Test Three 091210

北京交通大学2009-2010学年第一学期大学英语II测验三(December 10, 2009)班级________ 姓名_________ 学号___________ 序号___Part One Fast Reading (15%)Directions: In this part, you will have to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on the Answer Sheet.·For questions 1-7, choose the best answer on the basis of the choices given;·For questions 8-10, please complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.English spelling is confusing and chaotic, as any student of English knows all too well. "How can the letters ough spell so many different sounding words," they ask, "like dough, bough, rough, and through?" And what about a word like colonel that clearly contains no r, yet pretends it does, and ache with its k sound, instead of the chuh sound of arch? And why does four have a u while forty doesn't? There are no simple rules for English spelling, but there is an explanation behind its complexity. We have only to look back in history.Over the centuries, the English language has been like a magnet, attracting words from numerous languages. It all started with the Britons, an ancient people living in a part of Western Europe that eventually became the British Isles. They spoke a language called Celtic, which was a combination of the early forms of Irish, Scottish, and Welsh. When the Britons were conquered by the Romans and later the Germanics tribes, their language was also invaded. The merging of the languages gave birth to Old English (an early form of the Modern English we know), and a Latin alphabet replaced, with a few exceptions, the ancient Germanic alphabet. In the ninth century, the conquering Norsemen from Scandinavia added their pinch of language spice, as did the French in the eleventh century.By the fourteenth century, English, with its mix of at least five languages, had developed into what is called Middle English and had become Britain's official language. At that time, however, its spellings were far from consistent (一致的) or rational. Many dialects (方言) had developed over the centuries and sometimes people adopted the spelling used in one part of the country and the pronunciation used in another. For instance, today we use the western English spellings for busy and bury, but give the first the London pronunciation bizzy and the second the Kentish pronunciation berry. Of course, this all happened when English was primarily a spoken language, and only scholars knew how to read and write. Even they appeared to have been quite indifferent to matters of consistency in spelling, and were known to spell the same word several different ways in a single sentence.Even after William Caxton set up English's first printing press in the late fifteenth century, and the written word became available to everyone, standard spelling wasn't considered very important. As a matter of fact, the typesetters (排字工人) in the 1500s made things even worse by being careless about spelling. If a blank space needed to be filled or a line was too long, they simply changed the spellings of words to make them fit. Moreover, many of the early printers in England were fromGermany or Holland and didn't know English very well. If they didn't know the spelling of a word, they made up one! Different printers each had their favorite spellings, so that one word might be spelled five or six different ways, depending on who printed the passage.Throughout this period, names and words appear in many different forms. For instance, where can be found as wher, whair, wair, wheare, were, and so on. People were even very liberal about their names. More than eighty spellings of Shakespeare's name have been found, among them Shagspeare, Shaspeare, and even Shakestaffe. Shakespeare himself didn't spell his name the same way in any two of his six known signatures -- he even spelled his name two different ways in his will.By the late sixteenth century and early seventeenth century, some progress had been made in standardizing spelling due to the work of various scholars. By then, however, English spelling was far from a simple phonetic (语音的) system. For one thing, word pronunciations had changed too rapidly for a truly phonetic spelling to keep up. Also, English had borrowed from many languages and ended up having far too many sounds (more than forty) for the twenty-six letters in its Roman alphabet. By the time printing houses finally began to agree on standard spellings, many of these written forms were only a shadow of their spoken selves. In other words, spelling and pronunciation sometimes had little in common.Finally in 1775, Samuel Johnson gave English its first great dictionary. His choice of spellings may not have always been the best or the easiest, but the book helped to make the spellings of most English words uniform (一贯的). Eventually, people became aware of the need for "correct" spelling. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Noah Webster was standardizing American English in his American Dictionary of the English Language and American Spelling Book. Although the British had been complained about the messiness of English spelling for some time, it was the Americans who screamed the loudest. Webster not only favored a simplified, more phonetic spelling system, but also tried to persuade Congress to pass a law making the use of nonstandard spelling a punishable offense.In 1906, the philanthropist (慈善家) Andrew Carnegie gave $ 250,000 to help establish the Simplified Spelling Board (委员会). The board quickly issued a list of 300 words that were commonly spelled two ways, such as ax and axe, and called for the simpler of the two. The board helped to gain acceptance for quite a few American spellings, including catalog, dialog, and program.The call for simplified spelling quickly went out of fashion, particularly with the start of World War I and the death of Andrew Carnegie. The movement never died out completely, however. Spelling reform continued to be an ongoing, if less dramatic, progress, as it had been for centuries. Without the benefit of large donations or outside agencies, many words have dropped useless letters. “Deposite”had lost its e, as has “fossile”. “Musick” and “physick” have dropped their needless “k”s.As long as the world goes around, language will continue to change. New words will be added; spellings will be altered. But because people are most comfortable with the familiar, it's not likely that we'll ever see a major change in the way most words are spelled. Anyway, what would we do without the challenge of English spelling?1. In this article the author intends to ______________________________________.A) tell us how confusing and complex English spelling isB) give us some general idea about the development of the English spellingC) offer us an authoritative explanation for the complexity of English spellingD) encourage us to rise to the challenge of English spelling2. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?A) Celtic, a combination of earlier forms of Irish, Scottish and Walsh, is generally known as "OldEnglish".B) In ancient times, the Britons -- the natives of the British Isles -- were invaded by one alienculture after another.C) "Middle English" -- English with its mix of several other languages -- had become Britain'sofficial language by the fourteenth century.D) Before the invention of the printing press, English was mostly a spoken language.3. We may safely infer from the passage that _____________________________________.A) English was a relatively "pure" language before the fourteenth centuryB) conquering tribes forced the Britons to speak their languagesC) the influence of other languages made English a rich but complicated languageD) when Britain made English its official language, it stopped foreign words from entering thelanguage and making English even more complicated4. What is the main point of Paragraph 3?A) In Britain, English words had different spellings and pronunciations in different parts of thecountry.B) By the time English had become a written language, the influence of several languages anddialects had made spelling and pronunciation very inconsistent.C) Scholars did not help the problem of spelling inconsistency because they often spelled wordsseveral different ways.D) By the fourteenth century, English had developed into Middle English and was Britain's officiallanguage.5. In Paragraph 6, the author is mostly talking about __________________________________.A) how progress was made in standardizing spelling by the seventeenth centuryB) why English spelling and pronunciation were often very differentC) how English had many more sounds than it had letters in its alphabetD) why printing houses played a role in standardizing spelling6. It can be concluded from this passage ______________________________________.A) before the eighteenth century scholars were not much more educated than the massesB) even educated people were not much concerned with the spelling of words until the firstdictionary was writtenC) the invention of the printing press did have a significant influence on the English languageD) there was no real need for an English dictionary before Samuel Johnson wrote his in 17557. It can be inferred from this passage that ____________________________________.A) Samuel Johnson made the best and easiest choice of spellings in his dictionary, which helpedto make the spellings of most English words uniformB) Andrew Carnegie never played a significant role in the area of American English spellingC) spelling reform associations had less influence on English spelling changes than the naturalcourse of language changes todayD) thanks to many concerned people, spelling is simpler now than it was 200 years ago8. By the late 16th century and early 17th century, _____________________________________________________, since word pronunciations had changed too rapidly, and English had borrowedfrom many languages thus having too many sounds.9. ___________________________________ was responsible for giving English its great dictionary.10. We are not likely to see major changes in the way words are spelled because ________________.Part Two Listening Comprehension (100%)Section A (45%)Directions: In this section, you’ll hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer.11. A) Get out of the car. B) Pay the parking fine.C) T ake his coat off. D) Make a right turn.12. A) Seventeen pence. B) Seventeen percent of the bill.C) Seventy pence. D) Seven percent of the bill.13.A) Before dinner. B) During dinner. C) Right after dinner. D) The next day.14.A) In a courthouse. B) In a warehouse.C) In a department store. D) In a fashion designer‟s studio.15. A) She rearranged her artwork a while ago.B) Most people frequently change their minds.C) She sometimes considers changing majors.D) Everyone‟s inside for a short time.16. A) She went shopping yesterday. B) She doesn‟t like to go shopping.C) She doesn‟t live near the shops.D) She prefers shopping to studying.17. A) B ecause it‟s too late now to call Helen.B) Because Helen doesn‟t get up until six o‟clock.C) Because she has a bad memory.D) Because she wanted to call Helen before the rates went up.18. A) 10:45. B) 10:40. C) 10:55. D) 11:00.Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Because it was boring. B) Because it was violent.C) Because the acting was not good. D) Because the scenery was bad.20. A) Good. B) Superb. C) Breathtaking. D) Excellent.21. A) Because he was giving his attention to the characters.B) Because he was busy appreciating the plot.C) Because he was upset by the violence.D) Because he felt sleepy.22. A) Two cowboys traced their cows. B) Two cobs who sold drug.C) Two policemen pursued the criminals.D) Two drug dealers being caught by the police.Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.23. A) Typing letters outside marketing. B) Typing records of meetings.C) Giving out the letters. D) Extra work she is expected to do.24. A) Rarely. B) Twice a day. C) Occasionally. D) Once a day.25. A) Because she likes it.B) Because it‟s usually related to marketing.C) Because someone else helps her with it.D) Because her boss is nice to her.Section B (30%)Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D) Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.26. A) They told the newspaper about the matter. B) They told the public about the matter.C) They kept it secret. D) They told a few people.27. A) The signals were coming from the moon.B) The signals were coming from the earth.C) The signals were coming from other planets.D) The signals were coming from the Mars.28. A) The signals came from a “pulsar”(脉冲星). B) No answer came from a “pulsar”.C) Only one pulsar exists. D) Something like a “pulsar” exists.Passage TwoQuestions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.29. A) 5 trillion cigarettes have been consumed last year.B) Chinese smoke heavily than those in the west.C) Cigarettes give many people a good deal of pleasure.D) Every person smoked 1,200 cigarettes per year.30. A) Impose a great deal of fine upon them. B) Put them into prison for years.C) Drive them away from the country. D) Pouring lead down their throat.31. A) A tranquilizing(镇静的) effect.B) A thrilling (令人激动的) effect.C) A fascinating effect. D) A surprising effect.Passage Three News32. Which of the following is Not mentioned in the report by a committee of education experts?A) Many American students cannot write well.B) Concerns of business leaders and teachers.C) More students have to pass a writing test before they can finish high school.D) All college entrance tests are changing now to include a writing test.33. What is the problem of teaching students to write well?A) Many students hate writing essays.B) Teachers do not have effective methods of teaching writing.C) It costs a large amount of time to read through written work.D) Computer programs have been developed to teach writing.34. Which of the following tests has already used e-readers?A) GMAT B) GRE C) TOEFL D) EPT35. How do teachers feel about computer grading?A) The systems can compare new essays against those already examined.B) The systems cannot really understand what a writer is trying to say.C) Computer grading guarantees that each piece of writing is graded in the same way.D) It is meant to judge knowledge more than creativity.Section C (25%)Directions:In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.People travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea or air. Hardly anyone can (36) ___________ enjoy sitting in a train for more than a few hours. Train compartments soon get crowded and stuffy. It is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey. Reading is only a partial (37) ___________. During the day, sleep comes in snatches. At night, when you really wish to go to sleep, you rarely (38) ___________ to do so. Inevitably, you arrive at your (39) ___________ almost (40) ___________. Long car journeys are even less pleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read. On motorways you can, at least, travel safely at high speeds, but the greater part of the journey is spent on narrow, bumpy roads that are crowded with traffic.By (41) ___________, trips by sea offer a great variety of civilized (42) ___________. You can (43) ___________ your leg on the spacious decks, play games, swim, meet interesting people and enjoy good food. (44) ____________________________________________________________________. Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time. Airplanes have the reputation of being dangerous. (45) ______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________. Travelling at a height of 30,000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is really unimaginable experience. For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoy the flight. An airplane offers you an unusual and breathtaking view of the world. If the landscape is hidden from view, you can enjoy the extraordinary sight of unbroken cloud plains that stretch out for miles before you, while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky. The journey is usually so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping. (46) _______________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________.Part Two Reading Comprehension (20%)Directions: There are 2 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best answer and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.Passage OneMany a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also exp lain that there‟s a big difference between “being a writer”, and writing. In most cases these individuals are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. “You‟ve got to want to write,” I say to them, “not want to be a writer.”The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune, there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. When I left a 20-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard to become a freelance writer, I had no prospects at all. What I did have was a friend who found me a place in a New York apartment building. It didn‟t even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used manual typewriter and felt like a genuine writer.After a year or so, however, I still hadn‟t gotten a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn‟t going to be one of those people who die won dering – what if I would keep putting my dream to the last even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the Shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.47. The passage is meant to _____.A) warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experienceB) advise young people to give up their idea of becoming a professional writerC) show young people it‟s unrealistic for a writer to pursue wealth and fameD) encourage young people to pursue a writing career48. What can be concluded from the passage?A) Genuine writers often find their work interesting and rewarding.B) A writer‟s success depends on luck rather than on effort.C) Famous writers usually live in poverty and isolation.D) The chances for a writer to become successful are small.49. Why did the author begin to doubt himself after the first year of his writing career?A) He wasn‟t able to produce a single book. B) He hadn‟t seen a change for the better.C) He wasn‟t able to have a rest for a whole year.D) He found his dream would never come true.50. “...people who die wondering, w hat if” ( Para. 3) refers to “those ______”.A) who think too much of the dark side of life B) who regret giving up their career halfwayC) who think a lot without making a decision D) who are full of imagination even upon death51. “Shadowland” in the last sentence refers to _____.A) the wonderland one often dreams aboutB) the bright future that one is looking forward toC) the state of uncertainty before one‟s final goal is reachedD) a world that exists only in one‟s imaginationPassage TwoBotany (植物学), the study of plants, takes up a peculiar position in the history of human knowledge. For many thousands of years it was the one field of awareness about which humans had anything more than the vaguest of insights. It is impossible to know today just what our Stone Age ancestors knew about plants, but from what we can observe of preindustrial societies that exist, a detailed learning of plants and their properties must be extremely ancient. This is logical. Plants are the basis of the food pyramid for all living things, even for other plants. They have always been enormously important to the welfare of peoples, not only for food, but also for clothing, weapons, tool, dyes, medicines, shelter, and a great many other purposes. Tribes living today in the jungles of the Amazon recognize literally hundreds of plants and know many properties of each. To them, botany, as such, has no name and is probably not even recognized as a special branch of “knowledge” at all.Unfortunately, the more industrialized we become the father away we move from direct contact with plants, and the less distinct our knowledge of botany grows. Yet everyone comes unconsciously on amazing amount of botanical knowledge, and few people will fail to recognize a rose or an apple. When our Neolithic (新石器时代) ancestors, living in the Middle East about 10,000 years ago, discovered that certain grasses could be harvested and their seeds planted for richer yields the next season, the first great step in the new association of plants and humans was taken. Grains were discovered and from them flowed the marvel of agriculture: cultivated corps. From then on, humans would increasingly take their living from the controlled production of a few plants, rather than getting a little here and a little there from many varieties that grew wild, and the accumulated knowledge of tens of thousands of years of experience and intimacy (亲密) with plants in the wild would begin to fade away.52. Which of the following assumption about early humans is expressed in the passage?A) They probably had extensive knowledge of plants.B) They refused to accept the study of botany.C) They thought there was no need to cultivate crops.D) They placed great importance on the ownership of property.53. The author believes that the general knowledge of botany begun to fade is because_______.A) people fail