PARTVREADINGCOMPREHENSION

Inthissectiontherearefourpassagesfollowedbyquestionsorunfinishedstatements,eachwithfoursuggestedanswersmarkedA,B,CandD.Choosetheonethatyouthinkisthebestanswer.

TEXTA

Racket,dinclamor,noise,whateveryouwanttocallit,unwantedsoundisAmerica'smostwidespread

nuisance.Butnoiseismorethanjustanuisance.Itconstitutesarealandpresentdangertopeople'shealth.Day

andnight,athome,atwork,andatplay,noisecanproduceseriousphysicalandpsychologicalstress.Nooneis

immunetothisstress.Thoughweseemtoadjusttonoisebyignoringit,theear,infact,neverclosesandthe

bodystillresponds—sometimeswithextremetension,astoastrangesoundinthenight.

Theannoyancewefeelwhenfacedwithnoiseisthemostcommonoutwardsymptomofthestressbuilding

upinsideus.Indeed,becauseirritabilityissoapparent,legislatorshavemadepublicannoyancethebasisof

manynoiseabatementprograms.Themoresubtleandmoreserioushealthhazardsassociatedwithstress

causedbynoisetraditionallyhavebeengivenmuchlessattention.Nevertheless,whenweareannoyedormade

irritablebynoise,weshouldconsiderthesesymptomsfairwarningthatotherthingmaybehappeningtous,

someofwhichmaybedamagingtoourhealth.

Ofmanyhealthhazardstonoise,hearinglossisthemostclearlyobservableandmeasurablebyhealth

professionals.Theotherhazardsarehardertopindown.Formanyofus,theremaybeariskthatexposuretothe

stressofnoiseincreasessusceptibilitytodiseaseandinfection.Themoresusceptibleamongusmayexperience

noiseasacomplicatingfactorinheartproblemsandotherdiseases.Noisethatcausesannoyanceandirritability

inhealthpersonsmayhaveseriousconsequencesforthesealreadyillinmindorbody.

Noiseaffectsusthroughoutourlives.Forexample,thereareindicationsofeffectsontheunbornchildwhen

mothersareexposedtoindustrialandenvironmentalnoise.Duringinfancyandchildhood,youngstersexposed

tohighnoiselevelsmayhavetroublefallingasleepandobtainingnecessaryamountsofrest.

Why,then,istherenotgreateralarmaboutthesedangers?Perhapsitisbecausethelinkbetweennoiseand

manydisabilitiesordiseaseshasnotyetbeenconclusivelydemonstrated.Perhapsitisbecausewetendto

dismissannoyanceasapricetopayforlivinginthemodernworld.Itmayalsobebecausewestillthinkof

hearinglossasonlyanoccupationalhazard.

1.InParagraph1,thephrase"immuneto"areusedtomean___.

A.unaffectedby

B.hurtby

C.unlikelytobeseenby

D.unknownby

2.Theauthor'sattitudetowardnoisewouldbestbedescribedas___.

A.unrealistic

B.traditional

C.concerned

D.hysterical

3.Whichofthefollowingbeststatesthemainideaofthepassage?

A.Noiseisamajorproblem;mostpeoplerecognizeitsimportance.

B.Althoughnoisecanbeannoying,itisnotamajorproblem.

C.Noiseisamajorproblemandhasnotyetbeenrecognizedassuch.

D.Noiseisamajorproblemaboutwhichnothingcanbedone.

4.Theauthorcondemnsnoiseessentiallybecauseit___.

A.isagainstthelaw

B.canmakesomepeopleirritable

C.isanuisance

D.inagangertopeople'shealth

5.Theauthorwouldprobablyconsiderresearchabouttheeffectsnoisehasonpeopletobe___.

A.unimportant

B.impossible.

C.awasteofmoney

D.essential

There_____nothingmorefordiscussion,themeetingcametoanendhalfanearlier.

