松江二中2013学年度第二学期开学考试试卷

高 一 英 语(第1卷)

Ⅰ. Listening comprehension (20%)

Section A  Short conversations

Directions: In Section A, you will hear ten short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversations and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a conversation and question about it, read the four possible answers on your paper, and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard.

1.      A. 5:00                                 B. 5:15                                 C. 5:30                        D. 5:45

2.      A. Look for a more expensive hotel.

         B. Go to another hotel by bus.

         C. Try to find a quiet place.

         D. Take a walk around the city.

3.      A. She lost her way.                                               B. She lost her keys.

         C. She lost her car.                                                          D. She lost her handbag.

4.      A. The woman would understand if she did Mary’s job.

         B. The woman should do the typing for Mary.

         C. The woman should work as hard as Mary.

         D. The woman isn’t a skillful typist.

5.      A. He gets nervous very easily.

         B. He hasn’t prepared his speech well.

         C. He is an awful speaker.

         D. He is an inexperienced speaker.

6.      A. This apple pie tastes very nice.

         B. His mother likes the apple pie very much.

         C. The apple pie can’t match his mother’s.

         D. His mother can’t make apple pies.

7.      A. She is not interested in the article.

         B. She has given the man much trouble.

         C. She would like to have a copy of the article.

         D. She doesn’t want to take the trouble to read the article.

8.      A. A movie.                         B. A lecture.                       C. A play.                    D. A speech.

9.      A. He is not very enthusiastic about his English lessons.

         B. He has made great progress in his English.

         C. He is a student of the music department.

         D. He is not very interested in English songs.

10.   A. The man went to a wrong check-in counter.

         B. The man has just missed the flight.

         C. The plane will leave at 9:14.

         D. The plane’s departure time remains unknown.

 

Section B  Passages

Directions: In Section B, you will hear two short passages, and you will be asked three questions on each of the passages. The passages will be read twice, the questions will be spoken only once. When you hear a question, read the four possible answers on your paper and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard.

Questions 11 through 13 are based on the following passage.

11.     A. Two drivers happened to crash into each other in a parking space.

B. An argument over a parking space led to two cars crashing into each other.

C. Two drivers tried to park their cars in one small parking space.

D. The parking space was too small to hold two cars at the same time.

12.   A. The younger driver was quicker than the older driver.

         B. Each of them had a very expensive car.

         C. They didn’t see each other while parking in the same place.

         D. Both of them were quite good at driving.

13.   A. You are not rich enough to buy a new car like mine.

         B. You are too poor to compete with me for the parking space.

         C. you will never be rich enough to park your car here.

         D. Only rich people can have the daring to do that.

Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage.

14.     A. The teenagers’ strange behavior.

B. The teenagers’ criticism of their parents.

C. The dominance of the parents over their children.

D. Misunderstanding between teenagers and their parents.

15.   A. Because they want to make their parents angry.

         B. Because they have no other way to enjoy themselves.

         C. Because they have a strong desire to be leaders in style and taste.

         D. Because they want to show their existence by creating a culture of their own.

16.   A. they should be obedient.                                 B. They should be responsible.

         C. they should be co-operative.                          D. They should be independent.

 

Section C  Longer conversation

Directions: In Section C, you will hear one longer conversation. The conversation will be read twice. After you hear the conversation, you are required to fill in the numbered blanks with the information you have heard. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

Blanks 17 through 20 are based on the following conversation.

Inquiring About Order
Items that are ready:	B450’s are in __17__.
The amount of the order for B450:	__18__ boxes.
The amount of all the B450’s they’ve got in the storehouse:	The people in the storehouse would have the __19__ about it.
Items that are not ready:	C24’s are coming in __20__. Actually there will no D49’s.

Complete the form. Write ONE WORD for each answer.

 

Ⅱ. Grammar and vocabulary

Section A (16%)

Directions: Beneath each of the following sentences there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that best completes the sentence.

