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What does the future hold for the problem of housing? A good deal depends, of
course, on the meaning of “future”. If one is thinking in terms of science
fiction and the space age, it is at least possible to assume that man will have
solved such trivial and earthly problems as housing. Writers of science fiction,
from H.G. Wells onwards, have had little to say on the subject. They have
conveyed the suggestion that men will live in great comfort, with every
conceivable apparatus to make life smooth, healthy and easy, if not happy. But
they have not said what his house will be made of. Perhaps some new building
material, as yet unimagined, will have been discovered or invented at least. One
may be certain that bricks and mortar(泥灰，灰浆) will long have gone out of
fashion.
But the problems of the next generation or two can more readily be imagined.
Scientists have already pointed out that unless something is done either to
restrict the world’s rapid growth in population or to discover and develop new
sources of food (or both), millions of people will be dying of starvation or at
the best suffering from underfeeding before this century is out. But nobody has
yet worked out any plan for housing these growing populations. Admittedly the
worst situations will occur in the hottest parts of the world, where housing can
be light structure or in backward areas where standards are traditionally low.
But even the minimum shelter requires materials of some kind and in the teeming,
bulging towns the low-standard “housing” of flattened petrol cans and dirty
canvas is far more wasteful of ground space than can be tolerated.
Since the war, Hong Kong has suffered the kind of crisis which is likely to
arise in many other places during the next generation. Literally millions of
refugees arrived to swell the already growing population and emergency steps had
to be taken rapidly to prevent squalor(肮脏)and disease and the spread crime. The
city is tackling the situation energetically and enormous blocks of
tenements(贫民住宅)are rising at an astonishing aped. But Hong Kong is only one
small part of what will certainly become a vast problem and not merely a housing
problem, because when population grows at this rate there are accompanying
problems of education, transport, hospital services, drainage, water supply and
so on. Not every area may give the same resources as Hong Kong to draw upon and
the search for quicker and cheaper methods of construction must never cease.
1.What is the author’s opinion of housing problems in the first
paragraph?
A.They may be completely solved at sometime in the future.
B.They are unimportant and easily dealt with.
C.They will not be solved until a new building material has been
discovered.
D.They have been dealt with in specific detail in books describing the
future.
2.The writer is sure that in the distant future ___.
A.bricks and mortar will be replaced by some other building material.
B.a new building material will have been invented.
C.bricks and mortar will not be used by people who want their house to be
fashionable.
D.a new way of using bricks and mortar will have been discovered.
3.The writer believes that the biggest problem likely to confront the world
before the end of the century ___.
A.is difficult to foresee.
B.will be how to feed the ever growing population.
C.will be how to provide enough houses in the hottest parts of the world.
D.is the question of finding enough ground space.
4.When the writer says that the worst situations will occur in the hottest
parts of the world or in backward areas, he is referring to the fact that in
these parts ___.
A.standards of building are low.
B.only minimum shelter will be possible.
C.there is not enough ground space.
D.the population growth will be the greatest.
5.Which of the following sentences best summarizes Paragraph 3?
A.Hong Kong has faced a serious crisis caused by millions of refugees.
B.Hong Kong has successfully dealt with the emergency caused by millions of
refugees.
C.Hong Kong’s crisis was not only a matter of housing but included a number
of other problems of population growth.
D.Many parts of the world may have to face the kind of problems encountered
by Hong Kong and may find it much harder to deal with them.
Passage 2
Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:
In order to learn to be one’s true self, it is necessary to obtain a wide and
extensive knowledge of what has been said and done in the world; critically to
inquire into it; carefully to consider it; clearly to analyze it; and earnestly
to carry it out.
It matters not what you learn, but when you once learn a thing, you must
never give it up until you have mastered it. It matters not what you inquire
into, but when you once inquire into a thing, you must never give it up until
you have thoroughly understood it. It matters not what you try to think out, but
when you once try to think out a thing, you must never give it up until you have
got what you want. It matters not what you try to carry out, but when you once
carry out a thing, you must never give it up until you have don’t it thoroughly
and well.
If another man succeeds by one effort, you will use a hundred efforts. If
another man succeeds by ten efforts, you will use a thousand.
6. According to the author, first of all one must .
A. analyze B. inquire C. obtain knowledge D. act
7. According to the author, .
A. learning is not important B. thinking is not necessary
C. knowledge means little D. it is not important what we learn
8. The end of learning should be .
A. thought B. mastery C. inquiry D. analysis
9. According to the author, another man’s success should .
A. make greater efforts B. make us nervous
C. not be taken into consideration D. cause one to stop trying
10. The author implies but does not say what .
A. the way to knowledge is through specialization
B. one has to know everything to be successful
C. success depends not so much on natural ability as it does on effort
D. success in one’s profession is latest important in one’s life
Passage 3
Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage:
The idea of a special day to honor mothers was first put forward in America
in 1907. two years later a woman, Mrs. John Bruce Dodd, in the state of
Washington proposed a similar day to honor the head of the family—the father.
