A) Family members need more time to relax.
B) Busy schedules leave people no time for formality.
C) People want to practice economy in times of scarcity.
D) Young people won’t follow the etiquette of the older generation.
33. It can be learned from the passage that Royal Doulton is ________.
A) a retailer of stainless steel tableware
B) a dealer in stoneware
C) a pottery chain store
D) a producer of fine china
34. The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is ________.
A) the increased value of the pound
B) the economic recession in Asia
C) the change in people’s way of life
D) the fierce competition at home and abroad
35. Refined table manners, though less popular than before in current social life
________.
A) are still a must on certain occasions
B) axe bound to return sooner or later
C) are still being taught by parents at home
D) can help improve personal relationships
Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of
the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of
Architects.
Located on the shore of Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina, the
award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by
Hurricane (飓风) Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina,
killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state.
Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly
constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn’t strict, according to architect Ray
Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo’s wake, all new shoreline
houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on
Sullivan’s Island should be able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of
179 to 209 kilometers per hour.
At first sight, the house on Sullivan’s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its
redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern (灯笼)” at night, according to one
observer. But looks can be deceiving. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced with long
steel rods to give it extra strength.
To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off
the ground on timber pilings—long, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand.
Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the
house. They also elevate the house above storm surges. The pilings allow the surges to run
under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come ashore at
tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said
Huff.
Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed by the house’s
ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s
standing with its pant legs pulled up,” said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell
should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.
36. After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along South
Carolina’s shore line are required ________.
A) to be easily reinforced
B) to look smarter in design
C) to meet stricter building standards
D) to be designed in the shape of cubes
37. The award-winning beach house is quite strong because ________.
A) it is strengthened by steel rods
B) it is made of redwood
C) it is in the shape of a shell
D) it is built with timber and concrete
38. Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to
________.
A) withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hr
B) anchor stronger pilings deep in the sand
C) break huge sea waves into smaller ones
D) prevent water from rushing into the house
39. The main function of the shell is ________.
A) to strengthen the pilings of the house
B) to give the house a better appearance
C) to protect the wooden frame of the house
D) to slow down the speed of the swelling water
40. It can be inferred from the passage that the shell should be ________.
A) fancy-looking
B) waterproof
C) easily breakable
D) extremely strong
Part III Vocabulary (20 minutes)
Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are
four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Choose the ONE answer that best
completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer
Sheet with a single line through the centre.
41. He asked us to ________ them in carrying through their plan.
A) provide
B) arouse
C) assist
D) persist
42. A good many proposals were raised by the delegates, ________ was to be expected.
A) that
B) what
C) so
D) as
43. He was such a ________ speaker that he held our attention every minute of the
three-hour lecture.
A) specific
B) dynamic
C) heroic
D) diplomatic
44. Arriving home, the boy told his parents about all the ________ which occurred in
his dormitory.
A) occasions
B) matters
C) incidents
D) issues
45. The opening between the rocks was very narrow, but the boys managed to ________
through.
A) press
B) squeeze
C) stretch
D) leap
46. They are trying to ________ the waste discharged by the factory for profit.
A) expose
B) exhaust
C) exhibit
D) exploit
47. The manager urged his staff not to ________ the splendid opportunity.
A) drop
B) miss
C) escape
D) slide
48. ________ I admire David as a poet, I do not like him as a man.
A) Much as
B) Only if
C) If only
D) As much
49. Because of a ________ engagement, Lora couldn’t attend my birthday party last
Saturday.
A) pioneer
B) premature
C) prior
D) past
50. The continuous rain ________ the harvesting of the wheat crop by two weeks.
A) set back
B) set off
C) set out
D) set aside
51. Not having a good command of English can be a serious ________ preventing you
from achieving your goals.
A) obstacle
B) fault
C) offense
D) distress
52. It’s very ________ of you not to talk aloud while the baby is asleep.
A) concerned
B) careful
C) considerable
D) considerate
53. Many a player who had been highly thought of has ________ from the tennis scene.
A) disposed
B) disappeared
C) discouraged
D) discarded
54. She’s fainted. Throw some water on her face and she’ll ________.
A) come round
B) come along
C) come on
D) come out
55. All their attempts to ________ the child from the burning building were in vain.
A) regain
B) recover
C) rescue
D) reserve
56. Computer technology will ________ a revolution in business administration.
A) bring around
B) bring about
C) bring out
D) bring up
57. The university has launched a research center to develop new ways of ________
bacteria which have become resistant to drug treatments.
A) regulating
B) halting
C) interrupting
D) combating
58. The ________ goal of the book is to help bridge the gap between research and
teaching, particularly the gap between researchers and teachers.
A) joint
B) intensive
C) overall
D) decisive
59. The rapid development of communications technology is transforming the ________
in which people communicate across time and space.
A) route
B) transmission
C) vision
D) manner
60. When I go out in the evening I use the bike ________ the car if I can.
A) rather than
B) regardless of
C) in spite of
D) other than
61. There is no ________ evidence that people can control their dreams, at least in
experimental situations in a lab.
A) rigid
B) solid
C) smooth
D) harsh
62. Every culture has developed ________ for certain kinds of food and drink, and
equally strong negative attitudes toward others.
A) preferences
B) expectations
C) fantasies
D) fashions
63. It is reported that Uruguay understands and ________ China on human rights
issues.
A) grants
B) changes
C) abandons
D) backs
64. Only a few people have ________ to the full facts of the incident.
A) access
B) resort
C) contact
D) path
65. His trousers ________ when he tried to jump over the fence.
A) cracked
B) split
C) broke
D) burst
66. So far, ________ winds and currents have kept the thick patch of oil southeast of
the Atlantic coast.
A) governing
B) blowing
C) prevailing
D) ruling
67. The author was required to submit an ________ of about 200 words together with
his research paper.
A) edition
B) editorial
C) article
D) abstract
68. As the old empires were broken up and new states were formed, new official
tongues began to ________ at an increasing rate.
A) bring up
B) build up
C) spring up
D) strike up
69. Many patients insist on having watches with them in hospital, ________ they have
no schedules to keep.
A) even though
B) for
C) as if
D) since
70. Some plants are very ________ to light; they prefer the shade.
A) sensible
B) flexible
C) objective
D) sensitive
Part IV Cloze (15 minutes)
Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four
choices marked A), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should
choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding
letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
It’s an annual back-to-school routine. One morning you wave goodbye, and that
__71__ evening you’re burning the late-night oil in sympathy. In the race to improve
educational standards, __72__ are throwing the books at kids. __73__ elementary school
students are complaining of homework __74__. What’s a well-meaning parent to do?