21.   Someone called me up in the middle of the night, but he hung up ____ I could answer the phone.

         A. as                                     B. since                                C. until                        D. before

22.   A designer store is the shop ____ things are all produced by famous designers.

         A. which                               B. where                              C. there                      D. that

23.   The handbag, ____ is very good, belongs to me.

         A. the quality of it                                                            B. quality of which                              

C. quality of whose                                                    D. of which the quality

24.   That middle-aged woman usually identifies her husband as someone ____ they can turn when         in trouble.

         A. who                                  B. as                                     C. to whom                D. with whom

25.   Nothing ____ after the terrible fire caused by someone smoking in bed.

         A. remained                        B. was remained               C. had remained      D. had been remained

26.   ____, and most of the spelling mistakes can be avoided.

A.      Checking your composition carefully

B.      Check your composition carefully

C.      If you check your composition carefully

D.      Your composition is carefully checked

27.   It’s his fault to get our suitcases ____.

         A. to mix up                                                                       B. mixing up

         C. mixed up                                                                       D. to be mixed up

28.   The ____ doctors in the country were attending the medical meeting to find out the real ____ of bird flu.

         A. experience…cause                                                     B. experienced…reason

         C. top…cause                                                                    D. top…reason

29.   The Smiths went on business, ____ their eldest child ____ the house.

         A. left…in charge of                                               B. left…in the charge of

         C. leaving…in charge of                                                  D. leaving…in the charge of

30.   My train arrives in Shanghai at 10 this morning. The plane I would like to take from there ____ by then.

         A. is leaving                        B. will have left                  C. has left                  D. will leave

31.   He’s smart enough to know that if he ____ that crowd, he is to be punished by his father sooner or later.

         A. will get involved with                                        B. gets involved with

         C. gets involved by                                                          D. will be involved through

32.   The thought of going home to his family was all ____ kept him happy while he was working abroad.

         A. that                                  B. what                                C. those                      D. which

33.   Many scientists believe that global warming, if ____, will cause extreme climate changes this century.

         A. not stopping                  B. not stop                          C. not stopped          D. without stop

34.   With the boy ____ the way, we had no difficulty ____ the old man’s house.

         A. leads…finding                                                              B. leading…finding

         C. led…to find                                                          D. to lead…to find

35.   Although there is no life on Mars now, some scientists think that there ____ some form of life a long time ago.

         A. must be                                                                         B. may have been

         C. can have been                                                             D. could be

36.   The horses ____ each other ____ the first prize in the match.

         A. completed against…for                                             B. compete against…to

         C. competed against…for                                              D. completed…to get

 

Section B (9%)

Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can be used only once. Note there is one word more than you need.

A. interview    B. ordinary      C. normal       D. permit        E. local         F. understand   G. develop       H. information    I. results        J. base

         As societies develop, their members start to see things not so much according to what they need, but according to what they want. When people have enough money, these wants become demands. Now, it’s important for the managers in a company to __37__ what their customers want if they are going to __38__ effective marketing strategies. There are various ways of doing this. One way at supermarkets, for example, is to __39__ customers while they’re doing their shopping. They can be asked what they prefer to buy and then the __40__ of the research can be studied. This provides information on which to __41__ future marketing strategies. It’s also quite __42__ for top managers from department stores to spend a day or two each month visiting stores and mixing freely with the public, as if they were __43__ customers, to get an idea of how customers act. Another way to get __44__ from customers is to give them something. For example, some fast food restaurants give away tickets in magazines or on the street that __45__ customers to get part of their meal for nothing. As well as being a good way of attracting customers into the restaurants to spend their money, it also allows the managers to get a feel for where to attract customers and which age-groups to attract.

 

Ⅲ. Reading comprehension

Section A (15%)

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with word or phrase that best fits the context.

