全国大学生英语竞赛B类考试2008年决赛试题及详解【圣才出品】

全国大学生英语竞赛b类试题及答案全国大学生英语竞赛B类试题及答案一、听力理解（共20分）1. 听下面一段对话，回答以下问题。

（每题2分，共4分）(1) What is the man going to do?A. Go to the cinemaB. Go to the libraryC. Go to the supermarketAnswer: B(2) Why does the woman suggest going to the library?A. It's closerB. It's quieterC. It's cheaperAnswer: B2. 听下面一段短文，回答以下问题。

（每题2分，共4分）(1) What is the main topic of the passage?A. Environmental protectionB. EducationC. TechnologyAnswer: A(2) What does the speaker suggest we should do?A. Reduce wasteB. Use public transportationC. Plant more treesAnswer: A二、阅读理解（共30分）1. 阅读下面短文，回答以下问题。

（每题2分，共10分）(1) What is the author's opinion about the new policy?A. PositiveB. NegativeC. NeutralAnswer: A(2) What is the main purpose of the new policy?A. To increase revenueB. To reduce pollutionC. To improve public healthAnswer: B2. 阅读下面短文，回答以下问题。

2008年6月大学英语三级（B级）真题试卷(题后含答案及解析)题型有：1. Listening Comprehension 2. V ocabulary and Structure 3. Reading Comprehension 4. Translation from English to Chinese 5. WritingPart I Listening Comprehension (15 minutes)Directions：This part is to test your listening ability. It consists of 3 sections.Section ADirections: This section is to test your ability to give proper answers to questions. There are 5 recorded questions in it. After each question, there is a pause. The questions will be spoken two times. When you hear a question, you should decide on the correct answer from the 4 choices marked A, B, C and D.1．A．A good idea.B．No problem.C．My pleasure.D．Of course not.正确答案：A解析：It’s a fine day. Why not go to the zoo?Why not...?是给对方提供建议的一种表达方式。

表示接受或肯定建议，可以用a good idea作答。

因此A正确。

2．A．It’s too hot in June.B．In East Europe.C．In the countryside.D．After December 24.正确答案：D解析：When can I take my winter vacation?When是对时间进行提问。