Her mother died when she was very young, and her father brought her up. She
loved her father very much.
In response to Mrs. Dodd’s idea that same year—1909, the state governor of
Washington proclaimed (宣布) the third Sunday in June Father’s Day. The idea was
officially approved by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. in 1924, President
Calvin Coolidge recommended national observance of the occasion “to establish
more intimate (亲密) relations between fathers and their children, and to impress
upon fathers the full measure of their obligations.” The red or white rose is
recognized as the official Father’s Day flower.
Father’s Day took longer to establish on a national scale than Mother’s Day,
but as the idea grained popularity, tradesmen and manufacturers began to see the
commercial possibilities. They encouraged sons and daughters to honor their
fathers with small thank-you presents, such as a tie or pair of socks, as well
as by sending greeting cards.
During the Second World War, American servicemen stationed in Britain began
to request Father’s Day greeting cards to send home. This generated a response
with British card publishers. Though at first the British public was slow to
accept this rather artificial day, it’s now well celebrated in Britain on the
third Sunday in June in much the same way as in America.
Father’s Day seems to be much less important as occasion than the Mother’s
Day. Not many of the children offer their fathers some presents. But the
American fathers still think they are much better fated than the fathers of many
other countries, who have not even a day for their sake in name only.
11. When did Father’s Day officially begin to have national popularity?
A. 1907 B. 1909 C. 1916 D. 1924
12. Who first started the idea of holding the Father’s Day?
A. Mrs. John Bruce Dodd B. Mrs. John Bruce’s Mother
C. The government of Washington. D. Some businessmen.
13. What flower will be popular on Father’s Day?
A. Lily B. Water Lily C. Red rose or white rose D. Sunflower.
14. Which statement is true, a according to this passage?
A. It took even longer for Mother’s Day to gain national popularity.
B. The businessmen helped to make Father’s Day popular.
C. Father’s Day is only celebrated in America.
D. Father’s Day is only a trick of the businessmen to make money.
15. What was the first reaction of the British publishing towards Father’s
Day?
A. They thought highly of it and accepted it at once.
B. They just accepted it at once without any hesitation.
C. They just thought it a joke.
D. They thought it was too artificial and took a long time to accept.
Recent research has claimed that an excess of positive ions in the air can have an ill effect on people’s physical or psychological health. What are positive ions? Well, the air is full of ions, electrically charged particles,
and generally there is a rough balance between the positive and the negative charged. But sometimes this balance becomes disturbed and a larger proportion of positive ions are found. This happens naturally before thunderstorm, earthquakes
when winds such as the Mistral, Hamsin or Sharav are blowing in certain countries. Or it can be caused by a build-up of static electricity indoors from carpets or clothing made of man-made fibres, or from TV sets, duplicators or
computer display screens.
When a large number of positive ions are present in the air many people experience unpleasant effects such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, and some sensitive people suffer nausea or even mental disturbance. Animals
are also affected, particularly before earthquakes, snakes have been observed to come out of hibernation, rats to flee from their burrows, dogs howl and cats jump about unaccountably. This has led the US Geographical Survey to fund a
network of volunteers to watch animals in an effort to foresee such disasters before they hit vulnerable areas such as California.
Conversely, when large numbers of negative ions are present, then people have a feeling of well-being. Natural conditions that produce these large amounts are near the sea, close to waterfalls or fountains, or in any place where water is sprayed, or forms a spray. This probably accounts for the beneficial effect of a holiday by the sea, or in the mountains with tumbling streams or waterfalls.
To increase the supply of negative ions indoors, some scientists recommend the use of ionisers: small portable machines, which generate negative ions. They claim that ionisers not only clean and refresh the air but also improve the health of people sensitive to excess positive ions. Of course, there are the detractors, other scientists, who dismiss such claims and are skeptical about negative/positive ion research. Therefore people can only make up their own minds by observing the effects on themselves, or on others, of a negative rich or poor environment. After all it is debatable whether depending on seismic readings to anticipate earthquakes is more effective than watching the cat.
1.What effect does exceeding positive ionization have on some people?
A.They think they are insane.
B.They feel rather bad-tempered and short-fussed.
C.They become violently sick.
D.They are too tired to do anything.
2.In accordance with the passage, static electricity can be caused by___.
A.using home-made electrical goods.
B.wearing clothes made of natural materials.
C.walking on artificial floor coverings.
D.copying TV programs on a computer.
3.A high negative ion count is likely to be found___.
A.near a pound with a water pump.
B.close to a slow-flowing river.
C.high in some barren mountains.
D.by a rotating water sprinkler.
4.What kind of machine can generate negative ions indoors?
A.Ionisers.
B.Air-conditioners.
C.Exhaust-fans
D.Vacuum pumps.
5.Some scientists believe that___.
A.watching animals to anticipate earthquakes is more effective than depending
on seismography.
B.the unusual behavior of animals cannot be trusted.
C.neither watching nor using seismographs is reliable.
D.earthquake
