高级英语试题(十) Explain the italicized words or expressions in the following sentences. (20%) Bargaining is the order of the day, and veiled women move at a leisurely pace from shop to shop, selecting, pricing and doing a little preliminary bargaining… .… and the buyers overwhelmed by the sepulchral atmosphere, follow suit. Little donkeys with harmoniously tinkling bells thread their way among the throngs of people entering and leaving the bazaar. … and veiled women move at a leisurely pace from shop to shop, selecting, pricing and doing a little preliminary bargaining before they narrow down their choice and … Then as you penetrate deeper into the bazaar, the noise of the entrance fades away, and you come to the muted cloth-market. …and veiled women move at a leisurely pace from shop to shop, …doing a little preliminary bargaining before they narrow down their choice and... …and veiled women move at a leisurely pace from shop to shop, … and begin the really serious business of beating the price down. It is a vast, somber cavern of a room, some thirty feet high and sixty feet square, and so thick with the dust of centuries that the mudbrick walls … are only dimly visible. It is a vast, somber cavern of a room, … and so thick with the dust of centuries that the mudbrick walls and vaulted roof are only dimly visible. The machine is operated by one man, who…, and then throws his weight on to a great beam made out of a tree trunk to set the ropes and pulleys in motion. In each shop sit the apprentices… hammering away at copper vessels. It is a vast, somber cavern of a room, …and so thick with the dust of centuries that the mudbrick walls and vaulted roof are only dimly visible. In each shop sit the apprentices… while the shop-owner instructs, and sometimes takes a hand with a hammer himself. The seller, on the other hand, makes a point of protesting that the price he is charging is depriving him of all profit, and that he is sacrificing this because of … Here you can find beautiful pots and bowls engraved with delicate and intricate traditional designs, or …, pleasing in form, but undecorated and strictly functional. Here you can find beautiful pots and bowls engraved with delicate and intricate traditional designs, or …, pleasing in form, but undecorated and strictly functional. The seller, on the other hand, makes a point of protesting… and that he is sacrificing this because of his personal regard for the customer. Furtive boys in pink shirts hanging about on washday after school. He flew to marry a cheap city girl from a family of ignorant flashy people. When a cow comes nibbling around the edge of the yard she snaps it and me and Maggie and the house. II. Selecting the best answer based on language points from the textbook (20%) 1.She was almost blinded by the glare of the headlights from the approaching car. coldness darkness brightness hotness 2. The Japanese crowd did not appear to have the same preoccupations that I had. bewilderment confusion obsession seizure 3. Just because she doesn’t like cooking, her husband thinks she is good for nothing. nice wonderful worthy of sufficient 4. It is our firm conviction that every effort should be made to preserve world peace. supposition belief convulsion assumption 5. A group of Chinese victims of WWII armed with lawyers went to Japan to attest to the court war crimes by the then Japanese government. appeal sue confirm protest 6. The two families have been holding great hatred for a score of years and there seems to be no hope of ____________ between them. reconciliation exasperation desperation retaliation 7. The minister made a vigorous defense of the government’s policies. powerful lengthy prolonged pretentious 8. It has been established that she was not at the scene at the time of the crime. set up settled converted ascertained 9. This river teems with all kinds of fish in summer. abounds in perishes in extinguishes with disposes of 10. The committee adjourned their discussion until the following week. continued suspended accomplished commenced 11. He cloaked his evil intentions with friendly appearance. revealed disclosed spotlighted concealed 12. The woman managed to escape from her would-be attacker. likely enraged attempted timid 13. The Three Gorges hydraulic scheme has been and will be one of the greatest in Chinese history. program conspiracy system collaboration 14. The destruction of humankinds is such that it threatens other living species with extinction. annihilation annexation annoyance assimilation 15. We had to sit and swelter in the room while our friends were at the beach. doze off suffer from heat take shelter toil 16. The United States is making every