Section B

　　Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A)， B)， C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre。

　　Passage One

　　The motor vehicle has killed and disabled more people in its history than any bomb or weapon ever invented. Much of the blood on the street flows essentially from uncivil behavior of drivers who refuse to respect the legal and moral rights of others. So the massacre on the road may be regarded as a social problem。

　　In fact, the enemies of society on wheels are rather harmless people, just ordinary people acting carelessly, you might say. But it is a principle both of law and common morality that carelessness is no excuse when one’s actions could bring death or damage to others. A minority of these killers go even beyond carelessness to total negligence。

　　Researchers have estimated that as many as 80 percent of all automobile accidents can be attributed to the psychological condition of the driver. Emotional upsets can distort driver’s reactions, slow their judgment, and blind them to dangers that might otherwise be evident. The experts warn that it is vital for every driver to make a conscious effort to keep one’s emotions under control.

　　Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard。

　　26. Why should traffic accidents be regarded as a social problem?

　　27. Why does the passage mention the psychological condition of the driver?

　　28. For the minority of road killers, what is the major cause of their traffic accidents?

　　Passage Two

　　From Beijing to Bucharest people like Michael Jordan. So when he suddenly retired last week, the news was reported around the world. Michael Jordan is widely considered basketball’s best player ever. He seems to fly through the air with the ball. He became known as Air Jordan. Jordan gained wide notice by helping to sell products, and businesses paid him tens of millions of dollars。

　　Michael is thirty years old. He attended the University of North Carolina. He joined the Chicago Bulls nine years ago. He led the team to the National Basketball Association Championship for the past three years. He was the top scoring player in the NBA for the past seven years. He also won two Olympic gold medals。

　　In July, Jordan’s father was murdered in North Carolina. James Jordan and his son were close friends. Michael Jordan says it means a lot to him that his father saw his last game. But he says his father’s death was not the reason he retired. He says he had been considering the idea for a few years. Jordan is the third major NBA player to retire in the last three years. Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers retired two years ago because he has the virus that causes AIDS. Last year Larry

　　Bird retired because of a back problem。

　　Jordan’s skill helped increase the popularity of basketball. Sports centers sold all their seats when the Chicago Bulls played there.

　　Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard。

　　29. Why is Jordan known as Air Jordan?

　　30. Which of the following statements about Jordan is true?

　　31. Why did Larry Bird retire?

　　Passage Three

　　Every part of the United States has special celebrations, depending on the particular national groups that live in the area. In Hawaii, there are many Asians. Many of these Asians are Japanese, Chinese and Polynesians. Recent immigrants from Japan and China arrived in Hawaii in great numbers during the past century. The early Polynesians came to Hawaii from the South Pacific islands more than a thousand years before any other people. The Asians left rich traditions for their younger generations to follow. Today, Hawaiians honor the memory of their ancestors with special feasts and festivals。

　　Chinese-Hawaiians hold the Moon Festival to honor the memory of their ancestors and their native land. The Moon Festival occurs in August on the night of the full moon. Unlike the Japanese festival, the Chinese celebration is a simple family occasion. Family members gather in a garden or a large open-air space in the light of the moon. They drink tea and feast on delicious moon-shaped cakes filled with meat or sweets, depending on family custom. If the family is from southern China, the cakes have meat in them; if the family comes from northern China, the cakes have sweet fillings. The cakes, an important food on this occasion, represent an event in Chinese history. A long time ago, the people used round cakes in a special way: they sent secret messages to each other in them. The messages give instructions for the people of the north and south to join together to fight against the evil emperor who ruled them at that time. The trick worked and the people were able to overthrow their ruler. By recalling this event in the Moon Festival, the Chinese people help to keep their native traditions alive and their family ties strong。