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Reading ComprehensionReading Comprehension for CET 6Passage 1In the 1962 movie Lawrence of Arabia,one scene shows an American newspaper reporter eagerly snapping photos of men looting a sabotaged train.One of the looters,Chief Auda abu Tayi of the Howeitat clan,suddenly notices the camera and snatches it.Am I in this?he asks,before smashing it open.To the dismayed reporter,Lawrence explains,He thinks these things will steal his virtue.He thinks youre a kind of thief.As soon as colonizers and explorers began taking cameras into distant lands,stories began circulating about how indigenous peoples saw them as tools for black magic.The ignorant natives may have had a point.When photography first became available,scientists welcomed it as a more objective way of recording faraway societies than early travelers exaggerated accounts.But in some ways,anthropological photographs reveal more about the culture that holds the camera than the one that stares back.Up into the 1950s and 1960s,many ethnographers sought pure pictures of primitive cultures,routinely deleting modern accoutrements such as clocks and Western dress.They paid men and women to re-enact rituals or to pose as members of war or hunting parties,often with little regard for veracity.Edward Curtis,the legendary photographer of North American Indians,for example,got one Makah man to pose as a whaler with a spear in 1915-even though the Makah had not hunted whales in a generation.These photographs reinforced widely accepted stereotypes that indigenous cultures were isolated,primitive,and unchanging.For instance,National Geographic magazines photographs have taught millions of Americans about other cultures.As Catherine Lutz and Jane Collins point out in their 1993 book Reading National Geographic,the magazine since its founding in 1888 has kept a tradition of presenting beautiful photos that dont challenge white,middle-class American conventions.While dark-skinned women can be shown without tops,for example,white womens breasts are taboo.Photos that could unsettle or disturb,such as areas of the world torn asunder by war or famine,are discarded in favor of those that reassure,to conform with the societys stated pledge to present only kindly visions of foreign societies.The result,Lutz and Collins say,is the depiction of an idealized and exotic world relatively free of pain or class conflict.Lutz actually likes National Geographic a lot.She read the magazine as a child,and its lush imagery influenced her eventual choice of anthropology as a career.She just thinks that as people look at the photographs of other cultures,they should be alert to the choice of composition and images.1.The main idea of the passage is_.APhotographs taken by Western explorers reflect more Westerners perception of the indigenous cultures and the Western values.BThere is a complicated relationship between the Western explorers and the primitive peoples.CPopular magazines such as National Geographic should show pictures of the exotic and idealized worlds to maintain high sales.DAnthropologists ask the natives to pose for their pictures,compromising the truthfulness of their pictures.2.We can infer from the passage that early travelers to the native lands often_.Atook pictures with the nativesBgave exaggerated accounts of the native landsCask for pictures from the nativesDgave the natives clocks and Western dresses3.The author mentions the movie Lawrence of Arabia to_.Ashow how people in the indigenous societies are portrayed by Westerners.Billustrate how people from primitive societies see cameras as tools of black magic that steal their virtues.Cshow how anthropologists portray untruthful pictures of native people.Dshow the cruel and barbarian side of the native people.4.“But in some ways,anthropological photographs reveal more about the culture that holds the camera than the one that stares back.”In this sentence,the“oneculturethat stares back”refers to_.Athe indigenous cultureBthe Western cultureCthe academic cultureDthe news business culture5.With which of the following statements would Catherine Lutz most probably agree?AReporters from the Western societies should routinely delete modern elements in pictures taken of the indigenous societies.BThe primitive cultures are inferior to the more advanced Western culture.CThe western media are not presenting a realistic picture of the faraway societies.DPeople in the Western news business should try not to challenge the well-established white middle-class values.答案: A B B A CPassage 2The British Medical Journal recently featured a strong response to what was judged an inappropriately lenient reaction by a medical school to a student cheating in an examination.Although we have insufficient reliable data about the extent of this phenomenon,its prevention,or its effective management,much can be concluded and acted upon on the basis of common sense and concepts with face validity.There is general agreement that there should be zero tolerance of cheating in a profession based on trust and one on which human lives depend.It is reasonable to assume that cheaters in medical school will be more likely than others to continue to act dishonestly with patients,colleagues,insurers,and government.The behaviours under question are multifactorial in origin.There are familial,religious,and cultural values that are acquired long before medical school.For example,countries,cultures,and subcultures exist where bribes and dishonest behaviour are almost a norm.There are secondary schools in which neither staff nor students tolerate cheating and others where cheating is rampant;there are homes which imbue young people with high standards of ethical behaviour and others which leave ethical training to the harmful influence of television and the market place.Medical schools reflect society and cannot be expected to remedy all the ills of a society.The selection process of medical students might be expected to favour candidates with integrity and positive ethical behaviourif one had a reliable method for detecting such characteristics in advance.Medical schools should be the major focus of attention for imbuing future doctors with integrity and ethical sensitivity.Unfortunately there are troubling,if inconclusive,data that suggest that during medical school the ethical behaviour of medical students does not necessarily improve;indeed,moral development may actually stop or even regress.The creation