2008年全国大学生英语竞赛样题及答案（C级）
2008年全国大学生英语竞赛样题（C级）
Part IListening Comprehension (25 minutes, 30 marks)
Section A(5 marks)Directions: In this section, you will hear 5 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be read only once. After each question, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
1. A. The man is not suitable for the position.
B. The job has been given to someone else.
C. She hadn't received the man's application.
2. A. He is going to see his section chief.
B. He is going to have a job interview.
C. He is going to see his girlfriend.
B. Get the briefcase for the man.
C. Show the man her documents.
4. A. The dorm room is too crowded.
B. There is no kitchen in the building.
C. No one looks after the dorm building.
5. A. She was always in good shape.
B. She stopped exercising one year ago.
C. She lost a lot of weight in one year.
Section B (10 marks)
Directions: In this section,
you will hear two long conversations. Each conversation will be read
only once. At the end of each conversation, there will be a one-minute
pause. During the pause, you must read the five questions, each with
three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer.
Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single
line through the centre.
Conversation One
6. What is soon to open in China?
A. The French Movie Festival.
B. The French Cultural Year.
C. The French Food Festival.
A. 200.B. 20.C. 100.
8. What will be held at the foot of the Great Wall?
A. The City Concert.
B. The Opening Ceremony.
C. The Great Lunch.
A. Chongqing.
B. Wuhan.
C. Shenzhen.
10. What will certainly make great contributions to this activity?
A. Internet.
B. TV shows.
C. Newspapers.
Conversation Two
11. What sound more like a native speaker in a casual conversation?
A. Examples. B. Verbs. C. Idioms.
12. Which of the following sounds more informal and more natural?
A. Get together. B. Meet. C. See.
13. Which of the following means that you cannot interrupt me?
A. I'm tied up.
B. I have a lot on my plate.
C. I'm busy.
A. Using proper language
B. Making eye contact.
C. Looking at your own feet.
A. You're feeling ashamed.
B. You're telling the truth.
C. You're telling a lie.
Directions: In this section, you will hear 5 short news items. After each item, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the question and then the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
16. How long will it take for new forests to grow back?
A. 65 years. B. 20 years. C. 40 years.
17. What did Jimmy Carter plan to focus his efforts on after leaving the White House in 1981?
A. A presidential library.
B. Camp David.
C. Winning a second term.
A. Oil. B. Agriculture. C. Tourism.
19. What is responsible for the death of many people in developing countries?
A. The development of resistance to diseases.
B. The difficulty to cure new emerging diseases.
C. The inability of the poor to afford medicine.
20. What released an estimated 8.7 million tons of the global warming gas?
A. Cars. B. Wildfires. C. Wars.
Section D (10 marks)
Directions: In this section,
you will hear a short passage. There are ten missing words or phrases
in it. Fill in the blanks with the exact words you hear on the tape.
Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
A researcher says lead in the environment could
be a major cause of violence by young people. Doctor Herbert Needleman
is a (21) ________ at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
in Pennsylvania and he (22) ________ his
findings at the yearly meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science. Doctor Needleman says the presence of lead in
the (23) ________ changes the neurons that control actions and that can
cause a person to act in antisocial and (24) ________ ways.
In the 1970s, Doctor Needleman found lower
scores on (25) ________ even in children who did not have such signs of
lead poisoning. After that, lead was (26)________ gasoline and paint in
the United States. Yet many homes still have old lead paint. Lead was
also used in older (27) ________. In fact, officials just announced
stronger testing and reporting requirements as from next year for lead
in American drinking water.
The newest research shows that even very
small amounts of lead in bones can affect brain development. A simple
(28)________ can measure lead except that an X-ray process is needed to
measure levels in bone. In 2004, such tests were done on 190 young
people who were (29) ________ and the findings showed that their
average levels were higher than normal. And, in 1998, three hundred
children were studied and the test scores showed higher levels of (30)
________ problems in those with increased levels of lead. Yet these
levels were still considered safe by the government.
