Part I
Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled The Importance of Setting An Aim by commenting on R. Peters’ remark, “Have an aim in life, or your energies will be all wasted.” You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words.
The Importance of Setting An Aim
_
Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)
Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on
Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
The Human Brain
The brain is the most complex organ in human body. It produces our every thought, action, memory, feeling and experience of the world. This jelly-like mass of tissue, weighing in around 1.4 kilograms, contains a staggering one hundred billion nerve cells, or neurons (神经元). The complexity of the connectivity between these cells is mind-boggling (令人难以置信的). Each neuron can make contact with thousands or even tens of thousands of others, via tiny structures called synapses (突触). Our brains form a million new connections for every second of our lives. The pattern and strength of the connections is constantly changing and no two brains are alike. It is in these changing connections that memories are stored, habits learned and personalities shaped, by reinforcing certain patterns of brain activities, and losing others. Grey Matter and White Matter
While people often speak of their “grey matter”, the brain also contains white matter. The grey matter is the cell bodies of the neurons, while the white matter is the branching network of thread-like tendrils — called dendrites and axons — that spread out from the cell bodies to connect to other neurons. But the brain also has another, even more numerous type of cell, called glial (神经胶质的) cells. These outnumber neurons over ten times. Once thought to be support cells, they are now known to amplify neural signals and to be as important as neurons in mental calculations. There are many different types of neuron, only one of which is unique to humans and the other great apes, the so-called spindle cells.
Brain structure is shaped partly by genes, but largely by experience. Only recently it was discovered that new brain cells are being born throughout our lives — a process called neurogenesis. The brain has bursts of growth and then periods of consolidation, when excess connections are removed. The most notable bursts are in the first two or three years of life, during puberty, and also a final burst in young adulthood. How a brain ages also depends on genes and lifestyle too. Exercising the brain and giving it the right diet can be just as important as it is for the rest of the body. Chemical Messengers
1
The neurons in our brains communicate in a variety of ways. Signals pass between them by the release and capture of neurotransmitter and neuromodulator chemicals, such as glutamate, dopamine, acetylcholine, noradrenalin, serotonin and endorphins. Some neurochemicals work in the synapse, passing specific messages from release sites to collection sites, called receptors. Others also spread their influence more widely, like a radio signal, making whole brain regions more or less sensitive. These neurochemicals are so important that deficiencies in them are linked to certain diseases. For example, a loss of dopamine in the basal ganglia (基底神经节), which controls movements, leads to Parkinson’s disease. It can also increase susceptibility to addiction because it mediates our sensations of reward and pleasure.
Similarly, a deficiency in serotonin, used by regions involved in emotion, can be linked to depression or mood disorders, and the loss of acetylcholine in the cerebral cortex (大脑皮层) is characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. Brain Scanning
Within individual neurons, signals are formed by electrochemical pulses. Collectively, this electrical activity can be detected outside the scalp by an electroencephalogram (EEG). These signals have wave-like patterns, which scientists classify from alpha (common while we are relaxing or sleeping), through to gamma (active thought). When this activity goes awry (错误的), it is called a seizure. Some researchers think that synchronising the activity in different brain regions is important in perception. Other ways of imaging brain activity are indirect. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) or positron emission tomography (PET) monitors blood flow. MRI scans, computed tomography (CT) scans and diffusion tensor images (DTI) use the magnetic signatures of different tissues, X-ray absorption, or the movement of water molecules in those tissues, to image the brain.
These scanning techniques have revealed which parts of the brain are associated with which functions. Examples include activities related to sensations, movement, libido, choices, regrets, motivations and even racism. However, some experts argue that we put too much trust in these results and that they raise privacy issues. Before scanning techniques were common, researchers relied on patients with brain damage caused by strokes, head injuries or illnesses, to determine which brain areas are required for certain functions. Some Structures in Mind
The most obvious anatomical feature of our brains is the undulating surface of the cerebrum (大脑) — the deep clefts are known as sulci and its folds are gyri. The cerebrum is the largest part of our brain and is largely made up of the two cerebral hemispheres. It is the most evolutionarily recent brain structure, dealing with more complex cognitive brain activities. It is often said that the right hemisphere is more creative and emotional while the left deals with logic, but the reality is more complex. Nonetheless, the sides do have some specialization, with the left dealing with speech and language, the right with spatial and body awareness.
