28.The title that best expresses the idea of this passage is .

A) Modern Farming in the USA

B) Problems with Modern Agriculture

C) Farming of Today

D) Modernization of Agriculture

Questions29-33 refer to the following invoice and letter.

One hundred and thirteen million Americans have at least one bank-issued credit card. They give their

owners automatic credit in stores, restaurants, and hotels, at home, across the country, and even abroad,

and they make many banking services available as well. More and more of these credit cards can be read

automatically, making it possible to withdraw or deposit money in scattered locations, whether or not the

local branch bank is open. For many of us the "cashless society" is not on the horizon---it's already here.

While computers offer these conveniences to consumers, they have many advantages for sellers too.

Electronic cash registers can do much more than simply ring up sales. They can keep a wide range of records,

including who sold what, when, and to whom. This information allows businessmen to keep track of their list

of goods by showing which items are being sold and how fast they are moving. Decisions to reord or return

goods to suppliers can then be made. At the same time these computers record which hours are busiest and

which employees are the most efficient, allowing personnel and staffing assignments to be made accordingly.

And they also identify preferred customers for promotional campaigns. Computers are relied on by

manufacturers for similar reasons. Computer-analyzed marketing reports can help to decide which products

to emphasize now, which to develop for the future, and which to drop. Computers keep track of goods in stock,

of raw materials on hand, and even of the production process itself.

Numerous other commercial enterprises, from theaters to magazine publishers, from gas and electric

utilities to milk processors, bring better and more efficient services to consumers through the use of

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computers.

29.According to the passage, the credit card enables its owner to _________ .

A) withdraw as much money from the bank as he wishes

B) obtain more convenient services than other people do

C) enjoy greater trust from the storekeeper

D) cash money wherever he wishes to

30. From the last sentence of the first paragraph we learn that _________ .

A) in the future all the Americans will use credit cards

B) crcdit cards are mainly used in the United States today

C) nowadays many Americans do not pay in cash

D) it is now more convenient to use credit cards than before

31.According to the passage, computers can provide advantages and efficiency for all these

people except _______ .

A) consumers B) manufactures

C) employees D) businessmen

32.The phrase ring up sales" (line 2, para. 2) most probably means ________ .

A) make an order of goods

B) record sales on a cash register

C) call the sales manager

D) keep track of the goods iii stock

33.What does the passage mainly discuss?

A) Approaches to the commercial use of computers.

B) Conveniences brought about by computers in business.

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C) Significance of automation in commercial enterprises.

D) Advantages of credit cards in business.

Questions 34-38 refer to the following invoice and letter.

A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement

(新拓居地) spread ever farther westward. The early trains were impractical curiosities, and for a long time

the railroad companies met with troublesome mechanical problems. The most serious ones were the construction

of rails able to bear the load, and the development of a safe, effective stopping system. Once these were

solved, the railroad was established as the best means of land transportation. By 1860 there were thousands

of miles 了of railroads crossing the eastern mountain ranges and reaching westward to the Mississippi. There

were also regional southern and western lines.

The high point in railroad building came with the construction of the first transcontinental system.

In 1862 Congress authorized two western railroad companies to build lines from Nebraska westward and from

California eastward to a meeting point, so as to complete a transcontinental crossing linking the Atlantic

seaboard with the Pacific. The Government helped the railroads generously with money and land. Actual work

on this project began four years later. The Central Pacific Company, starting from California, used Chinese

labor, while the Union Pacific employed crews of Irish laborers. The two groups worked at remarkable speed,

each trying to cover a greater distance than the other. In 1869 they met at a place called Promontory in

what is now the state of Utah. Many visitors came there for the great occasion. There were joyous celebrations

all over the country, with parades and the ringing of church bells to honor the great achievement.

The railroad was very important in encouraging westward movement. It also helped build up industry and

farming by moving raw materials and by distributing products rapidly to distant markets. In linking towns

and people to one another it helped unify the United States.

34.The major problems with America's railroad system in the mid 19th century lay in ______ .

A) poor quality rails and unreliable stopping systems

B) lack of financial support for development

C) limited railroad lines

D) lack of a transcontinental railroad

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35.The building of the first transcontinental system .

A) brought about a rapid growth of industry and farming in the west

B) attracted many visitors to the construction sites

C) attracted laborers fiom Europe

D) encouraged people to travel all over the country

36.The best title for this passage would be _______ .

A) Settlements Spread Westward

B) The Coast-to-Coast Railroad: A Vital Link

C) American Railroad History

D) The Importance of Trains in the American Economy