For many years, scientists couldn't figure out how atoms and molecules on the Earth combined to make living things. Plants, fish, dinosaurs, and people are made of atoms and molecules, but they are put together in a more complicated way than the molecules in the primitive ocean. What's more, living things have energy and can reproduce, while the chemicals on the Earth 4 billion years ago were lifeless.
After years of study, scientists figured out that living things, including human bodies, are basically made of amino acids and nucleotide bases. These are molecules with millions of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms. How could such complicated molecules have been formed in the primitive soup? Scientists were stumped.
Then, in 1953, two scientists named Harold Urey and Stanley L. Miller did a very simple experiment to find out what had happened on the Primitive Earth. They set up some tubes and bottles in a closed loop, and put in some of the same gases that were present in the atmosphere 4 billion years ago: water vapor, ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen.
Then they shot an electric spark through the gases to simulate bolts of lightning on the ancient Earth, circulated the gases through some water, sent them back for more sparks, and so on. After seven days, the water that the gases had been bubbling through had turned brown. Some new chemicals were dissolved in it. When Miller and Urey analyzed the liquid, they found that it contained amino acids-the very kind of molecules found in all living things.
61. When did scientists come to realize how the atoms and molecules on the Earth combined to make living thing?
A. 4 billion years ago. B.1953. C. After seven days.D. Many years later.
62. Scientists figured out that human bodies are basically made of .
A.amino acids
B.molecules
C. hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen atoms
D. water vapor, ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane and hydrogen
63. Harold Urey and Stanley L.Miller did their experiment in order to .
A. find out what had happened on the Earth 4 billion years ago
B.simulate bolts of lightning on the ancient Earth
C. dissolve some new chemicals
D.analyze a liquid
64. At the end of the last paragraph, the underlined word "it" refers to .
A. a closed loop B. an electric spark C.water D. the liquid
65. According to the writer, living things on the Earth include .
A. atoms and molecules B.chemicals
C. plants, fish, dinosaurs and human beings D.the primitive soup
Most Americans get what money they have from their work; that is, they earn an income from wages or salaries. The richest Americans, however, get most of their money from what they own — their stocks, bonds, real estate, and other forms of property, or wealth. Although there are few accurate statistics to go by, wealth in American society appears to be concentrated in very few hands. More than 20 percent of everything that can be privately owned is held by less than one percent of the adult population and more than 75 percent of all wealth is owned by 20 percent of American adults. The plain fact is that most Americans have no wealth at all aside from their homes, automobiles, and a small amount of savings.
Income in the United States is not as highly concentrated as wealth. In 1917 the richest 10 percent of American families received 26.1 percent of all income, while the poorest 10 percent received 17 percent, mainly from Social Security and other government payments. The most striking aspect of income distribution is that it has not changed significantly since the end of World War II. Although economic growth has roughly doubled real disposable (可自由使用的) family income (the money left after taxes and adjusted for inflation) over the last generation, the size of the shares given to the rich and the poor is about the same. By any measure economic inequality is great in the United States.
The reality behind these statistics is that a large number of Americans are poor. In 1918, 14 percent of the population was living below the federal government’s poverty line, which at that time was an annual income of $ 9 287 for a nonfarm family of two adults and two children. In other words, about one out of seven Americans over 31 million people was officially considered unable to buy the basic necessities of food, clothes, and shelter. The suggested poverty line in 1981 would have been an income of about $11 200 for a family of four. By this relative definition, about 20 percent of the population or more than 45 million Americans are poor. What does the majority of the Americans have in terms of wealth?
| A．Their income and savings. |
| B．Everything they own in their homes. |
| C．Actually, they have no wealth at all. |
| D．Their house, cars and small amounts of savings. |
What is the percentage of wealth that is in the hands of most Americans?
| A．More than 25%. | B．Less than 25%. |
| C．More than 75%. | D．Less than 20%. |
Why is economic inequality still great in the US in spite of the economic growth?
| A．Because the proportion of income received by the rich and the poor remains almost the same as in 1917. |
| B．Because the economic growth has widened the gap of the family income between the rich and the poor. |
| C．Because income in the US is still concentrated in the hands of the richest 10% of American families. |
| D．Because some Americans made great fortunes during the Second World War. |
What can we learn from comparison of the two poverty lines in the last paragraph?
| A．The poverty line of 1918 is more favorable to the poor than that of 1981. |
| B．The 1981 line didn’t leave much to the poor. |
| C．There were more Americans who were officially poor by the 1981 line. |
| D．There were more Americans who were officially poor by the 1918 line. |
From the last two sentences we can see that 1981 government’s poverty line _______.
| A．was of no good for the poor | B．was not put into operation then |
| C．was officially approved | D．was not helpful to the poor |
Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population. Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago. Because more people live longer, there are more people around at any given time. In fact, it is a decrease in death rates, not an increase in birthrates, that has led to the population explosion.
Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load. In all societies, people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures, old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die. In times of famine, infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved, where as if the parents survived they could have another child. In most contemporary(当代的) societies, people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work; we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age. Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement, somebody else must support them. In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illnesses than young or middle-aged people; unless they have wealth or private or government insurance, they must often “go on welfare” if they have a serious illness.
When older people become senile (衰老的) or too weak and ill to care for themselves, they create grave problems for their families. In the past and in some traditional cultures, they would be cared for at home until they died. Today, with most members of a household working or in school, there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person. To meet this need, a great many nursing homes and convalescent (疗养的) hospitals have been built. These are often profit making organizations, although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups. While a few of these institutions are good, most of them are simply “dumping (倒垃圾的) grounds” for the dying in which “care” is given by poorly paid, overworked, and under skilled personnel.The author believes that the population explosion results from _______.
| A．an increase in birthrates | B．the industrial development |
| C．a decrease in death rates | D．human beings’ cultural advances |
It can be inferred from the passage that in hunting and gathering cultures _______.
| A．it was a moral responsibility for the families to keep alive the aged people who could not work |
| B．the survival of infants was less important than that of their parents in times of starvation |
| C．old people were given the task of imparting the cultural wisdom of the tribe to new generations |
| D．death was celebrated as a time of rejoicing for an individual freed of the hardships of life |
According to the passage, which of the following statements about the old people in the United States is true?
| A．Many of them live on social security money which is hardly enough. |
| B．Minority of them remain in a state of near poverty after their retirement. |
| C．When they reach a certain age, compulsory retirement is necessary and beneficial. |
| D．With the growing inflation, they must suffer more from unbearable burdens than ever. |
The phrase “this need” in paragraph 3 refers to ________.
| A．prolonging the dying old people’s lives |
| B．reducing the problems caused by the retired people |
| C．making profits through caring for the sick or weak people |
| D．taking care of the sick or weak people |
Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude toward most of the nursing homes and convalescent hospitals?
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Approving. | C．Optimistic. | D．Critical. |
TODAY, Friday, November 12
JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at The Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen.
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at The Lord Napier, Mort lake High St., from 8a. m. to 8p. m. Tel: 682—1158.
SATURDAY, November 13
JAZZ Lysis at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 60p.
MUSICAL HALL at The Star and Garter, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel: 789—6749.
FAMILY night out? Join the sing-along at The Black Horse. Sheen Road, Richmond.
JAZZ The John Bennett Big Band at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 80p.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion(手风琴). Tel: 789—4536
SUNDAY, November 14
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco, free at The Lord Napier, Mort Lake High Street, from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m.
FOLK MUSIC at The Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-remembers 70p. Tel: 688—4626.
HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at The Bull, Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion. Where and when can you hear the Norman Chop Trio?
| A．At the Bull’s Head on Sunday. |
| B．At the Derby Arms on Sunday. |
| C．At the Bull on Saturday. |
| D．At the Black Horse on Saturday. |
Where and when can you hear the Mike Thomas Jazz Band?
| A．At the Derby Arms on Friday. |
| B．At the Black Horse on Friday. |
| C．At the Star and Garter on Saturday. |
| D．At the Derby Arms on Sunday. |
You want to enjoy the electric accordion on Saturday. Which telephone number do you have to ring to find out what time it starts?
| A．789—6749. | B．789—4536. | C．682—1158. | D．688—4626. |
You want to spend the Saturday by joining the entertainment with your family. Where should you go?
| A．Disco at The Lord Napier. |
| B．The sing-along at The Black Horse. |
| C．The electric accordion at The Derby Arms. |
| D．Jazz at The Bull’s Head. |
You want to spend the same day at two different places and don’t want to cross any street. Which of the following is your best choice?
| A．The sing-along at the Black Horse and Jazz at The Bull’s Head. |
| B．The sing-along at The Black Horse and Folk Music at The Derby Arms. |
| C．Folk Music at The Derby Arms and Heavy Music with Tony Simon at The Bull. |
| D．Musical Hal lat The Star ＆Garter and Disco at The Lord Napier. |
The British National Health Service (NHS) was set up in 1948 and was designed to provide equal basic health care, free of charge, for everybody in the country. Before this time health care had to be paid for by individuals.
