《 综合英语II 》Test 4

Part I. Vocabulary and Structure. (1%×15＝15%)

1. The project ____ by the end of 1998.
A. had been completed             B. had completed
C. has been completed             D. has completed
2. I never met Judy again, _______ was a pity.
A. that          B. which

C. as             D. what
3. If I ______ you, I would not take this dangerous job.
A. was                 B. were
C. is                     D. are

4. Without my glasses I can hardly __________ what has been written in the letter.

A. make for      B. make out    C. make up       D. make over

5. If I had known you were coming to visit, I _______ you at the airport.
A. would have met                     B. will meet
C. must meet                      D. shall meet

6. If you are always sitting up late at night, I’m afraid you may ______ from overwork soon.

A. fall      B. descend     C. sicken     D. collapse

7. From the perspective of the board of the directors, the merge with ABC Company is rather urgent.                                                           

A. scene                            B. interest

C. prospect                          D. viewpoint

8. The World Bank has criticized the country for not giving enough financial ___ to developing countries.

A. allowance        B. loan       C. aid      D. provision

9. She is ___ biting her nails.
A. often                       B. continually
C. usually                    D. hardly

10. I wanted to buy a color TV set this year, but my brother rejected the idea _____ a trip to the beach.

A. instead of       B. in favor of      C. in view of       D. in case of

11. There is no use _______ to explain the trick to him.
A. trying               B. try
C. to try                      D. of trying
12. No sooner _______ than the trouble started.
A. he had arrived                B. had he arrived
C. he arrived                      D. did he arrived

13. –When can we come to visit you?

–Any time you feel __ it.
A. like                  B. for
C. to                    D. into

14. It’s high time we __ a rest.

A. have        B. had       C. are having      D. should have

15. We are not on very good ___ with the people next door.

A. terms        B. will       C. relations       D. friendship

Part II Cloze test. 16—30 (1%×15＝15%)

Huge trucks are a familiar sight (16)___ anyone who travels across the United States. But the (17)___ traveler never meets a truck driver. Most people know (18)___ about the truckers’ way of life.

This way of life has certain disadvantages. The three-day period (19)___ from home put a strain (20)___ family life. Wives complain that their husbands are not at home to deal with their children’s problem. (21)___, drivers worry about their families while they are out.

Another problem is that truckers’ families can seldom plan (22)___. It is hard to plan a party for a certain date or even (23)___ invitations. Friends often say to each other, “come over next Saturday (24)___ your husband is back by then.”

In addition, of course, there is always a danger of accidents. Although the accident (25)___ per mile is only about half of that for passenger cars, a life spent on major highways can never be (26)___ safe. All truck drivers fear being forced to make an abrupt turn or (27)___ unexpectedly on an icy road. When such accidents happen, someone (28)___ a truck driver is usually at fault. Truckers have a (29)___ of driving skills of the general public. When truck drivers meet, much of their conversation deals with (30)___ habits of other drivers on the road.

16. A) with B) to C) by D) for

17. A) average B) proportional C) expected D) civil

18. A) few B) much C) more D) little

19. A) detach B) outside C) away D) move

20. A) on B) to C) at D) by

21. A) in return B) by turn C) by return D) in turn

22. A) ago B) beforehand C) before long D) advanced

23. A) to reject B) to receive C) accept D) to accept

24. A) weather B) until C) if D) after

25. A) proportional B) rate C) perspective D) frequent

26. A) really B) less than C) accurately D) deadly

27. A) have to stop B) having stopped C) have stopped D) having to stop

28. A) other than B) than another C) other D) much more than

29. A) high esteem B) respect C) low opinion D) much heed

30. A) careless drive B) careless driving C) driving careless D) driving carelessly

Part III. Reading Comprehension 31- 55 (1%×25＝25%)

Passage One

If you are like most people, your intelligence varies from season to season. You are probably a lot sharper in the spring than at other time of the year. A noted scientist, Ellsworth Huntington (1876-1947), concluded from other men’s work and his own among peoples in different climates that climate has some effect on our mental abilities.

He found that cool weather is much more favorable for creative thinking than is summer heat. This does not mean that all people are less intelligent in the summer than they are during the rest of the year. It does mean, however, that the mental abilities of a large number of people tend to be lowest in the summer.

Spring appears to be the best period of the year for thinking. One reason may be that in the spring man’s mental abilities are affected by the same factors that bring about great changes in all nature.

Fall is the next best season, then winter. As for summer, it seems to be a good time to take a long vacation from thinking.

