II. Reading Comprehension (25 points) 4Y, R-+f
Directions: There are five passages in this part. Each of the passages is followed by five questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center. k=4N(i/s
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There is a new type of small advertisement becoming increasingly common in newspaper classified columns. It is sometimes placed among “situations vacant”, although it does not offer anyone a job; and sometimes it appears among “situations wanted”, although it is not placed by someone looking for a job either. What it does is to offer help in applying for a job. nt;haeJ
“Contact us before writing application”, or “Make use of our long experience in preparing your curriculum vitae, or job history”, is how it is usually expressed. The growth and apparent success of such a specialized service is , of course, a reflection on the current high levels of unemployment. It is also, an indication of growing importance of the curriculum vitae.(or job history), with the suggestion that it may now qualify as an art form in its own right. QYa(N[~a
There was a time when job seekers simply wrote letters of application. “Just put down your name, address, age and whether you have passed any exams”, was about the average level of advice offered to young people applying for their first jobs when I left school. The letter was really just for openers, it was explained. Everything else could and should be saved for the interview. And in those days of full employment the technique worked. The letter proved that you could write and were available for work. Your eager face and intelligent replies did the rest. 6 ` Aj%1
Later, as you moved up the ladder, something slightly more sophisticated was called for. The advice then was to put something in the letter which would distinguish you from the rest. It might be the aggressive approach.” your search is over. I am the person you are looking for,” was a widely used trick that occasionally succeeded. Or it might be some special feature special feature specially designed for the job in view.
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There is no doubt, however, that it is the increasing number of applicants with university education at all points in the process of engaging staff that has led to the greater importance of the curriculum vitae. XW -2~?$
16. The new type of advertisement which is appearing in newspaper columns . `Ja?fI'H-
A. informs job hunters of the opportunities available T21ky>8E
B. promises useful advice to those looking for employment &FH2fMLQ
C. divides available jobs into various types %{(x3\ *&
D. informs employers that people are available for work. /"
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17. Nowadays a demand for this specialized type of service has been created because . ?."&MZ
A. there is lack of jobs available for artistic people 4|mD*o
B. there are so many top-level jobs available Pt@%4 :&-h
C. there are so many people out of work AK=
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D. the job history is considered to be a work of art . T Ms,j!w?I
18. In the past it was expected that first-job hunters would . T[, /5J
A. write an initial letter giving their life history ZDD. .j
B. pass some exams before applying for a job " t({D
C. have no qualifications other than being able to read and write by'DQ 00
D. keep any detailed information until they obtained an interview ;w6>"O$a
19. Later, as one went on to apply more important jobs, one was advised to include in the letter ,g7.rEA
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A. something that would attract attention to one’s application M
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B. a personal opinion about the organization one was trying to join
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C. something that would offered that person reading it #'-Sh7ycW
D. a lie that one could easily get with telling 9Ro6 fjjE
20. The job history has become such an important document because . {&P
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A. there has been a decrease in the number of jobs advertised ]c<qM_HWg
B. there has been an increase in the number of “qualified” job hunters coo
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C. jobs are becoming much more complicated nowadays |y h\
D. the other processes of applying for jobs are more complicated < -uc."6\
