全国大学生英语竞赛C类到真题以及答案样稿

National English Contest for College students
(LevelC-Preliminary)
PartI Listening Comprehension (30 marks)
SectionA(5 marks)
Inthis section, you will hear five short conversations. Eachconversations will be read only once. At the end of eachconversation, there will be a twenty-second pause, read the questionand the there choices marked A,B and C ,and decide which is the bestanswer.Then mark the
correspondingletter on the answer sheet with a single line through the centre.

1. Whatdoes the man want to do?

A.Get something to eat now.

B.Find a quiet place that shows games.

C.Watch the next game with the woman.

2. Whydoes not the man have a MySpace account?

A.He is not skilled at using computer.

B.All of the instruction are in English
C.The woman won not teach him.

3. Howlong does the woman plan to try teleworking A. For a few days.

B.For a few weeks.

C.For a few months.

Whatdoes the man hope will happen? 4.

A.The price of cell phone novels will go down.

B.The novel’s author will writer longer stories.

C.The woman will tell him ho the story ends.

5. whatis the woman going to do next?

A.turn on her computer.

B. Go for a walk with peter.

C.Visit her new neighbors.

SectionB(10 marks)
Inthis section, you will hear two long conversations. Each conversationwill be read only once.

Atthe end each conversation, there will be a one minute pause. Duringthe pause, read the questions, each with three choices marked A, Band C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark thecorresponding letter on the answer sheet with a single line throughthe centre.

Conversationone
6. Whatdid Jack do over the summer?

A.He studied very hard.

B.He took a summer class.

C.He visited one of his teachers.

7. Whatdoes Jack think of Ms Wellington as a teacher?

A.Easy-going.

B.Tough.

C.Interesting.

8. Whyis Ms Wellington’s class hard?

A.Her exams are difficult.

B.She does not give students the help they need.

C.She makes do lots of work.

Conversationtwo
9. Whyis Mrs. Griffin going to the city where the hotel is located?

A.He is on holiday.

B.He’s on a business trip

C.He is going to a conference.

10.How many times has Mrs. Griffin stayed at the Sunrise Hotel? A.Twice.

B.Once.

C.Three times.

11.Where is Mrs. Griffin form?

A.Canada.

B.New Zealand.

C.Australia.

12.What is Mrs. Griffin’s passport number?

A.8774
B.876372
C.876374
13.What kind of room does Mrs. Griffin want?

A.A single room for two nights.

B.A double room for two nights.

C.A single room for one night.

14.When will Mrs. Griffin arrive at Sunrise Hotel?

A.at 9:15 pm
B.at 9:35 pm
C.at 10:00 pm
15.What food will be put into Mrs. Griffin’s room?

A.a sandwich with fries.

B.a cheese sandwich.

C.a burger with chips.

SectionC(5Marks)
16.What does the Associated Press ask editor and news directors to do?

A.vote for the top stories of the year.

B.describe the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
C.writes about the 11 workers killed in the explosion 17. Where are thedoctors and technology experts from?

A.New York.

B.London
C.Tokyo
18.For how long does President Obama agree to extend the tax cuts?

A.for four years
B.for three years
C.for two years.

19.How many people in the world don’t have enough to eat,according tothe report?

A.more than one billion.

B.some six hundred million.

C.nearly nine hundred million
20.What have astronomers recently discovered?

A.there are unknown plants in older galaxies.

B.there are many galaxies in the universe
C.there are a lot more red dwarf in older galaxies
SectionD (10 marks)
Inthe section, you will hear a short passage. There are 10 missingwords phrases. Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases youhear. Remember to write the answer on the answer sheet

Whatdo you do if you don’t get your first choice university? This ____faces thousands of British every year. Many such_____ turn toClearing, a service that helps find university places for students atthe last moment. If they don’t have the marks to get intotheir____, Clearing tells them about places available at otheruniversity, though they might have to read a difficult subject.

This year has seen a record number of people applying to university.This, combined with the _____________________,an uncertain jobmarket, and budget cuts at university, product even more of ascramble for places than usual. Some sources say six students haveapplied for each remaining___________________________ place
The British University Admissions Service, UCAS, says up to a quarterof this year’s university applicants-almost 190000 people-have notbeen admitted into
a____________________________.That is an increase of over 46000 students from last year.

Facedwith these figure, some British students might consider aninteresting
alternative:_____________________________.The University of Nottingham for is offering place at its campuses inNingbo, near Shanghai, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Students at theseinstitutions can earn University of Nottingham degrees, according,engineering and English.

Similarly,the University of Bolton says it has unlimited places at its campusin the United Arab Emirates.

Todeal with these problems, the UK’s Higher Education Minister, DavidWillet’s, is encouraging students who have not made the grade toconsider alternatives to university, such as_______________________and studying at home.

“Thereare arrange of options available, “he says. “people can reapplynext year, so they should consider spending this year in a way thatwill add positively to their CVs. Getting _____________________orother skills will strengthen their chances next year.” Some
commentatorssay, though that rising university costs, poor
long-term_______________________,and a drop in graduate recruitment mean this the worst

timeto be a university student in the UK.

PartTwo Vocabulary and Structure (15 marks )
Thereare 15 incomplete sentences in this section. For each blank there arefour choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that best completesthe sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the answer sheetwith a single line through the centre.

31.After four days of talks, we are glad to announce that the union andmanagement have reached an______. The agreement is fair and benefitsboth sides.

32.As the clerk______prepared my milk shake, I wondered how long she hadbeen working there ,mindlessly making ice cream treats in a set orderof steps.

33.As a boy he wanted to be a fireman. As a high school student, hethought he'd like to become a teacher. Now he______to be nothing morethan a janitor.

34.Regardless of what caused it, I an grateful that have finally reacheda point in my life_______I can appreciate my strengths, accept myweaknesses and try to be comfortable with everything in between.

35.______information provided by members of the public, the police wouldhave a much move difficult job.

36.Peter Brown was a painstaking writer;______, he once spent half a dayon the composition of a single sentence.

37.----Whatan I going to do about a present for Carol?

----You______someflowers.

her

38.Without the air holding in some of the sun's heat, theearth______cold at night, too cold for us

tolive on.

39.The students in our university each______an English dictionary. Thatis to say, each of the

studentsin our university______an English dictionary.

40.Here's your kitchen. I hope you enjoy cooking here. Isthere______else that you need?

41.David______his business partner over plans to reduce the workforce.

42.______is this piece of equipment to be removed from the building.

43.Helen' s parents were______that she was still on the job., but shehad resigned.

44.----Idon't think I will ever, in my life, win a lottery of five milliondollars.

----Well,______. Anything can happen.

45.-----Howdid you find the concert in the Grand Theatre last night?

-----______but the conductor was perfect.

reallyliked it

PartThree Cloze(15 marks )

Ihave been reading a lot on my iPad recently, and I have some(46)_____ (complain) not about the iPad itself but about the state ofdigital reading generally. Reading is a subtle thing, and itssubtleties are artifacts of a venerable medium: words printed in inkon paper. Glass and pixels aren't the same.

WhenI read a physical book, I don't have to look anywhere else to findout how much I've read. The iPad e---reader, iBooks tries to createthe (47) illu_____ of a physical book. The pages seem to turn, and Ican the edges of those that remain, but it's fake. There are alwaysexactly six unturned pages, no matter (48)_____ I am in the book.

Also,there is a larger problem. Books in their digital format look vastlyless "finished", or less genuine than real books. You canvary their font and type size, but this only makes them(49)_____(resemble) word---processed---no matter how(50)_____(wretch) or wonderful they are---will never look as good asRobert Hass's poems in the print edition of The Apple Trees at Olema.But your poems can look almost exactly as ugly---as "e---book---like"---as the Kindle version of that collection.

Allthe e---book I've read have been ugly---books by Chang---rae Lee,Alvin Kernan, and Stieg Larsson---though the texts have beenwonderful. I didn't grow up reading texts. I grew up reading books,and this(51)_____(differ) is important.

