Section Ⅱ Reading Comprehension Part A Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SI-IEET 1. (40 points) Text 1 Extraordinary creative activity has been characterized as revolutionary, flying in the face of what is established and producing not what is acceptable but what will become accepted. According to this formulation, highly creative activity transcends the limits of an existing form and establishes a new principle of organization. However, the idea that extraordinary creativity transcends established limits is misleading when it is applied to the arts, even though it may be valid for the sciences. Differences between highly creative art and highly creative science arise in part from differences in their goals/’ For the sciences, a new theory is the goal and end result of the creative act. Innovative science produces new propositions in terms of which diverse phenomena can be related to one another in more coherent ways. Such phenomena as a brilliant diamond or a nesting bird are relegated to the r01e of data, serving as the means for formulating or testing a new theory. The goal of highlycreative art is very different: the phenomenon itself becomes the direct product of the creative act. Shakespeare’s Hamlet is not a tract about the behavior of indecisive princes or the uses of political power, nor is Picasso’s painting Guernica primarily a propositional statement about the Spanish Civil War or the evils of fascism. What highly creative artistic activity produces is not a ,new generalization theft transcends established limits, but rather an aesthetic particular. Aesthetic particulars produced by the highly creative artist extend or exploit, in an innovative way, the limits of an existing form, rather than transcend that form. This is not to deny that a highly creative artist sometimes establishes a new principle of organization in the history of an artistic field: the composer Monteverdi, who created music of the highest aesthetic value, comes to mind. More generally, however, whether or not a composition establishes a new principle in the history of music has little bearing on its aesthetic worth. Because they embody a new principle of organization, some musical works, such as the operas of the Florentine Camerata, are of signal historical importance, but few listeners or musicologists would include these among the great works of music. On the other hand, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro is surely among the masterpieces of music even though its modest innovations are confined to extending existing means. It has been said of Beethoven that he toppled the rules and freed music from the stifling confines of convention. But a close study of his compositions reveals that Beethoven overturned no fundamental rules. Rather, he was an incomparable strategist who exploited limits -- the rules, forms, and conventions that he inherited from predecessors such as Haydn and Mozart, Handel and Bach -- in strikingly original ways.

The author implies that an innovative scientific contribution is one that（）

A:is cited with high frequency in. the publications of other scientists B:is accepted immediately by the scientific community C:does t Jot relegate particulars to the role of dam D:introduces a new valid generalization

（） a contract last year and it is still valid.

A:We have signed B:We signed C:We haven’t signed D:We have signed

Whether you are an American citizen or a foreign national living in the United States, travel abroad requires preparation. Travel may be for the purpose of attending meetings or activities in other countries, visiting families or simply taking a vacation. This page is intended to provide guidance and useful resources.
What information do U.S. citizens need
Depending upon the requirements of the country to be visited, citizens of the United States need to carry a passport that is valid for six months beyond the visit or documented evidence of their citizenship and identity (身份). In addition to a passport, some countries will require a visa. For more information, see Visa and Foreign Entry Requirements.
Current information on passports is available at the Department of State Passport Services and Information website. There is a new passport requirement for U.S. citizens traveling between the United States and the rest of the Western Hemisphere (半球). For details, see Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
When traveling to some specified countries, U.S. citizens may be subject to restrictions on publishing, the exchange of information, the sponsorship of conferences, etc.

What is the usual minimum limit to the validity of the passport held by an American citizen（　）

A:There is no limit to the validity of the passport. B:The passport must be valid for half a year beyond the visit. C:The citizen can apply for a passport as long as six months. D:The minimum limit depends on the nature of the citizen’s visit.

More than 30,000 drivers and front seat passengers are killed or seriously injured each year. At a speed of only 30 miles per hour it is the same as falling from a third floor window. Wearing a seat belt saves lives; it reduces your chance of death or serious injury by more than half.
Therefore drivers or front seat passengers over 14 in most vehicles must wear a seat belt. If you do not, you could be fined up to $ 50. It will not be Up to the drivers to make sure you wear your belt. But it will be the driver’s responsibility to make sure that children under 14 do not ride in the front unless they are wearing a seat belt of some kind.
However, you do not have to wear a seat belt if you are reversing your vehicle; or you are making a local delivery or collection using a special vehicle; or if you have a valid medical certificate which excuses you from wearing it. Make sure these circumstances apply to you before you decide not to wear your seat belt. Remember you may be taken to court for not doing so, and you may be fined if you cannot prove to the court that you have been excused from wearing it.

For some people, it may be better （）

A:to wear a seat belt for health reasons B:not to wear a seat belt for health reasons C:to get a valid medical certificate before wearing a seat belt D:to pay a fine rather than wear a seat belt

More than 30,000 drivers and front seat passengers are killed or seriously injured each year. At a speed of only 30 miles per hour it is the same as falling from a third floor window. Wearing a seat belt saves lives; it reduces your chance of death or serious injury by more than half. Therefore drivers or front seat passengers over 14 in most vehicles must wear a seat belt. If you do not, you could be fined up to $ 50. It will not be Up to the drivers to make sure you wear your belt. But it will be the driver’s responsibility to make sure that children under 14 do not ride in the front unless they are wearing a seat belt of some kind. However, you do not have to wear a seat belt if you are reversing your vehicle; or you are making a local delivery or collection using a special vehicle; or if you have a valid medical certificate which excuses you from wearing it. Make sure these circumstances apply to you before you decide not to wear your seat belt. Remember you may be taken to court for not doing so, and you may be fined if you cannot prove to the court that you have been excused from wearing it

For some people, it may be better （）

A:to wear a seat belt for health reasons B:not to wear a seat belt for health reasons C:to get a valid medical certificate before wearing a seat belt D:to pay a fine rather than wear a seat belt

A valid identification card can be used to ______.

A:take intercampus buses B:read announcements C:make use of the recreational facilities D:obtain the next issue of the student newspaper

______ a contract last year and it is still valid.

A:We have signed B:We signed C:We haven't signed D:We have signed

Passage 3

For some people, it may be better ______.

A:to wear a seat belt for health reasons B:not to wear a seat belt for health reasons C:to get a valid medical certificate before wearing a seat belt D:to pay a fine rather than wear a seat belt

This certrficate is valid（）60 days

A:to B:for C:till D:with