V reading comprehension

Adventures in Nature Summer Camp Starts June 24. Children ages 5 to 13 learn about volcanoes, mummies, mammoths, reptiles, boars, bugs, and big mean dinosaurs at the La Brea Tar Pits and the Natural History Museum. Call 213 - 763 - 1640.
Aquarium of the Pacific Sununer Day Camp Starts June 24. Kids 7 to 12 maintain a daily journal while they feed sharks, care for sea lions, and study dolphin sonar. Call for times. Registration, $100 $ 250. 10O Aquarium Way, Long Beach, 562 - 590 - 3100.
Hands-on Science Camp Starts June 24. Preschoolers to high school seniors can choose among "Chem Wizards," "The Rockin' Earth," and "Blast into Space." Call for times and prices. California Science Center, 700 State Dr., Exposition Park, 213 - 744 - 7440.
H. C. Westermann Robot Workshop Starts July 13. With the help of instructor David Moen, kids 9 to 14 create sculptures that mimic artificial life. 112. Registration, $10O $125. MOCA at the Geffen Contemporary, 152 N. Central Ave., 213 -626 - 1751.
Marine SciHi July 1315. High schoolers explore coastal habitats and gather data on a floating lab. 14. Registration, $ 77 $ 85. Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen White Dr., San Pedro, 310 - 548- 7563.

GROUP 3

Questions 21-22 are based on Text 1
21..if you want to watch Tom Stoppard's play Travesties, you should go to
A. the North Coast Repertory Theatre
B. the Globe Theatres' Cassius Carter Center
C. the main stage
D. the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre
22. Which of the following plays is about a couple's life together?
A. The Importance of Being Earnest. B. An Infinite Ache.
C. Faith Healer. D. Smash.
Text 1
The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde's comedy of manners, opens at the North Coast Repertory Theatre, June 23--Sept. 8. It alternates in repertory with Tom Stoppard's Travesties, which draws on Wilde's famed play. Both show from Monday to Saturday at 8, Sunday at 2 & 7. Tickets.. 858- 481 - 1055; 888 - 776 - 6278. The funny, tender An Infinite Ache projects a couple's life together, from their faltering first date forward, at the Globe Theatres' Cassius Carter Center, June 23~uly 18. Faith Healer takes us traveling with an artist who might be the real thing, July 20 -Aug. 25. On the main stage, Jeffrey Hatchet's adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's An Unsocial Socialist, Smash, tramples social conventions, June 16--July 25. All My Sons, Arthur Miller's tumultuous exploration of family obligations, unravels July 27--Aug. 31. The Summer Festival opens with The Taming of the Shrew, at the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre June 29--Aug. 4. Show time for main and Carter stages are Tues. -- Fri. at 8, Sat. at 2 &8, Sun. at 2&7; for the Davies, Tues. ----Sun. at 8. Balboa Park. Tickets: 619-239-2255.

Questions 23- 24 are based on Text 2

23. What does the committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences conclude?
A. Grade Inflation does not exist at Harvard.
B. Too many students are receiving B-plus at Harvard.
C. Very few students are allowed to graduate with honors at Harvard.
D. At Harvard, it's very difficult to tell whether a student is really excellent just from his scores.
24. Harvard used to
A. have a 15-point grading scale
B. consider 4.0 as an A
C. blur the difference between an A-minus and a B-plus
D. have 60% of the students graduate with honors

Text 2

After a yearlong debate over whether grade inflation exists at Harvard, and whether it blurs the distinction between truly excellent students and those who are merely good, a committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences came back with a cautious answer of yes to both questions. At a closed meeting, the faculty voted in favor of two sweeping changes. First, Harvard will switch from an idiosyncratic 15-point grading scale to the more conventional scale in which a 4.0 is an A and a zero is an F. The change will narrow the difference between an A-minus and a B-plus, which the faculty hopes will make a B more palatable. Second, Harvard will limit the number of students allowed to graduate with honors to 60 percent of a class. Nearly 90 percent of the students in Harvard's class of 2001 graduated with some form of honors.

Questions 25 - 26 are based on Text 3

25. Described in detail was the experience of a plane from
A. American Airlines B. Canadair
C. Northwest Airlines D. United Airlines
26. The plane at last took off at
A. 12:25p. m. B. 4:20p.m.
C. 2:30p. m. D. 4:39p. m.