Part II Vocabulary and Structure (10 minutes, 15 marks)
Directions: There are 15
incomplete sentences in this part. For each blank there are four
choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that best completes the
sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a
single line through the centre.
31. So nervous ________ that she didn't know how to start her speech.
A. since she became
B. would she become
C. that she became
D. did she become
A. might have chosen B. might choose
C. had to choose D. must have chosen
A. submitted B. to have submitted
C. to submit D. to have been submitted
A. had just been thinking about B. have just been thinking about
C. are just thinking about D. had just thought about
35. I was always taught that it was ________ to interrupt.
A. rude B. coarse C. rough D. crude
36. Small boys are ________ questioners. They ask questions all the time.
A. original B. peculiar C. imaginative D. persistent
37. We regret to inform you that the materials you ordered are ________.
A. out of work B. out of reach C. out of stock D. out of practice
38. The bomb will ________ the moment it is touched.
A. go on B. go off C. go out D. go over
39. The car won't ________; I've tried it several times, but it won't work.
A. begin B. launch C. start D. drive
40. Children and old people do not like having their daily ________ upset.
A. habit B. routine C. practice D. custom
41. In your first few days at school you'll be given a test to help the teachers to ________ you to a class at your level.
A. locate B. assign C. deliver D. place
42. China only started its nuclear power industry in recent years, and should ________ no time in catching up.
C. spare D. relieve
43. — You did an excellent job yesterday, Jim! I really enjoyed your presentation.
— ________
— Oh yeah, it was fabulous. It seems the English program is a great way to practice English.
— Yeah. It is fun and motivating.
A. Did you really?
B. Oh, thank you. You are so kind.
C. Really? What about yours?
D. Not at all. My pleasure.
44. — What kind of music do you like?
— Well, I like different kinds.
— ________
— Er, I especially like punk rock.
A. I beg your pardon? B. Are you serious?
C. Any in particular? D. Why do you think so?
45. — How did you like the fashion show last night?— ________
— I didn't see anything wrong with the clothes; they looked pretty nice to me.
— Do you really think people can wear that stuff and walk around in streets?
A. Impressive. It's a good way to show off women's sense of style and wealth.
B. It was cool. The clothes are more beautiful than the people wearing them.
C. Nothing serious. It's only a show to attract the eyes of fashion fans.
D. It was dumb. I think it's stupid for women to wear clothes like that.
Part III Reading Comprehension (20 minutes, 40 marks)
Section A (4 marks)
Directions: There is one passage in this section with 4 questions. For each question, there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Questions 46-49 are based on the following passage.
The ability to “see” oneself in the future is a remarkable human trait - some would say unique - that is not well understood. That's despite the fact that we probably spend as much time thinking about the future as we do thinking about the present.
Now new research from Washington University in St. Louis suggests that it's precisely because we can remember the past that we can visualize the future. “Our findings provide convincing support for the idea that memory and future thought are highly interrelated and help explain why future thought may be impossible without memories,” says doctoral candidate Karl Szpunar. The findings are consistent with other research showing that persons with little memory of the past, such as young children or individuals suffering from loss of memory, are less able to see themselves in the future.
The researchers base their conclusions on brain scans of 21 college students who were cued to think about something in their past, and anticipate the same event in the future, like a birthday or getting lost. The experiment was carried out as each student lay on their stomach in a magnetic resonance imaging machine, a dreadful but very useful piece of equipment that can show which areas of the brain are stimulated during specific thought processes.
The students were also asked to picture former President Bill Clinton in a past and future setting. Clinton was chosen because he was easily recognized and familiar to all the students.
The researchers found a “surprisingly complete overlap” among regions of the brain used for remembering the student's past and those used for picturing the future. And every region involved in remembering was also used in anticipating the future.
In short, the researchers isolated the area of the brain that “lit up” when the students thought about an event in their own past. And more importantly, that same area lit up again when they thought about a similar event in their future. In fact, the researchers report that the brain activity was so similar in both cases that it was “indistinguishable.”
