Reading in Depth
Passage 1
Passage 3
Passage 5
Passage 7
Passage 9
Passage 2
Passage 4
Passage 6
Passage 8
Passage 10
Skimming and Scanning
Passage 1
Passage 2
Passage 3
Passage 4
Passage 5
Passage 6
Passage 1
Questions 1 to 5 are based
on the following passage:
People tend to be more impressed by evidence
that seems to confirm some relationship. Thus
many are convinced their dreams are prophetic
（预言的）because a few have come true; they
neglect or fail to notice the many that have not.
Consider also the belief that “the phone
always rings when I’m in the shower.” If it does
ring while you are in the shower, the event will
stand out and be remembered. If it doesn’t ring,
that nonevent probably won’t even register（留
下印象）.
People want to see order, pattern and meaning in
the world. consider, for example, the common belief
that things like personal misfortunes, plane crashes,
and deaths “happen in threes.” Such beliefs stem
from the tendency of people to allow the third event
to define the time period. If three plane crashes occur
in a month, then the period of time that counts as
their “happening together” is one month; if three
crashes occur in a year, the period of time is
stretched. Flexible end points reinforce such beliefs.
We also tend to believe what we want to believe. A
majority of people think they are more intelligent, more fairminded and more skilled behind the wheel of an automobile
than the average person. Part of the reason we view ourselves
so favorably is that we use criteria that work to our advantage.
As economist Thomas Schelling explains, “Everybody ranks
himself high in qualities he values: careful drivers give weight
to care, skilled drivers give weight to skill, and those who are
polite give weight to courtesy,” This way everyone ranks high
on his own scale.
Perhaps the most important mental habit we can learn is
to be cautious（谨慎的）in drawing conclusions. The
“evidence” of everyday life is sometimes misleading.
1. In the first paragraph the author states
that _________.
A) dreams cannot be said to be prophetic
even though a few have come true.
B) dreams are prophetic because some of
them did come true.
C) dreams may come true if clearly
remembered.
D) dreams and reality are closely related.
2. By “things like…” “happen in threes”
(Para.3), the author indicates that people believe
___________.
A) personal misfortunes tend to happen
every now and then.
B) personal misfortunes, plane crashes, and
deaths usually happen together.
C) misfortunes tend to occur according to
certain patterns.
D) misfortunes will never occur more than
three times to a person in his lifetime.
3. The word “courtesy” (Para.4)
probably means ____________.
A) good manners
B) appropriate speech
C) friendly relations
D) satisfactory service
4.
What can be inferred from the passage?
A) Happenings that go unnoticed deserve
more attention.
B) In a series of misfortunes the third one is
usually the most serious.
C) People tend to make use of evidence that
supports their own beliefs.
D) Believers of misfortunes happening in
threes are cautious in interpreting events.
5. It can be concluded from the passage that
__________.
A) there is some truth even in the wildest
dreams.
B) one should take notice of other people’s
merits.
C) there is no order or pattern in world
events.
D) we should not base our conclusions on
accidental evidence.
Passage Two
Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following
passage:
It has been thought and said that Africans are born with
musical talent. Because music is so important in the lives of
many Africans and because so much music is performed in
Africa, we are inclined to think that all Africans are musicians.
The impression is strengthened when we look at ourselves and
find that we have become largely a society of musical
spectators（旁观）. Music is important to us, but most of us
can be considered consumers rather than producers of music.
We have records, television, concerts, and radio to fulfill many
of our musical needs. In most situations where music is
performed in our culture it is not difficult to distinguish the
audience from the performers, but such is often not the case in
Africa. Alban Ayipaga, a Kasena semiprofessional musician
from northern Ghana, says that when his flute（长笛）and
drum ensemble（歌舞团）is performing. “Anybody can take
part”.
This is true, but Kasena musicians recognize that not all
people are equally capable of taking part in the music. Some
can sing along with the drummers, but relatively few can drum
and even fewer can play the flute along with the ensemble. It
is fairly common in Africa for there to be an ensemble of
expert musicians surrounded by others who join in by clapping,
singing, or somehow adding to the totality of musical sound.
Performances often take place in an open area (that is, not on a
stage) and so the lines between the performing nucleus and the
additional performers, active spectators, and passive spectators
may be difficult to draw from our point of view.
6. The difference between us and Africans, as far as
music is concerned, is that __________.
A) most of us are consumers while most of them
are producers of music.
B) we are musical performers and they are
semiprofessional musicians.
C) most of us are passive spectators while they
are active spectators.
D) we are the audience and they are the
additional performers.
7. The word “such” (Line 9) refers to the fact that
_________.
A) music is performed with the participation of
the audience.
B) music is performed without the participation
of the audience.
C) people tend to distinguish the audience from
the performers.
D) people have records, television sets and radio
to fulfill their musical needs.
8. The author of the passage implies that
__________.
A) all Africans are musical and therefore much
music is performed in Africa.
B) not all Africans are born with musical talent
although music is important in their lives.
C) most Africans are capable of joining in the
music by playing musical instruments.
D) most Africans perform as well as professional
musicians.
9. The word “nucleus” (Line 16) probably refers to
_________.
A) musicians famous in Africa
B) musicians at the center of attention
C) musicians acting as the core in a performance
D) active participants in a musical performance
10. The best title for this passage would be
_________.
A) The Importance of Music to African People
B) Differences Between African Music and
Music of Other Countries.
C) The Relationship Between Musicians and
Their Audience.
D) A Characteristic Feature of African Musical
Performances.
Passage Three
Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following
passage:
Most people would agree that, although
our age exceeds all previous ages in
knowledge, there has been no
corresponding increase in wisdom. But
agreement ceases as soon as we attempt to
define “wisdom” and consider means of
promoting it.
There are several factors that contribute to wisdom. Of there I
should put first a sense of proportion: the capacity to take
account of all the important factors in a problem and to attach
to each its due weight. This has become more difficult than it
used to be owing to the extent and complexity of the special
knowledge required of various kinds of technicians. Suppose,
for example, that you are engaged in research in scientific
medicine. The work is difficult and is likely to absorb the
whole of your mid. You have no time to consider the effect
which your discoveries or inventions may have outside the
field of medicine. You succeed (let us say) as modern
medicine has succeeded, in enormously lowering the infant
death-rate, not only in Europe and America, but also in Asia
and Africa.
This has the entirely unintended result of making the food
supply inadequate and lowering the standard of life in the parts
of the world that have the greatest populations. To take an
even more dramatic example, which is in everybody’s mind at
the present time; you study the makeup of the atom from a
disinterested（无利害关系的）desire for knowledge, and by
chance place in the hands of a powerful mad man the means of
destroying the human race.
Therefore, with every increase of knowledge and skill,
wisdom becomes more necessary, for every such increase
augments（增强）our capacity for realizing our purposes,
and therefore augments our capacity for evil, if our purposes
are unwise.
11. Disagreement arises when people try to decide
_________.
A) how much more wisdom we have no than
before.
B) what wisdom is and how to develop it.
