It is believed that it took about 800 thousand to 1 million years for the earth's population to reach the 250 million total which existed at the end of the first century AD. For some time after that, disease, famine(饑餓) and war kept the population increase down to a rate of 1 percent a year so that more than 15 centuries passed before the population reached 500 million. But in the next 250 years, up to 1850, the population of the world shot to 1 billion and today it has reached 3.5 billion. Scientists say that in the next 35 years the population of the world will double, reaching almost 7 billion by the year 2010.

When experts are asked what are the most effective measures that can stop over population, they reply that at least three measures can be considered.

(A) Increasing sources and supply of food for under-developed countries.

(B) Increasing the industrialization of under- developed countries.

(C) Controlling birth.

The experts add, however, that none of the above measures can be effective by itself, and that all must be combined into one whole program. They also agree that without controlling of births, any other measures are doomed (注定) to failure.

1.The population _______ because of disease, famine and war.

A. didn't increase                   B. became less  

C. increased slowly                D. still increased very fast

2. The population of the world doubled between the year _______.

A. 1850 and today                 B. 100 and the year 1400 

C. 100 and the year 1600      D. 1 and the year 100

3.Which of the following is true?

A. the richer the country is, the faster the population increase.

B. Birth control is the most important way to control the growth of population.

C. the population in the developed countries is increasing faster than that in the underdeveloped countries.

D. It is impossible to control the increase of the population.

4.The passage was written in ________.

A. 1850                  B. 1936                 C. 2001                 D. 1975

  What is art? According to one definition, it is the creation of something that appeals to our sense of beauty. This definition may include painting, drawing, sculpture, and architecture, or performing arts such as music and drama. Cultural and historical influences, as well as one’s own consciousness of what is aesthetically(審美地 )pleasing, play a role in what one believes to be art. To some people, art is the description of an object--- a painting or sculpture of a person, for example. For others, art may be a blank canvas, or a piece of chalk.

   In order to talk about the different artistic styles that have existed over time, art historians have classified these styles into different periods and organized them in chronological order. The works of art produced within each period mirror the culture and events of that time.

The earliest forms of art, from the prehistoric era(時(shí)代), include simple cave paintings and figures made from stone. These were followed by the sculptures and carvings of Ancient Civilizations era. Styles of the later Classical era (800 B.C. to 200 A.D.), reflect the culture of the time--- one that favored simplicity and balance. The period of the Middle Ages followed, and was succeeded by a revival（復(fù)興） of classical styles in the Renaissance era, beginning around 1400. Well-known artists of this time include Michelangelo and da Vinci. One hundred years of Baroque style, and then fifty years of Rococo followed the 200-year Renaissance. The start of the nineteenth century saw the rise of the Premodern era, followed by the Modern era, a period that lasted until 1945. This was followed by Postmodern era that characterizes the present day.

In addition to differences in artistic styles between eras, there are also differences within each era. The Postmodern era, for example, has featured innovative（創(chuàng)新） artistic styles such as Pop Art ( which includes work by Andy Warhol), Minimalism, and Conceptualism. Since the 1960s, Conceptualism has grown in popularity. This style focuses more on the idea or ‘concept’ of art using realistic objects, rather than on art that is created using traditional materials such as paint, canvas, stone, or clay. Whereas Warhol used a can of beans as the basis for a painting, for example, a conceptual artist might say that the can itself is a work of art.

Conceptualism has become an increasingly controversial（有爭(zhēng)議的） art style, particularly as result of numerous conceptual artists winning the Turner Prize. This ￡20,000 award is presented annually to a British artist under the age of fifty, in recognition of an outstanding work. Sponsored by the Tate Gallery of Britain, it is recognized as one of Europe’s most prestigious awards for visual arts. Its aim is to promote discussion about contemporary British art. In 2002, pop music icon Madonna presented the Turner Prize to conceptual artist Martin Creed.

1. One of the artistic styles that many people today discuss and arguing about is ______.

    A. classic style      B. Conceptualism      C. Pop art      D. Baroque style

2. Which statement is NOT true according to the passage? 

   A. Pop Art, Minimalism and Conceptualism are styles that developed in the Postmodern era.

   B. Some of the world’s earliest art was created in caves.

   C. History, culture and one’s concept of beauty affect what a person believes to be art.

   D. Art historians refer to today’s artistic period as the Modern era.

3. According to the passage, art historians have classified these styles into ____ periods.

 A. 7                B. 8                 C. 10          D. 12

4.If the passage continues, the following paragraph will be probably about_________.

