B. is decreasing C. remains stable D. is out of control
4.According to the passage slowly rising birthrate perhaps is good for _____ . A. a developing nation B. a developed nation
C. every nation with a big population D. every nation with a small nation
5.It is no easy job to carry out a general plan for birth control throughout the world because ____ .
A. there too many underdeveloped countries in the world B. underdeveloped countries have low level of industrial development
C. different governments have different views of the question
D. even developed countries may have complex problems
Key: D B B B C
U7 Long after the 1998 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing（裁判）decisions that denied victory to their team. A researcher was appointed to study the performance of some top referees.
The researcher organized an experimental tournament（锦标赛）involving four youth teams. Each match lasted an hour, divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge.
Observers noted down the referees’ errors, of which there were 61 over the tournament. Converted to a standard match of 90 minutes, each referee made almost 23 mistakes, a remarkably high number.
The researcher then studied the videotapes to analyze the matches in detail. Surprisingly, he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident. When the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 meters away from the action. The average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters. The research shows the optimum（最佳的）distance is about 20 meters.
There also seemed to be an optimum speed. Correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second. The average speed for errors was 4 meters per second.
If FIFA, football’s international ruling body, wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next World Cup, it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance, rather than rushing to keep up
with the ball, the researcher argues.
He also says that FIFA’s insistence that referees should retire at age 45 may be misguided. If keeping up with the action is not so important, their physical condition is less critical.
1.The experiment conducted by the researcher was meant to _______.
A. review the decisions of referees at the 1998 World Cup
B. analyze the causes of errors made by football referees C. set a standard for football refereeing
D. reexamine the rules for football refereeing
2.The number of refereeing errors in the experimental matches was _______. A. slightly above average
B. higher than in the 1998 World Cup C. quite unexpected
D. as high as in a standard match
3.The findings of the experiment show that _______. A. errors are more likely when a referee keeps close to the ball
B. the farther the referee is from the incident, the fewer the errors
C. the more slowly the referee runs, the more likely will errors occur
D. errors are less likely when a referee stays in one spot 4.The word ―officials‖ (Line 3, Para.4) most probably refers to _______.
A. the researchers involved in the experiment B. the inspectors of the football tournament C. the referees of the football tournament D. the observers at the site of the experiment
5.What is one of the possible conclusions of the experiment?
A. The ideal retirement age for an experienced football referee is 45.
B. Age should not be the chief consideration in choosing a football referee.
C. A football referee should be as young and energetic as possible.
D. An experienced football referee can do well even when in poor physical condition. Key: B C A C B
U8 No other sporting event captures the world's imagination like the FIFA World Cup. Ever since the first tentative (尝试的) competition in Uruguay (乌拉圭) in 1930, FIFA's flagship has constantly grown in popularity
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and prestige (声望).
A group of visionary (有梦想的人) French football administrators, led in the 1920s by the innovative Jules Rimet (朱尔斯?雷米特), are credited with the original idea of bringing the world's strongest national football teams together to compete for the title of World Champions. The original gold trophy (金杯) bore (刻) Jules Rimet's name and was contested three times in the 1930s, before the Second World War put a 12-year stop to the competition.
When it resumed, the FIFA World Cup rapidly advanced to its undisputed (无可争议的) status as the greatest single sporting event of the modern world. Held since 1958 alternately (轮流) in Europe and the Americas, the World Cup broke new ground with the Executive Committee's decision in May 1996 to select Korea (韩国) and Japan as co-hosts for the 2002 edition.
Since 1930, the 16 tournaments have seen only seven different winners. However, the FIFA World Cup has also been punctuated by dramatic (戏剧性的) upsets that have helped create football’s history--the United States defeating England in 1950, North Korea's defeat of Italy in 1966, Cameroon's emergence in the 1980s and their opening match defeat of the Argentinean cup-holders in 1990....
Today, the FIFA World Cup holds the entire global public under its spell. An accumulated audience of over 37 billion people watched the France 98 tournament, including approximately (大约) 1.3 billion for the final alone, while over 2.7 million people flocked to watch the 64 matches in the French stadiums.
After all these years and so many changes, however, the main focus of the FIFA World Cup remains the same--the glistening golden trophy, which is the embodiment of every footballer's ambition.
1.Whose name was on the original gold trophy? A. Jules Rimet’s
B. Juan Antonio Samaranch C. Roger D. Zidane
2.How long has the Second World War stopped the FIFA World Cup? A. 12 years B. 10 years C. 13 years D. 15 years
3.Which country hosts the 2002 World Cup? A. France
B. Japan C. Korea
D. both B and C
4.What does ―spell‖ (line 1, para 5 ) mean in this passage?