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Pity those who aspire to put the initials PhD after their names. After 16 years of closely supervised education, prospective doctors of philosophy are left more or less alone to write the equivalent of a large book. Most social-science postgraduates have still not completed their theses by the time their grant runs out after three years. They must then get a job and finish in their spare time, which can often take a further three years. By then , most new doctors are sick to death of the narrowly defined subject which has blighted their holidays and ruined their evenings. (faK+z,*6R
The Economic and Social Research Council, which gives grants to postgraduate social scientists, wants to get better value for money by cutting short this agony. It would like to see faster completion rates: until recently, only about 25% of PhD candidates were finishing within four years. The ESRC’s response has been to stop PhD grants to all institutions where the proportion taking less than four years is below 10%; in the first year of this policy the national average shot up to 39%. The ESRC feels vindicated in its toughness, and will progressively raise the threshold to 40% in two years. Unless completion rates improve further, this would exclude 55 out of 73 universities and polytechnics-including Oxford University, the London School of Economics and the London Business School. KJ?y@Q
Predictably, howls of protest have come from the universities, who view the blacklisting of whole institutions as arbitrary and negative. They point out that many of the best students go quickly into jobs where they can apply their research skills, but consequently take longer to finis their theses. Polytechnics with as few as two PhD candidates complain that they are penalized by random fluctuations in student performance. The colleges say there is no hard evidence to prove that faster completion rates result from greater efficiency rather than lower standards or less ambitious doctoral topics. g
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The ESRC thinks it might not be a bad thing if PhD students were more modest in their aims. It would prefer to see more systematic teaching of research skills and fewer unrealistic expectations placed on young men and women who are undertaking their first piece of serious research. So in future its grants will be given only where it is convinced that students are being trained as researchers, rather than carrying out purely knowledge-based studies. qC_mu)6
The ESRC can not dictate the standard of thesis required by external examiners, or force departments to give graduates more teaching time. The most it can do is to try to persuade universities to change their ways. Recalcitrant professors should note that students want more research training and a less elaborate style of thesis, too. yJsH=5A
21. By time new doctors get a job and try to finish their theses in spare time, . WEa2E?*
A. most of them died of some sickness '`|A I:L
B. their holidays and evenings have been ruined by their jobs _TUk(Qe
C. most of them are completely tired of the narrowly defined subject E"%2 )
D. most of their grants run out x
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22. Oxford University would be excluded out of those universities that receive PhD grants from ESRC, because the completion rate of its PhD students’ theses within four years is lower than SVa6V}"Iv
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A. 25% B. 40% C. 39% D. 10% M wab!Ya
23. All the following statements are the arguments against ESRC’s policy except . 2oZ9laJO
A. all the institutions on the blacklist are arbitrary and negative <]Wlx`=/D
B. there is no hard evidence to prove that faster completion rates result from greater efficiency rather than lower standards or less ambitious doctoral topics. 1AHx"e,;L
C. many of the best students go quickly into jobs where they can apply their research skills, but consequently take longer to finish their theses. <e)o1+[w
D. some polytechnics are penalized by random fluctuations in student performance 0@5E|< A
24. The ESRC would prefer . /ahNnCtu?1
A. that the students were carrying out purely knowledge-based studies rather than being trained as researchers. QC0!p"
B. to see higher standards of PhD students’ theses and more ambitious doctoral topics |!H?+Jj:
C. more systematic teaching of research skills to fewer unrealistic expectations placed on inexperienced young PhD students. :%JC^dV(
D. that PhD students were less modest in their aims _Mc>W0'5@
25. what the ESRC can do is to . \OC6M ` /
A. force departments to give graduates more teaching time a$9A(Pte
B. try to persuade universities to change their ways z *9FlV
C. dictate the standard of thesis required by external examiners g,]@4|
D. note that students want more research training and less elaborate style of thesis JR9$. fGJ
