模拟试题八
Part Ⅰ Listening Comprehension
Section A
In this section, you will hear five short conversations. Each
conversation will be read only once. At the end of each conversation,
there will be a twenty-second pause. During the pause, 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.
1. What does the woman think about Professor Johnson?
A. He is very quiet.
B. He gives amusing lectures.
C. He should give more than one series of talks.
2. When did the plane leave?
A. 12:00. B. 12:10. C. 12:05.
3. For how long can they work?
A. 7 hours. B. 5 hours. C. 8 hours.
4. How much will it cost the man to rent an unfurnished apartment
including utilities?
A. $150. B. $200. C. $175.
5. When will the next plane for L. A. take off?
A. In five minutes. B. At ten. C. At eleven.
Section B
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, 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. Americans tend to ______.
A. be confident in stating their views
B. disregard other people's views
C. disregard their own achievements
7. Americans care about personal space because ______.
A. they can be turned off by body odor
B. they are taller and bigger
C. they believe the relationship is not intimate enough
8. Casual acquaintances should avoid all of the following forms
of physical contact with Americans EXCEPT ______.
A. having a long hand shake
B. putting your arm around their shoulder
C. none of these
9. Americans are ______ eye contact.
A. disrespectful about
B. suspicious of
C. fine with
10. According to Peter, eye contact is not an indication of
______.
A. openness B. honesty C. kindness
Conversation Two
11. The man's company is about to open a branch in ______.
A. New York B. New Foundland C. New Zealand
12. The presentation is scheduled to take place on ______.
A. 23 September B. 24 October C. 25 December
13. The presentation room can hold ______ people.
A. 40 B. 50 C. 100
14. The company has sent out ______ invitations.
A. 40 B. 50 C. 100
15. The man expects ______ people to come to the presentation.
A. 30 B. 40 C. 50
Section C
In this section, you
item, which will be read
pause, read the question
decide which is the best
on the answer sheet with
will hear five short news items. After each
only once, there will be a pause. During the
and the three choices marked A, B and C, and
answer. Then mark the corresponding letter
a single line through the centre.
16. Who do International medical guidelines call for to use a
combination of AIDS drugs?
A. Pregnant women with AIDS.
B. Pregnant women with AIDS and their newly - born babies.
C. Pregnant women with advanced HIV.
17. How much money does Argentine want to borrow from the
International Monetary Fund?
A. 23,000 million dollars.
B. 230,000 million dollars.
C. 2,300 million dollars.
18. What happened to the temporary minister of air-transport and
tourism of Afghanistan?
A. He has been murdered at Kabul Airport.
B. He has been shot at Kabul Airport.
C. He has been beaten to death at Kabul Airport.
19. What is India's Prime Minister appealing for?
A. For calmness. B. For peace. C. For money.
20. How many African children were forced into child labor in the
past year?
A. 20,000. B. 200,000. C. 2,000.
Section D
In this section, you will hear one passage once. You are required
to make some necessary notes when you listen to it. After you hear
the passage, you should complete the summary 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.
The general aims of group discussions are manifold. The most
important objective is to give students the chance to ask questions
or (21) a lecturer's point. Secondly, lecturers can give students (22)
in group discussion sessions, otherwise unavailable in formal
lectures attended by many students.
Many students, especially non-native speakers, find group
discussions very difficult and fail to take full (23) of them. The
most important (24) reasons for this are listed below.
Firstly, if the speed of the dialogue is too rapid, learners of
English will find it difficult to follow.
Secondly, a non-native speaker may not know how to (25) a
discussion by drawing attention to himself, how to express (26) , how
to ask for explanation or to (27) another student. Thirdly, it is
difficult for a non-native speaker to formulate questions (28) .
What advice can be given to learners of English? The first thing
to do is to try to (29) by learning and practicing the language forms
to ask questions, interrupt, disagree, ask for explanation etc.
Secondly, you should realize that although grammatical accuracy is
important, the ability to (30) must be your first objective, even if
you're not using perfectly correct English constructions.
Part Ⅱ Vocabulary and Structure
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. If drug abuse, prostitution, pollution, environmental decay,
social inequality, and the like ______, more is required than an
increased police presence or a fresh coat of paint.
A. are to eliminate B. are eliminated
C. are to be eliminated D. are being eliminated
32. ______ springs not out of true and deep admiration, but more
often out of a self-seeking wish to identify with someone important
or famous.
