2008年全国大学生英语竞赛样题(D级)及答案

⼤学⽣英语竞赛D类专科⽣英语决赛真题2008年⼤学⽣英语竞赛D类专科⽣英语决赛真题2008年Part Ⅰ Listening C o m p e r h e n s i o n1-30(略)Section ASection BSection CSection DPart Ⅱ Vo c abu l a r y and S t r u c t u r eThere 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.1. T o m y surpr i s e, Mr. Kur t h a nd h i s s ec r eta ry a rr i v e d at t h e ho tel w it h on l yA.a little luggageB.few luggagesC.a few luggagesD.little luggageD[解析] 让我惊奇的是，Mr.Kurth和他的秘书来到旅店时⼏乎没带⾏李。

luggage为不可数名词。

a little ⼀点点，表肯定含义。

little⼏乎没有，表否定含义，与"to my surprise"相呼应。

2. Will you please stop saying that? Do you think I'll be to believe what you say?A.fool enoughB.a fool enoughC.a enough foolD.enough foolA 当enough⽤来修饰作表语的名词时，放在被修饰的词之后。

近五年全国大学生d级英语竞赛试题近五年全国大学生D级英语竞赛试题涵盖了多种题型，包括听力、阅读、写作和翻译等部分。

以下是对这些题型的简要概述和一些样题示例：听力部分：听力部分通常包括短对话、长对话和短文理解，考察学生对英语口语的理解能力。

- 样题1：请听以下对话，选择正确的答案。

- A: What's the weather like today?- B: It's sunny and warm. Shall we go for a picnic?- 问题：What are they planning to do?- A. Go swimming- B. Go for a picnic- C. Stay at home阅读部分：阅读部分包含快速阅读、仔细阅读和阅读理解题，测试学生的阅读速度和理解深度。

- 样题2：阅读以下短文，回答问题。

- The article discusses the impact of social media on young people's mental health. It suggests that excessive use of social media can lead to anxiety and depression.- 问题：What is the main topic of the article?- A. The benefits of social media- B. The negative effects of social media- C. How to use social media safely写作部分：写作部分要求学生根据给定的题目或材料撰写文章，考察学生的英语写作能力和思维能力。

