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

We can begin our discussion of “population as global issue” with what most persons mean when they discuss “the population problem”: too many people on earth and a too rapid increase in the number added each year. The facts are not in dispute, It was quite right to employ the analogy that likened demographic growth to “a long, thin powder fuse that burns steadily and haltingly until it finally reaches the charge and explodes.”

To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, it is necessary to understand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Looking back at the 8,000 years of demographic history, we find that populations have been virtually stable or growing very slightly for most of human history. For most of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. There was high fertility in most places, but this was usually balanced by high mortality. For most of human history, it was seldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, while infancy and childhood were especially risky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because death rates could exceed their birthrates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of history was how to prevent extinction of the human race.

This pattern is important to notice. Not only does it put the current problems of demographic growth into a historical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase in population in recent years is not a sudden enthusiasm for more children, but an improvement in the conditions that traditionally have caused high mortality.

Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth which extended from about 8,000 BC.till approximately AD. 1650. In the first period of some 9600 years, the population increased from some 8 million to 500 million in 1650. Between 1650 and the present, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And it is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be 6.2 billion people throughout the world. One way to appreciate this dramatic difference in such abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame to something that is more manageable. Between 8000BC and 1650, an average of only 50,000 persons was being added annually to the world’s population each year. At present, this number is added every six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annually.

1.Which of the following demographic growth pattern is most suitable for the long thin powder fuse analogy?

A.A virtually stable or slightly decreasing period and then a sudden explosion of population.

B.A slow growth for a long time and then a period of rapid, dramatic increase.

C.Too many people on earth and a few rapid increase in the number added each year.

D.A long period when death rates exceeds birthrates and then a short period with higher fertility and lower mortality.

2.During the first period of demographic history, societies were often in danger of extinction because___.

A.only one in ten persons could live past 40.

B.there was higher mortality than fertility in most places.

C.it was too dangerous to have babies due to the poor conditions.

D.our ancestors had little enthusiasm for more children.

3.Which statement is true about population increase?

A.There might be an increase of 2.2 billion persons from now to the year 2000.

B.About 50,000 babies are born every six hours at present.

C.Between 8000 BC and the present, the population increase is about 80,000,000 persons each year.

D.The population increased faster between 8000BC and 1650 than between 1650 and the present.

4.The author of the passage intends to___.

A.warn people against the population explosion in the near future.

B.compare the demographic growth pattern in the past with that after 1650.

C.find out the cause for rapid increase in population in recent years.

D.present us a clear and complete picture of the demographic growth.

5.The word “demographic” in the first paragraph means___.

A.statistics of human.

B.surroundings study.

C.accumulation of human.

D.development of human.

翻译训练：

筷子(chopsticks) 是中国传统的独具特色的进食工具 (diningutensils) ，至今已有数千年的历史。筷子在古代被称为“箸”，大约从明朝开始才有了 “筷子”的称呼。筷子多为竹子制成，也有用木头、象牙(ivory)、金属或其他材料制作而成。它要么上方下圆，要么上下全圆而上粗下细。不管其形状如何，筷子必须是成对使用的，并且两只筷子的大小长短要相同。筷子是中国人日常生活的必备工具，它的发明充分反映了中国人民的智慧。

Passage 2

Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:

When aluminum was first produced about a hundred and fifty years ago, it was so difficult to separate form the ores in which it was found that its price was higher than that of gold. The price remained high until a new process was discovered for refining the metal with the aid of electricity approximately three quarters of a century later. The new method was so much cheaper that aluminum because practical for many purposes, one of which was making pots and pans.

Aluminum is lightweight, rustproof and easily shaped into different forms. By mixing it with other metals, scientists have been able to produce a variety of alloys, some of which have the strength of steel but weigh only one third as much.

Today, the uses of aluminum are innumerable. Perhaps its most important use is in transportation. Aluminum is found in the engine of automobiles, in the hulls of boats. It is also used in many parts of airplanes. In fact, the huge “airbus” planes would probably never have been produced if aluminum did not exist. By making vehicles lighter in weight aluminum has greatly reduced the amount of fuel needed to move them, Aluminum is also being used extensively in the building industry in some countries.

Since aluminum is such a versatile (多用的) metal, it is fortunate that bauxite (铝土矿), which is one of its chief sources, is also one of the earth’s most plentiful substances. As the source of aluminum is almost inexhaustible, we can expect that more and more uses will be found for this versatile metal.

6. The price of aluminum was sharply reduced when people discovered a new refining process with the aid of .

A. wind B. solar energy C. hydraulic power D. electricity

7. Aluminum is .

A. lightweight, rustproof but not easily shaped into different forms

B. heavyweight, rustproof and easily shaped into different forms

C. lightweight, rustproof and easily shaped into different forms

D. lightweight and easily shaped into different forms but it is easy to become rusty

8. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Aluminum is widely used in transportation.