endeavor to enlist the support of its allies for preparation of the overthrow of the existing Iraqi government. guarantee acquire confirm strengthen 17. He was overwhelmed by grief after the sad news. outnumbered outweighed overcome overawed 18. The opposition parties are sure to exploit the government’s difficulties over this issue. employ develop resolve expend 19. Military strategists have outlined several convincing ___________ for the outbreak of a nuclear war. scenarios scinarios scinareos scenerios 20. I suppose laziness is one of the frailties of human nature. peculiarities characteristics weaknesses identities 21. Some Chinese companies are striving to penetrate the world markets. scramble occupy secede enter 22. It is a point of __________ for me to repay all my debt. face order honor grace 23. The collision of the planet into ours would be comparable to the power of five atomic bombs that hit Hiroshima during World War II should it occur in the future. exceed be equivalent to not match be comparative 24. Scientists used to believe that all the stars developed from primordial mass of gases. derivative primeval prestigious primavera 25. Your thoughtless behavior has caused us a great deal of distress. suffering difficulty inconvenience trouble 26. The Supreme Court demanded his interpretation of his involvement in the frauds. submission presentation explanation acknowledgement 27. On many of the previous occasions the US trade negotiators would revert to the issue of China’s human rights problems. reconsider reiterate restated reverse 28. The police are speculating that the suicide bombers may be linked to a terrorist organization. confirming guessing contemplating subsiding 29. Albert Einstein is regarded as the father of modern scientific thought. formulator advocate creator plagiarizer 30. Mr. Johnson is to preside over the seminar for genetic engineering. Address prepare host publicize 31. The congressman _________ a point of prolonging the debate. set advanced made insisted 32. He was extremely nervous at the _________ of his turn to make the presentation. potential prospective probability prospect 33. I was so annoyed that I felt impelled to write a letter to the local newspaper. compelled discouraged exhausted exhilarated 34. The chairman gave his assent of the proposal to the committee. refusal denial approval opposition 35. The increased demand for their skills has given them greater bargaining power. purchasing negotiating quarrelling performing 36. A lot of government offices and museums in Washington are made _________ to the public without admissions fees. accessory acceptable accepted accessible 37. They perceived that they were unwelcome there and left. were conscious were peremptory were complacent were compatible 38. Large areas of land have been contaminated by the leakage from the nuclear reactor. corrupted discolored polluted decayed 39. His tension was veiled by casual remarks. concealed inspired sharpened weakened 40. The runaway vehicle bore down inexorably on the trapped rabbit. stubbornly mercilessly inextricably inexplicably Paraphrase the following sentences. (20%) You pass from the heat and glare of a big, open square into a cool, dark cavern which extends as far as the eye can see, losing itself in the shadowy distance. Little donkeys with harmoniously tinkling bells thread their way among the throngs of people entering and leaving the bazaar. The roadway is about twelve feet wide, but it is narrowed every few yards by little stalls where goods of every conceivable kind are sold. The din of the stall-holders crying their wares, of donkey-boys and porters clearing a way for themselves by shouting vigorously, and of would-be purchasers arguing and bargaining is continuous and makes you dizzy. Then as you penetrate deeper into the bazaar, the noise of the entrance fades away, and you come to the muted cloth-market. The earthen floor, beaten hard by countless feet, deadens the sound of footsteps, and the vaulted mudbrick walls and roof have hardly any sounds to echo. The shop-keepers speak in slow, measured tones, and the buyers, overwhelmed by the sepulchral atmosphere, follow suit. It is a point of honour with the customer not to let the shopkeeper guess what it is she really likes and wants until the last moment. One of the most picturesque and impressive parts of the bazaar is the copper-smiths’ market. Elsewhere there is the carpet-market, with its profusion of rich colours, varied textures and regional designs---some bold and simple, others unbelievable detailed and yet harmonious. IV. Reading Comprehension(20%). Directions: There are five passages in this section. Read the passages