Part I Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled Paying Kids for Chores? You should write at least 120 words according to the outline given below.
1. 现在有不少家长付钱让孩子做家务
2. 有人对此赞成，也有人表示反对
3. 我的看法
Paying Kids for Chores?
Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)
Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
Universities must deal better with complaints
With student complaints at a record high, universities will have to raise their game once tuition fees rise
Two universities that have broken official rules for dealing with student complaints are named today in the independent adjudicator’s (仲裁人) annual report. The two, Southampton and Westminster, are the first to be exposed in this way — yet another sign of the new era in which universities are expected to be more accountable (负责) to students who expect to be treated as customers.
The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), which reviews complaints when students have exhausted their university’s procedures, also reports a record rise in the number of cases. Last year the office received 1,341 complaints against universities in England and Wales, the highest number ever and an unprecedented (空前的) rise of one-third on the year before.
As the adjudicator himself, Rob Behrens, points out, 1,341 complaints represents just 0.05% of higher education students, and 53% of those were not justified. But, he also observes, the proportion of justified and partly justified complaints has grown for the first time in several years. He predicts the increase in complaints will continue. “It’s to be expected where you have rising tuition fees, where students are being invited to behave like consumers and where the labour market is difficult so students will do what they can to ensure they qualify.”
He says his decision to expose the universities of Southampton and Westminster is not “naming and shaming, with all the associations of moral censure that term implies”. He was, he explains, simply following OIA rules — something those two institutions failed to do.
Westminster fell short in its handling of two complaints. One was from a student who argued a disability hadn’t been properly taken into account. The adjudicator agreed. The other student claimed that an exam question and its marking scheme had been unreasonable. In both cases the university broke the rules by failing to resolve the cases, as recommended, promptly and in full.
At Southampton University, four months after the OIA concluded that an undergraduate had a justified complaint about their experience on a placement, the university continued to oppose the decision and was refusing compensation.
In a second case, the university also failed to comply with the adjudicator’s decision. And in a third one, although the complaint turned out to be unjustified, for 10 months the university delayed the investigation by failing to provide evidence despite the adjudicator’s repeated reminders.
At both universities, it was only after the adjudicator involved the vice-chancellors (校长) that the complaints began to be resolved.
Behrens is pleased the relationships between his office and both universities are now much more positive. “As the government places more emphasis on the student experience, complaints have an important role in safeguarding (保护) that,” he says. “Universities must see complaints as feedback to become more professional.”
Both Southampton and Westminster universities want to charge undergraduates annual fees of £9,000. There is an expectation, not only from ministers, but importantly from students and their families, too, that all universities wishing to increase charges will move to increase student satisfaction as well.
Before making an investment of £27,000, for example, each student will ask, “Is this good value? Is the teaching good? Is this the best route to a successful career?”
Universities are being encouraged, some may say pressurised, to become more transparent and accountable in a number of ways.
The government is urging all universities to publish a student charter, a sort of statement of terms and conditions to remind students of their responsibilities and their rights. Universities are also expected to publish “key information sets” by September 2012. These will enable students to shop around by providing the same 17 pieces of information about each institution, including, for example, the proportion of “contact” time and group work, and the careers and starting salaries of previous graduates.
The OIA is already looking at creative ways to cope with both limited resources and likely further rises in student complaints. Settling more disputes by phone is one option; helping universities to install an independent ombudsman (巡视员) on each campus — an idea borrowed from the Netherlands and the US — is another.
The question is, are UK universities well prepared for the new consumer culture where the deal is if you pay more, you expect more, and if you feel you’re not getting it, you’ll complain?
The question is particularly pertinent for the universities of Southampton and Westminster on the day they are exposed for dragging their feet with a legally established adjudicator. Both vice-chancellors were unavailable for interview.
In a statement, Professor Debra Humphris, Southampton’s pro-vice-chancellor, education, said the vast majority of the small number of student complaints are dealt with swiftly, described the dialogue with the OIA as “constructive and supportive” and said that an improved complaints procedure will be in place this autumn.
In a more defiant statement, Professor Geoffrey Petts, vice-chancellor at Westminster, points out that the university is working with the OIA towards compliance with its recommendations: “The University of Westminster was disappointed to have been cited in the OIA report. The university has robust procedures for handling the very small number of formal complaints which it receives from students.”
