全国大学生英语竞赛A类决赛真题

Part I Listening Comprehension (25 minutes, 30 points) Section A: In this section, you will hear 6 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. (6 points) 1. A. She was impressed. B. She was disappointed. C. She was bored. 2. A. Three. B. Two. C. One. 3. A. There is a mistake in the bill. B. It is someone else蒺s bill. C. The man has made a mistake. 4. A. On a beach. B. In a restaurant. C. In a hotel. 5. A. To learn Japanese. B. To do some painting. C. To study Japanese art. 6. A. It was too long. B. There was too much violence. C. The acting was poor. Section B: In this section, you will hear one long conversation. The conversation will be read only once. At the end of the conversation, there will be a one-minute pause. During the pause, you must read the four 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. (4 points) Questions 7-10 are based on the long conversation you have just heard. 7. What蒺s Mr. Holloway蒺s first name? 2007 National English Contest for College Students (Level A - Final) 1- - A. Sanderson. B. Brad. C. Atlas. 8. How long has Michael been at the school? A. Less than a year. B. More than a year. C. At least a year. 9. Where did Mr. Holloway buy the P.E. kit? A.“At Last”Sports Shop. B. South Street Sports Shop. C. The shop recommended by the school. 10. On what page of the school information booklet did it first explain the kit to be worn? A. Page 10. B. Page 11. C. Page 12. Section C: In this section, you will hear 10 short news items. A fter each item, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the question and 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. (10 points) 11. Which country was infamous for its racist apartheid system? A. South Africa. B. Burundi. C. The Democratic Republic of Congo. 12. What did General George Casey think of the new Iraqi-American security drive? A. He thought it wouldn蒺t succeed. B. He expected significant results from it. C. He believed it could work under certain conditions. 13. What attracted so many people? A. A political conference. B. A sports programme. C. A religious ceremony. 14. How many countries were mentioned in this news item? A. 3. B. 4. C. 5. 15. Who will the U.S. Secretary of State meet with next month? A. President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert. B. Prime Minister Olmert and President Hosni Mubarak. C. President Hosni Mubarak and President Abbas. 16. What is the purpose of the Holocaust Memorial Center? A. To show sympathy for the Hungarian Jews killed by German Nazis. B. To help people understand the Second World War better. C. To educate the young about the glory of the Hungarian history. 17. What did some agricultural producing nations complain about? A. The Doha Round of world trade talks hasn蒺t been held for long. B. Their farmers can not compete with artificially-low prices. 2- - C. Developing countries cannot compete with developed ones. 18. What can we learn from this news item? A. The new vaccines are intended solely for developing countries. B. The oral vaccines are much cheaper than conventional ones. C. The oral vaccines will cost less than two dollars each dose. 19. According to the chief of the U.N. Human Rights Office in Iraq, how many civilians have been killed during 2006? A. 34,452. B. 36,685. C. 36,500. 20. Which of the following is responsible for Thai economy蒺s shaky start to 2007? A. The bloodless coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin. B. Prime Minister Thaksin蒺s abuse of power and corruption. C. Bomb blasts in Bangkok and the new investment rules. Section D: In this section, you will hear one passage. You are required to make some notes when you listen to it. After you hear the passage, you should complete the table below, using the exact words you hear from the recording, not exceeding three words in each blank. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet. (10 points) Part II Vocabulary and Structure (10 minutes, 15 points) 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. These circumstances were far from being ordinary and Smith had a reason for being here personally. History Game invented in (21) in about (22) First played in Japan since 740 A.D. Moved to Europe in the (23) Name in different countries The word“Go”comes from (24) Known as wei chi in China and baduk in (25) How to play Played with black and white stones on a board with 19伊19 (26) Aim To surround opponent蒺s stones and (27) and to capture themost territory at the end of the game Interesting because Rules very (28) , strategies very (29) Total number of play原 ers in Japan, Korea and China More than (30) 3- - A. twofold B. couple C. bilateral D. doubling 32. He took away ten papers, but only seven were in his pocket. What had become three? A. of another B. with others C. with the other D. of the other 33. As a central element of the Zero Hunger Programme, family farming about 40% of agricultural production in Brazil. A. counts for B. accounts for C. consists of D. admits of 34. It is essential that applicants whose first language is not English sufficient linguistic competence to avoid any delay or difficulty in pursuing their studies. A. had obtained B. would have obtained C. should have obtained D. must obtain 35. he lived most of his adult life in France, James Joyce蒺s fiction was always set in Ireland. A. Because B. Despite C. Since D. Although 36. Many people prefer to have their tax forms completed by a professional rather than it themselves. A. doing B. do C. to do D. did 37. In other words, all mammals, their size, breathe once every four heartbeats. A. regardless B. however C. whatever D. according 38. The ability to zoom is particularly useful when you are working on detailed diagrams. A. out B. in C. on D. up 39. The class went to see the performance of Macbeth because it in well with the project they were doing on Scottish history. A. booked B. crammed C. stood D. tied 40. If you are suffering from high stress , or wish to after a trying day, it is generally advisable to have a change of scene. A. rates; draw back B. levels; wind down C. ratios; peter out D. layers; hold up 41. With the development of mass entertainment, popular music away and has gradually developed a stronger life