Section Ⅰ Listening Comprehension Directions: This section is designed to test your ability to understand spoken English. You will hear a selection of recorded materials and you must answer the questions that accompany them. There are three parts in this section, Part A, Part B and Part C. Remember, while you are doing the test, you should first put down your answers in your test booklet, NOT on the ANSWER SHEET. At the end of the listening comprehension section, you will have 5 minutes to transfer your answers from your test booklet onto ANSWER SHEET 1. If you have any questions, you may raise your hand NOW, as you will not be allowed to speak once the test has started. Now look at Part A in your test booklet.
Part A You will hear a talk about a different culture. As you listen, answer Questions 1-10 by circling TRUE or FALSE. You'll hear the talk ONLY ONCE. You now have 60 seconds to read Questions 1-10.
1. Though Paul is disabled, he managed to move around in the house.
对 错
B
[听力原文]1-10 Do It Yourself Magazine organizes a competition every summer to elect the "Handyman of the year". The winner of this year is Mr. Roy Miller, a Sheffield postman. A journalist and a photographer have come to his house. The journalist is interviewing Mr. Miller for an article in the magazine. W: Well, I'm very impressed by all the work you've done on your house, Mr. Miller. How long have you been working on it? M: I first became interested in Do-it-Yourself several years ago. You see, my son Paul is disabled. He's in a wheel-chair and I just had to make alterations to the house. I couldn't afford to pay workmen to do it. I had to learn to do it myself. W: Had you had any experience in this kind of work? Did you have any practical skills? M: No. I got a few books from the library but they didn't help very much. So I decided to go to evening classes so that I could learn basic carpentry and electrical wiring. W: What sort of changes did you make to the house? M: First of all, practical things to help Paul. You never really realize the problems handicapped people have until it attacks your own family. Most government buildings, for example, have steps up to the door. They don't plan buildings so that disabled people can get in and out. We used to live in a flat, and of course, it was totally unsuitable. Just imagine the problems a disabled person would have in your house. We needed a larger house with wide corridors so that Paul could get from one room to another. We didn't have much money and we had to buy this one. It's over ninety years old and it was in a very bad state of repair. W: Where did you begin? M: The electrical. I completely rewired the house so that Paul could reach all the switches. I had to lower the light switches and raise the power-points. I went on to do the whole house so that Paul could reach things and go where he needed. W: What else did you do? M: By the time I'd altered everything for Paul, do-it-yourself had become a hobby. I really enjoyed doing things with my hands. Look, I even installed smokealarms. W: What was the purpose of that? M: I was very worried about fire. You see, Paul can't move very fast. I fitted them so that we would have plenty of warning if there were a fire. I put in a complete burglar-alarm system. It took weeks. The front door opens automatically, and I'm going to put a device on Paul's wheelchair so that he'll be able to open and close it when he wants. W: What are you working on now? M: I've just finished the kitchen. I've designed it so that he can reach everything. Now I'm building an extension so that Paul will have a large room on the ground floor where he can work. W: There's a $10,000prize. How are you going to spend it? M: I am going to start my own business so that I can convert ordinary houses for disabled people. I think I've become an expert on the subject.
2. Mr Miller enjoys doing things with his own hands.
对 错
A
3. The front door to his home does not open automatically.
对 错
B
4. Mr Miller bought his house simply because the flat he used to live in was too expensive.
对 错
B
5. Government buildings often have special paths for those people handicapped.
对 错
B
6. Paul could reach all the switches because they were originally installed at the right height of him.
对 错
B
7. Do-it-Yourself has become one of Mr Miller's hobbies.
对 错
A
8. Mr Miller had known a lot about carpentry and electric before he was engaged in do-it-yourself.
对 错
B
9. Mr Miller did changes on the house only for fun.
对 错
B
10. Mr Miller will buy a new house with the money he has won.
对 错
B
Part B You will hear 3 conversations or talks and you must answer the questions by choosing A, B, C or D. You will hear the recording ONLY ONCE.
[听力原文]14-16 W: Did you know it was going to rain today? M: Absolutely not: This comes as a big shock to me, especially since the paper says mostly sunny. W: Well, I guess the paper must have meant mostly sunny somewhere else. But since we've come out this way, why don't we just move the blanket under that tree? M: That's a good idea. It looks like it's still dry there. As long as it doesn't start to come down any harder. W: You didn't happen to bring us a spare blanket, did you? Because this one is all wet now. M: No. But I do have some folding stools in the car. Will they do? W: They'll be just fine. I'm really hungry. So while you're there, how about bringing out the food? M: I thought you were bringing the food. W: This is unbelievable. If I weren't so hungry, this would be really funny. So what now? M: What's the name of the restaurant which you like so much?
2. How does the man feel about the rain?
A.Excited.
B.Confused.
C.Afraid.
D.Surprised.
A B C D
D
3. What will the speakers probably do next?
A.Go home.
