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Part II Reading Comprehension
(35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. 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 with a single line through the center.
Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
Long after the 1998 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing (裁判) decisions that denied victory to their team. A researcher was appointed to study the performance of some top referees.
The researcher organized an experimental tournament (锦标赛) involving four youth teams. Each match lasted an hour, divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge.
Observers noted down the referees’ errors, of which there were 61 over the tournament. Converted to a standard match of 90 minutes, each referee made almost 23 mistakes, a remarkably high number.
The researcher then studied the videotapes to analyse the matches in detail. Surprisingly, he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident. When the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 meters away from the action. The average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters. The research shows the optimum (最佳的) distance is about 20 meters.
There also seemed to be an optimum speed. Correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second. The average speed for errors was 4 meters per second.
If FIFA, football’s international ruling body, wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next World Cup, it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance, rather than rushing to keep up with the ball, the researcher argues.
He also says that FIFA’s insistence that referees should retire at age 45 may be misguided. If keeping up with the action is not so important, their physical condition is less critical.
21. The experiment conducted by the researcher was meant to ________.
A) review the decisions of referees at the 1998 World Cup
B) analyse the causes of errors made by football referees
C) set a standard for football refereeing
D) reexamine the rules for football refereeing
22. The number of refereeing errors in the experimental matches was ________.
A) slightly above average
B) higher than in the 1998 World Cup
C) quite unexpected
D) as high as in a standard match
23. The findings of the experiment show that ________.
A) errors are more likely when a referee keeps close to the ball
B) the farther the referee is from the incident, the fewer the errors
C) the more slowly the referee runs, the more likely will errors occur
D) errors are less likely when a referee stays in one spot
24. The word “officials” (Line 2, Para. 4) most probably refers to ________.
A) the researchers involved in the experiment
B) the inspectors of the football tournament
C) the referees of the football tournament
D) the observers at the site of the experiment
25. What is one of the possible conclusions of the experiment?
A) The ideal retirement age for an experienced football referee is 45.
B) Age should not be the chief consideration in choosing a football referee.
C) A football referee should be as young and energetic as possible.
D) An experienced football referee can do well even when in poor physical condition.
Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
While still in its early stages, welfare reform has already been judged a great success in many states—at least in getting people off welfare. It’s estimated that more than 2 million people have left the rolls since 1994.
In the past four years, welfare rolls in Athens Country have been cut in half. But 70 percent of the people who left in the past tow years took jobs that paid less than $6 an hour. The result: The Athens County poverty rate still remains at more than 30 percent—twice the national average.
For advocates (代言人) for the poor, that’s an indication much more needs to be done.
“More people are getting jobs, but it’s not making their lives any better,” says Kathy Lairn, a policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington.
A center analysis of US Census data nationwide found that between 1995 and 1996, a greater percentage of single, female-headed households were earning money on their own, but that average income for these households actually went down.
But for many, the fact that poor people are able to support themselves almost as well without government aid as they did with it is in itself a huge victory.
“Welfare was a poison. It was a toxin (毒素) that was poisoning the family,” says Robert Rector, a welfare-reform policy analyst. “The reform in changing the moral climate in low-income communities. It’s beginning to rebuild the work ethic (道德观), which is much more important.”
Mr. Rector and others argued that once “the habit of dependency is cracked,” then the country can make other policy changes aimed at improving living standards.
26. From the passage, it can be seen that the author ________.
A) believes the reform has reduced the government’s burden
B) insists that welfare reform is doing little good for the poor
C) is overenthusiastic about the success of welfare reform
D) considers welfare reform to be fundamentally successful
27. Why aren’t people enjoying better lives when they have jobs?
A) Because many families are divorced.
B) Because government aid is now rare.
C) Because their wages are low.
D) Because the cost of living is rising.
28. What is worth noting from the example of Athens County is that ________.
A) greater efforts should be made to improve people’s living standards
B) 70 percent of the people there have been employed for two years
C) 50 percent of the population no longer relies on welfare
D) the living standards of most people are going down
29. From the passage we know that welfare reform aims at ________.
A) saving welfare funds
B) rebuilding the work ethic
C) providing more jobs
D) cutting government expenses
30. According to the passage before the welfare reform was carried out, ________.
A) the poverty rate was lover
B) average living standards were higher
C) the average worker was paid higher wages
D) the poor used to rely on government aid
