5. This passage is primarily concerned with
A. the greenhouse effect
B. the burning of fossil fuels
C. the potential effect of air pollution
D. the likelihood of a new ice age
Passage Four
Robert Spring, a 19th century forger (偽造者), was so good at his profession that he was able to make his living for 15 years by selling false signatures of famous Americans. Spring was horn in England in 1813 and arrived in Philadelphia in 1858 to open a book store. At first he prospered by selling his small but genuine collection of early U. S. auto graphs. Discovering his ability at copying handwriting, he began imitating signatures of George Washington and Ben Franklin and writing them on the title pages of Old books. To lessen the chance of detection, he sent his forgeries to England and Canada for sale and circulation.
Forgers have a hard time selling their products. A forger can't approach a respectable buyer but must deal with people who don't have much knowledge in the aged paper of the title-page, and who can't treat paper and ink with chemicals.
In Spring's time, right after the Civil War, Britain was still fond of the Southern states, so Spring invented a respectable maiden lady known as Miss Fanny Jackson, the only daughter of General “Stonewall” Jackson. For several years Miss Fanny's financial problems forced her to sell a great number of letters and manuscripts belonging to her famous father. Spring had to work very hard to satisfy the demand. All this activity did not prevent Spring from dying in poverty, leaving sharp-eyed experts the difficult task of separating his forgeries from the originals.
1. Why did Spring sell his false autographs in England and Canada?
A. There was a greater demand there than in America.
B. There was less chance of being detected there.
C. Britain was Spring's birthplace.
D. The prices were higher in England and Canada.
2. After the Civil War, there was a great demand in Britain for
A. Southern money
B. Signatures of George Washington and Ben Franklin
C. Southern manuscripts and letters
D. Civil War battle plans
3. Robert Spring spent 15 years
A. running a bookstore in Philadelphia
B. corresponding with Miss Fanny Jackson
C. as a forger
D. as a respectable dealer
4. The author in the passage implied that
A. Robert Spring was highly skilled in coping handwriting and imitating signature
B. Robert Spring died in poverty
C. Robert established a bookstore in Philadelphia in 1858
D. forgeries are casually sold to persons who aren't experts
S. The best title of this passage is
A. An Imaginary Person
B. A Forger－Robert Spring
C. A Book Dealer
D The Signature of George Washington
Passage Five
There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degrees of health and wealth and the other comforts of life, one becomes happy, the other becomes miserable. This arises from different ways in which they consider things, persons, and events, and the resulting effects upon their minds.
The people who are to be happy fix their attention on the conveniences of things, the pleasant parts of conversation, the well-prepared dishes, the goodness of the wines, and fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the contrary things. Therefore, they are continually discontented. By their remarks, they sour the pleasures of society, offend many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind were founded in nature, such unhappy persons would he the more to be critical. The tendency to criticize and be disgusted is perhaps taken up originally by imitation. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be string, but it may be cured when those who have it are convinced of its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious consequences in life, since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others, nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect, and scarcely that. This frequently puts them in had-temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at obtaining some advantage in rank or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone stir a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public disapproval, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their misconduct. These people should change this had habit and condescend (俯就) to he pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about them selves and others. If they do not, it will ha good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.
1. People who are to be unhappy
A. always consider things differently from others
B. usually are influenced by the results of certain things
C. can discover the unpleasant part of certain things
D. usually have a fault-finding habit
2. The phrase 'sour the pleasures of society” most nearly means
A. 'have a good taste to the pleasures of society'
B. 'aren't content with the pleasures of society'
C. 'feel happy with the pleasures of society'
D. 'enjoy the pleasures of society'
3. Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?
A. We should pity all such unhappy people.
B. Such unhappy people are critical about everything.
C. If such unhappy people recognize the bad effects of the habit on themselves they may
get rid of it.
D. Such unhappy people are also not content with themselves.
4. The phrase "scarcely that" means
A. “just like that” B. “almost not like that”
C. “more than that” D. “not at all like that”
5. If such unhappy persons don't change their bad behavior, the author's solution to the problem is
that
A. people should avoid contact with them
B. people should criticize their misconduct
C. people should help them recognize the bad effects of the habit
D. people should show no respect and politeness to them
Passage Six
A breakthrough in the provision of energy from the sun for the European Economic Community (EEC) could be brought forward by up to two decades, if a modest increase could be provided in the EEC's research effort in this field, according to the senior EEC scientists engaged in experiments in solar energy at EEC's scientific laboratories at Ispra, near Milan.
The senior West German scientist in charge of the Community's solar energy program, Mr. Joachim Gretz, told journalists that at present levels of research spending it was most unlikely that solar energy would provide as much as three per cent of the Community's energy requirements even after the year 2000. But he said that with s modest increase in the present sums, devoted by the EEC to this work it was possible that the breakthrough could be achieved by the end of the next decade.
Mr. Gretz calculates that if solar energy only provided three per cent of the EEC's needs, this could still produce a saving of about a billion pounds in the present bill for imported energy each year. and he believes that with the possibility of utilizing more advanced technology in this field it might be possible to satisfy a much bigger share of the Community's future energy needs.
At present the EEC spends about $ 2. 6 millions a year on solar research at Ispra, one of the EEC's official joint research centers, and another $ 3 millions a year in indirect research with universities and other independent bodies.
1. The phrase “be brought forward” in line 2 most probably means
A. be expected B. be completed
C. be advanced D. be introduced
2. Some scientists believe that s breakthrough in the use of solar energy depends on
A. sufficient funding B. further experiments
C. advanced technology D. well-equipped laboratories
