问答题 Passage 2 People and Organisations: the Selection Issue　　A  In 1991, according to the Department of Trade and Industry, a record 48,000 British companies went out of business. When businesses fail, the post-mortem analysis is traditionally undertaken by accountants and market strategists. Unarguably organisations do fail because of undercapitalization, poor financial management, and adverse market conditions etc. Yet, conversely, organisations with sound financial backing, good product ideas and market acumen often underperform and fail to meet shareholders’ expectations. The complexity, degree and sustainment of organizational performance require an explanation which goes beyond the balance sheet and the “paper conversion” of financial inputs into profit making outputs. A more complete explanation of “what went wrong” necessarily must consider the essence of what an organization actually is and that one of the financial inputs, the most important and often the most expensive, is people. 　　B  An organization is only as good as the people it employs. Selecting the right person for the job involves more than identifying the essential or desirable range of skills, educational and professional qualifications necessary to perform the job and then recruiting the candidate who is most likely to possess these skills or at least is perceived to have the ability and predisposition to acquire them. This is a purely person/skills match approach to selection. 　　C  Work invariably takes place in the presence and/or under the direction of others, in a particular organizational setting. The individual has to “fit” in with the work environment, with other employees, with the organizational climate, style of work, organization and culture of the organization. Different organisations have different cultures. Working as an engineer at British Aerospace will not necessarily be a similar experience to working in the same capacity at GEC or Plessey. 　　D  Poor selection decisions are expensive. For example, the costs of training a policeman are about 20, 000. The costs of employing an unsuitable technician on an oil rig or in a nuclear plant could, in an emergency, result in millions of pounds of damage or loss of life. The disharmony of a poor person-environment fit (PE-fit) is likely to result in low job satisfaction, lack of organizational commitment and employee stress, which affect organizational outcomes i.e. productivity, high labor turnover and absenteeism, and individual outcomes i.e. physical, psychological and mental well-being. 　　E  However, despite the importance of the recruitment decision and the range of sophisticated and more objective selection techniques available, including the use of psychometric tests, assessment centres etc., many organisations are still prepared to make this decision on the basis of a single 30 to 45 minute unstructured interview. Indeed, research has demonstrated that a selection decision is often made within the first four minutes of the interview. In the remaining time, the interviewer then attends exclusively to information that reinforces the initial “accept” or “reject” decision. Research into the validity of selection methods has consistently demonstrated that the unstructured interview, where the interviewer asks any questions he or she likes, is a poor predictor of future job performance and fares little better than more controversial methods like graphology and astrology. In times of high unemployment, recruitment becomes a “buyer’s market” and this was the case in Britain during the 1980s. 　　F  The future, we are told, is likely to be different. Detailed surveys of social and economic trends in the European Community show that Europe’s population is falling and getting older. The birth rate in the Community is now only three-quarters of the level needed to ensure replacement of the existing population. By the year 2020, it is predicted that more than one in four Europeans will be aged 60 or more and barely one in five will be under 20. In a five-year period between 1983 and 1988 the Community’s female workforce grew by almost six million. As a result, 51% of all women aged 14 to 64 are now economically active in the labor market compared with 78% of men. 　　G  The changing demographics will not only affect selection ratios. They will also make it increasingly important for organisations wishing to maintain their competitive edge to be more responsive and accommodating to the changing needs of their workforce if they are to retain and develop their human resources. More flexible working hours, the opportunity to work from home or job share, the provision of childcare facilities etc., will play a major role in attracting and retaining staff in the future. 　　Complete the table below with words taken from the passage. 　　Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer. 　　Write your answers in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.