31.  According to the passage, your intelligence probably ___.

A. stays the same throughout the year

B. varies from day to day

C. changes with the season

D. changes from year to year

32.  Huntington based his conclusions on __.

A.     records of changes in his own intelligence

B.     his work among people in different climates

C.     records of temperature changes

D.     all of the above

33.  Ellsworth Huntington decided that climate and temperature have ___.

A.     a great effect on everyone’s intelligence

B.     some effect on a few persons’intelligence

C.     some effect on most persons’intelligence

D.     no effect on most persons’intelligence

34.  One possible reason why spring is the best season for thinking is that ___.

A.     all nature, including man, is growing then

B.     it lasts longer than the other seasons

C.     it is neither too warm nor too cold

D.     both B and C

35.  The two best seasons for thinking seems to be ___.

A.     spring and fall

B.     winter and summer

C.     summer and spring

D.     fall and winter

Passage Two
　　Foxes and farmers have never got on well. These small dog-like animals have long been accused of killing farm animals. They are officially classified as harmful and farmers try to keep their numbers down by shooting or poisoning them.
　　Farmers can also call on the services of their local hunt to control the fox population. Hunting consists of pursuing a fox across the countryside, with a group of specially trained dogs, followed by men and women riding horses. When the dogs eventually catch the fox they kill it or a hunter shoots it.
　　People who take part in hunting think of it as a sport; they wear a special uniform of red coats and white trousers, and follow strict codes of behavior. But owning a horse and hunting regularly is expensive, so most hunters are wealthy.
　　It is estimated that up to 100,000 people watch or take part in fox hunting. But over the last couple of decades the number of people opposed to fox hunting, because they think it is brutal (残酷的), has risen sharply. Nowadays it is rare for a hunt to pass off without some kind of confrontation (冲突) between hunters and hunt saboteurs (阻拦者). Sometimes these incidents lead to violence, but mostly saboteurs interfere with the hunt by misleading riders and disturbing the trail of the fox's smell, which the dogs follow.
　　Noisy confrontations between hunters and saboteurs have become so common that they are almost as much a part of hunting as the pursuit of foxes itself. But this year supporters of fox hunting face a much bigger threat to their sport. A Labour Party Member of the Parliament, Mike Foster, is trying to get Parliament to approve a new law which will make the hunting of wild animals with dogs illegal. If the law is passed, wild animals like foxes will be protected under the ban in Britain.

36. Rich people in Britain have been hunting foxes
　　A) for recreation                                            C) to limit the fox population
　　B) in the interests of the farmers                     D) to show off their wealth

37. What is special about fox hunting in Britain?
　　A) It involves the use of a deadly poison.
　　B) It is a costly event which rarely occurs.
　　C) The hunters have set rules to follow.
　　D) The hunters have to go through strict training.

38. Fox hunting opponents often interfere in the game________.
　　A) by resorting to violence                      C) by taking legal action
　　B) by confusing the fox hunters                D) by demonstrating on the scene

39. A new law may be passed by the British Parliament to________.
　　A) prohibit farmers from hunting foxes
　　B) forbid hunting foxes with dogs
　　C) stop hunting wild animals in the countryside
　　D) prevent large-scale fox hunting

40. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
　　A) killing foxes with poison is illegal
　　B) limiting the fox population is unnecessary
　　C) hunting foxes with dogs is considered cruel and violent
　　D) fox-hunting often leads to confrontation between the poor and the rich

Passage Three
　　For an increasing number of students at American universities, Old is suddenly in. The reason is obvious: the graying of America means jobs. Coupled with the aging of the baby-boom ( 生育高峰) generation, a longer life span means that the nation's elderly population is bound to expand significantly over the next 50 years. By 2050, 25 percent of all Americans will be older than 65, up from 14 percent in 1995. The change poses profound questions for government and society, of course. But it also creates career opportunities in medicine and health professions, and in law and business as well. "In addition to the doctors, we're going to need more sociologists, biologists, urban planners and specialized lawyers," says Professor Edward Schneider of the University of Southern California's (USC) School of Gerontology (老年学).
　　Lawyers can specialize in "elder law," which covers everything from trusts and estates to nursing-home abuse and age discrimination (歧视). Businessmen see huge opportunities in the elder market because the baby boomers, 74 million strong, are likely to be the wealthiest group of retirees in human history. "Any student who combines an expert knowledge in gerontology with, say, an MBA or law degree will have a license to print money," one professor says.
　　Margarite Santos is a 21-year-old senior at USC. She began college as a biology major but found she was "really bored with bacteria". So she took a class in gerontology and discovered that she liked it. She says, "I did volunteer work in retirement homes and it was very satisfying."

41. "… Old is suddenly in" (Line 1, Para. 1) most probably means"_____".
　　A) America has suddenly become a nation of old people
　　B) gerontology has suddenly become popular
　　C) more elderly professors are found on American campuses
　　D) American colleges have realized the need of enrolling older students

42. With the aging of America, lawyers can benefit _____.
　　A) from the adoption of the "elder law"
　　B) from rendering special services to the elderly
　　C) by enriching their professional knowledge
　　D) by winning the trust of the elderly to promote their own interests

43. Why can businessmen make money in the emerging elder market?
　　A) Retirees are more generous in spending money.
　　B) They can employ more gerontologists.
　　C) The elderly possess an enormous purchasing power.
　　D) There are more elderly people working than before.