2008年全国大学生英语竞赛真题Part IListening Comprehension (25 minutes, 30 marks)Section A(5 marks)Directions: In this section, you will hear 5 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be read only once. After each question, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.1. A. The man is not suitable for the position.B. The job has been given to someone else.C. She hadn't received the man's application.2. A. He is going to see his section chief.B. He is going to have a job interview.C. He is going to see his girlfriend.3. A. Ask to see the man's ID card.B. Get the briefcase for the man.C. Show the man her documents.4. A. The dorm room is too crowded.B. There is no kitchen in the building.C. No one looks after the dorm building.5. A. She was always in good shape.B. She stopped exercising one year ago.C. She lost a lot of weight in one year.Section B (10 marks)Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations. Each conversation will be read only once. At the end of each conversation, there will be a one-minute pause. During the pause, you must read the five questions, each withthree choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.Conversation One6. What is soon to open in China?A. The French Movie Festival.B. The French Cultural Year.C. The French Food Festival.7. How many exhibitions will be held for this activity?A. 200.B. 20.C. 100.8. What will be held at the foot of the Great Wall?A. The City Concert.B. The Opening Ceremony.C. The Great Lunch.9. Which of the following cities is not included in this activity?A. Chongqing.B. Wuhan.C. Shenzhen.10. What will certainly make great contributions to this activity?A. Internet.B. TV shows.C. Newspapers.Conversation Two11. What sound more like a native speaker in a casual conversation?A. Examples.B. Verbs.C. Idioms.12. Which of the following sounds more informal and more natural?A. Get together.B. Meet.C. See.13. Which of the following means that you cannot interrupt me?A. I'm tied up.B. I have a lot on my plate.C. I'm busy.14. In American culture, what is considered important in a conversation?A. Using proper languageB. Making eye contact.C. Looking at your own feet.15. In business, how might Americans feel about you if you are looking away?A. You're feeling ashamed.B. You're telling the truth.C. You're telling a lie.Section C (5 marks)Directions: In this section, you will hear 5 short news items. After each item, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the question and then the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.16. How long will it take for new forests to grow back?A. 65 years.B. 20 years.C. 40 years.17. What did Jimmy Carter plan to focus his efforts on after leaving the White House in 1981?A. A presidential library.B. Camp David.C. Winning a second term.18. What was regarded as the lifeblood of the country of the Maldives?A. Oil.B. Agriculture.C. Tourism.19. What is responsible for the death of many people in developing countries?A. The development of resistance to diseases.B. The difficulty to cure new emerging diseases.C. The inability of the poor to afford medicine.20. What released an estimated 8.7 million tons of the global warming gas?A. Cars.B. Wildfires.C. Wars.Section D (10 marks)Directions: In this section, you will hear a short passage. There are ten missing words or phrases in it. Fill in the blanks with the exact words you hear on the tape. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.A researcher says lead in the environment could be a major cause of violence by young people. Doctor Herbert Needleman is a (21) ________ at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania and he (22) ________ his findings at the yearly meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Doctor Needleman says the presence of lead in the (23) ________ changes the neurons that control actions and that can cause a person to act in antisocial and (24) ________ ways.In the 1970s, Doctor Needleman found lower scores on (25) ________ even in children who did not have such signs of lead poisoning. After that, lead was (26)________ gasoline and paint in the United States. Yet many homes still have old lead paint. Lead was also used in older (27) ________. In fact, officials just announced stronger testing and reporting requirements as from next year for lead in American drinking water.The newest research shows that even very small amounts of lead in bones can affect brain development. A simple (28)________ can measure lead except that an X-ray process is needed to measure levels in bone. In 2004, such tests were done on 190 young people who were (29) ________ and the findings showed that their average levels were higher than normal. And, in 1998, three hundred children were studied and the test scores showed higher levels of (30) ________ problems in those with increased levels of lead. Yet these levels were still considered safe by the government.Part II Vocabulary and Structure (10 minutes, 15 marks)Directions: There are 15 incomplete sentences in this part. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.31. So nervous ________ that she didn't know how to start her speech.A. since she becameB. would she becomeC. that she becameD. did she become32. He ________ another career but, at the time, he just wanted to earn money to study abroad.A. might have chosenB. might chooseC. had to chooseD. must have chosen33. The second report was ________ by August 2005, but one year later it was still nowhere in sight.A. submittedB. to have submittedC. to submitD. to have been submitted34. In this experiment, the students studied are stopped several times during the listening test and asked to report what they ________ during the pause before answering the questions.A. had just been thinking aboutB. have just been thinking aboutC. are just thinking aboutD. had just thought about35. I was always taught that it was ________ to interrupt.A. rudeB. coarseC. roughD. crude36. Small boys are ________ questioners. They ask questions all the time.A. originalB. peculiarC. imaginativeD. persistent37. We regret to inform you that the materials you ordered are ________.A. out of workB. out of reachC. out of stockD. out of practice38. The bomb will ________ the moment it is touched.A. go onB. go offC. go outD. go over39. The car won't ________; I've tried it several times, but it won't work.A. beginB. launchC. startD. drive40. Children and old people do not like having their daily ________ upset.A. habitB. routineC. practiceD. custom41. In your first few days at school you'll be given a test to help the teachers to ________ you to a class at your level.A. locateB. assignC. deliverD. place42. China only started its nuclear power industry in recent years, and should ________ no time in catching up.A.loseB.delayC. spareD. relieve43. — You did an excellent job yesterday, Jim! I really enjoyed your presentation.— ________— Oh yeah, it was fabulous. It seems the English program is a great way to practice English.— Yeah. It is fun and motivating.A. Did you really?B. Oh, thank you. You are so kind.C. Really? What about yours?D. Not at all. My pleasure.44. — What kind of music do you like?— Well, I like different kinds.— ________— Er, I especially like punk rock.A. I beg your pardon?B. Are you serious?C. Any in particular?D. Why do you think so?45. — How did you like the fashion show last night?— ________—I didn't see anything wrong with the clothes; they looked pretty nice to me.— Do you really think people can wear that stuff and walk around in streets?A. Impressive. It's a good way to show off women's sense of style and wealth.B. It was cool. The clothes are more beautiful than the people wearing them.C. Nothing serious. It's only a show to attract the eyes of fashion fans.D. It was dumb. I think it's stupid for women to wear clothes like that.Part III Reading Comprehension (20 minutes, 40 marks)Section A (4 marks)Directions: There is one passage in this section with 4 questions. For each question, there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.Questions 46-49 are based on the following passage.The ability to “see” oneself in the future is a remarkable human trait - some would say unique - that is not well understood. That's despite the fact that we probably spend as much time thinking about the future as we do thinking about the present.Now new research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that it's precisely because we can remember the past that we can visualize the future. “Our findings provide convincing support for the idea that memory and future thought are highly interrelated and help explain why future thought may be impossible without memories,” says doctoral candidate Karl Szpunar. The findings are consistent with other research showing that persons with little memory of the past, such as young children or individuals suffering from loss of memory, are less able to see themselves in the future.The researchers base their conclusions on brain scans of 21 college students who were cued to think about something in their past, and anticipate the same event in the future, like a birthday or getting lost. The experiment was carried out as each student lay on their stomach in a magnetic resonance imaging machine, a dreadful but very useful piece of equipment that can show which areas of the brain are stimulated during specific thought processes.The students were also asked to picture former President Bill Clinton in a past and future setting. Clinton was chosen because he was easily recognized and familiar to all the students.The researchers found a “surprisingly complete overlap” among regions of the brain used for remembering the student's past and those used for picturing the future. And every region involved in remembering was also used in anticipating the future.In short, the researchers isolated the area of the brain that “lit up” when the students thought about an event in their own past. And more importantly, that same area lit up again when they thought about a similar event in their future. In fact, the researchers report that the brain activity was so similar in both cases that it was “indistinguishable.”The findings were reinforced when students imagined Bill Clinton. Since none of them knew him personally, their memories were not autobiographical. And the brain scans showed “significantly less” correlation between memories of having seen pictures of Clinton in the White House and projecting him into the future.So this “time machine,” as the researchers describe it, allows us to use the past to see ourselves in the future, and both our memories and our anticipation are interdependent.46. A remarkable human trait that is not well understood is the ability ________.A. to think about the pastB. to see the futureC. to remember the pastD. to control the present47. The findings support that ________.A. future goals will greatly influence a person's present performanceB. a person's present performance is determined by his / her past knowledgeC. future thought depends to a great degree on the memory of the pastD. present thought is impossible without the ability to imagine the future48. The conclusion of the experiment on students was that ________.A. the students could picture themselves better than Bill Clinton in a past and future settingB. the students could imagine themselves as well as Bill Clinton in a past and future settingC. the students could anticipate Bill Clinton better than themselves in a past and future settingD. the students could only picture themselves in a past and future setting but not Bill Clinton49. This “time machine” in the last paragraph most probably refers to ________.A. clockB. brain scanningC. magnetic resonance imagingD. memorySection B (14 marks)Directions: There is one passage in this section with 10 questions. Go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on the Answer Sheet. For questions 50-55, mark Y (for YES)if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage; N (for NO)if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN)if the information is not given in the passage. For questions 56-59, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Visiting the White HouseWhite House Tours Public tours of the White House are available for groups of 10 or more people. Requests must be submitted through one's Member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday , and are scheduled on a first come, first served basis approximately one month in advance of the requested date. We encourage you to submit your request as early as possible since a limited number of tours are available. All White House tours are free of charge. For the most current tour information, please call the 24-hour line at 202-456-7041. Please note that White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellation.White House Visitor CenterAll tours are significantly enhanced if visitors stop by the White House Visitor Center located at the southeast corner of 15th and E Streets, before or after their tour. The Center is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and features many aspects of the White House, including its architecture, furnishings, first families, social events, and relations with the press and world leaders, as well as a thirty-minute video. Allow between 20 minutes to one hour to explore the exhibits. The White House Historical Association also sponsors a sales area. Please note that restrooms are available, but food service is not.Mobility-Impaired / Using a WheelchairGuests requiring the loan of a wheelchair should notify the officer at the Visitors Entrance Building upon arrival.Wheelchairs loans are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are not possible.Visitors in wheelchairs, or with other mobility disabilities, on the Congressional guided or self-guided tours, between 8:00 a.m. and 12 noon, use the same Visitor entrance and, with up to four members of their party, are admitted without waiting in line and without tickets.Visitors in wheelchairs are escorted by ramp from the entrance level to the ground floor, and by elevator from the ground to the state floor. Guests generally wait in line with their family or group.Hearing-ImpairedTours for hearing-impaired groups may be arranged in advance by writing to the Visitors Office, White House, Washington, DC 20502. Tours are usually scheduled at 9:30 a.m., between the Congressional and public tour times. Participants enter at the East Appointment gate. A U.S. Secret Service / Uniformed Division Tour Officer conducts the tour in sign language. Signed tours are available to groups of 8 to 20. Groups are also encouraged to bring their own interpreters.Signing interpretation is also available for individual visitors with advance notice. A Congressional office first issues guided tour tickets to a guest who is hearing-impaired and then contacts the Visitors Office at least 2 weeks in advance to request interpreter service.The Visitors Office TDD (telephone device for the deaf) is 202-456-2121. Messages may be left outside normal business hours.Visually-ImpairedTours for visually-impaired groups may be arranged in advance by writing to the Visitors Office, White House, Washington, DC 20502. The tours are usually scheduled at 9:30 a.m., between the Congressional and public tour times. Participants enter at the East Appointment gate. A U.S. Secret Service / Uniformed Division Tour Officer permits visitors to touch specific objects in the House. Touch tours are currently available only to groups of 8 to 20, not to individual visitors. Guide animals are permitted in the White House.General Tour InformationAll White House tours are free. Changes in tour schedules are occasionally made because of official events. Notice may not be given until that morning. The Visitors Office 24-hour Information Line recording at 202-456-7041 provides the most up-to-date information. The TDD is 202-456-2121. Visitors should confirm tour schedules by calling the information line the night before and the morning that they plan to visit. It is occasionally necessary to close individual rooms on the tour; however, notice about closed rooms is not possible. Prohibited ItemsProhibited items include, but are not limited to, the following: handbags, book bags, backpacks, purses, food and beverages of any kind, strollers, cameras, video recorders or any type of recording device, tobacco products, personal grooming items (make-up, hair brush or comb, lip or hand lotions, etc.), any pointed objects (pens, knitting needles, etc.), aerosol containers, guns, ammunition, fireworks, electric stun guns, mace, martial arts weapons / devices, or knives of any size. The U.S. Secret Service reserves the right to prohibit any other personal items. Umbrellas, wallets, cell phones and car keys are permitted.Please note that no storage facilities are available on or around the complex. Individuals who arrive with prohibited items will not be permitted to enter the White House.ParkingThe closest Metrorail stations to the White House are Federal Triangle (blue and orange lines), Metro Center (blue, orange, and red lines) and McPherson Square (blue and orange lines). On-street parking is not available near the White House, and use of public transportation is strongly encouraged.Restrooms / Public TelephonesThe nearest restrooms and public telephones to the White House are in the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion (the park area south of the White House) and in the White House Visitor Center. Restrooms or public telephones are not available at the White House.50. Both Congressional guided and self-guided tours need to be scheduled in advance.51. All White House tours are free of charge except on federal holidays.52. The White House Visitor Center provides free drinks but not food service.53. Wheelchair reservation service is provided by the officer at the Visitors Entrance Building.54. Hearing-impaired visitors can request signing interpretation service from the Visitors Office.55. Touch tours are currently only offered to visually-impaired groups of 8 to 20.56. Sometimes official events make it necessary to close ________________ without notice.57. The personal items permitted to be carried into the White House are________________.58. The transportation visitors are encouraged to use is ________________.59. Inside the White House, visitors cannot find or use restrooms or________________.Section C (10 marks)Directions: In this section, there is one passage followed by 5 questions. Read the passage carefully, then answer the questions in as few words as possible (not more than 10 words). Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.Questions 60-64 are based on the following passage.If you were on a distant planet, and if you had instruments that could tell you the composition of Earth's atmosphere, how would you know there was life on this planet?Water in the atmosphere would suggest there could be water on the surface, and as we all know water is considered crucial to life. But water would only suggest that life is possible. It wouldn't prove it's there.Carbon? That basic component of “life as we know it?” Not necessarily. A diamond is pure carbon, and it may be pretty, but it isn't alive.What really sets Earth apart is nitrogen, which makes up 80 percent of the planet's atmosphere. And it's there only because there is abundant life on Earth, say scientists at the University of Southern California.The report grew out of a class discussion two years ago in a course taught by Capone and Kenneth Nealson, professor of earth sciences. Students were asked to come up with different ideas about searching for life on other planets. What is a distinct “signature,” as Capone puts it, that would show there is life on another planet?That's a question that has been kicked around in many quarters in recent decades, especially since all efforts to find some form of life, no matter whether on Mars or in the distant reaches of space, have failed. At least so far.The current effort to search for some evidence of life on Mars focuses primarily on the search for water, because it has long been believed that water, or at least some fluid, is necessary for the chemical processes that lead life to take place. But that's probably the wrong approach, the USC group argues.“It's ha rd to imagine life without water, but it's easy to imagine water without life,” says Nealson, who was on the Mars team before moving to USC.But nitrogen would be a much clearer signature of life. Only about 2 percent to 3 percent of the Martian atmosphere is nitrogen. That's just a trace, and it probably means there is no life on Mars today, and if there was in the past, it probably ended many, many years ago.But, the USC team adds quickly, that doesn't mean there's no life anywhere else in the universe. They don't know where, of course, but they may have found a wayto narrow down the search. Look first for nitrogen, then look for biological activity that should be there.So if life exists elsewhere, and is similar to life as we know it, there should be nitrogen, and that's what we should be looking for first, the researchers say.If they don't find nitrogen on Mars, Capone says, “that will probably bring us to the conclusion that there likely never was life on Mars.”But how about elsewhere? Could this technique be used to search for life in other solar systems?Maybe. It might be possible to detect a nitrogen-rich atmosphere around a planet orbiting another star, but not yet. Current instruments aren't that sensitive.If they ever are, the search for life might be narrowed down to the most promising prospects, chiefly because of the presence of nitrogen. And won't that be fun!Questions:60. What can suggest life is possible but cannot be proved according to the author?61. What is a cl ear “signature” of life on another planet according to Capone?62. What is considered as a wrong way to search for evidence of life on Mars?63. What can probably prove there is no life on Mars today based on the new theory?64. Why is it impossible to use the new technique to search for life in other solar systems now?Section D (12 marks)Directions: In this section, there is one passage followed by a summary. Read the passage carefully and complete the summary below by choosing a maximum of three words from the passage to fill in the spaces 65-70. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.Questions 65-70 are based on the following passage.In August 2008, athletes from the United States and around the world will compete in the Beijing Olympics. But did you know that in September of next year, disabled athletes will compete in the Paralympic Games in Beijing?The Olympics and the Paralympics are separate movements. But they have always been held in the same year, and since 1988, they have also been held in the same city. The International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee signed an agreement in 2001 to secure this connection. The next winter games will take place in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010.The Paralympic Games grew out of a sports competition held in 1948 in England and a doctor named Ludwig Guttmann organized it for men who suffered spinal cord injuries in World War II. Four years later, it became an international event as competitors from the Netherlands took part. Then, in 1960, the first Paralympics were held in Rome. 400 athletes from 23 countries competed. By 2004, the Paralympic Games in Athens had almost 4000 athletes from 136 countries, who may have physical or mental limitations and may be blind or in wheelchairs. Yet sometimes they perform better than athletes without disabilities.In 1968, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of former President John F. Kennedy, started the Special Olympics, which are just for children and adults with mental limitations and whose programs currently serve more than two million people in 160 countries. In November 2006, in Mumbai, India, teams competed in the First Special Olympics International Cricket Cup. In addition to India, there were men's teams from Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. There were also women's cricket teams from India and Pakistan.There are many organizations in the United States that help people with disabilities play sports. Wheelchair tennis is a popular sport. So is basketball. In fact, there are more than one hundred professional teams playing wheelchair basketball thanks to the special wheelchairs for athletes that are lightweight and designed for quick moves. For people who want to go really fast in their chairs, there is a Power Wheelchair Racing Association.In the state of Utah there is a place called the National Ability Center, which teaches all kinds of sports to people with all kinds of physical and mental disabilities and even gives friends and family members a chance to try a sport as if they were disabled.A reporter from the Washington Post wanted to know what it would be like for a blind person to use a climbing wall. So, protected by a safety line, the newspaper reporter closed his eyes and started to feel for places to put his hands and feet.Trainers on the ground urged him on: “Take your time. You can do it.” Finally he reached the top.At the National Ability Center people can learn to ride horses and mountain bikes. They can try winter mountain sports, and learn scuba diving and other water activities. The center also prepares athletes for the Paralympics.These days, the first place many people go when they want to travel is the Internet, where they can get information about hotels, transportation and services like tour companies. The Internet can also help travelers find special services for the disabled. For example, there are groups that help young people with disabilities travel to different countries.Susan Sygall, who uses a wheelchair herself, leads an organization called Mobility International USA, and has traveled to more than twenty-five countries to talk about the rights of people with disabilities. She says people with disabilities are all members of a global family and working together across borders is the most powerful way of making changes.Summary:Part IV Cloze (15 minutes, 15 marks)Section A: There are 5 blanks in the passage. Use the word given on the right side to form a word that fits in each blank. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.。

