Directions: There are five passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Decide on the best choice.
Passage 1
Children learn almost nothing from television, and the more they watch the less they remember. They regard television purely as entertainment, resent programs that demand on them and are surprised that anybody should take the medium seriously. Far from being over-excited by programs, they are mildly bored with the whole thing. These are the main conclusions from a new study of children and television. The author——Cardiac Cullingford confirms that the modern child is a dedicated viewer. The study suggests that there is little point in the later hours. More than a third of the children regularly watch their favorite programs after 9 p.m. All 11-year-olds have watched programs after midnight.
Apart from the obvious waste of time involved, it seems that all this viewing has little effect. Children don’t pay close attention, says Cullingford, and they can recall few details. They can remember exactly which programs they have seen but they can rarely explain the elements of a particular plot. “Recall was in reverse proportion to the amount they had watched”. It is precisely because television, unlike a teacher, demands so little attention and response that children like it, argues Cullingford. Programs seeking to put over serious messages are strongly disliked. So are people who frequently talk on screen. What children like most, and remember best, are the advertisements. They see them as short programs in their own right and particularly enjoy humorous presentation. But again, they react strongly against high-pressure advertisements that attempt openly to influence them.
On the other hand, they are not emotionally involved in the programs. If they admire the stars, it is because the actors lead glamorous lives and earn a lot of money, not because of their fictional skills with fast cars and shooting villains. They are perfectly clear about the functions of advertisements; by the age of 12, only one in 10 children believes what even favorite ads say about the product. And says Cullingford, educational television is probably least successful of all in imparting attitudes or information.
1. The study of children and television shows that_______.
A. it is useless for television companies to delay adult viewing to the later hours.
B. It is a waste of time for children to watch adult programs on TV.
C. Children should not watch television programs late into the night.
D. Children are supposed to learn a lot from television programs.
2. “Recall was in reverse proportion to the amount they had watched” (in Para.2) has almost the same meaning as________.
A. “the more they watch the less they remember”. (in Para. 1)
B. “Programs seeking to put over serious messages are strongly disliked”. (in Para. 2)
C. “They see them as short programs in their own right”. (in Para. 2)
D. “educational television is probably least successful of all in imparting attitudes or information”. (in Para. 3)
3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the new study of children and television?
A. Some children stay up late to watch the programs they like
B. Children enjoy watching challenging programs.
C. Children don’t like serious messages and high-pressured ads.
D. Though children like watching ads, most of them don't believe what ads say about the product.
4. Cullingford concludes that_______.
A. children are excited when they watch TV.
B. Watching TV has little real effect on children.
C. Parents should spend less time watching TV.
D. Parents should be worried about the effect of TV on children.
5. Whom would the result of the new study upset?
A. The advertisers. B. The children viewers. C. The movie stars. D. The educators.
Passage 2
Mrs. Lester kept on asking her husband to take her to the ballet. Mr. Lester hates the ballet, but when his employers invited him and his wife, he could not get out of it. As they drove to the theatre that evening, the fog got worse and worse. The traffic slowed down to a walking pace and almost stopped. When they eventually got to the theatre, the ballet was over. Mrs. Lester could not work out how it had taken them so long to get there, even taking the fog into account. The theatre was within walking distance of their house. It took her a long time to get over the disappointment.
A month later, Mrs. Lester found out what had happened. Mr. Lester told a friend of his that he had taken wrong turning on purpose. This friend told his wife, and the wife immediately went around to tell Mrs. Lester. The two women began to plan revenge. One day, when Mr. Lester was not in, they broke into his study, which he always locked. His hobby was collecting old coins. Mrs. Lester had already worked out how much his collection was worth: $850! They were taking some coins out of the case when they heard a car pull up outside the house. Mrs. Lester quickly switched the light off, and they waited, holding their breath. The front door opened and Mr. Lester came in. They heard him take his coat off. He walked towards the study door and opened it. There was no chance for the women to get away without being seen. Mr. Lester switched the light on and was astounded to see his wife standing there with a handful of valuable coins. It took both husband and wife a long time to get over this.
