全国2010年1月自学考试英语阅读(二)试题

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I. Reading Comprehension. (50 points, 2 points for each)

Directions: In this part of the test, there are five passages. Following each passage, there are five questions with four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best answer and then write the corresponding letter on your Answer Sheet.

Passage One

 Jim Trelease has devoted the past 16 years to promoting what he considers the best-kept secret in education today. “Most people don’t believe me when they first hear it,” he says. “They dismiss it for three reasons: One, it’s simple. Two, it’s free. Three, the child enjoys it. So how good can it be?”

 His audience tonight, mostly young parents and teachers gathered in the St. Helena, Calif., elementary-school auditorium, giggles nervously. “I know what you’re thinking,” Trelease says. “There are only 24 hours in a day. It’s true. But who ever told you that parenting was going to be a time-saving activity?” Trelease continues to persuade them that no matter how busy they are, the foremost nurturing they can give a child, next to hugging him, is reading aloud to him.

 He backs up his pitch with facts. Numerous studies, including recent reports by the Center for the Study of Reading and the National Council of Teachers of English, confirm that reading to children builds vocabulary, stimulates imagination, stretches the attention span, nourishes emotional development, and introduces the textures and nuances of the English language. Reading aloud is, in essence, an advertisement for learning to read.

 Trelease laments that elementary-school students are too often conditioned to associate reading with work. “We have concentrated so hard on teaching children how to read that we have forgotten to teach them to want to read,” he says.

 His audience is surprised to hear that only 22 percent of eighth-graders read for fun daily, while 65 percent watch three hours or more of television each day. Research also indicates that average reading proficiency drops when TV viewing reaches about three hours a day. Their parents’ habits are no better: a recent survey shows a decline in newspaper readership among U.S. adults.

 Lest there be any doubt about the stakes involved, Trelease makes a bold claim. Reading, he says, is the single most important social factor in American life today. “The more you read, the smarter you grow. The longer you stay in school, the more money you earn. The more you earn, the better your children will do in school. So if you hook a child with reading, you influence not only his future but also that of the next generation.”

 When his two children, Elizabeth and Jamie, were young, Trelease and his wife, Susan, fed them as many books as meals. “I read to my kids because my father had read to me,” he says. “I just wanted them to have the good feelings I had had.”

Questions 1-5 are based on Passage One.

1. What does the word “dismiss” (paragraph 1) mean?

 A. send away                               B. ready to accept

 C. approve of                              D. refuse to consider

2. Trelease’s speech focuses on______.

 A. how to teach reading                    B. the importance of reading

 C. why children read less                  D. the proper amount of reading

3. According to Trelease, what is missing in the practice of teaching reading in today’s elementary schools?

 A. Teaching reading skills.                B. Cooperating with parents.

 C. Making children want to read.           D. Providing good reading materials.

4. The audience is surprised by Trelease’s talk in that ______.

 A. the majority of eighth-graders watch 3 hours TV daily

 B. reading proficiency is mainly influenced by TV viewing

 C. children tend to copy their parents’ bad habits

 D. few adults read any newspapers nowadays

5. What does Trelease think of reading?

 A. It is difficult but very important.     B. It can help improve other skills.

 C. It is the key to success in society.    D. It should be taught by parents.

Passage Two

 Questions arise after the vote of the environment committee of the Spanish Parliament last month to grant limited rights to our closest biological relatives, the great apes - chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans. The committee would bind Spain to the principles of the Great Ape Project, which points to apes’ human qualities, including the ability to feel fear and happiness, create tools, use languages, remember the past and plan the future. The project’s directors, Peter Singer, the Princeton ethicist, and Paola Cavalieri, an Italian philosopher, regard apes as part of a “community of equals” with humans.

 If the bill passes - the news agency Reuters predicts it will - it would become illegal in Spain to kill apes except in self-defense. Torture, including in medical experiments, and arbitrary imprisonment, including for circuses or films, would be forbidden. The 300 apes in Spanish zoos would not be freed, but better conditions would be mandated.