A. A compliment B. An adulatory C. Flattery D. Praise
33. The new secretary has written a remarkably ______ report
within a few hundred words but with all the important details
included.
A. concise B. precise C. brisk D. elaborate
34. In ______, it is now clear that this battle was turning point
in the war.
A. retention B. return C. retrospect D. revere
35. The board has ______ some rules that every member of the club
must follow.
A. taken down B. set down C. let down D. laid down
36. The buffalo which the lion fells provokes his aggression as
little as the appetizing turkey which I have just seen hanging in the
larder provokes ______.
A. me B. them C. it D. mine
37. The touch excites no defensive response unless the approach
is from above where the spider can see the motion, ______ on its hind
legs, lifts its front legs, opens its fangs and holds this
threatening posture as long as the object continues to move.
A. in which case it rises B. in that case it rises
C. in which case does it rise D. such being the case it rises
38. If at some point they do import Christianity, it is ______
that it will be absorbed and adapted ______ strengthen the continuing
core of Chinese culture.
A. more than likely… in such a manner as to
B. more likely than… in such a manner so as to
C. likely more than… in a manner so as to
D. more likely… to such a manner as
39. ______ at the outset, ______ instead of shifting things about
may be pheromones released when they reach committee size.
A. The stimuli set them off… build collectively
B. The stimuli that set them off… building collectively
C. The stimuli setting them off… they build collectively
D. Being set off by stimuli… their building collectively
40. In view of the petrol shortage ______ will be placed on the
unnecessary use of private cars for pleasure.
A. limitations B. restrictions C. rationing D. banning
41. In such desperate strains did he find himself that he was
reduced to ______ the violin in the streets.
A. play B. playing C. be playing D. having played
42. Those twins are so alike that it is next to impossible to
distinguish ______.
A. who is who B. which is which
C. one and the other D. one another
43. John: I'm just going out for a newspaper. ______.
Liza: It's Sarah's birthday today. I've got her a card, but can
you buy her some flowers or some chocolate?
John: She'd prefer a nice plant. I'll get that.
Liza: OK.
A. Can I get you anything?
B. Whose birthday is today?
C. Which newspaper do you want.9
D. Why not go with me?
44. Cindy : Is the book in this bag for Mum, then? I didn't think
she was particularly interested in flowers.
Father: ______ And even if she never reads it--it's got some
lovely photos.
A. It doesn't matter whether she likes it or not. It's just a
present.
B. Yes, it's for her birthday. And the bag is quite lovely.
C. You're absolutely right. She does not like books or flowers.
D. I thought she'd like it--to give her some good ideas for the
garden.
Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension
Section A
There is one passage in this section followed by five questions.
For each question, there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You
should decide on the best choice, and then mark the corresponding
letter on the answer sheet with a single line through the centre.
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
Singletons, referring to those who live alone, are being
comforted by well-meaning friends and family and told that not having
a partner is not the end of the world. So, it would seem that they
can say, yes, it is not. But no, in fact, it is the end.
A gloomy study that has just been released says that the
international trend towards living alone is putting an unprecedented
strain on our ecosystem.
For a number of reasons--relationship breakdown, career choice,
longer life spans, smaller families--the number of individual
households is growing. And this is putting intolerable pressure on
natural resources, and accelerating the extinction of endangered
plant and animal species. And there is worse news. Running a
refrigerator, television, cooker, plumbing system just for selfish
little you is a disastrous waste of resources on our over-populated
planet. "The efficiency of resource consumption" is a lot higher in
households of two people or more, simply because they share
everything. Well imagine that. Just when you thought living alone was
OK, you would find that all the time you were the enemy of mankind.
Every time you put the kettle on the stove for a cup of coffee you
were destroying Mother Earth. Indeed, it is not just your mother who
is a bit worried by your continuing single status--you are letting
down the entire human race by not having a boyfriend or girlfriend.
The trouble is that society has a group instinct and people panic and
hit out when they see other people quietly rebelling and straying
away from the "standard" of family and coupledom.
The suggestion is that singledom should be at best a temporary
state. Unless you are assimilated into a larger unit, you can never
be fully functional.
Try "communal living. " There are all these illustrations of
young attractive people having a "great time" laughingly bumping into
each other. It looks like an episode of the TV series Friends.