6. Which of the following is correct?
A. Mr. Lester likes to watch ballet.
B. Mrs. Lester likes to watch ballet.
C. Both of them like to watch ballet
D. Neither of them likes to watch ballet.
7. It was quite ____when they drove to the theatre.
A. rainy B. stormy C. cloudy D. foggy
8. The theater is _____from Mr. and Mrs. Lester’s.
A. an hour-driving B. in the other side of the city
C. very near D. half an hour of bicycle riding
9. The wife of Mr. Lester’s friend is a_____.
A. social worker B. house cleaner C. baby sitter D. gossip
10. How many persons are mentioned in this story?
A. Three B. Four C. Five D. Six.
Passage 3
Educating girls quite possibly yields a higher rate of return than any other investment available in the developing world. Women’s education may be unusual territory for economists, but enhancing women’s contribution to development is actually as much an economic as a social issue. And economics, with its emphasis on incentives, provides guideposts that point to an explanation for why so many girls are deprived of an education.
Parents in low-income countries fail to invest in their daughters because they do not expect them to make an economic contribution to the family: girls grow up only to marry into somebody else’s family and bear children. Girls are thus seen as less valuable than boys and are kept at home to do housework while their brothers are sent to school-the prophecy becomes self-fulfilling, trapping women in a vicious circle of neglect.
An educated mother, on the other hand, has greater earning abilities outside the home and faces an entirely different set of choices. She is likely to have fewer but healthier children and can insist on the development of all her children, ensuring that her daughters are given a fair chance. The education of her daughters then makes it much more likely that the next generation of girls, as well as of boys, will be educated and healthy. The vicious circle is thus transformed into a virtuous circle.
Few will dispute that educating women has great social benefits. But it has enormous economic advantages as well. Most obviously, there is the direct effect of education on the wages of female workers. Wages rise by 10 to 20 per cent for each additional year of schooling. Such big returns are impressive by the standard of other available investments, but they are just the beginning. Educating women also has a significant impact on health practices, including family planning.
11. The author argues that educating girls in developing countries is _______.
A. rewarding B. troublesome C. expensive D. labor-saving
12. By saying “... the prophecy becomes self-fulfilling...” (Para. 2), the author means that __.
A. girls will eventually find their goals in life beyond reach
B. girls will be increasingly discontented with their life at home
C. girls will be capable of realizing their own dreams
D. girls will turn out to be less valuable than boys
13. The author believes that a vicious circle can turn into a virtuous circle when _______.
A. women care more about education
B. parents can afford their daughters’ education
C. girls can gain equal access to education
D. a family has fewer but healthier children
14. What does the author say about women’s education?
A. It has aroused the interest of a growing number of economists.
B. It will yield greater returns than other known investments.
C. It is now given top priority in many developing countries.
D. It deserves greater attention than other social issues.
15. The passage mainly discusses _______.
A. unequal treatment of boys and girls in developing countries
B. the major contributions of educated women to society
C. the economic and social benefits of educating women
D. the potential earning power of well-educated women
Passage 4
David Thomson is an electronics technician, trained by the U.S. Navy, who writes instruction books for complicated equipment. He believes that every person is surrounded by a force field that can broadcast emotions to other human beings. The ability to receive such force fields, Thomson believes, explains how one can sense another’s fear, nervousness, aggression, panic, or friendliness.
This theory of emotional communication occurred to Thomson when he told a psychiatrist, Dr. Jack Ward, that he was certain his own hypertension made those near him uncomfortable. To demonstrate the theory, Thomson constructed a transmitter capable of generating an electromagnetic field similar to that of a man beset by hyper anxiety. For a year, with this in his pocket, Thomson made people miserable. He would find a hungry man delightedly preparing to eat a steak in a restaurant, turn on the transmitter, and watch as the man became tense and irritable and finally left with his steak uneaten. In another test, Thomson cleared a crowded room in fifteen minutes. Such an exodus could not be due, Thomson observed, to personality problems alone.
Dr. Ward, who had become Thomson’s partner, insisted that there was already misery enough in the world. Thomson fashioned a “happiness transmitter,” which can duplicate the force field of a contented man. University psychologists in the United States report some encouraging results in current tests of the Thomson-and-Ward transmitter.
