A higher reading rate, with no loss of comprehension, will help you in other subjects as well as in English,
and the general principles apply to any language. Naturally, you will not read every book at the same speed.
You would expect to read a newspaper, for example, much more rapidly than a physics or economics textbook-
but you can raise your average reading speed over the whole range of materials you wish to cover so that the
percentage (百分比) grained will be the same whatever kind of reading you are concerned with.
     The reading passages which follow are all of an average level of difficulty for your stage of instruction.
They are all about five hundred words long. They are about topics of general interest which do not require a
great deal of specialized knowledge. Thus they fall between the kind of reading you might find in your textbooks
and the much less demanding kind you will find in a newspaper or light novel. If you read this kind of English,
with understanding at four hundred words per minute, you might skim (瀏覽) through a newspaper at perhaps
650~700, while with a difficult textbook you might drop to two hundred or two hundred and fifty.
     Perhaps you would like to know what reading speeds are common among native English-speaking university
students and how those speeds can be improved. Tests in Minnesota, U.S.A., for example, have shown that
students without special training can read English of average difficulty, for example, Tolstoy's War and Peace
in translation, at speeds of between 240 and 250 words per minute with about seventy percent comprehension.
Students in Minnesota claim that after twelve half-hour lessons, once a week, the reading speed can be
increased, with no loss of comprehension, to around five hundred words per minute.

1. Where do you think the passage is taken from?

A. A school newspaper run by students.
B. The introduction to a book on fast reading.
C. The introduction to an English textbook.
D. A local newspaper for young people.

2. According to the passage, how fast can you expect to read after you have attended twelve half-hour lessons
    in the University of Minnesota?

A. You can double your reading speed.
B. You can increase your reading speed by four times.
C. You can increase your reading speed by three times.
D. No real increase in reading speed can be achieved.

3. The average speed of untrained native speakers in the University of Minnesota is _____.

A. about sixty words per minute
B. about two hundred and forty-five words per minute
C. about five hundred words per minute
D. about three hundred words per minute

4. According to the passage, the purpose of effective reading with higher speed is most likely to help you
    _____.

A. not only in your language study but also in other subjects
B. improve your understanding of an economics textbook
C. choose the suitable material to read
D. only in your reading of a physics textbook

     Among all the fast growing science and technology, the research of human genes, or biological engineering
as people call it, is drawing more and more attention now. Sometimes it's a hot topic discussed by people.
     The greatest thing that gene technology can do is to cure serious diseases that doctors at present can almost
do nothing with, such as cancer and heart disease. Every year, millions of people are murdered by these two
killers. And to date, doctors have not found an effective way to cure them. But if the gene technology is applied,
not only these two diseases can be cured completely, bringing happiness and more living days to the patients,
but also the great amount of money people spend on curing their diseases can be saved, therefore it benefits the
economy as well. In addition, human life span (壽命) can be prolonged.
     Gene technology can help people to give birth to more healthy and clever children. Some families, with the
English imperial (皇帝的) family being a good example, have hereditary (遺傳的) diseases. This means their
children will for sure have the family disease, which is a great trouble for these families. In the past, doctors
could do nothing about hereditary diseases. But gene technology can solve this problem perfectly. Scientists just
need to find the wrong gene and correct it, and a healthy child will be born.
     Some people are worrying that the gene research can be used to manufacture (生產(chǎn)) human beings in large
quantities. In the past few years, scientists have succeeded in cloning a sheep; therefore these people predict
that human babies would soon be cloned. But I believe cloned babies will not come out in large quantities, for
most couples in the world can have babies in very normal way. Of course, the governments must take care to
control gene technology.

1. What does "these two killers" in the second paragraph refer to?

A. Gene technology and another treatment of the two diseases.
B. The two murderers who killed the cloned baby.
C. The two diseases of cancer and heart disease.
D. Hereditary diseases and cancer.

2. What's the main idea of the third paragraph?

A. Gene technology can help people to give birth to a baby.
B. Gene technology can be used to clone human babies.
C. How gene technology can be used to treat hereditary diseases.
D. Gene technology can solve all the problems of the English imperial family.

