If a real earthquake hits Seattle, the...

Passage One
When the Earth shook here on March 26th, 2000, it helped geologists to figure out how the Earth around Seattle would shake during the real thing less than a year later.
When Seattle’s Kingdome was demolished with explosives, more than 200 seismic recorders caught every rattle and roll. Tom Brocher of the U.S. Geological Survey says, "You can see the red waves traveling away from the Kingdome. "
① The areas that shook the worst then also shook the worst when the six point eight (on the Richter scale) Nisqually earthquake hit.
② "We shouldn’t be surprised to see damage at Boeing field and at the port of Seattle where we did see damage, because in both of those areas the ground shook longer and harder than other parts of Seattle."
It’s what’s known as a slab quake (located) 36 miles below the surface where the Juan de Fuca plate slab is diving underneath the North American plate. Geologists believe the plate bent, causing it to crack, and sending shock waves to the surface.
Tom Brother says, "As soon as we knew it was a deep earthquake-that it was this type of earthquake-we immediately put out the word that we should expect very few aftershocks. "
There were only 4. In San Francisco’s Loma Prieta earthquake here in 1989 which was closer to the surface, there were 120 aftershocks. The fact that "deep-focus" earthquakes have fewer aftershocks still puzzles geologists.
Brocher says, "What we can tell people is you’re not going to have these (aftershocks). What we can’t tell them why. And that’s a research issue. "
Geologists say the Nisqually quake originated from almost the same spot as the 1949 quake there, and had the same damage patterns. There were fewer landslides this year because of the lack of rain.
Over the next year and half, researchers want to set off explosives at the surface near Seattle, aimed at the slab 37 miles below. The waves will then bounce offthe slab and reflect back to the surface giving information about where the plate is and how it’s moving. So, before the Earth moves again, geologists will have an idea which places might be destined to shake the hardest.
According to the passage, what caused the Earth around Seattle shake on March 26th, 2000

A. Nisqually earthquake.
C. Loma Prieta earthquake.
B. Explosives.

D. Aftershocks.

Passage Two
Not content with its doubtful claim to produce cheap food for our own population, the factory farming industry also argues that "hungry nations are benefiting from advances made by the poultry industry". In fact, rather than helping the fight against malnutrition(营养不良) in "hungry nations", the spread of factory farming has, inevitably aggravated the problem.
Large-scale intensive meat and poultry production is a waste of food resources. This is because more protein has to be fed to animals in the form of vegetable matter than can ever be recovered in the form of meat. Much of the food value is lost in the animal’s process of digestion and cell replacement. Neither, in the case of chicken, can one eat feathers, blood, feet or head. In all, only about 44% of the live animal fits to be eaten as meat.
This means one has to feed approximately 9-10 times as much food value to the animal than one can consume from the carcass. As a system for feeding the hungry, the effects can prove disastrous. At times of crisis, grain is the food of life.
Nevertheless, the huge increase in poultry production is seen throughout Asia and Africa continues. Normally British or US firms are involved. For instance, an American based multinational company has this year announced its involvement in projects in several African countries. Britain’s largest chicken supplier, Ross Breeders, is also involved in projects all over the world.
Because such trade is good for exports, Western governments encourage it. In 1979, a firm in Bangladesh called Phoenix Poultry received a grant to set up a unit of 6,000 chickens and 18,000 laying hens. This almost doubled the number of poultry kept in the country all at once.
But Bangladesh lacks capital, energy and food and has a large number of unemployed. Such chicken-raising demands capital for building and machinery, extensive use of energy resources for automation, and involves feeding chickens with potential famine-relief protein food. At present, one of Bangladesh’s main imports is food grains, because the country is unable to grow enough food to feed its population. On what then can they possibly feed the chicken
In the passage the author argues that______

A．efficiency must be raised in the poultry industry
B．raising poultry can provide more protein than growing grain
C．factory farming will do more harm than good to developing countries
D．hungry nations may benefit from the development of the poultry industry

单项选择题

Passage Three
"Hi there. How’s it going"
"Oh, fine. Fine. How about this weather, huh"
"Well, I guess we can always use the rain."
What’s that This story Oh, just a little look at small talk. You know, those seemingly meaningless conversations you have dozens of times a day, Maybe you’re waiting for the elevator.
Or in a line at the bank. It all seems pretty trivial. Idle chatter about traffic doesn’t do much more than fill the air with empty words that are quickly forgotten. But you should know that small talk actually has a big place in our lives.
Pat Oliver, assistant professor on arts, says that, "Left unchecked, small talk can be an invasion. It’s so powerful. It does something to you." "Every morning after spending an hour and a half on the freeway I start the day with small talk with my secretary," Oliver says, "IfI don’t make small connection with another person, I can’t work."
What causes it As a rule, you’re either trying to force something into your life, or you’re using conversation as an invisible force field to keep them out. You can be wanting to connect with another person, and small talk is your introduction to more meaningful conversation.
The way people use small talk is usually determined by where they happen to be at the time.
Take the elevator, for instance. Now there’s prime territoo,. Nobody knows anyone and there’s no reason to start a conversation, but invariably, someone does. Making conversation in such peaceful social settings, according to Oliver, "can confirm your territory. It’s a way of feeling liked and accepted."
The topics of small talk don’t matter. In fact, you don’t want anything more taxing than the weather or the traffic. It’s non-threatening talk in a threatening situation. However, the rules change quickly when you’re with lots of people doing lots of talking.
Let’s say you’re at a party. Now it’s time to use small talk as a way of making others feel more comfortable around you, so you don’t look silly standing by the food table alone all night.
"Small talk", as interpreted by the author,______

