2011专四阅读理解

2021年2月8日发(作者：vogue是什么意思)

TEM-4

阅读理解

Unit 1

（

2000

）

TEXT A

Clearly if we are to participate in the society in which we live we must communicate with

other

people.

A

great

deal

of

communicating

is

performed

on

a

person-to-person

basis

by

the

simple means of speech. If we travel in buses, buy things in shops, or eat in restaurants, we are

likely

to

have

conversations

where

we

give

information

or opinions,

receive

news or

comment,

and very likely have our views challenged by other members of society.

Face-to-face contact is by no means the only form of communication and during the last two

hundred

years

the

art

of

mass

communication

has

become

one

of

the

dominating

factors

of

contemporary

society.

Two

things,

above

others,

have

caused

the

enormous

growth

of

the

communication

industry.

Firstly,

inventiveness

has

led

to

advances

in

printing,

telecommunications,

photography,

radio

and

television.

Secondly,

speed

has

revolutionised

the

transmission

and

reception

of

communications

so

that

local

news

often

takes

a

back

seat

to

national news, which itself is often almost eclipsed by international news.

No

longer

is

the

possession

of

information

confined

to

a

privileged

minority.

In

the

last

century

the

wealthy

man

with

his

own

library

was

indeed

fortunate,

but

today

there

are

public

libraries. Forty years ago people used to flock to the cinema, but now far more people sit at home

and turn on the TV to watch a programme that is being channelled into millions of homes.

Communication

is

no

longer

merely

concerned

with

the

transmission

of

information.

The

modem

communication

industry

influences

the

way

people

live

in

society

and

broadens

their

horizons

by

allowing

access

to

information,

education

and

entertainment.

The

printing,

broadcasting

and

advertising

industries

are

all

involved

with

informing,

educating

and

entertaining.

Although a great deal of the material communicated by the mass media is very valuable to

the individual and to the society of which he is a part, the vast modem network of communications

is open to abuse. However, the mass media are with us for better, for worse, and there is no turning

back.

66. In the first paragraph the writer emphasizes the ______of face- to-face contact in social

settings.

[A] nature

[B] limitation

[C] usefulness

[D] creativity

67. It is implied in the passage that ______.

[A] local news used to be the only source of information

[B] local news still takes a significant place

[C] national news is becoming more popular

[D] international news is the fastest transmitted news

68. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?

[A] To possess information used to be a privilege.

[B] Public libraries have replaced private libraries.

[C] Communication means more than transmission.

[D] Information influences ways of life and thinking.

1

69. From the last paragraph we can infer that the writer is ______.

[A] indifferent to the harmful influence of the mass media

[B] happy about the drastic changes in the mass media

[C] pessimistic about the future of the mass media

[D] concerned about the wrong use of the mass media

TEXT B

The men and women of Anglo-Saxon England normally bore one name only. Distinguishing

epithets were rarely added. These might be patronymic, descriptive or occupational. They were,

however,

hardly

surnames.

Heritable

names

gradually

became

general

in

the

three

centuries

following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It was not until the 13th and 14th centuries that surnames

became fixed, although for many years after that, the degree of stability in family names varied

considerably in different parts of the country.

British surnames fall mainly into four broad categories: patronymic, occupational, descriptive

and local. A few names, it is true, will remain puzzling: foreign names, perhaps, crudely translated,

adapted or abbreviated; or artificial names.

In fact, over fifty per cent of genuine British surnames derive from place names of different

kinds, and so they belong to the last of our four main categories. Even such a name as Simpson

may belong to this last group, and not to the first, had the family once had its home in the ancient

village of that name. Otherwise, Simpson means ―the son of Simon‖, as might be expected.

Hundreds of occupational surnames are at once familiar to us, or at least recognisable after a

little

thought:

Archer,

Carter,

Fisher,

Mason,

Thatcher,

Taylor,

to

name

but

a

few.

Hundreds

of

others are more obscure in their meanings and testify to the amazing specialisation in medieval

arts, crafts and functions. Such are ―Day‖, (Old English for breadmaker) and ―Walker‖ (a fuller

whose job it was to clean and thicken newly made cloth).

All these vocational names carry with them a certain gravity and dignity, which descriptive

names often lack. Some, it is true, like ―Long‖, ―Short‖ or ―Little‖, are simple. They may be taken

quite literally. Others require more thinking: their meanings are slightly different from the modern

ones. ―Black‖ and ―White‖ implied dark and fair respectively. ―Sharp‖ meant genuinely discerning,

alert, acute rather than quick-witted or clever.

Place-names have a lasting interest since there is hardly a town or village in all England that

has not at some time given its name to a family. They may be picturesque, even poetical; or they

may be pedestrian, even trivial. Among the commoner names which survive with relatively little

change from old-

English times are ―Milton‖(middle enclosure) and ―Hilton‖(enclosure on a hill).

70. Surnames are said to be ______ in Anglo-Saxon England.

[A] common

[B] vocational

[C] unusual

[D] descriptive

71.

We

learn

from

the

first

paragraph

______

for

many

years

after

the

13th

and

14th

centuries.

[A] family names became descriptive and occupational

[B] people in some areas still had no surnames

[C] some people kept changing their surnames

[D] all family names became fixed in England

72. ―Patronymic‖ in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to ―formed from‖______.

[A] the name of one’s father

[B] the family occupation

2

[C] one’s family home

[D] one’s family history

73. Which of the following sentences is an opinion rather than a fact?

[A] Hundreds of occupational names are at once familiar to us.

[B] ―Black‖ and ―White‖ implied ―dark‖ and ―fair‖ respectively.

[C] Vocational names carry with them a certain gravity and dignity.

[D] Every place in England has given its name to a family.

TEXT C

Since the early 1930s, Swiss banks had prided themselves on their system of banking secrecy

and numbered accounts. Over the years, they had successfully withstood every challenge to this

system by their own government who, in turn, had been frequently urged by foreign governments

to reveal information about the financial affairs to certain account holders. The result of this policy

of

secrecy

was

that

a

kind

of

mystique

had

grown

up

around

Swiss

banking.

There

was

a

widely-held

belief

that

Switzerland

was

irresistible

to

wealthy

foreigners,

mainly

because

of

its

numbered accounts and bankers’ reluctance to ask awkward questions of depositors. Contributing

to the mystique was the view, carefully propagated by the banks themselves, that if this secrecy

was ever given up, foreigners would fall over themselves in the rush to withdraw money, and the

Swiss banking system would virtually collapse overnight.

To

many,

therefore,

it

came

like

a

bolt

out

of

the

blue,

when,

in

1977,

the

Swiss

banks

announced they had signed a pact with the Swiss National Bank (the Central Bank). The aim of

the agreement was to prevent improper use of the country’s bank secrecy laws, and its effect was

to curb severely the system of secrecy.

The rules which the banks had agreed to observe made the opening of numbered accounts

subject to much closer scrutiny than before. The banks would be required, if necessary, to identify

the origin of foreign funds going into numbered and other accounts. The idea was to stop such

accounts being used for dubious purposes. Also they agreed not to accept funds resulting from tax

evasion or from crime.

The pact represented essentially a tightening up of banking rules. Although the banks agreed

to end relations with clients whose identities were unclear or who were performing improper acts,

they were still not obliged to inform on a client to anyone, including the Swiss government. To

some extent, therefore, the principle of secrecy had been maintained.

74. Swiss banks took pride in______.

[A] the number of their accounts

[B] withholding client information

[C] being mysterious to the outsiders

[D] attracting wealthy foreign clients

75.

According

to

the

passage,

the

widely-held

belief

that

Switzerland

was

irresistible

to

wealthy foreigners was ______by banks themselves.

[A] denied

[B] criticized

[C] reviewed

[D] defended

76. In the last paragraph, the writer thinks that ______.

[A] complete changes had been introduced into Swiss banks

[B] Swiss banks could no longer keep client information

[C] changes in the bank policies had been somewhat superficial

[D] more changes need to be considered and made

TEXT D

3

Coketown was a town of red brick, or of brick that would have been red if the smoke and the

ashes had allowed it; but as matters stood it was a town of unnatural red and black like the painted

face

of

a

savage.

It

was

a

town

of

machinery

and

tall

chimneys,

out

of

which

smoke

trailed

themselves for ever and ever. It had a black canal in it, and a river that ran purple with ill-smelling

dye, and vast piles of buildings full of windows where there was a rattling and a trembling all day

long, and where the piston of the steam-engine worked monotonously up and down like the head

of

an

elephant

in

a

state

of madness.

The

town

contained

several

large

streets

all

very

like

one

another, and many small streets still more like one another, inhabited by people equally like one

another.

A sunny midsummer day. There was such a thing sometimes, even in Coketown. Seen from a

distance in such weather, Coketown lay covered in a haze of its own. You only knew the town was

there, because you knew there could have been no such blotch upon the view without a town.

The

streets

were

hot

and dusty

on

the

summer

day,

and

the

sun

was

so

bright

that it

even

shone

through

the

haze

over

Coketown,

and

could

not

be

looked

at

steadily.

Workers

emerged

from low underground doorways into factory yards, and sat on posts and steps, wiping their faces

and contemplating coals. The whole town seemed to be frying in oil. There was a stifling smell of

hot

oil

everywhere.

The

atmosphere

of

those

places

was

like

the

breath

of

hell,

and

their

inhabitants

wasting

with

heat,

toiled

languidly

in

the

desert.

But

no

temperature

made

the

mad

elephants more mad or more sane. Their wearisome heads went up and down at the same rate, in

hot weather and in cold, wet weather and dry, fair weather and foul. The measured motion of their

shadows on the walls, was the substitute Coketown had to show for the shadows of rustling woods;

while for the summer hum of insects, it could offer all the year round, from the dawn of Monday

to the night of Saturday, the whirr of shafts and wheels.

