Unit 1 Leisure Activities
Section One Reading Comprehension
Directions: There are 2 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or
unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
Passage One
Questions 1-5 are based on the following passage:
―Humans should not try to avoid stress any more than they would shun food, love or exercise.‖ Said Dr. Hans Selye, the first physician to document the effects of stress on the body. While here‘s on question that continuous stress is harmful, several studies suggest that challenging situations in which you‘re able to rise to the occasion can be good for you.
In a 2001 study of 158 hospital nurses, those who faced considerable work demands but coped with the challenge were more likely to say they were in good health than those who felt they stress that you can manage also boost immune function. In a study at the Academic Center for Dentistry in Amsterdam, researchers put volunteers through two stressful experiences. In the first, a timed task that required memorizing a list followed by a short test, subjects through a gory video on surgical procedures. Those who did well on the memory test had an increase in levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that‘s the body‘s first line of defense against germs. The video-watchers experienced a downturn in the antibody.
Stress prompts the body to produce certain stress hormones. In short bursts these hormones have a positive effect, including improved memory function. ―They can help nerve cells handle information and put it into storage,‖ says Dr. Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University in New York. But in the long run these hormones can have a harmful effect on the body and brain. ―Sustained stress is not good for you,‖ says Richard Morimoto, a researcher at Northwestern University in Illinois studying the effects of stress on longevity,‖ It‘s the occasional burst of stress or brief exposure to stress that could be protective.‖
1. The passage is mainly about ________. A) how to avoid stressful B) how to cope with stress effectively C) the benefits of manageable stress D) the effect of stress harmonies on memory 2. The word ―shun‖ (Line, Para.1) most probably means ________. A) cut down on C) put up with
B) stay away from D) run out of
3. We can conclude from the study of the 158 nurses in 2001 that ________. A) people who can‘t get their job done experience more stress B) doing challenging work may be good for one‘s health C) stress will weaken the body‘s defense against germs D) people under stress tend to have a poor memory
4. In the experiment described in Paragraph 3,the video-watchers experienced a downturn in the antibody because ________.
A) the outcome was beyond their control
B) they knew little about surgical procedures
C) they felt no pressure while watching the video D) the video was not enjoyable at all
5. Dr. Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University believes that ________.
A) a person‘s memory is determined by the level of hormones in his body B) a person‘s memory improves with continued experience of stress. C) stress hormones have lasting positive effects on the brain D) short bursts of stress hormones enhance memory function
Passage Two
Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:
Just five one-hundredths of an inch thick, light golden in color and with a perfect ―saddle curl,‖ the Lay‘s potato chip seems an unlikely weapon for global domination. But its maker -- Frito-Lay -- thinks otherwise.‖ Potato chips are a snack food for the world,‖ said Salman Amin, the company‘s head of global marketing. Amin believes there is no corner of the world that can resist the charms of a Frito-Lay potato chip.
Frito-Lay is the biggest snack maker in America, owned by Pepsi Co. and accounts for over half of the parent company‘s $3 billion annual profits. But the U.S. snack food market is largely saturated, and to grow the company has to look overseas.
Its strategy rests on two beliefs: first a global product offers economies of scale with which local brands cannot compete. And second, consumers in the 21st century are drawn to ―global‖ as a concept. ‖Global‖ does not mean products that are consciously identified as American, but ones than consumes-especially young people-see as part of a modem, innovative world in which people are linked across cultures by shared beliefs and tastes. Potato chips are an American invention, but most Chinese, for instance, do not know than Frito-Lay is an American company. Instead, Riskey, the company‘s research and development head, would hope they associate the brand with the new world of global communications and business.
With brand perception a crucial factor, Riskey ordered a redesign of the Frito-Lay logo (标识). The logo, along with the company‘s long-held marketing image of the ―irresistibility‖ of its chips, would help facilitate the company‘s global expansion.
The executives acknowledge that they try to swing national eating habits to a food created in America, but they deny that amounts to economic imperialism. Later, they see Frito-Lay as spreading the benefits of free enterprise across the world. ―We‘re making products in those countries, we‘re adapting them to the tastes of those countries, building businesses and employing people and changing lives,‖ said Steve Reinemund, Pepsi Co.‘s chief executive. 6. It is the belief of Frito-Lay‘s head of global marking that ________. A) people the world over enjoy eating their company‘s potato chips B) the light golden color enhances the charm of their company‘s potato chips C) their company must find new ways to promote domestic sales.
D) potato chips can hardly be used as a weapon to dominate the world market 7. What do we learn about Frito-Lay from Paragraph 2? A) It gives half of its annual profits to its parent company. B) It needs to turn to the word market for development.
C) Its products use to be popular among overseas consumers.
D) Its expansion has caused fierce competition in the snack marker.
8. One of the assumptions on which Frito-Lay bases its development strategy is that ________. A) products identified as American will have promising market value B) products suiting Chinese consumers‘ needs bring more profits C) local brands cannot compete successfully with American brands D) consumers worldwide today are attracted by global brands 9. Why did Riskey have the Frito-Lay logo redesigned? A) To suit changing tastes of young consumers. B) To compete with other American chip producers. C) To change the company‘s long-held marketing image.
D) To promote the company's strategy of globalization.