And the message is clear: Togetherness is good, solitude is bad,
and being single on your own is not allowed.
Questions:
46. Well-meaning friends and family members often tell those who
live alone that ______.
A. they should end their singledom as soon as possible
B. they should live together with other singletons
C. singledom is an acceptable life-style
D. singledom can shorten one's life-span
47. Which of the following may NOT be the reason for the
increasing number of households as mentioned in the passage?
A. Many people get divorced because of unhappy marriage.
B. Now people can afford to support a household individually.
C. Some people have to sacrifice family life for their careers.
D. Many people live much longer than before.
48. The author thinks living alone is disastrous mainly because
singledom is ______.
A. harmful to people's life
B. destructive to our ecosystem
C. dangerous to plants and animals
D. unworkable in our society
49. According to the passage, "accelerate" means ______.
A. speed up B. result C. cause D. bring
50. The author suggests that singletons should ______.
A. find boy friends or girl friends
B. live with their parents and other family members
C. live together and share more with their friends
D. watch more episodes of the TV series Friends"
Section B
There is one passage in this section with five unfinished
statements. Read the passage carefully, and then complete each
statement in a maximum of 10 words. Remember to write the answers on
the answer sheet.
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
As the windiest country in Europe, the United Kingdom's wind
power potential is larger than the rest of Europe put together. Half
of this resource is in Scotland. The UK's government has promised to
generate 10% of their electricity using renewable resources. Wind
power is seen to be the answer to doing this. The UK has issued wind
farm licences to produce as much electricity as about six nuclear
power stations. This policy has found favour with the public who
support the search for cleaner energy sources.
Until 1989, Denmark was the only European state that had
installed wind turbines for generating electricity. After 1989, other
European countries followed suit developing support mechanisms for
developing renewable energy and particularly wind power. Since 1994
the remaining European countries have also really started to support
wind power station installation. Countries offer different levels of
support. Some governments have paid companies premiums to maintain
their competitive edge while others have given investment subsidies
to foster the development of technology. Tax incentives have also
been offered.
Nature provides us with indications for the best sites for wind
turbine installation. Wind force and direction can be observed by
leaning trees. This can most frequently be seen in open countryside
and areas near coastlines and it is here, particularly in elevated
spots clear of trees or buildings which obstruct the current of air,
that wind farms have mostly been erected. Massive wind turbines,
twice the size of conventional turbines, are also being developed for
use offshore, as it is there that the strongest and most constant
winds are found.
Believing that wind energy has no disadvantages is easy--it is
clean, efficient and comparatively inexpensive and it creates no
pollutants or emissions during operations. The electricity generated
in the first 6 to 9 months of operation by a typical wind turbine
will usually meet its manufacturing costs. However, wind farms are
frequently regarded as a type of visual pollution because of their
common locations on hilltops. It is inescapable that sites with the
most wind are usually the most beautiful, and because they are built
in wild, remote and untouched settings their impact is all the more
noticeable. This is one of the most controversial questions when
deciding on wind farm locations. Thus the setting of wind farms ought
to be done with the greatest sensitivity. When turbines are due for
decommission, the entire structure can be wholly recycled or removed
and the cost of total site restoration can usually be completely met
by the scrap value.
Wind turbines blades are made of glass fibre or wood epoxy and
they can be of a diameter of 30 to 60 metres. The blades of the wind
turbine generator are turned by the wind. The blades are joined to
the hub that is in turn connected to the gear shaft. When the wind
blows, the blades and hub turn the shaft that revolves within the
generator; that then produces electricity. The power created is
dependent on the blade size and the swept area. The speed of the wind
and its availability are also key variables to be considered. The
electricity is then moved to either the grid for regional use or to
supply power to a stand-alone facility.
European operational capability was 2,500 megawatts in total by
the end of 1995. By the end of 1996 it had increased to 3,400 MW and
at the end of 1997 to 4,600 MW. There were steady increases in growth
(40% per annum) over the following 6 years and the forecast is that
this growth rate will persist. This is in contrast to practically
zero growth in traditional fossil fuel energy production. Nonetheless,
even at existing production levels, only 2% of potential energy is
being exploited. In due course therefore wind farms may well satisfy
20% of total European power requirements. The European country with
the most operational capacity is Germany. This is mostly down to the
level of support given to wind power by Germany's government. It has
also been helped by recent innovation in the field of turbine
development.
