their lives to save others． 第三节处理段落的技巧
PassageⅪ：阅读短文，找出主题句，并指出主题句是如何被扩展的。
1)The buoyant force of liquid，or how much it pushes upward，depends on the density of the liquid．A body will float if its density is less than that of the 1iquid in which it is immersed；it will sink if its density is greater．Ice is less dense than water，so icebergs float on the surface of the ocean．Steel ships are designed with many spaces filled with air so that their density is less than that of water．
2)What is a black hole?Well,it's difficult to answer this question, since the terms we would normally use to describe a scientific phenomenon are inadequate here．Astronomers and scientists think that a black hole is a region of space(not a thing)into which matter has fallen and from which nothing can escape--not even light．So we can’t see a black hole．A black hole exerts a strong gravitational pull and yet it has no matter．It is only space-or so we think．
3)To discover，how life began，archaeologists study fossils．Fossils are the remains or imprints of plants and animals of long ago that have been preserved in the earth’s crust．The simplest forms of life appear in the lowest or oldest rocks．Although scientists can calculate that the earth is 4．6 billion years old，the oldest rocks that show any trace of 1ife are less than 2 billion years old．Since the oldest forms of 1ife were all sea life，many scientists believe 1ife began in the sea． AnswersⅪ：
1)The buoyant force of liquid，or how much it pushes upward, depends on the density of the liquid． 2)A black hole is a region of space(not a thing)into which matter has fallen and from which nothing can escape--not even light．
Since the oldest forms of life were all sea life，many scientists believe life began in the sea． 第四节处理篇章的技巧
PassageⅫ：快速浏览下列新闻，然后为每条新闻选择恰当的标题。 1)A truck carrying 800 boxes of money bees overturned on a highway，releasing about 40 million bees．A bridge near the accident was covered with bees，said the county fire chief，Guy Jones．“Some were flying around，and some were hanging on to the bridge in huge numbers．” a)Fireman Sees Bees
b)Millions of Bees Escape c)Bees Fly Around Bridge
d)Truck Carries 40 Million Bees
2)China will send a 40-member research expedition to the Antarctic Continent in N0vember，the Chinese National Committee for Antarctic Research announced in Beijing on Monday．
This is China's fourth expedition to Antarctica since it built its first research station，the Great Wall Station，in early 1985． a)Four Expeditions to Antarctica b)Chinese Build Research Station c)Fourth Expedition to Antarctica d)Forty Men in Expedition AnswersⅫ：1)b)2)c)
PassageⅩⅢ找出下列问题的答案
There are many types of kinetic and potential energy，including chemical，thermal，mechanical，electrical，and nuclear energy．Chemical energy is potential energy that is stored in gasoline，food，and oil．Just as the watch spring needs to be released to do the work of moving the hand，the energy stored in food molecules needs to be released by enzymes or substances in the body，and the energy stored in gasoline must be released by the spark plug to do its work of propelling the car forward．Thermal energy may be defined as the kinetic energy of molecules. When a substance is heated，the molecules move faster，which causes that substance to feel hot．Mechanical energy is energy related to the movement of objects．Electric energy is energy that is produced by electric charges．Nuclear energy is the energy that is stored in the nuc1eus of certain kinds of atoms，1ike uranium．
QuestionⅩⅢ：
1)What does kinetic and potential energy include?
1)It includes chemical，thermal，mechanical，electrical，and nuclear energy. 2)Is thermal energy kinetic energy or potential energy? 2)It is kinetic energy．
Passage XIV：阅读短文并回答问题，留心斜体字的用意
There was quite a side-spread concern that computers would take over the world from man one day．We are faced with a less dramatic but also less foreseen problem．People tend to be over—trusting of computers and are reluctant to challenge their authority．Indeed，they behave as if they were hardly a ware that wrong buttons may be pushed，or that a computer may simply malfunction．People should rely on their own internal computers and check the machine when they have the feeling that something has gone wrong． Questioning and routine double-checks must continue to be as much a part of good business as they
were in pre—computer days．Maybe each computer should come with the warning：for all the help this computer may provide，it should not be seen as a substitute for fundamental opinion and reasoning skills． Question：It can be inferred from the passage that the author would disapprove of． Answer XIV：complete dependence on computers for decision——making a／a mentally lazy attitude toward computers．
第二章答题技巧昂一早
第一节概括中心思想或段落大意
概括中心思想或段落大意的问题句通常有下列几种；
l. What is the main theme／the subject／main idea／the purpose／the topic／the title／the main point of this article?