B. Aluminum is also used in many parts of airplanes.

C. Aluminum is being used extensively in the building industry.

D. Aluminum is not used in its pure form.

9. Aluminum is found on earth mostly in the form of .

A. pure metal B. bauxite C. gold D. liquid

10. What is the passage talking about?

A. The features of aluminum and its functions. B. The process of aluminum.

C. The discovery of aluminum. D. The promising future of aluminum.

某公司中标承建中压 A燃气管线工程，管道直径 DN30mm，长 26km，合同价 3600 万元。管道沟槽开挖过程中，遇到地质勘查时未探明的废弃砖沟，经现场监理工程口头同意，施工项目部组织人员、机具及时清除了砖沟，进行换填级配砂石处理，使工程增加了合同外的工作量。项目部就此向发包方提出计量支付，遭到计量工程师拒绝。监理工程师在工程检查中发现： (1) 现场正在焊接作业的两名焊工是公司临时增援人员，均已在公司总部从事管理岗位半年以上;(2) 管道准备连接施焊的数个坡口处有油渍等杂物。检查后向项目部发出整改通知。

问题

1. 项目部处理废弃砖沟在程序上是否妥当?如不妥当，写出正确的程序。

2. 简述计量工程师拒绝此项计量支付的理由。

3. 两名新增焊接人员是否符合上岗条件?为什么 ?

4. 管道连接施焊的坡口处应如何处理方能符合有关规范的要求?

In the past, operations were difficult. Until the middle of the eighteen fifties, surgery was very dangerous. Many patients died after even the smallest operations. This was because bacteria entered the cuts in the patients bodied’and started infection. In some countries, up to 90 percent of patients died from inf ection after operations. In 1865, however, Joseph Lister, a British surgeon, found an answer to the problem. He used an “antiseptic during” and after operations. This killed the dangerous bacteria and most of his patients lived. Since then, surgeons have used antiseptics in all operations.Surgery has developed in many important ways since the day of Joseph Lister. Today, when patients go to hospital for an operation, they can expect thebest treatment, in clean and hygienic conditions.

33. Operations were difficult and dangerous until_______.

A.1850

B. the middle of 1850

C. the middle of the fifties of the eighteenth century

D. the middle of the fifties of the nineteenth century

34. In the passage, surgery means__________.

A. The performing of an operation

B. cure

C. treatment

D. medicine

35. In the past, up to 90 percent of patients died after operations mainly b

ecause__________.

A. bacteria entered the cuts in the patients bodies’and infection took place

B. the conditions in hospitals were bad

C. the skill of surgeons was not so good

D. there were no good medicine at that time

36. Which topic of the following best suits the passage?

A. Operations were difficult in the past

B. The devotion of Joseph Lister to medical science

C. Surgery has become safer

D. Developments in surgery

37. Joseph Lister was________.

A. a Frenchman

B. a German

C. an Englishman

D. an Americ

Part IV Translation：

One of them was from my school days, when our ninth grade teacher, Miss Raber, would pick out words from the Reader’s Digest to test our vocabulary. (Passage Four)

请写出施工资料包括的八个主要内容。

某新建单线铁路工程设计行车速度为160km/h，全长 189km，其中简支 T 梁有 360孔，设计为跨区间无缝线路，站线铺轨28km，沿线有十多家石料场，其中铺轨与架梁由一个工程局公司总承包，接轨站位于繁忙的铁路干线上，站内有大量平地。

问题：

1. 选择铺架方案，并加以解释。

2. 建设单位要求 7 个月完成铺架，请确定有关施工进度。

3. 简述跨区间无缝线路施工方案与施工步序。

4. 简述该工程铺架施工应投入的主要机械设备。

背景资料：

某建设单位新建一工业项目，经招标， 机电工程由具备机电工程总承包一级资格的A 安装工程公司总承包。 其中，车间内的消防工程、锅炉房工程、变电所工程由建设单位直接发包给具有专业资质的B公司。合同规定，施工现场管理由 A公司总负责，工程项目主材由A 公司提供，工程设备由建设单位指定厂家，A 公司负责采购并与制造厂商签订合同。 A、B 两个公司都分别组建了项目部。在施工过程中，发生如下事件：

事件 1：监理公司发现B公司在锅炉安装施工前，没有办理书面告知手续就进行施工，施工作业人员没有持证上岗，便指令 B 公司停工。

事件 2：由于 A 公司采购的变压器延期一个月到现场，致使B 公司发生窝工和停工，造成经济损失，B 公司向 A公司提出索赔。

事件 3：A公司在跟制造商签订采购合同以后，积极督促制造商，并且经常与之协调，保证了设备的按时供应。

事件 4：消防工程验收时，B施工单位提交的有关验收技术资料不完整，公安消防监督机构不予验收。消防工程竣工后，建设单位向公安消防监督机构提交工程消防验收申请，填写了《建筑工程消防验收申报表》，要求公安消防监督机构进行消防验收并投入使用，但公安消防监督机构不受理。

问题：

1. 在事件 1 中，说明监理公司指令B公司停工的理由。锅炉安装工程应配备哪些主要的特种作业人员?

2. 在事件 2 中， B 公司向 A 公司提出索赔，是否合理?说明理由。

3. 在事件 3 中， A 公司与供货商协调了哪些方面的问题?

4. 通过事件 4，说明消防工程验收的条件。