问答题 Passage 1 New Rules for the Paper Game　　A  Computerized data storage and electronic mail were to have heralded the paperless office. But, contrary to expectations, paper consumption throughout the world shows no sign of abating. In fact, consumption, especially of printing and writing papers, continues to increase. World demand for paper and board is now expected to grow faster than the general economic growth in the next 15 years. Strong demand will be underpinned by the growing industrialization of South-East Asia, the reemergence of paper packaging, greater use of facsimile machines and photocopiers, and the popularity of direct-mail advertising. In 2007, world paper and board demand reached 455 million tonnes, compared with 241 million tonnes in 1991. 　　B  The pulp and paper industry has not been badly affected by the electronic technologies that promised a paperless society. But what has radically altered the industry’s structure is pressure from another front—a more environmentally conscious society driving an irreversible move towards cleaner industrial production. The environmental consequences of antiquated pulp mill practices and technologies had marked this industry as one in need of reform. Graphic descriptions of deformed fish and thinning populations, particularly in the Baltic Sea where old pulp mills had discharged untreated effluents for 100 years, have disturbed the international community. 　　C  Until the 1950s, it was common for pulp mills and other industries to discharge untreated effluent into rivers and seas. The environmental effects were at the time either not understood, or regarded as an acceptable cost of economic prosperity in an increasingly import-oriented world economy. But greater environmental awareness has spurred a fundamental change in attitude in the community, in government and in industry itself. 　　D  Since the early 1980s, most of the world-scale pulp mills in Scandinavia and North America have modernized their operations, outlaying substantial amounts to improve production methods. Changes in mill design and processes have been aimed at minimizing the environmental effects of effluent discharge while at the same time producing pulp with the whiteness and strength demanded by the international market. The environmental impetus is taking this industry even further, with the focus now on developing processes that may even eliminate waste-water discharges. But the ghost of the old mills continues to haunt the industry today. In Europe companies face a flood of environment-related legislation. In Germany companies are now being held responsible for the waste they create. 　　E  Pulp is the porridge-like mass of plant fibres from which paper is made. Paper makers choose the type of plant fibre and the processing methods, depending on what the end product will be used for: whether it is a sturdy packing box, a smooth sheet of writing paper or a fragile tissue. In wood, which is the source of about 90% of the world’s paper production, fibres are bound together by lignin, which gives the unbleached pulp a brown color. The pulping stage separates the wood into fibres so they are suitable for paper making. Pulping can be done by mechanical grinding, or by chemical treatment in which woodchips are “cooked” with chemicals, or by a combination of both methods. 　　F  Kraft pulping is the most widely used chemical process for producing pulp with the strength required by the high-quality paper market. It is now usually carried out in a continuous process in a large vessel called a digester. Woodchips are fed from a pile into the top of the digester. In the digester, the chips are cooked in a solution called white liquor, composed of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) and sodium sulphide. The chips are cooked at high temperatures of up to 170℃ for up to three hours. The pulp is then washed and separated from the spent cooking liquor which has turned dark and is now appropriately called black liquor. An important feature of kraft pulping is a chemical recovery system which recycles about 95% of the cooking chemicals and produces more than enough energy to run the mill. In a series of steps involving a furnace and tanks, some of the black liquor is transformed into energy, while some is regenerated into the original white cooking liquor. The recovery system is an integral part of production in the pulp and paper industry. The pulp that comes out has little lignin left in the fibres. Bleaching removes the last remaining lignin and brightens the pulp. Most modern mills have modified their pulping processes to remove as much of the lignin as possible before the pulp moves to the bleaching stage. 　　Below is a list of possible factors, A-G, which will influence the amount of paper being used in the future. From the list, choose FOUR factors which are mentioned in the passage. 　　Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.