Behind the ears and temples lie the temporal lobes (颞叶), dealing with sound and speech comprehension and some aspects of memory. And to the fore are the frontal and prefrontal lobes (额和额前叶), often considered the most highly developed and most “human” of regions, dealing with the most complex thought, decision making, planning, conceptualizing, attention control and working memory. They also deal with complex social emotions such as regret, morality and empathy. Another way to classify the regions is as sensory cortex and motor cortex, controlling incoming information, and outgoing behavior respectively.
Below the cerebral hemispheres, but still referred to as part of the forebrain, is the cingulated (扣带) cortex, which deals with directing behavior and pain. And beneath this lies the corpus callosum (胼胝体), which connects the two sides of the brain. Other important areas of the forebrain are the basal ganglia, responsible for movement, motivation and reward.
The back of the brain has a highly convoluted and folded swelling called the cerebellum, which stores patterns of movement, habits and repeated tasks — things we can do without thinking about them. The most primitive parts, the midbrain and brain stem, control the bodily functions we have no conscious control of, such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, sleep patterns, and so on. They also control signals that pass between the brain and the rest of the body, through the spinal cord.
1. Where are memories stored? A) In the nerve cell bodies. B) In the synapses.
C) In neuron connections. D) In connection patterns.
2
2. What do we know about glial cells? A) They are much more than neurons. B) They are only support cells. C) They send neural signals. D) They are unique to humans.
3. Neurogenesis occurs ______. A) in our whole life
B) when excess connections are pruned C) in three short periods
D) when the brain is exercised
4. How do the neurons in our brains communicate with each other? A) They communicate by linking to the basal ganglia. B) They work in the synapse to pass messages. C) They spread their influence like a radio signal. D) They release and capture neurochemicals.
5. What do we know about the brain scanning technology according to the passage? A) EEG is a direct way, and FMRI, MRI, CT and DTI are indirect. B) EEG and FMRI are direct ways, and MRI, CT, and DTI are indirect. C) EEG, FMRI, MRI, CT and DTI are all indirect ways. D) EEG, FMRI, MRI, CT and DTI are all direct ways.
6. How did researchers find functions of the brain parts when scanning techniques were uncommon? A) They measured temperatures of different areas of the scalp. B) They used drugs to control different parts of the brain. C) They studied patients who had brain damage. D) They studied other great apes to make guesses.
7. The right hemisphere of the cerebrum ______. A) has a more undulating surface than the left B) is more evolutionarily advanced than the left C) deals with logic and language
D) deals with spatial and body awareness
8. We often consider ____________________________________ as more advanced than other parts of the brain.
9. The corpus callosum lies beneath ____________________________________.
10. Breathing and heart rate are controlled by ____________________________________.
Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each
3
conversation, one or more 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. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
11. A) She needs more time to finish the report. B) She has forgotten when the report is due.
C) She’d like the man to help her with the report. D) She has difficulty collecting data for her report.
12. A) Go back to the library and check again. B) Use her textbook before finding his own. C) Buy a new textbook downstairs in the lobby. D) Inquire about the book at the Information Desk.
13. A) He wants the woman to watch the match with him. B) The boxing match is somewhat worthwhile to watch.
C) The former boxing champion probably can win the match.
D) The former boxing champion is too o1d to participate in the match.
14. A) She is usually fully occupied with work. B) She will move out in the middle of the term. C) She might as well look for a new roommate.
D) She’d better quit the editing job as soon as possible.
15. A) Go to see her dentist. B) Stop at the bookstore. C) Buy the latest magazine. D) Have her computer checked.
16. A) On a bus. B) On a train. C) On a plane.
D) In a conference room.
17. A) Why people are unwilling to offer money. B) What a difficult situation the church is in. C) How to arrange the budget in their family. D) Whether they should donate some money.
18. A) He just bought an air-conditioner.
B) He doesn’t believe the woman’s words. C) He doesn’t like hot and humid weather.
D) He has to get the woman’s air-conditioner to work.
Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 19. A) To inquire about switching majors. B) To find a helping supervisor.
C) To make up the remaining credits.
4
D) To apply for a master’s degree.
20. A) A literature professor. B) An academic advisor.
C) Dean of the English Department. D) A doctor of economics.
