大学英语 A4 一、阅读理解People with disabilities comprise a large part of the population. （残障人士占有人口的大部分比例 It is estimated that over 35 million Americans have physical, mental, or other disabilities. About half of these disabilities are developmental , i.e., they occur prior to the individuals twenty-second birthday, often from genetic conditions, and are severe enough to affect three or more areas of development, such as mobility, communication, employment, etc. Most other disabilities are considered adventitious, i.e., accidental or caused by outside forces. Prior to the 20th century, only a small percentage of people with disabilities survived for long. Medical treatment for these disabilities was unavailable. Advancements in medicine and social services have created a climate in which people with disabilities can expect to have such basic needs as food, shelter, and medical treatment. Unfortunately, these basics are often not available. Civil liberties such as the right to vote, marry, get an education, and gain employment have historically been denied on the basis of disability. In recent decades, the disability rights movement has been organized to fight against these infringements of civil rights. Congress responded by passing major legislation recognizing people with disabilities as a protected class under civil rights statutes. Still today, people with disabilities must fight to live their lives independently. It is estimated that more than half of qualified Americans with disabilities are unemployed, and a majority of those who do work are underemployed. About two-thirds live at or below the official poverty level. Significant barriers, especially in transportation and public awareness, prevent disabled people from taking part in society. For example, while no longer prohibited by law from marrying, a person with no access to transportation is effectively excluded from community and social activities, which might lead to the development of long-term relationships. It will only be when public attitudes advance as far as laws have that disabled people will be fully able to take their rightful place in society. 1.A developmental disability _. A.develops very slowly over time B.is caused by outside forces C.occurs in youth and affects development D.is getting more and more severe 答案： C 2.Most disabled people used to die early because _. A.disabilities destroyed major bodily functions B.they could not receive medical care C.they were not very well looked after D.they were too poor to get proper treatment 答案： B 3.What are the two important obstacles that stop the disabled from participating in the society? A.Public awareness and poverty B.Poverty and lack of medical treatment C.Lack of education and the right to vote D.Transport and public awareness 答案： D 4.In the authors opinion, to enable the disabled people to take their rightful place in society, _. A.more laws should be passed B.more public facilities should be set up C.government should provide more aids D.public attitudes should be changed 答案： D 5.The best title for this passage might be _. A.The difficulties of the Disabled B.Handicaps of People with Disabilities C.The Causes for Disabilities D.Medical Treatments for Disabilities 答案： A In 1985, the Coca-cola company made the decision to change the formula of its leading soft drink. （1985年，可口可乐公司决定改变他们主要的软饮料的配方）The change was based on the findings of many market studies. These studies had shown that the general response to the new product was good. However, the change of the traditional Coca-cola by New Coke was rejected by the majority of drinkers. In fact, the company had to step back and restart production of the old formula of Coca-cola. The most important reason why New Coke was rejected was the emotional relationship that existed between drinkers and the old soft drink formula. Drinking Coca-cola had become a tradition for many people over its 99 years of existence. The change made by the company was not only in Coke s formula but also in the traditional values and memories that it represented to the drinkers. “ We had taken away more than the product Coca-cola. We had taken away a little part of them and their past.” The drinkers rejected this “ improvement” , because “ they believed that Coke stood for traditional value.so they felt betrayed when the product changed completely overnight”.Although a lot of research was done by Coca-cola company, it didn t show the depth of drinkers emotion for the product. The studies took many forms, but none of the tests was able to measure the degree of personal and emotional reactions caused by the disappearance of the old, traditional Coca-cola. The weakness of the research was that it was mainly quantitative in form. The result was only numbers that could not show the deep meaning the product had for many people. A more extensive study focusing on the qualitative aspects of the change would perhaps have been able to demonstrate the close relationship existing。