Ⅳ. Reading Comprehension (60 points)
Directions:
There are four reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by five questions. For each question there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose one best answer and blacken the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.
Passage One
Students enrolled at least half time may borrow up to $3,000 form the government over a two-year period. Repayment of the loan begins six months after the student leaves school. These loans carry on interest until this time. The current interest rate is 5 percent. Students may borrow up to $4,500 annually from a bank, credit union, savings and loan association or other eligible lender. Repayment on these loans usually begins six months after the student leaves school. These loans carry no interest until this time. This current interest rate is 9 percent. Parents may borrow up to $300 annually for each dependent college. Repayment begins forty-five days after receiving the loan, and the interest rate is 12 percent.
61. Which of the following is the main purpose?
A.To remind students and their families to repay their loan.
B.To compare interest rates.
C.To inform students and parents of the various loans available.
D.To show that government loans charge the least interest.
62. The highest interest rate is charged to _______.
A. full-time students B. parents
C. students borrowing from a credit union D. half-time students
63. If parents had three children in college how much could they borrow annually?
A. 900 B. 3,000 C. 300 D. 9,000
64. According to the passage which of the following is true.
A.The government lends students enrolled at least half time up to 3,000 annually.
B.Students may borrow up to $4,500 annually from four sources.
C.Students enrolled less than half time may borrow money.
D.The current interest rate from banks is 5 percent.
65. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
A.the student’s school determines who is an eligible lender
B.money is available for student loans
C.students need not be enrolled half time to borrow money
D.the interest rate on student loans is increasing
Passage Two
Are you aware that you actually possess six senses? The sixth is a muscular sense responsible for directing your muscles intelligently to the exact extent necessary for each action you perform. For example, when you reach for an object, the sensory nerves linking the muscles to the brain stop your hand at the correct spot. This automatic perception of the position of your muscles in relation to the object is your muscular sense in action.
Muscles are stringly bundles of fibers varying from one five-thousandth of an inch to about three inches. They have three unique characteristics, they can become shorter and thicker; they can stretch; and they can retract to their original positions. Under a high-powered microscope, muscle tissue is seen as long, slender cells with a grainy texture like wood.
More than half of a person’s body is composed of muscle fibers, most of which are involuntary-in other words, work without conscious direction. The voluntary muscles, those that we move consciously to perform particular actions, number more than five hundred. Women have only 60 to 70 percent as much muscle as men for their body mass. That is why an average woman can’t lift as much, throw as far, or hit as hard as an average man.
66. According to the selection, the muscular sense is responsible for ______.
A. the efficiency of our muscles B. the normal breathing function
C. directing our muscles intelligently D. the work of only our involuntary muscles
67. Intelligent use of the muscles means that ________.
one always knows what his muscles are doing
one performs simple actions whithout working
one’s muscles are used only to the extent necessary for each action they perform
one improves muscular action consciously
68. Muscles are unique fibers because, they can ________.
A. contract B. stretch C. retract D. do all of the above
69. Under a microscope, muscle cells appear to be _______.
A. textured like wood B. colored like wood
C. smooth and red D. short and thick
70. According to the selection more than half of a person’s body is composed of ______.
A. voluntary muscles B. involuntary muscles
C. muscle fibers D. sensory nerves
Passage Three
The large part which war played in English affairs in the Middle-Ages, the fact that the control of the army and navy was in the hands of those that spoke French, and the circumstances that much of English fighting was done in France all resulted in the introduction into English of a number of French military terms. The art of war has undergone such changes since the battles of Hastings, Lewes, and Agincourt that many words once common are now only in historical use. Their places have been taken by later borrowings, often like wise from French, many of them being words acquired by the French in the course of their wars in Italy during the sixteenth century. Yet we still use French words of the Middle Ages when we speak of the army and the navy, of peace, enemy, battle, soldier, guard and spy, and we have kept the names of officers such as captain and sergeant. Some of the French terms were introduced into English because they were needed to express a new object or a new idea. In other cases a French and a native English word for the same thing existed side by side. Sometimes one or the other has since been lost from the language; but sometimes both the borrowed and the native word have been still in common use.
71. The main idea of this passage is that ______.
A.most of today’s common English military terms dated from the sixteenth century or later
B.a study of the English vocabulary shows the important part which war has played in the history of England
C.many French words borrowed into English during the Middle Ages have since disappeared from the language
D.many military terms used in English were originally borrowed from French, some as early as the Middle Ages
72. All of the following have something to do with the introduction into English of many French military terms except that _______.
A.war played an important part in English affairs in the Middle Ages
B.the English army and navy were controlled by those who spoke French in the war between England and France
C.France invaded England in the Middle Ages and many battles were fought in England
D.much of English fighting was done in France in the war between England and France
73. The art of war has undergone such changes that _______.
A.we no longer use any French words of the Middle Ages
B.many words once common are not used any longer and they are replaced by Italian words
C.French military terms have disappeared from the English language
D.many words once common are now only in historical use and their places have been taken by the newly-borrowed words
74. Which of the following is not the French word borrowed into English during the Middle Ages?
A. sergeant B. battle C. spy D. fight
75. The writer takes the words “battle” and “fight” as an example to show______.
A.French words are needed to express something new
B.French and a native word for the same thing have been still in common use side by side
C.French word or the other has been lost from the English language
D.“battle” is the borrowed word and “fight” is the native one