2．What is the passage mainly concerned with／about? 3．What does the passage tell us?
4．What is the article written to explain? 5．What does the paragraph center／focus on? 6．What is mainly discussed in the passage? 7．What can you get／obtain from the passage? 8．The passage is mainly about． 9．What does the writer try to show? Passage I
The great power of tornadoes is almost unbelievable．The speed of this whirling funnelshaped wind may be more than 500 miles per hour. It can tear up trees，carry buildings away，and can even lift large trucks off the highway．The tornado is like a giant vacuum sweeper that sucks up anything in its path．Experts believe that the most violent force of a tornado is found inside the funnel，where a vacuum is created because of very low air pressure．When this vacuum moves over a building which is filled with air under normal pressure，the difference between the air pressure inside the building and that outside causes the building to explode．The largest tornado on record had a funnel a mile wide．
Question：What is the main point of this paragraph? 短文的第一句话便是该段的主题句。 PassageⅡ
In one year the world uses as much energy as that contained in 21 billion barrels of oil．And the amount of fuel needed is growing rapidly．The supplies of fossil fuels-coal，oil，and gas-are limited．They may not last for a century．Then what will take their place?
For the answer，let's look to the sky．Each day the sun showers the world with several thousand times as much energy as man uses．Here，in a sense，energy is unlimited．The sun's energy is free for the taking．If man could capture even a small part of the sun’S energy at low cost，no one would worry about running out of nonrenewable fuels．
If scientists succeed in making use of the power of the sun，this new energy will have many different uses．The sun’s energy can be used in your own house for heating and cooking. Then the sun can also be used as a source of fuel for power plants．Solar energy can be used in telephone communication，in space travel，and in farming．
Once the sun's energy is captured，the supply of energy will be endless．No wonder those who look to the sky see there great changes in our future way of life． Question：What is this passage mainly about?
根据短文第二段的第三、第四旬，再综合全文即可总结出文章的中心思想。 Answer I：The power of tornadoes is great and unbelievable． AnswerⅡ：The unlimited sun's energy．
第二节查询-R-体信息对文中具体信息的提问常见的大体有下列几种类型： 1.Wh0／What／Which／Whose／Where／When／Why／How?? 2.What does the author say about ？ 3.What is true about ?
4.Something will happen if? PassageⅢ
If you are interested in buying a pair of contact lenses preparing to pay $ 200 or more．Generally there are three main reasons why people want contact lenses．You may need them because the cornea of your eye is misshaped and ordinary glasses are not satisfactory．If so，you'11 be in the group that comprises l to 2 percent of contact lens wearers．You may want them for a sport or a vocation．Perhaps you're a baseball plyer，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 IV
11
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. 2)The figure of illiteracy in Britain comprises.
AnswerⅢ：their looks contact lenses are more attractive than glasses．／contact lenses can improve Answer IV：1)approximately one hundred and twenty-five million
2)zero point one percent of the illiteracy in the world
第三节判、推理 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 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 ． 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：killed the fish in the West Coast of Sweden?
Answer V：it was comparatively plentiful and inexpensive. AnswerⅥ：The acid rain． PassageⅦ：
The legal basis of all insurance is the“policy”．This is a printed form 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. 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．
AnswerⅦ：a printed form of contract on stout paper of the best quality．
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 the industrialized areas，then world reserves would already be exhausted 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)． 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 argon，can also be obtained separately by very careful arrangement of the 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：
How many ends does a detergent molecule have?
12
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?
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 tractors，and working(or sitting)in music halls where rock bands are 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 17 and 35，and most organizations specially make mature students the 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． 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 look．‘‘You’11 give everybody a fright and wake people up for miles 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，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?
13
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 brigade．”
I banged on the door，but the old lady took a long time to answer．I was turning over in my mind the idea of breaking the door down when she finally appeared． “I was having a bath，”she said，“when the water heater in the kitchen blew up．” “Why didn’t you open the door?”I asked her． “I was getting dressed when you knocked，”she said，looking embarrassed．
I took her downstairs to our flat．Then I ran back，went inside the old lady's flat and turned the gas off to prevent another explosion．Smoke was pouring out of the kitchen and the heater was in flames．Just then I heard a fire engine arriving outside and the heavy footsteps of the firemen on the stairs．I looked round and noticed two of them standing in the doorway.“It’s in here．’’I said． “You turned up promptly，I must say．”
When I got back to our flat，my wife was making the old lady a cup of tea．Soon afterwards，the fire chief came in to ask some questions．It turned out that the fire was not very serious and the firemen were already putting it out when they left，my wife went up with the old lady to help her clear up the mess．
When she returned，my wife remarked：“it’s all right now．Nothing was damaged except the heater．But wasn’t it lucky that Baby slept through all that noise?’’