The “happiness machine” has many possibilities. Thomson has speculated on its use near disturbed or anxious patients in hospitals, and in unruly crowds. Tranquility, like panic and violence, may be contagious.
16. The theory is based on belief in the existence of______.
A. complicated equipment B. individual force fields
C. nervousness D. aggression
17. The theory occurred to Thomson because he was convinced that people near him .
A. could hypnotize him B. could make him feel uncomfortable
C. were reading his thoughts D were affected by his hypertension
18. For his first demonstrations, Thomson chose people who____.
A. were in a happy mood B. seemed hyper anxious
C. were aggressive D. Both B and C
19. The Thomson-and-Ward transmitter was constructed because____.
A. university psychologists suggested it
B. the “misery machine” had not worked
C. Dr. Ward felt there was misery enough
D. Police forces asked for it
20. Thomson has speculated on_____.
A. some helpful uses of a “happiness machine”
B. possible wrongful uses of a “happiness machine”
C. the disadvantages of a tranquil population
D. the final report on the psychologists’ tests
Passage 5
Does a bee know what is going on in its mind when it navigates its way to distant food sources and back to the hive, using polarized sunlight and the tiny magnet it carries as a navigational aid? Or is the bee just a machine, unable to do its mathematics and dance its language in any other way? To use Dondald Griffin’s term, does a bee have “awareness”, or to use a phrase I like better, can a bee think and imagine?
There is an experiment for this, or at least an observation, made long ago by Karl von Firsch and more recently confirmed by James Gould in Princeton. Biologists who wish to study such things as bee navigation, language, and behavior in general have to train their bees to fly from the hive to one or another special place. To do this, they begin by placing a source of sugar very close to the hive so that the bees (considered by their trainers to be very dumb beasts) can learn what the game is about. Then, at regular interval, the dish or whatever is moved progressively farther and farther from the hive, in increments of about 25 percent at each move. Eventually, the target is being moved 100 feet or more at a jump, very far from the hive. Sooner or later, while this process is going on, the biologist shifting the dish of sugar will find the bees are out there waiting for them, precisely where the next position had been planned. This is an uncomfortable observation to make.
21. The best title for the passage is_____
A. Teaching the Bees to Navigate
B. Testing the Awareness of Bees
C. Navigational Techniques of Bees
D. Behaviorists Versus Biologists: A Zoological Debate
22. The word “awareness” in Paragraph One appears in quotation marks in order to ____
A. show the author’s preference for the term
B. indicate that it is being used humorously
C. acknowledge Donald Griffin’s previous use of the term
D. point out that it was used differently earlier in the passage
23. In the second paragraph Karl von Frisch is mentioned
A. to introduce his observation on bee behavior
B. to contrast his theories with those of James Gould
C. acknowledge Donald Griffin’s previous use of the term
D. point out that it was used differently earlier in the passage
24. According to the author, sugar was used in the study______
A. to reward the bees for performing the experiment correctly
B. to train the bees to travel to a particular place
C. to ensure that the bees knew where the hive was
D. to ensure that the bees would obey the orders
25. The result of the experiment explained in the passage seems to indicate that______
A. research using bees is too dangerous to be conducted successfully
B. bees are unable to navigate beyond 100 feet their hive
C. scientists can teach bees to navigate
D. bees are able to perform limited reasoning tasks
Part II Vocabulary and Structure (0.5*40=20 points)
Directions: There are 40 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence.