77. Which of the following adjectives is NOT appropriate to describe Coketown?

[A] dull

[B] dirty

[C] noisy

[D] savage

78. From the passage we know that Coketown was mainly a (n) ______ town.

[A] industrial

[B] agricultural

[C] residential

[D] commercial

79. Only ______ were not affected by weather.

[A] the workmen

[B] the inhabitants

[C] the steam-engines

[D] the rustling woods

80. Which is the author’s opinion of Coketown?

[A] Coketown should be replaced by woods.

[B] The town was seriously polluted.

[C] The town had too much oil in it.

[D] The town’s atmosphere was traditional.

Unit 2

（

2001

）

The train clattered over points and passed through a station.

Then it began suddenly to slow down, presumably in obedience to a signal. For some minutes

it crawled along, then stopped; presently it began to move forward again. Another up-train passed

them,

though

with

less

vehemence

than

the

first

one.

The

train

gathered

speed

again.

At

that

moment

another

train,

also

on

a

down-line,

swerved

inwards

towards

them,

for

a

moment

with

4

almost alarming effect. For a time the two trains ran parallel, now, one gaining a little, now the

other. Mrs. McGillicuddy looked from her window through the window of the parallel carriages.

Most of the blinds were down, but occasionally the occupants of the carriages were visible. The

other train was not very full and there were many empty carriages.

At the moment when the two trains gave the illusion of being stationary, a blind in one of the

carriages flew up with a snap. Mrs. McGillicuddy looked into the lighted first-class carriage that

was only a few feet away.

Then she drew her breath in with a gasp and half-rose to her feet.

Standing with his back to the window and to her was a man. His hands were round the throat

of

a

woman

who

faced

him,

and

he

was

slowly,

remorselessly,

strangling

her.

Her

eyes

were

starting from their sockets, her face was purple. As Mrs. McGillicuddy watched, fascinated, the

end came; the body went limp and crumpled in the man

’

s hands.

At the same moment, Mrs. McGillicuddy

’

s train slowed down again and the other began to

gain speed. It passed forward and a moment or two later it had vanished from sight.

Almost

automatically

Mrs.

McGillicuddy’s

hand

went

up

to

the

communication

cord,

then

paused, irresolute. After all, what use would it be ringing the cord of the train in which she was

travelling? The horror of what she had seen at such close quarters, and the unusual circumstances,

made her feel paralysed. Some immediate action was necessary

—

but what?

The door of her compartment was drawn back and a ticket collector said,

“

Ticket, please.

”

66.

When Mrs. McGuillicuddy

’

s train passed through a station, it______.

[A] gained speed suddenly

[B] kept its usual speed

[C] changed its speed

[D] stopped immediately

67.

Mrs. McGuillicuddy seems to be a (an) ___ person.

[A] observant

[B] interested

[C] nosy

[D] nervous

68.

What she saw in the parallel train made her feel______.

[A] excited

[B] anxious

[C] worried

[D] horrified

69.

She didn

’

t ring the communication cord immediately because______.

[A] she was very much afraid

[B] there was no point of doing so

[C] she was too shocked to move

[D] the ticket collector came in

TEXT B

I

am

one

of

the

many

city

people

who

are

always

saying

that

given

the

choice

we

would

prefer

to

live

in

the

country

away

from

the

dirt

and

noise

of

a

large

city.

I

have

managed

to

convince myself that if it weren’t for my job I would immediately head o

ut for the open spaces

and go back to nature in some sleepy village buried in the county. But how realistic is the dream?

Cities can be frightening places. The majority of the population live in massive tower blocks,

noisy, dirty and impersonal. The sense of belonging to a community tends to disappear when you

live fifteen floors up. All you can see from your window is sky, or other blocks of fiats. Children

become aggressive and nervous - cooped up at home all day, with nowhere to play; their mothers

feel isolated from the rest of the world. Strangely enough, whereas in the past the inhabitants of

one street all knew each other, nowadays people on the same floor in tower blocks don

’

t even say

hello to each other.

Country life, on the other hand, differs from this kind of isolated existence in that a sense of

community generally binds the inhabitants of small villages together. People have the advantage

5

of

knowing

that

there

is

always

someone

to

turn

to

when

they

need

help.

But

country

life

has

disadvantages too. While it is true that you may be among friends in a village, it is also true that

you

are

cut

off

from

the

exciting

and

important

events

that

take

place

in

cities.

There’s

lit

tle

possibility of going to a new show or the latest movie. Shopping becomes a major problem, and

for anything slightly out of the ordinary you have to goon an expedition to the nearest large town.

The city- dweller who leaves for the country is often oppressed by a sense of unbearable stillness

and quiet.

What, then, is the answer? The country has the advantage of peace and quiet, but suffers from

the disadvantage of being cut off: the city breeds a feeling of isolation, and constant noise batters

the

senses.

But

one

of

its

main

advantages

is

that

you

are

at

the

centre

of

things,

and

that

life

doesn’t come to an end at half

-past nine at night. Some people have found (or rather bought) a

compromise between the two: they have expressed their preference for the

―quiet life‖ by leaving

the suburbs and moving to villages within commuting distance of large cities. They generally have

about as much sensitivity as the plastic flowers they leave behind

—

they are polluted with strange

ideas about change and improvement which they force on to the unwilling original inhabitants of

the villages.

What then of my dreams of leaning on a cottage gate and murmuring ―morning‖ to the locals

as they pass by. I’m keen on the idea, but you see there’s my cat, Toby. I’m not at all sur

e that he

would take to all that fresh air and exercise in the long grass. I mean, can you see him mixing with

all those hearty males down the farm? No, he would rather have the electric imitation-coal fire any

evening.

70.

We get the impression from the first paragraph that the author______.

[A] used to live in the country

[B] used to work in the city

[C] works in the city

[D] lives in the country

71.

In

the

author

’

s

opinion,

the

following

may

cause

city

people

to

be

unhappy

EXCEPT______.

[A] a strong sense of fear

[B] lack of communication

[C] housing conditions

[D] a sense of isolation

72.

The

passage

implies

that

it

is

easy

to

buy

’

the

following

things

in

the

country

EXCEPT___

[A] daily necessities

[B] fresh fruits [C] designer clothes

[D] fresh vegetables

73.

According to the passage, which of the following adjectives best describes those people

who work in large cities and live in villages?

[A] Original.

[B] Quiet.

[C] Arrogant.

[D] Insensitive.

74.

Do you think the author will move to the country?

[A] Yes, he will do so.

[B] No, he will not do so.

[C] It is difficult to tell.

[D] He is in two minds.

TEXT C

Traditionally, the woman has held a low position in marriage partnerships. While her husband

went his way, she had to wash, stitch and sew. Today the move is to liberate the woman, which

may in the end strengthen the marriage union.

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to friendship in marriage is the amount a couple usually see of

each other. Friendship in its usual sense is not tested by the strain of daily, year-long cohabitation.

6

Couples need to take up separate interests (and friendship) as well as mutually shared ones, if they

are not to get used to the more attractive elements of each other

’

s personalities.

Married couples are likely to exert themselves for guests - being amusing, discussing with

passion and point

—

and then to fall into dull exhausted silence when the guests have gone.

As

in

all

friendship,

a

husband

and

wife

must

try

to

interest

each

other,

and

to

spend

sufficient time sharing absorbing activities to give them continuing common interests. But at the

same time they must spend enough time on separate interests with separate people to preserve and

develop their separate personalities and keep their relationship fresh.

For too many highly intelligent working women, home represents chore obligations, because

the husband only tolerates her work and does not participate in household chores. For too many

highly

intelligent

working

men,

home

represents

dullness

and

complaints

-

from

an

over- dependent wife who will not gather courage to make her own life.

In

such

an

atmosphere,

the

partners

grow

further

and

further

apart,

both

love

and

liking

disappearing. For too many couples with children, the children are allowed to command all time

and

attention,

allowing

the

couple

no

time

to

develop

liking

and

friendship,

as

well

as

love,

allotting them exclusive parental roles.

75.

According to the passage, which of the following statements is CORRECT?

[A] Friendship in marriage means daily, year-long cohabitation.

[B] Friendship can be kept fresh by both separate and shared interests.

[C] Friendship in marriage is based on developing similar interests.

[D] Friendship in marriage is based on developing separate interest.

76.

The passage suggests that married couples become______.

[A] unfriendly with guests

[B] uninterested in guests

[C] hostile when guests have left

[D] quiet when guest have left

77.

The passage seems to indicate at the end that children______.

[A] help couples reinforce their friendship

[B] make no impact on the quality of friendship

[C] may pose obstacles in marital friendship

[D] command less time and care than expected

TEXT D

Sending a child to school in England is a step which many parents do not find easy to take. In

theory, at least, the problem is that there are very many choices to make. Let us try to list some of

the

alternatives

between

which

parents

are

forced

to

decide.

To

begin

with,

they

may

ask

themselves whether

they would like their child

to go to a single-sex school or a co-educational

school.

They

may

also

consider

whether

he

should

go

to

a

school

which

is

connected

to

a

particular church or religious group, or whether the school should have no such connections.

Another decision is Whether the school should be one of the vast majority financed by the

State or one of the very small but influential minority of private schools, though this choice is, of

course, only available to the small number of those who can pay. Also connected with the question

of money is whether the child should go to a boarding school or live at home. Then there is the

question

of

what

the

child

should

do

at

school.

Should

it

be

a

school

whose

curriculum

lays

emphasis,

for

instance,

on

necessary

skills,

such

as

reading,

writing

and

mathematics,

or

one

which pays more attention to developing the child’s personality, morally, emotionally and socially.

7

Finally,

with

dissatisfaction

with

conventional

education

as

great

as

it

is

in

some

circles

in

England

and

certainly

in

the

USA,

the

question

might

even

arise

in

the

parents’

minds

as

to

whether the child should be compelled to go to school at all. Although in practice, some parents

may not think twice about any of these choices and send their child to the only school available in

the immediate neighbourhood, any parent who is interested enough can insist that as many choices

as possible be made open to him, and the system is theoretically supposed to provide them.

78.

Parents find choosing a school hard because______.

[A] there is a limited number of choices

[B] some schools are very expensive

[C] some schools are government schools

[D] they are faced with a variety of offers

79.

