1、PART V READING COMPREHENSION25 MINIn this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer. TEXT A We can begin our discussion of population as global issue with wha
2、t most persons mean when they discuss the population problem: too many people on earth and a too rapid increase in the number added each year. The facts are not in dispute, It was quite right to employ the analogy that likened demographic growth to a long, thin powder fuse that burns steadily and ha
3、ltingly until it finally reaches the charge and explodes.To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, it is necessary to understand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Looking back at the 8,000 years of
4、 demographic history, we find that populations have been virtually stable or growing very slightly for most of human history. For most of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. There was high fertility in most places, but this was usually balanced by high mortality. For most of h
5、uman history, it was seldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, while infancy and childhood were especially risky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because death rates could exceed their birthrates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of histor
6、y was how to prevent extinction of the human race.This pattern is important to notice. Not only does it put the current problems of demographic growth into a historical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase in population in recent years is not a sudden enthusiasm for more chi
7、ldren, but an improvement in the conditions that traditionally have caused high mortality.Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth which extended from about 8,000 BC.till approximately AD. 1650. In the first period of some 9600 years, the population incr
8、eased from some 8 million to 500 million in 1650. Between 1650 and the present, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And it is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be 6.2 billion people throughout the world. One way to appreciate this dramatic difference in suc
9、h abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame to something that is more manageable. Between 8000BC and 1650, an average of only 50,000 persons was being added annually to the worlds population each year. At present, this number is added every six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annu
10、ally.1. Which of the following demographic growth pattern is most suitable for the long thin powder fuse analogy?A.A virtually stable or slightly decreasing period and then a sudden explosion of population.B.A slow growth for a long time and then a period of rapid, dramatic increase.C.Too many peopl
11、e on earth and a few rapid increase in the number added each year.D.A long period when death rates exceeds birthrates and then a short period with higher fertility and lower mortality.2. During the first period of demographic history, societies were often in danger of extinction because_.A.only one
12、in ten persons could live past 40.B.there was higher mortality than fertility in most places.C.it was too dangerous to have babies due to the poor conditions.D.our ancestors had little enthusiasm for more children.3. Which statement is true about population increase?A.There might be an increase of 2
13、.2 billion persons from now to the year 2000.B.About 50,000 babies are born every six hours at present.C.Between 8000 BC and the present, the population increase is about 80,000,000 persons each year.D.The population increased faster between 8000BC and 1650 than between 1650 and the present.4. The a
14、uthor of the passage intends to_.A.warn people against the population explosion in the near future.B.compare the demographic growth pattern in the past with that after 1650.C.find out the cause for rapid increase in population in recent years.D.present us a clear and complete picture of the demograp
15、hic growth.5. The word demographic in the first paragraph means_.A.statistics of human.B.surroundings study.C.accumulation of human.D.development of human.TEXT BChinese Americans today have higher incomes than Americans in general and higher occupational status. The Chinese have risen to this positi
16、on despite some of the harshest discrimination and violence faced by any immigrants to the United States in the history of this country. Long confined to a narrow range of occupations they succeeded in those occupations and then spread out into other areas in later years, when opportunities finally
17、opened up for them. Today much of the Chinese prosperity is due to the simple fact that they work more and have more (usually better) education than others. Almost one out of five Chinese families has three or more income earners compared to one out of thirteen for Puerto Ricans, one out of ten amon
18、g American Indians, and one out of eight among Whites. When the Chinese advantages in working and educational are held constant, they have no advantage over other Americans. That is in a Chinese Family with a given number of people working and with a given amount of education by the head of the fami
19、ly, the income is not only about average for such families, and offer a little less than average.While Chinese Americans as a group are prosperous and well-educated Chinatowns are pockets of poverty, and illiteracy is much higher among the Chinese than among Americans in general. Those paradoxes are
20、 due to sharp internal differences. Descendants of the Chinese Americans who emigrated long ago from Toishan Province have maintained Chinese values and have added acculturation to American society with remarkable success. More recent Hong Kong Chinese are from more diverse cultural origins, and acq
21、uired western values and styles in Hong Kong, without having acquired the skills to proper and support those aspirations in the American economy. Foreign-born Chinese men in the United States are one-fourth lower incomes than native-born Chinese even though the foreign-born have been in the United S
22、tates an average of seventeen years. While the older Hong Kong Chinese work tenaciously to sustain and advance themselves, the Hong Kong Chinese youths often react with resentment and antisocial behavior, including terrorism and murder. The need to maintain tourism in Chinatown causes the Chinese le
23、aders to mute or downplay these problems as much as possible.6. According to the passage, today, Chinese Americans owe their prosperity to_.A.their diligence and better education than others.B.their support of American government.C.their fight against discriminations.D.advantages in working only.7.