21. A) He can’t catch up with his classmates.
B) He finds the English course load too heavy. C) He is not interested in his present major. D) He is good at Applied Linguistics.
22. A) In only one semester. B) In just two semesters. C) In at most three semesters. D) In at least four semesters.
Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. 23. A) Millions of American people are using the Internet too much. B) Ten million people possess computers in the US. C) Most people are using the Internet to play games.
D) The average time people using the Internet is up to nine hours daily.
24. A) He hates drugs.
B) Many people take drugs nowadays.
C) He thinks the Internet can make people addicted like drugs. D) He considers the Internet as drugs leading people to crimes.
25. A) Putting away the computer.
B) Setting simple tasks to do online. C) Sharing a computer with your family.
D) Asking someone to tell you when you use the Net too much.
Section B
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 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 Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard. 26. A) Whether they have large brains. B) Whether they have self-awareness. C) Whether they enjoy outdoor exercises. D) Whether they enjoy playing with mirrors.
5
27. A) They are most familiar to readers.
B) They are big favorites with zoo visitors. C) They are included in the study by Reiss. D) They are already known to be intelligent.
28. A) She found the hidden camera.
B) She painted a mark on her own face.
C) She recognized her own image in the mirror. D) She used her nose to search behind the mirror.
Passage Two
Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard. 29. A) She flew an airplane.
B) She entered a competition.
C) She went on a hot air balloon ride.
D) She moved into a retirement community.
30. A) To build up her own reputation. B) To show her admiration for him. C) To compare their health condition. D) To make her argument persuasive.
31. A) The beautiful clouds. B) The wonderful view. C) The company of Jay. D) The one-minute free fall.
Passage Three
Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard. 32. A) They were invented by European armies.
B) They have a history of more than 2,800 years.
C) They used to supply power to radio in remote areas.
D) They have rarely been used since electricity was discovered.
33. A) Sailing a boat.
B) Producing electricity. C) Grinding wheat into flour.
D) Pumping water from underground.
34. A) Wind power is cleaner.
B) It is one of the oldest power sources.
C) It was cheaper to create energy from wind.
D) The supply of coal and gas failed to meet needs.
35. A) The advantage of wind power. B) The design of wind power plants.
C) The worldwide movement to save energy.
D) The global trend towards producing power from wind.
6
Section C
Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you
should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.
Sports and games make our bodies strong, prevent us from getting too fat, and keep us healthy. But these are not their only use. They give us (36) _______ practice in making eyes, brain and muscles work together. In tennis, our eyes see the ball coming, judge its speed and (37) _______ and pass this information on to the brain. The brain then has to decide what to do, and to send its orders to the (38) _______ of the arms, legs, and so on, so that the ball is met and hit back where it ought to go. All must (39) _______ with very great speed, and only those who have had a lot of practice at tennis can carry out this (40) _______ chain of events successfully. For those who work with their brains most of the day, the practice of such skills is (41) _______ useful.
Sports and games are also very useful for (42) _______ training. In their lessons at school, boys and girls may learn about such (43) _______ as unselfishness, courage, discipline and love of one’s country but what is learned in books (44) ____________________________________________________________________________________. The ordinary day-school cannot give much practical training in living, (45) ____________________________________________________________________________________. So it is what the pupils do in their spare time that really prepares them to take their place in society as citizens when they grow up. If each of them learns to work for his team and not for himself on the football field, (46) ____________________________________________________________________________________.
Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank
from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage.
It is a disgrace that Ms. Chavez continuously spreads misinformation about bilingual education. Too many people accept the idea that children should 47 their home language and learn only in English. Such policies have put language-minority children at a 48 and caused them a lot of harm.
As a teacher, I have advocated for children and worked with them for ten years and believe that the learning of other languages, including English, is 49 . While bilingual (双语的) individuals may be more marketable, studies indicate that
7
their thinking is more 50 than those of monolingual individuals (单语的). Being proficient in a language includes more than simply being able to 51 the language; it also means being able to read, write, and think 52 in it.
The length of time it takes to become proficient in a second language depends on many factors including the 53 for well-developed concepts and language skills in the first language. This 54 often takes more than three years.
Children in general are not cognitively 55 to think abstractly, or read and write proficiently in the language they grow up in until after six or seven years. Why does Ms. Chavez want less for language-minority children?
