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英语专业八级考前拉力赛(3)
TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS GRADE EIGHT
(SAMPLE)QUESTION BOOKLET
PAPER ONE
TIME LIMIT [95 MIN.]
PART Ⅰ LISTENING COMPREHENSION[40 min.]
In Sections A, B and C you will hear everything once only. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Mark the correct response for each question on your Coloured ANSWER SHEET.
SECTION A TALK
Questions 1 to 5 refer to the talk in this section.At the end of the talk you will be given 15 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.
Now Listen to the talk.
1.The speaker is____.
A.talking on the phone. B.talking on the television.
C.talking on the radio. D.talking on the platform.
2.Many children know little of the lives of relatives because____.
A.they have no time. B.they are from the unclear family.
C.they have never met them before. D.they don't like them.
3.Who is Joe Browne?
A.He is an expert in mental workings.
B.He is an actor.
C.He is a writer on the importance of friends and relatives.
D.He is a clinical psychologist and talkshow host.
4.People form a close connection to celebrities hot because____.
A.they have busy lives.
B.they live faraway from their relatives and friends.
C.they cannot escape media coverage of celebrities.
D.they work with those celebrities.
5.The purpose of the talk is to____.
A. stay connected to our own families and relatives.
B. B.remain intimate with celebrities.
C. stop crying for celebrities.
D.learn how to love both families and celebrities.
SECTION B CONVERSATION
Questions 6 to l0 are based on Mr.Jones and Engineer.At the end of the comversation you will be given 15 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.
Now Listen to the interview.
6.The interviewer believes that.
A. advertising can't be a kind of lying.
B.advertising must be a kind of lying.
C.advertising is most likely to be a kind of lying.
D.advertising may be a kind of lying.
7.How many years has this advertising man been in the ad. business for?
A.fifteen years B.sixteen years C.fourteen years D.ten years
8.What kind of work does he find most interesting?
A.making ad. Plans B.selling products successfully
C.developing new markets D.making a new product
9.What does advertising function as according to this ad. man?
A.A determiner that leads people to bring the product into their lives.
B.A complete lie that leads people to buy the produet.
C.As a stable value which makes people believe what the product has.
D.As a promotion which makes people aware of the new product.
10.What will determine that people will continue to use the product?
A.The product's own worth. B.The product's design.
C.The product's advertising. D.The proudct's price.
SECTION C NEWS BROCDCAST
Questions 11 to 12 are based on the following news from the BBC.At the end of the news item,you will be given 30 seconds to answer the two questions.
Now Listen to the news.
11.How did this accident happen?
A.The train was controled by outlaws. B.The bus went past a stop sign.
C.The train went past a stop sign. D.The bus hit the oncoming train itself.
12.How was the bus driver?
A.He was dead. B.He was injured. C.He was gone. D.It was not clear.
Questions 13 to 15 are based on the following news from the VOA.At the end of the news item,you will be given 45 seconds to answer the three questions.
Now Listen to the news.
13.Which programme is season finale top?rated prime?time drama?
A.“You'll never forget.” B.“ER” C.“Law & Order” D.“Third Watch”
14.Media experts give credit for all not to
A.the fierce rivalry of the current ratings “sweep”。
B.TV dramas' growing tendency to transform news into fiction.
C.writers' increasing the ability to imagine the killings.
D.the recent spate of real?life school violence making headlines.
15.Which movie publicized a case that turned the issue of missing children into a national crisis?
A.“Adams” B.“ER” C.“Sweeps” D.“Law & Order”
SECTION D NOTE\|TAKING & GAP\|FILLING
In this section you will hear a mini-lecture.You will hear the lecture once only.While listening to the lecture,take notes on the important points.Your notes will not be marked,but you will need them to complete a 15-minute gap-filling task on Answer Sheet One.Use the blank paper for note-taking.
PART Ⅱ PROOFREADING & ERROR CORRECTION[15 min.]
Proofread the given passage on ANSWER SHEET TWO as instructed.
PART Ⅲ READING COMPREHENSION [40 min.]
SECTION A READING COMPREHENSION [30 min.]
In this section there are six reading passages followed by a total of fiften multiple ?choice questions.Read the passages and then mark your answer on you Coloured ANSWER SHEET.
Tricky Business
“All right,boys and girls,who'd like to see some magic?”Twice a day the ferry Arahura—and it is greeted with cries of “Me!”from children,and with sighs of relief from parents,glad to find something to occupy their kids for at least half an hour of the three?hour trip.
The parental saviour in question is Nigel Kennedy,a professional magician who has been working in the ferry for the past seven years.The facilities aren't great—there is no designated performance space,and he has to conjure more or less in a corridor—but there is room enough to wave a wand and wow an audience more captive than most.
Kennedy,33, thrives on the work,which guarantees him a level of exposure he would not readily find elsewhere.The Arahura carries,thousands of people each day in the holiday season.“Every time I travel,”says Jonathan Morgan,manager of passenger services for the ferry line,“he is ringed with kids,like the Pied Piper.”
The key to what horgan refers to as Kennedy's stunning success in audience participation:every show,he ropes in four kinds to help,although they usually wind up being the butt of his tricks.Wands are apt to wobble,droop,squeak or vanish;lossies and hankies turn up in unexpected places.Kennedy is a dab hand with balloons,too,twisting them at top speed into crowns,swords,worms,ducks and donkeys.
The children's work,he says,is his bread and butter,although it is not without its hazards.“Adults are very predictable to perform for as an audience.They will always clap in the same place,always laugh in the same place.But kids,you can't predict what they're going to say or do.Sometimes you're going to have a little five?year?old who's going to sit there with his arms folded and say this trick's absolutely pathetic—some word he's learnt from his parents.”
Kennedy was drawn to magic in the classic manner .“I got given a magic book when I was eight years old and that started me on it.From then on,I was putting on shows in Mum and Dad's garage and plastering up flyerson lampposts and letterboxes around the streets,probably to their embarrassment.And it just developed from there.”
“I remember vividy a magician in a touring show.I remember sitting watching him in this little seat on my own.I don't know how old I would have been,but I was just rapt.He threw this big hula hoop at me and I had to examine it.I thought,wow,I feel so special.”
