自主招生阅读理解训练.doc

自主招生阅读理解训练
A
With the start of BBC World Service Television, millions of viewers in Asia and America can now watch the Corporation's news coverage, as well as listen to it.
And of course in Britain listeners and viewers can tune in to two BBC television channels, five BBC national radio services and dozens of local radio station. They are brought sport, comedy, drama, music, news and current affairs, education, religion, parliamentary coverage, children's programmes and films for an annual license fee of ￡83 per household.
It is a remarkable record, stretching back over 70 years - yet the BBC's future is now in doubt. The Corporation will survive as a publicly-funded broadcasting organization, at least for the time being, but its role, its size and its programmes are now the subject of a nation-wide debate in Britain.
The debate was launched by the Government, which invited anyone with an opinion of the BBC - including ordinary listeners and viewers - to say what was good or bad about the Corporation, and even whether they thought it was worth keeping. The reason for its inquiry is that the BBC's royal charter runs out in 1996 and it must decide whether to keep the organization as it is, or to make changes.
Defenders of the Corporation - of whom there are many - are fond of quoting the American slogan. If it isn’t broke, don't fix it. The BBC isn’t broke, they say, by which they mean it is not broken (as distinct from the word broke, meaning having no money), so why bother to change it?
Yet the BBC will have to change, because the broadcasting world around it is changing. The commercial TV channels-ITV and Channel 4-were required by the Thatcher Government's Broadcasting Act to become more commercial, competing with each other for advertisers, and cutting costs and jobs. But it is the arrival of new satellite channels - funded partly by advertising and partly by viewers' subscriptions - which will bring about the biggest changes in the long term.　　
1. The world famous BBC now faces ________.
　　（A） the problem of new coverage　　 （B） an uncertain prospect
　　（C） inquiries by the general public　　 （D） shrinkage of audience
　　2. In the passage, which of the following about the BBC is not mentioned as the key issue?
　　（A） Extension of its TV service to Far East.
　　（B） Programmes as the subject of a nation-wide debate.
　　（C） Potentials for further international co-operations.
　　（D） Its existence as a broadcasting organization.
　　3. The BBC's royal charter （line 4, paragraph 4） stands for ________.
　 （A） the financial support from the royal family
（B） the privileges granted by the Queen
　 （C） a contract with the Queen 　　
（D） a unique relationship with the royal family
　　4. The foremost reason why the BBC has to readjust itself is no other than ________.　　　　　　　　
　　（A） the emergence of commercial TV channels
　　（B） the enforcement of Broadcasting Act by the government
　　（C） the urgent necessity to reduce costs and jobs
　　（D） the challenge of new satellite channels

B
In the last half of the nineteenth century capital and labor were enlarging and perfecting their rival organizations on modern lines. Many an old firm was replaced by a limited liability company with a bureaucracy of salaried managers. The change met the technical requirements of the new age by engaging a large professional element and prevented the decline in efficiency that so commonly spoiled the fortunes of family firms in the second and third generation after the energetic founders. It was moreover a step away from individual initiative, towards collectivism and municipal and state-owned business. The railway companies, though still private business managed for the benefit of shareholders, were very unlike old family business. At the same time the great municipalities went into business to supply lighting, trams and other services to the taxpayers.
The growth of the limited liability company and municipal business had important consequences. Such large, impersonal manipulation of capital and industry greatly increased the numbers and importance of shareholders as a class, an element in national life representing irresponsible wealth detached from the land and the duties of the landowners; and almost equally detached from the responsible management of business. All through the nineteenth century, America, Africa, India, Australia and parts of Europe were being developed by British capital, and British shareholders were thus enriched by the world's movement towards industrialization. Towns like Bournemouth and East Bourne sprang up to house large comfortable classes who had retired on their incomes, and who had no relation to the rest of the community except that of drawing dividends and occasionally attending a shareholders' meeting to dictate their orders to the management. On the other hand Shareholding meant leisure and freedom which was used by many of the later Victorians for the highest purpose of a great civilization.