C) if there is a great increase of wisdom in our
age.
D) whether wisdom can be developed or not.
12. According to the author, “wisdom” is the ability
to ___________.
A) carefully consider the bad effects any kind of
research work
B) give each important problem some careful
consideration
C) acquire a great deal of complex and special
knowledge
D) give suitable consideration to all the possible
elements in a problem
13. Lowering the infant death-rate may ________.
A) prove to be helpful everywhere in the world
B) give rise to an increase in population in
Europe.
C) cause food shortages in Asia and Africa
D) raise the living standard of the people in
Africa.
14. The author uses the examples in the passage to
illustrate his point that _________.
A) it’s extremely difficult to consider all the
important elements in problem
B) success in medical research has its negative
effects
C) scientists may unknowingly cause destruction
to the human race.
D) it’s unwise to be totally absorbed in research
in scientific medicine
15. What is the main idea of the passage?
A) It is unwise to place the results of scientific
research in the hands of a powerful mad man.
B) The more knowledge one has, the wiser one
becomes.
C) Any increase of knowledge could lead to disastrous
results without the guidance of wisdom.
D) Wisdom increases in proportion to one’s age
Passage Four
Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following
passage:
For any given task in Britain there are more men than are
needed. Strong unions keep them unions quarrel over three
jobs, the argument is settled by giving each union two. That
means 33 per cent overmanning, 33 per cent less productivity
than could be obtained.
A reporter who has visited plants throughout Europe has
an impression that the pace of work in much slower here.
Nobody tries to hard. Tea breaks do matter and are frequent. It
is hard to measure intensity of work, but Britons give a distinct
impression of going at their tasks in a more leisurely way.
But is all this so terrible? It certainly does not improve the
gross national product or output per worker. Those observant
visitors, however, have noticed something else about Britain.
It is a pleasant place.
Street crowds in Stockholm. Paris and New York move
quickly and silently heads down, all in a hurry. London
crowds tend to walk at an easy pace (except in the profitable,
efficient City, the financial district).
Every stranger is struck by the patient and orderly way in
which Britons queue for a bus: if the saleswoman is slow and
out of stock she will likely say, ‘Oh dear, what a pity’; the
rubbish collectors stop to chat（聊天）and call the
housewives “Luv”. Crime rises here as in every city but there
still remains a gentle tone and temper that is unmatched in
Berlin, Milan or Detroit.
In short, what is wrong with Britain may also be what is
right. Having reached a tolerable standard, Britons appear to
be choosing leisure over goods.
16. What happens when disputes over job
opportunities arise among British unions?
A) Thirty three per cent of the workers will be
out of work.
B) More people will be employed than necessary.
C) More jobs will be created by the government.
D) The unions will try to increase productivity
17. What does the reporter who has visited plants
throughout Europe think about Britain?
A) Tea breaks do not affect the intensity of work in
Britain.
B) Britons do their work in an unhurried sort of way.
C) The pace of work in continental Europe is much
slow than in Britain
D) Britons give the impression of working
intensively.
18. “Tea breaks matter” (para.2, Line 2) indicates that
_________.
A) they are an important aspect of the British
way of life.
B) they are greatly enjoyed by British workers.
C) they can be used by the workers as an excuse
to take time off from work.
D) they help the workers to be on good terms
with each other.
19. The word “this” (Para.3, Line 1) refers to the fact
that ____________.
A) there are more men on any given job than are
needed
B) 33 per cent overmanning leads to 33 per cent
less productivity.
C) it is difficult to measure the intensity of work
D) Britons generally do not want to work too
hard.
20. By “what is wrong with Britain may also he
what is right” (Para.6, Line 1) the author means to say
that __________.
A) quarrels between unions will help create jobs
B) a leisurely way of life helps Britons increase
productivity
C) the gentle tone and temper of the people in
Britain makes it a pleasant place
D) Britons will not sacrifice their leisure to
further increase productivity.
Keys to 1-20
1. B
6. C
11. B
16. A
2. C 3. A
7. A
8. A
12. D 13. A
17. B 18. D
4. D
9. B
14. C
19. D
5. A
10. C
15. A
20. C
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following
passage.
Passage 5
At first sight the planet Mars (火星) does no
appear very welcome to any kind of life. It has
very little oxygen and water, the temperature a
night is below -50ОC and winds of 100 miles pe
hour cause severe dust storms. However, the
surface of the planet seems to show that wate
flowed across it at some time in the past, and it is
believed that there is enough ice at the poles to
cover the planet with water if it melted. Although
there is no life on the Mars now, some scientists
think that there may have been some form of life
a long time ago. At that time, the planet had
active volcanoes; the atmosphere was thicke
Some people believe that the Mars could support
life in the future if the right conditions were
produced. The first step would be to warm the
planet using certain gases which trap the Sun’s
heat in the planet’s atmosphere. With warmth,
water and carbon dioxide, simple plants could
begin to grow. These plants could slowly make
the Mars habitable. It is estimated that the whole
process might take between 100,000 and
200,000 years. In the meantime, people could
begin to live on the planet in special closed
environments. They would provide a lot of useful
information about conditions on the Mars and the
problems connected with living there.
21. Some scientists think there may have been
life on the Mars in the past because ______.
A) there is no life there now
B) there is a large amount of water at the poles
C) conditions may have been similar to those on
the Earth
D) the Mars may be able to support life in the
future
22. There could be life on the Mars in the future if
______.
A) it supported life in the past
B) certain gases are used to cool the planet
C) the atmosphere can be heated enough to
grow simple plants
D) the planet’s volcanoes become as active as
they were in the past
23. People may be able to live on the Mars
______.
A) within the next 200,000 years
B) only 200,000 years from now
C) only 150,000 years from now
D) as soon as the planet becomes cool
enough
24. The author’s attitude towards the
possibility of life on the Mars in the
future is ______.
A) doubtful
B) indifferent
C) positive
D) negative
25. The best title for this passage would
be ______.
A) The Mars and the Earth
B) Future Conditions on the Mars
C) The Possibility of Life on the Mars
D) A Study of the Climate of the Mars
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the
following passage.
Passage 6
In the West, cartoons are used chiefly to make people
laugh. The important feature of all these cartoons is the
joke and the element of surprise it contained. Even
though it is very funny, however, a good cartoon is
always based on close observation of a particular feature
of life and usually has a serious purpose.
Cartoons in the West have been associated with political
and social matters for many years. In wartime, for
example, they proved to be an excellent way of
spreading propaganda (宣传). Nowadays cartoons are
often used to make short, sharp comments on politics
and government as well as on a variety of social matters.
In this way, the modern cartoon has become a very
powerful force in influencing people in Europe and the
United States.
Unlike most American and European cartoons, however,
many Chinese cartoon drawings in the past have also
attempted to educate people, especially those who could
not read and write. Such cartoons about the lives and
sayings of great men in China long ago have proved
extremely useful in bringing education to illiterate and
semi-literate people throughout China. Confucius (孔子),
Mencius (孟子) and Lao Zi have all appeared in very
interesting stories presented in the form of cartoons.