10. Frito-Lay's executives claim that the promoting of American food in the international market ________.
A) will be in the interest of the local people B) will lead to economic imperialism C) won‘t spoil the taste of their chips
D)won't affect the eating habits of the local people
Section Two Blank-filling
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word
for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre
Puns are even more subtle forms of word play. They use the technique of _ L _ sounding words or E_ meanings of the same word. Puns are thought by some C_ to be the lowest form of humor, but I disagree with this. Puns require more subtle and G language skills than most humor forms, but even the very young can use them in their __N__ forms.
Some B__ humorists think too much of today‘s humor is not very I or sophisticated. They dislike the suggestive or M language used too frequently, and they feel that most humorists are not very O . It is true that some of today‘s humor is rather A , but I don‘t think humor is to be blamed for.
A. shocking B. professional C. critics D. difference E. alternative F. trick G. sophisticated H. countless I. intelligent J. shocking K. replies L. similar M. vulgar N. simpler O. creative
Section Three Translation from English into Chinese
Directions: Translate the following passage into Chinese.
The joy of laughing at a funny story is universal, probably as old as language itself. But, what is it that makes a story or a joke funny?
As one who has enjoyed humor since I first recognized it, I've made an attempt to explain and discuss humor with students in such diverse cultures as Latin America and China. I've done some serious thinking about funny stories. It has been a labor of love!
Why is it that several students in a class will fall out of their chairs laughing after I tell a joke while the rest of the students look as if I've just read the weather report? Obviously some people are more sensitive to humor than others. And, we recognize that some people tell jokes very well while others struggle to say something funny.
快乐的笑一个有趣的故事是普遍存在的,或许是古老的语言本身。但是,是什么使一个故事或笑话好笑?
作为一个喜欢幽默自从我第一次认识它,我曾经试图和学生议论和探讨幽默,这些不同的文化,拉丁美洲和中国。我已经做了一些严肃的思考有趣的故事。它一直是一个劳动的爱!
为什么几个学生在上课就会掉出来的椅子上笑我讲了个笑话后,而其余的学生看起来就好像我刚读了天气预报?很明显有些人比别人更敏感的幽默。而且,我们认识到,一些人讲笑话很好而其他的一些则在挣扎想说些什么有趣。
Section Four Writing
Directions: For this part, you are required to write a composition on the topic TV Programs and
Me. You should write at least 150 words. You should base your essay on the outline
below:
1) 介绍电视节目在现代生活中的作用; 2) 描述你经常收看的一类电视节目; 3) 说明这类电视节目给你带来的好处。
TV Programs and Me.
There are a lot of blockbusting TV-series now on air, like Prison Break, Heroes, Lost, Numb3rs, House, CSI, The Simpsons and South Park. More information about tv-series can be found on TV.com. It can be very annoying if you missed your favorite TV-program. Especially when it's a program where you must see all the episodes, otherwise you don't understand what the story is about. My personal favorite TV-program has to be Family Guy (Seriously, how can you not like this). Another program that I really like is 24. 24 is one of those programs where you have to see all the episodes. But what if you missed one? Or what if the country you live in doesn't broadcast that program? Here's the solution: Watch your favorite program online using streaming media.
Here is a list of websites on the net that allows you to view tv-programs, movies, music video's etc. streaming online. Video's are hosted on sites such as YouTube, Your Daily Media etc. Of course this is totally free. Grab a huge bag of popcorn, get your soda's ready, sit back and enjoy
Unit 2 The Power of Words
Section One Reading Comprehension
Directions: There are 2 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or
unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
Passage One
Questions 1-5 are based on the following passage:
You can‘t smell it, you can‘t taste it, you can‘t feel it, and only occasionally can you see it. What we are talking about here is radiation – energy which comes from a source. Common sources are the Sun, which radiates energy onto the Earth; X-ray machines in hospitals; nuclear power stations; the Earth itself; and even living creatures themselves. In fact, everything made of atoms – which includes all matter in the Universe – radiates energy at one time or another. The reason for this is because certain atoms ―decay‖, emitting part of their mass as energy or ―radiation‖. Substances which contain atoms that do this are said to be ―radioactive‖. Radiation occurs in two forms: ionsing radiation (致电离辐射) and non-ionising radiation. Most dangerous is ionising radiation, which humans were first exposed to in large doses in the 19 century, when X-rays were discovered. Technicians and doctors working with the new technology suffered serious skin damage – chiefly burns –and quickly developed cancer. Since World War II, much more has been learned about the effects of exposure to ionising radiation from studies of survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan.
Non-ionising radiation and natural radiation produced by rocks, soils and the air is far less dangerous, although many scientists believe that they may be responsible for certain cancers as well. In fact, many experts, such as Michael O‘Riordan, Secretary of Britain‘s National Radiological Board, don‘t believe there is such thing as a safe level of radiation at all. ―We work on the firm assumption that all radiation is harmful. But, of course, the level of risk is in proportion to the degree of exposure –the smaller the exposure, the smaller the risk; the larger the exposure, the larger the risk. In fact, we assume there is a straightforward proportional relationship between exposure and risk.‖
And the risks posed by radiation are considerable, but so are the benefits. Without energy from the Sun, life itself would not exist. And, in the modern world, we depend upon it more than ever. It‘s difficult to imagine how modern medicine could have reached the point it has without diagnostic X-rays.
In the future, radiation is likely to prove even more of a mixed blessing. One day, it could become a non-polluting, totally efficient fuel. Or it might literally explode in our faces, destroying our civilization completely. One thing is certain: it, more than any other single thing will determine whether the human race has a future.
1. Which of the following statements about radiation is true? A) Radiation is a form of energy coming from natural sources. B) People can never see, feel and smell any form of radiation.
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