Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension(Reading in Depth) (25 minutes)

Section A

Directions: In this section, there is a short passage with 5 questions or incompletestatements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete thestatements in the fewest possible words. Please write your answers on Answer Sheet2.

Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.

Addison Heard uses an image of his wife and infant son for the background on his laptop.

An MBA student at the University of Virginia s Darden School of Business, Heardthinks about his family constantly. But because he s away at B school, he hasexperienced much of his son s first year via phone calls and digital photos. Says

Heard, “It has been particularly hard, not being there with them every day. ”

This was his family s choice. It didn t make financial sense for his wife, Eden,a corporate lawyer in Washington, to quit her job, sell their condo(公寓), and move

to Charlotterville with her husband. So he went alone. In his first Year each spouse

made the 200 mile round trip commute on alternate weekends. Since their son wasborn last May, Addison has been doing most of the driving.

As complicated as the Heard s situation seems, it isn t all that rare. Inany year, hundreds of couples deal with how to handle the family logistics(后勤工

作) of going to B school. Some choose a long distance relationship, commutingback and forth on weekends and breaks. Others see partners and children only on

vacations and holidays. Still others pack up the family and bring them along.

Being apart hasn t been easy, but the Heards have made it work. On weekends whenthe couple is in Virginia, they attend social events, so she can feel a part of the

community. Heard also avoids Friday classes to gain more family time. “We ve gotten

into a routine that works,” he says, “but I m looking forward to being home, so

the three of us can be a family. ”

Any long distance commute puts pressure on a relationship, causing some couplesto drift apart. Being thrown in a rigorous academic schedule for one spouse and a

demanding career for the other, the stress intensifies, often distracting studentsfrom their studies.

Some schools offer students in these situations a good deal of support. For farawayspouses, there are on campus social events when they visit, online communities,even involvement in alumni networks in their home cities. But mainly B schools tryto make it easier for students to take their partners along for the ride. They helpfamilies find housing, preschools, or local employment.

The decision to attend a distant B school is fraught(伴随着的) with financialand logistical problems. Students also must decide if their families should stay orgo. Either way, schools try to accommodate them. “We have more than ourselves tothink about,” an MBA student, Cory Hrncirik says. “It s a family influenced

choice. ”

Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.

47. Heard will come into contact with his son in his first year via.

48. Before his son was born, in order to meet each other, Addison made the 200 

mile round trip commute.

49. The way that Addison continues his study will make the other.

50. Some B schools will make it easier for students to .

51. According to Hrncirik s remarks, the pursuit of MBA degree is .

Section B

Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by somequestions 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 Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage.

There he was America s first President with an MBA, the man who loves to boast abouthis business background, whose presidential campaign raised unprecedented sums from

corporate wallets and whose cabinet is stuffed with chief executives. Faith in theintegrity of American business leaders was being undermined(破坏), George Bush said

fiercely, by executives “breaching trust and abusing power”. It was time for “anew ethic of personal responsibility in the business community”. He was going to“end the days of cooking the books, shading the truth and breaking our laws”.Only months ago, the idea that George W Bush would publicly lambaste America scooperate bosses was laughable. As a candidate, born on the wave of a decade longeconomic boom and an unprecedented 18 year bull market, he cashed in on American

s love affair with corporate success. But things are different now. The stock marketbubble has burst and, despite signs of economic recovery. Wall Street seems to besunk in gloom. A string of scandals at some of America s most high flying firms—including Enron, Xerox, Tyco, Global Crossing and most recently, World Com hasradically changed the public mood.

As political pressure for reform increases, so too does the heat on Mr. Bush. Isthe businessman s president really prepared to take business on and push hard forreform? Despite the set jaw and aggrieved tone in New York. Probably not. Mr. Bushthinks the current crisis stems from a few bad apple chief executives rather thanthe system as a whole. Hence he focus on tough penalties for corrupt businessmen andhis plea for higher ethical standards. The president announced the creation of afinancial crimes SWAT team, at the Justice Department to root out corporate fraud,and wants to double the maximum prison sentence for financial fraud from five to tenyears. But he offered few concrete suggestions for systemic reforM: little mentionof changes to strengthen shareholders rights, not even an endorsement of the Senatecorporate reform bill.

There are few signs yet that cleaning up corporate America is an issue that animatesthe voters. Polls show that Americans have little faith in their business leaders,but politicians do not seem to be suffering as a result. Mr. Bush s approval ratingshave fallen from their sky highs, but they are still very strong.

