Part I Listening Comprehension (25%)
听力音频
Section A (7%, 1 point/per)
Directions: In this section, you will hear several news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report 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).
News Item One
Question 1 to 2 are based on the recording you have just heard.
News Item Two
Question 3 to 4 are based on the recording you have just heard.
News Item Three
Question 5 to 7 are based on the recording you have just heard.
Section B (8%, 1 point/per)
Directions: In this section, you will hear two long conversations.At the end of the conversation, four questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After each question there will be a pause.During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer.
Conversation One
Question 8 to 11 are based on the recording you have just heard.
Conversation Two
Question 12 to 15 are based on the recording you have just heard.
Section C (10%, 1 point/per)
Directions: In this section, you will hear three short passages. At the end of the passage, you will hear three 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).
Passage One
Question 16 to 19 are based on the recording you have just heard.
Passage Two
Ouestion 20 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.
Passage Three
Question 23 to 25 are based on the recording you have just heard.
Part II Vocabulary and Structure (10%, 0.5 point/per)
Directions: For each of the following incomplete sentences, there are four words or expressions marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the one that best completes the sentence.
The new policy which aims to reduce carbon emissions, has sparked a great ( ) among the public, with some supporting it as a necessary step towards environmental protection and others opposing it, arguing that it will negatively impact the economy.
The project manager is required to ( ) the potential risks involved in launching a new product line, taking into consideration market trends competitor analysis, and supply chain stability.
The new design of the building ( ) the old one in many ways, but it has some unique features.
The ( ) of this new technology lies in its ability to greatly improve efficiency and reduce costs.
In the new environment, the company is expected to ( ) and expand its busines
He tried to ( ) her with his sweet words,but she saw through his true intentions.
After enduring a long and exhausting day at work, a warm bath provided her with a deep sense of ( ) from heavy stress.
His silent nod ( ) about his agreement with the proposal, more than any words could have conveyed.
The museum takes great care to ( ) the ancient china, ensuring it remains in good condition.
The company’s financial records were found to be ( ), leading to a major investigation.
Over the past few years, many new companies have in the technology industry, bringing innovative ideas and products to the market.
The government has decided to ( ) the use of plastic bags in supermarkets to reduce environmental pollution.
The committee decided to ( ) all the players to a drug test to ensure a fair competition environment.
It’s crucial for athletes to ( ) a balanced diet to ensure the best performance.
The company’s policy promotes a culture of ( ) encouraging employees to respect and learn from each other’s differences.
During the meeting, John ( ) a brilliant idea that solved our biggest problem.
Ine ricn soil in the garden ( ) the plants, helping them grow strong and healthy
The company decided to ( ) a major research project to develop a new type of renewable energy
Ine primitive tool ( ) a more advanced device through centuries of use and improvement.
The new movie ( ) audience by stormbreaking box office records in its first week
Part III Reading Comprehension (30%)
Section A Matching (10%, 1 point/per)
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with some letters. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter(s) on the Answer Sheet.
Rocking the House
A. Imagine what it might be like if you were in your bedroom during an earthquake. Your bed shakes. Books and stuffed animals tumble from shelves. Your computer monitor skitters (滑动) across your desk and crashes to the floor. The walls creak and groan as they flex (折曲). In a very big earthquake, your whole house could collapse.
B. To get a better idea of what might happen to an ordinary house during an earthquake, engineers did an experiment—a big one. In one corner of a building the size of an airplane hangar (飞机修理库), they built a townhouse. Then, they shook the house with the force of a large earthquake. The house, a full-scale model of an 1,800-square-foot townhouse like many found in California, is the largest wooden structure ever tested in a simulated (模拟的) earthquake, says Andre Filiatrault. Hes a civil engineer at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where the test was conducted last November.
C. So, why did researchers spend several weeks building a full-size townhouse, and then try to destroy it in seconds?
D. First, tests of small models often don’t provide accurate answers because the models are stiffer than full-size structures.
