Improbable as it may seem, an increasing number of Germans are giving up their elegant Mercedeses, sleek BMWs and ferociously fast Porsches and getting behind the wheels of imported American models – fro plush Cadillacs to more prosaic Fords. Unlike the cars produced by Detroit’s European subsidiaries, these cars are as American as apple pie and watery beer. And thanks to a favorable exchange rate, they are more affordable than ever Last year Germans bought 12 477 new U.S. –built cars; sales are expected to double this year.

　　Like blue jeans, this buy – America fad appeals to Germans from all walks of life. Once regarded as faulty, flashy, gas – guzzling Goliaths, American autos are – thanks in large measure to foreign competition –more stylish and reliable than in years past. Tugged, off- road vehicles like the four-wheel drive Jeep Cherokee are now the hot wheels to drive among Germany’s thirty- something set. Owners and Aficionados of American – made care also boast their cars are cheaper to maintain.

　　But that’s not the main reason German motorists are choosing U.S. imports – It’s their price. Even after the cost of overseas shipping is included, American – made cars offer more value – and deluxe features – for less money than German models. A Chrysler LeBaron convertible sells for 35 000 marks; a BMW 320i convertible, by comparison, commands 10 000 marks more. And U.S. autos come with standard equipment – electric windows, automatic locks and sun roofs – that’s available only as expensive options on German models.

　　Owning an American car in Germany is not for everybody. But the worst headaches come form the German bureaucracy. Johann Erben, a Greiburg dental lab technician, purchased a LeBaron convertible during a U.S. trip in November – and has yet to drive it one kilometer. First, he waited months for the proper registration documents to arrive; then he spent more than 1 000 marks to have it comply with German regulations. Even so, safety inspectors refused to approve it until he changed the headlights and windows to European Community standards. “There I was with my supermodern, $ 20,000 car and unable to get it through inspection,” Erben recalled.

　　1.Detroit’s European subsidiaries _______.

　　A.produce the same models as Detroit supplies in the U.S. market

　　B.provide cars of European styles

　　C.produce cars that are thought to be un-American by Germans

　　D.could hardly meet the demand for American cars last year

　　2.The buy-American fad that appeals to Germans most seems to be _______.

　　A.blue jeans B.apple pie

　　C.U.S.-made cars D.watery beer

　　3.As for Germans, American cars not only are cheaper but __

　　A.endures wear and tear

　　B.are adaptable to road conditions

　　C.provides greater space D.offers more deluxe features

　　4.Which of the following statements is true?

　　A.American cars used to consume a lot of oil.

　　B.Japanese cars still lead the German market.

　　C.The U.S. motor industry is now confident to cope with recession.

　　D.German cars are going to provide the same standard equipment as American-made cars.

　　5.European Community standards probably are _______.

　　A.a law to control the amount of imported goods from other continents

　　B.a set of standards to inspect imported cars

　　C.a system to regulate measures of manufactured goods

　　D.a set of standards to control product quality

　　答案：CADAC

　　For four lonely years, Evelyn Jones of Rockford, Illinois, lived friendless and forgotten in one room of a cheap hotel. “I wasn’t sick, but I was acting sick,” the 78-year-old widow says. “Every day was the same—I would just lie on my bed and maybe cook up some soup.” Then, six months ago, she was invited to “The Brighter Side”—Rockford’s day care center for the elderly. Every weekday morning since then, she has left her home to meet nine other old people in a church for a rich program of charity work, trips, games, and—most important of all—friendly companionship.

　　Just a few years ago, there were few choices for the elderly between a normal life in their own homes and being totally confined in nursing homes. Many of them were sent to rest homes long before they needed full-time care. Others like Mrs. Jones, were left to take care of themselves. But in 1971, the White House Conference on Aging called for the development of alternatives to care in nursing homes for old people, and since then, government-supported day-care programs like The Brighter Side have been developed in most big American cities.

　　“This represents a real alternative to the feared institution and makes old people believe they have not left the world of living,” says Alice Brophy, 64, director of New York City’s Office for the Aging. “They do well at the centers, and I hate it when people describe us as elderly playpens.” New York’s 138 centers encourage continuing contact for the aged with the community’s life. The centers serve more than 15,000 members, and volunteer workers are always looking for new ones. If someone doesn’t show up at the center for several days in a row, a worker at the center calls to make sure all is well. And although participation in the center is free, those who want to can pay for their lunches.

　　No normal studies have been made of these centers for the elderly, but government officials are enthusiastic. In the future, the Public Health Service will do a study to decide if the programs can receive federal Medicare money. And the old people themselves are very happy with the programs. “There is no way,” says Evelyn Jones, smiling at her new companions at the Brighter Side, “that I will ever go back to spending my day with all those loses at the hotel.”