2008年6月高校英语B级考试真题答案详解2008年6月听力原文:1. It's a fine day. Why not go to the zoo?2. When can I take my winter vacation?3. Did you enjoy the performance last night?4. Can we have dinner together this weekend?5. Professor Smith, may I ask you a few questions?6. M: I prefer coffee to tea. What about you, Jane?W: Just water.Q: What would the woman like to have?7. M: Excuse me. Can you call a taxi for me?W: Sorry, the telphone is out of order.Q: What does the man mean?8. M: What's wrong with me, doctor?W: Just a cold, nothing serious.Q: What's the probable relationship between the two speakers?9. M: Don't you usually drive to work?W: No, I walk to work every day.Q: How does the woman usually go to work?10. M: My computer doesn't work.W: Why don't you have it repaired?Q: What does the woman think the man should do?Today more and more people begin to understand that study does not come to an end with school gradu ation. Education is not just a college degree; it is life itself. Many people are not interested in studying at a college, and they are interested in other kinds of learning. They may go to a training class in their own field; they may improve their work skills by following television courses. They certainly know that if they know more or learn more, they can get better jobs or earn more money.答案与详解Part ⅠListening Comprehension1. 【答案】A【解析】本题是说天气很好，“Why not go to the zoo?”,回答当然是“好主意”。

