1999年1月大学英语六级考试试题及参考答案

Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)

Section A

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 spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four suggested answers marked A) ， B) ， C), and D) and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Example: You with near:

You will read:

A) 2 hours.

B) 3 hours.

C) 4 hours.

D) 5 hours.

From the conversation we know that the two are talking about some work they will start at 9 o’clock in the morning and have to finish at 2 in the afternoon. Therefore, D)“5 hours” is the correct answer. You should choose [D] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the centre.

Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]

1. A) She’s going away for a while.

B) She did well on the test.

C) She worked hard and earned a lot of money.

D) She’s didn’t have to work hard for the exam. （ B ）

2. A) Susan is fast worker.

B) Susan did Jack’s homework.

C) Susan didn’t do the homework on her own.

D) Susan has not finished her homework. （ C ）

3. A) He read the cabinet report.

B) He read the newspaper.

C) He listened to a radio report.

D) He’s secretary telephoned him. （ B ）

4. A) Hurry to the conference.

B) Skip the conference.

C) Take the subway.

D) Take a bus. （ D ）

5. A) He is confident.

B) He is worried.

C) He is bored.

D) He is angry. （ A ）

6. A) He used to be a workman himself.

B) He likes to do repairs and make things himself.

C) He is professional builder.

D) He paid workmen to decorate the house. （ B ）

7. A) The woman doesn’t like jam.

B) The woman forgot where she had left the jar.

C) The man had an accident.

D) The man broke the jar. （ D ）

8. A) Opinions about the book are varied.

B) The man thinks the book is excellent.

C) You shouldn’t believe everything you read.

D) The woman wonders which newspaper the man is reading. （ A ）

9. A) It’s quite normal.

B) It’s too high.

C) It’s cheap indeed.

D) It could be cheaper. （ C ）

10. A) The admission of a patient.

B) Diagnosis of an illness.

C) The old man’s serious condition.

D) Sending for a doctor. （ C ）

Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D) . Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

Questions 11 to 14 are based on the passage you have just heard.

11. A) The color of the dog.

B) The price of the dog.

C) Whether the dog will fit the environment.

D) Whether the dog will get along with the other pets in the house. （ C ）

12. A) It must be trained so it won’t bite.

B) It needs more love and care.

C) It demands more food and space.

D) It must be looked after carefully. （ B ）

13. A) They are less likely to run away.

B) It’s easier for their masters to train them.

C) They are less likely to be shy with human beings.

D) It’s easier for them to form a relationship with their masters. （ D ）

Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.

14. A) They often go for walks at a leisurely pace.

B) They usually have a specific purpose in mind.

C) They like the seaside more than the countryside.

D) They seldom plan their leisure activities in advance. （ B ）

15. A) Their hardworking spirit.

B) Their patience in waiting for theatre tickets.

C) Their delight in leisure activities.

D) Their enthusiasm and for the arts. （ D ）

16. A) The Polish people can now spend their leisure time in various ways.

B) The Polish people are fond of walking leisurely in the countryside.

C) The Polish people enjoy picking wild fruit in their leisure time.

D) The Polish people like to spend their holidays abroad. （ A ）

Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.

17. A) They will be much bigger.

B) They will have more seats.

C) They will have three wheels.

D) They will need intelligent drivers. （ C ）

18. A) It doesn’t need to be refueled.

B) It will use solar energy as fuel.

C) It will be driven by electrical power.

D) It will be more suitable for long distance travel. （ C ）

19. A) Passengers in the car may be seated facing on another.

B) The front seats will face forward and the back seats backward.

C) Special seats will be designed for children.

D) More seats will be added. （ A ）

20. A) Choose the right route.

B) Refuel the car regularly.

C) Start the engine.

D) Tell the computer where to go. （ D ）

Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)

Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them the re are four choices marked A) ， B), C), and D). You should deicide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.

Many Americans harbour a grossly distorted and exaggerated view of most of the risks surrounding food. Fergus Clydesdale, head of the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says bluntly that if the dangers from bacterially contaminated chicken were as great as some people believe, “the streets would be littered with people lying here and there.”