问答题 Passage 1 Of Ducks and Duck Eggs　　For people who like to keep poultry, ducks offer certain advantages over hens. Ducks are immune to some common diseases found in hens and are less vulnerable to others. Some breeds of duck produce bigger eggs than hens. In addition, ducks lay eggs over a longer season than hens do. 　　Poultry keepers with gardens have less to worry about if they keep ducks rather than hens because the former are less apt to dig up plants and destroy roots. While both hens and ducks benefit the garden by eating pests, hens are known to damage herb and grass beds. Ducks, on the other hand, will search for insects and snails more carefully. Only very delicate plants are at risk from the broad, webbed feet of ducks. 　　Like all waterbirds, ducks need access to water, and duck keepers typically provide this by building a pond. Something this large is not absolutely necessary, however, ducks need only to be able to dip their heads in the water to keep their nostrils clean. If a pond is provided though it is important to keep ducklings away from it until they are old enough to withstand the cool temperature of the water-about eight weeks. 　　When keeping ducks, one has to consider just how many the land will support. Generally the rule is 100 ducks per-half hectare. If more than this proportion is introduced, there is a risk of compacting the soil, which can lead to muddy conditions for long periods as the rain is not easily absorbed into the ground. 　　While ducks offer many advantages over hens, they must be given greater quantity of food, especially if regular eggs are desired. An adult duck will eat between 170 to 200 grams of food a day. If the ducks have access to grass and a pond, they will be able to find for themselves approximately 70% of their daily dietary, requirements in warmer months but less than half that in colder times. Therefore, it is important that they are fed enough food, such as grain, every day. 　　Experienced duck keepers raise ducklings every three years or so because it is after this period of time that ducks’ egg-laying powers begin to seriously weaken. If the aim is to hatch duckling, keepers should be aware that not all ducks make good mothers, and that certain breeds of duck appear to be worse than others. The poor mothers abandon their eggs a few days after laying them. A sure way of making sure the rejected eggs hatch is to place them next to chicken eggs under a hen. 　　The eggs of ducks as food for humans have a mixed reputation. This is because of a number of cases of salmonella food poisoning in Europe in the 1970s. Although it was never conclusively shown that duck eggs were to blame, the egg-eating public stopped buying and many duck egg producers went bankrupt. Indeed, there is a risk of salmonella poisoning when ducks lay their eggs in damp conditions, such as on ground that is constantly wet but the same can be said for the eggs of hens. And commercial duck egg production in France and England, where the out-breaks of salmonella poisoning took place, followed the same standards as those used in the hen egg industry, which experienced no salmonella problems. (Storage of eggs, whether those of hen or duck, can also be a factor in contamination. Studies have found that bacterial growth reaches potentially dangerous levels at storage temperatures of 5℃ or greater.) 　　The salmonella scare was over by the early 1980s, but, at least in smaller markets like Australia and New Zealand, few producers wished to risk investment in ducks for fear of problems. No large-scale commercial duck egg production exists in these countries. It has thus been left to small producers, and, more commonly, home duck keepers. 　　Classify the characteristics listed below as belonging to 　　D         Ducks 　　H         Hens 　　B         Both ducks and hens 　　NI        If there is no information in the reading passage 　　Write the appropriate letters in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet. 　　1. lengthier laying period 　　2. better mothers 　　3. less likely to uproot plants 　　4. dangerous to grass 　　5. more eggs per week 　　6. eat more grain 　　7. beneficial to garden by eliminating pests 　　8. more vulnerable to illness

问答题 Passage 1 The Rollfilm Revolution　　The introduction of the dry plate process brought with it many advantages. Not only was it much more convenient, so that the photographer no longer needed to prepare his material in advance, but its much greater sensitivity made possible a new generation of cameras. Instantaneous exposures had been possible before, but only with some difficulty and with special equipment and conditions. Now, exposures short enough to permit the camera to be held in the hand were easily achieved. As well as fitting shutters and viewfinders to their conventional stand cameras, manufacturers began to construct smaller cameras intended specifically for hand use. 　　One of the first designs to be published was Thomas Bolas’s “Detective” camera of 1881. Externally a plain box, quite unlike the folding bellows camera typical of the period, it could be used unobtrusively. The name caught on, and for the next decade or so almost all hand cameras were called “Detectives”. Many of the new designs in the 1880s were for magazine cameras, in which a number of dry plates could be pre-loaded and changed one after another following exposure. Although much more convenient than stand cameras, still used by most serious workers, magazine plate cameras were heavy, and required access to a darkroom for loading and processing the plates. This was all changed by a young American bank clerk turned photographic manufacturer, George Eastman, from Rochester, New York. 　　