How has this speed of communication changed the world? To many people,the world has become smaller. Of course this does not mean that the world is actually physically smaller. It means that the world seems smaller. Two hundred years ago,communication between the continents took a long time. All news was carried on ships that took weeks or even months to cross the ocean. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,it took six weeks for news from Europe to reach America.This time difference influenced people's actions. For example, one battle, or fight, in the War of 1812 between England and the United States could have been avoided. A peace agreement had already been signed. Peace was made in England, but the news of peace took six weeks to reach America. During these six weeks, the large and serious Battle of New Orleans was fought. Many people lost their lives after a peace treaty had been signed.They would not have died if news had come in time.In the past,communication took much time than it does now.

　　There was a good reason why the world seemed so much larger than it does today.

　　31. News spreads fast because of____.

　　A.modern transportation B.new technology

　　C.the change of the world D.a peace agreement

　　32. According to this passage,____is very important to people in a disaster area.

　　A.fast communication B.modern technology

　　C.latest news D.new ideas

　　33. Which of the following statements is true?

　　A.The world now seems smaller because of faster communication.

　　B.The world is actually smaller today.

　　C.The world is changing its size.

　　D. The distance between England and America has changed since the War of 1812

　　34. Two hundred years ago,news between the continents was carried____.

　　A.by telephone and telegraph B.by land

　　C.by air D.by sea

　　35. The New Orleans Battle could have been avoided if the peace agreement had been signed____.

　　A.by both sides B.in time

　　C.in America D.in England

　　Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

　　The concept of personal choice in relation to health behaviors is an important one.An estimated 90 percent of all illnesses may be preventable if individuals would make sound personal health choices based upon current medical knowledge.

　　We all enjoy our freedom of choice and do not like to see it restricted when it is within the legal and moral boundaries of society.[ZZ)]The structure of American society allows us to make almost all our own personal decisions that may concern our health.If we so desire,we can smoke,drink excessively, refuse to wear seat

　　belts,eat whatever foods we want,and live a completely sedentary life-style without any excuse.The freedom to make such personal decisions is a fundamental aspect of our society,although the wisdom of these decisions can be questioned.Personal choices relative to health often cause a difficulty.As one example,a teenager may know the facts relative to smoking cigarettes and health but may be pressured by friends into believing it is the socially accepted thing to do.A multitude of factors,both inherited and environmental,influence the development of healthrelated behaviors,and it is beyond the scope of this text to discuss all these factors as they may affect any given individual.However,the decision to adopt a particular health-related behavior is usually one of personal choices.