According

to

the

passage,

some

parents,

if

allowed,

might

let

their

children

stay

at

home because they______.

[A] don

’

t find conventional education satisfactory

[B] don

’

t know how to choose among different schools

[C] intend to educate their children themselves

[D] find conventional education too expensive to pay for

80.

What is implied at the very end of the passage ?

[A] Most parents are unconcerned about the choices available to them.

[B] Interested parents can request more school choices be open to them.

[C] The educational system may not provide as many choices as expected.

[D] Most parents usually send their children to the schools nearby.

Unit 3

（

2002

）

TEXT A

Many of the home electric goods which are advertised as liberating the modern woman tend

to have the opposite effect, because they simple change the nature of work instead of eliminating

it.

Machines have a certain novelty value, like toys for adults.

It

is

certainly

less

tiring

to

put

clothes

in

a

washing

machine,

but

the

time

saved

does

not

really amount to much: the machine has to be watched, the clothes have to be carefully sorted out

first,

stains

removed

by

hand,

buttons

pushed

and

water

changed,

clothes

taken

out,

aired

and

ironed.

It would be more liberating to pack it all off to a laundry and not necessarily more expensive,

since no capital investment is required.

Similarly, if you really want to save time you do not make cakes with an electric mixer, you

buy one in a shop.

If

one compares the image of the woman in the women’s magazine with the goods advertised

by those periodicals, one realizes how useful a projected image can be commercially.

A careful balance has to be struck: if you show a labour-saving device, follow it up with a

complicated’

recipe

on

the next

page;

on

no

account hint

at

the

notion

that

a

woman

could

get

herself a job, but instead foster her sense of her own usefulness, emphasizing the creative aspect of

8

her function as a housewife.

So

we get

cake

mixes

where

the

cook

simply

adds

an egg

herself,

to

produce

―that

lovely

homo-

baked flavour the family love‖, and knitting patterns that can be made by hand, or worse

still,

on

knitting

machines,

which

became

tremendously

fashionable

when

they

were

first

introduced.

Automatic cookers are advertised by pictures of pretty young mothers taking their children to

the park, not by professional women presetting the dinner before leaving home for work.

66.

According

to

the

passage,

many

of

the

home

electric

goods

which

are

supposed

to

liberate woman______.

[A] remove unpleasant aspects of housework

[B] save the housewife very little time

[C] save the housewife

’

s time but not her money

[D] have absolutely no value for the housewife

67. According to the context,

“

capital investment

”

refers to money______.

[A] spent on a washing machine

[B] borrowed from the bank

[C] saved in the bank

[D] lent to other people

68.

The goods advertised in women

’

s magazines are really meant to ______.

[A] free housewives from housework

[B] encourage housewives to go out to work

[C] make housewives into excellent cooks

[D] give them a false sense of fulfillment

TEXT B

The ―standard of living‖ of any country means the average person’s share of

the goods and

services which the country produces. A country’s standard of living, therefore, depends first and

foremost on its capacity to produce wealth. ―Wealth‖ in this sense

is not money, for we do not live

on money but on things that money can buy:

“

goods

”

such as food and clothing, and

< br>“

services

”

such as transport and entertainment.

A country’s capacity to produce wealth depends upon many factors, most of

which have an

effect on one another. Wealth depends to a great extent upon a country’s natural resources,

such as

coal,

gold,

and

other

minerals,

water

supply

and

so

on.

Some

regions

of

the

world

are

well

supplied

with

coal

and

minerals,

and

have

a

fertile

soil

and

a

favourable climate;

other

regions

possess none of them.

Next to natural resources comes the ability to turn them to use. Some countries are perhaps

well off in natural resources, but suffered for many years from civil and external wars, and for this

and

other

reasons

have

been

unable

to

develop

their

resources.

Sound

and

stable

political

conditions, and freedom from foreign invasion, enable a country to develop its natural resources

peacefully and steadily, and to produce more wealth than another country equally well served by

nature

but

less

well

ordered.

Another

important

factor

is

the

technical

efficiency

of

a

country

’

s

people.

Industrialized

countries

that

have

trained

numerous

skilled

workers

and

technicians

are

better placed to produce wealth than countries whose workers are largely unskilled.

A

country’s

standard

of

living

does

not

only

depen

d

upon

the

wealth

that

is

produced

and

9

consumed within its own borders, but also upon what is indirectly produced through international

trade. For example, Britain’s wealth in foodstuffs and other agricultural products would be much

less if she had to depend only on those grown at home. Trade makes it possible for her surplus

manufactured

goods

to

be

traded

abroad

for

the

agricultural

products

that

would

otherwise

be

lacking. A country’s wealth is, there

fore, much influenced by its manufacturing capacity, provided

that other countries can be found ready to accept its manufactures.

69.

The standard of living in a country is determined by ______.

[A] its goods and services

[B] the type of wealth produced

[C] how well it can create wealth

[D] what an ordinary person can share

70.

A country

’

s capacity to produce wealth depends on all the factors EXCEPT ______.

[A] people

’

s share of its goods

[B] political and social stability

[C] qualities of its workers

[D] use of natural resources

71. According to the passage, ___ play an equally important role in determining a country

’

s

standard of living.

[A] farm products

[B] industrial .goods

[C] foodstuffs

[D] export and import

TEXT C

How we look and how we appear to others probably worries us more when are in our teens or

early twenties than at any other time in our life. Few of us are content to accept ourselves as we

are, and few are brave enough to ignore the trends of fashion.

Most fashion magazines or TV advertisements try to persuade us that we should dress in a

certain

way

or

behave

in

a certain

manner.

If

we

do,

they

tell

us,

we

will

be

able

to

meet

new

people

with

confidence

and

deal

with

every

situation

confidently

and

without

embarrassment.

Changing fashion, of course, does not apply just to dress. A barber

today does not cut a boy’s hair

in the same way as he used to, and girls do not make up in the same way as their mothers and

grandmothers

did.

The

advertisers

show

us

the

latest

fashionable

styles

and

we

are

constantly

under pressure to follow the fashion in case our friends think we are odd or dull.

What

causes

fashions

to

change?

Sometimes

convenience

or

practical

necessity

or

just

the

fancy

of

an

influential

person

can

establish

a

fashion. Take

hats,

for

example.

In

cold

climates,

early buildings were cold inside, so people wore hats indoors as well as outside. In recent times,

the late President Kennedy caused a depression in the American hat industry by not wearing hats:

more American men followed his example.

There is also a cyclical pattern in fashion. In the 1920s in Europe and America, short skirts

became fashionable. After World War Two, they dropped to ankle length. Then they got shorter

and shorter the miniskirt was in fashion. After a few more years, skirts became longer again.

Today, society is much freer and easier than it used to be. It is no longer necessary to dress

like

everyone

else.

Within

reason,

you

can

dress

as

you

like

or

do

your

hair

the

way

you

like

instead of the way you should because it is the fashion. The popularity of jeans and the

“

untidy

”

look seems to be a reaction against the increasingly expensive fashion of the top fashion houses.

At

the

same

time,

appearance

is

still

important

in

certain

circumstances

and

then

we

must

choose

our

clothes

carefully.

It

would

be

foolish

to

go

to

an

interview

for

a

job

in

a

law

firm

wearing

jeans

and

a

sweater;

and

it

would

be

discourteous

to

visit

some

distinguished

scholar

looking as if we were going to the beach or a night club. However, you need never feel depressed

10

if you don

’

t look like the latest fashion photo. Look around you and you

’

ll see that no one else

does either!

72.

The author thinks that people are ______.

[A] satisfied with their appearance

[B] concerned about appearance in old age

[C] far from neglecting what is in fashion

[D] reluctant to follow the trends in fashion

73.

Fashion magazines and TV advertisements seem to link fashion to______.

[A] confidence in life

[B] personal dress

[C] individual hair style

[D] personal future

74.

Causes of fashions are ______.

[A] uniform

[B] varied

[C] unknown

[D] inexplicable.

75.

Present-day society is much freer and easier because it emphasizes______.

[A] uniformity

[B] formality

[C] informality

[D] individuality

76.

Which is the main idea of the last paragraph?

[A] Care about appearance in formal situations.

[B] Fashion in formal and informal situations.

[C] Ignoring appearance in informal situations.

[D] Ignoring appearance in all situations.

TEXT D

Massive changes in all of the world

’

s deeply cherished sporting habits are underway. Whether

it

’

s

one

of

London

’

s parks

full

of

people

playing

softball,

and Russians

taking

up

rugby,

or

the

Superbowl

rivaling

the

British

Football

Cup

Final

as

a

televised

spectator

event

in

Britain,

the

patterns

of

players

and

spectators

are

changing

beyond

recognition.

We

are

witnessing

a

globalization of our sporting culture.

That annual bicycle race, the Tour de France,

much loved by the

French is a good case in

point. Just a few years back it was a strictly continental affair with France, Belgium and Holland,

Spain

and

Italy

taking

part.

But

in

recent

years

it

has

been

dominated

by

Colombian

mountain

climbers, and American and Irish riders.

The people who really matter welcome the shift toward globalization. Peugeot, Michelin and

Panasonic are multi- national corporations that want worldwide returns for the millions they invest

in

teams.

So

it

does

them

literally

a

world

of

good

to

see

this

unofficial

world

championship

become just that.

This is undoubtedly an economic- based revolution we are witnessing here, one made possible

by communications technology, but made to happen because of marketing considerations. Sell the

game and you can sell Cola or Budweiser as well.

The skilful way in which American football has been sold to Europe is a good example of

how all sports will develop. The aim of course is not really to spread the sport for its own sake, but

to increase the number of people interested in the major money-making events. The economics of

the

Superbowl

are

already

astronomical.

With

seats

at

US

$$

125,

gate

receipts

alone

were

a

staggering $$ 10,000,000. The most important statistic of the day, however, was the $$ 100,000,000

in TV advertising fees. Imagine how much that becomes when the eyes of the world are watching.