E. Second, the researchers wanted to see how the townhouse moved and flexed as it experienced the strong vibrations. “Scientists don’t really understand how wood-frame buildings perform in an earthquake,” says Filiatrault. Usually, researchers get to look at buildings only after an earthquake has knocked them down, he notes.
F. Finally, the researchers wanted to see what happened to furniture and other bulky items inside the home while the simulated earthquake rocked the house. With the help of Filiatrault’s wife and children, the engineers decorated the house. They put dishes, silverware, a flower arrangement, and a pitcher of water on the dining room table. They furnished one bedroom like a college dorm room, one like a master bedroom, and one like a child’s room. They even put a car in the garage. Then during the test, they watched the action through eight webcams that they’d placed at various points throughout the house.
Model Home
G. The townhouse tested in Buffalo, like 90 percent of the houses and apartment buildings built in the United States, has a wooden frame. This means the skeleton inside the walls of the building is made of lumber, usually a type of board called a two-by-four. The test home’s inside walls were covered with drywall and its outside walls were covered with large sheets of chipped wood that was glued together. The outsie surfces were coated with three layers of stucco (灰泥), and then painted. The house even had windows and sliding-glass patio doors.
H. The researchers installed hundreds of sensors in the home, including 75 sensors to monitor the accelerations caused by the shaking and 125 to measure how far various parts of the structure moved back and forth. The test home didn’t have plumbing or very much electrical wiring says John van de Lindt, a civil engineer at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. However, these items don’t add much structural strength to a house so the simulated earthquake test should provide accurate results, he notes.
Test Quake
I. The model townhouse rested on a concrete slab that was bolted to two platforms called shake tables. Computer-controlled equipment moved the tables back and forth.
J. Before the scientists conducted the big earthquake simulation, they did dozens of small tests. They did some of the tests after the wooden skeleton was built, and others after the sheets of drywall had been attached. Yet other tests were done after the stucco had been added. By comparing the results of these tests, engineers can figure out which individual parts of a home make it strong, van de Lindt explains.
K. In the big test the researchers simulated ground motions recorded during a magnitude—6.7 earthquake that struck Northridge, Calif, in January 1994. That quakeor temblor killed 57 people. Sixteen of them died in a single, wood-frame apartment building. The earthquake caused about $10 billion in damage.
L. Despite the intense shaking during the test, the model house didn’t collapse. The windows didn’t even break. But furnishings were tossed about, drywall cracked and stucco fractured (碎裂).
M. The researchers made several important findings. Early analyses show that drywall on the inside surfaces of outside walls adds to a house’s strength. The tests also settled a long-standing debate about whether stucco can provide structural support for a building. The answer is yes, says Filiatrault.
What’s next?
N. For the next 2 years, Filiatrault, van de Lindt, and the other members of their team will use the data they gathered during their tests to improve computer programs that engineers use to design and analyze wooden structures. They’ll also use information that they discovered when they disassembled (拆卸) the house after the tests. They know now, for example, which pieces of wood crack and where they break apart. Then, the engineers will put their new computer software to the test. That’s when they’ll design construct, and test a six-story woodframe building in Japan, on the world’s largest shake table.
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Small models are tougher than big ones and hence may not present precise statistics.
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90% of the houses and apartments in America have wooden skeletons.
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Many small experiments had been done before the big simulated earthquake test was conducted.
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The townhouse model in Buffalo is the largest wood-frame house built for the simulated earthquake experiment.
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The townhouse model survived in the intense rock of the test but the furnishings inside were moved turbulently.
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According to Filiatrault, in the past scientists cannot give a thorough description of what happened to wooden houses during an earthquake.
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The earthquake that hit Northridge in January 1994 killed 57 people.
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John van de Lindt thinks the absence of plumbing in the test home would not affect the accuracy of the simulated earthquake test.
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The engineers will improve design-and-analysis techniques based on the data they collected in their tests.
