PART Ⅰ DICTATION1. Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be read at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third readings, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The last reading will be read at normal speed again and during this time you should check your work. You will then be given 2 minutes to check through your work once more.
Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET ONE.
[听力原文]
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day is one of the most truly American holidays in the United States and is most closely connected with the earliest history of the country.
In 1620, the settlers, or Pilgrims, sailed to America on the May Flower, seeking a place where they could have freedom of worship. After a two-month tempestuous voyage they landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts in the icy November.
During their first winter, over half of the settlers died of starvation or epidemics. Those who survived began sowing in the first spring.
All summer long they waited for the harvests with great anxiety, knowing that their lives and the future existence of the colony depended on the coming harvest. Finally the fields produced a rich yield beyond expectations. And there-fore it was decided that a day of thanksgiving to the Lord be fixed. Years later, a President of the United States proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day every year. The celebration of Thanksgiving Day has been observed on that date until today.
SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST In this section, you will hear several news items. Listen to them carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Questions 21 to 22 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to the news. Now, listen to the news. PART Ⅳ GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY There are thirty sentences in this section. Beneath each sentence there are four words or phrases marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. Choose one word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
Mark your answers on your ANSWER SHEET. SECTION A COMPOSITION When people form opinions about someone or something, what affects them most is not substance but style. Is style more important than substance? Write a composition on this issue.
1.
Write on ANSWER SHEET TWO a composition of about 200 words on the following topic: Celebrating Western Festivals: a Plus or a Minus? You are to write in three parts.
In the first part, state specifically what your opinion is. In the second part, support your opinion with appropriate details.
In the last part, bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or a summary.
You should supply an appropriate title for your composition.
Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the instructions may result in a loss of marks.
Celebrating Western Festivals:a Plus or a Minus?
Now in China,western festivals are becoming more and more popular.This has aroused great controversy.Some believe it is blind worship of western things and it can undermine our traditional culture.While to me,celebrating western festivals brings US more benefits than harm.
To begin with,in this competitive world,people face more pressure from study and work. They celebrate all festivals,Chinese and western,just for fun and relaxation.Apart from Chinese festivals,western festivals provide people more occasions to throw a party,to arrange a date,to exchange gifts,and to express affection to their beloved.Secondly,people shop for gifts and go out for parties to celebrate western festivals.It can boost the SO called holiday economy and bring economic benefits to China's domestic market.Last but not least,celebrating western festivals does not mean that Chinese people neglect to cherish our traditional festivals.Actually,both Chinese and western festivals emphasize family reunion,food and entertainment.Nowadays,Chinese people are borrowing ways like gift-giving to celebrate our traditional festivals,in a way enriching our own festivals.
Nobody can deny the world is becoming smaller.Therefore,it is impossible for US to refuse and get away from all things that are foreign.It's wiser to celebrate western festivals discriminately and to make Chinese traditional festivals more enchanting to young holiday makers.
[题目类型与写作要素分析]
这篇作文是一篇选择型的论说文。该篇要求中提出了问题:越来越多的中国人庆祝西方节日,有人支持,有人反对,你的看法是什么?面对这样的选择型题目,最重要的是要支持其中一个观点,切忌两方兼顾,没有自己的中心观点。
作者在首段提出庆祝西方节日,利大于弊。接着在第二段论述中,作者使用了三个论据:一是西方节日为压力中的人们提供了放松的机会;二是庆祝西方节日刺激了假日经济和国内市场;第三个论据采用了反论的方法,通过反驳对方的观点来加强自己的观点:即庆祝西方节日并不代表我们就忽略了中国传统节日。
在结尾处,作者对整篇进行了总结:世界变小了,一味拒绝国外的东西是不可能的。与其任由其发展,不如有选择地庆祝西方的节日,同时增强中国传统节日对年轻人的吸引力。全文论点鲜明、论据充分、论证详实,结尾有效地呼应了前文,为整篇做了 很好的总结。