The findings were reinforced when students imagined Bill Clinton. Since none of them knew him personally, their memories were not autobiographical. And the brain scans showed “significantly less” correlation between memories of having seen pictures of Clinton in the White House and projecting him into the future.
So this “time machine,” as the researchers describe it, allows us to use the past to see ourselves in the future, and both our memories and our anticipation are interdependent.
46. A remarkable human trait that is not well understood is the ability ________.
A. to think about the past B. to see the future C. to remember the past D. to control the present
47. The findings support that ________.
A. future goals will greatly influence a person's present performance
B. a person's present performance is determined by his / her past knowledge
C. future thought depends to a great degree on the memory of the past
D. present thought is impossible without the ability to imagine the future
48. The conclusion of the experiment on students was that ________.
A. the students could picture themselves better than Bill Clinton in a past and future setting
B. the students could imagine themselves as well as Bill Clinton in a past and future setting
C. the students could anticipate Bill Clinton better than themselves in a past and future setting
D. the students could only picture themselves in a past and future setting but not Bill Clinton
49. This “time machine” in the last paragraph most probably refers to ________.
A. clock B. brain scanning C. magnetic resonance imaging D. memory
Section B (14 marks)
Directions: There is one
passage in this section with 10 questions. Go over the passage quickly
and answer the questions on the Answer Sheet.
For questions 50-55, mark
Y (for YES)if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;
N (for NO)if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;
NG (for NOT GIVEN)if the information is not given in the passage.
For questions 56-59, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
Visiting the White House
White House Tours Public tours of the White House are available for groups of 10 or more people. Requests must be submitted through one's Member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday , and are scheduled on a first come, first served basis approximately one month in advance of the requested date. We encourage you to submit your request as early as possible since a limited number of tours are available. All White House tours are free of charge. For the most current tour information, please call the 24-hour line at 202-456-7041. Please note that White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellation.White House Visitor Center
All tours are significantly enhanced if visitors stop by the White House Visitor Center located at the southeast corner of 15th and E Streets, before or after their tour. The Center is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and features many aspects of the White House, including its architecture, furnishings, first families, social events, and relations with the press and world leaders, as well as a thirty-minute video. Allow between 20 minutes to one hour to explore the exhibits. The White House Historical Association also sponsors a sales area. Please note that restrooms are available, but food service is not.
Mobility-Impaired / Using a Wheelchair
Guests requiring the loan of a wheelchair should notify the officer at the Visitors Entrance Building upon arrival.
Wheelchairs loans are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are not possible.
Visitors in wheelchairs, or with other mobility disabilities, on the Congressional guided or self-guided tours, between 8:00 a.m. and 12 noon, use the same Visitor entrance and, with up to four members of their party, are admitted without waiting in line and without tickets.
Visitors in wheelchairs are escorted by ramp from the entrance level to the ground floor, and by elevator from the ground to the state floor. Guests generally wait in line with their family or group.
Hearing-Impaired
Tours for hearing-impaired groups may be arranged in advance by writing to the Visitors Office, White House, Washington, DC 20502. Tours are usually scheduled at 9:30 a.m., between the Congressional and public tour times. Participants enter at the East Appointment gate. A U.S. Secret Service / Uniformed Division Tour Officer conducts the tour in sign language. Signed tours are available to groups of 8 to 20. Groups are also encouraged to bring their own interpreters.
Signing interpretation is also available for individual visitors with advance notice. A Congressional office first issues guided tour tickets to a guest who is hearing-impaired and then contacts the Visitors Office at least 2 weeks in advance to request interpreter service.
The Visitors Office TDD (telephone device for the deaf) is 202-456-2121. Messages may be left outside normal business hours.