So it came as a terrible shock, but not really as a surprise, to learn that some people are now

11

suggesting

that

soccer

change

from

being

a

game

of

two

45-minute

halves,

to

one

of

four

25-minute quarters. The idea is unashamedly to capture more advertising revenue, without giving

any thought for the integrity of a sport which relies for its essence on the flowing nature of the

action.

Moreover, as sports expand into world markets, and as our choice of sports as consumers also

grows,

so

we

will

demand

to

see

them

played

at

a

higher

and

higher

level.

In

boxing

we

have

already seen numerous, dubious world title categories because people will not pay to see anything

less

than

a

―World

Tide‖

fight,

and

this

means

that

the

title

fights

have

to

be

held

in

different

countries around the world!

77.

Globalization of sporting culture means that ______.

[A] more people are taking up sports.

[B] traditional sports are getting popular.

[C] many local sports are becoming international

[D] foreigners are more interested in local sports

78.

Which of the following is NOT related to the massive changes?

[A] Good economic returns.

[B] Revival of sports

[C] Communications technology.

[D] Marketing strategies.

79.

What is the author

’

s attitude towards the suggestion to change soccer into one of four

25-minute quarters?

[A] Favourable.

[B] Unclear.

[C] Reserved.

[D] Critical.

80.

People want to see higher-level sports competitions mainly because______.

[A] they become more professional than ever.

[B] they regard sports as consumer goods.

[C] there exist few world-class championships

[D] sports events are exciting and stimulating

Unit 4

（

2003

）

TEXT A

The way in which people use social space reflects their social relationships and their ethnic

identity. Early immigrants to America from Europe brought with them a collective style of living,

which they retained until late in the 18th century. Historical records document a group-oriented

existence, in which one room was used for eating, entertaining guests, and sleeping. People ate

soups

from

a

communal

pot,

shared

drinking

cups,

and

used

a

common

pit

toilet.

With

the

development of ideas about individualism, people soon began to shift to the use of individual cups

and plates; the eating of meals that included meat, bread, and vegetables served on separate plates;

and the use of private toilets. They began to build their houses with separate rooms to entertain

guests-living rooms, separate bedrooms for sleeping, separate work areas- kitchen, laundry room,

and separate bathrooms.

In Mexico, the meaning and organization of domestic space is strikingly different. Houses are

organized around a patio, or courtyard. Rooms open onto the patio, where all kinds of domestic

activities take place. Individuals to not have separate bedrooms. Children often sleep with parents,

and

brothers

or

sisters

share

a

bed,

emphasizing

familial

interdependence.

Rooms

in

Mexican

12

houses

are

locations

for

multiple

activities

that,

in

contrast,

are

rigidly

separated

in

the

United

States.

66.

Changes

in

living

styles

among

early

immigrants

were

initially

brought

about

by

________.

[A] rising living standards

[B] new concepts

[C] new customs

[D] new designs of houses

67. Which of the following is NOT discussed in the passage?

[A] Their concepts of domestic space.

[B] Their social relationships.

[C] The functions of their rooms.

[D] The layout of their houses.

TEXT B

There

are

superstitions

attached

to

numbers;

even

those

ancient

Greeks

believed

that

all

numbers

and

their

multiples

had

some

mystical

significance.

Those

numbers

between

1

and

13

were in particular to have a powerful influence over the affairs of men.

For

example,

it

is

commonly

said

that

luck,

good

or

bad,

comes

in

threes;

if

an

accident

happens, two more of the same kind may be expected soon afterwards. The arrival of a letter will

be followed by two others within a certain period.

Another belief

involving

the

number

three

has

it

that

it

is

unlucky

to

light

three

cigarettes

from the one match. If this happens, the bad luck that goes with the deed falls upon the person

whose cigarette was the last to be lit. The ill-omen linked to the lighting of three things from one

match or candle goes back to at least the 17th century and probably earlier. It was believed that

three

candles

alight

at

the

same

time

would

be

sure

to

bring

bad

luck;

one,

two,

or

four,

were

permissible, but never just three.

Seven

was

another

significant

number,

usually

regarded

as

a

bringer

of

good

luck.

The

ancient

astrologers

believed

that

the

universe

was

governed

by

seven

planets;

students

of

Shakespeare will recall that the life of man was divided into seven ages. Seven horseshoes nailed

to a house will protect it from all evil.

Nine is usually thought of as a lucky number because it is the product of three times three. It

was much used by the Anglo Saxons in their charms for healing.

Another

belief

was

that

great

changes

occurred

every

7th

and

9th

of

a

man

’

s

life.

Consequently, the age of 63 (the product of nine and seven) was thought to be a very perilous time

for him. If he survived his 63rd year he might hope to live to a ripe old age.

Thirteen, as we well know, is regarded with great awe and fear.

The common belief is that this derives from the fact that there were 13 people at Christ

’

s Last

Supper. This being the eve of his betrayal, it is not difficult to understand the significance given to

the number by the early Christians.

In

more

modern

times

13

is

an

especially

unlucky

number

of

a

dinner

party,

for

example.

Hotels will avoid numbering a floor the 13th; the progression is from 12 to 14, and no room is

given the number 13. Many home owners will use 12 1/2 instead of 13 as their house number.

Yet oddly enough, to be born on the 13th of the month is not regarded with any fear at all,

which just shows how irrational we are in our superstitious beliefs.

68. According to the passage, which of the following groups of numbers will certainly bring

good luck to people?

[A] 3 and 7

[B] 3 and 9

[C] 7 and 9

[D] 3 and 13

13

69. The ill luck associated with 13 is supposed to have its origin in ________.

[A] legend

[B] religion

[C] popular belief

[D] certain customs

70. What is the author

’

s attitude towards people

’

s superstitious beliefs?

[A] He is mildly critical.

[B] He is strongly critical.

[C] He is in favour of them.

[D] His attitude is not clear.

TEXT C

Women’s minds work differently from men’s. At least, that is what most men are convinced

of. Psychologists view the subject either as a matter or frustration or a joke. Now the biologists

have

moved

into

this

minefield,

and

some

of

them

have

found

that

there

are

real

differences

between

the

brains

of

men and

women.

But

being

different,

they

point

out

hurriedly,

is

not

the

same as being better or worse.

There

is,

however,

a

definite

structural

variation

between

the

male

and

female

brain.

The

difference is in a part of the brain that is used in the most complex intellectual processes-the link

between the two halves of the brain.

The two halves are linked by a trunkline of between 200 and 300 million nerves, the corpus

callosum. Scientists have found quite recently that the corpus callosum in women is always larger

and

probably

richer

in

nerve

fibres

than

it

is

in

men.

This

is

the

first

time

that

a

structural

difference

has

been

found

between

the

brains

of

women

and

men

and

it

must

have

some

significance.

The

question

is

―What?‖,

and,

if

this

difference

exists,

are

there

others?

Research

shows

that

present-day

women

think

differently

and

behave

differently

from

men.

Are

some

of

these differences biological and inborn, a result of evolution? We tend to think that is the influence

of society that produces these differences. But could we be wrong?

Research

showed

that

these

two

halves

of

the

brain

had

different

functions,

and

that

the

corpus

callosum

enabled

them

to

work

together.

For

most

people,

the

left

half

is

used

for

wordhanding, analytical and logical activities; the right half works on pictures, patterns and forms.

We need both halves working together. And the better the connections, the more harmoniously the

two halves work. And, according to research findings, women have the better connections.

But it isn

’

t all that easy to explain the actual differences between skills of men and women on

this basis. In schools throughout the world girls tend to be better than boys at

“

language subjects

”

and boys better at maths and physics. If these differences correspond with the differences in the

hemispheric trunkline, there is an unalterable distinction between the sexes.

We

shan

’

t

know

for

a

while,

partly

because

we

don

’

t

know

of

any

precise

relationship

between

abilities

in

school

subject

and

the

functioning

of

the

two

halves

of

the

brain,

and

we

cannot understand how the two halves interact via the corpus callosum. But this striking difference

must have some effect and, because the difference is in the parts of the brain involved in intellect,

we should be looking for differences in intellectual processing.

71. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

[A] Biologists are conducting research where psychologists have given up.

[B] Brain differences point to superiority of one sex over the other.

[C] Results of scientific research fail to support popular belief.

[D] The structural difference in the brain between the sexes has long been known.

72. According

to

the passage

it

is

commonly

believed

that

brain differences

are

caused

by

____ factors.

14

[A] biological

[B] psychological

[C] physical

[D] social

73.

“

these differences

”

in paragraph 5 refer to those in ________.

[A] skills of men and women

[B] school subjects

[C] the brain structure of men and women

[D] activities carried out by the brain

74. At the end of the passage the author proposes more work on ________.

[A] the brain structure as a whole

[B] the functioning of part of the brain

[C] the distinction between the sexes

[D] the effects of the corpus callosum

75. What is the main purpose of the passage?

[A] To outline the research findings on the brain structure.

[B] To explain the link between sex and brain structure.

[C] To discuss the various factors that cause brain differences.

[D] To suggest new areas in brain research.

TEXT D

Information is the primary commodity in more and more industries today.

By 2005, 83% of American management personnel will be knowledge workers. Europe and

Japan are not far behind.

By

2005,

half

of

all

knowledge

workers

(22%

of

the

labour

force)

will

choose

“

flextime,

flexplace

”

arrange ments, which allow them to work at home, communicating with the office via

computer networks.

In the United States, the so-

called ―digital divide‖

seems to be disappearing. In early 2000, a

poll

found,

that,

where

half

of

white

households

owned

computers,

so

did

fully

43%

of

African-American

households,

and

their

numbers

were

growing

rapidly.

Hispanic

households

continued to lag behind, but their rate of computer ownership was expanding as well.

Company-owned

and

industry-wide

television

networks

are

bringing

programming

to

thousands

of

locations.

Business

TV

is

becoming

big

business.

Computer

competence

will

approach 100% in US urban areas by the year 2005, with Europe and Japan not far behind.

80%

of

US

homes

will

have

computers

in

2005,

compared

with

roughly

50%

now.

In

the

United States, 5 of the 10 fastest- growing careers between now and 2005 will be computer related.

