the system. The computer will calculate the best route, and reserve space for the car all the way to the correct exit from the highway. The driver will then be free to relax and wait for the buzzer (蜂鸣器) that will warn him of his coming exit. It is estimated that an automated highway will be able to handle 10,000 vehicles per hour, compared with the 1,500 to 2,000 vehicles that can be carried by a present-day highway.
21. One significant improvement in the future car will probably be________. A) its power source B) its driving system C) its monitoring system D) its seating capacity
22. What is the author's main concern? A) How to render automobiles pollution-free. B) How to make smaller and safer automobiles. C) How to solve the problem of traffic jams. D) How to develop an automated subway system.
23. What provides autos with electric power in an automated highway system? A) A rail. B) An engine. C) A retractable arm. D) A computer controller.
24. In an automated highway system, all the driver needs to do is _______. A) keep in the right lane
B) wait to arrive at his destination
C) keep in constant touch with the computer center D) inform the system of his destination by phone
25. What is the author's attitude toward the future of autos? A) Enthusiastic.
B) Pessimistic. C) Optimistic. D) Cautious.
Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
Foxes and farmers have never got on well. These small dog-like animals have long been accused of killing farm animals. They are officially classified as harmful and farmers try to keep their numbers down by shooting or poisoning them.
Farmers can also call on the services of their local hunt to control the fox population. Hunting consists of pursuing a fox across the countryside, with a group of specially trained dogs, followed by men and women riding horses. When the dogs eventually catch the fox they kill it or a hunter shoots it.
People who take part in hunting think of it as a sport; they wear a special uniform of red coats and white trousers, and follow strict codes of behavior. But owning a horse and hunting regularly is expensive, so most hunters are wealthy.
It is estimated that up to 100,000 people watch or take part in fox hunting. But over the lastcouple of decades the number of people opposed to fox hunting, because they think it is brutal (残酷的), has risen sharply. Nowadays it is rare for a hunt to pass off without some kind of confrontation (冲突) between hunters and hunt saboteurs (阻拦者).
Sometimes these incidents lead to violence, but mostly saboteurs interfere with the hunt by misleading riders and disturbing the trail of the fox's smell, which the dogs follow.
Noisy confrontations between hunters and saboteurs have become so common that they are almost as much a part of hunting as the pursuit of foxes itself. But this year supporters of fox hunting face a much bigger threat to their sport. A Labour Party Member of the Parliament, Mike Foster, is trying to get Parliament to approve a new law which will make the hunting of wild animals with dogs illegal. If the law is passed, wild animals like foxes will be protected under the ban in Britain.
26. Rich people in Britain have been hunting foxes A) for recreation
B) in the interests of the farmers C) to limit the fox population D) to show off their wealth
27. What is special about fox hunting in Britain? A) It involves the use of a deadly poison. B) It is a costly event which rarely occurs. C) The hunters have set rules to follow.
D) The hunters have to go through strict training.
28. Fox hunting opponents often interfere in the game________. A) by resorting to violence B) by confusing the fox hunters C) by taking legal action D) by demonstrating on the scene
29. A new law may be passed by the British Parliament to________. A) prohibit farmers from hunting foxes B) forbid hunting foxes with dogs
C) stop hunting wild animals in the countryside D) prevent large-scale fox hunting
30. It can be inferred from the passage that ________. A) killing foxes with poison is illegal
B) limiting the fox population is unnecessary
C) hunting foxes with dogs is considered cruel and violent
D) fox-hunting often leads to confrontation between the poor and the rich
Passage Three
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.
For an increasing number of students at American universities, Old is suddenly in. The reason is obvious: the graying of America means jobs. Coupled with the aging of the baby-boom ( 生育高峰) generation, a longer life span means that the nation's elderly population is bound to expand significantly over the next 50 years. By 2050, 25 percent of all Americans will be older than 65, up from 14 percent in 1995. The change poses profound questions for government and society, of course. But it also creates career opportunities in medicine and health professions, and in law and business as well. \we're going to need more sociologists, biologists, urban planners and specialized lawyers,\says Professor Edward Schneider of the University of Southern California's (USC) School of Gerontology (老年学).
Lawyers can specialize in \and estates to nursing-home abuse and age discrimination (歧视). Businessmen see huge opportunities in the elder market because the baby boomers, 74
million strong, are likely to be the wealthiest group of retirees in human history. \MBA or law degree will have a license to print money,\
Margarite Santos is a 21-year-old senior at USC. She began college as a biology major but found she was \in gerontology and discovered that she liked it. She says, \in retirement homes and it was very satisfying.\
31. \ A) America has suddenly become a nation of old people B) gerontology has suddenly become popular
C) more elderly professors are found on American campuses
D) American colleges have realized the need of enrolling older students
32. With the aging of America, lawyers can benefit ______. A) from the adoption of the \
B) from rendering special services to the elderly C) by enriching their professional knowledge
D) by winning the trust of the elderly to promote their own interests
33. Why can businessmen make money in the emerging elder market? A) Retirees are more generous in spending money. B) They can employ more gerontologists.
C) The elderly possess an enormous purchasing power. D) There are more elderly people working than before.
34. Who can make big money in the new century according to the passage? A) Retirees who are business-minded.
B) The volunteer workers in retirement homes.