Passage 1
The destruction of our natural resources and contamination of our food supply continue to occur, largely because of the extreme difficulty in affixing (把…固定) legal responsibility on those who continue to treat our environment with reckless abandon (放任). Attempts to prevent pollution by legislation, economic incentives and friendly persuasion have been met by lawsuits, personal and industrial denial and long delays - not only in accepting responsibility, but more importantly, in doing something about it.
It seems that only when government decides it can afford tax incentives or production sacrifices is there any initiative for change. Where is industry's and our recognition that protecting mankind's great treasure is the single most important responsibility? If ever there will be time for environmental health professionals to come to the frontlines and provide leadership to solve environmental problems, that time is now.
We are being asked, and, in fact, the public is demanding that we take positive action. It is our responsibility as professionals in environmental health to make the difference. Yes, the ecologists, the environmental activists and the conservationists serve to communicate, stimulate thinking and promote behavioral change. However, it is those of us who are paid to make the decisions to develop, improve and enforce environmental standards, I submit, who must lead the charge.
We must recognize that environmental health issues do not stop at city limits, county lines, state or even federal boundaries. We can no longer afford to be tunnel-visioned in our approach. We must visualize issues from every perspective to make the objective decisions. We must express our views clearly to prevent media distortion and public confusion.
I believe we have a three-part mission for the present. First, we must continue to press for improvements in the quality of life that people can make for themselves. Second, we must investigate and understand the link between environment and health. Third, we must be able to communicate technical information in a form that citizens can understand. If we can accomplish these three goals in this decade, maybe we can finally stop environmental degradation, and not merely hold it back. We will then be able to spend pollution dollars truly on prevention rather than on bandages.
16. We can infer from the first two paragraphs that the industrialists disregard environmental protection chiefly because .
A) they are unaware of the consequences of what they are doing
B) they are reluctant to sacrifice their own economic interests
C) time has not yet come for them to put due emphasis on it
D) it is difficult for them to take effective measures
17. The main task now facing ecologists, environmental activists and conservationists is .
A) to prevent pollution by legislation, economic incentives and persuasion
B) to arouse public awareness of the importance of environmental protection
C) to take radical measures to control environmental pollution
D) to improve the quality of life by enforcing environmental standards
18. The word "tunnel-visioned" (Line 2, Para. 4) most probably means " ".
A) narrow-minded
B) short-sighted
C) blind to the facts
D) able to see only one aspect
19. Which of the following, according to the author, should play the leading role in the solution of environmental problems?
A) Legislation and government intervention.
B) The industry's understanding and support.
C) The efforts of environmental health professionals.
D) The cooperation of ecologists, environmental activists and conservationists.
20. Which of the following is true according to the last paragraph?
A) Efforts should be exerted on pollution prevention instead of on remedial measures.
B) More money should be spent in order to stop pollution.
C) Ordinary citizens have no access to technical information on pollution.
D) Environmental degradation will be stopped by the end of this decade.
Passage 2
British universities, groaning under the burden of a huge increase in student numbers, are warning that the tradition of a free education is at risk. The universities have threatened to impose an admission fee on students to plug a gap in revenue if the government does not act to improve their finances and scrap some public spending cutbacks.
The government responded to the universities' threat by setting up the most fundamental review of higher education for a generation, under a non-party troubleshooter (调停人), Sir Ron Dearing.
One in three school-leavers enters higher education, five times the number when the last review took place thirty years ago
Everyone agrees a system that is feeling the strain after rapid expansion needs a lot more money - but there is little hope of getting it from the taxpayer and not much scope for attracting more finance from business.
Most colleges believe students should contribute to tuition costs, something that is common elsewhere in the world but would mark a revolutionary change in Britain. Universities want the government to introduce a loan scheme for tuition fees and have suspended their own threatened action for now. They await Dearing's advice, hoping it will not be too late - some are already reported to be in financial difficulty.
As the century nears its end, the whole concept of what a university should be is under the microscope. Experts ponder how much they can use computers instead of classrooms, talk of the need for lifelong learning and refer to students as "consumers."
The Confederation (联盟) of British Industry, the key employers' organization, wants even more expansion in higher education to help fight competition on world markets from booming Asian economies. But the government has doubts about more expansion. The Times newspaper agrees, complaining that quality has suffered as student numbers soared, with close tutorial supervision giving way to "ass production methods more typical of European universities."
21. The chief concern of British universities is .
A) how to tackle their present financial difficulty
B) how to expand the enrollment to meet the needs of enterprises
C) how to improve their educational technology
D) how to put an end to the current tendency of quality deterioration
22. We can learn from the passage that in Britain .
A) the government pays dearly for its financial policy
B) universities are mainly funded by businesses
C) higher education is provided free of charge
D) students are ready to accept loan schemes for tuition
23. What was the percentage of high school graduates admitted to universities in Britain thirty years ago?
A) 20% or so.
B) Above 30%.
C) About 15%.
D) Below 10%.