A．has no real function in communication at all
B．is usually meaningless and therefore useless
C．is not as unimportant as it may seem to be
D．is restricted to certain topics only

单项选择题

Passage Four
One of America’s greatest exports to the rest of the world has been entertainment. America, a nation of incredible energy and talent, has flooded the world markets with her films, theaters and songs. In America the two centers where this talent is most brilliantly and successfully essayed are Hollywood and Broadway.
Hollywood is a district within the city of Los Angeles. Its name is synonymous with the motion-picture industry. Since the early 1900s, when movie makers found southern California an ideal blend of mild climate and varied geography, it has become the home for cinematic dreams. All the great names of cinema have passed through Hollywood on the road to international careers.
Today it still remains the place where dreams are said to come true and fantasies are carefully nurtured. Known as "The Movie Capital of the World", Hollywood is one of the few places where epic films can still be made on such a large scale. Ancient Rome, the Pharaoh’s Egypt or a science fiction film staged somewhere in the Galaxy are all within the imagination of the filmmakers and the industry they control. It is a place where unknowns are discovered and even actors from abroad have come to Hollywood to further establish their fame and recognition.
With the coming of television Hollywood began to alter its function. By the early 1960s it had become the source of the majority of U.S. network television entertainment. But, its place as the center of the movie industry in America has remained undiminished and unchallenged.
On the east coast of America, however, in New York it is live theater which provides the source of culture and entertainment. Here it is the dramatic stage which dominates the cultural scene. The main avenue which runs through the city is known as Broadway. ①It traverses the length of Manhattan and near the middle clustered the many theaters that have long made it the foremost showcase of commercial stage entertainment in the United States. The term Broadway was at one time virtually synonymous with American theater activity. In the 1980s the street became known as "The Great White Way" because of its brilliant display of lights in the evening. ② As the power and prosperity of New York City grew in the world, so did the number, size and magnificence of the Broadway theaters. Broadway soared into its peak in the mid 1920s. At this time there were over eighty theaters on Broadway but in recent years the number has declined. Yet, it still remain vibrantly active and under constant renewal.
The main topic of the passage is______

A. America’s entertainment
C. America’s theaters
B. America’s films
D. Hollywood and Broadway

单项选择题

Passage Two
Not content with its doubtful claim to produce cheap food for our own population, the factory farming industry also argues that "hungry nations are benefiting from advances made by the poultry industry". In fact, rather than helping the fight against malnutrition(营养不良) in "hungry nations", the spread of factory farming has, inevitably aggravated the problem.
Large-scale intensive meat and poultry production is a waste of food resources. This is because more protein has to be fed to animals in the form of vegetable matter than can ever be recovered in the form of meat. Much of the food value is lost in the animal’s process of digestion and cell replacement. Neither, in the case of chicken, can one eat feathers, blood, feet or head. In all, only about 44% of the live animal fits to be eaten as meat.
This means one has to feed approximately 9-10 times as much food value to the animal than one can consume from the carcass. As a system for feeding the hungry, the effects can prove disastrous. At times of crisis, grain is the food of life.
Nevertheless, the huge increase in poultry production is seen throughout Asia and Africa continues. Normally British or US firms are involved. For instance, an American based multinational company has this year announced its involvement in projects in several African countries. Britain’s largest chicken supplier, Ross Breeders, is also involved in projects all over the world.
Because such trade is good for exports, Western governments encourage it. In 1979, a firm in Bangladesh called Phoenix Poultry received a grant to set up a unit of 6,000 chickens and 18,000 laying hens. This almost doubled the number of poultry kept in the country all at once.
But Bangladesh lacks capital, energy and food and has a large number of unemployed. Such chicken-raising demands capital for building and machinery, extensive use of energy resources for automation, and involves feeding chickens with potential famine-relief protein food. At present, one of Bangladesh’s main imports is food grains, because the country is unable to grow enough food to feed its population. On what then can they possibly feed the chicken
According to the author, in factory, vegetables ______

A．are easy for chickens to digest
B．are insufficient for the needs of poultry
C．are fully utilized in meat and egg production
D．are inefficiently converted into meat and poultry