51. The UK's government promised to generate ______ using
renewable resources.
52. Wind power stations are better situated ______.
53. Wind energy has no disadvantages for it is ______ during
operations.
54. During the decommissioning of turbines, the cost of total
site restoration can usually ______ the scrap value.
55. ______ has the highest current wind power capacity in Europe.
Section C
This section consists of one passage followed by five questions.
Read the passage carefully, and then answer each of the questions in
a maximum of 10 words. Remember to write the answers on the answer
sheet.
Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.
Malawi's Green Gold
They call it "Green Gold" in Malawi. Tobacco rakes in more than
70 percent of Malawi's foreign exchange and contributes one third of
the country's gross domestic product, giving Malawi the dubious
honour of being the most tobacco-dependent economy in the world.
In turn, the country contributes five percent of global tobacco
exports including a fifth of the world's burley tobacco, a soughtafter sun-dried variety used in strong-tasting cigarette brands like
Marlborough.
As an indication of the country's dependence on tobacco sales,
the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates
that 70 percent of Malawi's 11 million residents depend either
directly or indirectly on tobacco for their livelihoods.
Tobacco became the backbone of Malawi's economy under the
dictatorship of Dr Hastings Banda who assumed control of the country
at its independence from Britain in 1964 and remained in power until
he was deposed by a referendum in 1993. During his almost threedecade reign, Dr Banda encouraged the tobacco industry and amassed a
personal empire that saw him become the largest private tobacco
grower in the world.
Today, only foreign aid provides more income for Malawi than
tobacco. Therefore tobacco's reputation as a leading cause of
preventable death worldwide is a dilemma for the government. As one
of the poorest countries in Africa, Malawi depends on tobacco exports
to buy food as well as maintain struggling health, education and
infrastructure initiatives. Yet without the support of foreign aid
organizations, most of which oppose tobacco growing, Malawi's fragile
economy would crumble.
One does not have to look far to predict the consequences of an
economic collapse in Malawi. This year, failure of the east African
maize crop combined with economic mismanagement triggered the
country's worst famine on record. Thousands have already died of
starvation and the British aid organization Oxfam estimates that 3
million people in Malawi face a similar fate unless something is done.
The food crisis only adds to existing burdens in a country where
adult HIV rates are estimated at one in five, malaria is endemic and
childhood malnutrition widespread. Remove tobacco profits from this
equation and many fear a human calamity.
Ethical Dilemmas
Compromising situations can create unusual political alliances
and the tobacco industry in Malawi has some unlikely supporters. Dr J.
M. Mfutso Bengo, for instance, is a senior lecturer at the Malawi
College of Medicine in Blantyre, a member of the UNESCO International
Bioethics Committee and has a PhD in bioethics from a German
university. When the World Health Organization was looking for a
consultant in Malawi for their anti-tobacco lobby in 2001, Dr Mfutso
Bengo was well qualified for the position. He chose not to apply
because of ethical and moral objections to the WHO campaign in Malawi.
"
"My position is not motivated from ideology, it is motivated from
pragmatism," says Dr Mfutso Bengo, who himself is a non-smoker and
receives no funding from the industry. "Tobacco employs more than
half of Malawi's labour force. If they take away tobacco, it would be
economic suicide for Malawi. The social and health infrastructures
would collapse and it would push Malawi further towards absolute
dependence on foreign aid. The WHO could give me money to campaign
against the industry but the poor people who are employed by the
industry, where would they be?"
Dr Mfutso Bengo sees double standards at work in the
international anti-tobacco lobby, whose concerns about smokingrelated deaths in the developed world he says overlook the more
immediate health and economic problems in Malawi. "In a country where
60 percent of people live below the poverty line, basic health needs
are most pressing-things like the prevention of cholera, malnutrition,
malaria. Dealing with tobacco-based cancer is a luxury," he says.
Questions :
56. What does the "Green Gold" mean in the text?
57. How long is the reign of Dr Hastings Banda?
58. How many people in Malawi are likely to die of starvation
this year?
59. What is the motivation of Dr J. M. Mfutso Bengo's opposition
to the anti-tobacco movement?
60. According to Dr J. M. Mfutso Bengo, what is the most pressing
thing in Malawi?
Section D
This section consists of one passage followed by a summary. Read
the passage carefully and complete the summary below by choosing no
more than two words from the passage for each blank. Remember to
write the answers on the answer sheet.
Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.
Because Atlas courses start every Monday of the year, there's
bound to be one that fits in with your academic, personal or
professional commitments. Whatever your level of language ability,
from beginner to advanced, you can choose to study for any length of
time, from two weeks to a full year. Courses match a range of
individual requirements, from intensive examination preparation to
short summer programmes. Most courses commence at 9 am and run till 3
pm.
If you take an intensive full-time course, we will help you
select the Special Interest Options which best suit your goals. From
then on, our teacher will discuss your work with you on a weekly
basis. This means that you should develop the language skills you
need--and that you ate helped to study at your own pace.
The popularity and success of any language school depend greatly
on the quality of the teachers and the methods they employ. All Atlas
teachers have specialist qualifications in the teaching of English to
foreign students and are all native speakers. We employ only
experienced professionals with a proven record of success in the
classroom.
Atlas's teaching methodology is constantly revised as more is
discovered about the process of learning a new language. Our teachers
have access to an extensive range of materials, including the very
latest in language teaching technology.
On your first day at school, you will take a test which enables
our Director of Studies to place you at the appropriate study level.
Your progress will be continuously assessed and, once you have
achieved specific linguistic goals, you will move up to a higher
level of study.
Every Atlas course fee includes accommodation in carefully
selected homestay families. Breakfast and dinner each day are also
included, so you need have no concerns about having to look for
somewhere to live once you get to the school.
On completion of any Intensive, Examination or Summer course, you
will receive the Atlas Course Certificate of Attendance. On
completion of a four-week course or longer you will also receive the
Atlas Academic Record that reflects your ability in every aspect of
the language from conversation to writing. Such a record will allow
you to present your linguistic credentials to academic institution or
potential employers around the world.
Summary :
Atlas courses are bound to fit in with your various (61) . If you
take intensive full-time courses teachers there will discuss your
work with you weekly. Due to wide acquaintance with progress in
concerning field, Atlas is quick at (62) its teaching methodology. On
your arrival at the school, a (63) will be taken to determine your
appropriate starting level. As to accommodation, Atlas will arrange
(64) families for you, where breakfast and dinner will be prepared
for you. On your completion in Atlas, academic records will be
offered to present your (65) .
Part Ⅳ Cloze
Read the following passage and fill in each blank with one word.
Choose the correct word in one of the following three ways :
according to the context, by using the correct form of the given word,
or by using the given letters of the word. Remember to write the
answers on the answer sheet.
Healthy guilt is a warning signal that either something dangerous
is about to happen or something has already happened that needs c
(66) . A feeling of distress is good when it keeps us from vio (67)
our own values. It serves a useful function. Here is a(n) (68) : If a
fire broke out in someone's home (69) to faulty wiring, he would not
be content with merely putting out the fire. Rather, he would have
the house rewired. When we feel guilty about something, we have to
make the necessary changes in our character to prevent a re (70) .
Unhealthy guilt is a distressful feeling which occurs without
reason or persists even after appropriate steps have been taken to
deal (71) a situation. A person with low self-esteem may react to
feelings of guilt in one of two ways: (72) (deny) that he has done
wrong in order to protect his fragile ego; or experience the feeling
as a con (73) that he is just an unworthy person. An example involves
the case of Mr. L. He has a (74) (agree) with Mr. Y and exchanges
angry words. Later that day, Mr. Y gets sick. Mr. L may feel that he
was the c (75) of Mr. Y's misfortune. Mr. L feels (76) (warrant)
guilt for the misfortune and thinks that his angry feelings caused
the misfortune. This is irrational thinking and is evi (77) of
pathological guilt.
When people do research (78) a particular challenge and make a
decision, the decision may (79) to unfavorable consequences. Feeling
distress and pain is normal. However, feeling guilty over the idea
(80) you caused the consequences is unhealthy. As long as a decision
is made with proper advice and with good intent, then the person
remains morally right in having made the decision. There is no reason
for guilt.
Part Ⅴ Translation
Section A
Translate the underlined sentences in the following passage into
Chinese. Remember to write the answers on the answer sheet.
We are ourselves profoundly changed by our interaction with modem
technology. As writer Jerry Mander has pointed out, on each side of
the human-machine equation there are adaptations. (81) Our machines
become ever more lifelike; witness computers and virtual reality. We
become more like the machines ; note that repetitive motion disorder
is the leading cause of workplace injuries. This adaptive
homogenising process to science and technology is now being
globalised with few societies able to withstand the reign of science
and its technological incarnations.
