Section II Reading Comprehension

　　Part A

　　Directions:

　　Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)

　　Text 1

　　First two hours , now three hours—this is how far in advance authorities are recommending people show up to catch a domestic flight , at least at some major U.S. airports with increasingly massive security lines.

　　Americans are willing to tolerate time-consuming security procedures in return for increased safety. The crash of Egypt Air Flight 804,which terrorists may have downed over the Mediterranean Sea ,provides another tragic reminder of why. But demanding too much of air travelers or providing too little security in return undermines public support for the process. And it should: Wasted time is a drag on Americans’ economic and private lives, not to mention infuriating.

　　Last year, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) found in a secret check that undercover investigators were able to sneak weapons---both fake and real—past airport security nearly every time they tried .Enhanced security measures since then, combined with a rise in airline travel due to the improving Chicago’s O’Hare International .It is not yet clear how much more effective airline security has become—but the lines are obvious.

　　Part of the issue is that the government did not anticipate the steep increase in airline travel , so the TSA is now rushing to get new screeners on the line. Part of the issue is that airports have only so much room for screening lanes. Another factor may be that more people are trying to overpack their carry-on bags to avoid checked-baggage fees, though the airlines strongly dispute this.

　　There is one step the TSA could take that would not require remodeling airports or rushing to hire: Enroll more people in the PreCheck program. PreCheck is supposed to be a win-win for travelers and the TSA. Passengers who pass a background check are eligible to use expedited screening lanes. This allows the TSA wants to enroll 25 million people in PreCheck.

　　It has not gotten anywhere close to that, and one big reason is sticker shock. Passengers must pay $85 every five years to process their background checks. Since the beginning, this price tag has been PreCheck’s fatal flaw. Upcoming reforms might bring the price to a more reasonable level. But Congress should look into doing so directly, by helping to finance PreCheck enrollment or to cut costs in other ways.

　　The TSA cannot continue diverting resources into underused PreCheck lanes while most of the traveling public suffers in unnecessary lines. It is long past time to make the program work.

　　21. The crash of Egypt Air Flight 804 is mentioned to______.

　　[A] stress the urgency to strengthen security worldwide

　　[B] explain American’s tolerance of current security checks

　　[C] highlight the necessity of upgrading major U.S. Airports

　　[D] emphasize the importance of privacy protection

　　【答案】B

　　【解析】答案為B。細節題。根據關鍵詞EgyptAir Flight 804定位到第二段。該關鍵詞所在句為本段第二句，第一句為段落中心句，意為“美國人樂意忍受費時的安全程序作為加強安全的回報”，選項B中security checks是原文security procedures的同義替換，故選項B正確。

　　22. Which of the following contributes to long waits at major airports?

　　[A] New restrictions on carry-on bags.

　　[B] The declining efficiency of the TSA.

　　[C] An increase in the number of travelers.

　　[D] Frequent unexpected secret checks.

　　【答案】C

　　【解析】答案為C。細節題。根據關鍵詞long waits at major airports定位到第二段。關鍵詞所在句Enhanced security measures, combined with a rise in the airline travel have resulted in long waits at major airports中的have resulted in是題干contributes to 的同義詞，根據此句可知，排長隊的原因有兩個：增強的安全措施和航空旅行的增加，選項C中an increase in the number of travelers（旅客人數的增加）是對航空旅行的增加的同義替換，航空旅行增加意味著旅客人數的增加，故選項C正確。

　　23. The word “expedited”(Line 4, Para. 5) is closest in meaning to ____.

　　[A] quieter

　　[B] faster

　　[C] wider

　　[D] cheaper

　　【答案】B

　　【解析】答案為B。詞義題。根據關鍵詞expedited和選項內容定位到第五段。本段是在講過安檢時的PreCheck這一程序，該關鍵詞所在句的后一句提到“這節約了每個人的時間”，顯然通過預先安檢的乘客進入安檢通道的時間減少了，即速度“更快了”，四個選項中選項B符合文意，故正確。

　　24. One problem with the PreCheck program is _______.

　　[A] a dramatic reduction of its scale

　　[B] its wrongly-directed implementation

　　[C] the government’s reluctance to back it

　　[D] an unreasonable price for enrollment

　　【答案】D

　　【解析】答案為D。細節題。題干問的是“預先安檢項目的一個問題是什么”，第六段中出現了PreCheck's fatal flaw，其中flaw是題干中problem的同義替換，故將答案定位至該詞組所在句，該句意為“這個價格一直是預先安檢的致命缺陷”，所以“預先安檢項目的一個問題”是價格問題，故選項D正確。

　　25. Which of the following would be the best title for the text ?

　　[A] Getting Stuck in Security Lines

　　[B] PreCheck – a Belated Solution

　　[C] Less Screening for More Safety

　　[D] Underused PreCheck Lanes

　　【答案】B

　　【解析】答案為B。主旨題。題干問本文最好的題目是哪一個？文章第一段指出乘飛機的現象：隨著機場大規模安全航線的增加，乘客提前到達機場的時間變得越來越長。第二段指出美國人樂意忍受費時的安全程序作為加強安全的回報。第三段提出由于加強了安全措施，機場登機的效率變得很低。第四段分析造成第三段的現象的原因：政府沒有預料飛機旅行的陡增。第五段給出對策：使更多的人加入到預安檢項目。第六段分析具體介紹加入這一項目的流程并指出其缺陷：價格不合理。第七段指出預安檢項目實施前景不客觀，指出等到這個項目起作用很長時間已經過去了，即具有“來遲的”的特點。縱觀全文，文章圍繞PreCheck展開，指出了其缺陷，并給與了作者的評價：等到這個項目起作用很長時間已經過去了。縱觀四個選項，選項B PreCheck--a Belated Solution（預安檢——一個遲來的解決方案）符合文章主旨。

