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1、PARTIIREADINGCOMPREHENSION(30MIN)Inthissectiontherearefourreadingpassagesfollowedbyatotalof20multiple-choicequestions.Readthepassagesandthenmarkyouranswersonyourcolouredanswersheet.TEXTAStill,theimageofanycityhasahalf-lifeofmanyyears.(Sodoesitsname,officiallychangedin2001fromC
2、alcuttatoKolkata,whichisclosertowhatthewordsoundslikeinBengali.ConversinginEnglish,IneverheardanyonecallthecityanythingbutCalcutta.)ToWesterners,theconveyancemostidentifiedwithKolkataisnotitsmodernsubway—afacilitywhosespaciousstationshaveartonthewallsandcricketmatchesontelevis
3、ionmonitors—butthehand-pulledrickshaw.Storiesandfilmscelebrateaprimitive-lookingcartwithhighwoodenwheels,pulledbysomeonewholooksclosetoneedingthesuccorofMotherTeresa.Foryearsthegovernmenthasbeentalkingabouteliminatinghand-pulledrickshawsonwhatitcallshumanitariangrounds—princip
4、allyonthegroundthat,asthemayorofKolkatahasoftensaid,itisoffensivetosee“onemansweatingandstrainingtopullanotherman.”Butthesedayspoliticiansalsolamenttheimpactof6,000hand-pulledrickshawsonamoderncity’strafficand,particularly,onitsimage.“Westernerstrytoassociatebeggarsandtheseric
5、kshawswiththeCalcuttalandscape,butthisisnotwhatCalcuttastandsfor,”thechiefministerofWestBengal,BuddhadebBhattacharjee,saidinapressconferencein2006.“Ourcitystandsforprosperityanddevelopment.”Thechiefminister—theequivalentofastategovernor—wentontoannouncethathand-pulledrickshaws
6、soonwouldbebannedfromthestreetsofKolkata.Rickshawsarenottheretohaularoundtourists.(Actually,IsawalmostnotouristsinKolkata,apartfromtheyoungbackpackersonSudderStreet,inwhatusedtobeared-lightdistrictandisnowsaidtobethesingleplaceinthecitywheretheservicesarickshawpulleroffersmayi
7、ncludeprovidingfemalecompanytoagentlemanfortheevening.)It’sthepeopleinthelaneswhomostregularlyuserickshaws—notthepoorbutpeoplewhoarejustanotchabovethepoor.Theyarepeoplewhotendtotravelshortdistances,throughlanesthataresometimesinaccessibletoeventhemostdaringtaxidriver.Anolderwo
8、manwithmarketingtodo,forinstance,canarriveinarickshaw,havethe
