Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.
When families gather for Christmas dinner, some will stick to formal
traditions dating back to Grandma's generation. Their tables will be set with
the good dishes and silver, and the dress code will be Sunday-best.
But in many other homes, this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a
stoneware ( 粗陶) -and-stainless informality, with dresses assuming an equally
casual-Friday look. For hosts and guests, the change means greater simplicity
and comfort. For makers of fine china in Britain, it
spells economic hard times.
Last week Royal Doulton, the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent, announced
that it is eliminating 1,000jobs -- one-fifth of its total workforce. That
brings to more than 4,000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the
pottery (陶瓷) region. Wedgwood and other pottery factories made cuts earlier.
Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the
downsizing, the layoffs in Stoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts.
A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that the company "has been somewhat slow
in catching up with the trend" toward casual dining. Families eat together less
often, he explained, and more people eat alone, either because they are single
or they eat in front of television;
Even dinner parties, if they happen at all, have gone casual. In a time of
long work hours and demanding family schedules, busy hosts insist, rightly, that
it's better to share a takeout pizza on paper plates in the family room than to
wait for the perfect moment or a "real" dinner party. Too often, the perfect
moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned tablecloth? Forget it. Polish the
silver? Who has time?
Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette (
礼节 ) that children might once have learned at the table by observation or
instruction from parents and grandparents ("Chew with your mouth closed." "Keep
your elbows off the table.") must be picked up elsewhere. Some companies now
offer etiquette seminars for employees who may be competent professionally but
clueless socially.
31. The trend toward casual dining has resulted in_____.
A) bankruptcy of fine china manufacturers
B) shrinking of the pottery industry
C) restructuring of large enterprises
D) economic recession in Great Britain
32. Which of the following may be the best reason for casual dining?
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 C) assist
B) arouse D) persist
42. A good many proposals were raised by the delegates, _____ was to be
expected.
A) that C) so
B) what D) as
43. He was such a _____ speaker that he held our attention every minute of
the three-hour lecture.
A) specific C) heroic
B) dynamic D) diplomatic
44. Arriving home, the boy told his parents about all the _____ which
occurred in his dormitory.
A) occasions C) incidents
B) matters D) issues
45. The opening between the rocks was very narrow, but the boys managed to
_____ through.
A) press C) stretch
B) squeeze D) leap
46. They are trying to _____ the waste discharged by the factory for
profit.
A) expose C) exhibit
B) exhaust D) exploit
47. The manager urged his staff not to _____ the splendid opportunity.
A) drop C) escape
B) miss D) slide
48. _____ I admire David as a poet, I do not like him as a man.
A) Much as C) If only
B) Only if D) As much
49. Because of a _____ engagement, Lora couldn't attend my birthday party
last Saturday.
A) pioneer C) prior
B) premature D) past
50. The continuous rain _____ the harvesting of the wheat crop by two
weeks.
A) set back C) set out
B) set off D) set aside
51. Not having a good command of English can be a serious _____ preventing
you from achieving your goals.
A) obstacle C) offense
B) fault D) distress
52. It's very _____ of you not to talk aloud while the baby is asleep.
A) concerned C) considerable
B) careful D) considerate
53. Many a player who had been highly thought of has _____ from the tennis
scene.
A) disposed C) discouraged
B) disappeared D) discarded
54. She's fainted. Throw some water on her face and she'll _____.
A) come round C) come on
B) come along D) come out
55. All their attempts to _____ the child from the burning building were in
vain.
A) regain C) rescue
B) recover D) reserve
56. Computer technology will _____ a revolution in business
administration.
A) bring around C) bring out
B) bring about 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 C) interrupting
B) halting 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 C) overall
B) intensive D) decisive
59. The rapid development of communications technology is transforming the
_____ in which people communicate across time and space.
A) route C) vision
B) transmission D) manner
60. When I go out in the evening I use the bike _____ the car if I can.
A) rather than C) in spite of
B) regardless 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 C) smooth
B) solid D) harsh
62. Every culture has developed _____ for certain kinds of food and drink,
and equally strong negative attitudes toward others.
A) preferences C) fantasies
B) expectations D) fashions
63. It is reported that Uruguay understands and _____ China on human rights
issues.
A) grants C) abandons
B) changes D) backs
64. Only a few people have _____ to the full facts of the incident.
A) access C) contact
B) resort D) path
65. His trousers _____ when he tried to jump over the fence.
A) cracked C) broke
B) split D) burst
66. So far, _____ winds and currents have kept the thick patch of oil
southeast of the Atlantic coast.
A) governing C) prevailing
B) blowing D) ruling
67. The author was required to submit an _____ of about 200 words together
with his research paper.
A) edition C) article
B) editorial 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 C) spring up
B) build up D) strike up
69. Many patients insist on having watches with them in hospital, _____
they have no schedules to keep.
A) even though C) as if
B) for D) since
70. Some plants are very _____ to light; they prefer the shade.
精彩生活 
