Is it likely that we will travel through the air at a speed of 10，000 miles per hour in 2060?5)Yes，it is． Passage 4 If you live in a large city，you are quite familiar with some of the problems of noise，but because of some of its harmful effects，you may not be aware of its influence on human behavior．In recent years there has been a great deal of interest in the effects of noise on human behavior，and concepts such as“noise pollution”have arisen．
Exposure to loud noises can definitely produce a partial or complete loss of hearing depending on the intensity，duration，and frequency composition of the noses．Many jobs present noise hazards，such as working in factories and around jet aircraft，driving farm tractors，and working(or sitting)in music halls where rock bands are playing．In general，continuous exposure to sounds of over 80 decibels can be considered dangerous．If exposure is for a sufficient period of time，it may produce significant hearing loss． Noise can have unexpected harmful effects on performance of certain kinds of tasks，for instance，if one is performing a watch keeping task that requires vigilance，in which he is responsible for detecting weak signals of some kind．
Communication with other people is unfavorably affected by noise．If you have ridden in the area of a jet transport，you adjusted the loudness of your speed to compensate for the effect．The problem is noise． Questions： What is the purpose of the passage?The purpose of the passage is to define the effects of noise on human behavior． What jobs can bring noise problems?
Jobs such as working in factories and around jet aircraft，driving farm
playing can bring noise problems．
Why is it difficult to carry on a conversation in the rear of a jet transport at first?Because it is very noisy there． Where are there generally more problems of noise?
There are generally more problems of noise in large cities． What is noise pollution?
Noise pollution is the harmful influence of noise on human behavior． Passage 5
Most teachers agree that the best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in the environment and culture of that language．One way to do is to live with your teacher during your course．The obvious advantage of homestay is that，through the course，you only speak English and you do not meet other students who speak your native language．Also，total immersion in an English——speaking environment helps you avoid picking up common mistakes and‘bad’language habits from fellow learners． For most students, however，it is the tailor—made teaching that homestay provides which makes them decide to choose these courses．“People like homestay because it allows them to concentrate on their own weakness．If you have a pronunciation problem，for example，you don't want to sit in a class with 20 other students discussing how to pronounce a particular word．”
At a more personal level，living with the teachers and their families can help you learn about British life and culture.
To make sure the environment is right for the individual，it is very important that each student be matched with the right host family．This is the job of homestay organizations，which act as intermediaries between teachers and students through interviews and surveys． The disadvantage to homestay is，obviously，the cost．A two—week course，including full board and 15 hours of classes per week，will cost about$1000．And prices are higher when English for Special Purposes is needed．This means that homestay programs are generally more popular with older students，particularly professionals．The average age is between
25 17 and 35，and most organizations specially make mature students the look．‘‘You’11 give everybody a fright and wake people up for miles
targets．
At present，homestay programs do not come under any quality guarantee schemes．The British Council and other inspection groups expect that，by the end of 1995，homestay programs will have their own quality scheme．But，as yet，no methods of monitoring and inspection have been agreed upon．This is likely to be a major logistical problem as many operators have hundreds of teachers running course all over the country． around．Besides，they’11 think you a drunkard，and me too，probably．And
then we’11 have a policeman after us．’’ “Never mind，”I said，intoxicated more with the sound of my own voice than with the few drinks we had．“I don’t care．What does it matter?”And I went on singing him the latest tunes at the top of my voice． Presently there came behind us the sound of a heavy tread，and before you could say‘‘Jack Robinson”，a policeman was standing in front of me，Questions：
What is homestay program?Living with the teacher(to get immersed in the English environment and culture)to learn English better．
If a person takes the homestay program，he will learn English better／he immersed in the English culture． What does the author suggest?
If students want to learn English better they should take homestay programs．
In order to make sure of the quality of the programs，they must . ···be inspected．
What is the main idea of the passage?
How to learn English better．／Homestay program． Passage 6
One evening，long after most people had gone to bed，a friend and I were making our way merrily home through the silent and almost deserted streets．We had been to a musical，and were talking about the people we had seen and heard in it．
“That show made him a star overnight,”said my friend about one of them．“He was completely unknown before．And now thousands of teenagers send him chocolates and love letters by every post．’’ “I thought him quite good，”I said，“but not worth thousands of love letters daily．As a matter of fact，one of his songs gave me a pain．’’ “What was that?”my friend asked．“Sing it to me．” I burst into a parody of the song． “Be quiet，for heaven’s sake．”My friend had given me an astonished
his notebook open，and a determined look on his face． “Excuse me，sir．”he said，“you have a remarkable voice，if I may say so．Who taught you singing'?I’d very much like to find someone who can give my daughter singing lessons．Would you be kind enough to tell me your name and address? Then my wife or 1 would drop you a line and we could discuss the matter．” Questions：
1)When did the writer and his friend walk home one evening? 1)Long after most people had gone to bed．／Late one evening. 2)Where had they been?2)They had been to a musical． 3)Why did his friend ask him to be quiet?
3)Because his friend thought that he would give everybody a fright and wake people up for miles around．Besides，they would think them drunkards． 4)What did they hear soon?4)The sound of a heavy tread． 5)Why did the policeman want to know his name and address? 5)He wanted to ask him to give his daughter singing lessons． Passage 7
One evening last week，my wife and I were sitting quietly at home．She was watching TV while I was reading a book. Suddenly we heard a loud band．I supposed that the old lady in the flat above ours was moving the furniture about．My wife was afraid that the noise would wake the baby. She turned down the television and a moment later we heard someone calling for help. I ran upstairs．The old lady’s door was shut，but I could see smoke coming through the letterbox and under the door，and could smell something burning．“the flat is on fire，”I shouted down to my wife，“ring the fire