Eastman had begun to manufacture gelatine dry plates in 1880, being one of the first to do so in America. He soon looked for ways of simplifying photography, believing that many people were put off by the complication and messiness. His first step was to develop, with the camera manufacturer William H. Walker, a holder for a long roll of paper negative “film”. This could be fitted to a standard plate camera and up to forty-eight exposures made before reloading. The combined weight of the paper roll and the holder was far less than the same number of glass plates in their light-tight wooden holders. Although roll-holders had been made as early as the 1850s, none had been very successful because of the limitations of the photographic materials then available. Eastman’s rollable paper film was sensitive and gave negatives of good quality; the Eastman-Walker roll-holder was a great Success. 　　The next step was to combine the roll-holder with a small hand camera: Eastman’s first design was patented with an employer F. M. Cossitt, in 1886. It was not a success. Only fifty Eastman detective cameras were made, and they were sold as a lot to a dealer in 1887; the cost was too high and the design too complicated. Eastman set about developing a new model, which was launched in June 1888. It was a small box, containing a roll of paper-based stripping film sufficient for 100 circular exposures 6 cm in diameter. Its operation was simple: set the shutter by pulling a wire string; aim the camera using the V line impression in the camera top; press the release button to activate the exposure; and turn a special key to wind on the film. A hundred exposures had to be made, so it was important to record each picture in the memorandum book provided, since there was no exposure counter. Eastman gave his camera the invented name “Kodak”, which was easily pronounceable in most languages, and had two Ks which Eastman felt was a firm, uncompromising kind of letter. 　　The importance of Eastman’s new roll-film camera was not that it was the first. There had been several earlier cameras, notably the Stirn “America”, first demonstrated in the spring of 1887 and on sale from early 1888. This also used a roll of negative paper, and had such refinements as a reflecting viewfinder and an ingenious exposure marker. The real significance of the first Kodak camera was that it was backed up by a developing and printing service. Hitherto, virtually all photographers developed and printed their own pictures. This required the facilities of a darkroom and the time and inclination to handle the necessary chemicals, make the prints and so on. Eastman recognized that not everyone had the resources or the desire to do these. When a customer had made a hundred exposures in the Kodak camera, he sent it to Eastman’s factory in Rochester where the film was unloaded, processed and printed, the camera reloaded and returned to the owner. “You Press the Button, We Do the Rest” ran Eastman’s classic marketing slogan; photography had been brought to everyone. Everyone, that is, who could afford $25 or five guineas for the camera and $10 or two guineas for the developing and printing. A guinea ($5) was a week’s wages for many at the time, so this simple camera cost the equivalent of hundreds of dollars today. 　　In 1889 an improved model with a new shutter design was introduced, and it was called the No. 2 Kodak camera. The paper-based stripping film was complicated to manipulate, since the processed negative image had to be stripped from the paper base for printing. At the end of 1889 Eastman launched a new roll film on a celluloid base. Clear, tough, transparent and flexible, the new film not only made the roll-film camera fully practical, but provided the raw material for the introduction of cinematography a few years later. Other, larger models were introduced, including several folding versions, one of which took pictures 21.6 cm × 16.5 cm in size. Other manufacturers in America and Europe introduced cameras to take the Kodak roll-films, and other firms began to offer developing and printing services for the benefit of the new breed of photographers. By September 1889, over 5,000 Kodak cameras had been sold in the USA, and the company was daily printing 6,000-7,000 negatives. Holidays and special events created enormous surges in demand for processing: 900 Kodak users returned their cameras for processing and reloading in the week after the New York centennial celebration. 　　Complete the diagram below. 　　Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. 　　Write your answers in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

问答题 Passage 2 Automobiles v.s. Public Transport　　Public transport plays a central role in any efficient urban transport system. In developing countries, where at least 16 cities are expected to have more than 12 million people each by the end of this decade, failing to give priority to public transport would be disastrous. 　　The term “public transport” covers many different types of vehicles, but most commonly refers to buses and trains. Rail services fall into four major categories: rapid rail (also called the underground, tube, metro, or subway), which operates on exclusive rights of way in tunnels or on elevated tracks; trams, which move with other traffic on regular streets; light rail, which is a quieter, more modern version of trams that can run either on exclusive rights of way or with other traffic; and suburban or regional trains, which connect a city with surrounding areas. 　　