volunteer大学英语1(专科)第一学期期末试题

专科大学英语

1

第一 学期期末考试

(A

卷

)

Part II

Reading Comprehension

(30 %)

Directions:

There are four passages in this part. 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 the

Answer Sheet

with a single line through the center.

Passage One

Science is not a set of unquestionable results but a way of understanding the world around us.

Its real work is slow. The scientific method , as many of us learned in school, is a gradual process

that begins with a purpose or problem or question to be answered. It includes a list of materials, a

procedure to follow, a set of observations to make and, finally, conclusions to reach. In medicine,

when

a

new

drug

is

proposed

that

might

cure

or

control

a

disease,

it

is

first

tested

on

a

large

random

group

of

people,

and

their

reactions

are

then

compared

with

those

of

another

random

group not given the drug. All reactions in both groups are carefully recorded and compared, and

the drug is evaluated. All of this takes time and patience.

It

’

s

the

result

of

course,

that

makes

the

best

news

—

not

the

years

of

quiet

work

that

characterize the bulk of scientific inquiry. After an experiment is concluded or an observation is

made, the result continues to be examined critically. When it is submitted for publication, it goes

to a group of the scientist

’

s colleagues, who review the work. Einstein was right when he said:

“

No

amount

of

experimentation

can

ever

prove

me

right,

a

single

experiment

can

at

any

time

prove me wrong.

”

In August 1996, NASA announced the discovery in Antarctica of a meteorite

（流星）

from

Mars that might contain evidence of ancient life on another world. As President Clinton said that

day, the possibility that life existed on Mars billions of years ago was potentially one of the great

discoveries of our time.

After the excitement wore down and initial papers were published, other researchers began

looking

at

samples

from

the

same

meteorite.

Some

concluded

that

the

“

evidence

of

life

”

was

mostly contamination from Antarctic ice or that there was nothing organic at all in the rock.

Was this a failure of science, as some news reports trumpeted?

No!

It

was

a

good

example

of

the

scientific

method

working

the

way

it

is

supposed

to.

Scientists spend years on research, announce their findings, and these findings are examined by

other scientists. That

’

s how we learn. Like climbing a mountain, we struggle up three feet and fall

back two. It

’

s a process filled with disappointments and reverses, but somehow we keep moving

ahead.

21. The author

’

s main purpose in writing this passage is to state that ____________.

A)

most scientific discoveries are not reliable

1-12

B)

mass media is misleading because it looks at the research results only

C)

scientific research is a process filled with reverses and requires slow and patient

work

D)

repeated experiments are necessary before medicine can be used in patients

22. Publication of a scientific finding signifies __________.

A)

a challenge to fellow scientists to prove it wrong

B)

the end of a process

C)

the beginning of a new scientific inquiry

D)

the soundness of the result

23. Einstein

’

s words are used to show that he thought___________.

A)

experiments have proved him right

B)

scientists do not need so many experiments

C)

one experiment is not enough to prove him wrong.

D)

scientific ideas are never free from challenge

24. NASA

’

s announcement of the discovery of evidence of ancient life on Mars shows _________.

A)

the way human beings learn about nature

B)

the failure of the scientific method

C)

the fruitlessness of human search for life on another world

D)

the excitement brought by scientific findings

25. It can be inferred from the passage that the media is interested in __________.

A)

the process of scientific research

B)

the results of scientific research

C)

the scientists who do the research

D)

the effects of scientific research on human life

Passage Two

Normally

a

student

must

attend

a

certain

number

of

courses

in

order

to

graduate,

and

each

course

which

he

attends

gives

him

a

credit

which

he

may

count

towards

a

degree.

In

many

American universities the total work for a degree consists of thirty-six courses each lasting for one

semester. A typical course consists of three classes per week for fifteen weeks; while attending a

university

a

student

will

probably

attend

four

or

five

courses

during

each

semester.

Normally

a

student would expect to take four years attending two semesters each year. It is possible to spread

the period of work for the degree over a longer period. It is also possible for a student to move

between one university and another during his degree course, though this is not in fact done as a

regular practice.

For every course that he follows a student is given a grade, which is recorded, and the record

is available for the student to show to prospective employers. All this imposes a constant pressure

and strain of work, but in spite of this some students still find time for great activity in student

2-12

affairs.

Elections

to

positions

in

student

organizations

arouse

much

enthusiasm.

The

effective

work

of

maintaining

discipline

is

usually

performed

by

students

who

advise

the

academic

authorities. Any student who is thought to have broken the rules, for example, by cheating has to

appear before a student court. With the enormous numbers of students, the operation of the system

does

involve

a

certain

amount

of

activity.

A

student

who

has

held

one

of

these

positions

of

authority is much respected and it will be of benefit to him later in his career.

26. Normally a student would at least attend __________classes each week.

A)

36

B)

12

C)

20

D)

15

27. According to the first paragraph an American student is allowed _______.

A)

to live in a different university

B)

to take a particular course in a different university

C)

to live at home and drive to classes

D)

to get two degrees from two different universities

28. American university students are usually under pressure of work because_________.

A)

their academic performance will affect their future careers

B)

they are heavily involved in student affairs

C)

they have to observe university discipline

D)

they want to run for positions of authority

students

are

enthusiastic

for

positions

in

student

organizations

probably

because_________.

A)

they hate the constant pressure and strain of their study

B)

they will then be able to stay longer in the university

C)

such positions help them get better jobs

D)

such positions are usually well paid

30. The student organizations seem to be effective in _________.

A)

dealing with the academic affairs of the university

B)

ensuring that the students observe university regulations

C)

evaluating students’ performance by bringing them before a court

D)

keeping up the students’ enthusiasm for social activities

Passage Three

Doreen Sykora is now a junior at Mcgill University. She had a difficult time when she first

began college. She said,

“

I was always well prepared for my examinations. But I would go in to

class to take the exam, and I would fall apart. I could not answer the questions correctly-----even

though

I

knew

the

answers!

