Part II Reading Comprehension (40 points)

　　Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each of the passages is followed by 5 questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center.

　　Passage One

　　Finding fresh drinking water was not a problem in the Roman Empire. The ancient Romans built aqueducts (from the Latin words aqua, meaning "water," and ductus, meaning "channel"). The pipes and channels wound down hills and valleys, transporting freshwater from remote lakes and streams to cities. Engineers designed each aqueduct so that water would drop precisely 24 feet per mile. A steeper slope would bring too much water too quickly. Less of a slope would cause the water to stagnate. Stone bridges with multiple arches were built to support aqueducts where the land dipped too sharply. Many of the bridges can still be found in Europe. At the Roman Empire's peak in the first and second centuries, nearly 200 cities had water supplied by aqueducts.

　　Rome, the empire's capital, had 11 aqueducts for its estimated 1 million people. When the water reached Rome, it flowed into large containers, or tanks, on high ground. From there, it was distributed through pipes to different areas of the city. Some water was sold to rich citizens for their private use; some went to supply large public baths; the rest went to public fountains, located at crossroads throughout Rome that were never more than 109 yards apart. Experts say that each citizen of Rome could have used an average of 265 gallons of fresh, clean water per day — more than what's available in some cities today.

　　16. The Roman Empire had plentiful supply of fresh drinking water because __________.

　　A. many bridges were built to in Europe.

　　B. water dropped precisely 24 feet per mile.

　　C. aqueducts were built to transport freshwater.

　　D. a lot of lakes and streams surrounded the cities.

　　17. What does the underlined word stagnate in the first paragraph mean?

　　A. flow slowly B. stop flowing C. start flowing D. flow constantly

　　18. Stone bridges with multiple arches were built because__________.

　　A. bridges made the cities more beautiful.

　　B. bridges were necessary to connect cities.

　　C. Europeans were fond of building bridges.

　　D. some places were not high enough to support aqueducts.

　　19. From the last sentence of the second paragraph we can infer that__________.

　　A. there were many public fountains in Rome.

　　B. the ancient Rome had a quite good water supply system.

　　C. many parts of the world are in need of fresh drinking water.

　　D. the ancient Romans were rich enough to have enough clean water.

　　20. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

　　A. Rome’s Waterways B. The Distribution of Water

　　C. Bridges with Arches D. Public Fountains in Rome

　　Passage Two

　　The Carr family of Wendell returns this week from Disney World on their first vacation ever, but the circumstances for taking it are one they would never have wanted. The trip was a result of the generosity of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the nation’s largest wish granting organization for children with life threatening illnesses.

　　Kaleb Carr, 3, has cancer in the retina of the eye. After six months of treatment, he is considered stable. One tumor is now dead cells and the other is a large mass and doctors aren't sure if it is active or not, said Kaleb's mother, Holly Carr.

　　The family enjoyed their first vacation and thus had a week of freedom from visits to the doctor and worry. “They take you step by step through things so you can be worry and carefree and just concentrate on having fun with the family,” said Holly.

　　The vacation included a three-day pass to Disney World, two days at Universal Studios, a day pass to Sea World, lodging and free food from restaurants at Give Kids the World Village, a resort for wish organizations. It also included VIP status at the parks which meant the Carrs didn't have to wait in lines.

　　"We are having a blast," said Holly last week from her cell phone. "They saw dolphins this morning and Kaleb got to feed the dolphins." Holly said the village where they stayed is a fantastic recreation of the children's Candy Land game with events every morning and night after park activities.

　　21. Why did the Carr family of Wendell visit Disney World?

　　A. Because some children suffered from life threatening illnesses.

　　B. Because they had planned to visit Disney World for a long time.

　　C. Because they received the support of a wish granting organization.

　　D. Because the children in the family enjoyed visiting the Disney World.

　　22. The family had one week of freedom from visits to the doctor and worry because__________.

　　A. one tumor of Kaleb Carr is now dead cells

　　B. they spent one week enjoying their first vacation

　　C. Kaleb Carr is considered stable after six months of treatment

　　D. doctors are not sure whether a tumor of Kaleb Carr is active or not

　　23. What kind of organization is the Give Kids the World Village?

　　A. an amusement park of Disney World

　　B. a resort for wish organizations

　　C. a theatre of Universal Studios

　　D. a theme park of Sea World

　　24. What does the underlined sentence we are having a blast in the last paragraph mean?

　　A. We are enjoying ourselves.

　　B. We are queuing to see dolphins.

　　C. We are waiting to feed dolphins.

　　D. We are planning to extend our stay.

　　25. Which of the following describes the main idea of the passage?

　　A. The Carr family is free from worries.

　　B. The Carr family have enjoyed a one-week vacation.

　　C. The Carr family planned to extend their stay in Disney World.

　　D. The Carr family have received financial support from a Foundation.