and choose the best answer to each question. Passage 1 During the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution gained momentum. While there were mass dislocations of people, and laborers were not treated kindly, the net effect over time was to increase the demand for labor. The aged were not given special attention, except through the Poor Laws and the poorhouses and asylums developed under those laws. This same pattern carried over to America. Respectable American opinion in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries held that there was work for all who would work, and personal or family charity for those who could not, including the displaced aged. The fact that, periodically at least, there were conditions when labor power was in surplus, when there were more adults than the economy required, was ignored. Work to the end of one’s days was an economic and socially imposed standard. By 1900, Simon Patten, professor of economics at the Wharton School, developed the thesis that America was entering a period when all people’s needs could be met with less and less manpower. He anticipated a time when there would be an excess of labor, when working time could be drastically reduced, and when adults would have large amounts of leisure time at their disposal. His concern with this coming situation was focused on how to prepare people psychologically for a constructive social use of the new leisure. In many ways he was a prophet of the view that our 20th century economy would be one with many “surplus ” people, at least in relation to the production of goods. During most of these centuries, the aged as a group did not play a central role in the evolution of ideas beyond those of the original biblical injunctions: work and family obligations. However, with the twentieth century the capacity of the American economy to produce more goods with less labor was matched by a major change in the demographic nature of its population. Life expectancy grew rapidly as infant mortality declined. Other improvements in health care meant that the elderly became not only more numerous but more healthy, vigorous, and able-bodied. The first policy approach to this evolution was the enactment by many states of old age pension laws and, during the Depression of the 1930s, the national Social Security Act with its provision for almost universal retirement income. Public policy provided an income base to help the no-longer-needed older worker leave the labor force. 1. By saying that “the Industrial Revolution gained momentum”, the author means that the Industrial Revolution _______. A. began to slow down its pace B. began to produce undesirable results. C. demanded more labor D. underwent rapid development 2. Which of the following ideas was held by the Americans in the 19th and early 20th centuries? A. That the poor old people should be taken care of by their families, not the society. B. That working opportunities should be provided for those who were able to work. C. That laws should be made to guard against mass unemployment. D. That working long hours was a necessity dictated by economic and social standard. 3. Simon Patten predicted that____. A. the twentieth century would see a leap in industrial production. B. the society would hardly produce enough to meet people’s needs C. there would be surplus labor and increased leisure for people D. unemployed people would suffer great psychological stress 4. Unlike the aged in the past centuries, the old people of the 20th century_____. A. no longer attached importance to work and family obligations B. felt greater threat from young people in seeking employment C. had a sense of loss when they were no longer needed by the society D. had to deal with much leisure afforded by retirement 5. What is the best title for the passage? A. The Beginning of Surplus Labor and Leisure B. The Ending of the Industrial Revolution C. The Influence of the Industrial Revolution on the Society D Surplus Labor and Unemployment in an Advanced Country Passage 2 Our bodies are wonderfully skillful at maintaining balance. When the temperature jumps, we sweat to cool down. When our blood pressure falls, our hearts pound to compensate. As it turns out, though, our natural state is not a steady one. Researchers are finding that everything from blood pressure to brain function varies rhythmically with the cycles of the sun, the moon and seasons. And their insights are yielding new strategies for keeping away such common killers as heart disease and cancer. Only one doctor in 20 has a good knowledge of the growing field of “chronotherapeutics”, the strategic use of time(chronos) in medicine. But according