3. In what way can gene technology help to treat hereditary diseases?

A. Gene technology helps people with hereditary diseases to live longer.
B. Using gene technology, scientists find the wrong gene and correct it.
C. Using gene technology, human babies can be cloned.
D. Doctors can cure cancer and heart disease with the help of gene technology.

4. What is the main purpose of writing this passage?

A. Expressing the writer's idea that gene technology will benefit people.
B. Telling people the advantages and disadvantages of gene technology.
C. Telling the readers that gene technology will not benefit people.
D. Explaining that gene technology will also do harm to the humanity.

     What is your favourite colour? Do you like yellow, orange, red? 1_____. Do you prefer greys and blues?
Then you are probably quiet, shy, and you would rather follow than lead. You tend to be pessimist. At least,
this is what psychologists tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the
meaning of colour preference, as well as the effect that colours have on human beings. 2_____. If you happen
to love brown, you did so, as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly. 
     3_____. A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one;
and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. 4_____. A black bridge over the Thames
River, near London, used to be the scene of more suicides (自殺) than any other bridge in the area-until it was
repainted green. The number of suicide attempts immediately fell sharply. Perhaps it would have fallen even
more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue. 
     5_____. It is an established fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when
their machines are painted orange rather than black or grey.

A. On the other hand, black is depressing.
B. They tell us, among other facts, that we do not choose our favourite colour as grow up - we are born with 
    our preference.
C. The rooms are painted in different colours as you like.
D. If you do, you must be an optimist, a leader, an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement.
E. Light and bright colours make people not only happier but more active.
F. Life is like a picture or a poem, full of different colours.
G. Colours do influence our moods-there is no doubt about it

     Mariah Evans at the University of Nevada, Reno, led a 20-year study which asked adults in 27 countries
to tell the number of books that were in their home while they were growing up. Their answers showed that
children raised around books spend more years in school, even if their parents are poor and illiterate (沒(méi)文化
的).
     Mariah Evans said, "What we found was that there is a very big effect of growing up in a bookish home
on children's success in school. Children who grow up in homes where there are more books go further in
education. And additional (額外的) books are especially important for children who come from families
where the parents aren't terribly highly educated. The books can be stories, sports, travels and anything. But
there, we're seeing that the books that have the most effect are history and science."
     "It says that there really is a contribution that parents can make to their children's education. And it doesn't
mean that you have to turn into somebody like me whose walls are lined with books. "But it really does mean
that if you spend a few minutes most days a week reading to your children, and if they see you reading from
time to time, and if you talk about books with them from time to time, and when somebody asks a question,
say 'let's look it up' instead of discussing it as a matter of opinion-that all those things can actually make quite
a great difference to children in their education."

1. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A. it is more difficult for children raised around books to finish school
B. highly educated parents prevent a child going further in education
C. more books are needed by children from poor and illiterate families
D. children with poor parents don't spend as many years in school

2. According to the author, the books most important for the children are _____.

A. history and science
B. sports and education
C. stories and travels
D. all kinds of subjects

3. Wise parents can make quite a great difference to children in their education by _____.

A. turning themselves into somebody whose walls are lined with books
B. spending some minutes most days a week playing with their children
C. discussing them rather than looking up questions with their children
D. talking about books with their children from time to time

4. This passage mainly talks about _____.

A. the effect of bookish home on children
B. the importance of parents
C. the necessity of reading more books
D. the interest of children in books

     Everyone has got two personalities-one is shown to the world and the other is secret and real. You don't
show your secret personality when you are awake because you can control your behavior, but when you are
asleep, sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their
position. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
     If you go to sleep on your back, your are a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily
influenced by fashion or your new ideas. You don't like to upset people, so you never express your real feelings.
You are quite shy and you aren't very confident.
     If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive person. You worry a lot and always easily get upset,
you are very stubborn, but you aren't very ambitious (有野心的). You usually live for today not tomorrow. This
means you enjoy having a good time.
     If you sleep curled up, you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so
you are often very defensive. You are shy and you don't normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your
own. You are easily hurt.
     If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced personality. You know your strengths and
weaknesses. You are usually careful. You have a confident personality. You sometimes feel anxious, but you
don't often get depressed. You always say what you think even if it annoys people.

1. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A. Your Sleeping Position and Your Personality
B. Sleeping and Your Health
C. The Secrets of Your Sleeping
D. Pay Attention to Your Sleeping Positions

2. If one goes to sleep on his stomach, he might _____.

A. never express his real feelings
B. keep himself secret from others
C. be a very nervous person
D. be usually careful  

3. A person who sleeps curled up might _____.

A. like to stay alone
B. love having a good time
C. be very ambitious
D. always feel confident

4. Which of the important sleeping position that might let out your secrets?

A. The sleeping position when you fall asleep.
B. The sleeping position when you wake up.
C. The sleeping position when you feel comfortable.
D. The sleeping position at midnight.

     Sometime in the next century, the familiar early-newspaper on the front porch (門(mén)廊) will disappear. And
instead of reading your newspaper, it will read to you. You'll get up and turn on the computer newspaper just
like switching on the TV. An electronic voice will read stories about the latest events, guided by a program
that selects the type of news you want. You'll even get to choose the kind of voice you want to hear. Want
more information on this brief story? A simple touch makes the entire text appear. Save it in your own personal
computer if you like. These are among the predictions from communication experts working on the newspapers
of the future. Pictured as part of broader home-based media and entertainment systems, computer newspapers
will unite print and broadcast reporting, and offer news and analysis with video images of news events.
     Most of the technology is possible now, but making more people believe that they don't need to read a
newspaper is the next step. But refusing computers may be stronger from within journalism. Since it is such
a cultural change, it may be that the present generation of journalists and publishers will have to die off before
the next generation realizes that the newspaper industry is no longer a newspaper industry. Technology is
making the end of traditional newspapers unavoidable.
     Despite technological advances, it could take tens of years to replace newsprint with computer screens.
It might take 30 to 40 years to complete the changeover because people need to buy computers and because
newspapers have established financial interests in the paper industry.

1. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of computer newspapers?

A. They are cheaper than traditional newspapers.
B. They are more convenient to read.
C. You can choose the kind of voice you want to hear.
D. You can easily save information for future use.

2. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of computer newspapers?

A. They are cheaper than traditional newspapers.
B. They are more convenient to read.
C. You can choose the kind of voice you want to hear.
D. You can easily save information for future use.

3. It can be inferred that journalists are against computer newspapers because _____.

A. they don't know how to use computer
B. they think computer newspapers take too much time to read
C. they think the new technology is bad
D. they have been trained to write for traditional newspapers

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A. Newspapers are out of fashion.
B. Newspapers of the future will be on the computer.
C. New communications technology.
D. Computer newspapers are well liked

     Foreign students are valuable to the United States. Many take 1_____ in important research. Most have
to 2_____ the full costs for their education. That helps universities meet their budgets. International students
and their 3_____ put 12,000 million dollars into the American economy last year. That number is from the
Institute of International Education, based in New York.
     Now, many education officials say they are concerned that 4_____ students will come to the United States
for the next school year. The officials base their concern partly on a decrease in students 5_____ (plan) to
attend intensive English programs during the summer.
     The members said one reason 6_____ the expected decrease is slower and more restrictive United States
action on travel documents. 7_____ (secure) has increased since the terrorist attack of September 11,2001.
The schools also blamed the travel problems caused by the outbreak of SARS.
     In recent years, 8_____ increasing number of students have come to the United States to study. The
Institute of International Education says these students represent more than four percent of all students in
American colleges and universities. 9_____ says the number of international students reached a 10_____ high
of more than 580,000 last year. The largest number came from India. Before last year largest number came
from China.

