2008年全国大学生英语竞赛样题及答案(A级)

2008年全国大学生英语竞赛样题及答案（A级）

Part I Listening Comprehension (25 minutes, 30 marks)

Section A (10 marks)

Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be read only once. After each question, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

1. A. At a bank. B. At a department store. C. At a lawyer's office.

2. A. Jealous. B. Indifferent. C. Negative.

3. A. A party invitation.

B. A tour of the house.

C. A dinner party.

4. A. Policeman and driver.

B. Teacher and pupil.

C. Driver and actress.

5. A. To attend a party.

B. To the beauty salon.

C. To the school.

6. A. 1,090. B. 530. C. 1,060.

7. A. Dec. 13th, 1906. B. Dec. 30th, 1906. C. Nov. 13th, 1916.

8. A. Nothing. B. Dinner. C. A snack.

9. A. In less than three days.

B. In more than three days.

C. In three days.

10. A. To a friend's house.

B. To the kindergarten.

C. Do some shopping.

Section B (5 marks)

Directions: In this section, you will hear one long conversation. The conversation will be read only once. At the end of the conversation, there will be a one-minute pause. During the pause, you must read the five questions, each with three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

11. What does Susan have to do on Saturday morning?

A. Walk the dog.

B. Clean the house.

C. Go to the doctor's.

12. What will Susan do at noon?

A. Go shopping.

B. Watch TV.

C. Go to the dentist's.

13. What time is Susan meeting with Julie?

A. 12:30 am.

B. 2:00 pm.

C. 4:30 pm.

14. How does Susan feel about her schedule on Saturday?

A. Exciting.

B. Disappointing.

C. Exhausting.

15. Why can't they watch a video at Susan's house?

A. The machine doesn't work.

B. They can't decide on a video.

C. Susan's mother is going to use it.

Section C (5 marks)

Directions: In this section, you will hear 5 short news items. After each item, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the question and then the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

16. Who got to move to the next step?

A. Andre Agassi.

B. Rogen Fidow.

C. Roger Federer.

17. What did the gunman force the charity to do?

A. Delay the operation in this area.

B. Operate on their own staff.

C. Attack the Sans Frontieres.

18. Why were the Iraqi detainees made to pick up garbage?

A. Because the serviceman abused the detainees.

B. Because the commander gave the order to the serviceman.

C. Because the detainees were accused.

19. Where did the clash happen?

A. In the West Bank.

B. Near Israeli.

C. Near Ariel.

20. Why do the Israeli forces threaten to carry out a massive offensive against the Palestinians?

A. Because Israeli troops were besieged by the Palestinians.

B. Because the military operation began since last November.

C. Because Palestinians killed Israelis in a suicide attack.

Section D (10 marks)

Directions: In this section, you will hear a short passage. There are ten missing words or phrases in it. Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases you hear on the tape. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet. There are two types of people in the world. Although they have (21) ________ degrees of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy, and the other becomes (22) ________. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, and events, and the resulting effects upon their minds.

People who are to be happy fix their attention on the (23) ________ of things, the pleasant part of convention, the fine weather. They enjoy all the (24) ________ things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the (25) ________ things. Therefore, they are continually (26) ________. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend many people, and make themselves (27) ________ everywhere. If this turn of mind were found in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The tendency to criticize and to be disgusted is perhaps taken up originally (28) ________. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it are convinced of its bad effects (29)

________. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit. Although in fact it is chiefly (30) ________, it has serious consequences in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck.

Part II Vocabulary and Structure (10 minutes, 15 marks)

Directions: There are 15 incomplete sentences in this section. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

31. Essentially, a theory is an abstract, symbolic representation of ________ reality.

A. what it is conceived

B. that is conceived

C. what is conceived to be

D. that is being conceived of

32. New York City collects garbage ________ $209 per family per year.

A. at the cost of

B. at sacrifice of

C. in demand of

D. in support of

33. I would just as soon ________ rudely to her.

A. you not speak

B. you won't speak

C. you not speaking

D. you didn't speak

34. ________ so many people been out of work as today.

A. More than ever before

B. Never before have

C. In the past, there never have

D. Formerly, there never were

35. We got home late last night, ________, early this morning.

A. namely

B. in other words

C. or rather

D. in any case

36. The miners escaped the danger by ________.

A. a hair breadth

B. hair breadth

C. hair's breadth

D. a hair's breadth

37. Praise is like warm sunshine. It not only brings joy to ________ who are praised but also adds pleasure to

________ who praise.

A. these; these

B. we; us

C. them; them

D. those; those

38. When our imports ________ our exports, we say we have a favorable trade balance; however, when our imports and exports are the other way round we say we have an unfavorable trade balance.