Aaron Porter, the president of the National Union of Students, has welcomed the new step of naming universities that don’t fully co-operate with the adjudicator. “In an environment where students are paying higher fees and will therefore raise expectations, they need to know which institutions stick to the rules.”
He also makes this warning: “Faced with increasing competition to recruit students, many universities are being tempted to make grander and grander claims. They need to improve their offer, but they need to be honest in what they promise.”
The advice is echoed by Steve Smith, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter. He sees, in the adjudicator’s annual report, a sector getting to grips with a new world where students are more demanding and will make sure universities correctly follow procedures. “It is vital that institutions are honest and transparent about what students can expect from their courses. In an age of marketing, don’t oversell. Any institution will have to make sure they do what they say.”
1. Southampton and Westminster’s being named shows that _______.
A) the independent adjudicator is quite impartial
B) the two universities have a very bad reputation
C) universities are expected to be more responsible
D) college students are treated with much respect now
2. What is said about last year’s complaints against universities in England and Wales?
A) Few of them turned out to be completely justified.
B) They were much less than those on the year before.
C) Most of the complaints were exposed in the report.
D) The number of the complaints reached a record high.
3. According to Rob Behrens, the increase in complaints is likely to continue as long as _______.
A) we are living in a customer culture
B) universities increase tuition fees
C) students have to pay their tuition fees
D) the level of unemployment keeps rising
4. When a student complained about an exam question, the University of Westminster _______.
A) deliberately delayed the investigation C) modified the marking scheme promptly
B) didn’t deal with the complaint swiftly D) handled the case following official rules
5. Behrens believes that complaints play an important role in _______.
A) safeguarding the student experience C) enhancing customers’ shopping experience
B) protecting the interests of universities D) improving government employees’ service
6. Students and their families expect that universities wanting more tuition fees will _______.
A) offer more part-time jobs C) increase student satisfaction
B) lower entrance requirements D) invest more in teaching facilities
7. For the OIA, to resolve more complaints with limited resources, one option is to _______.
A) urge universities to simplify their procedures
B) use the telephone to deal with the complaints
C) cooperate with officials from other countries
D) send an independent ombudsman to each school
8. According to Professor Debra Humphris, the University of Southampton will be ready to use ______________________________ this autumn.
9. Aaron Porter warns that universities should not only ______________________________ but also be frank in their offer.
10. Steve Smith, president of Universities UK, understands that we have entered a new era where students become more ______________________________.
Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
11. A) He fell ill on the jet plane. C) He went to bed too late last night.
B) He has been working too hard. D) He hasn’t adapted to the new time yet.
12. A) The man doesn’t have a strong enough will.
B) The man loves horror films.
C) The man will see the film anyway.
D) The man studied for the whole night last night.
13. A) Not to worry about the ticket. C) Book an air ticket in advance.
B) Buy a ticket at a higher price. D) Wait for others to cancel their booking.
14. A) The young man had some unusual problems.
B) The problem is common for young people.
C) It’s not common for young men to leave home.
D) It was a problem for John when he left home.
15. A) The man will have no choices left.
B) The man had better go there quickly.
C) The man should go when he has spare time.
D) The books are a bit scratched and are of poor quality.
16. A) She can’t afford the time for the trip. C) She has to change the time for the trip.
B) She will manage to leave this month. D) She hasn’t decided where to go next month.
17. A) It is located near a large residential area.
B) It is open around-the-clock on weekends.
C) It is the same as other banks in any way.
D) It provides convenience and quality service.
18. A) He will go to see a doctor about his coughing.
B) He has had a heart attack because of smoking.
C) He is coughing because of too much smoking.
D) He has a serious lung disease and heart attack already.
Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. A) Go to summer school. C) Stay at home.
B) Take a vacation. D) Earn some money.
20. A) They hired someone to stay in their home.
B) They left their pets with neighbors.
C) They rented their house to a student.
D) They asked their gardener to watch their home.
21. A) Walking the dog. C) Watching the children.
B) Cutting the grass. D) Feeding the fish.
22. A) They attend a house-sitter’s party. C) They interview a house-sitter’s friends.
B) They check a house-sitter’s references. D) They look at a house-sitter’s transcripts.
Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
23. A) Writing reports for them. C) Helping them deal with daily existence.
B) Teaching them foreign languages. D) Introducing work for them.