　　1.What is the main idea of the article?

　　A.Day care centers may be able to receive federal Medicare money.

　　B.Day care centers can make life better for elderly people.

　　C.Many old people in the United States are lonely.

　　D.Old people have no place in their society.

　　2.According to Para 2, why did many old people have to go to nursing homes?

　　A.They need full-time care. B.They wanted to go there.

　　C.They were sent there.

　　D.They were volunteers there.

　　3.According to Alice Brophy (in Paragraph 3)___.

　　A.the centers are like elderly playpens.

　　B.the old people do well at the day care centers.

　　C.old people like nursing institutions.

　　D.outside the Brighter side they don’t work for the old.

　　4.“This represents a real alternative to the feared institution.” (in Paragraph 3) In the sentence “this” means ___.

　　A.most big American cities.

　　B.rest homes.

　　C.day care programs.

　　D.the White House Conference on aging.

　　5.How does the writer of the article seem to feel about day care centers for the elderly?

　　A.The writer approves of them.

　　B.The writer disapproves of them.

　　C.The writer thinks nursing homes are better.

　　D.He doesn’t say anything about it.

　　答案：BCBCA

　　Fresh water life itself, has never come easy in the Middle East. Ever since the Old Testament(舊約圣經) God punished man with 40 days and 40 nights of rain, water supplies here have been dwindling. The rainfall only comes in winter, Inshallah ----- Good willing –and drains quickly through the semiarid land, leaving the soil to bake and to thirst for next November.

　　The region’s accelerating population, expanding agriculture, industrialization, and higher living standards demand more fresh water. Drought and pollution limit its availability. War and mismanagement squander it. Says Joyce Starr of the Global Water Summit Initiative, based in Washington, D.C.” Nations like Israel and Jordan are swiftly sliding into that zone where they are suing all the water resources available to them. They have only 15 to 20 years left before their agriculture, and ultimately their food security, is threatened.”

　　I came here to examine this crisis in the making, to investigate fears that “water wars “are imminent, that water has replaced oil as the region’s most contentious commodity. For more than two months I traveled through three river valleys and seven nations -----from southern Turkey down the Euphrates River Syria, Iraq, and on to Kuwait; to Israel and Jordan, neighbors across the valley of the Jordan; to the timeless Egyptian Nile. Even amid the scarcity there are haves and have – notes. Compared with the United States, which in 1990 had a freshwater potential of 10000 cubic meters(2.6 million galloons) a year for each citizen, Iraq had 5 500, Turkey had 4 000, and Syria had more than 2 800. Egypt’s potential was only 1 100. Israel had 460, Jordan a meager 260. But these are not firm figures, because upstream use of river water can dramatically alter the potential downstream.

　　Scarcity is only one element of the crisis. Inefficiency is another, as is the reluctance of some water – poor nations to change priorities from agriculture to less water – intensive enterprises. Some experts suggest that if nations would share both water technology and resources, they could satisfy the region’s population, currently 159 million. But in this patchwork of ethnic and religious rivalries, water seldom stands alone as an issue. It is entangled in the politics that keep people from trusting and seeking help from one another. Here, where water, like truth, is precious, each nation tends to find its own water and supply its own truth.

　　As Israeli hydrology professor Uri Shamir told me :” If there is political will for peace, water will not be a hindrance. If you want reasons to fight, water will not e a hindrance. If you want reasons to fight, water will give you ample opportunities.”

　　1.Why “for next November” (para.1)? Because________.

　　A.according to the Ole Testament fresh water is available only in November

　　B.rainfall comes only in winter starting form November

　　C.running water systems will not be ready until next November

　　D.it is a custom in that region that irrigation to crops is done only in November

　　2.What is the cause for the imminent water war?

　　A.Lack of water resources B.Lack of rainfall

　　C.Inefficient use of water D.All the above

　　3.One way for the region to use water efficiently is to _______

　　A.develop other enterprises that cost less water

　　B.draw a plan of irrigation for the various nations

　　C.import water from water – rich nations

　　D.stop wars of any sort for good and all

　　4.Uri Shamir’s viewpoint is that ________.

　　A.nations in that region are just fighting for water

　　B.people there are thirsty for peace instead of water

　　C.water is no problem as long as there is peace

　　D.those nations have every reason to fight for water

　　5.The author’s tone in the article can be described as ______-.

　　A.depressing B.urgent C.joking D.mocking

　　答案：BDACB

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