Part I Reading Comprehension(2*2.5=50 points)Derections: There are five passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statemens. For each of them, there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Decide on the best choice.Passage 1What might driving on an automated highway be like? The answer depends on what kind of system is ultimately adopted. Two distinct types are on the drawing board. The first is a special-purpose lane system, in which certain lanes are reserved for automated vehicles. The second is a mixed traffic system: fully automated vehicles would share the road with partially automated or manually driven cars. A special-purpose land system would require more extensive physical modifications to existing highways, but it promises the greatest gains in freeway capacity.Under either scheme, the driver would specify the desired destination, furnishing this information to a computer in the car at the beginning of the trip or perhaps just before reaching the automated highway. If a mixed traffic system was in place, automated driving could begin whenever the driver was on suitably equipped roads. If special-purpose lanes were available, the car could enter them and join existing traffic in two different ways. One method would use a special onramp. As the driver approached the point of entry for the highway, devices installed on the roadside would electronically check the vehicle to determine its destination and to ascertain that it had the proper automation equipment in good working order. Assuming it passed such tests, the driver would then be guided through a gate and toward an automated lane. In this case, the transition from manual to automated control would take place on the entrance ramp. An alternative technique could employ conventional lanes, which would be shared by automated and regular vehicles. The driver would steer onto the highway and move in normal fashion to a “transition” lane. The vehicle would then shift under computer control onto a lane reserved for automated traffic. (The limitation of these lanes to automated traffic would presumably be well respected, because all trespassers could be swiftly identified by authorities.)Either approach to joining a lane of automated traffic wouldharmonize the movement of newly entering vehicles with those already traveling. Automatic control here should allow for smooth merging, without the usual uncertainties and potential for accidents. and once a vehicle had settled into automated travel, the drive would be free to release the wheel, open the morning paper or just relax.1. We learn from the first paragraph that two systems of automatedhighways _________.A. are being plannedB. are being modifiedC. are now in wide useD. are under construction2. A special-purpose lane system is probably advantageous in that _________.A. it would require only minor changes to existing highwaysB. it would achieve the greatest highway traffic efficiencyC. it has a lane for both automated and partially automated vehiclesD. it offers more lanes for automated vehicles3. Which of the following is true about driving on an automated highway?A. Vehicles traveling on it are assigned different lanes according totheir destinations.B. A car can join existing traffic any time in a mixed lane system.C. The driver should inform his car computer of his destinationbefore driving onto it.D. The driver should share the automated lane with those regular vehicles.4. We know form the passage that a car can enter a special-purpose lane ________.A. by smoothly merging with cars on the conventional laneB. by way of a ramp with electronic control devicesC. through a specially guarded gateD. after all trespassers are identified and removed5. When driving in an automated lane, the driver ________.A. should harmonize with newly entering carsB. doesn't have to rely on his computer systemC. should watch out for potential accidentsD. doesn't have to hold not to the steering wheelPassage 2According to a survey, which was based on the responses of over 188,000 students, today’s traditional-age college freshmen are “more materialistic and less altruistic” than at any time in the 17 years of the poll.Not surprising in these hard times, the student’s major objective “is to be financially well off. Less important than ever is developing a meaningful philosophy of life.” It follows then that today the most popular course is not literature or history but accounting.Interest in teaching, social service and the “altruistic” fields is at a low. On the other hand, enrollment in business programs, engineering and computer science is way up.That’s no surprise either. A friend of mine (a sales representative for a chemical company) was making twice the salary of her college instructors her first year on the job—even before she completed her two-year associate degree.While it’s true that we all need a career, it is equally true that our civilization has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge in fields far removed from our own and that we are better for our understanding of these other contributions be they scientific or artistic. It is equally true that, in studying the diverse wisdom of others, we learn how to think. More important, perhaps, education teaches us to see the connections between things, as well as to see beyond our immediate needs.Weekly we read of unions who went on strike for higher wages, only to drive their employer out of business. No company; no job. How shortsighted in the long run!But the most important