It is unfortunate and 56 that because of false rumors, such as those spread by Ms. Chavez, that language-minority children get pushed into all English classes too early.
A) tragic B) harmful C) disadvantage D) present E) ready F) wonder G) beneficial H) flexible I) memory J) speak K) highly L) process M) need N) forget O) critically
Section B
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. 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 Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
US White House spokesman Tony Snow once sent journalists digging for their dictionaries. He called recent criticism by the former President Bill Clinton “chutzpah (无耻)”. With just one sentence, Snow managed to make headlines, a joke and a defense of President George W. Bush. Interestingly, this is how battles are fought and won in US politics — with carefully-worded one-liners (一行字幕新闻) made for TV which often lack substance and clarity (清晰度).
“The amount of information that candidates attempt to communicate to people is actually getting smaller and smaller,” said Mark Smith, a political science professor at Cedarville University. This has been accompanied by a changing media environment, Smith said. In 1968, the average TV or radio sound bite (a sound bite is a very brief broadcast statement, as by a politician during a news report) was 48 seconds, according to Smith. In 1996, the average sound bite had shrunk to 8 seconds. Thus, politicians wanting publicity try to make their public communication as quotable as possible.
Campaigning politicians also use 30-second TV ads and clever campaign slogans to boost their messages. Republican presidential candidate John McCain rides to campaign stops in a bus named the “Straight Talk Express”. McCain hopes the name will convince voters he plans to tell people the truth — whether it’s in fashion or not. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has chosen the campaign slogan “Let the conversation begin”. She hopes it will help her appear open-minded and friendly.
But one-liners, TV ads and campaign slogans all have a single key ingredient: something commonly called political “spin”. Brooks Jackson, a former journalist and the current director of FactCheck.org, a website not supporting the ideas of any political party or group, calls “spin” just a polite word for “deceiving”.
“I do believe that very often politicians believe their own spin,” said Jackson.
“Strong partisans suffer from a universal human tendency: They ignore the evidence that would force them into the uncomfortable position of having to change their minds and admit that they were wrong.”
8
57. What is said about one-liners in the first paragraph? A) They are made very clear by the politicians. B) They contain a lot of information.
C) They are full of substance and convincing. D) They are carefully constructed.
58. According to the passage, what changed from 1968 to 1996?
A) Information and communication. B) Ways of publicity. C) Both social and natural environment. D) The average sound bite. 59. The campaign slogan “Straight Talk Express” aims to _______. A) convince voters that the presidential candidate is honest B) tell American people that McCain is in fashion C) help McCain appear friendly and open-minded
D) promote the express buses by showing its convenience and speed 60. According to Brooks Jackson, what exactly are all campaign slogans? A) They are only political and polite words.
B) They are words that will surely make people moved. C) They are nothing but lies.
D) They carry useful information for people to know about the politician. 61. Which statement best describes strong partisans in the passage? A) They suffer from common human diseases. B) They tend to ignore the natural facts.
C) They are changeable and easy to accept others’ advice. D) They are very stubborn. Passage Two
Questions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.
Everyone must have had at least one personal experience with a computer error by this time. Bank balances are suddenly reported to have jumped from $379 into the millions, appeals for charitable contributions are mailed over and over to people with crazy sounding names at your address, department stores send the wrong bills, utility companies write that they’re turning everything off, that sort of thing. If you manage to get in touch with someone and complain, you then get instantaneously typed, guilty letters from the same computer, saying, “Our computer was in error, and an adjustment is being made in your account.”
These are supposed to be the sheerest, blindest accidents. Mistakes are not believed to be the normal behavior of a good machine. If things go wrong, it must be a personal, human error, the result of fingering a button getting stuck, someone hitting the wrong key. The computer, at its normal best, is infallible (没有错误的).
I wonder whether this can be true. After all, the whole point of computers is that they represent an extension of the human brain, vastly improved upon but nonetheless human, superhuman maybe. A good computer can think clearly and quickly enough to beat you at chess, and some of them have even been programmed to write obscure verse. They can do anything we can do, and more besides.
It is not yet known whether a computer has its own consciousness, and it would be hard to find out about this. When you walk into one of those great halls now built for the huge machines, and standing listening, it is easy to imagine that the faint, distant noises are the sound of thinking, and the turning of the spools (线轴) gives them the look of wild creatures rolling their eyes in the effort to concentrate, choking with information. But real thinking and dreaming are other matters. On the other hand, the evidences of something like an unconscious, equivalent to ours, are all around, in every mail. As extensions of the human brain, they have been constructed the same property of error, spontaneous, uncontrolled, and rich in possibilities.
