Iftheoldmaximthatthecustomerisalwaysrightstillhasmeaning,thentheairlinesthatplytheworld’sbusiestairroutebetweenLondonandParishaveaflightontheirhands.
TheEurostartrainservicelinkingtheUKandFrenchcapitalsviatheChannelTunneliswinningcustomersinincreasingnumbers.InlateMay,itcarrieditsonemillionthpassenger,havingrunonlyalimitedservicebetweenLondon,ParisandBrusselssinceNovember1994,startingwithtwotrainsadayineachdirectiontoParisandBrussels.By1997,thecompanybelievesthatitwillbecarryingtenmillionpassengersayear,andcontinuetogrowfromthere.
FromJuly,EurostarstepsitsservicetoninetrainseachwaybetweenLondonandParis,andfivebetweenLondonandBrussels.Eachtraincarriesalmost800passengers,210oftheminfirstclass.
Theairlinesestimatethattheywillinitiallylosearound15%-20%oftheirLondon-ParistraffictotherailwaysonceEurostarstartsafullservicelaterthisyear(1995),with15trainsadayeachway.AsimilarservicewillstarttoBrussels.Thedamagewillbelimited,however,theairlinesbelieve,withpassengernumbersreturningtopreviouslevelswithintwotothreeyears.
Intheshortterm,thedamagecausedbythe1millionpeople-levelstravelingbetweenLondonandParisandBrusselsonEurostartrainsmeansthatsomeairservicesarealreadysuffering.Someofthemajorcarrierssaythattheirpassengernumbersaredownbylessthan5%andpointtotheirrivals-ParticularlyAirFrance-ashavingsufferedtheproblems.OntheBrusselsroute,therailwaycompanyhadlesssuccess,andtheairlinesreportanythingfromarounda5%droptonovisibledeclineintraffic.
Theairlines’optimismonreturningtrafficlevelsisbasedonhistoricalprecedent.BritishMidland,forexample,pointstoitsexperienceonHeathrowLeedsBradfordservicewhichsawpassengernumbersfoldby15%whenBritishRailelectrifiedandmodernizedtherailwaylinebetweenLondonandYorkshire.Twoyearslater,travelhadrisenbetweenthetwodestinationstothepointwheretheairlinewascarryingrecordnumbersofpassengers.
1.Britishairlinesconfideinthefactthat__.
A.theyaremorepowerfulthanotherEuropeanairlines.
B.theirtotallosswon’tgobeyondadropof5%passengers.
C.theirtrafficlevelswillreturnin2-3years.
D.travelingbyrailcannevercatchupwithtravelingbyair.
2.Theauthor’sattitudetowardsthedropofpassengersmaybedescribedas__.
A.worried.B.delightedC.puzzled.D.unrivaled.
3.Inthepassage,BritishRail(Para6)ismentionedto__.
A.provideacomparisonwithEurostar.
B.supporttheairlines’optimism.
C.provetheinevitabledropofairpassengers.
D.callforelectrificationandmodernizationoftherailway.
4.Therailway’sBrusselsrouteisbroughtforthtoshowthat__.
A.theEurostartrainserviceisnotdoinggoodbusiness.
B.theairlinescanwellcompetewiththerailway.
C.theEurostartrainserviceonlycausedlittledamage.
D.onlysomeairlines,suchasAirFrance,aresuffering.
5.Thepassageistakenfromthefirstofanessay,fromwhichwemaywellpredictthatinthefollowingparttheauthorisgoingto__.
A.praisetheairlines’clear-mindedness.
B.warntheairlinesofhigh-speedrailservices.
C.proposeareductionofLondon/Parisflights.
D.advisetheairlinestofollowBritishMidlandastheirmodel.
PartIReadingComprehension
Directions:Inthisparttherearefourpassages.Eachpassageisfollowedbyfourcomprehensionquestions.Readthepassageandanswerthequestions.ThenmarkyouranswerontheAnswerSheet.
Passage1
Questions1to5arebasedonthefollowingpassage:
Askthreepeopletolookthesamewindowatabusystreetcornerandtellyouwhattheysee.Chancesareyouwillreceivethreedifferentanswers.Eachpersonseesthesamescene,buteachperceivessomethingdifferentaboutit.
Perceivinggoesoninourminds.Ofthethreepeoplewholookoutthewindow,onemaysaythatheseesapolicemangivingamotoristaticket.Anothermaysaythatheseesarush-hourtrafficjamattheintersection.Thethirdmaytellyouthatheseesawomantryingtocrossthestreetwithfourchildrenintow.Forperceptionisthemind’sinterpretationofwhatthesenses—inthiscaseoureyes—tellus.
Manypsychologiststodayareworkingtotrytodeterminejusthowapersonexperiencesorperceivestheworldaroundhim.Usingascientificapproach,thesepsychologistssetupexperimentsinwhichtheycancontrolallofthefactors.Bymeasuringandchartingtheresultsofmanyexperiments,theyaretryingtofindoutwhatmakesdifferentpeopleperceivetotallydifferentthingsaboutthesamescene.
1.Seeingandperceivingare.