2008年全国大学生英语竞赛样题及答案（C级）Part II V ocabulary and Structure (10 minutes, 15 marks)Directions: There are 15 incomplete sentences in this part. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.31. So nervous ________ that she didn't know how to start her speech.A. since she becameB. would she becomeC. that she becameD. did she become32. He ________ another career but, at the time, he just wanted to earn money to study abroad.A. might have chosenB. might chooseC. had to chooseD. must have chosen33. The second report was ________ by August 2005, but one year later it was still nowhere in sight.A. submittedB. to have submittedC. to submitD. to have been submitted34. In this experiment, the students studied are stopped several times during the listening test and asked to report what they ________ during the pause before answering the questions.A. had just been thinking aboutB. have just been thinking aboutC. are just thinking aboutD. had just thought about35. I was always taught that it was ________ to interrupt.A. rudeB. coarseC. roughD. crude36. Small boys are ________ questioners. They ask questions all the time.A. originalB. peculiarC. imaginativeD. persistent37. We regret to inform you that the materials you ordered are ________.A. out of workB. out of reachC. out of stockD. out of practice38. The bomb will ________ the moment it is touched.A. go onB. go offC. go outD. go over39. The car won't ________; I've tried it several times, but it won't work.A. beginB. launchC. startD. drive40. Children and old people do not like having their daily ________ upset.A. habitB. routineC. practiceD. custom41. In your first few days at school you'll be given a test to help the teachers to ________ you to a class at your level.A. locateB. assignC. deliverD. place42. China only started its nuclear power industry in recent years, and should ________ no time in catching up.A.loseB.delayC. spareD. relieve43. — You did an excellent job yesterday, Jim! I really enjoyed your presentation.— ________— Oh yeah, it was fabulous. It seems the English program is a great way to practice English.— Yeah. It is fun and motivating.A. Did you really?B. Oh, thank you. You are so kind.C. Really? What about yours?D. Not at all. My pleasure.44. — What kind of music do you like?— Well, I like different kinds.— ________— Er, I especially like punk rock.A. I beg your pardon?B. Are you serious?C. Any in particular?D. Why do you think so?45. — How did you like the fashion show last night?— ________— I didn't see anything wrong with the clothes; they looked pretty nice to me.— Do you really think people can wear that stuff and walk around in streets?A. Impressive. It's a good way to show off women's sense of style and wealth.B. It was cool. The clothes are more beautiful than the people wearing them.C. Nothing serious. It's only a show to attract the eyes of fashion fans.D. It was dumb. I think it's stupid for women to wear clothes like that.Part III Reading Comprehension (20 minutes, 40 marks)Section A (4 marks)Directions: There is one passage in this section with 4 questions. For each question, there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.Questions 46-49 are based on the following passage.The ability to “see” oneself in the future is a remarkable human trait - some would say unique - that is not well understood. That's despite the fact that we probably spend as much time thinking about the future as we do thinking about the present.Now new research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that it's precisely because we can remember the past that we can visualize the future. “Our findings provide convincing support for t he idea that memory and future thought are highly interrelated and help explain why future thought may be impossible without memories,” says doctoral candidate Karl Szpunar. The findings are consistent with other research showing that persons with little memory of the past, such as young children or individuals suffering from loss of memory, are less able to see themselves in the future.The researchers base their conclusions on brain scans of 21 college students who were cued to think about something in their past, and anticipate the same event in the future, like a birthday or getting lost. The experiment was carried out as each student lay on their stomach in a magnetic resonance imaging machine, a dreadful but very useful piece of equipment that can show which areas of the brain are stimulated during specific thought processes. The students were also asked to picture former President Bill Clinton in a past and future setting. Clinton was chosen because he was easily recognized and familiar to all the students.The researchers found a “surprisingly complete overlap” among regions of the brain used for remembering the student's past and those used for picturing the future. And every region involved in remembering was also used in anticipating the future.In short, the researchers isolated the area of the brain that “lit up” when the students thought about an event in their own past. And more importantly, that same area lit up again when they thought about a similar event in their future. In fact, the rese archers report that the brain activity was so similar in both cases that it was “indistinguishable.” The findings were reinforced when students imagined Bill Clinton. Since none of them knew him personally, their memories were not autobiographical. And th e brain scans showed “significantly less” correlation between memories of having seen pictures of Clinton in the White House and projecting him into the future.So this “time machine,” as the researchers describe it, allows us to use the past to see ourse lves in the future, and both our memories and our anticipation are interdependent.46. A remarkable human trait that is not well understood is the ability ________.A. to think about the pastB. to see the futureC. to remember the pastD. to control the present47. The findings support that ________.A. future goals will greatly influence a person's present performanceB. a person's present performance is determined by his / her past knowledgeC. future thought depends to a great degree on the memory of the pastD. present thought is impossible without the ability to imagine the future48. The conclusion of the experiment on students was that ________.A. the students could picture themselves better than Bill Clinton in a past and future settingB. the students could imagine themselves as well as Bill Clinton in a past and future settingC. the students could anticipate Bill Clinton better than themselves in a past and future settingD. the students could only picture themselves in a past and future setting but not Bill Clinton49. This “time machine” in the last paragraph most probably refers to ________.A. clockB. brain scanningC. magnetic resonance imagingD. memorySection B (14 marks)Directions: There is one passage in this section with 10 questions. Go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on the Answer Sheet. For questions 50-55, mark Y (for YES)if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage; N (for NO)if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage; NG (for NOT GIVEN)if the information is not given in the passage. For questions 56-59, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Visiting the White HouseWhite House Tours Public tours of the White House are available for groups of 10 or more people. Requests must be submitted through one's Member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and are scheduled on a first come, first served basis approximately one month in advance of the requested date. We encourage you to submit your request as early as possible since a limited number of tours are available. All White House tours are free of charge. For the most current tour information, please call the 24-hour line at 202-456-7041. Please note that White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellation.White House Visitor CenterAll tours are significantly enhanced if visitors stop by the White House Visitor Center located at the southeast corner of 15th and E Streets, before or after their tour. The Center is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and features many aspects of the White House, including its architecture, furnishings, first families, social events, and relations with the press and world leaders, as well as a thirty-minute video. Allow between 20 minutes to one hour to explore the exhibits. The White House Historical Association also sponsors a sales area. Please note that restrooms are available, but food service is not.Mobility-Impaired / Using a WheelchairGuests requiring the loan of a wheelchair should notify the officer at the Visitors Entrance Building upon arrival. Wheelchairs loans are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are not possible.Visitors in wheelchairs, or with other mobility disabilities, on the Congressional guided or self-guided tours, between 8:00 a.m. and 12 noon, use the same Visitor entrance and, with up to four members of their party, are admitted without waiting in line and without tickets.Visitors in wheelchairs are escorted by ramp from the entrance level to the ground floor, and by elevator from the ground to the state floor. Guests generally wait in line with their family or group.Hearing-ImpairedTours for hearing-impaired groups may be arranged in advance by writing to the Visitors Office, White House, Washington, DC 20502. Tours are usually scheduled at 9:30 a.m., between the Congressional and public tour times. Participants enter at the East Appointment gate. A U.S. Secret Service / Uniformed Division Tour Officer conducts the tour in sign language. Signed tours are available to groups of 8 to 20. Groups are also encouraged to bring their own interpreters.Signing interpretation is also available for individual visitors with advance notice. A Congressional office first issues guided tour tickets to a guest who is hearing-impaired and then contacts the Visitors Office at least 2 weeks in advance to request interpreter service.The Visitors Office TDD (telephone device for the deaf) is 202-456-2121. Messages may be left outside normal business hours.Visually-ImpairedTours for visually-impaired groups may be arranged in advance by writing to the Visitors Office, White House, Washington, DC 20502. The tours are usually scheduled at 9:30 a.m., between the Congressional and public tour times. Participants enter at the East Appointment gate. A U.S. Secret Service / Uniformed Division Tour Officer permits visitors to touch specific objects in the House. Touch tours are currently available only to groups of 8 to 20, not to individual visitors. Guide animals are permitted in the White House.General Tour InformationAll White House tours are free. Changes in tour schedules are occasionally made because of official events. Notice may not be given until that morning. The Visitors Office 24-hour Information Line recording at 202-456-7041 provides the most up-to-date information. The TDD is 202-456-2121. Visitors should confirm tour schedules by calling the information line the night before and the morning that they plan to visit. It is occasionally necessary to close individual rooms on the tour; however, notice about closed rooms is not possible.Prohibited ItemsProhibited items include, but are not limited to, the following: handbags, book bags, backpacks, purses, food and beverages of any kind, strollers, cameras, video recorders or any type of recording device, tobacco products, personal grooming items (make-up, hair brush or comb, lip or hand lotions, etc.), any pointed objects (pens, knitting needles, etc.), aerosol containers, guns, ammunition, fireworks, electric stun guns, mace, martial arts weapons / devices, or knives of any size. The U.S. Secret Service reserves the right to prohibit any other personal items. Umbrellas, wallets, cell phones and car keys are permitted.Please note that no storage facilities are available on or around the complex. Individuals who arrive with prohibited items will not be permitted to enter the White House.ParkingThe closest Metrorail stations to the White House are Federal Triangle (blue and orange lines), Metro Center (blue, orange, and red lines) and McPherson Square (blue and orange lines). On-street parking is not available near the White House, and use of public transportation is strongly encouraged.Restrooms / Public TelephonesThe nearest restrooms and public telephones to the White House are in the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion (the park area south of the White House) and in the White House Visitor Center. Restrooms or public telephones are not available at the White House.50. Both Congressional guided and self-guided tours need to be scheduled in advance.51. All White House tours are free of charge except on federal holidays.52. The White House Visitor Center provides free drinks but not food service.53. Wheelchair reservation service is provided by the officer at the Visitors Entrance Building.54. Hearing-impaired visitors can request signing interpretation service from the Visitors Office.55. Touch tours are currently only offered to visually-impaired groups of 8 to 20.56. Sometimes official events make it necessary to close ________________ without notice.57. The personal items permitted to be carried into the White House are ________________.58. The transportation visitors are encouraged to use is ________________.59. Inside the White House, visitors cannot find or use restrooms or ________________.Section C (10 marks)Directions: In this section, there is one passage followed by 5 questions. Read the passage carefully, then answer the questions in as few words as possible (not more than 10 words). Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.Questions 60-64 are based on the following passage.If you were on a distant planet, and if you had instruments that could tell you the composition of Earth's atmosphere, how would you know there was life on this planet?Water in the atmosphere would suggest there could be water on the surface, and as we all know water is considered crucial to life. But water would only suggest that life is possible. It wouldn't prove it's there.Carbon? That basic component of “life as we know it?” Not necessarily. A diamond is pure carbon, and it may be pretty, but it isn't alive.What really sets Earth apart is nitrogen, which makes up 80 percent of the planet's atmosphere. And it's there only because there is abundant life on Earth, say scientists at the University of Southern California.The report grew out of a class discussion two years ago in a course taught by Capone and Kenneth Nealson, professor of earth sciences. Students were asked to come up with different ideas about searching for life on other planets. What is a distinct “signature,” as Capone puts it, that would show there is life on another planet?That's a question that has been kicked around in many quarters in recent decades, especially since all efforts to find some form of life, no matter whether on Mars or in the distant reaches of space, have failed. At least so far.The current effort to search for some evidence of life on Mars focuses primarily on the search for water, because it has long been believed that water, or at least some fluid, is necessary for the chemical processes that lead life to take place. But that's probably the wrong approach, the USC group argues.“It's hard to imagine life without water, but it's easy to imagine water without life,” sa ys Nealson, who was on the Mars team before moving to USC.But nitrogen would be a much clearer signature of life. Only about 2 percent to 3 percent of the Martian atmosphere is nitrogen. That's just a trace, and it probably means there is no life on Mars today, and if there was in the past, it probably ended many, many years ago.But, the USC team adds quickly, that doesn't mean there's no life anywhere else in the universe. They don't know where, of course, but they may have found a way to narrow down the search. Look first for nitrogen, then look for biological activity that should be there.So if life exists elsewhere, and is similar to life as we know it, there should be nitrogen, and that's what we shouldbe looking for first, the researchers say.If they don't find nitrogen on Mars, Capone says, “that will probably bring us to the conclusion that there likely never was life on Mars.”But how about elsewhere? Could this technique be used to search for life in other solar systems?Maybe. It might be possible to detect a nitrogen-rich atmosphere around a planet orbiting another star, but not yet. Current instruments aren't that sensitive.If they ever are, the search for life might be narrowed down to the most promising prospects, chiefly because of the presence of nitrogen. And won't that be fun!Questions:Section D (12 marks)Directions: In this section, there is one passage followed by a summary. Read the passage carefully and complete the summary below by choosing a maximum of three words from the passage to fill in the spaces 65-70. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.Questions 65-70 are based on the following passage.In August 2008, athletes from the United States and around the world will compete in the Beijing Olympics. But did you know that in September of next year, disabled athletes will compete in the Paralympic Games in Beijing? The Olympics and the Paralympics are separate movements. But they have always been held in the same year, and since 1988, they have also been held in the same city. The International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee signed an agreement in 2001 to secure this connection. The next winter games will take place in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010.The Paralympic Games grew out of a sports competition held in 1948 in England and a doctor named Ludwig Guttmann organized it for men who suffered spinal cord injuries in World War II. Four years later, it became an international event as competitors from the Netherlands took part. Then, in 1960, the first Paralympics were held in Rome. 400 athletes from 23 countries competed. By 2004, the Paralympic Games in Athens had almost 4000 athletes from 136 countries, who may have physical or mental limitations and may be blind or in wheelchairs. Yet sometimes they perform better than athletes without disabilities.In 1968, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of former President John F. Kennedy, started the Special Olympics, which are just for children and adults with mental limitations and whose programs currently serve more than two million people in 160 countries. In November 2006, in Mumbai, India, teams competed in the First Special Olympics International Cricket Cup. In addition to India, there were men's teams from Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. There were also women's cricket teams from India and Pakistan.There are many organizations in the United States that help people with disabilities play sports. Wheelchair tennis is a popular sport. So is basketball. In fact, there are more than one hundred professional teams playing wheelchair basketball thanks to the special wheelchairs for athletes that are lightweight and designed for quick moves. For people who want to go really fast in their chairs, there is a Power Wheelchair Racing Association.In the state of Utah there is a place called the National Ability Center, which teaches all kinds of sports to people with all kinds of physical and mental disabilities and even gives friends and family members a chance to try a sport as if they were disabled.A reporter from the Washington Post wanted to know what it would be like for a blind person to use a climbing wall. So, protected by a safety line, the newspaper reporter closed his eyes and started to feel for places to put his hands and feet. Trainers on the ground urged him on: “Take your time. You can do it.” Finally he reached the top. At the National Ability Center people can learn to ride horses and mountain bikes. They can try winter mountain sports, and learn scuba diving and other water activities. The center also prepares athletes for the Paralympics. These days, the first place many people go when they want to travel is the Internet, where they can get information about hotels, transportation and services like tour companies. The Internet can also help travelers find special services for the disabled. For example, there are groups that help young people with disabilities travel to different countries.Susan Sygall, who uses a wheelchair herself, leads an organization called Mobility International USA, and has traveled to more than twenty-five countries to talk about the rights of people with disabilities. She says people with disabilities are all members of a global family and working together across borders is the most powerful way of making changes.Summary:Part IV Cloze (15 minutes, 15 marks)Section A: There are 5 blanks in the passage. Use the word given on the right side to form a word that fits in each blank. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.Maria Callas was one of the best-known opera singers in the world, who became famous internationally for her beautiful voice and intense (71)________ during the 1950s, and the recordings of her singing the well-known operas remain very popular today.Maria Callas was born in New York City in 1923 and her real name was Maria Kalogeropoulous. Her parents were Greek and when she was fourteen, she and her mother returned to Greece, where Maria studied singing at the national conservatory in Athens and the well-known opera (72)________ Elvira de Hidalgo chose Maria as her student.In 1941, when she was 17, Maria Callas was paid to sing in a major opera for the first time. She sang the (73)________ role in several operas in Athens during the next three years. In 1943, Callas was invited to perform in Italy, which was the real beginning of her profession as an opera singer. She performed major parts in several of the most (74)________ operas. In 1949, she married an Italian (75)________, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, who was twenty years older and became her adviser and manager. person singlead fame industrySection B: There are 10 blanks in the passage. For each blank, some letters of the word has been given (not exceeding 3 letters). Read the passage below and think of the word which best fits each blank. Use only one word in each blank. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.Part V Translation (15 minutes, 15 marks)Section A (8 marks)Directions: Translate the underlined sentences of the following passage into Chinese. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.When you talk about China and India's seemingly unstoppable growth, nobody's surprised. After all, the increasing economic strength of the two countries has dominated the news for the past few years. But both China and India face some substantial demographic hurdles to continued expansion. Despite the billion-plus citizens of each country, both may simply lack sufficient qualified workers.(86) China is a rapidly aging society whose current challenges of unemployment and overpopulation will, within a decade, shift to different problems: labor shortages and an elderly population with too few children. In fact, China may be the first country to go gray before it reaches developed status. The World Bank estimates that by 2020 the mainland will face a lack of even unskilled labor due to aging.China is already facing a shortage of skilled labor. Construction sites lack welders, skilled machine operators, and plumbers. And a recent report said the country is short some 750,000 managers. Despite a 95% literacy rate among all but the oldest citizens, there are not enough well-educated Chinese. (87) This is in part due to a lack of schools that combine basic theory with practical skills and a focus on passing the elite university exams. So despite rising salaries, many of those entering China's workforce cannot learn the skills they need.India seems to have an age advantage, with half its population under 25. In the long run, this gives them the upper hand. But at present, India shares China's problem of an insufficiently educated workforce. Citigroup reports that India's talent pool isn't deep enough to meet demand in industries including textiles, aviation, telecom, retail, and engineering.By some other measures, both countries look pretty good. China graduates about 1.7 million students from 1,500 colleges and universities annually, of whom 350,000 are engineers. India produces about 3 million college and university graduates, including 440,000 engineers. Those numbers, though, don't tell the whole story.(88) Only 10% to 25% of these graduates are employable by multinationals, and this is only partially because of language challenges, which every human resources executive I've met who works in China or India agrees with.The source of the problem is cultural. Young people in these countries are highly motivated to study and learn, but only in theory. There is no tradition of practical application. So engineers don't go into operations, factories, or mines, and don't really know the machines and conditions for which they are designing processes. (89) Chinese and Indian students who have just earned BAs want to pursue MBAs right away, and neither they nor their parents understand the value of practical experience. The degree is seen as a trophy, a traditional ticket to higher status. Section B (7 marks)Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets. Remember to write your answers on the Answer Sheet.90. 如果你告诉他们真相，你就可以获得这次机会而不被他们误解。