24. A) They don’t have support networks.
B) They cannot cope with the difficulties in their lives.
C) The woman is famous for helping others.
D) People from their nationality refuse to help them.
25. A) They were surprised at the flavors.
B) They could find food they know and love.
C) There was at least one Chinese restaurant in every China town.
D) Americans have different foods.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26. A) To do some research. C) To pay for his college education.
B) To support his family. D) To help his partner expand business.
27. A) It stood at an unfavorable place.
B) It lowered the prices to promote sales.
C) It lacked control over the quality of sandwiches.
D) It made no profits due to poor management.
28. A) They had enough money to do it.
B) They had succeeded in their business.
C) They wanted to make others believe that they were successful.
D) They wished to meet the increasing demand of customers.
29. A) Learning by trial and error. C) Finding a good partner.
B) Making friends with suppliers. D) Opening chain stores.
Passage Two
Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
30. A) To exchange ideas. C) To achieve success in life.
B) To prove their value. D) To overcome their fear of silence.
31. A) About whatever they have prepared. C) About learning something new.
B) About whatever they want to do. D) About getting on well.
32. A) To explain why people keep talking.
B) To persuade people to stop making noises.
C) To encourage people to join in conversations.
D) To discuss why people like talking about weather.
Passage Three
Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
33. A) Bettering his way of life.
B) Improving his surroundings.
C) Modifying the face of the planet.
D) Altering the physical features of the earth.
34. A) When the ecological balance of the river is lost.
B) When people consume more fish than they used to.
C) When large numbers of algae, fish and birds are killed.
D) When the production of marine petroleum is increased.
35. A) Ecologists. C) Businessmen.
B) Industrialists. D) Environmentalists.
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.
Today we are going to practice evaluating the main tool used when addressing groups — the (36) _________. There are three main elements that combine to create either a positive or negative (37) _________ for listeners. They can (38) _________ in a voice that is pleasing to listen to and can be used effectively, or they can create a voice that doesn’t hold the attention, or even worse causes an (39) _________ reaction. The three elements are volume, pitch and pace.
When talking about volume, keep in mind that a good speaker will adjust to the size of both the room and the audience. Of course, with an (40) _________ device like a microphone, the speaker can use a (41) _________ tone. But speakers should not be (42) _________ on it. A good speaker can speak loudly without shouting.
The second element — pitch — is related to the highness and lowness of the sounds. High pitches are for most people more difficult to listen to, so in general, the speaker should use the lower (43) _________ of the voice. (44) ___________________________________________________________________.
The third element, pace — this is how fast or slow words and sounds are articulated — should also be varied. (45) ___________________________________________________________________. Pauses ought to be used to signal transitions or create anticipation. It can be very effective when moving from one topic to another (46) ___________________________________________________________________.
Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.
Perhaps like most Americans you have some extra pounds to shed. You may even have tried a fad (时尚) diet or two, but found yourself right back where you 47 . The key to weight loss is regular 48 activity. And surprisingly, you don’t have to give up eating or make the gym your second home to see long-term, 49 effects.
Your body needs a certain amount of energy to maintain basic 50 such as breathing, blood circulation and digestion. The energy required to keep your organs functioning is referred to as the resting or basal metabolic rate. Any time you are active, 51 energy is required. It is obtained from glycogen (糖原) and fat stored in the blood, liver, and muscles. The key to losing weight is to draw on the fat rather than on the carbohydrate reserves.
Which of the two energy sources you use depends on the intensity and 52 of your activity. The higher the intensity, the more your body will pull from the stored carbohydrates. The lower the intensity, the 53 your body will rely on fat as its fuel.
Aerobic exercise is most 54 for weight loss. When you perform aerobic activities you 55 contract large muscle groups such as your legs and arms. Walking, running, rollerblading, swimming, dancing, and jumping jacks are all forms of aerobic activity. Surprisingly, if your aerobic activity is low to moderately intense and of long duration, you will burn more fat than if you had 56 in a short burst of high-intensity exercise. In short, a brisk 30-minute walk will burn fat while a 100-yard sprint will burn glycogen.
Section B
Directions: There are 2 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). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
The warming of the Arctic is releasing a new wave of banned toxic chemicals that had been trapped in the ice and cold water, scientists have discovered.
