READING (25 PTS)PART 1. COMPLETE THE PASSAGE BY FILLING A S...

SECTION 4. READING (25 pts)Part 1. Complete the passage by filling a suitable word into each gap: (10pts)A story is a work of imagination. The people…(1)…write stories write them in order to give pleasureto…(2)…who read stories. Story-readers are, generally…(3)…, women of all ages and younger men. Readerslove the start of a story, where there are new and sometimes strange people to be…(4)...for the first time.They enjoy the story itself, the gentleness and the violence, the loves and the…(5)… , with which a goodwriter interests his…(6)…. . They enjoy the end of the story, whether it is happy or…(7)… . The reader’schief purpose in all this is to…(8)...from ordinary life for a short…(9)… . Older men, as a rule, find theirordinary lives…(10)...pleasant to run away from.Write your answers here:1 2 3 4 56 7 8 9 10Part 2. Read the following passage and then choose the most suitable word or phrase for each space. (10 pts)Earth is the only place we know of in the universe that can support human life. …(1)…humanactivities are making the planet less fit to live on. As the western world…(2)…on consuming two- thirds ofthe world’s resources while half of the world’s population do so…(3)…to stay alive, we are rapidlydestroying the…(4)…resource we have by which all people can survive and prosper. Everywhere fertile soilis…(5)…built on or washed into the sea. Renewable resources are exploited so much that they will never beable to recover…(6)… . We discharge pollutants into the atmosphere without any thought of theconsequences. As a result, the planet’s ability to support people is being…(7)…at the very time when risinghuman numbers and consumption are…(8)…increasingly heavy demands on it. The Earth’s naturalresources are there for us to use. We need food, water, air, energy, medicines, warmth, shelter and mineralsto…(9)…us fed, comfortable, healthy and active. If we are sensible in how we use the resources, theywill…(10)…indefinitely. But if we use them wastefully and excessively, they will soon run out andeveryone will suffer.1. A. Yet B. Still C. Although D. Despite2. A. continues B. repeats C. carries D. follows3. A. already B. just C. for D. entirely4. A. only B. individual C. lone D. alone 5. A. sooner B. either C. neither D. rather6. A. quite B. greatly C. utterly D. completely7. A. stopped B. narrowed C. reduced D. cut8. A. making B. having C. taking D. doing9. A. hold B. maintain C. keep D. stay10. A. last B. stand C. go D. remainWrite your answers (A, B, C or D) here:Part 3. Read the passage and choose the best answers to questions below. (5 pts) Before the mid-nineteenth century, people in the United States ate most foods only in season.Drying, smoking, and salting could preserve meat for a short time, but the availability of fresh meat, likethat of fresh milk, was very limited; there was no way to prevent spoilage. But in 1810 a French inventornamed Nicolas Appert developed the cooking-and-sealing process of canning. And in the 1850's anAmerican named Gail Borden developed a means of condensing and preserving milk. Canned goods andcondensed milk became more common during the 1860's, but supplies remained low because cans had tobe made by hand. By 1880, however, inventors had fashioned stamping and soldering machines that mass-produced cans from tinplate. Suddenly all kinds of food could be preserved and bought at all times of theyear.Other trends and inventions had also helped make it possible for Americans to vary their dailydiets. Growing urban populations created demand that encouraged fruit and vegetable farmers to raisemore produce. Railroad refrigerator cars enabled growers and meat packers to ship perishables greatdistances and to preserve them for longer periods. Thus, by the 1890's, northern city dwellers could enjoysouthern and western strawberries, grapes, and tomatoes, previously available for a month at most, for upto six months of the year. In addition, increased use of iceboxes enabled families to store perishables. Aneasy means of producing ice commercially had been invented in the 1870's, and by 1900 the nation hadmore than two thousand commercial ice plants, most of which made home deliveries. The icebox becamea fixture in most homes and remained so until the mechanized refrigerator replaced it in the 1920's and1930's.Almost everyone now had a more diversified diet. Some people continued to eat mainly foods thatwere heavy in starches or carbohydrates, and not everyone could afford meat. Nevertheless, manyfamilies could take advantage of previously unavailable fruits, vegetables, and dairy products to achievemore varied fare.1. What does the passage mainly discuss?A. Causes of food spoilage B. Inventions that led to changes in the American diet C. Commercial production of ice D. Population movements in the nineteenth century2. The phrase "in season" in paragraph 1 refers toA. a kind of weather B. a particular time of yearC. an official schedule D. a method of flavoring food3. During the 1860's, canned food products wereA. unavailable in rural areas B. shipped in refrigerator carsC. available in limited quantities D. a staple part of the American diet4. The word "them" in paragraph 2 refers toA. refrigerator cars B. perishables C. growers D. distances5. Which of the following types of food preservation was NOT mentioned in the passage?A. Drying B. Canning C. Cold storage D. Chemical additives1 2 3 4 5