English Reading (I) Test Paper A 2010.01
I. VOCABULARY
Section A: Read each of the following sentences carefully; choose A, B, C or D that has the closest meaning to the underlined word or phrase by blackening the letter of the answer on your ANSWER SHEET. 10%
1. Some people in the North of Thailand do wickerwork, for example, they make elephants, turtles, plates, beds, and chairs, from teak trees for earning money. A) silver handicraft B) bronze handicraft C) niello handicraft D) wood handicraft
2. The Savanna grasslands are the home of grazing animals such as elephants, giraffes, antelopes and zebras. Lions, leopards and hyenas also live there. A) non-backbone animals B) meat-eating animals C) invertebrate animals D) grass-eating animals
3. A tourist guide advised them to see the elephant round up. There was racing, colorful war procession, marching, kicking a ball and tug-of-war between men and elephants.
A) show B) breed C) sleep D) born
4. Ladda was promoted to be the chief secretary of the manager of the company, whereas her colleague, Somechai, was penalized. A) promoted B) punished C) exiled D) rewarded
5. Everyone says our team will win, but I’m skeptical. A. doubtful B. proud C. sad D. nervous
6. The plane is scheduled to leave for Phuket at 7:00 am but the plane departure has been postponed for two hours. That is to say, it will leave at 9:00 am instead. A) retard B) stop C) extend D) went back 7. She had often come into conflict with her mother-in-law.
A) announcement B) attainment C) argument D) discussion
8. Ladda does not like to eat papaya or carrots, which is high in vitamin A, so she lacks it. Her mother keeps telling her that an inadequate supply of vitamin A can lead to blindness.
A) too big B) not enough C) full D) enough 9. We just need a couple more chairs so everyone can sit down. A) one B) two C) three D) four 10. Please, Uncle Jack, give me a piggyback! A) a ride on someone back or shoulder B) a small bag
C) people who arrived to settle in Bangkok 2000 D) a small animal
Reading 1 A-1
Section B: Match the stems or affixes with their meanings 5% 11. multi- 13. mono- 15. ante- 17. -hydro-,hydr- 12. hyper- 14. micro-, 16. -bio- 18. -aster-, -stellar- A. many C. water E. before G. star B. life D. above, beyond F. sound H. one, alone
19. -gam-
20. -phon- I. marriage J. small
Section C: Find words for the following definitions. Put the corresponding letters on the Answer sheet. 5%
21. the science which measures time and gives dates to events 22. carry from one place to another over a distance 23. capable of being carried easily 24. done by hand
25. affecting two sides or parties A. bilateral C. diameter E. portable B. chronology D. transport F. manual
II. Understanding Sentences 10%
Directions: Analyze the following sentences and decide the best explanation.
1. Heart disease continues to decline or decrease but still tops the list of the 15
leading killers, a group that causes 89% of all American deaths.
A. Although heart disease continues to decline, it still causes more American deaths than any other disease.
B. About 89% of all American deaths are caused by heart disease.
C. As hear disease continues to decline, it is no longer the fires of the 15 leading killers.
D. About 89% of all American deaths are caused by the disease other than heart disease in the list of 15 leading killers.
2. If dogs could talk, perhaps we would find it just as hard to get along with them
as we do with people. The sentence tells us that ______________ A. it’s painful for us to get along with dogs. B. it’s fortunate that dogs could not talk. C. it’s difficult to get along with dogs.
D. it’s not easy to get along with people as well as dogs.
3. Apart from the difficulty of getting a new job, I felt not a little uneasiness to
change my profession.
A. Despite the difficulty of getting a new job, I did not feel uneasy at all about changing my profession.
B. Besides knowing the difficulty of getting a new job, I felt quite uneasy about changing my profession.
C. Owing to the difficulty of getting a new job, I felt I could hardly change my profession.
D. Even though it was difficult to get a new job, I was not afraid.
4. What is the most obvious in this book are all those details of daily living which
makes Mrs. Richards anything but common. A. She is very obvious B. She is anything she wants to be C. She is quite ordinary. D. She is an unusual person 5. He has committed some crimes. So I will report hem.
Reading 1 A-2
A. I will say something to him. B. I will talk to him.
C. I will say something against him to the police or court. D. I will make a report to him.
6. The murderer buried himself in the countryside. A. The murderer hid in the countryside.
B. The murderer's grave is in the countryside.
C. The murderer himself put his own body in the grave. D. The murderer has died.
7. If you think I like foot ball, you are all wet. A. I like football very much. B. I don’t like football at all. C. You are wet to the skin. D. You are wet all over. 8. A vaporizer cannot cure a cold, but it can make you feel better.
A. A vaporizer is a cold medicine, which helps you feel better as it works. B. Though it can make you feel better, a vaporizer cannot cure a cold. C. A vaporizer can cure a cold.
D. Curing a cold is one way a vaporizer can make you feel better. 9. I was so angry that I showed him the door. A. I told him to get out of my room. B. I went with him to the door. C. I accompanied him to the door. D. I went out with him together.
10. The real reason why the prices were, and still are high is complicated, no short
discussion can satisfactorily explain this problem. What word or phrase best describes prices? A. complicated B. Too high in the past and in the present C. adequately explained D. Too high in the past but low now.
