Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (40%)
Section A
Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A,B,C and D. You should decide on the best choice and blacken the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a pencil.

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

The 'standard of living' of any country means the average person's share of the goods and services which the country produces. A country's standard of living, therefore, depends first and foremost on its capacity to produce wealth. 'Wealth' in this sense is not money, for we do not live on money but on things that money can buy: 'goods' such as food and clothing, and'services' such as transport and entertainment.
A country's capacity to produce wealth depends upon many factors, most of which have an effect on one another. Wealth depends to a great extent upon a country's natural resources, such as coal, gold, and other minerals, water supply and so on. Some regions of the world are well supplied with coal and minerals, and have a fertile soil and a favorable climate; other regions possess none of them. The U.S.A is one of the wealthiest regions of the world because she has vast nature resources within her borders, her soil is fertile, and her climate is varied. The Sahara Desert, on the other hand, is one of least wealthy.
Next to natural resources comes the ability to turn them to use. Some countries are perhaps as well off as the U.S.A. in natural resources, but suffered for many years from civil and external wars, and for this and other reasons were unable to develop their resources. Sound and stable political condition, and freedom from foreign invasion, enable a country to develop its natural resources peacefully and steadily, and to produce more wealth than another country equally well served by nature but less well ordered. Another important factor is the technical efficiency of a country's people. Old countries that have, through many centuries, trained up numerous skilled craftsmen and technicians are better placed to produce wealth than countries whose workers are largely unskilled. Wealth also produces wealth. As a country becomes wealthier, its people have a large margin for saving, and can put their savings into factories and machines which will help workers to turn out more goods in their working day.
A country's standard of living does not only depend upon the wealth that is produced and consumed within its own borders, but also upon what is indirectly produced through international trade. For example, Britain's wealth in foodstuffs and other agricultural products would be much less if she had to depend only on those grown at home. Trade makes it possible for her surplus manufactured goods to be traded abroad for the agricultural products that would otherwise be lacking. A country's wealth is, therefore, much influenced by its manufacturing capacity, provided that other countries can be found ready to accept its manufactures.
To calculate the average standard of living of any country, one divides its 'national income' by the number of people in it. Strictly, the term 'national income' means the total of goods and services produced for consumption in that country in a year; but such a total cannot be divided unless it is expressed in money.

21.A country's wealth depends upon .
A. its standard of living
B. its money
C. its ability to provide goods and services
D. its ability to provide transport and entertainment

22.The main idea of the second paragraph is that .
A. a country's wealth depends on many factors
B. the U.S.A. is one of the wealthiest countries in the world
C. the Sahara Desert is a very poor region
D. natural resources' are an important factor in the wealth or poverty of a country

23. The word 'civil'(line 14) refers to wars to wars that are .
A. long -lasting
B. fought between one part of a country and another
C. short but frequent
D. carried out according to the international laws governing warfare

24. The main idea of the fourth paragraph is that .
A. Britain is dependent upon trade
B. A country's wealth lies in what it can manufacture
C. Britain manufactures more than it needs for home consumption
D. The wealth of a country can be increased by manufacturing goods trade with other countries

25. The word 'margin' as used in line 22 means .
A. the space at the side of the page
B. the edge
C. the amount earned but not needed for living
D. any money deposited in a savings account

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