Directions:In this part, there is one passage followed by a summary. Read the passage carefully and complete the summary with the appropriate words from the passage. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
Questions 1-5 are based on the following passage.
Cosmetics have been used throughout history. The ancient Greeks, the Egyptians, and the Romans all used various kinds of makeup. Some of these cosmetics were used to improve their appearance. Others were used to protect their skin. But in some cases, things used for makeup were dangerous, or even deadly!
Some of the first skin care treatments started in Egypt. In fact, Cleopatra was known to use them. She thought a bath in milk and honey left her skin silky smooth. Egyptians also developed some of the earliest sunscreens. They used oils and creams for protection against the sun and dry winds. Egyptian and other ancient cultures also used various powders on their skin for beauty. Egyptians used black kohl around their eyes. Romans put white chalk on their faces. And Indians painted red henna on their bodies.
Most of the ancient cosmetic powders, oils, and creams were harmless. But in the name of beauty, some people applied dangerous chemicals and poisons to their skin. During the Italian Renaissance, women wore white powder made of lead on their faces. Of course, doctors now know lead is like a poison for our bodies.
Also around the time of the Renaissance, women in Italy put drops of belladonna in their eyes. Belladonna is a very poisonous plant. The poison in the plant affects the nerves in the body. By putting belladonna drops in her eyes, a woman’s pupils would become very large. People thought this made her more beautiful. Actually, this is why the plant is called belladonna. In Italian, belladonna means “beautiful woman.”
When Elizabeth I was queen of England in the late 1500s, some rather dangerous cosmetics were also used by women there. Women were using rouge made with mercury. They were also using special hair dye made with lead and sulphur. The dye was designed to give people red hair, the same color as the queen’s hair. Over time, the dye made people’s hair fall out. Finally, women using this dye ended up bald, like the queen, and had to wear wigs.
Summary:
Although people have used cosmetics throughout history, not all of them have been safe. In fact, some of them have been quite 1 to people. For example, long ago in Italian 2 , people thought women with big pupils were beautiful. Therefore, in the 3 of beauty, women began to put 4 of belladonna in their eyes to make their pupils larger. Today we know belladonna is poisonous, and it can affect the 5 in the body.
Directions:In this part, there is one passage followed by a summary. Read the passage carefully and complete the summary with the maximum of three words from the passage. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage.
NO CASH, NO PROBLEM As technology continues to develop, people are changing the way they pay for things. Many of us have a cash card or a credit card, but more and more people carry a cashless card-a computerized “smart card.” These lucky people never have to look for money, or carry around a heavy wallet full of coins. With these cards we are one step closer to a more convenient and cashless society. The idea behind cashless cards is to get rid of small change and to save time.
Many American and British students use these cards to buy food or drinks at college cafeterias and even to ride buses. These cards also act as ID cards. Students use the cards to access buildings and computer files, or check out books from the library. College cafeteria staff say the cards have reduced waiting time at checkouts on campus. Users can put money from their bank accounts onto smart cards at special machines on or around campus.
There is one big problem with smart cards. If an owner loses his or her smart card, the cash that is stored on it can be used by whoever finds it. However, to protect the user, most cards have the owner’s photograph on them.
Summary:
Practice 1 Directions: Read the following text(s) and write an essay to 1) summarize the main points of the text(s), 2) make clear your own viewpoint, and 3) justify your stand. In your essay, make full use of the information provided in the text(s). If you use more than three consecutive words from the text(s), use quotation marks (“ ”). You should write 160—200 words on the ANSWER SHEET. There was a heated discussion on whether to require every student to wear a uniform. The following are arguments from supporters of uniforms and their competitors. Supportive arguments: There are those who say that wearing a uniform gives a person or a seller of identification with a larger, more important concept. They say that the practice of making persons wear uniforms, say in a school, eliminates all envy and competition in the matter of dress, such a poor person who cannot afford good quality clothing is not to be belittled by a wealthy person who wears expensive quality clothing. They also say it is helpful to build up team work ability, enhance the school's entire public image, and boost up the honor of collectiveness by wearing school uniform. Opposite arguments: Others say no one should be forced to wear a uniform under any circumstance. Uniforms are demanding to the human spirit and totally unnecessary in a democratic society. Uniforms tell the world that the person who wears one has no value as all individuals but only lives to function as a part of a whole. If all persons were to wear the same clothing, why would anyone strive to be better? When this happens, all incentive to improve one’s life is removed. Why world parents bother to work hard so that their children could have a better life than they had when they know that their children are going to be forced to have exactly the same life that they had? Uniforms also hurt the economy. Right now, billions of dollars are spent on the fashion industry yearly. Thousands of persons are employed in designing, creating and marketing different types of clothing. If everyone were forced to wear uniforms, artistic personnel would be unnecessary. Sales persons would be superfluous as well; why bother to sell the only items that are available?