A. to read letter by letter
B. a state of period of enchantment C. a period of time D. amount to
5.Where is 2006 World Cup held? A. Germany B. Italy C. Brazil D. China
Key: A A D B A
U9 Exercise is one of the few factors with a positive role in long-term maintenance of body weight. Unfortunately, that message has not gotten through to the average American, who would rather try switching to \exertion. The centers for disease control, for example, found that fewer than one-fourth of overweight adults who were trying to shed pounds said they were combining exercise with their diet.
In rejecting exercise, some people may be discouraged too much by caloric-expenditure charts; for example, one would have to briskly walk three miles just to work off the 275 calories in one delicious Danish pastry (小甜饼). Even exercise professionals concede half a point here. \says York Onnen, program director of the president's council on physical fitness and sports. Still, exercise's supporting role in weight reduction is vital.
A study at the Boston university medical center of overweight police officers and other public employees confirmed that those who dieted without exercise regained almost all their old weight, while those who worked exercise into their daily routine maintained their new weight. If you have been sedentary ( 极少活动的 ) and decide to start walking one mile a day, the added exercise could burn an extra 100 calories daily. In a year's time, assuming no increase in food intake, you could lose ten pounds. By increasing the distance of your walks gradually and making other dietary adjustments,
you may lose even more weight. 1.What is said about the average American in the passage?
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A. They tend to exaggerate the healthful effect of \beer.
B. They usually ignore the effect of exercise on losing weight.
C. They prefer \beer and low-calorie bread to other drinks and food.
D. They know the factors that play a positive role in keeping down body weight.
2.Some people dislike exercise because______. A. they think it is physically exhausting
B. they find it hard to exercise while on a diet
C. they don't think it possible to walk 3 miles every day D.they find consulting caloric-expenditure charts troublesome
3.\(line 3, para. 2) means \
A. agree that the calories in a small piece of pastry can be difficult to work off by exercise
B. partially believe diet plays a supporting role in weight reduction
C. are not fully convinced that dieting can help maintain one's new weight
D. are not sufficiently informed of the positive role of exercise in losing weight
4.What was confirmed by the Boston university medical center's study?
A. Controlling one's calorie intake is more important than doing exercise.
B. Even occasional exercise can help reduce weight. C. Weight reduction is impossible without exercise. D. One could lose ten pounds in a year's time if there's no increase in food intake.
5.What is the author's purpose in writing this article? A. to justify the study of the Boston university medical center
B. to stress the importance of maintaining proper weight C. to support the statement made by York Onnen D. to show the most effective way to lose weight Key: B A D C D
U10 Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference, is that it’s one person’s opinion. But because the two big cola（可口可乐）companies—Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified
themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting.
We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic（传统型）or Pepsi, Diet（低糖的）Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.
We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished.
Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse-only 7 of 27 identified all four samples correctly. While both groups did better than chance would predict, nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people go all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so fatigue, or taste burnout, was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.
1. According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to _______.
A. find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinking
B. reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkers C. show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guess-work
D. compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks
2. The statistics recorded in the preference tests show ______.
A. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are people’s two most favorite drinks
B. there is not much difference in taste between Coca-Cola and Pepsi
C. few people had trouble telling Coca-Cola from Pepsi D. people’s tastes differ from one another
3. It is implied in the first paragraph that _______.
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A. the purpose of taste tests is to promote the sale of colas
B. the improvement of quality is the chief concern of the two cola companies
C. the competition between the two colas is very strong D. blind tasting is necessary for identifying fans
4. The word ―burnout‖ (Line 4, Para.5) here refers to the state of ______.
A. being seriously burnt in the skin B. being unable to burn for lack of fuel C. being badly damaged by fire
D. being unable to function because of excessive use 5. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to ______.
A. show that taste preference is highly subjective
B. argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy
C. emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other
D. recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas Key: A B C D A
U11 Imagine eating everything delicious you want -- with none of the fat. That would be great, wouldn't it? New \United States recently, but not everyone is happy about it. Makers of the products, which contain a compound called olestra, say food manufacturers can now eliminate fat from certain foods. Critics, however, say the new compound can rob the body of essential vitamins and nutrients (营养物) and can also cause unpleasant side effects in some people. So it's up to consumers to decide whether the new fat-free products taste good enough to keep eating.
Chemists discovered olestra in the late 1960s, when they were searching for a fat that could be digested by infants more easily. Instead of finding the desired fat, the researchers created a fat that can't be digested at all. Normally, special chemicals in the intestines (肠) \molecules of regular fat and break them down so they can be used by the body. A molecule of regular fat is made up of three molecules of substances called fatty acids.
The fatty acids are absorbed by the intestines and bring with them the essential vitamins A, D, E, and K. When fat molecules are present in the intestines with any of those vitamins, the vitamins attach to the molecules and
are carried into the bloodstream.