However, in recent years, the zeal of the religion of science has
significantly lessened. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the
costs of the scientific abstraction and manipulation of nature were
far beyond what could have been predicted. Most disturbing is that
the scientific-technological onslaught has brought humanity face to
face with the first truly global environmental crisis in recorded
history. (82) Over the last two decades the public, though still
worshipping the scientific world-view, has been shocked by the facts
about ecological threats to the biosphere that they had not even
suspected existed-ozone depletion, the greenhouse effect, acid rain,
species extinction, desertification, deforestation.
The crisis over science and technology's current unprecedented
destruction of nature has put modem society in an historic dilemma.
Humanity has become fully dependent on, and deeply addicted to, the
scientific world-view and the technological environment. Yet this
mode of thought and action is threatening the very viability of life
on Earth. (83) It is becoming increasingly evident that we cannot
ultimately survive with our current science and technology; yet we
can't imagine living without it. A common-sense approach to this
quandary would be to begin reinventing our science and devolving our
technologies in order to preserve the environment and our own
survival. (84) For many years there has been a small but persistent
movement urging the adoption of a "new" ecological scientific
approach and the substitution of sustainable or " appropriate"
technologies for the megatechnologies which are so devastating to
nature. However, while ecological science continues to make some
inroads, neither it nor appropriate technology has received mass
support among the world's policy makers. For most, remaking our
technological infrastructure appears too great a task and
unprofitable for the current corporate system. (85) Further,
ecological sensitivity and the appropriate technology movement go
directly counter to the scientific world-view and its technological
fantasies of finally conquering nature and breaking all limitations
on human activity. Section B
Translate the following sentences into English, using the words
given in the brackets. Remember to write your answers on the answer
sheet.
86. 如果生活中没有时不时的冒险，那便太无趣了。 (odd)
87. 他很谨慎，从未向我说过这件事。 (discreet)
88. 如果你抓不住这次机会，以后就没有这样的机会了。(grab)
89. 他明确表示，希望在他有生之年永远不要成为无用之人。(survive)
90. 虽然等离子 (plasma)电视的价格已经降了许多，但宣告笨重(bulky)
的晶体管(tube)电视 的终结为时尚早。 (obituary)
Part Ⅵ IQ Test
There are five IQ questions in this part. Write the answers on
the answer sheet.
91. Peter's son is the father of my son, then what is the
relationship between Peter and me?
92. Read the statements below. Then answer the question.
None of the four Jones brothers is the same height.
No brother is taller than a brother who is older.
The brothers' names are Don, Dan, Dave, and Dick.
Dave is taller than Dan and Dick.
Don is older than Dave.
Dan is shorter than Dick.
Which brother is older than Dan but younger than Dave?
93. What is the next number in this sequence: 3, 12, 60, 360...
94. Here is a riddle:
I am suspended in the air, I touch nothing, and I am surrounded
by lights. Now I dress myself afresh, and now I am naked, and I am in
the heat and the cold, by night and by day. Everyone amuses himself
by tramping upon me, even the animals abuse and scorn me, and yet I
have such treasures hidden in my bosom that he who finds them I can
make full of happiness.
What is the answer to the riddle?
95. There are four neighbors A, B, C and D in a row. We have
known that A is next to B, and A is not next to D. If D is not next
to C too, then, who is next to C?
Part Ⅶ Writing
Task Ⅰ
Directions :
Your mother sent you a parcel. But two months later you still
haven't received it. Write a letter to the post office to ask the
reason. Tell him when and where the parcel was sent. Describe the
contents in the parcel. Write your letter in about 100 words. Do not
sign your own name at the end of the letter. Use "Li Ming" instead.
You do not need to write the address.
Task Ⅱ
Some people think that material wealth is a sign of success in
China today. Do you agree or disagree? State your opinion in about
160 words, and write it on the answer sheet.