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 1-5 are based on the following passage.
Could the bad old days of economic decline be about to return? Since OPEC agreed to supply-cuts in March, the price of crude oil has jumped to almost $26 a barrel, up from less than $10 last December. This near-tripling of oil prices calls up scary memories of the 1973 oil shock, when prices quadrupled, and 1979-1980, when they also almost tripled. Both previous shocks resulted in double-digit inflation and global economic decline. So where are the headlines warning of gloom and doom this time?
The oil price was given another push up this week when Iraq suspended oil exports. Strengthening economic growth, at the same time as winter grips the northern hemisphere, could push the price higher still in the short term.
Yet there are good reasons to expect the economic consequences now to be less severe than in the 1970s. In most countries the cost of crude oil now accounts for a smaller share of the price of petrol than it did in the 1970s. In Europe, taxes account for up to four-fifths of the retail price, so even quite big changes in the price of crude have a more muted effect on pump prices than in the past.
Rich economies are also less dependent on oil than they were, and so less sensitive to swings in the oil price. Energy conservation, a shift to other fuels and a decline in the importance of heavy, energy-intensive industries have reduced oil consumption. Software, consultancy and mobile telephones use far less oil than steel or car production. For each dollar of GDP (in constant prices) rich economies now use nearly 50% less oil than in 1973. The OECD estimates in its latest Economic Outlook that, if oil prices averaged $22 a barrel for a full year, compared with $13 in 1998, this would increase the oil import bill in rich economies by only 0.25-0.5% of GDP. That is less than one-quarter of the income loss in 1974 or 1980. On the other hand, oil-importing emerging economies—to which heavy industry has shifted—have become more energy-intensive, and so could be more seriously squeezed.
One more reason not to lose sleep over the rise in oil prices is that, unlike the rises in the 1970s, it has not occurred against the background of general commodity-price inflation and global excess demand. A sizable portion of the world is only just emerging from economic decline. The economist’s commodity price index is broadly unchanging from a year ago. In 1973 commodity prices jumped by 70%, and in 1979 by almost 30%.
Questions:
1.What is the main reason for the latest rise of oil price?
2.What are the results of the 1970s’ oil shock?
3.It can be inferred from the text that the retail price of petrol will go up dramatically if ________.
4.According to the passage, reduction in oil consumption is due to ________, a shift to other fuels and a decline in the importance of heavy, energy-intensive industries.
5.According to the passage, compared with those in the 1970s, oil-price shocks are ________ now.
Practice 3 Directions: Read the text below. Write an essay in about 120 words, in which you should summarize the key points of the text and make comments on them. Try to use your own words. All of us should keep a kitchen diary, showing how much food is left uneaten as garbage. In China, enough food is wasted in restaurants every year to feed 200 million people. In the United States, 40 percent of food is wasted from farm to fork. Each year, the amount of food thrown away in rich countries is almost the same as that produced in sub-Saharan Africa. This raises some important questions. In developing countries, food is lost because farmers do not have appropriate cooling, storage or market access for their crops. Their grains, fruits and vegetables dry up and rot away. In developed countries, the picture is different, and food is wasted in supermarkets, restaurants and at home. China faces both problems, significant losses in farms, as well as at the sale and consumption stages. And the amount of food wasted by Chinese consumers is rapidly increasing. Consumer culture has filled China and urban residents can get quality food from anywhere in the country and from across the planet. Chinese consumers are as particular about their food as those in other countries. In supermarkets, they refuse to buy vegetables that don’t look fresh or have an irregular shape, or milk and other products close to their expiry (失效) date. Should Chinese consumers take more responsibility for the waste they create? Everyone deserves to have enough food to eat. Despite China’s impressive success in reducing hunger over the past three decades, the job is not completed yet.