         The eyes are one of the most expressive instruments of body language. Keith, seventeen, from Montclair New Jersey, learned the hard way about one message the eyes can make. "I had a   __46__ who graded heavily on classroom discussion," Keith says. "He seemed to have a strong　 ability to know just when I didn't have the answer. I couldn't work out how he could be so　__47__. Then I came to understand. Whenever I didn't know the answer, I would __48__ looking at him. When I did know what to say, I always __49__ straight back at him. From that moment on, I __50__ myself to look him in the eye, __51__ I knew the answer or not. That trick has __52__  me a lot of trouble."
    Many people, including some policemen, believe eye contact is a good __53__ of honesty. If someone can't look you directly in the eye, then he or she is not playing honestly，they insist. After many experiments, however, a number of experts have found out that good liars can make __54__ eye contact.

Eye contact, though not a __55__ sign of dishonesty, is a clear way to show interest in another person. When a person looks at you and __56__ to do so, you know his __57__ is placed on yon. When he turns his head away, his mind is probably __58__ .But there are exceptions. A　__59__ person may have trouble making and keeping eye contact, no matter how interested he is in the other person. And certain nationalities ,such as the British and Germans, are much __60__ oriented (适应) to eyeball-to-eyeball contact than, say, the French and the Arabs.

46. A. student                   B. headmaster 　　       C. friend 　　　　 D. teacher

47. A. slow　           B. sharp　　　　           C. dull　　　　　            D. clever

48. A. avoid　　　　      B. enjoy　　　　            C. like 　　　　　 D. hate

49. A. watched 　　　  B. pointed 　　　          C. saw 　　　　　        D. stared

50. A. helped                     B. advised 　　　          C. taught 　　　　        D. persuaded

51. A. when                       B. whether 　　　        C. if 　　　　　　         D. as

52. A. saved 　　           B. given 　　　　         C. increased 　　　       D. lost

53. A. lesson 　　          B. method 　　　　     C. chance 　　　　       D. test

54. A. true 　　               B. terrible 　　　          C. fair　　　　　　       D. untrue

55. A. real 　　              B. exact 　　                    C. wonderful 　　　      D. sure

56. A. stops 　　　　   B. continues　　　                   C. changes　　               D. hopes

57. A. attention 　         B. spirit 　　　              C. strength 　　　　    D. energy

58. A. anywhere 　         B. nowhere　　　　      C .elsewhere 　　　　 D. everywhere

59. A. brave                       B. shy 　　　　　        C. stupid 　　　　　    D. proud

60. A. more 　　　        B. less 　　　　　       C. too　　　　　　　   D. enough

 

Section B (15%)

Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by several questions. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.

(A)

Parents with an adopted child wonder whether, when and how to tell their child that he or she is adopted. They also want to know if there are special problems for an adopted child.

Child and adolescent psychiatrists (精神病学家) recommend that the child be told about the adoption by the adoptive parents. Children should be told about their adoption in a way that they can understand.

There are two different views on when a child should be told about the adoption. Many experts believe the child should be told at the earliest age possible. This approach provides the child an early opportunity to accept and understand the concept of being "adopted". Other experts believe that telling a child too early may confuse the young child who can't really understand the event. These experts advise waiting until the child is older.

In either case, children should learn of their adoption from the adoptive parents. This helps give the message that adoption is good and that the child can trust the parents. If the child first learns about the adoption intentionally or accidentally from someone other than parents, the child may feel anger and mistrust towards the parents, and may view the adoption as bad or shameful because it was kept as a secret.

Adopted children will want to talk about their adoption and parents should encourage this process. Several excellent children's story books are available in bookstores which help parents tell the child about being adopted.

