Ⅳ. Reading Comprehension (60 points)

　　Directions:

　　There are four reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by five questions. For each question there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose one best answer and blacken the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

　　Passage One

　　Students enrolled at least half time may borrow up to $3,000 form the government over a two-year period. Repayment of the loan begins six months after the student leaves school. These loans carry on interest until this time. The current interest rate is 5 percent. Students may borrow up to $4,500 annually from a bank, credit union, savings and loan association or other eligible lender. Repayment on these loans usually begins six months after the student leaves school. These loans carry no interest until this time. This current interest rate is 9 percent. Parents may borrow up to $300 annually for each dependent college. Repayment begins forty-five days after receiving the loan, and the interest rate is 12 percent.

　　61. Which of the following is the main purpose?

　　To remind students and their families to repay their loan.

　　To compare interest rates.

　　To inform students and parents of the various loans available.

　　To show that government loans charge the least interest.

　　62. The highest interest rate is charged to _______.

　　A. full-time students B. parents

　　C. students borrowing from a credit union D. half-time students

　　63. If parents had three children in college how much could they borrow annually?

　　A. 900 B. 3,000 C. 300 D. 9,000

　　64. According to the passage which of the following is true.

　　The government lends students enrolled at least half time up to 3,000 annually.

　　Students may borrow up to $4,500 annually from four sources.

　　Students enrolled less than half time may borrow money.

　　The current interest rate from banks is 5 percent.

　　65. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.

　　the student’s school determines who is an eligible lender

　　money is available for student loans

　　students need not be enrolled half time to borrow money

　　the interest rate on student loans is increasing

　　Passage Two

　　Are you aware that you actually possess six senses? The sixth is a muscular sense responsible for directing your muscles intelligently to the exact extent necessary for each action you perform. For example, when you reach for an object, the sensory nerves linking the muscles to the brain stop your hand at the correct spot. This automatic perception of the position of your muscles in relation to the object is your muscular sense in action.

　　Muscles are stringly bundles of fibers varying from one five-thousandth of an inch to about three inches. They have three unique characteristics, they can become shorter and thicker; they can stretch; and they can retract to their original positions. Under a high-powered microscope, muscle tissue is seen as long, slender cells with a grainy texture like wood.

　　More than half of a person’s body is composed of muscle fibers, most of which are involuntary—in other words, work without conscious direction. The voluntary muscles, those that we move consciously to perform particular actions, number more than five hundred. Women have only 60 to 70 percent as much muscle as men for their body mass. That is why an average woman can’t lift as much, throw as far, or hit as hard as an average man.

　　66. According to the selection, the muscular sense is responsible for ______.

　　A. the efficiency of our muscles B. the normal breathing function

　　C. directing our muscles intelligently D. the work of only our involuntary muscles

　　67. Intelligent use of the muscles means that ________.

　　one always knows what his muscles are doing

　　one performs simple actions whithout working

　　one’s muscles are used only to the extent necessary for each action they perform

　　one improves muscular action consciously

　　68. Muscles are unique fibers because, they can ________.

　　A. contract B. stretch C. retract D. do all of the above

　　69. Under a microscope, muscle cells appear to be _______.

　　A. textured like wood B. colored like wood

　　C. smooth and red D. short and thick

　　70. According to the selection more than half of a person’s body is composed of ______.

　　A. voluntary muscles B. involuntary muscles

　　C. muscle fibers D. sensory nerves

　　Passage Three

　　The large part which war played in English affairs in the Middle-Ages, the fact that the control of the army and navy was in the hands of those that spoke French, and the circumstances that much of English fighting was done in France all resulted in the introduction into English of a number of French military terms. The art of war has undergone such changes since the battles of Hastings, Lewes, and Agincourt that many words once common are now only in historical use. Their places have been taken by later borrowings, often like wise from French, many of them being words acquired by the French in the course of their wars in Italy during the sixteenth century. Yet we still use French words of the Middle Ages when we speak of the army and the navy, of peace, enemy, battle, soldier, guard and spy, and we have kept the names of officers such as captain and sergeant. Some of the French terms were introduced into English because they were needed to express a new object or a new idea. In other cases a French and a native English word for the same thing existed side by side. Sometimes one or the other has since been lost from the language; but sometimes both the borrowed and the native word have been still in common use.

