Exercise 12

Exercise 12

Section B

Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, and C. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.

(A)

The year was 1993 and the Detroit Tigers were playing the New York Yankees. When my son began dropping gentle hints that a game would take place at Tiger Stadium on Mother’s Day that year, I already knew who they were playing with! "Hey Mom, would you like to go to see the Tigers play the Yankees?" My senior high son asked with a playful look. I just smiled.

There had been a lot of talk about a new stadium in place of the one that stood proudly on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull in Detroit. As I sat in the seating section, I wondered how the old place could actually become a thing of the past. It was so alive; the stadium was full of watchers and the excitement with two good ball teams, the smell of popcorn.

The announcer recognized all Mother’s and each one received a gift which I still have today. Don Mattingly was a favorite ball player of our sons and he was one of the many players that made up the team that beat the Tiger’s that May Day. While we drank our favorite soft drink, we watched the guy with the number 23 shirt hit a home run during the game. The fans went wild. The Yankees won 11 to 2.

Part of the excitement comes from a visit to the old ballpark . While the organ music played, everyone stood and sang Take Me Out To the Ballgame. It was part of the fun about a trip to the ballpark; and it didn’t matter who you were cheering for.

The last game played at Tiger Stadium was in 1999 against the Kansas City Royals. We had moved to South Carolina in 1997, but my son was working in Detroit. The old stadium is still standing; I guess they just didn’t have the heart to tear down a piece of history. What I didn’t realize at the time was that it would be the last game I would attend with our now grown son together.

66. What can we infer from the first paragraph?

A. The writer was a fan of the ball game.

B. The ball game took place on the May Day.

C. Her son was one of the ball players.

Exercise 12

D. The Detroit Tigers would lose the game.

67. What did the writer mainly want to tell us in the second paragraph?

A. People were all expecting a new stadium.

B. The old stadium was really too crowded.

C. More people were interested in the game.

D. The writer liked the old stadium very much.

68. According to the passage, Don Mattingly_______

A. was the best player in the Tigers B. belonged to the Yankees

C was the writer’s favorite ball player D. wore the number 32 shirt in the game

69. What happened to the Tiger Stadium after the game in 1999?

A. It was torn down. B. It was used for other purposes.

C. It was still used for the game. D, The music was often played there.

(B)

"Well, I finally did it. I finally decided to enter the digital age and get a cell phone. My kids have been annoying me and the last straw was when my car broke down, and I was stuck by the highway for an hour before someone stopped to help. But when I went to the cell phone store, I almost changed my mind. The phones all have cameras, computers and a "global-positioning" something or other that's supposed to spot me from space. Goodness, all I want to do is to be able to talk to my grandkids! The people at the store weren't much help. They couldn't understand why someone wouldn't want a phone the size of a postage stamp. And the rate plans! They were

confusing, and expensive ... and the contract (合同) lasted for two years! I'd almost given up until a friend told me about her new Jitterbug phone. Now, I have the convenience and safety of being about to stay in touch -- with a phone I can actually use."

Affordable plans that I can understand -- and no contract to sign (签订)! Unlike other cell phones, Jitterbug has plans that make sense. Why should I pay for minutes I'm never going to use? And if I do talk more than I plan, I won't find myself with no minutes like my friend who has a prepaid phone. Best of all, there is no contract to sign — so I'm not locked in for years at a time. The US-based customer service is second to none. And the phone gets service anywhere in the country.

Exercise 12

Call now and receive a FREE gift when you order. Try Jitterbug for 30 days and if you don't love it, just return it! Why wait, the Jitterbug comes ready to use right out of the box. If you aren't as happy with it as I am, you can return it and get your money back. Call now, the Jitterbug product experts are ready to answer your questions.

Call 1-888-809-8794 or visit www. jitterbugdirect. com.

70. What made "I" finally think of getting a cell phone?

A. Being stuck by the highway.

B. Being urged by his grandkids.

C. Being persuaded by cell phone salespersons.

D. Being attracted by the friendly return policy.

71. On the monthly basis of 100 minutes, the Jitterbug weekly rate is about ________.

A. $3.75 B. $4.99 C. $14. 99 D. $19.99

72. An advantage of Jitterbug mentioned in the passage is ________.

A. its discount price with a free gift

B. its reasonable rate plans without a contract

C. its "global-positioning" system with 911 access

D. its good customer service all over the world

73. The main purpose of the passage is to ________.

A. tell a customer's story of Jitterbug

B. provide two ways to order Jitterbug

C. give a brief introduction of Jitterbug

D. attract potential customers to Jitterbug

(C)

Energy independence. It has a nice ring to it. Doesn’t it? If you think so, you’re not alone, because energy independence has been the dream of American president for decades, and never

Exercise 12 more so than in the past few years, when the most recent oil price shock has been partly responsible for kicking off the great recession. “Energy independence” and its rhetorical (修辞的) companion “energy security” are,

however, slippery concepts that are rarely though through. What is it we want independence from, exactly? Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil. But there are reasons that we buy all that old from elsewhere.

The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running. Yes, there is a trickle（涓涓细流）of bio-fuel available, and more may become available, but most bio-fuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction.

Second, Americans have basically decided that they don’t really want to produce all their own oil. They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad. Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection. To what extent are Americans really willing to endure the

environmental impacts of domestic energy production in order to cut back imports?

Third, there are benefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency, and when we buy things from places that have lower production costs than we do, we benefit. And although you don’t read about this much, the United States is also a large exporter of oil products, selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum products per day to about 90 countries.

There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies on that steady flow to maintain its economy. When that flow is interrupted, we feel the pain in short supplies and higher prices. At the same time, we derive massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade around the world.

74. According to the passage, energy independence will make America__________.

A. ensure international security B. realize everyone’s dream

C. bring oil prices down D. sound very attractive

75. What does the author think of bio-fuels?

A. keep America’s economy running healthily.

B. do not provide a sustainable energy supply.

C. prove to be a good alternative to petroleum.

D. can be produced in large quantity in a short time

A. It wants to expand its storage of crude oil.

B. It wants to keep its own environment undamaged

C. Its own oil reserves are quickly being used up.

D. Its own oil production falls short of demand.

77. The author’s purpose in writing the passage is_________.

A. To arouse Americans’ awareness of the energy crisis.

76. Why does American depend on oil imports a lot?

Exercise 12

B. To explain the increase of international oil trade.

C. To justify America’s dependence on oil imports.

D. To stress the importance of energy conservation. Keys: 66-69 ADBB

70-73 ABBD

74-77 DBBC