Whenit comes to digital editions, the(52)_____(assume) seems to be thatall
books(53)are_____(create)equal. However, nothing could be further from the truth. In the massmigration from print to digital, we're seeing a profusion of digitalbooks---many of them out of copyright---that look new and even "HD,"but which may well have been supplanted by more accurate editions andbetter translations. We need a digital readers' guide---a place wherereaders

canfind(54)_____ whether the book they're about to download is the bestavailable edition. (55)Fi_____, two related problems. I already havea personal library, but most of the books I've read have comefrom(56)_____(lend) libraries. Barnes & Noble has released ane---reader that allows short---term (57) _____(borrow) of some books.The entire idea behind Amazon's Kindle and Apple's iBooks assumesthat you cannot read a book unless you own it first and that only youcan read it unless you want to give your reading device to someoneelse.

Thisgoes against the social value of reading, the collective knowledgeand
(58)_____(collaborate)discourse that comes from access to (59)_____or our culture ingeneral.

PartFour Reading Comprehension (40 marks).
SectionA (10 marks ).

Questions61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

Notkeen on reading? Do you have trouble finding a novel that arousesyour interest? Why not follow Ammon Shea's example and start readinga dictionary?

MrShea owns over 1,000 dictionaries and he reads them for fun. Herecently spent a year reading all 20 volumes of the Oxford EnglishDictionary. The dictionary contains more than 20,000 pages and over59 million words.

Ashe read from A to Z, he noted down interesting words in a ledger.This includes words such as "happify," meaning to makesomeone happy and "tripudiate", which means to dance, skipor leap for joy. Mr Shea also kept a diary about this experience,which has since become a
best---sellingbook.

Whydid he do this? He claims it was fun. "I've always enjoyedreading dictionaries . They are far more interesting than people givethen credit for," he said.

Itappears that it was not his goal to sound more intelligent by usinglonger and more complex

words."I'm not against long, fancy or obscure words, but I'm opposedto using then for their own sake," he said.

Infact ,as a result of reading so many new words , Mr Shea often forgoteveryday vocabulary.

Hewrote, "My head was so full of words that I often had troubleforming simple sentences." Mr Shea is not alone in his love ofreading dictionaries.Elaine Higgleton, a representative of CollinsCbuild dictionaries, explained that thousands of crossword puzzle andSrabble fans read dictionaries for fun and to improve their games. MsHiggleton did however note that, "It's probably not the best wayto learn English ,and you'd learn more than you need." It is notknown how many of the 59 million words Ms Shea remembers, but he hascertainly made history with his eccentric hobby.

Questions61 to 65.

Decidewhether the following statements are True or False.

61.Mr Shea has read 1.000 dictionaries.

62.Mr Shea spent one month reading the Oxford English Dictionary.

63.In Mr Shea's opinion,people don't give dictionaries enough credit forbeing interesting. . Mr Shea thinks it is important t be able touse long and complicated words in everyday conversation.

65.Elaine Higgleton thinks that reading a dictionary is the best way tolearn English.

SectionB (10 marks)
Questions66 to 70are based on the following passage.

Surfingis something people often get hooked on after trying it a few times.For many surfers it is much more than a hobby---they would probablyagree with the American professional surfer Kelly Slater when hesaid,"Once you're in, you're in. There's no getting out."
"Surfing", of course, refers to riding on ocean waves usinga surfboard. Many surfers stand up

ontheir boards, which requires god balance and is therefore difficultfor most beginners to learn, but some lie down and "bodyboard"
The history of surfing probably began with the Polynesian people ofthe Pacific Islands. One of the first white people to see anyonesurfing was the British explorer Captain Gook, when his ship arrivedin Hawaii in 1779. He watched many Hawaiians riding waves on largepieces of wood, and reported that, "Surfing seems to give them afeeling of great pleasure. "
When surfing started to become very popular in the United States inthe 1950's and 60s, surfers used large wooden boards (often more thanthree metres long) that were quite heavy. Boards today are shorterand also much lighter, because they are made of artificial materialsinstead of wood.

Foranyone who wants to try surfing. The only essentials are waves and aboard. There are a few other things, however, that most surfers findimportant; a cord t attach one of their ankles to the board andtherefore stop it from being carried a long way away when they falloff'; wax, which they put on the surface of the board to help theirfeet stick to it; and a wetsuit to help them keep warm in cold water.The south---west of English is an example of a place where surfersusually need wetsuits, even in summer.

Surfinghas been a professional sport for many yeara and the very bestsurfers are able to make a living from it. Most of the bestprofessional surfers in the last 30 years, both men and women, havebeen American or Australian, but surfers from Brazil, Peru and SouthAfrica have also won important competitions.

Questions66 to 70
Answerthe following questions with the information given in the assage in amaximum of 10 words for each question.

66.Why do most beginners find it difficult t stand up on a surfboard?

67.In what part of the world did surfing probably begin?

68.When did surfing start to become very popular in the United States?

69.What do surfers use wax for?

70.According to the passage, in what part of the world do surfersusually need wetsuits?

SectionC (10 marks)
Questions71 to 75 are based on the following passage.

Thelatest human developmentreport fromthe United Nations Development Programmed (UNDP) contains some goodnews, but also a very serious warning about the threat posed yclimate change.

Thereport, published annually since 1990, seeks to asses “humandevelopment” around the world, and calculates a “HumanDevelopment Index (HDI) for 169 counties. The HDI is based on averageincome, life expectancy and level of education in a country. Notsurprisingly, rich counties tend to have higher HDIs than poorcounties, but there are interesting variations in human developmentamong countries with similar levels of economic development, becausesome have better health and education systems than others.

Accordingto the report, the county with the highest level of humandevelopment is Norway, followed by Australia, New Zealand, the UnitedStates and Ireland. Most of the lowest HDIs belong to counties insub-Saharan Africa.

Almostall counties around the worlds have higher HDIs now than in 1990,despite the fact that since the financial crisis, the total numberof people living in extreme poverty has increased. The reportconcludes that most people are healthier, live longer, are bettereducated and have access to more goods and services. Even incountries with severe economic problems, people’s level of healthand education as generally improved. Although sub-Saharan Africancountries are at the bottom of the pile in terms of humandevelopment, some of them have made significant progress since 1990.The report is critical, however, of the fact economic inequality hasincreased significantly in the last twenty years, both within andbetween countries.

Thegreatest threat to improving HDIs in the future, according to thereport, is climate

change.Economic growth increases average incomes in a country throughincreasing production and consumption. However , if this leads togreater emissions of greenhouse gases, as has always been the case inthe past, global warning will probably accelerate, and cause severeenvironmental problems in some parts of the world hat will threatenthe livelihoods of huge numbers f people. The progress of the lasttwenty years, therefore, might not be sustainable.

The only solution, according to the report, I to break the linkbetween economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions-which, needlessto say, is easier, said than done.

Questions71 to 75
Complete the following sentences with information given in thepassage in a maximum of 10 words for each blank.

71.The concept of “human development” is based on the followingthree factors: _______, _____________and_____________.

72.Some countries with similar levels of economic development have quitedifferent HDIs because they have_____________.

73._________________hascaused the number of people living in extreme poverty to increasesince .

74.The report says that ______________ is the greatest threat toincreasing HDIs in the future.

75.The report says the link between____________ and ____________needs tobe broken.

SectionD (10 marks)
Questions76 to 80 are based on the following passage
Itis natural for young people to be critical of their parents at timesand to blame them for most of the misunderstanding between them. Theyhave always complained, more or less justly, that their parents areout of touch with modern ways; that they are possessive and dominant;that they do not trust their children to deal with crises: that theytalk too much about certain problems-and that they have no sense ohumor, at least parent-child relationships.

Ithink it is true that parents often underestimate their teenagechildren and also forget how they felt themselves when were young.