III. Reading 40%
Directions: In this part there are 4 reading passages followed by 20 questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked [A], [B],[C] and [D]. You should decide on the best answer and write it on the ANSWER SHEET.
Passage 1
In ancient time the most important examinations were spoken, not written. In the schools of ancient Greece and Rome, testing usually consisted of saying poetry aloud or giving speeches.
In the European universities of the Middle Ages, students who were working for advanced degrees had to discuss questions in their field of study with people who had made a special study of the subject. This custom exists today as part of the process of testing students for the doctor's degree.
Generally, however, modern examinations are written. The written examination, where all students are tested on the same questions, was probably not known until the nineteenth century. Perhaps it came into existence with the great increase in
population and development of modern industry. A room full of students for a state examination, timed exactly by electric clocks and carefully watched over by managers, resembles a group of workers at an automobile factory. Certainly, during examinations teachers and students are expected to act like machines.
Reading 1 A-3
One type of test is sometimes called an objective test. It is intended to deal with facts, not personal opinions. To set an objective test the teacher writes a series of questions, each of which has only one correct answer. Along with each question the teacher writes the correct answer and also three statements that look like answers to students who have not learned the material properly. 1. In the Middle Ages students______.
A) took objective tests B) were timed by electric clocks C) specialized in one subject D) seldom took written exams 2. Nowadays a student working for the doctor's degree ___ A) has to take a kind of oral examination B) must ask a number of questions C) has to write a poem
D) must take an advanced examination ^
3. According to Paragraph 3. which of the following is true? A) Written examinations were not heard of before 1900.
B) The development of modern industry resulted from the increase in population. C) A group of workers of an automobile factory are taking a written examination. D) Modern examinations are mainly set in written form and taken in a limited amount of time.
4. The kind of exam where students must select answers is ____. A) personal B) spoken C) objective D) written 5. It may be concluded that examinations ______,
A) should test only opinions B) have changed since the Middle Ages C) should always be written D) are also given in factories
Passage 2
Some pessimistic experts feel that the automobile is bound to fall into disuse. They see a day in the not-too-distant future when all autos will be abandoned. Other authorities, however, think the auto is here to stay. They hold that the car will remain a leading means of urban travel in the foreseeable future.
The motorcar will undoubtedly change significantly over the next 30 years. It should become smaller, safer, and more economical, and should not be powered by the gasoline engine. The car of the future should be far more pollution-free than present types.
Regardless of its power source, the auto in the future will still be the main
problem in urban traffic congestion（拥挤）. One proposed solution to this problem is the automated highway system.
When the auto enters the highway system, retractable（可伸缩的）arm will drop from the auto and make contact with a rail, which is similar to those powering subway trains electrically. Once attached to the rail, the car will become electrically powered from the system, and control of the vehicle will pass to a central computer. The computer will then monitor all of the car's movements.
The driver will use a telephone to dial instructions about his destination into the system. The computer will calculate the best route, and reserve space for the car all the way to the correct exit from the highway. The driver will then be free to relax and wait for the buzzer（蜂鸣器）that will warn him of his coming exit. It is estimated that an automated highway will be able to handle 10,000 vehicles per hour, compared with the 1,500 to 2,000 vehicles that can be carried by a present-day highway.
6. One significant improvement in the future car will probably be ________.
Reading 1 A-4
A) its power source B) its driving system C) its monitoring system D) its seating capacity 7. What is the author's main concern?
A) How to render automobiles pollution-free. B) How to make smaller and safer automobiles. C) How to solve the problem of traffic jams.
D) How to develop an automated subway system.
8. What provides autos with electric power in an automated highway system? A) A rail. B) An engine.
C) A retractable arm. D) A computer controller.
9. In an automated highway system, all the driver needs to do is ________. A) keep in the right lane
B) wait to arrive at his destination
C) keep in constant touch with the computer center D) inform the system of his destination by phone
10. What is the author's attitude toward the future of autos?
A) Enthusiastic. B) Pessimistic. C) Optimistic. D) Cautious.
Passage 3
When you have completed your college education you will look for a job suited to your training, interests, and ambitions(志向). In most cases you will visit a likely employer’s office and complete an application form for the position in which you are interested. The employer may then make a decision regarding your ability on the basis of the application form and a personal interview.
Throughout your lifetime, however, you may find yourself in other job-seeking situations in an attempt to improve your position. As you gain experience you are likely to become ambitious for better and better jobs. These better jobs often request written letters of application and summaries of your background and experience. Your writing skills may an important part in obtaining the job you desire.
In any job-seeking situation there are a number of ways you may use your
writing skills: to complete an application form, prepare a resume, write an application letter, or write employment follow-up letters. As an ambitious job-seeker, therefore, you should be able to prepare all the written material that will help you obtain the job you want.
11. According to the passage in seeking a job the students_____. A)will follow their interests and ambition B)like to visit every employer’s office
C)can make an arrangement for an interview D)will surely get a chance to improve position
12. If you want to improve your position and find a good job it is important to_____. A)understand the application form of the company B)improve your writing skills
C)make a decision on the basis of your own desire D)get a job related to your education
13.To find a job it is NOT necessary to supply_____.
A) a letter of application B) a letter for an interview C) an application form D) a resume
14.. Your application for a job should mainly inform the employer of your______. A) present position and income B) ability in letter writing
B) C) background and experience D) decision to apply for the job
Reading 1 A-5