SECTION II Use of English
(15 minutes)
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word or phrase for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.
Text
Many years ago when the summers seemed longer and life was less complicated, we had rented a cottage 26 a river in the heart of the country 27 the whole family was going to 28 a three week holiday. There were four of us: me, Mum and Dad, and Mum’s sister, Auntie June. Oh, and I mustn’t forget to 29 Spot, our little dog. I was 30 to go off by myself all day, 31 I promised to be careful and took Spot with me for 32 .One day I was out fishing with Spot when we heard a lot of shouting in the33 followed by a scream and splash. I was a bit 34 so I called Spot and we both hid 35 a bush where we could see but not be 36 . After a few moments, a straw hat came drifting down the river, followed by an oar, a picnic basket and37 oar. Then came the rowing boat itself, but it was 38 upside down! A few seconds later my Dad and Auntie June came running 39 the river bank, both wet40 . Spot started barking so I came out of hiding and said hello. My Dad got really angry 41 me for not trying to catch the boat as it went past. luckily,42 , the boat and both the oars had been caught by an overhanging tree a little further downstream, but not the hat or picnic basket. So I had to let them 43 my sandwiches. Dad and Auntie June both made me 44 not to tell Mum what had happened45 she would be worried.
26.[A] on [B] by [C] in [D] across
27.[A] where [B] that [C] which [D] when
28.[A] plan [B] manage [C] consume [D] spend
29.[A] mention [B] bring [C] send [D] lead
30.[A] forced [B] ordered [C] allowed [D] encouraged
31.[A] even if [B] provided [C] lest [D] as if
32.[A] instruction[B] inspection[C] protection [D] supervision
33.[A] place [B] space [C] sky [D] distance
34.[A] scared [B] amused [C] excited [D] disturbed
35.[A] beside [B] before [C] behind [D] beneath
36.[A] seen [B] viewed [C] watched [D] observed
37.[A] the other [B] each other[C] another [D] one another
38.[A] rolling [B] floating [C] circling [D] sinking
39.[A] down [B] beside [C] to [D] on
40.[A] within [B] over [C] under [D] through
41.[A] at [B] against [C] with [D] to
42.[A] moreover [B] then [C] therefore [D] however
43.[A] spare [B] share [C] borrow [D] divide
44.[A] agree [B] decide [C] guarantee [D] promise
45.[A] except that[B] in case [C] in order that[D] on condition that
SECTION III Reading Comprehension
(40 minutes)
Part A
Directions:
Read the following three texts. Answer the questions on each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.
Text 1
Earthquakes may rightly be ranked as one of the most destructive forces known to man: since records began to be written down, it has been estimated that earthquake related fatalities have numbered in the millions, and that earthquake related destruction has been beyond calculation. The greater part of such damage and loss of life has been due to collapse of buildings and the effects of rockslides, floods, fire, disease, tsunamis (gigantic sea waves), and other observable events resulting from earthquakes, rather than from the quakes themselves.
The great majority of all earthquakes occur in two specific geographic areas. One such area covers the Pacific Ocean and its bordering landmasses. The other extends from the East Indies to the Atlas Mountains, including the Himalayas, Iran, Turkey, and the Alpine regions. It is in these two great belts or zones that ninety percent of all earthquakes take place; they may, however, happen anywhere at any time.
This element of the unknown has for centuries added greatly to the dread and horror surrounding earthquakes, but in recent times there have been indications that earthquake forecast may be possible. By analyzing changes in animal behavior, patterns of movements in the earth’s shell, variations in the earth’s force of attraction, and the frequency with which minor earth shakes are observed, scientists have shown increasing success in expecting when and where earthquakes will strike. As a result, a worldwide earthquake warning network is already in operation and has helped to prepare for (and thus lessen)the vast destruction that might otherwise have been totally unexpected.
It is doubtful that man will ever be able to control earthquakes and get rid of their destructiveness altogether, but as how and why earthquakes happen become better understood, man will become more and more able to deal with their possible damage before they occur.
46.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
[A] Earthquake destruction is declining.
[B] Earthquake forecast is improving.
[C] Man is no longer fearful of earthquakes.
[D] Man is capable of conquering earthquakes.
47.We can infer from the passage that quakes .