- 样题3：请以"My Ideal Job"为题，写一篇不少于120词的英语短文。

翻译部分：翻译部分包括英译汉和汉译英，考察学生的双语转换能力。

2008 Nationnal English Contest forCollege Students(Level D---Preliminary)Part I Listening Comprehension (25 minutes,30 marks) Section A:In this part,you will hear seven recordings.The seven recordings will be played only once.At the end of each recording,a question will be asked about what was said.After each question,there will be a pause.During the pause,look carefully at three pictures marked A,B and C,and decide which picture answers the question.Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.)1.What time does the film stat?A.6:00B.6:30C.8:002. What season is the speaker describing in the poem?（个别题目的图画从略，下同）3. Which graph is the speaker talking about?4. How does Jack come into the office?5. Why does the speaker want some coins?6. Which subject does Mike think is the most difficut?7. What does Henry drink after breakfast now?Section B:In this section,you will hear 8 short conversations.At the end of each conversation,aquestion will be asked about what was said.Both the conversation and question will be read only once.After each conversation,there will be a pause.During the pause,read 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.(8 marks)8. A.The coffee table B. The couch C.The desk9.A.This Friday B.This weekday C.Monday throughFriday10.A.In Hong Kong B.In the mail C.With Susan11.By train B.By bus C.By plane12.A.He has poor eyesight B.The newspaper has been sold outC.There are no English magamines13.A.Get to the train station B.Get out of the heatC.Take a walk14.A.Baked goods B.A building C.A restaurant15.A.Lend Paul her computers B.Sell him an adapterC.Ask a friwnd for helpSectionC: In this section, you will hear one long conversation.The conversation will be played only once. At the end of the conversation, there will be a one—minute pause.During the pause,read the five questions,each with three choices marked A,B and C, and decide which is the best answer.Then mark the correspoonding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line throughthe centre.(5marks)Questions 16 to 20 are bsed on the conversation you hace just heard.16.Where does this conversation probably take place?A.At jane’sB.At an office.C.At a bar17.How much does the most expensive wine cost?A.Almost $1,600B.Nearly $6,000C.Around $60,00018.What does Jane say about the most expensivewine?A.It is the oldest wineB.It is over 2oo years old.C.It was produced in Washington,D.C19.What does the man think about the wine?A.It’s very special.B.It’s too expensive.C.It;s better than buyinga house.20.What is said that Thomas Jefferson did with the wine?A.He introduced it to George Washington.B.He keat several bottles of it in Washington.C.He passed the wine down to his descendants.SectionD: In this section,there is a short passage. Listen to the passage carefully, and then fill in the blanks with the words or phrases you hear on the tape. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.Good morning and welcome. I’m here today to talk about time management.My aim i8s to (21)____ some techniques which will help you to use your time more efficiently.Time is (22)____ money, people and equipment. It’s a limited(23)____. Time management is about making the best(24)_____use of it. So,what are the (25)____oftime management?Today we’re going to look at three fundamental steps.The first step is to (26)____ how you use your time now.This requires a methodical approach. Break your day into half hour periods. Record what you do in each period.The mext step id to prioritise.Take the tasks which genuinely(270____and put them in order of priority –whih are the most important,which are (28)____.(29)____, organize your time and your tasls. Ask yourself ―How much time will I need?‖Be realistic because work tends to expand to fill the time (30)____.Part ⅡVocabulary and Structures (10 minutes,15 marks) 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 AnswerSheet with a single line through the centre.31.We had an exciting _____ on the Trans—Siberian railway last week.a.travel B.trip C.tour D.cruise32.I have an urgent problem and I need to call mu parents, buty I’m afraid I haven’t got _____ change –only a $10 note. Willl you di me a _____?A.any;favourB.a lot;helpC.some;handD.a few;support33.We still couldn’t hear Professor Wang clearly at the business lecture, so we asked him to speak_____.A, sloe B.more slow C.slower D.more slowly34.The pilot succeeded in _____the helicopter_____ the cliff.A.stopping;atB.mending;inC.flying;onnding;on35._____my husband and I _____ down the road yesterday evening, we herd a woman scream.A.Since; had walkedB.While; have walkedC.As ; were walkingD.When ; are walking36.He won’t be expecting a present ,so you _____buy him one.A.can’tB.have toC.don’t needD.need’t37.Pierre left without sauying a word to the boss because he cannot stand ____to wait.A.be madeB.to be madeC.being madeD.be making38.Fiona said that she felt quite embarrassed that day beaause she was mot accustomed to _____like that.A.be treatingB.have been treatedC.being treatedD.be treated39. I saw a comic film,_____ was very amusing, last Saturday. Infact, it was the best film ____ I’ve wver seen.A.which;whatB.that;whichC.which;thatD.that;what40.It seems that you’ve caught a bad cold.You’d better see a doctor,____you?A.hadn’tB.didn’tC.wouldn’tD.don ’t41.Mr.Smith managed to eat lunch____having bad an enormous breakfast.A.despiteB.sinceC.becauseD.although42.If it rains on Saturday,we shall have to____the match for a week.A.bring onB.put awayC.take offD.put off43.He is not satisfied with his exam results and wishes he ____harder for his exams.A.has studiedB.would studyC.studiesD.had studied44.-Do you want to eat out tonight or shall we cook something?-____I can’t afford to eat out again.A.I really need a coffeeB.Let’s cookC.let’s do that thenD.That’s would be nice45.