Whichissafer-stayingathome，travelingtoworkonpublictransport，orworkingintheoffice?Surprisingly，eachofthesecarriesthesamerisk，whichisverylow.However，whataboutflyingcomparedtoworkinginthechemicalindustry?Unfortunately，theformeris65timesriskierthanthelatter!Infact，theaccidentrateofworkersinthechemicalindustryislessthanthatofalmostanyofhumanactivity，andalmostassafeasstayingathome.

Thetroublewiththechemicalindustryisthatwhenthingsgowrongtheyoftencausedeathtothoselivingnearby.Itisthiswhichmakeschemicalaccidentssonewsworthy.Fortunately，theyareextremelyrare.ThemostfamousoneshappenedatTexasCity(1947)，Flixborough(1974)，Seveso(1976)，Pemex(1984)andBhopal(1984)。

Someofthesearealwaysinthemindsofthepeopleeventhoughthelossoflifewassmall.NoonediedatSeveso，andonly28workersatFlixborough.TheworstaccidentofallwasBhopal，whereupto3，000werekilled.TheTexasCityexplosionoffertilizerkilled552.ThePemexfireatastorageplantfornaturalgasinthesuburbsofMexicoCitytook542lives，justamonthbeforetheunfortunateeventatBhopal.

Someexpertshavediscussedtheseaccidentsandusedeachaccidenttoillustrateaparticulardanger.ThustheTexasCityexplosionwascausedbytonsofammoniumnitrate(硝酸铵)，whichissafeunlessstoredingreatquantity.TheFlixboroughfireballwasthefaultofmanagement，whichtookriskstokeepproductiongoingduringessentialrepairs.TheSevesoaccidentshowswhathappensifthelocalauthoritieslackknowledgeofthedangerontheirdoorstep.Whenthepoisonousgasdriftedoverthetown，localleaderswereincapableoftakingeffectiveaction.ThePemexfirewasmadeworsebyanoverloadedsiteinanovercrowdedsuburb.Thefiresetoffachainreactionosexplodingstoragetanks.Yet，byamiracle，thetwolargesttanksdidnotexplode.Hadthesecaughtfire，then3，000strongrescueteamandfirefighterswouldallhavedied.

1.Chemicalaccidentsareusuallyimportantenoughtobereportedasnewsbecause____.

A.theyareveryrare

B.theyoftencauselossoflife

C.theyalwaysoccurinbigcities

D.theyarousetheinterestofallthereaders

2.Whichofthefollowingstatementsistrue?

A.Workingattheofficeissaferthanstayingathome.

B.Traverllingtoworkonpublictransportissaferthanworkingattheoffice.

C.Stayingathomeissaferthanworkinginthechemicalindustry.

D.Workinginthechemicalindustryissaferthantravelingbyair.

3.Accordingtopassage，thechemicalaccidentthatcausedbythefaultofmanagementhappenedat____.

A.TexascityB.FlixboroughC.SevesoD.MexicoCity

4.Fromthediscussionamongsomeexpertswemaycocludethat____.

A.toavoidanyaccidentsweshouldnotrepairthefacilitiesinchemicalindustry

B.thelocalauthoritiesshouldnotbeconcernedwiththeproductionofthechemicalindustry

C.alltheseaccidentscouldhavebeenavoidedorcontrolledifeffectivemeasurehadbeentaken

D.naturalgasstoredinverylargetanksisalwayssafe

5.Fromthepassageweknowthatammoniumnitrateisakindof____.

A.naturalgas，whichcaneasilycatchfire

B.fertilizer，whichcan'tbestoredinagreatquantity

C.poisonoussubstance，whichcan'tbeusedinovercrowdedareas

D.fuel，whichisstoredinlargetanks

PartIVTranslation

Itwouldhavebeendifficultforthemtoavoidtheconclusionthatthehorseandmulepopulationwoulddeclinerapidly.(PassageFour)

翻译：

最近，一些地方大学开始将方言列为某些学生的必修课程，学生们要学习当地方言，然后被评分以作为毕业的依据之一。一方面，支持此种做法的人认为，将方言列为必修课可防止其消失，从而使当地传统文化和文化多样性得以弘扬，同时城市独特的个性得以保留。另一方面，反对此种做法的人争论说，当地学生与外地学生相比有很多绝对优势，因此将方言列为必修课会引起教育不公平的问题。而且，将方言列为必修课程还会引起一些其他问题，如教材使用、师资问题和考试标准等。在我看来，方言作为传统文化不可缺少的一部分和一种交流工具，可以让学生自愿学习和使用，而不是强制完成。

PartIReadingComprehension

Passage1

Questions1to5arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

InWashingtonD.C.,1600PennsylvaniaAvenueisaveryspecialaddress.ItistheaddressoftheWhiteHouse,thehomeofthepresidentoftheUnitedStates.

OriginallytheWhiteHousewasgrayandwascalledthePresidentialPalace.Itwasbuiltfrom1792to1800.atthistime,thecityofWashingtonitselfwasbeingbuilt;itwastobethenation’snewcapitalcity.GeorgeWashington,thefirstpresident,andPierreCharlesL’Enfant,aFrenchengineer,chosetheplaceforthenewcity.L’Enfantthenplannedtheycity.Thepresident’shomewasanimportantpartoftheplan.