The recent trend in many cities is toward light rail over “heavy” rapid rail systems. Whereas metros require exclusive rights of way, which often means building costly elevated or underground lines and stations, light rail can be built on regular city streets, which means no extra expenses. 　　The concept of public transport also includes organized car pools, in which several people share the cost of tiding together in the same private automobile. For U.S. commuters in areas with inadequate bus and train services, this is the only “public” transport option. But even where other systems are comprehensive, there is vast potential for car pooling; recent research shows that in cities the world over, private cars during commuting hours on average carry just 1.2-1.3 persons per vehicle. 　　Public transport modes vary in fuel use and emissions and in the space they require, but if carrying reasonable numbers of passengers, they all perform better than single occupant private cars on each of these counts. 　　Although energy requirements vary according to the size and design of the vehicle and how many people are on board, buses and trains require far less fuel per passenger for each kilometre of travel. In the United States, for example, a light rail vehicle needs an estimated 640BTUs of energy per passenger per kilometre; a city bus would use some 690BTUs per passenger per kilometre; and a car pool with four occupants 1,140BTUs. A single occupant automobile, by contrast, bums nearly 4, 580BTUs per passenger per kilometre. 　　The pollution savings from public transport are even more dramatic. Since both rapid and light rail have electric engines, pollution is measured not from the motor exhaust, but from the power plant generating electricity, which is usually located outside the city, where air quality problems are less serious. For typical U.S. commuter routes, rapid rail emits 30 grams of nitrogen oxides for every 100 kilometres each rail passenger travels, compared with 43 grams for light rail, 95 grams for transit buses, and 128 grams for single occupant automobiles. Public transport’s potential for reducing hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions is even greater. 　　Although diesel buses especially in developing countries can be heavy polluters, existing technologies, such as filters, can control their exhaust. Buses can also run on less polluting fuels such as propane (used in parts of Europe) and natural gas (used in Brazil and China). Test buses in the Netherlands that run on natural gas are estimated to emit 90 percent less nitrogen oxide and 25 percent less carbon monoxide than diesel engines do. 　　In addition to reducing fuel consumption and pollution, public transport saves valuable city space. Buses and trains carry more people in each vehicle and, if they operate on their own rights of way, can safely run at much higher speeds. In other words, they not only take up less space but also occupy it for a shorter time. Thus, comparing ideal conditions for each mode in one lane of traffic, an underground metro can carry 70, 000 passengers past a certain point in one hour, light rail can carry up to 35, 000 people, and a bus, just over 30, 000. By contrast, a lane of private cars with four occupants each can move only about 8, 000 people an hour, and without such carpooling the figure is, of course, far lower. 　　The availability and use of public transport vary widely in cities around the globe. Since variations in distances and city densities affect the total kilometres of travel, the annual number of trips each person takes by public transport provides a better standard for comparing its importance in various cities. The range of frequency of public transport use is shown in Table (see page 73). 　　Urban public transport has long been a government priority in Western Europe. All major cities there have high car ownership, but well-developed bus and rail systems are available, and overall public transport typically accounts for between 20 and 30 percent of passenger kilometres. In recent years, several large cities have stepped up their commitment to public transportation, combining further investments with complementary policies to restrict auto use. 　　Public transport also plays an important role in urban areas of developing countries. In many cities in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, buses make 50-80 percent of all motorized trips. Buses are sometimes hopelessly overcrowded; it is not uncommon to see several riders clinging to the outside. Yet most cities in developing countries have lower public transport use per person than those in Western Europe, reflecting the inability of small bus fleets to keep up with population growth. 　　Among the world’s major cities, those in Australia and the United States make the least use of alternatives to the private car. Indeed, less than 5 percent of U.S. trips are by public transport, but in some cities such as New York City and Chicago, where service is provided extensively, it is used heavily. Indeed, nearly one quarter of the entire country’s public transport trips are in New York City. 　　* BTUs: British Thermal Units (a measure of energy consumed) Dependence on public transport in selected cities, 1989 　　*trips per person per year 　　Answer the questions below. 　　Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. 　　Write your answers in boxes 16-20 on your answer sheet. 　　1. What is a factor that makes light rail preferable to rapid rail? 　　2. What is the average number of people in automobiles during commuting hours? 　　3. Where is the pollution measured from? 　　4. In which aspect does rapid rail outperform light rail? 　　5. What proportion of passenger kilometres is undertaken by private automobile in Western Europe?