The cartoons themselves have thus served to illustrate
the teaching of the Chinese sages ( 圣 人 ) in a very
attractive way.
In this sense, many Chinese cartoons are
different from Western cartoons in so far as
they do not depend chiefly on telling jokes.
Often, there is nothing to laugh at when
you see Chinese cartoons. This is not their
primary aim. In addition to commenting on
serious political and social matters, Chinese
cartoons have aimed at spreading
traditional Chinese thought and culture as
widely as possible among the people.
26. What is very important for a Western
cartoonist to be able to do?
A) Telling jokes.
B) Being serious. C)
Educating people. D) Being observant.
27. Cartoons are useful for society in the West
because they ______.
A) reveal political and social matters
B) comment on political and social matters
C) are a very powerful force in supporting
government
D) are a very powerful force in bringing peace to
the world
28. The word “illiterate” in Para.3 means
___________.
A) at an early age
B) ignorant of politics
C) unable to read or write
D) too poor to receive formal education
29. Which of the following is NOT the aim of
Chinese cartoons?
A) Educating people.
B) Commenting on politics.
C) Honoring Chinese sages.
D) Spreading Chinese culture.
30. Chinese cartoons differ from Western
cartoons in that they __________.
A) use historical figures as their subjects
B) have not been used to spread propaganda
C) are not a powerful force in influencing people
D) are not used chiefly to make people laugh
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following
passage.
Passage 7
The Amish (门诺派中严密派的人) have become a
great embarrassment to American agriculture.
Many “English” farmers, as the Amish call the rest
of us, are in a desperate financial situation these
days and relatively few are making money. As a
result it is fashionable among writers, politicians,
farm machinery dealers and troubled farm banks
to describe the Amish as a dying breed and to
weep crocodile tears over the coming funeral. All
of them seem to forget those small,
conservatively-financed family farms that are
doing quite well, of which the best example is the
Amish.
Amish farmers are still making money in these
hard times despite (or rather because of) their
supposedly old-fashioned, horse-farming ways. If
one of them does get into financial difficulty, it is
most often from listening to the promises of
modern methods instead of traditional wisdom.
His brothers will usually help him out of the
trouble. More revealing, the Amish continue to
farm profitably not only with an innocent disregard
for modern technology, but without participation in
direct government subsidies (补助金) other than
those built into market prices, which they can’t
avoid.
I first learned about the surprisingly effective
economy of Amish life when I was invited to a
barn raising near Wooster, Ohio. A tornado (飓风)
had pulled down four barns and acres of Amish
timber. In just three weeks the downed trees were
sawed into posts and beams, and the four barns
rebuilt. The barns were not the usual modern,
one-story metal boxes hung on poles. They were
huge buildings, three and four stories high. I
watched the raising of the last barn in great
admiration. Some 400 Amish men and boys,
acting and reacting like a group of bees in
absolute harmony of cooperation, started at
sunrise with only a foundation and floor and by
31. The Amish are ______________.
A) a group of English farmers
B) a group of American farmers
C) a group of barn builders
D) a big farming family
32. What’s the most popular opinion on the Amish?
A) Their way of life won’t last long.
B) Their economy is highly effective.
C) The government is embarrassed about their
way of farming.
D) The government should provide them with
more subsidies.
33. What is NOT true with the Amish?
A) They often help each other.
B) They do not have serious financial problems.
C) They’re unwilling to get help from the
government.
D) They make use of modern technology.
34. If one Amish has financial problems, it is
because ___________.
A) his way of farming is old-fashioned
B) he can’t avoid the low market prices
C) he fails to follow Amish tradition
D) he is too innocent
35. What is NOT true with the Amish barns?
A) The barns are one-story high.
B) The barns are huge buildings.
C) The Amish built the barns very efficiently.
D) Many Amish worked together to build the
barns.
Keys to 21-35
21. C 22. C 23. A 24. C 25. C
26. D 27. B 28. C 29. C 30. D
31. B 32. A 33. D 34. C 35. A
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following
passage.
Passage 8
Today air travel is very common, but the first
flights were very different from today. When air
travel began in the 1920s, it was very expensive,
and most people continued to travel by train or
ship. Only the rich and adventurous could afford
to fly, and they expected the same kind of luxury
they could get on a ship. The first planes had
chairs with cushions, and tables set with
tablecloths, china, and fresh flowers. The
passengers ate wonderful meals, served by men
wearing white jackets and gloves.
Unfortunately, the trip wasn’t always smooth. The first
planes shook, and many passengers became sick.
Passengers were able to open the windows to get fresh
air, but when they landed mud came in the window. The
planes were freezing, so people had to wear warm coats,
scarves and gloves. The planes were also extremely
noisy, so people couldn’t talk to each other. To
communicate, they had to yell or write notes.
Back then only men worked as flight attendants. Their
job was to carry passengers’ luggage, serve the meals,
and keep people safe and warm. They even put cotton
in passengers’ ears to block the noise, and gave them
brown paper bags when they felt sick.
In the 1930s, women began to work on airplanes.
The first female flight attendants were all
registered nurses. They wore green suits on the
ground, but in the air they wore white nurses
uniforms with caps. During the flight they held the
hands of scared passengers, and helped
passengers who became sick. After the flight,
they had to dust the plane inside and out, and
help the pilot put in fuel. Gradually, more women
were hired. Only young and attractive women
were accepted, and the airlines told them to smile
at the passengers all the time. They were not
allowed to marry or to have children. Today both
men and women work as flight attendants. They
36. Which is the most probable reason why very
few people traveled by air in the 1920s?
A) Because it was too dangerous.
B) Because it was too uncomfortable.
C) Because it was too expensive.
D) Because it was too noisy.
37. The word “luxury” in Para.1 is closest in
meaning to ______________.
A) a condition of great comfort
B) chairs with cushions
C) beautifully set tables
D) delicious meals
38. Which of the following is not true about the
first air airplanes?
A) They were very cold.
B) They shook so that many passengers got
sick.
C) Only men were hired to work as flight
attendants.
D) Passengers were not allowed to open the
windows.
39. Which of the following was not the job of flight
attendants in the 1920s?
A) To carry passengers’ luggage.
B) To help the pilot put in fuel.
C) To serve the meals.
D) To help passengers who felt sick.
40. Which of the following is true about flight
attendants in the 1930s?
A) They wore green suits in the air.
B) Only women were hired.
C) They were either doctors or nurses.
D) They had to dust the plane after the
flight.
Questions 41 to 45 are based on the following
passage.