44. Who can make big money in the new century according to the passage?
　　A) Retirees who are business-minded.
　　B) The volunteer workers in retirement homes.
　　C) College graduates with an MBA or law degree.
　　D) Professionals with a good knowledge of gerontology.

45. It can be seen from the passage that the expansion of America's elderly population ____.
　　A) will provide good job opportunities in many areas
　　B) will impose an unbearable burden on society
　　C) may lead to nursing home abuse and age discrimination
　　D) will create new fields of study in universities

Passage Four

How men first learnt to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin of language is a mystery. All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, we call words.

The power of words, then, lies in their associations—the things they bring up before our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.

Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and emotions. This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary style. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can convey his meaning in words which sound like music and by their associations can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they will make our speech silly and vulgar.

46. We will make our speech silly if we ___.

A. use words carefully

B. use words in a literary style

C. use words without accuracy

D. use words with caution

47. One of the reasons why men invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings was that ___.

A. they could express actions and things

B. they could therefore communicate with each other

C. they could agree upon letters

D. they could write and combine them

48. What is true about words?

A. They are used to express only thoughts and feelings.

B. They are signs.

C. They are simply sounds.

D. They can only be written.

49. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A. The more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us.

B. The more we read and learn, the more knowledge we will acquire.

C. The more we read and learn, the more learned we are.

D. The more we read and learn, the more literate we become.

50. In expressing their thoughts, great writers are able to ___.

A. move men to tears

B. be masters

C. sing

D. be charming

Passage Five

During the 20^th century there has been a great change in the lives of women. A woman marrying at the end of the 19^th century would probably have been in her middle twenties, and would be likely to have seven or eight children, of whom four or five lived till they were five years old. By the time the youngest was fifteen, the mother would have been in her early fifties and would expect to live further twenty years, during which chance and health made it unusual for her to get paid work. Today, women marry younger and have fewer children, usually a woman’s youngest child will be fifteen when she is forty-five and can be expected to live another thirty five years and is likely to take paid work until sixty.

The most important change is women’s economic position. Even a few years ago, most girls left school and took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women marry younger, more married women stayed at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Many more afterwards return to full or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfaction of family life.

51. We are told that in a family about 1900___.

A. few children died before they were five

B. four or five children died when they were five

C. seven or eight children lived to be more than five

D. the youngest child could be fifteen

52. One reason why the woman today may take a job is that she ___.

A. is younger when her children are old enough to look after themselves

B. doesn't like children herself

C. needn't worry about food for her children

D. can be free from family duties when she reaches sixty

53. Many girls are now likely to ___.

A. give up their jobs for good after they are married

B. leave schools as soon as they can

C. marry so that they can get a job

D. continue working until they are going to have a baby

54. According to the passage, it is now quite usual for women to __.

A. stay at home after leaving school.

B. marry men younger than themselves

C. start working again later in life

D. marry while still at school

55. Now a husband probably ___.

A. plays a greater part in looking after the children

B. helps his wife by doing more of the housework

C. feels dissatisfied with his part in the family

D. takes a part-time job so that he can help in the home

Part IV. Paraphrase the following sentences and sentence fragments. (2%×10＝20%)

1. I don’t see why you’re so touchy.

2. now they were laughing with Carlos, not at him.

3. I do not know what she read into that letter

4. he dashed off his answer

5. Shops have sprung up, filled with colorful plastic things and goods we have no use for

6. one of the girls become so curious that she decided to engage him in a conversation

7. Our path, however, was not totally sweet and unclouded

8. The man began sorting us into ranks.

9. some of my comrades joked that I was a miner at heart.

10. From then on I let loose and acted for all I was worth.

Part V. Study the following sentences and fill in the blanks with the proper forms of the words given in brackets. (1%×10＝10%)

1.  Michael’s mistakes may be simply due to his __________________ (mature).

2.  In this ________________ (picture) village, despite the modern inventions, many of the rural traditions are still preserved.

3.  The fact that Mr. Henderson ____________________ (repeat) forgets the name of an old acquaintance and business associate showed that his old age resulted in the lapse of memory.

4.  With some words missing and others misspelled, the message was pure ______________ (gibber)

5.  It is _______________ (advise) to deprive the pupils of their amusement for a week to punish them.

6.  John made _______________ (remit) efforts to improve the general welfare of his community.

7.  You can drink the water, which is ________________ (pure).

8.  Trucking remains an _______________ (economy) means of transport.

9.  One feature of the capitalist system is the __________________ (adjust) in production and consumption.

10.    We congratulated them for the successful _____________________ (present) of the play.

Part VI. Writing (15%)

Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition in about 150 words on the topic of The Pleasure of Reading.