A. fall short

B. fall short of

C. run out of

D. are lack of

39. ________ that distinguish human beings from other primates are related to the ability of people to stand upright and walk on two legs.

A. Many of the physical characteristics

B. Of the many physical characteristics

C. The physical characteristics

D. There are many physical characteristics

40. Classical logic is characterized by a concern for the structure and elements of argument ________ that thought, language, and reality are interrelated.

A. based on the belief

B. on the belief based

C. belief based on the

D. the based belief on

41. ________ fashioned from a wick floating in a bowl of oil functioned according to the principle of capillary action.

A. All lamps early

B. Lamps all early

C. All early lamps

D. Early all lamps

42. In 1964 ________ of Henry Osaka Tanner's paintings was shown at the Smithsonian Institution.

A. was a major collection

B. that a major collection

C. a collection was major

D. a major collection

43. Traditionally, ________ on Thanksgiving Day in New England.

A. when served is sweet cider

B. when sweet cider is served

C. is served sweet cider

D. sweet cider is served

44. Richard: This class is so boring. When will it end?

Drew: I don't know. I don't think I can take it much longer.

Teacher: ________

Richard: Oh, nothing. We were discussing the text.

A. Hey you two! What are you talking about?

B. Do one of you know what the answer to this problem is?

C. Am I boring you two?

D. The two of you go to the principal's office right now!

45. Delivery man: I have a package here for Beverly Beaver.

Beverly: That is me. ________

Delivery man: Yes, please sign here on the line.

Beverly: Thank you. These must be the new drapes I ordered.

A. Where is the receipt?

B. Do you have the sender's address?

C. Do you take a credit card?

D. Do I have to sign for it?

Part III Reading Comprehension (20 minutes, 40 marks)

Section A (5 marks)

Directions: There is one passage in this section with 5 questions. For each question, there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice. Then mark the corresponding letter on the

Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Questions 46-50 are based on the following passage.

No matter what our work is, we all have to face that choice - in my field no less than in others. There may not be a more important field for the dissemination of values in our country than the entire communications

industry - most strikingly, television. Networks are very sensitive to that fact, and they employ dozens of censors to prevent all of us from using language on television that an eight year old might have to explain to his parents. But the point that censors miss, I think, is that it is not so much what we say that teaches as what we don't say. Even programs that attempt to make a moral point don't always make the point that they intended to. Because when we sense we are being sole something, we automatically defend ourselves against it. I think it may be the unspoken assumptions that mold an audience.

Look at the way, for instance, that violence is treated on television. It is not only the quantity that offends. There probably is no more violence on television than there is in a Shakespearean tragedy. But on television you find unfelt violence and in Shakespeare you tend to find felt violence. In Shakespeare the characters react with a human response: They fear, they hurt, they mourn. Most of the time on television, violence is dealt with by sweeping it under the rug as fast as possible and by having people go on about their business as if nothing had happened. (If I can't have less violence, I want at least a better grade of violence.) One of the unspoken assumptions is that violence can be tolerated as long as you ignore it and have no reaction to it. But that seems to me to be dangerously close to psychopathic behavior. I wonder if there is any connection between the long acceptance by our people of the Vietnam War and the thousands and thousands of deaths that we have seen on television over the years that were never mourned, never even paused for except to sell shampoo for sixty seconds.

Maybe our greatest problem is that we have two separate sets of value systems that we use - the one we talk about and the one we live by. We seem to place a very high value on fairness and on human concerns. And yet we still have widespread discrimination based on race, sex and religion. You still don't find Jews, blacks or other minorities in any significant numbers in decision-making positions in the banking industry, for instance. You think that's an accident? I think somebody puts a value on that. And you don't find women in any significant numbers in decision-making capacities in any industry. Why? Because we place a higher value on appeasing the fragile male ego than we do on fairness and decency. Maybe what we need is a declaration of interdependence.