The researchers warn that the amount of the poisons stored in the polar region is unknown and their release could “undermine global efforts to reduce environmental and human exposure to them.”
The chemicals leaking out as temperatures rise include DDT, lindane, chlordane, PCBs and HCBs. All of these persistent organic pollutants (Pops) are banned under the 2004 Stockholm Convention.
Pops can cause cancers and birth defects and take a very long time to degrade (降解), meaning they can be transported for long distances and accumulate over time.
Over past decades, the low temperatures in the Arctic trapped volatile (易挥发的) Pops in ice and cold water. But scientists in Canada and Norway have now discovered that global warming is freeing the Pops once again.
They examined measurements of Pops in the air between 1993 and 2009 at the Zeppelin research station in Svalbaard and Alert weather station in northern Canada. After allowing for the decline in global emissions of Pops, the team showed that the toxic chemicals are being remobilised by rising temperatures and the retreat of the sea ice, which exposes more water to the Sun. For example, air concentrations of PCBs and HCBs have shown a rising trend from about 2004 onwards.
Hayley Hung, a member of Environment Canada and of the team, said its work provided the first evidence of the releasing of Pops in the Arctic. “But this is the beginning of a story,” she said. “The next step is to find out how much is in the Arctic, how much will leak out and how quickly.” With the exception of lindane, there was little existing knowledge of the scale of the Pops stored in high latitude (纬度) regions.
The fate of the frozen Pops depends on the speed of warming in the Arctic — it is currently heating up much more quickly than lower latitudes — as well as how the chemicals interact with snow and rain. Pops accumulate in fats and are therefore concentrated up the food chain, but Hung cautions that food chains themselves in the Arctic may be altered by climate change.
57. What have the researchers discovered in the Arctic?
A) The ice and cold water in the region contain banned toxic chemicals.
B) Poisons stored in the region are leaking out due to global warming.
C) The amount of toxic chemicals in the region could destroy all mankind.
D) The ecosystem in the region has been changed by rising temperatures.
58. What do we learn about Pops from the passage?
A) They pose a threat to marine life and humans.
B) They are substances that are easily degraded.
C) They can be found only in the polar region.
D) They will decrease in number if moving in the air.
59. By “the toxic chemicals are being remobilised” (Line 3, Para. 6), the author means that the Pops .
A) are taking in the form of ice or water
B) are becoming more and more poisonous
C) are able to move easily and quickly in the water
D) are no longer trapped in the ice and cold water
60. According to Hayley Hung, the scientists need to figure out .
A) the harm the Pops will do to human beings
B) why the Pops have been trapped in the ice
C) the scale of the Pops stored in the Arctic
D) how to eliminate the banned toxic chemicals
61. What is said about the warming in the Arctic?
A) Human activities have sped it up. C) It is affected by the release of the Pops.
B) It may change the food chains. D) It happened earlier than other regions.
Passage Two
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
If you haven’t heard or seen anything about road rage in the last few months, you’ve probably been avoiding the media. There have been countless stories about this new and scary phenomenon, considered a type of aggressive driving. If you drive, you have more than likely encountered aggressive driving.
While drunk driving remains a critical problem, the facts about aggressive driving are surely as disturbing. For instance, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 41,907 people died on the highways last year. Of those fatalities, the agency estimates that about two-thirds were caused at least in part by aggressive driving behavior.
Why is this phenomenon occurring more than ever now, and why is it something that seemed almost nonexistent a few short years ago? Experts have several theories, and all are probably partially correct. One suggestion is sheer overcrowding. In the last decade, the number of cars on the roads has increased by over 11%, and the number of miles driven has increased by 35%. Meanwhile, the number of new road miles has only increased by 1%. That means more cars in the same amount of space; and the problem is magnified in urban areas.
Also, people have less time and more things to do. With people working and trying to fit extra chores (琐事) and activities into the day, stress levels have never been higher. Stress creates anxiety, which leads to short tempers. These factors, when combined in certain situations, can spell road rage.
You may think you are the last person who would drive aggressively, but you might be surprised. For instance, have you ever yelled out loud at a slower driver, honked (按喇叭) long and hard at another car, or sped up to keep another driver from passing? If you recognize yourself in any of these situations, watch out!
