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四、Reading Comprehension(60 points)
36、
根据以下资料，回答36-55题。
Train companies in Tokyo are taking action to reduce the number of people jumping in front of trains．They are fitting blue lights on station platforms to try and create a more calming atmosphere．The East Japan Railway Company has invested almost $170,000 to install the lights in all of the 29 stations on the capital's busy Yamanote Line．There has been an alarming rise in the number of people committing suicide at train stations．A total of 68 people threw themselves under trains in the year up to March．This compares with 42 suicides in the same period a year earlier．In 2008, Japan had nearly 2,000 suicides by jumping in front of a train; around six percent of all suicides nationwide．Suicides have risen sharply in the past decade due to poor economic conditions．
No one knows if the blue lights will work．There is no evidence to show that blue light reduces suicidal feelings．Keihan Railway spokesman Osamu Okawa stated: "We thought we had to do something to save lives．We know there is no scientific proof that blue lights deter suicides, but if blue has a soothing effect on the mind, we want to try it to save lives．" The Associated Press news agency reports on a Japanese therapist called Mizuki Takahashi．She explained her reasons why the blue lights might be a good idea: "We associate the color with the sky and the sea．It has a calming effect on agitated people, or people obsessed with one particular thing, which in this case is committing suicide," she said．Other companies are watching this experiment with interest．
Why blue lights are installed in many train stations?
A．Because they do not hurt human eyes．
B．Because they are cheaper than regular ones．
C．Because they can help people at night．
D．Because they can reduce the number of suicides．


37、
The use of blue lights to reduce suicides __．
A．has no result yet
B．is proved effective
C．is welcomed by suicides
D．has been refused by stations


38、 A Japanese therapist explained that __．
A．many suicides love blue color
B．the color of sky and see may calm excited people
C．only people with trouble in mind need blue color
D．blue color will definitely work to save suicides


39、 What is the writer's attitude toward the experiment? He is __．
A．interested
B．denying
C．objective
D．indifferent

40、
根据以下资料，回答40-59题。
Can animals be made to work for us? Some scientists think that one day animals may be trained to do a number of simple jobs that are now done by human beings．
They point out that at a circus, for example, we may see elephants, monkeys, dogs and other animals doing quite skillful things．Perhaps you have seen them on the television or in a film．If you watch closely, you may notice that the trainer always gives the animal a piece of candy or a piece of fruit as a reward．The scientists say that many different animals may be trained to do a number of simple jobs if they know they will get a reward for doing them．
Of course, as we know, dogs can be used to guard a house, and soldiers in both old and modem times have used geese to give warning by making a lot of noise when a stranger or an enemy comes near．But it may be possible to train animals to work in factories．In Russia, for example, pigeons which are birds with good eyesight, are being used to watch out for faults in small steel balls that are being made in one factory．When the pigeon sees a ball which looks different from others, it touches a steel plate with its beak．This turns on a light to warn people in the factory．At the same time a few seeds are given as a reward．It takes three to five weeks to train a pigeon to do this and one pigeon can inspect 3 000 to 4 000 balls an hour．
Apes have been used in America in helping to make cars, and scientists believe that these large monkeys may be one day gather crops and even drive trains．
What made scientists think animal can be made to work for us one day?
A．Animals are very skillful at a circus．
B．They are big and strong．
C．Some animals are as clever as human beings．
D．Animals can be trained because they like to get something as a reward．


41、
The trainer usually gives the animal a piece of candy or fruit __．
A．when it is hungry
B．before it plays a trick
C．when it starts to play a trick
D．after it has done the trick


42、
Many animals may be trained to do simple jobs if they know __．
A．who their trainers are
B．they will be praised by theft trainers
C．they will get a reward
D．something dangerous will happen to them


43、
Which of the following is not true?
A．Scientists consider apes may drive trains some day．
B．Apes have worked in some factories．
C．Apes may one day be used to gather crops．
D．An ape is not a large monkey．


44、
根据以下资料，回答44-63题。
The earliest immigrants to North America found Indians already living there．The Indians numbered about 500,000 at that time．Their society was a primitive society, but they lived peacefully and welcomed the white strangers to the land．However, these early immigrants from Europe didn't want to share the land with the natives．They killed off many of the Indians, seized their land or pushed them off to lands farther away．Today the Indians, not more than half a million, live in poverty and misery on the land on which they were once masters．
The earliest immigrants were the Spanish, who settled in the southern part of what is now the US．The next large group were the English, after the English came the French, Dutch, Irish, Germans, and other nationality groups, mostly European．
Another early group to arrive were the Negroes．But they were brought in as slaves from Africa．They didn't win freedom till generations later．
Who were the earliest people living in North America?
A．The Spanish．
B．The English．
C．The Negroes．
D．The Indians．


45、
Why didn't the immigrants share the lands with the natives?
A．They thought the Indians were not friendly to them．
B．They wanted to seize the lands as their own．
C．Because North America was first discovered by them．
D．Because the Indian people liked making war to them．