Though the public increasingly demands no-risk food, there is no such thing. Bruce Ames, chairman of the biochemistry department at the University of California, Berkeley, points out that up to 10% of a plant’s weight is made up of natural pesticides ( 杀虫剂 ). Says he: “Since plants do not have jaws or teeth to protect themselves, they employ chemical warfare.” And many naturally produced chemicals, though occurring in tiny amounts, prove in laboratory tests to be strong carcinogens-a substance which can cause cancer. Mushrooms ( 磨菇 ) might be banned if they were judged by the same standards that apply to food additives ( 添加剂 ). Declares Christina Stark, a nutritionist at Cornell University: “We’ve got fat worse natural chemicals in the food supply than anything man-made.”

Yet the issues are not that simple. While Americans have no reason to be terrified to sit down at the dinner table, they have every reason to demand significant improvements in food and water safety. They unconsciously and unwillingly take in too much of too many dangerous chemicals. If food already contains natural carcinogens, it does not make much sense to add dozens of new man-made ones. Though most people will withstand the small amounts of contaminants generally found in food and water, at least a few individuals will probably get cancer one day be cause of what they eat and drink.

To make good food and water supplies even better, the Government needs to tighten its regulatory standards, stiffen its inspection program and strengthen its enforcement policies. The food industry should modify some long-accepted practices or turn to less hazardous alternatives. Perhaps most important, consumers will have to do a better job of learning how to handle and cook food properly. The problems that need to be tackled exist all along the food-supply chain, from fields to processing plants to kitchens.

21. What does the author think of the Americans’ view of their food?

A) They overstate the government’s interference with the food industry.

B) They are overoptimistic about the safety of their food.

C) They overestimate the hazards of their food.

D) They overlook the risks of the food they eat. （ C ）

22. The author considers it impossible to obtain no-risk food because ________.

A) no food is free from pollution in the environment

B) pesticides are widely used in agriculture

C) many vegetables contain dangerous natural chemicals

D) almost all foods have additives （ C ）

23. By saying “they employ chemical warfare” (Line 4, Para. 2), Bruce Ames means “________”.

A) plants produce certain chemicals to combat pests and diseases

B) plants absorb useful chemicals to promote their growth

C) farmers use man-made chemicals to dissolve the natural chemicals in plants

D) farmers use chemicals to protect plants against pests and diseases （ A ）

24. The reduction of the possible hazards in food ultimately depends on ________.

A) the government

B) the consumer

C) the processor

D) the grower （ B ）

25. What is the message the author wants to convey in the passage?

A) Eating and drinking have become more hazardous than before.

B) Immediate measures must be taken to improve food production and processing.

C) Health food is not a dream in modern society.

D) There is reason for caution but no cause for alarm with regard to food consumption. （ D ）

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.

There are some each phenomena you can count on, but the magnetic field, someday is not of them. It fluctuates in strength, drifts from its axis, and every few 100,000 years undergo, dramatic polarity reversal-a period when North Pole becomes South Pole and South Pole becomes North Pole. But how is the field generated, and why is it so unstable?

Groundbreaking research by two French geophysicists promises to shed some light on the mystery. Using 80 metres of deep sea sediment ( 沉淀物 ) core, they have obtained measurements lots of magnetic-field intensity that span 11 polarity reversals and four million years. The analysis reveals that intensity appears to fluctuate with a clear, well-defined rhythm. Although the strength of the magnetic field varies irregularly during the short term, there seems to be an inevitable long-term decline preceding each polarity reversal. When the poles flip — a process that takes several hundred thousand years-the magnetic field rapidly regains its strength and the cycle is repeated.

The results have caused a stir among geophysicists. The magnetic field is thought to originate from molten ( 熔化的 ) iron in the outer core, 3,000 kilometers beneath the earth’s surface. By studying mineral grains found in material ranging from rocks to clay articles, previous researchers have already been able to identify reversals dating back 170 million years, including the most recent switch 730,000 years ago. How and why they occur, however, has been widely debated. Several theories link polarity flips to external disasters such as meteor ( 陨星 ) impacts. But Peter Olson, a geophysicist at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, says this is unlikely if the French researchers are right. In fact, Olson says intensity that predictably declines from one reversal to the next contradicts 90 percent of the models currently under study. If the results prove to be valid geophysicists will have a new theory to guide them in their quest to understand the earth’s inner physics. It certainly points the direction for future research.