62. What is implied in the first paragraph?
A) Computers can’t think so their errors are natural and unavoidable.
B) Computers are so capable of making errors that none of them is avoidable.
9
C) Computers make errors such as miscalculation and inaccurate reporting.
D) Computer errors are obvious and one can hardly prevent them from happening.
63. Who are supposed to be responsible for the mistakes mentioned in the first paragraph?
A) People who use the computers.
B) The computers that broke down suddenly. C) The manufacturers of computers.
D) Nobody, because they are all unexpected accidents.
64. What does the author mean by “they represent an extension of the human brain” (Lines 1-2, Para. 3)?
A) Human beings are not infallible, nor are computers.
B) Computers are bound to make as many errors as human beings.
C) Human mistakes can be avoided so computers errors can be avoided. D) Computers are the same as the human brains.
65. The author compared the noises of the computer to the sound of thinking and regarded it as the product of _______.
A) dreaming B) some errors C) consciousness D) information
66. The passage is mainly about _______.
A) why there are so many computer errors B) whether computers make mistakes
C) how to avoid computer errors in our daily life
D) the difference between the human brains and computers
Part V
Cloze (15 minutes)
Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A), B), C)
and D) on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
Many women feel additional stress when they 67. A) mission B) fortune must decide what they feel is best for their families C) career D) interest or what is best for their 67 . Lawyer Lisa Kay 68. A) subsequently B) previously Bennett is 68 searching for a job. Ms. Bennett C) lately D) presently has fourteen years of experience as a Federal judge 69. A) Therefore B) However clerk. 69 , after sending fifty resumes to various C) Moreover D) Furthermore firms and companies, she has received only two 70. A) returns B) reactions 70 For low-paying positions. The problem is the C) references D) responses 71 that this highly qualified lawyer took seven 71. A) fact B) truth years off to 72 her children. C) occasion D) case
According to Sylvia Hewlett, president of the 72. A) grow B) raise C) feed D) cultivate Center for Work-Life Policy, if a woman takes 73. A) apart B) down C) off D) up
10
time 73 to care for children or an older parent, 74. A) tend employers 74 to see these people as less than C) happen fully 75 . It’s as though their identity is 76 . 75. A) confronted
This circumstance only increases the work-life C) committed balance stress 77 by many women employees. 76. A) classified
Research 78 by the Kenexa Research C) transferred Institute KRI, a division of Kenexa, evaluated 79 77. A) encountered male and female workers perceive work-life balance C) retained and found that women are more 80 than men in 78. A) discovered how they perceive efforts their companies make to C) conducted help them 81 work and life responsibilities. The 79. A) how B) what report is 82 on the analysis of data drawn from a 80. A) negative representative 83 of 10,000 U.S. C) desirable workers who were the 84 of WorkTrends, KRI’s 81. A) balance annual survey of worker opinions. C) combine
The results indicated a shift 85 women’s 82. A) counted perceptions about work-life balance. In the past, C) depended women often found it more difficult to maintain 83. A) sample balance 86 to the fierce competition at work and C) copy demands at home. 84. A) majors
C) subjects
85. A) of B) on 86. A) liable B) due
B) fear D) threaten B) commanded D) confined B) revolved D) transformed B) experienced D) possessed B) published D) collected
C) that D) which B) deliberate D) positive B) distribute D) measure B) based D) built B) mode D) model B) themes D) researches C) with D) in
C) likely D) relative
Part VI Translation (5 minutes)
Directions: Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets. Please write your
translation on Answer Sheet 2.
87. Only after they had discussed the matter for several hours ___________________________ (他们才作出决定) .
88. Something ____________________________ (一定出了毛病) with the car’s engine. We’d better take it to the
garage immediately.
89. He ____________________________ (据说一直在工作) instead of studying in India.
90. Please call my secretary to arrange a meeting this afternoon, or __________________________ (任何你方便的
时候) .
91. We arrived at work in the morning and found that somebody ____________________________ (夜间闯进了办公室) .
11
因篇幅问题不能全部显示，请点此查看更多更全内容