A.thesameaction
B.twoseparateactions
C.twoactionscarriedonentirelybyeyes
D.severalactionsthattakeplaceatdifferenttimes
2.Perceivingisanactionthattakesplace.
A.inoureyes
B.onlywhenwethinkveryhardaboutsomething
C.onlyunderthedirectionofapsychologist
D.ineveryperson’smind
3.Peopleperceivedifferentthingsaboutthesamescenebecause.
A.theyseedifferentthingsB.somehavebettereyesight
C.theycannotagreeaboutthingsD.noneofthese
4.Whichofthefollowingisimpliedbutnotstatedinthepassage?
A.Psychologistsdonotyetknowpeoplesee.
B.Theexperimentsinwhichallfactorsarecontrolledarebetter.
C.Thestudyofperceptionisgoingonnow.
D.Perceptiondoesnotinvolvepsychologicalfactors.
5.Thebesttitleforthisselectionis.
A.HowWeSee
B.LearningaboutOurMindsthroughScience
C.WhatPsychologistsPerceive
D.HowtoBecauseanExperimentalPsychologist
.IfyouhavereallybeenstudyingEnglishforsolong,it’sabouttimeyou_____abletowritelettersinEnglish.
AccordingtoStevenYoung,ifscientistsgetthedatathat________,theywouldpetitionforfasttrackstatus.
Scatteredthroughtheseasoftheworldarebillionsoftonsofsmallplantsandanimalscalledplankton.Mostoftheseplantsandanimalsaretoosmallforthehumaneyetosee.Theydriftaboutlazilywiththecurrents,providingabasicfoodformanylargeranimals.Planktonhasbeendescribedastheequivalentofthegrassesthatgrowonthedrylandcontinents,andthecomparisonisanappropriateone.Inpotentialfoodvaluehowever,planktonfaroutweighsthatofthelandgrasses.Onescientisthasestimatedthatwhilegrassesoftheworldproduceabout49billiontonsofvaluablecarbohydrateseachyear.Thesea’splanktongeneratesmorethantwiceasmuch.
Despiteitsenormousfoodpotential,littleeffortwasmadeuntilrecentlytofarmplanktonaswefarmgrassesonland.Nowmarinescientistshaveatlastbeguntostudythispossibility,especiallyasthesea’sresourcesloomevenmoreimportantasameansoffeedinganexpandingworldpopulation.
Nooneyethasseriouslysuggestedthat“planktonburgers”maysoonbecomepopulararoundtheworld.Asapossiblefarmedsupplementaryfoodsource,however,planktonisgainingconsiderableinterestamongmarinescientists.
Onetypeofplanktonthatseemstohavegreatharvestpossibilitiesisatinyshrimplikecreaturecalledkrill.Growingtotwoorthreeincheslong,krillprovidethemajorfoodforthegiantbluewhale,thelargestanimalevertoinhabittheEarth.Realizingthatthiswhalemaygrow100feetandweigh150tonsatmaturity,itisnotsurprisingthateachonedevoursmorethanonetonofkrilldaily.
Krillswimaboutjustbelowthesurfaceinhugeschoolssometimesmileswide,mainlyinthecoldAntarctic.Becauseoftheirpinkcolor,theyoftenappearasasolidreddishmasswhenviewedfromashiporfromtheair.Krillareveryhighinfoodvalue.Apoundofthesecrustaceanscontainsabout460calories—aboutthesameasshrimporlobster,towhichtheyarerelated.
Ifthekrillcanfeedsuchhugecreaturesaswhales,manyscientistsreason,theymustcertainlybecontendersasnewfoodsourceforhumans.
1.Whichofthefollowingbestportraystheorganizationofthepassage?
A.Theauthorpresentstheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofplanktonasafoodsource.
B.Theauthorquotespublicopiniontosupporttheargumentforfarmingplankton.
C.Theauthorclassifiesthedifferentfoodsourcesaccordingtoamountofcarbohydrate.
D.Theauthormakesageneralstatementaboutplanktonasafoodsourceandthenmovestoaspecificexample.
2.Accordingtothepassage,whyisplanktonregardedtobemorevaluablethanlandgrasses?
A.Itiseasiertocultivate.
B.Itproducesmorecarbohydrates.
C.Itdoesnotrequiresoil.
D.Itismorepalatable.
3.Whydoestheauthormention“planktonburgers”?
A.Todescribetheappearanceofonetypeofplankton.
B.Toillustratehowmuchplanktonawhaleconsumes.
C.Tosuggestplanktonasapossiblefoodsources.
D.Tocomparethefoodvaluesofbeefandplankton.
4.Whatismentionedasoneconspicuousfeatureofkrill?
A.Theyarethesmallestmarineanimals.
B.Theyarepinkincolor.
C.Theyaresimilarinsizetolobsters.
D.Theyhavegrasslikebodies.
5.Theauthormentionsallofthefollowingasreasonswhyplanktoncouldbeconsideredahumanfoodsourceexceptthatitis___.
A.highinfoodvalue.
B.inabundantsupplyintheoceans.
C.anappropriatefoodforotheranimals.
D.freeofchemicalsandpollutants.