26. Which of the following titles is most appropriate to the passage?

A) Polarity Reversal: A Fantastic Phenomenon of Nature.

B) Measurement of the Earth’s Magnetic-Field Intensity.

C) Formation of the Two Poles of the Earth.

D) A New Approach to the Study or Geophysics. （ D ）

27. The word “flip” (Line 6, Para. 2) most probably means “________”.

A) decline

B) intensify

C) fluctuate

D) reverse （ D ）

28. What have the two French geophysicists discovered in their research?

A) Some regularity in the changes of the earth’s magnetic field.

B) Some causes of the fluctuation of the earth’s magnetic field.

C) The origin of the earth’s magnetic field.

D) The frequency of polarity reversals. （ A ）

29. The French geophysicists’ study is different from currently prevailing theories in ________.

A) its identification of the origin of the earth’s magnetic field

B) the way the earth’s magnetic intensity is measured

C) its explanation of the shift in the earth’s polarity

D) the way the earth’s fluctuation rhythm is defined （ C ）

30. In Peter Oslo’s opinion the French experiment ________.

A) is likely to direct further research in the inner physics of the earth

B) has successfully solved the mystery of polarity reversals

C) is certain to help predict external disasters

D) has caused great confusion among the world’s geophysicists （ A ）

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.

Imagine a world in which there was suddenly no emotion-a world in which human beings could feel no love or happiness, no terror or hate. Try to imagine the consequences of such a transformation. People might not be able to stay alive: knowing neither joy nor pleasure, anxiety nor fear, they would be as likely to repeat acts that hurt them as acts that were beneficial. They could not learn: they could not benefit from experience because this emotionless world would lack rewards and punishments. Society would soon disappear: people would be as likely to harm one another as to provide help and support. Human relationships would not exist: in a world without friends or enemies, there could be no marriage, affection among companions, or bonds among members of groups. Society’s economic underpinnings ( 支柱 ) would be destroyed: since earning $10 million would be no more pleasant than earning $10, there would be no incentive to work. In fact, there would be no incentives of any kind. For as we will see, incentives imply a capacity to enjoy them.

In such a world, the chances that the human species would survive are next to zero, because emotions are the basic instrument of our survival and adaptation. Emotions structure the world for us in important ways. As individuals, we categorize objects on the basis of our emotions. True we consider the length, shape, size, or texture, but an object’s physical aspects are less important than what it has done or can do to us — hurt us, surprise us, anger us or make us joyful. We al so use categorizations colored by emotions in our families, communities, and overall society. Out of our emotional experiences with objects and events comes a social feeling of agreement that certain things and actions are good and others are bad, and we apply these categories to every aspect of our social life — from what foods we eat and what clothes we wear to how we keep promises and which people our group will accept. In fact, society exploits our emotional reactions and attitudes, such as loyalty morality, pride shame, guilt, fear and greed, in order to maintain itself It gives high rewards to individuals who perform important tasks such as surgery, makes heroes out of individuals for unusual or dangerous achievements such as flying fighter planes in a war, and uses the legal penal ( 刑法的 ) system to make people afraid to engage in antisocial acts.

