大学英语六级真题试卷-1992年1月/下

 

Passage Four

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.

My father’s reaction to the bank building at 43rd Street and Fifth Avenues in New York City was immediate and definite: “You won’t catch me putting my money in there!” he declared. “Not in that glass box!”

Of course, my father is a gentleman of the old school, a member of the generation to whom a good deal of modern architecture is upsetting, but I am convinced that his negative response was not so much to the architecture as to a violation of his concept of the nature of money.

In his generation money was thought of as a real commodity (实物) that could be carried, or stolen. Consequently, to attract the custom of a sensible man, a bank had to have heavy walls, barred windows, and bronze doors, to affirm the fact, however untrue, that money would be safe inside. If a building’s design made it appear impenetrable the institution was necessarily reliable, and the meaning of the heavy wall as an architecture symbol dwelt in the prevailing attitude toward money.

But that attitude toward money has of course changed. Excepting pocket money, cash of any kind is now rarely used; money as a tangible commodity has largely been replaced by credit.

A deficit (赤字) economy, accompanied by huge expansion, has led us to think of money as a product of the creative imagination. The banker no longer offers us a safe: he offers us a service

-a service in which the most valuable element is the creativity for the invention of large numbers. It is in no way surprising, in view of this change in attitude, that we are witnessing the disappearance of the heavy-walled hank.

Just as the older bank emphasized its strength, this bank by its architecture boasts of its imaginative powers. From this point of view it is hard to say where architecture ends and human assertion (人们的说法) begins.

36.   The main idea of this passage is that ________.

A) money is not as valuable as it was in the past

B) changes have taken place in both the appearance and the concept or banks

C) the architectural style of the older bank is superior to that of the modern bank

D) prejudice makes the older generation think that the modern bank is unreliable

37.   What are the attitudes of the older generation and the younger generation toward money?

A) The former thinks more of it than the latter.

B) The younger generation values money more than the older generation.

C) Both generations rely on the imaginative power of bankers to make money.

D) The former regards it as a real commodity while the latter considers it to be a means to produce more money.

38.   The word “tangible” (Para. 4 Line 3) refers to something ________.

A) that is precious

B) that is usable

C) that can be touched

D) that can be reproduced

39.   According to this passage, a modern banker should be ________.

A) ambitious and friendly

B) reliable and powerful

C) sensible and impenetrable

D) imaginative and creative

40.   It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s attitude towards the new trend in banking is ________.

A) cautious

B) regretful

C) positive

D) hostile

 

Part III Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes)

41.   Let’s leave the question ________ for a moment.

A) off

B) out

C) down

D) aside

42.   A large fish was slowly swimming through the water, its tail ________ back and forth like the pendulum of a clock.

A) swung

B) swinging

C) was swung

D) was swinging

43.   The cells were designed to ________ sunshine to electricity to run a motor.

A) modify

B) alter

C) convert

D) exchange

44.   The fire started on the first floor of the hospital,, are elderly and weak.

A) many of whose patients

B) many of which patients

C) many of its patients

D) many patients of whom

45.   He was determined that none of his children would be ________ an education.

A) declined

B) cancelled

C) denied

D) ceased

46.   Singing is one of the oldest and possibly most ________ practised forms of art.

A) uniquely

B) practically

C) universally

D) predominantly

47.   Few people realize how rich that area is. It is a land of treasure ________ treasure.

A) increased by

B) derived from

C) turned over

D) piled on

48.   The jeweler assured Mr. White that the stone was a ________ diamond and not an imitation.

A) graceful

B) genuine

C) glittering

D) genius

49.   In the southwestern part of the United States ________ built in the last century.

A) they are many abandoned mining towns

B) where there are many abandoned mining towns

C) are many abandoned mining towns

D) many abandoned mining towns are

50.   As the clouds drifted away an even higher peak became ________ to the climbers.

A) visible

B) obvious

C) present

D) apparent

51.   The remarkable gains in the general health of the population in the world have been due in large measure ________ the efforts of some great doctors.