B.Go to a restaurant.
C.Unpack the car.
D.Put a dry blanket under the tree.
A B C D
B
Questions 14~16 are based on the following conversation. You now have 15 seconds to read Questions 14~16.
4. According to the woman, what governs the clothes we wear?
A.A desire to express oneself and show one's wealth.
B.Individual taste and love for beauty.
C.Love for beauty and a desire to impress other people.
D.Individual taste and a desire to express oneself.
A B C D
D
[听力原文]14-16 M: So you really believe that clothes carry a kind of message for other people and that what we put on is in some way a reflection of what we feel? W: Oh yes, very much so. Now people are beginning to take seriously the idea of a kind of psychology of clothing, to believe that there is not just individual taste in our clothes but also a thinking behind what we wear which is trying to express something we may not even be aware of ourselves. M: But surely this has always been the case. We all dress up when we want to impress someone, such as for a job interview with a prospective employer; we then make an effort and put on something smart. W: True, but that's a conscious act. What I am talking about is more of a subconscious thing. Take for example the student who is away from home at college or university: if he tends to wrap himself up more than the others, this is because he is probably feeling homesick. Similarly, a general feeling of insecurity can sometimes take the form of overdressing in warmer clothes than necessary. M: Can you give any other examples? W: Yes. I think people who are sociable and outgoing tend to dress in an extrovert way, preferring brighter or more dazzling colors--yellows, bright reds, and so on. In the same way, what might be seen as a parallel with the animal kingdom, aggressive clothes might indicate an aggressive personality or attitude to life. Think about the throat displays used by animals when they want to warn off opponents. M: Do you think the care--or lack of it--over the way we actually wear our clothes has anything to tell us? W: Yes, indeed. The length, for example, of a man's trousers speaks volumes about his awareness of his own image. Or, if his trousers are too short or hanging loosely, this probably means he's absorbed by other things.
5. Judging by the extraordinarily warm clothes some people wear, what might we learn about them?
A.They may be homesick and feel insecure.
B.They are either cold or very sick.
C.They may try to attract other people's attention.
D.They want to protect themselves from physical injuries.
A B C D
A
6. What is the relationship between the man and the woman in the dialogue?
7. The speaker believes that bombing of Chinese Embassy resulted from ______.
A.a deliberate strike
B.a clerking error
C.a missed strike
D.wrong information
A B C D
A
[听力原文]14-16 When the Chinese Embassy was struck, NATO claimed it was a mistake and that they thought it was some kind of defense procurement agency. I asked General Clarke about this, and I have absolutely no reason to disbelieve him on this point, he says when that was selected as a target it was selected in the belief that it was this defense procurement agency. But when I pressed him on it, what was clear was that we have to take the CIA's word for it, we have to take the CIA's word that that is actually what they genuinely thought it was. A lot of people have said to me, "look, can you honestly believe that the last CIA station chief in Belgrade did not know the address of the Chinese Embassy"? I can't believe that, because I think it's quite clear that American diplomats would have gone to cocktail parties in that building. The CIA however say there was a clerking error, they have produced what they say is evidence to support the contention that is was a clerking error, so there's absolutely no evidence to refute or challenge the US's claim that this was an error. Having said that the lack of evidence isn't always conclusive evidence of the opposite case so to speak. The RTS building was hit well into the war, it wasn't a mistake it was struck deliberately. I think it didn't do NATO any good. It didn't advance the cause of the war a bit because six hours later by the time Belgrade woke up in the morning RTS was triumphantly back on the air reading the same news bulletin and playing the same interview with Milosevic that had been taken off the air. The only difference was fifteen or sixteen perfectly innocent people, civilians, security guards and technicians lost their lives as a result of that strike.
8. What was the attitude of public on the NATO's claim?
A.Disbelief.
B.Surprise.
C.Anger.
D.Sympath.