Text 3

A line of thunderstorms from Ottawa to New Orleans snagged air traffic around the country today, closing off air routes and then briefly, tantalizingly, opening them again, leaving passengers on east-west flights in limbo, sometimes for hours.
"It's a crazy weather day," said Todd Burke, a spokesman for American Airlines. "Everything's being affected. For pure frustration, the title might be taken by a Northwest Airlines commuter flight that was scheduled to leave Burlington, Vt., at 12:25 p.m. for Detroit, for a trip of an hour and 20 minutes.
The plane, a 50- seat regional jet operated by Northwest Airlines, pushed back from the gate at 12:24, a minute early, expecting a delay until 12:30. At 12:30, the delay was extended until 1:30, said a spokesman for Northwest. At 1:30, it was extended to 2:30, but at 1:45, the hold was canceled. Air traffic controllers promised the flight a quick departure, only to delay it again.
The plane got a departure clearance at one point, but it was for a route via Kentucky, and the Canadair did not have enough fuel for the extra 400 miles, so it taxied back to the gate for more. But by the time the plane was ready to go, air traffic control had issued a new delay. The plane pushed back from the gate for the third and last time at 4:20, just short of four hours late, and was flying at 4:39.

Questions 27-28 are based on Text 4

27. From the example and the reasoning, the writer seems to suggest that __
A. it isn't necessary to save endangered species
B. the public have no idea of the value of the endangered species
C. it's the endangered species that lead to social advance
D. rubber-producing plants are extinguishing from the earth
28. The author's point is made chiefly by __
A. appealing to the emotions of the audience
B. suggesting a useful perspective for viewing the question
C. trying to refute the view of an opponent
D. generalizing from similar to dissimilar cases

Text 4

Why save endangered species? For the general public, endangered species appears to be little more than biological oddities. A very different perception is gained from considering the issue of extinction in a wider context. The important point is that many major social advances have been made on the basis of life forms whose worth would never have been perceived in advance. Consider the impact of rubber-producing plants on contemporary life and industry: approximately two-thirds of the world's rubber supply comes from rubber-producing plants and is made into objects as diverse as rubber washers and rubber boots.

Question 29 is based on Text 5

29. What are the two proposals about?
A. Extending the medical benefit to young kids.
B. Reducing the cost of Medicare.
C. Expanding Medicare assistance to the elderly.
D. Private insurance companies playing a big role in devising and delivering drug benefits.

Text 5

Senators said today that they were already developing hybrid versions of the two major proposals for Medicare drug benefits, with the expectation that both would fail when the Senate votes on Tuesday, Both proposals would expand Medicare to provide assistance to the elderly in buying prescription drugs. The Democratic proposal offers more extensive benefits, at a higher cost to the government that is estimated at $ 594 billion from 2005 to 2012. Many Republicans support an alternative that, like the Democratic plan, would offer drug coverage to all 40 million Medicare beneficiaries. The Republican proposal would have a lower cost, $ 370 billion from 2005 to 2012, and it envisions a larger role for private insurance companies in devising and delivering drug benefits.

Question 30 is based on Text 6

30. What was the commissioner of the State Department of Education concerned about?
A. The percentage of middle-school students passing the test dropped seriously this year.
B. Young people were more and more reluctant to read and write.
C. There were likely to be more and more dropouts in high school.
D. More and more students might have difficulty graduating from middle school.

Text 6

The proportion of New York State middle-school students passing the state's reading and writing test dropped strikingly this year, falling well below the levels of four years ago, except in the most affluent suburban school districts. Commissioner Richard P. Mills of the State Department of Education, who announced the test results yesterday, said that the decline was a serious cause for concern and that it suggested that the middle school students might have difficulty meeting the state's new tougher standards for graduation. Low scores on the eighth-grade test, he said, are strong predictors of poor performance and dropouts in high school.

GROUP 4

Question 31 is based on Text 1
31. The price of New Zealand wool __
A. fell sharply to $1.37 in 1966
B. reached a peak in 1973
C. had a low of $ 2.7 from 1974 to 1978
D. climbed again to $ 3.60 in 1983

Text 1

In 1965, the price of New Zealand wool stood at $1.98 per kilo. It then rose slightly by 20 cents in 1966 before falling sharply to $1.37 in 1971. There was a dramatic increase over the next two years, with the price of wool reaching a peak of $ 5.13 in 1973. From 1974 to 1978 the price fluctuated between a high of $ 3.20 and a low of $ 2.75, before climbing to $ 4.60 in 1980. After falling again to $ 3.60 in 1983, the price leveled off at $ 3.55 in 1985.

Question 32 is based on Text 2

32. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. A big part of an adult human body is water.
B. More than half of our planet is covered by water.
C. A very small part of the fresh water on earth is accessible for direct human use.
D. About 70% of the water on earth is frozen in the polar icecaps.

Text 2

Water is essential to life. The adult human body is about 75% water, with up to 85% of brain cells liquid; even teeth are 10% moisture. The body needs a constant supply of clean water to remain healthy. Around 71% of the planet is covered in It20, but 97.5% of it is salt water and of the remaining 2.5% some 70% is frozen in the polar icecaps. With around 30% of the remaining fresh water present as soil moisture or in underground aquifers, less than 1% is accessible for direct human use. As the world marked International Water Day, experts meeting at the World Water Forum in the Hague estimated that one billion people worldwide lack clean drinking water and around three billion do not have adequate sanitation.

