Passage 1
这篇文章是02年成三的考题距离现在已经有8年的时间了，那么古老的考题为何还要讲，原因何在，经典。它概括了成三考试的基本出题思路，也暴露了题目的基本破绽。这篇文章不仅被我们奉为经典，很多其他类型的考试，比如公共英语2级考试都作为课程讲解的重点。
In ancient times the most important examinations were spoken, not written. In the schools of ancient Greece and Rome, testing usually consisted of saying poetry aloud or giving speeches.
In the European universities of the Middle Ages, students who were working for advanced degrees had to discuss questions in their field of study with people who had made a special study of the subject. This custom exists today as part of the process of testing candidates for the doctor’s degree.
Generally, however, modern examinations are written. The written examination, where all students are tested on the same question, was probably not known until the nineteenth century. Perhaps it came into existence with the great increase in population and the development of modern industry. A room full of candidates for a state examination, timed exactly by electric clocks and carefully watched over by managers, resembles a group of workers at an automobile factory. Generally, during examinations teachers and students are expected to act like machines.
One type of test is sometimes called an “objective” test. It is intended to deal with facts, not personal opinions. To make up an objective test the teacher writes a series of questions, each of which has only one correct answer. Along with each question the teacher writes the correct answer and also three statements that look like correct answers to students who have not learned the material properly.
1. In the Middle Ages students _______.
A. took objective tests B. specialized in one subject
C. were timed by electric clocks D. never wrote exams
2. The main idea of paragraph 3 is that _______.
A. workers now take examinations
B. the population has grown
C. there are only written exams
D. examinations are now written and timed
3. The kind of exams where students must select answers are _______.
A. personal B. spoken C. objective D. written
4. Modern industry must have developed _______.
A. before the Middle Ages B. around the 19th century
C. in Greece or Rome D. machines to take tests
5. It may be concluded that testing _______.
A. should test only opinions
B. Should always be written
C. has changed since the Middle Ages
D. is given only in factories
参考答案：1.D 2.D 3.C 4.B 5.C
Passage 2
如果说第一篇文章把大家带进成三考试阅读理解的大门，那么我们进了门之后呢，要一步一步的学会做阅读，从读文章开始.很多同学不会读文章，不是说你真的读不懂，读文章的时候呢，把握不了重点，看完题目回到文章当中找不清楚重点，或者找到了也有遗漏。为什么，不会读文章。
People all over the world today are beginning to hear and learn more and more about the problem of pollution. Pollution is caused either by man's release of completely new and often artificial (人造)substances into the environment, or by releasing greatly increased amounts of a natural substance (物质), such as oil from oil tankers into the sea.
Whatever its underlying reasons, there is no doubt that much of the pollution caused could be controlled if only companies, individuals and governments would make more efforts. In the home there is an obvious need to control litter and waste. Food comes wrapped up there or four times in packages that all have to be disposed of; drinks are increasingly sold in bottles or tins which cannot be reused. This not only causes a litter problem, but also is a great waste of resources, in terms of glass, metal and paper. Advertising has helped this process by persuading many of us not only to buy thing we neither want nor need, but also to throw away much of what we do buy. Pollution and waste combine to be a problem everyone can help to solve by cutting out unnecessary buying, excess use and careless disposal (处理) of the products we use in our daily lives.
1. The main cause of pollution is _______.
A. the release of artificial or natural substances into the environment
B. the production of new industrial goods
C. increased amounts of a natural substance
D. our ever-increasing population
2. Much of the pollution could be controlled if only _______.
A. people would pay more attention to the problem
B. governments would take effective measures
C. all sides concerned would make more efforts
D. farmers would use less artificial fertilizers
3. Food packages, bottles and tins for drinks can cause _______.
A. air and water pollution
B. both a litter problem and a waste of resources
C. to pay for the service
D. to produce the receipt
4. Which of the following can not help solving the problem of pollution?
A. Cutting out unnecessary buying.
B. Eating less.
C. Reduce excess use.
D. Carefully dispose our daily products.
5. What does the underlined word "litter" mean in paragraph 2 ?
A. not many.
B. serious problem.
C. bits of waste things.
D. industrial pollution.
参考答案：ACBBC
Passage 3
这是一篇议论文。议论文常常会就问你论点，也就是文章的中心思想。考察分论点，也就是下面两段的段意。考察论据，问你为什么或者让你寻找论据细节。有时候会问你文章作文议论文所独有的文章表达的作用，某一段的作用。
Obviously television has both advantages and disadvantages.
