The quality that unites the many different jazz forms is, in some degree, separate from its musical sources. That quality is the expression of freedom. The idea of freedom is central.

The ancestors of jazz were black people from West Africa who were brought to America as slaves, or forced laborers, from the early 1600s to the mid-1800s. Most of them remained slaves until President Lincoln set them free on January 1863, at the midpoint of the American Civil War.

With the loss of their personal freedom and the breaking up of their families, the slaves also lost the social traditions of their music from Africa. The complex rhythms of this music involved a number of people performing together. The breaking apart of these social groups forced slaves to create new songs—that is, to develop a completely new musical tradition.

Using some of the remembered African rhythms, the slaves gradually began to add some features of the European classical music that was played by the white slave owners. The slaves were also influenced by American folk songs. But the result of adding these borrowed elements to the complex African rhythms was the beginning of a completely new kind of music. Still, this music only existed privately among groups of slaves.

The slaves' work had another effect on their music. It introduced new kinds of music rhythms. Some of these rhythms became work songs to accompany their planting and picking 0f cotton. Other rhythms were developed by teams of workers who needed to lift heavy loads of cotton onto carts that passed through the fields. Later, during the building of the railroads, individual workers created new songs to match the sharp rhythms of steel striking, as they fixed the rails into place.

　　 1. The main musical sources used by the slaves to develop a new kind of music were

　　　　   A. folk music, jazz music, and modern music

　　　　   B. classical music, American rhythms, and African folk songs

　　　　   C. African music, European classical music, and American folk music

　　　　   D. slaves' work songs rhythms of lifting heavy loads, and sounds of steel striking

　　 2. “It introduced new kinds of musical rhythms.” (in the last paragraph). Here “it” refers to

　　　　   A. the slaves' music　　    　　　　　　B. a new musical rhythm

　　　　   C. the slaves' work　　　　　　　　　　 D. another effect

　　 3. When the slaves lost their personal freedom and their families,

　　　　   A. they still retained their African musical tradition

　　　　   B. they no longer had any social traditions

　　　　   C. a number of people performed together

　　　　   D. they began to create a musical style quite different from that of Africa

　　 4. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

　　　　   A. The ancestors of jazz music were free black people from West Africa.

　　　　   B. Jazz music has mixed different kinds of musical sources.

　　　　   C. Some of the rhythms of jazz music later became work songs.

　　　　   D. It took quite a long time to develop jazz music.

Those who criticize economic growth argue that we must slow down. They believe that society is approaching certain limits on growth. These include the fixed supply of natural resources, the possible negative effects of industry on the natural environment, and the continuing increase in the world's population. As society reaches these limits, economic growth can no longer continue, and the quality of life will decrease.

People who want more economic growth, on the other hand, argue that even at the present growth rate there are still many poor people in the world. These proponents of economic growth believe that only more growth can create the capital needed to improve the quality of life in the world. Furthermore, they argue that only continued growth can provide the financial resources required to protect our natural surroundings from industrialization.

This debate over the desirability of continued economic growth is of vital importance to business and industry. If those who argue against economic growth are correct, the problems they mention cannot be ignored. To find a solution, economists and the business community must pay attention to these problems and continue discussing them with one another.