The president, therefore, need do no more than talk tough. This alone will convinceordinary Americans that he is on top of the issue. As the economy rebounds and publicoutage subsides, the clamor for change will be quieter. Democratic attacks will fizzle,and far reaching reform bills will be watered down before they become law.

Politically, the gamble makes sense. Unfortunately for American capitalism, a greatopportunity will be missed.

52. We can infer from the third paragraph that Mr. Bush.

A) didn’t intend to take business on and push hard for reform

B) did not do anything at all for the presence of the current situation

C) took shareholders right into account, but he didn t approve reform bill

D) took some measures to pave the way for the reform

53. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Bush had to offer concrete suggestions for reform as political pressure increase.

B) At present, the maximum prison sentence for financial fraud is five years.

C) It is laughable that Mr. Bush publicly attacked America s corporate bosses.

D) Americans have little faith in their business as well as political leaders.

54. Which of the following statements about Mr. Bush is mentioned in this passage?

A) Mr. Bush is the second President with an MBA in American history.

B) Mr. Bush contributes a lot to decade long economic boom.

C) Mr. Bush s approval ratings are still high.

D) Mr. Bush didn t get support in his presidential campaign.

55. The author’s attitude towards the reform is.

A) indifferent

B) optimistic

C) skeptical

D) favorable

56. The phrase “a great opportunity” mentioned in the last paragraph refers to anopportunity to.

A) carry out reform

B) boom economy

C) animate the voters

D) attack chief executive

Passage Two

Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.

In recent decades, there is a phenomenon which makes us give some attention; the socalled Southeast Asian “tigers” have rivaled the western “lions” for stockcliches that make economic headlines. The myth of American economic hegemony(霸权)over Asia in the imposing and patriarchal figure of Uncle Sam has provided frequentpolitical grist ( 有利) for Southeast Asian political leaders, particularlyMalaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir. He has attempted to forge an internationalreputation as a snarling tiger, but lately sounds more like a barnyard dog groaningat shadows. Without demeaning in any way the remarkable achievements of the newlydeveloping economies of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, these nations at timesappear to be their own worst enemies. This is often exemplified by Dr. Mahathir, whorails at Western evil whenever an international or domestic crisis provides an

opportunity.

To be more specific, the recent devaluation of the Philippine and Thai currencies,and the subsequent pressure on the Malaysian currency has inspired Dr. Mahathir tolaunch an all out attack on the West as the source of the problem. He even allegesthat the United States has deliberately destabilized Southeast Asian economies inrevenge for these nations, supporting the brutal military rule in Mahathir, an actionwhich the United States seems to want inspected rather than rewarded. But by resortingto such scapegoat (替罪羊), instead of accepting even a bit responsibility, the Prime

Minister may undermine the future success of the region and Malaysia in particular.

Upon further questioning, Dr. Mahathir narrowed his attack to one wealthy individual,

the well-known philanthropist (慈善家), Mr. George Soros, whose opposition to

Myanmar’s admission to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Mahathir foundparticularity, irritating. The logical mistakes that underlie such conspiracytheories do not help Malaysia address the serious issues of economic overheating thatexperts have been warning about for all these difficult periods, which include largedeficits and low savings to debt ratios. In fact, the recent dramatic drop inMalaysia’s stock market and currency has led Dr. Mahathir to reverse his initialapproach to the crisis. He even announces measures that at least imply he is quiteaware of excesses in his own administration s spending policies that havecontributed to this crisis of confidence. In the end, this kind of reaction underminesthe esteem that Dr. Mahathir s enlightened leadership has justly earned.

57. It is implied in the first paragraph that Dr. Mahathir.

A) has correctly identified the financial problem in Asia

B) tries to manipulate anti Western actions for political gains

C) detests the USA’s controlling over the regional economies

D) believes in the effect of the ghostly influence from the west

58. The author of this essay seems to suggest that.

A) the devaluation of Malaysia s currency is due to the American plot

B) the Asian Crisis is the result of ASEAN pandering to terrorist governments

C) there is not a serious economic problems in Southeast Asia at all

D) the economic problems in some Asian countries is partly the result of theiroverheating economy

59. The author suggests the Dr. Mahathir s comments on the currency problems.

A) prove that he has been a poor leader in general

B) are poor because they weaken his own credibility

C) are sharp in identifying the cause of the problem

D) reveal his keen insight into the complex issue

60. Which of the following is the tone of this essay?

A) Sarcastic and prejudice.

B) Objective and detached.

C) Piercing and indifferent.

D) Impassive and hostile.

61. The relative pronoun “which” in the last paragraph (Line 5) refers to.

A) theories

B) experts

C) periods

D) issues