     LANGUAGES Canada, a new Canadian national organization of public and private language training
programs, was started recently to ensure that language training in Canada is of high quality, Canada News
Wire has reported.
     Canada has developed its language-training programs for over forty years without a comparatively uniform
(adj. 一致的; 相同的) quality standard before Languages Canada adopted (采用) a complete system of rigorous
standards that apply equally to all public and private schools in Canada to qualify (取得資格；具備合格條件),
a school is evaluated in a number of categories including curriculum, teacher qualifications, student services,
student admissions, marketing,promotion, facilities and administration. The quality standards guarantee that
international students who come to Canada to learn English or French can expect to receive a uniform level of
excellent instruction.
     So far, a total of 144 language-training programs,public and private, English and French, have met the
standards. They will have to re-qualify in three years. About two dozen other schools failed to meet all standards
and may be re-evaluated in the future.
     Canada's language training sector accounts for (數(shù)量占…) about 15 percent of the market share of global
language training business Canada ranks third among destinations for English language training after UK and US.
Calum Mackechnie, President of Languages Canada and President of York University's English Language
Institute, says if Canada wants to fully take advantage (利用) of the economic potential (潛力) of its language-
training sector, it needs to make sure the world knows what the country has to offer.

1. What do we know about Languages Canada?

A. It is a language training school.
B. It has a history of over 40 years.
C. It has many branches all over the world.
D. It is a new Canadian national organization.

2. _____ is not taken into consideration when evaluating a school.

A. Curriculum
B. Teacher qualifications
C. School size
D. Administration

3. The underlined word "rigorous" in Paragraph 2 probably means "_____".

A. strict
B. similar
C. different
D. The same

4. Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A. So far, 144 language-teaching programs have met the standards.
B. UK ranks second among destinations for English language training.
C. About 24 other schools didn't meet all standards.
D. Languages Canada was launched to ensure high-quality language training in Canada.

5. What's the main idea of this passage?

A. Canada sets English training standards across the country.
B. Canada is a big language-training country.
C. Canada hopes to make more money from language training.
D. Canada has a long history in developing its language-training capacity.

     "It hurts me more than you." and "This is for your own good." These are the statements my mother used
to make years ago when I had to learn Latin, clean my room, stay home and do homework. 　　
     That was before we entered the permissive period in education in which we decided it was all right not to
push our children to achieve their best in school. 　　
     The schools and the educators made it easy for us. They thought that it was right to be parents who take
a let alone policy. We stopped making our children do homework. We gave them calculators (計(jì)算器), turned
on the television, left the teaching to the teachers and went on vacation. 　　
     Now teachers, having taught many children who have been developing at their own step for the past 15
years, are realizing we've made a terrible mistake. Sharon Klompus is such a teacher who thinks her students
"so passive" and wonders what happened. Nothing was demanded of them. She believes that Television
contributes to children's passivity. "We're not training kids to work anymore," says Klompus. "We're talking
about a generation of kids who've never been hurt or hungry. They have learned somebody will always do it
for them. Instead of saying' go and look it up', you tell them the answer. It takes greater energy to say no to
a kid." 　　
     Yes, it does. It takes energy and it takes work. It's time for parents to end their vecation and come back
to work. It's time to take the car away, to turn the TV off, to tell them it hurts you more than them but it's
for their own good. It's time to start telling them no again.

1. Children are becoming more inactive in study because _____. 　

A. they watch TV too often 　　
B. they have done too much homework 　　
C. they have to fulfill too many duties　　
D. teachers are too strict with them

2. To such children as described in the passage _____. 　　

A. it is easier to say no than to say yes　　
B. neither is easy to say yes or to say no 　　
C. it is easier to say yes than to say no　　
D. neither is difficult to say yes or to say no

3. We learn from the passage that the author's mother used to play emphasis on _____. 　

A. learning Latin　　
B. natural development　　
C. discipline
D. education at school

4. By "permissive period in education" the author means a time _____. 　　

A. when children are allowed to do what they wish to　　　　
B. when everything can be taught at school 　　
C. when every child can be educated 　　　　
D. when children are permitted to receive education

5. The main idea of the passage is that _____. 　　

A. parents should leave their children alone　　　
B. kids should have more activities at school 　　
C. it's time to be more strict with our kids 　　
D. parents should always set a good example to their kids