 What’s intriguing about the committee’s action is that it puts two sliding scales together that are normally not allowed to slide against each other: how much kinship humans feel for which animals, and just which “human rights” each human deserves.

 We like to think of these as absolutes: that there are distinct lines between humans and animals, and that certain “human” rights are unalienable. But we’re kidding ourselves.

 In an interview, Mr. Singer described just such calculations behind the Great Ape Project: he left out lesser apes like gibbons because scientific evidence of human qualities is weaker, and he demanded only rights that he felt all humans were usually offered, such as freedom from torture - rather than, say, rights to education or medical care. Depending on how it is counted, the DNA of chimpanzees is 95 percent to 98.7 percent the same as that of humans.

 Nonetheless, the law treats all animals as lower orders. Human Rights Watch has no position on apes in Spain and has never had an internal debate about who is human, said Joseph Saunders, deputy program director. Meanwhile, even in democracies, the law accords diminished rights to many humans: children, prisoners, the insane, the senile. Teenagers may not vote, courts can order surgery or force-feeding. Spain does not envision endowing apes with all rights: to drive, to bear arms and so on. Rather, their status would be akin to that of children.

Questions 6-10 are based on Passage Two.

6. The environment committee of the Spanish Parliament voted to give limited rights to apes, because ______.

 A. apes are protected by law               B. apes share some human qualities

 C. apes are maltreated by people           D. apes have very high intelligence

7. If the bill passes, in which circumstance can an ape by killed?

 A. When it is seriously sick.              B. When it has infectious diseases.

 C. When it is used in medical tests.       D. When it threats people’s safety.

8. The author’s attitude towards the committee’s action is ______.

 A. supportive                              B. doubtful

 C. indifferent                             D. interested

9. Which of the following opinions would the members of the Great Ape Project agree?

 A. Gibbons do not fall into the category of apes.

 B. Gibbons enjoy the same rights as chimpanzees.

 C. Apes should have limited rights like children.

 D. Apes should be freed from national zoos.

10. By saying “Teenagers may not vote, courts can order surgery or force-feeding”, the author means ______.

 A. not all people have the same undeniable rights

 B. teenagers can’t take so many responsibilities

 C. courts can make important decisions for people

 D. inequalities also exist in democratic countries

Passage Three

 As a professor of business and government policy, I’ve long been interested in the pursuit of happiness as a national concept. According to hundreds of reliable surveys of thousands of people across the land, happy people increase our prosperity and strengthen our communities. They make better citizens - and better citizens are vital to making our nation healthy and strong. So when I chanced upon data a couple of years ago saying that certain Americans were living in a manner that facilitated happiness - while others were not - I jumped on it.

 I wanted to be able to articulate which personal lifestyles and public policies would make us the happiest nation possible. I also wanted to know which of my own values were the most conducive to happiness. I had always thought that marching to the beat of my own drummer and making up my own values as I went along were the right things to do, and that traditional values, to put it bluntly, were for fools.

 Turns out that I was in for some surprises.

 You might suspect that Americans are getting happier all the time. After all, many (though clearly not all) are getting richer, and this should make them better able and equipped to follow their dreams. On the other hand, there’s a lot of talk about the good old days, when kids could play outside without any worry about being kidnapped. And there’s a great deal of stress in this country right now, due to financial concerns, negative workplace environments, and chronic health problems, among other pressing issues.

 But average happiness levels in America have stayed largely constant for many years. In 1972, 30 percent of the population said they were very happy with their lives, according to the National Opinion Research Center’s General Social Survey. In 1982, 31 percent said so, and in 2006, 31 percent said so as well. The percentage saying they were not too happy was similarly constant, generally hovering around 13 percent.

 The factors that add up to a happy life for most people are not what we typically hear about. Things like winning the lottery and earning a master’s degree don’t make people happy over the long haul. Rather, the key to happiness, and the difference between happy and unhappy Americans, is a life that reflects values and practices like faith, hard work, marriage, charity, and freedom.