(3)In the first place, television is not only a convenient source of entertainment, but also a comparatively cheap one. With a TV set in the family people don’t have to pay for expensive seats at the theatre, the cinema, or the opera. All they have to do is to push a button or turn a knob, and they can see plays, films, operas and shows of every kind. Some people, however, think that this is where the danger lies. The television viewers need do nothing. He does not even have to use his legs if he has a remote control. He makes no choice, does no exercises, and makes no judgment. He is completely passive and has everything presented to him without any effort on his part.
Television, it is often said, keeps one informed about current events and the latest developments in science and politics. The most distant countries and the strangest customs are brought right into one’s sitting room. It could be argued that the radio performs this service as well; but on television everything is much more living, much more real. Yet here again there is a danger. The television screen itself has a terrible, almost physical charm for us. (4) We get so used to looking at the movements on it, so dependent on its pictures, that it begins to control our lives. People are often heard to say that their television sets have broken down and that they have suddenly found that they have far more time to do things and that they have actually begun to talk to each other again. It makes one think, doesn’t it?
There are many other arguments for and against television. We must realize that television itself is neither good nor bad. It is the uses that it is put to that determine its value to society.
1. What is the major function of paragraph 1?
A. To arouse the reader’s concern.
B. To introduce the theme of the whole passage.
C. To summarize the whole passage.
D. To state the primary uses of TV.
2. Television, as a source of entertainment, is _______.
A. not very convenient B. very expensive
C. quite dangerous D. relatively cheap
3. Why are some people against TV?
A. Because TV programs are not interesting.
B. Because TV viewers are totally passive.
C. Because TV prices are very high.
D. Because TV has both advantages and disadvantages.
4. One of the most obvious advantages of TV is that _______.
A. it keeps us informed B. it is very cheap
C. it enables us to have a rest D. it controls our lives
5. According to the passage, whether TV is good or not depends on _______.
A. its quality B. people’s attitude towards it
C. how we use it D. when we use it
参考答案：BDBAC
Passage 4
When we talk about intelligence, we do not mean the ability to get good scores on certain kinds of tests or even the ability to do well in school. By intelligence we mean a way of living and behaving, especially in a new or upsetting situation. If we want to test intelligence, we need to find out how a person acts instead of how much he knows what to do.
(18) For instance, when in a new situation, an intelligent person thinks about the situation, not about himself or what might happen to him. He tries to find out all he can, and then he acts immediately and tries to do something about it. He probably isn’t sure how it will all work out, but at least he tries. And, if he can’t make things work out right, he doesn’t feel ashamed that he failed; he just tries to learn from his mistakes. An intelligent person, even if he is very young, has a special outlook on life, a special feeling about life, and knows how he fits into it.
If you look at children, you’ll see great difference between what we call “bright” children and “not-bright” children. They are actually two different kinds of people, not just the same kind with different amount of intelligence. For example, the bright child really wants to find out about life --- he tries to get in touch with everything around him. (19) But, the unintelligent child keeps more to himself and his own dream-world; he seems to have a wall between him and life in general.
1. According to this passage, intelligence is _______.
A. the ability to study well
B. the ability to do well in school
C. the ability to deal with life
D. the ability to get high scores on some tests
2. In a new situation, an intelligent person _______.
A. knows more about what might happen to him
B. is sure of the result he will get
C. concentrates on what to do about the situation
D. cares more about himself
3. If an intelligent person failed, he would _______.
A. try not to feel ashamed B. learn form his experiences
C. try to regret as much as possible D. make sure what result he would get
4. Bright children and not-bright children _______.
A. are two different types of children
B. are different mainly in their degree of cleverness
C. have difference only in their way of thinking
D. have different knowledge about the world
5. The author of this passage will probably continue to talk about _______.
A. how to determine what intelligence is
B. how education should be found
C. how to solve practical problems
D. how an unintelligent person should be taught
参考答案：CCBAD
Passage 5
Today, cigarette smoking is a common habit. About forty-three percent of the adult men and thirty-one percent of the adult women in the United States smoke cigarettes regularly. It is encouraging to see that millions of people have given up smoking.
