第4部分：阅读理解(第31～45题，每题3分，共45分)
下面有3篇短文后有5道题。请根据短文内容，为每题定1个最佳选项。
Is the Tie a Necessity?
Ties, or neckties, have been a symbol of politeness and elegance in Britain for centuries. But the casual Prime Minister Tony Blair has problems with them. Reports suggest that even the civil servants may stop wearing ties. So, are the famously formal British really going to abandon the neckties?
Maybe. Last week, the UK's Cabinet Secretary Andrew Turnbull openly welcomed a tieless era. He hinted that civil servants would soon be tree of the costliest 12 inches of fabric that most men ever buy in their lives.
In fact, Blair showed this attitude when he had his first guests to a cocktail party. Many of them were celebrities (知名人士) without ties, which would have been unimaginable even in the recent past.
For some more conservative British, the tie is a must for proper appearance. Earlier, Labor leader Jim Callaghan said he would have died rather than have his children seen in public without a tie. For people like Callaghan, the tile was a sign of being complete, of showing respect. Men were supposed to wear a tie when going to church, to work in the office, to a party - almost every social occasion.
But today, people have begun to accept a casual style even for formal occasions.
The origin of the tie is tricky. It started as something called simply a "band". The term could mean anything around a man's neck. It appeared in finer ways in the 1630s. Frenchmen showed a love of this particular fashion statement. Their neckwear (颈饰)impressed Charles II, the king of England who was exiled(流放)to France at that time. When he returned to England in 1660, he brought this new fashion item along with him.
It wasn't, however, until the late 18th century that fancy young men introduced a more colorful, flowing piece of cloth that eventually became known as the tie. Then, clubs military institutions and schools began to use colored and patterned ties to indicate the wearer's membership in the late 19th century. After that, the tie became a necessary item of clothing for British gentlemen.
But now, even gentlemen are getting tired of ties. Anyway, the day feels a bit easier when you wake up without having to decide which tie suits you and your mood.
31 The tie symbolizes all of the following except
A respect
B elegance
C politeness
D democracy
32 Why does Blair sometimes show up in a formal event without a tie?
A Because he wants to make a show,
B Because he wants to attract attention.
C Because ties are costly.
D Because he wants to live in a casual way.
33 Which of the following is NOT a social occasion?
A Going to church.
B Going to work in the office.
C Staying at home.
D Going to a party.
34 Who brought the Frenchmen's neckwear to Britain?
A Tony Blair.
B Charles ll.
C Jim Callaghan.
D Andrew Turnbull.
35 When did British gentlemen begin to wear ties regularly?
A After the late 19th century.
B In the 1630s.
C In 1660.
D In the late 18th century.
Natural Medicine
Since earliest days, humans have used some kinds of medicines. We know this because humans have survived. Ancient treatments for injury and disease were successful enough to keep humans from dying out completely.
They were successful long before the time of modern medicine. Before the time of doctors with white coats and shiny (发亮的) instruments. Before the time of big hospitals with strange and wonderful equipment.
Many parts of the world still do not have university-educated doctors. Nor do they have expensive hospitals. Yet injuries are treated. And diseases are often cured, how? By ancient methods. By medicines that might seem mysterious, even magical (有魔力的). Traditional medicines are neither mysterious nor magical, however.
Through the centuries, tribal (部落的) medicine men experimented with plants. They found many useful chemicals in the plants. And scientists believe many of these traditional medicines may provide the cure for some of today's' most serious diseases.
Experts say almost 80% of the people in the world use plants for health care. These natural medicines are used not just because people have no other form of treatment. They are used because people trust them. In developed areas, few people think about the source of the medicines they buy in a store. Yet many widely-used medicines are from ancient sources, especially plants. Some experts say more than 25% of modern medicines come, in one way or another, from nature.
Scientists have long known that nature is really a chemical factory. All living things contain chemicals that help them survive. So scientists' interest in traditional medicine is not new. But it has become an urgent concern. This is because the earth's supply of natural medicines may be dropping rapidly.
36. The passage indicates that ancient treatments for injury and disease were
A. much more successful than modern ones.
B. successful in all cases.
C. successful enough for humans to survive
D. of little help to humans
37. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Many big and modern hospitals are expensive.
B. Modern medicines are now available all over the world.
C. Traditional medicines are neither mysterious nor magical.
D. Humans have used some kinds of medicines since earliest days.
38. It is believed by scientists that traditional medicine
A. can cure all kinds of diseases
B. are no longer useful for modern men
C. may cure some of today's most serious diseases.
D. are too cheap to be useful
39. What do the majority of the people in the world use for health care?
A. plants
B. factory-produced chemicals
C. modern medicines
D. strange and wonderful equipment
40. It can be seen from the passage that the earth's supply of natural medicines
A. may never be exhausted
B. is surprisingly big
C. may be dropping rapidly
D. is as rich as ever
Demand on Treatment Emphasized
AIDS programs in developing countries put too little emphasis on treatment. the World Health Organization(WHO) said Tuesday, asking for more small community—based clinics to be opened to treat HIV-infected people.
An estimated 36 million to 46 million people are living with AIDS, two—thirds of them in Africa, but only 440,000 people in developing countries were receiving treatment by the end of 2003，the UN health agency said in its annual report.
“Without treatment, all of them will die a premature and in most cases painful death,” the WHO said in the 169-page World Health Report.
WHO Director General Lee Jong-wook said community-based treatment should be added to disease prevention and care for sufferers in AIDS programs.
“Future generations will judge our time in large part by our response to the AIDS disease,” Lee said.
“By tackling it decisively we will also be building health systems that can meet the health needs of today and tomorrow. This is a historic opportunity we cannot afford to miss,” he added.
Anti retroviral drugs enable people hit by AIDS to live longer. The annual cost of treatment, which was about $10,000 when the drugs were first developed, has dropped to about $150.
Treatment programs also help AIDS prevention efforts, the report said, citing great demands for testing and counseling where treatment has been made available.
Good counseling in turn leads to more effective prevention in those who are uninfected, and significantly reduces the potential for HIV carriers to pass on the infection, the report said.
Since its discovery in the 1980s, more than 20 million have died of AIDS, mostly in poor countries.
41. Which is true of many AIDS sufferers in developing countries?
A. They put too little emphasis on treatment.
B. They refuse to be treated.
C. They are not receiving any treatment.
D. They live longer than those in developed countries
42. The WHO publishes its World Health Report
A. once a year
B. once a decade
C. once every two years
D. twice a year
43. According to Lee，our response to the AIDS disease is
A. overemphasized.
B. a matter of little significance
C. a matter of great significance
D. timely
44. AIDS treatment programs may also result in
A. more effective prevention
B. lower yearly cost
C. better drugs
D. greater emphasis on treatment
45. How many people have died of AIDS so far?
A. 36 million
B. 46 million
C. Around 440,000
D. More than 20 million
