Passage One

　　Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage.

　　Scratchy throats, stuffy noses and body aches all spell misery, but being able to tell if the cause is a cold or flu may make a difference in how long the misery lasts.

　　The American Lung Association has issued new guidelines on combating colds and the flu, and one of the keys is being able to quickly tell the two apart. Thats because the prescription drugs available for the flu need to be taken soon after the illness sets in. As for colds, the sooner a person starts taking over-the-counter remedy, the sooner relief will come.

　　The common cold and the flu are both caused by viruses. More than 200 viruses can cause cold symptoms, while the flu is caused by three virusesflu A, B and C. There is no cure for either illness, but the flu can be prevented by the flu vaccine , which is, for most people, the best way to fight the flu, according to the ALA.

　　But if the flu does strike, quick action can help. Although the flu and common cold have many similarities, there are some obvious signs to look for.

　　Cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, runny nose and scratchy throat typically develop gradually, and adults and teens often do not get a fever. On the other hand, fever is one of the characteristic features of the flu for all ages. And in general, flu symptoms including fever and chills, sore throat and body aches come on suddenly and are more severe than cold symptoms.

　　The ALA notes that it may be particularly difficult to tell when infants and preschool age children have the flu. It advises parents to call the doctor if their small children have flu-like symptoms.

　　Both cold and flu symptoms can be eased with over-the-counter medications as well. However, children and teens with a cold or flu should not take aspirin for pain relief because of the risk of Reye syndrome ，a rare but serious condition of the liver and central nervous system.

　　There is, of course, no vaccine for the common cold. But frequent hand washing and avoiding close contact with people who have colds can reduce the likelihood of catching one.

　　11. According to the author, knowing the cause of the misery will help ________.

　　A) shorten the duration of the illness

　　B) the patient buy medicine over the counter

　　C) the patient obtain cheaper prescription drugs

　　D) prevent people from catching colds and the flu

　　12. We learn from the passage that ________.

　　A) one doesnt need to take any medicine if he has a cold or the flu

　　B) aspirin should not be included in over-the-counter medicines for the flu

　　C) delayed treatment of the flu will harm the liver and central nervous system

　　D) over-the-counter drugs can be taken to ease the misery caused by a cold or the flu

　　13. According to the passage, to combat the flu effectively, ________.

　　A) one should identify the virus which causes it

　　B) one should consult a doctor as soon as possible

　　C) one should take medicine upon catching the disease

　　D) one should remain alert when the disease is spreading

　　14. Which of the following symptoms will distinguish the flu from a cold?

　　A) A stuffy nose.

　　B) A high temperature.

　　C) A sore throat.

　　D) A dry cough.

　　15. If children have flu-like symptoms, their parents ________.

　　A) are advised not to give them aspirin

　　B) should watch out for signs of Reye syndrome

　　C) are encouraged to take them to hospital for vaccination

　　D) should prevent them from mixing with people running a fever

　　這篇文章講的是應該如何區別對待感冒和流感。因為文章旨在向普通民眾傳播醫療知識，所以遣詞造句較為簡易，結構清晰易辨，理解的難度不大。

　　文章開篇指出兩點，一是感冒與流感有很多相似的癥狀，二是應當學會區分感冒和流感。這兩點也是文章所述內容的綱領，后者是論述的側重點。

　　第二段引用醫療權威ALA的指導原則，指出區分普通感冒與流感的原因所在：辨別出是哪種疾病后可以立即進行相應的治療。對于流感來說，要馬上把醫生的藥房付諸實施;對感冒來說，則要立即服用非處方藥。

　　接下來的幾段從致病成因、預防手段、癥狀等方面介紹了感冒與流感的區別。

　　第三段講述了二者的致病因素，感冒源于二百多種病毒，而流感源于三種病毒。作者附帶講到流感的預防方法：接種疫苗。而普通感冒的預防方法則跳到了最后一段：frequent hand washing and avoiding close contact，勤洗手，不與感冒病人密切接觸。

　　四、五、六段介紹了感冒與流感在癥狀上的區別。第四段只起了承上啟下的作用，第五段詳細講解了二者的區別。第六段則指出一個特例：嬰幼兒和學齡前兒童的流感癥狀不易辨認。

　　第七段講的是治療方法，著重說明了治療禁忌：少年兒童不宜服用阿司匹林。

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage.

