【正文】 12. With the increase in the number of TV channels________. A. the cost of TV advertising has decreased B. the number of TV viewers has increased C. advertisers39。 and for young people, a sign of being an adult. Altogether, cars mean very much to Americans. 57. In 1971, about seventeen percent of American families______. A. did not own a car B. owned less than two cars C. owned more than two cars D. owned just one car 58. The automobile has caused traffic problems in the city, but on the other hand , it _____. A. has stopped the growth of the neighbors B. has helped in the growth of the suburbs C. has directed the growth of the suburbs D. has interfered with the growth of the suburbs 59. The automobile may ________. A. keep up friendships among the neighbors B. weaken the tie of friends C. force people to seek enjoyment far from home D. keep neighbors away from each other 60. In the first sentence of the second paragraph, the word ―boon‖ means ____. A. help B. ball C. threat D. danger 61. Due to the lack of gasoline ________. A. people ignored the driving laws B. people drive faster C. more people were killed in auto accidents D. less people were killed in auto accidents Passage Two In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has bee a highly controversial and sharply political issue since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in act, designed to protect species, living area, and policies that preserve land and forests pete with economic interests. In the 1990, s, for example, the woodcutters in the Western United States were challenged legally in their attempt to cut trees for timber in the Cascade Mountains. The challenge was mounted to protect the endangered spotted owl (貓頭鷹 ), whose remaining population occupies these forests and requires the intact, ancient forest for survival. The problematic situation set the interests of environmentalists against those of corporations and of individuals who stood to lose jobs. After months of debate and legal battles, the fate of the woodcutters – and the owls – was still undecided in mid – 1992. Similar tensions exist between the developed and the developing nations. Many people in industrialized nations, for example, believe that developing nations in tropical regions should do more to protect their rainforests and other natural areas. But the developing countries may be impoverished (使窮困 ), with populations growing so rapidly that using the land is a means to temporarily avoid worsening poverty and starvation. Many of the changes to Earth that concern scientists have the potential to rob the pla of its biological richness. Global warming, for example, could wipe out species unable to quickly adapt to changing climates. Clearly, protecting Earth’s biological diversity is a plex problem. But solutions to humanity’s current problems will e only through coordinated international efforts to control human population, stabilize the position of the atmosphere, and preserve intact Earth’s plex web of life. 62. Why does the author say that the protection of endangered species is a highly controversial issue? A. Because people can’t agree as to what species to protect. B. Because it is difficult to find an effective way to protect such species. C. Because it affects the interests of certain groups of people. D. Because it is a major problem involving a series of legal procedures. 63. According to the passage, what truly in the impoverishment of the developing countries? A. The rapid growth of population. B. The preservation of rainforests. C. The cutting of rainforests. D. The conflicts between developed countries and developing countries. 64. According to the passage, cutting trees to grow more food ____. A. will widen the gap between the developed and the developing countries B. is but a short – term relief to the food problem C. can hardly alleviate the shortage of food D. proves to be an effective way for impoverished nations 65. Among ―humanity’s current problems‖ (Line 4, ), the chief concern of the scientists is ___. A. the impoverishment of developing countries. B. the explosion of the human population. C. the reduction of biological diversity. D. the effect of global warming. 66. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is _____. A. to describe the difficulties in solving humanity’s current problems. B. to present the different views on humanity’s current problems C. to analyze the contradiction between countries in dealing with humanity’s current problems. D. to point out that humanity’s current problems can only be solved through the cooperation of nations. Passage Three The quality of university life is declining under strain from the higher education, leading independent schools in Britain plained. The warning followed survey of the impressions of campus life gained by students of school. Poor interviewing of the applicants, infrequent contact with tutors, worries over student safety, and even plaint over the food were all seen as symptoms of the pressure on universities. Head teachers said that standards could well drop if the squeeze on university budgets continued. Although most of the 6 000 students surveyed were enjoying university life, almost a third were less than satisfied with their course. About one in 10 had serious financial problems and some gave alarming accounts of conditions around their halls of residence. Incidents mentioned included a fatal stabbing(用刀刺 ) and shooting outside a hall of residence, the petrolbombing of cars near another residence, and two racist attacks. Nine percent of women and seven percent of men rated security as unsatisfa