Nowadays central government is directly responsible for the NHS although it is administered by local health authorities. About 83 percent of the cost of the health service is paid for by general taxation and the rest is met from the National Insurance contributions paid by those in work. There are charges for prescription and dental care but many people, such as children, pregnant women, pensioners, and those on Income Support, are exempt from payment.
Most people are registered with a local doctor (a GP, or General Practitioner) who is increasingly likely to be part of a health centre which serves the community.
As the population of Britain gets older, the hospital service now treats more patients than before, although patients spend less time in hospital. NHS hospitals — many of which were built in the nineteenth century — provide nearly half a million beds and have over 480, 000 medical staff. The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe although Britain actually spends less per person on health care than most of her European neighbours.
During the 1980s there was considerable restructuring of the Health Service with an increased emphasis on managerial efficiency and the privatization of some services (for example, cleaning). At the end of the 1980s the government introduced proposals for further reform of the NHS, including allowing some hospitals to be self-governing, and encouraging GPs to compete for patients. Patients would be able to choose and change their family doctor more easily and GPs would have more financial responsibility. The political questions continue of how much money should be provided to support the NHS and where it should come from. We can know from the first paragraph that ______________.
| A．the original aim of the NHS was to provide equal basic health care for everybody |
| B．people didn’t have to pay for health care since the NHS was set up |
| C．patients were charged for receiving health care before 1948 |
| D．the NHS was an organization which gave free advice to villagers |
What do we know about the NHS?
| A．It’s managed by the central government. |
| B．Its cost is mainly paid for by the National Insurance contributions. |
| C．It hires more people than any other unit in Europe. |
| D．Fewer patients go to its hospitals than before because they spend less on health care. |
All the following statements about GPs are true except that they ____________.
| A．take care of the local people’s health | |
| B．often take part in competitions to see who is the best | |
| C．work under high pressure nowadays | D．have more responsibilities than before |
What does the underlined word “exempt” probably mean?
| A．suffering | B．different | C．prevented | D．free |
The biggest problem for the NHS is ______________.
| A．many hospitals are too old to be used |
| B．some services are in the charge of individuals |
| C．more and more patients go to GPs for treatment |
| D．there is not enough money for further reform |
People do not analyze every problem they meet. Sometimes they try to remember a solution from the last time they had a similar problem. They often accept the opinions or ideas of other people. Other times they begin to act without thinking. They try to find a solution by trial and error. However, when all these methods fail, the person with a problem has to start analyzing. There are six stages in analyzing a problem.
First the person must recognize that there is a problem. For example, Sam’s bicycle is broken, and he cannot read it to class as he usually does. Sam must see that there is a problem with his bicycle.
Next the thinker must define the problem. Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must find out the reason why it does not work. For instance, he must determine if the problem is with the gears, the brakes, or the frame. He must make his problem more specific.
Now the person must look for information that will make the problem clearer and lead to possible solutions. For instance, suppose Sam decided that his bike does not work because there is something wrong with the gear wheels. At this time, he can look in his bicycle repair book and read about gears. He can talk to his friends at the bike shop. He can look at his gears carefully.
After studying the problem, the person should have several suggestions for a possible solution. Take Sam as an illustration. His suggestions might be: put oil on the gear wheels; buy new gear wheels and replace the old ones; tighten or loosen the gear wheels.
Eventually one suggestion seems to be the solution to the problem. Sometimes the final idea comes very suddenly because the thinker suddenly sees something new or sees something in a new way. Sam, for example, suddenly sees that there is a piece of chewing gum between the gear wheels. He immediately realizes the solution to his problem: he must clean the gear wheels.
Finally the solution is tested. Sam cleans the gear wheels and finds that afterwards his bicycle works perfectly. In short , he has solved the problem.What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Six Stages for Repairing Sam’s Bicycle | B．Possible Ways to Problem-solving |
| C．Necessities of Problem Analysis | D．Suggestions for Analyzing a Problem |
In analyzing a problem we should do all the followingexcept.
| A．recognize and define the problem | B．look for information to make the problem clearer |
| C．have suggestions for a possible solution | |
| D．find a solution by trial or mistake |
By referring to Sam’s broken bicycle, the author intends to _________.
| A．illustrate the ways to repair his bicycle |
| B．discuss the problems of his bicycle |
| C．tell us how to solve a problem |
| D．show us how to analyze a problem |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．People do not analyze the problem they meet. |
| B．People often accept the opinions or ideas of other people. |
| C．People may learn from their past experience. |
| D．People can not solve some problems they meet. |
As used in the last sentence, the phrase “in short” means _________.
| A．in the long run | B．in detail | C．in a word | D．in the end |