Part ⅡReading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Directions:There are four passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D) . You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre. ?
Passage 1
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:?
One day in 1935 the management of Britian’s Southern Railway (as it was then called) announced its intention to close the branch line from Lynton to Barnstable in North Devon. The proposal was received by the local inhabitants with angry protest. For them, the tall-chimneyed locomotives and the little flower-bordered stations of Devon had become as much of an institution as the village church or tavern. Moreover, the line ran through the heart of a popular tourist district. What would the holidaymaker do without it? Closing down the railway line had been unthinkable, yet now some busybody official in remote London was threatening to destroy it with a stroke of the pen.?
Mounting local opposition resulted in a meeting at Barnstaple, where the crowed was joined by very vocal protestors from the other end of the line at Lynton.The meeting seemed to be going well for the railway supporters until the chairman p olitely inquired how many people from Lynton had traveled to Barnstaple by train. Out of the embarrassed silence that followed emerged the painful truth that, to a man, those who had come from Lynton to fight for the railway had come by highway. The fate of the Lynton and Barnstaple branch line was sealed.?
This sad little story is typical of the attitude of many Englishmen toward their railways. Dissatisfied with the age of sheet metal, plastics, and reinforced concrete in which we find ourselves, we long more and more for the substantial, self-confident, and inspired products of the Victorian era. Of that age, Britain’s railways are the most eloquent and enduring reminders.?
21.One of the arguments against closing the railway line was that____. ?
A) fewer tourists would come into the area?
B) people from outlying districts would be unable to attend religious services?
C) the economy of the people would suffer greatly?
D) it would be difficult to get from Lynton to Barnstaple?
22.Who objected to the closing of the railway branch line??
A) Barnstaple people only.?
B) Workers of the Southern Railway.?
C) People of both Barnstaple and Lynton. ?
D) The management of the Southern Railway.?
23.What is the author’s reaction to the people who called the town meeting??
A) He is amused by their political efforts. ?
B) He is sympathetic to their cause.?
C) He is encouraged by their success. ?
D) He is critical of their attitudes.?
24.The author seems to think that railways are reminders of the____.?
A) personal concern and solid beauty of a past age?
B) ugliness and oppression that modern society has overcome?
C) benefits that the machine age has brought to man ?
D) growing dislike in England of the Victorian age?
25.The passage suggests that the Southern Railway of Britain is now?
A) controlled by the local people ?
B) in financial difficult?
C) under a different name ?
D) financially sound?
Passage 2
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:?
Federal Reserve System, central banking system of the United States, popularly called the Fed. A central bank serves as the banker to both the banking community and the government; it also issues the national currency, conducts monetary policy, and plays a major role in supervision and regulation of banks and bank holding companies. In the U.S. these functions are the responsibilities of key officials of the Federal Reserve System: the Board of Governors, located in Washington, D.C., and the top officers of the 12 district Federal Reserve banks, located throughout the nation. The Fed’s actions, described below, generally have a significant effect on the U.S. interest rates and, subsequently, on stock, bond, and other financial markets.?
The Federal Reserve’s basic powers are concentrated in the Board of Governors, which is paramount in all policy issues concerning bank regulation and supervision and in most aspects of monetary control. The board enunciates the Fed’s policies on both monetary and banking matters. Because the board is not an operating agency, most of the day-to-day implementation of policies decisions is left to the district Federal Reserve banks, stock in which is owned by the commercial banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System. Ownership in this insance, however, does not imply control; the Board of Governors and the heads of the Reserve banks orient their policies to the public interest rather than to the benefit of the private banking system.?
The U.S. banking system’s regulatory apparatus is complex; the authority of the Federal Reserve is shared in some instances for example, in mergers or the examination of banks with other federal agencies such as the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Cooperation (FDIC). In the critical area of regulating the nation’s money supply in accordance with national economic goals, however, the Federal Reserve is independent within the government. In come and expenditures of the Federal Reserve banks and of the Board of Governors are not subject to the congressional appropriation process; the Federal Reserve is subject to the congressional appropriation process; the Federal Reserve is self-financing. Its income($20.2 billion in 1992) comes mainly from Reserve bank holdings of income-earning securities, primarily those of the U.S. government. Outlays ($1.5 billion in 1992) are mostly for operational expenses in providing services to the government and for expenditures connected with regulation and monetary policy. In 1992 the Federal Reserve returned $16.8 billion in earnings to the U.S. Treasury.?