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Influenza should not be dismissed as a trivial disease. It kills thousands of people every year at a very high cost to the economy, hits hardest the young and the elderly, and is most dangerous for people over the age of 65. influenza is mainly a seasonal illness of the winter months, though in tropical and subtropical areas of Asia and the Pacific it can occur all the year round. ,WWj-X|+=
The damaging effects of influenza can be prevented by immunization, but constant changes of antigenic specificity of the virus necessitate a different composition of the vaccine from one year to another. The network of WHO Collaborating Centers for Influenza and national institutes carries out influenza surveillance activities to monitor the evaluation of influenza virus strains, and WHO hold an annual consultation at the end of February to recommend the composition of the vaccine for the forthcoming epidemiological season. These recommendations are published immediately in the Weekly epidemiological record. TNY4z( r
Vaccination each year against influenza is recommended for certain high-risk populations. In closed or semi-closed settings, maximum benefit from immunization is likely to be achieved when more than three-quarters of the population are vaccinated so that the benefit of “herd immunity” can be exploited. Special care should be taken of the following groups: o c{EuW{Ag
--adults and children with chronic disorders of the pulmonary or cardiovascular systems requiring regular medical follow-up or who had been hospitalized during the previous year, including children with asthma; +VU4s$w6
--residents of nursing homes and other establishments for patients of any age with chronic medical conditions; m@ rSz
--all people over the age of 65. n& -496H
Physicians, nurses, and other personal in primary and intensive care units, who are potentially capable of transmitting influenza to high risk persons, should be immunized; visiting nurses and volunteer workers providing home care to high-risk persons should also be included. !asqr1/
26. This passage . 9.M{M06;
A. concerns the damaging effects of influenza },+ ~F8B
B. mentions the steps of fighting against the harmful effects of influenza :Gh~fm3}
C. emphasizes the worry expressed by all age groups nhdTTap&9
D. both A and B {UH9i'y:t
27. That a different component part of the vaccine is necessary is principally due to the variable change of . beZ(o ?uK
A. virus B. strain C. antigen D. immunization
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28. Which has been done by World Health Organization in combating the bad effects of influenza? N
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A. supervising the assessment of influenza virus strains. x:5dC I
B. Holding meetings twice a year to provide the latest data concerning the composition of the vaccines. =qoRS0Qa
C. Publishing the related information in a WHO almanac. SFjU0*B$
D. Stressing the importance of preventing influenza for people living in tropical areas of Asia. FUeq
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29. According to the passage, high-risk persons exclude which of the following kinds of people ? iRV ;Fks
A. Children suffering from asthma. Eych R/ s
B. The elderly with chronic pulmonary diseases. K%{ad1$c
C. Middle aged people with chronic heart diseases. o;J;*~g
D. Nurses taking special care of the sick. (;6s)z
30. In which of the following publications would this passage most likely be printed? HdQj?f3
A. A surgery book. p/|(,)'+jx
B. A psychology book z] @W[MHY
C. An epidemiology book. }. %s
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D. An obstetrics book ZTf_#eS$
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In science the meaning of the word “explain” suffers with civilization’s every step in search of reality. Science can not really explain electricity, magnetism, and gravitation; their effects can be measured and predicted, but of their nature no more is known to the modern scientist than to Thales who first speculated on the electrification of amber. Most contemporary physicists reject the notion that man can ever discover what these mysterious forces “really” are. Electricity, Bertrand Russell says, “is not a thing, like St. Paul’s Cathedral; it is a way in which things behave. When we have told how things behave when they are electrified, we have told all thee is to tell.” Until recently scientists would have disapproved of such an idea. Aristotle, for example, whose natural science dominated Western thought for two thousand years, believed that man could arrive at an understanding of reality by reasoning from self-evident principles. He felt, for example, that it is a self-evident principle that everything in the universe has its proper place, hence one can conclude that objects fall to the ground because that is where they belong, and smoking goes up because that is where it belongs. The goal of Aristotelian science was to explain why things happen. Modern science was born when Galileo began trying to explain how things happen and thus originated the method of controlled experiment which now forms the basis of scientific investigation. kl{6 ]39
