More attention was paid to the quality of production in France at the time of Rene Coty. Charles Deschanel was then the financial minister. He stressed that workmanship and quality were more important than quantity for industrial production. It would be necessary to produce quality goods for the international market to compete with those produced in other countries. The French economy needed a larger share of the international market to balance its import and export trade. French industrial and agricultural production was still inadequate to meet the immediate needs of the people, let alone longranged developments. Essential imports had stretched the national credit to the breaking point. Rents were tightly controlled, but the extreme inflation affected general population most severely through the cost of food. Food costs took as much as 80 per cent of the workers’ income. Wages, it is true, had risen. Extensive family allowerences and benefits were paid by the state, and there was fulltime and overtime employment. Taken together, these factors enabled the working class to exist but allowed them no sense of security. In this precarious and discouraging situation, workmen were willing to work overseas for higher wages. The government was reluctant to let workers leave the country. It was feared this migration of workers would deplete the labour force. The lack of qualified workers might hinder the improvement in the quality of industrial products produced. Qualified workers empolyed abroad would only increase the quantity of quality goods produced in foreign countries. Also the quantity of quality goods produced in France would not be able to increase as part of its qualified labor force moved to other countries. 1.ccording to the passage, the French workers were ______. A. better paid than the workers in any other European countries B. able to save more money with the increase in his wages C. anxious to work abroad D. often unable to find work in France 2.Rene Coty and Charles Deschanel were both interested in ______. a) better quality in production b) increasing quantity in production c) having the government raise tariffs on foreign imports d) eliminating unions in France 3.The French Government was reluctant to let the workers leave the country because ______. a) it would enlarge the working force b) it would hinder the improvement of quality in industrial production c) it would hinder the increase in quantity of exports d) it would damage the imports 4.Rents in France ______. a) were extremely high b) were tightly controlled c) took as much as 80 percent of the workers’ income d) had doubled in two years 5.According to the passage, French production ______. a) was inadequate to meet the needs of the French people b) was flooding the international market with inferior products c) emphasized industrial production at the expense of agricultural production d) was enough for the local market Some people argue that the pressures on international sportsmen and sportswomen kill the essence of sport ---- the pursuit of personal excellence. Children kick a football around for fun. When they get older and play for local school teams, they become competitive but they still enjoy playing. The individual representing his country cannot afford to think about enjoying himself; he has to think only about winning. He is responsible for an entire nation’s hopes, dreams and reputation. A good example is the football World Cup. Football is the world’s most important sport. It is even more important now that the United States is seriously taking it up. Winning the World Cup is perhaps the summit of international sporting success. Mention “ Argentina ” to someone and the chances are that he’ll think of football. In a sense, winning the Word Cup “put Argentina on the map”. Sports fans and supporters get quite irrational about the World Cup. People in England felt that their country was somehow important after they won 1966. Last year thousands of Scots sold their cars, and even their houses, and spent all their money travelling to Argentina , where the finals were played. So, am I arguing that international competition kills the idea of sport? Certainly not! Do the Argentinians really believe that because eleven of their men proved the most skillful at football, their nation is in every way better than all others? Not really. But it’s nice to know that you won, and that in one way at least your country is best. 6.What’s the author’s main purpose in the passage? a) To prove that football is the world’s most important sport b) To show that Argentina is better than all others c) To compare Scolant with Argentina d) To explain the role of sport 7.In the second paragraph, the word “summit” means ______. A . highest point B. moutain top C. award D. summary 8.According to the passage, Argentina is world-famous because of its ______. a) large number of sports fans and supporters b) successes in the football World Cup c) obvious position on the map d) excellence at all important sports 9.According to the passage, if a sportsman only thinks about winning, he will ______. A. fail to succeed B. be successful C. lose enjoyment D. be irrational 10.What is the author’s attitude towards international games? a) Nations that meet on a football field are unlikely to meet on a battlefield. b) Nations that win the football World Cup are reguarded as best in all aspects. c) Nations that win in international games prove best on the sports field at least. d) Nations that give much attention to international competitions are world-famous in many ways. About 200 million years ago, as the Triassic Period came to a close, many species of animals disappeared from the face of the Earth. Scientists previously believed that the series of extinctions happened over a period of 15 to 20 million years. Recent discoveries in Nova Scotia suggest, however, that the extinctions may have happened over a much shorter period of time, perhaps less than 850 000 years. Evidence for a rapid extinction of species at the end of the Triassic Period is found in the McCoy Brook Formation along the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. Fossils found in this formation indicate a rapid disappearance of species rather than a slow and gradual change over time. One explanation for a relatively sudden extinction at the end of the Triassic may be that a large meteorite struck the earth at the time and is responsible for a 70-kilometer hole nearby. If geologists and other researchers can find evidence, such as shocked quartz in the rock formations, that a meteorite did strike the earth, it would give more credence to the theory of rapid Triassic extinctions.It is possible, however, that even if a rapid extinction happened in and around Nova Scotia, it did not necessarily occur in the rest of the world. 11.What is the main topic of this passage? a) The disappearance of animal species at the end of the Triassic Period. b) Evidence of a relatively sudden extinction of species. c) The possiblity of an extinction happening simultaneously throughout the world. d) A meteorite hole in the Bay of Jundy in Nova Scotia. 12.Which of the following could best replace the word “close”as used in line 1? A. Connection. B. Disperesion. C. Separation. D. End. 13.All of the following were mentioned in the passage EXCEPT ______. a) the extinction of late Triassic animals b) the duration of time for the extinction c) a large meteorite hitting the earth 10 million years ago d) the use of types of rock in scientific research 14.According to the passage what would give evidence that a meteorite struck the earth? a) A gradual change in species over time. b) A change in the quartz. c) Gold deposites in the veins of rocks. d) A change in the waters of the Bay of Fundy. 15.Which of the following could best replace the word “struck” as used in the third sentence in the 2 nd paragraph? A. Affected. B. Discovered. C. Devastated. D. Hit.