Everyone knows that smoking is unhealthy and even dangerous, so why do so many people still smoke? One of the reasons has to do with hormones. Smoking releases a
hormone called epinephrine, a substance which actually creates physiological stress in the smoker. Although many people believe that smoking calms the nerves, this
hormone actually increases feelings of stress, leading the smoker to feel that just one more cigarette will calm him down. Of course, that next smoke only increases
restlessness. Tobacco is addictive, and smokers need increasingly larger doses to reach desired
effect. They become physically and psychologically dependent on it and will suffer severe withdrawal symptoms when they do eventually quit smoking.
The list of illnesses caused directly or indirectly by smoking includes heart disease,
various types of cancer, chronic bronchitis as well as other respiratory illnesses,
and even the loss of one’s sense of smell and taste. People who smoke may have social problems too, because they sometimes smell unpleasant or have bad breath.
Unfortunately, this may lead to their smoking even more because they feel lonely and unpopular, so they need extra “kick” that the cigarette gives them.
The solution is simple – quit smoking now Or better still, don’t even start. What’s the point of experimenting with something which you know ahead of time can only
do you harm?
Question 36: Which of the following beliefs is NOT true? A. Smoking causes the release of epinephrine in the body.
B. Smoking can lead to feelings of loneliness. C. Smoking relaxes you.
D. Smoking leads to dependence on tobacco.
Question 37: Why do smokers increase the number of cigarettes they smoke? A. Their bodies develop a need for tobacco.
B. They need more epinephrine. C. It makes them calmer.
D. They lose their sense of taste
Question 38: What point is the author trying to make about smoking? A.It is easy to quit smoking.
B. It causes psychological as well as
physical addiction.
C.Smoking solves problems of social isolation. D. Smoking leads to
cancer.
Question 39: According to the text ______. A. smoking is not harmful B. smoking makes you more popular
C.stopping smoking will cause smokers to suffer from withdrawal symptoms D. smoking won’t affect your heart
Question 40: The phrase “respiratory illnesses” in paragraph 3 refers to _______. A.problems connected to breathing
B. cancer-
related problems
C.problems caused by loss of one’s sense of smell and taste D. social problems Question 41: The writer concludes that the best solution for smokers is to ______.
A.stop smoking immediately B. get psychological help C.avoid other smokers D. increase their doses
Question 42: A good title for the article would be _____. A. “Smoking as a Way to Relieve Stress” B. “The Psychological Effects of
Smoking”
C.“Social Problems Caused by Smoking” D. “The Disadvantages of
Smoking”
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 43 to 50.
Whether it’s the melodic sound of an Eric Clapton solo or the growl of a heavy metal band, the electric guitar has influenced popular music and culture more than
any other instrument. Rock’s greatest musicians have always been closely identified with their guitars. But the instruments being designed for tomorrow’s pop stars may
look and sound rather different from today’s familiar electric and acoustic guitars. It is only sixty years since the electric guitar was invented. Since then there
have been incredible changes to the technical design of the instrument. From what was once a rounded wooden box with a hole in the front, the guitar has evolved into
the smooth solid body of the rock guitarist’s “axe”. The most modern guitars are really computer-controlled synthesizers.
Adolph Rickenbacker’s Electro String Company produced the first world’s first electric guitar. It
was made of wood and played on the user’s lap. The first real breakthrough in design came in 1950 when Leo Fender, a California radio repairman, made the first
solid-bodied electric guitar, the Fender Telecaster. Soon after the inventor Les Paul made the famous Gibson Les Paul, Fender launched his stylish Stratocaster two
years later. These guitars became standard instruments against which newer guitar designs are measured.
All sorts of different materials have been used to make guitars. Acoustic guitars are made from wood, which gives a soft tone. Wood is also a popular
material in electric guitar manufacture, but more modern materials such as glass and carbon fiber are also used. There have also been guitars with metal bodies and
necks though these were never popular with players, who claim metal feels cold in the hand.
Plastics, on the other hand, have been more used in guitar bodies. A company that makes parts for the aerospace industry has begun to use a kind of fiberglass
that was originally used in helicopter blades to make the bodies for its electric- acoustic instruments. Other makers have begun to experiment with graphite, which
is ten times stiffer than wood but much lighter. It doesn’t expand or contract as the temperature or humidity changes either. This makes it particularly suitable for
guitar necks and for tennis rackets, for which it is also used. As long as scientists and musicians work together harmoniously, the electric
guitar will continue to benefit from technological innovations. But for all the efforts of the guitar companies’ design engineers, managers and quality controllers, it’s the
musicians who finally make the instruments sing – and not necessarily in the way the guitar maker intended.
Question 43: What is likely to change in the future? A. The influence of the guitar on popular culture B. Styles of guitar music
C. The guitars themselves D. How musicians feel about