A) for

B) with

C) by

D) to

52.   He appeared in the court and supplied the facts ________ to the ease.

A) subject

B) relevant

C) attached

D) corresponding

53.   John did not have to write the composition if he didn’t want to. It was ________.

A) optional

B) suitable

C) critical

D) elemental

54.   The ________ for speeding is a fine of ten dollars.

A) violation

B) admission

C) penalty

D) excess

55.   A ________ exercise such as running is helpful to our health.

A) vigorous

B) cautious

C) precious

D) various

56.   In sharp ________ to John, who is frank. Henry is too sophisticated.

A) conflict

B) contrast

C) comparison

D) contradiction

57.   On a small farm in a dry climate one should not grow crops that need ________ space and a lot of water to ripen.

A) quantitative

B) significant

C) extensive

D) considerable

58.   The doctor told the pupils that an ________ disease was one that could be passed from one person to another.

A) infectious

B) expanding

C) overwhelming

D) inherent

59.   It would be surprising for ________ any objections to the proposal.

A) not to be

B) it not to be

C) there not to be

D) there to be not

60.   She was pale with ________ after working for three shifts in succession.

A) cold

B) fatigue

C) emotion

D) fright

61.   What a ________ person says or does today agrees with what he said or did yesterday.

A) consistent

B) harmonious

C) constant

D) sensible

62.   Jane and Tim still remember that it was ________, their parents, who encouraged then to continue their education.

A) these

B) who

C) they

D) whom

63.   You did tell me what to do. If only I ________ your advice.

A) would take

B) had taken

C) took

D) have taken

64.   Everyone asked me where he was, but it was ________ a mystery to me as to them.

A) as much of

B) much of

C) as such

D) as of

65.   The dry summer the supply of fresh vegetables.

A) induced

B) diminished

C) dominated

D) manipulated

66.   The information was later admitted ________ from unreliable sources.

A) that it was obtained

B) that it has been obtained

C) to be obtained

D) to have been obtained

67.   What sort of ________ can you get for the night in a city like this!

A) commission

B) interaction

C) accommodation

D) recommendation

68.   He has been looking everywhere for you, and he still ________.

A) does

B) has been

C) has

D) is

69.   This is one of the rarest questions that ________ at such a meeting.

A) has ever been raised

B) is raised

C) are raised

D) have ever been raised

70.   He never hesitates to make such criticisms ________ are considered helpful to other.

A) that

B) as

C) which

D) what

 

Part IV Error Correction (15 minutes)

Directions: This part consists of a short passage. In this passage, there are altogether 10 mistakes, one in each numbered line. You may have to change a word, add a word or delete a word. Mark out the mistakes and put the corrections in the blanks provided. If you change a word, cross it out and write the correct word in the corresponding blank. If you add a word, put an insertion mark (∧) in the right place and write the missing word in the blank. If you delete a word, cross it and put a slash (/) in the blank.

Example:

Television is rapidly becoming the literature of our periods╱.       1. time/times/period

Many of the arguments having╱ used for the study of literature as    2. _______\_______

a school subject are valid for ∧ study of television.                3. ______the______

This passage discusses one way methane (甲烷) gas is made. And it has something also to do with the work (71) of termites (白蚁).

Termites can ruin a health tree or a costly home. (72) They eat the wood. This causes the tree or building to collapse. But termites also have a useless purpose on (73) earth.

Nearly half of the methane in our atmosphere come from termites. Methane gas, by turn, makes (74) other gases. It also aids in the greenhouse effect, which keeps warm air close the earth. (75)

Scientist Pat Zimmerman made the discovery. He found that methane gas is given up when termites (76) digest their food. Zimmerman thinks that there are about 240,000,000 billion termites on earth.

They produce 8,000 billion cubic foot of methane (77) each year, he believes. That is half the number of gas drawn yearly from natural gas (78) wells in the U.S.

Perhaps we’ll treat termites for friends. (79) We’ll offer them a piece of our house, and they’ll offer us a new way to keep us warmly! (80)

 

Part V Writing (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition based on the following graph which shows the change in the number of filmgoers and TV watchers in a certain city. The title of the composition is: Film Is Giving Way to TV. You should write no less than 120 words for your composition and it must include the following ideas (given in Chinese):

1.    电影观众越来越少

2.    电视观众越来越多，因为…

3.    然而还是有人喜欢看电影，因为…

Quote as few figures as possible. Remember to write your composition in readable handwriting.