Questions 33-34 are based on Text 3

33. The cost of living in Moscow is among the highest in Europe mainly because __
A. Moscow is the third most expensive city in the world
B. Moscow's exchange rate has become weaker
C. Russia has a much higher inflation rate than many European countries
D. there are a lot of advantages living there
34. Of the four cities listed below, __ is the cheapest.
A. Hong Kong B. Moscow C. Oslo D. London

Text 3

A survey has come up with some interesting information about the cost of living in our major cities.
Tokyo is still the most expensive city in the world. Osaka is second and Moscow third, on a par with Hong Kong. Many European cities have gone down the rankings because their exchange rates have become weaker against the US dollar. Moscow's exchange rate has also become weaker, but Russia has a much higher inflation rate than many European countries. So prices in Moscow are among the highest in Europe. But there is one advantage of living in Moscow. The underground is excellent -- very cheap and much more comfortable than the one in London.
New York is the most expensive US city. This is because the US dollar is stronger than many other currencies. Some European countries that used to be far more expensive than New York are now much cheaper. London is the 10th most expensive city in the world, according to the survey. A year ago, London was 5% - 10% cheaper than many French and German cities. This is no longer so. Now London is 15% dearer than the German and French cities mentioned in the survey. However, London is a good city to live in. Business people said that London was the most exciting of all the major cities in the world. Londoners also claim that it is cleaner than it used to be, and safer than many other European cities. If you're hard up, don't go to Oslo it's Europe's most expensive city. Meals at restaurants cost a fortune and drinks are very pricey.

Questions 35 - 36 are based on Text 4

35. Which of the following is NOT true of the ancient Olympian athletic festival?
A. It had strong religious associations.
B. It was held every four years.
C. It was a national event.
D. No one knows exactly when it began.
36. We can conclude from the passage that __ was the first big success of the modern Olympic Games.
A. the 1896 Athens Olympics
B. the 1908 London Olympics
C. the 1972 Munich Olympics
D. the 1908 Athens Olympics

Text 4

In ancient Greece athletic festivals were very important and had strong religious associations. The Olympian athletic festival, held every four years in honor of Zeus, eventually lost its local character, became first a national event, and then, after the rules against foreign competitors had been waived international. No one knows exactly how far back the Olympic Games go, but some official records date from 776 B. C.
After an uninterrupted history of almost 1,200 years, the Games were abolished in A.D.394, the Christian era, because of their pagan origin. It was over 1,500 years before there was another such international athletics gathering. The Greek institution was revived in 1896 and the first small meeting took place in Athens. After the 1908 London Olympics, success was re-established and nations sent their best representatives. In times of peace, the Games have taken place ever since at four-yearly intervals. In Munich in 1972, competitors from more than 120 countries were watched by huge crowds.

Questions 37- 38 are based on Text 5

37. Which of the following would be a suitable title for the passage?
A. 3M -- A Successful Company.
B. Constant Innovation -- 3M's Winning Strategy.
C. The Exchange of Ideas and Information -- the Key to Success.
D. Post-it Note -- the Most Famous 3M Invention.
38. According to the passage, __ contributed to the invention of the Post-it note.
A. the huge investment on innovation
B. the structure which allows employees to change jobs
C. the exchange of ideas and information
D. the policy which encourages staff to spend some of their time on personal projects

Text 5

Since the beginning of the century, 3M has known that it must continually innovate in order to survive. Indeed, the company has been responsible for the launch of 60,000 products, each of which is protected by a patent.
The successful performance of 3M over the years is due to several factors. Firstly, the company spends a large part of its annual budget on the creation, improvement and testing of products. The company also has a flexible structure which allows employees to change jobs frequently, from research to manufacturing, or from manufacturing to marketing. The exchange of ideas and information is also a key aspect of 3M's strategy of constant innovation. Top technical people attend an annual meeting at the headquarters in St. Paul where many 3M laboratories show their latest products. Another interesting fact about 3M is that it encourages staff to spend 15% of their time on personal projects. It was this unusual policy that enabled 3M employee Arthur Fry to come up with one of the most famous 3M inventions---the Post-it note.

