Passage 2
Statuses are marvelous human inventions that enable us to get along with one another and to determine where we "fit" in society. As we go about our everyday lives, we mentally attempt to place people in terms of their statuses. For example, we must judge whether the person in the library is a reader or a librarian, whether the telephone caller is a friend or a salesman, whether the unfamiliar person on our property is a thief or a meter reader, and so on.
The statuses we assume often vary with the people we encounter, and change throughout life. Most of us can, at very high speed, assume the statuses that various situations require. Much of social interaction consists of identifying and selecting among appropriate statuses and allowing other people to assume their statuses in relation to us. This means that we fit our actions to those of other people based on a constant mental process of appraisal and interpretation. Although some of us find the task more difficult than others, most of us perform it rather effortlessly.
A status has been compared to ready-made clothes. Within certainlimits, the buyer can choose style and fabric. But an American is not free to choose the costume of a Chinese peasant or that of a
Hindu prince. We must choose from among the clothing presented by our society. Furthermore, our choice is limited to a size that will fit, as well as by our pocketbook . Having made a choice within
these limits we can have certain alterations made, but apart from minor adjustments, we tend to be limited to what the stores have on their racks. Statues too come ready made, and the range of choice
among them is limited.
36. In the first paragraph, the writer tells us that statuses can help us ______.
[A] determine whether a person is fit for a certain job
[B] behave appropriately in relation to other people
[C] protect ourselves in unfamiliar situations
[D] make friends with other people
37. According to the writer, people often assume different statuses ______.
[A] in order to identify themselves with others [B] in order to better identify others
[C] as their mental processes change [D] as the situation changes
38. The word "appraisal"(Line5,Para.2) most probably means "______"
[A] involvement [B] appreciation [C] assessment [D] presentation
39. In the last sentence of the second paragraph, the pronoun "it" refers to "______".
[A] fitting our actions to those of other people appropriately
[B] identification of other people's statuses
[C] selecting one's own statuses
[D] constant mental process
40. By saying that "an American is not free to choose the costume of a Chinese peasant or that of a Hindu prince" (Lines 23,Para.3), the writer means _______.
[A] different people have different styles of clothes [B] ready--made clothes may need alterations
[C] statuses come ready made just like clothes [D] our choice of statuses is limited
Passage 3
After the violent earthquake that shook
More than 60 people died in this earthquake. By comparison earthquake of similar intensity that shook
Injuries and deaths were relatively less in
Despite the good news, civil engineers aren't resting on their successes. Pinned to their drawing boards are blue prints for improved quake-resistant buildings. The new designs should offer
even greater security to cities where earthquakes often take place.
In the past, making structures quake-resistant meant firm yet flexible materials, such as steel and wood, that bend without breaking. Later, people tried to lift a building off its foundation, and insert rubber and steel between the building and its foundation to reduce the impact of ground vibrations. The most recent 5 designs give buildings brains as well as concrete and steel support. Called smart buildings, the structures respond like living organisms to anearthquake's vibrations. When the ground shakes and the building tips forward, the computer would force the building to shift in the opposite direction.
The new smart structures could be very expensive to build. However, that would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes.
41. One reason why the loss of lives in the
[A] improvements had been made in the construction of buildings and highways
[B] it occurred in the residential areas rather than on the highways
[C] large numbers of
[D] new computers had been installed in the buildings
42. The function of the computer mentioned in the passage is to _______.
[A] help strengthen the foundation of the building
[B] predict the coming of an earthquake with accuracy
[C] counterbalance an earthquake's action on the building
[D] measure the impact of an earthquake's vibrations
43. The smart buildings discussed in the passage _______.
[A] would cause serious financial problems
[B] would be worthwhile though costly
[C] would increase the complexity of architectural design
[D] can reduce the ground vibrations caused by earthquakes
44. It can be inferred from the passage that in minimizing the damage caused by earthquakes attention should be focused on ______.
[A] the increasing use of rubber and steel in capital construction
[B] the reduction of the impact of ground vibrations
[C] the development of flexible building materials
[D] early forecasts of earthquakes
45. The author's main purpose in writing the passage is to ______.
[A] compare the consequences of the earthquakes that occurred in the
[B] encourage civil engineers to make more extensive use of computers
[C] outline the history of the development of quake-resistant building materials
[D] report new developments in constructing quake-resistant buildings