It is a fact that men as a group smoke more than women. Among both men and women the age group with the highest proportion of smokers is 24-44.
Income, education, and occupation all play a part in determining a person’s smoking habit. City people smoke more than people living on farms. Well-educated men with high incomes are less likely to smoke cigarettes than men with fewer years of schooling and lower incomes. On the other hand, if a well-educated man with a higher income smoked at all, he is likely to smoke more packs of cigarettes per day.
The situation is somewhat different for women. (40)There are slightly more smokers among women with higher family income and higher education than among the lower income and lower educational groups. These more highly educated women tend to smoke more heavily.
Among teenagers the picture is similar. There are fewer teenaged smokers from upper-income, well-educated families, and fewer from families living in farm areas. Children are most likely to start smoking if one or both of their parents smoke.
1. What do we know from the first paragraph ?
A. More and more people take up the habit of smoking.
B. There are more smoking women than smoking men in USA.
C. It is good news that more people have given up smoking.
D. The U.S. has more smoking people than any other country.
2. What factors determine a person’s smoking habits ?
A. Age, income and education.
B. Age, sex and income.
C. Occupation, income and sex.
D. Occupation, income and education.
3. Which of the following is true according to the passage ?
A. City people are less likely to smoke.
B. People in rural areas are more likely to smoke.
C. Men with higher income tend to smoke.
D. Well-educated men with high incomes are generally less likely to smoke.
4. What is the smoking situation for women ?
A. The situation is quite the same for women as for men.
B. Better-educated women are likely to smoke heavily.
C. There are more women smokers with low incomes.
D. Women with higher incomes and higher education do not tend to smoke.
5. What can we say about teenaged smokers ?
A. The picture about the teenage smokers is similar to that of women smokers.
B. The situation among teenagers is quite the same with men.
C. High school students are more likely to smoke than college students.
D. Farmers’ children tend to smoke more.
参考答案：CDDBB
Passage 6
I hear many parents complain that their teenage children are rebelling. I wish it were so. At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents. You should be learning to stand on your own feet. But take a good look at the present rebellion. It seems that teenagers are all taking the same way of showing that they disagree with their parents. Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are holding one another's hands for reassurance (放心).
They claim they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But they all end up listening to the same record. Their reason for thinking or acting in such a way is that the crowd is doing it. They have come out of their cocoon (茧) into a larger cocoon.
(56) It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her own way. Industry has firmly carved out a market for teenagers. These days every teenager can learn from the advertisements what a teenager should have and be. This is a great barrier for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.
But the barrier is worth climbing over. The path is worth following. You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party. You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records. You may have some thoughts that you don't care to share at once with your classmates. Well, go to it. Find yourself. Be yourself. Popularity will come—with the people who respect you for who you are. That's the only kind of popularity that really counts.
206. The author's purpose in writing this passage is to tell _______.
A. readers how to be popular with people around
B. teenagers how to learn to make a decision for themselves
C. parents how to control and guide their children
D. people how to understand and respect each other
207. According to the author, many teenagers think they are brave enough to act on their own, but in fact most of them _______.
A. have much difficulty understanding each other
B. lack confidence
C. dare not cope with any problems alone
D. are very much afraid of getting lost
208. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. There is no popularity that really counts.