Questions:

46. It can be concluded from the first paragraph that ________.

A. we won't buy things that are recommended

B. we become defensive whenever we are taught to do something

C. television is the most important part of the communication industry

D. TV programs can never successfully convey a moral point

47. What is the author's attitude toward violence on television?

A. He thinks that violence on television should be totally banned.

B. Violence on television is more tolerable than the one in Shakespeare's plays.

C. Violence can be tolerated if you pretend that it doesn't exist.

D. Violence, if unavoidable, should be presented on television in a more appropriate way.

48. The word “appeasing” (line 6 in paragraph 3) most probably means ________.

A. attacking

B. accusing

C. soothing

D. satisfying

49. By citing the examples of the Jews, blacks, and other minorities in the last paragraph, the author aims to show that ________.

A. it's an accident that they are out-numbered in the decision-making positions in the banking industry

B. they stand for one set of value system

C. what we talk about and what we actually do might be totally different

D. fairness is well respected in our life

50. The author's tone in writing the text is ________.

A. neutral

B. matter-of-fact

C. critical

D. questioning

Section B (15 marks)

Directions: There is one passage in this section with 10 questions. Go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on the Answer Sheet.

For questions 51 - 55, mark

Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;

N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;

NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.

For questions 56 - 60, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.

You hear the same complaint all the time as people get older: “My memory is terrible.” Is it all in the mind, or do real changes take place in the brain with age to justify such grumbling (抱怨)? The depressing answer is that the brain's cells, the neurons, die and decline in efficiency with age.

Professor Arthur Shimamura, of the University of California at Berkeley, says there are three main ways in which mental function changes. The first is mental speed, for example how quickly you can react to fast-moving incidents on the road. Drivers in their late teens react quickly but tend to drive too fast, while the over sixties are more cautious but react more slowly. The near-inevitable slowing with age also partly explains why soccer players are seen as old in their thirties, while golf professionals are still in their prime at that age. This type of mental slowing results from a reduction in the efficiency with which the brain's neurons work.

The fact that adults find it harder to learn musical instruments than children points to a second type of mental loss with age - a reduction in learning capacity. The parts of the brain known as the temporal lobes control new learning, and are particularly vulnerable to the effects of aging. This means that, as we get older, we take longer to learn a new language, and slower to master new routines and technologies at work, and we have to rely more on diaries and other mental aids.

“Working memory” is the third brain system which is vulnerable to the effects of aging. Working memory is the brain's “blackboard”, where we juggle from moment to moment the things we have to keep in mind when solving problems, planning tasks and generally organizing our day-to-day life. Absent-mindedness occurs at all ages

because of imperfections in the working memory system - so, for instance, you may continually lose your glasses, or find yourself walking into a room of your house only to find that you cannot remember what you came for.

Such absent-mindedness tends to creep up on us as we age and occurs because our plans and intentions, which are chalked up on the mental blackboard, are easily wiped out by stray thoughts and other distractions. Stress and preoccupation can also cause such absent-mindedness, in addition to age-related changes in the brain. The frontal lobes of the brain - located behind the forehead and above the eyes - are where the working memory system is located. Like the temporal lobes, which handle new learning, the frontal lobes are more vulnerable to the aging process than other parts of the brain.

The news, however, is not all bleak. Although neurons reduce in number with age, the remaining neurons send out new and longer connection fibers (dendrites) to maintain connections and allow us to function reasonably well with only relatively small drops in ability.

This and other evidence suggests that the principle “use it or lost it” might apply to the aging brain. Profes sor Shimamura studied a group of university professors who were still intellectually active, and compared their performance on neuropsychological tests with that of others of their age group, as well as with younger people. He found that on several tests of memory, the mentally active professors in their sixties and early seventies were superior to their contemporaries, and as good as the younger people.

Research on animals provide even stronger evidence of the effects of stimulation on the brain structure. Professor Bryan Kolb, of the University of Lethbridge in Canada, has shown that animals kept in stimulating

environments show sprouting (生长) and lengthening of the connecting nerve fibers in comparison with animals kept in unstimulating environments.

The beneficial effects of continued mental activity are shown by the fact that older contestants in quiz shows are just as fast and accurate in responding to general knowledge questions as younger competitors, suggesting that at least part of their intellectual apparatus is spared the effects of aging because of practice and skill.

Such findings lead to the intriguing possibility of “mental fitness training” to accompany jogging and workouts for the health conscious. Research in Stockholm by Professor Lars Backman and his colleague has shown that older people can be trained to use their memory better, with the effects of this training lasting several years.

Just as people go bald or grey at different rates, so the same is true for their mental faculties. Why this should be the case for memory and other mental functions is not yet clear. If Professor Shimamura is right, then the degree to which people use and stretch their mental faculties may also have a role to play.