Whether you are getting angry at other drivers or if another driver is visibly upset with you, there are things you can do to avoid major confrontations. If you are susceptible (受影响的) to road rage, the key is to discharge your emotion in a healthy way. If you are the target of another driver’s rage, do everything possible to get away from the other driver safely, including avoiding eye contact and getting out of their way.
62. What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A) The media coined the term “Road Rage” only a few months ago.
B) People have been raged by media reports and want to avoid them.
C) People not interested in the media know little about recent happenings.
D) Road rage has received much media coverage in the last few months.
63. According to NHTSA, last year on the highways .
A) approximately two thirds of drivers were killed by road rage
B) road rage remained the No.1 killer and took 41,907 people’s lives
C) more people were killed by aggressive driving than by drunk driving
D) drunk driving was a problem more serious than aggressive driving
64. Which of the following is not mentioned as a cause of aggressive driving?
A) Drivers’ stress and anxiety. C) Increasing number of cars.
B) Rush hour traffic. D) Overcrowded roads.
65. According to the passage, aggressive driving is characterized by .
A) driving at full speed C) talking while driving
B) yelling at another driver D) sounding the horn when passing
66. The last paragraph is intended to .
A) tell people how to cope with road rage
B) inform people how aggressive drivers could be
C) tell people how to control themselves when angry
D) warn people against eye contact with another driver
Part V Cloze (15 minutes)
Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Are organically grown foods the best food choices? The advantages claimed for such foods 67 conventionally grown food products are now being 68 . Advocates of organic foods — a term whose meaning 69 greatly — frequently proclaim that such products are safer and more nutritious than others.
The growing interest of consumers in the safety and nutritional quality of the 70 North American diet is a welcome development. 71 , much of this interest has been sparked by sweeping claims that the food supply is unsafe or inadequate in meeting nutritional 72 . Although most of these claims are not supported by scientific 73 , the preponderance (优势) of written material advancing such claims makes it difficult for the general public to distinguish fact 74 fiction. As a result, claims that eating a diet consisting entirely of organically grown foods 75 or cures disease or provides other benefits to health have become 76 advertised and form the basis for folklore (民俗).
77 daily the public is surrounded by
claims for “no aging” diets, new vitamins, and other wonder foods. Many an unfounded report 78 that natural vitamins are superior 79 synthetic ones, that fertilized eggs excel unfertilized eggs nutritionally, and the 80 .
One thing that most organically grown food products seem to have in 81 is that they cost more than conventionally grown foods. But in many 82 consumers are misled if they believe that organic foods can 83 health and provide better nutritional quality than conventionally grown foods. 84 there is a real cause for concern if consumers, 85 those with limited incomes, distrust the regular food supply and buy merely expensive organic foods 86 .
67. A) beyond C) of
B) at D) over
68. A) argued C) consulted
B) debated D) bargained
69. A) varies C) shifts
B) alters D) changes
70. A) natural C) particular
B) typical D) unique
71. A) Moreover C) However
B) Therefore D) Likewise
72. A) needs C) desires
B) realms D) intentions
73. A) implication C) evidence
B) status D) guidance
74. A) about C) in
B) from D) among
75. A) prevents C) forbids
B) rescues D) offends
76. A) broadly C) widely
B) entirely D) deeply
77. A) Altogether C) Scarcely
B) Surely D) Almost
78. A) predicts C) implies
B) declares D) defines
79. A) than C) to
B) on D) with
80. A) unlike C) same
B) alike D) like
81. A) common C) sense
B) difference D) significance
82. A) events C) states
B) facts D) cases
83. A) sustain C) maintain
B) retain D) entertain
84. A) But C) As
B) So D) And
85. A) particularly C) obviously
B) essentially D) rarely
86. A) anyway C) though
B) then D) instead
Part VI Translation (5 minutes)
Directions: Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets. Please write your translation on Answer Sheet 2.
87. ___________________________ (冒着破产的危险), he invested all his money in this factory.
88. Many people ___________________________ (理所当然地认为) marriage is the goal of every young woman’s inmost thought.
89. It’s time ___________________________ (采取一些有效措施) to solve the pollution problem all over the county.
90. John can not afford a car, ___________________________ (更不用说房子了).
Part I Writing
【参考范文一】
Paying Kids for Chores?
A rising proportion of parents pay their children to do chores around the house nowadays. For example, some parents will give their kids allowances if they clean the room, do laundry, set the table, or prepare simple food for the family.