31. The aim of controlled scientific experiments is . LZ& uj{ <
A. to explain why things happen hhq $g{+[
B. to explain how things happen SWoEt1w
C. to describe self-evident principles pv$tT Wk
D. to support Aristotelian science %F$N#YG
32. what principles most influenced scientific thought for two thousand years? =jIxI ,
A. The speculations of Thales Ff/Ig]Lb
B. The forces of electricity, magnetism, and gravity D=w9cKa
C. Aristotle’s natural science !V( `ZH
D. Galileo’s discoveries OLFt;h
33. Bertrand Russell’s notion about electricity is . 4]"w b5%
A. disapproved of by most modern scientists 7x+=7,BZd
B. in agreement with Aristotle’s theory of self-evident principles U2&HSE|2J
C. in agreement with scientific investigation directed toward “how” things happen ;qVG
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D. in agreement with scientific investigation directed toward “why ” things happen tMG@K
34. The passage says that until recently scientists disagreed with the idea . b#}t:yy
A. that there are mysterious forces in the universe 0Ts!(b]B
B. that man can not discover what forces “really” are _}z_yu#jY
C. that there are self-evident principles .='3bQ(UZ4
D. that we can discover why things behave as they do !a)s`
35. Which of the following is the topic most likely to be discussed right after the passage? {SH
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A. The most recent definition of “explain” <q1'Li)_R
B. The relationship between science and religion ?V6 %>RU
C. The limitations of science HD~jU>}}
D. Galileo and the birth of modern science. ha ik
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Some weeks ago, riding in a cab from Boston to Cambridge, my driver turned and asked me what I did for a living . “Teach English”, I said. “Is that so? ” The young man continued. “I was an English major” But then, instead of chatting idly about Joyce or dropping the subject altogether, this driver caught me short. “You guys,” he said, turning back so that his furry face pressed into the glass partition, “ought to be shot” I think he meant it . 0~:e SWz=
The guilty party in this present state of affairs is not really the academic discipline. It is not the fault of English and philosophy and biology that engineering and accounting and computer science afford students better job opportunities and increased flexibility in career choice. Literature and an understanding of, say, man’s evolutionary past are as important as ever. They simply are no longer perceived in today’s market as salable. That is a harsh economic fact. And it is not only true in the United States. Employment prospects for liberal arts graduates in Canada, for example, are said to be the worst since the 1930s. ,Os7T 1 >
What to do? I think it would be shortsighted for colleges and universities to advise students against majoring in certain subjects that do not appear linked (at least directly) to careers. Where our energies should be directed instead is toward the development of educational programs that combine course sequences in the liberal arts with course in the viable professions. Double majors---one for enrichment, one for earning one’s bread---have never been promoted very seriously in our institutions of higher learning, mainly because liberal arts and professional-vocational faculties have long been suspicious or contemptuous of one another. Thus students have been directed to one path or the other, to the disadvantage of both students and faculty. qU}lGf!dVn
A hopeful cue could be taken, it seems to me, from new attempts in the health profession(nursing and pharmacy, for example), where jobs are still plentiful, to give the humanities and social sciences a greater share of the curriculum. Why could not the traditional history major in the college of arts and sciences be pointed toward additional courses in the business school, or to engineering, or to physical therapy? This strategy requires a new commitment from both the institution and the student and demands a much harder look at the allocation of time and resources. But in an age of adversity, double majors are one way liberal arts students can more effectively prepare for the world outside. \&# p1K(H
