Part ⅡReading Comprehension (30 minutes 30%)

　　Directions: In this part there are four passages. 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 are required to decide on the choice that best answers the question or completes the statement.

　　Passage 1

　　Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.

　　The making of glass is a very old industry — at least 4,500 years old. Glass has many extraordinary qualities and it is frequently being used in new ways.

　　One of the most interesting new uses for glass is in telephone communication. Scientists have developed glass fibers as thin as human hair which are designed to carry light signals. When the light reaches the other end, it is first changed into electrical signals, which are in turn converted into sound messages.

　　Called light-wave communication, the new system was used successfully in an experiment in Chicago in 1977. During the experiment, two glass fibers were able to carry 672 conversations at the same time. The light-wave cable, containing 144 glass fibers, has the capacity to carry 50,000 conversations at the same time.

　　The light-wave communication system has two important advantages. First, the glass fiber cables are smaller and weigh less than copper cables. Second, they cost less.

　　Perhaps it can be said that telephone communication has entered the age of light!

　　21. One of the extraordinary qualities of glass is that it can carry __________.

　　A. sound signals B. light signals

　　C. electrical signals D. any signal

　　22. Before you can hear a message on the telephone using the new system, ________________.

　　A. electrical signals must first be changed into light signals and then into sound

　　B. the light signals have to be changed directly into sound messages

　　C. light must first be changed into electrical signals and then into sound

　　D. either the light or the electrical signals have to be changed into sound messages

　　23. Which of the following is not included in the passage?

　　A. Glass fiber cables are lighter than copper ones.

　　B. Glass fiber cables are used to carry light waves.

　　C. Light-wave communication has been for civil use of about 30 years.

　　D. Glass is a favorable material for telephone communication.

　　24. From the passage, you can tell that people prefer glass fiber cables to copper cables because ___________.

　　A. glass fibers are less expensive B. glass fibers deliver messages directly

　　C. glass fibers are more up to date D. glass fibers are easier to make

　　25. Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?

　　A. Glass is very useful because it has many unusual qualities.

　　B. Light signals have changed the use of glass in industry.

　　C. Glass fibers have reduced the cost of telephone communication.

　　D. The use of glass fibers to carry telephone messages is an interesting new development.

　　Passage 2

　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

　　In Washington D. C., 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a very special address. It is the address of the White House, the home of the president of the United States.

　　Originally the White House was gray and was called the Presidential Palace. It was built from 1792 to 1800. At this time, the city of Washington itself was being built. It was to be the nation's new capital city. George Washington, the first president, and Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer, chose the place for the new city. L'Enfant then planned the city. The president's home was an important part of the plan.

　　A contest was held to pick a design for the president's home. An architect named James Hoban won. He designed a large three-story house of gray stone.

　　President Washington never lived in the Presidential Palace. The first president to live there was John Adams, the second president of the United States, and his wife. Mrs. Adams did not really like her new house. In her letters, she often complained about the cold. Fifty fireplaces were not enough to keep the house warm'

　　In 1812 the United States and Britain went to war. In 1814 the British invaded Washington. They burned many buildings, including the Presidential Palace.

　　After the war James Hoban, the original architect, partially rebuilt the president's home. To cover the marks of the fire, the building was painted white. Before long it became known as the White House.

　　The White House is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States. Every year more than 1. 5 million visitors go through the five rooms that are open to the public.

　　26. The White House was built in Washington_________.

　　A. because a French engineer was invited to design it

　　B. because President George Washington liked to live in it

　　C. because the British invaders lived in it in 1812—1814

　　D. because it was to be the nation's capital city

　　27. The Presidential Palace was________.

　　A. painted gray and white B. made of gray stone

　　C. made of white stone D. made very warm in winter

　　28. The president's home and the city of Washington were _______.

　　A. built by the American army B. built by the British troops

　　C. planned by George Washington D. planned by the French

　　29. The original home of the president needed to be rebuilt_______.

　　A. because John Adams' wife did not like it

　　B. because it was cold in winter even with 50 fireplaces

　　C. because it had burned down during the war

　　D. because George Washington was not willing to live in it

　　30. The new presidential home was painted white to__________.

　　A. cover the marks of fire B. attract tourists from France

　　C. to please Mrs. John Aadams D. keep it warm in winter