　　 1. According to those who argue against economic growth we must slow down for the following reasons except that

　　　　 A. our natural surroundings are in danger of being destroyed by industry

　　　　 B. the fixed supply of natural resources marks a point beyond which economic growth cannot continue

　　　　 C. the world population is ever increasing

　　　　 D. more efforts should be made to improve the quality of our material life

　　 2. We may infer from the context that “proponents” (Para. 3) most probably means

　　　　  A. arguments in support of something　　  B. disagreements

　　　　  C. people who argue for something

　　   D. people who argue against something

　　 3. The passage is mainly about——.

　　　　  A. the contradiction between economists and the business community

　　　　  B. the present debate on economic growth

　　　　  C. the advantages and disadvantages of economic growth

　　　　   D. the importance of the debate on economic growth

　　 4. We may infer from the passage that

　　  　　 A. the author describes the case as it is

　　　　   B. the author is for economic growth

　　　　   C. the author is against continued economic growth

　　　　   D. the author is very much worded about the problems caused by continued economic growth

The process is more complex when you reach the executive level. Management will be entrusting you with significant responsibilities, and you'll be playing a role in setting policy for the firm. As a result, you'll be judged on qualities not easily summarized on a resume. You will likely go through several rounds of interviews, not just one or two. The people you meet with will be conducting an in-depth evaluation to determine whether you have the vision, experience, creativity, and management skills to be a successful leader. You'll not only need to provide thoughtful answers to questions but also present a clear picture of why you're right for the position.

Make sure you have a thorough understanding of the organization's business priorities, its strengths and weaknesses, and its chief competitors. Consider how you would address some of the issues facing the company. Your research efforts are critical to a successful interview. Those with whom you meet will be assessing how well you understand the business and what ideas you bring to the table. You'll need to show that you're knowledgeable about not only accounting and finance but also the broader issues impacting the company.

　　 1. From the first paragraph, we can learn that——.

　　　　  A. most job seekers can realize their expectations for the job when having an interview

　　　　  B. you will have to respond to a series of standard questions or be asked to take a skills test during a job interview

　　　　  C. the hiring manager wants to know if you are requisite to his company

　　　　  D. work experience is important to job seekers

　　 2. If you apply for a position of the executive level, you——.

　　　　  A. must set policy for the firm during the course of interview

　　　　  B. don't need a resume because it can not summarize all qualities you have

　　　　  C. must present a clear picture of the organization's development in the future

　　　　  D. need to show clearly why you are the most appropriate person for the position

　　 3. The following statements are false EXCEPT——.

　　　　 A. You must go through several rounds of interviews, not just one or two, when you apply for a position of the executive level

　　　　 B. You must provide thoughtful answers to questions when interviewing

　　　　 C. You need to know not only the basic things about the company but the broader issues impacting the company

　　　　 D. You need to have a thorough understanding of competitors applying for the jobs in the organization

　　 4. The passage is mainly about ——.

　　　　 A. the requirement of a job interview

　　　　 B. how to succeed in a job interview

　　　　 C. the content of a job interview and how to prepare it

 D. the interview of the executive level

The European Cancer Institute, a privately-funded body in Milan, recently uncovered a database with its own site on the worldwide computer network which can help doctors in treating cancer.  Known as START, the on-line pool of information drawn from 170 leading cancer specialists throughout Europe will be available flee of charge from the end of the year on.

The START idea draws its inspiration from a highly successful US computer database called PDQ which has been in use for more than ten years. PDQ, which is brought up to date every month by a selected group of cancer specialists, has a vast range of information on treatment, screening, prevention, supportive care and drugs which have either been approved or are under investigation. It goes a step further than START by trying to help patients as well as the doctors that treat them. Most of the information is presented in two versions in technical language for specialists and in simplified form for patients. Its principal goal is to spread knowledge.

PDQ exports invite their European colleagues to join their monthly sessions to make the database up-to-date. They also plan to start offering multimedia (多媒体) presentation later this year.

One of the main aims of database services is to give doctors, who are often confused by the enormous volume of new medical research, the opportunity to keep up with latest cancer treatments. Besides, it is believed that giving cancer-stricken patients access to the best available treatments could reduce death rates by up to ten percent.