Since turning professional in 1989,Kennedy has made what he calls a good living from magic.But the business is not what it was.He can remember doing cabaret every Friday and Saturday night,plus a round of conferences,dine?and?dances and garden parties.He still does conferences,but these days,“rather than having a set stage show with illusions,they're more inclined to hire me for an hour or two,having me walk around the tables,do a little trick in somebody's hand,which is what they call close?up magic.”
He augments his income by running an ail\|order husiness for aspiring magicians,but admits that the average age of his clients is climbing:fewer and fewer children are taking up the craft.“it's the competition.Nowadays they can push a computer screen and a magic effect happens:why learn a magic trick?People come along to a magic club and,if they can't see a person in half on the first evening,they lose interest.”
Kennedy's skill is acknowledged by fellow magicians who have recently voted him best children's entertainer.But—you have to ask—do people confuse him with the other Nigel Kennedy,the internationally famous violinist?
Well,yes,and Kennedy shamelessly plays up to it:“Whenever Nigel is touring in this area,I make the most of it.I come on stage with a violin case while Vivaldi's The Four Seasons plays in the background.Then I pull out a magic wand from the violin case and everyone laughs.”
There are no plans for a name\|change,and in any case the confusion is worth it to overhear,as Kennedy once did,someone say:“This must be what that violinist does in the off?season.”
16.Nigel kennedy is____.
A.a professional violinist.
B.a professional magician and violinist.
C.a famous musician and childrens' entertainer.
D.an internationally famous player.
17.Which of the following statements is not true?
A.Kennedy started to be drawn to magic at the age of 8.
B.Kennedy was turned professional in 1989.
C.Kennedy the magician often performed on the stage with Kennedy the violinist.
D.Kennedy ran a mail?order business for those interested in magic.
TEXT B
Suits for All Seasons
The business suit has for a long time been the uniform for male office workers.But it is not very satisfactory.For a start,it means that all men look the same,give or take their ties.
But that is not the only problem:at the height of summer the business suit is hot and stuffy,restricting movement,and —since the suit must always be worn with a tie—it demands a tightness at the neck that causes unnecessary discomfort and irritation.
Women in offices are free to wear what they please,within certain limits.Some women wear business suits,too;but these are usually less formal and,most importantly,they are designed to show off the feminine shape to advantage.The same cannot be said for the male suit.Most men look unattractive in them.They are shapeless,lumpy and dull in colour and do nothing for the male physique.A male office worker's only way of expressing himself in this boring business uniform is through his selection of ties.The tie becomes his outward sign of inner personality.Unfortunatey,few men have any sense of style and fewer still stop to ponder what their personality is really like.For this reason,many male office wokers go to work in apallingly loud,garish ties,in the mistaken belief that they look good.
Add to all this the problem of cleaning a man's suit.Do men actually clean them at all?A private (and not very scientific) study of male office workers indicates that they do not.Unlike their female counterparts,who are always taking notes to the dry?cleaners even when they have only been worn once in the past three weeks,men send their suits to the cleaners perhaps once a season.And yet most men wear the same suit to the cleaners perhaps once a season.And yet most men wear the same suit several days a week,with just a change of shirt and tie for variety.
Why do men not rebel and find some other way of dressing at the office?Well,they have thought this problem through very carefully.They realise how many hours they can save from their morning routine by wearing the same clothes day in,day out.Whereas the average female office worker takes time to plan what she will wear in the morning before ironing her outfit and finding co?ordinating fashion accessories,all a man has to do is leap out of bed,fumble around in the closet for his underwear and the first available shirt that hasn't had tomato sauce dripped down its front,select a tie at random (only the most fastidious attempt a colour match between suit,shirt and tie) and step into the trousers that have been draped across the back of an armchair in the bedroom the previous night.Simple.Now,where did he leave his shoes and socks?
18.The author seems to say that.
A.few men have any sense of style and taste in clothing.
B.women don't feel fond of suits.
C.wearing suits requires no thought and gives men extra time.
D.suits cause unnecessary discomfort and irritation.
19.The tone of the author is?
A.Embarassing and uncomfortable. B.Desperate and hopeless.
C.Humorous and amusing. D.Painful and suffering.
TEXT C
Primary Colors
The movie Primary Colors is about a grey\|haired,gravel\|voiced,doughnut\|loving Governor from a Southern American state who is running in a US presidential campaign.He has a colourful past that is in danger of grabbing frontpage deadlines and a no\|nonsense lawyer wife,whose accent would be right at home in a prestigious Chicago law school.The similarities with president Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary seem hard to ignore.
The book Primary Colors,published under the byline “Anonymous”,became best\|seller when it came out not long after the 1992 American presidential election in which Clinton was elected to the White House.It appeared to be a thinly veiled account of what happened during that campaign.But Mike Nichols,the director of Primary Colors the movie,insists that there is no direct relationship between fiction and fact.
John Travolta,who plays governor Jack Stanton,agrees.He says that of course there are elements of Clinton in the movie character,but then there are also elements of previous presidents—Jimmy Carter,Ronald Reagan,Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy.
Emma Thompson,the British actress who,as Stanton's wife,masters an educated Chicago accent for her role,says the idea that Primary Colors is a straight re\|run of real life is far to simplistic,and it annoys her to hear of their production talked about in his way.
“The movie may have connections with the Clintons but it is fiction,”she says.“It deserves to be reviewed and written about seriously.”The furthest she will go is to admit:“You couldn't have the film without the Clintons,without the Kennedys,without the media,without any of us.”
The film scored well at the box office and critics were enthusiastic about the performances from Travolta and Thomson and co\|stars Kathy Bates,as a political fixer,Larry Hagman,as Stanton's principal political opponent,Billy Bob Thornton,as a political strategist,and Adrian Lester,as Stantons aide.
Director Nichols admits to having had some worries about the spillover of real\|life scandal on his film.“of course we were concerned when the Monica Lewinsky business became frontpage news.Life moved along with us in a war we did not expect.But we made this film as an entertainment,and that is how people eventually saw it.”
Movie\|goers in America were constantly reminded that Primary Colors was about them as much as it was abot the Clintons or any other high\|profile political couple.“It's about American politics,life,marriage,fidelity,infidelity—and doughnuts.”