of its own to the point where it has become with the classics. A. split; incompatible B. cut; inconsistent C. cracked; incidental D. branched; incongruous 42. Over the past few years, first radio, and now television, have shown the public, who are after all the electorate, what in fact when government bills 4- - are discussed and questions are asked. A. average; turns up B. ordinary; comes up C. general; goes on D. normal; lets on 43. The first hint of what was to become the most successful means of raising money was the charity record, where the artists donated their time and talent, and the from the sales went to a good . A. proceeds; cause B. receipts; enterprise C. returns; agency D. produce; movement 44. Woman: Hello. Central College. Can I help you? Man: Yes. I蒺d like to enquire about Music Technology courses at the college. Woman: Certainly. ? Man: Staples, Buzz Staples. Woman: Just hold on a moment, Mr. Staples. the Music Department. Man: Thanks. A. Anything I can help with; You should contact B. Who do you want to call; Please try calling C. Who蒺s calling, please; I蒺ll put you through to D. Your name, please; I蒺ll show you the way to 45. Jack: Mark, you know your bike? Mark: Yes, what about it? Jack: You know you said I could borrow it? Mark: Yes. , will you? Jack: Well, I did borrow it but, well, I蒺m afraid I蒺ve had a bit of an accident. A. Take it yourself B. Be careful C. Come on D. Get to the point Part III IQ Test (5 minutes, 5 points) There are 5 IQ Test questions in this part. For each question there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Mark your answer on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre. 46. You are given a series of numbers. Your task is to see how they form a relationship with each other. You have to choose the number that would go next in the series. A. 58. B. 75. C. 85. D. 65. 2 3 7 17 39 5- - cue court cheque key dough draft cough draught doe profit prophet caught queue quay check 47. You are given a series of pictures. Your task is to see how they go together, then work out which will be the next figure in the series. You have to choose one from the four possible answers provided. A. B. C. D. 48. If the figure below on the left was folded together it would make a box. Imagine the box is made of paper or card, so that you cannot see through it. You have to say which of the alternatives would be made from the unfolded figure on the left. A. B. C. D. 49. Each of these words has a partner, except one. Which is the odd one out? A. doe B. cough C. quay D. queue 50. The restaurant owner bought two hundred pounds of potatoes which contain 99% water content. The potatoes are left in the sun for 4 hours. Now the total water content of the potatoes is slightly reduced to 96%. What is the total weight of the potatoes now? A. 194.06 pounds. B. 192.08 pounds. C. 150 pounds. D. 50 pounds. Part IV Reading Comprehension (25 minutes, 40 points) Section A: There is one passage in this section with 7 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. (7 points) 6- - Questions 51-57 are based on the following passage. When Ruth Redding, an account manager, was sent on a management training course to improve her relationships with her colleagues by learning how to communicate with them more effectively, instead of being asked to address her boss or her peers, she found herself talking to a horse. In fact, during the course, which is organised by Manch原 ester University Business School, Redding found herself standing in a pen whispering to an animal and communicating in a non-aggressive way. This form of communication, which is the subject of the best -selling novel The Horse Whisperer, later filmed with Robert Redford in the starring role, might appear bizarre on a stud farm, let alone a management training course. But horse whispering is among a number of unusual activities now being used to teach staff about every aspect of working life, from self-confidence to communica原 tion. In the 1980s and 1990s, it became fashionable to dump executives on a remote mountainside, or windswept Scottish isle, and leave them to survive a weekend in order to develop initiative, build team spirit and promote leadership skills. An alternative to the classic“chalk and talk”format, with the lecturer and obedient staff seated round a table, it all seemed wild and rather outlandish. Today, by comparison, it looks increasingly tame. A new generation of management training gurus are adopting a different approach. In Italy, stressed executives have been dressing up as gladiators to confront each other as their ancient forebears did, and in Amer原 ica, sales-people are herding cattle, while in Britain, one supermarket reportedly put its executives in Native American teepees for a weekend to develop a spirit of co-operation. Naturally, the originators of these new courses claim to have respectable psychological theories to back them up. Tudor Rickards, a professor at Manchester, was intrigued when he heard about the work done by the famous horse whisperer, Monty Roberts. “The idea is that instead of ‘breaking’the horse, you co-operate with it. Traditionally, you would coax a horse into a box and then reward it by slamming the door shut. Monty leads the horse in and out of the box and offers it a reward,”explains Professor Rickards.