Passage 9
At first sight the planet Mars (火星) does not
appear very welcome to any kind of life. It has
very little oxygen and water, the temperature at
night is below -50ОC and winds of 100 miles per
hour cause severe dust storms. However, the
surface of the planet seems to show that water
flowed across it at some time in the past, and it is
believed that there is enough ice at the poles to
cover the planet with water if it melted. Although
there is no life on the Mars now, some scientists
think that there may have been some form of life
a long time ago. At that time, the planet had
active volcanoes; the atmosphere was thicker
and warmer; and there was water. In fact, in
Some people believe that the Mars could support
life in the future if the right conditions were
produced. The first step would be to warm the
planet using certain gases which trap the Sun’s
heat in the planet’s atmosphere. With warmth,
water and carbon dioxide, simple plants could
begin to grow. These plants could slowly make
the Mars habitable. It is estimated that the whole
process might take between 100,000 and
200,000 years. In the meantime, people could
begin to live on the planet in special closed
environments. They would provide a lot of useful
information about conditions on the Mars and the
problems connected with living there.
41. Some scientists think there may have been
life on the Mars in the past because ______.
A) there is no life there now
B) there is a large amount of water at the poles
C) conditions may have been similar to those
on the Earth
D) Mars may be able to support life in the future
42. There could be life on the Mars in the future if
______.
A) it supported life in the past
B) the atmosphere can be heated enough to
grow simple plants
C) certain gases are used to cool the planet
D) the planet’s volcanoes become as active as
they were in the past
43. People may be able to live on the Mars
______.
A) within the next 200,000 years
B) only 200,000 years from now
C) only 150,000 years from now
D) as soon as the planet becomes cool enough
44. The author’s attitude towards the possibility of
life on the Mars in the future is ______.
A) doubtful
B) indifferent
C) positive
D) negative
45. The best title for this passage would be
______.
A) The Mars and the Earth
B) Future Conditions on the Mars
C) The Possibility of Life on the Mars
D) A Study of the Climate of the Mars
36. C 37. A 38. D 39. B 40. D
41. C 42.Key
B 43.to
A 36-45
44. C 45. C
Passage 10
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the
following passage
Perhaps it was his own lack of adequate
schooling that inspired Horace Mann to work
so hard to accomplish the important reforms in
education. While he was still a boy, his father
died, and he had to support his family. Like
most of the children in his town, he attended
school two or three months a year. Later, with
the help of several teachers, he was able to
study law and become a member of the
Massachusetts bar, but he never forgot those
early struggles.
While serving in the Massachusetts legislature, he
signed an historic education bill that set up a state board
of education. Without regret, he gave up his successful
legal practice to become the first secretary of the board.
There he exercised an enormous influence during the
critical period of reconstruction that brought into
existence the American graded elementary school as a
substitute for the older district school system. Under his
leadership, the curriculum was restructured, the school
year was increased to a minimum of six months, and
mandatory (义务性质的) schooling was extended to age
sixteen. Other important reforms that came into
existence under Mann’s guidance included the
establishment of state normal schools for teacher
training.
Considered quite radical at the time, the
Massachusetts reforms later served as a model
for the nation’s educational system. Mann was
formally recognized as the father of public
education.
During his lifetime, Horace Mann worked
tirelessly to extend educational opportunities to
agrarian families and the children of poor
laborers. In one of his last speeches he
summed up his philosophy of education and life:
“Be ashamed to die until you have won some
victory for humanity.”
46. Which of the following can be the best
title of this passage?
A.
The Father of American Public
Education
B. Philosophy of Education
C. Policies of Educational Institutions
D. Horace Mann and the Massachusetts
State Board of Education
47. Why does the author mention Horace Mann’s
early life?
A. As an example to show the importance of
education.
B. To make the biography more complete.
C. Because it served as the inspiration for his
later work in education.
D. In appreciation of the teachers who helped
him succeed.
48. The word “radical” in Paragraph 3 is closest in
meaning to _________.
A.equalB. extreme
C. excellent D. basic
49. With which of the following statements would
the author most probably agree?
A. Horace Mann’s influence on American
education was very great.
B. Horace Mann exerted a small but important
influence on American education.
C. Few educators fully understood Horace
Mann’s influence on American education.
D. The influence on American education by
Horace Mann was not appreciated.
50. The reforms that Horace Mann achieved
_____________.
A. were not very radical for the time
B. were used only by the state of Massachusetts
C. were enforced by the Massachusetts bar
D. were later adopted as a model for the nation’s
educational system
KEYS to 46-50
46-50 A C B A D
Questions 1 to 10 are based on the following
passage.
Passage 1
Doing business in Asia
Many Westerners wanting to do
business in Asian nations seek information
and advice about things they need to know in
order to be successful. By westerners who
have already been working in Asian nations,
they are told to remember as priorities the five
“Fs”: family, face, fate, favors and friends.
Although they do have some subtle
differences in meanings and connotations in
different parts of Asia, nevertheless, Western
businessmen need to be sensitive to these
issues if they wish to be successful. The five
Family: This means that business is often closely
connected to family and that there is a family network
that branches out regionally and internationally,
providing efficient political, financial and emotional
support, as well as distribution knowledge. This
networking is particularly obvious among Chinese
who control huge business segments in Asia and are
by far the most successful business group in the region.
Their large presence also helps—Singapore is 77
percent Chinese; Malaysia, 45 percent; Taiwan, a
Chinese province, 99 percent. Indonesia and the
Philippines also have sizable(相当的) and prosperous
Chinese communities.
It is explained that the importance of family goes back
to Confucius, who taught that family represents
relationships that one can trust. Although families in
the West may be connected, they ‘re almost never as
closely connected as in Confucian Asia. This family
dependence is also true in Korea. The largest
corporation in South Korea is Hyundai, a multibilliondollar company. Headed by; the eldest brother, the
company’s five major division are either managed by
one of the five brother, a brother-in-law or a son-inlaw.
Face: Two interpretations are given for the meaning
of “face”. One is literal —Asian like to do business
face-to-face. They want to put a face together with a
business, to recognize an individual and to associate
an individual with a given company. Many foreign
companies have made the mistake of sending a
series of different executives to Asia during lengthy
contract negotiations. They are advised not to do
this; that if negotiations are started by one individual
they should be completed by that same person if at
all possible. However, if a change must be made,
then the first person should take the new one and
formally present himself as his successor so that the
two faces are identified.
The second interpretation of “face” is that in a
way it means “respect”. The businessman is
told that he must show the “proper respect”
according to the age and position to any elderly
persons attending a business meeting. They
are also warned that it is very difficult for
Japanese to speak directly and say no. This too
has everything to do with “face”. They will do
almost anything to avoid saying no, even to the
point of not giving an answer at all. By giving no
answer or saying something like “I’ll think about
it”, or “I’ll consider it”, they are “saving face”,
and really mean “no”. This is the opposite of the
western “yes or no” mentality. Thus a western
businessman is warned never to put a
Businessman are also given advice about how to
show “face” to someone of higher rank. Richard
Tallboy, CEO of the World Coal Organization, who has
had extensive experience in Asia, tells foreigners not
to forget the “Chairman’s ½ percent for the chairman’s
own pocket”. He says that this means they should
always start negotiating at a higher price with Asians.