单项选择题

Passage One
When the Earth shook here on March 26th, 2000, it helped geologists to figure out how the Earth around Seattle would shake during the real thing less than a year later.
When Seattle’s Kingdome was demolished with explosives, more than 200 seismic recorders caught every rattle and roll. Tom Brocher of the U.S. Geological Survey says, "You can see the red waves traveling away from the Kingdome. "
① The areas that shook the worst then also shook the worst when the six point eight (on the Richter scale) Nisqually earthquake hit.
② "We shouldn’t be surprised to see damage at Boeing field and at the port of Seattle where we did see damage, because in both of those areas the ground shook longer and harder than other parts of Seattle."
It’s what’s known as a slab quake (located) 36 miles below the surface where the Juan de Fuca plate slab is diving underneath the North American plate. Geologists believe the plate bent, causing it to crack, and sending shock waves to the surface.
Tom Brother says, "As soon as we knew it was a deep earthquake-that it was this type of earthquake-we immediately put out the word that we should expect very few aftershocks. "
There were only 4. In San Francisco’s Loma Prieta earthquake here in 1989 which was closer to the surface, there were 120 aftershocks. The fact that "deep-focus" earthquakes have fewer aftershocks still puzzles geologists.
Brocher says, "What we can tell people is you’re not going to have these (aftershocks). What we can’t tell them why. And that’s a research issue. "
Geologists say the Nisqually quake originated from almost the same spot as the 1949 quake there, and had the same damage patterns. There were fewer landslides this year because of the lack of rain.
Over the next year and half, researchers want to set off explosives at the surface near Seattle, aimed at the slab 37 miles below. The waves will then bounce offthe slab and reflect back to the surface giving information about where the plate is and how it’s moving. So, before the Earth moves again, geologists will have an idea which places might be destined to shake the hardest.
If a real earthquake hits Seattle, the areas that will be damaged most would be______

A. airports

C. ports
B. the suburbs

D. Boeing field and the port of Seattle

单项选择题

Passage Three
"Hi there. How’s it going"
"Oh, fine. Fine. How about this weather, huh"
"Well, I guess we can always use the rain."
What’s that This story Oh, just a little look at small talk. You know, those seemingly meaningless conversations you have dozens of times a day, Maybe you’re waiting for the elevator.
Or in a line at the bank. It all seems pretty trivial. Idle chatter about traffic doesn’t do much more than fill the air with empty words that are quickly forgotten. But you should know that small talk actually has a big place in our lives.
Pat Oliver, assistant professor on arts, says that, "Left unchecked, small talk can be an invasion. It’s so powerful. It does something to you." "Every morning after spending an hour and a half on the freeway I start the day with small talk with my secretary," Oliver says, "IfI don’t make small connection with another person, I can’t work."
What causes it As a rule, you’re either trying to force something into your life, or you’re using conversation as an invisible force field to keep them out. You can be wanting to connect with another person, and small talk is your introduction to more meaningful conversation.
The way people use small talk is usually determined by where they happen to be at the time.
Take the elevator, for instance. Now there’s prime territoo,. Nobody knows anyone and there’s no reason to start a conversation, but invariably, someone does. Making conversation in such peaceful social settings, according to Oliver, "can confirm your territory. It’s a way of feeling liked and accepted."
The topics of small talk don’t matter. In fact, you don’t want anything more taxing than the weather or the traffic. It’s non-threatening talk in a threatening situation. However, the rules change quickly when you’re with lots of people doing lots of talking.
Let’s say you’re at a party. Now it’s time to use small talk as a way of making others feel more comfortable around you, so you don’t look silly standing by the food table alone all night.
According to the author, small talk is often used______

A．to protect one’s own privacy
B．to invade other’s private affairs
C．to share a secret between intimate friends
D．to open and maintain channels of communication

单项选择题

Passage Four
One of America’s greatest exports to the rest of the world has been entertainment. America, a nation of incredible energy and talent, has flooded the world markets with her films, theaters and songs. In America the two centers where this talent is most brilliantly and successfully essayed are Hollywood and Broadway.
Hollywood is a district within the city of Los Angeles. Its name is synonymous with the motion-picture industry. Since the early 1900s, when movie makers found southern California an ideal blend of mild climate and varied geography, it has become the home for cinematic dreams. All the great names of cinema have passed through Hollywood on the road to international careers.
Today it still remains the place where dreams are said to come true and fantasies are carefully nurtured. Known as "The Movie Capital of the World", Hollywood is one of the few places where epic films can still be made on such a large scale. Ancient Rome, the Pharaoh’s Egypt or a science fiction film staged somewhere in the Galaxy are all within the imagination of the filmmakers and the industry they control. It is a place where unknowns are discovered and even actors from abroad have come to Hollywood to further establish their fame and recognition.
With the coming of television Hollywood began to alter its function. By the early 1960s it had become the source of the majority of U.S. network television entertainment. But, its place as the center of the movie industry in America has remained undiminished and unchallenged.
On the east coast of America, however, in New York it is live theater which provides the source of culture and entertainment. Here it is the dramatic stage which dominates the cultural scene. The main avenue which runs through the city is known as Broadway. ①It traverses the length of Manhattan and near the middle clustered the many theaters that have long made it the foremost showcase of commercial stage entertainment in the United States. The term Broadway was at one time virtually synonymous with American theater activity. In the 1980s the street became known as "The Great White Way" because of its brilliant display of lights in the evening. ② As the power and prosperity of New York City grew in the world, so did the number, size and magnificence of the Broadway theaters. Broadway soared into its peak in the mid 1920s. At this time there were over eighty theaters on Broadway but in recent years the number has declined. Yet, it still remain vibrantly active and under constant renewal.
American people made Hollywood the center of the movie industry for its______