　　Text 2

　　“The ancient Hawaiians were astronomers,” wrote Queen Liliuokalani, Hawaii’s last reigning monarch, in 1897. Star watchers were among the most esteemed members of Hawaiian society. Sadly, all is not well with astronomy in Hawaii today. Protests have erupted over construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope(TMT), a giant observatory that promises to revolutionize humanity’s view of the cosmos.

　　At issue is the TMT’s planned location on Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano worshiped by some Hawaiians as the piko , that connects the Hawaiian Islands to the heavens. But Mauna Kea is also home to some of the world’s most powerful telescopes. Rested in the Pacific Ocean, Mauna Kea’s peak rises above the bulk of our planet’s dense atmosphere, where conditions allow telescopes to obtain images of unsurpassed clarity.

　　Opposition to telescopes on Mauna Kea is nothing new. A small but vocal group of Hawaiians and environments have long viewed their presence as disrespect for sacred land and a painful reminder of the occupation of what was once a sovereign nation.

　　Some blame for the current controversy belongs to astronomers. In their eagerness to build bigger telescopes, they forgot that science is the only way of understanding the world. They did not always prioritize the protection of Mauna Kea’s fragile ecosystems or its holiness to the island’s inhabitants. Hawaiian culture is not a relic of the past; it is a living culture undergoing a renaissance today.

　　Yet science has a cultural history, too, with roots going back to the dawn of civilization. The same curiosity to find what lies beyond the horizon that first brought early Polynesians to Hawaii’s shores inspires astronomers today to explore the heavens. Calls to disassemble all telescopes on Mauna Kea or to ban future development there ignore the reality that astronomy and Hawaiian culture both seek to answer big questions about who we are, where we come from and where we are going. Perhaps that is why we explore the starry skies, as if answering a primal calling to know ourselves and our true ancestral homes.

　　The astronomy community is making compromises to change its use of Mauna Kea. The TMT site was chosen to minimize the telescope’s visibility around the island and to avoid archaeological and environmental impact. To limit the number of telescopes on Mauna Kea, old ones will be removed at the end of their lifetimes and their sites returned to a natural state. There is no reason why everyone cannot be welcomed on Mauna Kea to embrace their cultural heritage and to study the stars.

　　26. Queen Liliuokalani’s remark in Paragraph 1 indicates ______.

　　[A] its conservative view on the historical role of astronomy.

　　[B] the importance of astronomy in ancient Hawaiian society.

　　[C] the regrettable decline of astronomy in ancient times.

　　[D] her appreciation of star watchers’ feats in her time.

　　【答案】B

　　【解析】答案為B。細節題。根據題干關鍵詞Queen Liliuokalani定位在第一段第一句話“The ancient Hawaiians were astronomers”，意為“古老的夏威夷人都是天文學家”。這句話暗示的內容就是選項B：天文學在古老的夏威夷社會的重要性。

　　27. Mauna Kea is deemed as an ideal astronomical site due to ______.

　　[A] its geographical features

　　[B] its protective surroundings.

　　[C] its religious implications.

　　[D] its existing infrastructure.

　　【答案】A

　　【解析】答案為A。細節題。根據關鍵詞Mauna Kea定位到第二段。該段指出Mauna Kea是連接夏威夷島和天堂的地方，是世界上最強大的望遠鏡所在地，其峰頂條件允許望遠鏡獲得非凡的清晰度。所以答案是選項A：它的地理特征。

　　28. The construction of the TMT is opposed by some locals partly because ______.

　　[A] it may risk ruining their intellectual life.

　　[B] it reminds them of a humiliating history.

　　[C] their culture will lose a chance of revival.

　　[D] they fear losing control of Mauna Kea.

　　【答案】B

　　【解析】答案為B。細節題。根據題干關鍵詞opposed定位到第三段。選項B中的reminds them of與原文a reminder of是同義詞，選項B中的humiliating與原文painful是同義詞，選項B中的history是對原文the occupation of what was once a sovereign nation的高度概括與總結。

　　29. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that progress in today’s astronomy ______.

　　[A] is fulfilling the dreams of ancient Hawaiians.

　　[B] helps spread Hawaiian culture across the world.

　　[C] may uncover the origin of Hawaiian culture.

　　[D] will eventually soften Hawaiians’ hostility.

　　【答案】C

　　【解析】答案為C。細節推斷題。根據題干關鍵詞astronomy可以定位到第五段的第三句話。第三句話指出“天文學和夏威夷文化都設法回答關于我們是誰，我們來自哪里以及我們將去何方這樣的大問題”。所以答案是選項C：可能揭示夏威夷文化的起源。

　　30. The author’s attitude toward choosing Mauna Kea as the TMT site is one of ______.

　　[A] severe criticism.

　　[B] passive acceptance.

　　[C] slight hesitancy.

　　[D] full approval.

　　【答案】D

　　【解析】答案為D。態度題。通讀全文可以得知作者的態度是支持的。