of a pervasive institutional culture of integrity is essential.It is critical that the academic and clinical leaders of the institution set a personal example of integrity.Medical schools must make their institutional position and their expectations of students absolutely clear from day one.The development of a schools culture of integrity requires a partnership with the students in which they play an active role in its creation and nurturing.Moreover,the schools examination system and general treatment of students must be perceived as fair.Finally,the treatment of infractions must be firm,fair,transparent,and consistent.6.What does the author say about cheating in medical schools?AExtensive research has been done about this phenomenon.BWe have sufficient data to prove that prevention is feasible.CWe are safe to conclude that this phenomenon exists on a grand scale.DReliable data about the extent,prevention and management of the phenomenon is lacking.7.According to the author,it is important to prevent cheating in medical schools because_.AThe medical profession is based on trust.BThere is zero tolerance of cheating in medicine.CThe medical profession depends on the government.DCheating exists extensively in medical schools.8.What does the author say about the cause(s)of cheating?AFamily,culture and society play an active part.BBad school environment is the leading cause of student cheating.CParents are always to blame for their childrens cheating behaviour.DCheating exists primarily because students learn bad things from TV.9.According to the author,what precautions should medical schools take to prevent students from cheating?AMedical schools should establish a firm moral standard to weed out applicants with low integrity.BMedical schools should make efforts to remedy the ills of a society.CMedical schools should teach future doctors integrity and ethical values.DThere is nothing medical schools can do to improve the ethical behaviour of their students.10.The author will probably agree with which of the following statements?AMedical schools should make exams easier for the students to alleviate the fierce competition.BProminent figures in the medical institution should create a set of moral standards to be applied in medical schools.CMedical students should play an active role in the creation and preservation of a culture of integrity.DThose students who cheat in the exams should be instantly expelled from school.答案: D A A C CPassage 3A big focus of the criticism of computer games has concerned the content of the games being played.When the narratives of the games are analyzed they can be seen to fall into some genres. The two genres most popular with the children I interviewed werePlatformers andBeat-them-ups. Platform games such as Sonic and Super Mario involve leaping from platform to platform,avoiding obstacles,moving on through the levels,and progressing through the different stages of the game.Beat-them-ups are the games which have caused concern over their violent content.These games involve fights between animated characters.In many ways this violence can be compared to violence within children s cartoons where a character is hit over the head or falls of a cliff but walks away unscathed.Controversy has occurred in part because of the intensity of the game play,which is said to spill over into children s everyday lives.There are worries that children are becoming more violent and aggressive after prolonged exposure to these games.Playing computer games involves feelings of intense frustration and anger which often expresses itself in aggressiveyells at the screen.It is not only theBeat-them-up games which produce this aggression;platform games are just as frustrating when the characters lose all theirlives anddie just before the end of the level is reached.Computer gaming relies upon intense concentration on the moving images on the screen and demands great hand-to-eye coordination.When the player loses and the wordsGame over appear on the screen,there is annoyance and frustration at being beaten by the computer and at having made an error.This anger and aggression could perhaps be compared to the aggression felt when playing football and you take your eye off the ball and enable the opposition to score.The annoyance experienced when defeated at a computer game is what makes gamingaddictive:the player is determined not to make the same mistake again and to haveone last go in the hope of doing better next time.Some of the concern over the violence of computer games has been about children who are unable to tell the difference between fiction and reality and who act out the violent moves of the games in fight on the playground.The problem with video games is that they involve children more than television or films and this means there are more implications for their social behavior.Playing these games can lead to anti-social behavior,make children aggressive and affect their emotional stability.11.What is the topic of this article?AHow does playing computer games affect the level of violence in childrenBThere is no difference between Platform games andBeat-Them-Ups.CHow to control anger while playing computer gamesDHow to make children spend less time on computer games12.Which of the following games is supposed to contain violent content?ASonicBSuper MarioCPlatformerDBeat-Them-Up13.What does unscathed(Paragraph 1,Last line)probably mean?AunsettledBunbeatenCunharmedDunhappy14.According to the second paragraph,how does violence relate to playing computer games?AWhen losing computer games children tend to experience frustration and anger.BBeat-Them-Ups are more popular with children therefore more likely to produce violent behavior.CPeople who have good hand-eye-coordination tend to be more violent than others.DThe violent content in the games gets children addicted to the games.15.According to the author,why do video games lead to violence more than TV or movies?ABecause children cannot tell fiction from reality.BBecause children like to act out the scenes in the games on the playground.CBecause computer games involve children more than TV or films.DBecause computer games can produce more anti-social behavior.