61.   Parents who have an adopted child want to know ______.

A. how to hide the fact that he or she is adopted

B. when the child was born exactly

C. whether they should tell the child that he or she is adopted

D. if the child has certain diseases

62.   What happens if the adopted child learns the fact through channels other than the adoptive parents?

A. They may never trust the adoptive parents again.

B. They will probably think that the adoptive parents keep it as a secret due to some shameful                reasons.

C. They will leave the adoptive parents and prefer to be homeless.

D. They certainly will be annoyed.

63.   After they know that they are adopted, the children have a desire to ________.

A. learn more about their adoption from the adoptive parents

B. read more children’s story books about adoption

C. stay at home because they think the adoption is shameful or bad

D. talk about it with other people such as neighbours

64.   Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Adopted children recommend that they be told about the adoption by the adoptive parents.

B. Experts all agree that telling the child too early about the adoption may confuse him.

C. Some experts hold that the adopted child should be kept in the dark as long as possible.

D. Parents should not discourage the adopted child from talking about the process of                       adoption.

 

(B)

Advertisements should give reliable information about the goods advertised. Such information helps the customer to make a sensible choice when he buys. Printed advertisements do this job best. Customers can collect them and compare them. They can be taken along to shops and their claims checked against the actual goods in the shops. It is much harder to do this with TV or radio advertisements. The best TV and radio advertisements direct attention to printed advertisements which can be used as suggested above; few of them belong to this group, however.

       Some advertisements are not very useful to the customer. Instead of helping him to satisfy his real needs, they set out to make him want things. They set out to create a need. These advertisements are cleverly done. The people who produce them understand our weaknesses. They set out to make us believe that what they advertise will make us cleverer, prettier and more handsome, if only we use it. Or they suggest that only such people use their products. We should be on guard. It is our money that they are after.

Some advertisements mislead customers by using part of the truth to suggest something false. The advertisement says, ‘The makers of Toovar washing machine recommend Jazz washing powder.’ So they do, but they recommend six other washing powders as well. The advertisement does not say that Toovar recommend only Jazz. It is skillfully made to give that idea to the careless reader, listener or viewer.

　     At its best advertising can be useful to the customer. At its worst it can mislead him. Many newspapers check on the advertisements which they publish. They check on the goods for which the advertisements make claims. Most newspapers are very careful about the small advertisements which try to sell goods directly to the readers by post. Many newspapers print information about this on their small advertisement pages. Advertising has become a very big business, and good firms in it do all they can to make sure it is conducted with some attention to truth. This is a help to the customer. But the only real safeguard for the customer is his own alertness.

65.   It can be inferred from the passage that advertisements can be useful if they ________.

　　A. tell the customers only what is good of the goods

　　B. give true information about goods

　　C. tell customers what to buy

　　D. tell the customers what goods are not available in the shops

66.   Some advertisements are deceiving(骗人的) because _________.

A. they use part of the truth to suggest something false

B. they do not tell the truth at all

C. they only let the customers know about inferior brands

D. they do not let the customers know about the faults of the goods

67.   According to the text, which of the following is TRUE?

　　A. Advertising firms do not care to tell the truth about the goods they advertise.

　　B. All advertising firms only care to make money, as advertising is a big business.

　　C. Most advertising firms make sure that advertisements do not purposely cheat.

D. The advertising firms are responsible for the customers’ choice of goods 　

 

(C)

In the last 500 hundred years, nothing about people ----their clothes, ideas, or languages – has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was made from the seeds of the cocoa tree (可可树) by South American Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500’s. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London, shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places. Some still exist today.

The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Europe, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent on it that thousands of Irish people starved when the crop failed during the “Potato Famine (饥荒)” of 1845 – 1846, and thousands more were forced to leave their homeland and move to America.

There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world’s largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia, a country in Africa. It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400’s.

According to an Arabic legend, coffee was named when a person named Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red berries on a tree. He tried one and experienced the “wide-awake” feeling that one third of the world’s population now starts the day with.

