Aluminum is lightweight, rustproof and easily shaped into different forms. By mixing it with other metals, scientists have been able to produce a variety of alloys, some of which have the strength of steel but weigh only one third as much.

　　Today, the uses of aluminum are innumerable. Perhaps its most important use is in transportation. Aluminum is found in the engine of automobiles, in the hulls of boats. It is also used in many parts of airplanes. In fact, the huge “airbus” planes would probably never have been produced if aluminum did not exist. By making vehicles lighter in weight aluminum has greatly reduced the amount of fuel needed to move them, Aluminum is also being used extensively in the building industry in some countries.

　　Since aluminum is such a versatile (多用的) metal, it is fortunate that bauxite (铝土矿), which is one of its chief sources, is also one of the earth’s most plentiful substances. As the source of aluminum is almost inexhaustible, we can expect that more and more uses will be found for this versatile metal.

　　6. The price of aluminum was sharply reduced when people discovered a new refining process with the aid of .

　　A. wind B. solar energy C. hydraulic power D. electricity

　　7. Aluminum is .

　　A. lightweight, rustproof but not easily shaped into different forms

　　B. heavyweight, rustproof and easily shaped into different forms

　　C. lightweight, rustproof and easily shaped into different forms

　　D. lightweight and easily shaped into different forms but it is easy to become rusty

　　8. Which of the following is NOT true?

　　A. Aluminum is widely used in transportation.

　　B. Aluminum is also used in many parts of airplanes.

　　C. Aluminum is being used extensively in the building industry.

　　D. Aluminum is not used in its pure form.

　　9. Aluminum is found on earth mostly in the form of .

　　A. pure metal B. bauxite C. gold D. liquid

　　10. What is the passage talking about?

　　A. The features of aluminum and its functions. B. The process of aluminum.

　　C. The discovery of aluminum. D. The promising future of aluminum.

　　Passage 3

　　Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage:

　　The idea of a special day to honor mothers was first put forward in America in 1907. two years later a woman, Mrs. John Bruce Dodd, in the state of Washington proposed a similar day to honor the head of the family—the father. Her mother died when she was very young, and her father brought her up. She loved her father very much.

　　In response to Mrs. Dodd’s idea that same year—1909, the state governor of Washington proclaimed (宣布) the third Sunday in June Father’s Day. The idea was officially approved by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge recommended national observance of the occasion “to establish more intimate (亲密) relations between fathers and their children, and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations.” The red or white rose is recognized as the official Father’s Day flower.

　　Father’s Day took longer to establish on a national scale than Mother’s Day, but as the idea grained popularity, tradesmen and manufacturers began to see the commercial possibilities. They encouraged sons and daughters to honor their fathers with small thank-you presents, such as a tie or pair of socks, as well as by sending greeting cards.