PASSAGE 12
　　Kitchen Design
　　Over the years economic， social and technological¹ factors have influenced the design of kitchens. Since it is often used simultaneously² by both family members as well as guests， the kitchen requires not only a glamorous³ look but a practical one. Also， the design elements must meet the needs of the modern family.
　　Environmental concerns have had an enormous impact on kitchen design. This concern includes recycling of house hold material， as well as energy efficient appliances and the purity of both water and air. Research shows that up to 85 percent of the population is concerned about what might be in their drinking water. They are also often dissatisfied with the taste and odor of what comes out of their tap. This is why it's important to consider adding a water filter system.
　　The character of today's kitchen is very different from the way it was thirty years ago. There's more sophistication in food preparation， and more technological help with cooking and clean-up.
　　When choosing cabinets， first consider the style. Use the architectural style of your house as a guide. Because cabinets are a big investment， it is best to choose quality. Popular styles in kitchen cabinets are framed panel doors with raised or recessed⁴ panels of wood， cabinet fronts with glass panes⁵， or simple slab⁶ doors in a rich painted or laminated finish. Cabinet pulls， don't be afraid to mix and match styles.
　　Because many of today's kitchens consist of two of more cooks sharing in the meal preparation， there is a need for more counter space， cooktops and sinks. Although lifestyles are changing， the primary function of the kitchen as an area for preparing food has remained unchanged. The sink remains⁷ one of the most used areas in the kitchen as well as an important decorative⁸ statement.
　　Appliance technology is moving at a very fast pace. Choosing what type of appliances as well as how many will depend on several factors such as how often and how much you cook and the size of your kitchen.
　　Don't limit yourself to one of each kind of appliance. You can have a refrigerator in one place and a freezer in a separate area or two
　　sets of cooktops， one on the counter next to the wall oven and one on an island. You can even have two dishwashers if size and budget require and permit——think of it as saving time in the long run.
　　1. A well-designed kitchen should be modern， beautiful and practical at the same time.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　2. Being harmless to the environment is the top priority in kitchen design.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　3. Quality matters the most when you are choosing kitchen cabinets.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　4. More counter space， cooktops and sink are needed in today's kitchens because food preparation is more complicated than it used to be.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　5. The design of the sink is indicative of a kitchen designer's intelligence
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　6. Means of saving labor⁹， appliances should be replaced whenever new models come out
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　7. It is the amount of time you can spend in the kitchen that decides how many appliances of the same kind you should buy
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　KEY： ACABACB
　　PASSAGE 13
　　The First settlement in North America
　　It is very difficult to say just when colonization¹⁰ began. The first hundred years after Christopher Columbus's journey of discovery in 1492 did not produce any settlement on the North America continent but rather some Spanish trading posts further south， a great interest in gold and adventure， and some colorful crimes in which the English had their part. John Cabot， originally from Genoa but a citizen of Venice， was established as a trader in Bristol， England， when he made a journey in 1497. But his ship， the Matthew， with its crew of eighteen， did no more than see an island （probably off the New England coast） and return home. He and his son made further voyages across the north Atlantic which enabled the English crown to claim a “legal” title to North America. But for a long time afterwards the Europeans' interest in America was mainly confined to the Spanish activities further south.
　　The first beginning of permanent settlement in North Am
　　erica were nearly a hundred years after Columbus's first voyage. The Englishman Sir Walter Raleigh claimed the whole of North America for England， calling it Virginia. In 1585 he sent a small group of people who landed in Roanoke Island， but they stayed only for a year and then went back to England with another expedition， led by Drake， in 1587. A second group who landed in 1587 had all disappeared when a further expedition arrived in 1590.
　　The first permanent settlement in North America was in 1607. English capitalists founded two Virginia companies， a southern one based in London and a northern one based in Bristol. It was decided¹¹ to give the name New England to the northern area. The first settlers in Virginia were little more than wage slaves to the company. All were men and the experiment was not very successful. Many died. Those who survived lived in miserable¹² conditions. By 1610 the colony had only a thousand people.
　　1. We know for sure that colonization began at the end of the 15th century
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　2. Among the early settlers in South America in the 16th century were Spanish traders.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　3. With John Cabot's arrival at an island off the New England coast in 1497， the British Crown claimed to be the legal owner of North America.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　4. There were eighteen people on board the Matthew during its voyage to North America in 1497
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　5. The first attempt made by European people to settle down permanently¹³ in North America occurred in the 1580s
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　6. The name Virginia was given to North America by Sir Walter Raleigh
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　7. The name New England was given to the northern area of North America by the boss of one of the two Virginia companies
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　KEY： BABBAAC

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