20.The title can be replaced by.
A.A Movie Mirrors Bill Clinton and His Wife.
B.A Movie Mirrors Presidential Election.
C.A Movie Mirrors Fiction.
D.A Movie Mirrors Real Life.
21.According to this text how did critics respond to the movie?
A.It was merely imitating life. B.It was too much of politics.
C.It was merely fictious. D.It was too much of entertainment.
TEXT D
The Way to a Better Marriage
While you're busy sweating off those extra kilos or working your way through some must-read books,set aside some time to reach for marital goals too.Achieving them can be illuminating,gratifying and just plain fun.Any one of them can make improve your marital relationship this year and beyond.
“My wife has a great eye for colour,”her husband,Mario,said at a dinner party I attended not long ago.“She's so artistic.”The women at the table glanced enviously at his wife,who was beaming at the unexpected compliment.
“Words of praise—especially if they're offered in front of other people—are so important,”Richfield explains.“Unfortunately,most of us are more likely to criticize our spouse in public.”
Who hasn't shared a laugh at her partner's expense?Comedians have built entire careers on spouse-bashing humour.But negative comments—even ones with a punch line—can sometimes backfire.“If you joke often enough about a man not being romantic,he'll use that as an excuse for not making the effort,”says psychiatrist Georgia Witkin.“But if you keep saying how good your husband is with the kids,he'll want to be good with the kids.It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
“It's very easy to fall into doing things the same way,having one scenario that you always follow,”Richfield says.If both you and your spouse are ready for a change,Richfield suggests expanding your sexual knowledge by reading books and talking to your spouse openly about what you read.If you're not comfortable doing that,try something more sensual than sexual—give him a massage or wear something different to bed.
“Somebody has to bring something new to the equation,”Richfield says.“Why not you?”
It's one of those paradoxes of a relationship:time apart can actually bring you closer together.When a hairdresser expressed an interest in cycling,his wife didn't complain about the time he would spend away from the family.Instead,she agreed to mind the children for three hours every other Saturday morning so he could join a local bike club.Within a few months the hairdresser was fitter,happier and a lot more pleasant to be around.“I may not be out there riding with him,”his wife says,“but I'm definitely reaping the benefits.”
“People in a relationship have to retain their identity so they won't feel smothered,”Witkin says.She stresses this is especially important for couples with young children“or life will become too fatiguing.”
Studies show that anything increasing the amount of time you spend together—be it a fancy evening out or just walking the dog—will also increase the level of satisfaction in a marriage.
Ideally,you should get out of the house together once a week.If you can't,make sure you spend ten minutes every evening just talking.“It's hand in hand,eye to eye.No television,no distractions,”Witkin says.“It doesn't matter what you talk about.Just listen to each other.”
The average couple spends remarkably little face-to-face time per week,Witkin points out.“If you do ten minutes a night,you'll be way ahead of other couples,”she adds.
Whenever my husband and I were lucky enough to snare a baby-sitter,we'd run out for a quick dinner and a movie.Then another couple asked us to go canoeing one Saturday.
At first our uncoordinated efforts had us spinning in circles,but eventually our strokes fell into sync and we began moving through the water with relative ease.For the next three hours there was no noise,no distractions—just time together.It turned out to be a great day.We can't wait to do it again.
If you can break away from your standard dating routine and explore a new activity,your marriage will benefit.Think of it as a marital adrenaline boost.“Every once in a while you have to bring new energy into your relationship,”Richfield explaions.“New energy stimulates you.”
Small courtesies that are de rigueur while dating seem to fall by the wayside when children and career start demanding more of your attention.But little acts of kindness fit into any schedule.
Let your spouse sleep in one Saturday morning while you take the children out to breakfast.Take on a chore that normally lands on your spouse's list.And remember to show gratitude when your mate does a kin deed for you.“People forget to thank each other,”Richfield says.“To thank somebody—even for something you expect—shows your appreciation.And it will make your spouse want to do more for you.”
At the end of each financial year,many companies write down goals they'd like to see their organization achieve over the next several years.Couples can use the same technique to give their lives more direction.
Set aside a weekend to develop a five-year plan of your own.As yourselves:do you want to buy a new home?Change jobs?Go back for more schooling?Devote more time to sports or hobbies?
“A five-year plan is a great tool for opening up communication,”Richfield confirms.“It's also a wonderful reassurance for couples that they're in this marriage for the long haul.”Having heard her husband,a police officer,complain for months about all the toys cluttering their home,a woman bought some attractive shelves and bins and settled down for a spree of sorting,organizing and eliminating.
“You should have seen my husband's face when he came home,”she says.“He was thrilled.”
Says Witkin,“Doing little things for each other is a way of saying,I'm not perfect,but I want you to know I'm trying.”
A sales representative was surprised when she received a letter in the mail from her husband,a production manager.“It was like the ones he used to send me when we were dating,”she syas.“Handwritten on plain notebook paper.”Her husband wrote about how he loved falling asleep next to her every night and how he loved the way she looked on Saturday mornings with her hair pulled back and no makeup on.
We all have moments when love for our spouse wells up inside.Why not take a few minutes to write about it?“A letter is like visual proof of you love,”Richfield says.“It's also something you can read again and again,through all the happily married years to come.”
22?How many ways does the author offer people for a better marriage?
A.Seven B.Eight C.Nine D.Ten
23?What does the author convey in the paragraphs ranging from 16 to 18?
A.making a five-year plan B.having a guide in your marriage C.econominzing D.setting up a lifetime goal
24?The author asks you to.
A.spend every minute together. B.break away from the dating routine.
C.show off your spouse. D.tell the spouse often how you love him/her.
TEXT E
Belief
We all believe in something or someone.We must believe,just as we must eat,sleep,and reproduce.Mankind has an insatiable need for and an irresistible attraction to a vast array of beliefs about gods and demons,magic and miracles,truth and falsehood,love and hate,same and different.Implausible,even irrational ideas,have been cherished for centuries.Saints and other martyrs suffered indescribable pain and agony,even death,for their beliefs.Scientists have been put to death for their belief that the earth is round,or that there is an invisible force called gravity,or that the earth is not the center of the universe with the sun revolving around it,or that the blood circulates throughout the body,or that Man evolving around it,or that the blood circulates throughout the body,or that Man evolved from lower forms of life.Religious leaders have attracted millions of people with their version of how life began and how we must behave.