问答题 Passage 3 Fermented Foods for Babies　　Malnutrition during weaning age-when breast milk is being replaced by semi-solid foods-is highly prevalent in children of poor households in many developing countries. While the etiology is complex and multifactorial, the immediate causes are recognized as feeding at less than adequate levels for children’s growth and development, and recurrent infections, including diarrhea, resulting mainly from ingestion of contaminated foods. As a result, many young children, particularly between six months to two years of age, experience weight loss and impaired growth and development. 　　Studies by investigators in various countries have concentrated on traditional food preparation methods and have resulted in offering cheap and practical answers to these problems based on familiar, indigenous and culturally acceptable home processing practices. 　　Two such answers have arisen. Firstly, cereal fermentation is used for reducing the risk of contamination under the existing inappropriate conditions for food preparation and storage in many households. Secondly, a tiny amount of sprouted grains flour is used in preparation of weaning foods as a magic way to lessen the viscosity without decreasing energy density. 　　A method to eliminate pathogenic bacteria and inhibit their growth during storage of weaning preparations can benefit nutrition and health in young children considerably. Use of fermented foods for feeding children of weaning age appears to be an effective solution. Fermented foods have lower levels of diarrhoeal germ contamination, they are suitable for child feeding, and can be safely stored for much longer periods of time than fresh foods. 　　The practice has been a traditional way of food preservation in many parts of the world. The anti-microbial properties of fermented foods and their relative higher safety-documented since the early 1900’s-have been indicated in a number of studies. 　　In Ghana, it is common to ferment maize dough before cooking it as porridge. In Kenya, cereal-based porridge and milk are traditionally fermented. Preserving milk in the form of yoghurt has been known to many households living in hot climates. 　　What are the underlying mechanisms by which fermentation processes help to prevent or reduce contamination? A possible answer suggests that during the fermentation process foods become more acid. This explains why diarrhoea-causing bacteria are not able to grow in fermented foods as rapidly as in unfermented ones. It is also hypothesized that some of the germs present in the foods are killed or inhibited from growing through the action of anti-microbial substances produced during fermentation (Dialogue on Diarrhoea, 1990). The fermented foods can, therefore, be kept for a longer time compared to fresh ones. It has been shown that while contamination levels in cooked unfermented foods increase with storage time, fermented foods remain less contaminated. 　　Whatever the underlying mechanisms, the fact is that the exercise reduces contamination without adding to the household cost both in terms of time and money. Its preparation is easy. The cereal flour is mixed with water to form a dough which is left to be fermented; addition of yeast, or mixing with a small portion of previously fermented dough is sometimes needed. The dough can then be cooked into porridge for feeding to the child. 　　Although beneficial, unfortunately the practice is going out of fashion, partly because of current emphasis on the use of fresh foods, particularly for children. For example, a study on the use of fermented foods for young children in Kenya (Dialogue on Diarrhoea, 1990), demonstrated that while foods are still frequently fermented at home for child feeding, their use is becoming less popular, particularly in urban areas where commercial products are more available. Clearly they now need to be promoted. 　　Complete the summary with the list of words A-N below. Write your answers in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet. 　　Malnutrition and the resulting impaired growth and development in children of weaning age in developing countries result not only from 1______ but also from infections caused by 2______. Studies have addressed the problem of inadequate intake by using sprouted grains in food preparation. Contamination has been tackled with 3______. Both of these methods are, or were, used traditionally and are practical and inexpensive. 　　Fermented foods have higher 4______ and also have anti-microbial qualities. This means that contamination is decreased and that their 5______ is increased. Fermentation occurs when 6______ is left to stand, occasionally with simple additives. There is, however, a trend away from this 7______ to commercial products. A. porridge　　　　　　　　　　　　　H. storage life B. malnutrition　　　　　　　　　　　I. sprouted grains C. fermentation　　　　　　　　　　　J. inadequate food intake D. new technology　　　　　　　　　　K. acidity E. contaminated food　　　　　　　　 L. unfermented food F. diarrhoeal germs　　　　　　　　　M. weaning G. traditional food　　　　　　　　　N. dough