2008年12月大学英语三级B真题及答案Part I Listening ComprehensionDirections: This part is to test your listening ability. It consists of 3 sections. Section ADirections: This section is to test your ability to give proper responses. There are 5 recorded questions in it. After each question, there is a pause. The questions will be spoken two times. When you hear a question, you should decide on the correct answer from the 4 choices marked A), B), C) and D) given in your test paper. Then you should mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.Now the test will begin.1. A) Thank you.B) With pleasure.C) Oh, yes.D) Here you are.2. A)B) Far from here.C) Five people.D) One hundred dollars.3. A) Please sit down.B) Take it easy.C) I’m OK.D) Yes, of course.4. A) He’s a nice person.B) I work very hard.C) You’re welcome.D) Certainly not.5. A) It’s far away.B) It’s rather warm.C) I hope so.D) I’m afraid I can’t.Section BDirections: This section is to test your ability to understand short dialogues. There are 5 recorded dialogues in it. After each dialogue, there is a recordedquestion. Both the dialogues and questions will be spoken two times. When you hear a question, you should decide on the correct answer from the 4 choices marked A), B), C) and D) given in your test paper. Then you should mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.6. A) From his friend.B) From his teacher.C) From his boss.D) From his brother.7. A) Attend a meeting.B) Hold a party.C) .D) Meet a friend.8. A) In the meeting room.B) In her office.C) At home.D) At the bank.9. A) It’s very boring.B) That’s too busy.C) She likes it very much.D) She’s going to give it up.10. A) An engineer.B) A doctor.C) A salesman.D) A secretary.Section CDirections: In this section you will hear a recorded short passage. The passage is printed in the test paper, but with some words or phrases missing. The passage will be read three times. During the second reading, you are required to put the missing words or phrases on the Answer Sheet in order of the numbered blanks according to what you hear. The third reading is for you to check your writing. Now the passage will begin.People visit other countries for many reasons. Some travel -11- ; others travel to visit interesting places. Whenever you go, for whatever reason, it is important to be -12- . A tourist can draw a lot of attention from local people. Although most of the people you meet are friendly and welcoming, sometimes there are dangers. -13- , your money or passport might be stolen. Just as in your home country, you meet to be friendly and -14- . It is important to prepare your trip in advance, and -15- be careful while you are traveling.答案：1-5:CADAB 6-10:DDBCA11.no business 12.safe 13.For example 14.helpful 15.alwaysPart II Vocabulary & StructureDirections: This part is to test your ability to use words and phrases correctly to construct meaningful and grammatically correct sentences. It consists of 2 sections.Section ADirections: There are 10 incomplete statements here. You are required to complete each statement by choosing the appropriate answer from the 4 choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.16. The newspaper ________ in the accident.A) saysB) talksC) callsD) asks17. She told us briefly about how they succeeded in ________ the new product.A) developB) to developC) developedD) developing18. The big IT company will ________ a new research center in the city.A) set upB) break upC) get upD) turn up19. I ________ at 130 kilometers per hour stopped me.A) had drivenB) have drivenC) driveD) was driving20. Information about the new system is easy to ________ on the Internet.A) likeB) goC) findD) open21. I’d like to introduce you ________ James Stewart, the new manager of our department.A) withB) toC) ofD) on22. We had a(n) ________ with him about this problem last night.A) explanationB) impressionC) exhibitionD) discussion23. We talked for more than three hours without ________ a cup of tea.A) to haveB) havingC) haveD) had24. They had to give up the plan because they had ________ money.A) come up toB) got along withC) run out ofD) taken charge of25. ________ she joined ago, she’s already been promoted twice.A) AlthoughB) BecauseC) IfD) WhenSection BDirections: There are also 10 incomplete statements here. You should fill in each blank with the proper form of the word given in brackets. Write the word or words in the corresponding space on the Answer Sheet.26. The new (nation) ________ museum will be open to the public next week.27. This question is (difficult) ________ than the one I have answered.28. The secretary has been working for the same (manage) ________ for over 5 years.29. The hotel, (build) _________ 100 years ago, still looks new.30. We are pleased to learn that that problem (solve) ________ at yesterday’s meeting.31. I want (point out) ________ that a decision about the matter must be made at once.32. Although she is young for the job, she is very (experience) ________.33. The new rules for environmental protection have been (wide) ________ accepted by the public.34. We demand that the tour guide (tell) ________ us immediately about any change in the schedule.35. Thank you for your letter of November 15, (invite) ________ us to the trade fair on December 10.答案：16-20:ADADC 21-25:BDBCA26.national 27.more difficult 28.manager 29.built 30.has been solved31.to point out 32.experienced 33.widely 34.tell/should tell 35.invitingPart III Reading ComprehensionDirections: This part is to test your reading ability. There are 5 tasks for you to fulfill. You should read the reading materials carefully and do the tasks as you are instructed.Task 1Directions: After reading the following passage, you will find 5 questions or unfinished statements, numbered 36 to 40. For each question or statement there are 4 choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should make the correct choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center. Each time we produce a new English dictionary, our aim is always the same: what can we do to make the dictionary more helpful for students of English? As a result of our research with students and discussions with teachers, on providing more examples for this English dictionary.Examples help students to remember the word they have looked up in the dictionary because it is easier both to remember and to understand a word within a context (上下文). The examples also show that words are often used in many different contexts. For these reasons, we have included 40 per cent more examples in this new book. We edit all the examples to remove difficult words and to make sure they are easier to understand.We very much hope this new book will be of use not only to the students of English but also to the teachers.36. The aim of the author in producing this new dictionary is to ________.A) correct mistakes in the old dictionaryB) make it more helpful for studentsC) increase the number of wordsD) add pictures and photos37. A word is easier to remember and understand if it is ________.A) included in a word listB) pronounced correctlyC) explained in EnglishD) used in a context38. What is special about this new dictionary?A) It is small and cheap.B) It has a larger vocabulary.C) It has 40% more examples.D) It is designed for students and teachers.39. The purpose of removing difficult words in the examples is to ________.A) understandB) provide more useful wordsC) introduce more contextsD) include more examples40. The passage is most probably taken from ________.A) a letter to the editorB) a comment on a novelC) an introduction to a dictionaryD) a news-report in the newspaperTask 2Directions: This task is the same as Task 1. The 5 questions or unfinished statements are numbered 41 to 45.What is the better way of staying away from the cold winter days? Come out to our Hall Markets in the beautiful countryside, full of color, fun, music and delicious food! With over 350 stalls (摊位) selling wonderful home-made and home-grown goods, this will surely be a great day out.The Hall Markets are held on the first Sunday of each month from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at Hall Village. They are operated by Hartley Lifecare Co. Ltd. All the income will go to help and support service for (残疾).Volunteers (志愿者) play an important part in the success and pleasant atmosphere at the Hall Markets. Hartley Lifecare is always grateful to have you serve as volunteers with the Hall Markets.If you are interested in being one of our volunteers and spending a few hours with us each month, please contact us during business hours on 6260 5555.41. According to the passage, the Hall Markets are held ________.A) in the countrysideB) to attract volunteersC) to promote winter salesD) by42. There are over 350 stalls in the Hall Markets that ________.A) are operated by the disabledB) offer free food to volunteersC) sell home-made goodsD) are open day and night43. The income made by the Hall Markets goes to ________.A) expand Hartley Lifecare Co. Ltd.B) support service for the disabledC) create more fun for customersD) develop local economy44. When are the Hall Markets open?A) The first Sunday of each month.B) Every day from 10 am to 3 pm.C) The first day of each month.D) Every weekend in winter.45. This passage is written for the purpose of inviting ________.A) touristsB) villagersC) businessmenD) volunteers答案：36-40:BDCAC 41-45:ACBADTask 3Directions: The following is a letter. After reading it, you should complete the information by filling in the blanks marked 46 through 50 in no more than 3 words in the table below.2 November, 2008Dear Dr. Yamata,The Association of Asian Economic Studies is pleased to invite you to be this year’s guest speaker at its annual international symposium (研讨会). The symposium will be held for 3 days from December 22nd to 24th, 2008. This year’s topic will be Economic Development in Asia. About 100 people from various countries symposium. They would be pleased to meet you and share their views with you.The Association will cover all the expenses of your trip to this symposium.As the program is to be announced on December 1st, 2008, will you kindly let us know before that time whether your busy schedule will allow you to attend our symposium? We are looking forward to your favorable reply.Yours sincerely,John SmithSecretary of Association of Asian Economic StudiesLetter of InvitationWriter of the letter: -46-Organizer of the Symposium: Association of -47-Guest speaker to be invited: Dr. YamataStarting date of the symposium: -48-Number of guests invited: about -49-Topic of the symposium: -50- in Asia答案：46.John Smith n Economic 48.December 22nd,200849.one hundred 50.Economic DevelopmentTask 4Directions: The following is part of an index (索引). After reading it, you are required to find the items equivalent to (与…等同) those given in Chinese in the table below. Then you should put the corresponding letters in the brackets on the Answer Sheet, numbered 51 through 55.A —— after-sales serviceB —— business licenseC —— business riskD —— dead stockE —— department storeF —— import licenseG —— limited companyH —— net weightI —— packing chargeJ —— price tagK —— purchasing powerL —— seller’s marketM —— shipping dateN —— shopping rushO —— show windowP —— supermarketQ —— trade agreementExamples: ( D ) 滞销品 ( I ) 包装费51. ( ) 净重 ( ) 百货商店52. ( ) 购买力 ( ) 商业风险53. ( ) 超级市场 ( ) 卖方市场54. ( ) 有限公司 ( ) 售后服务55. ( ) 装船日期 ( ) 进口许可证答案：51.H,E 52.K,C 53.P,L 54.G,A 55.M,FTask 5Directions: The following is an advertisement. After reading it, you are required to complete the statements that follow the questions (No.56 to No.60). You should write your answers in no more than 3 words on the corresponding Answer Sheet. Yanton Playingfield CommitteeGrounds-person (场地管理员) WantedThe Yanton Playingfield years been fortunate to have Eddie Christiansen as grounds-person at its sports ground in Littlemarsh. However, after 10 years ofservice, Eddie has decided it’s time to retire in July. The committee wishes him the best for his retired life.However, this leaves us needing a new grounds-person. This role is part-time, averaging around 5 hours per week. The duties involve the mowing (除草), rolling, and trimming (修剪) of the field edges. Applicants (求职人) need to be able to drive and use for the above-mentioned duties.Applicants can either contact Hugh Morris, 42 Spencer Avenue, tel. 765-4943780, to discuss or register an interest in the position, or any member of the Playingfield Committee.56. Which organization is in need of a grounds-person?The _____________________________________________________.57. Why is a new grounds-person needed?Because the former grounds-person, Eddie Christiansen, has decided it’s time to _____________.58. What are the duties of a grounds-person?His duties involve the mowing, _________________ of the field edges.59. What should applicants be able to do?They should be able to _________ for the duties.60. Who is the contact person?____________________________________ or any committee member.答案：56.Yanton Playingfield Committee 57.retire 58.rolling,and trimming e 60.Hugh MorrisPart IV Translation —— English into ChineseDirections: This part, numbered 61 to 65, is to test your ability to translate English into Chinese. Each of the four sentences (N0.61 to No.64) is followed by four choices of suggested translation marked A), B), C) and D). Make the best choice and write the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet. Write your translation of the paragraph (No.65) in the corresponding space on the Translation/Composition Sheet.61. Seldom can people on the front page of this popular local newspaper.A) 人们不会在这份地方报纸前几页上寻找重要的国际新闻。