If people do not believe in medicine and science,religion,education,government,and the social contract,chaos results and no society can tolerate that,which is why all societies impose order on their members.We must believe or face unbearable ambiguity and anxiety.
Belief is faith and faith is trust and trust is security,predictability.Fear and hope are the twins that shape belief.We fear death,out enemies,illness,the known,the unknown,and punishment.Hope tells us that things will improve.We will not be defeated.We will succeed.It promises us a good life here and after death.Fear persuades us to believe that we can be protected,safe,if we join a group whose god is capable of holding evil at bay,then I cling to that group.We dare not,not believe.
Furthermore,belief conferrs upon believers a special status:those who know the truth.Many people believe that their faith will help them to overcome sickness,fear,sorrow,joy,grief ect.,each trigger specific endocrinal secretions—hormones and neurotransmitters(adrenalin,serotonin or dopamine) that modify behavior.In order to control this torrent of endocrinal activity,many people turn to their faith because it convinces them that things will improve and that positive attitude cures the body to fight the invading bacteria or virus.Mind and body are totally integrated,supporting the notion that belief (faith) is a very powerful emotional force affecting physical behavior.
Is the most effective belief system one that is composed of absolutes—unyielding,unvarying and eternal?The answer is yes,because when we eliminate doubt from a situation we feel secure,restored to balance,but if the belief system is science and is based on objective information without absolutes and requires a questioning attitude,not an accepting one as in most belief systems it unnerves people.They cannot handle the uncertainty,the lack of a God or some omnipotent overseer who eliminates doubt and reassures us that all is well and under control.Any system that offers definitive answers to complex human questions and problems:this is right,this is wrong,this is true,this is false—one question,one answer only,is very appealing.
All beliefs require confirmation from an authoritative source whether that be a priest,a rabbi,a shaman,a family member,a special friend,an expert—one who commands obedience and respect.An authenticator.Perhaps all belief is composed of the same elements in approximately the same proportions for even science requires a suspension of some disbelief,some uncertainty,however miniscule.Black Holes and the Big Bang are metaphoric truths derived from the physics we know now.But you have to believe,to have faith in the methods of science to gather information,to analyse and interpret it objectively in order to accept its conclusions.No one witnessed the Big Bang,or a Black Hole.These were inferred from careful study and analysis by many researchers.
Can we devise an alternative to belief?Probably not.Belief pits one group against another.Muslims against Christians,Arabs against Jews,Catholics against Protestants,Serbs against Albanians,because each group insists that all must conform to their beliefs.Belief in an exclusive God divides men and has been a major cause of innumerable bloody wars.Not only religion divides people,but politics divides,socio-economic status divides,color divides and education divides us.In all cases,one group claims possession of the truth and the most sincere faith.All men consider themselves CHOSEN,chosen by their God as the one and only,the best,the most cherished.
We need our enemies.The only hope that I can imagine,and it is certainly a very fragile one,is that we all agree to believe whatever we wish and to worship as we choose,but WE WILL ACCEPT EVERY HUMAN TO HUMAN AS WE ARE,worthy of the same respect and care.Do unto others as you would have other do unto you.Simple,universal.Mankind is of a piece biologically,physiologically,and psychologically in that we all need love,peace,security,food,clothing and shelter;we must all sleep,reproduce the species and we do it the same way with the same result.In the mirror you could see me and I could see you,but our cultures have taught us to notice differences in color,speech,clothing,food,marriage,belief in their own distinctively inflected way and that sets us apart.
No one will take this suggestion very seriously.They never have,though most institutions have called for the same thing.This is true:your beliefs will separate you from me,may lead you to see me the enemy,a beliefs and my beliefs deny or denigrate the validity of your beliefs,but I will not be your enemy,your scapgoat,your excuse for venting suppressed anger and resentment you learned at home,in school,in your church or temple,in your neighborhood.I gain no wealth,no power,no wisdom at your expense,nor do I gain life in your death;we are bound together for our ambiguous stay on this whirling pellet in space.
Belief is universal:soothing,comforting and uplifting,but it is the great divider.Perhaps we should take the witty and humorous advice of the American poet e.e.cummings:“Listen,there's a hell of a good universe next door;let's go”from his poem“pity this busy monster,manunkind.”
25?What does“belief”mean in the final way to the author?
A.Faith B.Frust C.Security D.Hope
26?Which of the following is true?
A.The Belief system is composed of change and constancy.
B.The Belief system is based on science.
C.The Belief system is based on absolutes.
D.The Belief system is uncertain.
27?The conclusion of this passage is that____.
A.Belief is the real reason us apart.
B.Belief is universal and every human is as human as we are.
C.Belief separates people from one another and leads people to become enemies.
D.Belief is based on gaining wealth,power,wisdom at others' expense.
TEXT F
The Wright Brothers
Wilbur and Orville Wright were two brothers from the heartland of America with a vision as sweeping as the sky and a practicality as down-to-earth as the Wright Cycle Co,。the bicycle business they founded in Dayton,Ohio,in 1892.But while there were countless bicycle shops in turn-of-the-century America,in only one were wings bring built as well as wheels.When the Wright brothers finally realized their vision of powered human flight in 1903,they made the world a forever smaller place.I've been to Kitty Hawk, N.C,and seen where the brothers imagined the future,and then literally flew across is high frontier.It was an inspiration to be there,and to soak up the amazing perseveance and creativity of these two pioneers.
The Wright brothers had been fascinated by the idea of flight from an early age.In 1878 their father,a bishop in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ,gave them a flying toy made of cork and bamboo;。It had a paper body and was powered by rubber bands.The young boys soon broke the fragile toy,but the memory of its faltering flight across their living room stayed with them.By the mid-1890s Wilbur was reading every book and paper he could find on the still earth-bound science of human flight.And four years before they made history at Ktty Hawk,the brothers built their first,scaled-down flying machine—a pilotless“kite”with a 5-ft.wingspan,and made of wood,wire and cloth.Based on that experiment,Wilbur became convinced that he could build an aircraft that would be“capable of sustaining a man.”
