2018年上半年成人学位英语考前模拟试题及答案（16）_第2页

　　Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)

　　Directions: There are 4 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

　　Passage One

　　Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage.

　　More than half of the world’s population live in cities. Traffic and pollution are becoming big problems in big cities all over the world. In cities like Mexico City, Shanghai or Cairo the quality of air is getting worse every day. In the United States, people spend more time sitting in traffic jams.

　　Some of the world’s cities have already found the answer to the problem. In Bogota, the capital of Columbia, the government has taken measures to improve the quality of life for the city’s 8 million people. They created over a thousand new parks, a new public transport system, and built hundreds of cycling and walking paths. People who live in the city also joined in making their city one of the most livable places in South America.

　　Today city planners around the world are looking for ways to provide more room for living and less room for cars. In America, public transport has increased over 2 % since the mid 1990s — not much but a start. More and more people leave their cars at home and get on buses, trains or even ride a bike to work. Some cities are far better at planning than others. In Amsterdam, for example, only 40 % of the population use their cars to get to work, 35 % ride bikes while 25% use public transport. In Paris, about half of the city’s workers drive their cars to work.

　　For cities in developing countries, the problems have just started. Traffic is getting worse as more and more people can afford to buy a car.

　　11. The writer listed Mexico City, Shanghai and Cairo as examples of cities of ______.

　　A) heavy traffic B) air pollution

　　C) rapid development D) large population

　　12. What does the sentence (para.1) “people spend more time sitting in traffic jams.” mean?

　　A) Time-consuming on road is longer than ever before.

　　B) More time is spent in cars than other daily routine.

　　C) People spend more time sitting in cars than out-of car activities.

　　D) traffic jams will be getting worse in the future.

　　13. What did Bogota do to improve the quality of life for its people?

　　A) It shut down some factories in the city.

　　B) It introduced a foreign public transport system.

　　C) It encouraged people to plant trees in the city.

　　D) It built new parks and a new public transport system.

　　14. From the third paragraph, we can learn that _______.

　　A) 35% of the population in Paris ride bikes to work

　　B) half of the people in Amsterdam drive their cars to work

　　C) a quarter of the people in Amsterdam use public transport

　　D) American public transport has increased much since the 1990s

　　15. What would be the best title of the text?

　　A) Ways to solve traffic jams

　　B) New changes in transport systems

　　C) People’s new choice in big cities

　　D) Parks instead of cars for cities

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage.

　　Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow. While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up, they all consist of a parenting couple and children, one or more of whom is of a previous union. Such combinations of his kids, her kids, and then, possibly, kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties, more challenging than those of traditional families.

　　Since stepfamilies involve more people and, consequently, more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage, it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to marriage. Not only do the prospective (预期的) marital partners need agreement about their own carriers, life goals, finance and special interests, they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings. Furthermore， there are often the rights of other relatives to consider.

　　As for any family, the basic ingredients (成分) of a successful stepfamily are affection, kindness and mutual respect. However, love alone is not enough. Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built, but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily.

　　Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success. Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit. Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others， this skill can be learned and improved. Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully.

　　Planning and building a stepfamily is not a responsibility to take lightly. It can be a very trying and, at times, seemingly impossible effort. Many potential troubles can arise and threaten to destroy the stepfamily. Nevertheless, meeting and mastering these special challenges can bring unexpected satisfactions and rewarding depths of family closeness and affection.

　　16. According to the passage, there are _______ in the United States.

　　A) more stepfamilies than the regular families

　　B) more stepfamilies than ever before

　　C) fewer stepfamilies than ever before

　　D) fewer stepfamilies than traditional ones

　　17. Which of the following can help avoid the potential problems arising in a stepfamily?

　　A) The pursuit of the same careers.

　　B) Professional interventions.

　　C) The development of special interests.

　　D) Careful planning before the marriage.

　　18. Many people believe that ______ contributes most to the building of a successful stepfamily.

　　A) everlasting loyalties B) open communication

　　C) kindness and mutual respect D) persistent affection

　　19. It is natural for a stepfamily to be _______.

　　A) complicated B) unrealistic

　　C) ambitious D) guilty

　　20. According to the author, planning and building a stepfamily is ______.

　　A) challenging and impossible B) satisfying and rewarding

　　C) discouraging and frustrating D) a difficult and trying experience