She took the teacups into the kitchen and I heard her scream and the cups crash to the floor．When I got there，water was dripping slowly from the ceiling and forming a pool on the floor．The baby woke up at last and started to cry． Questions：
1)Why did the author know the flat was on fire?
He saw smoke coming through the letter box and under the door，and smelt something burning． 2)Why didn’t the old lady open the door? Because she was getting dressed．
3)What was the lady doing when the water heater in the kitchen exploded? She was having a bath．
4)Why did his wife go upstairs with the old lady when the firemen left? She went up to help the old lady clear up the mess. 5)Why did his wife scream?
Because the cups crashed to the floor． Passage 8
I would like to propose 1 hat for sixty to ninety minutes each evening，right after the early evening news，all television broadcasting in the United States be prohibited by law．
Let us take a serious，reasonable look at what the results might be if such a proposal were accepted．Families might use the time for a real family hour．Without the distraction of TV，they might sit around together after dinner and actually talk to one another．It is well known that many of our problems—everything，in fact，from the generation gap to the high divorce rate to some forms of mental illness-are caused at least in part by failure to communicate. We do not tell each other what is disturbing us．The result is emotional difficulty of one kind or another．By using the quiet family hour to discuss our problems，we might get to know each other better，and to like each other better．
On evenings when such talk is unnecessary，families could rediscover more active pastimes．Freed from TV，forced to find their own activities，they might take a ride together to wach the sunset．Or they might take a walk together(remember feet?)and see the neighbor-hood with fresh，new eyes．
With free time and no TV，children and adults might rediscover reading．There is more entertainment in a good book than in a month of typical TV programming．Educators report that the generation growing up with television can barely write and English sentence，even at the college level．Writing is often learned from reading．A more literate new generation could be a product of the quiet hour．
A different form of reading might also be done，as it was in the past：reading aloud．Few pastimes bring a family closer together than gathering around and listening to mother or father read a good story．The quiet hour could become the story hour．When the quiet hour ends，the TV networks might even be forced to come up with better shows in order to get us back from our newly discovered activities． At first glance，the idea of an hour without TV seems radical．What will parents do without the electronic baby—sitter? How will we spend the time? But it is not radical at all．It has been only twenty-five years since television came to control American free time．Those of us thirty—five and older can remember childhoods without television，spent partly with radio-which at least involved the listener’s imagination-but also with reading．1earning,talking，playing games，inventing new activities．It wasn’t that difficult．Honest．The truth is we had a ball． Questions：
What is the writer’s proposal?
1)The proposal is that for sixty to ninety minutes each evening，right after the early evening news，all television broadcasting in the United States be prohibited by law．
In part at least，what caused the generation gap，high rate divorce rate and some forms of mental illness problems?
2)They are caused in part at least by our failure to communicate．
According to the author，what could help to turn out a more literate new generation? 3)Turning off TV for an hour every evening．
What effect might the idea of an hour without TV have on the TV networks? 4)They might even be forced to come up with better shows． What is the main idea of this passage?
5)We should show no television programs for about one hour every evening． passage 9
There was great excitement on the planet of Venus this week，for the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth，and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since．
The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan．Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals，Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information as to the feasibility of a manned flying saucer landing on Earth．A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology．
“We have come to the conclusion，based on last week’s satellite landing”，Prof．Zog said，“that there is no life on Earth．”
“How do you know this?”The science reporter of the Venus Evening Star asked．
“For one thing, Earth’s surface in the area of Manhattan is composed of solid concrete and nothing can grow there．For another，the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive．”
“What does this mean as far as our flying saucer program is concerned?”
“We shall have to take our own oxygen with us，which means a much heavier flying saucer than we originally planned．”
“Are there any other hazards that you discovered in your studies?”