When published aeronautical data turned out to be unreliable,the Wright brothers built their own wind tunnel to test airfoils and measure empirically how to life a flying machine into the sky.They were the first to discover that a long narrow wing shape was the ideal architecture of flight.They figured out how to move the vehicle freely,not just across land,but up and down on a cushion of air.They built a forward elevator to control the pitch of their craft as it nosed up and down.They fashioned a pair of twin rudders in back to control its tendency to yawn from side to side.They devised a pulley system that warped the shape of wings in midflight to turn the plane and to stop it from rolling laterally in air.Recognizign that a propeller isn't like a ship's screw,but becomes,in effect,a rotating wing,they used the data from their wind-tunnel experiments to design the first effective airplane props—a pair of 8-ft,propellers,carved out of laminated spruce,that turned in opposite directions to offset the twisting effect on the machine's structure.And when they discovered that a light-weight gas-powered engine did not exist,they decided to design and build their own.It produced 12 horsepower and weighed only 152 lbs.
The genius of Leonardo da Vinci imagined a flying machine,but it took the methodical application of science by these two American bicycle mechanics to create it.The unmanned gliders spawned by their first efforts flew erratically and were at the mercy of any strong gust of wind.But with help from their wind,tunnel,the brothers amassed more data on wing design than anyone before them,compiling tables of computations that are still valid today.And with guidance from this scientific study,they developed the powered 1903 Flyer,a skeletal flying machine of spruce,ash and muslin,with an unmanned weight of just over 600 lbs.
On Dec.17,1903,with Orville at the controls,the Flyer lifted off shakily from Kitty Hawk and flew 120 ft.—little more than half the wingspan of a Boeing 747-400.That 12-sec.flight changed the world,lifting it to new heights of freedom and giving mankind access to places it had never dreamed of reaching.Although the Wright brother's feat was to transform life in the 20th century,the next day only four newspapers in the U.S.carried news of their achievement— new that was widely dismissed as exaggerated.
The Wright brothers gave us a tool,but it was up to individuals and nations to put it to use,and use it we have.The airplane revolutionized both peace and war.It brought families together:once,when a Chile or other close relatives left the old country for America,family and friends mourned for someone they would never see again.Today,the grandchild of that immigrant can return again and again across a vast ocean in just half a turn of the clock.But the airplane also helped tear families apart,by making international warfare an effortless reality.
Now,on the eve of another century,who knows where the next Wright brothers will be found,in what grade of school they're studying,or in what garage they're inventing the next Flyer of the information age.Our mission is to make sure that wherever they are,they have the chance to run their own course,to persevere and follow their own inspiration.We have to understand that engineering breakthroughs are not just mechanical or scientific— they are liberating forces that can continually improve people's lives.Who would have thought,as the 20th century opened,that one of its greatest contributions would come from two obscure,freshfaced young Americans who pursued the utmost bounds of human thought and gave us all,for the first time,the power literally to sail beyond the sunset.
The 20th century has been the American Century in large part because of great inventors such as the Wright brothers.May we follow their flight paths and blaze our own in the 21st century.
28?The purpose of this article is____.
A.the introduction of the Wright Brothers
B.the introduction of the process of inventing planes
C.the recollection of the Wright Brothers
D.the praise of the Wright Brothers and other young men like them.
29?Who imagined a flying machine according to the text?
A.Leonardo da Vinci B.Wilbur Wright C.Orville Wright D.the Wright Brothers' father
30?The tone of the passage is.
A.impersonal B.passionate C.triumphant D.confident
SECTION B SKIMMING AND SCANNING [10 min.]
In this section there are seven passages followed by ten multiple-choice questions.Skim or scan them as required and then mark your answers on your Coloured ANSWER SHEET.
TEXT G
First read the following question.
31?The purpose of the passage is to ____
A.show honesty is one of the most basic moral values.
B.show Americans have morals.
C.show Americans have different morals from those of other people.
D.show Americans need morals.
Now read the text quickly and answer question 31.
American Morality
Do Americans have any morals?That's a good question.Many people insist that ideas about right and wrong are merely personal opinions.Some voices,though,are calling Americans back to traditional moral values.William J.Bennett,former U.S.Secretary of Education,edited The Book of Virtues in 1993 to do just that.Bennett suggests that great moral stories can bulid character.The success of Bennett's book shows that many Americans still believe in moral values.But what are they?
To begin with,moral values in America are like those in any culture.In fact,many aspects of morality are universal.But the stories and traditions that teach them are unique to each culture.Not only that,but culture influences how people show these virtues.
One of the most basic moral values for Americans is honesty.The well-known legend about George Washington and the cherry tree teachess this value clearly.Little George cut down his father's favorite cherry tree while trying out his new hatchet.When his father asked him about it,George said,“I cannot tell a lie.I did it with my hatchet.” Instead of punishment,George received praise for telling the truth.Sometimes American honesty—being open and direct—can offend people.But Americans still believe that“honesty is the best policy.”
Another virtue Americans respect is perseverance.Remember Aesop's fable about the turtle and the rabbit that had a race?The rabbit thought he could win easily,so he took a nap.But the turtle finally won because he did not give up.Another story tells of a little train that had to climb a steep hill.The hill was so steep that the little train had a hard time trying to get over it.But the train just kept pulling, all the while saying,“I think I can,I think I can.”At last,the train was over the top of the hill.“I thought I could,I thought I could,”chugged the happy little train.
Compassion may be the queen of American virtues.They story of“The Good Samaritan”from the Bible describes a man who showed compassion.On his way to a certain city,a Samaritan man found a poor traveler lying on the road.The traveler had been beaten and robbed.The kind Samaritan,instead of just passing by,stopped to help this person in need.Compassion can even turn into a positive cycle.In fall 1992,people in lowa sent truckloads of water to help Floridians hit by a hurricane.The next summer,during the Midwest flooding,Florida returned the favor.In less dramatic ways,millions of Americans are quietly passing along the kindnesses shown to them.
In no way can this brief description cover all the moral values honored by Americans.Courage,responsibility,loyalty,gratitude and many others could be discussed.In fact,Bennett admits that he has only scratched the surfaces.But no matter how long or short the list,moral values are invaluable.They are the foundation of American culture—and any culture.
