The nations dreams for the 2010 World Expo have come true as Shanghai won the bid in the fourth round of voting at the Bureau of International Exhibitions 132nd general assembly.
II.Reading comprehension: (2×10=20)
Directions: Read the following passages and make your proper choices.
(1)
Manners nowadays in metropolitan cities like London are practically nonexistent.It is nothing for a big, strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last remaining seat on the tube or bus, much less stand up and offer his seat to her, as he ought.In fact,
it is saddening to note that if a man does offer his seat to an older woman, it is nearly always a continental man or one from the older generation.
This question of giving up seats in public transport is much argued about by young men who
say that, since women have claimed equality, they no longer deserve to be treated with courtesy, and that those who go out to work should take their turn in the rat race like anyone else.Women have never claimed to be physically as strong as men.Even if it is not agreed, however, that young men should stand up for younger women, the fact remains that courtesy should be shown to the old, the sick and the burdened.Are we really so lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferently reading the paper or a book, saying to ourselves “First come, first served,” while a gray haired woman, a mother with a young child or a cripple stands? Yet this is all too often seen.
Conditions in travel are really very hard on everyone, we know, but hardship is surely no excuse.Sometimes one wonders what would have been the behavior of these stout young men in packed refugee train or a train on its way to a prisoner camp during the war.Would they have considered it only right and their proper due to keep the best places for themselves then?
Older people, tired and irritable from a day's work, are not angels at all.Many a brisk argument or an insulting quarrel breaks out as the weary queues push and shove each other to get on buses and tubes.One cannot commend this, of course, but one does feel there is just a little more excuse.
If cities are to remain pleasant places to live in at all, however, it seems urgent, not only that communications in transport should he improved, but also that communication between human beings should be kept smooth and polite.All over cities, it seems that people are too tired and too
rushed to be polite.Shop assistants won't bother to assist, taxi drivers shout at each other as they
dash dangerously round corners, bus conductors pull the bell before their desperate passengers have had time to get on or off the bus, and so on and so forth.It seems to us that it is up to the
young and strong to do their small part to stop such deterioration.
16.According to the passage, we could expect good manners from ________.
A.Englishmen in London
B.a man from France
C.men in big modern cities in England
D.men only in metropolitan cities
17.What is the writer's opinion concerning courteous manners toward women?
A.Women have claimed equality and no longer need to be treated differently from men.
B.It is considered old fashioned for young men to give up their seats for young women.
C.Lady First should be universally practiced.
D.Special consideration should be shown to women.
18.According to the writer, communication between human beings would be smoother if ________.
A.people were more considerate to each other
B.life were easier and more comfortable
C.women were treated with more courtesy
D.public transport could be improved
19.The italicized word "deterioration" in the last paragraph probably means "________".
A.worsening of the general situation
B.lowering of the moral standards
C.declining of the courtesy to women
D.spreading of evil conduct
20.It could be inferred that the best remedy for the hard travel conditions in city would be ________.
A.to attach significance to the moral education of young people
B.to treat people, be they young or old, with courtesy and sympathy
C.to demand everyone do his part not to be impolite to each other
D.to improve the means of transportation and the public morality
(2)
From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age.We are immunized from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases.A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and surgery.It is almost certain that one day remedies will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases.The expectation of life has increased enormously.But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter of men, women and children on the roads.Man versus the motor-car! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing.Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality.There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man's very
worst qualities.People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel.They swear.They are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and utterly selfish.All their hidden frustrations, disappointments and jealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles so benignly on the motorist and seems to condone
his behavior.Everything is done for his convenience.Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is desecrated by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten.
It is high time that a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life.With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest are not strict enough.A code which was universally accepted could only have a dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate.Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done.The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through stringent annual tests for safety.Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can impair a person's driving ability.Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be made much stricter.Maximum and minimum speed limits should be imposed on all roads.Governments should lay down safety specification for manufactures.All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned.These measures may sound inordinately harsh.But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the annual toll of human life.After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.
21.What is the main idea of this passage?
A.Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists.
B.Thousands of people the world over are killed each year.
C.The laws of some countries about driving are too lax.
D.Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents.
22.The italicized word “condone” (Para.3) probably means “________”.
A.dislike
B.conduct
C.forgive
D.forbid
23.The sentence “his car becomes the extension of his personality” (Para.2) probably means “________”.
A.driving can show his real self
B.driving can show the other part of his personality
C.driving can bring out his character
D.his car embodies his temper
24.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?
A.To test drivers at more regular intervals.
B.To make driving tests more difficult to pass.
C.To modify maximum and minimum speed limits.
D.To draw up safety specifications for manufactures.
25.The author's attitude towards the present traffic laws is ________.
A.ironical
B.critical
C.appealing
D.pessimistic