Shewasonceayoungcountrywifewithchickensinthebackyardandaviewof_______mountainsbehindtheappleorchard.

Allofuswouldhaveenjoyedthepartymuchmoreifthere_____quitesuchacrowdofpeoplethere.

PARTVREADINGCOMPREHENSION

PASSAGEONE

(1)TheearliestsettlerscametotheNorthAmericancontinenttoestablishcoloniesthatwerefreefromthecontrolsthatexistedinEuropeansocieties.Theywantedtoescapethecontrolsplacedontheirlivesbykingsandgovernments,priestsandchurches,noblemenandaristocrats.ThehistoricdecisionsmadebythosefirstsettlershavehadaprofoundeffectontheshapingoftheAmerican

character.Bylimitingthepowerofthegovernmentandthechurchesandeliminatingaformalaristocracy,theycreatedaclimateoffreedomwheretheemphasiswasontheindividual.IndividualfreedomisprobablythemostbasicofalltheAmericanvalues.Byfreedom,Americansmeanthedesireandtheabilityofallindividualstocontroltheirowndestinywithoutoutsideinterferencefromthegovernment,arulingnobleclass,thechurch,oranyotherorganizedauthority.

(2)Thereis,however,apricetobepaidforthisindividualfreedom:self-reliance.ItmeansthatAmericansbelievetheyshouldstandontheirownfeet,achievingbothfinancialandemotionalindependencefromtheirparentsasearlyaspossible,usuallybyage18or21.

(3)AsecondimportantreasonwhyimmigrantshavetraditionallybeendrawntotheUnitedStatesisthebeliefthateveryonehasaequalchancetoenteraraceandsucceedinthegame.BecausetitlesofnobilitywereforbiddenintheConstitution,noformalclasssystemdevelopedintheU.S.

(4)Thereis,however,apricetobepaidforthisequalityofopportunity:competition.Ifmuchoflifeisseenasrace,thenapersonmustruntheraceinordertosucceed;apersonmustcompetewithothers.ThepressuresofcompetitioninthelifeofanAmericanbegininchildhoodandcontinueuntilretirementfromwork.Infact,anygroupofpeoplewhodoesnotcompetesuccessfullydoesnotfit

intothemainstreamofAmericanlifeaswellasthosewhodo.

(5)AthirdreasonwhyimmigrantshavetraditionallycometotheUnitedStatesistohaveabetterlife.Becauseofitsabundantnaturalresources,theUnitedStatesappearedtobea“landofplentywheremillionscouldcometoseektheirfortunes.Thephrase“goingfromragstoriches”becameasloganfortheAmericandream.Manypeopledidachievematerialsuccess.MaterialwealthbecameavaluetotheAmericanpeople,anditalsobecameanacceptedmeasureofsocialstatus.

(6)Americanspayaprice,however,fortheirmaterialwealth:hardwork.HardworkhasbeenbothnecessaryandrewardingformostAmericansthroughouttheirhistory.Insomeways,materialpossessionsareseenasevidenceofpeople’sabilities.BarryGoldwater,acandidateforthepresidencyin1964,saidthatmostpoorpeoplearepoorbecausetheydeservetobe.MostAmericanswouldfind

thisaharshstatement,butmanymightthinktherewassometruthinit.

(7)ThesebasicvaluesdonottellthewholestoryoftheAmericancharacter.Rather,theyshouldbethoughtofasthemes,aswecontinuetoexploremorefacetsoftheAmericancharacterandhowitaffectslifeintheUnitedStates.

1.Para.4seemstosuggestthat__________.

A.Americansarebornwithasenseofcompetition

B.thepressureofcompetitionbeginswhenonestartswork

C.successfulcompetitionisessentialinAmericansociety

D.competitionresultsinequalityofopportunities

2.WhichofthefollowingmethodsdoestheauthormainlyuseinexplainingAmericanvalues?

A.Comparison

D.Causeandeffect

C.Definition

D.Processanalysis