-He locked himself out of his car yesterday.-Oh,he’s always doing things like that._______A.He’s a lovely personB.He’s very carelessC.He’s always happyD.He’s quite generousPart III Reading Comprehension(20 minutes,40 marks) SectionA:There is one passage in this section with 5 questions.For each of them,there are 4 choices marked A,B,C and D.You should decide on the best choice.Then mark the corresponding letter on the AnswerSheet with a single line through the centre(5 marks)Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.The main topic of last week ’s meeting was a suggestion boxes.All departments in the factory are to have labeled suggestion boxes.At the meeting,it was obvious that the employees’suggestions would not only save the company money,but would do much to lift spirit and streamline production.To further this process,the suggestion box idea was adopted.Forms for the suggestions are tobe kept inside the box .When employees fill out a form,they should clearly state which situation they are trying to improve,list all deta,and then offer a solution,stating how the company would benefit.Forms will then be collected each month by the department heads,who will then pass them on to the plant manager.Where necessary,the plant manager will consult with the respective departments to gather any relevant data.If applicable,the matter will then be passed on to the finance department for approval.A bonus will be paid to employees for any suggestions that are adopted.The amount of the bonus will be in proportion with the savings to the company.Questions:46.What is the topic of the report?A.A meetingB.spiritC.ProductionD.A new system47.Why has the company decided to use suggestion boxes?A.To take advantage of the employees’ideas.B.To minimize customer complaintsC.To take some of the burden off department headsD.To calm the finance department.48.How do the employees get the suggestion slips?A.By requesting then from department heads.B.By applying to the plant managerC.By looking in the suggestion box itselfD.By asking the director of finance49.What is the plant manager supposed to do?A.Review each suggestion with the employeeB.Issue bonus checksC.Pass the suggestions to the finance departmentD.Collect relevant data if necessary50.What should employees specifically include in their suggestions?A.The names of troublesome coworkersB.How long the problem has existedC.What they consider is an appropriate bonusD.A description of what they would like to changeSection B:In this section,there is one passage followed by 5 statements.Go over the passage quickly and mark the answers on the Answer Sheet.For Answer 51-55,markT(for TRUE) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;F(for FALSE)if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage.(5 marks)Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.Dear Advisor:Should She Propose?Dear AdvisorMy boyfriend and I just celebrated three years together.I want to ask him to marry me .My friends say I shouldn’t.They say that only desperate women propose marriage.Are they right?Nervous in New Jersey Dear Nervous，Your friends are not right.Today it is fine for a woman to propose to a man.In 2003,the Korbel Champagne Company conducted a survey. They asked,‖Should woman ask men to marry them?‖ Sixty-seven percent of American said they would. ―Would you propose a woman’proposal?‖Almost 80 percent said yes. Thirtyt-one percent of women know a woman who has proposed to a man.Experts generally agree. D.r Linda O’Connor has a radio talk show about love and marrage. O’Conn or says that women who propose are usually educated and self-confi-dent.. In addition, their boyfriend usually like stong women with a lot of self-confidence may need some help with their proposalsl. Here is her advice. First,the proposal should not be a surprise. The relationship should be serious. She also advises women to do two more things. They should write out the proposal and practice it before they ask for their boyfriends’hands in marriage.How would Susan Fine answer you? If you and your boyfriend are happy, do not pay attention to your friends. And don’t invite them to the weeding.The Advisor Statements:51. ―Nervous in New Jersey‖ wrote to Susan Fine.52―Nervous in New Jersey‖ wants to get married.53. ― In 2003 most women said that only m en should propose to women.54.Dr.Linda O’Connor is a lawyer.55. The advisor told ―Nervous in New Jersey ‖to propose to her boyfriend.Section C:Read the passage carefully and answer Questions 56 to 63. Answer each question in a maximum of 10 words.Remember to write the answer on the er Answer Sheet.( 16marks)Perserving the PastToday ,many old buildings are being torn down so new ones can be built. But some older buildings are both beautiful and intereting. They need to be save.The city of San Antonio, Texas, was settled by the Spanish in the early 1700s. Later, it was governed by Mexico. If you go to the San Antonio,you can see many missions or churches that were built by the Spanish.All were started beweet 1720 and 1731. You can also find other buildings from early period in the history of Texas. Some of these buildings are still standing because a group of women worked to save them.In 1924, the city of San Antonio was going to cement over the San Antonio River and turn it into an underground sewer. A group of women felt that the beauty of San Antonio should be preserved. They formed a club to keep the river from being destroyed.The women saved the river. Then they worked together to preserve several old buildings that were going to be torn down. In the 1930s,the women saved an old mill and granary. They raised money to buy these buildings by giving tea and selling cakes.More cently, the ladies in San Antonio have worked to save a Spanish convient.They could not afford to buy the whole buildings,so they paid for only half . Even so, the women are still looking for other old buildings to save. They want peoper to know about the city’s long and intereting history.Questions:56.What is passage mainly about ?57.What does the word ones in Sentence 1 refer to58. When was San Antonio in Texas settled ?59. What can you see if you go to San Antonio ?60. The word in Paragraph 3 that means saved is .61.How did the women raised money to buy old buildings ?62. Why did the women want to save the San Antonio River ?63. Why have the women worked to save the river and old buildings?Section D:In this section , there is one passage followed by a summary . For Answers 64 to 70 , please read the passage carefully and complete each space in the summary , using a maximum of three words from the passage . Remember to write the answer on the Answer Sheet .