1. If you lie once, people will think of you as a liar and interpret your remarks ______.
A. certainly B. accordingly C. approximately D. appropriately
2. The lightning flashed and thunder ______.
A. bumped B. struck C. collided D. crashed
3. Success in money-making is not always a good ______ of real success in life.
A. essence B. qualification C. decree D. criterion
4. Because a circle has no beginning or end, the wedding ring is a symbol of ______ love.
A. extravagant B. prominent C. eternal D. sincere
5. This is a complete ______ for enforcing the new welfare regulations.
A. legislation B. blueprint C. lease D. penalty
6. The policeman tried to ______ the teenage driver to obey the traffic laws rather than fine him directly.
A. induce B. perplex C. indulge D. lure
7. He kept making ______ remarks instead of straight forward yes-or-no replies.
A. opaque B. ambiguous C. doubtful D. oriental
8. The managing director took the _____ for the accident, although it was not really his fault.
A. guilt B. claim C. blame D. accusation
9. There is something wrong with my TV set, I must have it ______.
A. checking B. check C. to check D. checked
10. All flights ______ because of the storm, they decided to take the train.
A. having cancelled B. were cancelled
C. have been cancelled D. having been cancelled
11. At last they succeeded ______ the job.
A. to persuade him to B. in persuading him to take
C. to persuade him taking D. in persuading him taking
12. The electric shaver ______ before it can be used.
A. needs repairing B. requires to repair
B. should be in repair D. has to be repairable
13. You can fly to London this evening ______ you don’t mind changing planes in Paris.
A. provided B. except C. unless D. so far as
14. The factory ______ next year will be one of the largest in this city.
A. to build B. to be built C. being built D. having been built
15. Don’t say anything at the meeting unless ______.
A. asking B. asked C. being asked D. to be asked
16. There are several ______ leaves on the ground.
A. falling B. fallen C. to fall D. fell
17. The price was very reasonable; I would gladly have paid ______ he asked.
A. three times much as B. three times as many as
C. as three times much as D. three times as much as
18. We’d better wait ______, Peter and Tom will come very soon.
A. a little longer B. more longer C. long D. as longer
19. The doctors have tried ______ to save the life of the wounded soldier.
A. everything possible humanly B. humanly everything possible
C. everything humanly possible D. humanly possible everything
20. I was worried very much because I’ll miss my flight if the bus arrives ______.
A. lately B. late C. latter D. more later
21. It is ______ that I would like to go to the beach.
A. so nice weather B. such nice weather
C. so nice a weather D. such a nice weather
22. The reason why so many people sit before the television tonight is that there will be a ______ show.
A. living B. live C. alive D. lived
23. I ______ go to bed until I ______ finished my work.
A. don’t/had B. didn’t/have C. didn’t/had D. don’t/have
24. The students in the classroom ______ not to make so much noise.
A. need B. ought C. must D. dare
25. The differences between ______ are gradually being eliminated.
A. the town and the country B. town and country
C. a town and a country D. a town and the country
26. We have produced ______ this year as we did in 1993.
A. as much cotton twice B. as twice much cotton
C. much as twice cotton D. twice as much cotton
27. ______ of the buildings were ruined.
A. Three fourth B. Three four C. Three-fourths D. Three-four
28. She went to the countryside ______.
A. in the morning at nine / on June first, 1968
B. on June first, 1968 / in the morning at nine
C. at nine in the morning / on June first, 1968
D. on June first, 1968 / at nine in the morning
29. Three-fourths of the surface of the earth ______ covered with water.
A. are B. is C. were D. be
30. The Olympic Games are held ______.
A. every four years B. every four year C. every fourth years D. every four-years
31. ______, wherever he lives, a man belongs to some society.
A. For short B. In short C. Of short D. On short
32. Tom has been sad recently, for his plan to go to college _____ at the last moment.
A. fell out B. fell behind C. fell in D. fell through
33. David likes country life and has decided to ______ farming.
A. go in for B. go into C. go through D. go after
34. Classroom testing, if well done, most certainly ___ a stimulus to study and real learning.
A. acts for B. acts on C. acts as D. acts to
35. The French pianist who had been praised very highly ____ to be a great disappointment.
A. turned up B. turned in C. turned out D. turned down
36. We regret to inform you that the materials you ordered are ______.
A. out of work B. out of reach C. out of practice D. out of stock
37. A man who could ______ such treatment was a man of remarkable physical courage and moral strength.
A. bear upon B. insist on C. stand up to D. persist in
38. Is his action consistent ______ his principles?
A. with B. in C. of D. by
39. A foreign firm has bought more than half of the shares in his company and ______.
A. got over it B. overtaken it C. taken it over D. overcome it
40. Some animals will modify their behavior to ______ their environment.
A. adapt to B. adopt to C. suit to D. conform to
Part III Writing (30 points)
Directions: For this part, you are to write a composition on the title of Sending Kids to Study Abroad. You should write at least 400 words and you should base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below.
1.越来越多的家长把孩子送去国外读书
2.这样做的好处和缺点
3.我的观点