68.   According to the passage, which of the following has changed the most in the last 500 years?

A.     Food.           B. Clothing.            C. Ideology.         D. Language.

69.   The word “some” in the last sentence of the first paragraph refers to ______.

A.     some cocoa trees

B.      some chocolate drinks

C.      some shops

D.     some South American Indians

70.   Thousands of Irish people starved during the “Potato Famine” because ______.

A.     they were so dependent on potatoes that they refused to eat anything else

B.      they were forced to leave homeland and move to America

C.      the weather conditions in Ireland were not suitable for growing potatoes

D.     the potato harvest was bad

71.   According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A.     One third of the world’s population drinks coffee.

B.      Coffee is native to Colombia.

C.      Coffee can keep one awake.

D.     Coffee drinks were first made by Arabs.

 

(D)

The temperature of the sun is over 5000 degrees Fahrenheit at the surface, but it rises to perhaps more than 16 million degrees at the center. The sun is so much hotter than the earth that matter can exist only as a gas, except at the core(核). In the core of the sun, the pressures are so great against the gases that, despite the high temperature, there may be a small solid core. However, no one really knows, since the center of the sun can never be directly observed.

Solar astronomers do know that the sun is divided into five layers or zones. Starting at the outside and going down into the sun, the zones are the corona, chromosphere, photosphere, convection zone and finally the core. The first three zones are regarded as the sun’s atmosphere. But since the sun has no solid surface, it is hard to tell where the atmosphere ends and the main body of the sun begins.

The sun’s outermost layer begins about 10,000 miles above the visible surface and goes outward for millions of miles. This is the only part of the sun that can be seen during an eclipse (日食) such as the one in February 1979. At any other time, the corona can be seen only when special instruments are used on cameras and telescopes to shut out the glare of the sun’s rays.

The corona is a brilliant, pearly white, filmy light, about as bright as the full moon. Its beautiful rays are a sensational sight during an eclipse. The corona’s rays flash out in a brilliant fan that has wispy spikelike (一束穗状) rays near the sun’s north and south poles. The corona is thickest at the sun’s equator.

The corona rays are made up of gases streaming outward at the tremendous speeds and reaching a temperature of more than 2 million degrees Fahrenheit. The rays of gas thin out as they reach the space around the planets. By the time the sun’s corona rays reach the Earth, they are weak and invisible.

72.   Matter on the sun can exist only in the form of gas because of the sun’s ______.

         A. size             B. age             C. location             D. temperature

73. What topic is the second paragraph mainly about?

         A. How the sun evolved.       

         B. The structure of the sun.

         C. Why scientists study the sun.

         D. The distance of the sun from the planets.

74.   All of the following are parts of the sun’s atmosphere EXCEPT the ______.

         A. corona                                                       B. chromosphere

         C. photosphere                                                       D. core

75.   According to the passage, as the corona rays reach the planets, they become ______.

         A. Hotter                                                                  B. clearer

         C. thinner                                                                           D. stronger

 

Ⅳ. Verbs (10%)

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four forms of one verb marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the form that best fits the context.

Jim Parsons __76__ the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series during the 65^th Emmy Awards for__77__ the role of eccentric genius Sheldon Cooper on the huge hit, The Big Bang Theory.

“My heart, oh my heart,” Parsons said when __78__ the award. “I want you to know that I am very aware of how extremely fortunate I am, first to have a chance __79__ this role in this show, and secondly __80__ here to be a part of such a remarkable group of people.” Parsons also gave a shout out to his cast members, director, agent, manager and to his partner, Todd Spiewak, whom he called “my favorite person on earth.”

It was Parsons’ third Emmy win in the role. He also won back-to-back Emmys in 2010 and 2011. And it was the fifth continuous nomination for Parsons, who the Emmy announcer said had decided to become an actor at the age of 6.

The series, which follows the adventures of Sheldon and his geeky friends, __81__ the top-rated comedy on TV right now. The most recent season was its highest-rated yet, with an average viewership of 18.68 per episode.

The Big Bang Theory __82__ a total of seven nominations at the 2013 Emmy Awards, __83__ Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Mayim Bialik, and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, Bob Newhart. However, though The Big Bang Theory __84__ for Outstanding Comedy Series three times, It __85__ this award till now.