全国大学生英语竞赛B类考试2008年初赛试题及详解Part ⅠListening Comprehension (25 minutes, 30 marks)Section A (10 marks)In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be read only once. After each question, there will be a pause. During the pause, read the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.1. A. Rent a car.B. Buy a car.C. Sell his car.【答案】A【解析】对话中A问B是否需要车，并提到有special rate，显然，B正准备租车。

【录音原文】A: Will you need a car when you arrive? We have a special rate at the moment.B: Yeah, a car would be convenient.A: What type of car will you need?Q: What is the man going to do?2. A. Every day.B. Twice a week.C. Twice a month.【答案】B【解析】由A的话可知，该酒吧每周的周五和周六两天是Happy Hour。

2008年全国大学生英语竞赛样题及答案（A级）Part I Listening Comprehension (25 minutes, 30 marks)Section A (10 marks)Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be read only once. After each question, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.1. A. At a bank. B. At a department store. C. At a lawyer's office.2. A. Jealous. B. Indifferent. C. Negative.3. A. A party invitation.B. A tour of the house.C. A dinner party.4. A. Policeman and driver.B. Teacher and pupil.C. Driver and actress.5. A. To attend a party.B. To the beauty salon.C. To the school.6. A. 1,090. B. 530. C. 1,060.7. A. Dec. 13th, 1906. B. Dec. 30th, 1906. C. Nov. 13th, 1916.8. A. Nothing. B. Dinner. C. A snack.9. A. In less than three days.B. In more than three days.C. In three days.10. A. To a friend's house.B. To the kindergarten.C. Do some shopping.Section B (5 marks)Directions: In this section, you will hear one long conversation. The conversation will be read only once. At the end of the conversation, there will be a one-minute pause. During the pause, you must read the five questions, each with three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.11. What does Susan have to do on Saturday morning?A. Walk the dog.B. Clean the house.C. Go to the doctor's.12. What will Susan do at noon?A. Go shopping.B. Watch TV.C. Go to the dentist's.13. What time is Susan meeting with Julie?A. 12:30 am.B. 2:00 pm.C. 4:30 pm.14. How does Susan feel about her schedule on Saturday?A. Exciting.B. Disappointing.C. Exhausting.15. Why can't they watch a video at Susan's house?A. The machine doesn't work.B. They can't decide on a video.C. Susan's mother is going to use it.Section C (5 marks)Directions: In this section, you will hear 5 short news items. After each item, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the question and then the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.16. Who got to move to the next step?A. Andre Agassi.B. Rogen Fidow.C. Roger Federer.17. What did the gunman force the charity to do?A. Delay the operation in this area.B. Operate on their own staff.C. Attack the Sans Frontieres.18. Why were the Iraqi detainees made to pick up garbage?A. Because the serviceman abused the detainees.B. Because the commander gave the order to the serviceman.C. Because the detainees were accused.19. Where did the clash happen?A. In the West Bank.B. Near Israeli.C. Near Ariel.20. Why do the Israeli forces threaten to carry out a massive offensive against the Palestinians?A. Because Israeli troops were besieged by the Palestinians.B. Because the military operation began since last November.C. Because Palestinians killed Israelis in a suicide attack.Section D (10 marks)Directions: In this section, you will hear a short passage. There are ten missing words or phrases in it. Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases you hear on the tape. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.There are two types of people in the world. Although they have (21) ________ degrees of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy, and the other becomes (22) ________. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, and events, and the resulting effects upon their minds. People who are to be happy fix their attention on the (23) ________ of things, the pleasant part of convention, the fine weather. They enjoy all the (24) ________ things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the (25) ________ things. Therefore, they are continually (26) ________. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend many people, and make themselves (27) ________ everywhere. If this turn of mind were found in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The tendency to criticize and to be disgusted is perhaps taken up originally (28) ________. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but itmay be cured when those who have it are convinced of its bad effects (29) ________. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit. Although in fact it is chiefly (30) ________, it has serious consequences in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck.Part II Vocabulary and Structure (10 minutes, 15 marks)Directions: There are 15 incomplete sentences in this section. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.31. Essentially, a theory is an abstract, symbolic representation of ________ reality.A. what it is conceivedB. that is conceivedC. what is conceived to beD. that is being conceived of32. New York City collects garbage ________ $209 per family per year.A. at the cost ofB. at sacrifice ofC. in demand ofD. in support of33. I would just as soon ________ rudely to her.A. you not speakB. you won't speakC. you not speakingD. you didn't speak34. ________ so many people been out of work as today.A. More than ever beforeB. Never before haveC. In the past, there never haveD. Formerly, there never were35. We got home late last night, ________, early this morning.A. namelyB. in other wordsC. or ratherD. in any case36. The miners escaped the danger by ________.A. a hair breadthB. hair breadthC. hair's breadthD. a hair's breadth37. Praise is like warm sunshine. It not only brings joy to ________ who are praised but also adds pleasure to ________ who praise.A. these; theseB. we; usC. them; themD. those; those38. When our imports ________ our exports, we say we have a favorable trade balance; however, when our imports and exports are the other way round we say we have an unfavorable trade balance.A. fall shortB. fall short ofC. run out ofD. are lack of39. ________ that distinguish human beings from other primates are related to the ability of people to stand upright and walk on two legs.A. Many of the physical characteristicsB. Of the many physical characteristicsC. The physical characteristicsD. There are many physical characteristics40. Classical logic is characterized by a concern for the structure and elements of argument ________ that thought, language, and reality are interrelated.A. based on the beliefB. on the belief basedC. belief based on theD. the based belief on41. ________ fashioned from a wick floating in a bowl of oil functioned according to the principle of capillary action.A. All lamps earlyB. Lamps all earlyC. All early lampsD. Early all lamps42. In 1964 ________ of Henry Osaka Tanner's paintings was shown at the Smithsonian Institution.A. was a major collectionB. that a major collectionC. a collection was majorD. a major collection43. Traditionally, ________ on Thanksgiving Day in New England.A. when served is sweet ciderB. when sweet cider is servedC. is served sweet ciderD. sweet cider is served44. Richard: This class is so boring. When will it end?Drew: I don't know. I don't think I can take it much longer.Teacher: ________Richard: Oh, nothing. We were discussing the text.A. Hey you two! What are you talking about?B. Do one of you know what the answer to this problem is?C. Am I boring you two?D. The two of you go to the principal's office right now!45. Delivery man: I have a package here for Beverly Beaver.Beverly: That is me. ________Delivery man: Yes, please sign here on the line.Beverly: Thank you. These must be the new drapes I ordered.A. Where is the receipt?B. Do you have the sender's address?C. Do you take a credit card?D. Do I have to sign for it?Part III Reading Comprehension (20 minutes, 40 marks)Section A (5 marks)Directions: There is one passage in this section with 5 questions. For each question, there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice. Then mark the corresponding letter on theAnswer Sheet with a single line through the centre.Questions 46-50 are based on the following passage.No matter what our work is, we all have to face that choice - in my field no less than in others. There may not be a more important field for the dissemination of values in our country than the entire communications industry - most strikingly, television. Networks are very sensitive to that fact, and they employ dozens of censors to prevent all of us from using language on television that an eight year old might have to explain to his parents. But the point that censors miss, I think, is that it is not so much what we say that teaches as what we don't say. Even programs that attempt to make a moral point don't always make the point that they intended to. Because when we sense we are being sole something, we automatically defend ourselves against it. I think it may be the unspoken assumptions that mold an audience.Look at the way, for instance, that violence is treated on television. It is not only the quantity that offends. There probably is no more violence on television than there is in a Shakespearean tragedy. But on television you find unfelt violence and in Shakespeare you tend to find felt violence. In Shakespeare the characters react with a human response: They fear, they hurt, they mourn. Most of the time on television, violence is dealt with by sweeping it under the rug as fast as possible and by having people go on about their business as if nothing had happened. (If I can't have less violence, I want at least a better grade of violence.) One of the unspoken assumptions is that violence can be tolerated as long as you ignore it and have no reaction to it. But that seems to me to be dangerously close to psychopathic behavior. I wonder if there is any connection between the longacceptance by our people of the Vietnam War and the thousands and thousands of deaths that we have seen on television over the years that were never mourned, never even paused for except to sell shampoo for sixty seconds.Maybe our greatest problem is that we have two separate sets of value systems that we use - the one we talk about and the one we live by. We seem to place a very high value on fairness and on human concerns. And yet we still have widespread discrimination based on race, sex and religion. You still don't find Jews, blacks or other minorities in any significant numbers in decision-making positions in the banking industry, for instance. You think that's an accident? I think somebody puts a value on that. And you don't find women in any significant numbers in decision-making capacities in any industry. Why? Because we place a higher value on appeasing the fragile male ego than we do on fairness and decency. Maybe what we need is a declaration of interdependence.Questions:46. It can be concluded from the first paragraph that ________.A. we won't buy things that are recommendedB. we become defensive whenever we are taught to do somethingC. television is the most important part of the communication industryD. TV programs can never successfully convey a moral point47. What is the author's attitude toward violence on television?A. He thinks that violence on television should be totally banned.B. Violence on television is more tolerable than the one in Shakespeare's plays.C. Violence can be tolerated if you pretend that it doesn't exist.D. Violence, if unavoidable, should be presented on television in a more appropriate way.48. The word “appeasing” (line 6 in paragraph 3) most probably means ________.A. attackingB. accusingC. soothingD. satisfying49. By citing the examples of the Jews, blacks, and other minorities in the last paragraph, the author aims to show that ________.A. it's an accident that they are out-numbered in the decision-making positions in the banking industryB. they stand for one set of value systemC. what we talk about and what we actually do might be totally differentD. fairness is well respected in our life50. The author's tone in writing the text is ________.A. neutralB. matter-of-factC. criticalD. questioningSection B (15 marks)Directions: There is one passage in this section with 10 questions. Go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on the Answer Sheet.For questions 51 - 55, markY (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.For questions 56 - 60, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.You hear the same complaint all the time as people get older: “My memory is terrible.” Is it all in the m ind, or do real changes take place in the brain with age to justify such grumbling (抱怨)? The depressing answer is that the brain's cells, the neurons, die and decline in efficiency with age.Professor Arthur Shimamura, of the University of California at Berkeley, says there are three main ways in which mental function changes. The first is mental speed, for example how quickly you can react tofast-moving incidents on the road. Drivers in their late teens react quickly but tend to drive too fast, while the over sixties are more cautious but react more slowly. The near-inevitable slowing with age also partly explains why soccer players are seen as old in their thirties, while golf professionals are still in their prime at that age. This type of mental slowing results from a reduction in the efficiency with which the brain's neurons work.The fact that adults find it harder to learn musical instruments than children points to a second type of mental loss with age - a reduction in learning capacity. The parts of the brain known as the temporal lobes control new learning, and are particularly vulnerable to the effects of aging. This means that, as we get older, we take longer to learn a new language, and slower to master new routines and technologies at work, and we have to rely more on diaries and other mental aids.