　　  1. The passage is mainly about——.

　　　　  A. a successful computer database ran by the US

　　    B. a new way of spreading knowledge on cancer

　　　　  C. a new way of restricting cancer development

　　　　  D. a new association of cancer specialists

　　  2. The European Cancer Institute——.

　　　　  A. is sponsored by individuals

　　　　  B. is supported by the governments of European countries

　　　　  C. was established by the government of Italy

　　　　 D. is one of the branch organizations of the UN

　　  3. Which of the following is true?

　　　　  A. The START idea has derived from that of PDQ.

　　　　  B. Both the databases provide information on treatment rather than on prevention.

　　　　  C. PDQ draws its information on cancer from expects all over the world.

　　　　  D. The START information is gathered from all cancer specialists in Europe.

　　  4.  It can be inferred from the passage that

　　　　  A. ten percent of patients all over the world will be saved thanks to the two databases

　　　　  B. doctors have to learn all their lives so as not to be left behind their field

　　　　  C. doctors are always confused by the great volume of new medical research

　　　　  D. PDQ has been presenting its idea on line for more than ten years through multi media

Scientists have discovered some very interesting facts about biological clocks. Their most important discovery is that although  biological clocks approximately (近似地) correspond to the rhythms of day and night, light and darkness, they do not always depend on them. Many biological clocks are independent. How can this be proved? It can be proved by showing that a biological clock will continue to operate even when its surroundings are changed so that it can no longer respond to alternating periods of lights and darkness.

We will take the crab (蟹) as an example. This animal is a living clock. It indicates (指出) the time by the color of its skin, which is dark during the day and lighter in color during the night. The daytime darkness of the crab's skin, which prevents its enemies from noticing it and also prevents the crab from getting too hot, is repeated every 24 hours. The alternating colors of the skin appear to follow the alternating rhythm of day and night. How can we prove the statement that crab is an independent clock which creates its own rhythm, its own time? Perhaps it only responds to sunlight, by growing darker when in contact with sunshine and growing lighter in color when the sun sinks behind the horizon (地平线)?

To answer this question, biologists did a simple experiment. They kept the crab in a dark room at a constant temperature for two months. They found that the skin of the crab continued to change color according to the same 24-hour rhythm, following the movements of the sun outside. In this way they proved that the crab's biological clock was independent of events in its natural surroundings. It was not just a series of responses to external events.

　　 1. Biological clocks in living things are——.

　　　　  A. natural rhythms

　　　　  B. the alterations of day and night

　　　　  C. living thing's activities corresponding to some natural rhythms

　　　　  D. the repetition of activities of living things

　　 2. The author compares a crab to——.

　　　　  A. a biological clock　　　　　　　　   B. an example of biological clock

　　　　  C. a living clock　　　　　　   　　　　 D. a model of biological clocks

　　 3. A crab is an example of biological clocks in living things because it

　　　　  A. looks like clocks

　　　　  B. has dark skin

　　　　  C. creates its own time

　　　　  D. alternates color of its skin to follow the alternating rhythm of day and night

　　 4. The colors of the crab's skin can

　　　　   A. indicate the time

　　　　   B. prevent its enemies from noticing it

　　　　   C. prevent it from getting too hot

　　   D. do all the above

One other way of involving the right hemisphere in language learning is to have music accompany the presentation of a new language. The teacher reads material against a background of classical music while students relax in comfortable chairs. The students are free to listen to the music or the words. It is believed that there is activity at a deep level and unforced memorization takes place although the students look very inactive. This is because the students have great reserve power for learning, but these powers are discouraged by formal of threatening learning situations. In this new approach, a relaxed atmosphere of fun and enjoyment is encouraged.

It is claimed that with this approach the memory can be made ten times more efficient. A basic vocabulary of 2000 English words can be learned in a course of 75 hours. At present, it is difficult to say whether this approach is right or not because not enough is known about the brain and language learning.