“Take a look at this photo．You see this dark black cloud hovering over the surface of Earth? We call this the Consolidated Edison Bell．We don’t know what it is made of，but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have to make further tests before we send a Venus Being there．” “Over here you will notice what seems to be a river，but the satellite findings indicate it is polluted and the water is unfit to drink．This means we shall have to carry our own water，which will add even greater weight to the saucer．’’
“Sir，what are all those tiny black spots on the photographs?”
“We are not certain．They seem to be metal particles that move along certain paths．They emit gases，make noise and keep crashing into each other．There are so many of these paths and so many metal particles that it is impossible to land a flying saucer without its being smashed by one．” “What are those stalagmite projections sticking up?”
“They are some type of granite formations that give off light at night．Prof．Glom has named them skyscrapers since they seem to be scraping the skies．”
“If all you say is true, won’t this set back the flying saucer program several years?” “Yes，but we shall proceed as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds．”
“Prof．Zog，why are we spending billions and billions of zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth when there is no life there?”
“Because if we Venusians can 1earn to breathe in an Earth atmosphere, then we can 1ive anywhere．” Questions：
1)What caused the excitement on the planet Venus?
1)For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a atellite on the planet Earth and it has
14
been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since．
2)What 1ed the Venusian scientists to believe that there is no life on Earth?
For one thing，Earth’s surface in the area of Manhattan is composed of solid concrete and nothing can grow there．For another，the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive．
3)What，according to Prof．Zog，will add weight to the saucer? They will have to take oxygen and water with them．
4)Why does Prof．Zog think it impossible to land a flying saucer on Earth without its being smashed? Because there are so many paths and so many metal particles． 5)What do the“tiny black spots”refer to,in fact? Vehicles．
6)The tone of the essay is ． Humorous and satirical．
7)The purpose of the author in writing this book is .
The author wishes to call our attention to the fact that modern man has polluted his environment to such an extent that he might destroy himself if he went on like this． 8)what does the“dark cloud”on the photograph a11ude to(暗指)? The polluted air hovering over the surface of Earth． Passage 10 What is intelligence，anyway?when I was in the army I received a kind of aptitude test that a11 soldiers took and，against a norrnal of 100，scored 160．No one at the base had ever seen a figure like that and for two hours they made a big fuss over me．(It didn’t mean anything．the next day I was still a buck private with KP as my highest duty)
All my life I’ve been registering scores like that，so that I have the complacent feeling that I'm highly intelligent，and I expect other people to think so，too．Actually，though，don't such scores simply mean that I am very good at answering the type of academic questions that are considered worthy of answers by the people who make up the intelligence tests-people with intellectual bents similar to mine?
For instance，I had an auto-repair man once，who，on these intelligence tests,could not possibly have scored more than 80，by my estimate．I always took it for granted that I was far intelligent than he was．Yet，when anything went wrong with my car I hastened to him with it，watched him anxiously as he explored its vitals，and listened to his pronouncements as though they were divine oracles--and he always fixed my car． Well then，suppose my auto-repair man devised questions for an intelligence test，or suppose a carpenter did，or a farmer，or，indeed，almost anyone but an academician．By every one of those tests，I’d prove myself a moron．And I’d be a moron，too．In a world where I could not use my academic training and my verbal talents but had to do something intricate or hard，working with my hands，I would do poorly．My intelligence，then，is not absolute，its worth is determined by the society I live in．Its numerical evaluation is determined by a small subsection of that society which has managed to foist itself on the rest of us as an arbiter of such matters．
Consider my auto repair man，again．He had a habit of telling me jokes whenever he saw me．One time he raised his head from the automobile hood to say：“Doc，a deaf—and dumb guy went into a hardware store to ask for some nails．He put two fingers together on the counter and made hammering motions with the other hand．The clerk brought him a hammer．He shook his head and pointed to the two fingers he was hammering．The clerk brought him nails．He picked out the sizes he wanted，and left．Well，doc，the next guy who came in was a blind man．He wanted scissors．How do you suppose he asked for them?” I lifted my right hand and made scissoring motions with my first two fingers．Whereupon my auto- repair man laughed heartily and said，“Why，you dumb fool，he used his voice and asked for them．”Then he said smugly，“I've been trying that on all my customers today．”“Did you catch many?”I asked．“Quite a few，”he said，“but I knew for sure I’d catch you．”“Why is that?”I asked．“Because you’re so goddamned educated，doc，I knew you couldn’t be very smart．” And I have an uneasy feeling he had something there． Questions：
