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Passage 1
NEW-AGE TRANSPORT
Computerised design, advanced materials and new technologies are
being used to
Produce machines of a type never seen before.
It looks as if it came straight from the set
of Star Wars. It has four-wheel drive
and rises above rocky surfaces. It lowers and raises its nose when
going up and down
hills. And when it comes to river, it turns amphibious: two
hydrojets power it along
by blasting water under its body. There is room for two passengers
and a driver,
who sit inside a glass bubble operating electronic, aircraft-type
controls. A
vehicle so daring on land and water needs windscreen wipers-but it
doesn't have any.
Water molecules are disintegrated on the screen's surface by
ultrasonic sensors.
This unusual vehicle is the Racoon. It is an
invention not of Hollywood but of Renault,
a rather conservative French state-owned carmaker, better known for
its family
hatchbacks. Renault built the Racoon to explore new freedoms for
designers and
engineers created by advances in materials and manufacturing
processes. Renault is
thinking about startlingly different cars; other producers have
radical new ideas
for trains, boats and aeroplanes.
The first of the new freedoms is in design.
Powerful computer-aided design (CAD)
systems can replace with a click of a computer mouse hours of
laborious work done
on thousands of drawing boards. So new products, no matter how
complicated, can be
developed much faster. For the first time, Boeing will not have to
build a giant
replica of its new airliner, the 777, to make sure all the bits fit
together. Its
CAD system will take care of that.
But Renault is taking CAD further. It claims the Racoon is the
world's first vehicle
to be designed within the digitised world of virtual reality.
Complex programs were
used to simulate the vehicle and the terrain that it was expected to
cross. This
allowed a team led by Patrick Le Quement, Renault's industrial
design director, to
"drive" it long before a prototype existed.
Renault is not alone in thinking that virtual
reality will transform automotive
design. In Detroit. Ford is also investigating its potential. Jack
Telnac. The firm's
head of design, would like designers in different parts of the world
to work more
closely together, linked by computers. They would do more than style
cars. Virtual
reality will allow engineers to peer inside the working parts of
vehicle. Designers
will watch bearings move. oil flow, gears mesh and hydraulics pump.
As these tech
niques catch on. even stranger vehicles are likely to come along.
Transforming these creations from virtual
reality to actual reality will also be
come easier, especially with advances in materials. Firms that once
bashed every
thing out of steel now find that new alloys or composite materials
(which can be
made from mixtures of plastic, resin, ceramics and metals,
reinforced with fibres
such as glass or carbon) are changing the fules of manufacturing. At
the same
time, old materials keep getting better, as their producers try to
secure their
place in the factory of the future. This competition is increasing
the pace of
development of all materials.
One company in this field is Scaled
Composites. It was started in 1982 by Burt Rutan.
An aviator who has devised many unusual aircraft. His company
develops and tests
prototypes that have ranged from business aircraft to air racers. It
has also worked
on composites sails for the American's Cup yacht race and on General
Motors's
Ultralite. a 100-miles-per-gallon experimental family car built from
carton fibre.
Again, the Racoon reflects this race between the old and the
new. It uses conventional
steel and what Renault describes as a new "high-limit elastic
steel"in its chasis.
This steel is 30% lighter than the usual kind. The Racoon also has
parts made from
composites. Renault plans to replace the petrol engine with a small
gas turbine.
which could be made from heat-resisting ceramics. and use it to run
a generator that
would provide power for electric motors at each wheel.
With composites it is possible to build many
different parts into a single
component.Fiat, Italy's biggest car madder has worked out that it
could reduce the
number of components needed in one of its car bodies from 150 to 16
by using a
composite shell rather than one made of steel. Aircraft and cars may
increasingly
be assembled as if they were plastic kits.
Advances in engine technology also make cars
lighter. The Ultralite, which Scaled
Composites helped to design for General Motors, use a two-stoke
engine in a "power
pod"at the rear of the vehicle. The engine has been developed
from an East German
design and weight 40% less than a conventional engine but produces
as much power.
It is expected to run cleanly enough to qualify as an ultra-low
emissions vehicle
under California's tough new rules.
Questions1-5
Choose the appropriate letters A-D for each question and write them
in boxes1-5 on your answer sheet.
1. How does the Racoon cross water?
A It swims
B It raises its nose
C.It uses hydrojets.
D.It uses its four-wheel drive
2 What is Renault most famous for?
A. startlingly different cars
B. family cars
C. advances in design
D. boat and train design
3.Why will Boeing not need a replica of the 777?
A It can use computers to check the design
B.It already has enough experience with plans
C.It will only need to upgrade the replica of the previous model
D.It can make sure all the bits fit together.
4 How did Renault test drive the Racoon?
A over rocky terrain
B in actual reality
C over French country roads
D in virtual reality
5.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an ingredient of a
composite?
A. oil
B. resin
C. glass
D. steel
question 9-14
These five companies are mentioned in Reading Passage 1.Which
company is each of the following design futures associated with?
SC
R
GM
F
B
9 a power pod GM
10 electronic controls R
11 a composite body F
12 elastic steel R
13 aircraft prototypes SC
14 ultrasonic sensors R
Passage 2
STUDYING IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AN OVERVIEW FOR INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS
Paragraph (i)
Australia has been a popular choice for thousands of international
students over many years.
Australia's universities and colleges have become increasingly
recognized overseas for their
exceptionally high standard. In addition, Australia is conveniently
close to South-East Asia
(Jakarta, the capital of Australia's closest Asian neighbour,
Indonesia, is only 5506 kilometres
from Sydney). Revised entry procedures for overseas students have
made it possible for an
increasing number to study in Australia, Sydney, the largest
Australian city, is the principal port of
call for international airlines with services operating to
Australia.