76.   A. wins                                 B. has won                          C. had won                D. won

77.   A. play                                  B. playing                   C. plays                       D. being played

78.   A. accepted                        B. being accepted             C. accepting              D. having accepted

79.   A. being played                  B. having played                C. playing          D. to play

80.   A. to stand                          B. stood                               C. standing                D. having stood

81.   A. are                                   B. were                                C. is                            D. was

82.   A. receiving                         B. receives                          C. received                D. having received

83.   A. included                          B. includes                          C. including                D. having included

84.   A. has been nominated   B. being nominated          C. nominated            D. had been nominated

85.   A. had never won              B. has never won              C. won                        D. winning

 

Ⅴ. Translation (15%)

86.   每个人都要为自己所做的事情负责。 (responsible)

 

 

 

87.   在场的所有人都被这个故事深深地打动了。 (present)

 

 

 

88.   一个十岁男孩完成这么艰巨的任务几乎是不可能的。 (It)

 

 

 

89.   近些年，国际旅游的问题引起了广泛的关注。 (cause)

 

 

 

90.   实现梦想需要极大的努力和耐心， 否则你将一事无成。 (or)

 

 

高 一 英 语(第2卷)

Ⅰ. Vocabulary (9%)

A. comfortably    B. neighborhood     C. difficult       D. hurting        E. believe F. imagine        G. occurred         H. easy          I. destination      J. performed

         Sam, a dog, was left behind in Colorado while his owners, Mr. and Mrs. Green moved to Southern California. They did not give the dog up. They found him a very nice home before they moved. They would have let Sam accompany them, but they were afraid the dog’s presence would make it __1__ for them to rent a house when they reached their __2__.

         The Green family lived in Colorado for less than a year. Before that, they had lived in the same __3__ in California to which they returned. So Sam had been there before, but only for a short time when he was young.

         Several months after the Greens left Colorado, after they were __4__ settled back in California, they heard a scratch at the door. They couldn’t __5__ who might be there. It never __6__ to them that it might be Sam, because they were sure he was happily set up with his new family back in Colorado. When they opened the door, the Greens saw a dirty, tired dog with very __7__ feet. The animals looked a little bit like Sam, but no one could __8__ that Sam could have walked 840 miles on his own. The tired dog spent the night under the family car. The next day, when he was more rested, he __9__ some of his old tricks. The Greens knew they had their own dog back.

 

Ⅱ. Reading comprehension (31%)

Section A (15%)

When we read books we seem to enter a new world. This new world can be __10__ to the one we are living in, or it can be very different. Some stories are told as if they were true. Real people who live in a normal world do real things; __11__, the stories are about people just like us doing what we do. Other stories, such as the Harry Potter books, are not __12__. They are characters and creatures that are very different from us and do things that would be __13__ for us.

But there is more to books and writing than this. If we think about it, even realistic writing is only designed. How can we tell the difference between what is real and what is not real? __14__, when we read about Harry Potter, we do seem to learn something about the real world. And when Harry studies magic at Hogwarts, he also learns more about his real life than magic. Reading, like writing, is an action. It is a way of __15__. When we read something, we do much more than   __16__ look at the words on a page. We use our knowledge — which is real — and our __17__ — which is real in a different way — to make the __18__ come to life in our minds.

Both realism and fantasy (幻想)  use  the imagination and the “magic” of reading and writing to make us think. When we read something realistic, we have to __19__ that the people we are reading about are just like us, __20__ we know we are real and they are not. It sounds __21__, but it works. When we read, we fill in missing information and think about the causes and effects of what a __22__ does. We help the writer by __23__ that what we read is like real life. In a way, we are writing the book, too.

Most of us probably don’t think about what is going on in our mind when we are reading. We   __24__ a book and lose ourselves in a good story, eager to find out what will happen next. Knowing how we feel when we read can help us become better readers, and it will help us discover more about the real magic of books.