A. location

C. mild climate and varied geography
B. talented citizens
D. wealth

单项选择题

Passage Three
"Hi there. How’s it going"
"Oh, fine. Fine. How about this weather, huh"
"Well, I guess we can always use the rain."
What’s that This story Oh, just a little look at small talk. You know, those seemingly meaningless conversations you have dozens of times a day, Maybe you’re waiting for the elevator.
Or in a line at the bank. It all seems pretty trivial. Idle chatter about traffic doesn’t do much more than fill the air with empty words that are quickly forgotten. But you should know that small talk actually has a big place in our lives.
Pat Oliver, assistant professor on arts, says that, "Left unchecked, small talk can be an invasion. It’s so powerful. It does something to you." "Every morning after spending an hour and a half on the freeway I start the day with small talk with my secretary," Oliver says, "IfI don’t make small connection with another person, I can’t work."
What causes it As a rule, you’re either trying to force something into your life, or you’re using conversation as an invisible force field to keep them out. You can be wanting to connect with another person, and small talk is your introduction to more meaningful conversation.
The way people use small talk is usually determined by where they happen to be at the time.
Take the elevator, for instance. Now there’s prime territoo,. Nobody knows anyone and there’s no reason to start a conversation, but invariably, someone does. Making conversation in such peaceful social settings, according to Oliver, "can confirm your territory. It’s a way of feeling liked and accepted."
The topics of small talk don’t matter. In fact, you don’t want anything more taxing than the weather or the traffic. It’s non-threatening talk in a threatening situation. However, the rules change quickly when you’re with lots of people doing lots of talking.
Let’s say you’re at a party. Now it’s time to use small talk as a way of making others feel more comfortable around you, so you don’t look silly standing by the food table alone all night.
According to the author, topics of small talk may include comments on ______

A．some political issues
B．one’s physical condition
C．other’s way of dress
D．the traffic jam

单项选择题

Passage Two
Not content with its doubtful claim to produce cheap food for our own population, the factory farming industry also argues that "hungry nations are benefiting from advances made by the poultry industry". In fact, rather than helping the fight against malnutrition(营养不良) in "hungry nations", the spread of factory farming has, inevitably aggravated the problem.
Large-scale intensive meat and poultry production is a waste of food resources. This is because more protein has to be fed to animals in the form of vegetable matter than can ever be recovered in the form of meat. Much of the food value is lost in the animal’s process of digestion and cell replacement. Neither, in the case of chicken, can one eat feathers, blood, feet or head. In all, only about 44% of the live animal fits to be eaten as meat.
This means one has to feed approximately 9-10 times as much food value to the animal than one can consume from the carcass. As a system for feeding the hungry, the effects can prove disastrous. At times of crisis, grain is the food of life.
Nevertheless, the huge increase in poultry production is seen throughout Asia and Africa continues. Normally British or US firms are involved. For instance, an American based multinational company has this year announced its involvement in projects in several African countries. Britain’s largest chicken supplier, Ross Breeders, is also involved in projects all over the world.
Because such trade is good for exports, Western governments encourage it. In 1979, a firm in Bangladesh called Phoenix Poultry received a grant to set up a unit of 6,000 chickens and 18,000 laying hens. This almost doubled the number of poultry kept in the country all at once.
But Bangladesh lacks capital, energy and food and has a large number of unemployed. Such chicken-raising demands capital for building and machinery, extensive use of energy resources for automation, and involves feeding chickens with potential famine-relief protein food. At present, one of Bangladesh’s main imports is food grains, because the country is unable to grow enough food to feed its population. On what then can they possibly feed the chicken
Western governments encourage the poultry industry in Asia because they regard it as an effective way to ______

A．boost their own exports
B．alleviate malnutrition in Asian countries
C．create job opportunities in Asian countries
D．promote the exports of Asian countries