Visually-Impaired
Tours for visually-impaired groups may be arranged in advance by writing to the Visitors Office, White House, Washington, DC 20502. The tours are usually scheduled at 9:30 a.m., between the Congressional and public tour times. Participants enter at the East Appointment gate. A U.S. Secret Service / Uniformed Division Tour Officer permits visitors to touch specific objects in the House. Touch tours are currently available only to groups of 8 to 20, not to individual visitors. Guide animals are permitted in the White House.
General Tour Information
All White House tours are free. Changes in tour schedules are occasionally made because of official events. Notice may not be given until that morning. The Visitors Office 24-hour Information Line recording at 202-456-7041 provides the most up-to-date information. The TDD is 202-456-2121. Visitors should confirm tour schedules by calling the information line the night before and the morning that they plan to visit. It is occasionally necessary to close individual rooms on the tour; however, notice about closed rooms is not possible.
Prohibited Items
Prohibited items include, but are not limited to, the following: handbags, book bags, backpacks, purses, food and beverages of any kind, strollers, cameras, video recorders or any type of recording device, tobacco products, personal grooming items (make-up, hair brush or comb, lip or hand lotions, etc.), any pointed objects (pens, knitting needles, etc.), aerosol containers, guns, ammunition, fireworks, electric stun guns, mace, martial arts weapons / devices, or knives of any size. The U.S. Secret Service reserves the right to prohibit any other personal items. Umbrellas, wallets, cell phones and car keys are permitted.
Please note that no storage facilities are available on or around the complex. Individuals who arrive with prohibited items will not be permitted to enter the White House.
Parking
The closest Metrorail stations to the White House are Federal Triangle (blue and orange lines), Metro Center (blue, orange, and red lines) and McPherson Square (blue and orange lines). On-street parking is not available near the White House, and use of public transportation is strongly encouraged.
Restrooms / Public Telephones
The nearest restrooms and public telephones to the White House are in the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion (the park area south of the White House) and in the White House Visitor Center. Restrooms or public telephones are not available at the White House.
50. Both Congressional guided and self-guided tours need to be scheduled in advance.
51. All White House tours are free of charge except on federal holidays.
52. The White House Visitor Center provides free drinks but not food service.
53. Wheelchair reservation service is provided by the officer at the Visitors Entrance Building.
54. Hearing-impaired visitors can request signing interpretation service from the Visitors Office.
55. Touch tours are currently only offered to visually-impaired groups of 8 to 20.
56. Sometimes official events make it necessary to close ________________ without notice.
57. The personal items permitted to be carried into the White House are ________________.
58. The transportation visitors are encouraged to use is ________________.
59. Inside the White House, visitors cannot find or use restrooms or ________________.
Section C (10 marks)
Directions: In this section, there is one passage followed by 5 questions. Read the passage carefully, then answer the questions in as few words as possible (not more than 10 words). Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
Questions 60-64 are based on the following passage.
If you were on a distant planet, and if you had instruments that could tell you the composition of Earth's atmosphere, how would you know there was life on this planet?
Water in the atmosphere would suggest there could be water on the surface, and as we all know water is considered crucial to life. But water would only suggest that life is possible. It wouldn't prove it's there.
Carbon? That basic component of “life as we know it?” Not necessarily. A diamond is pure carbon, and it may be pretty, but it isn't alive.
What really sets Earth apart is nitrogen, which makes up 80 percent of the planet's atmosphere. And it's there only because there is abundant life on Earth, say scientists at the University of Southern California.
The report grew out of a class discussion two years ago in a course taught by Capone and Kenneth Nealson, professor of earth sciences. Students were asked to come up with different ideas about searching for life on other planets. What is a distinct “signature,” as Capone puts it, that would show there is life on another planet?
That's a question that has been kicked around in many quarters in recent decades, especially since all efforts to find some form of life, no matter whether on Mars or in the distant reaches of space, have failed. At least so far.
The current effort to search for some evidence of life on Mars focuses primarily on the search for water, because it has long been believed that water, or at least some fluid, is necessary for the chemical processes that lead life to take place. But that's probably the wrong approach, the USC group argues.
