The Chinese of 3500 years ago believed that the earth was a chariot, and the sky was a curved canopy(天空)stretched above it. The canopy was nine layers thick, and it sloped slightly to the northwest, as a cataclysm(地陷)had broken one of its supporting columns. This gentle slope explained the movement of the stars from east to west.

　　According to these ancient Chinese beliefs, the sun spent the night on earth and ascended to the sky each morning from the luminous valley of the earth by climbing the branches of an immensely tall sacred tree. To the Chinese people, the sun was the incarnation of goodness, beauty, and truth. In popular imagination, the sun was represented as a cock that little by little assumed human form. His battles with the dragons, which personified evil in their beliefs, accounted for momentary disappearances of the sun that men now call eclipses. Many of the Chinese people worshiped the sun, but in the vast and complicated organization of the Chinese gods, the sun was of only secondary importance.

　　Along with these unsophisticated beliefs about the sun, the Chinese evolved a science of astronomy based upon observation—though essentially religious—which enabled them to predict eclipses of the sun and the movement of the stars. Such predictions were based on calculations made by using a gnomon(【天文】日晷儀指針)—an object whose shadow could be used as a measure, as with a sundial or simple shadow pointers. Moreover, with the naked eye, the Chinese observed sunspots, a phenomenon not then known to their contemporaries.

　　16. The ancient Chinese believed that the earth ______.

　　A. was a chariot B. sloped to the northwest

　　C. was supported by columns D. had nine layers

　　答案：A

　　17. To the Chinese people, the sun represented ______.

　　A. the primary god B. evil

　　C. goodness, beauty and truth D. combat

　　答案：C

　　18. The sun‘s disappearances were thought to be caused by ______.

　　A. fights with cocks B. fights with dragons

　　C. a scientific phenomenon D. eclipse

　　答案：B

　　19. Ancient Chinese astronomy could be accurately described as ______.

　　A. entirely religious in nature B. based on legendary figures

　　C. advanced in some areas D. completely unsuccessful

　　答案：A

　　20. Implied but not stated: ______.

　　A. The sun was worshiped by all the Chinese people

　　B. The sun was thought of as a cock

　　C. Chinese religion and astronomy were closely interrelated

　　D. Sundials were first used by the Chinese

　　答案：D　While a new school term is about to begin, perhaps we should reconsider the matter of examinations. In July, two writers (Letters to the Editor) praised the cancellation of exams because they believe “tests don't tell the whole story.”

　　As a teacher who has worked in four countries, I have had the experience that a student who earns good marks is generally a good student, and that a student's final mark in a subject is usually a grade average of the year's work. Of course there are exceptions, but they do not have the frequency that would give an unfair picture of a student's ability.

　　The simple fact is that proper class work, diligent exam studies and good marks are almost certain indicators or a student's future performance. The opposite, almost certainly, incompetence.

　　There is no acceptable substitute for competition and examination of quality. How can teachers and future officials determine what a student has learned and remembered? Should we simply take the student's word for it? Any institution that “l(fā)iberates” students from fair and formal exams is misguided, if not ignorant. And surely the “graduates” of such institutions will lack trustworthiness, not to mention being rejected by foreign universities for graduate or other studies.

　　When all is said and done, I sense that a fear of failure and a fear of unpleasant comparisons with others is at the bottom of most ban�瞖xams talk. Excellence and quality fear nothing. On the contrary, they seek competition and desire the satisfaction of being the best.

　　21. Which of the following will the author of this passage agree with?

　　A. Tests are not effective in measuring the students'abilities.

　　B. Tests are an effective measure of the students'abilities.

　　C. Tests can only measure some of the students'abilities.

　　D. Tests may not be useful for measuring students'abilities.

　　答案：B

　　22. The two writers mentioned in the first paragraph ______.

　　A. opposed judging students by the results of exams

　　B. must have proposed other ways of testing students

　　C. regarded exams as a way of punishing students

　　D. seemed to be worried about the poor marks of their students

　　答案：A

　　23. According to the letter, a student's final mark ______.

　　A. is often encouraging

　　B. often gives a fair picture of the year's work

　　C. often proves unreliable

　　D. often tells whether he likes the subject or not

　　答案：B

　　24. If a student graduated from a university which does not require exams he would ______.

　　A. have to continue his studies

　　B. have a feeling of failure

　　C. be incompetent

　　D. not be admitted by foreign institutions

　　答案：D

　　25. According to the letter, those who dislike the idea of examinations are probably afraid of ______.

　　A. competing with other students B. being graded unfairly

　　C. working too hard D. being dismissed from school

　　答案：A