Fifty years ago nature study was not part of the school work; scientific forestry was a new idea; timber was still cheap because it could be brought in any quantity from distant woodlands; soil destruction and river floods were not national problems; nobody had yet studied long-terms climatic cycles in relation to proper land use; even the word "conservation" had nothing of the meaning that it has for us today.
For the sake of ourselves and those who will come after us, we must now set about repairing the mistakes of our forefathers. Conservation should, therefore, be made a part of everyone's daily life. To know about the water table (水位) in the ground is just as important to us as a knowledge of the basic arithmetic formulas. We need to know why all watersheds (上游源头森林地带集水区) need the protection of plant life and why the running current of streams and rivers must be made to yield their full benefit to the soil before they finally escape to the sea. We need to be taught the duty of planting trees as well as of cutting them. We need to know the importance of big, mature trees, because living space for most of man's fellow creatures on this planet is figured not only in square measure of surface but also in cubic volume above the earth. In brief, it should be our goal to restore as much of the original beauty of nature as we can.
26. The author's attitude towards the current situation in the exploitation of natural resources is _____.
(A) positive
(B) neutral
(C) suspicious
(D) critical
27. According to the author, the greatest mistake of our forefathers was that _____.
(A) they had no idea about scientific forestry
(B) they had little or no sense of environmental protection
(C) they were not aware of the significance of nature study
(D) they had no idea of how to make good use of raw materials
28. It can be inferred from the third paragraph that earlier generations didn't realize ______.
(A) the interdependence of water, soil, and living things
(B) the importance of the proper use of land
(C) the harmfulness of soil destruction and river floods
(D) the value of the beauty of nature
29. To avoid correcting the mistake of our forefathers, the author suggests that _____.
(A) we plant more trees
(B) natural science be taught to everybody
(C) environmental education be directed toward everyone
(D) we return to nature
30. What does the author imply by saying "living space... is figured... also in cubic volume above the earth" (Lines 7-8, Para. 3)?
(A) Our living space on the earth is getting smaller and smaller.
(B) Our living space should be measured in cubic volume.
(C) We need to take some measure to protect space.
(D) We must preserve good living conditions for both birds and animals.
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:
Judging from recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an epidemic (流行病) of sleepiness in the nation. " I can't think of a single study that hasn't found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to," says Dr. David. Even people who think they are sleeping enough would probably be better off with more rest.
The beginning of our sleep-deficit (睡眠不足) crisis can be traced to the invention of the light bulb a century ago. From diary entries and other personal accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries, sleep scientists have reached the conclusion that the average person used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night. "The best sleep habits once were forced on us, when we had nothing to do in the evening down on the farm, and it was dark." By the 1950s and 1960s , the sleep schedule had been reduced dramatically, to between 7.5 and eight hours, and most people had to wake to an alarm clock. "People cheat on their sleep, and they don't even realize they're doing it, " says Dr. David. "They think they're okay because they can get by on 6. 5 hours, when they really need 7. 5, eight or even more to feel ideally vigorous."
Perhaps the most merciless robber of sleep, researchers say is the complexity of the day. Whenever pressures from work, family, friends and community mount, many people consider sleep the least expensive item on his programme. "In our society, you're considered dynamic if you say you only need 5. 5 hours' sleep. If you're got to get 8.5 hours, people think you lack drive and ambition."
To determine the consequences of sleep deficit, researchers have put subjects through a set of psychological and performance tests requiring them, for instance, to add columns of numbers or recall a passage read to them only minutes earlier. "We've found that if you're in sleep deficit, performance suffers, " says Dr. David. "Short-term memory is weakened, as are abilities to make decisions and to concentrate."
31. People in the 18th and 19th centuries used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night because they had ______.
(A) no drive and ambition
(B) no electric lighting
(C) the best sleep habits
(D) nothing to do in the evening
32. According to Dr. David, Americans _____.
(A) are ideally vigorous even under the pressure of life
(B) often neglect the consequences of sleep deficit
(C) do not know how to relax themselves properly
(D) can get by on 6.5 hours of sleep
33. Many Americans believe that _____.
(A) sleep is the first thing that can be sacrificed when one is busy
(B) they need more sleep to cope with the complexities of everyday life
(C) to sleep is something one can do at any time of the day
(D) enough sleep promotes people's drive and ambition
34. The word "subjects" (Line 1, Para. 4) refers to _____.
(A) the performance tests used in the study of sleep deficit
(B) special branches of knowledge that are being studied
(C) people whose behavior or reactions are being studied
(D) the psychological consequences of sleep deficit
35. It can be concluded from the passage that one should sleep as many hours as is necessary to _____.
(A) improve one's memory dramatically
(B) be considered dynamic by other people
(C) maintain one's daily schedule
(D) feel energetic and perform adequately
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:
The concept of personal choice in relation to health behaviors is an important one. An estimated 90 percent of all illness may be preventable if individuals would make sound personal health choices based upon current medical knowledge. We all enjoy our freedom of choice and do not like to see it restricted when it is within the legal and moral boundaries of society. The structure of American society allows us to make almost all our own personal decisions that may concern our health. If we so desire, we can smoke, drink excessively, refuse to wear seat belts, eat whatever food we want, and live a completely sedentary life-style without any exercise. The freedom to make such personal decisions is a fundamental aspect of our society, although the wisdom of these decisions can be questioned. Personal choices relative to health often cause a difficulty. As one example, a teenager may know the facts relative to smoking cigarettes and health but may be pressured by friends into believing it is the socially accepted thing to do. |