10.   A. similar                             B. strange                           C. dangerous                      D. helpful

11.   A. on the other hand                                                       B. generally speaking

         C. in other words                                                      D. as a matter of fact

12.   A. attractive                       B. realistic                          C. necessary                       D. lively

13.   A. harmful                           B. beneficial                       C. impossible                      D. believable

14.   A. However                        B. For example                  C. Besides                           D. That is to say

15.   A. inquiring                          B. recalling                         C. memorizing                  D. thinking

16.   A. simply                              B. silently                   C. quickly                    D. definitely

17.   A. language                        B. expression                     C. suggestion                     D. imagination

18.   A. action                              B. readers                           C. words                              D. information

19.   A. deny                               B. imagine                          C. forget                              D. blame

20.   A. even though                  B. as soon as                      C. so long as                       D. so that

21.   A. practical                         B. useful                              C. correct                                     D. strange

22.   A. writer                              B. character                       C. book                                 D. designer

23.   A. pretending                     B. refusing                          C. expecting                       D. regretting

24.   A. turn down                      B. put away                        C. pick up                   D. refer to

Section B (16%)

 (A)

Writer Oscar Wilde once called Connemara---the district of western Ireland---a savage beauty. He had good reason since Connemara’s scenery is considered some of the most breathtaking in the world. Rolling green hills give way to the dramatic Connemara Mountains. Desolate stretches of windswept coastline lead up to rugged cliffs that overlook the Atlantic Ocean. No wonder so many great writers and artists have found inspiration in Connemara.

A good base from which to tour Connemara is the town of Clifden. Located between the Ben Mountains and the Atlantic, Clifden offers spectacular views and is within easy reach of the most interesting places in Connemara. For accommodations around Clifden, you can choose from castles, fine hotels, guesthouses, and bed and breakfast houses. And the possibilities for adventure in the area are endless. Especially popular are hiking, mountain climbing, golfing, cycling and deep-sea fishing.

The town of Clifden is also interesting in itself. Towering over the town are two beautiful churches that date back to the early 1800s. You’re sure to enjoy shopping in Clifden’s many traditional shops. And the town’s restaurants and coffee shops offer live performances of traditional Irish music. Clifden is also closely associated with the famous Connemara ponies, which are bred in the area. Every August, Clifden hosts the Connemara Pony Show, which attracts pony enthusiasts from all over the world.

25. According to this passage, what is particularly impressive in Connemara?

A. The ancient customs                       B. The friendly population

C. The amazing landscape                    D. The expanding economy.

26. What does the writer imply about accommodations in Clifden?

   A. There are several kinds to choose from.

   B. They are more expensive in the summer.

   C. There are too few to serve all the visitors.

   D. They are among the very best in Ireland.

27. What does the area around Clifden have to offer?

   A. First-class beach resorts                  B. International sports events

   C. Delightful museum tours                   D. Various outdoor activities

28. Why do so many people go to Clifden during August?

   A. To bargain for paintings                    B. To enjoy lovely weather  

   C. To admire small horses                   D. To sell their vegetables

(B)

Have you ever noticed, when looking at a map of the world, that the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa look as though they might fit together? If you have, you are not alone, in 1965 an English scientist used a computer to test the fit of the two continents and found that at an ocean depth of 2000 meters the match was very close indeed.

It seems too remarkable to be possible, but there is a lot of evidence to suggest that Africa was once joined to South America. For example, there is a belt of ancient rocks along the east of Brazil which corresponds with the rocks across the South Atlantic in West Africa.

There is further evidence that existing land masses were once linked. The remains of a 400-to-500 million-year-old mountain chain has been found running down the eastern part of Greenland, western Scandinavia, and through north-west Scotland and Ireland, into western Canada, eventually finding their way to north-west Africa.