Paragraph (ii)
Named after an ex-Governor of New South Wales, Sydney is the State's
capital city. Located on
the south-east coast of Australia in the temperate zone, it enjoys a
mild climate, averaging 14.5
hours of sunshine per day in summer and 10.25 hours in winter. It is
also the largest, oldest, and
perhaps most beautifully situated city in Australia. First
established by the British as a convict
settlement in 1788, it is a modern cosmopolitan city that has
developed into one of the nation's
major industrial, business, and manufacturing centers.
Paragraph (iii)
Sydney is home to nearly 4.4 million people (as of 1997). The
suburbs reach out from the city
center and harbour some 55km to the north, 35 km to the west and 30
km to the south, creating a
metropolitan area of about 3000 square kilometres. The 57 square
kilometer harbours is one of the
largest in the world, and famous for the unmistakable 134 metre high
arch of the Harbour Bridge
and the graceful sails of the Opera House. It is a busy waterway
with ferries, freighters, hydrofoils
and pleasure craft.
Paragraph (iv)
Not far from the city center are the attractive old residential
suburbs of Balmain, Glebe, and
Paddington, where many people live in smart terraced housed. Art
galleries, pubs, and restaurants
abound in the cosy streets that tend to be quite narrow, whereas the
suburbs surrounding the city's
colleges and universities consist mainly of family homes and
multi-unit blocks - an ideal situation
for students looking for a homestay, or to rent. Sydney's newer
suburbs now have a large
multicultural population, and local shopping centers reflect the
influences of many cultures.
Paragraph (v)
Sydney is home to the State Art Gallery of New South Wales, the
State Conservatorium of Music,
the Australian Opera, the Sydney Dance Company, and the Australian
Ballet. The world-class
Sydney Symphony Orchestra offers superb classical music all year
round. Local theatre is
innovative and well supported, and large-scale overseas productions
tour regularly.
Paragraph (vi)
As well as scores of cinemas and theatres throughout the city and
suburbs, there are numerous
clubs which appeal to people of all ages, and cater for all tastes.
Pubs are the venue for smaller
modern bands, while the big-name popular music artists, both local
and international, attract
capacity audiences at the huge Entertainment Centre in the heart of
the city.
Dining Out
In Sydney, a vast array of ethnic and local restaurants can be found
to suit all palates and pockets.
In summer, cafe patrons often sit outside at tables under umbrellas,
and enjoy the passing parade
of shoppers. Students who prefer to cook at home can choose from
several large weekend markers,
where fresh fruit, fish, and vegetable may be bought more cheaply
than at the local supermarket.
Sydney also has its own Chinatown.
Shopper's Delight
In the heart of the city are several big department stores linked by
enclosed over-the-street
crossings and underground walk ways. Most noticeable are the
towering Centrepoint complex and
the Queen Victoria Building, both containing many shopping arcades,
coffee shops and restaurants.
Out of town, in the suburbs, there are huge regional shopping
centers. At the weekend markets,
bargains can be had when shopping for clothing as well as for a wide
range of assorted goods.
Sporting Facilities
Australia is recognized as one of the most sports-conscious nations
in the world. Sydney boasts an
impressive number of facilities for all types of indoor and outdoor
sporting activities. Wherever
one goes, there are golf courses, cricket pitches, football ovals,
tennis and squash courts, and, of
course, indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Avid ice-skating and
ten-pin bowling fans will find
that these activities are also popular and inexpensive.
Conclusion
Whatever a student is interested in, it is certain to be available
somewhere in Sydney. Outside the
colleges and universities the scope for filling the leisure hours is
enormous, while on campus the
choice is equally varied.
Questions 5-9
You are advised to spend about 5 minutes on Questions 5-9
Choose the most suitable heading from the list of headings blow for
the first six paragraphs of
Reading Passage 1 entitled" Studying in Sydney, Australia-An
Overview for International
Students". Write your answer in boxes 5-9 on your Answer
Sheet.The first one has been done for
you as an example.
A. Sydney-Location and History
B. Residential Inner-City Suburbs
C. Australia-Attractive to International Students
D. Entertainment for Young and Old
E. The Harbour and Surrounding Suburbs
F. The Cultural Climate.
Example: Paragraph(i)____ Q7. Paragraph(i)____
Q5. Paragraph(i)____ Q8.Paragraph(i)____
Q6. Paragraph(i)____ Q9.Paragraph(i)____
Question 1SIZE
Population(1995): _____million
Area(city&suburbs): ____square km
Sydney Harbour: .57 square km
...........
Question 10-16
You are advised to spend about 10 minutes on questions 10-16.
Refer to Reading Passage 1 headed "STUDYING IN SYDNEY,
AUSTRALIA - AN OVERVIEW FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS", and look
at the statements below. Write your answers in boxes 10-16 on your
Answer Sheet.
Write T if the statement is True.
F if the statement is False
N if the statement is Not Given in the text.
Q10. Sydney was first established as a settlement
for convicted criminals.
T F N
Q11. Sydney Harbour is the largest in the world.
T F N
Q12. The streets of Paddington are not very wide and contain houses
arranges in rows.
T F N
Key: passage 1.
1--5.CBADA
9-14. GM,R,F,R,SC,R
passage2:
5-9:CAEBFD
1-4.4 million
10-12 .T N T
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