People differ on whether parents should pay their kids for doing housework. Supporters say tying kids’ allowances to housework is a good way to teach kids accountability and responsibility. It also helps children learn about money and how it works. But critics of this approach say children should do routine housework for free. The reason is simple: chores are part of a family, and everyone does chores.
Personally, I don’t think parents should adopt the pay-for-work view. Paying kids to help out sends the wrong massage: they are entitled to freely have everything parents provide for them while the contributions they make to the family have to be paid for. It risks creating teenagers who would worship money and who are likely to drive a hard bargain just to take out the garbage.
【参考范文二】
Paying Kids for Chores?
To foster a love for work and help them become accustomed to it, many Chinese, especially those in big cities, pay their only child to do chores at home. Usually the amount of money given to the child depends on the child’s age, the family’s income and the child’s expenses.
People’s opinions vary towards this phenomenon. Some people think it’s a good idea for parents to pay kids to do housework. It motivates children to do more jobs around the house, as paying chores shows them that they have to work in order to get allowances. Others, however, argue that it’s improper for parents to take this approach, since paying them makes them lazy. They say many children now refuse to do anything unless there is some kind of compensation.
I’m in the camp that parents should pay their children in return for work done around the house. On the one hand, it teaches children that they should work for what they want in life. On the other hand, it provides solid lessons and opportunities related to money management.
Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)
1. C) 2. D) 3. B) 4. B) 5. A) 6. C) 7. B)
8 an improved complaints procedure 9. improve their offer 10. demanding
Part III Listening Comprehension
11. D) 12. A) 13. D) 14. B) 15. B) 16. C) 17. D) 18. C)
19. D) 20. A) 21. C) 22. B) 23. C) 24. B) 25. B)
26. C) 27. D) 28. C) 29. A)
30. D) 31. B) 32. A)
33. A)
34. C) 35. B)
36. voice 37. experience 38. result 39. adverse
40. amplifying 41. natural 42. dependent 43. registers
44. During a presentation, it’s important to vary pitch to some extent in order to maintain interest
45. A slower pace can be used to emphasize important points — note that the time spent not speaking can be very meaningful too
46. because a pause gives the listener time to think about what was just said or even predict what might come next
Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth)
47. K) 48. F) 49. A) 50. H) 51. B) 52. C) 53. E) 54. D) 55. L) 56. I)
57. B) 58. A) 59. D) 60. C) 61. B)
62. D) 63. C) 64. B) 65. B) 66. A)
Part V Cloze
67. D) 68. B) 69. A) 70. B) 71. C) 72. A) 73. C) 74. B) 75. A) 76. C)
77. D) 78. B) 79. C) 80. D) 81. A) 82. D) 83. C) 84. B) 85. A) 86. D)
Part VI Translation
87. At the risk of going bankrupt/Running the risk of going bankrupt
88. take it for granted that
89. (that) some effective measures were taken
90. let alone/not to mention a house
91. occurs to me that
录音文本
Part III Listening Comprehension
Section A
11. W: You look very sleepy and tired. What’s wrong, John? Did you stay up very late last night?
M: Oh, no. Well, you know, I’ve been here for only a few days. In my home country, it is still late at night now. I am suffering from jet lag. It’s so hard to overcome this.
Q: What does the man mean?
12. M: Hey, I’ve rented a horror film from the shop near the college. Could you come over and enjoy it with me?
W: You told me last night you’re going to study this morning. Your plans are always good enough, yet you rarely carry them out.
Q: What can we infer from the conversation?
13. M: I can’t believe I can’t get a plane ticket for the summer holiday. I mean, it’s only March.
W: Well, you know I wouldn’t worry about it too much. People cancel their reservations all the time.
Q: What does the woman suggest the man do?
14. W: John’s room was in a mess. It seemed that he had never cleaned it.
M: This problem is not uncommon for a young man from home.
Q: What does the man mean?
15. M: I think I’ll get my second-hand books at the Student Union this year. So many of the books we are using are the same print.
W: I hope you’re not planning to take your time going there. They are usually snapped up within the first week.
Q: What does the woman mean?
16. M: You’re going to make a trip to San Francisco, aren’t you?
W: Yes. But I haven’t got the plane ticket yet. I’m thinking of postponing the trip to next month since this is the busiest month for the airlines.
Q: What do we know about the woman from this conversation?