参考答案及解析
Part Ⅰ Listening Comprehension
Section A
1. B 男士说 Professor Johnson 很严肃，而女士说他的课非常幽默，故
选 B 项。
2．C 对话中提到飞往费城的航班十分钟前起飞的，而现在是 12:15，可知
飞机的起飞时间是 12:05。
3．A 男士问几点开始工作，女士回答八点，下午三点前完成一切，可知他
们要工作 7 个小时。
4．C 对话中提到 unfurnished 为$150 a month，而 utilities 要另外加
$25，一共为$175。
5．C 对话开头就提到 hourly shuttle，即每小时一次，然后女士说他已
经错过了 10 点的一趟，迟到了 5 分钟，可知下一班只能是 1 个小时后 11 点那
趟了。
Section B
Conversation One
6．A Peter 提到 Americans are much more assertive than…,
assertive 意指“自信的，断定的”。故 A 项正确。
7．C 美国关心个人距离是因为 closeness lends a sense of intimacy
that is out of proportion to the relationship at the moment，故 C 项正
确。
8．B Casual acquaintances 应当避免的身体接触的形式有：put your
arm around their shoulder; touch their face; hold their hand，故排除
C 项，A 项未提及，故 B 项正确。
9．C 文中指出 eye contact is a sign of disrespect 这种情况不适合美
国，可见 eye contact 在美国适用，故 C 项正确。
10．C 根据 Peter 的最后一句 it is an indication of openness,
honesty, and enthusiasm 可以排除 A 项和 B 项。
Conversation Two
11．C The man 提到他的公司正准备“open a branch in New
Zealand”。
12．B 对话中 the woman 提到 the presentation 将于 10 月 24 日，也就是
星期六举行。
13．B the woman 讲到“the capacity for the room”是 50 人，但 40 人
最为理想。
14．C 通过“We've sent out 100 invitations”可知选项 C 正确。
15．A 通过“I don't expect more than about 30 to come”可知 the
man 预计会来大约 30 位客人。
Section C
16．C 开头便阐明了呼吁患艾滋病的怀孕妇女使用混合药物防止孩子感染
艾滋病。
17．A 新闻明确指出 Argentina 想要从 IMF 借“as much as 23, 000
million dollars”。
18．C 新闻开头就提到航空运输旅游公司的临时部长在机场“has been
beaten to death.”。
19．A 新闻第一句明确指出印度总理“is appealing for calm”。
20．B 新闻提到联合国认为去年有“about 200, 000 children”被迫成为
童工。
Section D
21．challenge challenge 对某事提出异议。
22．disagreement express disagreement 表达反对意见。
23．personal attention personal attention 个别辅导，亲自过问。
24．interrupt interrupt 打扰，打断。
25．advantage take advantage of sth. 利用某物。
26．Quickly and accurately
accurately 准确地。
27．3 作者在下文提到了三点原因。
28．build up self-confidence
build up self-confidence 建立自信。
29．break into break into 打断(本文指打断谈话)。
30．communicate orally orally 口头上地，口述地。
Part Ⅱ Vocabulary and Structure
31．C 根据句意可知“如果吸毒、卖淫等问题将被消除”，句子时态应为
将来时态且为被动结构，故 C 项正确。
32．C 句意：阿谀奉承并非真诚的、发自内心的赞美，更多情况下是出自
一种利己主义的意愿从而认同某个重要人物或名人。flattery 谄媚，阿谀。
compliment 称赞，褒扬。adulatory 奉承的，谄媚的。praise 赞扬，歌颂。
33．A 句意：新来的秘书写了一份相当简明的报告，只有几百个词，但所
有的重要细节都包括进去了。concise 简洁的，简明的。precise 精确的，明确
的。brisk 活泼的，活跃的。elaborate 精心制作的，复杂的。
34．C 句意：回想起来，这一仗显然是该战役的转折点。retrospect 回
顾。retention 保持，保留。return 返回，归还。revere 尊敬，敬畏。
35．D 句意：委员会制定了俱乐部每位成员都必须遵守的规章制度。lay
down 制定。take down 拿下，咽下。set down 记下，登记。let down 使失望。
36．D 句意：就像我刚看到的挂在储藏室里的美味的火鸡没有激起我的食
欲一样，被狮子击倒的水牛并没有激起他的。as little as 表示对比的前后两
个句子结构平衡，宾语都应为名词的所有格形式。
37．A 句意：这一触不会引起蜘蛛的防卫反应，除非它来自蜘蛛能看到的
上方。在那种情况下，蜘蛛会后腿支撑，举起它的前腿，张开毒牙，只要猎物
继续行动，它就一直保持这种威胁性的姿势。in which case 这里是非限制性
定语从句，指代前面整个句子，所以不用倒装。
38．A 句意：如果在某种程度上，真的引进基督教，很有可能它会以那样
一种方式被吸收并使之适合国情，增强中国文化的持续凝聚力。more than 在
这里表示“不仅，超过”，such…as to…后面可接不定式。所以选项 A 正确。