单项选择题

Passage One
When the Earth shook here on March 26th, 2000, it helped geologists to figure out how the Earth around Seattle would shake during the real thing less than a year later.
When Seattle’s Kingdome was demolished with explosives, more than 200 seismic recorders caught every rattle and roll. Tom Brocher of the U.S. Geological Survey says, "You can see the red waves traveling away from the Kingdome. "
① The areas that shook the worst then also shook the worst when the six point eight (on the Richter scale) Nisqually earthquake hit.
② "We shouldn’t be surprised to see damage at Boeing field and at the port of Seattle where we did see damage, because in both of those areas the ground shook longer and harder than other parts of Seattle."
It’s what’s known as a slab quake (located) 36 miles below the surface where the Juan de Fuca plate slab is diving underneath the North American plate. Geologists believe the plate bent, causing it to crack, and sending shock waves to the surface.
Tom Brother says, "As soon as we knew it was a deep earthquake-that it was this type of earthquake-we immediately put out the word that we should expect very few aftershocks. "
There were only 4. In San Francisco’s Loma Prieta earthquake here in 1989 which was closer to the surface, there were 120 aftershocks. The fact that "deep-focus" earthquakes have fewer aftershocks still puzzles geologists.
Brocher says, "What we can tell people is you’re not going to have these (aftershocks). What we can’t tell them why. And that’s a research issue. "
Geologists say the Nisqually quake originated from almost the same spot as the 1949 quake there, and had the same damage patterns. There were fewer landslides this year because of the lack of rain.
Over the next year and half, researchers want to set off explosives at the surface near Seattle, aimed at the slab 37 miles below. The waves will then bounce offthe slab and reflect back to the surface giving information about where the plate is and how it’s moving. So, before the Earth moves again, geologists will have an idea which places might be destined to shake the hardest.
According to the geologists, how did the shock waves reach the surface

A．The plate slab bent, and then cracked, sending shock waves to the surface.
B．The plate was demolished, sending shock waves to the surface.
C．The shock waves traveled to the surface themselves.
D．The shock waves originated from the surfac

单项选择题

Passage One
When the Earth shook here on March 26th, 2000, it helped geologists to figure out how the Earth around Seattle would shake during the real thing less than a year later.
When Seattle’s Kingdome was demolished with explosives, more than 200 seismic recorders caught every rattle and roll. Tom Brocher of the U.S. Geological Survey says, "You can see the red waves traveling away from the Kingdome. "
① The areas that shook the worst then also shook the worst when the six point eight (on the Richter scale) Nisqually earthquake hit.
② "We shouldn’t be surprised to see damage at Boeing field and at the port of Seattle where we did see damage, because in both of those areas the ground shook longer and harder than other parts of Seattle."
It’s what’s known as a slab quake (located) 36 miles below the surface where the Juan de Fuca plate slab is diving underneath the North American plate. Geologists believe the plate bent, causing it to crack, and sending shock waves to the surface.
Tom Brother says, "As soon as we knew it was a deep earthquake-that it was this type of earthquake-we immediately put out the word that we should expect very few aftershocks. "
There were only 4. In San Francisco’s Loma Prieta earthquake here in 1989 which was closer to the surface, there were 120 aftershocks. The fact that "deep-focus" earthquakes have fewer aftershocks still puzzles geologists.
Brocher says, "What we can tell people is you’re not going to have these (aftershocks). What we can’t tell them why. And that’s a research issue. "
Geologists say the Nisqually quake originated from almost the same spot as the 1949 quake there, and had the same damage patterns. There were fewer landslides this year because of the lack of rain.
Over the next year and half, researchers want to set off explosives at the surface near Seattle, aimed at the slab 37 miles below. The waves will then bounce offthe slab and reflect back to the surface giving information about where the plate is and how it’s moving. So, before the Earth moves again, geologists will have an idea which places might be destined to shake the hardest.
If the earthquake focus was close to the surface,______

A. there will be few aftershocks
C. there will be a lot of aftershocks
B. there will be a deep focus
D. that will cause great damage

单项选择题

Passage Four
One of America’s greatest exports to the rest of the world has been entertainment. America, a nation of incredible energy and talent, has flooded the world markets with her films, theaters and songs. In America the two centers where this talent is most brilliantly and successfully essayed are Hollywood and Broadway.
Hollywood is a district within the city of Los Angeles. Its name is synonymous with the motion-picture industry. Since the early 1900s, when movie makers found southern California an ideal blend of mild climate and varied geography, it has become the home for cinematic dreams. All the great names of cinema have passed through Hollywood on the road to international careers.
Today it still remains the place where dreams are said to come true and fantasies are carefully nurtured. Known as "The Movie Capital of the World", Hollywood is one of the few places where epic films can still be made on such a large scale. Ancient Rome, the Pharaoh’s Egypt or a science fiction film staged somewhere in the Galaxy are all within the imagination of the filmmakers and the industry they control. It is a place where unknowns are discovered and even actors from abroad have come to Hollywood to further establish their fame and recognition.
With the coming of television Hollywood began to alter its function. By the early 1960s it had become the source of the majority of U.S. network television entertainment. But, its place as the center of the movie industry in America has remained undiminished and unchallenged.
On the east coast of America, however, in New York it is live theater which provides the source of culture and entertainment. Here it is the dramatic stage which dominates the cultural scene. The main avenue which runs through the city is known as Broadway. ①It traverses the length of Manhattan and near the middle clustered the many theaters that have long made it the foremost showcase of commercial stage entertainment in the United States. The term Broadway was at one time virtually synonymous with American theater activity. In the 1980s the street became known as "The Great White Way" because of its brilliant display of lights in the evening. ② As the power and prosperity of New York City grew in the world, so did the number, size and magnificence of the Broadway theaters. Broadway soared into its peak in the mid 1920s. At this time there were over eighty theaters on Broadway but in recent years the number has declined. Yet, it still remain vibrantly active and under constant renewal.
Which of the following is TRUE about Hollywood