A B C D
A
9. What did the speaker think the strike would lead to?
1. How many planets are there in the solar system revolving around the sun?
Nine
[听力原文]21-30 Earth is one of nine planets which revolve(绕转) around the sun. This family of planets, with their moons, is known as the solar system. Since we live on Earth, we think it is the most important planet. But the other planets are also interesting. Some are smaller than Earth, some larger; some are hotter, some colder. Each one is different from all the others and has something special about it. No one knows for certain how the solar system began. We do know a lot about the planets, however, from the science of astronomy (天文学). Astronomers have done research on the planets and other objects in space for thousands of years. Astronomy is a very complicated science. We look at the other planets to study them, but the planet we are on is moving all the time. Computers have helped us in the past twenty or thirty years. The satellites we send into space to measure and take pictures also tell a lot about the planets and help us to understand them. Mercury(水星) is the closest planet to the sun. It is also the smallest and fastest planet. The speed of the planet gave it its name: Mercury was the rapid messenger of the Roman gods. Mercury completes its orbit around the sun in only 88 days, while Earth's orbit takes 365 1/4 days. A day on Mercury, however, is much longer than a day on Earth, Earth rotates on it axis once every 24 hours. Mercury rotates on its axis once every 59 days. Venus(金星) is the second planet in distance from the sun. It is about the same size as Earth, and it comes closer to Earth than any other planet. Next to the sun and the moon, Venus is the easiest object in the sky to see. People of ancient times loved its brightness and beauty so much that they named it after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Venus revolves around the sun once every 225 days and rotates on its axis once every 224 days. Information from telescopes and satellites shows us that the planet is very hot. The temperature is usually between 300 and 675 degrees Celsius. We can observe both Venus and Mercury either in the evening or early in the morning just before the sun rises. Mars (火星) is called the red planet because of its definite (明确的) red—orange color. It is the fourth farthest planet from the sun. A day on Mars is only about 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth, but a year lasts 687 days. The planet was named after the Roman god of war. For many years, people believed that there was life on Mars, but we now know that there probably isn't. The Mariner space program sent many satellites to Mars. We have excellent photos and information on this neighbor planet, and nothing suggests that there is any life there. The fifth planet from the sun is also the largest of all the planets ,Jupiter(木星). Jupiter revolves around the sun once every 12 years, yet its day is amazingly (惊人的)short. Its rotation, or its day, is only about 10 hours long. This is the fastest rotation—the shortest day—of any of the planets. The planet's name is appropriate, since Jupiter was the largest Roman god—the king of all the other gods. If you can imagine Jupiter as a hollow ball, all of the other planets would fit inside and there would still be a lot of room left. Jupiter has fourteen moons, the largest number of any planet.
2. Which planet do people think is the most important one?
The Earth
3. From which field of science do we learn a lot about the planets?
Astronomy
4. How long have astronomers studied the planets and other objects in space?
Thousands of years
5. What kind of new technology helped us a lot to study the planets?
Computers and satellites
6. Which planet is the closest planet to the sun? Mercury, Mars, Venus or Jupiter?
Mercury
7. How long does it take Mercury to complete its orbit around the sun?
88 days
8. How long does it take the Earth to rotate on its own axis once?
24 hours
9. Which planet is the easiest for people to see in the sky? Earth, Mercury, Venus or Jupiter?
Venus
10. Which is the largest one of all the planets?
Jupiter
Section Ⅱ Use of English Read the following text and fill each of the numbered space with ONE suitable word. Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET 1. One of the most important social developments 1 helped to make possible a shift in thinking about the role of public education was the effect of the 2 boom of the 1950's and 1960's on the schools. In the 1920's, but 3 in the Depression conditions of the 1930's, the United States experienced a declining birthrate—every thousand women aged fifteen 4 forty-four gave birth to about 118 live children in 1920, 89. 2 in 1930, 75.8 in 1936, and 80 in 1940. 5 the growing prosperity brought on by the Second World War and the economic boom that 6 it, young people married and established households earlier and began to 7 larger families than had their predecessors during the Depression. Birth 8 rose to 102 per thousand in 1946, 106.2 in 1950, and 118 in 1955. Although economics was probably the most important determinant, it is not the only explanation for the baby boom. The increased value placed 9 the idea of the family also helps to explain this rise in birth rates. The baby boomers began streaming into the first grade by the mid-1940's and became a flood 10 1950. The public school system suddenly found itself overtaxed. While the number of schoolchildren 11 because of wartime and postwar conditions, these same conditions made the schools even less prepared to cope 12 the flood. The wartime economy meant that few new schools were built 13 1940 and 1945. Moreover, during the war and in the boom times that followed, large 14 of teachers left their profession for better-paying jobs elsewhere in the economy. Therefore, in the 1950's and 1960's, the baby boom hit an antiquated and inadequate school system. Consequently, the "custodial rhetoric" of the 1930's and early 1940's no longer made 15 ; that is, keeping youths aged sixteen and older out 16 the labor market by keeping them in school could no 17 be a high priority for an institution unable 18 find space and staff to teach younger children aged five to sixteen. With the baby boom, the focus of educators and of laymen interested in education inevitably turned toward the lower grades and back to basic academic skills 19 discipline. The 20 no longer had much interest in offering nontraditional, new, and extra services to older youths.
1.
that
2.
With
3.
on
4.
between
5.
longer
6.
baby
7.
followed
8.
by
9.
numbers
10.
to
11.
especially
12.
raise
13.
rose
14.
sense
15.
and
16.
to
17.
rates
18.
with
19.
of
20.
system
Section Ⅲ Reading Comprehension
Part A Read the following texts and answer the questions which accompany them by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.