　　  1. Faster reading is a good way to——.

　　　　  A. process information slowly　　

  B. improve functions of the left hemisphere

　　　　  C. make the fullest use of our brain

　　　　  D. read an easy text

　　  2. Music-accompanied teaching of language helps students——.

　　　　   A. relax and remain inactive　　　　 B. do well in their studies

　　　　   C. learn new songs by heart　　　　  D. have a good time only

　　  3. Which of the following statements is true?

　　　　    A. The advantages of this teaching method have been proved.

　　　　    B. There is no doubt that this approach is much more efficient.

　　　　    C. We have an insufficient knowledge of how language learning takes place.

　　　　    D. Everyone can learn 2000 English words easily in this way.

　　  4. This passage mainly deals with——.

　　　　    A. the role of the right hemisphere in thinking

　　　　 B. two ways of improving learning efficiency

　　　　    C. the make-up of our brains

　　　　   D. a good way to learn new words by heart

Once surplus food has been “recovered” or prevented from going to waste, volunteers pick up and deliver the food to groups that serve the needy, either directly through neighborhood charitable organizations, such as food chambers and soup kitchens, or indirectly through food banks. In addition to providing additional quantities of food to hungry people, food recovery  efforts can also provide food banks with the ability to offer clients more variety and nutrients (营养) in their diets by adding fiber-rich fresh fruits and vegetables and grain products to the typical offerings of indefectible canned and boxed goods.

Food recovery also has benefits that extend beyond providing food to the needy. For example, the additional food supplied by recovery programs allows agencies that serve the disadvantaged to reallocate money to other needed services, money that they would have otherwise spent on food. These efforts also provide clean fields and tax savings for farmers who donate (捐赠) unharvested crops and reduce waste-removal fees for supermarkets and foodservice establishments.

Food recovery, however, is not without cost. Recovery operations face a number of logistical (后勤的) and financial obstacles in the course of turning "lost" food into food suitable for consumption. At times, these obstacles are quite powerful. They include locating food donors and making them aware of organizations that channel donated food to the needy; obtaining financial  resources for transporting, storing, and packaging donated foods; securing labor, whether paid or volunteer; and training those workers in safe food handling and preparation methods.

　　 1. Food recovery programs mainly aim at——.

　　　　 A. collecting money from donors to deal with the food waste problem

　　　　 B. collecting money from donors to provide food to the needy

　　　　 C. collecting money and healthy food to provide food to the needy

　　　　 D. collecting money and healthy food for charitable organizations

　　 2. In addition to providing food to the needy, food recovery programs also——.

　　      A. distribute money directly to the needy

　　　　  B. help farmers improve their productivity

　　　　  C. are involved in other charitable services

　　　　  D. help some agencies reduce food waste

　　 3. Which of the following is NOT the cost of food recovery mentioned in the passage?

　　　　  A. Publication for food recovery courses.

　　　　  B. Collecting money for recovery courses.

　　　　  C. Enrolling volunteers for recovery courses.

　　　　  D. Encountering some obstacles from the government.

　　 4. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

　　　　  A. Food recovery programs are mainly involved in charitable services.

　　　　  B. Food recovery programs are involved in promoting nutritional balance.

　　　　  C. All staff of Food recovery programs are volunteers without pay.

　　　　  D. Many supermarkets and farmers are involved in Food recovery programs.

Of course, the truth is not so simple. This century, the work of cognitive psychologists has illuminated the subtle forms of daily learning on which intellectual progress depends. Children were observed as they slowly grasped or, as the case might be bumped into concepts that adults take for granted, as they refused, for instance, to concede that quantity is unchanged as water pours from a short stout glass into a tall thin one.

Psychologists have since demonstrated that young children, asked to count the pencils in a pile, readily report the number of blue or red pencils, but must be coaxed into finding the total. Such studies have suggested that the rudiments of mathematics are mastered gradually, and with effort. They have also suggested that the very concept of abstract numbers--the idea of aloneness, a prerequisite for doing anything more mathematically demanding than setting a table—is itself far from innate.