In the first round of negotiations foreigners should
allow themselves to come down in price 10 percent. In
the second round of negotiations they should at last
come down another five percent. Then finally when
everyone is ready to sign the contract, the Westerner
should allow the chairman to negotiate another ½
percent off. This he gains great “face”. Tallboy
concludes that this way everyone is happy and the
Westerner is assured that his product will be well
Fate: Westerners are told that many Asians
strongly believe that fate influence life, that
certain events are destined, and that people
have lived many lives and will live many more
after death. Because of this philosophy, Asians
are more willing than most Westerners to accept
things they cannot change. Many Westerners
may call these beliefs superstitious. However,
they are warned to keep these thoughts to
themselves and are told to learn about local
customs and belief in Asia and to respect them.
Favors: Westerners are told that “Always repay a
favor” is a common saying among Asians. A favor or
debt should never he forgotten. If a Westerner
businessman gets a favor from an Asian, he should
expect to repay this favor, no matter how much time
passes. Asians are thus serious about the saying, “If
you’ll scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” In other
words, Asian societies are reciprocal societies. The
former deputy mayor of New York City, Kenneth
Lipper, tells the following story. When he was in Japan
for six months in the early 1960s, he suggested the
name of a Japanese acquaintance for a possible
scholarship. One day, 27years later in New York City,
he received a call from this man who was making his
first trip to the United States with his family. Now a top
executive in a major Japanese company, he and his
family wanted to pay their respects to the man who
Friends: if Westerners have no relatives in Asia, they are told that
the nest best thing to have when doing business in Asia is to
have gone to school with someone from there. Asians want to
deal with people that they know well, or with people to whom they
have been introduced by people they know well. One successful
American business executive working in Asia tells people that he
spent most of his time developing and maintaining GUANXI,
which he explains as a Chinese word meaning ties, relationships
or connections. The Japanese equivalent is KONE. How can
Western businessmen make the right connections in Asian
countries? Hiring a consultant is one way, but the best way is to
make friendships and to keep them. How can a Westerner do this
The answer for those people working in Korea, Thailand and
Japan is “golf”. Successful businessmen agree that it’s the best
way to get to know important people in society, the way to meet
royalty, top government officials, and corporate chiefs. A lifetime
golf membership in Tokyo can cost an incredible one million
dollars, but some Western businessmen or their corporations
have been willing to pay this because of the connections it will
bring.
So, these are the five “Fs”: family,
face, fate, favors, and friends. These
are the priorities for Westerners when
they are doing business in Asia.
For questions 1-7, mark Y(for YES) if the statement
agrees with the information given in the passage; N(for
NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in
the passage; NG(for NOT GIVEN) if the information is
not given in the passage.
For questions 8-9, complete the sentences with the
information given in the passage.
1. Westerners wanting to do business successfully in Asia
should be sensitive to the five “Fs”.
2. Confucianism believes in that family relationship is the
most trustworthy.
3. Asians like to do business face-to-face, so it is
necessary for foreign company sending different
negotiators to reach contract with them.
4. It gives the higher rank person much “face” by allowing
him to negotiate another ½ percent off.
5. It is superstitious to believe fate, so many Asians
believing that certain events are destined should
change their value in a more scientific one.
6. Since a generous person did an Asian a favor
voluntarily, this Asian needn’t remember it much long.
7. Asian people like to do business with the one they
know well.
8. The two meanings of “face” in Asian business are
______.
9. Fate influence life means that
_______________________.
10. The best way for a Western business man to make
the right connections in Asian countries is to
make____________.
KEYS
1. Y
2. Y
3. N 4. Y
5. NG 6. N
7. Y
8. Face-to-face and respect
9. Certain events are destined
10. Friendships and to keep them
Questions 1 to 10 are based on the following
passage.
Passage 2
School Manners
Manners in the schoolroom, as everywhere, are important to
happy relations with the group. Western manners here differ
only slightly from good Chinese manners.
Greeting the Teacher
If you are in a very large class, it may not be necessary to greet
the teacher on arriving, but it is always quite proper if you
happen to catch the teacher’s eyes as you enter. In a small
class the teacher will probably notice each one as he arrives,
and you should smile and say, “Good morning, Dr. Fenn.”
Western manners do not require you to stand still at the door
for a moment when you come in.
One usually does not address one’s teacher by his first name,
either in speech or in writing. If one’s teacher’s name is Gordon
Agnew, it is not proper to say “Gordon”, nor to write “Dear Mr.
Gordon.” And one never speaks to one’s teacher as “Teacher”.
It is quite proper to say “Sir” to a man, but if your teacher is a
woman, you must use her surname.
Coming Late
It is bad manners to come late to class. If you
are unavoidably late, an apology should be
made to the teacher either at the time or after
class. Repeated lateness is a form of rudeness
based not only on carelessness of outward
forms, but on real unthoughtfulness of others,
as a latecomer takes away everyone’s thoughts
from the lesson.
Talking in Class
It is bad manners in the schoolroom, as
elsewhere, to talk while else is talking. If you
have something to say that is on the subject,
wait till you have a chance and say it to the
whole class. If it is not on the subject, keep it
till the class is over. Who has not been annoyed
by having his attention taken from something
interesting he really wants to hear! And it is
especially rude to the teacher, making it very
difficult for him to continue the lesson.
Thoughtlessness of others is bad manners at
any time and in any place.
Looking at Others’ Work
It is bad manners in the classroom, as elsewhere, to
look at anything your neighbor has written, or to try
to see what mark he has received without asking his
permission. It is good manners for students to help
each other if the desire is mutual and the teacher
allows it. In examinations and in certain kinds of
written work intended to measure the pupil’s own
progress it is not only dishonest and foolish to help or
to ask help from others, it is also thoughtless of real
values. For the sake of being “partial” to one student
much larger values are destroyed. One may not agree
with the examination system, but at present it is
basically the only measure the teacher and the rest of
the world can go by to determine whether a student is
qualified in certain line or not.
Laughing at Other
It is bad manners to laugh at others’ mistakes or
accidents. You can realize why if you think how you
feel yourself when laughed at. It is very bad manners
to laugh at any unfortunate student who has a
peculiarity of walking or talking or any deformity of
the body. Such persons should be treated with real
kindness. Make them feel that you do not notice their
misfortune. And be friendly. snobbishness—looking
down on others —is one of the worst forms of
rudeness, because it puts such ridiculous value on
oneself. Take it for granted that the next person is as
good as or better than yourself. If he hasn’t as many
qualities you can admire in the person you are
tempted to laugh at, if you are friendly and
Thinking of Others
Good manners are especially important in the library.
The general rule is: Do not do anything that might
disturb your neighbor. Scraping chairs and shuffling
feet are impolite, as well as talking or laughing while
others are trying to work. If you have a bad cold you
might disturb people by coughing or sneezing, it is
better for you to take out a book and read it at home.
Helping the Teacher
Most teachers are sincerely anxious to help their
students in any way they can , and it is polite for the
students to help the teacher when they see
something they can do, especially if the teacher is a
woman and the student a young man. Sometimes the
blackboard needs to be erased, or the door or window
shut or opened. Sometimes there are papers to collect
or distribute. This kind of help is always appreciated.