Text 1 Present-day philosophers usually envision their discipline as an endeavor that has been, since antiquity, distinct from and superior to any particular intellectual discipline, such as theology or science. Such philosophical concerns as the mind-body problem or, more generally, the nature of human knowledge, they believe, are basic human questions whose tentative philosophical solutions have served as the necessary foundations on which all other intellectual speculation has rested. The basis for this view, however, lies in a serious misinterpretation of the past, a projection of modern concerns onto past events. The idea of an autonomous discipline called "philosophy", distinct from and sitting in judgement on such pursuits as theology and science turns out, on close examination, to be of quite recent origin. When, in the seventeenth century, Descartes and Hobbes rejected medieval philosophy, they did not think of themselves, as modern philosophers do, as proposing a new and better philosophy, but rather as furthering "the warfare between science and theology". They were fighting, albeit discreetly, to open the intellectual world to the new science and to liberate intellectual life from ecclesiastical philosophy, and envisioned their work as contributing to the growth, not of philosophy, but of research in mathematics and physics. This link between philosophical interests and scientific practice persisted until the nineteenth century, when decline in ecclesiastical power over scholarship and changes in the nature of science provoked the final-separation of philosophy from both. The demarcation of philosophy from science was facilitated by the development in the early nineteenth century of a new notion, that philosophy's core interest should be epistemology, the general explanation of what it means to know something. Modern philosophers now trace that notion back at least to Descartes and Spinoza, but it was not explicitly articulated until the late eighteenth century, by Kant, and did not become built into the structure of academic institutions and the standard self-descriptions of philosophy professors until the late nineteenth century. Without the idea of epistemology, the survival of philosophy in an age of modern science is hard to imagine. Metaphysics philosophy's traditional core — considered as the most general description of how the heavens and the earth are put together — had been rendered almost completely meaningless by the spectacular progress of physics. Kant, however, by focusing philosophy on the problem of knowledge, managed to replace metaphysics with epistemology, and thus to transform the notion of philosophy as "queen of sciences" into the new notion of philosophy as a separate, foundational discipline. Philosophy became "primary" no longer in the sense of "highest" but in the sense of "underlying". After Kant, philosophers were able to reinterpret seventeenth and eighteenth century thinkers as attempting to discover "How is our knowledge possible?" and to project this question back even on the ancients.
1. Which of the following best expresses the author's main point?
A.Philosophy's overriding interest in basic human question is a legacy primarily of the work of Kant.
B.Philosophy was deeply involved in the seventeenth-century warfare between science and religion.
C.The set of problems of primary importance to philosophers has remained relatively constant since antiquity.
D.The status of philosophy as an independent intellectual pursuit is a relatively recent development.
A B C D
D
2. According to the passage, present-day philosophers believe that the mind-body problem is an issue that ______ .
A.has implications primarily for philosophers
B.may be affected by recent advances in science
C.has little relevance to present-day philosophy
D.has Served as a basis for intellectual speculation since antiquity
A B C D
D
3. According to the author, philosophy became distinct from science and theology during the ______ .
A.ancient period
B.medieval period
C.seventeenth century
D.nineteenth century
A B C D
D
4. Which of the following does the author of the passage imply in discussing the development of philosophy during the nineteenth century?
A.Nineteenth century philospohy took science as its model for understanding the bases of knowledge.
B.The role of academic institutions in shaping metaphysical philosophy grew enormously during the nineteenth century.
C.Nineteenth century philosophers carried out a program of investigation explicitly laid out by Descartes and Spinoza.
D.Kan had an overwhelming impact on the direction of nineteenth century philosophy.
A B C D
D
5. The primary function of the passage as a whole is to ______ .
A.compare two competing models
B.analyze a difficult theory
C.present new evidence for a theory
D.correct an erroneous belief by describing its origins
A B C D
D
Text 2 For Immanuel Kant. the Enlightenment could be captured in two small words: sapere aude "dare to think". When 3.500 individuals professionally devoted to this proposition are gathered under one roof, as happened at the 20th World Congress of Philosophy in Boston this week. the effect may be more of Babel than of 18th-gentury discourse. Modern philosophy speaks a bewildering variety of languages, from analytic logic to existentialism, poststructuralism, semiotics and the wilder shores of ecofeminism, and there is a fair degree of apartheid between its practitioners. Hence the temptation to view the discipline as too rarefied and "academic" for mere mortals. Britons are notoriously wary of theory; the national prejudice is well captured by Kipling's "If you can think and not make thoughts your master ..." Isaiah Berlin captured British hearts with his tongue-in-cheek remark that he had turned to political thought because "philosophy can only be done by very clever people". This is one of the few European countries where almost no school teaches philosophy. Yet in this age of uncertainty, when today's vocational training may be tomorrow's passport to redundancy, "dare to think" should be the motto pinned on the wall of every undergraduate room and recruitment agency. Philosophy is making a modest comeback in British universities, and not before time. The great virtue of philosophy is that it teaches not what to think, but how to think. It is the study of meaning, of the principles underlying conduct, thought and knowledge. The skills it hones are the ability to analyse, to question orthodoxies and to express things clearly. However arcane some philosophical texts may be—and not everybody can come to grips with the demands of Austrian logical positivism—the ability to formulate questions and follow arguments is the essence of education. It can also be studied at many levels. In the US, where the number of philosophy graduates has increased by 5 per cent a year during the 1990s, only a very few go on to become philosophers. Their employability, at 98.9 per cent, is impressive by any standard. Philosophy has always been a good training for the law; but it is equally useful for computer scientists. In this country, the Higher Education Statistics Survey puts philosophy of science right up with medicine in its employment record for graduates. Philosophy is, in commercial jargon, the ultimate "transferable work skill". That is not the only argument for expanding philosophy departments and encouraging sixth-formers to read Plato, or John Stuart Mill on liberty. Chris Woodhead, the Chief Inspector of Schools, has cautioned against an obsession with the narrowly vocational. Lecturing the Confederation of British Industry on the "sly utilitarianism" of employers, he defends a liberal education as needing "no justification beyond the satisfaction and enjoyment that it brings". Teenagers waiting for their A level results and pondering degree courses should consider philosophy. It is rewarding in itself; and it could nowadays be the passport to a successful, varied career.
