Passage 4

Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage:

I recently wrote an autobiography in which I recalled many old memories. One of them was from my school days, when our ninth grade teacher, Miss Raber, would pick out words from the Reader’s Digest to test our vocabulary.

Today, more than 45 years later, I always check out “It pays to Enrich Your Word Power” first when the Digest comes each month. I am impressed with that idea, word power. Reader’s Digest knows the power that words have to move people—to entertain, inform, and inspire. The Digest editors know that the big word isn’t always the best word. Take just one example, a Quotable Quote form the February 1985 issue: ”Time is a playful thing. It slips quickly and drinks the day like a bowl of milk.”

Nineteen words, only two of them more than one syllable, yet how much they convey! That’s usually how it is with Reader’s Digest. Small and simple can be profound.

As chairman of a foundation to restore the Statue of Liberty, I’ve been making a lot of speeches lately. I try to keep them fairly short. I use small but vivid words: words like “hope”, “guts”, “faith”, “dreams”. Those are words that move people and say so much about the spirit of America.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against using big words, when it is right to do so, but I have also learned that a small word can work a small miracle—if it’s right word, in the right place, at the right time. It’s a “secret” that I hope never forget.

16. The passage is mainly about .

A. one of the many old memories

B. using simple words to express profound ideas

C. Reader’s Digest and school speeches

D. how to make effective speeches

17. It seems that Reader’s Digest is a magazine popular with .

A. people of all ages B. teenagers C. school teachers D. elderly readers

18. The example the author gives in the second paragraph might mean .

A. one spends his day playing and drinking

B. don’t waste your time as one does

C. time slips easily if you don’t make good use of it

D. time is just like drinking milk from a bowl

19. The author’s “secret” is .

A. to avoid using big words at any time

B. to use words that have the power to move people

C. to work a miracle by using a small word

D. to use small and simple words where possible

20. Accoeding to the author, well-chosen words can give people .

A. hope, courage and ideas

B. confidence, determination and strength

C. pleasure, knowledge and encourage

D. entertainment, information and power

Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage:

Passage2

Questions6to10arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

Whenaluminumwasfirstproducedaboutahundredandfiftyyearsago,itwassodifficulttoseparateformtheoresinwhichitwasfoundthatitspricewashigherthanthatofgold.Thepriceremainedhighuntilanewprocesswasdiscoveredforrefiningthemetalwiththeaidofelectricityapproximatelythreequartersofacenturylater.Thenewmethodwassomuchcheaperthataluminumbecausepracticalformanypurposes,oneofwhichwasmakingpotsandpans.

Aluminumislightweight,rustproofandeasilyshapedintodifferentforms.Bymixingitwithothermetals,scientistshavebeenabletoproduceavarietyofalloys,someofwhichhavethestrengthofsteelbutweighonlyonethirdasmuch.

Today,theusesofaluminumareinnumerable.Perhapsitsmostimportantuseisintransportation.Aluminumisfoundintheengineofautomobiles,inthehullsofboats.Itisalsousedinmanypartsofairplanes.Infact,thehuge“airbus”planeswouldprobablyneverhavebeenproducedifaluminumdidnotexist.Bymakingvehicleslighterinweightaluminumhasgreatlyreducedtheamountoffuelneededtomovethem,Aluminumisalsobeingusedextensivelyinthebuildingindustryinsomecountries.

Sincealuminumissuchaversatile(多用的)metal,itisfortunatethatbauxite(铝土矿),whichisoneofitschiefsources,isalsooneoftheearth’smostplentifulsubstances.Asthesourceofaluminumisalmostinexhaustible,wecanexpectthatmoreandmoreuseswillbefoundforthisversatilemetal.

6.Thepriceofaluminumwassharplyreducedwhenpeoplediscoveredanewrefiningprocesswiththeaidof.

A.windB.solarenergyC.hydraulicpowerD.electricity

7.Aluminumis.

A.lightweight,rustproofbutnoteasilyshapedintodifferentforms

B.heavyweight,rustproofandeasilyshapedintodifferentforms

C.lightweight,rustproofandeasilyshapedintodifferentforms

D.lightweightandeasilyshapedintodifferentformsbutitiseasytobecomerusty

8.WhichofthefollowingisNOTtrue?

A.Aluminumiswidelyusedintransportation.

