2006年9月全国公共英语等级考试(第二级)

SECTION III： Reading ComprehensionPart ARead the following texts and answer the questions which accompany them by choosing A， B， C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.Text 1In recent years， there has been a steady assault on salt from the doctors： salt is bad for you ？ regardless of your health. Politicians also got on board. “There is a direct relationship，“ US congressman Neal Smith noted， “between the amount of sodium a person consumes and heart disease， circulatory disorders， stroke and even early death.“Frightening， if true！ But many doctors and medical researchers are now beginning to feel the salt scare has gone too far. “All this hue and cry about eating salt is unnecessary，“ Dr. Dustan insists. “For most of us it probably doesnt make much difference how much salt we eat.“ Dustans most recent short-term study of 150 people showed that those with normal blood pressure experienced no change at all when placed on an extremely low-salt diet， or later when salt was reintroduced. Of the hypertensive subjects， however， half of those on the low-salt diet did experience a drop in blood pressure， which returned to its previous level when salt was reintroduced.“An adequate to somewhat excessive salt intake has probably saved many more lives than it has cost in the general population，“ notes Dr. John H. Laragh. “So a recommendation that the whole population should avoid salt makes no sense.“Medical experts agree that everyone should practice reasonable “moderation“ in salt consumption. For the average person， a moderate amount might run from four to ten grams a day， or roughly 1/2 to 1/3 of a teaspoon. The equivalent of one to two grams of this salt allowance would come from the natural sodium in food. The rest would be added in processing， preparation or at the table.Those with kidney， liver or heart problems may have to limit dietary salt， if their doctor advises. But even the very vocal “low salt“ exponent， Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes， Jr. admits that “we do not know whether increased sodium consumption causes hypertension.“ In fact， there is growing scientific evidence that other factors may be involved： deficiencies in calcium， potassium， perhaps magnesium; obesity ; genetic predisposition; stress.“It is not your enemy，“ says Dr. Laragh. “Salt is the No. 1 natural component of all human tissue， and the idea that you dont need it is wrong. Unless your doctor has proven that you have a salt-related health problem， there is no reason to give it up.“1. According to some doctors and politicians， the amount of salt consumed exhibits as an aggravating factor to people in poor health. cures diseases such as stroke and circulatory disorders. correlates highly with some diseases. is irrelevant to people suffering from heart disease.2. From Dr. Dustans study we can infer that a low-salt diet may be prescribed for some people. the amount of salt intake has nothing to do with ones blood pressure. the reduction of salt intake can cure a hypertensive patient. an extremely low-salt diet makes no difference to anyone.3. In the third paragraph， Dr. Laragh implies that people should not be afraid of taking excessive salt. doctors should not advise people to avoid salt. an adequate to excessive salt intake is recommended for people in disease. excessive salt intake has claimed some victims in the general population.4. The phrase “vocal . exponent“ most probably refers to eloquent doctor. articulate opponent. loud speaker. strong advocate.5. What is the main message of this text？ That the salt scare is not justified. That the cause of hypertension is now understood. That the moderate use of salt is recommended. That salt consumption is to be promoted.Part CAnswer questions 1-10 by referring to the comments on 3 different cars in the following magazine article.Note： Answer each question by choosing A， B or C and mark it on ANSWER SHEET 1. Some choices may be required more than once.A=Audi A3 B=Honda Civic C=Rover 216Which car.has a driver seat that can be adjusted to suit most people？ 1. _offers a poor view even when the mirrors are used？ 2. _gives the most space for tall passengers in the back？ 3. _has a convenient way to extend the space for suitcases？ 4. _is most likely to suffer damage to the petrol supply in the case of frontal collision？ 5. _offers the most easily tuned radio？ 6. _would remain silent in the event of theft？ 7. _allows easy access to the back seats？ 8. _has the best engine design in terms of saving money？ 9. _has its handbook criticised？ 10. _Audi A3Most of our drivers said the A3 was their clear favourite in this group. They described it as refined and comfortable with good handling characteristics and light， precise steering.All the seats were comfortable and the front ones were easy to adjust. Most drivers liked the driving position， helped by a good range of steering wheel and seat height adjustments. The main instruments were clear and dashboard controls were well positioned.Mirror coverage was very good but our drivers complained that the view out of the rear was badly hindered by the high rear window line and thick pillars.Getting into the back seats was easy， thanks to a clever seat mechanism， which moves the seat up and forward as well as tilting the backrest. Rear legroom was reasonable but the rear seat was only barely wide enough for three adults.Luggage space was average for this class of car but you have to remove the rear head restraints to fold the rear seat. There were plenty of useful interior stowage spaces.All A3s come with an alarm and immobiliser as standard. Our thief got in through the doors in 20 seconds， But the radio was a non-standard fit， which is likely to deter thieves.The hinges of the rear seats could release in an accident， allowing luggage to crash through into the passenger compartment. Also， the drivers knees could be damaged by stiff structures under the dash.Some parts of the fuel system and electrics would be vulnerable to damage in a frontal collision.Honda CivicHonda says its special VTEC engine has a winning combination of economy and performance， but our drivers found it a bit of a curates egg. It was the most economical of the cars on test， but drivers found it sluggish at low revs， and its acceleration in fifth gear was slow， so overtaking normally meant having to shift down to fourth gear.The driving position was acceptable， but our panel criticised the restricted rear visibility ？ the rear window was quite small. Drivers found the back rest supportive but it was not possible to make fine adjustments to the angle. The ride comfort was acceptable， but it wasnt as good as the Audis or Rovers.The drivers seat didnt slide forward when it was tilted， making rear access awkward from this side. In the back， headroom and legroom was excellent but testers didnt find the seats particularly comfortable.The luggage space was small for this class of car， especially with the rear seats in place. However， folding the rear seat to increase luggage space was easy.Other points identified by our panel included well-placed minor controls， good mirror coverage， but fiddly radio controls.All Civics come with an immobiliser but no alarm. You may want to consider paying extra for an alarm， as our thief broke into through the doors in 13 seconds， and into the engine bay in just five seconds.There were stiff structures under the dash which could damage the drivers knees in an accident， though there was no problem on the passengers side. The handbook provided advice on using child restraints.Rover 216The 1.6-litre engine had good power delivery at both high and low revs but some drivers complained that it was noisy at high revs. The brakes didnt have very good progression， but drivers like their positive feel.Ride comfort and the handling were praised. But drivers found it difficult to achieve a comfortable driving position. The drivers seat was not height-adjustable， and there was only limited space to rest your clutch foot. Some testers also found the seat backrest uncomfortable. Visibility was marred by the small mirrors. The rear view was also restricted by thick pillars and the small rear window.Getting into the back was tricky because th