Opposition parties, the media and the public immediately voiced their Support for the Princess. To make matters worse for the government, it soon emerged that the Princess's trip had been approved by the Foreign Office, and that she was in fact very well-informed about both the situation in Angola and the British government's policy regarding landmines. The result was a severe embarrassment for the government.

To try and limit the damage, the Foreign Secretary, Malcolm Rifkidnd, claimed that the Princess's views on landmines were not very different from government policy, and that it was "working towards" a worldwide ban. The Defence Secretary, Michael Portillo, claimed the matter was "a misinterpretation or misunderstanding."

For the Princess, the trip to this war-torn country was an excellent opportunity to use her popularity to show the world how much destruction and suffering landmines can cause. She said that the experience had also given her the chance to get closer to people and their problems.

21. Princess Diana paid a visit to Angola in 1997       .

        A) to clarify the British government's stand on landmines

        B) to establish her image as a friend 'of landmine victims

        C) to investigate the sufferings of landmine victims there

        D) to voice her support for a total ban of landmines

22. What did Diana mean when she said "... putting a face to those figures brought the reality home to me" (Line 5, Para. 1)?

        A) Meeting the landmine victims in person made her believe the statistics.

        B) She just couldn't bear to meet the landmine victims face to face.

        C) The actual situation in Angola made her feel like going back home.

        D) Seeing the pain of the victims make her realize the seriousness of the situation.

23. Some members of the British government criticized Diana because       .

        A) she had not consulted the government before the visit

        B) she was ill-informed of the government's policy

        C) they were actually opposed to banning landmines

        D) they believed that she had misinterpreted the situation in Angola

24. How did Diana respond to the criticisms?

        A) She made more appearances on TV.

        B) She paid no attention to them.

        C) She rose to argue with her opponents.

        D) She met the 13-year-old girl as planned.

25. What did Princess Diana think of her visit to Angola?

        A) It had caused embarrassment to the British government.

        B) It had greatly promoted her popularity.

        C) It had brought her closer to the ordinary people.

        D) It had affected her relations with the British government.

Passage Four

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.

As soon as it was revealed that a reporter for Progressive magazine had discovered how to make a hydrogen bomb, a group of firearm ( 火器 ) fans formed the National Hydrogen Bomb Association, and they are now lobbying against any legislation to stop Americans from owning one.

"The Constitution," said the association's spokesman, "gives everyone the right to own arms. It doesn't spell out what kind of arms. But since anyone can now make a hydrogen bomb, the public should be able to buy it to protect themselves."

"Don't you think it's dangerous to have one in the house, particularly where there are children around?"

"The National Hydrogen Bomb Association hopes to educate people in the safe handling of this type of weapon. We are instructing owners to keep the bomb in a locked cabinet and the fuse (导火索 ) separately in a drawer."

"Some people consider the hydrogen bomb a very fatal weapon which could kill somebody."

The spokesman said, "Hydrogen bombs don't kill people - people kill people. The bomb is for self-protection and it also has a deterrent effect. If somebody knows you have a nuclear weapon in your house, they're going to think twice about breaking in."

"But those who want to ban the bomb for American citizens claim that if you have one locked in the cabinet, with the fuse in a drawer, you would never be able to assemble it in time to stop an intruder ( 侵入者)"

"Another argument against allowing people to own a bomb is that at the moment it is very expensive to build one. So what your association is backing is a program which would allow the middle and upper classes to acquire a bomb while poor people will be left defenseless with just handguns."

26. According to the passage, some people started a national association so as to       .

        A) instruct people how to keep the bomb safe at home

        B) coordinate the mass production of the destructive weapon

        C) promote the large-scale sale of this newly invented weapon

        D) block any legislation to ban the private possession of the bomb

27. Some people oppose the ownership of H-bombs by individuals on the grounds   that

        A) they may fall into the hands of criminals

        B) people's lives will be threatened by the weapon

        C) most people don't know how to handle the weapon

        D) the size of the bomb makes it difficult to keep in a drawer

28. By saying that the bomb also has a deterrent effect the spokesman means that it       .

        A) can kill those entering others' houses by force

        B) will threaten the safety of the owners as well

        C) will frighten away any possible intruders

        D) can show the special status of its owners

29. According to the passage, opponents of the private ownership of H-bombs are very much worried that       .

        A) the cost of the weapon will put citizens on an unequal basis

        B) the wide use of the weapon will push up living expenses tremendously

        C) poorly-educated Americans will find it difficult to make use of the weapon

        D) the influence of the association is too powerful for the less privileged to overcome

30. From the tone of the passage we know that the author is       .

        A) not serious about the private ownership of H-bombs

        B) concerned about the spread of nuclear weapons

        C) doubtful about the necessity of keeping H-bombs at home for safety

        D) unhappy with those who vote against the ownership of H-bombs

Part III Vocabulary (20 minutes)

Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

31. This is not an economical way to get more water;         , it is very expensive.

           A) or else                           C) on the contrary

           B) in short                          D) on the other hand

32. First published in 1927, the charts remain an         source for researchers.

           A) intelligent                       C) inevitable

           B) indispensable                     D) identical

33. You should try to         your ambition and be more realistic.

          A) restrain                          C) reserve

          B) retain                            D) replace