[A] may happen anywhere at any time
[B] mostly strike in oceans and mountains
[C] are unobservable in masses of land
[D] are hardly the direct cause of fatalities
48.The phrase “this element of the unknown” (Paragraph 3) refers to .
[A] the extension of earthquake zones
[B] the percentage of earthquake occurrences
[C] when and where earthquakes may occur
[D] what big damage earthquakes may cause
49.Man’s research on earthquake forecast at present is to .
[A] reduce the loss from earthquake disasters
[B] lower the frequency of earthquakes
[C] release the energy that causes earthquakes
[D] analyze the relationship between different earthquakes
50.Which of the following describes the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
[A] Inform the reader.
[B] Entertain the reader.
[C] Disprove a concept.
[D] Question a concept.
Text 2
The rate of population growth is fastest in underdeveloped countries. In these countries a high birthrate is accompanied by a lowered death rate thanks to improved standards of public health. Ideally it should be possible to counter balance the effect of a reduced death rate by an increased use of family planning. In practice, however, population control is a complex matter. Throughout history people have determined the size of their families according to the cultural values of their societies.
Population control has long been a subject of discussion among researchers. Some have argued that the supply of good land is limited. In order to feed a large population, bad land must be cultivated and the good land overworked . As a result, each person produces less in a given amount of time and this means a lower average income than could be obtained with a smaller population. Other researchers have argued that a large population gives more scope for the development of facilities such as sports, roads and railways, which are not likely to be built unless there is a big demand to justify them. Similarly, it can be argued that the public costs of society will not be so heavy to each individual if they are shared among the members of a large population.
One of the difficulties in implementing birth control lies in the fact that official attitudes to population growth vary from cuntry to country. In underdeveloped countries where a large population is pressing hard upon the limits of food, space and natural resources, it will be the first concern of government to place a limit on the birthrate. In a well developed society the problem may be more complex. A declining birthrate may lead to unemployment because it results in a shrinking market. Cities with a declining population may have to face the prospect of a shrinking tax base and a fall in land values. If there are fewer children going to school, teachers may be thrown out of work. When the pressure of population on housing declines, prices also decline and the building industry is weakened. Faced with considerations such as these, the government of a developed country may well prefer to see a slowly increasing population, rather than one which is stable or in decline.
51.One reason for quick population increase in underdeveloped countries is that .
[A] those countries encourage people to have large families
[B] people can get government support if they have more kids
[C] improved public health standards have reduced death rate greatly
[D] those countries have enough resources to support a large population
52.The writer suggests that policy makers should consider cultural values .
[A] in carrying out family planning
[B] in producing birth control drugs
[C] in improving public health standards
[D] in introducing birth control techniques
53.A large population in an underdeveloped country may lead to .
[A] a rise in work efficiency
[B] a shortage of farm workers
[C] a decline in grain production
[D] a reduction in average income
54.Some peole believe that population control in developed countries may .
[A] increase market demand
[B] lower unemployment rate
[C] slow down economic growth
[D] create more job opportunities
55.According to the writer, developd countries prefer .
[A] a strandstill population
[B] a fast increasing population
[C] a slowly growing population
[D] a steadily decreasing population
Text 3
Everyone knows how the story of Cinderella ends, but did you ever really think about how she spent her days before she met the prince? Her daily routine was not fascinating. She did everything from sweeping the floor to cooking the meals. If someone had asked Cinderella, “Are there any kinds of household work that you particularly hate?” she probably would have answered, “Why, none, of course. Housework is my duty!” In the real world, however, most people have definite dislikes for certain sorts of household work. Two of these tasks are ironing clothes and washing dishes.
Ironing clothes is most hated because it is not a task that can be completed quickly or thoughtlessly. Each piece of clothing must be handled individually, so ironing a basket of laundry can take hours! After ironing a piece of clothing with great caution, which requires smoothing out the fabric, and following the seams, you need to place it on a hanger as soon as possible. If you do not follow these directions carefully, it might become wrinkled and you have to start over. Perhaps that is why ironing is not a favorite thing to do. It calls for extreme attention to detail from beginning to end.
