spear”, a spear being stuck in the ground as a signal for a crowd to gather.
In England in the eighteenth centuries, goods were often sold “by the candle”: a short candle was lit by the auctioneer, and bids could be made while it stayed alight.?
Practically all goods whose qualities vary are sold by auction. Among these are coffee, hides, skins, wool, tea, cocoa, furs, spices, fruit and vegetables and wines. Auction sales are also usual for land and property, antique furniture, pictures, rare books, old china and similar works of art. The auction-rooms at Christie’s and Sotheby’s in London and New York are world-famous.?
An auction is usually advertised beforehand with full particulars of the articles to be sold and where and when they can be viewed by prospective buyers. If the advertisement cannot give full details, catalogues are printed, and each group of goods to be sold together, called a “lot”, is usually given a number. The auctioneer need not begin with Lot 1 and continue in numerical order; he may wait until he registers the fact that certain dealers are in the room and then produce the lots they are likely to be interested in. The auctioneer’s services are paid for in the form of a percentage of the price the goods are sold for.?
85. Auctioned goods are sold .?
A). for the highest price offered B). only at fixed prices? C). at a price less than their true value D). cheaply?
86. The end of the bidding is called “knocking down” because .? A). the auctioneer knocks the buyer down B). the auctioneer knocks the rostrum down? C). the goods are knocked down on to the table D). the auctioneer bangs the table with a hammer ? 87. A candle used to burn at auction sales____.? A). because they took place at night B). as a signal for the crowd to gather? C). to give light to the auctioneer
D). to limit the time when offers could be made ? 88. An auction catalogue gives prospective buyers____.? A). the current market values of the goods B). details of the goods to be sold? C). the order in which goods must be sold D). free admission to the auction sale?
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TEXT C
Advertising is a form of selling. For thousands of years there have been individuals who have tried to persuade others to buy the food they have produced or the goods they have made or the services they can perform.
But the mass production of goods resulting from the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century made person-to-person selling less efficient than it previously was for most products. The mass distribution of goods that followed the development of rail and highway systems made person-to-person selling too slow and expensive for almost all companies. At the same time, however, a growth in mass communication occurred first in newspapers and magazines, than radio and television that made mass selling possible. Advertising, then, is merely selling or salesmanship functioning in the paid space or time of various mass communication media.
The objective of any advertisement is to convince people that it is in their best interests to take an action the advertiser is recommending. The action may be to purchase a product, go to a showroom to try the product, use a service, vote for political candidate, make a contribution, or even to join the army. Like any personal salesperson, the advertisement tries to persuade. The decision is the prospect’s.
While advertising brings the economies of mass selling to the manufacturer, it produces benefits for the consumer as well. Some of those economies are passed along to the purchaser so that the cost of a product sold primarily through advertising is usually far less than one sold through personal salespeople advertising brings people immediate news about products that have just come on the market. Finally, advertising pays for the programs on commercial television and radio and for about two thirds of the cost publishing magazines and newspapers.
89. Person-to-person sale failed to meet the need _____. A) when the Industrial Revolution started
B) when goods began to be produced in great quantities C) because trains replaced men in carrying goods around D) as attention was shifted from distribution to production
90. From the last sentence of the second paragraph we learn _____. A) advertising is no different from person-to-person selling in substance B) advertising extends sales promotion to a larger area
C) advertising has greatly improved the production of goods D) it is very expensive to advertises a new product
91. By saying that “the decision is the prospect’s”, the author means _____. A) advertisement often persuades people to buy what they don’t really want B) advertisement can never really influence people’s ability to decide C) whether to buy an advertised product is up to the would-be customer D) the effect of an advertisement on the public is difficult to determine 92. The last paragraph is mainly about _____. A) the cost of advertising a product
B) the effect of advertisement on people’s lives
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C) the benefits advertisement brings
D) various media for advertising products
TEXT D
The existence of both racial and sexual discrimination in employment is well documented, and policy makers and responsible employers are particularly sensitive to the plight of the black female employee on the theory that she is doubly the victim of discrimination. That there exist differences in income between whites and blacks is clear, but it is not so clear that these differences are solely the result of racial discrimination in employment. The two groups differ in productivity, so basic economics dictates that their incomes will differ.
To obtain a true measure of the effect of racial discrimination in employment it is necessary to adjust the gross black/white income ratio for these productivity factors. White women in urban areas have a higher educational level than black women and can be expected to receive larger incomes. Moreover, State distribution of residence is important because blacks are overrepresented in the South, where wage rates are typically lower than elsewhere and where racial differentials in income are greater. Also, blacks are overrepresented in large cities, and incomes of blacks would be greater if blacks were distributed among cities of different sizes in the same manner as whites.