Youngpeople often irritate their parents with their choices in clothes,hairstyles,
entertainersand music. This is not their motive. They feel cut off from the adultworld into which they have not yet been accepted, so they create aculture and society and their own. Then, if it turns out that theirmusic, entertainers, vocabulary, clothes or hairstyles irritate theirparents, this gives them additional enjoyment. They feel they aresuperior, at least in a small way, and that they are leaders in styleand taste.

Sometimesteenagers are resistant and proud because they do not want theirparents to approve of what they do. If they did approve, it looks asif the teenager is betraying his own age group. All this is assumingthat the teenager is the underdog: he can not win but at least he cankeep his honor. This is a passive way of looking at things. It isnatural enough after years of childhood, when children werecompletely under their parent’s control, but it ignores the factthat when they become teenagers, children are beginning to beresponsible for themselves.

Ifyou plan to control your life, co-operation should be a part of thatplan. You can charm other people, especially your parents, into doingthings the way you want. You can also impress people with your ofresponsibility and your initiative, so that they will give you theauthority to do what you want to do.

Questions76 to 78
Choosethe best answer according to the passage.

76the first paragraph is mainly about_____________.

Ateenagers’ criticism of their parents
Bmisunderstanding between teenagers and their parents C the dominanceof parents over their children
Dteenagers’ ability to deal with crises

77teenagers have strange clothes and hairstyles because they___________A have a strong desire to be leaders in style and taste
Bwant to prove their existence by creating a culture of their own
Chave no other way to enjoy themselves
Dwant to irritate their parent
78teenagers do not want their parents to approve of what they dobecause they _______________.

Ahave already been accepted into adult world
Bfeel that they are superior to adult world
Cwant to win adults over to their culture
Ddon’t want to appear to be disloyal to their own age group
Question79 to 80
Translatethe sentences in the passage into Chinese
79I think it is true that parents often underestimate their teenagechildren and also forget how they felt themselves when were young
80You can charm other people, especially your parents, into doingthings the way you want.

PartV translate (10mark)
Translatethe following sentences into English, using the words given brackets.Remember to write your answer on the answer sheet.

81她以牺牲健康为代价取得财富。(atthe cost of )
82我不知道有多少学生包含到这次事件。(beinvolved in )
83为孤儿捐款，请按以下地址或电话同我们联络。(contact)
84现在，在韩国和日本，汉语已成为第二外语，仅次于英语。(secondto) 85 要不是下雨，我们旅行原来是很愉快。(butfor)
PartVII writing (30marks)

TaskI(10marks)
It’s the beginning of a new year. Write describing resolutions youmake to try to change your life and why you Li Ming instead
Writea note of about 100words in an appropriate style on the answersheet.

TaskII (20marks)
Writeabout the following topic.

Successis something most people try to achieve. What does success mean todifferent people, and what is your view or success?

Givereasons for your answer and include any relevant example from yourown knowledge or experience.

Writeyour article in about140words in an appropriate style on the answersheet.

NationalEnglish Contest for College Students

(LevelC – Preliminary)
(总分：150分时间：120分钟)
PartI listening Comprehension (30marks)
SectionA (5marks)
Inthis section, you will hear fiveshort conversations. Each conversation will be read only once.After each conversation, there will be a twenty-secondpause. During the pause, read the question and the threechoices marked A,Band C,and decide which is the best answer .Then mark the correspondingletter on the answersheetwith a single line through the centre.

1.What does the man say we can do to deal with oil crisis?

B.To use as

3.According to the man, who is going to take over the position they aretalking about?

A.Janice. B.Someone else. C. Meryl.

4.What does the woman say about the man’s report for the meeting?

A.He has to get it ready before tomorrow noon.

B.He has done well enough.

C.He has enough time to prepare it.

5.How many people will be on the earth by the year according to theprofessor?

B.Nearly 7 billion.

A.Their presence may prove the existence of aliens.

B.They may help scientists find out how the universe started.

C.They convey messages about life on the earth.

8.Does Simon believe those stories about aliens visiting our planet?

A.No, he doesn’t believe them at all.

B.Yes, he does believe those stories because of his study.

C.Yes, he believes them although he has no evidence.

9.Which of the following factor is considered to be important informing life

accordingto the passage?

A.Gravity. B. Minerals.

C.Water.

10.When did the “big bang” occur?

A.No one knows. B. 12 billion years ago. C.

20billion year ago.

Conversation Two

11.Why did Bob make the news last month?

A.Because he criticized traditional jobs

B.Because he earned a lot of money.

C.Because he tried new strategies in finding a job.

12.In which way do the bestsellers like “The Brand Called You” and“The Personal

BrandingPhenomenon” help people?

A.They advise people to promote themselves as brands.

B.They teach people how to be a perfect partner.

C.They give people tips for job interview.

13.When did Bob come up with the idea of using the internet to find ajob?

A.Ten years ago when he was a college student.

B.When he began to do research between jobs.

C.After he launched the campaign “Give Bob a Job”.

14.What was the purpose of Bob’s making the video?

A.To fulfill his ambition as a director.

B.To sell his products like Teddy bears and T-shirts.

C.To advertise his skills and talents.

15.How can the internet help Bob in his job search exactly?

A.By helping him make friends.

B.By passing on the video he made.

C.By providing job information for him.

SectionC (5marks)

Inthis section, you will hear fiveshort news items. After each item, which will be read

onlyonce,there will be a pause. During the pause, read the question and thethree

choicesmarked A,Band C,and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the

correspondingletter on the answersheetwith a single line through the centre.

16.How many troops are going to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end ofnext

year?

A.43,000. B. 10,000.

C.33,000.

17.What is the finding of the study?

A.Low-calorie foods may lead to more weight.

B.High-calorie foods may lead to more weight.

C.High-calorie foods may lead to less weight.

18.What do the conflicting reports show about radiation?

A.The radiation level given by Tokyo Electric is much smaller than thatgiven by

othertests.

B.The radiation level given by other tests is smaller than that givenby Tokyo

Electric.

C.The radiation level is close to 10,000 times the normal level.

19.Why are Caribbean Service and Europe Today shut down by BBC?

A.Because of their outdated services.

B.Because of cuts in government funding.

C.Because of lack of target audience.

20.What’s the cause of demonstrations in cities and towns acrossSyria?

A.They are calling for more freedom.

B.Workers demand higher pay.

C.Some thirty people were killed by the police.

SectionD (10marks)

Inthis section, you will hear a short passage. There are 10missing words or phrases. Fill in the blanks with the exact words orphrases you hear. The passage will be read twice.Remember to write the answers on the answersheet.

Recoveryfrom jetlag can take as long as a day for every time zone crossed. Soif you’re flying east-west for your holiday or on business, it islikely to mean a few days of feeling tired or even unwell.

Jetlagis the (21)__________ of the body’s natural cycle and some factorsmake it worse. The artificial atmosphere inside a plane can affectthe body in a number of ways and add to the effects of jetlag.

Exercisingbefore flights helps to offset the effects on the body of reduced(22) _________, and aerobic exercise afterwards helps to reoxygenateit. Drink plenty of water. Children may need more. Drinking carrotjuice before flying overcomes oxygen deficiency.

Eatlight, frequent meals. Heavy meals (23) __________ the bloodcirculation, which can lead to dizziness and fainting. For two weeksbefore you fly, eat plenty of food containing vitamins A and E; theywill build up your (24) __________ and help to keep you fit. Sleep asmuch as you can before the flight and on it. On board, wear earplugsand eye pads because darkness (25) __________ secretion of thehormones that enhance sleep.

Avoidalcohol, which restricts the brain’s oxygen intake. Like tea andcoffee, alcohol increases the dehydration effect of flying. If youneed to drink to relax, (26) __________ that the cabin environmentintensifies the effect of alcohol.

Wearloose, comfortable, warm clothes and limber up during flight. Sittingdown for

severalhours slows down the (27) _________, leading to local stiffness,cramps and dizziness. Re-adjust to local time as soon as you can.Bright light helps the body stay alert, so if you are going somewheresunny, stay outside.

