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III. Reading Comprehension
Section A Directions: For each blank in the following passages there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
It is officially known as the Swiss Re Tower, or 30 St Mary Axe. As a typical example of green architecture, what is most remarkable about the building is its energy-efficiency. __51__ its artful design and some fancy technology, it is expected to consume up to 50% less energy than a comparable conventional office building. Green architecture is __52__ the way buildings are designed, built and run.
Supporters of green architecture argue that the approach has many __53__. In the case of large office, for example, the __54__ of green design techniques and clever technology can not only reduce energy consumption and environmental impact, but also reduce running costs, create a more __55__ working environment, improve employee’s health and productivity, reduce legal liability, and __56__ property values and rental returns.
Going green saves money by reducing long-term energy costs: a survey of 99 green buildings in America found that on average, they use 30% less energy than conventional buildings. So any additional building costs can be __57__ quickly. The traditional approach of trying to minimize construction costs, __58__, can lead to higher energy bills and wasted materials.
Green buildings can also have less obvious __59__ benefits. The use of natural daylight in office buildings, for example, besides reducing energy costs, also seems to make workers more productive. Lockheed Martin, an aerospace firm, found that absenteeism(缺勤) __60__ by 15 after it moved 2,500 employees into a new green building in Sunnyvale, California. __61__, the use of daylight in shopping complexes appears to increase __62__. It also found that students in naturally lit classrooms performed up to 20% better. The __63__ in productivity paid for the building’s higher construction costs within a year. Despite its benefits and its growing popularity, green architecture is still not as popular as expected. The main __64__ is co-ordination(协调), for green buildings require much more planning by architects, engineers, builders and developers than traditional buildings. But, without doubt, green architecture will __65__ to reshape the construction industry over the next five years, with ever more innovative, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly buildings. “No one is doing this for fun,” he says. “There’s too much at risk.”
51. A. In place of B. Thanks to C. In spite of D. In addition to
52. A. giving B. discovering C. changing D. paving
53. A. benefits B. factors C. techniques D. impacts
54. A. contrast B. completion C. manufacture D. combination
55. A. tense B. pleasant C. fierce D. temporary
56. A. involved B. enhanced C. shared D. showed
57. A. recovered B. gained C. counted D. valued
58. A. in return B. for instance C. by contrast D. in general
59. A. environmental B. psychological C. academic D. economic
60. A. multiplied B. estimated C. recorded D. dropped
61. A. Similarly B. Contrarily C. Consequently D. Necessarily
62. A. visits B. relations C. sales D. satisfaction
63. A. performance B. confidence C. increase D. equal
64. A. interest B. progress C. solution D. problem
65. A. deserve B. help C. work D. afford
Section B
Directions: Read the following passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
(A)
The person who set the course of my life was a school teacher named Marjorie Hurd. When I was stepped off a ship in New York Harbor in 1949, I was a nine-year-old war refugee, who had lost his mother and was coming to live with the father he did not know. My mother, Eleni Gatzoyiannis, had been imprisoned and shot for sending my sisters and me to freedom.
I was thirteen years old when I entered Chandler Junior High. Shortly after I arrived, I was told to select a hobby to pursue during “club hours.” The idea of hobbies and clubs made no sense to my immigrant ears, but I decided to follow the prettiest girl in my class. She led me into the presence of Miss Hurd, the school newspaper adviser and English teacher.
A tough woman with salt-and-pepper hair and determined eyes, Miss Hurd had no patience with lazy bones. She drilled us in grammar, assigned stories for us to read and discuss, and eventually taught us how to put out a newspaper. Her introduction to the literary wealth of Greece gave me a new perspective on my war-torn homeland, making me proud of my origins. Her efforts inspired me to understand the logic and structure of the English language. Owing to her inspiration, during my next twenty-five years, I became a journalist by profession.
Miss Hurd retired at the age of 62. By then, she had taught for a total of 41 years. Even after her retirement, she continually made a project of unwilling students in whom she spied a spark of potential. The students were mainly from the most troubled homes, yet she alternately bullied and charmed them with her own special brand of tough love, until the spark caught fire.
Miss Hurd was the one who directed my grief and pain into writing. But for Miss Hurd, I wouldn’t have become a reporter. She was the catalyst that sent me into journalism and indirectly caused all the good things that came after.
66. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph Two most probably mean?
A. Hobbies and clubs did not interest the author.
B. The author turned a deaf ear to joining clubs.
C. Hobbies and clubs were inaccessible to immigrants like the author.
D. The author had no idea what hobbies and clubs were all about.
67. Which of the following caused the author to think of his homeland differently?
A. Stepping on the American soil for the first time.
B. Her mother’s miserable death.
C. Being exposed to Greek literary works.
D. Following the prettiest girl in his class.
68. It can be inferred from Paragraph Four that ___________.
A. Miss Hurd’s contribution was recognized across the nation.
B. Students from troubled homes preferred Miss Hurd’s teaching style.
C. The students Miss Hurd taught were all finally fired.
D. Miss Hurd employed a unique way to handle these students.
69. The passage is mainly concerned with ___________.
A. how the author became a journalist.
B. the importance of inspiration in one’s life.
C. the teacher who shaped the author’s life.
D. factors contributing to a successful career.
