III. Reading Comprehension

　　Section A There are two reading passages in this section. Each passage is followed by 5 questions. Each question is provided with four answers marked A, B, C, and D. Choose the ONE that best answers the question.

　　Passage 1

　　A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. “Is this your car, Mister?” he asked.

　　Paul nodded. “My brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was astounded. “You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you nothing? Boy, I wish….” He hesitated.

　　Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.

　　“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.”

　　Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, “Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?”

　　“Oh yes, I’d love that.”

　　After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, “Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?”

　　Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.

　　He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

　　“There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m gonna give you one just like it…, then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”

　　Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride. That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said: “It is more blessed to give….”

　　B51. The boy was astounded.

　　A. He was very surprised. B. He was so surprised that he was shocked.

　　C. He was extremely surprised. D. The car was so beautiful that he felt excited.

　　A52. Paul looked at the boy…, then impulsively he added, “….”

　　A. he did this without planning and thinking B. he did this with careful thinking

　　C. he was impelled by his brother to do this D. he was forced by his mother to do this

　　D53. The boy was not coming fast because .

　　A. he was coming down the steps B. he wanted to sit down on the steps

　　C. he wanted to see the car clearly D. he was carrying his crippled brother

　　D54. He…squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

　　A. moved closer and touched him B. held him tightly in his arms

　　C. pushed him nearer to the car D. pulled him closer and supported him

　　C55. …the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

　　A. easy to remember B. likely to be noticeable

　　C. worth remembering D. likely to be seen

　　Passage 2

　　No specific food will prevent or ease facial lines. But you can slow your rate of wrinkling by eating the right foods to keep the fat layers under your skin sufficiently plump to maintain a smooth complexion. For example, while one baked sweet potato, eight ounces of orange juice or ten potato chips provide about 100 calories, only the sweet potato and orange juice supply quality calories. The sweet potato is rich in vitamin A, which helps skin cells shed smoothly, and the juice provides vitamin C, which helps form collagen, the supportive substance that gives youthful skin its elastic quality. Good sources of vitamin A include dark-green, orange and deep-yellow vegetables, and orange-colored fruits. Citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C.

　　Drink plenty of water. Once you’re past your 20s, many of your skin’s natural moisturizers— sweat and oil glands—shut down, and the top layer of skin thins out. As a result, skin no longer holds moisture well. Also, if you don’t drink enough water to replace what you lose every day through urination and perspiration, your body pulls what it needs from your cells, including skin cells, resulting in drier, older-looking skin.

　　To minimize dryness, drink at least eight to ten eight-ounce glasses of water a day. Don’t count drinks such as coffee, tea and cola as part of your daily intake. They contain caffeine, a diuretic that may increase water loss from the skin, as will alcohol.

　　Another symptom of aging you can offset with diet is lowered resistance to illness. However, vitamin E may strengthen the immune system. In an American study, researcher Simin Meydani gave 32 healthy adults over age 60 large doses of vitamin E twice a day for a month. As a result, their lymphocyte function was significantly improved. Foods rich in vitamin E include dark-green, leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole-grain cereals.

　　Food is not a quick fix for aging. But a sound diet—plenty of fiber, water and vitamin-rich, deep-colored fruits and vegetables—is bound to have a positive effect on your overall health and looks.

　　56. To maintain a smooth complexion, you should C .

　　A. slow your rate of wrinkling B. keep a certain fat layer under your skin

　　C. eat some proper foods D. drink plenty of coffee

　　57. Good sources of Vitamin A comes from A .

　　A. sweet potato B. orange juice C. citrus fruit D. tea

　　58. If you don’t drink enough water C .

　　A. sweat and oil glands will shut down B. top layer of skin will thin out

　　C. drier, older-looking skin will appear D. skin no longer holds moisture

　　59. To minimize dryness, the best choice of your daily intake is A .

　　A. water B. coffee and tea C. cola D. wine

　　60. Proper intake of Vitamin E may B .

　　A. lower resistance to illness B. improve the immune system

　　C. increase water loss from the skin D. make a good diet