Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four passages. Answer the questions below each passage by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)
Passage One
America’s economic recovery remains uncomfortably weak. The latest data show industrial production falling while the trade deficit soars to record levels. To round off a dismal week for economic statistics, the Fed announced that industrial production fell by 0.2% in December compared with the previous month. That came as a disappointment to economists who had been expecting a small rise. Monthly data are always unreliable, of course; there is always a plausible explanation for unexpectedly bad (or good) news. But nearly all recent economic statistics point to the same conclusion — that America’s recovery remains sluggish and erratic. It could put pressure on the Fed to consider cutting interest rates again when its policymaking committee meets at the end of the month.
The biggest obstacle to healthier economic performance, though, is political. As the Fed’s chairman, Alan Greenspan, acknowledged in the closing months of 2002, uncertainty about the future is holding both investors and consumers back. The shadowy threat of international terrorism and the much more explicit prospect of a war with Iraq have made many Americans nervous about the future. For businesses still reeling from the speed at which the late-1990s boom turned to slump, the political climate is one more reason to put off investing in new plant and equipment or hiring new staff. For consumers, for so long the mainstay of the American economy, the thrill of the shopping mall seems, finally, to be on the wane.
It is hard to put a favorable interpretation on most of the data. But it is important to keep a sense of perspective. Some recent figures look disappointing partly because they fall short of over-optimistic forecasts — a persistent weakness of those paid to predict the economic future, no matter how often they are proved wrong. The Fed will be watching carefully for further signs of weakness during the rest of the month. Mr. Greenspan is an avid, even obsessive, consumer of economic data. He has made it clear that the Fed stands ready to reduce interest rates again if it judges it necessary — even after 12 cuts in the past two years. At its last meeting, though, when it kept rates on hold, the Fed signaled that it did not expect to need to reduce rates any further.
Monetary policy still offers the best short-term policy response to weak economic activity, and with the low inflation the Fed still has scope for further relaxation. The former President Bush’s much-vaunted fiscal stimulus is unlikely to provide appropriate help, and certainly not in a timely way.
21.Which of the following best describes the America’s economic situation?
A.It is recovering. B.It faces an uncertain future.
C.It remains depressing. D.It shows unreliable signs.
22.What does the figure 0.2% in Paragraph 1 indicate?
A.America’s economic recovery is still shaky.
B.Economists are disappointed at the future economy.
C.It is a bad sign for America’s economic recovery.
D.The biggest obstacle to healthier economic performance is political.
23.What factor makes investors put off investing in new plant and equipment?
A.The sluggish economic situation.
B.The direct threat of international terrorism.
C.The possibility of a war with Iraq.
D.Investors’ shortage of capital.
24.What is the author’s attitude toward some recent figures mentioned in Paragraph 3?
A.Optimistic.
B.Skeptical.
C.Worrisome.
D.Critical.
25.How does monetary policy offer help for weak economic activity?
A.It can stimulate investment in new plant and equipment.
B.It can reduce interest rates so as to stimulate weak economic activity.
C.The Fed tries to keep inflation low.
D.The former President Bush can offer appropriate monetary policy.
Passage Two
Nearly four years ago, a web-based political movement set itself the modest task of “closing the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want”. Calling their group Avaaz, which means “voice” in several languages, the founders aimed to reproduce globally some of the success which their predecessors — like America’s Moveon.org, and Australia’s Getup! — had enjoyed in national political fields.
By its own lights, the movement, using 14 languages and engaged in an astounding list of causes, has had some spectacular successes. Within the next few months, membership will top 6m. The number of individual actions taken is estimated at over 23m. Among the recent developments Avaaz claims to have influenced are a new anti-corruption law in Brazil; a move by Britain to create a marine-conservation zone in the Indian Ocean; and the spiking of a proposal to allow more hunting of whales.
But is there any objective measure by which the reach of a global e-protest movement can be assessed? Skeptics use words like “clicktavism” to describe political action that demands nothing more of a protester than pressing a button, which may just imply curiosity; and it is rarely possible to prove beyond doubt that e-campaigning is a decisive factor in a political outcome.