Another household job that many people dislike is washing dishes. Of course, some people claim that this work is no longer a problem because we have dishwashers now! However, no one would argue that dishes, silverware, and especially pots and pans washed in a dishwasher don’t come out as clean as they do when washed by hand. For this reason, many of us continues to wash our dishes by hand, but we are not necessarily happy doing it. Cleaning dishes is a job that not only takes a lot of energy but also requires the patience to wash and dry them. In addition, unlike ironing clothes, washing dishes is a thing that usually must be done every day. I don’t know how Cinderella felt about this particular task, but I believe that most people hate it as much as I do.
56.For Cinderella, doing household work is .
[A] an assignment
[B] a compulsion
[C] an obligation
[D] a burden
57.Most people hate to do clothes-ironing because .
[A] it has to be done by one person
[B] it must be handled skillfully
[C] it involves careful planning
[D] it is time-consuming
58.To avoid ironing the clothes over again, one should .
[A] know how to iron certain clothes material
[B] spare no care through all the procedures
[C] find some proper hangers for the ironed
[D] pay special attention to the seams
59.Many people still prefer washing dishes by hand to machine washing because .
[A] hand-washed dishes are cleaner
[B] dishwashers are not so easily handled
[C] some dishes cannot be machine washed
[D] washing dishes by hand is cheaper
60.Ironing is different from dishwashing in that .
[A] it requires patience
[B] it is not a daily routine
[C] it is not laborious
[D] it demands less care
Part B
Directions:
Read the texts from a newspaper article in which five people talk about where they played when they were children. For questions 61 to 65, match the name of each people(61 to 65) to one of the statements(A to G)given below. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.
Peter:
My favorite childhood play area was the back garden. Back in the days when I was growing up on a large housing estate, the ‘goals’ would be a pair of garage doors or two jackets laid out in the garden. I would spend hours kicking a ball about with my dad, learning how to control, dribble or kick it.
Simon:
The playground was quite small. The floor was covered with flat bricks and there were many that were cracked or broken or missing, and a few weeds struggled through. It was totally enclosed on one side by the school and on the other by high brick walls. It was more like a prison yard on top of the walls was a layer of concrete into which pieces of broken glass had been stuck. After school was finished my friends and I would climb a lamppost outside the school and sit on top of the wall, slowly breaking off the bits of glass.
Alan:
I come from an area of terraced houses, pavements and streets. There were no gardens. My first school was Prince’s Street Primary and the room in which I received my first lessons had large, folding glass doors that opened onto a small playground that had grass, bushes and flowers. my amazement at seeing these items, which are normal to most of the world, has stayed with me all my life.
Nick:
I was strictly forbidden from the obvious playground a long, overgrown ditch running through waste ground, mainly built to take away the rain. It was irresistible to us local schoolchildren. Its charm, compared with the surrounding tennis courts, football pitches and farmland, was purely because it was out of bounds. That area was truly where I grew up, more than in the rest of the little town’s correct and neat suburbia, where my house was.
Julle:
Until I was twelve I was brought up on airforce camps and each camp had a small playground in the middle of the houses. It was always a great meeting place and I remember sitting with my friends on the swings many evenings until dark. You would often go out and swing for hours until someone else came out. I always liked swinging.
Now match each of the persons (61 to 65)to the appropriate statement.
Note:there are two extra statements.
Statements
61. Peter [A]I developed sporting skills there.
62. Simon [B]I never went straight home from school.
63. Alan [C]I enjoyed the feeling of flying.
. Nick [D]My play area was just outside my classroom.
65. Julle [E]I enjoyed both being alone and with friends.
[F]I played in a place dangerous in others’eyes.
[G]There were some playground equipment around my play area.
SECTION IV Writing
(40 minutes)
Directions:
You should write your responses to both Part A and Part B of this section on ANSWER SHEET 2.
Part A
66.Suppose you have made an appointmen with your friend at 5 p.m., but you have some urgent business to attend to and have to cancel your appointment. Write a note to your friend,
1.explaining why you have to cancel your appointment
2.making an apology for that
3.telling him how you plan to make up for it
You should write approximately 100 words. Do not sign your own name at the end of your note. Use “Wang Lin” instead.
Part B
67.Look at the pictures below and write an essay of about 120 words making reference to the following two points:
1. a description of these two pictures
2.your comment on them