After standardization for the productivity factors, the income of black urban women is estimated to be between 108 and 125 percent of the income of white women. This indicates that productivity factors more than account for the actual white/black income differential for women. Despite their greater education, white women’s actual average income is only 2 to 5 percent higher than that of black women in the North. Unlike the situation of men, the evidence indicates that the money income of black urban women was as great as, or greater than, that of whites of similar productivity in the North, and probably in the United States as a whole.
At least two possible hypotheses may explain why the adjustment for productivity more than accounts for the observed income differential for women. First, there may be more discrimination against black men than against black women. The different occupational structures for men and women give some indication why this could be the case. Second, the data are consistent with the hypothesis that the intensity of discrimination against women differs little between whites and blacks. Therefore, racial discrimination adds little to effects of existing sex discrimination. These findings suggest that a black woman does not necessarily suffer relatively more discrimination in the labor market than does a white woman. Rather, for women, the effects of sexual discrimination are so pervasive that the effects of racial discrimination are negligible.
93. The primary purpose of the passage is to ________.
A) explain the reasons for the existence of income differentials between men and women
B) show that racial discrimination against black women in employment is less
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important than sexual discrimination
C) explore the ways in which productivity factors influence the earning power of black workers
D) sketch a history of racial and sexual discrimination against black and female workers in the labor market
94. Which of the following best describes the logical relationship between the two hypotheses presented in the fourth paragraph?
A) They may both be true since each phenomenon could contribute to the observed differential.
B) They are contradictory, and if one is proved to be correct, the other is proved incorrect.
C) They are independent of each other, and it is hard to establish any relationship between them.
D) The two hypotheses are logically connected so that it is impossible to prove either one to be true without also proving the other to be true.
95. If the second hypothesis mentioned by the author is correct, a general lessening of discrimination against women should lead to a(n) ________.
A ) higher white/black income ratio for women B) lower white/black income ratio for women C) lower female/male income ratio
D) increase in the productivity of women
96. The author’s attitude toward racial and sexual discrimination in employment is one of _______.
A) apology B)concern C) indifference D) indignation
TEXT E
The train clattered over points and passed through a station. Then it began suddenly to slow down, presumably in obedience to a signal. For some minutes it crawled along, then stopped; presently it began to move forward again. Another up-train passed them, though with less vehemence than the first one. The train gathered speed again. At that moment another train, also on a down-line, swerved inwards towards them, for a moment with almost alarming effect. For a time the two trains ran parallel, now, one gaining a little, now the other. Mrs. McGuillicuddy looked from her window through the window of the parallel carriages. Most of the blinds were down, but occasionally the occupants of the carriages were visible. The other train was not very full and there were many empty carriages.
At the moment when the two trains gave the illusion of being stationary, a blind in one of the carriages flew up with a snap. Mrs. McGuillicuddy looked into the lighted first-class carriage that was only a few feet away. Then she drew her breath in with a gasp and half-rose to her feet.?
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Standing with his back to the window and to her was a man. His hands were round the throat of a woman who faced him, and he was slowly, remorselessly, strangling her. Her eyes were starting from their sockets, her face was purple. As Mrs. McGuillicuddy watched, fascinated, the end came; the body went limp and crumpled in the man’s hands.
At the same moment, Mrs. McGuillicuddy’s train slowed down again and the other began to gain speed. It passed forward and a moment or two later it had vanished from sight. Almost automatically Mrs. McGuillicuddy’s hand went up to the communication cord, then paused, irresolute. After all, what use would it be ringing the cord of the train in which she was travelling? The horror of what she had seen at such close quarters, and the unusual circumstances, made her feel paralyzed. Some immediate action was necessary,—but what? ?
The door of her compartment was drawn back and a ticket collector said, “Ticket, please.”?
97. When Mrs. McGuillicuddy’s train passed through a station, it___.? A. gained speed suddenly B. kept its usual speed? C. changed its speed D. stopped immediately ? 98. Mrs. McGuillicuddy seems to be a (an) ___ person.? A. observant B. interested C. nosy D. nervous ? 99. What she saw in the parallel train made her feel___.? A. excited B. anxious C. worried D. horrified ? 100.She didn’t ring the communication cord immediately because___.? A. she was very much afraid? B. there was no point of doing so? C. she was too shocked to move? D. the ticket collector came in ?? PART VI WRITING [45 MIN] SECTION A COMPOSITION [35 MIN] Write on ANSWER SHEET TWO a composition of about 200 words on the following topic:
THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER RESOURCE
You are to write in three parts.
In the first part, state specifically what your opinion is.
In the second part, support your opinion with appropriate details.
In the last part, bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or a summary.
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Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the instructions may result in a loss of marks.
SECTION B NOTE-WRITING [10 MIN]
Write on ANSWER SHEET TWO a note of about 50-60 words based on the following situation:
Mr. Motley told you his wife had just born a boy. Being her best friend, write a note to her to express your pleasure and share in the joy.
Marks will appropriateness.
be awarded for content, THE END
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organization, grammar and