B. Many parents think that their children are challenging their authority.
C. It is not necessarily bad for a teenager to disagree with his or her classmates.
D. Most teenagers are actually doing the same.
209. The author thinks of advertisements as _______ to teenagers.
A. inevitable B. influential C. instructive D. attractive
210. The main idea of the last paragraph is that a teenager should _______.
A. differ from others in as many ways as possible
B. become popular with others
C. find his real self
D. rebel against his parents and the popularity wave
参考答案：BCABC
Passage 7
According to a recent survey, employees in many companies today work longer hours than employees did in 1979. They also take shorter vacations than employees in 1979. It seems that Americans are working harder today than ever before. Or are they? A management consultant, Bill Meyer, decided to find out. For three days, he observed an investment banker hard at work. Meyer wrote down everything the banker did during his long workday. At the end of the three-day period, Meyer reviewed the banker's activities with him. What did they find out? They discovered that the man spent 80 percent of his time doing unnecessary work. For example, he attended unnecessary meetings, made redundant (多余的) telephone calls, and spent time packing and unpacking his two big briefcases.
(76) Apparently many people believe that the more time a person spends at work, the more he or she accomplishes. When employers evaluate employees, they often consider the amount of time on the job in addition to job performance. Employees know this. Although many working people can do their job effectively during a regular 40-hour work week, they feel they have to spend more time on the job after normal working hours so that the people who can promote them see them.
A group of headhunters (猎头) were asked their opinion about a situation. They had a choice of two candidates for an executive position with an important company. The candidates had similar qualifications for the job. For example, they were both reliable. One could do the job well in a 40-hour work week. The other would do the same job in an 80-hour work week just as well. According to a headhunting expert, the 80-hour-a-week candidate would get the job. The time this candidate spends on the job may encourage other employees to spend more time at work, too. Employers believe that if the employees stay at work later, they may actually do more work.
However, the connection between time and productivity (生产率) is not always positive. (77) In fact. many studies indicate that after a certain point, anyone's productivity and creativity begin to decrease. Some employees are not willing to spend so much extra, unproductive time at the office. Once they finish their work satisfactorily, they want to relax and enjoy themselves. For these people, the solution is to find a company that encourages people to do both.
1. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Many people work long hours but do not always do a lot of work.
B. Most people can get more work done by working longer hours.
C. Most Americans work 80 hours a week, and some work even longer.
D. People can make more money by working longer hours.
2. The management consultant wanted to find out
A. how hard the investment banker worked during his work hours
B. when people spent time doing unnecessary work in their office
C. if people needed vacation after working hard for a certain period of time
D. whether Americans were really working harder than they had done before
3. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The more time a person spends at work, the more he or she accomplishes.
B. Employers do not judge their employees' job performance according to the amount of working time.
C. Some people work more than 40 hours a week in the hope of getting promotion.
D. All employees are willing to spend extra time at work.
4. The 80-hour-a-week candidate would get the job because employers believe_____.
A. that he is more reliable
B. his example would lead other employees to work longer hours
C. he has better qualifications
D. he could encourage other employees to do a better job
5. The expression “to do both” in the last paragraph is_____.
A. to finish their work satisfactorily and relax and enjoy themselves
B. to pay attention to both performance and productivity
C. to work long hours and have short vacations
D. to relax and enjoy themselves quite frequently
参考答案：ADCBA
Passage 8
Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:
Many private institutions of higher education around the country are in danger. Not ail will be saved, and perhaps not all deserve to be saved. There are low-quality schools just as there are low-quality businesses. We have no obligation to save them simply because .they exist. But many thriving institutions that deserve to continue are threatened. They are doing a fine job educationally, but they are caught in a financial difficulty, with no way to reduce rising costs or increase revenues (收入) significantly. Raising fees doesn't bring in more revenue, for each time fees go up, the, enrollment (注册人数) goes down, or the mount that must be given away in student aid goes up. (78) Schools are bad businesses, whether public or private, not usually because of bad management but because of the nature of the business. They lose money on every customer, and they can go bankrupt either from too few students or too many students. Even a very good college is a very bad business.
It is such colleges, thriving but threatened, that I worry about. Low enrollment is not their chief problem. Even with full enrollments, they may go under. Efforts to save them, and preferably to keep them private, are a national necessity. (79) There is no basis. for arguing that private schools are bound to be better than public schools. There are plentiful examples to the contrary. Anyone can name state universities and colleges that rank as the finest in the nation and the world. It is now inevitable that public institutions will be dominant, and therefore diversity (多样性) is a national necessity. Diversity in the way we support schools tends to give us a healthy diversity in the forms of education. In ah imperfect society such as ours, uniformity of education throughout the nation could be dangerous, ha an imperfect society, diversity is a positive good. Eager supporters of public higher education know the importance of keeping private higher education healthy.