For questions 1-7, mark
Y(for YES)
if the statement agrees with the information given in the
passage;
N(for NO)
if the statement contradicts the information given in the
passage;
NG(for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.
For questions 8-9, complete the sentences with the information given in the
passage.
1. It is a wrong way for many Chinese students to greet their teacher like that:
“Good morning, teacher!”
2. One student should apologize to the teacher at once when he is late.
3. Because one doesn’t know the answer, it is ok to keep silent to the teacher’s
question.
4. There are sure some disadvantages of the present examination system, but it
is the only measure of a student’s level at present.
5. Be polite to the teachers and classmates can earn many friends for you.
6. Do not do any thing that might disturb your neighbor—it is a general rule in a
library.
7. According to the passage, we know there is slightly difference between
western and Chinese good manners.
KEYS
1. Y
2. N
3. N
4. Y
5. NG 6. Y
7. Y
8. make an apology
9. to help teacher
10. friendly and open hearted
Passage 3
Question 1 to 10 are based on the following passage.
Landfills
You have just finished your meal at a fast food restaurant and
you throw your uneaten food, food wrappers, drink cups,
utensils and napkins into the trash can. You don’t think
about that waste again. On trash pickup day in your
neighborhood, you push your can out to the curb, and
workers dump the contents into a big truck and haul it away.
You don’t have to think about that waste again, either. But
maybe you have wondered, as you watch the trash truck pull
away, just where that garbage ends up.
Americans generate trash at an astonishing rate of four pounds
per day per person, which translate to 600,000 ton per day
or 210 million tons per year! This is almost twice as much
trash per person as most other major countries. What
happens to this trash? Some get recycled(回收利用) or
recovered and some is burned, but the majority is buried in
landfills.
How much trash is Generated?
of the 219 million tons of trash, or solid waste, generated in
the United States annually, about 56 million tons, or 27
percent, is either recycled (glass, paper products, plastic,
metals) or composted(做成堆肥)(yard waste). The
remaining trash, which is mostly unrecyclable, is discarded.
How is trash disposed of?
The trash production in the united states has almost tripled
since 1960. This trash is handled in various ways. About 27
percent of the trash is recycled or composted, 16 percent is
burned and 57 percent is landfills. The amount of trash
buried in landfills has doubled since 1960. The United
States ranks somewhere in the middle of the major
countries(United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France and
Japan) in landfill disposal. The United Kingdom ranks
highest, burying about 90 percent of its solid waste in
landfills.
What is a landfill?
There are two ways to bury trash:

Dump—an open hole in the ground where trash is buried and that
is full of various animals(rats, mice, birds). (this is most people’s idea
of a landfill!)

Landfill—carefully designed structure built into or on top of the
ground in which trash is isolated from the surrounding
environment(groundwater, air, rain). This isolation is accomplished
with a bottom liner and daily covering of soil.

sanitary landfill—landfill that uses a clay liner to isolate
the trash from the environment

municipal solid waste(MSW) landfill—landfill that uses
a synthetic (plastic) liner to isolate the trash from the environment
The purpose of a landfill is to bury the trash in such a way that it
will be isolated from groundwater, will be kept dry and will not be in
contact with air. Under there conditions, trash will not decompose(腐
烂) much. A landfill is not like a compost pile, where the purpose is to
bury trash in such a way that it will decompose quickly.
Proposing the landfill
For a landfill to be built, the operators have to make sure that they
follow certain steps. In most parts of the world, there are regulations
that govern where a landfill can be placed and how it can operate. The
whole process begins with someone proposing the landfill.
In the United States, taking care of trash and building landfills are
local government responsibilities. Before a city or other authority can
build a landfill, an environmental impact study must be done on the
proposed site to determine:

the area of land necessary for the landfill

the composition of the underlying soil and bedrock

the flow of surface water over the site

the impact of the proposed landfill on the local environment and
wildlife

the historical value of the proposed site
Building the landfill
Once the environmental impact study is complete,
the permits are granted and the funds have been
raised, then construction begins. First, access roads
to the landfill site must be built if they do not
already exist. These roads will be used by
construction equipment, sanitation(环卫) services
and the general public. After roads have been built,
digging can begin. In the North Wake Country
Landfill, the landfill began 10 feet below the road
surface.
What happens to trash in a landfill?
Trash put in a landfill will stay there for a very
long time. Inside a landfill, there is little oxygen and
little moisture. Under these conditions, trash does
not break down very rapidly. In fact, when old
landfills have been dug up or sampled, 40-year-old
newspaper have been found with easily readable
print. Landfill closes, the site, especially the ground
water, must be monitored and maintained for up to
30 years!
How is a landfill operated?
A landfill, such as the North Wake County Landfill, must be open
and available every day. Customers are typically municipalities and
construction companies, although residents may also use the landfill.
Near the entrance of the landfill is a recycling center where
residents can drop off recyclable materials (aluminum cans, glass
bottles, newspapers and paper products). This helps to reduce the
amount of material tin the landfill. Some of these materials are banned
from landfills by law because they can be recycled.
As customers enter the site, their trucks are weighed at the scale
house. Customers are charged tipping fees for using the site. The
tipping fees vary form $10 to $40 per ton. These fees are used to pay
for operation costs. The North Wake County Landfill has an operating
budget of approximately $4.5 million, and part of that comes from
tipping fees.
Along the site, there are drop-off stations for materials that are
not wanted or legally banned by the landfill. A multi-material drop-off
station is used for tires, motor oil, lead-acid batteries. Some of these
materials can be recycled.
in addition, there is a household hazardous waster drop-off station
for chemicals(paints, pesticides, other chemicals) that are banned from
the landfill. These chemicals are disposed of by private companies.
Some paints can be recycled and some organic chemicals can be
burned in furnaces or power plants.
Other structure alongside the landfill are the borrowed area that
supplies the soil for the landfill, the runoff collection pond and
methane(甲烷) station.
Landfills are complicated structures that, when properly designed
and managed, serve an important purpose. In the future, new
technologies called bioreactors will be used to speed the breakdown of
trash in landfills and produce more methane.
For questions 1-7, mark
Y(for YES)
if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;
N(for NO)
if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;
NG(for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.
For questions 8-9, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
1. The passage gives a general description of the structure and use of a landfill.
2. Most of the trash that Americans generate ends up in landfills.
3. Compared with other major industrialized countries, America buries a much higher
percentage of its solid waste in landfills.\
4. Landfills are like compost piles in that they speed up decomposition of the buried
trash.
5. In most countries the selection of a landfill site is governed by rules and regulations.
6. In the United States the building of landfills is the job of both federal and local
governments.
7. Hazardous wastes have to be treated before being dumped into landfills.
8. Typical customers of a landfill are__________________.
9. To dispose of a ton of trash in a landfill, customers have to pay a tipping fee of____.
10. Materials that are not permitted to be buried in landfills should be dumped at______.
KEYS
1. Y
5. Y
2. Y
6. N
3. N 4. N
7. NG
8. municipalities and construction companies
9. $10 to $40
10. drop-off stations
Passage 4
Question 1 to 10 are based on the following
passage.
