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Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
There are desert plants which survive the dry season in the form of inactive seeds. There are also desert insects which survive as inactive larvae (幼蟲). In addition, difficult as it is to believe, there are desert fish which can survive through years of drought (干旱) in the form of inactive eggs. These are the shrimps (小蝦) that live in the Mojave Desert, an intensely dry region in the south-west of the United States where shade temperatures of over 50C are often recorded.
The eggs of the Mojave shrimps are the size and have the appearance of grains of sand. When sufficient spring rain falls to form a lake, once every two to five years, these eggs hatch (孵化). Then the water is soon filled with millions of tiny shrimps about a millimetre long which feed on tiny plant and animal organisms which also grow in the temporary desert lake. Within a week, the shrimps grow from their original 1 millimetre to a length of about 1.5 centimetres.
Throughout the time that the shrimps are rapidly maturing, the water in the lake equally rapidly evaporates. Therefore, for the shrimps it is a race against time. By the twelfth day, however, when they are about 3 centimetre long, hundreds of tiny eggs form on the underbodies of the females. Usually by this time, all that remains of the lake is a large, muddy patch of wet soil. On the thirteenth day and the next, during the final hours of their brief lives, the shrimps lay their eggs in the mud. Then, having ensured that their species will survive, the shrimps die as the last of the water evaporates.
If sufficient rain falls the next year to form another lake, the eggs hatch, and once again the shrimps pass rapidly through their cycle of growth, adulthood, egg-laying, and death. Some years there is insufficient rain to form a lake: in this case, the eggs will remain dormant for another years, or even longer if necessary. Very, very occasionally, perhaps twice in a hundred years, sufficient rain falls to form a deep lake that lasts a month or more. In this case, the species passes through two cycles of growth, egg-laying, and death. Thus, on such occasions, the species multiplies considerably, which further ensures its survival.
21. Which of the following is the MOST distinctive feature of Mojave shrimps?
A) Their lives are brief.
B) They feed on plant and animal organisms.
C) Their eggs can survive years of drought.
D) They lay their eggs in the mud.
22. By saying “for the shrimps it is a race against time” (Para. 3, line 2) the author means ________.
A) they have to swim fast to avoid danger in the rapidly evaporating lake
B) they have to swim fast to catch the animal organisms on which they survive
C) they have to multiply as many as possible within thirteen days
D) they have to complete their life cycle within a short span of time permitted by the environment
23. The passage mainly deals with ________.
A) the life span of the Mojave shrimps
B) the survival of desert shrimps
C) the importance of water to life
D) life in the Mojave Desert
24. The word “dormant” (Para. 4, Line 3) most probably means ________.
A) inactive
B) strong
C) alert
D) soft
25. It may be inferred from the passage that ________.
A) appearance and size are most important for life to survive in the desert
B) a species must be able to multiply quickly in order to survive
C) for some species one life cycle in a year is enough to survive the desert drought
D) some species develop a unique life pattern to survive in extremely harsh conditions
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
Opportunities for rewarding work become fewer for both men and women as they grow older. After age 40, job hunting becomes even more difficult. Many workers stay at jobs they are too old for rather than face possible rejection. Our youth-oriented, throw-away culture sees little value in older people. In writer Lilian Hellman’s words, they have “the wisdom that comes with age that we can’t make use of. “
Unemployment and economic need for work is higher among older women, especially minorities, than among younger white women. A national council reports these findings: though unemployed longer when seeking work, older women job-hunt harder, hold a job longer with less absenteeism (缺勤), perform as well or better, are more reliable, and are more willing to learn than men or younger women. Yet many older women earn poor pay and face a future of poverty in their retirement years. When “sexism meets ageism, poverty is no longer on the doorstep it moves in,” according to Tish Sommers, director of a special study on older women for the National Organization for Women.
Yet a 1981 report on the White House Conference on Aging shows that as a group, older Americans are the “wealthiest, best fed, best housed, healthiest, most self-reliant older population in our history. “This statement is small comfort to those living below the poverty line, but it does explode some of the old traditional beliefs and fears. Opportunities for moving in and up in a large company may shrink but many older people begin successful small businesses, volunteer in satisfying activities, and stay active for many years. They have few role models because in previous generations the life span was much shorter and expectations of life were fewer. They are ploughing new ground.
Employers are beginning to recognize that the mature person can bring a great deal of stability and responsibility to a position. One doesn’t lose ability and experience on the eve of one’s 65th or 70th birthday any more than one grows up instantly at age 21.
26. After the age of 40, ________.
A) most workers are tired of their present jobs
B) many workers tend to stick their present jobs
C) people find their jobs more rewarding than before
D) people still wish to hunt for more suitable jobs
27. From Heilman’s remark, we can see that ________.
A) full use has been made of the wisdom of older people
B) the wisdom of older people is not valued by American society
C) older people are no less intelligent than young people
D) the wisdom of older people is of great value to American society
28. Tish Sommers argues that ________.
A) older women find it hard to escape poverty
B) older women usually perform better in their jobs
C) the major cause of the poverty of older women is sexism
D) more people have come to believe in sexism and ageism
29. According to the third paragraph, it can be seen that older Americans ________.
A) have more job opportunities than young people
B) live below the poverty line
C) have new opportunities to remain active in society
D) no longer believe in the promise of a happy life upon retirement
30. It can be concluded from the passage that the writer ________.
A) calls attention to the living conditions of older Americans
B) believes that value of older people is gaining increasing recognition
C) attempts to justify the youth-oriented, throw-away culture of the United States
D) argues people should not retire at the age of 65 or 70