Donot smoke before or during the flight since smoking (28) ___________the blood oxygen level. If you need to calm your nerves, tryaromatherapy oils which have a sedative effect. (29)_________ your doctor before flying if you are on medication. Theeffects of some drugs are strengthened at high altitudes and some mayproduce (30) _________.

PartII Vocabulary and Structure (15marks)

Thereare 15incomplete sentences in this section. For each blank there are fourchoicesmarked A,B,Cand D.Choose the one that best completes the sentence. Then mark thecorresponding letter on the answersheetwith a single line through the centre.

31.What we all work for is to free ________ time for the things wereally want to do.

A.off B. up C. aside D.in

32.You _________ his words seriously. He was talking nonsense.

B.may not take

C.mustn’t have taken D.needn’t have taken

33.Never hesitate to _________ the first opportunity that comes along.

A.seize B. draw C.

who;that D.obtain

34.His mother ________ hated city life longed to return to the villagein _______she

grewup.

A.that; where B. who; which C. who; that

D.who; where

35.All things _______, I think I’d better take your advice.

A.considering B. to be considered C. considered D.

havebeen considered

36.Twelve European countries ________ over to the Euro on January 1st, .

A.transformed B. switched C. reversed

D.altered

37.She isn’t anything ________ unpleasant as people say she is.

A.as like B. like C. as

D.like as

38.Stop complaining. You really ________ my nerves.

A.get down B. get along C. get off

D.get on

39.There wasn’t _______ truth in what he said.

A.a grain of B. a ray of C. a pointof

D.a drop of

40.________ for my savings, I wouldn’t be able to survive thesemiserable days.

A.Was it not B.

Wereit not

C.Had it been not D.

Hadn’tit been

41.There was a power cut this morning. ________, I couldn’t doanything with my

computer.

A.Supposedly B. Presumably C. Consequently

D.Essentially

42.Alarm clocks needlessly wake ______ households. I want to designsomething

targetedat the individual sleeper.

A.whole B. total C. full

D.high

43._______ both parties agree on these issues will a contract be signedsoon.

A.If only B. Unless C. Should

D.Only if

44.—I’verun out of cash. Could you lend me a few pounds this evening?

—_____I’ll just have to find time to get to the bank and make awithdrawal.

A.Ican lend you some now.

B.I’m not sure I’ve got any either.

C.Sorry, I haven’t got a penny in my account.

D.My credit card must be left home.

45.—We’reall going to the New Skyline Restaurant for our end-of-yearget-together. Canwe count you in?

—Oh,thanks, Sara, but _____

A.I didn’t find you then. B. I’ve been tothe restaurant once.

C.I’ll pass this time. D. I’ll meetyou there at 5:00.

PartIII Cloze (10marks)
Readthe following passage and fill in each blank with oneword. Choose the correct word in one of the following threeways: according to the context, by using the correct form of thegiven word, or by using the given letters of the word. Remember towrite the answers on the answersheet.

Didyou know that for every 20,000 novels written, only one getspublished? So the(46)____ (likely) that I’ll ever fulfill my ambition of becoming aprofessionalmysterywriter doesn’t seem very high. But the prospect of turning mylifelongpassioninto my livelihood and achieving fame and (47) for ______ at the sametimeisjust too exciting for me to be put off by dull statistics.

Sowhat does it (48) t_______ to become a writer? Reading isimportant—allwriters need to research their genre thoroughly to familiarizethemselves (49) _______ its codes and conventions. My bookshelves athome are stacked with the novels of all the great mystery writers,which I’ve read and in many cases, re-read, despite (50) _______(know) all the time “who’d done it”.

Ofcourse, being a writer requires imagination. You have to develop yourown personal style rather than simply copy the work of “thegreats”. I’ve turned out (51)

d________of short crime stories for my university student magazine—somehavebeenpublished, some not, but I’ve always aimed to produce original andimaginativematerial.

Lastbut not (52) ________, successful writers possess enormousself-discipline. I’ve often sacrificed my social life in order todevote the necessary time and effort to producing a good qualitystory. And more than once that has meant (53) _______ the midnightoil.

We’vegot a novel inside us. Getting it out in anywhere near publishableform is no (54) ______ task, but with imagination and determination,and the help of an expert on “master class”, who could possiblyfail to (55) re_______ their ambition?

PartIV Reading Comprehension (40marks)

Readthe following passages. Each passage is followed by severalquestions. Respond to the questions using information from thepassage. Remember to write the answers on the answersheet.

SectionA (10marks)

Questions56—60are based on the following passage.

physicaland emotional discomfort a person suffers when coming to live in aplace different from the place of origin.

Often,the way that we live before is not accepted or considered as normalin the new place. Everything is different, for example, not speakingthe language, not knowing how to use banking machines, not knowinghow to use telephones, and so forth.

Thesymptoms of culture shock can appear at different times. Although aperson can experience real pain from culture shock, it is also anopportunity for growing and learning new perspectives. Culture shockcan help people develop a better understanding of themselves andstimulate personal creativity.

Cultureshock has many stages. Each stage can be ongoing, or appear only atcertain times. In the first stage, the new arrival may feel veryhappy about all of the new experience. This time is called thehoneymoon stage. Afterward, the second stage presents itself. Aperson may encounter some difficulties in daily life. For example,communication difficulties may occur, such as not being understood.In this stage, there may be feelings of impatience, anger andsadness. Transition between the old methods and those of the newcountry is a difficult process and takes time to complete. The thirdstage is characterized by gaining some understanding of the newculture. A new feeling of pleasure and sense of humor may beexperienced. A person may start to feel a psychological balance. Theindividual is more familiar with the environment and wants to belong.This starts an evaluation of the old ways versus those of the new. Inthe fourth stage, the person realizes that the new culture has goodand bad things to offer. This stage can be one of double integrationor triple integration, depending on the number of cultures that theperson has to process. This integration is characterized by a moresolid feeling of belonging. The person starts to

definehimself or herself and establish goals for living. The fifth stage isthe stage that is called the reentry shock. This occurs when a personreturns to the newly acquired customs are considered improper in theold culture.

Questions56—60

Completethe summary with words from the passage, changing the form wherenecessary, with only oneword for each blank.

Introducedin 1958, culture shock is a term used to (56) __________ physical andemotional discomfort people experience when they come to or live in anew place. Although many people suffer a lot from culture shock, itis an (57) _________ for personal improvement. The five stages ofculture shock may last for a long time or show up once in a while. Inthe first stage, the (58) __________ stage, the new arrival might beOK with everything. Afterward, (59) ________ from old methods to thenew one calls for time and energy. During the third and fourth stage,people may gain more understanding of the new culture and possessobjective views. The double or triple integration is (60) __________by a feeling of belonging. The last stage, called reentry shock,refers to the feeling people have when returning to their homecountry.

SectionB(10 marks)

Questions61-65 are based on the following passage.

Forsome people, it would be unthinkable. But Gabe Henderson is findingfreedom in a recent decision; he canceled his MySpace account. The 26years old graduate student stopped his account after realizing that alot of his online friends were really just acquaintances. “Thesuperficial emptiness clouded the excitement I had once felt,”Henderson wrote in an article. “It seems we have lost, to somedegree, the

specialdepth that true friendship is about.”

Journalismprofessor Michael Bugeja, who is a strong supporter of face-to-facecommunication, read Henderson’s column and saw it was a sign ofhope. Though he’s not anti-technology, Bugeja often lecturesstudents about “interpersonal intelligence”—knowingwhen, where, and for what purpose technology is most appropriate. Hepoints out the students he’s seen walking across campus, holdinghands with each other while talking on cell phones to someone elseHe’s also seen them in coffee shops, surrounded by people, butstaring instead at a computer screen. “True friends,” he says,“need to learn when to stop blogging and go across campus to help afriend.”