31. The reason why people might not be able to stay alive in a world without emotion is that ________.

A) they would not be able to tell the texture of objects

B) they would not know what was beneficial and what was harmful to them

C) they would not be happy with a life without love

D) they would do things that hurt each other’s feelings （ B ）

32. According to the passage, people’s learning activities are possible because they ________.

A) believe that emotions are fundamental for them to stay alive

B) benefit from providing help and support to one another

C) enjoy being rewarded for doing the right thing

D) know what is vital to the progress of society （ C ）

33. It can be inferred from the passage that the economic foundation of society is dependent on ________.

A) the ability to make money

B) the will to work for pleasure

C) the capacity to enjoy incentives

D) the categorizations of our emotional experiences （ C ）

34. Emotions are significant for man’s survival and adaptation because ________.

A) they provide the means by which people view the size or shape of objects

B) they are the basis for the social feeling of agreement by which society is maintained

C) they encourage people to perform dangerous achievements

D) they generate more love than hate among people （ B ）

35. The emotional aspects of an object are more important than its physical aspects in that they ________.

A) help society exploit its members for profit

B) encourage us to perform important tasks

C) help to perfect the legal and penal system

D) help us adapt our behavior to the world surrounding us （ D ）

Questions 36 to 40 based on the following passage:

The Carnegie Foundation report says that many colleges have tried to be “all things to all people”. In doing so, they have increasingly catered to a narrow minded careerism while failing to cultivate a global vision among their students. The current crisis, it contends, does not derive from a legitimate desire to put learning to productive ends. The problem is that in too many academic fields, the work has no context; skills, rather than being means, have become ends. Students are offered a variety of options and allowed to pick their way to a degree. In short, driven by careerism, “the nation’s colleges and universities are more successful in providing credentials ( 文凭 ) than in providing a quality education for their students. “The report concludes that the special challenge confronting the undergraduate college is one of shaping an integrated core of common learning. Such a core would introduce students to essential knowledge, to connections across the disciplines, and in the end, to application of knowledge to life beyond the campus. “

Although the key to a good college is a high-quality faculty, the Carnegie study found that most colleges do very little to encourage good teaching. In fact, they do much to undermine it. As one professor observed: “Teaching is important, we are told, and yet faculty know that research and publication matter most.” Not surprisingly, over the last twenty years colleges and universities have failed to graduate half of their four-year degree candidates. Faculty members who dedicated themselves to teaching soon discover that they will not be granted tenure ( 终身任期 ), promotion, or substantial salary increases. Yet 70 percent of all faculties say their interests lie more in teaching than in research. Additionally, a frequent complaint among young scholars is that “There is pressure to publish, although there is virtually no interest among administrators or colleagues in the content of the publications.”

36. When a college tries to be “all things to al people” (Lines 1-2, Para. 1) it aims to ________.

A) satisfy the needs of all kinds of students simultaneously

B) focus on training students in various skills

C) encourage students to take as many courses as possible

D) make learning serve academic rather than productive ends （ C ）

37. By saying that “in too many academic fields, the work has no context” (Lines 4-5, Pare. 1) the author means that the teaching in these areas ________.

A) ignores the actual situation

B) is not based on the right perspective

C) only focuses on an integrated core of common learning

D) gives priority to the cultivation of a global vision among students （ B ）

38. One of the reasons for the current crisis in American colleges and universities is that ________.

A) a narrow vocationalism has come to dominate many colleges

B) students don’t have enough freedom in choosing what they want to learn

C) skills are being taught as a means to an end

D) students are only interested in obtaining credentials （ A ）

39. American colleges and universities failed to graduate half of their four-year degree candidates because ________.

A) most of them lack high-quality faculties

B) the interests of most faculty members lie in research

C) there are not enough incentives for students to study hard

D) they attach greater importance to research and publication than to teaching （ D ）

40. It can be inferred from the passage that high-quality college education calls for ________.

A) putting academic work in the proper context

B) a commitment to students and effective teaching

C) the practice of putting leaning to productive ends

D) dedication to research in frontier areas of knowledge （ B ）

Part III Vocabulary (20 minutes)

Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence 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.

41. The Space Age ________ in October 1957 when the first artificial satellite was launched by the Soviet Union.

A) initiated

B) originated

C) embarked

D) commenced （ D ）

42. John said that he didn’t quite ________ and asked me to repeat what I had said.

A) snatch up

B) summon up

C) catch on

D) watch out （ C ）

43. When he tried to make a ________, he found that the hotel that he wanted was completely filled because of a convention.