(14 marks)Answer 64 to 70 are based on the following passage.Around the world , music therapy is being used to different medical conditions and illnesses. Some of the ways people use music therapy are to reduce pain , such as childbirth or during cancer treatments, or to stimulate brain activity after an injury or memory loss. Music therapy has also been successful in aiding to overcome disabities.Classical music is most typically used for therapy due to ite complex sounds and patterns. Although rap or pop might be fun to listen to, it’s unlikely that such styles of music would produce the same kind of therapeutic effect. Playing a music instrument rather than simply listening to music can also be therapeutic for some people, helping relieve stress and anxiety.Have scientists been able to prove that music can hea diseaes? Music has been shown to reduce pain in cancer patients by increasing the release of endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers, and when we listen to music, our brains respond by releasing these natural painkillers. It has also been known to contribute to the brain development of new born babies and even babies still in the mother’s womb. Currently, music therapy is used in a variety of setting such as hospitals, rehabilitation centers ,nursing homes, day care centers, and schools.Summary:There appears to be some evidence that music is helpful (64) some medical conditions. Therefore, doctors dand patients are turning to (65) to treat various(66) and disabilities. Doctors believe that music with (67) and patterns is more effective. This kind of music seems to (68) more activity in the brain. Although it may be (69) to listen to rap or pop or dance music, doctors prefer to use (70) to treat patients.Part IV Cloze(15 minutes,15marks)Scetion A:Read the following passage carefully, and then fill in the blanks with the proper form of the words given on the right. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.(5marks)Section B: There are 10 blanks in the passage. For each blank, some letters of the missing word have been given (not exceeding 3 letters). Read the passage below and decide which word best fits each blank. Use only one word in each blank. Remember to write the answer on the Answer Sheet.(10 marks)The Museum of ChilhoodThere are 4,000 toys in London’s Museum of Childhood,but it is not essential to be a child to enjoy it. Most of zhe older toys were (76) me to be played with by adults.All the toys live in a beautifull glsstopped (77)bu in the East End of London but it wasn’tbulit for them .It wasn’t until 1974 that the(79)wh building was officially devoted to the histoy of the childhood.Once upon a time ,every toy was homemade,although by the late 1700s a huge toy industry had (80)dev .Many home-made toys wer made of metal and wood and a few of these have lasted well enough for the museum to display them.It even has one of the oldest dools’ houses still in(81)exi,made in 1673.Ther e’s something for everyone, including the 18th century toy theatre and the miniature Chinese gardens, containing tiny (82)ani .Whichever is your favorite, each exhibit enables you to catch a (83)gil of the people and world it was made for.The 35 or so workers at the museum take great care to make sure that all of the exhibit are preserved in good working order.And sa(84) f he 500 new toys that move in every year from all over the world -nobody has ever heard a (85)sin one complaining.Part V Translation (15 minutes,15 marks)Section A:Translate the underlined sentences in the following passage into Chinese.Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.(8 marks)Rcently, I saw a heading for an Internet article that read,‖If only I’d bought that stock…..‖Well, sure, hingsight is wonderfull! We all habe it. But the line made me think:(86)How much time do we spend thinking of the many ―if only‖ in our lives? How many regrets flit thoughts? Everyone harbors a few-if only I hadn’t missed this; if only I’d found the time to do that ;(87)if only I’d been first with that idea, instead of just a little too late.―If onlys ‖are exercises in futility. I think it’s better to foll our reveries with all we are glad we did do. Such as, I’m so glad I met my husband. I’m so glad I was born in this time,in this place, to these parents. (88) I’m so glad I have the loving extended family who have been among my greatest blessings.I’m so glad I planted that spindly little magnolia tree 20 years ago. (89)Now it lifts up its arms to the sky and fills my view with pink-and-white beauty. I’m so glad my grandfather planted apple trees 100 years ago. They ,too, are a wonder to behold in any season-alive with honeybees among the blossoms in spring, studded with burgeoning fruit in summer, and weighed low with their delicious rosy bounty in September.Section B:Translate the following sentencesinto English,using the words given in the brackets.Remember to write the anwsers on the anwser sheet.(7 marks)90.谢谢您的邀请，但是恐怕我无法应邀出席。