Thesedays, young people are more wired than ever—butthey’re also getting more worried. Increasingly, they’ve had todeal with online bullies, who are posting anything from embarrassingphotos to online threats. And increasingly, young people also arerealizing that things they post on their profiles can come back tohurt them when applying for schools or jobs.

Socialnetworking can be an “extremely effective” way to publicizeevents to large groups. It can even help build a sense of communityon campus. People joined as a way to meet others. However,it has limitations. A good Internet profile could make even the mostboring person seem some what interesting. People are also not alwayshappy with text messages on the cell phones. Cell phones can be aquick way to say “have a good day”. But friends can also cancel anight out with a text message to avoid having to explain. “Ourgeneration needs to get over this fear of confrontation andrejection.” Henderson says. “The focus needs to be on qualitycommunication, in all ways.” Back in his life, Henderson isenjoying spending more face-to-face time with his friends and lesswith his computer. He says his decision to quit his social-networkingInternet accounts was a good one. “I’m not sacrificing

friends,”he says, “because if a picture, some basic information about theirlife and a Web page is all my friendship has become, then there wasnothing to sacrifice to begin with.”

Questions61—63

Decidewhether the following statements aretrue (T) or false (F) accordingto the passage.

61.Although Henderson quit MySpace, most of his online friends areactually close friends.

62.According to Bugeja, young people should know when to use technologyand when to stop using it.

63.Social networking helps build a sense of community but has a negativeeffect on young people’s life if it is used inappropriately.

Questions—65
Answerthe following questions briefly according to the passage.

.What does Henderson lose by using social networking websites likeMyspace? 65. What do young people need to overcome in order to focuson quality communication?

SectionC (10marks)
Questions66—70are based on the following passage.

“Five…Four …Three …Two… One … See ya! ” and Chance McGuire, twenty-five, is airborne off a 600–foot concrete

damin Northern California. In one second he falls 15 feet, in twoseconds 60 feet, and after three seconds and 130 feet, he is flyingat 66 miles an hour.

McGuireis a practitioner of what he calls the king of all extreme sports.BASE—anacronym for building, antenna, span (bridge) and earth(cliffs)—jumpinghas one of the sporting world’s highest fatality rates: in its18-year history, forty –six participants have been killed. Yet thesport has never been more popular, with more than a thousand jumpersin the United States, and more seeking to get into it every day. Itis an activity without margin for error. If your chute malfunctions,don’t bother researching for a reserve—thereisn’t time. There are no second chances.

Still,the sport may be a perfect fit with the times. Americans may havemore in common with McGuire than they know or care to admit. Americahas embarked on a national orgy of thrill seeking and risk taking.The rise of adventure and extreme sports such as BASE jumping,snowboarding, ice climbing, skateboarding, and paragliding is merelythe most vivid manifestation of this new national behavior.

Therising popularity of extreme sports speaks of an eagerness on thepart of millions of Americans to participate in activities closer tothe edge, where danger, skill, and fear combine to give weekendwarriors and professional athletes alike a sense of pushing outpersonal boundaries. According to American Sports Data Inc., aconsulting firm, participation in so-called extreme sports is way up.Snowboarding has grown 113 percent in five years and now boastsnearly 5.5 million participants. Mountain hiking, skateboarding,scuba diving—theirgrowth curves reveal a nation that loves to play with danger.Contrast that with activities such as baseball, touch football, andaerobics, all of which were in steady decline throughout the 1990s.

Thepursuits that are becoming more popular have one thing in common: theperception that they are somehow more challenging than a game oftouch football.

“Everyhuman being with two legs and two arms is going to wonder how fast,how strong, how enduring he or she is,” says Eric Perlman, amountaineer and film maker specializing in extreme sports. “We aredesigned to experience or die.”
Questions66—68
Completethe following sentences with information given in the passage in amaximum of 4 words for each blank.

66._______ rates doesn’t stop people from getting into BASE jumpingevery day. 67. The rise of extreme sports manifests the nationalbehavior of _______ and ________.

68.The combination of fear, skill and danger gives both amateurs andprofessionals a senseof ______.

Questions69—70
Choosethe best answer according to the passage.

69.Which of the following activities reveals a nation that loves to playactivities closer to the edge?

A.Touch football. B.Baseball.

C.

Scuba

diving.

D.Aerobics.

70.What does Eric mean by saying “We are designed to experience ordie”? A.Life with great challenges is a meaningful one.

B.Life without great experiences is very common.

C.People may die while doing extreme sports.

D.Extreme sports are essential parts of human life.

SectionD (10marks)

Questions71—75 are based on the following passage.

AlbertEinstein was one of the greatest thinkers the world has ever known.He formulated theories of relativity, successfully described thenature of the universe and came up with the most famous equation inthe world. David Beckham is the footballer whose skills and precisionhave made him one of the most gifted sportsmen of his generation. Whois more intelligent?

HowGardner’s theory of multiple intelligences (MI) dares us to putthese two men on neighboring pedestals. Instead of regardingintelligence as a single quantity measurable by pen-and-paper tests,Gardner, an education professor at Harvard University, divides humanintelligence into no fewer than eight separate categories rangingfrom mathematical to musical competence. (74)Hisideas have provokedvigorousdebate about how one defines intelligence.Gardner’s point is that quantity measures only one capacity, thesort of mental agility that is valued in academic achievement, andthat this single number does not do justice to human potential. So hehas created his own spheres of achievement. Some categories areeasily reconcilable with general perceptions about IQ. For example,“linguistic” intelligence confers a mastery of language, and isthe preserve of such people as poets, writers and linguists. “Logicalmathematical” intelligence marks out people who take a reasoningapproach to physical things, and seek underlying principles. Einsteinis the standard –bearer of this group, which also includesphilosophers. These two categories are the main components of what wegenerally think of as “intelligence”.

“Musical”intelligence characterizes musicians, composers and conductors.“Spatial” intelligence is about being able to pictureperspective, to visualize a world in

one’shead with great accuracy. Chess players, artists and architects wouldrate highly

“bodily-kinesthetic”heading; these individual, like Beckham, are able to control theirbodies and movements very carefully.

Thencome two types of “personal” intelligence-intrapersonal, theability to gauge one’s own mood, feelings and mental states, andinterpersonal, being able to gauge it in others and use theinformation. These two categories could be interpreted as emotionalintelligence. Psychiatrists are particularly adept at the former,while religious leaders and politicians are seen as people who canexploit the latter.

CharlesDarwin is perhaps the perfect embodiment of the eighth intelligence–“naturalist”. This label describes people with a deepunderstanding of the natural world and its objects. Zoologists andbotanists can count themselves among this group.

(75)Theseeight categories certainly reflect the fact that, in these areas,there is a spectrum of human ability ranging from the hopeless to thebrilliant. But are these really intelligences, or could thesecompetences be more accurately described as gifts or talents?

Questions71—73
Answerthe following questions briefly according to the passage.

71.What are the main components of “intelligence” we generally thinkof? 72. What kind of abilities does emotional intelligence involve?

73.Which intelligences are represented by Einstein and Beckhamrespectively?

Questions74—75
Translatethe underlined sentences in the passage into Chinese.

74.His ideas have provoked vigorous debate about how one definesintelligence. 75. These eight categories certainly reflect the factthat, in these areas, there is a spectrum of human ability rangingfrom the hopeless to the brilliant.

PartV Translation (10marks)
Translatethe following sentences into English, using the hints given inbrackets. Remember to write the answer on the answersheet.

76.既然没有退路了，我们不妨试试她方法。(mightas well)

77.企业利润连续三个月下滑，你怎样解释？(accountfor)

78.在谈到怎样能取得成功时，Blair强调发明机遇比等候机遇更关键。（put

emphasison）

79.我期望我年轻时候也有你们这么好机会。（虚拟语气）

80.高昂学费并不一定能够确保良好教育。（guarantee）

PartVI Error Correction (10marks)
Proofreadthe passage as required. Each indicated line contains amaximum of one error.Correct the passage in the following way: for a right line, put thesign “√”in the corresponding blank; for a wrong word, underline the wrongword and write the correct one in the blank; for a missing word, markthe position of the missing word with the sign “∧”and write the word you believe to be missing in the blank; for anunnecessary word, cross the unnecessary word with the sign “\”and put the word with the sign “\” in the blank. Write theanswers on the answersheet.

