Part I Reading Comprehension (30%)

Directions: There are three passage in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

Passage 1

Questions 1-5 are based on this passage

Trees are useful to man in three important ways: they provide him shade; and they help to prevent droughts and floods.

Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important. 76) In his eagerness to make money from trees, he has cut them down in large numbers, only to find that without them he has lost the best friends he had. And besides, he is usually too careless to plant and look after new trees. So the forests slowly disappear.

This does not only mean that man will have fewer trees. The results are even more serious: for where there are trees, their roots break up soil-allowing the rain to sink in - and also bind the soil, thus preventing it from being washed away easily; but where there are no trees, the rain falls on hard ground and flows away, causing floods and carrying away the rich top-soil. When all the top-soil is gone, nothing remains but worthless desert.

1. What is the most important service of trees to man according to the passage?

A. They help him make money.

B. They give him wood and other products.

C. They help him prevent droughts and floods.

D. They give him shade.

2. Why do forests in many parts of the world slowly disappear?

A. New trees are not looked after properly.

B. Many trees have been cut down by man.

C. Man has not paid enough attention to planting trees.

D. All of the above.

3. Why did the country mentioned in the passage suffer from floods and starvation?

A. Because an empire was set up.

B. Because the empire fell to pieces.

C. Because it lost all its trees.

D. Because too much had been spent on wars.

4. Why did the country mentioned in the passage suffer from floods and starvation?

A. Because nothing remains on land except floods.

B. Because there are no longer trees to keep the rain and protect the top-soil.

C. Because too much rain sinks in and washes away the top-soil.

D. Because roots of the trees break up the soil.

5. What does the author tell us in this passage?

A. How trees help prevent droughts and floods.

B. The relationship between trees and man.

C. How an empire fell to pieces in ancient times.

D. A story of trees.

Passage 1

树在三方面对人类有益：提供树荫、帮助预防干旱和水灾。

不幸的是在世界许多地方，人类尚未意识到树的第三个作用是最重要的。人类迫切希望利用树来赚钱，大量砍伐树木，却发现失去了树人类就失去了最好的朋友。此外，人类马马虎虎地种树，又不细心地照顾树，结果森林渐渐地消失了。

这不仅仅意味着树少了。后果甚至更加严重：在有树的地方，树根松土让雨水渗入，还可以巩固泥土，防止泥土轻易被雨水冲走：但是在没有树的地方，雨水落在坚硬的土地上后就流走了，造成水灾并且冲走了富饶的上层泥土。上层泥土冲走后就只留下贫瘠的沙漠。

1、C 第一段提到树的三点作用"提供树荫、帮助预防干旱和水灾"，第二段第一句提到"人类尚未意识到树的第三个作用是最重要的"，即"预防水灾"是最重要的。

2、D 第二段提到人类大量砍伐树木，马马虎虎地种树，不细心照顾树木，这些都是导致森林消失的原因。因此选择D，其他三项都是对的。

3、C 第三段提到失去树木后，雨水会导致水灾并且冲走了富饶的上层泥土。上层泥土冲走后就只留下贫瘠的沙漠。贫瘠的土壤是导致饥荒的原因。因此，失去树木是导致水灾和饥荒的根源。

4、B 第三段提到失去树木后，雨水会导致水灾并且冲走了富饶的上层泥土。上层泥土冲走后就只留下贫瘠的沙漠。贫瘠的土壤是导致饥荒的原因。因此，失去树木是导致水灾和饥荒的根源。

5、B 本文主要介绍失去森林对人类的影响，即树木与人类的关系，因此应选B.