PART III READING COMPREHENSIONS
　　In this section there are four reading passages followed by fifteen multiple-choice questions. Read the passages and then mark your answers on your Answer Sheet.
　　TEXT A Art of Middle Ages In the art of the Middle Ages, we never encounter the personality of the artist as as individual; rather it is diffused through the artistic genius of centuries embodied in the rules of religious art. Art of the Middle Ages is first a sacred script, the symbols and meanings o which were well settled. The circular halo placed vertically behind the head signifies sainthood, while the halo impressed with a cross signifies divinity. By bare feet, we recognize God, the angels, Jesus Christ and the apostles, but for an artist to have depicted the Virgin Mary with bare feet would have been tantamount to heresy. Several concentric, wavy lines represent the sky, while parallel lines water or the sea. A tree, which is to say a single stalk with two or three stylized leaves, inform us that the scene is laid on earth. A tower with a window indicates a village, and, should an angel be watching from depicted with curly hair, a short beard, and a tonsure, while Saint Paul has always a bald head and a long beard. A second characteristic of this iconography is obedience to a sacred mathematics. "The Divine Wisdom," wrote Saint Augustine, "reveals itself everywhere in numbers", a doctrine attributable to the neo —— Platonists who revived the genius of Pythagoras. Twelve is the master number of the Church and is the product of three, the number of the Trinity, and four, the number of material elements. The number seven, the most mysterious of all numbers, is the sum of four and three. There are the seven ages of man, seven virtues, seven planets. In the final analysis, the seven-tone scale of Gregorian music is the sensible embodiment of the order of the universe. Numbers require also a symmetry. At Charters, a stained glass window show the four prophets, Isaac, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Jeremiah, carrying on their shoulders the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. A third characteristic of art is to be a symbolic language, showing us one thing and inviting us to see another. In this respect, the artist was called upon to imitate God, who had hidden a profound meaning behind the literal and wished nature itself to be a moral lesson to man. Thus, every painting is an allegory. In a scene of the final judgment, we can see the foolish virgins at the left hand of Jesus and the wise at his right, and we understand that this symbolizes those who are lost and those who are saved. Even seemingly insignificant details carry hidden meaning: The lion in a stained glass window is the figure of the Resurrection. These, then, are the defining characteristics of art of the Middle Ages, a system within which even the most mediocre talent was elevated by the genius of the centuries. The artists of the early Renaissance broke with traditional at their own peril. When they are not outstanding, they are scarcely able to avoid insignificance and banality in their religious works, and, even when they are great, they are no more than the equals of the old masters who passively followed the sacred rules.
　　36. What does the circular halo placed behind the head signify in the art of the Middle Ages?
　　A) divinity
　　B) sainthood
　　C) God
　　D) sky
　　37. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the characteristics of the art of the Middle Ages?
　　A) It follows a kind of mathematics.
　　B) It's religious art, employing symbols to convey its meanings.
　　C) Art becomes an allegory, beyond each painting some profound meanings are hidden.
　　D) Art of the Middle Ages embodies the personality of the artist in a diffused way.
　　38. How does the writer value art of the Middle Ages?
　　A) The art of the Middle Ages is elevated by its religious and sacred facet.
　　B) Artists of the Middle Ages were absolutely talented.
　　C) The art of the Middle Ages formed its own unique system.
　　D) The religious works in the Middle Ages reached unparallel height in art.
　　TEXT B 　 "The US economy is rapidly deteriorating," says Mr. Grannis. "The odds of a recession are now very high, perhaps by the end of the year." There are already some signs that important pillars are weakening. Consumer confidence has fallen for the past two months. The housing sector, which has been buoyant, is starting to sink. Corporate profits are falling. Some analysts are especially concerned over the sharp fall of commodity prices. They believe it represents the threat of deflation, it could cause a global slowdown. "The Fed will have to act forcefully to arrest the deflationary forces," says Robert Lamorte, chairman of Behavioral Economics, a consulting firm is San Diego. But other counter that the central bank doesnt need to intervene. They argue the Fed should wait to see real data before acting. "The fundamentals are better than the stock market reflects", says Peter Kretzmer, an economist at Nations-Banc Montgomery Security. 　 Indeed, President Clinton tried to do his part to calm the market during his trip to Moscow, citing the strong job market and balanced budget. "We believe our fundamental economic policy is sound," he said. His comments echoed statements by Peter Rubin in Washington. 　 Some numbers do continue to reflect a strong economy. On sep. 1, the Conference Board released its index of leading indicators. The index rose 0.4 percent, prompting the business organization to predict that the nations output should increase at a moderate pace for the rest of 1998. The group sees little risk of recession in the near term. 　 But what has changed is the global economy. Japan and the rest of Asia are in recession. The woes are spreading to Latin America. 　 "Im now convinced we are going to have a global economic recession," says Sung Won Sohn, chief economist at Norwest Corp, a Minneapolis-based bank. But, he added, its not certain the US will slide into a period of negative growth. He rates the risk of recession at only 10 to 15 percent. "We will be responding to the world economic situation rather than leading it." he says. 　 Still, Fed watchers dont think the central bank will act to try to save the world. "Its inconceivable the Fed could make much difference in Asia, Russia, or Latin America," says Lyle Gramley, a former Fed governor. 　 After the last stock market crash, in 1987, the Federal Reserve acted quickly to provide liquidity to the markets and to lower interest rates. But the economy is in better shape this time. The banking sector is stronger and the financial markets have been able to respond the enormous trading volume. "It is not the Feds job to manage the stock market," says Mr. Kretzmer. 　 But the Fed will keep a close watch on Wall Street. If the market were to shave another 1,500 points off the Dow by the end of September, "then the Fed would think about lowering interest rates," says Mr. Gramley. In his view, the Feds main concern will be the impact of a sliding market on consumer confidence. Since 40 percent of the nation has investments in the stock market, any prolonged slide might make individuals feel less wealthy. 　 They would cut back on vacations and "splurge" purchases. He expects the central bank to watch the next consumer confidence surveys and housing statistics closely.
　　39. What did President Clinton try to do during his trip to Moscow?
　　A) to pacify the market
　　B) to make a speech on American economy.
　　C) to intervene
　　D) to cooperate with Russian to pursue sustainable development.
　　40. What is the Fed's main concern according to Mr. Gramley?
　　A) to provide liquidity to the market
　　B) to keep a close watch on Wall Street, if there is a stock market crash, it will lower interest rates
　　C) to observe the influence of a sliding market on consumer confidence and give a timely response
　　D) to prevent the stock market from sliding too much
　　41. Which of the following is the most appropriate title for this passage?
　　A) Threat of Deflation in US.
　　B) Economic Situation in US.
　　C) Where US Economy is Heading.
　　D) The Sign of Recession in US Economy.