S “ S “ ëJr « VÔ»: :2Øt bt?vÐ M « Vùî 3q 3 I k k k5 “ S “ S “ ë Jr « VÔ ¡s sÿi æ ªs5¼ ¥ÿi Y ç îµsÃA¶s5¼ ' k5¼¤à¼ (ír è' k5¼¶ Ûs5¼B Æ k5Ïí I. Vocabulary and Structure (20 points) Directions: There are 20 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A., B., C. and D. Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then write down your answer on the Answer Sheet. 1. Columbus' decision to sail west to reach the East _ on his belief that the earth was round. A. existed B. sat C. relaxed D. rested 2. Despite the wonderful acting and well-developed plot the _ movie could not hold our attention. A. three-hours B. three-hour C. three-hours' D. three-hour's 3. Difficulties can _ a person's best qualities. A. bring up B. bring out C. bring about D. bring to 4. Doctors sometimes _ old cures when modern medicine doesn't work. A. fall on B. fall down on C. fall back on D. fall in upon 5. Does brain power _ as we get older? Scientists now have some surprising answers. A. descend B. decline C. deduce D. collapse 6. Doing your homework is a sure way to improve your test scores, and this is especially true _ it comes to classroom tests. A. when B. since C. before D. after 7. Don't worry. The company will _ all your expense. A. satisfy B. meet C. pay D. submit 8. Eventually, people spread throughout the continent, _ the entire species. A. wiping out B. wiping away C. wiping off D. wiping up 9. Experts say walking is one of the best ways for a person to _ healthy. A. preserve B. stay C. maintain D. reserve 10. Faced with the _ difficulties, they are determined to carry on their program. A. satisfactory B. attributable C. innocent D. intangible 11. Fewer and fewer of today's workers expect to spend their working lives in the same field, _ the same company. A. all else B. much worse C. let alone D. less likely 12. Flying in an airplane was once thought to be an impossible _. A. task B. profession C. promise D. contest 13. Fresh vegetables are straight from the _ and raw vegetables are _. A. earth.cooked B. soil.uncooked C. floor.cooked D. ground.uncooked 14. Such poets as Shakespeare _ widely readof whose workshoweversome _ difficult to understand. Aare are Bis is Care is Dis are 15. Three quarters of the forest _ burnt to ashes and the rest _ cut down for construction. S “ S “ ëJr « VÔ»: :Awas has been Bwas have been Chave been is Dare has been 16. It is well admitted that the high _ rate is caused in part by failure to communicate. A. unemployment B. birth C. divorce D. inflation 17. Fumes from the exhaust of an automobile are _. A. notorious B. anxious C. noxious D. delicious 18. George wasn't in class today, Professor Brown excused him _. A. from attending B. of attending C. to attend D. attending 19. Cleaning out the basement was a _job. A. tedious B. miserable C. marvelous D. desirable 20. Hamlet _ his father's death on his uncle. A. reversed B. reverted C. revenged D. revealed II. Reading Comprehension (30 points) Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A., B., C. and D. You should decide on the best choice and write down your answer on the Answer Sheet. Passage 1 The Internet can make the news more democratic, giving the public a chance to ask questions and seek out facts behind stories and candidates, according to the head of the largest US on-line service. “But the greatest potential for public participation is still in the future,” Steven Case, chairman of America On-line, told a recent meeting on Journalism and the Internet sponsored by The Freedom Forum, though other speakers say the new technology of computers is changing the face of journalism, giving reporters access to more information and their readers a chance to ask questions and turn to different sources. “You dont have to buy a newspaper and be confined to the four corners of that paper anymore,” Sam Meddis, on-line technology editor at USA Today, observed about the variety of information available to computer users. But the speakers noted the easy access to the Internet also means anyone can post information for others to see. “Anyone can say anything they want, whether its right or wrong,” said Case. Readers have to determine or themselves who to trust. “In a world of almost infinite voices, respected journalists and respected brand names will probably become more important, not less,” Case said. The Internet today is about where radio was 80 years ago, or television 50 years ago or cable 25 years ago, he said. But it is growing rapidly because it provides people fast access to news and a chance to comment on it. He forecast increased political participation on-line in this year and in 2000 with politicians able to answer directly to the public - an opportunity to increase voter turnout and for politicians to raise funds from the public. 21. The main topic of this passage is _. A. the development of journalism B. the rapid development of the Internet C. the effect of the Internet has on journalism D. the advantages of the Internet 22. It can be inferred from this passage that _ may NOT be regarded as the advantages of the Internet? A. the news can be made more democratic B. the public can turn to different sources C. the public can get a chance to ask questions D. anything can be posted on the Internet for others to see 23. The correct order for the appearance of the four technologies is _. S “ S “ ëJr « VÔ»: :A. Internet-cable-television-radio B. radio-television-cable-Internet Cradio-cable-television-Internet D. Television-radio-cable-Internet 24. Which of the following statements is true? A. Only respected journalists can post information on the Internet for others to see. B. Respected journalists will probably become more important than before. C. Everyone is using the Internet now. D. The greatest potential of public participation of the Internet is in the near future. 