A) complaint

B) claim

C) reservation

D) decision （ C ）

44. A budget of five dollars a day is totally ________ for a trip round Europe.

A) inadequate

B) incapable

C) incompatible

D) invalid （ A ）

45. In our highly technological society, the number of jobs for unskilled worker is ________.

A) shrinking

B) obscuring

C) altering

D) constraining （ A ）

46. The fire has caused great losses, but the factory tried to ________ the consequences by saying that the damage was not as serious as reported.

A) decrease

B) subtract

C) minimize

D) degrade （ C ）

47. If the world is to remain peaceful the utmost effort must be made by nations to limit local ________.

A) collisions

B) combats

C) contradictions

D) conflicts （ D ）

48. Satellite communications are so up-to-date that even when ________ in the middle of the Pacific, businessmen can contact their offices as if they were next door.

A) gliding

B) cruising

C) piloting

D) patrolling （ B ）

49. In the past ten years skyscrapers have developed ________ in Chicago and New York City.

A) homogeneously

B) simultaneously

C) spontaneously

D) harmoniously （ B ）

50. The court considers a financial ________ to be an appropriate way of punishing him.

A) option

B) duty

C) obligation

D) penalty （ D ）

51. I think that I committed a ________ in asking her because she seemed very ups et by my question.

A) blunder

B) revenge

C) reproach

D) scandal （ A ）

52. Even when textbooks are ________ through a school system, methods of teaching may vary greatly.

A) commonplace

B) standardized

C) competitive

D) generalized （ B ）

53. They have always regarded a man of ________ and fairness as a reliable friend.

A) robustness

B) temperament

C) integrity

D) compactness （ C ）

54. All individuals are required to ________ to the laws made by their governments.

A) obey

B) conform

C) concede

D) observe （ B ）

55. The basic causes are unknown, although certain conditions that may lead to cancer have been ________.

A) identified

B) guaranteed

C) notified

D) conveyed （ A ）

56. It is very strange but I had an ________ that the plane would crash.

A) inspiration

B) intuition

C) imagination

D) incentive （ B ）

57. The changing image of the family on television provides ________ into changing attitudes toward the family in society.

A) insights

B) presentations

C) revelations

D) specifications （ A ）

58. The town planning commission said that their financial outlook for the next year was optimistic. They expect increased tax ________.

A) efficiency

B) revenues

C) privileges

D) validity （ B ）

59. Bill is an example of a severely disabled person who has become ________ at many survival skills.

A) proficient

B) persistent

C) consistent

D) sufficient （ A ）

60. The ties that bind us together in common activity are so ________ that they can disappear at any moment.

A) trivial

B) fatal

C) tentative

D) feeble （ D ）

61. During the construction of skyscrapers, cranes are used to ________ building materials to the upper floors.

A) toss

B) tow

C) hoist

D) hurl （ C ）

62. Diamonds have little ________ value and their price depends almost entirely on their scarcity.

A) extinct

B) permanent

C) surplus

D) intrinsic （ D ）

63. The kitchen was small and ________ so that the disabled could reach everything without difficulty.

A) conventional

B) compact

C) compatible

D) concise （ B ）

64. He will ________ resign in view of the complete failure of the research project.

A) doubtfully

B) adequately

C) presumably

D) reasonably （ C ）

65. The goal is to make higher education available to everyone who is willing and capable ________ his financial situation.

A) with respect to

B) in accord with

C) regardless of

D) in terms of （ C ）

66. The original elections were declared ________ by the former military ruler.

A) void

B) vulgar

C) surplus

D) extravagant （ A ）

67. They stood gazing at the happy ________ of children playing in the park.

A) perspective

B) view

C) landscape

D) scene （ D ）

68. An obvious change of attitude at the top towards women’s status in society will ________ through the current law system in Japan.

A) permeate

B) probe

C) violate

D) grope （ A ）

69. When he realized he had been ________ to sign the contract by intrigue, he threatened to start legal proceedings to cancel the agreement.

A) elicited

B) excited

C) deduced

D) induced （ D ）

70. These areas rely on agriculture almost ________, having few mineral resources and a minimum of industrial development.