问答题 Passage 1 Fanwall Noise BarrierNoise generated by traffic on arterial roads and freeways is an increasing problem in Australia and there is growing concern among highways authorities in Australia about the limitations of some types of noise barriers which have been installed in this country. 　　The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) in Sydney faced a problem when it decided to proceed with the link between Concord Road at Rhodes and the F4 Freeway at Homebush (Country Road 5030) as the new arterial would deliver heavy traffic right past the backyards of suburban homes. This was because the RTA had purchased and removed a number of houses to allow the new corridor to be built, exposing to road traffic noises houses which were once located in a quiet back street. 　　Initially, the RTA had proposed to erect a new timber fence, replacing the existing suburban fences, to act as a noise barrier. Timber noise barriers were used quite extensively on the recently constructed F3 Freeway link from Pearce’s Comer to Berowra. However, RTA engineers have become more acutely aware of noise and the problems which arise if ineffective noise barriers are installed. They also appreciate the benefits of early consultations with the affected residents and local councils. 　　Residents of the area were fully briefed on the appearances, the performance and the benefits of various types of noise barriers. The majority opted for the Fanwall barrier, which also provides security advantages to the householders. The Fanwall barrier to be installed at Rhodes is the first to be erected in Australia. Fanwall barriers have been used in the United States and have been very effective at noise attenuation with up to 10 dB reduction in noise level reached at L.A. International Airport. Similar success has been achieved in various highway projects right across the USA. 　　In the USA, concrete has proved to be the most popular material for constructing noise barrier walls. As is happening in Australia, early barrier designs opted for low timber barriers selected largely on the basis of cost. However, low barriers are not effective and high timber barriers have become much more expensive. In addition to this poor durability of timber fences, the combination of initial capital cost, maintenance costs and replacement cost quickly makes timber barriers very expensive. 　　The advantages of concrete include low capital cost and durability. Furthermore, concrete barriers can be engineered for a variety of site condition and architectural finishes can be applied to enhance aesthetics. 　　Fanwall is a two-component, modular, free-standing pre-cast concrete noise barrier which can be cheaply and quickly erected on a variety of foundation conditions. The wall is engineered to be stable under design wind load conditions while maintaining relatively low bearing pressures on the foundation soils. Therefore, like the timber barriers, the Fanwall barrier can be built without expensive concrete footings or piles, speeding the construction time up and reducing costs. Furthermore, Fanwall is maintenance free and it is not susceptible to damage by fire and vandalism. 　　Because the Fanwall barriers are engineered into a modular form, construction is easily staged. At Rhodes, the Fanwall noise barrier will be built in three stages commencing in mid August. Staging will enable further consultation with local residents and allow access to be maintained across the site via local roads. However, most importantly, the greater proportion of the barrier will be in place prior to the road corridor being constructed, reducing the effect of construction noise. 　　In the passage, the writer describes a planning process, problems and issues which arise, and the steps taken to deal with them. From the list of situations and possible actions below (A-I), select the steps taken to deal with the problems and issues, as outlined in the reading passage. 　　Write the appropriate letter (A-I) in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet. 　　1. Problem 1 　　2. Cause of problem 1 　　3. Proposed solution to problem 1 　　4. Objection-potential problem 2 　　5. Procedure 　　6. The final solution to problem 1 Situations and Possible ActionsA. RTA purchase of houses B. Concern about the effectiveness of some noise barriers C. Suburban houses to be exposed to heavy traffic noise D. Erect a Fanwall noise barrier E. Construction of a new freeway link F. Concern about purchase of houses by the RTA G. Consult with local residents H. Erect a large timber noise barrier I. Change the route of the new freeway

问答题 Passage 2 The History of Women’s Suffrage　　A  In the early nineteenth century, women were considered second-class citizens whose existence was limited to the interior life of the home and care of the children. Women were considered subsets of their husbands, and after marriage they did not have the right to own property, maintain their wages, or sign a contract, much less vote. It was expected that women be obedient wives, never to hold a thought or opinion independent of their husbands. It was considered improper for women to travel alone or to speak in public. With the belief that intense physical or intellectual activity would be injurious to the delicate female biology and reproductive system, women were taught to refrain from pursuing any serious education. Silently perched in their birdcages, women were considered merely objects of beauty, and were looked upon as intellectually and physically inferior to men. This belief in women’s inferiority to men was further reinforced by organized religion which preached strict and well-defined sex roles. 　　B The Seneca Falls Convention 　　The women’s suffrage movement was formally set into motion in 1848 with the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York. 　　