Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:
What do Charles Darwin, Nicholas Copernicus and Frank J. Sulloway have in common?
The first two, of course, were revolutionary scientific thinkers: Copernicus established that
the Earth revolves around the sun;Darwin discovered natural selection. And Sulloway? He's a
historian of science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has discovered something else
these two men - and, indeed, most of the major pioneers in science over the last 400 years- have
in common: they were, like Sulloway himself, preceded in birth by at least one other brother or
sister. Birth order, he found, is the most reliable indicator of whether a scientist will embrace or
attack radical new ideas.
The third of four children, Sulloway has spent 20 years searching out the birth order of 2,
784 scientists who were on one side or the other of 28 scientific revolutions since the 16th century. He discovered that 23 of the 28 revolutions were led by later - borns.
Sulloway focused on the male - dominated world of science and the sole issue he measured
was willingness to challenge established opinions. Those least likely to accept new theories were
firstborns with younger brothers or sisters. The most radical were younger sons with at least one
older brother.
According to Sulloway' s theory, firstborn children identify more readily with parental au-
thority because, among other things, they are often put in charge of younger brothers or sisters.
Through this identification, firstborns absorb the norms (规范,准则) and values of society in
ways that subsequent children do not. The older child gets responsibility. They younger one
tests the limits, tries to see what he can get away with.
21. What is the main idea of the passage?
A) Later- borns are more intelligent than firstborns.
B) Revolutionary thinkers tend to recognize the influence of birth order.
C) Major scientists always have something in common in their way of thinking.
D) One's behaviour is often determined by birth order
22. The historian of science mentioned in the passage is of the family.
A) the youngest child
B) neither the eldest nor the youngest child
C) the only child
D) the eldest child
23. The 2,784 scientists Sulloway studied
A) had led 23 of the 28 scientific revolutions
B) were preceded in birth by at least one brother or sister
C) had either supported or opposed revolutionary ideas
D) had dominated the world of science for 400 years
24. According to Sulloway' s theory, who is most likely to challenge established ideas of science?
A) The only son with younger sisters.
B) Those who identify more readily with parental authority.
C) The only child of a family.
D) A person with at least one older brother or sister.
25. The author's attitude towards Sulloway's birth order theory is
A) critical B) defensive C) neutral D) inconsistent
Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:
The individual mobility, convenience, and status given by the private passenger car offer a
seemingly unbeatable attraction. In 1987, a record 126,000 cars rolled off assembly lines each
working day, and close to 400 million vehicles choke up the world's streets today.
But the car's usefulness to the individual stands in sharp contrast to the costs and burdens
that society must shoulder to provide an automobile- centered transportation system. Since the
clays of Henry Ford, societies have made a steady stream of laws to protect drivers from each
other and themselves, as well as to protect the general public from the unintended effects of
massive automobile use. Law makers have struggled over the competing goals of unlimited mobility and the individual' s fight to be free of the noise, pollution, and physical dangers that the
automobile often brings.
Prior to the seventies, the auto' s usefulness and assured role in society were hardly questioned. Even worries about uprising gas prices and future fuel availability subsided(减退) in the eighties almost as quickly as they had emerged. Car sales recovered, driving is up, and wealthy
customers are once more shopping for highperformance cars.
The motor vehicle industry's apparent success in dealing with the challenges of the seven-
ties has obscured the harmful long - term trends of automobile centered transportation. Rising
gasoline consumption will before long put increased pressure on oil production capacities. In addition, as more and more people can afford their own cars and as mass motorization takes hold,
traffic jam becomes a tough problem. And motor vehicles are important contributors to urban air
pollution, acid rain, and global warming.
Society's interest in fuel supply security, the integrity of its cities, and protection of the en-
vironment calls for a fundamental rethinking of the automobile's role. Stricter fuel economy and
pollution standards are the most obvious and immediate measures that can be adopted. But they
can only be part of the answer. In the years ahead, the challenge will be to develop innovative
(革新的) transportation policies.
26. Which of the following is TRUE according to the first paragraph?
A) A good car indicates its owner's high social position.
B) A good car allows its owner to travel free.
C) A car provides its owner with a sense of safety.
D) A car adds to its owner's attractiveness.
27. The phrase "rolled off assembly lines"(Para. 1, Lines 2 - 3) means
A) "were turned out from factories" B) "moved along production lines"
C) "moved along the streets" D) "were lined up in the streets"
28. The passage states that there is
A) a sharp contrast between the cost and usefulness of the cars
B) a sharp contrast between the cost and performance of the cars
C) a sharp conflict between car drivers and traffic rules
D) a sharp contradiction between the convenience of car owners and the burdens of society
29. It is implied that the auto's assured role in society is
A) threatened by the rising gas prices
B) challenged by a series of fundamental problems
C) protected by law
D) firmly established
30. Stricter fuel economy and pollution standards are
A) only part of the solution to massive automobile use
B) the best way to cope with the massive use of cars
C) innovative transportation policies
D) future policies of the automobile industry