to a new American Medical Association poll, three out of four are eager to change that. “The field is exploding,” says Michael Smolensky. Doctors used to look at us like, “What spaceship did you guys get off?” Now they’re thirsty to know more. In medical school, most doctors learn that people with chronic conditions should take their medicine at steady rates. “It’s a terrible way to treat disease,” says Dr. Richard Martin. For example, asthmatics are most likely to suffer during the night. Yet most patients strive to keep a constant level of medicine in their blood day and night, whether by breathing in on an inhaler four times a day or taking a pill each morning and evening. In recent studies, researchers have found that a large mid-afternoon dose of a bronchodilator can be as sage as several small doses, and better for preventing nighttime attacks. If the night belongs to asthma, the dawn belongs to high blood pressure and heart disease. Heart attacks are twice as common at 9 a.m. as at 11 p.m. Part of the reason is that our blood pressure falls predictably at night, then peaks as we start to work for the day. “Doctors know that,” says Dr. Henry Black of Chicago’s medical center, “but until now, we haven’t been able to do anything about it.” Most blood-pressure drugs provide 18 to 20 hours of relief. But because they’re taken in the morning, they’re least effective when most needed. “You take your pill at 7 and it’s working by 9,” says Dr. William White of the University of Connecticut Health Center. “But by that time you’re gone through the worst four hours of the day with no protection.” Bedtime dosing would prevent that lapse, but it would also push blood pressure to dangerously low levels during the night. 6. According to the author, it is best for asthmatics to take their medicines_____. A. at steady rates B. each morning and evening C. when the disease occurs D. at mid-afternoon 7. Researchers are finding that___________. A. heart disease and cancer are the most common killers of human beings B. blood pressure and brain function are decided by cycles of the sun, the moon and seasons C. the functions of human bodies have much to do with nature D. any change in human bodies goes systematically with changes in the environment 8. According to the passage, how do human bodies maintain balance? A. They adjust themselves timely in line with their physical conditions. B. People increase or lower the body temperature by sweating. C. People’s hearts pound to compensate when the blood pressure goes up. D. Both B and C. 9. Which of the following statements is NOT true? A. Doctors know more about chronotherapeutics than before. B. Doctors in the US used to be thirsty to know more about the new medical field. C. The researchers’ insights are providing new strategies to prevent common killers. D. The strategic use of time in medicine attracts more attention in the medical circle in the US. 10. The suggested title for this passage might be_____. A. Medicine Is Everything B. Treatment Is Everything C. Prevention Is Everything D. Timing Is Everything Passage 3 Cooperative competition. Competitive cooperation. Confused? Airline alliances have travelers scratching their heads over what’s going on in the skies. Some folks view alliances as a blessing to travelers, offering seamless travel, reduced fares and enhanced frequent-flyer benefits. Others see a conspiracy of big businesses, causing decreased competition, increased fares and fewer choices. Whatever your opinion, there’s no escaping airline alliances: the marketing hype is unrelenting, with each of the two mega-groupings, Oneworld and Star Alliance, promoting itself as the best choice for all travelers. And, even if you turn away from their ads, chances are they will figure in any of your travel plans. By the end of the year, Oneworld and Star Alliance will between them control more than 40% of the traffic in the sky. Some pundits predict that figure will be more like 75% in 10 years. But why, after years of often ferocious competition, have airlines decided to band together? Let’s just say the timing is mutually convenient. North American airlines, having exhausted all means of earning customer loyalty at home, have been looking for ways to reach out to foreign flyers. Asian carriers are still hurting from the region-wide economic downturn that began two years ago----just when some of the airlines were taking delivery of new aircraft. Alliances also allow carriers to cut costs and increase profits by pooling manpower resources on the ground (rather than each airline maintaining its own ground crew) and code-sharing----the practice of two partners selling tickets and operating