6. In the passage, the author asks the public to support_____ .
A. private higher education in general
B. public higher education in general
C. high-quality private universities and colleges
D. high-quality state universities and colleges
7. According to the passage, schools are bad businesses because of_____.
A. the nature of school B. poor teachers
C) bad management D. too few students.
8. The phrase “go under” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.
A. have low fees B. get into difficulties
C. do a bad ]ob educationally D. have low teaching standards
9. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. There are many cases indicating that private schools are superior to public schools.
B. The author thinks diversity of education is preferable to uniformity of education.
C. A high-quality university is always a good business.
D. Each time fees are raised, the enrollment goes up.
10.In the author's opinion, the way that can save private schools lies in_____.
A. full enrollment B. raising fees
C. reducing student aid D. national support
参考答案：CABBD
Passage 9
Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage:
The fourth-graders at Chicago's McCormick Elementary School don't know Chinese is supposed to be hard to learn. For most, who speak Spanish at home, it's becoming their third language. They've been heating and using Chinese words since nursery, and it's natural to give a “ni hao”when strangers enter the classroom.“It's really fun!” says Miranda Lucas, taking a break from a lesson that includes a Chinese interview with Jackie Chan. “I'm teaching my mom to speak Chinese.”
The classroom scene at McCormick is unusual, but it may soon be a common phenomenon in American schools, where Chinese is rapidly becoming the hot new language. Government officials have long wanted more focus on useful languages like Chinese, and pressure from them -- as well as from business leaders, politicians, and parents -- has produced a quick growth in the number of programs.
Chicago city officials make their best effort to include Chinese in their public schools. Their program has grown to include 3,000 students in 20 schools, with more schools on a waiting list. Programs have also spread to places like Los Angeles, New York City, and North Carolina. Supporters see knowledge of the Chinese language and culture as an advantage in a global economy where China is growing in importance. “This is an interesting way to begin to engage with the world's next superpower,” says Michael Levine, director of education at the Asia Society, which has started five new public high schools that offer Chinese. “Globalization has already changed the arrangements in terms of how children today are going to think about their careers, The question is when, not whether, the schools are going to adjust.”
(80) The number of students learning Chinese is tiny compared with how many study Spanish or French. But one report shows that before-college enrollment (报名人数) nearly quadrupled between 1992 and 2002, from 6,000 to 24,000. Despite the demand, though, developing programs isn't easy. And the No. one difficulty, everyone agrees, is having enough teachers. Finding teacher “is the challenge,” says Scott McGinnis, an academic adviser for a language institute and a Chinese teacher for 15 years at the college level. “Materials are easy comparison. Or getting schools funded.”
11. The best title for this passage might be_____.
A. Next Hot Language to Study: Chinese
B. Next Hot Language to Study: Spanish
C. Next Hot Language to Study: French
D. Chicago Is the Place to Learn Chinese
12. The most difficult thing to do is finding _____.
A. enough textbooks for the Chinese programs
B. enough money for the Chinese programs
C. enough teachers for the Chinese programs
D. enough students for the Chinese programs
13. We learn from the passage that_____.
A. Scott McGinnis has been a Chinese teacher for 15 years
B. Jackie Chan is a Chinese teacher at McCormick Elementary School
C. Chicago officials ire required to learn Chinese
D. Scott McGinnis is good at giving his opinions on everything
14. According to the passage, all the following statements are true EXCEPT_____.
A. the number of students learning Chinese is small
B. Chinese programs have found their way in several major Cities in the U.S.
C. government officials don't like the pressure from business
leaders and parents to start Chinese programs
D. China is becoming more and more influential in the world
15 The word "quadrupled" in the last paragraph is close in meaning to ‘multiplied by_____’.
A. three times B. four times
C. five times D. six times
参考答案：ACACB
