阅读理解AThe standardized educational or psychological tests, which are widely used to aid in selecting, assigning or promoting students, employees and military personnel, have been the target of recent attacks in books, magazines, the daily press, and even in Congress. The target is wrong, for, in attacking the tests, critics divert attention from the fault that lies with ill-informed or inpetent users. The tests themselves are merely tools. Whether the results will be valuable, meaningless, or even misleading depends partly upon the tool itself but largely upon the user.All informed predictions of future performance are based upon some knowledge of relevant past performance. How well the predictions will be validated by later performance depends upon the amount, reliability and appropriateness of the information used and on the skill and wisdom with which it is interpreted. Anyone who keeps careful score knows that the information available is always inplete and that the predictions are always subject to error.Standardized tests should be considered in this context: they provide a quick, objective method of getting some kind of information about what a person has learned, the skills he has developed, or the kind of person he is. The information so obtained has, qualitatively, the same advantages and shortings as other kinds of information. Whether to use tests, other kinds of information, or both in a particular situation depends, therefore, upon the empirical evidence concerning parative validity and upon such factors as cost and availability.In general, the tests work most effectively when the traits or qualities to be measured can be most precisely defined ( for example, ability to do well in a particular course of training program ) and least effectively when what is to be measured or predicted cannot be well defined, for example, personality or creativity. Properly used, they provide a rapid means of getting parable information about many people. Sometimes they identify students whose high potential has not been previously recognized.26. In this passage, the author is primarily concerned with _________.A. the necessity of standardized testsB. the validity of standardized testsC. the method used in interpreting the results of standardized tests.D. the theoretical grounds of standardized tests.27. We can infer from the passage that _______.A. standardized tests should no longer be used.B. results of standardized tests accurately reflect the abilities of the testeesC. the value of standardized tests lies in their proper interpretationD. special methods must be applied to the result of standardized tests.28. The word “empirical〞 (Line 6, Para.3) most probably means “ ___________〞A. Theoretical B. Critical C. Indisputable D. experiential29.According to the passage, standardized tests work work most effectively when ____________.A. the user knows how to interpret the results in advance.B. the objectives are most clearly defined.C. the persons who take the test are intelligent or skillful.D. they measure the traits or qualities of the tests30. The author’s attitude toward standardized tests could be described as _______.A. Positive B. Critical C. Prejudiced D. indifferent.BThe Norwegian Government is doing its best to keep the oil industry under control. A new law limits exploration to an area south of the southern end of the long coastline; production limits have been laid down (though these have already been raised); and oil panies have not been allowed to employ more than a limited number of foreign workers. But the oil industry has a way of getting over such problems, and few people believe that the Government will be able to hold things back for long. As on Norwegian politician said last week: “We will soon be changed beyond all recognition.〞Ever since the war, the Government has been carrying out a programme of development in the area north of the Arctic Circle. During the past few years this programme has had a great deal of success: Tromso has been built up into a local capital with a university, a large hospital and a healthy industry. But the oil industry has already started to draw people south, and within a few years the whole northern policy could be in ruins.The effects of the oil industry would not be limited to the north, however. With nearly 100 percent employment, everyone can see a situation developing in which the service industries and the tourist industry will lose more of their workers to the oil industry. Some smaller industries might even disappear altogether when it bees cheaper to buy goods from abroad.The real argument over oil is its threat to the Norwegian way of life. Farmers and fishermen do not make up most of the population, but they are an important part of it, because Norwegians see in them many of the qualities that they regard with pride as essentially Norwegian. And it is the farmers and the fishermen who are most critical of the oil industry because of the damage that it might cause to the countryside and to the sea.31.The Norwegian Government would prefer the oil industry to.A.provide more jobs for foreign workers.B.slow down the rate of its development.C.sell the oil it is producing abroad.D.develop more quickly than at present.32.The Norwegian Government has tried to.A.encourage the oil panies to discover new oil sources.B.prevent oil panies employing people from northern Norway.C.help the oil panies solve many of their problems.D.keep the oil industry to something near its present size.33.According to the passage, the oil industry might lead northern Norway to.A.the development of industry.B.a growth in population.C.the failure of the development programme.D.the development of new towns.34.In the south, one effect to the development of the oil industry might be.A.a large reduction on unemployment.B.a growth in the tourist industry.C.a reduction in the number of existing industries.D.the development of a number of service industries.35.Norwegian farmers and fishermen have an important influence because.A.they form such a large part of Norwegian ideal.B.their lives and values represent the Norwegian ideal.C.their work is so useful to the rest of Norwegian society.D.they regard oil as a threat to the Norwegian way of life.CThe largest earthquake ( magnitude里氏 9.5) of the 20th century haooened on May 22, 1960 off the coast of South Central Chile.It generated(生成) one of the most destructive Pacific-wide tsunamis(海啸). Near the generating area, both the earthquake and the tsunami were very much destructive, particularly in the coastal area from Concepcion to the south end of Isla Chiloe. The largest tsunami damage occurred at Isla Chiloe---the coastal area closest to the epicenter(震中). Huge tsunami waves measuring as high as 25 meters arrived within 10 to 15 minutes after the earthquake, killing at least two hundred people, sinking all the boats, and flooding half a kilometer inland.There was large damage and loss of life at Concepcion, Chile's top industrial city. Near the city of Valdivia, the earthquake and following aftershocks generated landslides which killed 18 people. At the port city of Valparaiso, a city of 200,000, many buildings collapsed. A total of 130,000 houses were destroyed --- one in every three in the earthquake zone and nearly 2,000,000 people were left homeless.Total damage losses, including to agriculture and to industry, were estimated(估计) to be over a half billion dollars . The total number of death related with both the tsunami and the earthquake was never found accurately for the region. Estimates of deaths reached between 490 to 5,7002 with no distinction(差异) as to how many deaths were caused by the earthquake and how many were caused by the tsunami. However, it is believed that most of the deaths in Chile were caused by the tsunami.36. Where did the largest tsunami damage occurred?A. Concepcion B. Isla Chiloe C. Valdivia D. Valparaiso37. What can we learn about the tsunami waves generated by the earthquake?A. The tsunami waves as high as 25 meters arrived immediately after the earthquake.B. The tsunami waves killed 200 people and sank all boats.C. The tsunami waves were very destructive.D. The tsunami waves flooded half of the inland.38. What is generally thought the main cause of deaths in Chile?A. landslides B. the tsunamiC. aftershocks D. the magnitude 9.5 earthquake39. What is the total number of deaths in the earthquake?A. 2,000,000 B. between 490 to 5,7002C. 200,000 D. it was hard to know.40. What does the underlined word “collapsed〞 probably mean ?A. was destroyed B. caught fireC. was flooded D. sank