only one aircraft. So alliances are terrific for airlines-----but are they good for the passenger? Absolutely, say the airlines: think of the lounges, the joint FFP ( frequent flyer program) benefits, the round-the-world fares, and the global service networks. Then there’s the promise of “seamless” travel: the ability to, say, travel from Singapore to Rome to New York to Rio de Janiero, all on one ticket, without having to wait hours for connections or worry about your bags. Sounds utopian? Peter Buecking, Cathay Pacific’s director of sales and marketing, thinks that seamless travel is still evolving. “It’s fair to say that these links are only in their infancy. The key to seamlessness rests in infrastructure and information sharing. We’re working on this.” Henry Ma, spokesperson for Star Alliance in Hong Kong, lists some of the other benefits for consumers: “Global travelers have an easier time making connections and planning their itineraries.” Ma claims alliances also assure passengers consistent service standards. Critics of alliances say the much-touted benefits to the consumer are mostly pie in the sky, that alliances are all about reducing costs for the airlines, rationalizing services and running joint marketing programs. Jeff Blyskal, associate editor of Consumer Reports magazine, says the promotional ballyhoo over alliances is much ado about nothing. “ I don’t see much of a gain for consumers: alliances are just a marketing gimmick. And as far as seamless travel goes, I’ll believe it when I see it. Most airlines can’t even get their own connections under control, let alone coordinate with another airline.” Blyskal believes alliances will ultimately result in decreased flight choices and increased costs for consumers. Instead of two airlines competing and each operating a flight on the same route at 70% capacity, the allied pair will share the route and run one full flight. Since fewer seats will be available, passengers will be obliged to pay more for ticket. The truth about alliances and their merits probably lies somewhere between the travel utopia presented by the players and the evil empires portrayed by their critics. And how much they affect you depends on what kind of traveler you are. Those who’ve already made the elite grade in the FFP of a major airline stand to benefit the most when it joins an alliance: then they enjoy the FFP perks and advantages on any and all of the member carriers. For example, if you’re a Marco Polo Club “gold ”member of Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles FFP, you will automatically be treated as a valuable customer by all members of Oneworld, of which Cathy Pacific is a member----even if you’ve never flown with them before. For those who haven’t made the top grade in any FFP, alliances might be a way of simplifying the earning of frequent flyer mile. For example, I belong to United Airline’s Mileage Plus and generally fly less than 25,000 miles a year. But I earn miles with every flight I take on Star Alliance member----All Nippon Airways and Thai Airways. If you fly less than I do, you might be smarter to stay out of the FFP game altogether. Hunt for bargains when booking flights and you might be able to save enough to take that extra trip anyway. The only real benefit infrequent flyers can draw from an alliance is an inexpensive round-the-world fare. The bottom line: for all the marketing hype, alliances aren’t all things to all people----but everybody can get some benefit out of them. 11. Which is the best word to describe air travelers’ reaction to airline alliances? A. Delight B. Indifference C. Objection D. Puzzlement 12. According to the passage, setting up airline alliances will chiefly benefit_____. A. North American airlines and their domestic travelers. B. North American airlines and their foreign counterparts. C. Asian airlines and their foreign travelers. D. Asian airlines and their domestic travelers. 13. Which of the following is NOT a perceived advantage of alliances? A. Baggage allowance B. Passenger Comfort C. Convenience D. Quality 14.One disadvantage of alliances foreseen by the critics is that air travel may be more expensive as a result of____. A. less convenience B. higher operation costs C. less competition D. more joint marketing 15 According to the passage, which of the following categories of travelers will gain most from airline alliances? A. Travelers who fly frequently economy class. B. Travelers who fly frequently business class. C. Travelers who fly occasionally during holidays. D. Travelers who fly economy class once in a while. Passage 4 Given the lack of fit between gifted students and their schools, it is not