TEXT H
First read the following question.
32?The general tone of the letter is____.
A.regretful B.grateful C.ironic D.revengeful
Now read the text quickly and answer question 32.
February 7,1755
My Lord,
I have been lately informed,by the proprietor of the World,that two papers,in which my Dictionary is recommended to the Public,were written by your Lordship.To be so distinguished,is an honour,which,being very little accustomed to favours from the great,I know not well how to receive,or in what terms to acknowledge.
When,upon some slight encouragement,I first visited your Lordship,I was overpowered,like the rest of mankind,by the enchantment of your address;and could not forbear to wish that I might boast myself Le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre;—that I might obtain that regard for which I saw the world contending;but I found my attendance so little encouraged,that neither pride nor modesty would suffer me to continue it.When I had addressed your Lordship in public,I had exhausted all the art of pleasing which a retired and uncourtly scholar can possess.I had done all that I could;and no man is well pleased to have his all neglected,be it ever so little.
Seven years,my Lord,have now past,since I waited in your outward rooms,or was repulsed from your door;during which time I have been pushing on my work through difficultties,of which it is useless to complain,and have brought it,at last,to the verge of publication,without one ace of assistance,one world of encouragement,or one smile of favour,Such treatment I did not expect,for I never had a Patron before.
The shepherd in Virgirl grew at last acquainted with Love,and found him a native of the rocks.
Is not a Patron,my Lord,one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water,and,when he has reached ground,encumbers him with help?The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labours,had it been early,had been kind;but it has been delayed till I cannot enjoy it;till I am solitary,and cannot impart it;till I am known ,and do not want it.I hope it is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received,or to be unwilling that the Public should consider me as owing that to a Patron,which Providence has enabled me to do for myself.
Having carried on my work thus far with so little obligation to any favourer of learning,I shall not be disappointed though I should conclude it,if less be possible,with less;for I have been long wakened from that dream of hope,in which I once boasted myself with so much exultation,my Lord.
Your Lordship's most humble,
most obedient servant,
Samuel Johnson
TEXT I
First read the following question.
33?The index is most probably from a book on____.
A.sociology B.anthropology C.psychology D.economics
Now read the text quickly and answer question 33.
Satan,148
Schiller,Friedrich,97
Schlegel,Friedrich,49
Schopenhauer,Arthur,153,156
Self-control,127,128,129
Self-hatred,52,73,74,101
Semperm,Gottfried,61
Sigwart,149
Simmel,Georg,36
Smith,Adam,93,113
Socialism,71,86,107
Solidarity,78,106,114,115,116,135,136,152,155,162,163,166
Sombart,Werner,45,129,147,159,160,161,162,165,166
Sparta,81
Spencer,Herbert,59,89,94,133,138,142,143,155,156,165,166
Spinoza,Bosuch,40,48,86
〖〗Steinmetz,S.R,146,147
Stoics,99,103,158
Tertullian,48,149,152
Tolstoi,Leo,149
Tonnies,166
Tool,122,131,138,141,142,143,167
Totality,23,38,92,132,138,140,143
Troeltsch,Ernst,158,159,160,164
Uexkull,Jakob von,166,167
Ultramontanism,107
Utilitarianism,107,165
Vaihinger,Hans,157
Value,passim
Weber,Max,159,164
Wedekind,Frank,161
William 11,108
Worringer,Wilhelm,151TEXT J
Frist read the following question.
34.The author leads the readers to believe that
A. you should write everyday.
B. you should polish your language.
C. you should write down everything happening to you.
D. you should write but you'd better not destroy your diary.
Now read the text quickly and answer question 34.
Diary-Taking
One day,you will open a diary you have been given,resolving to keep it,and its successors,every day until the turn of the millennium.Don't.
The first rule of diary-keeping is to throw away any booklet that is ruled with equal spaces for every day because not every day is worthy of the space alotted to it,and some are worth a great deal more.Keep you diary in a blank notebook,or type it,as I have done for the past 20 years,on loose sheets of paper to file in a ring-binder.
The second rule is not to write every day,but wait until something interesting happens.You should write only when you wish to,which means when you want to show off a bit,grouse a bit,or drain away disappointment.
It is the recipient of your confidences, pledged to secrecy.So rule three is to lock it up,or write it in Swahili.
Write it in the morning because sleep irons out the day's wrinkles.And do not mention the weather,minor illnesses or times of trains.The diary of King George V contained this entry:“It rained today,harder than yesterday:I hope it will not rain tomorrow.”This is not what diaries are for.Their purpose is slowly to create a self-portrait,based on your activities,hopes,fears and relationships.
A diary should not be too contrived.It is not a work of literature.But it must be observant and, within limits,truthful.
Unconsciously,all diarists write for posterity;otherwise a diary is nothing but self-indulgence.This brings me to my next rule.Train yourself to notice things that most of us take for granted such as other people's mannerisms,dress,speech,rooms,books,gardens,as indicative of their characters—this is what will interest posterity.
And remember conversations.Read Boswell's diaries,or Fany Burney's,to see how they invite you into the very presence of Dr.Johnson or George Ⅲ。It is a matter of observation and storing what you observe in you memory.
Finally,remember that Pepys and Boswell,who must have foreseen the ridicule to which they would be exposed by the publication of some passages in their journals,did not destroy or mutilate them before they died.To do so would have been an act of self-immolation.So do not destroy yours.
TEXT K
First read the following questions.
35?What's the complete form of “R”?
A.Restrained B.Restricted C.Restored D.Resumed
36?Which of the following movies is perfectly approprite for teens?
A.Full Metal Jacket B.Withnail and I C.The Big Easy D.Dirty Dancing
Now read the text quickly and answer question 35 and 36.
PARENTAL FILM GUIDE
As a guide for family viewing,Calendar indicates areas of content (theme,lauguage,sex,violence) that may be inappropriate for the very young or impressionable MAPP or The Times'ratings are in parentheses.’BACK TO THE BEACH (PG) Wholesome family film.
DISORDERLIES (PG) Somedistant and dscreet glimpses of nudity appropriate for entire family.