Then there is the evidence from life itself. In various parts of the world today the same animals and plants can be found on land masses separated by, in some cases, thousands of miles of oceans. Did they evolve at the same time in two different places? It seems unlikely. Biologists believe that there must have been land bridges which have now sunk beneath the sea. Also fossils found in sedimentary（沉积的）rocks have allowed geologists to trace the same plants from South America, and Antarctica in rocks perhaps 300 millions years old.

The ice that is now confined to the polar regions has always been so limited in extent. Indeed, during a period of the Earth’s history known as the permocarboniferous (二叠石灰纪) age about 250-350 million years ago there is evidence from the rocks that there were glaciers covering South America, parts of Africa, and India Australia. On the other hand, in the northern hemisphere there were deserts. If the continents were distributed as they are today, it is hard to understand how this could be.

So there is considerable evidence to show whole continents moved apart, and naturally many people have tried to discover how and why whole land masses moved.

29.   According to the author’s opinion, Africa and South America didn’t move apart until _____.

       A. 500 million years ago                                  B. 350 million years ago

        C. 200 million years ago                                  D. 300 million years ago

30.   The sentence”…eventually finding their way to north-west Africa” means ____

       A. we can find a way from the eastern part of Greenland to north-west Africa

       B. we can also find these remains in north-west Africa

       C. the mountain chain goes from Greenland to Africa

       D. it is a long way from the eastern part of Greenland to north-west Africa

31.   Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

       A. We can find the same animals and plants on the two continents.

       B. We can find the same remains of a 400-to-500-million-year-old mountain chain.

       C. There are deserts in the northern hemisphere.

       D. The same animals and plants evolved at the same time in two different places.

32.   The best title for this passage would be ____.

       A. The Evolution of the Continents

       B. The Movement of the Two Continents

       C. The Evidence of the Continental Drift

       D. The History of the Earth

 

Ⅲ. Verbs: (10%)

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four forms of one verb marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the form that best fits the context.

         If you’re reading this, then you’re probably studying English. Maybe you speak a couple of other languages too. But what are the British like when it comes to __33__ languages?

         According to a survey __34__ by the European Commission, the British are officially the worst language learners in Europe ---- 62 percent of them can’t speak any other language apart from their own! While 38 percent of Britons speak at least one foreign language, only 18 percent speak two.

         __35__ a foreign language is not a popular option at school in Britain; children start studying a foreign language at the age of 11and many give up completely at 14. So why don’t young people continue with languages at school? Research suggests that students think that it is more difficult __36__ good grades in languages than in other subjects such as science or history.

         The government is now looking at different ways to improve language learning. One idea is to start much younger and introduce foreign languages from the age of 5. Another plan is __37__ school children more choices and expand the range of languages taught to include Arabic, Mandarin and Urdu.

         Mandarin Chinese __38__ to become the second most popular foreign language learned in UK schools. Gareth from Wales says, “I am learning Chinese, and find it fun.” Another student, Thomas from London, says, “Just saying that I learn Mandarin impresses people. Even having a very basic level gives you an advantage.” Brighton College headmaster Richard Cairns says, “One of my key tasks is to make sure pupils __39__ for the realities of the 21^st century. One of those realities is that China has the fastest-__40__ economy in the world.”

         It may be an ambitious task to change the Brits’ attitude to __41__ languages but the government is determined __42__!

33.   A. learn                       B. learning                          C. learned                           D. having learned

34.   A. is published B. was published               C. publishing                       D. published

35.   A. Learn                      B. Having learned             C. Learned                          D. Learning

36.   A. getting                            B. to have got                    C. to get                              D. got

37.   A. to give                    B. to be giving                    C. to have given                 D. giving

38.   A. is predicted          B. predicted                        C. predicts                          D. has predicted

39.   A. equipped               B. are equipped                 C. equip                               D. equipping

40.   A. grow                       B. grown                              C. growing                          D. grew

41.   A. learning                 B. learned                           C. being learned                D. having learned

42.   A. trying                     B. to try                               C. to be tried                      D. to have tried