英語專業(yè)八級考試模擬試題(八)(6)

字號:


    TEXT H First read the questions. 55. What made the mass production of automobiles possible? A. Standardization of parts. B. The idea of assembly line. C. Standardization of parts and assembly line. D. The revolutionary rise of workers wages. 56. Why do some Americans consider the automobiles as a mixed blessing? A. The automobile provides much convenience and people cant live without it. B. Despite its advantages and conveniences, man have to tackle its severe consequences such as traffic accidents, air pollution, etc. C. The automobile is convenient but inconsiderable in peoples lives. D. It is not clearly stated. Now go through TEXT H quickly to answer question 55 and 56.   America on Wheels   Early automobiles were sometimes only "horseless carriages" powered by gasoline or steam engines. Some of them were so noisy that cities often made laws forbidding their use because they frightened horses.   Many countries helped to develop the automobiles. The internal-combustion engine was required in Austria, and France was an early leader in automobile manufacturing. But it was in the United States after 1900 that the automobiles was improved most rapidly. As a large and growing country, the United States needed cars and trucks transportation in places not served by trains.   Two brilliant ideas made possible the mass production of automobiles. An American inventor named Eli Whitney thought of one of them, which is known as "standardization of parts." In an effort to speed up production in his gun factory, Whitney decided that each part of a gun could be made by machines so that it would be exactly like all the others of its kind. For example, each trigger would be exactly like all other triggers. A broken trigger could then be replaced immediately by an identical one. After Whitneys idea was applied to automobile production, each part no longer had to be made by hand. Machines were developed that could produce hundreds, even thousands, of identical parts that would fit into place easily and quickly.   Another American, Henry Ford, developed the idea of the assembly line. Before Ford introduced the assembly line, each car was built by hand. Such a process was, of course, very slow. As a result, automobiles were so expensive that only rich people could afford them. Ford proposed a system in which each worker would have a special job to do. One person for example, would make only a portion of the wheels. Another would place the wheels on the car. And still another would insert the bolts that held the wheels to the car. Each worker needed to learn only one or two routine tasks.   But the really important part of Fords idea was to bring the work to the worker. An automobile frame, which looks like a steel skeleton, was put on a moving platform. As the frame moved past the workers, each worker could attach a single part. When the car reached the end of the line, it was completely assembled. Oil, gasoline, and water were added, and the car was ready to be driven away. With the increased production made possible by the assembly line, automobiles became much cheaper, and more people were able to afford them.   Today it can be said that wheels rum America. The four rubber tires of the automobile move America through work and play. Wheels spin, and people drive off to their jobs. Tires turn, and people shop for the weeks food at the big supermarket down the highway. Hubcaps whirl, and the whole family spends a day at the lake. Each year more wheels crowd the highways as 10 million new cars roll out of the factories. One out of every six American works at assembling cars, driving trucks, building roads, or pumping gas. America without cars? Its unthinkable.   But even though the majority of Americans would find it hard to imagine what life could be like without a car, some have begun to realize that the automobile is a mixed blessing. Traffic accidents are increasing steadily, and large cities are plagued by traffic congestion. Worst of all, perhaps, is the air pollution caused by the internal-combustion engine. Every car engine burns hundreds of gallons of fuel each year and pumps hundreds of pounds of carbon monoxide and other gases into the air. These gases are one source of the smog that hangs over large cities. Some of these gases are poisonous and dangerous to health, especially for someone with a weak heart or a respiratory disease.   One answer to the problem of air pollution is to build a car that does not pollute. Thats what several major automobile manufacturers are trying to do. But building a clean car is easier said than done. So far, progress has been slow. Another solution is to eliminate car fumes altogether by getting rid of the internal-combustion engine. Inventors are now working on turbine-powered cars, as well as on cars powered by steam and electricity. But most of us wont be driving cars run on batteries on boiling water for a while yet. Many auto makers believe that it will take years to develop practical models that are powered by electricity or steam.   To rid the world of pollution —— pollution caused not just by cars, but by all of modern industrial life —— many people believe we must make some fundamental changes in the way many of us live. Americans may, for example, have to cut down on the number of privately owned cars and depend more on public mass transit systems. Certainly the extensive use of new transit systems could cut down on traffic congestion and air pollution. But these changes do not come easily. Sometimes they clash head on with other urgent problems. For example, if a factory closes down because it cannot meet government pollution standards, a large number of workers suddenly find themselves without jobs. Questioning the quality of the air they breathe becomes less important than worrying about the next paycheck.   But drastic action must be taken if we are to reduce traffic accidents, traffic congestion, and air pollution. While wheels have brought better and more convenient transportation, they have also brought new and unforeseen problems. Progress, it turned out, has more than one face.