The shareholders as such had no knowledge of the lives, thoughts or needs of the workmen employed by the company in which he held shares, and his influence on the relations of capital and labor was not good. The paid manager acting for the company was in more direct relation with the men and their demands, but even he had seldom that familiar personal knowledge of the workmen which the employer had often had under the more patriarchal system of the old family business now passing away. Indeed the mere size of operations and the numbers of workmen involved rendered such personal relations impossible. Fortunately, however, the increasing power and organization of the trade unions, at least in all skilled trades, enabled the workmen to meet on equal terms the managers of the companies who employed them. The cruel discipline of the strike and lockout taught the two parties to respect each other's strength and understand the value of fair negotiation.
　　5. It's true of the old family firms that ________.
　　（A）they were spoiled by the younger generations
　　（B）they failed for lack of individual initiative
　　（C）they lacked efficiency compared with modern companies
　　（D）they could supply adequate services to the taxpayers
　　6. The growth of limited liability companies resulted in ________.
　　（A）the separation of capital from management
　　（B）the ownership of capital by managers
　　（C）the emergence of capital and labors as two classes
　　（D）the participation of shareholders in municipal business
　　7. According to the passage, all of the following are true except that ________.
　　（A）the shareholders were unaware of the needs of the workers
　　（B）the old firm owners had a better understanding of their workers
　　（C）the limited liability companies were too large to run smoothly
　　（D）the trade unions seemed to play a positive role
　　8. The author is most critical of ________.
　　（A）family firm owners　　（B）landowners　（C）managers　（D）shareholders
C
Rumor has it that more than 20 books on creationism/evolution are in the publisher's pipelines. A few have already appeared. The goal of all will be to try to explain to a confused and often unenlightened citizenry that there are not two equally valid scientific theories for the origin and evolution of universe and life. Cosmology, geology, and biology have provided a consistent, unified, and constantly improving account of what happened. Scientific creationism, which is being pushed by some for equal time in the classrooms whenever the scientific accounts of evolution are given, is based on religion, not science.
Virtually all scientists and the majority of non-fundamentalist religious leaders have come to regard scientific creationism as bad science and bad religion.
The first four chapters of Kitcher's book give a very brief introduction to evolution. At appropriate places, he introduces the criticisms of the creationists and provides answers. In the last three chapters, he takes off his gloves and gives the creationists a good beating. He describes their programmes and tactics, and, for those unfamiliar with the ways of creationists, the extent of their deception and distortion may come as an unpleasant surprise. When their basic motivation is religious, one might have expected more Christian behavior.
Kitcher is philosopher, and this may account, in part, for the clarity and effectiveness of his arguments. The non-specialist will be able to obtain at least a notion of the sorts of data and argument that support evolutionary theory. The final chapter on the creationists will be extremely clear to all. On the dust jacket of this fine book, Stephen Jay Gould says: This book stands for reason itself. And so it does-and all would be well were reason the only judge in the creationism/evolution debate.
9. Creationism in the passage refers to ________.
　　（A）evolution in its true sense as to the origin of the universe
　　（B）a notion of the creation of religion
　　（C）the scientific explanation of the earth formation
　　（D）the deceptive theory about the origin of the universe
　 10. Kitcher's book is intended to ________.
　　（A）recommend the views of the evolutionists
　　（B）expose the true features of creationists
　　（C）curse bitterly at this opponents
　　（D）launch a surprise attack on creationists
　 11. From the passage we can infer that ________.
　　（A）reasoning has played a decisive role in the debate
　　（B）creationists do not base their argument on reasoning
　　（C）evolutionary theory is too difficult for non-specialists
　　（D）creationism is supported by scientific findings
　 12. This passage appears to be a digest of ________.
　　（A）a book review　　 （B）a scientific paper
　　（C）a magazine feature　　 （D）a newspaper editorial
D
Personality is to a large extent inherent-A-type parents usually bring about A-type offspring. But the environment must also have a profound effect, since if competition is important to the parents, it is likely to become a major factor in the lives of their children.
