閱讀理解題

　　第一篇

What Is Death?

　　People in the past did not question the difference between life and death. They could see that a person died when his heart stopped beating. People have learned, however, that the body does not die immediately when the heart stops beating. They discovered that we remain alive as long as our brain remains active. Today the difference between life and death is not as easy to see as in the past. Modern medical devices can keep the heart beating and the lungs breathing long after the brain stops. But is this life?

　　This question has caused much debate among citizens in the United States. Many of them want a law that says a person is dead when the brain dies. A person should be considered dead when brain waves stop even if machines can keep the body alive. Such a law would permit doctors to speed removal （切除） of undiseased （沒(méi)病的） organs for transplant （移植） operations.

　　The brain is made of thousands of millions of nerve cells. These cells send and receive millions of chemical and electrical messages every day. In this way the brain controls the other body activities. Nerve-cell experts say it usually is easy to tell when the brain has died. They put small electrodes （電極） on a person's skull （頭骨） to measure the electrical signals that pass in and out of the brain, These brain waves are recorded on a television screen or on paper. The waves move up and down every time the brain receives messages from the nerve cells. The brain is dead when the waves stop moving.

　　Although there are people who oppose the idea of a law on brain block for various reasons, the idea of brain wave activity as a test of death is slowly being accepted.

　　1 People in the past held that the difference between life and death

　　A did not exist.

　　B was easy to tell.

　　C lay in the brain.

　　D was open to debate.

　　2 Which of the following is NOT a phenomenon mentioned in the passage?

　　A The body may still be alive after the heart and the brain have stopped working

　　B The heart may keep beating after the brain has died.

　　C The brain may still be active after the heart has stopped beating.

　　D The lung may keep breathing after the brain has died.

　　3 When a person should be considered dead is currently a matter

　　A which few people in the US care much about.

　　B which has caused heated argument in the US.

　　C which only doctors can settle.

　　D which has already been settled.

　　4 The brain controls the other body activities through

　　A medical devices.

　　B small electrodes

　　C the nerve cells.

　　D the brain waves.

　　5 More and more people are beginning to accept the idea that a person is dead

　　A when the heart stops beating.

　　B when the brain becomes less active.

　　C when the brain stops working.

　　D when doctors stop medical treatment.

　　第二篇

New Foods and the New World

　　In the last 500 years, nothing about people － not their clothes, ideas, or languages － has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was made from the seeds of the cocoa tree （可可樹(shù)） by South American Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500's. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London, shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places. Some still exist today.

　　The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Europe, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent on it that thousands of Irish people starved when the crop failed during the "Potato Famine （饑荒）" of 1845-1846, and thousands more were forced to leave their homeland and move to America.

　　There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world's largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia, a country in Africa. It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400's.

　　According to an Arabic legend, coffee was discovered when a person named Katdi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red berries on a coffee bush. He tried one and experienced the "wide-awake" feeling that one-third of the world's population now starts the day with.

　　6 According to the passage, which of the following has changed the most in the lasl 500 years?

　　A Food.

　　B Clothing.

　　C Ideology.

　　D Language.

　　7 "Some" in the last sentence of the first paragraph refers to

　　A some cocoa trees.

　　B some chocolate drinks.

　　C some shops.

　　D some South American Indians

　　8 Thousands of Irish people starved during the "Potato Famine" because

　　A they were so dependent on potatoes that they refused to eat anything else.

　　B they were forced to leave their homeland and move to America.

　　C the weather conditions in Ireland were not suitable for growing potatoes.

　　D the potato harvest was bad.

　　9 Which country is the largest coffee producer?

　　A Brazil.

　　B Colombia.

　　C Ethiopia.

　　D Egypt.

　　10 Which of the following statements is NOT true, according to the passage?

　　A One third of the world's population drinks coffee.

　　B Coffee is native to Colombia.

　　C Coffee can keep one awake.

　　D Coffee drinks were first made by Arabs.

　　第三篇

Giving Up Smoking

　　A number of devices are available to help a person quit smoking. Nicotine （尼古�。� patches are small, nicotine-containing adhesive （粘著性的） discs applied to the skin. The nicotine is slowly absorbed through the skin and enters the bloodstream （血流）. Over time, the nicotine dose is reduced and eventually the desire for nicotine is eased. Nicotine gum （口香糖） works in a similar manner, providing small doses of nicotine when chewed （咀嚼）.

　　The benefits of giving up smoking include the immediate reduction of harm to the health of the smoker and easier admission to social activities and institutions that ban smoking. In a 1988 report, the U.S. Surgeon General declared cigarette smoking to be more harmful and expensive than the use of cocaine （可卡因）, alcohol, or heroin. Recent evidence supports this claim.

　　The United States government has collected a special tax on cigarettes for several decades. The rate rose from 8 cents per pack of 20 cigarettes in 1951 to 24 cents per pack in 1993. In other developed countries, the cigarette tax rate is much higher, ranging from 50 percent in Switzerland to 85 percent in Denmark.

　　In the United States, the first direct action to check smoking was the regulation of a warning on cigarette packages by the Federal Trade Commission. This warning took effect in 1964 and was strengthened in 1969 to read: "Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined That Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health." In 1971 all cigarette advertising was banned from radio and television, and cities and states passed laws requiring nonsmoking sections in public places and workplaces.

　　11 Which of the following can help a person quit smoking?

　　A Reading cigarette advertisements.

　　B Using nicotine patches……

　　C Chewing ordinary gum.

　　D Participating in social activities.

　　12 Nicotine gum is used to help a smoker

　　A reduce weight.

　　B stop smoking.

　　C clean his teeth.

　　D absorb nicotine immediately.

　　13 The benefits of giving up smoking include all the following EXCEPT

　　A the formation of a good habit.

　　B the reduction of expenses.

　　C the reduction of harm to one's health.

　　D easier access to institutions that ban smoking.

　　14 Which of the following is said to be the most expensive and harmful?

　　A Consuming alcohol.

　　B Using heroin.

　　C Taking cocaine.

　　D Smoking cigarettes.

　　15 Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a step to control smoking?

　　A Forbidding smoking in all public places.

　　B Collecting a special tax on cigarettes.

　　C Banning cigarette advertising from radio and TV.

　　D Requiring a warning on each cigarette package.

　　【參考答案】

　　1. B 2. A 3. B 4. C 5. C

　　6. A 7. C 8. D 9. A 10. B

　　11. B 12. B 13. A 14. D 15. A