　　In a time of low academic achievement by children in the United States, many Americans are turning to Japan, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers. However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find. In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction. In one investigation, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education. Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents listed to give children a good start academically as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices. To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese schools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as persistence, concentration, and the ability to function as a member of a group. The vast majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents.

　　In the recent comparison of Japanese and American preschool education, 91 percent of Japanese respondents chose providing children with a group experience as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. Sixty-two percent of the more individually oriented Americans listed group experience as one of their top three choices. An emphasis on the importance of the group seen in Japanese early childhood education continues into elementary school education.

　　Like in America, there is diversity in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development. In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools. Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the childrens chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens.

　　16. We learn from the first paragraph that many Americans believe ________.

　　A) Japanese parents are more involved in preschool education than American parents

　　B) Japans economic success is a result of its scientific achievements

　　C) Japanese preschool education emphasizes academic instruction

　　D) Japans higher education is superior to theirs

　　17. Most Americans surveyed believe that preschools should also attach importance to ________.

　　A) problem solving

　　B) group experience

　　C) parental guidance

　　D) individually-oriented development

　　18. In Japans preschool education, the focus is on ________.

　　A) preparing children academically

　　B) developing childrens artistic interests

　　C) tapping childrens potential

　　D) shaping childrens character

　　19. Free play has been introduced in some Japanese kindergartens in order to ________.

　　A) broaden childrens horizon

　　B) cultivate childrens creativity

　　C) lighten childrens study load

　　D) enrich childrens knowledge

　　20. Why do some Japanese parents send their children to university-based kindergartens?

　　A) They can do better in their future studies.

　　B) They can accumulate more group experience there.

　　C) They can be individually oriented when they grow up.

　　D) They can have better chances of getting a first-rate education.

　　這是一篇講述日本學前教育的材料，因為文章是講給美國人看的，所以附帶介紹美國的學前教育以和日本進行對比。材料一共只有三大段，第一大段指出日本學前教育的側重點，第二段進一步說明日本學前教育側重點中對集體主義的重視，第三段則說明日本學前教育除集體主義外的豐富內容。

　　第一段開頭實際上提出了研究日本學前教育的原因：low academic achievement by children in the United States，大意是美國的兒童教育成效不明顯，這迫使人們把目光投向了教育和經濟水平都很高的日本，以期得到答案。這一探詢的結果是出乎美國人意料的，日本學前教育很少強調功課指導，這也是本文的主要觀點。文章接下來以問卷調查為論據對這一觀點進行了論證。

　　問卷調查的結果是日本人更重視堅韌、專注和集體主義等素質的培養，第二段繼續對集體主義這一項素質做了進一步說明：91%的日本人將其列為學前教育的三大目標之一，這項教育甚至會延續到小學教育。

　　最后一段討論了除去上述素質教育外，日本學前教育的其他內容和特色。其中包括早期音樂訓練和潛力發掘，附屬于大學，以及自由玩耍。

　　Passage Three

　　Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.

　　Lead deposits, which accumulated in soil and snow during the 1960s and 70s, were primarily the result of leaded gasoline emissions originating in the United States. In the twenty years that the Clean Air Act has mandated unleaded gas use in the United States, the lead accumulation worldwide has decreased significantly.

　　A study published recently in the journal Nature shows that air-borne leaded gas emissions from the United States were the leading contributor to the high concentration of lead in the snow in Greenland. The new study is a result of the continued research led by Dr. Charles Boutron, an expert on the impact of heavy metals on the environment at the National Center for Scientific Research in France. A study by Dr. Boutron published in 1991 showed that lead levels in arctic snow were declining.

　　In his new study, Dr. Boutron found the ratios of the different forms of lead in the leaded gasoline used in the United States were different from the ratios of European, Asian and Canadian gasolines and thus enabled scientists to differentiate the lead sources. The dominant lead ratio found in Greenland snow matched that found in gasoline from the United States.

　　In a study published in the journal Ambio, scientists found that lead levels in soil in the Northeastern United States had decreased markedly since the introduction of unleaded gasoline.

