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.
GriffithworkedforafirmthatspecializedineconomicdevelopmentinWashingtonD.C.becausesheneededmoneytopayforherdebt.
Whatdoesthefutureholdfortheproblemofhousing?Agooddealdepends,ofcourse,onthemeaningof“future”.Ifoneisthinkingintermsofsciencefictionandthespaceage,itisatleastpossibletoassumethatmanwillhavesolvedsuchtrivialandearthlyproblemsashousing.Writersofsciencefiction,fromH.G.Wellsonwards,havehadlittletosayonthesubject.Theyhaveconveyedthesuggestionthatmenwillliveingreatcomfort,witheveryconceivableapparatustomakelifesmooth,healthyandeasy,ifnothappy.Buttheyhavenotsaidwhathishousewillbemadeof.Perhapssomenewbuildingmaterial,asyetunimagined,willhavebeendiscoveredorinventedatleast.Onemaybecertainthatbricksandmortar(泥灰,灰浆)willlonghavegoneoutoffashion.
Buttheproblemsofthenextgenerationortwocanmorereadilybeimagined.Scientistshavealreadypointedoutthatunlesssomethingisdoneeithertorestricttheworld’srapidgrowthinpopulationortodiscoveranddevelopnewsourcesoffood(orboth),millionsofpeoplewillbedyingofstarvationoratthebestsufferingfromunderfeedingbeforethiscenturyisout.Butnobodyhasyetworkedoutanyplanforhousingthesegrowingpopulations.Admittedlytheworstsituationswilloccurinthehottestpartsoftheworld,wherehousingcanbelightstructureorinbackwardareaswherestandardsaretraditionallylow.Buteventheminimumshelterrequiresmaterialsofsomekindandintheteeming,bulgingtownsthelow-standard“housing”offlattenedpetrolcansanddirtycanvasisfarmorewastefulofgroundspacethancanbetolerated.
Sincethewar,HongKonghassufferedthekindofcrisiswhichislikelytoariseinmanyotherplacesduringthenextgeneration.Literallymillionsofrefugeesarrivedtoswellthealreadygrowingpopulationandemergencystepshadtobetakenrapidlytopreventsqualor(肮脏)anddiseaseandthespreadcrime.Thecityistacklingthesituationenergeticallyandenormousblocksoftenements(贫民住宅)arerisingatanastonishingaped.ButHongKongisonlyonesmallpartofwhatwillcertainlybecomeavastproblemandnotmerelyahousingproblem,becausewhenpopulationgrowsatthisratethereareaccompanyingproblemsofeducation,transport,hospitalservices,drainage,watersupplyandsoon.NoteveryareamaygivethesameresourcesasHongKongtodrawuponandthesearchforquickerandcheapermethodsofconstructionmustnevercease.
1.Whatistheauthor’sopinionofhousingproblemsinthefirstparagraph?
A.Theymaybecompletelysolvedatsometimeinthefuture.
B.Theyareunimportantandeasilydealtwith.
C.Theywillnotbesolveduntilanewbuildingmaterialhasbeendiscovered.
D.Theyhavebeendealtwithinspecificdetailinbooksdescribingthefuture.
2.Thewriterissurethatinthedistantfuture___.
A.bricksandmortarwillbereplacedbysomeotherbuildingmaterial.
B.anewbuildingmaterialwillhavebeeninvented.
C.bricksandmortarwillnotbeusedbypeoplewhowanttheirhousetobefashionable.
D.anewwayofusingbricksandmortarwillhavebeendiscovered.
3.Thewriterbelievesthatthebiggestproblemlikelytoconfronttheworldbeforetheendofthecentury___.
A.isdifficulttoforesee.
B.willbehowtofeedtheevergrowingpopulation.
C.willbehowtoprovideenoughhousesinthehottestpartsoftheworld.
D.isthequestionoffindingenoughgroundspace.
4.Whenthewritersaysthattheworstsituationswilloccurinthehottestpartsoftheworldorinbackwardareas,heisreferringtothefactthatintheseparts___.
A.standardsofbuildingarelow.
B.onlyminimumshelterwillbepossible.