    55. What made the mass production of automobiles possible?
    A) Standardization of parts.
    B) The idea of assembly line.
    C) Standardization of parts and assembly line.
    D) The revolutionary rise of workers' wages.
    56. Why do some Americans consider the automobiles as a mixed blessing?
    A) The automobile provides much convenience and people can't live without it.
    B) Despite its advantages and conveniences, man have to tackle its severe consequences such as traffic accidents, air pollution, etc.
    C) The automobile is convenient but inconsiderable in people's lives.
    D) It is not clearly stated.
    TEXT I First read the question. 57. The writer gives us suggestions on ____. A. how to relax in a crowd B. how to present oneself before a crowd C. how to tackle touchy problems in stressful situations D. how to establish good relationship with strangers Now go through TEXT I quickly to answer question 57.   Recently I was invited to lecture on anxiety to several hundred mental-health professionals. My talk was scheduled to follow those of a number of prominent psychiatrists. When my turn came, I was especially nervous because the speaker before me had been particularly impressive and charming. As I approached the podium, my heart pounded and my mouth went completely dry. What am I doing here? I asked myself.   Making matters worse, my presentation partly dealt with fear of public speaking. To calm myself, I tried an unconventional tactic. I asked the audience, "How many of you feel nervous when you give a speech?" Nearly every hand went up. "Well, thats exactly how I feel right now!"   The audience responded with laughter. I relaxed and was able to move into my presentation.   At times, we all find ourselves in situations that make us nervous. Perhaps youre afraid of saying foolish things at a cocktail party, stumbling over a presentation at work or having your mind go blank on a test.   For some of us, the anxiety is so severe that it is incapacitating. And nearly everyone has experienced mild forms of social anxiety.   Over the years, my work with hundreds of patients has taught me that anyone can increase his or her social confidence, even in the most stressful situations. Here are a few simple but helpful tips: 1. Take off the false front. When my wife and I moved into a new neighborhood, our daughter began playing with a girl who lived nearby in a mansion. One night, clad in jeans and an old T-shirt, I stopped by to pick up my daughter. Sue, the friends mother, who was dressed like a model out of Vogue, invited me into a large hallway filled with expensive antiques and oil paintings. It was like a museum.   I felt very awkward. Noticing my uneasiness, Sue asked if something was wrong. I had the urge to deny how I felt but instead confessed, "Im not used to being in such a fancy house."   "Why, I didnt think psychiatrists ever felt insecure," she said with a laugh.   I believe my openness made us both feel more comfortable. Denying how I felt would only have added to the tension and made me appear phony. As with the mental-health speech, I was frank about my insecurities. Such frankness is a good way to bring others closer to us.   2. Tackle your fears one step at a time. While affiliated with Pennsylvania State University, psychologist J. Mahoney and gymnastics coach Marshall Avener investigated the impact of anxiety on gymnasts at the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team trials. Who do you think experienced more anxiety before competition —— the athletes who went on to win, or those who ended up losing? The researchers discovered that both groups were equally anxious. What distinguished the winners from the losers was how they coped.   Less successful dwelled on their fears, arousing themselves to state of near panic as they imagined a disastrous performance. The winners typically ignored their anxiety, concentrating instead on what they had to do: Take a deep breath, or now reach up and grip the bar. They controlled their fears by breaking the task down into a series of small steps. This technique will work with virtually anything you have to accomplish.   3. Focus on others. Many of us focused to talk to people in uncomfortable situations. Maybe its your new boss at a company party or your future in-laws. What do you say when your mind does blank?   Make the other person the focus of the conversation. Ask a few questions: "How did you get interested in such-and-such?" or "Will you tell me more about it?"   All most people want is for you to pay attention to them. Psychiatrists and psychologists make handsome livings just by nodding their heads knowingly and asking a few questions. If they can get away with it, so can you.   4. Turn anxiety into energy. Everybody gets nervous before performing in public, whether making a business presentation or acting in a school play. The trick is to let your nerves work for you.   5. Stop comparing yourself. One of our biggest social cripples is the fear of not measuring up. Perhaps you feel you wont impress others because they are more confident , successful, intelligent or attractive than you. Such thinking is wrong-headed. The secret of doing well with others is accepting yourself.
    57. The writer gives us suggestions on ____.
    A) how to relax in a crowd
    B) how to present oneself before a crowd
    C) how to tackle touchy problems in stressful situations
    D) how to establish good relationship with strangers