One place where children soak up A characteristics is school, which is, by its very nature, a highly competitive institution. Too many schools adopt the win at all costs moral standard and measure their success by sporting achievements. The current passion for making children compete against their classmates or against the clock produces a two-layer system, in which competitive A-types seem in some way better than their B-type fellows. Being too keen to win can have dangerous consequences: remember that Pheidippides, the first marathon runner, dropped dead seconds after saying: Rejoice, we conquer！
By far the worst form of competition in schools is the disproportionate emphasis on examinations. It is a rare school that allows pupils to concentrate on those things they do well. The merits of competition by examination are somewhat questionable, but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful.
Obviously, it is neither practical nor desirable that all A youngsters change into B's. The world needs types, and schools have an important duty to try to fit a child's personality to his possible future employment. It is top management.
If the preoccupation of schools with academic work was lessened, more time might be spent teaching children surer values. Perhaps selection for the caring professions, especially medicine, could be made less by good grades in chemistry and more by such considerations as sensitivity and sympathy. It is surely a mistake to choose our doctors exclusively from A- type stock. B's are important and should be encouraged.
　　13. According to the passage, A-type individuals are usually ________.
　　（A）impatient　　（B）considerate　　（C）aggressive　　（D）agreeable
　　14. The author is strongly opposed to the practice of examinations at schools because ____.
　　（A）the pressure is too great on the students
　　（B）some students are bound to fail
　　（C）failure rates are too high
　　（D）the results of examinations are doubtful
　　15. The selection of medical professionals is currently based on ________.
　　（A）candidates' sensitivity　　（B）academic achievements
　　（C）competitive spirit 　（D）surer values
　　16. From the passage we can draw the conclusion that ________.
　　（A）the personality of a child is well established at birth
　　（B）family influence dominates the shaping of one's characteristics
　　（C）the development of one's personality is due to multiple factors
　　（D）B-type characteristics can find no place in a competitive society
E
Much of the language used to describe monetary policy, such as steering the economy to a soft landing or a touch on the brakes, makes itself sound like a precise science. Nothing could be further from the truth. The link between interest rates and inflation is uncertain. And there are long, variable lags before policy changes have any effect on the economy. Hence there is an analogy that likens the conduct of monetary policy to driving a car with a blackened windscreen, a cracked rearview mirror and a faulty steering wheel.
Given all these disadvantages, central bankers seem to have had much to boast about of late. Average inflation in the big seven industrial economies fell to a mere 2.3% last year, close to its lowest level in 30 years, before rising slightly to 2.5% this July. This is a long way below the double-digit rates which many countries experienced in the 1970s and early 1980s.
It is also less than most forecasters had predicted. In late 1994 the panel of economists which The Economist polls each month said that America’s inflation rate would average 3.5% in 1995. In fact, it fell to 2.6% in August, and is expected to average only about 3% for the year as a whole. In Britain and Japan inflation is running half a percentage point below the rate predicted at the end of last year. This is no flash in the pan; over the past couple of years, inflation has been consistently lower than expected in Britain and America.
Economists have been particularly surprised by favorable inflation figures in Britain and the United States, since conventional measures suggest that both economies, and especially America’s, have little productive slack. America’s capacity utilization, for example, hit historically high levels earlier this year, and its jobless rate (5.6% in August) has fallen below most estimates of the natural rate of unemployment-the rate below which inflation has taken off on the past.
Why has inflation proved so mild? The most thrilling explanation is, unfortunately, a little defective. Some economists argue that powerful structural changes in the world have upended the old economic models that were based upon the historical link between growth and inflation.
　　17. From the passage we learn that ________.
　　（A）there is a definite relationship between inflation and interest rates
　　（B）economy wi