I

would

just

blank

out

because

of

nervousness

and

fear.

”

Hitoshi

Sakamoto, an anthropology student at Temple University in Tokyo reports similar experiences.

3-12

These

two

young

students

were

experiencing

something

called

test

anxiety.

Because

a

student worries and is stressed about a test, his or her mind does not work as well as it usually

does. The student cannot write or think clearly because of the severe tension and nervousness.

Now

there

are

special

university

courses

to

help

students.

In

these

courses,

advisors

and

psychologists try to help students by teaching them to manage test anxiety. Such a course helps

students learn to live with stress and not fail because of it.

First students take a practice test to

measure their worry level. If the tests show that their stress level is high, the students can take a

short course to manage the fear. These courses teach students how to relax their bodies. They get

training

to

become

calm

in

very

tense

situations.

By

controlling

their

nervousness,

they

can

let

their minds work more easily. Learned information then comes out without difficulty on a test.

Doreen

Sykora

saw

immediate

results

after

taking

such

a

course.

She

now

has

enthusiasm

about the relaxation methods.

“

Mostly, what I do is imagine myself in a very calm place. Then I

imagine myself picking up a pencil. I move slowly and carefully. I breathe easily and let all the

tension

out.

With

each

breath,

more

worry

leaves

me.

It

really

works

too.

My

grades

have

improved greatly! I

’

m really doing well at McGill now. This relaxation method works not only on

examinations, but it has improved the rest of my life as well.

”

For Hitoshi in Tokyo, the results were much the same. He is enjoying school a lot more and

learning more.

31.

Doreen

Sykora

and

Hitoshi

Sakamoto

were

filled

with

nervousness

and

fear

during

examinations because they were__________.

A)

not ready and unaware of the answers

B)

physically so weak that they fell apart

C)

subject to test anxiety

D)

unable to write or think clearly

32. The higher the students

’

worry level is, __________.

A)

the less calm and relaxing they are

B)

the more difficult they will be trained to manage fear

C)

the more stressed and tense they are

D)

the longer courses they will take to manage fear

33. What

’

s the purpose of some special university student-help courses?

A)

To help students to reduce test anxiety.

B)

To show a stress level experienced by students.

C)

To learn more knowledge about test anxiety.

D)

To have a better understanding of test anxiety.

34. What

’

s the meaning of

“

blank out

”

in paragraph one?

A)

To be like a blanket.

B)

To be sure of an answer.

C)

To be relaxed.

D)

To be unable to think clearly.

of the following best sums up the organization of the passage?

A)

Examples---- theories----ideas.

4-12

B)

Problem---- strategy----examples----results.

C)

General statement---- examples----result.

D)

Strategy----experiment----examples.

Part III

Vocabulary and Structure

(15 %)

Directions:

There

are

30

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.

Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through

the center.

36. The president made a _______ speech at the opening ceremony of the sports meeting, which

encouraged the sportsmen greatly.

A)

vigorous

C)

flat

B)

tedious

D)

harsh

37. It is not easy to learn English well but if you _______, you will succeed in the end.

A)

hang up

C)

hang on

B)

hang about

D)

hang onto

38. Remember that customers don

’

t _______ about prices in that city.

A)

debate

C)

dispute

B)

bargain

D)

consult

39. The newcomers found it impossible to _______ themselves to the climate sufficiently to make

permanent homes in the new country.

A)

suit

C)

regulate

B)

adapt

D)

coordinate

40. A _______ to this problem is expected to be found before long.

A)

result

C)

settlement

B)

function

D)

solution

41. You have nothing to _______ by refusing to listen to our advice.

A)

gain

C)

seize

B)

grasp

D)

earn

42.

One

day

I

_______

a

newspaper

article

about

the

retirement

of

an

English

professor

at

a

nearby state college.

A)

came across

C)

came after

B)

came about

D)

came at

43. A peculiarly pointed chin is his memorable facial _______.

A)

mark

B)

feature

5-12

D)

appearance

C)

trace

44. I hope that you

’

ll be more careful in typing the letter. Don

’

t _______ anything.

A)

omit

C)

lack

B)

leak

D)

withdraw

45. Our new house is very _______ for me as I can get to the office in five minutes.

A)

adaptable

C)

available

B)

convenient

D)

comfortable

46. Those gifts of rare books that were given to us were deeply _______.

A)

appreciated

C)

appealed

B)

approved

D)

applied

47. The sale usually takes place outside the house, with the audience _______ on benches, chairs

or boxes.

A)

having seated

C)

seated

B)

seating

D)

having been seated

48. He is _______ about his chances of winning a gold medal in the Olympics next year.

A)

optimistic

C)

outstanding

B)

optional

D)

obvious

49. The clothes a person wears may express his _______or social position.

A)

curiosity

C)

determination

B)

status

D)

significance

50. I don

’

t know the word. I had to _______ a dictionary.

A)

throw up

C)

refer to

B)

make out

D)

take over

51. Look at these beautiful Japanese stamps. Roger gave them to me in _____ for two sets of 1988

British special issue.

A)

exchange

B)

change

C)

shift

D)

switch

52. It is rather _____ that the research team as a whole still has little idea about the cause of that

fatal disease.

A)

rewarding

C)

embarrassing

B)

demanding

D)

requiring

53. The

people

of African

interior

began

to

_____ gold

in

exchange

for

the

goods they

needed

from abroad.

A)

desire

B)

afford

6-12

C)

offer

D)

receive