“Monty蒺s approach is founded on the recognition of a foal蒺s instinctive desire to be part of the herd.”He matched this with research from the Industrial Society, which revealed that often the difference between a successful and unsuccessful leader is trust. “As they observe the way horses react to cer原 tain behavior, participants think about how they themselves or other colleagues react to different management styles,”explains Professor Rickards. “The discussion often leads to one about experiences of bullying and abusive behavior, a discussion that might not other原 wise surface in a leadership course. We蒺ve found this helps the participants draw fine dis原 7- - tinctions between being tough, being assertive, being supportive and being soft.” Team building is also the aim of murder mystery days run by a company called Cor原 porate Pursuits. Actors mingle with participants and play out a scene until someone is found “murdered”. Clues, such as photographs, personal items or a cryptic message, are arranged around the room, and small teams, often pitted against each other, will work to solve the mystery under the gaze of trained observers. Although fun and a sense of release is important, managing director Mandie Chester- Bristow admits that this type of corporate Cluedo occasionally meets with skepticism among clients. “On one occasion, people were messing around and not taking it seriously at all, so I had to say to them, ‘You蒺re behaving like a bunch of school children.’”An原 other challenge can be reporting the observers蒺 findings. “We would never say,‘You蒺ve failed,’if they didn蒺t identify the murderer correctly. Instead, we would praise them for the progress they made and how they worked together as a team.” “There are lots of gimmicks in training and headline-grabbing courses at the mo原 ment, but what they deliver is often variable,”says Nick Isles of the Industrial Society. “People often say afterwards that they enjoyed the event, but it蒺s very difficult to measure how much they蒺ve actually learned from it.”He argues that ongoing training in the work place, or courses that last months, are a better way of improving aspects of business such as productivity and customer service. Questions: 51. In the first paragraph, what does the writer say about the technique Ruth Redding found herself practising? A. It is a way of learning how to address your boss properly. B. It is designed to help managers relax. C. It is perfectly acceptable in its original context. D. It is popular despite its eccentricity. 52. According to the writer, management training techniques in the late 1900s were regarded as . A. undesirable B. innovative C. effective D. demoralising 53. What does the writer imply about modern management training schemes in the third paragraph? A. They have a tendency to be more exciting. B. Their content can actually create stress. C. Their creators are convinced of their effectiveness. D. They were developed in a spirit of co-operation. 8- - 54. Rickards found Monty Roberts蒺s ideas interesting because Roberts had . A. based his methods on traditional horse-training techniques B. recognised the importance of developing bonding techniques C. dispensed with the idea of rewarding the horse he was training D. worked tirelessly with others to come up with a new theory 55. Research carried out by Rickards and the Industrial Society showed that . A. course discussions sometimes resulted in frank exchanges of opinion B. course participants reacted negatively to different management styles C. participants became less supportive of one another as the courses progressed D. the bonds of trust between course participants and horses became stronger 56. What comment does Mandie Chester -Bristow make about course participants in paragraph 6? A. They enjoy indulging in games they played in their childhood. B. Those who“lose”the game feel they have underachieved. C. They sometimes need convincing of the value of the activities. D. They are happy in the knowledge that they are being freed from stress. 57. What is Nick Isles蒺s opinion of the new-style training courses? A. Their quality is always consistent. B. Their effectiveness is quantifiable. C. Alternative courses are more easily set up. D. Alternative courses can be more efficient. Section B: In this section, there is one passage followed by 7 statements. Go over the passage quickly and mark the answers on the Answer Sheet. For questions 58 -64, 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. (7 points) Questions 58-64 are based on the following passage. For the first century or so of the industrial revolution, increased productivity led to decreases in working hours. Employees who had been putting in 12-hour days, six days a week, found their time on the job shrinking to 10 hours daily, then, finally, to eight hours, five days a week. Only a generation ago social planners worried about what people would do with all this new-found free time. In the U.S., at least, it seems they need not have bothered. Although the output per hour of work has more than doubled since 1945, leisure seems reserved largely for the unemployed and underemployed. Those who work full- 9- - time spend as much time on the job as they did at the end of World War II. In fact, working hours have increased noticeably since 1970 - perhaps because real wages have stagnated since that year. Bookstores now abound with manuals describing how to manage time and cope with stress. There are several reasons for lost leisure. Since 1979, companies have responded to improvements in the business climate by having employees work overtime rather than by hiring extra personnel, says economist Juliet B. Schor of Harvard University. Indeed, the current economic recovery has gained a certain amount of notoriety for its “jobless”na原 ture: increased production has been almost entirely decoupled from employment. Some firms are even downsizing as their profits climb.“All things being equal, we蒺d be better off spreading around the work,”observes labour economist Ronald G. Ehrenberg of Cornell University. Yet a host of factors pushes employers to hire fewer workers for more hours and, at the same time, compels workers to spend more time on the job. Most of those incentives involve what Ehrenberg calls the structure of compensation: quirks in the way salaries and benefits are organised that make it more profitable to ask 40 employees to labour an extra hour each than to hire one more worker to do the same 40-hour job. Professional and managerial employees supply the most obvious lesson along these lines. Once people are on salary, their cost to a firm is the same whether they spend 35 hours a week in the office or 70. Diminishing returns may eventually set in as overworked employees lose efficiency or leave for more arable pastures. But in the short run, the em原 ployer蒺s incentive is clear. Even hourly employees receive benefits - such as pension contributions and medical insurance - that are not tied to the number of hours they work. Therefore, it is more profitable for employers to work their existing employees harder. For all that employees complain about long hours, they, too, have r