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。

全国大学生英语竞赛D类（专科生）历年真题及模拟试题详解【圣才出品】全国大学生英语竞赛D类考试2007年初赛试题及详解PartⅠListening Comprehension(25minutes,30points)（略）PartⅡVocabulary and Structure(10minutes,15points)There are15incomplete 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.The village used to be small,and had only a few streets.There were only three shops:_____and theGeneral Store.A.the butchers’,the bakers’B.the butchers,the bakersC.butchers,bakersD.the butcher’s,the baker’s【答案】D【解析】句意：这个乡村过去很小，只有几条街道，也只有三个店铺：肉店、面包店和杂货店。

在职业后面加’s有表示该职业的就职场所的用法。

32.In answer_____my question,my sister nodded in_____.A.for;satisfactionB.to;agreementC.of;amazementD.with;surprise【答案】B【解析】句意：在回答我的提问时，妹妹同意的点了点头。

2008年全国大学生英语竞赛样题(C级)Part IListening Comprehension (25 minutes, 30 marks)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 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 whowere 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 theEast 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 theEllipse 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 “sign ature,” 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 primarilyon 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,”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 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 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 clear “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 thesame 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 areall members of a global family and working together across borders is the most powerful way of making changes.Summary:The Olympics and the Paralympics are (65) ________ but they have always been held in the same year and also in the same city since 1988 when the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee signed an agreement in 2001 to (66) ________. The Paralympic Games grew out of a sports competition organized by a doctor named (67) ________ in 1948 in England for men injured in World War II. In 1952, it became an (68)________ and in 1960, the first Paralympics were held in Rome for people who may have physical or mental limitations or may be blind or in wheelchairs. The (69) ________ was started in 1968 in the United States by Eunice Kennedy Shriver just for children and adults with mental limitations and to help people with disabilities play sports and enjoy other activities, many (70) ________ are founded, such as the Power Wheelchair Racing Association, the National Ability Center and Mobility International USA.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. personsingleadfameindustrySection 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 towrite the answers on the Answer Sheet.Autism is a general (76)________ for a group of brain disorders that limit the development of social and communication skills, t mwhich (77)________ professionals call autism spectrum disorders. melExperts say autism is permanent and cannot be cured. Butthere are ways to treat it that they say can (78) ________ the re e severity, and the academy says the earlier treatment begins,the(79)________ the results. b rThe medical group released two reports Monday with detailedinformation to help doctors (80)________autism. Chris Johnson i d y at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio was one of the authors, who says doctors should look for signsof autism when they (81)________ babies at eighteen months and exetwenty-four months.Doctors traditionally (82)________ the possibility of co r autism only if a child shows delayed (83)________ or unusually sp h repetitive behaviors. These may be clear signs of it, but they usually do not appear until a child is two or three years old.Parents could answer a list of written questions abouttheir baby, and then the doctor could (84) ________ tests as pe m simple as observing the baby's ability to follow a moving object with its eyes. Experts say failing to watch a moving object may be a sign of autism.Doctors and parents can also look for behaviors that are normal in babies under one year of age. For example, does thebaby appear to (85)________ to a parent's voice? Does the baby re d make eye contact? Does the baby wave or point at things?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。

大学生英语竞赛D类专科生英语决赛真题2008年(总分：90.00，做题时间：90分钟)一、Part Ⅰ Listening Comperhension(总题数：0，分数：0.00)二、Section A(总题数：0，分数：0.00)三、Section B(总题数：0，分数：0.00)四、Section C(总题数：0，分数：0.00)五、Section D(总题数：0，分数：0.00)六、Part Ⅱ Vocabulary and Structure(总题数：15，分数：15.00)1.To my surprise, Mr. Kurth and his secretary arrived at the hotel with only______（分数：1.00）A.a little luggageB.few luggagesC.a few luggagesD.little luggage √解析：[解析] 让我惊奇的是，Mr.Kurth和他的秘书来到旅店时几乎没带行李。

luggage为不可数名词。

a little一点点，表肯定含义。

little几乎没有，表否定含义，与"to my surprise"相呼应。

2.Will you please stop saying that? Do you think I"ll be ______ to believe what you say? （分数：1.00）A.fool enough √B.a fool enoughC.a enough foolD.enough fool解析：当enough用来修饰作表语的名词时，放在被修饰的词之后。

fool虽然是可数名词，但在这种特殊搭配中前面无冠词，它表示人的特质，相当于形容词的意义。

3.Lucia had been preparing for the party for a long time, so she felt rather disappointed when her guests ______ late.（分数：1.00）A.came upB.turned up √C.looked upD.put up解析：[解析] 露西娅为这个晚会准备了很长时间，所以当她的客人迟到时，她觉得相当失望。

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.。