Demand for programmers and systems analysts will grow by 70%. The same trend is accelerating

in Europe, Japan, and India.

By 2005, nearly all college texts and many high school and junior high books will be tied to

Internet

sites

that

provide

source

material,

study

exercises,

and

relevant

news

articles

to

aid

in

learning. Others will come with CD-ROMs that offer similar resources.

Internet links will provide access to the card catalogues of all the major libraries in the world

by 2005. It will be possible to call up on a PC screen millions of volumes from distant libraries.

Web

sites

enhance

books

by

providing

pictures,

sound,

film

clips,

and

flexible,

indexing

and

search utilities.

Implications: Anyone with access to the Internet will be able to achieve the education needed

to build a productive life in an increasingly high-tech world. Computer learning may even reduce

the

growing

American

prison

population.

Knowledge

workers

are

generally

better

paid

than

less- skilled workers. Their wealth is raising overall prosperity.

Even entry-level workers and those in formerly unskilled positions require a growing level of

education.

For

a

good

career

in

almost

any

field,

computer

competence

is

a

must.

This

is

one

15

major trend raising the level of education required for a productive role in today

’

s work force. For

many workers, the opportunity for training is becoming one of the most desirable benefits any job

can offer.

76.

Information

technology

is

expected

to

have

impact

on

all

the

following

EXCEPT

________.

[A] American management personnel

[B] European management personnel

[C] American people’s choice of career

[D] traditional practice at work

77.

“

digital divide

”

in the 4th paragraph refers to ________.

[A] the gap in terms of computer ownership

[B] the tendency of computer ownership

[C] the dividing line based on digits

[D] the ethnic distinction among American households

78. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT according to the passage?

[A] By 2005 all college and school study materials will turn electronic.

[B] By 2005 printed college and school study materials will be supplemented with electronic

material.

[C] By 2005 some college and school study materials will be accompanied by CD-ROMs.

[D] By 2005 Internet links make worldwide library search a possibility.

79. Which of the following areas is NOT discussed in the passage?

[A] Future careers.

[B] Nature of future work.

[C] Ethnic differences.

[D] Schools and libraries.

80.

At

the

end

of

the

passage,

the

author

seems

to

emphasize

____

in

an

increasingly

high-tech world.

[A] the variety of education

[B] the content of education

[C] the need for education

[D] the function of education

Unit 5

（

2004

）

TEXT A

It

often

happens

that

a

number

of

applicants

with

almost

identical

qualifications

and

experience

all

apply

for

the

same

position.

In

their

educational

background,

special

skills

and

work experience, there is little, if anything, to choose between half a dozen candidates. How then

does the employer make a choice? Usually on the basis of an interview. There are many arguments

for

and

against

the

interview

as

a

selection

procedure.

The

main

argument

against

it

is

that

it

results

in

a

wholly

subjective

decision.

As

often

as

not,

employers

do

not

choose

the

best

candidate, they choose the candidate who makes a good first impression on them. Some employers,

of course, reply to this argument by saying that they have become so experienced in interviewing

staff that they are able to make a sound assessment of each candidate

’

s likely performance. The

main

argument

in

favour

of

the

interview

—

and

it

is,

perhaps,

a

good

argument

—

is

that

an

employer

is

concerned

not

only

with

a

candidate’s

ability,

but

with

the

suitability

of

his

or

her

personality

for

the

particular

work

situation.

Many

employers,

for

example,

will

overlook

occasional inefficiencies from their secretary provided she has a pleasant personality.

16

It is perhaps true to say, therefore, that the real purpose of an interview is not to assess the

assessable aspects of each candidate but to make a guess at the more intangible things, such as

personality, character and social ability. Unfortunately, both for the employers and applicants for

jobs, there are many people of great ability who simply do not interview well. There are also, of

course,

people

who

interview

extremely

well,

but

are

later

found

to

be

very

unsatisfactory

employees.

Candidates

who

interview

well

tend

to

be

quietly

confident,

but

never

boastful;

direct

and

straightforward in their questions and answers; cheerful and friendly, but never over- familiar; and

sincerely enthusiastic and optimistic. Candidates who interview badly tend to be at either end of

the spectrum of human behaviour. They are either very shy or over-confident. They show either a

lack of enthusiasm or an excess of it. They either talk too little or never stop talking. They are

either over-polite or rudely abrupt.

66. We can infer from the passage that an employer might tolerate his secretary

’

s occasional

mistakes, if the latter is ________

[A] direct

[B] cheerful

[C] shy

[D] capable

67.

What is the author’s attitude towards the interview as a selection procedure?

[A] Unclear.

[B] Negative.

[C] Objective.

[D] Indifferent.

68. According to the passage, people argue over the interview as a selection procedure mainly

because they have ________.

[A] different selection procedures

[B] different purposes in the interview

[C] different standards for competence

[D] different experiences in interviews

69. The purpose of the last paragraph is to indicate ________.

[A] a link between success in interview and personality

[B] connections between work abilities and personality

[C] differences in interview experience

[D] differences in personal behaviour

TEXT B

Every

year

thousands

of

people

are

arrested

and

taken

to

court

for

shop-lifting.

In

Britain

alone, about HK $$

3,000,000’s worth of goods are stolen from shops every week. This amounts to

something like HK $$ 150 million a year, and represents about 4 per cent of the shops

’

total stock.

As a result of this

“

shrinkage

”

as the shops call it, the honest public has to pay higher prices.

Shop-lifters

can

be

divided

into

three

main

categories:

the

professionals,

the

deliberate

amateur, and the people who just can’t help themselves. The professionals do not pose much of a

problem for the store detectives, who, assisted by closed circuit television, two-way mirrors and

various other technological devices, can usually cope with them. The professionals tend to go for

high value goods in parts of the shops where security measures are tightest. And, in any case, they

account for only a small percentage of the total losses due to shop-lifting.

The

same

applies

to

the

deliberate

amateur

who

is,

so

to

speak,

a

professional

in

training.

Most of them get caught sooner or later, and they are dealt with severely by the courts.

The

real

problem

is

the

person

who

gives

way

to

a

sudden

temptation

and

is

in

all

other

respects

an

honest

and

law- abiding

citizen.

Contrary

to

what

one

would

expect,

this

kind

of

shop-lifter is rarely poor. He does not steal because he needs the goods and cannot afford to pay

for them. He steals because he simply cannot stop himself. And there are

countless others who,

17

because of age, sickness or plain absent-mindedness, simply forget to pay for what they take from

the

shops.

When

caught,

all

are

liable

to

prosecution,

and

the

decision

whether

to

send

for

the

police or not is in the hands of the store manager.

In order to prevent the quite incredible growth in ship-lifting offences, some stores, in fact,

are doing their best to separate the thieves from the confused by prohibiting customers from taking

bags into the store. However, what is most worrying about the whole problem is, perhaps, that it is

yet another instance of the innocent majority being penalized and inconvenienced because of the

actions

of

a

small

minority.

It

is

the

aircraft

hijack

situation

in

another

form.

Because

of

the

possibility

of

one

passenger

in

a

million

boarding

an

aircraft

with

a

weapon,

the

other

999,999

passengers

must

subject

themselves

to

searches

and

delays.

Unless

the

situation

in

the

shops

improves, in ten years’ time we may all have to subject ourselves to a body

-search every time we

go into a store to buy a tin of beans!

70. Why does the honest public have to pay higher prices when they go to the shops?

[A] There is a

“

shrinkage

”

in market values.

[B] Many goods are not available.

[C] Goods in many shops lack variety.

[D] There are many cases of shop- lifting.

71. The third group of people steal things because they ________

[A] are mentally ill.

[B] are quite absent- minded.

[C] can not resist the temptation.

[D] can not afford to pay for goods.

72. According to the passage, law-abiding citizens ________.

[A] can possibly steal things because of their poverty

[B] can possibly take away goods without paying

[C] have never stolen goods from the supermarkets

[D] are difficult to be caught when they steal things

73. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the main types of shop-lifting?

[A] A big percentage of the total losses are caused by the professionals.

[B] The deliberate amateurs will be punished severely if they get caught.

[C] People would expect that those who can

’

t help themselves are poor.

[D] The professionals don

’

t cause a lot of trouble to the store detectives.

74. The aircraft hijack situation is used in order to show that ________.

[A]

“

the professionals do not pose much of a problem for the stores

”

[B] some people

“

simply forget to pay for what they take from the shops

”

[C]

“

the honest public has to pay higher prices

”

[D] the third type of shop-lifters are dangerous people

TEXT C

My bones have been aching again, as they often do in humid weather. They ache like history:

things long done with, that still remain as pain. When the ache is bad enough it keeps me from

sleeping. Every night I yearn for sleep, I strive for it; yet it flutters on ahead of me like a curtain.

There are sleeping pills, of course, but the doctor has warned me against them.

Last night, after what seemed hours of damp turmoil, I got up and crept slipperless down the

stairs, feeling my way in the faint street light that came through the window. Once safely arrived at

the

bottom,

I

walked

into

the

kitchen

and

looked

around

in

the

refrigerator.

There

was

nothing

much I wanted to eat: the remains of a bunch of celery, a blue-tinged heel of bread, a lemon going

soft. I’ve fallen in

to the habits of the solitary; my meals are snatched and random. Furtive snacks,

18

furtive treats and picnics. I made do with some peanut butter, scooped directly from the jar with a

forefinger: why dirty a spoon?

Standing there with the jar in one hand and my finger in my

mouth, I had the feeling that

someone was about to walk into the room

—

some other woman, the unseen, valid owner

—

and

ask me what in hell I was doing in her kitchen. I’ve had it before, the sens

e that even in the course

of

my

most

legitimate

and

daily

actions

—

peeling

a

banana,

brushing

my

teeth

—

I

am

trespassing.

At night the house was more than ever like a stranger’s. I wandered through the front room,

the dining room, the parlour, hand on the wall for balance. My various possessions were floating

in their own pools of shadow, denying my

ownership of them. I looked them over with a burglar’s

eye,

deciding

what

might

be

worth

the

risk

of

stealing,

what

on

the

other

hand

I

would

leave

behind. Robbers would take the obvious things

—

the silver teapot that was my grandmother’s,

perhaps the hand-painted china. The television set. Nothing I really want.