1. What is implied by the Babel effect in the first paragraph?
A.There are more philosophers now than before.
B.Modern philosophers speak different languages.
C.Modern philosophy is highly subdivided.
D.There is less interaction among modern philosophers.
A B C D
C
2. What do the quotes of Kipling and Isaiah Berlin in paragraph 2 show?
A.British people have prejudice against philosophy.
B.Philosophy Used to be regarded too difficult for people.
C.Politics is easier to master than philosophy.
D.People will be enslaved by philosophical thoughts.
A B C D
B
3. Why is philosophy of vital significance to education?
A.Because it offers fundamental values to education.
B.Because it trains creativity by advocating sapere aude.
C.Because its arcane texts are beneficial to students.
D.Because philosophy graduates can find better jobs.
A B C D
B
4. What do the statistics of US philosophy graduates illustrate?
A.Philosophy is good for every discipline in university.
B.Fewer people choose to become philosophers.
C.Philosophy graduates can adapt to various jobs.
D.Philosopher and doctor are two ideal jobs for graduates.
A B C D
C
5. Which of the following statements does NOT express Chris Woodhead's opinion?
A.Sixth formers should be encouraged to study philosophy.
B.Philosophy is essential to multi-level education.
C.Current education is too pragmatic.
D.It is unnecessary to justify liberal education.
A B C D
D
Text 3 World leaders met recently at United Nations headquarters in New York City to discuss the environmental issues raised at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The heads of state were supposed to decide what further steps should be taken to halt the decline of Earth's life-support systems. In fact, this meeting had much the flavour of the original Earth Summit. To wit: empty promises, hollow rhetoric, bickering between rich and poor, and irrelevant initiatives. Think U.S. Congress in slow motion. Almost obscured by this torpor is the fact that there has been some remarkable progress over the past five years—real changes in the attitude of ordinary people in the Third World toward family size and a dawning realisation that environmental degradation and their own well-being are intimately, and inversely, linked. Almost none of this, however, has anything to do with what the bureaucrats accomplished in Rio. Or it didn't accomplish. One item on the agenda at Rio, for example, was a renewed effort to save tropical forests. (A previous UN-sponsored initiative had fallen apart when it became clear that it actually hastened deforestation.) After Rio, a UN working group came up with more than 100 recommendations that have so far gone nowhere. One proposed forestry pact would do little more than immunizing wood-exporting nations against trade sanctions. An effort to draft an agreement on what to do about the climate changes caused by CO2 and other greenhouse gases has fared even worse. Blocked by the Bush Administration from setting mandatory limits, the UN in 1992 called on nations to voluntarily reduce emissions to 1990 levels. Several years later, it's as if Rio had never happened. A new climate treaty is scheduled to be signed this December in Kyoto, Japan, but governments still cannot agree on these limits. Meanwhile, the U.S. produces 7% more CO2 than it did in 1990, and emissions in the developing world have risen even more sharply. No one would confuse the "Rio process" with progress. While governments have dithered at a pace that could make drifting continents impatient, people have acted. Birth-rates are dropping faster than expected, not because of Rio but because poor people are deciding on their own to reduce family size. Another positive development has been a growing environmental consciousness among the poor. From slum dwellers in Karachi, Pakistan, to colonists in Rondonia, Brazil, urban poor and rural peasants alike seem to realize that they pay the biggest price for pollution and deforestation. There is cause for hope as well in the growing recognition among business people that it is net in their long-term interest to fight environmental reforms. John Browne, chief executive of British Petroleum, boldly asserted in a major speech in May that the threat of climate change could no longer be ignored.
1. The writer's general attitude towards the world leaders meeting at the UN is
A.supportive.
B.impartial.
C.critical.
D.comedic.
A B C D
C
2. What does the author say about the ordinary people in the Third World countries?
A.They are beginning to realize the importance of environmental protection.