25. On the whole, the attitude Steven Case holds for the Internets future development is _. A. pessimistic B. optimistic Cdoubtful D. unknown Passage 2 Sex prejudices are based on and justified by the ideology(4 Q ) that biology is fate. According to this ideology, basic biological and psychological differences exist between the sexes. These differences require each sex to play a separate role in social life. Women are the weaker sex both physically and emotionally. Thus, they are naturally suited, much more so than men, to the performance of domestic duties. A womans place, under normal circumstances, is within the protective environment of the home. Nature has determined that women play caretaker roles, such as wife and mother and homemaker. On the other hand, men are best suited to go out into the competitive world of work and politics, where serious responsibilities must be taken on. Men are to be the providers; women and children are “dependents”. The ideology also holds that women who wish to work outside the household should naturally fill these jobs that are in line with the special capabilities of their sex. It is thus appropriate for women, not men, to be employed as nurses, social workers, elementary school teachers, household helpers, and clerks and secretaries. These positions are simply an extension of womens domestic role. Informal differences between “womens work” and “mens work” in the labor force, according to the ideology, are simply a functional reflection of the basic differences between the sexes. Finally, the ideology suggests that nature has worked her will in another significant way. For the human species to survive over time, its members must regularly reproduce. Thus, women must, whether at home or in the labor force, make the most of their physical appearance. So goes the ideology. It is, of course, not true that basic biological and psychological differences between the sexes require each to play sex-defined roles in social life. There is a great deal of evidence that sex roles vary from society to society, and those role differences that do exist are largely learned. To a degree people actually believe that biology is fate and that nature is intended for men and women to make different contributions to society, but sex-defined roles will be seen as totally acceptable. 26. Why is womens place considered to be within the home to some extent? A. Because they are so weak that they cant do outdoor jobs. B. Because they can provide children with much better care. C. Because they dislike to compete with men in any field. D. Because they are biologically fit for domestic jobs. 27. In the authors opinion, the difference of sex roles _. A. is determined by social factors B. is determined by emotional and physical factors C. only depends on the education people receive D. depends on biological and psychological factors 28. The author thinks that womens roles as nurses and clerks _. A. indicate that women are important for these jobs S “ S “ ëJr « VÔ»: :B. are the extension of womens household roles C. reflect a basic difference between men and women D. show clearly what women are good at 29. According to the passage we can know that _. A. people think the different roles men and women play in society are determined by nature to some extent B. men can provide whatever women and children need in the competitive world C. men are unable to do the job such as social workers and secretaries D. it is necessary for each to play sex-defined roles in social life 30. Whats the authors attitude towards the ideology that biology is fate? A. Approving B. Indifferent C. Objective D. Disapproving Passage 3. Unlike written language, speech itself was not a technology devised to overcome human limitations in the face of social and environmental changes. In this sense, spoken language isnt a technology at all. Though humans created or devised particular spoken languages, we did not create or devise spoken language itself any more than we created our circulatory systems. Our ability to speak language is an inborn characteristic of our species. We carry in our genes and our brains the capacity for spoken language. If the day ever arrives when we abandon spoken language and the sign languages used by people with hearing and speaking disabilities, we will be waving good-bye to the species of human beings that we are. In contrast to written language, spoken and sign languages are user friendly. As very young children, we just start speaking or signing; we dont have to spend years in school learning to speak. Nor does spoken language divide the worlds population the way written language does - dividing humanity into those who can read and write and those who are nonliterate. Everyone who is mentally and physically able can speak a language. Historically, spoken language came to human before written language. Biologically, speech or sign language has to come to each child before literacy. This is because written language are symbolic representations of spoken languages. Had we no spoken language, we could not have created written language. Written language may have emerged as the primary method used to store and retrieve information in certain areas of the world, but it is based on and derived from spoken language. In the twenty-first century, people with access to voice-in/ voice-out computer technology will once again be able to use spoken language to access all stored information. Talking computer are going to make writing, reading, spelling, punctuation, written numerals and all other notational systems out of date. The obituary(·á )for written language will not be written. It will be spoken by someone talking to VIVO computer in 2050. 31. It can be inferred from the last sentence of Paragraph 2 that _. A. human beings will never abandon spoken and sign languages B. human beings will abandon spoken and sign languages one day C. people with hearing and speaking disabilities will never abandon spoken and sign languages D. people dont have to spend years in school learning to speak 32. The expression “user friendly” in paragraph 3 probably means _. A. are friendly to users B. are easy for users to use C. are friendly users D. are friends of users 33. The word “ nonliterate” (Par.3) probably means “_”. A. able to read and write B. unable to read and write C. able to listen and speak D. unable to listen and speak S “ S “ ëJr « VÔ»: :34. According to the author, which of the following statements is NOT true? A. Written language was a technology devised to overcome human limitations. B. In the 21 century, talking computers will make it possible for people to use spoken language to access all stored information. C. In the 21 century, talking computers are unlikely to make written language disappear from the earth. D. The death of written language will be announced by someone who is talking to a talking computer. 35. The best title of this passage is: _. A. The Power of Speech B. The Power of Written Language C. Spoken Language - an Inborn Ability D. The Replacement of Spoken Language by Written Language Passage 4 When Columbus reached the New World, corn was the most widely grown plant in the Americas. A study by an American professor who was an important figure in the field of American history, has shown that this plants range extended from what is now southern Canada to lower South America. At that time some tribes cultivated it at sea level, others at elevation of more 11,000 feet. It could grow in almost every corner of Americas simply because its strong flexibility to various weathers. “Columbus had no way of knowing that corn was far more valuable than the spices and gold he had hoped to find,” said Frances B. King, a professor at a university of Pittsburgh. At Columbus time, corn was rather strong but short. Through human interven