26.The Fed of the United States____.?
A) functions as China Bank ?
B) is the counterpart of People’s Bank of China?
C) is subject to the banking community and government?
D) has 13 top officers who can influence the American financial market?
27.The fact that stock in the Fed belongs to commercial banks____.?
A) doesn’t mean the latter is in control ?
B) means the latter is in control?
C) means the latter is subjected to the Reserve banks ?
D) means the Reserve banks orient the latter’s policies?
28.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage??
A) The Fed is a very big, complex and significant system which comprises many local banks.?
B) All the commercial banks are not the components of Federal Reserve System.?
C) Board of Governors is the supreme policy-makers of Federal Reserve System.?
D) District Reserve banks rather than Board of Governors perform the day?to?day policies.?
29.The authority of the Federal Reserve____.?
A) has to be shared with other establishmentsis?
B) is exclusive at other times?
C) isn’t limited by comptroller of the Currency and FDIC?
D) is limited by Board of Governors?
30.Income of the Board of Governors____.?
A) is borrowed from the U.S. Treasury?
B) is used by the government to make various policies?
C) comes from the U.S. Treasury?
D) is not granted by the government?
Passage 3
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:?
The year 1400 opened with more peacefulness than usual in England. Only a few months before Richard Ⅱ weak, wicked, and treacherous had been deposed, and Henry IV declared king in his stead. But it was only a seeming peacefulness, lasting for but a little while; for though King Henry proved himself a just and a merciful man,as justice and mercy went with the men of iron of those days——and though he did not care to shed blood needlessly, there were many noble families who had been benefited by King Richard during his reign, and who had lost somewhat of their power and prestige from the coming in of the new king.?
Among these were a number of great lords who had been degraded from their formertitles and estates, from which degradation King Richard had lifted them. They planned to fall upon King Henry and his followers and to massacre them during a g reat tournament which was being held at Oxford. And they might have succeeded had not one of their own members betrayed them. ?
But Henry did not appear at the lists; whereupon, knowing that he had been lodging at Widnsor with only a few attendants, the conspirators marched there against him. In the meantime, the king had been warned of the plot, so that instead of finding him in the royal castle, they discovered through their scouts that he had hurried to London, and that he was marching against them at the head of a considerable army. So nothing was left but flight. One and another, they were all caught and some killed. Those few who found friends faithful and bold enough to afford them shelter dragged those friends down in their own ruin.?
31.What does the author seem to think of King Henry ??
A) He was the best king England had ever had.?
B) He was a better ruler than King Richard.?
C) He was unfair and cowardly.?
D) He was just as evil as King Richard.?
32.How did King Henry find out about the plot ??
A) His scouts discovered it. ?
B) He saw the conspirators coming.?
C) One of the conspirators told him.?
D) He found a copy of the conspirators’ plan.?
33.Why did the nobles wish to kill King Henry??
A) Henry had taken away power given to them by King Richard.?
B) Henry was weak, treacherous, and wicked.?
C) Henry had needlessly killed members of their families.?
D) Henry had killed King Richard.?
34.It can be inferred that Richard II’s reign was____.?
A) peacefulB) corruptC) democraticD) illegal?
35.The main purpose of the passage is to____.?
A) prove that Richard II was a bad king ?
B) explain the customs of fifteenth-century England?
C) describe some typical English kings?
D)discuss the conspiracy against Henry IV
Passage 4
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:?
“I have considered the structure of all volant animals, and find the folding continuity of the bat’s wings most easily accommodated to the human form. Upon this model I shall begin my task tomorrow, and in a year expect to tower into the air beyond the malice or pursuit of man. But I will work only on this condition, that the art shall not be divulged, and that you shall not require me to make wings for any but ourselves.”?
“Why,” said Rasselas.“should you envy others so great an advantage? All skill ought to be exerted for universal good; every man has owed much to others, and ought to repay the kindness that he has received.” “If men were all virtuous,” returned the artist.“I should with great alacrity teach them all to fly. But, what would be the security of the good, if the bad could at pleasure invade them from the sky? Against an army sailing through the clouds neither wall, nor mountains, nor seas, could afford any security. A flight of northern savages might hover in the wind, and light at once with irresistible violence upon the capital of a fruitful region that was rolling under them. Even this valley, the retreat of princes, the abode of happiness, might be violated by the sudden descent of some of the naked nations that swarm on the coast of the southern sea.”?