17. W: The bank near the supermarket opens on Sundays, quite different from the other banks in the same street.
M: On Sundays people have time to go there. It is really convenient for people. Besides, they offer quite satisfactory service.
Q: What does the man think of the bank?
18. W: Did you go to see the doctor about your cough?
M: The doctor said if I keep smoking it will increase my chance of having a heart attack or, lung disease. And I am thinking about quitting smoking as the problems seem to be quite serious.
Q: What do we know about the man?
Now you will hear the two long conversations.
Conversation One
M: I really don’t know what to do this summer. I can’t afford to just sit around, and there don’t seem to be any jobs available.
W: Why don’t you try house-sitting? Last summer my friend Margaret house-sat for the Dodds when they went away on vacation. Mr. Dodd hired Margaret to stay in their house because he didn’t want it left empty.
M: You mean the Dodds paid Margaret just to live in their house?
W: It wasn’t that easy. She had to mow the lawn and water the house plants. And when Eric house-sat for Dr. Cohen, he had to take care of her pets.
M: House-sitting sounds like a good job. I guess it’s a little like baby-sitting — except you’re taking care of a house instead of children.
W: The Student Employment Office still has a few jobs posted.
M: Do I just have to fill out an application?
W: Margaret and Eric had to interview with the home owners and provide three references each.
M: That seems like a lot of trouble for a summer job.
W: Well, the home owners want some guarantee that they can trust the house-sitter. You know, they want to make sure you’re not the type who’ll throw wild parties in their house, or move a group of friends in with you.
M: House-sitters who do that sort of thing probably aren’t paid then.
W: Usually they’re paid anyway just because the home owners don’t want to make a fuss. But if the home owner reported it, then the house-sitter wouldn’t be able to get another job. So why don’t you apply?
M: Yeah, I think I will.
Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. What does the man want to do this summer?
20. What did the Dodds do when they went away last summer?
21. What is one responsibility the house-sitter probably wouldn’t have?
22. How do home owners determine the reliability of a house-sitter?
Conversation Two
M: So, you must have a lot of contact with overseas students in your work helping people coping with daily existence.
W: Sometimes. You know the life of a social worker is not all wonderful and working to help people in their daily life. I have to spend a lot of time pushing paper, and writing reports too. But when I do get out, yeah, I see a lot of foreigners. And sometimes they come in because life in America has just beaten them down and they can’t cope financially or emotionally.
M: Really? I would think that they had a good support network in place, especially university students.
W: They do have a network, and a variety of support groups, but these can’t meet all of the students’ needs. They can’t help with paying bills, dealing with American neighbors and customs, fitting in, getting a driver’s license, etc. They try, but very often the student has to figure out a lot of this stuff by himself. And if he or she is shy, they don’t have the courage to ask other people, even other people from their nationality.
M: So what are some of the things that overseas students struggle with?
W: This might interest you, but they struggle with the food, especially Chinese. You know, they come here knowing that Americans love Chinese food so much. They think that there will be good restaurants with Chinese food that they love. But they get here and they are extremely surprised. Americans enjoy totally different flavors.
M: So what do they do?
W: If they’re brave and curious, they look around and test all the restaurants. There is usually at least one restaurant in every town that has almost quality food.
Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
23. In which aspect does the woman help people in her work?
24. Why do people come to the woman for help?
25. How did Chinese students expect the American-made Chinese food before they came to the U.S?
Section B
Passage One
It was the summer of 1965. DeLuca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked DeLuca about his plans for the future. “I’m going to college, but I need a way to pay for it,” DeLuca recalls saying. “Buck said, you should open a sandwich shop.”
That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, Buck wrote a check for $1,000. DeLuca rented a storefront in Connecticut, and when they couldn’t cover their start-up costs, Buck kicked in another $1,000.
But business didn’t go smoothly as they expected. DeLuca says, “After six months, we were doing poorly, but we didn’t know how badly, because we didn’t have any financial controls.” All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs.
DeLuca was managing the store and going to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They’d meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. “We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public, ‘We are so successful, we are opening a second store.’” And they did — in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error.
But the partners’ learn-as-you-go approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, DeLuca would drive around and hand-deliver the checks to pay their suppliers. “It probably took me two and a half hours and it wasn’t necessary, but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out,” DeLuca says.