24、The passage is mainly concerned with_.A.chinese Americans today.B.social status of Chinese Americans today.C.incomes and occupational status of Chinese Americans today.D.problems of Chinese Americans today.8. Chinatowns are pockets of poverty, as is probably associated with_.A.most descendants of Ch
25、inese Americans are rebelling.B.most descendants of Chinese Americans are illiterate.C.sharp internal difference between Chinese coming from different cultural backgrounds.D.only a few Chinese Americans are rich.9. Which of the following statements is not true according to this articleA.As part of t
26、he minority, Chinese Americans are still experiencing discrimination in American today.B.Nowadays, Chinese Americans are working in wider fields.C.Foreign-born Chinese earn lower income than native-born Chinese Americans with the similar advantages in the U.S.D.None of the above.10. According to the
27、 author, which of the following can best describe the older Hong Kong Chinese and the youngerA.Tenacious; rebellion.B.Conservative; open-minded.C.Out-of-date; fashionable.D.Obedient; disobedient.TEXT CA controversy erupted in the scientific community in early 1998 over the use of DNA (deoxyribonucle
28、ic acid ) fingerprinting in criminal investigations. DNA fingerprinting was introduced in 1987 as a method to identify individuals based on a pattern seen in their DNA, the molecule of which genes are made. DNA is present in every cell of the body except red blood cells. DNA fingerprinting has been
29、used successfully in various ways, such as to determine paternity where it is not clear who the father of a particular child is. However, it is in the area of criminal investigations that DNA fingerprinting has potentially powerful and controversial uses.DNA fingerprinting and other DNA analysis tec
30、hniques have revolutionized criminal investigations by giving investigators powerful new tools in the attempt to trove guilt, not just establish innocence. When used in criminal investigations, a DNA fingerprint pattern from a suspect is compared with a DNA fingerprint pattern obtained from such mat
31、erial as hairs or blood found at the scene of a crime. A match between the two DNA samples can be used as evidence to convict a suspect.The controversy in 1998 stemmed form a report published in December 1991 by population geneticists Richard C. Lewontin of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., an
32、d Daniel L. Hartl called into question the methods to calculate how likely it is that a match between two DNA fingerprints might occur by chance alone. In particular, they argued that the current method cannot properly determine the likelihood that two DNA samples will match because they came from t
33、he same individual rather than simply from two different individuals who are members of the same ethnic group. Lewontin and Hartl called for better surveys of DNA patterns methods are adequate.In response to their criticisms, population geneticists Ranajit Chakraborty of the University of Texas in D
34、allas and Kenneth K.Kidd of Yale University in New Haven, Conn., argued that enough data are already available to show that the methods currently being used are adequate. In January 1998, however, the federal Bureau of Investigation and laboratories that conduct DNA tests announced that they would c
35、ollect additional DNA samples form various ethnic groups in an attempt to resolve some of these questions. And, in April, a National Academy of Sciences called for strict standards and system of accreditation for DNA testing laboratories.11. efore DNA fingerprinting is used, suspects_.A.would have t
36、o leave their fingerprints for further investigationsB.would have to submit evidence for their innocenceC.could easily escape conviction of guiltD.cold be convicted of guilt as well12. DNA fingerprinting can be unreliable when _.A.the methods used for blood- cell calculation are not accurateB.two di
37、fferent individuals of the same ethnic group may have the same DNA fingerprinting patternC.a match is by chance left with fingerprints that happen to belong to two different individualsD.two different individuals leave two DNA samples.13. To geneticists like Lewontin and Hartl, the current method _.
38、A.is not so convincing as to exclude the likelihood that two DNA samples can never come from two individualsB.is arguable because two individuals of the same ethnic group are likely to have the same DNA pattern.C.Is not based on adequate scientific theory of geneticsD.Is theoretically contradictory
39、to what they have been studying14. The attitude of the Federal Bereau of Investigation shows that _.A.enough data are yet to be collected form various ethnic groups to confirm the unlikelihood of two DNA samples coming from two individual membersB.enough data of DNA samples should be collected to co
40、nfirm that only DNA samples form the same person can matchC.enough data are yet to be collected from various ethnic groups to determine the likelihood of two different DNA samples coming form the same personD.additional samples from various ethnic groups should be collected to determine that two DNA
41、 samples are unlikely to come from the same person15. National Academy of Sciences holds the stance that _.A.DNA testing should be systematizedB.Only authorized laboratories can conduct DNA testingC.The academy only is authorized to work out standards for testingD.The academy has the right to accred
42、it laboratories for DNA testingTEXT DMost of us are taught to pay attention to what is saidthe words. Words do provide us with some information, but meanings are derived from so many other sources that it would hinder our effectiveness as a partner to a relationship to rely too heavily on words alon
43、e. Words are used to describe only a small part of the many ideas we associate with any given message. Sometimes we can gain insight into some of those associations if we listen for more than words. We dont always say what we mean or mean what we say. Sometimes our words dont mean anything except Im
44、 letting off some steam. I dont really want you to pay close attention to what Im saying. Just pay attention to what Im feeling. Mostly we mean several things at once. A person wanting to purchase a house says to the current owner, This step has to be fixed before Ill buy. The owner says, Its been l
45、ike that for years. Actually, the step hasnt been like that for years, but the unspoken message is: I dont want to fix it. We put up with it. Why cant you? The search for a more expansive view of meaning can be developed of examining a message in terms of who said it, when it occurred, the related c
46、onditions or situation, and how it was said.When a message occurs can also reveal associated meaning. Let us assume two couples do exactly the same amount of kissing and arguing. But one couple always kisses after an argument and the other couple always argues after a kiss. The ordering of the behav
47、iors may mean a great deal more than the frequency of the behavior. A friends unusually docile behavior may only be understood by noting that it was preceded by situations that required an abnormal amount of assertiveness. Some responses may be directly linked to a developing pattern of responses an
48、d defy logic. For example, a person who says No! to a serials of charges like Youre dumb, Youre lazy, and Youre dishonest, may also say No! and try to justify his or her response if the next statement is And youre good looking.We would do well to listen for how messages are presented. The words, If
49、sure has been nice to have you over, can be said with emphasis and excitement or ritualistically. The phrase can be said once or repeated several times. And the meanings we associate with the phrase will change accordingly. Sometimes if we say something infrequently it assumes more importance; sometimes the more w