“Working memory” is the third brain system which is vulnerable to the effects of aging. Working memory is the brain's “blackboard”, where we juggle from moment to moment the things we have to keep in mind when solving problems, planning tasks and generally organizing our day-to-day life. Absent-mindedness occurs at all ages because of imperfections in the working memory system - so, for instance, you may continually lose your glasses, or find yourself walking into a room of your house only to find that you cannot remember what you came for.Such absent-mindedness tends to creep up on us as we age and occurs because our plans and intentions, which are chalked up on the mental blackboard, are easily wiped out by stray thoughts and other distractions. Stress and preoccupation can also cause such absent-mindedness, in addition to age-related changes in the brain. The frontal lobes of the brain - located behind the forehead and above the eyes - are where the working memory system is located. Like the temporal lobes, which handle new learning, the frontal lobes are more vulnerable to the aging process than other parts of the brain.The news, however, is not all bleak. Although neurons reduce in number with age, the remaining neurons send out new and longer connection fibers (dendrites) to maintain connections and allow us to function reasonably well with only relatively small drops in ability.This and other evidence sugge sts that the principle “use it or lost it” might apply to the aging brain. Professor Shimamura studied a group of university professors who were still intellectually active, and compared their performance on neuropsychological tests with that of others of their age group, as well as with younger people. He found that on several tests of memory, the mentally active professors in their sixties and early seventies were superior to their contemporaries, and as good as the younger people.Research on animals provide even stronger evidence of the effects of stimulation on the brain structure. Professor Bryan Kolb, of the University of Lethbridge in Canada, has shown that animals kept in stimulating environments show sprouting (生长) and lengthening of the connecting nerve fibers in comparison with animals kept in unstimulating environments.The beneficial effects of continued mental activity are shown by the fact that older contestants in quiz shows are just as fast and accurate in responding to general knowledge questions as younger competitors, suggesting that at least part of their intellectual apparatus is spared the effects of aging because of practice and skill.Such findings lead to the intriguing possibility of “mental fitness training” to acco mpany jogging and workouts for the health conscious. Research in Stockholm by Professor Lars Backman and his colleague has shown that older people can be trained to use their memory better, with the effects of this training lasting several years.Just as people go bald or grey at different rates, so the same is true for their mental faculties. Why this should be the case for memory and other mental functions is not yet clear. If Professor Shimamura is right, then the degree to which people use and stretch their mental faculties may also have a role to play.Questions:51. The passage gives a description of several methods of testing mental ability.52. Professor Shimamura identified a number of areas in which mental function may change.53. As the temporal lobes of the brain are affected by aging, it becomes harder to pick up new skills.54. Research indicates that physical training can help to improve memory.55. Taking part in quizzes is the best way to stimulate the brain.56. Absent-mindedness is not necessarily ________.57. Scientists do not understand why people's ________ decline at different rates.58. If a person is under stress, ________ may become more frequent.59. When the frontal lobes of the brain are affected by aging, there is a gradual deterioration in ________.60. If an animal's brain is kept active and stimulated, ______________.Section C (10 marks)Directions: In this section, there is one passage followed by 5 questions. Read the passage carefully, then answer the questions in a maximum of 10 words. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet. Questions 61 - 65 are based on the following passage.Alarmed by a 20-year decline in student achievement, American schools are considering major upheavals in the career structure of teachers, school boards around the country are planning to abandon traditional salary schedules and single out outstanding teachers for massive pay rise.The idea is regarded with deep suspicion by the United States' biggest teachers' unions, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. They say the creation of a cadre of eliteteachers will sour professional relationships and encourage teachers to compete instead of cooperate; they also question whether a fair way can be devised to tell which teachers really do perform better than their colleagues.But heightened public anxiety about secondary education appears to have given the master teacher concept unstoppable political momentum. Florida and Tennessee are racing to introduce ambitious statewide master teacher schemes before the end of the year. Less grandiose proposals to pay teachers on the basis of merit instead of seniority have already been implemented in countless school districts. And the Secretary of Education, Mr. Terrel Bell, recently promised substantial incentive grants to states which intend to follow their example.Low pay is believed to be the single most important reason for the flight from teaching. The average salary of a teacher in the United States is just under $19,000, much less than that of an engineer ($34,700) and not much more than that of a secretary($16,500). To make ends meet it is common for teachers to take second jobs in the evening and in their summer holidays, and women, who used to make up the bulk of teacher candidates are turning to better paid professions.The unions insist that the answer to this problem is to increase the basic pay of all teachers, but most states would find that too expensive, they would be better able to afford schemes that confine pay increases to a small number of exceptional teachers. Champions of the idea say it would at least hold out the promise of high pay and status to bright graduates who are confident of their ability to do well in the classroom, but are deterred by the present meager opportunities for promotion.One of the first large-scale tests of this approach will come in Tennessee, where a year of painstaking negotiations has just overcome bitter union opposition to a wide-ranging master teacher scheme. Tennessee promised that they will allocate $300 million as education budget. In return for a chance to earn bigger salaries and faster promotion, teachers will subject themselves to closer scrutiny.The Tennessee plan will make it harder for poor teachers to join the profession. Beginners will have to serve a probationary year before qualifying, and another three apprentice years before receiving tenure. Apprentice teachers who fail to reach a required standard will not be allowed to stay on. Survivors will be designated “career teachers” and given a chance to climb through three career rugs and earn bonuses of up to $7,000. Advancement will not be automatic. The performance of each teacher will be closely assessed by committees of teachers drawn from other districts.Questions:61. What support is the federal government offering to states that set up a master teacher scheme?62. What's the purpose of the master teacher scheme?63. In the state of Tennessee, how will teachers be assessed?64. What is the main idea of the text?65. What can be inferred from the text about the master teacher scheme?Section D (10 marks)Directions: In this section, there is one passage followed by a summary. Read the passage carefully and complete the summary below by choosing no more than three words from the passage. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.Questions 66 - 70 are based on the following passage.The United KingdomBritain (or Great Britain) is an island that lies off the north-west coast of Europe. The nearest country is France, which is 20 miles away and from which Britain is separated by the English Channel. The island is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the North Sea to the east. It comprises the mainlands of England, Wales and Scotland, that is, three countries. Scotland is in the north, while Wales is in the west. Ireland, which is also an island, lies off the west coast of Britain. It consists of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Britain together with Northern Ireland constitute the United Kingdom (UK). Thus, the United Kingdom is composed of four countries, the largest of which is England. The capital city is London, which is situated in south-east England.The UK has a total area of about 244,100 square kilometres (94,248 square miles). About 70% of the land area is devoted to agriculture, about 7% is wasteland, moorland and mountains, about 13% is devoted to urbandevelopment, and 10% is forest and woodland. The northern and western regions of Britain, that is Scotland and Vales, are mainly mountainous and hilly. Parts of the north-west and centre of England also consist of mountains and hills.Britain has a generally mild and temperate climate. It is, however, subject to frequent changes. It has an average annual rainfall of about 120 centimetres (47 inches).In 1998 the population of the United Kingdom was nearly 59 million. The density of population was approximately 240 people per square kilometre. However, in England, where 83% of the population live, the density was much higher, about 363 per square kilometre.In the UK, English is the first language of the vast majority of people. However, in western Wales, Welsh is the first language for many of the people. In Scotland only a small number of people speak Gaelic.In Britain about 66% of the population say that they are Christian, while fewer than 5% say that they belong to other religions.Summary:Britain is an island that (66) ________ the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. It comprises the mainlands of England, Wales and Scotland. Ireland (67) ________ the west coast of Britain. It (68) ________ Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. The United Kingdom consists of Britain together with Northern Ireland. The capital city is London which (69) ________ south-east England.In 1998 the population of the UK was nearly 59 million. The density of population was 240 people per square kilometre. In the UK English is the first language of most people. In western Wales, Welsh (70) ________ many of the people, but few people in Scotland speak Gaelic.Part IV Cloze (15 minutes, 15 marks)Section A (5 marks)Directions: There are 5 blanks in the passage. For each blank, some letters of the word have been given (not exceeding 3 letters). Read the passage below and think of the word which best fits each blank. Use only one word in each blank. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.Language is learned primarily through communication with other people. Research shows that the more communication children (71) exp________ at home, the better developed their language skills will be. Children need to talk well in order to learn well. This is especially important for the development of native language skills since the language is often reinforced by the child's environment outside school.However, the (72) qu________ of communication is just as or more important than quantity alone. The language adults use helps children become aware of the many different aspects of objects and events around them. For example, during a shopping trip to the market or store, adults can develop children's concepts by bringing their attention to the shapes, colors, sounds, textures, and sizes of objects and events around them.Parents can do this naturally through conversation without (73) di________ teaching. In other words, conversation with children in everyday situations expands their minds and develops their thinking skills.In addition to conversing with children, adults can help prepare their children to succeed in school by (74) en________ them to take an active interest in books and in the print that surrounds them in the environment. The child's first major task in school is learning to read. Children who come to school with knowledge that the print aroundthem carries important meaning and with an interest in books and stories will usually (75)su________ in learning to read rapidly.Section B (10 marks)Directions: There are 10 blanks in the passage. Use the word given in each blanket to form a word that fits in each blank. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.Forensic science (法庭科学) means (76) ________ (use) science to solve crime. But what exactly does a forensic scientist do?At the scene of crime, the crime scene (77) ________ (investigator) will thoroughly examine the area. They will look for fingerprints and palm prints; marks of tools and weapons; marks from shoes; fibers from (78)______ (cloth); body fluids.。

