Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Direction: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each
of them there are four choices marked A), B) C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding
letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:
The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched （草盖的）roof cottages around a church; a drive through a narrow
village street lines with thatched cottages painted pink or white; the sight in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.
Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts practiced in the British Isles （英论诸岛）. Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too.
Thatching is a solitary（独自的）craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practiced toady has
changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, maintaining and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.
In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways.
People in developing countries are often reluctant to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings.
However, they may lack the money to allow them to import the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched
roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heat.
21. Which of the following remains a unique feature of the English countryside?
A) Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses.
B) Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings.
C) Cottages with thatched roofs.
D) churches with cottages around them.
22. What do we know about thatching as a craft?
A) It is a collective activity.
B) It is practised on farms all over England.
C) It is quite different from what it used to be.
D) It is in most cases handed down among family members.
23. Thatched houses are still preferred because of _________.
A) their style and comfort
B) their durability
C) their easy maintenance
D) their cheap and ready-made materials
24. People in developing countries also live under thatch because ________.
A) thatched cottages are a big tourist attraction
B) thatched roof houses are the cheapest
C) thatch is an effective defense against the heat
D) they like thatched houses better than other buildings
25. We can learn from the passage that _________.
A) thatched cottages in England have been passed down from ancient times
B) thatching is a building craft first created by the English people
C) the English people have a special liking for thatched houses
D) most thatched cottages in England are located on hillsides
Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:
President Coolidge’s statement, “The business of America is business,” still points to an important truth today -that
business institutions have more prestige（威望） in American society than any other kind of organization, including the
government. Why do business institutions posses this great prestige?
One reason is that Americans view business as being more firmly based on the ideal of competition than other institutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major source of progress and prosperity by most Americans, competitive business institutions are respected. Competition is not only good in itself, it is the means by which other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected.
Competition protects the freedom of the individual by ensuring that there is no monopoly （垄断）of power. In contrast to one, all-powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for profits. Theoretically, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where many businesses compete for the customers’ dollar, they cannot afford to treat them like inferiors or slaves.
A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which si a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders are not. Many Americans believe, then, that competition is as important, or even more important, that democracy in preserving freedom.
Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the ideal of equality of opportunity. Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American alternative to social rank based on family background. Business is therefore viewed as an expression of the idea of equality of opportunity rather than the aristocratic （贵族的）idea of inherited privilege.
26. The statement “The business of America is business” probably means “________”.
A) The business institutions in America are concerned with commerce
B) Business problems are of great importance to the American government
C) Business is of primary concern to Americans
D) America is a great power in world business