And having a goal was also important. “There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal,” DeLuca adds. DeLuca ended up founding Subway Sandwich, the multimillion-dollar restaurant chain.
Questions 26 to 29 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26. What was DeLuca’s purpose in opening the first sandwich shop?
27. What can we learn about DeLuca and Buck’s first shop?
28. Why did DeLuca and Buck decide to open a second store?
29. What contributes most to their success according to the speaker?
Passage Two
Silence is unnatural to man. He begins life with a cry and ends it in stillness. In between he does all he can to make a noise in the world, and he fears silence more than anything else. Even his conversation is an attempt to prevent a fearful silence. If he is introduced to another person, and a number of pauses occur in the conversation, he regards himself as a failure. He knows that ninety-nine percent of human conversation means no more than the buzzing of a fly, but he is anxious to join in the buzz and to prove that he is a man and not a waxwork figure.
The aim of conversation is for the most part, to communicate ideas; it is to keep up the buzzing sound. There are, it must be admitted, different qualities of buzz; there is even a buzz that is as annoying as the continuous noise made by a mosquito. But at a dinner party one would rather be a mosquito than a quiet person. Most buzzing, fortunately, is pleasant to the ear, and some of it is pleasant even to the mind. He would be a foolish man if he waited until he had a wise thought to take part in the buzzing with his neighbors.
Those who hate to pick up the weather as a conversational opening seem to me not to know the reason why human beings wish to talk. Very few human beings join in a conversation in the hope of learning anything new. Some of them are content if they are merely allowed to go on making a noise into other people’s ears. They have nothing to tell them except that they have seen two or three new plays or that they had food in a Swiss hotel. At the end of an evening, during which they have said nothing meaningful for a long time, they just prove themselves to be successful conversationalists.
Questions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
30. What is people’s purpose in making conversation according to the speaker?
31. What do people usually talk about to their neighbors according to the passage?
32. What is the speaker’s purpose in giving this speech?
Passage Three
Throughout history man has changed his physical environment in order to improve his way of life. With the tools of technology he has altered many physical features of the earth. He has transformed wood lands into farmland, and made lakes and reservoirs out of rivers for irrigation purposes or hydroelectric power. Man has also modified the face of the earth by draining marshes and cutting through mountains to build roads and railways.
However, man’s changes to the physical environment have not always had beneficial results. Today, pollution of the air and water is an increasing danger to the health of the planet. Each day thousands of tons of gases come out of the exhausts of motor vehicles; smoke from factories pollutes the air of industrialized areas and the surrounding areas of countryside. The air in cities is becoming increasingly unhealthy.
The pollution of water is equally harmful. In the sea, pollution from oil is increasing and killing enormous numbers of algae (a very simple plant without stems or leaves that grows in or near water), fish and birds. The whole ecological balance of the sea is being changed. The same problem exists in rivers. Industrial wastes have already made many rivers lifeless.
Conservationists believe that it is now necessary for man to limit the growth of technology in order to survive on earth.
Questions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
33. What is the purpose of man changing his physical environment?
34. When is the ecological balance of the sea lost?
35. Who would most probably disagree with conservationists?
Section C
Today we are going to practice evaluating the main tool used when addressing groups — the (36) voice. There are three main elements that combine to create either a positive or negative (37) experience for listeners. They can (38) result in a voice that is pleasing to listen to and can be used effectively, or they can create a voice that doesn’t hold the attention, or even worse causes an (39) adverse reaction. The three elements are volume, pitch and pace.
When talking about volume, keep in mind that a good speaker will adjust to the size of both the room and the audience. Of course, with an (40) amplifying device like a microphone, the speaker can use a (41) natural tone. But speakers should not be (42) dependent on it. A good speaker can speak loudly without shouting.
The second element — pitch — is related to the highness and lowness of the sounds. High pitches are for most people more difficult to listen to, so in general, the speaker should use the lower (43) registers of the voice. (44) During a presentation, it’s important to vary pitch to some extent in order to maintain interest.
The third element, pace — this is how fast or slow words and sounds are articulated — should also be varied. (45) A slower pace can be used to emphasize important points — note that the time spent not speaking can be very meaningful too. Pauses ought to be used to signal transitions or create anticipation. It can be very effective when moving from one topic to another (46) A slower pace can be used to emphasize important points — note that the time spent not speaking can be very meaningful too.