36. What is the chief purpose of double majors? SAQs {M
A. To help graduates of history major become successful businessmen. '[n)N@h
B. To provide liberal arts graduates with a method of meeting effectively the challenge in employment. N!.k q4$.
C. To extend their knowledge learnt in the college. k>$FT `
D. To moderate the tension between liberal arts and vocational faculties. {rtM%%l
37. In paragraph 1, the sentence “You guys ought to be shot” shows that at heart the driver . 6 5;|cmjv
A. felt greatly regretted about the major he had chosen Vx}Yl&*D
B. felt a deep hatred for all the English teachers in his former college (q~R5)D
C. complained that his teachers hadn’t taught him how to survive in this competitive society. y4 dp1<t%
D. held a deep contempt in the author because of his scholastic manner ;`;G/1]#9
38. It can be inferred from the passage that the blame for the present state of affairs lies in the fact that . HDa ~7wE
A. the course sequences themselves are unreliable. (QA-"9v#i,
B. more and more students start to select science majors %_]=i@Y~
C. almost none of the specialties the students major in might be salable in today’s market u'#`yTB6b
D. the opportunities of employment are scarce for graduates of non-science majors v&k>0lV, ^
39. The obstacles in course sequences in academic schooling are indicated in all of the following EXCEPT . (r
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A. the misguidance of major-selection in some of the institutions of higher learning HKq2Js
B. the current curriculum couldn’t keep up with the development of the society gcQ. YP9
C. the inharmonious relation among the teaching faculties r'Hy}HWuF
D. the authorities of higher learning attach only little importance to course sequences "
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40. This passage can best be titled as . i5ajM,i/K
A. Harsh Economic Fact bbE bf !E
B. Double Majors, a Way Out #
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C. Careers, Schooling fro Better '*o7_Ez-{
D. Market for Graduates Z?!JV_K
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Does an unborn baby know his mother’s voice? psychology professor Anthony DeCasper advised an ingenious experiment to find out. He placed padded earphones over a newborn’s ears and gave him a bottle nipple attached to a closed rubber tube. Changes in pressure in the tube switched channels on a tape recorder. If the baby paused extra long between bursts of sucking, he heard on channel; if he paused shorter than average, he heard the other. The baby now had the ability, in effect to change channels. m1~qaD<DZ$
DeCasper found that newborns choose the recording of their mother’s voice over that of another woman’s. The baby, however, has no innate interest in his father’s voice, which is heard in the womb only from time to time, while the mother’s voice is ever present. Within two weeks after birth, however, the baby can recognize Dad’s voice too. A^}i^
A newborn is even attuned to the cadence and rhythm of his native language. In a French study using a setup similar to DeCasper’s, French babies given the choice between French and Russian words responded more to the sound of French. Yio>ft&g]
Brian Satt, a research specialist in clinical psychology, has parents sing a lullaby-like “womb song” to their babies. The unborn baby often develops a specific, consistent movement pattern when its song is sung. According to Satt, most parents can calm a fussy newborn with the song most of the time, which is a prize worth more than rubies to a new parent. %igFHh?
He is roused by a heavy jolt. His mother has tripped and fallen heavily on one hip. He is much too well cushioned to experience any injury, but her pain and the fear that she may have hurt him floods both their bodies with adrenaline and other stress-related hormones. He cries and kicks vigorously, a cry never heard because there is no air to make sound. As she recovers the stress hormones ebb away, and he calms down too. o 2[vM$]
41. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the unborn baby in the passage? w>`h3;,2
A. An unborn baby can occasionally hear his father’s voice. $V`KrA~]
B. Dc. Casper’s approach proved absolutely effective in a French experiment. &c v@Kihq(
C. An unborn baby is able to identify the tone and rhythm of his native language. _IQU<Za
D. Parents are able to soothe a fussy newly-born baby. r` &2-]
42. According to the author, an unborn baby . $UFge%`,q@
A. is unable to identify his mother’s lullaby after birth )[@YH E5g
B. is able to identify his mother’s voice rather than that of others’ f g>B
C. is able to help release adrenaline and other stress-related hormones AF9[2AH=Y
D. is able to distinguish French accent from Russian accent . Ce &9l
43. It is known from the passage that . 1sIy*z
A. mother’s stress, anger, shock or grief might not hurt the unborn baby in the womb lRa
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B. an unborn baby’s cry might never be heard because of the particular condition of the womb. '%n<MTL
C. lullabies are the most precious means to young parents v -|P_O&z
D. an unborn baby has to move at intervals in the womb ex@,F,u>o
44. The author believes that the reaction of an unborn baby to his mother’s voice . gW 6G+
A. belongs to one of the natural tendencies ?d>P+).
B. is an indication which shows an unborn baby can use all his senses after birth
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C. is but a physiological circulation of any human being (T%F!2i([U
D. is the most important factor which leads an unborn baby to the survival in the womb cKi^C
45. It can be assumed that the paragraph preceding the passage most probably discussed . r {/ G\
A. the development of the baby in his mother’ s womb ABq {<2iYN
B. the well-developed taste buds of the baby nyl8=F:V
C. the fact that the baby remains motionless just as what he performs in the first month of his mother’s pregnancy E.H,1 {
D. the fact that the baby can start to use some of his senses by the last few weeks of pregnancy