Questions 39-40 are based on Text 6

39. Suppose you plan to take flight AFlll to go to Paris on a Tuesday, and you want to book a flight back to Shanghai for the following day, you would take
A. AFll2 B. AFll5 C. AFll4 D. AFll3
40. Suppose you plan to take flight AF185 on a Monday, you may arrive back in Hongkong __
A. on AF185 the following day B. on AF188 the same day
C. on AF188 on Tuesday D. on AF188 on Wednesday
Text 6
Flight Schedule
AirFrance .......... Tel: [phone] Fax. [phone]
[phone] (021) 63606655
(852) 2524 8145 (852) 25210542
Day From To Flight Departure Arrival
1 - 7 Beijing Paris AFl29 09: 45 14: 20
t - 7 Paris Beijing AFl28 15: 55 07: 45 + 1 *
1,2,4,5,7 Shanghai Paris AFlll 11:10 17:05
3,6 Shanghai Paris AF l15 10: 30 16:30
1,3,4,6,7 Paris Shanghai AFl12 16:00 09:00+1-
2,5 Paris Shanghai AFl14 18:15 12:20+1.
1 - 7 Hong Kong Paris AF185 23: 35 06: 30 + 1 *
1-7 Paris Hong Kong AF188 23:15 17:05+1~
* + 1: The following day.

GROUP 5

Questions 41-42 are based on Text 1
41. The first printed advertisement __
A. offered a reward for a runaway slave
B. notified people of services available
C. announced a prayer book sale
D. was a newspaper advertisement
42. The first paid advertisement appeared in __
A. Thebes B. London C. Britain D. the United States

Text 1

Advertising is a way of informing people of something. This can range from telling them of a product for sale, or a service, or urging them to do something, or even to bring one's name before the public. So advertising came out quite naturally and took many forms from the very beginning. For example, there is a papyrus discovered at Thebes offering a reward for a runaway slave. It is three thousand years old and it's really an advertisement! Signboards that notified people of services available were placed outside doors in Greece and Egypt around 1500 B.C. -- a form of advertising. With the invention of printing, advertising began to take on new forms. About 1477, in London, the first printed advertisement in English announced a prayer book sale. The first newspaper advertisement appeared on the back page of a London newspaper in 1625. It was not until 1704 that paid advertisements were printed in the United States. By 1771 there were 31 newspapers in the Colonies, and all of them carried advertising. Today, of course, we know that advertising is done not only in newspapers, but also in magazines, on the radio, I and on television. The first "commercials" appeared on radio about 1920. Commercials on television developed mostly after World War II. The idea spread very quickly and today the advertising that is done on TV is so familiar to all of us that many people can remember the commercials even better than the shows they see!

Question 43 is based on Text 2

43. The author is arguing that
A. life is fair, so people should try their best to improve their lives
B. life isn't fair, and admitting that will urge us to take action instead of feeling pity
C. life is fair, and that this will help us improve the world
D. life isn't fair, so we tend to feet pity for others and for ourselves
Text 2
The fact that life isn't fair doesn't mean we shouldn't do everything in our power to improve our own lives or the world as a whole. On the contrary, it suggests that we I should. When we don't recognize or admit that life isn't fair, we tend to feel pity for others and for ourselves. Pity, of course, is a self-defeating emotion that does nothing for anyone, except to make everyone feel worse than they already do. When we do recognize that life isn't fair, however, we feel compassion for others and for ourselves. And compassion is a heartfelt emotion that delivers loving-kindness to everyone it touches. The next time you find yourself thinking about the injustices of the world, try reminding yourself of this very basic fact. You may be surprised that it can nudge you out of self-pity and into helpful action.

Questions 44- 45 am based on Text 3

44. The author told the story about the member of the Government to show
A. some British officials cared nothing for the program of welfare reform
B. some British officials neglected the duty for their own interest
C. Spice Girls' high popularity in Britain nowadays
D. Mel B is the most popular one of the five girls
45. From the passage we can conclude that the author's daughter is _
A. crazy about Spice Girls B. extravagant
C. an inconsiderate girl D. quite boresome

Text 3

The Spice Girls' first album sold 10 million copies, and the single "Wannabe' topped the charts in 31 countries. There were five of them, named Victoria, Emma, Mel B, Mel and Geri, and their rise was an epic in the recent history of popular music.
Over lunch on the day of the Queen's Speech for the opening of Parliament London, a member of the Government ignored the program of reform in the welfare state because he wanted to know which of the five Spice Girls I fancied. He volunteered that he himself liked Mel B, otherwise known as Scary Spice.
At home that evening, my eight-year-old daughter badgered me for money. All her friends at school, she said, were collecting Spice Girls pictures. They cost 99p for a set of eight from newsagents and there were 120 in total. That is ~ 15 for the lot, I calculated. "Well, you won t let me join the fan club, "my daughter said, explaining her extravagant request. "that only costs ￡10."
Question46 is based on Text 4
46. Which of the following is true about University of Chicago?
A. It's located in a small city.
B. 6% of its undergraduates are international students.
C. In addition to SAT I or ACT, the applicant has to submit a personal essay.
D. 34% of its students graduated within 6 years.

Text 4