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In early autumn I applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to CornellUniversity, but my mother fought strongly against it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell, she tore it up.
"You can't say it's not a great university, just because Papa went there. "
"That's not it at all. And it is a top university. " She was still holding the pieces in her hand. “But we can't afford to send you to college. "
"I wouldn't dream of asking you for money. Do you want me to get a job to help support you and Papa? Things aren't that bad, are they?"
"No," she said. "I don't expect you to help support us. "
Father borrowed money from his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop. His chief customers were his old college friends. To get new customers, my mother had to help. She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women, so that she could get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment (投资) could show returns. What's more, they had not wanted enough to be rich and successful; otherwise they could not possibly have managed their lives so badly.
I was torn between the desire to help them and change their lives, and the determination not to repeat their mistakes. I had a strong belief in my power to get what I wanted. After months of hard study I won a full college scholarship（奖学金）. My father could hardly contain his pride in me, and my mother eventually gave in before my success. (www.yywords.com)
53. The author was not allowed to go to CornellUniversity mainly because _________.
A. his father graduated from the university
B. his mother did not thinks it a great university
C. his parents needed him to help support the family
D. his parents did not have enough money for him
54. The father started his small shop with the money from ________.
A. a local league B. his university
C. his relatives D. his college friends
55. Why did the mother renew her membership in the league?
A. To help with her husband's business B. To raise money for her son
C. To meet her long-forgotten friends D. To better manage her life
56. according to the text, what was the author determined to do in that autumn?
A. To get a well-paid job for himself.
B. To improve relations with his mother.
C. To go to his dream university.
D. To carry on with his father's business.
D
Ever since they were first put on the market in the early 1990s, gentically modified (GM,转基因) foods have been increasingly developed and marketed in many countries in the word, mainly on the basis of their promise to end the worldwide food crisis. But can GM technology solve world hunger problems? Even if it would, is it the best solution?
Despite what it promises, GM technology actually has not increased the production potential of any crop. In fact studies show that the most widely grown GM crop, GM soybeans, has suffered reduced productivity. For instance, a report that analysed nearly two decades of research on major GM food crops shows that GM engineering has failed to significantly increase US crop production.
Something else, however, has been on the rise. While GM seeds are expensive, GM companies tell farmers that they will make good profits by saving money on pesticides (杀虫剂). On the contrary, US government data show that GM crops in the US have produced an overall increase in pesticide use compared to traditional crops. "The promise was that you could use less chemicals and boost production. But nether is true," said Bill Christison, President of the US National Farm Coalition.
At the same time, the authors of the book World Hunger: Twelve Myths argue that there actually is more than enough food in the world and that the hunger crisis is not caused by production, but by problems in food distribution and politics. These indeed deserve our efforts and money. Meanwhile, the rise in food prices results from the increased use of crops for fuel rather than food, according to a 2008 World Bank report.
As a matter of fact, scientists see better ways to feed the world. Another World Bank report concluded that GM crops have little to offer to the challenges of worldwide poverty and hunger, because better ways out are available, among which "green" farming is supposed to be the first choice.(www.nmet168.com)
57. The author develops the second paragraph mainly ________.
A. by classification B. by comparison
C. by example D. by process
58. What does the underlined word "boost" in the third paragraph probably mean?
A. Control. B. Evaluate
C. Obtain. D. Increase.
59. GM companies promise farmers that they will benefit from ________.
A. practicing "green" farming B. use of less chemicals
C. fair distribution of their crops D. using more crops for fuel
60. Which of the following best describes the attitude of the author towards GM technology?
A. Optimistic B. Defensive
C. Disapproving D. Casual
