357
There can be few more depressing stories in the entire history of
man’s exploitation of nature than the wide-spread destruction of whales.
Whales have not only suffered untold cruelty but now face total
extermination. Already entire populations have been wiped out, and the
only reason why no species has yet been finished off is due to the vastness
and inaccessibility of the oceans. Hence, a few have always managed to
escape, but how much longer can this go on?
184. The author points out that of all the animals in nature it is probably
the whales that _____.
A)
have aroused most sympathy among ordinary people.
B)
have attracted the least scientific attention.
C)
alone can survive man’s hunting instincts.
D)
have suffered most from man’s cruelty.
E)
can finally avoid total extinction.
185. According to the passage, if whales have so far survived, it is
because _____.
A)
they have taken refuge in the vast expanses of the oceans.
B)
they breed fast and are difficult to catch.
C)
modem man has recognized the need to preserve them.
D)
various measures have been taken to save them from total
extermination.
E)
man has finally realized that nature must not be exploited.
186. In the passage the author expresses his doubts about whether
_____.
A)
many species of whales ought to be preserved.
B)
the exploitation of nature can be justified.
C)
whales can actually survive in the future.
D)
man really is as cruel to whales as some people have claimed.
E)
there is any point in trying to preserve all species of animals.
It is to be expected-that, by the year 2050, people’s eating habits
will have changed beyond recognition. With a world-wide growth in
population very many new mechanical and scientific methods will
come into being, to step up food production. There may well be an
end to food as we know it today. In fact, meals, as we know them, may
become a thing of the past. Food constituents and vitamins may be
taken in the form of capsules, tablets and pills. The thought of these
highly artificial food constituents replacing present day foods may not
be very relishing, but they may be the answer to food shortage and
world famine.
187. It is suggested in the passage that, at a not too distant date,
_____.
A)
the world will face severe famine.
B)
the rate of growth in the world population will have been slowed
down.
C)
the world’s food production will decline tremendously despite
the population growth.
D)
methods of advertising food products will change drastically.
E)
our traditional eating habits will have been completely replaced.
188. The author points out that artificial food _____.
A)
will unfortunately be deficient in vitamins.
B)
can be economically and easily produced.
C)
is not practical but it is delicious.
D)
may provide a solution to the problem of a world food shortage.
E)
will appeal greatly to the majority of people.
189. The main point emphasized in the passage is that _____.
A)
present-day eating habits must be preserved.
B)
in the twenty-first century the wide-spread use of artificial food
will be inevitable.
C)
famine and food shortage in the world can only be overcome by
reducing the population growth rate.
D)
artificial foods need not conflict with traditional eating habits.
E)
mechanical and scientific methods are indispensable for the
production of vitamins.
There is nothing that man fears more than the touch of the unknown.
He wants to see what is reaching towards him, and to be able to recognize
or at least classify it. Man always tends to avoid physical contact with
anything strange. In the dark, the fear of an unexpected touch can lead to
panic. Even clothes give insufficient security: it is easy to tear them and
pierce through to the naked, smooth, defenseless flesh of the victim. All
the distances which men create round themselves are dictated by this fear.
They shut themselves in houses which no one may enter, and only there
they feel some measure of security. The fear of burglars is not only the fear
of being robbed, but also the fear of something touching you in the darkness.
190. According to the passage, what frightens people most is _____.
A)
the thought of being robbed at night.
B)
the unexpected contact with something unknown.
C)
a sense of insecurity.
D)
being alone in the dark.
E)
the knowledge that they won’t be protected.
191. Because people are frightened of the unknown _____.
A)
they feel it necessary to put a barrier between themselves and
the unknown.
B)
it is natural that they should always be in a state of panic.
C)
they feel safer in a crowd.
D)
they try to avoid physical contact of all kinds.
E)
burglars find it much easier to break into houses.
192. This passage is concerned with _____.
A)
how people can regain a sense of security.
B)
the measures people are advised to take against burglars.
C)
the three main types of fear.
D)
people’s fear of the unknown and how they try to cope with it.
E)
how to bring one’s fears into the open.
Public libraries, maintained by the local authorities, are well
developed and progressive, and everywhere allow people to borrow
books without charge. The books in the lending section are always
kept on open shelves, and library staffs are very helpful in getting
books on request from other libraries through the exchange system.
Most libraries report an increase in borrowing over the past few
years, so television does not seem to be stopping people from reading,
as it was feared that it would.
193. It is explained in the passage that any book which is not available
in one library _____.
A)
won’t be available at any library
B)
can be brought from another
C)
discourages people from using libraries
D)
spoils the whole lending system of the public libraries
E)
should be reported to the librarian
194. As pointed out in the passage, people nowadays _____ .
A)
prefer entertaining television programs to reading
B)
are using public libraries more than they used to in the past
C)
read a lot but don’t use the libraries much
D)
complain a great deal about the poor services the libraries are
offering
E)
are using the exchange system less and less frequently
195. The passage gives us the impression that public libraries ____ .
A)
charge more than is necessary for the services given
B)
are no longer receiving any financial support from local authorities
C)
are working extremely efficiently at present
D)
do not cooperate with each other at all
E)
are understaffed and poorly equipped
Reading Comprehension
Book 3