“It's hard to imagine life without water, but it's easy to imagine water without life,” says Nealson, who was on the Mars team before moving to USC.
But nitrogen would be a much clearer signature of life. Only about 2 percent to 3 percent of the Martian atmosphere is nitrogen. That's just a trace, and it probably means there is no life on Mars today, and if there was in the past, it probably ended many, many years ago.
But, the USC team adds quickly, that doesn't mean there's no life anywhere else in the universe. They don't know where, of course, but they may have found a way to narrow down the search. Look first for nitrogen, then look for biological activity that should be there.
So if life exists elsewhere, and is similar to life as we know it, there should be nitrogen, and that's what we should be looking for first, the researchers say.
If they don't find nitrogen on Mars, Capone says, “that will probably bring us to the conclusion that there likely never was life on Mars.”
But how about elsewhere? Could this technique be used to search for life in other solar systems?
Maybe. It might be possible to detect a nitrogen-rich atmosphere around a planet orbiting another star, but not yet. Current instruments aren't that sensitive.
If they ever are, the search for life might be narrowed down to the most promising prospects, chiefly because of the presence of nitrogen. And won't that be fun!
Questions:
| 60. What can suggest life is possible but cannot be proved according to the author?
61. What is a clear “signature” of life on another planet according to Capone? 62. What is considered as a wrong way to search for evidence of life on Mars? 63. What can probably prove there is no life on Mars today based on the new theory? 64. Why is it impossible to use the new technique to search for life in other solar systems now? |
Section D (12 marks)
Directions: In this section,
there is one passage followed by a summary. Read the passage carefully
and complete the summary below by choosing a maximum of three words
from the passage to fill in the spaces 65-70. Remember to write the
answers on the Answer Sheet.
Questions 65-70 are based on the following passage.
In August 2008, athletes from the United States
and around the world will compete in the Beijing Olympics. But did you
know that in September of next year, disabled athletes will compete in
the Paralympic Games in Beijing?
The Olympics and the Paralympics are
separate movements. But they have always been held in the same year,
and since 1988, they have also been held in the same city. The
International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic
Committee signed an agreement in 2001 to secure this connection. The
next winter games will take place in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010.
The Paralympic Games grew out of a sports competition held in 1948 in
England and a doctor named Ludwig Guttmann organized it for men who
suffered spinal cord injuries in World War II. Four years later, it
became an international event as competitors from the Netherlands took
part. Then, in 1960, the first Paralympics were held in Rome. 400
athletes from 23 countries competed. By 2004, the Paralympic Games in
Athens had almost 4000 athletes from 136 countries, who may have
physical or mental limitations and may be blind or in wheelchairs. Yet
sometimes they perform better than athletes without disabilities.
In 1968, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister
of former President John F. Kennedy, started the Special Olympics,
which are just for children and adults with mental limitations and
whose programs currently serve more than two million people in 160
countries. In November 2006, in Mumbai, India, teams competed in the
First Special Olympics International Cricket Cup. In addition to India,
there were men's teams from Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Nepal,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. There were also women's
cricket teams from India and Pakistan.
There are many organizations in the United
States that help people with disabilities play sports. Wheelchair
tennis is a popular sport. So is basketball. In fact, there are more
than one hundred professional teams playing wheelchair basketball
thanks to the special wheelchairs for athletes that are lightweight and
designed for quick moves. For people who want to go really fast in
their chairs, there is a Power Wheelchair Racing Association.
In the state of Utah there is a place called
the National Ability Center, which teaches all kinds of sports to
people with all kinds of physical and mental disabilities and even
gives friends and family members a chance to try a sport as if they
were disabled.
A reporter from the Washington Post wanted
to know what it would be like for a blind person to use a climbing
wall. So, protected by a safety line, the newspaper reporter closed his
eyes and started to feel for places to put his hands and feet. Trainers
on the ground urged him on: “Take your time. You can do it.” Finally he
reached the top.