　　Many scientists had believed that the lead would stay in soil and snow for a longer period.

　　The authors of the Ambio study examined samples of the upper layers of soil taken from the same sites of 30 forest floors in New England, New York and Pennsylvania in 1980 and in 1990. The forest environment processed and redistributed the lead faster than the scientists had expected.

　　Scientists say both studies demonstrate that certain parts of the ecosystem respond rapidly to reductions in atmospheric pollution, but that these findings should not be used as a license to pollute.

　　21. The study published in the journal Nature indicates that ________.

　　A) the Clean Air Act has not produced the desired results

　　B) lead deposits in arctic snow are on the increase

　　C) lead will stay in soil and snow longer than expected

　　D) the US is the major source of lead pollution in arctic snow

　　22. Lead accumulation worldwide decreased significantly after the use of unleaded gas in the US ________.

　　A) was discouraged

　　B) was enforced by law

　　C) was prohibited by law

　　D) was introduced

　　23. How did scientists discover the source of lead pollution in Greenland?

　　A) By analyzing the data published in journals like Nature and Ambio.

　　B) By observing the lead accumulations in different parts of the arctic area.

　　C) By studying the chemical elements of soil and snow in Northeastern America.

　　D) By comparing the chemical compositions of leaded gasoline used in various countries.

　　24. The authors of the Ambio study have found that ________.

　　A) forests get rid of lead pollution faster than expected

　　B) lead accumulations in forests are more difficult to deal with

　　C) lead deposits are widely distributed in the forests of the US

　　D) the upper layers of soil in forests are easily polluted by lead emissions

　　25. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that scientists ________.

　　A) are puzzled by the mystery of forest pollution

　　B) feel relieved by the use of unleaded gasoline

　　C) still consider lead pollution a problem

　　D) lack sufficient means to combat lead pollution

　　這是一篇典型報刊寫法的文章，文章開頭首先點出全篇論述的主題，把核心思想和關鍵信息和盤托出。第一段提供的信息主要有兩點，一是六七十年代的鉛沉積的主要源頭是美國，二是無鉛汽油在美國推廣后，全球范圍內的鉛沉積減少幅度很大。以后段落的內容全部圍繞這兩個信息點展開說明。

　　第二段是對第一段所提供的兩點信息進行具體地解釋，其中包括信息來源，研究機構，研究者，以及信息細節;第二個信息源于Boutron于1991年發表的另一項研究成果。

　　第三段是對第一個信息的說明，指出之所以把格陵蘭的雪中沉積的鉛歸因于美國的含鉛汽油，是因為美國與其他地區所使用的汽油成分比率不同，這里的雪中鉛的比率大部分符合美國汽油特點。

　　接下來的三個段落是對第二個信息的說明。首先是信息來源和信息內容，其次是研究結果發表之前許多科學家們的設想，最后是研究主要過程。

　　最后一段總結了這兩項研究成果的現實意義，指出其不應成為對污染不加控制的理由。

　　Passage Four

　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.

　　Exercise is one of the few factors with a positive role in long-term maintenance of body weight. Unfortunately, that message has not gotten through to the average American, who would rather try switching to light beer and low-calorie bread than increase physical exertion. The Centers for Disease Control, for example, found that fewer than one-fourth of overweight adults who were trying to shed pounds said they were combining exercise with their diet.

　　In rejecting exercise, some people may be discouraged too much by caloric-expenditure charts: for example, one would have to briskly walk three miles just to work off the 275 calories in one delicious Danish pastry . Even exercise professionals concede half a point here. Exercise by itself is a very tough way to lose weight, says York Onnen, program director of the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

　　Still, exercises supporting role in weight reduction is vital. A study at the Boston University Medical Center of overweight police officers and other public employees confirmed that those who dieted without exercise regained almost all their old weight, while those who worked exercise into their daily routine maintained their new weight.

　　If you have been sedentary and decide to start walking one mile a day, the added exercise could burn an extra 100 calories daily. In a years time, assuming no increase in food intake, you could lose ten pounds. By increasing the distance of your walks gradually and making other dietary adjustments, you may lose even more weight.