36.The point of view of Rasselas is one that encourages____.?
A) helping othersB) military victory?
C) intellectual pursuits D) artistic endeavors?
37.The person to whom Rasselas is speaking is____.?
A)a tailorB)a gamblerC) a batD)an artist?
38.The attitude of the person giving his point of view is one of____.?
A)optimism B) sprightliness C) distrust D) innocence?
39.In this selection, the author is employing the literary device of___.?
A) onomatopoeiaB) flashbackC) symbolismD) alliteration?
40.Worldwide peace, according to the passage, could come about by____ .?
A) arming for defense B) eliminating evil tendencies?
C) resorting to strategyD) establishing firm controls??
Part ⅢVocabulary (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.You can’t be____careful in making the decision as it was such a critical case.?
A) veryB) quite C) too D)so?
42.I don’t know if the story is true, but I’ll try to____it.?
A) conform B) identify C) fortify D) verify?
43. She always____ the smell of fresh bread with her grandmother, who loved baking.?
A) associatedB) remembered C) exemplified D) attributed?
44. We can’t understand Uncle Geodge, for he always____ whatever he says.?
A) masters B) mumbles C) molestsD) muzzles?
45. John is so ____that nobody else gets a chance to say anything.?
A) garrulousB) generousC) gorgeousD) grandiose?
46. The officer inspected our passports and travel papers and____us because our vacation certificates were missing.?
A) containedB) detainedC) sustainedD) retained?
47. Allen placed too much____on sports and not enough on his studies.?
A) agitation B) emphasis C) hesitation D) interest?
48. He____spends his holidays in the mountains though occasionally he goes to the seaside instead.?
A) usuallyB) invariablyC) rarelyD) always?
49. Every society has its own peculiar customs and____of acting.?
A) ways B) attitude C) behavior D) means?
50. When Robert discovered that the company was engaged in dishonest business, he immediately____ all connections with it.?
A) offsetB) separatedC) severed D) vanquished?
51. He is ordered to____the flag in the morning.?
A) riseB) hoist C) exalt D) flow?
52. Library patrons can either hunt through the card files or go to the librarian if they have____ related to book listings.?
A) reviews B) information C) inquiries D) topics
53. He failed to carry out some of the provisions of the contract, and now he has to____ the consequences.?
A) answer for B) run intoC) abide by D) step into?
54. My student found the book____it provided them with an abundance of information on the subject.?
A) enlighteningB) confusing C) distracting D) amusing
55. The Olympic Games was being televised____from Los Angeles.?
A) aliveB) live C) lively D) life?
56. The pilot must have been completely ____to fly in this weather.?
A) clever B) sensuous C) sane D) insane?
57. The sky looks lighter. I think the weather is____.?
A) clearing away B) clearing C) becoming clearer D) clearing up ?
58. If she hadn’t____on the last question, her score on the test would have been perfect.?
A) slipped up B) slept up C) spilt up D) slipped on?
59.It’s possible to____from all the information given to us and to make various decisions.?
A) enclose B) generalize C) tackle D) withdraw?
60.Mary is by no means learned; nor is she good at any practical trade. The only____ she possesses is her beauty.?
A) something valuable B) asset C) something pleasing D) womanly virtue?
61.Millions have been made by states, organizations, corporations and individuals____ gambling activities, and new millionaires are constantly created.?
A) sponsoring B) charging C) interesting D) founding?
62.The climber was____from the top of the cliff on a rope held by his friends.?
A) exhausted B) relieved C) suspended D) isolated
63.Do you have a____of ownership for this car??
A) documentB) labelC) passportD) certificate?
64.When the pipe broke, the water____out violently.?
A) trickledB) gushedC) stirredD) flitted?
65.The____between them has been made.?
A) contention B) concord C) conjunction D) commune
66.The police don’t know who____for the accident.?
A) blames 〖DW]B) be blamed C) will blame D) to blame?
67.She worships the sun and____ she always spends her holidays in Greece.?
A) nevertheless B) accordinglyC) yet D) however?
68.You must remember not to____from the point when you write an essay.?
A) go astray B) wander C) diverge D) go off?
69.I am sure her decision will be fair and just, for she has had a reputation for being____.?
A) impartial B) imperative C) impervious D) impertinent?
70.I know what he is____. Just wait and see if he’ll ask you for a loan.?
A) looking up to B) standing up forC) leading up to D) keep up with?