At the National Ability Center people can
learn to ride horses and mountain bikes. They can try winter mountain
sports, and learn scuba diving and other water activities. The center
also prepares athletes for the Paralympics.
These days, the first place many people go
when they want to travel is the Internet, where they can get
information about hotels, transportation and services like tour
companies. The Internet can also help travelers find special services
for the disabled. For example, there are groups that help young people
with disabilities travel to different countries.
Susan Sygall, who uses a wheelchair herself, leads an organization called Mobility International USA, and has traveled to more than twenty-five countries to talk about the rights of people with disabilities. She says people with disabilities are all members of a global family and working together across borders is the most powerful way of making changes.
Summary:
|
The Olympics and the Paralympics are (65) ________ but they have always been held in the same year and also in the same city since 1988 when the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee signed an agreement in 2001 to (66) ________. The Paralympic Games grew out of a sports competition organized by a doctor named (67) ________ in 1948 in England for men injured in World War II. In 1952, it became an (68)________ and in 1960, the first Paralympics were held in Rome for people who may have physical or mental limitations or may be blind or in wheelchairs.The (69) ________ was started in 1968 in the United States by Eunice Kennedy Shriver just for children and adults with mental limitations and to help people with disabilities play sports and enjoy other activities, many (70) ________ are founded, such as the Power Wheelchair Racing Association, the National Ability Center and Mobility International USA. |
Part IV Cloze (15 minutes, 15 marks)
Section A: There are 5 blanks in the passage. Use the word given on the right side to form a word that fits in each blank. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
|
Maria Callas was one of the best-known opera singers in the world, who became famous internationally for her beautiful voice and intense (71)________ during the 1950s, and the recordings of her singing the well-known operas remain very popular today. Maria Callas was born in New York City in 1923 and her real name was Maria Kalogeropoulous. Her parents were Greek and when she was fourteen, she and her mother returned to Greece, where Maria studied singing at the national conservatory in Athens and the well-known opera (72)________ Elvira de Hidalgo chose Maria as her student. In 1941, when she was 17, Maria Callas was paid to sing in a major opera for the first time. She sang the (73)________ role in several operas in Athens during the next three years. In 1943, Callas was invited to perform in Italy, which was the real beginning of her profession as an opera singer. She performed major parts in several of the most (74)________ operas. In 1949, she married an Italian (75)________, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, who was twenty years older and became her adviser and manager. |
person
|
sing | |
|
lead fame industry | |
Section B: There are 10 blanks in the passage. For each blank, some letters of the word has been given (not exceeding 3 letters). Read the passage below and think of the word which best fits each blank. Use only one word in each blank. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
| Autism is a general (76)________ for a group of brain disorders that limit the development of social and communication skills, |
t m |
| which (77)________ professionals call autism spectrum disorders. | me l |
| Experts say autism is permanent and cannot be cured. But | |
| there are ways to treat it that they say can (78) ________ the | re e |
| severity, and the academy says the earlier treatment begins, | |
| the(79)________ the results. | b r |
| The medical group released two reports Monday with detailed | |
| information to help doctors (80)________autism. Chris Johnson | id y |
| at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio was one of the authors, who says doctors should look for signs | |
| of autism when they (81)________ babies at eighteen months and | ex e |
| twenty-four months. | |
| Doctors traditionally (82)________ the possibility of | co r |
| autism only if a child shows delayed (83)________ or unusually | sp h |
| repetitive behaviors. These may be clear signs of it, but they usually do not appear until a child is two or three years old. | |
| Parents could answer a list of written questions about | |
| their baby, and then the doctor could (84) ________ tests as | pe m |
| simple as observing the baby's ability to follow a moving object with its eyes. Experts say failing to watch a moving object may be a sign of autism. | |
| Doctors and parents can also look for behaviors that are normal in babies under one year of age. For example, does the | |
| baby appear to (85)________ to a parent's voice? Does the baby | re d |
| make eye contact? Does the baby wave or point at things? |
Part V Translation (15 minutes, 15 marks)
Section A (8 marks)Directions: Translate the underlined sentences of the following passage into Chinese. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
When you talk about China and India's seemingly unstoppable growth, nobody's surprised. After all, the increasing economic strength of the two countries has dominated the news for the past few years. But both China and India face some substantial demographic hurdles to continued expansion. Despite the billion-plus citizens of each country, both may simply lack sufficient qualified workers.