Advertisement Appreciation
Love at first sight
it was love at first sight, I suppose. And yet it wasn’t just the way she
looked. It was also the way she talked. We’d been for a stroll in the country,
one lazy, hazy summer Saturday. I felt about sixteen again—walking close
enough for our hands to keep touching in the hope that she might hang on.
At a little country pub overlooking Evesham vale, I popped the inevitable
question.
“I’ll have a Jameson,” she replied.
“A what?”
“A Jameson. You know, the famous Irish Whiskey.”
“Oh,” I said somewhat blankly.
“Haven’t you tried it?” she said, laughing, “Don’t look so amazed, it’s
great. Made from the finest Irish barley, the softest spring water, and it’s
distilled three times, so it’s really smooth.”
“Two Jamesons, please,” I said to the barman a moment later. And
before going back to my partner I took a little sip—just to see if she was
right/
“Was I right?” she said, “I saw you taking a crafty swig!”
“Excellent taste,” I said.
She raised an eyebrow quizzically and said, “Are you talking about
me, or the Jameson?”
Can you control how well you age?
Perhaps you’ve noticed while some women really
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Why did you stop asking for the window seat?
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That’s why we fill our hotels and resorts with so many
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Instead of merely a place to stay at your destination, a
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So next time, ask to stay with the people of Hyatt is a
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always rewards you with a fresh perspective.
If you think it’s hard getting to Mars, try getting to plaque
three millimeters below the gumline.
With all due respect to the Pathfinder program,
exploring the farthest reaches of inner space can be
almost as challenging. That is unless you have the
sonicare sonic toothbrush. Not only does it remove
plaque bacteria from the surface, its 31,000 brush
strokes per minute also create sonic waves which go
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sonicare removes hidden plaque bacteria between
teeth better than the leading power brush. So like the
Mars sojourner, we too like to seek our life forms in
hard-to-reach places. Only we blow them away.
This is the truth.
Human beings do not come with odometers.
So how do you tell who is a serious runner? We
don’t believe serious runners are defined by
how many miles they cover in a week. They’re
defined by how important running is in their
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If it’s important to you, you’re a serious runner
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The more comfortable your are, the more
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Diversity works.
It has long made sense to us at IBM to
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Programs such as employees networking groups,
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For questions 1-7, mark
Y(for YES)
if the statement agrees with the information given in the
passage;
N(for NO)
if the statement contradicts the information given in the
passage;
NG(for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.
For questions 8-9, complete the sentences with the information given in the
passage.
1. The man had never heard the Irish whiskey name “Jameson” before, so he
responded the women frankly.
2. The whole ad Love at first sight purposefully confuses the whiskey and the
man’s interest in the woman.
3. Defying age means one’s appearance or behavior looks younger than he or
she really is.
4. The Hyath is so wonderful that the hotel itself is worth visiting.]
5. The 3M product is innovative but not effective.
6. Having diverse types of employees will block the coming of success.
7. MELTAWAY is the best choice for people wanting to lose fat said by
scientist.]
8. “Jameson” is a famous brand of _________ in Ireland.
9. ___________________ makes one feet extraordianrily sheer and greaseless.
KEYS
1. Y 2. Y 3. Y 4. Y 5. N 6. N 7. NG
8. whiskey
9. The remarkable beauty fluid oil of Olay
10. how important running in their lives
Passage 5
Question 1 to 10 are based on the following
passage.
Microchips
No invention in history has so
quickly spread throughout the world or so
deeply touched so many parts of human
existence as the microchip. Today there
are nearly 15 billion microchips of some
kind in use. In the face of that fact who
can doubt that the microchip is not only
changing the products we use, but also
the way we live. Will it finally change the
way we view reality?
If we were to take away the microchip from every
application in which it is now used, we would be both
stunned and frightened by the loss. The modern
kitchen would become nearly useless, since the
microwave, the dishwasher, and most other
appliances would become unworkable. The television
and VCR would fade to black, the stereo would
become quiet, and most of the clocks would stop. The
car wouldn' t start. Airplanes would be unable to leave
the ground. The phone system would go dead , as
would most streetlights, thermostats, and, of course, a
half-billion computers. And these are only a few of the
most obvious applications. Every factory in the
industrial world would also shut down, as would the
electrical grid, stock exchanges, and the global
banking system. Pacemakers would stop too, as
would surgical equipment and various monitoring
machines used in hospitals. All because of the loss of
a tiny square of silicon the size of a fingernail,
weighing less than a postage stamp.
The modern microchip contains as many as 20
million transistors, and each finished chip is the
product ot processes more complicated than those
used in building the atomic bomb. Yet despite an
extraordinarily sophisticated manufacturing process,
microchips are mass-produced at the rate of more
than a billion a year. To put this complexity in
perspective, imagine that within each tiny microchip
there exists a structure as complex as a mid-size city,
including all of its power lines, phone lines, sewer lines,
buildings, streets, and homes. Now imagine that
throughout that same city, millions of people are
racing around at the speed of light and with perfect
timing in an intricately planned dance. That is just one
chip.
Of all the stunning statistics used to describe the
world of the microchip, none is more extraordinary
than this: the total number of transistors packed onto
all of the microchips produced in the world this
year(1998) is equivalent to the number of raindrops
that fell in the state of California during that period.
Faced with such astounding numbers, it becomes
even more difficult to ask what it all means for us and
for the generations to come.
What is remarkable, and perhaps a little
frightening, is that by all indication, we are only
halfway through the story of the microchip. It is not farfetched to suggest that it will take another century of
humankind to realize all of the implications of this
revolution. Thus, all the miracles we see around us
today resulting from the microchip may be but a tiny
fraction of all the wonders that will derive from this
It is not merely an invention, but a meta-invention,
which enables us to create yet other inventions.
Thousands of new devices and products have been
made possible by the existence of the microchip and
by the embedded intelligence it offers.
packed in a microprocessor, the microchip is not
only giving us power over our own lives, it is also the
greatest instrument for accessing information ever
invented. It is allowing us to reach out from our desks,
to grasp and share knowledge that was beyond the
reach of the wealthiest man in the world just a century
ago. It is freeing us to work at home, wherever we
choose our home to be.
By the middle of the next century, the typical
microprocessor may have more computing power than
today' s fastest supercomputers. It will talk, and more
important, it will listen. The relationship we have with it
will change in almost unimaginable ways. Yesterday,
the microprocessor was a tool. Today, it is a partner
and who knows what role it will play in our lives in the
years to come? Just a few years ago who would have
thought that in Shanghai, China, customers of the
New World Department Store could try on clothes
without undressing? A video camera takes a
customer' s picture, the image is digitized, and
changes of outfits or colors are as simple as point and
click. In Baltimore, Maryland, prospective astronauts
simulate weightlessness by floating in water at the
University of Maryland' s Space Systems Lab pool.