A．It attracts actors from all over the world.
B．It’s the dreamland of young people.
C．It’s controlled by American filmmakers.
D．It’s named after a famous actor.

单项选择题

Passage Three
"Hi there. How’s it going"
"Oh, fine. Fine. How about this weather, huh"
"Well, I guess we can always use the rain."
What’s that This story Oh, just a little look at small talk. You know, those seemingly meaningless conversations you have dozens of times a day, Maybe you’re waiting for the elevator.
Or in a line at the bank. It all seems pretty trivial. Idle chatter about traffic doesn’t do much more than fill the air with empty words that are quickly forgotten. But you should know that small talk actually has a big place in our lives.
Pat Oliver, assistant professor on arts, says that, "Left unchecked, small talk can be an invasion. It’s so powerful. It does something to you." "Every morning after spending an hour and a half on the freeway I start the day with small talk with my secretary," Oliver says, "IfI don’t make small connection with another person, I can’t work."
What causes it As a rule, you’re either trying to force something into your life, or you’re using conversation as an invisible force field to keep them out. You can be wanting to connect with another person, and small talk is your introduction to more meaningful conversation.
The way people use small talk is usually determined by where they happen to be at the time.
Take the elevator, for instance. Now there’s prime territoo,. Nobody knows anyone and there’s no reason to start a conversation, but invariably, someone does. Making conversation in such peaceful social settings, according to Oliver, "can confirm your territory. It’s a way of feeling liked and accepted."
The topics of small talk don’t matter. In fact, you don’t want anything more taxing than the weather or the traffic. It’s non-threatening talk in a threatening situation. However, the rules change quickly when you’re with lots of people doing lots of talking.
Let’s say you’re at a party. Now it’s time to use small talk as a way of making others feel more comfortable around you, so you don’t look silly standing by the food table alone all night.
Why is small talk described as "non-threatening talk in a threatening situation"

A．It is used by people to encourage those who are confronted with danger.
B．It is used to show that one is enthusiastic and hospitable.
C．It is used to create a more friendly atmosphere and to avoid embarrassment.
D．It is used by people to protect others in a threatening situation.

单项选择题

Passage Two
Not content with its doubtful claim to produce cheap food for our own population, the factory farming industry also argues that "hungry nations are benefiting from advances made by the poultry industry". In fact, rather than helping the fight against malnutrition(营养不良) in "hungry nations", the spread of factory farming has, inevitably aggravated the problem.
Large-scale intensive meat and poultry production is a waste of food resources. This is because more protein has to be fed to animals in the form of vegetable matter than can ever be recovered in the form of meat. Much of the food value is lost in the animal’s process of digestion and cell replacement. Neither, in the case of chicken, can one eat feathers, blood, feet or head. In all, only about 44% of the live animal fits to be eaten as meat.
This means one has to feed approximately 9-10 times as much food value to the animal than one can consume from the carcass. As a system for feeding the hungry, the effects can prove disastrous. At times of crisis, grain is the food of life.
Nevertheless, the huge increase in poultry production is seen throughout Asia and Africa continues. Normally British or US firms are involved. For instance, an American based multinational company has this year announced its involvement in projects in several African countries. Britain’s largest chicken supplier, Ross Breeders, is also involved in projects all over the world.
Because such trade is good for exports, Western governments encourage it. In 1979, a firm in Bangladesh called Phoenix Poultry received a grant to set up a unit of 6,000 chickens and 18,000 laying hens. This almost doubled the number of poultry kept in the country all at once.
But Bangladesh lacks capital, energy and food and has a large number of unemployed. Such chicken-raising demands capital for building and machinery, extensive use of energy resources for automation, and involves feeding chickens with potential famine-relief protein food. At present, one of Bangladesh’s main imports is food grains, because the country is unable to grow enough food to feed its population. On what then can they possibly feed the chicken
The word "carcass" (Line 2, Par

A．3) most probably means ______A. vegetables preserved for future useB. the dead body of an animal ready to be cut into meatC. expensive food that consumers can hardly affordD. meat canned for future consumption