 A. Martin Creed’s winning works             B. Madonna’s outstanding art style

 C. the status of Conceptualism               D. the conclusion of art

Need to relax after a few stressful months? Perhaps you need to go to a spa.
First of all, what exactly is a spa? Traditionally, spas were places with a natural spring producing warm waters that could be used in hydrotherapy (水療法) treatments. They were places where you “took the waters” --- meaning you drank some of the water or bathed in it.
But nowadays, a “spa” can mean a variety of things. In general, the term is often used to refer to commercial establishment that provides many services for health, fitness, weight loss, beauty and relaxation. This may include exercise classes, mud baths, body treatment, facials (美容), etc.
In Japan, traditional hot springs have attracted visitors for centuries. And thermal baths (溫泉浴) have been found in the ruins of the Cretan Palace of Knossos (2000-1400 B.C.). It was the Romans who made spas popular in Europe. They established a number of towns around thermal waters. These include the English town of Aquae Sulis (which is called Bath today), and the Belgian town of Aquae Spadanae (which is known as Spa these days).
In the 18^th century, spas became the fashionable places to go on holiday. Bath and Harrogate in the UK were popular with British rich people. And in Europe Carsbad (now called Larlovy Vary), Marienbad and Franzensbsf were Europe’s most important holiday centers.
A typical day in Carsbad in the 19^th century went as follows. Visitors got up at 6:00 a.m. to take the waters and listen to music by a band. Next, came a light breakfast, a bath in the waters, and then lunch. In the afternoon, visitors went sightseeing, walked or attended concerts. After dinner, there were theatrical performances. Guests returned to their hotels at about 9 p.m. to rest until six the following morning. Visitors would stay for as long as a month. Some of the more famous patients at these spas included the composers Beethoven and Chopin, and the Russian writer Turgnev.
Marienbad was the best spa town. It was popular with the inventor Thomas Edison, the writer Johann Goethe, and many famous people and European emperors.
Today, although taking the waters isn’t as common as it used to be, spa treatments are more popular than ever.
【小題1】What can we learn about a spa?

SECTION C

Directions: Complete the following passage by filling in each blank with ONE word that best fits the context.

How much paper do you use every year? Probably you can’t answer this question quickly. In 1900,the world’s use of paper was about one kilogram  48  each person in a year. Now some countries use as  49 as 50 kilograms of paper for each person in a year. The amount of paper a country uses shows how far advanced the country is, some people say. It is difficult to say  50  this is true: different people mean different things  51  the word “advanced”. But countries like the United States, England and Sweden certainly use    52   paper than other countries.

Paper, like many other things that we use today, was first made in China. In Egypt and the West, paper was not very commonly used before   53  year 1400.The 54  wrote on papyrus; Europeans used parchment for many hundreds of years. Parchment was very strong ;   55  was made from the skin of a certain young animal. We have learnt some of the most important facts of European history from record that were kept on parchment.

In the last 500 years, nothing about people — their clothes, ideas, or languages—has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was made from the seeds of the cocoa tree(可可樹)by South American. Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500’s. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London, shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places. Some still exist today.
The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Eu­rope, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent on it that thousands of Irish peo­ple starved when the crop failed during the "Potato Famine (饑荒)" of 1845—1846, and thousands more were forced to leave their homeland and move to America.
There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world’s largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia, a country in Africa. It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400’s.
according to an. Arabic legend, coffee was discovered when a person named Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red berries on a coffee, bush. He tried one and experienced the " wide-awake" feeling that one third of the world’s population now starts the day with.
72. according to the passage, which of the following has changed the most in the last 500 years?
A. Food.     B. Clothing.           C. Ideology.           D. Language.
73. The word "some" in the last sentence of the first paragraph refers to________.
A. some cocoa trees                  B. some chocolate drinks.
C. some shops                          D. some South American Indians
74. Thousands of Irish people starved during the " Potato Famine" because________
A. they were so dependent on potatoes that they refused to eat anything else
B. they were forced to leave their homeland and move to America
C. the weather conditions in Ireland were not suitable for growing potatoes
D. the potato harvest was bad
75. according to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. One third of the world’s population drinks coffee.
B. Coffee is native to Colombia.
C. Coffee can keep one awake.
D. Coffee drinks were first made by Arabs