What is the normal score of the aptitude test according to the passage? 1)It is 100．
Was the author promoted after he got the exceptionally high score on the aptitude test? 2)No．
How did the author answer the auto——repair man’s questions about a blind man asking for scissors? 3)He lifted his right hand and made scissoring motions with his first two fingers．
Was he certain that the author would be caught when the auto——repair man tried the tricky question?4)Yes，he was．
What is the author's attitude toward“intelligence”? 5)The author knows from experience that intelligence is a relative matter，it is not absolute． Passage 11
Why is it that when you study a foreign language，you never learn the little phrases that let you slip into a culture without all your foreign edges? Every Chinese language textbook starts with the standard phrase for greeting people，but as an American，1 often found myself tongue tied when it came to seeing guests off at the door．An abrupt goodbye would not do，yet that was all I had ever learned from the awful books．So I would smile and nod，seeking words to make them feel they would be welcome to come again．In confusion，I often hid be—hind the skirts of my Chinese husband’s graciousness．
Finally，listening to others，I began to pick up phrases that eased relations and sent people off with a feeling of mission not only accomplished but also surpassed． Partings for the Chinese involve a certain amount of ritual and a great deal of one--upmanship．Although I’m not expected to observe or even know all the rules，as a foreigner，I’ve had to learn the expressions of politeness and protest that accompany a leave taking．
The Chinese feel they must see a guest off to the farthest point in sight down flight of stairs to the street below or perhaps all the way to the nearest bus stop．I’ve sometimes waited half an hour or more for my husband to return．
For a less important or a younger guest，he may simply say，“I wouldn’t’t see you off，all right? And of course the guest assures him that he would never think of putting him to take the trouble to see him off．“Don’t see me off! Don’t see me off!”
When I am the guest being seen off，my protests are to no avail．My hostess or／and host insists on seeing me down the stairs and well on my way，with our going through the“Don’t bother to see me off”ritual at every landing．If I try to go fast to prevent them from following，they are simply put to the discomfort of having to run after me．Better to accept the inevitable． What do you say when you part from someone?“Go slowly．”To the Chinese it means。”Take car”or” Watch your steps”，but translated literally it means“Go slowly”．The same“slowly”is used in another polite expression by the host and hostess at the end of a delicious meal to assure their guests what poor and inadequate host and hostess they have been． The Chinese take pride in“modesty”and the Americans in“straightforwardness”．When her cooking ski11s are praised，an American hostess would say．“Oh，I’m so glad you like it．I cooked it especially for you．”But the Chinese host or hostess will instead apologize for giving you“nothing”even slightly edible and for not showing enough honors by providing proper dishes． These examples show that American and Chinese cultures are at opposite poles．But once you’ve learned the signals and how to respond，life becomes much easier．When guests come，I know I should immediately ask if they’d like a cup of tea．They will respond．“Please don’t bother．”which is my signal to fetch tea． Questions：
How did the author feel when she sawa guest off at the door?
1)She often found herself tongue-tied when it came to seeing guests off．
According to the author，what are the expressions of politeness to see a guest off some—times? 2)The host and hostess must see a guest off to the farthest point in sight-down flight of stairs to the street below or perhaps all the way to the nearest bus stop．
What usually happens to the author when she is the guest being seen off?
3)When I am the guest being seen off，my protests are to no avail．My hostess or／and host insists on seeing me down the stairs and well on my way，with our going through the“Don’t bother to see me off ritual at every landing．If I try to go fast to prevent them from following，they are simply put to the discomfort of having to run after me．”
What do the American host and hostess say when their meal is praised?
4)They would say that they are so glad you like it．They cooked it specially for you． What is the signal for the author to fetch a cup of tea? 5)“P1ease don’t bother”
The author wants to illustrate that＿?
6)people should try to increase their awareness of cultural differences and study them,． Passage 12
If you are an average reader，you can read an average book at the rate of 300 words a minute．You cannot maintain that average，however，unless you read regularly everyday．Nor can you attain that speed with hard books in science，mathematics，agriculture，business，or any subject that is new or unfamiliar to you．The chances are you will never attempt that speed with poetry or want to race through some passages in fiction over which you wish to linger．But for most novel，biographies，and books about travel，hobbies or personal interests，if you are an average reader，you should have no trouble at all absorbing meaning and pleasure out of 300 printed words every 60 seconds．
If the average reader can read 300 words a minute of average reading，then in 15 minutes he can read 4，500 words．Multiplied by 7，the days of the week，the product is 31，500 words．Another
15