A) respectively

B) extraordinarily

C) incredibly

D) exclusively （ D ）

Part IV Short Answer Questions (15 minutes)

Directions: In this part there is a short passage with five questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the fewest possible words (not exceeding 10 words).

Many parents who welcome the idea of turning off the TV and spending more time with the family are still worried that without TV they would constantly be on call as entertainers for their children. They remember thinking up all sorts of things to do when they were kids. But their own kids seem different, less resourceful, somehow. When there’s nothing to do, these parents observe regretfully, their kids seem unable to come up with any thing to do besides turning on the TV.

One father, for example, says. “When I was a kid, we were always thinking up things to do, projects and games. We certainly never complained in an annoying way to our parents, ‘I have nothing to do!’ He compares this with his own children today: “They’re simply lazy. If someone doesn’t entertain them, they’ll happily sit there watching TV all day. “

There is one word for this father’s disappointment: unfair. It is as if he were disappointed in them for not reading Greek though they have never studied the language. He deplores ( 哀叹 ) his children’s lack of inventiveness, as if the ability to play were something innate ( 天生的 ) that his children are missing. In fact, while the tendency to play is built into the human species, the actual ability to play-to imagine, to invent, to elaborate on reality in a playful way-and the ability to gain fulfillment from it, these are skills that have to learned and developed.

Such disappointment, however, is not only unjust, it is also destructive. Sensing their parents’ disappointment, children come to believe that they are, indeed, lacking something, and that this makes them less worthy of admiration and respect. Giving children the opportunity to develop new resources, to enlarge their horizons and discover the pleasures of doing things on their own is, on the other hand, a way to help children develop a confident feeling about themselves as capable and interesting people.

Questions: ( 注意 : 答题尽量简短，超过 10 个词要扣分，每条横线限定一个英语单词，标点符号不占格。 )

S1. According to many parents, without TV, their children would like them to ________.

S2. Many parents think that, instead of watching a lot of TV, their children should ________.

S3. The father often blames his children for not being able to entertain themselves. This is unfair because they ________.

S4. When parents show constant disappointment in their children, the destructive effect is that the children will ________.

S5. Developing children’s self-confidence helps bring them up to be ________.

Part V Writing (30 minutes)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic: Don’t Hesitate to Say “No”. You should write at least 120 words and you should base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below:

1. 别人请求帮助时，在什么情况下我们会说“不”。

2. 为什么有些人在该说“不”的时候不说“不”。

3. 该说“不”时不说“不”的坏处。

Don’t Hesitate to Say “No”

参考答案

Part I Listening Comprehension

Part II Reading Comprehension

Part III Vocabulary Structure

Part IV short Answer Questions

S1. themselves (play with them)

S2. think up things to do

S3. have to learn and develop their playing abilities gradually

S4. lose their confidence and respectability

S5. capable and interesting people

听力原文

Section A

1. M: Congratulations. You certainly did quite well and I must say you deserve that grade.

W: Well, I really studied hard for that exam I’ve been preparing for it for more than a month. Now, I can relax for a while.

Q: Why is the woman so happy?

2. M: It’s hard to believe that Susan has already finished her homework.

W: Well, she copied Jack’s homework and made a few changes.

Q: What does the woman say about Susan?

3. W: Mr. Johnson, have you heard the morning news report? Mill has resigned his post as Prime Minister.

M: I didn’t turn on the radio this morning, but I did see the headlines. If you remember, he threatened to leave the office at the last cabinet meeting.

Q: How did Mr. Johnson learn that the Prime Minister has resigned?

4. M: If you are in hurry, you can take the subway. If you want to go sightseeing, take a bus.

W: Actually, I don’t have to be at the conference before noon.

Q: What will the woman probably do?

5. W: How did your interview go?

M: I couldn’t feel better about it. The questions were very fair and I seemed to find answers for all them.

Q: How does the man feel about the interview?

6. W: I’m very impressed by all the work you’ve done on your house. Mr. Miller, How long have you been working on it?

M: I first became interested in doing things myself several years ago. I’ve been doing something on it every now and then for almost a year now. You know, I couldn’t afford to pay workmen to do it.

