Part III: Reading Comprehension (40%)

　　Passage One

　　Questions 33 to 37 are based on the following passage.

　　Want to see a good film – without leaving the house? Well, just switch on the television. That’s fine for most of us, but people couldn’t do so 20 or 30 years age. A visit to the cinema was “an evening out,” a film was something special. Young people still go to the cinema often. Children watch a lot of television. Films and film stars are a strong force in our lives. So it is surprising how little film education there is in schools. Why don’t more children learn how films are made, and why they are made? The best film education is when children make a film of their own. This is not too difficult. Three things are important – the cost, the idea of the film, and organization. A 4-minute film can cost as little as 10. Schools can hire the necessary equipment. They can also borrow films that other children have made. This helps them to see what is possible in a short film. Children will be making the film, so the main ideas for the film must come form them. When these have been agreed, the organization begins. Someone must Write the film and plan the filming. Some children will be actors, others camera men, lighting men, technicians and so on. They all have to practice a lot before the film itself is made. They learn a great deal about the technical problems of films, and about themselves.

　　33. A film was once something special because ________.

　　A) people had to go to the cinema

　　B) television was not so popular as now

　　C) people didn’t have to leave the house

　　D) there weren’t many films 20 or 30 years ago

　　34. The word “This” (Line 1, Paragraph 2) refers to ________.

　　A) getting the idea of a film

　　B) learning how to make films

　　C) organizing filming activities

　　D) making a film by children themselves

　　35. It is good for children to make their own films at school because

　　A) they can learn a lot about filming C) they can entertain themselves

　　B) they like films and film stars D) they want to become film stars

　　36. The author writes this passage mainly to tell us ________.

　　A) the low cost of making films

　　B) the important things in making films

　　C) why and how to make films in schools

　　D) whether to offer children film education

　　37. We can conclude from the passage that ________.

　　A) children can benefit a lot from making films

　　B) it is necessary for children to go to the cinema

　　C) children spend too much time watching TV

　　D) it is difficult for children to make films of their own

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 38 to 42 are based on the following passage.

　　What is happening in our weather? Of course we have never been able to predict exactly what the weather will be like, but now strange weather patterns are seriously affecting many parts of the world. For example, droughts (旱災) in Mexico and Brazil have recently caused great crop losses and in the United States they have even had to make their own snow for the Winter Olympics!

　　Scientists have found that the cause of this strange weather is that the air circulation pattern has changed and is now more variable than earlier in the twentieth century. This means that different regions of the world get long spells (持續(xù)時間) of the same type of weather, whether hot , cold, wet or windy. However, weather experts have different views about why this has happened. One theory is that the temperature of the sea has increased. Another is that man’s activities on earth have disturbed the balance of nature.

　　Whatever the cause, the economics of many countries in the world depend upon the weather. And until we know exactly what effect man’s activities are having on the weather, we cannot make changes which might help. So for the moment the only answer is „wait and see !

　　38. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the first paragraph?

　　A) We have never predicted the weather

　　B) Man is now able to control the weather

　　C) Strange weather has appeared only in some North American countries

　　D) It has always been impossible for man to predict the weather accurately.

　　39. The strange weather patterns on the earth can he best described as ________.

　　A) steady and balanced C) likely to cause serous disasters

　　B) changeable but predictable D) unpredictable but favorable to man

　　40. The word “affecting” in Paragraph 1 can be replaced by ________.

　　A) yielding good crops in C) causing few losses in

　　B) having harmful effects on D) producing desired effects on

　　41. We can learn from Paragraph 2 that ________.

　　A) weather patterns are similar in different regions of the world

　　B) the air circulation pattern remains unchanged in the last century

　　C) our weather depends on the changes in the air circulation pattern

　　D) it is possible to predict weather patterns over a long period of time

　　42. It can be learned from this passage that ________.

　　A) scientists have similar opinions about the changing weather

　　B) no one is sure about the cause of the changing weather

　　C) cutting down forests has affected the climate

　　D) the weather will become worse in the future