Passage3

Questions11to15arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

Thecowboyistheheroofmanymovies,.Heis,eventoday,asymbolofcourageandadventure.Butwhatwasthelifeofthecowboyreallylike?

Thecowboy’sjobisclearfromthewordcowboy.Cowboyweremenwhotookcareofcowsandothercattle.ThecattlewereintheWestandinTexas.PeopleinthecitiesoftheEastwantedbeefthesecattle.Trainscouldtakethecattleeast.Butfirstthecattlehadtogettothetrains.Partofthecowboy’sjobwastotakethecattlehundredsofmilestotherailroadtown.Thetripswerecalledcattledrivers.Acattledriveusuallytookseveralmonths.Cowboysrodeforsixteenhoursaday.Becausetheyrodesomuch,eachcowboybroughtalongabouteighthorses.Acowboychangedhorsesseveraltimeseachday.

Thecowboyshadtomakesurethatcattlearrivedsafely.Beforestartingonadrive,thecowboysbrandedthecattle.Theyburnedamarkonthecattletoshowwhotheybelongedto.Butthesemarksdidn’tstoprustlers,orcattlethieves.Cowboyshadtoprotectthecattlefromrustlers.Rustlersmadethedangeroustripevenmoredangerous.

Eventhoughtheirworkwasverydifficultanddangerous,cowboysdidnotearnmuchmoney.Theywerepaidbadly.Yetcowboyslikedtheirwayoflife.Theylivedinawildandopencountry.Theylivedalifeofadventureandfreedom.

11.Acowboyisasymbolof.

A.courageandadventureB.ahardlifeandbigpay

C.moviesinthepastD.cowsandothercattle

12.Thecowboys’jobwas.

A.tobeaheroinreallifeB.tobeaheroofthemovie

C.totakecareofcattleD.tobeadangerousrustler

13.Duringacattledriver,cowboystookagroupofcowsfromawildandopencountryto.

A.theWeststatesandTexasB.thecitiesoftheEastStates

C.thepeoplewhoeatbeefincitiesD.therailroadtownshundredmilesaway

14.Ontheirwayofcattledrivers,thecowboysprotectedthecattleby.

A.burningamarkontheircowsB.keepinganeyeoncattlethieves

C.makingthetripmoredangerousD.lookingaftereightcowseachperson

15.Cowboysenjoyedthemselvesbecause.

A.theylikedtheirwayoflifeB.theymadealotofmoney

C.theyhadavarydifficultjobD.theywereheroesinmovies

Recentresearchhasclaimedthatanexcessofpositiveionsintheaircanhaveanilleffectonpeople’sphysicalorpsychologicalhealth.Whatarepositiveions?Well,theairisfullofions,electricallychargedparticles,andgenerallythereisaroughbalancebetweenthepositiveandthenegativecharged.Butsometimesthisbalancebecomesdisturbedandalargerproportionofpositiveionsarefound.Thishappensnaturallybeforethunderstorm,earthquakeswhenwindssuchastheMistral,HamsinorSharavareblowingincertaincountries.Oritcanbecausedbyabuild-upofstaticelectricityindoorsfromcarpetsorclothingmadeofman-madefibres,orfromTVsets,duplicatorsorcomputerdisplayscreens.

Whenalargenumberofpositiveionsarepresentintheairmanypeopleexperienceunpleasanteffectssuchasheadaches,fatigue,irritability,andsomesensitivepeoplesuffernauseaorevenmentaldisturbance.Animalsarealsoaffected,particularlybeforeearthquakes,snakeshavebeenobservedtocomeoutofhibernation,ratstofleefromtheirburrows,dogshowlandcatsjumpaboutunaccountably.ThishasledtheUSGeographicalSurveytofundanetworkofvolunteerstowatchanimalsinanefforttoforeseesuchdisastersbeforetheyhitvulnerableareassuchasCalifornia.

Conversely,whenlargenumbersofnegativeionsarepresent,thenpeoplehaveafeelingofwell-being.Naturalconditionsthatproducetheselargeamountsarenearthesea,closetowaterfallsorfountains,orinanyplacewherewaterissprayed,orformsaspray.Thisprobablyaccountsforthebeneficialeffectofaholidaybythesea,orinthemountainswithtumblingstreamsorwaterfalls.