Acontestwasheldtopickadesignforthepresident’shome.AnarchitectnamedJamesHobanwon.Hedesignedalargethree-storyhouseofgraystone.

PresidentWashingtonneverlivedinthePresidentPalace.ThefirstpresidenttolivetherewasJohnAdams,thesecondpresidentoftheUnitedStates,andhiswifeMrs.Adamsdidnotreallylikehewnewhouse.Inherletters,sheoftencomplainedaboutthecold.Fiftyfireplaceswerenotenoughtokeepthehousewarm!

In1812theUnitedStatesandBritainwenttowar.In1814theBritishinvadedWashington.Theuburnedmanybuildings,includingthePresidentialPalace.

AfterthewarJamesHoban,theoriginalarchitect,partiallyrebuiltthepresident’shomes.Tocoverthemarksofthefire,thebuildingwaspaintedwhite.BeforelongitbecameknownastheWhiteHouse.

TheWhiteHouseisoneofthemostpopulartouristattractionsintheUnitedStates.Everyyearmorethan1.5millionvisitorsgothroughthefiveroomsthatareopentothepublic.

1.TheWhiteHousewasbuiltinWashington.

A.becauseaFrenchengineerwasinvitedtodesignit

B.becausePresidentGeorgeWashingtonlikedtoliveinit

C.becausetheBritishinvaderslivedinitin1812-1814

D.becauseitwastobethenation’scapitalcity

2.ThePresidentialPalacewas.

A.paintedgrayandwhiteB.madeofgraystone

C.madeofwhitestoneD.madeverywarminwinter

3.Thepresident’shomeandthecityofWashingtonwere.

A.builtbytheAmericanarmyB.builtbytheBritishtroops

C.plannedbyGeorgeWashingtonD.plannedbytheFrench

4.Theoriginalhomeofthepresidentneededtoberebuilt.

A.becauseJohnAdam’swifedidnotlikeit

B.becauseitwascoldinwinterevenwith50fireplaces

C.becauseithadburneddownduringthewar

D.becauseGeorgeWashingtonwasnotwillingtoliveinit

5.Thenewpresidentialhomewaspaintedwhiteto.

A.coverthemarksoffireB.attracttouristfromFrance

C.topleaseMrs.JohnAdamsD.keepitwarminwinter

Passage4

Questions16to20arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

Cultureshockisanoccupationaldisease(职业病)forpeoplewhohavebeensuddenlytransplantedabroad.

Cultureshockiscausedbytheanxietythatresultsfromlosingallfamiliarsignsandsymbolsofsocialintercourse.Thosesignsareasfollowing:whentoshakehandsandwhattosaywhenmeetpeople,whenandhowtogivetips,howtomakepurchases,whentoacceptandrefuseinvitations,whentotakestatementsseriouslyandwhennot.Thesesigns,whichmaybewords,gestures,facialexpressions,orcustoms,areacquiredbyallofusinthecourseofgrowingupandasmuchapartofourcultureasthelanguagewespeakorthebeliefsweaccept.Allofusdependonhundredsofthesesignsforourpeaceofmindandday-to-dayefficiency,butwedonotcarrymostatthelevelofconsciousawareness.

Nowwhenanindividualentersastrangeculture,allormostofthesefamiliarsignsareremoved.Nomatterhowbroadmindedorfullofgoodwillyoumaybeaseriesofsupportshavebeenknockedfromunderyou,followedbyafeelingoffrustration.Whensufferingfromcultureshockpeoplefirstrejecttheenvironmentwhichcauseddiscomfort.Thewaysofthehostcountryarebadbecausetheymakeusfeelbad.Whenforeignersinastrangelandgettogetherincomplainaboutthehostcountryitspeople,youcanbesurethattheyaresufferingfromcultureshock.

16.Accordingtothepassage,cultureshockis.

A.anoccupationaldiseaseofforeignpeopleB.mayleadtoveryserioussymptoms

C.actuallynotadiseaseD.incurable

17.Accordingtothepassage,cultureshockresultfrom.

A.thesuddenchangeofsocialatmosphereandcustoms

B.thesuddenchangeofourdailyhabits

C.thesuddenlossofourownsignsandsymbols

D.thediscomfortthatwefeelwhenfacedwithaforeigner

18.Whichoneofthefollowingmaynotbeasymptomofcultureshock?

A.Youdon’tknowhowtoexpressyourgratitude.

B.Youdon’tknowhowtogreetotherpeople.

C.Yousuddenlyforgetwhatawordmeans.

D.Youdon’tunderstandwhyaforeignershrugs.

19.Accordingtothepassage,howwouldapersonwhostaysabroadmostprobablyreactwhenheisfrustratedbythecultureshock?

A.Heismostlikelytorefusetoabsorbthestrangeenvironmentatfirst.

B.Heisreallytoacceptthechangeandadapthimselftothenewenvironment.

C.Althoughhetakestheculturedifferenceforgranted,hestilldoesn’tknowhowtodowithit.

D.Hemaybegintohatethepeopleorthingsaroundhim.

20.Themainideaofthispassageisthat.

A.cultureshockisanoccupationaldisease

B.cultureshockiscausedbytheanxietyoflivinginastrangeculture

C.cultureshockhaspeculiarsymptoms

D.itisveryhardtocopewithlifeinanewsetting