THE GARBAGE PAIL KIDS MOVIE (PG) A G-rating seems more appropriate for this children's movie.
INNERSPACE (PG) A few blunt words but suitable family fare.
THE MONSTER SQUAD (PG-13) Despite cautionary rating,suitable children safre
SUPERMANIV:THE QUEST FOR FEACE (PG)。
MATURE
May be too intense in themes,language,violence and/or sexuality for immature or younger teen-agers.
ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING (PG-13) Some language and some violence
BEVERLY HILLS COP 11 (R)。Language,violence anc nudity
THE BIG EASY (R) Nudity,sexual stuations,violence,language
BORN IN EAST L.A. (R) Seems unauly severe rating some eartny talk and situations but suitable family fare.
CAN'T BUT ME LOVE (PG-13) Some tolliet numor and sexual innuenaol.
DIRTY DANCING (PG-13) Adult themes and situation perfectly appropriate for teens
DRAGNET (PG-13) Language
FULL METAL JACKET (R)。Violence biooasnea much too intense for children
HAMBURGER HILL (R) Typical war movie bloodsned and strong language not for small children.
JAWS THE REVENGE (PG-13) Violence,bloodshed sharkattacks
JEAN DE FLORETTE (PG) Two bits of violence that might upset children ok'or’teens.
LABAMBA (PG-13) Language adult situations.
THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (PG) The usual Bondian comic-book maynem nothing really piectionable
MY LIFE AS A DOG (Times cated Mature) Too intense for children,but teens snould identify andbenefit fromt.
RITA,SUE AND BOB,TOOL (R) Sex,nudity,language.
ROXANNE (PG) Frank (but not naecent) discussions of love and desire;OK for teens
STAKEOUT (R) Language prienudity,violence
SUMMER SHOOL (PG-13) Teen comedy with language stronger than rating would suggest.
TAMPOPO. (Times-rated;Mature) Sexual situations.adult themes.
THE UNTOUCHABLES (R) Some violence,too downbeat and convoiuted for pre-teens
WISH YOU WERE HERE (R) Nudity,language sexual situations
WITHNAIL AND I (R) Strong language adult situations not for the very young.
37.What does “who dunit” mean?
A.A classical story. B.A homesick story. C.A detective story. D.A romatical story.
38.Which of the movie reviews is a negative review of a science fiction movie?
A.Number 1. B.Number 4. C.Number 2. D.Number 3.
Now read the text quickly and answer questions 37 and 38.
A CLASSIC
Murder,She Says is a classic mystery that will be received most enthusiastically by people who enjoy folk culture.The film is like a traditional folk story,one that has been told and retold through the centuries by expert storytellers.Like a folk story,Murder,She Says contains little that is new or surprising.Instead,it has all the elements of the best whodunits—predictable elements,to be sure,but the beauty of this movie lies in the way the story is presented.The photography is good,the music is exciting,and the special effects are realistic but do not overpower the film itself.Best of all;the acting is wonderful.The stars succeed in being beievable and in making their art look easy……2.MUSEUM PIECE
It's easy to predict the ending of Murder,She Says within the fist fifteen minutes of the movie.In fact,nothing in this film is surprising.It is,of course,a whodunit.An archeologist is murdered deep inside a Mesoamerican pyramid,and absolutely everyone in the film—his assistant,his wife,his brother,another archeologist,as well as the traditional healer of a nearby village—has a good reason to want him dead.A well\|known detective is asked to come and solve the mystery,and,in the end,the murderer is found to be the only person who did not act like a killer.Every character in Murder,She Says is a stereotype from the old\|fashioned movies of the 40s.We've seen it all before again and again.This film belongs in a museum,not a theater.There is nothing unique or creative about it—no reason for even making……
3.PIX EFX WOW 'EM
Astrostation XZ901 is the latest science\|fiction film to come out of Zonar Studios.It presents a fascinating view of the universe in the year 2103,when spaceships are as comon as jet planes;solar power is the only kind of energy,and science is the only religion.Scientists are the priests of this future world,and satellites are their churches.Human beings have enormous physical strength and mental power,but they have lost the ability to feel any emotion.All feelings —sadness,happiness,nostalgia,excitement,fear,ect.—are considered to be taboo and are carefully exercised in ceremonies which include the use of chemicals and X\|rays.More important than the story,however,is that Astrosation XZ901 offers the most exciting believable effects that have ever been seen on a movie screen.Spaceships zoom realistically toward the audience,human beings melt before our eyes,and rays turn creatures into dust within a few seconds.The audience is pulled into this future world and given a opportunity……4.XZ901 DISAPPEARS IN EFX
The biggest disappointment of the years is Zonar Stuaios Astrostation XZ901.A huge amount of money has been spent on technology,but the movie is still not a success.It offers almost no acting,no story,and no ideas.The performers cannot move the audience emotionlly because they have nothing to say and no ability to say it.The man character played—badly—by Kurt Cute is laughable and his co\|star,Suzanne Slick,has the personality of a mosquito.With its total absence of value,the whole film consists of special effects that have no purpose these shots cannot affect the audience in any way because there is no reason for them.This enormous failure is another typical case of the issue of expensive film illusion to try to hide the fact that the film makers have nothing to say……
TEXT M
First read the following questions.
39.Where was William Kendall born?
A.Pairs B.Liverpool C.London D.Manchester
40.Which Kendall doesn't play as his hobby?
A.Lawn-tennis B.Golf C.Squash D.Soccer
Now read the text quickly and answer questions 39 and 40.
KENDALL,William,actor;bLondon,26 Aug 1903;s of William Kendall and his wife Redecca (Nathan);e Sevenoaks and City of London School;formerly engaged on the Eastern Staff of the Asiatic Petroleum Company.