Toincreasethesupplyofnegativeionsindoors,somescientistsrecommendtheuseofionisers:smallportablemachines,whichgeneratenegativeions.Theyclaimthationisersnotonlycleanandrefreshtheairbutalsoimprovethehealthofpeoplesensitivetoexcesspositiveions.Ofcourse,therearethedetractors,otherscientists,whodismisssuchclaimsandareskepticalaboutnegative/positiveionresearch.Thereforepeoplecanonlymakeuptheirownmindsbyobservingtheeffectsonthemselves,oronothers,ofanegativerichorpoorenvironment.Afterallitisdebatablewhetherdependingonseismicreadingstoanticipateearthquakesismoreeffectivethanwatchingthecat.

1.Whateffectdoesexceedingpositiveionizationhaveonsomepeople?

A.Theythinktheyareinsane.

B.Theyfeelratherbad-temperedandshort-fussed.

C.Theybecomeviolentlysick.

D.Theyaretootiredtodoanything.

2.Inaccordancewiththepassage,staticelectricitycanbecausedby___.

A.usinghome-madeelectricalgoods.

B.wearingclothesmadeofnaturalmaterials.

C.walkingonartificialfloorcoverings.

D.copyingTVprogramsonacomputer.

3.Ahighnegativeioncountislikelytobefound___.

A.nearapoundwithawaterpump.

B.closetoaslow-flowingriver.

C.highinsomebarrenmountains.

D.byarotatingwatersprinkler.

4.Whatkindofmachinecangeneratenegativeionsindoors?

A.Ionisers.

B.Air-conditioners.

C.Exhaust-fans

D.Vacuumpumps.

5.Somescientistsbelievethat___.

A.watchinganimalstoanticipateearthquakesismoreeffectivethandependingonseismography.

B.theunusualbehaviorofanimalscannotbetrusted.

C.neitherwatchingnorusingseismographsisreliable.

D.earthquake

ProfessorJohnsonissaid_____somesignificantadvanceinhisresearchinthepastyears.

Passage2

Questions6to10arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

Whenaluminumwasfirstproducedaboutahundredandfiftyyearsago,itwassodifficulttoseparateformtheoresinwhichitwasfoundthatitspricewashigherthanthatofgold.Thepriceremainedhighuntilanewprocesswasdiscoveredforrefiningthemetalwiththeaidofelectricityapproximatelythreequartersofacenturylater.Thenewmethodwassomuchcheaperthataluminumbecausepracticalformanypurposes,oneofwhichwasmakingpotsandpans.

Aluminumislightweight,rustproofandeasilyshapedintodifferentforms.Bymixingitwithothermetals,scientistshavebeenabletoproduceavarietyofalloys,someofwhichhavethestrengthofsteelbutweighonlyonethirdasmuch.

Today,theusesofaluminumareinnumerable.Perhapsitsmostimportantuseisintransportation.Aluminumisfoundintheengineofautomobiles,inthehullsofboats.Itisalsousedinmanypartsofairplanes.Infact,thehuge“airbus”planeswouldprobablyneverhavebeenproducedifaluminumdidnotexist.Bymakingvehicleslighterinweightaluminumhasgreatlyreducedtheamountoffuelneededtomovethem,Aluminumisalsobeingusedextensivelyinthebuildingindustryinsomecountries.

Sincealuminumissuchaversatile(多用的)metal,itisfortunatethatbauxite(铝土矿),whichisoneofitschiefsources,isalsooneoftheearth’smostplentifulsubstances.Asthesourceofaluminumisalmostinexhaustible,wecanexpectthatmoreandmoreuseswillbefoundforthisversatilemetal.

6.Thepriceofaluminumwassharplyreducedwhenpeoplediscoveredanewrefiningprocesswiththeaidof.

A.windB.solarenergyC.hydraulicpowerD.electricity

7.Aluminumis.

A.lightweight,rustproofbutnoteasilyshapedintodifferentforms

B.heavyweight,rustproofandeasilyshapedintodifferentforms

C.lightweight,rustproofandeasilyshapedintodifferentforms

D.lightweightandeasilyshapedintodifferentformsbutitiseasytobecomerusty

8.WhichofthefollowingisNOTtrue?

A.Aluminumiswidelyusedintransportation.

B.Aluminumisalsousedinmanypartsofairplanes.

C.Aluminumisbeingusedextensivelyinthebuildingindustry.

D.Aluminumisnotusedinitspureform.

9.Aluminumisfoundonearthmostlyintheformof.

A.puremetalB.bauxiteC.goldD.liquid

10.Whatisthepassagetalkingabout?

A.Thefeaturesofaluminumanditsfunctions.B.Theprocessofaluminum.

C.Thediscoveryofaluminum.D.Thepromisingfutureofaluminum.

_____yourtimelyadvice,Iwouldneverhaveknownhowtogoaboutthework.