　　71. The main idea of this passage is that ______.

　　most of today’s common English military terms dated from the sixteenth century or later

　　a study of the English vocabulary shows the important part which war has played in the history of England

　　many French words borrowed into English during the Middle Ages have since disappeared from the language

　　many military terms used in English were originally borrowed from French, some as early as the Middle Ages

　　72. All of the following have something to do with the introduction into English of many French military terms except that _______.

　　war played an important part in English affairs in the Middle Ages

　　the English army and navy were controlled by those who spoke French in the war between England and France

　　France invaded England in the Middle Ages and many battles were fought in England

　　much of English fighting was done in France in the war between England and France

　　73. The art of war has undergone such changes that _______.

　　we no longer use any French words of the Middle Ages

　　many words once common are not used any longer and they are replaced by Italian words

　　French military terms have disappeared from the English language

　　many words once common are now only in historical use and their places have been taken by the newly-borrowed words

　　74. Which of the following is not the French word borrowed into English during the Middle Ages?

　　A. sergeant B. battle C. spy D. fight

　　75. The writer takes the words “battle” and “fight” as an example to show______.

　　French words are needed to express something new

　　a French and a native word for the same thing have been still in common use side by side French word or the other has been lost from the English language

　　“battle” is the borrowed word and “fight” is the native one

　　Passage Four

　　“Fingers were made before forks” when a person gives up good manners, puts aside knife and fork, and dives into his food, someone is likely to repeat that saying.

　　The fork was an ancient agricultural tool, but for centuries no one thought of eating with it. Not until the eleventh century, when a young lady from Constantinople brought her fork to Italy, did the custom reach Europe.

　　By the fifteenth century the use of the fork was widespread in Italy. The English explanation was that Italians were averse to eating food touched with fingers, “Seeing all men’s fingers are not alike clean.” English travellers kept their friends in stitches while describing this ridiculous Italian custom.

　　Anyone who used a fork to eat with was laughed at in England for the next hundred years. Men who used forks were thought to be sissies, and women who used them were called show-offs and overnice. Not until the late 1600’s did using a fork become a common custom.

　　76. The custom of eating with a fork was _______.

　　A. brought to Europe from America B. begun when forks were invented

　　C. brought to Europe from Asia D. invented by Italians

　　77. By the fifteenth century forks were used _______.

　　A. all over Italy B. only in Constantinople

　　C. widely in Europe D. In England

　　78. To English travellers in Italy, the use of forks seemed _______.

　　A. clever B. necessary C. good manner D. ridiculous

　　79. The English thought that Italians used forks in order to ________.

　　A. imitate the people of the East B. keep their food clean

　　C. impress visitors with their good manners D. amuse the English

　　80. In England, people who used forks at that time were considered ______.

　　A. well mannered B. sissies C. show-offs and overnice D. both B and C

　　Ⅴ. Writing (20 points)

　　Directions:

　　For this part, you are allowed 20 minutes to write a short composition of about 80 words on the title: The Bicycle in China. Base your composition on the outline given below.

　　1.在中国，自行车是最为流行的交通工具。

　　2.骑自行车有许多好处。

　　3.自行车的未来……

　　参考答案

　　Ⅰ. Phonetics

　　1.B 2.D 3.D 4.A 5.B

　　6.D 7.C 8.B 9.D 10.C

　　Ⅱ. Vocabulary and Structure

　　11.A 12.D 13.C 14.A 15.A 16.B 17.C

　　18.A 19.A 20.B 21.C 22.C 23.C 24.B

　　25.B 26.A 27.D 28.A 29.C 30.A 31.B

　　32.D 33.A 34.C 35.B 36.C 37.C 38.B

　　39.B 40.C 41.C 42.D 43.D 44.B 45.D

　　46.C 47.A 48.B 49.A 50.A

　　Ⅲ. Cloze

　　51.B 52.A 53.A 54.C 55.D 56.A 57.B

　　58.A 59.D 60.B

　　Ⅳ. Reading Comprehension

　　61.C 62.B 63.A 64.B 65.B 66.C 67.C

　　68.D 69.A 70.C 71.D 72.C 73.D 74.D

　　75.B 76.C 77.A 78.D 79.B 80.D

　　Ⅴ. Writing

The Bicycle in China

　　The bicycle is the most popular means of transportation in China. China is a country “on bicycle wheels”. People ride them for various purposes such as going to and from school and work. Bicycles are very cheap and easy to buy in China.

　　There are many advantages to riding a bicycle. First, using a bicycle can greatly help reduce the air pollution in many big cities. Second, people can improve their health by riding a bicycle.

　　The future of bicycle will be bright. In some European countries, city governments have arranged pedestrians to use “public bicycles” to travel round the city center free of charge.