Made his first appearance on the stage at the Queen's Theatre July 1923,in the chorus of Stop Flirtihg;Drury Lane,June 1924,appeared in London Life,and His Majesty's,Sept 1924,in The Royal Visitor;Garrick,Feb 1925,played Biltzin Old Heidelberg;Prince's,June 1925,Safairas in Mango Island;Little,June 1925,Oliver in March Hares;Wyndham's,Feb 1926,in The Firebrand;Queen's, June 1926,Major Leigh in Downhill;Duke of York's,Dec 1926,Berkovicz in LiliomPrince of Wales',Feb 1927,Paul in The Rat;London Hippodrome, July 1927,appeared in Shake Your Feet;June 1928,played Timothy in That's Good Girl;Gaiety,Jan 1930,James Benton in Darling,I Love you;Plalace,Sept 1930,Freidrich ieopold Weyland in Frederica;;Saville, Oct 1933,Tisch in The Command Performance;London Hippodrome,Feb 1934,Kennneth in Mr Whittington;Palace,Sept 1936,Reggie Benson in This'll Make You Whistle;Imperial,New York,Dec 1937,Harry Morley in Between the Devil;at the Comedy,May,and Garrick,June 1948,appeared as Hilary Grahame in The Lady Asks for HelplBoitons,Nov 1948,Sir Lothar Smith in Frolic Wind;playhouse,Mar 1949,Norman Pitchforth in Primrose and the Peanuts;Apr 1949,ColMiller in Maiden's prayer;Adelphi,Dec 1949,appeared as Arthur Phillips in Castle in the Air,and subsequently toured in the same part;King's,Southsea,Apr 1951,played the Reporter in Who on Earth! O, Oct 1951,Jimmie Whalen in Night Call;New,,Hull,Apr 1952,George Hampshire in Pardon My Claws,and Oct 1952,Mr Garfield in Joking Apart;Wimbledon,Dec 1952,Sir Eustace Bliss in The nest EGG;Vaudeville,July 1953,directed The Man With Expensive Tastes;Phoenix,Sept 1953,played Jimmie Whalen in Four Winds (previously entitled Nigh Call);Duke of York's July 1954,Reginald Willoughby-Pratt in Meet a Body;toured,Oct 1954,as Edmund Royston in It's Different for Men;King's,Glassgow,Feb 1956,played Group-Captain Ward in Star Maker;St James's,Sept 1957,Superintendent Battle in Towards Zero;St Martin's July 1960,played kenneth Scudamore in The Brides of March Edinburgh Festiual,and subsequently Royal Court,London,Sept 1961,played Lord woodhma is August for the people;toured,June 1964,as Arthur Swith—By any other Name phoenix,Nov 1964,Sir william Ifollington in Every other Eucring;Ashcroft,Croydon,Aug 1965,played Lord Porteous in The circle,subsequenthy appearing in the same production in the savoy,June 1965;he has also appeared frequently on television.Recreations:Golf,Lawntennis and squash.
PAPER TWO
TIME LIMIT:[120 MIN.]
PART Ⅳ TRANSLATION [60 min.]
SECTION A CHINESE TO ENGLISH
Translate the following underlined parts of the text into English.Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET THREE.
北京的道旁多植槐树,当槐花桂满枝头香飘回逸的时候,夏日就带着炎热与浓绿向人们涌来了。
清晨,骑上自行车,加入上班的“洪流”,眼前闪动的是人们五颜六色的夏服,而八月盛夏,气温达到三十七、八度时,不少姑娘穿起露肩、低胸、无袖的上衣,有的小伙子把背心持上肚皮,在还没有普及空调的普通人家,人们注意听着电台的当日天气预报和查看日历,不时喊着“今天太热啦!”在惊呼、叹息之中,盛夏似乎走得太慢了。
亚雄走在人群中,心里仍时在思忖着公司下午开会的事情,丝毫没有感受到头上正顶着烈日,他时不时打开公文包,又拿出钢笔,在纸上写着什么,曼妮跟在他的后面,用伞摭着自己的脸,生怕亚雄回头就瞥见她了。
SECTION B ENGLISH TO CHINESE
Translate te following underlined parts of the text into Chinese,Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET THREE.
Protected by sweaters and a leather Jacket against the biting blasts of the worth waid,I walk along the hillside this afternoon.Snow lies drifted among the wild cherries.Where the wind has swept bare the ground,the soil is frozen and rocklike.On this day of bleak cold,the earth seems dead.Yet every horthem field and hill side,like a child,has the seeds and powers of growth ocked within it.From cocon to bur,on a winter's day,there is every where life,dormant but waiting.
Within the earth there are roots and seeds;on the bare twigs,there are winter buds;buried in soil and mud beneath ice?locked water are the turtles and frogs and dragonfly nymphs;hidden in decaying logs and under snowcovered debris are the fertilized queens of the wasps and blumblebees.Everywhere,on all sides of us,as far as winter reigns,life is suspended temporarily.But it has not succumbed.It is merely dormant for the time being,merely waiting for the magic touch of spring.All the blooms of another summer,all the unfolding myriad leaves,all the lush green carpet of the grass,all the perfumes of the midsummer dusk,all the rush and glitter of the dragonfly's wings under the August sun—all these are inherent,looked up in the winter earth.
Nor is this time of suspended activity wholly wasted.Scientists have discovered that,for many kinds of seeds,a period of cold is essential to their proper sprouting.They require the months of cold just as they do the days of spring.
Seeds that lie on the frozen ground,that are coated with sleet and buried by snow,are thus the most favored of all.Bring those same seeds indoors,coddle them,keep them warm,protect them from wind and cold and snow,and they sprut leos readily in the spring.The seeming punishment of winter is proiding,in reality,invaluable aid.Similarly,the eggs of some insects,such as the Rocky.Mountain locust,need cold for proper hatching.
Winter cold,the enemy of the easy life,thus is not the enemy of all life.It aids in the proper development of seed and egg.The death like inaefivity of the minter earth is only an illusion.Life is every where in every foot of frozen soil,in every rocklike yard of solid ground—life is the endless variety of its normal forms.
PART Ⅴ WRITING [60 min.]
The very word of networks changes people's lifes a great deal and is the world thousands and hundreds of people surf online everyday.So there occurs a question— should there be someone guard the Net—Cyberpolice
Someone thinks that networks don't want Cyber—police guards, but other people have different ideas.And what is your opinion.
Requirement:
Write an essay about 300 words,commenting and expressing your view on environment pollution and protection.
In the first part of your writing you should present your thesis statement and in the second part you should support the thesis statement with appropriate details.In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion with a summary.Marks will be awarded for organization as well as for syntactic variety and appropriate word choice.
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