B.They believe that many children are necessary for prosperity.
C.They are reluctant to accept advice from the government.
D.They think that earning a living is more important than nature conservation.
A B C D
A
3. What did the UN call on nations to do about CO2 and other greenhouse gases in 1992?
A.To sign a new climate treaty at Rio.
B.To draft an agreement among UN nations.
C.To force the United Sates to reduce its emissions.
D.To Limit the release of CO2 and other gases.
A B C D
D
4. The word "deforestation" in paragraph 3 means
A.forest damage caused by pollution.
B.moving population from forest to cities.
C.the threat of climate change.
D.cutting large areas of trees.
A B C D
D
5. Which of the following best summarizes the text?
A.As the UN hesitates, the poor take action.
B.Progress in environmental protection has been made since the Rio Summit.
C.Climate changes can no longer be neglected.
D.The decline of earth's life-support systems has been halted.
A B C D
A
Part B
Does Internet disseminate knowledge and wisdom? A new buzzword has entered the development lexicon: "knowledge society"-- the information age is the age of knowledge, we are told. There is a danger that the wisdom of the ages is now going to be another piece of jargon. And like all the extinct buzzwords that preceded it, "knowledge" will end up on that dusty shelf where all past development cliches are stored. 65.__________ Second, the knowledge hype may tempt us to regard only formal modern knowledge systems as worthy of attention. Mainstream economics tends to regard knowledge of the seasons, the different uses of roots and fruits, and evolved traditional wisdom as dispensable. Ironically, the so-called "information poor" may be sitting on a gold mine of information stored in the DNA of the plants they use daily. Knowledge is not new--we have known it for millenni
a. We have also known that wisdom only comes about when knowledge is assimilated, internalized, when it changes existing behaviour patterns and makes things better. The wisdom of a monk meditating on a mountaintop is not of much use because no one knows what is in his head. The knowledge to build a nuclear warhead is not wisdom, because atomic bombs fail an important test: they do not make the world a better place. 66.__________ The latest scientific information on tuberculosis is all over the Internet: how to prevent it, which therapies work, the antibiotics; that bacilli have become resistant to. But this information needs to get where it is needed as cheaply as possible, t needs to be relevant to the needs of the people it is meant for, and it must be packaged so that it is easily understood. To be useful, information must help people communicate, participate and allow them and their rulers to make informed choices. Recognition of the power of knowledge may be as old as civilization, but what is different now is the speed and capacity to move that information. At present, this speed and capacity are concentrated in the same countries in which wealth and power are concentrated. And the gap between them and the rest shows signs of widening. 67.__________ Alongside knowledge, another buzzword is "leapfrogging," bypassing obsolete and expensive copper cable for digital wireless signals, and using the Internet for distance learning and e-commerce. 68.__________ Knowledge, like technology, is not valuefree. This era may well herald "the end of geography, "but for whom? Useful questions to ask about the knowledge revolution: Whose knowledge? Who produces, controls and owns the information content of knowledge? Who benefits? Will the knowledge improve people's lives? 69.__________ The hype surrounding the .Internet and the merging of computing with communications leads many to believe that this is a real revolution in the way human beings think and live. But the corporate political structures that govern the knowledge revolution are the same ones that governed the industrial revolution. And the main impact of e-commerce is felt in good old-fashioned consumerism, allowing access to digital mailorder catalogues with on-line payment and global home delivery.A. One in every three Americans uses the Internet, only one in every 10 000 people in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh does, India's "teledensity" is 1.5 in every 100 people and narrow bandwidth in most places does not allow Internet use; only 13 per cent of Nepal's population has access to electricity; and Sri Lanka has 3.3 personal computers for every 1 000 people compared to 400 per 1 000 in Switzerland.B. Cuban President Fidel Castro boiled it down to the bottom line when he asked delegates at a UNESCO conference in Havana last July: "If only 2 per cent of Latin America has the Net, we must invent something else…If peasants cannot read or write, how can we reach them?C. There is a similar lesson for the information age: the Internet does not necessarily spread knowledge. And even if it does distribute information widely and cheaply, what results is not necessarily greater wisdom.D. Take education for an example. How is the Internet going to help us leapfrog in education if we have made such a mess of our existing school systems? Before sticking a computer into a school, how about building a roof over it? Why aren't there girls in the classrooms? Why are the children dropping out after one year? Where is the electrcity, the telephone line, the textbooks?E. Blaming underdevelopment on lack of knowledge has two other dangers. It may make us overlook the fundamental economic factors that keep the poor, widening disparities between and within nations.F. But developing countries that have squandered the potential of radio for knowledge dissemination have no right to go on about leapfrogging into the knowledge society. South Asia's born-again digerati may scoff at unglamorous AM radio, but the fact remains that no other medium today comes close to matching its reach, accessibility and affordability
1.
E
2.
C
3.
A
4.