argument for a broad education is that in studying the accumulated wisdom of the ages, we improve our moral sense. I saw a cartoon recently which shows a group of businessmen looking puzzled as they sit around a conference table; one of them is talking on the intercom: “Miss Baxter,” he says, “could you please send in someone who can distinguish right from wrong?”From the long-term point of view, that’s what education really ought to be about.6. According to the author’s observation, college students _______.A. have never been so materialistic as todayB. have never been so interested in the artsC. have never been so financially well off as todayD. have never attached so much importance to moral sense7. The students’ criteria for selecting majors today have much to do with _______.A. the influences of their instructorsB. the financial goals they seek in lifeC. their own interpretations of the coursesD. their understanding of the contributions of others8. By saying “While it’s true that ... be they scientific or artistic”(Lines 1-4, Para. 5), the author means that _______.A. business management should be included in educational programsB. human wisdom has accumulated at an extraordinarily high speedC. human intellectual development has reached new heightsD. the importance of a broad education should not be overlooked9. Studying the diverse wisdom of others can ________.A. create varying artistic interestsB. help people see things in their right perspectiveC. help improve connections among peopleD. regulate the behavior of modern people10. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?A. Businessmen absorbed in their career are narrow-minded.B. Managers often find it hard to tell right from wrong.C. People engaged in technical jobs lead a more rewarding life.D. Career seekers should not focus on immediate interests only. Passage 3Concern with money, and then with more money, in order to buy the conveniences and luxuries of modern life, has brought great changes to the lives of most Frenchmen. More people are working than ever before in France. In the cities, the traditional leisurely midday meal is disappearing. Offices, shops, and factories are discovering the greater efficiency of a short lunch hour in companylunchrooms. In almost all lines of work, emphasis now falls on ever-increasing output. Thus the “typical” Frenchman produces more, earns more, and buys more consumer goods than his counterpart of only a generation ago. He gains in creature comforts and ease of life. What he loses to some extent is his sense of personal uniqueness, or individuality.Some say that France has been Americanized. This is because the United States is a world symbol of the technological society and its consumer products. The so-called Americanization of France has its critics. They fear that “assembly-line life” will lead to the disappearance of the pleasures of the more graceful and leisurely (but less productive) old France style. What would happen, they ask, to taste, elegance, and the cultivation of good things in life—to enjoy in the smell of a freshly picked apple, a stroll by the river, or just happy hours of conversation in a local café?Since the late 1950s life in France has indeed taken on qualities of rush, tension, and the pursuit of material gains. Some of the strongest critics of the new way of life are the young, especially university students. They are concerned with the future, and they fear that France is threatened by triumph of this competitive, goods-oriented culture. Occasionally, they have reacted against the trend with considerable violence.In spite of the critics, however, countless Frenchmen are committed to keeping France in the forefront of the modern economic world. They believe that a modern, industrial France is preferable to the old.11.Which of the following is NOT given as a feature of the old French way of life?A. Leisure.B. Elegance.C. Efficiency.D. Taste.12. Which of the following is NOT related to the new French way of life?A. Shorter lunch hour.B. Greater output.C. Creature comforts.D. Leisurely café talk.13. Which of the following is NOT true about Frenchmen?A. Many of them prefer the modern life style.B. They actually enjoy working at the assembly line.C. They are more concerned with money than before.D. They are more competitive than the older generation.14. The passage implies that_______.A. in pursuing material gains the French are suffering losses elsewhereB. it’s now unlikely to see a Frenchmen enjoying a stroll by the riverC. the French are fed up with the smell of freshly picked applesD. great changes have occurred in the life style of all Frenchmen15. Which of the following is TRUE about the critics?A. Critics are greater in number than people enjoying the new way of life.B. Student critics are greater in number than critics in other fields.C. Student critics have, on occasion, resorted to violent means against the trend.D. Critics are concerned solely with the present and not the future. Passage 4One day one of my self-proclaimed Month of Gratitude, my five-year-old son woke up "bored" at 5:15 a.m., I spied a speeding ticket in my wife's purse, and our water heater spluttered to its death as I was getting into the shower. Ordinarily, I would have started complaining and the day would've been off to an ugly start. But this day was different. How cute my child's dimples are. How fetching my wife's taste for adventure. Only 29 days to go.Just a week earlier, as I struggled with the feeling that I'd been put on this earth to load