75. The author could not fall asleep because ________.

[A] it was too damp in the bedroom

[B] she had run out of sleeping pills

[C] she was in very poor health

[D] she felt very hungry

author did not like the food in the refrigerator because it was NOT ________.

[A] fresh

[B] sufficient

[C] nutritious

[D] delicious

77. By

“

At night the house was more than ever like a stranger

’

s

”

(Line 1, Para. 4), the author

probably means that ________.

[A] the house was too dark at night

[B] ther were unfamiliar rooms in the house

[C] she felt much more lonely at night

[D] the furniture there didn

’

t belong to her

TEXT D

The chief problem in coping with foreign motorists is not so much remembering that they are

different from yourself, but that they are enormously variable. Cross a frontier without adjusting

and you can be in deep trouble.

One of the greatest gulfs separating the driving nations is the Atlantic Ocean. More precisely,

it is the mental distance between the European and the American motorist, particularly the South

American

motorist.

Compare,

for

example,

an

English

driver

at

a

set

of

traffic

lights

with

a

Brazilian.

Very rarely will an Englishman try to anticipate the green light by moving off prematurely.

You will find the occasional sharpie who watches for the amber to come up on the adjacent set of

lights. However, he will not go until he receives the lawful signal. Brazilians view the thing quite

differently. If, in fact, they see traffic

lights

at

all,

they

regard

them

as

a

kind

of

roadside

decoration.

The

natives

of

North

America

are

much

more

disciplined.

They

demonstrate

this

in

their

addiction to driving in one lane and sticking to it

—

even if it means settling behind some great

truck for many miles.

To prevent other drivers from falling into reckless ways, American motorists

try always to

stay

close

behind

the

vehicle

in

front

which

can

make

it

impossible,

when

all

the

vehicles

are

moving at about 55 mph, to make a real lane change. European visitors are constantly falling into

19

this trap. They return to the Old World still flapping their arms in frustration because while driving

in the State in their car they kept failing to get off the highway

when they wanted to and were

swept along to the next city.

However, one nation above all others lives scrupulously by its traffic regulations

—

the Swiss.

In Switzerland, if you were simply to anticipate a traffic light, the chances are that the motorist

behind you would take your number and report you to the police. What is more, the police would

visit you; and you would be convicted.

The Swiss take their rules of the road so seriously that a

diver can be ordered to appear in court and charged for speeding on hearsay alone, and very likely

found guilty. There are slight regional variations among the French, German and Italian speaking

areas, but it is generally safe to assume that any car bearing a CH sticker will be driven with a high

degree of discipline.

78. The fact that the Brazilians regard traffic lights as a kind of roadside decoration suggests

that ________.

[A] traffic lights are part of street scenery

[B] they simply ignore traffic lights

[C] they want to put them at roadsides

[D] there are very few traffic lights

79. The second and third paragraphs focus on the difference between ________.

[A] the Atlantic Ocean and other oceans

[B] English drivers and American drivers

[C] European drivers and American drivers

[D] European drivers and South American drivers

80.

The

phrase

―anticipate

the

green

light‖

(Line

1,

Para.

3)

is

closest

in

meaning

to

________.

[A] wait for the green light to be on

[B] forbid others to move before the green light

[C] move off before the green light is on

[D] follow others when the green light is on

Unit 6

（

2005

）

TEXT A

It was 1961 and was in the fifth grade. My marks in school were miserable and, the thing was,

I

didn't

know

enough

to

really

care.

My

older

brother

and

I

lived

with

Mom

in

a

dingy

multi

-

family

house

in

Detroit.

We

watched TV

every

night.

The

background

noise

of

our

lives

was

gunfire

and

horses’

hoofs

from

―Wagon

Train‖

or

―Cheyenne‖,

and

laughter

from

―I

Love

Lucy‖ or ―Mister Ed‖. After supper, we’d sprawl on Mom’s bed and stare for hours at the tube.

But one day Mom changed our world forever. She turned off the TV. Our mother had only

been able to get through third grade. But she was much brighter and smarter than we boys knew at

the time. She had noticed something in the suburban houses she cleaned

—

books. So she came

home one day, snapped off the TV

, sat us down and explained that her sons were going to make

something

of

themselves.

―You

boys

are

going

to

read

two

books

every

week,‖

she

said.

―And

you’re going to write me a report on what you read.‖

We moaned and complained about how unfair it was.

Besides, we didn’t have any books in

20

the house other than Mom’s Bible. But she explained that we would go where the books were:

―I’ll drive you to the library.‖

So pretty soon there were these two peevish boys sitting in her white 1950 Oldsmobile on

their

way to Detroit Public Library.

I wandered reluctantly among the children’s books. I loved

animals,

so

when

I

saw

some

books

that

seemed

to

be

about

animals,

I

started

leafing

through

them.

The first book I read clear through was Chip the Dam Builder. It was about beavers. For the

first time in my life I was lost in another world. No television program had ever taken me so far

away from my surroundings as did this verbal visit to a cold stream in a forest and these animals

building a home.

It didn’t dawn on

me at the time, but the experience was quite different from watching TV

.

There were images forming in my

mind instead of before my eyes. And I could return to them

again and again with the flip of a page.

Soon I began to look forward to visiting this hushed sanctuary from my other world. I moved

from

animals

to

plants,

and

then

to

rocks.

Between

the

covers

of

all

those

books

were

whole

worlds, and I was free to go anywhere in them. Along the way a funny thing happened: I started to

know things. Teachers st

arted to notice it too. I got to the point where I couldn’t wait to get home

to my books.

Now

my

older

brother

is

an

engineer

and

I

am

chief

of

pediatric

neurosurgery

at

John

Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. Sometimes I still can’t believe my life’s

journey, from a

failing and indifferent student in a Detroit public school to this position, which takes me all over

the world to teach and perform critical surgery.

But I know when the journey began

—

the day Mom snapped off the TV set and put us in her

Oldsmobile for that drive to the library.

81. We can learn from the beginning of the passage that___________.

[A] the author and his brother had done poorly in school

[B] the author had been very concerned about his school work

[C] the author had spent much time watching TV after school

[D] the author had realized how important schooling was

82. Which of the following is NOT true about the author’s family?

[A] He came from a middle

-

class family.

[B] He came from a single

-

parent family.

[C] His mother worked as a cleaner.

[D] His mother had received little education.

83. The mother was ___________ to make her two sons switch to reading books.

[A] hesitant

[B] unprepared

[C] reluctant

[D] determined

84. How did the two boys feel about going to the library at first?

[A] They were afraid.

[B] They were reluctant.

[C] They were indifferent.

[D] They were eager to go

85. The author began to love books for the following reasons EXCEPT that___________.

[A] he began to see something in his mind

[B] he could visualize what he read in his mind

[C] he could go back to read the books again

[D] he realized that books offered him new experience

21

TEXT B

Predicting the future is always risky. But it’s probably safe to say that at least a few historians

wil

l one day speak of the 20th century as America’s ―Disney era‖. Today, it’s certainly difficult to

think of any other single thing that represents modern America as powerfully as the company that

created

Mickey

Mouse.

Globally,

brands

like

Coca

-

Cola

and

McDonalds

may

be

more

widely

known, but neither encapsulates 20th

century America in quite the same way as Disney.

The

reasons

for

Disney’s

success

are

quite

a

lot,

but

ultimately

the

credit

belongs

to

one

person

—

the

man

who

created

the

cartoon

and

built

the

company

from

nothing,

Walt

Disney.

Ironically, he could not draw particularly well. But he was a genius in plenty of other respects. In

business, his greatest skills were his insight and his management ability. After setting himself up in

Hollywood,

he

single

-

handedly

pioneered

the

concepts

of

branding

and

merchandising

—

something his company still does brilliantly today.

But what really distinguished Disney was his ability to identify with his audiences. Disney

always

made

sure

his

films

portrayed

the

―little

guy‖.

He

achieved

by

creating

characters

that

reflected the hopes and fears of ordinary people.

Disney

’

s other great virtue was the fact that his company

—

unlike other big corporations

—

had

a

human

face.

His

Hollywood

studio

—

the

public

heard

—

operated

just

like

a

democracy, where everyone was on first

-

name terms and had a say in how things should be run.

He

was

also

regarded

as

a

great

patriot

because

not

only

did

his

cartoons

praise

America,

but,

during World War, his studios made training films for American soldiers.

The reality, of course, was not so perfect. As the public would later learn, Disney’s patriotism

had an unpleasant side. After a strike by cartoonists in 1941, he agreed to work for the FBI secretly,

identifying and spying on colleagues whom he suspected were anti

-

government.

But, apart from his affiliations with the FBI, Disney was more or less the genuine article. A

new book, The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life, confirms that he was

very definitely on the side of ordinary people. In the 30s and 40s he voted for Franklin Roosevelt,

believing he was a champion of the workers. Also, Disney was not an apologist for the FBI, as

some

have

suggested.

In

fact,

he

was

suspicious

of

large,

bureaucratic

organizations,

as

is

evidenced in films like That Darned Cat.

By the time he died in 1966, Walt Disney was as famous as Thomas Edison and the Wright

Brothers. To business people and filmmakers, he was a role model; to the public, he was ―Uncle

Walt‖ —

the man who had entertained all their lives, the man who represented all that was good

about America.

86. Walt Disney is believed to possess the following abilities EXCEPT ___________.

[A] painting

[B] creativity

[C] management

[D] merchandising.

87. According to the passage

, what was the pleasant side of Disney’s patriotism?

[A] He sided with ordinary Americans in his films.

[B] He supported America’s war efforts in his own way.

[C] He had doubts about large, bureaucratic organizations.

[D] He voted for Franklin Roosevelt in the 30s and 40s.

88. In the sixth paragraph the sentence ―Disney was more or less the genuine article‖ means that

___________.

[A] Disney was a creative and capable person.