C.thereisnotenoughgroundspace.
D.thepopulationgrowthwillbethegreatest.
5.WhichofthefollowingsentencesbestsummarizesParagraph3?
A.HongKonghasfacedaseriouscrisiscausedbymillionsofrefugees.
B.HongKonghassuccessfullydealtwiththeemergencycausedbymillionsofrefugees.
C.HongKong’scrisiswasnotonlyamatterofhousingbutincludedanumberofotherproblemsofpopulationgrowth.
D.ManypartsoftheworldmayhavetofacethekindofproblemsencounteredbyHongKongandmayfinditmuchhardertodealwiththem.
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
Withoutregularsuppliesofsomehormonesourcapacitytobehavewouldbeseriouslyimpaired;withoutotherswewouldsoondie.Tinyamountsofsomehormonescanmodifymoodsandactions,ourinclinationtoeatordrink,ouraggressivenessorsubmissiveness,andourreproductiveandparentalbehavior.Andhormonesdomorethaninfluenceadultbehavior;earlyinlifetheyhelptodeterminethedevelopmentofbodilyformandmayevendetermineanindividual’sbehavioralcapacities.Laterinlifethechangingoutputsofsomeendocrineglandsandthebody’schangingsensitivitytosomehormonesareessentialaspectsofthephenomenaofaging.
Communicationwithinthebodyandtheconsequentintegrationofbehaviorwereconsideredtheexclusiveprovinceofthenervoussystemuptothebeginningofthepresentcentury.TheemergenceofendocrinologyasaseparatedisciplinecanprobablybetracedtotheexperimentsofBaylissandStarlingonthehormonesecretion.Thissubstanceissecretedfromcellsintheintestinalwallswhenfoodentersthestomach;ittravelsthroughthebloodstreamandstimulatesthepancreastoliberatepancreaticjuice,whichaidsindigestion.Byshowingthatspecialcellssecretchemicalagentsthatareconveyedbythebloodstreamandregulatedistanttargetorgansortissues.Baylissandstarlingdemonstratedthatchemicalintegrationcouldoccurwithoutparticipationofthenervoussystem.
Theterm“hormone”wasfirstusedwithreferencetosecretion.StarlingderivedthetermfromtheGreekhormone,meaning“toexciteorsetinmotion.Theterm“endocrine”wasintroducedshortlythereafter“Endocrine”isusedtorefertoglandsthatsecretproductsintothebloodstream.Theterm“endocrine”contrastswith“exocrine”,whichisappliedtoglandsthatsecrettheirproductsthoughductstothesiteofaction.Examplesofexocrineglandsarethetearglands,thesweatglands,andthepancreas,whichsecretspancreaticjuicethroughaductintotheintestine.Exocrineglandsarealsocalledductglands,whileendocrineglandsarecalledductless.
1.Whatistheauthor’smainpurposeinthepassage?
A.Toexplainthespecificfunctionsofvarioushormones.
B.Toprovidegeneralinformationabouthormones.
C.Toexplainhowtheterm“hormone”evolved.
D.Toreportonexperimentsinendocrinology.
2.Thepassagesupportswhichofthefollowingconclusions?
A.Thehumanbodyrequireslargeamountsofmosthormones.
B.Synthetichormonescanreplaceaperson’snaturalsupplyofhormonesifnecessary.
C.Thequantityofhormonesproducedandtheireffectsonthebodyarerelatedtoaperson’sage.
D.Theshortchildoftallparentsverylikelyhadahormonedeficiencyearlyinlife.
3.ItcanbeinferredfromthepassagethatbeforetheBaylissandStarlingexperiments,mostpeoplebelievedthatchemicalintegrationoccurredonly___.
A.duringsleep.
B.intheendocrineglands.
C.undercontrolofthenervoussystem.
D.duringstrenuousexercise.
4.Theword“liberate”couldbestbereplacedbywhichofthefollowing?
A.EmancipateB.DischargeC.SurrenderD.Save
5.Accordingtothepassageanothertermforexocrineglandsis___.
A.ductglands
B.endocrineglands
C.ductlessglands
D.intestinalglands.