24. It can be inferred from the passage that .
A) the British government will be forced to increase its spending on higher education
B) British employers demand an expansion in enrollment at the expense of quality
C) the best way out for British universities is to follow their European counterparts
D) British students will probably have to pay for their higher education in the near future
25. Which of the following is the viewpoint of the Times newspaper?
A) Expansion in enrollment is bound to affect the quality of British higher education.
B) British universities should expand their enrollment to meet the needs of industry.
C) European universities can better meet the needs of the modern world.
D) British universities should help fight competition on world markets.
Passage 3
There's a simple premise behind what Larry Myers does for a living: If you can smell it, you can find it.
Myers is the founder of Auburn University's Institute for Biological Detection Systems, the main task of which is to chase the ultimate in detection devices - an artificial nose.
For now, the subject of their research is little more than a stack of gleaming chips tucked away in a laboratory drawer. But soon, such a tool could be hanging from the belts of police, arson (纵火) investigators and food-safety inspectors.
The technology that they are working on would suggest quite reasonably that, within three to five years, we'll have some workable sensors ready to use. Such devices might find wide use in places that attract terrorists. Police could detect drugs, bodies and bombs hidden in cars, while food inspectors could easily test food and water for contamination.
The implications for revolutionary advances in public safety and the food industry are astonishing. But so, too, are the possibilities for abuse: Such machines could determine whether a woman is ovulating (排卵), without a physical exam - or even her knowledge.
One of the traditional protectors of American liberty is that it has been impossible to search everyone. That's getting not to be the case.
Artificial biosensors created at Auburn work totally differently from anything ever seen before. Aroma Scan, for example, is a desktop machine based on a bank of chips sensitive to specific chemicals that evaporate into the air. As air is sucked into the machine, chemicals pass over the sensor surfaces and produce changes in the electrical current flowing through them. Those current changes are logged into a computer that sorts out odors based on their electrical signatures.
Myers says they expect to load a single fingernail-size chip with thousands of odor receptors (感受器), enough to create a sensor that's nearly as sensitive as a dog's nose.
26. Which of the following is within the capacity of the artificial nose being developed?
A) Performing physical examinations.
B) Locating places which attract terrorists.
C) Detecting drugs and water contamination.
D) Monitoring food processing.
27. A potential problem which might be caused by the use of an artificial nose is .
A) negligence of public safety
B) a hazard to physical health
C) an abuse of personal freedom
D) a threat to individual privacy
28. The word "logged" (Line 5, Para. 7) most probably means " ".
A) preset
B) entered
C) processed
D) simulated
29. To produce artificial noses for practical use, it is essential .
A) to develop microchips with thousands of odor receptors
B) to invent chips sensitive to various chemicals
C) to design a computer program to sort out smells
D) to find chemicals that can alter the electrical current passing through
30. The author's attitude towards Larry Myers' work is .
A) cautious
B) approving
C) suspicious
D) overenthusiastic
简答题：
Joe Templer should have known better: after a11, he works for a large auto-insurance company. It won't hurt to leave the key in the truck this once , he thought ,as he filled his gas tank at a self-service gas station. But moments later, as he was paying the money , he saw the truck being driven away.
In 1987,1.6 million motor vehicles were stolen in the United States-one every 20 seconds. If current trends continue, experts predict annual vehicle thefts could exceed two million by the end of the decade.
Vehicle theft is a common phenomenon, which has a direct impact on over four million victims a year. The cost is astonishing.
Many police officials blame professional thieves for the high volume of thefts. It is a major money-maker for organized crime. Typically, stolen cars are taken to pieces and the parts-sold to individuals. But as many as 200,OOcars are smuggled out of the country every year. Most go to Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.
Only about 15 percent car thefts result in arrest, because few police departments routinely conduct in-depth auto-investigations. When thieves are arrested, judges will often sentence them to probation (缓刑),not immediately put them in prison because the prisons are overcrowded with violent criminals.
One exception is a Michigan program that assigns 92 police officers to work full-time on the state 's 65,OOO car theft cases a year. since 1986, when he effort began, the state's auto-theft rate has fallen from second in the nation to ninth.
How can you protect your car? If you live in a high-theft area or drive an expensive model ,consider a security system. It may cost anywhere from $25 to $1,000.Some systems engage automatically-simply removing the key disables the fuel pump and the starter. When cars are equipped with such systems, thefts may drop by one-third. In some states, you may be able to use a device that transmits radio signals, allowing stolen cars to be tracked by police.
(1)What is the passage mainly about?
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(2)What does the author think Joe Templer should be blamed for?
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(3)How serious did the author predict the annual vehicle theft could be in the United States in 1989?
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(4)What are the two ways thieves sell the stolen cars?
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(5)What type of security system can help the police track down a stolen car?
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答案：
Passage 1: BBDCA
Passage 2: ACDDA
Passage 3: CDBAB
简答题：
1. Vehicle theft, car theft
2. leaving his key in the truck. His carelessness
3. It could exceed two million, more than 2 million cars would be stolen.
4. Selling their parts and smuggling them abroad.
5. A device that transmits radio signals.