答案: A D C A CPassage 4In Brazil,the debate over genetically modified organisms,or GMOs, affects mostly soybean production.Brazil is the worlds second largest producer of soybeans behind the United States and ahead of Argentina.Most European and Asian retailers want to remain GM free.Non-governmental organizations(NGOs) in Brazil are going on a media offensive to prevent the legalization of genetically modified crops.Environmentalists and consumer groups for years have been able to thwart government and companies attempts to legalize altered food.In radio dramas that are being broadcast in remote regions,Brazilian NGOs are telling soy farmers the use of genetically modified seeds could endanger their health,their fields and their business.We are not saying that genetic engineering is,in principle,something bad;we say that we need more science to be sure that it will work in an appropriate way with no harm in the future,said campaign coordinator Jean-Marc von der Weid.This is both for health and environmental reasons.The other question is on economics.What we think is that in Brazil,if we approve the GMOs,we will lose a spectacular advantage that we have now.We are selling more to the international market,mostly for Europe and Asia,than we have done in our history,because we are not GMO contaminated.Another opposition group,Action Aid,has been organizing grass-roots support in Brazilian farming regions to rouse consumer sentiment against legalization.Action Aid public policy director Adriano Campolina says he is fighting for farmers to remain independent.When the small-scale farmer or a big farmer starts using this kind of seed,this farmer will be completely dependent on the transnationals,which control intellectual property rights over these seeds,he said.Brazilian scientist Crodowaldo Pavan said there should be checks on what multinationals can do,but that doesnt mean GM seeds should be banned.He says fears over their usage are unfounded.Despite the official ban, Dr. Pavan says up to one third of Brazils soy crop is genetically modified,because GM seed is being smuggled from Argentina.Brazils government has invested heavily in a GM project by the U.S. biotech company,Monsanto,but the project was put on ice following a successful court challenge by consumers.The anti-GMO groups are hoping the politicians preoccupation with the October presidential election will give them time to gather enough support to defeat any future attempts to legalize genetically altered crops.41.According to the passage,the issue in dispute in Brazil is_.Acontamination of the environment by genetically modified crops.BBrazils standing in the international marketCthe October presidential electionDthe legalization of genetically modified organisms42.According to the passage,Brazil is the worlds_soybean producer.AlargestBsecond largestCthird largestDfourth largest43.Which of the following statements is NOT true about NGOs in Brazil?AThey believe genetically modified crops will harm the farmers health.BThey believe genetic engineering is altogether a bad practice.CThey believe scientific methods should be introduced to ensure GM brings no harm.DThey believe GMOs will harm Brazil economically.44.Which of the following statements is true about the organization called Action Aid?AThey encourage the farmers to produce genetically modified products.BThey encourage the farmers to depend on themselves for seeds.CThey strongly support the legalization of genetically modified products.DThey encourage the farmers to upgrade their farms to bigger ones.45.What does the Brazilian scientist Crodowaldo Pavan say about genetically modified products?AGenetically modified seeds should be banned.BBrazil government should crack down on the smuggling of genetically modified seeds.CThe fear over the use of genetically modified seeds is uncalled for.DConsumers should file more law suits to protect their rights.答案: D B B B CPassage 5The Guidford Four,freed last week after spending 15 years in prison for crimes they did not commit,would almost certainly have been executed for the pub bombing they were convicted of.They had the death penalty been in force at the time of their trial.They may now be a decent interval before the pro-hanging lobby,which has the support of the Prime Minister,makes another attempt to reintroduce the noose.Reflections along these lines were about the only kind of consolation to be derived from this gross miscarriage of justice which is now to be the subject of a judicial(司法的)inquiry.In the meantime,defense lawyers are demanding compensation and have in mind about half a million pounds for each of their clients.The first three to be released-Mr.Gerald Conlon, Mr.Paddy Armstrong and Ms.Carole Richardson-left prison with the 34 pounds which is given to all departing inmates.The fourth,Mr.Paul Hill,was not released immediately but taken to Belfast,where he lodged an appeal against his conviction for the murder of a former British soldier.Since this conviction,too,was based on the now discredited statements allegedly made to the Survey police,he was immediately let out on bail(保释).But he left empty-handed.The immediate reaction to the scandal was renewed demand for the re-examination of the case against the Birmingham Six, who are serving life sentences for pub bombings in that city. Thus far the Home secretary, Mr. Douglas Hurd, is insisting that the two cases are not comparable; that what is now known about the Guilford investigation has no relevance to what happened in Birmingham.Mr. Hurd is right to the extent that there was a small-though flimsy and hotly-contested-amount of crime evidence in the Birmingham case.The disturbing similarity is that the Birmingham Six,like the Guilford Four,claim that police officers lied and fabricated evidence to secure a conviction.Making scapegoats(替罪羊)of a few rogue police officers will not be sufficient to eliminate the Guilford miscarriage of justice.These are already demands that the law should be changed;first to make it impossible to convict on“confessions”alone;and secondly to require that statements from accused persons should only be taken in the presence of an independent third patty to ensure they are not made under punishment.It was also being noted this week that the Guilford Four owe their release more to be persistence of investigative reporters than to the diligence of either the judiciary or the police.Yet investigative reports-particularly on television-have recently been a particular target for the condemnation of Mrs.Thatcher and some of her ministers who seem to think that TV should be muzzled(钳制言论的手段) in the public interest and left to get on with soap operas and quiz shows.1.The word“noose
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