Cashreward is a common form of motivation used by parents with high
expectationto encourage their children work hard at exam time. Some 81. ________
youngstersreceive payments of as much as ￡100for each A grade they
obtainat GSCE. But would such “bribes” be based on exam performance or82. ________
shouldthey, as many parents and teachers feel, be offered in recognition ofa 83.

________
child’seffort, regardless of results? The later approach would solve the 84.________
problemsof how parents reward children with different levels of ability; 85.________
imagine,for example, a family with one child who is academically gift and 86.________
anotherwho has learning difficulties. The dangers of result-relatingincentives 87.

________
forthe second child are clear; with little hope of obtaining the highergrades,
thewithholding of promised financial rewards would only compound of the88.________
child’sfeeling of false. However, some leading educational psychologists .________
believethat parents should rely in their own judgments in such matters. They 90.

________
maintainthat if parents know that money will motivate their child, then they

shouldnot be condemned for operating a system of cash payouts.

PartVII IQ Test (5marks)
Thereare five IQ Test questions in this part. Write the answers on theanswer sheet. 91. Which two words starting with “P” and “O”contain the most letters?

92.What is at: The beginning of eternity
Theend of time and space Thebeginning of every end Andthe end of every place? 93.

L O V E

What’sthe phrase that is represented by the picture? 94. Which pictureshould replace the question mark?

		?

95.Your sock drawer contains ten pairs of white socks and ten pairs ofblack socks. If you’re only allowed to take one sock from thedrawer at a time and you can’t see the color of the sock you’retaking until you’ve taken it, how many socks do you have to takebefore you’re guaranteed to have at least one matching pair?

PartVIII Writing (30marks)
I(10marks)

Youshould write no fewer than 100 words on the answer sheet. Use “Frank”instead of your real name.

II(20marks)

Chinais now experiencing the largest mass migration of people, anestimated 230 million (), from the countryside to cities in history.They’ve brought economy boom to cities and life improvement totheir own families. However, this migration leaves land in thecountryside uncultivated and children of migrant workers poorlyeducated.

Howdo you think can the migration in China have a balanced development?

Writeyour article in about 140words in an appropriate style on the answersheet.

NationalEnglish Contest for College Students (Level C - Preliminary)

(总分：150分答题时间：120分钟)

PartI Listening Comprehension(30 marks)

SectionA (5marks)

Inthis section, you will hear fiveshort conversations. Each conversation will be read only once. At theend of each conversation, there will be a twenty-secondpause. During the pause, read the question and the threechoices marked A,Band C,and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the correspondingletter on theanswer sheetwith a single line through the center.

1. Whydidn’t the man go to see Macbeth last week? A.He didn’t manage to get a ticket.

B.He had to attend a conference.

C.He had a better production to watch.

2. Whatdoes “Fill Me In” refer to in this conversation? A.A type of upgraded mobile phone.

B.A well-selling magazine.

C.A writer’s new book series.

3. Whydoesn’t the woman like the bag?

A.She doesn’t like the pattern.

B.It’s not easy to carry.

C.It’s too big for her.

A.She’s going to make a friend in Spain.

B.She’ll communicate with a Spanish friend in Spain. C. She’llpractice speaking Spanish with an English friend.

SectionB (10marks)
Inthis section, you will hear twolong conversation. Each conversation will be read only once. At

theend of each conversation, there will be a one-minutepause. During the pause, read the question and the threechoices marked A,Band C,and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the correspondingletter on theanswer sheetwith a single line through the center.

ConversationOne
6. Whattraffic accident are the speakers talking about?

A.A kid was knocked down by a car.

B.Two cars crashed into a shop.

C.A car ran into a wrong place.

7. Whydid the accident happen according the woman?

A.There were many shops around.

B.The crossing is in a wrong place.

C.There was no crossing here.

8. Whichof the following is the suggestion they made?

A.More traffic lights should be installed.

B.A speed camera should be mounted.

C.More policemen should patrol that area.

9. Where,as the woman mentioned, has got improved traffic? A.Her own neighborhood.

B.Her big brother’s neighborhood.

C.Her parents’ neighborhood.

10.How was the man punished for his traffic offence?

A.He was fined 100 pounds with extra penalty points.

B.He had to pay 150 pounds and got 6 penalty points.

C.He finally paid 600 pounds without any penalty points.

ConversationTwo
11.Why is the expert opposed to the view that memory aids make yourmemory worse? A.There is no evidence showing that memory aids are invalid.

B.Human beings’ brain functions mainly through memory aids in aneffective way.

C.Memory aids encourage an organized approach which helps the brainfunction effectively.

12.What is interview’s attitude towards the idea that visual imagehelp the memory A.It is hard to believe.

B.It is nothing strange.

C.It is obviously nonsense.

13.Who developed the system of memory aids centuries ago?

A.Inhabitants on an isolated island.

B.The Ancient Greeks.

C.A great psychologists.

14.How does mapping out notes affect the brain?

A.It is helpful in reflecting the way people link information in thebrain.

B.It prevents people from arranging things logically.

C.It makes people’s brain function the opposite way.

15.What tends to affect people’s ability to think clearly?

A.Upbringing and innate differences.

B.Worry and anxiety.

C.Their aptitudes.

SectionC(5 marks)
Inthis section, you will hear fiveshort news items. After each item, which will be read only once,there will be a pause. During the pause, read the question and thethreechoices marked A,Band

C,and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the correspondingletter on theanswer sheet witha single line through the center.

16.How can social media influence the presidential election in the USAaccording to the latestresearch?

A.It can help voters to choose their president.

B.It can help to ensure the fairness of the elections.

C.It can help to increase the number of voters.

17.What honorary title has Yaya Toure been granted?

A.The African Player of the Year.

B.212 Star of the Confederation of African Football.

C.The Ivory Coast star.

18.Why did Reshma Saujani set up the organization “Girls Who Code”? A.To raise women’s status in the field of science.

B.To improve girls’ aptitude and performance in STEM.

C.To arouse girls’ interest in science and technology.

19.Which tablet computer’s hardware inside is more powerful?

A.The CNET Kum. B.The 谷歌Nexus7. C. The Apple iPad mini. 20. What does the company announce that itcan do for the United States? A.It can reduce the amount of plastic waste.

B.It can help to recycle the plastic waste.

C.It can increase the amount of exports.

SectionD (10 marks)
Inthis section, you will hear a short passage. There are 10missing words or phrases. Fill in the blanks with the exact words orphrases you hear. The passage will be read twice.Remember to

writethe answers on theanswer sheet.

Ifyou (21) ____ smooth skin that glows with youth, the chances are thatat some point you will have heard the exhortation to drink lots ofwater in order to (22) ____ those evil toxins and keep your skinhealthy.

Theexact amount people suggest varies. US – based advice (23) ____eight glasses a day, while in hotter climates people are advised todrink to more to (24) ____ higher rates of sweating. But regardlessof the exact volume of water suggested, the principle behind theadvice remains the same --- taking extra water on board will keepyour skin hydrated. In other words, water acts like a moisturizer,but from the inside out.

Thisis such a common idea you might be surprised at the (25) ____ to backup. You might expect there to be countless studies where people are(26) ____ two groups, one assigned to sip water all day, the other todrink a normal amount. Then the smoothness of the skin could be (27)____ a month or so later to establish whether sipping more lead tosmoother skin.