　　 1. What's the main idea about this passage?

　　　　 A. The use of mathematics in child psychology.

　　　　 B. Trends in teaching mathematics to children.

　　　　 C. The development of mathematical ability in children.

　　　　 D. The fundamental concepts of mathematics that children must learn.

　　 2. It can be inferred from the passage that children normally learn simple counting——.

　　　　 A. soon after they learn to talk 

B. after they reach second grade in school

　　　　 C. by looking at the clock

　　　　 D. when they begin to be mathematically mature

　　 3. According to the passage, when small children were asked to count a pile of red and blue pencils they——.

　　　　 A. counted the number of pencils of each color

　　　　 B. counted only the pencils of their favorite color

　　　　 C. guessed at the total number of pencils

　　　　 D. subtracted the number of red pencils from the number of blue pencils

　　 4. What does the word “They” (Para. 3, Line 5) refer?

　　　　 A. Children　　    B. Pencils　　    C. Mathematicians  　　 D. Studies

All students of geography should be able to interpret a weather map accurately.  Weather maps contain an enormous amount of information about weather conditions existing at the time of observation over a large geographical area. They reveal in a few minutes what otherwise would take hours to describe. The United States Weather Bureau issues information about approaching storms, floods, frosts and all climatic conditions in general. Twice a month it issues a 30 day "outlook" which is a rough guide to weather conditions likely to occur over broad areas of the United States. These 30 day outlooks are based upon an analysis of the upper air levels which often set the stage for the development of air masses, fronts, and storms.

Considerable effort is being exerted today to achieve more accurate weather predictions. With the use of electronic instruments and earth satellites, enormous gains have taken place recently in identifying and tracking storms over regions which have but few meteorological stations. Extensive experiments are also in progress for weather modification studies. But the limitations of weather modification have prevented meteorological results except in the seeding of super cooled, upslope mountainous winds which have produced additional monographic precipitation on the windward side of mountain ranges. Nevertheless they have provided a clearer understanding of the fundamentals of weather elements.

　　 1. The observation of weather conditions by satellites is advantageous because it——.

　　　　   A. uses electronic instruments

　　　　   B. enables man to alter the weather

　　　　   C. gives the scientist information not obtained readily otherwise

　　　　   D. makes weather prediction easier

　　 2. The thirty-day forecast is determined by examining

　　　　   A. changing fronts　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. upper air levels

　　　　   C. daily weather maps　　　　　　　　  　　 D. satellite reports

    3. At the present time, experiments are being conducted in——.

　　　　  A. determining density of pressure groups

　　　　  B. 30-day "outlooks"

　　　　  C. manipulating weather　　　　　　　　　　  D. controlling storms

     4. Artificial rainmaking has been most successful in the__

　　　　  A. prairie lands　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. lake area

　　　　  C. western slope of mountains　　　　　　 D. windward side of mountains

What, then, is a good education at the beginning of the 21st century? Some educators suggest that it should include foreign languages and the study of foreign cultures; a mastery of English, including the ability to write and speak well, because communications have become all-important in the modern world, and also because “a person who doesn't speak and write clearly doesn't reason clearly either”; some knowledge of the social sciences (sociology, psychology) that deals with human relations and human problems; some basic knowledge of modern science, which would enable future voters to be better informed about current problems. Finally, many educators insist that all college graduates should be familiar with computers and modern information system, since the educated professionals of tomorrow will have to understand their machines. Is that all? “No, of course not,” answer the educators. “We have not mentioned the two great building block of education: History and Literature!”

　　  1. The passage shows that the question as to what a good education is——.

　　　　   A. has been answered fairly well

　　　　   B. hasn't been put forward yet

　　　　   C. has been dealt with successfully

　　　　   D. has not been answered satisfactorily

　　  2. The word “drop” in the third sentence of the first paragraph means——.

　　　　   A. desert　　　　 B. dislike　　　　   C. decline　　   D. neglect

　　  3. Which of the following statements is not related to the passage?

　　　　   A. Educational programs must meet the demand of a modern world.

　　　　   B. The students will not get a degree unless they take a number of classes in English, history, literature, social sciences, philosophy, the natural sciences and art.

　　　　   C. A good education should include foreign languages and the study of foreign culture.

　　　　   D. Every student ought to take part in military training.

　　  4. The best title for this passage might be——.

　　　　   A. A Good Education　　　　　　　　  B. A Mastery of English

　　       C. Education　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Something About Study