and unload the dishwasher, I’d decided it was time to end my reflexive complaining. But it wasn't simply the little things that were annoying me. All of a sudden, my friends were dealing with bad news--cancer diagnoses, divorce, job loss. Shouldn't I be celebrating my relative good fortune?I'd heard about the feel-good benefits of a gratitude attitude. Hoping for tips,I called professor Emmons, who pioneered research on the benefits of positive thinking. Emmons quoted new studies that indicated that even pretending to be thankful raises levels of the chemicals associated with pleasure and contentment. He recommended keeping a log of everything I'm grateful for in a given week or month.I followed his suggestions, but my first attempts at keeping agratitude list were pretty weak: coffee, naps, caffeine in general. As my list grew, I found more uplift: freshly picked blueberries; the Beatles' White Album; that I'm not bald.By day three, I was on a tear, thanking every grocery bagger and parent on the playground like I'd just won an Oscar and hanging Post-it notes to remind myself of the next day's thank-you targets: the mailman, my son's math teacher. But soon, the full-on approach started to bum me out. Researchers call it the Pledge of Allegiance effect. "If you overdo gratitude, it loses its meaning or, worse, becomes a chore," professor Emmons told me when I mentioned my slump. Be selective, he advised, and focus on thanking the unsung heroes in your life.Then professor Emmons suggested a "gratitude visit." Think of a person who has made a major difference in your life and whom you've never properly thanked. Compose a detailed letter to him or her that expresses your appreciation in concrete terms, then read it aloud, face-to-face.I immediately flashed on Miss Riggi, my eighth-grade English teacher. She was the first one to open my eyes to Hemingway, Faulkner, and other literary giants. To this day, I am guided by her advice ("Never be boring"). I booked plane tickets to my hometown, Scranton, Pennsylvania.Miss Riggi was shorter than I remember, though unmistakable with her still long, black hair and bright, intelligent eyes. After a slightly awkward hug and small talk, we settled in. I took a deep breath and read."I want to thank you in person for the impact you've had on my life," I began. "Nearly 30 years ago, you introduced my eighth-grade class to the wonders of the written word. Your passion for stories and characters and your enthusiasm for words made me realize there was a world out there that made sense to me." And whether it was Miss Riggi's enormous smile when I finished the letter, or the way she held it close as we said goodbye, my feeling of peace and joy remained long after I returned home.Since then, I have written several more gratitude letters, and my wife and I both summon our "training" when we feel saddled by life. The unpleasant matters are still there, but appreciation, I've learned,has an echo--and it's loud enough to drown out the grumbling of one man emptying the dishwasher.16. The author didn't start complaining when he met with unpleasant experiences becauseA. he thought the day was different from before.B. it was one of his self-proclaimed day of Gratitude.C. his son became more cute and his wife more adventurous.D. he could manage these little unhappy things in life.17. According to the passage, what did professor Emmons propose to have a gratitude attitude?A. Making oneself appear to be grateful.B. Keeping an elaborate dairy.C. Thinking positively in a given time.D. Recording everything appreciated for a certain time.18. According to the context, "gratitude visit" in Paragraph Six refers toA. visit someone with a detailed letter.B. call on someone with an appreciated letter.C. see someone you are indebted to.D. see someone personally.19. The author's reunion with his English teacher, Miss Riggi, shows thatA. the author was desperate to see his teacher.B. his teacher had great impact on him.C. his teacher still had a deep impression of the author.D. the author wanted to testify the professor's proposal.20. The last paragraph shows thatA. professor Emmons' suggestions were effective to the author.B. professor Emmons' suggestions were unpractical to the author.C. the author and his wife learn how to show gratitude to others.D. professor Emmons' suggestions were considered as unacceptable.Passage 5Legends about King Arthur have existed since the 6th century. Stories of the man and his doings have grown far beyond anything that could be regarded as factual history. Here are some of thehighlights.Arthur was born as a result of the wizardry of Merlin, who arranged all adulterous liaison between Arthur's father, King Uther Pendragon, and his lover, a married duchess. Merlin agreed to do this only if the lovers allowed him to bring up the child born of the affair. When Uther Pendragon died some years later, there was confusion in the kingdom about who should inherit the throne. Merlin arranged a pageant where many knights came to try their luck at pulling a sword out of a stone. Whoever successfully extracted the blade was the rightful king. After many a brave knight had tried and failed, Merlin presented the young Arthur who, to everyone's surprise, easily pulled out the sword.As king, Arthur established the knightly fellowship of the Round table at his castle of Camelot, so appear all the other chivalrous knights associated with the king. The knights of the Round Table spent much of their time on the quest for the Holy Grail .The