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The townhouse model used in the simulation test had been equipped with windows and sliding-glass patio doors.
Section B Close Reading (20%, 2 points/per)
Directions: In this section, there are two passages followed by some questions. 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 center.
Passage One
In a time of low academic achievement by children in the United States, many Americans are turning to Japan, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for posble answers. However the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find. In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction. In one investigation, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education. Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents (答问卷者) listed to “give children a good start academically” as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices. To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese schools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as persistence, concentration and the ability to function as a member of a group. The vast majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents.
In the recent comparison of Japanese and American preschool education, 91 percent of Japanese respondents chose providing children with a group experience as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. 62 percent of the more individually-oriented (强调个性发展的) Americans listed group experience as one of their top three choices. An emphasis on the importance ofthe group seen in Japanese early childhood education continues into elementary school education.
Like in America, there is diversity in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development. In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools. Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children’s chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens.
We learn from the first paragraph that many Americans believe ( ).
Most Americans surveyed believe that preschools should also attach importance to ( ).
In Japan’s preschool education, the focus is on ( ).
Free play has been introduced in some Japanese kindergartens in order to ( ).
why do some Japanese parents send their children to university-based kindergartens?
Passage Two
Sport is not only physically challenging, but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coaches, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical, emotional or psychological and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents’ and coaches’ criticisms to heart and find a flaw (缺陷) in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be cautious that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today’s youth sport, setting young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game, many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters’ performances. Positive reinforcement should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivation has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout.
An effective way to prevent the burnout of young athletes is ( ).
According to the passage sport is positive for young people in that ( ).
Many coaches and parents are in the habit of criticizing young athletes ( ).
According to the passage parents and coaches should ( ).
The author’s purpose in writing the passage is ( ).
Part IV Word Bank (10%, 1 point/per)
Directions: In this part, there is a passage with 10 blanks. You are required to select one wora jor each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Each choice in the blank is identified by a letter or letters.Please mark the corresponding letter(s) for each item on the Answer Sheet. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
A. acknowledged
B. different
C. strictly
D. tend
E. cores
F. suggest
G. appropriate
H. scolded
I. familiar
J. feathers
K. adapt
L. correct
M. frequently
N. informal
O. pronunciation
Wasn’t English more elegant in Shakespeare’s day?
People tend to think that older forms of languages are more elegant logical, or (66) than modern forms, but its just not true. The fact that language is always changing doesnt mean it’s getting worse; it’s just becoming (67). In Old English, a small winged creature with (68) was known as a brid. Over time the (69) changed to bird. Although it’s not hard to imagine children in the 1400’s being (70) for “slurring” brid into bird, it’s clear that ‘bird’ won out. Nobody today would (71) that bird is an incorrect word or a sloppy pronunciation. The speech patterns of young people (72) to grate on the ears of adults because theyre unfamiliar. Also, new words and phrases are used in spoken or (73) language sooner than in formal, written language, so it’s true that the phrases you may hear a teenager use may not yet be (74) for business letters. But that doesn’t mean they’re worse just newer. For years, English teachers and newspaper editors argued that the word hopefully shouldn’t be used to mean “I hope”, as in hopefully it wont rain today, even though people (75) used it that way in informal speech. (Of course nobody complained about other “sentence adverbs” such as frankly and actually.) The battle against hopefully is now all but lost, and it appears at the beginnings of sentences, even in formal documents.
答案 / 解析
66-70. L B J O H
71-75. A D N G M
Part V Translation (10%)
Directions: Please translate the following passage into English
在当今社会，很多人每天都面临着巨大的压力。他们努力工作，意图超越自我。他也常常遭遇挫折。成功的本质不仅仅是获得声望与财富，而是要有投入，决心和自律面对困难。无论如何，我们都不应轻易放弃，要学会振作起来，继续前行。
Part VI Writing (15%)
Directions: You are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay entitled “The Vital Role of Physical Exercise in Out Lives”. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.