On the other hand, argues Ricken Patel, a co-founder of Avaaz, digital activism rarely ends with the click of a mouse. Avaaz’s campaign against the death sentence for adultery imposed on an Iranian woman asks members to phone Iranian embassies (and provides numbers) ; members are also being urged to put pressure on the leaders of Brazil and Turkey to intercede with Iran. Avaaz is collecting funds for a campaign in the Brazilian and Turkish press, too.
Avaaz’s other demands range from the simple — close Guantánamo, because it plays into the hands of Osama Bin Laden — to the very broad: fight climate change, avoid a clash of civilizations. Despite the risk of foggy signals, the variety of causes is also a strength, says Dave Karpf, an American analyst of the net; it allows the group to act as a hub, attracting members to one campaign and telling them about others. As Evgeny Morozov, a writer on the Internet points out, Avaaz has lost whatever monopoly it had over the creation of instant, cross-border lobbies; you can do that on Facebook. But the way Avaaz bunches unlikely causes together may be an asset in a world where campaigns, like race and class, can still segregate people, not reconcile them.
26.In the beginning we know that .
A.A political website has been built four years ago.
B.National politics have been quite enjoyable.
C.Some political campaigns had achieved a lot.
D.Voices in 14 languages have been well aimed.
27.Which of the following does NOT show Avaaz’s influences?
A.Indian government finally agrees to take action in Indian Ocean.
B.Whale killing is likely to be reduced in some parts of the world.
C.Brazilian authorities have stood up against widespread corruption.
D.A sea life conservation plan is soon to be carried out in reality.
28.According to the passage, members of Avaaz are encouraged to .
A.equip a protesting button on the phone.
B.exert great pressure on political leaders.
C.abolish death penalty on foreign females.
D.participate in the Brazilian campaign alone.
29.According to Dave Karpf, one characteristic with Avaaz is .
A.Its cross-border designs.
B.Its monopolized actions.
C.Its various unlikely causes.
D.Its diversity of targets.
30.This passage is primarily written to .
A.introduce a new trend of political campaign.
B.report a fashionable output of technology.
C.discuss how politics may dominate our life.
D.warn people of the dangers politics may bring.
Passage Three
The idea of ownership is everywhere. Title deeds establish and protect ownership of our houses, while security of property is as important to the proprietors of Tesco and Sainsbury’s as it is to their customers. However, there is a profound problem when it comes to so-called intellectual property (IP) — which requires a strong lead from government, and for which independent advice has never been more urgently required.
The myth is that IP rights are as important as our rights in castles, cars and corn oil. IP is supposedly intended to encourage inventors and the investment needed to bring their products to the clinic and marketplace. In reality, patents often suppress invention rather than promote it: drugs are “evergreened” when patents are on the verge of running out — companies buy up the patents of potential rivals in order to prevent them being turned into products. Moreover, the prices charged, especially for pharmaceuticals, are often grossly in excess of those required to cover costs and make reasonable profits.
IP rights are beginning to penetrate into every area of scientific endeavor. Even in universities, science and innovation, which have already been paid for out of the public purse, are privatised and resold to the public via patents acquired by commercial interests. The drive to commercialise science has overtaken not only applied research but also “blue-skies” research, such that even the pure quest for knowledge is deteriorated by the need for profit.
The fruits of science and innovation have nourished our society and economy for years, but nations unable to navigate our regulatory system are often excluded, as are vulnerable individuals. We need to consider how to balance the needs of science as an industry with the difficulty of those who desperately need the products of science.
Clearly it is vitally important that we continue to protect science and enable it to flourish. Science and the many benefits that science has produced have played a crucial part in our history and produced vast improvements to human welfare. It would be negligent of us if we failed to recognize the importance of science as an industry and investment in research to national and regional economic development; but against these economic concerns an overriding consideration must be the interests of the public and of humanity present and future. Science as an industry may be booming, but the benefits of science need to be more efficiently and more cheaply placed in the service of the public.
For science to continue to flourish, it is necessary that the knowledge it generates be made freely and widely available. IP rights have the tendency to block access to knowledge and the free exchange of ideas that is essential to science. So, far from stimulating innovation and the dissemination of the benefits of science, IP all too often hampers scientific progress and restricts access to its products.