Questions 11-15 are based on Passage Three.

11. What is the author’s interest as a professor of business and government policy?

 A. How to improve community.               B. What contributes to a happy nation.

 C. How to promote prosperity.              D. What makes people good citizens.

12. The phrase “marching to the beat of my own drummer” is closest in meaning to ______.

 A. playing one’s favorite instrument      B. catching the rhythms of music

 C. doing things at one’s own will         D. defying the traditional values

13. What can be learnt about the “good old days”?

 A. The economy did better.                 B. There was less health concern.

 C. People had more dreams.                 D. There were fewer crimes.

14. We know from the passage that average happiness levels in America ______.

 A. remain stable for decades               B. improve although not obviously

 C. fall despite economic boom              D. undergo scientific analysis yearly

15. From the last paragraph we can tell that the difference between winning the lottery and hard work is ______.

 A. winning a lottery doesn’t bring sustained happiness

 B. winning a lottery mainly depends on sheer luck

 C. hard work is a virtue which people are proud of

 D. hard work can make people feel accomplished

Passage Four

 eBay scored an important victory in an American court on Monday on how much checking it is required to do of its auction listings, but the decision was in contrast to recent European court rulings.

 In a long-awaited decision in a four-year-old trademark lawsuit against eBay brought by the jeweler Tiffany & Company, Judge Richard J. Sullivan of the Federal District Court in Manhattan ruled that the online retailer does not have a legal responsibility to prevent its users from selling fake items on its online marketplace. The verdict reaffirms that Internet companies do not have to actively filter their sites for trademarked material. Rather, they can rely on intellectual property holders to monitor their sites, as long as they promptly remove material when rights holders complain.

 “The court ruled that eBay does in fact meet its responsibilities regarding fakes,” said Rob Chesnut, senior vice president and legal counsel at eBay. “We aggressively fight fakes not only to meet our limited responsibilities, but also because fakes hurt the eBay community.” James B. Swire, counsel for Tiffany and a partner at the law firm of Arnold & Porter, said he was “shocked and disappointed” in the ruling. “The principal purpose of trademark law is first to protect consumers and then to protect brand owners,” he added. “You don’t get a real sense of that in this decision.” Mr. Swire said that Tiffany was likely to appeal the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

 The ruling is a shift in eBay’s recent courtroom fortunes. A week ago, a French judge ordered eBay to pay 40 million euros ($63.2 million) to the French luxury goods maker LVMH Moёt Hennessy Louis Vuitton over faking charges. In April, a German appeals court ruled that eBay must take preventive measures against the sale of fake Rolex watches.

 If those judgments are upheld in appellate court, eBay could have a potential problem on its hands. Though it operates a single global marketplace - buyers in Europe see the same items that buyers in the United States do - eBay would be legally required to do more abroad to fight faking than it is required to do at home. American shoppers on eBay will see no change in the company’s listings, but how the various rulings will affect the listings in Europe remains to be seen.

Questions 16-20 are based on Passage Four.

16. Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?