Grail is the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, which was allegedly brought to Britain, then somehow lost. It is notoriously hard to get hold of, as finding it requires an almost superhuman degree of moral purity. At last it was the true gentleman Sir Galahad who eventually found it and set off to return it to its rightful place in the Holy Land.Arthur's death is a matter of some debate. According to legend, one of Arthur's less intelligent moves was his decision to marry the Lady Guinevere, who fell in love with Sir Lancelot, and their adultery Led to war among the knights of the Round Table, culminating in the Battle of Camlan and Arthur's mortal word. After the Battle of Camlan the wounded king was taken to the mysterious isle of Avalon ruled by his sinister Morgan Le Faye. She, being skilled in the arts of witchcraft and healing, was apparently meant to cure him. But evidently Arthur thought he had little chance, because he gave his sword, Excalibur, to Sir Bedivere to return to the Lady of the Lake, an enigmatic character from whom Arthur had originally received the blade. Bedivere hurled the sword over the water, where a spooky hand appeared from the lake to catch it, waved it around for a while and then carried it down to the murky depths where, who knows, perhaps it still lies. As for Arthur, we can only conclude that his sister wasn't such a good doctor.21.The passage is mainly about _________.A. a brief history of King Arthur.B. the story of the Round Table Knights.C. a legendary life of King Arthur.D. the death of King Arthur.22. Arthur became the king because __________.A.he was the old king's only son.B.he was supported by many brave knights.C.he was the strongest man in the kingdom.D.he pulled the sword from the stone.23. __________found the Holy Grail and returned it to the Holy Land.A.King Arthur B .The most morally respectable knightC.Sir Lancelot D .The Round Table knights24. Arthur's sword, Excalibur, was returned to __________.A. his queen.B. the person who gave it to him.C. Merlin, his adopted father.D. his sister.25.Arthur died because __________.A. his sister couldn't heal his mortal wound.B. his sister refused to cure him.C. he didn’t want to live any longerD. he lost his Excalibur.Part II Vocabulary and Structure (0.5*20=10 points)Directions: There are 20 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence, there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence.1._______ all the difficulties and discomforts,they went on working at the design.A. Because ofB. In proportion withC. As a result ofD. In spite of2.The French pianist who had been praised veryhighly ______ to be a great disappointment.A. turned upB. turned inC. turned outD. turned down3.The company is going to hand ______ the freesamples tomorrow.A. upB. outC. onD. down4.Some animals will modify their behavior to______ their environment.A. adapt toB. adopt toC. suit toD. conform to5.He failed to supply the facts relevant ______the case in question.A. forB. withC. ofD. to6.Look at these clouds. ____.A. It’ll rainB. It’s going to rainC. It’ll be rainingD. It is to rain7.Poverty is not ________ in most cities, butbecause of the crowded conditions in certain areas, it is more visible there.A. rareB. temporaryC. prevalentD. segmental8.It’s nogood ____ him. He is always indifferent towards other’s matters.A. to turn toB. turning toC. turn toD. turned to9.Theactress wanted a hat to ___ her dress.A. go byB. go throughC. go outD. go with10.The ____ of beer and alcohol in New Zealand is very high.A. consumptionB. useC. drinkD. absorption11.His manner was so pleasant that Bolla felt at ____ with him atonce.A. peaceB. largeC. easeD. best12.More than one third of the Chinese in the United States live inCalifornia, ____ in Sanfrancisco.A. previouslyB. predominantlyC. practicallyD. permanently13.Michael Blaire is so ____ to the suffering of his people that hestands no chance of winning the general election.A. indifferentB. partialC. impartialD. different14.Mr. Morgan can be very sad ____ , thought in public he isextremely cheerful .A. by himselfB. in personC. in privateD. as individual15.She ____ her mother both in her appearance and in hercharacter.A. takes downB. takes toC. takes afterD. takes on16. The little boy likes to ____ through the key hole at his neighborswhen he is left alone at home.A. peepB. glanceC. glareD. stare17. Some people would like to do shopping on Sundays since theyexpect to pick up wonderful _________ in the market.A. batteriesB. bargainsC. basketsD. barrels18. A sincere _________ is as valuable as gold in the world.A. complementB. supplementC. complimentD. compound19. We regret to inform you that the materials you ordered are______.A. out of workB. out of reachC. out of practiceD. out of stock20. Having been told bad weather was on the way, the climbersdecided to ______ their attempt on Mount Tai until the following week.A. give upB. deny toC. put offD. refuse toPart III Writing (40 points)Task 1 (15 points)Write an article based on the following chart below in NO LESS THAN 200 words on the answer sheet. Your article s hould include the following aspects: Describe the chart; Show your evidence; Make your comments.Task 2 (25points)Some experts show their concern on students’ critical thinking ability because many educators just inform students of the standard answer to questions and they ignore the cultivation of students’ critical thinking ability. What do you think of it? Write an article in NO LESS THAN 300 words on the answer sheet.。