Infact such studies are rare, partly because water can’t be patented,so it is hard to find anyone to fund such research when there will beno new (28) ____ or cosmetic to sell that could repay the costs. Areview by the dermatologist Ronni Wolf at the Kaplan Medical Centerin Israel found just one study looking at the effect of long-termwater intake on the skin. But the results were (29) ____. After fourweeks, the group who drank mineral water showed a decrease in skindensity, which some believe suggests the skin is retaining moremoisture, while those who drank tap water showed an increase in skindensity. But regardless of the type of water they drank, it made nodifference to their (30) ____ or to the smoothness of their skin.

PartII Vocabulary and Structure(15 marks)
Thereare 15incomplete sentences in this section. For each blank there are fourchoices marked A,B,Cand D.Choose the one that best completes the sentence. Then mark thecorresponding

letteronthe answer sheet witha single line through the center.

31.The new star said to the journalists that she _C___ the opportunityto show that she could play a serious film role.

32.We haven’t really __D__ a solution to the problem yet, which makesthe boss really frustrated.

33.Personally, I am __C__ banning cigarette smoking completely,especially in public areas.

A.in touch with B.apart from C. in favor of D. regardless of
34.Until a firm agreement has been reached, I am not __C__ to acceptingthe offer.

35.The government is making every effort to __B__ an economic crisis,but it seems nothing could help.

36.__B__ a serious crime, what exactly should you do?

A.Unless you witness B.If you were to witness
C.If only you witness D.since you witness
37.During examinations candidates are always supposed to stay in seats,keep their eyes on the work, _A___ to anyone.

B.but could not speak A. and not speak
C.rather than speakD. instead of speaking
38.Realizing that he hadn’t got enough money and _D___ to borrow anyfrom his parents, he decided to sell his house.

39.There’s no point waiting here any longer. We _C___ go and havesomething to eat.

40.While many people may refer to up-to-minute news, it is unlikely thattelevision and the Internet _A___ the newspapers completely.

41.She married a very nice young architect from Belfast, _A___ she meton a bus during her journey to Northern Ireland.

42.It is a kind of illness that can result in total blindness if __D__
A.to leave untreated B.is left untreated
C.leaving untreated D.left untreated
43.----I’m so disappointed with my son! He just wouldn’t practicethe piano! ----Take it easy. You can lead ___B_ to water, but you can’t makeit drink.

44.----Good morning, Madam! I’d like some information about thecourse.

----Certainly._B___
A.I’m afraid I don’t know more than you either.

B.Is there anything I can do for you?

C.What exactly would you like to know?

D.How much information did you know?

45.---- How do you feel about countries that don’t try to reduceglobal warming?

----__A__, those countries care more about money than saving the planet.

A.As far as I’m concerned B. It’s none of our business

D.Things are under control

ofthe following threeways: according to the context, by using the correct form of thegiven word, or by using the given letters of the word. Remember towrite the answers on theanswer sheet.

Accordingto recent surveys, 72% of all Americans believe that the UnitedStates government is (46) hiding____ information about UFOs. Almost68% of people think that the government has secret knowledge ofextraterrestrial life. It is not (47) _surprising__ (surprise) thatthe government has come under more and more (48) pressure____ todeclassify its UFO records and make them public. A variety ofdifferent groups have been involved in these efforts.

Onegroup to become involved is called CFI, the Coalition for Freedom ofInformation, John Podesta, who was White House Chief of Staff duringBill Clinton’s (49)
presidency____(president),is one of the many high-powered people active in this group. CFI’saim is not to prove the (50) _existence___(exist) of extraterrestriallife, but to make it easier for scientists in general to studyunexplained aerial phenomena. Podesta and his group has asked thePentagon to declassify its UFO records and therefore providescientists (51) with____ data that will help in the study of UFOs.

CFIhas requested the release of information on several UFO cases,starting with the Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, incident. This incidenttook (52) __place__ in 1965 when a large acorn-shaped object, thesize of a small car, crashed in Pennsylvania. Some analysts say itcould have been the spacecraft Kosmos 96 that had been launchedtowards Venus by the Soviet Union, but failed to escape Earth’s(53) gravity____. Others say the object did not look anything likespacecraft built on Earth in 1965.

(54)Additionally___, the people of Kecksburg want to know what happened.On that (55) afternoon____, hundreds of eyewitnesses watched a fierystreak of light descend from the sky towards Earth. Officialsexplained that nothing was found or recovered and that maybe thefireball in the sky was a meteor. But many witnesses say they saw anumber of military personnel from the Army and the Air Force searchthe woods, and later that evening, saw a large military

tractor-trailercoming from the area carrying a large object under a tarp.

PartIV Reading Comprehension (40marks)
Readthe following passage. Each passage is followed by several questions.Respond to the questions using information from the passage. Rememberto write the answers on theanswer sheet.

SectionA(10 marks)
Questions56-60 are based on the following passage.

Theaverage automatic teller machine (ATM) is not very smart. It willgive money to anyone who has the right card and punches four or fivekeys in the right order. Some analysts estimate that as many as 30%of ATM transaction worldwide are cases of theft. Toincrease securityat cash machines, some banks have tried to make their ATMs a littlesmarter. A small camera on the machine looks directly into the eye ofevery customer. It scans one iris and compares the tiny patterns ofridges, dots, and other features to a code in its computer. If thereis a match, the ATM will start counting out cash. If not, a messageis automatically sent to the nearest police station.

Iris-scanningis one fast-growing form of biometric identification --- determiningwho someone is by examining features the body. One of the earliestbiometric techniques was fingerprinting. The line on fingerprints areunique to each person, so not even identical twins have the samefingerprints. Fingerprinting has become famous as a way of findingout who committed a crime, but it very often fails. A carefulcriminal can swear gloves, avoid touching thing, or even alter hisfingerprints by burning, cutting, or scraping them. In the search fora more reliable system, security experts have focused on the eye.

Likea fingerprint, every iris is, for all practical purposes, unique.Each person’s right iris is even different from his or her leftone. A low-cost digital camera, like the kind installed at ATM

machines,can easily detect hundreds of different features in the iris. Thechance of two irises having the same features is close to zero. Testshave shown that iris-scanners are very hard to fool. They can tellthe difference between a real iris and a false one. They can seeright through colored contact lenses, eyeglasses, and even mirroredsunglasses. Although many criminal are willing to burn or cut theirfingers in pursuit of the perfect crime, few would be willing or ableto alter their irises.

Tomake iris-scanning work,a computerized databasehas to match certain iris features with certain people. This meansthat each ATM customer has to allow a bank to photograph his or heriris and keep that highly personal information in a computer. Somepeople have worried, however, that an increased use of iris-scanningwill lead to a dangerous loss of privacy. By mounting iris-scancameras in public places, governments could track a private citizenall day long without the person’s knowledge. This would be a greatadvantage to the police, but it could also give corrupt officials anew way to control their opponents. The military’s development oftiny robots suggests that government iris-scanners could even invadeprivate homes!

Questions56-60
Completethe summary with words from the passage, changing the form wherenecessary, with only oneword for each blank.

ATM transactions are often cases of theft, where an unauthorized user takes (56) __money_. To decrease insecurity, some banks have installed iris-scanning machines at ATMs. These small cameras scan the user’s iris, recording its features and (57) _comping___ them to a digital file. Every person has a (58) _ unique ___ iris, making iris identification highly reliable. Earlier efforts at biometric identification often relied on fingerprints. However,

sunglasses.Use of iris scanners would provide great advantages to the police.However, others worry about a loss of (60) ____.

Seedcatalogues feature hundreds of flowering species. For the personsjust beginning garden this can be bewildering, and below are thedetails of some popular choices, nearly all of which should be sownin the spring. With the exception of busy lizzies, which need alittle care, they are all very easy to grow from seed.

Dahlias
Theseare sturdy plants bearing showy flowers in a wide range of rathergaudy colors. Sow in a frame in April and plant the seedlings outwhen frosts are over. Dahlias flower throughout the summer and intothe autumn. When autumn frosts begin to make them look unhappy, youshould dig up the tuberous roots and save them. A frost-free loft,shed or garage is the ideal place. The following spring you plant thetubers instead of sowing seed again.