大学生英语竞赛(NECCS)B类英语专业初赛真题2008年(无听力)(总分118, 做题时间90分钟)Part Ⅰ Listening Comperhension(略)Part Ⅱ Multiple ChoiceSection AThere are 10 incomplete sentences in this section. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the onethat **pletes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.1.Shaka ______ power and became the king of the Zulus upon the death of his father.SSS_SINGLE_SELA assumedB resumedC consumedD presumed该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 1答案:Aassume 接管，承担。

resume 重新获得，恢复。

consume 消耗，浪费，使全神贯注。

presume 假设，认为，意味着。

2.To say that a soldier fought in battle like a lion may be a good descriptive ______, but it does not mean that he was on all fours, roaring and wagging his tail!SSS_SINGLE_SELA anecdoteB analogueC analogyD analysis该题您未回答:х该问题分值: 1答案:Canalogy 类比，比喻。

大学生英语竞赛(NECCS)B类英语专业决赛真题2008年(无听力)Part Ⅰ Listening C o m p e r h e n s i o n(略)Part Ⅱ Multiple C h o iceSection AThere are 10 incomplete sentences in this section. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the ce n t r e.1. The government is and will take the necessary steps to maintain security and stability.A.on standbyB.at riskC.out of controlD.on the alertAon standby严阵以待，随时准备着。

at risk处境危险。

out of control失去控制。

on the alert处于戒备状 态，保持警觉。

2. Being an experienced inventor, Jackson knew all his money in a risky venture.A.better than puttingB.rather than puttingC.better than to putD.rather than to put.Cknow better than to do明白事理(而不至于…)，不至于蠢到…。

3. , a man who expresses himself effectively is sure to succeed more rapidly than a man whose command of language is poor.A.Other things being equalB.Were other things equalC.To be equal to other thingsD.Other things to be equalAother things being equal在其他条件都相同的情况下。