F
5.
D
Part C
The schools in Britain In recent years the educational system for England and Wales(Scotland has its own system)has been re-organised. In 1972, the school-leaving age was raised from fifteen to sixteen, so now all children have a minimum of eleven years compulsory full-time education. Children begin their education in the State system at the age of five; some lucky ones may have the opportunity to attend one of the few Nursery Schools from the age of three to five, but most children start their basic education in an Infants' or First School. At seven or eight they move on to the next stage. A few years ago the most commonly found arrangement of schools in any district was that of Primary Schools (including Infants) for children up to the age of eleven, and then Secondary Schools for children over eleven. Nowadays there are a number of different systems in operation; some areas still retain the Primary Schools with the change-over to secondary education at eleven, but many Local Education Authorities(which are autonomous bodies)have created Middle Schools for children aged eight to twelve and these pupils transfer to Comprehensive Secondary Schools when they are nearly thirteen. These Comprehensive Schools take children of all abilities from the neighbourhood, and as well as a general education, these schools offer a wide range of academic courses leading to the public examinations taken at sixteen, and some handicraft and vocationally orientated courses. There are very few local education areas where children are still selected for secondary education by means of an examination (which was known as the 'eleven plus'), and almost all of the former ' Grammar Schools' have been absorbed into the Comprehensive Schools. Some of the older Grammar Schools, however, have withdrawn from the State system and have become private schools, charging fees and choosing their pupils by entrance examinations. This independent sector of education (which includes the well known 'Public schools' as well as other privately endowed schools) provides for the education of about six per cent of the school population. Any child may leave school at sixteen without attempting any of the public examinations, but an increasing number of boys and girls are taking the Certificate of Secondary Education examinations or the General Certificate of Education. Both the CSE and the GCE are 'public' examinations conducted by examining Boards and standardised to give national comparability. The GCE is intended for pupils of an academic bias and(theoretically) any number of subjects may be taken. The CSE, like the GCE, has a subject range covering all of those likely to be taught in school. It is, however, designed for those pupils who are less academically able. A pupil may take GCE in some subjects and CSE in others. A large proportion of the children taking a group of subjects at 'O' Level(an abbreviation used for the General Certificate of Education at Ordinary Level) will probably continue in full-time education and work for the GCE Advanced Level examinations. This they can do by staying on in the sixth from of their school, or by enrolling at a Sixth Form College or a College of Further Eeducation. For those who want to go on into higher education the Advanced Level GCE examination is very important, for it is on the results of this examination that the universities and polytechnics choose their students. Schools in Australia Constitutional authority for education ties primarily with State Governments. The Australian Government is responsible, however, for public education in the Australia Territories. In recent years it has accepted increased financial responsibility for education in Australia as a whole, and introduced measures aimed at improving its quality. School attendance is compulsory between the ages of six and 15 years in all states except Tasmania, where the leaving age is 16. Most children obtain their education in government schools where tuition is free at primary and secondary levels. There are also non-government primary and secondary schools, the majority conducted by religious denominations. Pre-school Centers: There are pre-school centers in all states and territories. Many are supervised by government subsidised Kindergarten Unions or Associations and rely to a greater or lesser extent on parental assistance, fees and other local support for maintenance. Primary and Secondary Schools: Primary schools provide basic education for children up to 12 or 13. Teachers have some freedom to modify the programme to suit local circumstances. Progression from primary to a nearby secondary school is usually automatic. Allocation to particular courses is based on the recommendations of the headmaster, on ability and achievement texts, and parents' wishes. Secondary students take up new studies, such as foreign languages, and technical and commerical subjects, and move on to more specialized studies in natural and social sciences and mathematics. The study of basic subjects begun in primary school is continued. Actual subjects studied depend on the ability of the pupil and, in some states, the type of school. There is a trend towards general studies in the early years of high school. The most common type of secondary school is the comprehensive or multi-purpose high school which offers a wide range of subjects. To cater for this diversity of subjects, most high schools now have modern facilities for teaching domestic science, commercial subjects, woodwork, and other technical subjects. In some states there are separate high schools, some specializing in technical, agricultural, commercial, or home science subjects. Some of the agricultural high schools are residential. The curriculum consists of general educational subjects and practical training. All states have systems of subsidies to give school transport free or at a concession rate. For children living too far from a secondary school to allow daily travel, some States run hostels or give money to privately-owned residentials. States also pay boarding allowances to the holders of bursaries or scholarships. State Departments of Health administer school medical and dental services, and school children's accident insurance schemes operate in all states through State Government or private insurance companies. Schools in Japan For many Japanese children, school is literally sickening. Some children do not like school. So what else is new? But in Japan, that familiar aversion has reached alarming proportions. About 50 000 unhappy youngsters a year (out of a total school-age population of 20 million) come down with what Japanese behavioral experts call school phobia. First noticed in 1960, the trouble strikes youngsters four to 18 years old and accounts for 47% of all cases of child and adolescent mental disturbance treated in Japan. School phobia is distinguished from other common childhood and adolescent psychological and emotional disorders by the patient's reaction to, and fear of, the idea of going to school. Typically, it begins with fever, sweating, migraine headaches and diarrhea; it often progresses to complete physical inertia, depression, even autism. A doctor on a house call found a 13-year-old Tokyo boy who had not been to school in more than a year. He lived in a darkened room, receiving his food through a slot under the door and lashing out violently at his parents if they came too close. Once the boy was placed in a psychiatric ward for treatment, he again became an open, seemingly healthy youngster. When he has been sent home, however, his symptoms returned, and he was never able to go back to school. A young suburban Tokyo mother, exasperated by the phobic behavior of her junior-highschool-age son, strangled the boy. A mother in Chigasaki killed her fifth-grade child, then took her own life. School phobia can be cured, usually with tranquilizers and psychotherapy. Rehabilitation takes about two years. Yet victims who wind up in clinics or mental wards often prefer to stay there. "Many are relieved and relaxed to be in the hospital," says Dr. Takeshi Fujiwara, 57, head of Tokyo's Umegaoka Municipal Hospital, where 40 school-phobic patients live. "Sometimes the patient is released and goes home, only to exhibit the same symptoms as before, and is glad to get away from his parents and come back." The 20 boys and 20 girls in Umegaoka's wards represent various cases, children for whom a new, protective environment away from both home and school is essential. Their day is filled with activities like knitting, painting , music, free time and sports. Nurses, who outnumber the students 2 to 1, try to create a familiar environment in which the children can feel that they are taking a certain amount of responsibility for their lives and can find some sense of self-worth. Psychiatrists and counselors meet with the children once a week to talk about their problems and feelings. The discussions are quiet, often painful. Explains Dr. Fujiwara: "The purpose is to allow them to see themselves as third persons, away from all the usual influences and pressures." The children also attend school in the hospital. When they are considered well enough, they begin commuting to an outside school nearby, returning to their wards to eat and sleep. Most eventually go back to their families. The causes of school phobia are not precisely known. In a few severe cases, brain disorders have been diagnosed. A more common factor may be the stereotypically overprotective Japanese mother who, some psychiatrists say, leaves her children ill-prepared to face the real world. Many researchers point to the unrelenting pressures for success faced by both children and adults in Japan, where stress-related disorders of all sorts are common. In addition, the Japanese educational system is one of the world's most rigid, suppressing a child's individual creative and analytical development in favor of obedience and rote memorization. Says Dr. Hitoshi Ishikawa, head of the department of psychosomatic medicine at Tokyo University : "The problem won't be cured until Japanese society as a whole is cured of its deep-seated social ills." A=The schools in Britain B=The schools in Australia C=The schools in Japan Which schools... Are places where children take a group of subjects at 'O' level 70.______ Are the world's most rigid and suppressing ones 71.______ Are given free transport 72.______ Allow children to leave schools at sixteen without attempting any of the public examination 73.______ Are places where teachers have some right to change the program to suit local circumstances 74.______ Are completely sickening for children 75.______ Are places where children attend in the hospital 76.______ Are places where school attendance is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 15 years in all states except one 77.______ Are places where the GRE is intended for pupils of an academic bias and any number of subjects may be taken 78.______ Offer some handicraft and vocationally orientated courses 79.______
1.
A
2.
C
3.
B
4.
A
5.
B
6.
C
7.
C
8.
B
9.
A
10.
A
Section Ⅳ Writing
1. It is generally acknowledged that families are now not as close as they used to be. Give possible reasons and your commendations. You should write no less than 250 words.
There is much discussion nowadays as to whether or not the relationship between family members is as close as before. Diverse contributing factors can be identified. In the following, I would like to present my point of view. Great changes have taken place in family life along with the development of society. One of them is that the once-extended family tends to be come smaller and smaller. Many children have to leave their parents at all early age to study or work elsewhere. As time passes.children become emotionally estranged from their parents. Compared with the past, social competition is becoming increasingly fierce. People are urged to concentrate theft efforts upon work, so that they can achieve Success, or at least a good standard of living. As a result, they can't afford to spend their leisure hours with their families. The importance of bonds of kinship is gradually fading from their minds. In addition, the availability of various kinds of recreational facilities also diverts people from enjoying chats with the members of their families. Their free time is mostly occupied by watching TV. surfing the Internet or playing video games. They come to lose interest in communicating with the other members of their families. In view of such alienation within families, urgent steps must be taken, in my opinion. For members if families who live away from one another, regular contact on the phone can bring them the care that they need. Family reunions on holidays or other important occasions can make a difference as well. For those living together, it is a good idea to take some time off work or recreation periods to spend more time with each other. In the final analysis, a close family relationship Can surely be maintained as long as we realize the significant role it plays in Our lives and attach importance to it.