The catalyst for this gathering was the World Anti-Slavery Convention held in 1840 in London and attended by an American delegation which included a number of women. In attendance were Lucretia Mort and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who were forced to sit in the galleries as observers because they were women. This poor treatment did not rest well with these women of progressive thoughts, and it was decided that they would hold their own convention to “discuss the social, civil and religious rights of women”. 　　Using The Declaration of Independence as a guideline, Stanton presented her Declaration of Principles in her hometown chapel and brought to light women’s subordinate status and made recommendations for change. 　　Resolution 9 requesting the right to vote was perhaps the most important in that it expressed the demand for sexual equality. Subsequent to the Seneca Falls Convention, the demand for the vote became the centerpiece of the women’s rights movement. 　　C  Suffrage During the Civil War 　　During the Civil War, women’s suffrage was eclipsed by the war effort and movement for the abolition of slavery. While annual conventions were held on a regular basis, there was much discussion but little action. Activists such as slave-born Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony lectured and petitioned the government for the emancipation of slaves with the belief that, once the war was over, women and slaves alike would be granted the same rights as the white men. At the end of the war, however, the government saw the suffrage of women and that of the negro as two separate issues and it was decided that the negro vote could produce the immediate political gain, particularly in the South, that the women’s vote could not. 　　Abraham Lincoln declared, “This hour belongs to the negro.” 　　D  Women Unite 　　With the side-stepping of women’s rights, women activists became enraged, and the American Equal Rights Association was established by Stanton and her colleagues in 1866 in effort to organize in the fight for women’s rights. In 1868, the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment proved an affront to the women’s movement, as it defined “citizenship” and “voters” as “male”, and raised the question as to whether women were considered citizens of the United States at all. The exclusion of women was further reinforced with the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870, which enfranchised black men. In a disagreement over these Amendments, the women’s movement split into two factions. In New York, Stanton and Anthony established the radical National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). Lucy Stone, Julia Ward Howe, and Henry Blackwell organized the more conservative American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) in Boston. These two groups later merged in 1890 to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) under the leadership of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. 　　E  Winning the Vote 　　Susan B. Anthony was arrested for attempting to vote for Ulysses S. Grant in the 1872 presidential election. Six years later, in 1878, a Women’s Suffrage Amendment was introduced to U.S. Congress. With the formation of numerous groups, such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) and, the Women’s Trade Union League, the women’s movement gained a full head of steam during the 1890’s and early 1900’s. The U.S. involvement in World War I in 1918 slowed down the suffrage campaign as women pitched in for the war effort. However, in 1919, after years of petitioning, picketing, and protest parades, the Nineteenth Amendment was passed by both houses of Congress and in 1920 it became ratified under the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. 　　F Amendment xix 　　1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. 　　2. Congress shall have power to enforce this Article by appropriate legislation. (Ratified August 26, 1920) 　　G  Equal Rights Amendment 　　Upon this victory of the vote, the NAWSA disbanded as an organization, giving birth to the League of Women Voters. The vote was not enough to secure women’s equal rights according to Alice Paul, founder of the National Woman’s Party (NWP), who moved to take women’s rights one step further by proposing the Equal Rights Amendment (E.R.A.) to Congress in 1923. This demand to eliminate discrimination on the basis of gender failed to pass. 　　The push for the E.R.A. continued on a state-by-state basis, until the newly formed National Organization for Women (NOW) launched a national campaign during the 1960’s.  Despite many heated debates and protests, the E.R.A., while passed by Congress in 1972, has never been ratified. 　　Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? 　　In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet, write 　　TRUE　　　　　　　if the statement agrees with the information 　　FALSE　　　　　　 if the statement contradicts the information 　　NOT GIVEN　　　　 if there is no information on this 　　1. In the early nineteenth century it was generally believed that men and women performed different roles in society. 　　2. The World Anti-Slavery Convention preceded the first Women’s Right Convention. 　　3. During the American Civil War, the Women’s suffrage movement flourished. 　　4. Men were not allowed to join the National Woman Suffrage Association. 　　5. The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) was less radical than the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA). 　　6. Abraham Lincoln was not sympathetic to the women’s movement.