When you read the sailing directions, you should notice that this is one of a series of publications produced by the()which should be consulted by users of Admiralty Charts.
Directions: In this section, there is one passage followed by 5 questions. Read the passage carefully, then answer the questions in as few words as possible (not more than 10 words). Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
Questions 1-5 are based on the following passage.
Rare among American actors, Depp has made a name for himself effortlessly switching between mainstream Hollywood Movies and more “out of the ordinary” projects. Talking about his choice of roles, he once said, “With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it’s not acting. It’s lying.” Highlights of a richly diverse career include Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollowand Pirates of the Caribbean.
Depp dropped out of school at sixteen to concentrate on a career in music, playing the guitar (he played with more than twenty bands). However, his musical career failed to take off, and he found himself selling pens over the phone to pay the bills. His lucky break came when makeup artist Lori Allison, to whom he was briefly married, introduced him to Nicolas Cage. Although at first they did not like each other, they later became good friends and Cage persuaded him to try acting. Depp signed on with Cage’s agent, and made his feature film debut in Wes Craven’s horror film Nightmare on Elm Street, in which the character he played was eaten by his bed. After that he had his first screen leading role in Pirate Resort.
Depp went on to achieve teen idol status in the TV series 21 Jump Street, but after four seasons, he wanted out, with the hope of making the transition to the big screen. He starred in CryBaby, followed by Tim Burtons’ Edward Scissorhands, after which he went on to win considerable critical acclaim in Ed Wood, a reunion with Burtons. Depp made his feature directorial debut with The Brave in 1997, a film he also co-wrote and starred in. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, the film also featured Marlow Brando, but earned mostly negative reviews, with most critics blaming its weak script. Sleepy Hollowteamed him with director Burton yet again, before he starred in Ted Demme’s Blow, and appeared in the thriller From Hell, about Jack the Ripper.
Off screen, his good looks and “bad boy” image (he was once arrested for attacking intrusive paparazzi with a wooden plank) have earned him a lot of media attention. He was voted one of the fifty most beautiful people in the world by People magazine in 1996. He has also had his fair share of celebrity romances; when his engagement to Edward Scissirhandsco-star Winona Ryder ended, he had a tattoo (one of at least eight), which said “Winona Forever”, altered by laser to get rid of the last two letters of her name. His relationship with model Kate Moss also ended abruptly in 1998, when he started dating French singer-actress Vanessa Paradis. They are now married and have two children, Lily-Rose Melody and Jack. More recent work has included Pirates of the Caribbeanwith Geoffrey Rush and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
Questions:
1.What does Johnny Depp think of acting a role without having any part of oneself in it?
2.Who inspired Depp to start his film career?
3.Why did many critics negatively review Depp’S film The Brave?
4.How many films has Depp made with director Tim Burton?
5.What have brought Depp a lot of media attention off screen?
Directions:
Study the following set of drawings carefully and write an essay in which you should
(1)describe the set of drawings, interpret its meaning, and
(2)point out its implications in our life.
You should write about 160-200 words neatly on the ANSWER SHEET.
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.
High Dropout Rate in US
Many young people in the United States never finish high school. Exactly how many dropouts is another issue. Recent studies of dropout rates have had conflicting results. For one thing, schools define and measure their dropout rates differently.
Some researchers say about fifteen to twenty parents of public school students do not complete their education. But many other experts and policymakers believe that for the past twenty years, the dropout rate has been around thirty percent. For Latino and black students, the numbers are even higher. Researchers say almost half of them leave school.