22

[B] Disney once agreed to work for the FBI.

[C] Disney ran his company in a democratic way.

[D] Disney was sympathetic with ordinary people.

89. The writer’s attitude toward Walt Disney can best be described as

[A] sympathetic

[B] objective

[C] critical

[D] skeptical.

TEXT C

Why do you listen to music? If you should put this question to a number of people, you might

receive answers like these:

―I like the beat of music,‖

―I look for attractive tunefulness,‖

―I am

moved by the sound of choral singing,‖

―I listen to music for many reasons but I could not begin

to describe them to you clea

rly.‖

Answers to this question would be many and diverse, yet almost

no

one

would

reply,

―Music

means

nothing

to

me.‖

To

most

of

us,

music

means

something;

it

evokes some response. We obtain some satisfaction in listening to music.

For many, the enjoyment

of music does not remain at a standstill. We feel that we can get

more

satisfaction

from

the

musical

experience.

We

want

to

make

closer

contact

with

music

in

order to learn more of its nature; thus we can range more broadly and freely in the areas of musical

style,

form,

and

expression.

This

book explores

ways

of

achieving

these

objectives.

It

deals,

of

course, with the techniques of music, but only in order to show how technique is directed toward

expressive aims in music and toward the listener’s musical

experience. In this way, we may get an

idea

of

the

composer’s

intentions,

for

indeed,

the

composer

uses

every

musical

device

for

its

power to communicate and for its contribution to the musical experience.

Although everyone hears music differently, there is a common ground from which all musical

experiences grow. That source is sound itself. Sound is the raw material of music. It makes up the

body and substance of all musical activity. It is the point of departure in the musical experience.

The kinds of sound that can be used for musical purposes are amazingly varied. Throughout

the cultures of the world, East and West, a virtually limitless array of sounds has been employed in

the

service

of

musical

expression.

Listen

to

Oriental

theatre

music,

then

to

an

excerpt

from

a

Wagner

work:

these

two

are

worlds

apart

in

their

qualities

of

sound

as

well

as

in almost

every

other feature, yet each says something of importance to some listeners. Each can stir a listener and

evoke a response in him. All

music, whether it is

the pulsation of primitive

tribal

drums or the

complex coordination of voices and instruments in an opera, has this feature: it is based upon the

power of sound to stir our senses and feelings.

Yet sound alone is not music. Something has to happen to the sound. It must move forward in

time. Everything that takes place musically involves the movement of sound. If we hear a series of

drumbeats,

we

receive

an

impression

of

movement

from

one

stroke

to

the

next.

When

sounds

follow each other in a pattern of melody, we receive an impression of movement from one tone to

the

next.

All

music

moves;

and

because

it

moves,

it

is

associated

with

a

fundamental

truth

of

existence and experience. We are stirred by impressions of movement because our very lives are

constantly in movement. Breathing, the action of the pulse, growth, decay, the change of day and

night, as well as the constant flow of physical action

—

these all testify to the fundamental role

that movement plays in our lives. Music appeals to our desire and our need for movement.

90. The author indicates at the beginning of the passage that ______.

[A] people listen to music for similar reasons

[B] reasons for listening to music are varied

23

[C] some people don’t understand music at all

[D] purposes for listening to music can be specified

91.

We

can

infer

from

the

second

paragraph

that

the

book

from

which

this

excerpt

is

taken

is

mainly meant for _____.

[A] listeners

[B] composers

[C] musicians

[D] directors

92.

According

to

the

passage,

enjoying

music

is

not

an

end

in

itself

because

people

hope

to

______through listening.

[A] learn more musical devices

[B] know more about composers

[C] communicate more effectively

[D] understand music better

93. What is the common ground for musical experience to develop?

[A] Material.

[B] Listening.

[C] Sound.

[D] Activity.

94. The importance of movement in music is explained by comparing it to______.

[A] a pattern of melody

[B] a series of drumbeats

[C] physical movement

[D] existence and experience

TEXT D

Psychologists agree that I.Q. contributes only about 20 percent of the factors that determine

success. A full 80 percent comes from other factors, including what I call emotional intelligence.

Following are two of the major qualities that make up emotional intelligence, and how they can be

developed:

1.

Self-awareness.

The

ability

to

recognize

a

feeling

as

it

happens

is

the

keystone

of

emotional intelligence. People with greater certainty about their emotions are better pilots of their

lives.

Developing self-

awareness requires tuning in to what neurologist Antonio Damasio calls ―gut

feelings‖. Gut feelings can occur without a person being consciously aware of them. For example,

when

people

who

fear

snakes

are

shown

a

picture

of

a

snake,

sensors

on

their

skin

will

detect

sweat, a sign of anxiety, even though the people say they do not feel fear. The sweat shows up

even when a picture is presented so rapidly that the subject has no conscious awareness of seeing

it.

Through deliberate effort we can become more aware of our gut feelings. Take someone who

is annoyed by a rude encounter for hours after it occurred. He may be unaware of his irritability

and surprised when someone calls attention to it. But if he evaluates his feelings, he can change

them.

Emotional

self-awareness

is

the

building

block

of

the

next

fundamental

of

emotional

intelligence: being able to shake off a bad mood.

2. Mood Management. Bad as well as good moods spice life and build character. The key is

balance.

We often have little control over when we are swept by emotion. But we can have some say

in

how

long

that

emotion

will

last.

Psychologist

Dianne

Tice

asked

more

than

400

men

and

women

about

their

strategies

for

escaping

foul

moods.

Her

research,

along

with

that

of

other

psychologists, provides valuable information on how to change a bad mood.

Of all the moods that people want to escape, rage seems to be the hardest to deal with. When

someone in another car cuts you off on the highway, your reflexive thought may be, That Jerk! He

could have hit me! I can’t let him get away with that! The more you stew, the angrier

you get.

24

Such is the stuff of hypertension and reckless driving.

What should you do to relieve rage? One myth is that ventilating will make you feel better. In

fact,

researchers

have

found

that’s

one

of

the

worst

strategies.

A

more

effective

technique

is

―reframing‖,

which

means

consciously

reinterpreting

a

situation

in

a

more

positive

light.

In

the

case of the driver who cuts you off, you might tell yourself: Maybe he had some emergency. This

is one of the most potent ways, Tice found, to put anger to rest.

Going off alone to cool down is also an effective way to refuse anger, especially if you can’t

think

clearly.

Tice

found

that

a

large

proportion

of

men

cool

down

by

going

for

a

drive

—

a

finding that inspired her to drive more defensively. A safer alternative is exercise, such as taking a

long walk. Whatever you do, don’t waste the time pursuing your train of angry thoughts. Your aim

should be to distract yourself.

The techniques of reframing and distraction can alleviate depression and anxiety as well as

anger. Add to them such relaxation techniques as deep breathing and meditation and you have an

arsenal of weapons against bad moods.

95. What are gut feelings?

[A] They are feelings one is born with.

[B] They are feelings one may be unaware of.

[C] They are feelings of fear and anxiety.

[D] They are feelings felt by sensible people.

96. According to the author, the importance of knowi

ng one’s gut feelings is that ______.

[A] one can develop them

[B] one can call others’ attention to them

[C] one may get rid of them

[D] one may control them

97. The word ―spice‖ in Paragraph Six is closest in meaning to ______.

[A] add interest to

[B] lengthen

[C] make dull

[D] bring into existence

98. On mood control, the author seems to suggest that we _______.

[A] can control the occurrence of mood

[B] are often unaware of what mood we are in

[C] can determine the duration of mood

[D] lack strategies for controlling moods

99. The essence of ―reframing‖ is ______.

[A] to forget the unpleasant situation

[B] to adopt a positive attitude

[C] to protect oneself properly

[D] to avoid road accidents

100. What is the best title for the passage?

[A] What is emotional intelligence?

[B] How to develop emotional intelligence.

[C] Strategies for getting rid of foul moods.

[D] How to control one’s gut feelings.

Unit 7

（

2006

）

In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each

with four suggested answers marked [A], [B], [C] and [D] Choose the one that you think is the

25

best answer.

Mark your answers on your answer sheet.

TEXT A

In the case of mobile phones, change is everything. Recent research indicates that the mobile

phone is changing not only our culture, but our very bodies as well.

First,

let’s

talk

about

culture.

The

difference

between

the

mobile

phone

and

its

parent,

the

fixed-line phone, is that a mobile number corresponds to a person, while a landline goes to a place.

If you call my mobile, you get me. If you call my fixed-line phone, you get whoever answers it.

This has several implications. The most common one, however, and perhaps the thing that

has changed our culture forever, is the ―meeting‖ influence. People no longer need to make firm

plans about when and where to meet. Twenty years ago, a Friday night would need to be arranged

in advance. You needed enough time to allow everyone to get from their place of work to the first

meeting place. Now, however, a night out can be arranged on the run. It is no longer ―see you there

at 8‖, but ―text me around 8 and we’ll see where we all are‖.

Texting

changes people

as well.

I

n

their

paper,

―Insights

into

the Social

and Psychological

Effects

of

SMS

Text

Messaging‖,

two

British

researchers

distinguished

between

two

types

of

mobile phone users: the ―talkers‖ and the ―texters‖ —

those who prefer voice to text messages and

those who prefer text to voice.

They

found

that

the

mobile

phones

individuality

and

privacy

gave

texters

the

ability

to

express

a

whole

new outer personality.

Texters

were

likely

to

report

that

their

family

would

be

surprised if they were to read their texts. This suggests that texting allowed texters to present a

self-image that differed from the one familiar to those who knew them well.

Another scientist wrote of the changes that mobiles have brought to body language. There are

two kinds that people use while spe

aking on the phone. There is the ―speakeasy‖: the head is held

high, in a self-

confident way, chatting away. And there is the ―spacemaker‖: these people focus on

themselves and keep out other people.

Who can blame them? Phone meetings get cancelled or reformed and camera- phones intrude

on people’s privacy. So, it is understandable if your mobile makes you nervous. But perhaps you

needn’t worry so much. After all, it is good to talk.