surprising that such students often have little good to say about their school experience. In one study of 400 adults who had achieved distinction in all areas of life, researchers found that three-fifths of these individuals either did badly in school or were unhappy in school. Few MacArthur Prize fellows, winners of the MacArthur Award for creative accomplishment, had good things to say about their precollegiate schooling if they had not been placed in advanced programs. Anecdotal reports support this. Pablo Picasso, Charles Darwin, Mark Twain, Oliver Goldsmith, and William Butler Yeats all disliked school. So did Winston Churchill, who almost failed out of Harrow, an elite British school. About Oliver Goldsmith, one of his teachers remarked, "Never was so dull a boy." Often these children realize that they know more than their teachers, and their teachers often feel that these children are arrogant, inattentive, or unmotivated. Some of these gifted people may have done poorly in school because their gifts were not scholastic. Maybe we can account for Picasso in this way. But most fared poorly in school not because they lacked ability but because they found school unchallenging and consequently lost interest. Yeats described the lack of fit between his mind and school: "Because I had found it difficult to attend to anything less interesting than my own thoughts, I was difficult to teach." As noted earlier, gifted children of all kinds tend to be strong-willed nonconformists. Nonconformity and stubbornness (and Yeats' level of arrogance and self-absorption) are likely to lead to Conflicts with teachers. When highly gifted students in any domain talk about what was important to the development of their abilities, they are far more likely to mention their families than their schools or teachers. A writing prodigy studied by David Feldman and Lynn Goldsmith was taught far more about writing by his journalist father than his English teacher. High-IQ children, in Australia studied by Miraca Gross had much more positive feelings about their families than their schools. About half of the mathematicians studied by Benjamin Bloom had little good to say about school. They all did well in school and took honors classes when available, and some skipped grades. 16. The main point the author is making about schools is that______ . A. they should enroll as many gifted students as possible B. they should organize their classes according to the students' ability C. they are often incapable of catering to the needs of talented students D. they should satisfy the needs of students from different family backgrounds 17. The author quotes the remarks of one of Oliver Goldsmith's teachers ________. A) to show how poor Oliver's performance was at school B) to illustrate the strong will of some gifted children C) to explain how dull students can also be successful D) to provide support for his argument 18. Pablo Picasso is listed among the many gifted children who_____ . A) could not cope with their studies at school successfully B) paid no attention to their teachers in class C) contradicted their teachers much too often D) behaved arrogantly and stubbornly in the presence of their teachers 19. Many gifted people attributed their success______ . A) less to their systematic education than to their talent B) mainly to parental help and their education at home C) both to school instruction and to their parents' coaching D) more to their parents' encouragement than to school training 20. The root cause of many gifted students having bad memories of their school years is that_____ . A) they were seldom praised by their teachers B) school courses failed to inspire or motivate them C) their nonconformity brought them a lot of trouble D) teachers were usually far stricter than their pare V Translation. (20 %) Directions: Here is a passage. You are required to translate the five underlined sentences. Write the answers on the answer sheet. Each mistake will account for a one-point loss of the total score. ①伊拉克接受了联合国安理会要求巴格达解除武装的决议(2分)。安理会在经过两个月的紧张谈判后(1分)于上周通过了这项决议(1分)。今天,在决议要求的最后期限只剩两天之前,萨达姆·侯赛因(Saddam Hussein)总统政府向安理会发了一封信,表示接受决议。外交人士称,这封信极其严厉地指责了共同促成决议的美英两国。信是伊拉克外交部长纳吉·萨布里写的,由伊拉克驻联合国大使穆罕默德·阿尔·杜里交给联合国秘书长克菲·安南。他告诉记者,伊拉克已经接受了决议中提出的联合国武器核查人员重返伊拉克的条款。②“我们准备好了在规定的时间内迎接核查人员(1分),我们渴望看到他们尽可能地在符合国际法的前提下履行自己的职责(2分)。这就是信的核心内容(1分)。”伊拉克大使说,信中同时还谈到了有关伊拉克不顾联合国的规定发展化学、生物及核武器的问题,这些问题是新决议的中心(1分)。 ③“我们在信中阐述了(1分)伊拉克从没有、将来也不会拥有(1分)任何大规模杀伤性武器(1分)。所以我们不担心核查人员重新回到这个国家(1分)。”为实施安理会的决议,联合国首席核查官员汉斯·布里克斯将于星期一带领一个先遣队抵达伊拉克,开始搭建通讯系统及实验室。④这些装置将被用来严格确定伊拉克拥有什么样的武器(2分),并销毁列入大规模杀伤性武器清单的所有物品(2分)。当今天被问及伊拉克外长发来的长达九页的信件时,⑤白宫发言人表示,总统对此不为所动(1分),联合国决议正是用来(1分)约束伊拉克以及伊拉克政权的(1分),萨达姆·侯赛因除接受决议外别无选择(1分)。