At the same time, almost half the states let students leave school before the age of eighteen without informing their parents.
Finding a good job without a high school education is more and more difficult. A Northeastern University study in 2002 found that almost half of all dropouts aged sixteen to twenty-four did not have a job.
The lack of high school education can also lead to other problems. An estimated two-thirds of prisoners in the United States dropped out of high school.
Recent studies have shown that the majority of students who drop out do not do it because they are failing. Many are bored with their classes or feel disconnected from their school and teachers. Some students feel that educators place low expectations on them. Teen pregnancies also add to the dropout problem.
During the past twenty years, there have been efforts to increase graduation rate through education reforms. Some communities are working on dropout prevention programs. These include alternative high schools to meet special needs.
Some programs, for example, provide free transportation and childcare to help young mothers and fathers finish school. Yet special programs can cost a lot, and many school systems have limited budgets.
Federal spending on second-chance programs to help students finish school has decreased from the 1970s. This was shown in a report last year from the Educational Testing Service.
Experts suggest "early warning systems" to help identify young schoolchildren at risk of dropping out of high school. They say schools also need to get parents more involved, especially if their children are missing school often.
Questions:
1.What is the researchers’ estimated percentage of school dropouts among Latino and black students?
2.What efforts have been made to increase graduation rates?
3.What has been done to help young parents complete their education?
4.Who made a report about the decrease,of Federal spending on second-chance programs to help students finish school?
5.What do experts suggest setting up to help prevent students from dropping out of school?
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 1-5 are based on the following passage.
The City of the Future What will city life be like in the future? Some people think that life in the cities is going to be horrible. They predict that cities will become more and more crowded. As the number of people increases, there will be less space for each person. This overcrowding will cause other problems—more crime, dirtier streets, and worse problems with traffic than we have now. How will people find enough drinking water, energy (such as gas and electricity), and housing? Because life will be hard, people who live in cities will worry more, and they may become sick. For these reasons, some say that nobody will want to live in urban areas.
How can we solve such problems as overcrowding, crime, and traffic? In some cities, thousands of people are already sleeping in the streets because there is so little suitable housing—and because rents are so high. The crime rate isn’t going down. Instead, it is increasing so fast that many people are afraid to go out at night. Traffic is also getting worse. More and more often, traffic jams are so bad that cars don’t move at all for several blocks. These urban problems have been getting worse, not better, so many people see no hope for the future of the city.
Los Angeles, California, for instance, has no subway system and the buses are slow. Instead, most commuters drive many miles from their homes to work. Many of these drivers spend several hours each day on busy freeways. New York, by contrast, has a mass transit system—buses, commuter trains, and subways. Because the public transportation is crowded and dirty, however, many people drive private cars, and the traffic jams are worse than in Los Angeles.
On the other hand, some cities have clean, fast, and pleasant public transportation systems. In Paris, France, and Toronto, Canada, for example, anyone can use mass transit to move quickly from one part of the city to another.
The disadvantages of any modern city are not unique to that city—that is, cities all over the world have to solve the problems of traffic jams, crime, housing, energy, drinking water, and overcrowding. Yet many cities have found answers to one or more of these difficulties. Some European cities, such as Stockholm, Sweden, or London, England, have planned communities that provide people with apartments, jobs, shopping centers, green space, entertainment, and transportation. Many U.S. cities are rebuilding their downtown areas. Urban planners can learn from one another. They can try solutions that have been successful in other parts of the world.
Summary:
Some people think that life in the cities is going to be horrible. They say that cities will become more and more crowded and many other problems will be caused by this 1 Due to the hard life, people do not want to live in 2 These urban problems such as overcrowding, crime and traffic have been getting worse, so many people 3 for the future of the city. However, these disadvantages of any modern city are not unique to that city. All the cities all over the world must solve the problems and fortunately, many of them have found answers to one or more of these difficulties. For example, 4 or London has planned communities providing people with apartments, jobs and so on. Besides, many U. S. cities 5 In a word, solutions that have been successful in a place should be adopted and tried in another place.