 A. Americans and Europeans see different items on eBay.

 B. Americans care less about brands than Europeans do.

 C. European courts are generally stricter than American courts.

 D. Same charge against eBay has different results in the U.S. and Europe.

17. What can we learn from court’s ruling over the lawsuit against eBay brought by Tiffany & Company?

 A. The court is partial towards eBay in this law case.

 B. eBay doesn’t have to remove fake items in any case.

 C. eBay is free of legal responsibilities to filter out fakes.

 D. Trademarked material sold online is not protected by law.

18. According to Rob Chesnut, eBay fights fakes because ______.

 A. it is beneficial to eBay itself         B. rights holders ask them to do so

 C. it is the court’s ruling               D. Tiffany appeals to higher courts

19. What’s the result of the charge against eBay by luxury goods maker LVMH Moёt Hennessy Louis Vuitton?

 A. eBay must take preventive measures against fakes.

 B. eBay must pay a large amount of money to LVMH.

 C. eBay must not auction LVMH goods on its site.

 D. eBay must not ever list fakes on its site.

20. The effect that French and German courts’ ruling may have on eBay is ______.

 A. eBay may face a shrinking market in Europe

 B. eBay may have to do more to fight fakes in Europe

 C. eBay may provide different items in the U.S. and Europe

 D. eBay may operate on different systems in the U.S. and Europe

Passage Five

 “Everyone has an idea,” says 21-year-old serial entrepreneur Ben Kaufman. “Every day, people walk around going ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if...’. I want to harness those ideas and let people have a forum.”

 Kaufman did that as the founder of Mophie, a start-up that makes innovative iPod accessories. But he needed to outdo himself. Instead of setting up a traditional display booth at last year’s Macworld convention, Kaufman handed out pads and pencils and invited attendees to sketch the products they wanted. Hundreds of people participated. Within 72 hours, Kaufman and his team had created three finished products, including one by 17-year-old Jared Fiovorich. The Bevy – a protective case for the iPod Shuffle that multitasks as a key ring, earbud wrap, and bottle opener - has outsold Mophie’s other products four to one. That kind of response proves Kaufman’s point: “Together we can all make better decisions.”

 Kaufman started Mophie when he was a high school senior with an idea to produce the Song Sling, a case for the iPod Shuffle that you wear around your neck. Plenty of 18-year-olds have ideas; Kaufman made his happen. “I convinced my mom and dad to remortgage the house,” he says, “and they gave me the $185,000 in equity and let me give it a shot.” Says his mother, Mindy, “When you see someone who has a dream and a great idea, you don’t want to stifle it.”

 The $39.95 Song Sling turned out to be a success, and Kaufman ultimately designed and manufactured 22 other products. In order to keep the buzz going, he says, “I needed to hit the shelf with a new product within four weeks after each new iPod model dropped.” This meant a lot of trips to the factory in China. To ensure that his exacting standards were met, he’d sit in front of the machines as the parts were coming out, saying “no,” “yeah,” “maybe,” “closer.” He pushed supervisors to speed up production times and stuck to his guns when they wanted to cut corners and raise prices.

 What often motivates him, Kaufman admits, is danger. “Our accountant once called me in and said, ‘Ben, we’ll be out of money in two weeks,’ and I was like, Yes! That’s what gets me going.” Adds product engineer Peter Wadsworth, “There are two things that inspire Ben: lots of money and no money.”

Questions 21-25 are based on Passage Five.

21. At last year’s Macworld convention Ben Kaufman ______.

 A. collected people’s ideas               B. made a special display booth

 C. sold many new products                  D. created three finished product

22. Which of the following best responds to Kaufman’s point “Together we can make better decisions”?

 A. Mophie makes much money.                B. His team produces numerous ideas.

 C. The Bevy sells very well.               D. He works together with supervisors.

23. As he first started his business, Kaufman got the money he needed when ______.

 A. he sold the design of Song Sling

 B. his parents mortgaged the house

 C. his school granted him a scholarship

 D. iPod sponsored him because of his talents

24. Kaufman manages to stay ahead in business by ______.

 A. generating new ideas and making them happen

 B. working hard and making his team work hard too

 C. lowering prices of products while maintaining good quality

 D. marketing a product soon after a new iPod model available

25. What keeps Kaufman going?

 A. Danger.                                 B. Impulsion.

 C. Wealth.                                 D. Ambition.

II. Vocabulary. (10 points, 1 point for each)

Directions: Scan the following passage and find the words which have roughly the same meanings as those given below. The number in the brackets after each word definition refers to the number of paragraph in which the target word is. Write the word you choose on the Answer Sheet.

 Research in industrialized countries has shown the subtle method used to encourage girls to smoke. The impact of such method is likely to be even greater in developing countries, where young people are generally less knowledgeable about smoking hazards and may be more attracted by glamorous, affluent, desirable images of the female smoker. This is why WHO, together with other national an