(86) China is a rapidly aging society whose current challenges of unemployment and overpopulation will, within a decade, shift to different problems: labor shortages and an elderly population with too few children. In fact, China may be the first country to go gray before it reaches developed status. The World Bank estimates that by 2020 the mainland will face a lack of even unskilled labor due to aging.
China is already facing a shortage of skilled labor. Construction sites lack welders, skilled machine operators, and plumbers. And a recent report said the country is short some 750,000 managers. Despite a 95% literacy rate among all but the oldest citizens, there are not enough well-educated Chinese. (87) This is in part due to a lack of schools that combine basic theory with practical skills and a focus on passing the elite university exams. So despite rising salaries, many of those entering China's workforce cannot learn the skills they need.
India seems to have an age advantage, with half its population under 25. In the long run, this gives them the upper hand. But at present, India shares China's problem of an insufficiently educated workforce. Citigroup reports that India's talent pool isn't deep enough to meet demand in industries including textiles, aviation, telecom, retail, and engineering.
By some other measures, both countries look pretty good. China graduates about 1.7 million students from 1,500 colleges and universities annually, of whom 350,000 are engineers. India produces about 3 million college and university graduates, including 440,000 engineers. Those numbers, though, don't tell the whole story.(88) Only 10% to 25% of these graduates are employable by multinationals, and this is only partially because of language challenges, which every human resources executive I've met who works in China or India agrees with.
The source of the problem is cultural. Young people in these countries are highly motivated to study and learn, but only in theory. There is no tradition of practical application. So engineers don't go into operations, factories, or mines, and don't really know the machines and conditions for which they are designing processes. (89) Chinese and Indian students who have just earned BAs want to pursue MBAs right away, and neither they nor their parents understand the value of practical experience. The degree is seen as a trophy, a traditional ticket to higher status.
Section B (7 marks)
Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets. Remember to write your answers on the Answer Sheet.
90. 如果你告诉他们真相，你就可以获得这次机会而不被他们误解。(without)
91. 不管多难，我也要及时完成文献翻译。(no matter)
92. 中国在提高农村居民生活水平方面已经取得了很大成绩，这一事实谁也无法否认。(deny)
Part VI IQ Test (5 minutes, 5 marks)
Directions: There are 5 IQ Test questions in this part. Write your answer on the Answer Sheet.
93. Live is to Evil just as 5423 is to ________.
94. One half of one quarter of one tenth of 800 is ________.
95. The number that should come next in the series 64, 16, 4, 1, 1/4 is ________.
96. Ann is taller than Jill, and Kelly is taller
than Ann. Then we can draw the conclusion that Jill is definitely
________ Kelly.
97. One boy and a girl caught 40 frogs. Jack
caught four times as many as Jen did. The number of frogs caught by Jen
was ________.
Part VII Writing (30 minutes, 30 marks)
Task I (10 marks)
Directions: You are required to
write a Notice in about 100 words to inform the students and English
teachers of a lecture on American Liberal Education by Prof. Gilbert in
the English Department Hall. Please write it on the Answer Sheet.
Task II (20 marks)
Directions: For this part, you
are required to write a composition on The Anti-Addiction System. You
should write at least 120 words and please write it on the Answer Sheet.
| Now in China the anti-addiction system and a “real name checking” system have been adopted in Cyber cafes to prevent players under 18 from becoming addicted to online games. What do students think about this system? What is your opinion about this? |
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