Question II: Supply the most suitable word for each blank. (10 pts)
In the 21st century food will (61)______ more than just you feed you. A new range of products appearing on shelves in shops and supermarkets (62) ______ designed to give you specific health benefits. The demands of modern life make these foods very attractive. Not only do they provide proven ways to improve health, but they are also very attractive (63) ______ a quick and convenient way of making sure we enjoy a healthy diet.
In some countries it is already possible to buy crisps that make you feel (64) ______ depressed, chewing gum that increases your brain power and tea that helps you (65) ______ over the tiredness associated (66) ______ long-distance air travel. In the future, experts promise biscuits that will keep you healthy, and hot chocolate drink to give you strong bones.
Despite the fact that these “functional” foods cannot replace a balanced diet and regular exercise, they can help the body perform at (67) ______ best a lot of the time. At (68) ______, these foods are more expensive than other foods, but that is due to the ingredients they (69) ______ of and the way they are made. All the foods contain probiotics (70) ______ increase the number of “good” bacteria in your stomach, helping to keep your digestive system healthy.
Question III: Read the passage and choose the best answers to questions below. (10 pts)
The Digital Divide
Information technology is influencing the way many of us live and work today. We use the Internet to look and apply for jobs, shop, conduct research, make airline reservations, and explore areas of interest. We use e-mail and the Internet to communicate instantaneously with friends and business associates around the world. Computers are commonplace in homes and the workplace.
Although the number of Internet users is growing exponentially each year, most of the world’s population does not have access to computers or the Internet. Only 6 percent of the population in developing countries are connected to telephones. Although more than 94 percent of U.S. households have a telephone, only 42 percent have personal computers at home and 26 percent have Internet access. The lack of what most of us would consider a basic communications necessity – the telephone – does not occur just in developing nations. On some Native American reservations only 60 percent of the residents have a telephone. The move to wireless connections may eliminate the need for telephone lines, but it does not remove the barrier to equipment costs.
Who has Internet access? Fifty percent of the children in urban households with an income over $75,000 have Internet access, compared with 2 percent of the children in low-income, rural households. Nearly half of college-educated people have Internet access, compared to 6 percent of those with only some high school education. Forty percent of households with two parents have access; 15 percent of female, single-parent households do. Thirty percent of white households, 11 percent of black households, and 13 percent of Hispanic households have access. Teens and children are the two fastest-growing segments of Internet users. The digital divide between the populations who have access to the Internet and information technology tools is based on income, race, education, household type, and geographic location. Only 16 percent of the rural poor, rural and central city minorities, young householders, and single parent female households are connected.
Another problem that exacerbates these disparities is that African-Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans hold few of the jobs in information technology. Women hold about 20 percent of these jobs and are receiving fewer than 30 percent of the computer science degrees. The result is that women and members of the most oppressed ethnic groups are not eligible for the jobs with the highest salaries at graduation. Baccalaureate candidates with degrees in computer science were offered the highest salaries of all new college graduates in 1998 at $44,949.
Do similar disparities exist in schools? More than 90 percent of all schools in the country are wired with at least one Internet connection. The number of classrooms with Internet connections differs by the income level of students. Using the percentage of students who are eligible for free lunches at a school to determine income level, we see that nearly twice as many of the schools with more affluent students have wired classrooms as those with high concentrations of low-income students.
Access to computers and the Internet will be important in reducing disparities between groups. It will require greater equality across diverse groups whose members develop knowledge and skills in computer and information technologies. If computers and the Internet are to be used to promote equality, they will have to become accessible to populations that cannot currently afford the equipment which needs to be updated every three years or so. However, access alone is not enough. Students will have to be interacting with the technology in authentic settings. As technology becomes a tool for learning in almost all courses taken by students, it will be seen as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. If it is used in culturally relevant ways, all students can benefit from its power.
71. Why does the author mention the telephone in paragraph 2?
A. To demonstrate that even technology like the telephone is not available to all
B. To argue that basic telephone service is a first step to using the Internet
C. To contrast the absence of telephone usage with that of Internet usage
D. To describe the development of communications from telephone to Internet
72. Which of the sentences below best expresses the information in the statement “Although the number ............. or the Internet.” in the paragraph 2?
A. Most of the people in the world use the Internet now because the number of computers has been increasing every year.
B. The number of people who use computers and the Internet is increasing every year, but most people in the world still do not have connections.
C. The number of computers that can make the Internet available to most of the people in the world is not increasing fast enough.
D. The Internet is available to most of the people in the world, even though they don't have their own computer terminals.
73. The word “eliminate” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. accept B. dispute C. define D. remove
74. Based on information in paragraph 3, which of the following best explains the term "digital divide?"
A. The number of Internet users in developing nations
B. The disparity in the opportunity to use the Internet
C. Differences in socioeconomic levels among Internet users
D. Segments of the population with Internet access
75. Why does the author give details about the percentages of Internet users in paragraph 3?
A. To prove that there are differences in opportunities among social groups
B. To argue for more Internet connections at all levels of society
C. To suggest that improvements in Internet access are beginning to take place
D. To explain why many people have Internet connections now
76. According to paragraph 3, which of the following households would be least likely to have access to the Internet?
A. A household with one parent B. A black household
C. A Hispanic household D. A household with both parents
77. The word “those” in the passage refers to
A. classrooms B. students C. schools D. concentrations
78. According to paragraph 4, why are fewer women and minorities employed in the field of computer technology?
A. They are not admitted to the degree programs.
B. They do not possess the educational qualifications.
C. They do not have an interest in technology.
D. They prefer training for jobs with higher salaries.
79. The word “concentrations” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. protections B. numbers C. confidence D. support
80. What can be inferred from paragraph 6 about Internet access?
A. Better computers need to be designed.
B. Schools should provide newer computers for students.
C. The cost of replacing equipment is a problem.
D. Technology will be more helpful in three years.