Olestra, which is made from six to eight molecules of fatty acids, is too large for the intestines to absorb. It just slides through the intestines without being broken down. Manufacturers say it's that ability to slide unchanged through the intestine that makes olestra so valuable as a fat substitute. It provides consumers with the taste of regular fat without any bad effects on the body. But critics say olestra can prevent vitamins A, D, E, and K from being absorbed. It can also prevent the absorption of carotenoids (类胡萝卜素), compounds that may reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, etc.
Manufacturers are adding vitamins A, D, E, and K as well as carotenoids to their products now. Even so, some nutritionists are still concerned that people might eat unlimited amounts of food made with the fat substitute without worrying about how many calories they are consuming.
1.We learn from the passage that olestra is a substance that ______.
A. contains plenty of nutrients
B. renders foods calorie-free while retaining their vitamins
C. makes foods easily digestible
D. makes foods fat-free while keeping them delicious 2.The result of the search for an easily digestible fat turned out to be ______. A. commercially useless B. just as anticipated
C. somewhat controversial D. quite unexpected
3.Olestra is different from ordinary fats in that ______. A. it passes through the intestines without being absorbed
B. it facilitates the absorption of vitamins by the body C. it helps reduce the incidence of heart disease D. it prevents excessive intake of vitamins
4.What is a possible negative effect of olestra according to some critics?
A. It may impair the digestive system. B. It may affect the overall fat intake. C. It may increase the risk of cancer. D. It may spoil the consumers' appetite.
5.Why are nutritionists concerned about adding vitamins to olestra?
A. It may lead to the over-consumption of vitamins. B. People may be induced to eat more than is necessary. C. The function of the intestines may be weakened.
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D. It may trigger a new wave of fake food production. Key: D D A C B
U13 BEIJING, Feb. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- China's mineral authority will impose stricter control over coal resources in a move to help develop large-scale coal enterprises, which is believed to focus on the sustainable development of the country's rich coal reserve.
The Ministry of Land and Resources expects to start drafting its first special programme on coal exploitation this year, while carrying out an overall probe into the transferal of land rights for coal mining and the Province, but because of serious workplace accidents. Official statistics show that 70 per cent of the country's electrical power comes from coal burning. Zhang believed the operations of hundreds of small and technically backward coal mines is the underlying reason for \improvement in the overall production efficiency of the coal industry, as well as poor workplace safety records.''
However, the move also aroused mixed feelings from the country's major coal providers, such as ventures in North China's Shanxi Province.
Wang Xiaoli, general engineer of the Shanxi Provincial operational practices of various coal mining ventures, Vice-Minister of Land and Resources Ye Dongsong said Monday.
Without spelling out related schedules, Ye promised a national conference which will be attended by provincial mineral authorities from across the country. He said that those operators found guilty of offences in this regard will be subject to severe administrative or criminal punishments.
Zeng Shaojin, director of the Mineral Exploitation Department under the ministry, explained the ministry's moves are in preparation for the country's 18 planned large-scale mining industries, an intention which was outlined earlier by the State Development and Reform Commission. \rights for coal mining sites,'' he said. Zeng expects that approvals will come after the completion of the new programme. Through the investigation, the ministry also expects to readjust the current distribution of coal mining rights. For example, those found not having won the rights lawfully will be forced out of business. Zeng also admits the possibility that mining ventures can be stripped of those rights, if the firm does not comply with the new programmes.
Zhang Yong, an expert with the China Coal Industries Association, applauded the move, calling it a \by the central government to create a stronger coal industry. \is a positive response by the central government to our pleas for better order within the industry,'' he said. Although the work can only be done through the co-operation of various governmental departments, Zhang said that stricter control at the source by the Ministry of Land and Resources is essential. Coal mining received extra attention in China last year not only because of high-profile electricity shortages in many advanced areas such as East China's Zhejiang
Land and Resources Administration, said the ministry might have overlooked one important fact: Those non-public coal miners have already been contributing two-thirds of the province's annual coal output, which was 480 million tons last year.
On one side are bustling non-public miners which will soon have no resources to exploit, while on the other are large areas of minerals designated as reserved for State-owned coal mines, which cannot be developed in the near future in view of their present production capacity. \five years to see,'' he said.
1.Which industry will be imposed strict control over? A. cotton industry B. electronic industry C. petrol industry D. coal industry
2.What will the national conference promised by Vice-Minister of Land and Resources Ye Dongsong be made up of?
A. Zeng Shaojin, Zhang Yong and Ye Dongsong B. the central government officials
C. mineral authorities of the provincial level all over China
D. owners of the mines in Shanxi province
3.How many planned large-scale mining industries were outlined earlier by the State Development and Reform Commission? A. 20 B. 18 C. 8 D. 70
4.Why people paid extra attention to coal mining last year?
A. electricity shortage B. mining accidents
C. increasing price of petrol D. both A and B
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