81. When people plan to meet nowadays, they ___________.

［

A

］

arrange the meeting place beforehand

［

B

］

postpone fixing the place till the last minute

［

C

］

seldom care about when and where to meet

［

D

］

still love to work out detailed meeting plans

82. According to the two British researchers, the social and psychological effects are mostly to be

seen on ___________.

［

A

］

talkers

［

B

］

the ―speakeasy‖

［

C

］

the ―spacemaker‖

［

D

］

texters

83. We can infer from the passage that the texts sent by texters are ___________.

［

A

］

quite revealing

［

B

］

well written

［

C

］

unacceptable by others

［

D

］

shocking to others

84. According to the passage, who is afraid of being heard while talking on the mobile?

［

A

］

Talkers.

［

B

］

The ―speakeasy‖.

［

C

］

The ―spacemaker‖.

［

D

］

Texters.

26

85. An appropriate title for the passage might be ___________.

［

A

］

The SMS Effect

［

B

］

Cultural Implications of Mobile Phone Use

［

C

］

Changes in the Use of the Mobile

［

D

］

Body Language and the Mobile Phone

TEXT B

Over the last 25 years, British society has changed a great deal

—

or at least many parts of it

have. In some ways, however, very little has changed, particularly where attitudes are concerned.

Ideas about social class

—

whether a person is ―working

-

class‖ or ―middle

-

class‖ —

are one area

in which changes have been extremely slow.

In

the

past,

the

working-class

tended

to

be

paid

less

than

middle- class

people,

such

as

teachers and doctors. As a result of this and also of the fact that workers’ jobs were generally much

less

secure,

distinct

differences

in

life-styles

and

attitudes

came

into

existence.

The

typical

working man would collect his wages on Friday evening and then, it was widely believed, having

given his wife her ―housekeeping‖, would go out and squander the rest on beer and betting.

The stereotype of what a middle-class man did with his money was perhaps nearer the truth.

He

was

—

and

still

is

—

inclined

to

take a

longer- term

view.

Not

only

did

he

regard

buying

a

house as a top priority, but he also considered the education of his children as extremely important.

Both of these provided him and his family with security. Only in very few cases did workers have

the opportunity (or the education and training) to make such long-term plans.

Nowadays, a great deal has changed. In a large number of cases factory workers earn as much,

if not more, than their middle-class supervisors. Social security and laws to improve job security,

combined

with

a

general

rise

in

the

standard of

living

since

the

mid-fifties

of

the

20th

century,

have made it less necessary than before to worry about ―tomorrow‖. Working

-class people seem

slowly to be losing the feeling of inferiority they had in the past. In fact there has been a growing

tendency in the past few years for the middle-classes to feel slightly ashamed of their position.

The changes in both life-styles and attitudes are probably most easily seen amongst younger

people.

They

generally

tend

to

share

very

similar

tastes

in

music

and

clothes,

they

spend

their

money in having a good time, and save for holidays or longer-term plans when necessary. There

seems to be much less difference than in previous generations. Nevertheless, we still have a wide

gap between the well-paid (whatever the type of job they may have) and the low-paid. As long as

this gap exists, there will always be a possibility that new conflicts and jealousies will emerge, or

rather that the old conflicts will reappear, but between different groups.

86. Which of the following is seen as the cause of class differences in the past?

［

A

］

Life style and occupation.

［

B

］

Attitude and income.

［

C

］

Income and job security.

［

D

］

Job security and hobbies.

87. The writer seems to suggest that the description of ___________ is closer to truth.

［

A

］

middle-class ways of spending money

［

B

］

working-class ways of spending the weekend

［

C

］

working-class drinking habits

［

D

］

middle-class attitudes

88. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a typical feature of the middle-class?

［

A

］

Desiring for security.

［

B

］

Making long-term plans.

27

［

C

］

Having priorities in life.

［

D

］

Saving money.

89.

Working-

class

people’s

sense

of

security

increased

as

a

result

of

all

the

following

factors

EXCEPT ___________.

［

A

］

better social security

［

B

］

more job opportunities

［

C

］

higher living standard

［

D

］

better legal protection

90. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?

［

A

］

Changes are slowly taking place in all sectors of the British society.

［

B

］

The gap between working-class and middle-class young people is narrowing.

［

C

］

Differences in income will remain but those in occupation will disappear.

［

D

］

Middle-class people may sometimes feel inferior to working-class people.

TEXT C

For several days I saw little of Mr. Rochester. In the morning he seemed much occupied with

business, and in the afternoon gentlemen from the neighborhood called and sometimes stayed to

dine with him. When his foot was well enough, he rode out a great deal.

During

this

time,

all

my

knowledge

of

him

was

limited

to

occasional

meetings

about

the

house, when he would sometimes pass me coldly, and sometimes bow and smile. His changes of

manner did not offend me, because I saw that I had nothing to do with the cause of them.

One evening, several days later, I was invited to talk to Mr. Rochester after dinner. He was

sitting in his armchair, and looked not quite so severe, and much less gloomy. There was a smile

on his lips, and his eyes were bright, probably with wine. As I was looking at him, he suddenly

turned, and asked me, ―Do you think I’m handsome, Miss Eyre?‖

The answer somehow slipped f

rom my tongue before I realized it: ―No, sir.‖

―Ah,

you

really

are

unusual!

You

are

a

quiet,

serious

little

person,

but

you

can

be

almost

rude.‖

―Sir, I’m sorry. I should have said that beauty doesn’t matter, or something like that.‖

―No, you shouldn’t! I

see, you criticize my appearance, and then you stab me in the back!

You

have

honesty

and

feeling.

There

are

not

many

girls

like

you.

But

perhaps

I

go

too

fast.

Perhaps you have awful faults to counterbalance your few good points.‖ I thought to myself that

he might have too. He seemed to read my mind, and said quickly, ―Yes, you’re right. I have plenty

of faults. I went the wrong way when I was twenty-one, and have never found the right path again.

I might have been very different. I might have been as good as you, and perhaps wiser. I am not a

bad man, take my word for it, but I have done wrong. It wasn’t my character, but circumstances

which were to blame. Why do I tell you all this? Because you’re the sort of person people tell their

problems and secrets t

o, because you’re sympathetic and give them hope.‖

It seemed he had quite a lot to talk to me. He didn’t seem to like to finish the talk quickly, as

was the case for the first time.

―Don’t

be

afraid

of

me,

Miss

Eyre.‖

He

continued.

―You

don’t

relax

or

laug

h

very

much,

perhaps because of the effect Lowood school has had on you. But in time you will be more natural

with me, and laugh, and speak freely. You’re like a bird in a cage. When you get out of the cage,

you’ll fly very high. Good night.‖

91. At the be

ginning Miss Eyre’s impressions of Mr. Rochester were all EXCEPT

___________.

［

A

］

busy

［

B

］

sociable

［

C

］

friendly

［

D

］

changeable

92. In ―... and all my knowledge of him was limited to occasional meetings about the house,

?

‖

28

(the second paragraph), the word about means ___________.

［

A

］

around

［

B

］

on

［

C

］

outside

［

D

］

concerning

93. W

hy did Mr. Rochester say ―

?

and then you stab me in the back!‖ (the seventh paragraph)?

［

A

］

Because Jane had intended to kill him with a knife.

［

B

］

Because Jane had intended to be more critical.

［

C

］

Because Jane had regretted having talked to him.

［

D

］

Because Jane had said something else to correct herself.

94. From what Mr. Rochester told Miss Eyre, we can conclude that he wanted to ___________.

［

A

］

tell her all his troubles

［

B

］

tell her his life experience

［

C

］

change her opinion of him

［

D

］

change his circumstances

95. At the end of the passage, Mr. Rochester sounded ___________.

［

A

］

rude

［

B

］

cold

［

C

］

friendly

［

D

］

encouraging

TEXT D

The

ideal

companion

machine

—

the

computer

—

would

not

only

look,

feel,

and

sound

friendly but would also be programmed to behave in a pleasant manner. Those qualities that make

interaction with other people enjoyable would be imitated as closely as possible, and the machine

would

appear

to

be

charming,

and

easygoing.

Its

informal

conversational

style

would

make

interaction

comfortable,

and

yet

the

machine

would

remain

slightly

unpredictable

and

therefore

interesting in its first encounter it might be somewhat hesitant, but as it came to know the user it

would

progress

to

a

more

relaxed

and

intimate

style.

The

machine

would

not

be

a

passive

participant but would add its own suggestions, information, and opinions; it would sometimes take

the initiative in developing or changing the topic and would have a personality of its own.

Friendships are not made in a day, and the computer would be more acceptable as a friend if

it

imitated

the

gradual

changes

that

occur

when

one

person

is

getting

to

know

another.

At

an

appropriate time it might also express the kind of affection that stimulates attachment and intimacy.

The

whole

process

would

be

accomplished

in

a

subtle

way

to

avoid

giving

an

impression

of

over-familiarity that would be likely to produce irritation. After experiencing a wealth of powerful,

well-timed friendship indicators, the user would be very likely to accept the computer as far more

than a machine and might well come to regard it as a friend.

An artificial relationship of this type would provide many of the benefits that people obtain

from

interpersonal

friendships.

The

machine

would

participate

in

interesting

conversation

that

could

continue

from

previous

discussions.

It

would

have

a

familiarity

with

the

user’s

life

as

revealed in earlier contact, and it would be understanding and good-

humored. The computer’s own

personality would be lively and impressive, and it would develop in response to that of the user.

With features such as these, the machine might indeed become a very attractive social partner.

96. Which of the following is NOT a feature of the ideal companion machine?

［

A

］

Active in communication.

［

B

］

Attractive in personality.

［

C

］

Enjoyable in performance.

［

D

］

Unpredictable in behaviour.

97. The computer would develop friendships with humans in a(n) ___________ way.

［

A

］

quick

［

B

］

unpredictable

［

C

］

productive

［

D

］

inconspicuous

98. Which of the following aspect is NOT mentioned when the passage discusses the benefits of

artificial relationships?

29