Lupins
Lupinsare hardy perennials. This means that the plants will stay in yourgarden and carry on flowering year after year. Seed sown in Aprilwill usually give you some spikes of colors in the first summer, andyear by year the plants get bigger and the flowering stems get tallerand grander.

Selectivebreeding has led to the introduction of some fine, bicoloredvarieties in some dazzling shades. The short-lived flowers make areal misunderstanding spectacle.

Busylizzies
Likedahlias, busy lizzies need to be started off under glass, as theycannot stand frost, and panting out is best done in May. Outdoorflowering ends in September, so beat the frosts and bring yourfavorite

Potentillas
Potentillasare hardy shrubs. In other words, the woody branches spring fromground level—there is no central trunk. Seed is probably best sownin autumn, in which case you should keep the plants in a shelteredspot until April offers favorable conditions for planting out. Onceflowering begins in early summer the best varieties (such as MeltonFire) will stay in bloom almost ceaselessly for years on end while atthe same time spreading out to provide ground cover or a low hedge.

Pansies
Pansieshave a good long flowering season year after year, and some varietiescan be sown in spring to give truly splendid results the firstautumn. Unlike dahlias and lupins, which can easily grow a metertall, pansies grow no higher than 10 or 20 cm. Their soil, positionand moisture requirements are just like those of busy lizzies butpansies differ in being hardy. Give them a try!

Questions61-63
Decidewhether the following statements are true(T)or false(F)according to the passage. 61.Both dahlias and lupins, which are sown in April, need protectingfrom frost.

62.Brought indoors in autumn, dahlias, busy lizzies and potentillas willcarry on flowering almost non-stop.

63.Among all the flowers busy lizzies are not very easy to grow fromseed.

SectionC(10 marks)
Questions66-70 are based on the following passage.

Whenlooking for love, people may go to some extreme lengths. They mightgo on blind dates set up by family and friends. They might writepersonal ads to place in newspapers. Or they might use a computer tohelp them in their search for a soul mate by joining an online datingservices. Some people have even tried to find their perfect matchthrough game shows on

television.Many of these TV dating shows, including TheBachelorand WhoWants to Marry a Millionaire? haveproved to be ratings blockbusters, with millions of viewers watchingeach week to find out which of the contestants will find true love.

Ofall these game shows, perhaps the one with the most unexpected endingwas Mr.Right,which was shown in England in . On the show, a bachelor,thirty-five-year-old Lance
Gerrard-Wright,dated fifteen women to find the one who was his ideal partner. Thehost of the show was Ulrika Johnson, an English celerity originallyfrom Sweden. For seven weeks on the show, Gerrard-Wright took turnsgoing on dates with each of the women, taking them to expensiverestaurants and exotic locations. He even met the women’s familiesand introduced them to his own. Then at the end of each episode, hewould choose between one and three of the contestants with whom hehad felt the least compatible, and say goodbye to them.

Atone point during the series, one contestant volunteered to leavebecause she said she didn’t find him attractive. After two datesshe said she had had enough, and she couldn’t see it working.

“Hewasn’t my cup of tea.” In another episode the woman he was on adate with burst into tears when he called her by another contestant’sname. “You called me by another girl’s name. I can’t believeyou did that. I really liked you,” she sobbed.

Butin the final episode, the woman he eventually chose decided shedidn’t want to marry him after all. “I think you’ve chosen mebecause you have to choose someone,” she said. Maybe this wasbecause she already knew he had fallen in love---with the show’shost!

Afterleaving the show, Gerrard-Wright and Johnson were seen diningtogether and attending parties around London more and more often.Finally, on May 1, , Gerrard-Wright proposed to Johnson on the stepsof St. Paul’s Cathedral. And she accepted his proposal right away,although it was a conditional acceptance. Johnson has two childrenfrom previous relationships—an
eight-year-oldson, Cameron, and a two-year-old daughter, Bo. She had to make surethat they agreed to the marriage. Luckily, they did. Gerrard-Wrightsaid, “In the end the show did work for

me.I grabbed an opportunity to get a girlfriend and I did. Ulrika’sgorgeous.”

Questions66-68
Completethe following sentences with information given in the passage in amaximum of 2words for each blank.

66.Lance Gerrard-Wright went to ____ to go on the show Mr.Right inorder to find his perfect match.

67.On the show, Lance had the opportunity to date many gorgeous womenamong whom there might be one that he was almost ____.

68.Ulrika accepted Lance’s proposal ____ that her children agreed totheir marriage as well.

Questions69-70
Choosethe best answer according to the passage.

69.Which of the following did NOT happen on the show?

A.Lance went on dates with several women.

B.The candidates went to some very good restaurants.

C.Ulrika consulted her parents before she made her decision.

D.The women met Lance’s family.

70.What happened after seven weeks of doing the show?

A.All of the women found their beloved.

B.Lance started to date with the show’s host.

C.One of the women on the show couldn’t help crying.

D.Ulrika asked Lance to marry her.

SectionD(10 marks)
Questions71-75 are based on the following passage.

Alaskais disappearing slowly but surely. Since the 1950s, it is estimatedthat as much as 15

percentof Alaska’s area has disappeared. But how can a whole state bedisappearing?

Onereason for Alaska’s gradual disappearance is the melting itsglaciers. According to one geologist at the US Geological Survey,about 98 percent of Alaska’s glaciers are either unmoving ordiminishing. This diminishing seems mainly due to the increase inglobal temperatures. Since the 1960s, the average year-roundtemperature has increased by 5℉.Furthermore, the average winter temperature has increased by 8℉.Presently, an estimated 24 cubic miles of ice is disappearing fromAlaskan glaciers every year. It may be even more in the near future,as some scientists predict that the average world temperature couldgo up 2.5 to 10℉bythe year .

Anotherproblem contributing to Alaska’s gradual disappearance is itspermafrost. (74) Muchof the land in Alaska was permanently frozen, or frozen for most ofthe year, thus maintaining its integrity.Now, the thawing permafrost is causing a number of problems on land.Roads and utility poles are collapsing. Also, the hard permafrostwhich originally prevented beaches from eroding during violent stormsis now melting. Affected villages are forced to relocate. Forvillages on small low islands, one terrible storm could wipe out theentire community.

Themelting permafrost and increasing temperature are also having anegative impact on the forests of Alaska. As the permafrost under theforests melts, insects that normally don’t turn up until the warmerseasons are appearing sooner. The spruce-bark beetle, for example, isincreasing in numbers as a result of global warming. It usually takesabout two years for these beetles to grow and reproduce in a verycold weather. However, due to the increase in temperatures,spruce-bark beetles are damaging as many trees in one year as theypreviously damaged in two. At this rate, Alaska’s forest won’tsurvive the turn of the century.

Somescientists believe that human activity is linked to a global increasein weather temperature. Whether the rising temperature are caused byhuman activity or natural changes, the fact remains that Alaska iswarming. Some others argue that global warming may be a normal trendon the Earth’s temperature chart. (75) Onetheory argues that we are near the end of a

so-called“Little Ice Age”, and the return of the glaciers is naturalresult of this cycle. Whether natural or produced by humans, there islittle hope for the immediate future of glaciers as we knowthem.Horribly, this could be a preview of what will happen to the rest ofthe world in the next century.

Questions71-73
Answerthe following questions briefly according to the passage.

71.What are disappearing in Alaska actually?

72.How much ice is melting each year according to the survey?

73.Why do insects damage more trees than before?

Questions74-75
Translatethe underlined sentences in the passage into Chinese.

74.Much of the land in Alaska was permanently frozen, or frozen for mostof the year, thus maintaining its integrity
75.One theory argues that we are near the end of a so-called “LittleIce Age”, and the return of the glaciers is natural result of thiscycle. Whether natural or produced by humans, there is little hopefor the immediate future of glaciers as we know them.

PartV Translation(10 marks)
Translatethe following sentences into English, using the hints given inbrackets. Remember to write the answers on theanswer sheet.