Buddhist monks in Thailand also have found important
For hundreds of years, humankind has
searched for the philosophers' stone, the magical
object that turns ordinary metal into gold. Who would
have thought it would turn out to be a little silver of
crystal with etching on its surface? The microchip, in
the time of a single generation, has developed from a
clever technical novelty to a tireless, almost invisible
partner of humanity. Today there is no place on,
above, or below the Earth that it has not reached.
For questions 1-7, mark
Y(for YES)
if the statement agrees with
the information given in the passage;
N(for NO)
if the statement
contradicts the information given in the passage;
NG(for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not
given in the passage.
For questions 8-9, complete the sentences with
the information given in the passage.
1. No invention in history has affected so many parts of human
existence as the microchip.
2. The modern microchip contains more than 20 million transistors.
3. Microchips are mass-produced at a very high rate.
4. The microchip in a microprocessor is the greatest instrument for
accessing information ever invented.
5. Microchips play so important a role in our real society that it
can change our reality.
6. Microchips can turn stone into gold.
7. Microchip' s development just begins.
8. Microchip is ______________________ the size of a fingernail.
9. By the year 2050, microprocessors may
probably_________________.
10. We can see microchips from daily
__________________________.
KEYS
1. Y 2. N 3. Y 4. Y 5. NG 6. N 7. N
8. a tiny square of silicon
9. talk and listen
10. Applications
Passage 6
Question 1 to 10 are based on the following
passage.
Twins six Years Apart
Scientists in Scotland recently announced that, for
the first time, they have cloned an exact copy of an
adult mammal. The cloned lamb, named Dolly, has the
exact same genes as the adult sheep from which she
was cloned. In other words, the two are identical twins;
only Dolly is six year younger. The goal of the Scottish
scientist Ian Wilmut is to develop a way to raise
identical sheep that produce medicines for humans.
A week after Wilmut' s announcement, other
scientists revealed that they had used a different
technique to clone monkeys, which are much more
closely related to humans. These accomplishments
immediately set off a worldwide debate: Should
scientists be allowed to clone animals? Is cloning
morally wrong and dangerous — or is it a valuable
research tool?
All attempts at cloning were largely unsuccessful
until 1984. That' s when a scientist in Denmark
separated cells from a sheep' s embryo.( embryo) An
embryo is an early stage of development in which cells
are busy dividing and “transforming” into specialized
cells like skin, eye, or muscle cells.
Unlike a skin cell, an embryo is on its way to
becoming a complete living thing: The Danish scientist
combined an embryo cell with an egg cell from
another sheep. He put the combined cell — then a
newly growing embryo — into a grown female sheep.
To much surprise, the embryo grew into a baby lamb.
Since then, other scientists have used embryos to
clone cattle, pigs, goats, rabbits — and, now, even
monkeys.?$
So what makes Wilmut' s sheep unique? Instead of
using early- stage embryo cells, wilmut used cells from
the udder( mammary glands) of an adult sheep. In
theory, that' s like using on of your skin cells to clone a
new you!
Wilmut knew that each cell of the body contains a
full set of genetic instructions — instructions to grow a
complete individual. (The only exceptions are egg and
sperm cells, each of which contains half the genes to
grow a new individual.) Once cells have specialized,
on their way to becoming skin or eye or udder cells,
most of the genetic instructions to make a full being
are turned off. Until now, scientists believed that
specialized cells could not be used to form a complete
living thing.
Wilmut proved them wrong. He found a way to
take an udder cell and make it grow into a new cloned
Wilmut' s success didn' t come easily. He
has been studying this problem for more than
two decades. Last year, he used embryos to
successfully clone two sheep. Then he went
ahead to clone an adult sheep. But, of 277
udder cells he fused with egg cells, only 30
began to develop into embryos. He implanted
29 of those into female sheep. Only one adult
gave birth to a lamb.
Other scientists have jumped in to repeat
Wilmut' s experiment with other animals,
inclusing cows. And that' s what has scientists,
animal- rights advocates, politicians — even
Wilmut maintains that cloning animals has
tremendous potential for helping people.
Cloned sheep, he says, could be used as living
drug factories. Scientists could" engineer"
sheep that produce drugs in their milk. And by
altering the proteins on the surfaces of animal
organs to make them more like human organs,
scientists believe they may be able to create a
plentiful source of organ donors for people.
Why not clone humans as organ donors?
Theoretically, Wilmut says, there is no reason
his techniques couldn' t someday be used to
clone people. Think about the possibilities; a
whole basketball team of Michael Jordans, a
scientific panel of Albert Einsteins, a movie
On a more serious note, some experts argue that couples
who have difficulty having a baby could make copies of
themselves. And parents whose child has a fatal disease like
cancer might be able to clone the child, creating a twin who
could be a bone- marrow( marrow) donor.
But even Ian Wilmut draw the line at cloning humans. " All
of us would find that offensive," he says. Several countries,
including Britain, Denmark, Germany, and Australia, have made
all scientific work on cloning humans illegal. The U. S. has no
such law, but President Clinton has set up a panel of scientists
and philosophers to study the issue. In the meantime, Clinton
has imposed a ban on using federal money to clone humans.
Humans are more than the sum of their genes, argues a
philosophers at one research institute. Though they look exactly
the same, clones are not necessarily exact copies. The younger
twin might grow up with different influences — say, unusual
friends or special teachers. A cloned Albert Einstein might fail
his physics class. A cloned pop star might sing terribly.
Say you were cloned. Would your twin live
a shorter life because he or she started out with
DNA that was already 10, 20, or 30 years old?
Scientists aren' t sure. And how could you
prevent someone from taking a sample of your
hair and making a clone of you? Again, no
solutions.
Some people who oppose cloning also
object to the use of animals as research tools. "
Next, they' ll be cloning foxes to make more
fur( furriery) coats," says the president of an
animal rights group.
What do you think? Should scientists be
For questions 1-7, mark
Y(for YES)
if the statement agrees with the
information given in the passage;
N(for NO)
if the statement contradicts the
information given in the passage;
NG(for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in
the passage.
For questions 8-9, complete the sentences with the
information given in the passage.
1. The cloned mammal was announced for the first time by
Scottish scientists.
2. That Wilmut used cells from the udder of an adult sheep
makes the sheep Dolly unique.
3. Each cell of the body contains a full set of genetic instructions.
4. Although Dolly is cloned by skill cells, it also has biological
father.
5. It is possible to have a cloned baby for couples who can' t bear
a baby naturally.
6. All countries, including Britain, Denmark, Germany, Australia
and US, have made all scientific work on cloning human illegal.
7. It is never allowed to clone human beings even if being used for
medical purpose.
8. It is wrongly said that _____ should not be used to form a
complete living thing.
9. Couple who have difficulty _____ could make copies of
themselves. This is still an argument.
10. Some people who object using animals as ____ are opposing
cloning.
KEYS
1. Y 2. Y 3. N 4. N 5. Y 6. N 7. NG
8. specialized cells
9. having a baby
10. research tools