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C) may lead to high birth rate

D) may bring about pollution problems Passage Two

Many people hope that the whole world will one day speak a common language. Over the Years, people have made up new languages with this aim. At least six hundred languages have been developed in the search for a language which all human beings would be able to speak. The most famous one, Esperanto ( 世界语) , was the idea of Ludwig Zamenhof, a doctor in Warsaw. He published a book about his new language in 1887.

To encourage people to learn the Language, he made it as simple as possible.

Esperanto has never been accepted as an official world language, but it has been suggested as an auxiliary language. By 1950 it had been taught to one and a half million speakers, and it was spoken in six hundred schools. Today Esperanto is

spoken by about eight million people, and more than one hundred newspapers and magazines in the language are published regularly throughout the world. Thousands of books have been written in Esperanto, including those translated from other languages.

Today the need for a new auxiliary language like Esperanto seems less obvious. Throughout this century English has grown more and more important. It has become a second language for many millions of people. The fact that more are learning English shows that the use of English is still growing worldwide. No one would deny the usefulness of world language, but not many people think that Esperanto is likely to play such a role.

55. Over the years, people have made up new languages in the hope that ______. A) all people will be able to speak a common language

B) people will learn a foreign language better

C) people can understand each other better D) people will be able to speak several languages

56. Zamenhof made the language as simple as possible because ______. A) he wanted people to learn it quickly B) he hoped more and more people would be willing to learn it

C) he wanted everyone to speak it without any difficulty

D) he hoped it would be accepted as an official world language

57. Which of the following is NOT true of English?

A) It is widely taught in schools.

B) It has become a second language for many millions of people.

C) Many books have been written in English.

D) It is less popular than Esperanto.

58. What is the best title of the passage? A) The language made by one man. B) A talk about the world language.

C) English as a second language for everyone.

D) Esperanto—a better language than English.

Passage Three

After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had news to report: The damage and death toll could have been much worse.

More than 60 people died in this earthquake. By comparison, an earthquake of similar intensity that shook America in 1988 claimed 25 ,000 victims.

Injuries and deaths were relatively less in Los Angeles because the quake occurred at 4:31 a. m. on a holiday, when traffic was light on the city’s highways. In addition, changes made to the construction codes in Los Angeles during the last 20 years have

strengthened the city ’ s buildings and highways, making them more resistant to quakes.

Despite the good news, civil engineers aren’t resting on their successes. Pinned to their drawing boards are blueprints for improved quake - resistant buildings. The new designs should offer even greater security to cities where earthquakes often take place.

In the past, making structures quake - resistant meant firm yet flexible materials, such as steel and wood, that bend without breaking. Later, people tried to lift a building off its foundation, and insert rubber and steel between the building and its foundation to reduce the impact of ground vibrations. The most recent designs give buildings brains as well as concrete and steel supports. Called smart buildings, the structures respond like living organisms to an earthquake’s vibrations.