B.Aluminumisalsousedinmanypartsofairplanes.

C.Aluminumisbeingusedextensivelyinthebuildingindustry.

D.Aluminumisnotusedinitspureform.

9.Aluminumisfoundonearthmostlyintheformof.

A.puremetalB.bauxiteC.goldD.liquid

10.Whatisthepassagetalkingabout?

A.Thefeaturesofaluminumanditsfunctions.B.Theprocessofaluminum.

C.Thediscoveryofaluminum.D.Thepromisingfutureofaluminum.

Passage 1

Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage:

Do you want to say what you think in a letter to the President of the United States? You’ll get a reply from him—written in ink, not typed—after only a few days.

The President gets about 4,000 letters every week. He answers everyone who writes to him on special Whites House paper. But he doesn’t need a lot of time for it. In fact, he only gives 20 minutes a week to look at his personal correspondence. He has the most modern secretary in the world to help him.

It’s computer, worth ￡ 800，000，which has its own rooms on the first floor of the White House. It has a bank of electronic pens which write like the President writes, in his favorite light blue ink. Each letter the President receives gets a number, according to the type of answer it needs. The pens then write the correct reply for it, according to the number. Each letter takes less than a second to write. A White House official said, “It’s not important that letters come from a computer. Each letter says what the President wants to say.”

1. for a reply from the President.

A. You have to wait a long time B. You only have to wait several days

C. You have to wait at least one month D. You only have to wait a few weeks

2. The reply from the President .

A. is always printed B. is always typed

C. is always written in ink D. is always written by himself

3. It takes the computer to write ten letters.

A. no more than ten seconds B. a little more than ten seconds

C. less than ten seconds D. at least one second

4. The computer can be described as .

A. expensive but efficient B. possessing a beautiful handwriting

C. heavy and inefficient D. the President’s most reliable secretary

5. It can be inferred from the passage that .

A. the President never reads any letters written to him by ordinary people

B. the President hires a very efficient secretary to deal with his correspondence

C. the President does not really care about the letters he receives every week

D. the President is assured that the computer express his views in the letters

Part V Writing

Directions: In this part you are required to write an essay about Saving Energies and Resources. You should write at least 120 words and base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below:

1、随着社会的发展，厉行节约越来越重要;

2、生活中许多方面都可以节约;

3、每个人都应该养成节约的好习惯。

Part I Reading Comprehension

Passage 1

Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage:

In Washington D.C., 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a very special address. It is the address of the White House, the home of the president of the United States.

Originally the White House was gray and was called the Presidential Palace. It was built from 1792 to 1800. at this time, the city of Washington itself was being built; it was to be the nation’s new capital city. George Washington, the first president, and Pierre Charles L’Enfant, a French engineer, chose the place for the new city. L’Enfant then planned they city. The president’s home was an important part of the plan.

A contest was held to pick a design for the president’s home. An architect named James Hoban won. He designed a large three-story house of gray stone.

President Washington never lived in the President Palace. The first president to live there was John Adams, the second president of the United States, and his wife Mrs. Adams did not really like hew new house. In her letters, she often complained about the cold. Fifty fireplaces were not enough to keep the house warm!

In 1812 the United States and Britain went to war. In 1814 the British invaded Washington. Theu burned many buildings, including the Presidential Palace.

After the war James Hoban, the original architect, partially rebuilt the president’s homes. To cover the marks of the fire, the building was painted white. Before long it became known as the White House.

The White House is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States. Every year more than 1.5 million visitors go through the five rooms that are open to the public.

1. The White House was built in Washington .

A. because a French engineer was invited to design it

B. because President George Washington liked to live in it

C. because the British invaders lived in it in 1812-1814

D. because it was to be the nation’s capital city

2. The Presidential Palace was .

A. painted gray and white B. made of gray stone

C. made of white stone D. made very warm in winter

3. The president’s home and the city of Washington were .

A. built by the American army B. built by the British troops

C. planned by George Washington D. planned by the French

4. The original home of the president needed to be rebuilt .

A. because John Adam’s wife did not like it

B. because it was cold in winter even with 50 fireplaces

C. because it had burned down during the war

D. because George Washington was not willing to live in it

5. The new presidential home was painted white to .

A. cover the marks of fire B. attract tourist from France

C. to please Mrs. John Adams D. keep it warm in winter