单项选择题

Passage Four
One of America’s greatest exports to the rest of the world has been entertainment. America, a nation of incredible energy and talent, has flooded the world markets with her films, theaters and songs. In America the two centers where this talent is most brilliantly and successfully essayed are Hollywood and Broadway.
Hollywood is a district within the city of Los Angeles. Its name is synonymous with the motion-picture industry. Since the early 1900s, when movie makers found southern California an ideal blend of mild climate and varied geography, it has become the home for cinematic dreams. All the great names of cinema have passed through Hollywood on the road to international careers.
Today it still remains the place where dreams are said to come true and fantasies are carefully nurtured. Known as "The Movie Capital of the World", Hollywood is one of the few places where epic films can still be made on such a large scale. Ancient Rome, the Pharaoh’s Egypt or a science fiction film staged somewhere in the Galaxy are all within the imagination of the filmmakers and the industry they control. It is a place where unknowns are discovered and even actors from abroad have come to Hollywood to further establish their fame and recognition.
With the coming of television Hollywood began to alter its function. By the early 1960s it had become the source of the majority of U.S. network television entertainment. But, its place as the center of the movie industry in America has remained undiminished and unchallenged.
On the east coast of America, however, in New York it is live theater which provides the source of culture and entertainment. Here it is the dramatic stage which dominates the cultural scene. The main avenue which runs through the city is known as Broadway. ①It traverses the length of Manhattan and near the middle clustered the many theaters that have long made it the foremost showcase of commercial stage entertainment in the United States. The term Broadway was at one time virtually synonymous with American theater activity. In the 1980s the street became known as "The Great White Way" because of its brilliant display of lights in the evening. ② As the power and prosperity of New York City grew in the world, so did the number, size and magnificence of the Broadway theaters. Broadway soared into its peak in the mid 1920s. At this time there were over eighty theaters on Broadway but in recent years the number has declined. Yet, it still remain vibrantly active and under constant renewal.
The word "dominate" (Line 3, Para. 5 ) is closest in meaning to ______

A. influence

C. lead
B. control

D. hold

单项选择题

Passage Three
"Hi there. How’s it going"
"Oh, fine. Fine. How about this weather, huh"
"Well, I guess we can always use the rain."
What’s that This story Oh, just a little look at small talk. You know, those seemingly meaningless conversations you have dozens of times a day, Maybe you’re waiting for the elevator.
Or in a line at the bank. It all seems pretty trivial. Idle chatter about traffic doesn’t do much more than fill the air with empty words that are quickly forgotten. But you should know that small talk actually has a big place in our lives.
Pat Oliver, assistant professor on arts, says that, "Left unchecked, small talk can be an invasion. It’s so powerful. It does something to you." "Every morning after spending an hour and a half on the freeway I start the day with small talk with my secretary," Oliver says, "IfI don’t make small connection with another person, I can’t work."
What causes it As a rule, you’re either trying to force something into your life, or you’re using conversation as an invisible force field to keep them out. You can be wanting to connect with another person, and small talk is your introduction to more meaningful conversation.
The way people use small talk is usually determined by where they happen to be at the time.
Take the elevator, for instance. Now there’s prime territoo,. Nobody knows anyone and there’s no reason to start a conversation, but invariably, someone does. Making conversation in such peaceful social settings, according to Oliver, "can confirm your territory. It’s a way of feeling liked and accepted."
The topics of small talk don’t matter. In fact, you don’t want anything more taxing than the weather or the traffic. It’s non-threatening talk in a threatening situation. However, the rules change quickly when you’re with lots of people doing lots of talking.
Let’s say you’re at a party. Now it’s time to use small talk as a way of making others feel more comfortable around you, so you don’t look silly standing by the food table alone all night.
According to the author, at a big party, small talk is used with the purpose of______

A．making both others and yourself feel at ease
B．excluding those you don’t like from joining you
C．keeping your voice low so only your friends can hear you
D．comforting those who feel lonely

单项选择题

Passage Two
Not content with its doubtful claim to produce cheap food for our own population, the factory farming industry also argues that "hungry nations are benefiting from advances made by the poultry industry". In fact, rather than helping the fight against malnutrition(营养不良) in "hungry nations", the spread of factory farming has, inevitably aggravated the problem.
Large-scale intensive meat and poultry production is a waste of food resources. This is because more protein has to be fed to animals in the form of vegetable matter than can ever be recovered in the form of meat. Much of the food value is lost in the animal’s process of digestion and cell replacement. Neither, in the case of chicken, can one eat feathers, blood, feet or head. In all, only about 44% of the live animal fits to be eaten as meat.
This means one has to feed approximately 9-10 times as much food value to the animal than one can consume from the carcass. As a system for feeding the hungry, the effects can prove disastrous. At times of crisis, grain is the food of life.
Nevertheless, the huge increase in poultry production is seen throughout Asia and Africa continues. Normally British or US firms are involved. For instance, an American based multinational company has this year announced its involvement in projects in several African countries. Britain’s largest chicken supplier, Ross Breeders, is also involved in projects all over the world.
Because such trade is good for exports, Western governments encourage it. In 1979, a firm in Bangladesh called Phoenix Poultry received a grant to set up a unit of 6,000 chickens and 18,000 laying hens. This almost doubled the number of poultry kept in the country all at once.
But Bangladesh lacks capital, energy and food and has a large number of unemployed. Such chicken-raising demands capital for building and machinery, extensive use of energy resources for automation, and involves feeding chickens with potential famine-relief protein food. At present, one of Bangladesh’s main imports is food grains, because the country is unable to grow enough food to feed its population. On what then can they possibly feed the chicken
The last paragraph is the author’s ______