to keep up with the fast evolution of plantsB) people no longer value plants as useful resourcesC) direct contact with a variety of plants decreasedD) our study of plants advances a higher stage54. What was the first step towards the practice of agriculture?A) The discovery of grasses that could be harvested and replanted.B) The system of botany had been formed.C) The learning of plants and their properties could not satisfy people‟s need for a better living.D) In the long-term study of botany, people came to realize the importance of agriculture.55. The word “marvel” in Par a. 2 most probably means “________”.A) march B) miracle C) threat D) aid56. According to the passage, which of the following statement is true?A) Tribes living in the jungles of the Amazon regard botany as an enormously important branch ofknowledge.B) Since plants are the basis of the food chain in the ecological system, it is natural that ourancestors had had a detailed study of plants and their properties.C) The more industrialized we become, the less direct contact we have with plants, which results inthe fact that we have little chance to learn botanical knowledge.D) After the practice of agriculture had been started, humans stopped passing down theaccumulated knowledge of botany.使用交互英语课本同学请做下面的题Part Four Vocabulary (30%)Section A (15%)Directions: Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the words given below. Change the form where necessary.57. The __________ team must in turn try to keep the ball in the air before hitting it back over the net.58. The cost of the alcohol duty _________ according to the amount of wine in the bottle.59. The purpose of New Economic Policy is to ________an open, fair and equitable marketenvironment.60. The rabbit sat without moving, ___________ by the glare of our headlights.61. The nurse ____________ the rug around the sick man‟s legs carefully to keep him warm.62. We had been waiting for the design samples for over a week, but at last we were informed that thedesign samples were sent to the wrong ____________.63. Why do people purchase with credit cards? Possibly credit cards create the __________ that youcan own things without paying for them.64. People like to read the book introducing the magic __________ that will transform sorrow intohappiness.65. It‟s important for you to list your tasks in order of __________ when you work on a project nexttime.66. Since fixed salary is changed into performance-__________ pay, the factory has promoted theenthusiasm of the employees and its output has been tripled these years.Section B (15%)Directions: Complete each of the following sentences with the proper form of the word given in brackets.67. _____________ of these proposals could have disastrous consequences.( implement)68. France has _________ creating a rapid-reaction force to deal with the crisis. (propose)69. People have been _________ of the way she handled the affair. (critic)70. We tried to stay away from _____________ topics at the dinner party. (controversy)71. Recently there has been a __________ of interest in environmental issues. (renew)72. Because of the high exchange rate, our products have lost their __________ edge. (compete)73. That is, certain species may ___________ and others may survive for no particular reason.(elimination)74. The workmen are very _____________, so the work goes on smoothly.(cooperate)75. Dennis always seeks ___________ in his girlfriends. (perfect)76. It is so hot that my clothes are wet with ___________. (perspire)Part Five Banked Cloze (10%)Directions: Select one word for each blank from the list of choices given in the word bank.When 77) _________afterwards, Jody-Anne said that there were several words in the bee that she did not know how to spell, but that “God gave me the words that I knew.” Her advice to the other spellers? “Trust God, work hard, and never lose 78) _________of your goal.”Coach Archer agrees. ”We believe that inspiration plus 79) _________ is a 80) _________ formula,” he says.When Jody-Anne came home, she got a 81) _________ welcome. The government of Jamaica 82)_________ her via a billboard 83) _________ on the grounds of the 84) _________ minister‟s home. It also promised to pay for the rest of her 85) _________ at Ardenne High School in Kingston. The University of Jamaica gave her a full college scholarship to study anything she likes. Other universities in the U.S. have talked about giving her a scholarship to study 86) ________ law in graduate school, too. She has been thinking about becoming a lawyer for a couple of years.Part Six Translation (15%)Directions: Translate the following sentences into Chinese or vice versa.87. Because Jody-Anne was so busy after the spelling bee, her school excused the straight-A studentfrom her final exams. It doesn‟t get much better than that!88. Students who speak a language other than English are allowed to take one year of ESL.89. ___________________________________ (持之以恒的学习终于得到回报). About 3000 to 4000kids competed in the Jamaican national spelling bee in August 1997. And Jody-Anne won.90. __________________________________________________ (实施双语教育的方法) by thedifferent states vary greatly.91. ____________________________________________________________ (许多学生被压得喘不过气来) during the first two years of immersion bilingual education.。