C. he responded faster D. the faster he responded

　　40. Some of the world’s best mountain scenery __ available near the Southern Alps.

　　A. is B. are C. maybe D. has been
III. Reading Comprehension
　　Section A

　　Directions: There are 5passages in this section. Each passage is followed by 4 questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You shouM decide on the best choice and mark your answer on the Answer Sheet.

　　Questions 41 to 44 are based on the following passage:

　　One of the earliest and most influential proponents of the idea of continental drift was a German astronomer, meteorologist, and explorer named Alfred Wegener.

　　In 1912 he advanced good arguments to support the idea that at one time there was no Atlantic Ocean. The Americas and Greenland were welded with Europe, Africa, Australia and Antarctica into one large continent, Pangaea.

　　His strongest argument seemed to be the remarkable similarity of the continental margins on opposite sides of the Atlantic. But he also looked at similarities in ancient geologic structures, fossil records, and ancient climates to support his hypothesis. He pointed out that some unique geological structures in the

　　Americas terminate abruptly in the Atlantic Ocean and then continue again on the other side of the Atlantic, as if the structures had formed when the continents were together and then were cleaved as the continents tore apart. He showed that the fossil records on both sides of the Atlantic were similar up to about a hundred million years ago and then showed divergence, indicating that the continents had become isolated from each other at that time. Finally, by using fossils and sediments, he was able to demonstrate that ancient climates on both sides of the Atlantic were similar,although they were quite different from those presently found in the respective regions.

　　Wegener’s interesting ideas were too revolutionary to be easily accepted or seriously considered at the time. He died in 1930, more than two decades before further evidence forced reconsideration and eventual acceptance of his revolutionary way of looking at our world.

　　41. Wegener’s ideas about continental drift are properly termed a "hypothesis" (line9) because

　　A. his written records state it as such.

　　B. absolute proof did not exist in his day.

　　C. he was just beginning a scientific study of the topic.

　　D. that is what all scientific theories are called.

　　42. Which of the following best describe the organization of this passage?

　　A. problem statement broken down into separate components

　　B. thesis, supporting statements, conclusion

　　C. general material first, followed by specific points

　　D. a typical biographical sketch focusing on a person’s main achievement

　　43. Wegener advanced all of the following in support of his theory EXCEPT

　　A. ancient earth and land structures.

　　B. ancient data and recorded history.

　　C. ancient climates on both sides of the Atlantic.

　　D. continental edge lands on either side of the Atlantic.

　　44. Based on information in the passage, we can see that acceptance of Wegener’s1912 theory was hindered by

　　A. failure of the media to present his theory.

　　B. his failure to document similarities on either side of the Atlantic.

　　C. its own revolution in scientific thought.

　　D. utter lack of interest from colleagues.
Questions 45 to 48 are based on the following passage:

　　More people than ever before are now going to dentists’ office, but half of the United States population will not see a dentist. The reason is quite simple. As most dentists believe, they are scared. And really, what experience is worse than seeing a traditional dentist? You wait in silence, thumbing through old magazines, in a sterile

　　white waiting room in which no one ever speaks. All is silent until an assistant calls your name and leads you back to another white room, this one filled with machinery to frighten you still further.

　　At the Medical College of Georgia, dentists are taught principles of behavior and techniques of office design that should help reduce the patient’s anxiety and tension. Assistants and receptionists are taught to smile and speak to the patient. This helps create an atmosphere of trust. Dentists themselves are being taught to communicate more fully with the patient. A phrase such as "you’re doing fine" tells the patient that the dentist is appreciative of the patient’s predicament. These phrases also help by rewarding the tolerance of pain.

　　Dentists’ offices are being repainted in "earth tones," brown, green, tan and other soothing colors. A startling color such as red should be avoided at all costs; red brings to mind blood and pain. Paintings and other distractions are strategically located; music is piped in to help the patients ignore his or her pain. Until recently, dentists had ignored the fact that most patients never see much more than the ceiling of the practice room. Most of the time, patients are lying flat on their backs with little to busy their minds other than their pains. Now dentists are not only building ceilings with fancy patterns, but also distracting their patients with ceiling TV set,computer games and mazes, and mobile sculptures. One quick technique involves placing mirrors so patients can distract themselves by watching fish in a tank located near the ceiling.

　　Less drastic changes include redoing the practice rooms to include less of the sterile color white and redesigning the machinery a dentist must use to make it appear less frightening. Uniforms are also being made in pastel and earth colors, no longer in white. Some dentists go much further. They take an active role in teaching their patients to relax; some are teaching their patients deep muscle relaxation and breathing control. Some use advanced techniques, such as hypnosis and biofeedback to help their patients relax in the