31.In the first paragraph, intellectual property is described as .
A.being important to customers
B.protecting property safety
C.being government-guided
D.demanding government advice
32.It can be learned from the text that patents are sometimes purchased to .
A.attract more investment from all shareholders
B.make the cost of certain drugs lower than usual
C.expand markets in this highly competitive era
D.keep them from being put into actual production
33.According to the author, scientific research is commercialized due to .
A.profit-making desire
B.innovative demand
C.basic human need
D.public policy pressure
34.Which of the following is TRUE except ?
A.the importance of science can not be forgotten nowadays.
B.public welfare should be the first concern of scientific studies.
C.IP is proven to be in the way of knowledge communication.
D.the role science plays now tends to be more efficient than before.
35.The author’s attitude towards IP seems to be .
A.concerned
B.critical
C.biased
D.neutral
Passage Four
The remarkable progress of science and technology in the 20th century has brought enormous benefits to humankind. Long and healthy lives, economic prosperity and a pleasant and convenient living environment have resulted from technological progress based on advances in scientific knowledge. This progress will continue or may even accelerate in the future, because both the number of scientists and their activities are expanding throughout the world. We may expect, therefore, that science and technology will continue to contribute to the development of human society.
At the same time, rapid scientific advances may raise some difficult problems. First of all, the disparity in scientific knowledge between those in scientific and technical professions and those in other areas will continuously expand. This may create a communications gap between the two groups that could affect obtaining public consent on important issues, such as the use of genetically engineered plants or human embryonic stem cells. Secondly, the 21st century will be characterized by a knowledge-based society and a knowledge of science will be required for many professions. Those who lack scientific knowledge will have fewer opportunities for good jobs. Thirdly, the enormous increase in scientific information will become a burden for children who must study science. Already young people seem to be losing interest in science, and this trend may increase in the future. Over the past several years, enrollment in high-school physics courses in Japan has been decreasing, which suggests that many young people are losing interest in physics or avoiding subjects that require diligent study. Finally, scientific research in the next century will require increasing levels of public investment because sophisticated research is usually expensive. If the public loses interest in science or does not understand the importance of research, it will become difficult for scientists to obtain sufficient financial support.
Because of these considerations, I think that we need to carefully review present science education at different levels and to improve it in order to meet the expected rapid progress of science in the 21st century. At the level of primary education, the most important task is to stimulate children’s interest in nature. Naive surprise at the wonders of nature will hopefully lead to a later interest in science. During their secondary education, students must learn logic and the principles of natural phenomena. They will gradually separate into groups of those who like and those who dislike science. It will be difficult to provide the latter students with the scientific basics that would be useful throughout their lives. This is also the case in university education.
It is becoming a goal of general university education to give students who are not majoring in natural science and engineering some level of scientific literacy. In the future, all citizens, especially those expected to lead diverse areas of society should have a sound basis for understanding the progress of science. Because the pace of progress will accelerate further, continuing science education for the public is also of great importance.
36.According to the passage, the fact that young people seem to be losing interest in science .
A.may cause the lack of scientists throughout the world in the century to come
B.is mainly due to the explosion of scientific information
C.may increase the communications gap between young people and scientists
D.may hinder the development of human society
37.The word “disparity” (Paragraph 2) may be replaced by .
A.difficulty B.diversity C.different D.density
38.The second paragraph is mainly about .
A.the difficulties faced by young people in finding jobs
B.the gap between scientific and technical professionals and non-professionals
C.the difficult problems raised by rapid scientific advances
D.scientific research in the 21st century
39.Which of the following statements is NOT a viewpoint held by the author?
A.It’s sheer waste of time and money to force those who dislike science to learn science.
B.Stimulating children’s interest in nature is the top priority for primary and secondary school authorities.
C.A knowledge of science will be required for many professionals in the 21st century.
D.Secondary school students should learn logic and the principles of natural phenomena.
40.The best title for the passage might be “ ”.
A.Science and Technology in the 21st Century
B.Science Education for the Public
C.Scientific Advances and Ensuing Problems
D.The Goal of Primary, Secondary and Higher Education
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