A．detailed analysis of the ways of raising poultry in Bangladesh
B．great appreciation of the development of poultry industry in Bangladesh
C．critical view on the development of the poultry industry in Bangladesh
D．practical suggestion for the improvement of the poultry industry in Bangladesh

单项选择题

Passage One
When the Earth shook here on March 26th, 2000, it helped geologists to figure out how the Earth around Seattle would shake during the real thing less than a year later.
When Seattle’s Kingdome was demolished with explosives, more than 200 seismic recorders caught every rattle and roll. Tom Brocher of the U.S. Geological Survey says, "You can see the red waves traveling away from the Kingdome. "
① The areas that shook the worst then also shook the worst when the six point eight (on the Richter scale) Nisqually earthquake hit.
② "We shouldn’t be surprised to see damage at Boeing field and at the port of Seattle where we did see damage, because in both of those areas the ground shook longer and harder than other parts of Seattle."
It’s what’s known as a slab quake (located) 36 miles below the surface where the Juan de Fuca plate slab is diving underneath the North American plate. Geologists believe the plate bent, causing it to crack, and sending shock waves to the surface.
Tom Brother says, "As soon as we knew it was a deep earthquake-that it was this type of earthquake-we immediately put out the word that we should expect very few aftershocks. "
There were only 4. In San Francisco’s Loma Prieta earthquake here in 1989 which was closer to the surface, there were 120 aftershocks. The fact that "deep-focus" earthquakes have fewer aftershocks still puzzles geologists.
Brocher says, "What we can tell people is you’re not going to have these (aftershocks). What we can’t tell them why. And that’s a research issue. "
Geologists say the Nisqually quake originated from almost the same spot as the 1949 quake there, and had the same damage patterns. There were fewer landslides this year because of the lack of rain.
Over the next year and half, researchers want to set off explosives at the surface near Seattle, aimed at the slab 37 miles below. The waves will then bounce offthe slab and reflect back to the surface giving information about where the plate is and how it’s moving. So, before the Earth moves again, geologists will have an idea which places might be destined to shake the hardest.
According to the passage, the researchers set off explosives in order to ______

A．demolish the useless buildings before the earthquake
B．destroy the plates that may cause earthquakes
C．make sure which plates cause earthquakes
D．figure out which places might shake the hardest’during the earthquake

单项选择题

Passage Four
One of America’s greatest exports to the rest of the world has been entertainment. America, a nation of incredible energy and talent, has flooded the world markets with her films, theaters and songs. In America the two centers where this talent is most brilliantly and successfully essayed are Hollywood and Broadway.
Hollywood is a district within the city of Los Angeles. Its name is synonymous with the motion-picture industry. Since the early 1900s, when movie makers found southern California an ideal blend of mild climate and varied geography, it has become the home for cinematic dreams. All the great names of cinema have passed through Hollywood on the road to international careers.
Today it still remains the place where dreams are said to come true and fantasies are carefully nurtured. Known as "The Movie Capital of the World", Hollywood is one of the few places where epic films can still be made on such a large scale. Ancient Rome, the Pharaoh’s Egypt or a science fiction film staged somewhere in the Galaxy are all within the imagination of the filmmakers and the industry they control. It is a place where unknowns are discovered and even actors from abroad have come to Hollywood to further establish their fame and recognition.
With the coming of television Hollywood began to alter its function. By the early 1960s it had become the source of the majority of U.S. network television entertainment. But, its place as the center of the movie industry in America has remained undiminished and unchallenged.
On the east coast of America, however, in New York it is live theater which provides the source of culture and entertainment. Here it is the dramatic stage which dominates the cultural scene. The main avenue which runs through the city is known as Broadway. ①It traverses the length of Manhattan and near the middle clustered the many theaters that have long made it the foremost showcase of commercial stage entertainment in the United States. The term Broadway was at one time virtually synonymous with American theater activity. In the 1980s the street became known as "The Great White Way" because of its brilliant display of lights in the evening. ② As the power and prosperity of New York City grew in the world, so did the number, size and magnificence of the Broadway theaters. Broadway soared into its peak in the mid 1920s. At this time there were over eighty theaters on Broadway but in recent years the number has declined. Yet, it still remain vibrantly active and under constant renewal.
According to the passage, nowadays Broadway______

A．has faced great decline
B．is in its peak
C．is in need of changes
D．is still the center of American theater activity

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