46. The team of doctors wanted to find out _________.

[ A ] why certain people age sooner than others

[ B ] how to make people live longer

[ C ] the size of certain people ' s brains

[ D ] which people are most intelligent

47. On what are their research findings based?

[A] A survey of farmers in northern Japan.

[ B ] Tests performed on a thousand old people.

[ C ] The study of brain volumes of different people.

[ D] The latest development of computer technology.

48. The doctor ' s tests show that _________.

[ A ] our brains shrink as we grow older

[B] the front section of the brain does not shrink

[ C ] sixty-year-olds have better brains than thirty-year-olds

[ D ] some people ' s brains have contracted more than other people ' s

49. The word "subjects" in paragraph 5 means_________.

[ A ] something to be considered

[ B ] branches of knowledge studied

[ C ] persons chosen to be studied in an experiment

[ D ] any member of a state except the supreme ruler

50. According to the passage, which people seem to age slower than the others?

[A] Lawyers. [B] Farmers.

[C] Clerks. [D] Shop assistants.

Text 2

Television has changed the lifestyle of people in every industrialized country in the world. In the United States, where sociologists have studied the effects, some interesting observations have been made.

Television, although not essential, has become an important part of most people' s lives. It alters people' s ways of seeing the world; in many ways, it supports arid sustains (维持) modern life.

Television has become a baby-sitter, an introducer of conversations, the major transmitter of culture, a keeper of tradition. Yet when what can be seen on TV in one day is critically analyzed, it becomes evident that television is not a teacher but a sustainer; the poor quality of programming does not elevate (提高 ) people into greater understanding, but rather maintains and encourages the life as it exists.

The primary reason for the lack of quality in American television is related to both the history of TV programming development and the economics of TV. Television in America began with the radio. Radio companies and their sponsors first experimented with television. Therefore, the close relationship which the advertisers had with radio programs became the system for American TV. Sponsors not only paid money for time within programs, but many actually produced the programs. Thus, in American society, television is primarily concerned with reflecting and attracting society rather than experimenting with new ideas. Advertisers want to attract the largest viewing audience possible. To do so requires that the programs be entertaining rather than educational, attractive rather than challenging.

Television in America today remains, to a large extent, with the same organization and standards as it had thirty years ago. The hope for further development and true achievement toward improving society will require a change in the entire system.

51. According to the author American television is poor in quality because _________.

[ A ] advertisers are interested in experimenting with new ideas

[ B] it is still at an early stage of development, compared with the radio

[ C ] the programs have to be developed in the interests of the sponsors for economic reasons

[ D] it is controlled by radio companies

52. The second paragraph is mainly about_________.

[ A ] TV as the sustainer of American life

[ B ] TV as the major transmitter of culture

[ C ] the educational effect of TV on society

[ D ] the strong influence and the poor quality of American TV

53. In the author' s view American TV should _________.

[A] be critical but entertaining

[ B] be creative and educational

[ C ] change with the development of society

[ D ] attract as many viewers as possible

54. The author believes that television in the United States has become important to most people because _________.

[A] it promotes family unity

[ B] it helps them develop their speaking ability

[ C] it attracts their life in many ways

[ D] it challenges society

55. The author ' s attitude towards American television is _________.

[ A ] critical [ B ] praising

[ C ] doubtful [ D ] sympathetic

Text 3

The aim of the teacher is to get his pupils as quickly as possible over the period in which each printed symbol is looked at for its shape, and arrive at the stage when the pupil looks at words a phrases, for their meaning, almost without noticing the shapes of these separate letters.

When a good reader is at work, he does not look at letters, nor even at words, one by or however quickly; he takes in the meaning of two, three, or four words at a time, in a single moment. Watch carefully the eyes of a person who is reading, and it will be seen that they do not travel smoothly along the lines of print, but they move by jumps separated by very short stops. The eyes a very good reader move quickly, taking long jumps and making very short halts (停顿 ); the eyes of a poor reader move more slowly, taking only short jumps and stopping longer at each halt. Some times, when he meets a difficulty, he even goes backwards to see again what has already be looked at once.

The teacher ' 9 task is therefore clear: it is to train his pupils to take in several words at a glance (one "eye jump") and remove the necessity forgoing backwards to read something a second time.

This shows at once that letter-by-letter, or syllable-by-syllable (音节) , or word-by-word reading, with the finger pointing to the word, carefully fixing each one in turn, is wrong. It is wrong because such a method ties the pupil' s eye down to a very short jump. Moreover, a very. short jump too short to provide any meaning or sense; and it will be found that having struggled with three four words separately, the pupil has to look at them again, all together and in one group, in order get the meaning of the whole phrase.

56. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the first paragraph?

[ A ] Pupils should be trained to reach quickly the stage of reading without having to

concentrate on the separate symbols.

[B] Pupils should look at each printed symbol for its meaning as well as for its shape.

[ C ] Teachers should help their pupils avoid looking at the shape of the printed symbols.