Questions:

51. The passage gives a description of several methods of testing mental ability.

52. Professor Shimamura identified a number of areas in which mental function may change.

53. As the temporal lobes of the brain are affected by aging, it becomes harder to pick up new skills.

54. Research indicates that physical training can help to improve memory.

55. Taking part in quizzes is the best way to stimulate the brain.

56. Absent-mindedness is not necessarily ________.

57. Scientists do not understand why people's ________ decline at different rates.

58. If a person is under stress, ________ may become more frequent.

59. When the frontal lobes of the brain are affected by aging, there is a gradual deterioration in ________.

60. If an animal's brain is kept active and stimulated, ______________.

Section C (10 marks)

Directions: In this section, there is one passage followed by 5 questions. Read the passage carefully, then answer the questions in a maximum of 10 words. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.

Questions 61 - 65 are based on the following passage.

Alarmed by a 20-year decline in student achievement, American schools are considering major upheavals in the career structure of teachers, school boards around the country are planning to abandon traditional salary schedules and single out outstanding teachers for massive pay rise.

The idea is regarded with deep suspicion by the United States' biggest teachers' unions, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. They say the creation of a cadre of elite teachers will sour

professional relationships and encourage teachers to compete instead of cooperate; they also question whether a fair way can be devised to tell which teachers really do perform better than their colleagues.

But heightened public anxiety about secondary education appears to have given the master teacher concept unstoppable political momentum. Florida and Tennessee are racing to introduce ambitious statewide master teacher schemes before the end of the year. Less grandiose proposals to pay teachers on the basis of merit instead of seniority have already been implemented in countless school districts. And the Secretary of Education, Mr. Terrel Bell, recently promised substantial incentive grants to states which intend to follow their example.

Low pay is believed to be the single most important reason for the flight from teaching. The average salary of a teacher in the United States is just under $19,000, much less than that of an engineer ($34,700) and not much more than that of a secretary($16,500). To make ends meet it is common for teachers to take second jobs in the evening and in their summer holidays, and women, who used to make up the bulk of teacher candidates are turning to better paid professions.

The unions insist that the answer to this problem is to increase the basic pay of all teachers, but most states would find that too expensive, they would be better able to afford schemes that confine pay increases to a small number of exceptional teachers. Champions of the idea say it would at least hold out the promise of high pay and status to bright graduates who are confident of their ability to do well in the classroom, but are deterred by the present meager opportunities for promotion.

One of the first large-scale tests of this approach will come in Tennessee, where a year of painstaking negotiations has just overcome bitter union opposition to a wide-ranging master teacher scheme. Tennessee promised that they will allocate $300 million as education budget. In return for a chance to earn bigger salaries and faster promotion, teachers will subject themselves to closer scrutiny.

The Tennessee plan will make it harder for poor teachers to join the profession. Beginners will have to serve a probationary year before qualifying, and another three apprentice years before receiving tenure. Apprentice teachers who fail to reach a required standard will not be allowed to stay on. Survivors will be designated “career teachers” and given a chance to clim b through three career rugs and earn bonuses of up to $7,000. Advancement will not be automatic. The performance of each teacher will be closely assessed by committees of teachers drawn from other districts.

Questions:

61. What support is the federal government offering to states that set up a master teacher scheme?

62. What's the purpose of the master teacher scheme?

63. In the state of Tennessee, how will teachers be assessed?

64. What is the main idea of the text?

65. What can be inferred from the text about the master teacher scheme?

Section D (10 marks)

Directions: In this section, there is one passage followed by a summary. Read the passage carefully and complete the summary below by choosing no more than three words from the passage. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.

Questions 66 - 70 are based on the following passage.

The United Kingdom

Britain (or Great Britain) is an island that lies off the north-west coast of Europe. The nearest country is France, which is 20 miles away and from which Britain is separated by the English Channel. The island is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the North Sea to the east. It comprises the mainlands of England, Wales and Scotland, that is, three countries. Scotland is in the north, while Wales is in the west. Ireland, which is also an island, lies off the west coast of Britain. It consists of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Britain together with Northern Ireland constitute the United Kingdom (UK). Thus, the United Kingdom is composed of four countries, the largest of which is England. The capital city is London, which is situated in south-east England.

The UK has a total area of about 244,100 square kilometres (94,248 square miles). About 70% of the land area is devoted to agriculture, about 7% is wasteland, moorland and mountains, about 13% is devoted to urban development, and 10% is forest and woodland. The northern and western regions of Britain, that is Scotland and

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