Q: What do we learn about Mr. Miller?

7. W: I just made a jar of jam this morning and now I can’t find it any where. Do you know what happened to it?

M: Did you hear a crash, that was it, I’m just as clumsy as ever.

Q: What is the problem?

8. W: I read in the newspaper that the novel you are reading is excellent.

M: I’ve also read some negative reviews.

Q: What can be learned from the conversation?

9. W: John told me he had got a second-hand car, do you know how much he paid for it?

M: Well, he said he paid 800 dollars for it. I think he got a real bargain.

Q: What does the man think of the price of the car?

10. M: Hello, this is doctor Marita from the emergency department. I have a 70-year-old patient with a fractured ankle.

W: OK, send him toward 3.

Q: What are they talking about on the phone?

Section B

Passage One

Most people have had a dog or wanted one as their companion at some time in their lives. If you are thinking of buying a dog, however, you should first decide what sort of companion you need and whether the dog is likely to be happy in the surroundings you can provide. Specialist advice is available to help you choose the most suitable breed of dog. But in part, the decision depends on common sense. Most breeds were originally developed to perform specific tasks. So, if you want a dog to protect you or your house, for example, you should choose a breed that has the right size and characteristics You must also be ready to devote a good deal of time to train the dog when it is young and give it the exercise it needs to throughout its life, unless live in the country and can let it run freely. Dogs are demanding pets. Whereas cats identify with the house and so are content if their place there is secure a dog identifies with its master and consequently wants him to show proof of his affection. The best time to buy a baby-dog is when it is between 6 and 8 weeks old so that it can transfer its affection from its mother to its master. If baby dogs have not established a relationship with the human being until they are over three months old, their strong relationship will always be with dogs. They are likely to be too shy when they are brought out into the world to become good pets.

11. What’s mentioned as a consideration in buying a dog?

12. Why does the speaker say a dog is a more demanding pet than a cat?

13. Why is advised to buy baby dogs under three months old?

Passage Two

People in Poland take their pleasure seriously. They like to have an aim even when spending the time which is entirely their own. During the summer, people start work very early in the morning so that they can finish early and enjoy a leisurely afternoon. It is difficult to imagine Polish people going aimlessly for a walk in the country, though they might go to pick wild fruit, to visit a place of historical importance or to walk 20 KM as a training exercise. They are often admired for their immense enjoyment of the arts. All parks are beautifully cared and are for the use and enjoyment of the people. Quite ordinary people will talk with obvious delight about concerts. There is nearly always a crowd at the door of the theatre, asking for returned tickets. People in Poland now have far more leisure time and more money than ever before. It is therefore possible to spend the weekends in many new ways. Many people now have over 20 days holiday a year. This provides an opportunity for holidays in the country or at the seaside.

14. What is special about the Polish way of spending leisure time?

15. For what does the author admire the Polish people?

16. What do we learn from the passage?

Passage Three

What kind of car will we be driving by the year 2010? Rather different from the type we know today. With the next decade bringing greater change than the past 50 years, the people who will be designing the models of tomorrow believe that environmental problems may well accelerate the pace of the car’s development. The vision is that of a machine with 3 wheels instead of 4 ， electrically-powered environmentally clean and able to drive itself along intelligent roads, equipped with built-in power supplies. Future cars will pick up the fuel during long journeys from a power source built into the road, or stored in small quantities for travelling in the city. Instead of today’s seating arrangement two in front, two or three behind, all facing forward, the 2010 car will have an interior with adults and children in a family circle. This view of future car based on a much more sophisticated road system. Cars will be automatically controlled by a computer. All the driver will have to do is say where to go and the computer will do the rest. It will become impossible for cars to crash into one another. The technology already exists for the car to become a true automobile.

17. What is the designer’s vision of the cars of tomorrow?

18. What else does the passage tell us about the future car?

19. What is the seating arrangement for future cars?

20. What is the only thing the driver of the future car has to do?

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