39．B 本题的重点在于理清句子结构。本句主语 the stimuli 同时也是定
语从句 that set them off at the outset 的先行词，句子谓语是 may be，而
building collectively 是分词短语作状语。
40．B 句意：鉴于汽油短缺，将会限制娱乐性的私家车的不必要使用。
restriction 限制，限定。limitation 限度，局限性；弱点。rationing(食物
等的)配给。ban 禁止。
41．B 句意：在巨大压力下，他发现自己流落到在街头拉小提琴的地步。
be reduced to doing sth. 被迫。
42．B 句意：这对双胞胎是如此相像，区分他们简直不太可能。which is
which 哪个是哪个。也可用 one from the other。
43．A 从 Liza 的回答可知，John 问的是要给 Liza 带什么东西，选项 A 符
合。
44．D 从 Father 的后半句话可知，他觉得送妈妈书好，选项 D 和原文意思
相符合。
Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension
Section A
46．C 第一段第一句 Singletons, …is not the end of the world：好
心的朋友和家人都在安慰独居的人，并跟他们说没有人做伴，天也不会塌下来
的。即独身是可以接受的。故选项 C 正确。
47．B 第三段讲到单人家庭的数量在增加的原因：relationship
breakdown, career choice, longer life spans, smaller families(婚姻关
系破裂、职业的选择、寿命的延长、家庭小型化等)。只有选项 B 在文中没有提
到。
48．B 第二段讲到 the international trend towards living alone is
putting an unprecedented strain on our ecosystem(全球倾向于独居的趋势
正在给我们的生态系统造成前所未有的压力)，第三段第二句也讲到独居给自然
资源造成不可忍受的压力，加速了濒危动植物的灭绝。并从后文作者从浪费资
源的角度的论述可知答案为选项 B。
49．A accelerate 加速，促进。因此选项 A，speed up 与之意思一致。
50．C 在文章的最后两段，作者劝独居者 Try "communal living" (尝试
一下与别人合住)。有很多这方面的例子：漂亮的青年人笑着相遇，共同度过美
好时光，就像电视连续剧《六人行》中描写的那样。因此选项 C 与原文意思相
符。
Section B
51．10% of their electricity
(第一段第三句话明确提到 The UK's government has promised to
generate 10% of their electricity using renewable resources.)
52．in open countryside and areas near coastlines
(第三段提到在空旷的郊外和沿海地带最适宜建造风力机，也就是说风力发
电站也最好建在这些地方。)
53．clean, efficient, inexpensive and it creates no pollutants or
emissions
(文章第四段明确提到 Believing that wind energy has no
disadvantages is easy—it is clean, efficient and comparatively
inexpensive and it creates no pollutants or emissions during
operations.)
54．be completely met by
(第四段最后一句提到 When turbines are due for decommission, …the
cost of total site restoration can usually be completely met by the
scrap value 可知风力发电机报废时废料的价值完全够修复遗址用。)
55．Germany
(最后一段倒数第三句提到 The European country with the most
operational capacity is Germany，可知现在 wind power capacity 最高的应
该是德国。)
Section C
56．tobacco the "Green Gold"的意思是指烟草，文章通篇都在讲烟草。
57．29 years 文章第四段提到 the dictatorship of Dr Hastings
Banda…he was deposed by a referendum in 1993. 由此可知是 29 年。
58．3 million 文章第六段提到 Thousands have already died of
starvation and the British aid organization Oxfam estimates that 3
million people in Malawi face a similar fate.
59．pragmatism 文章倒数第三段提到"My position is not motivated
from ideology, it is motivated from pragmatism"。
60．basic health needs 文章最后一段提到在 Malawi 有 60%的人仍在贫
困线以下，basic health needs 仍是这个国家最大的压力。
Section D
61．commitments 在文章的第一段开头 there's bound to be one that
fits in with your academic, personal or professional commitments 可找
出答案。
62．revising 由第四段第一句 Atlas's teaching methodology is
constantly revised 可知。
63．test 由第五段第一句 On your first day at school，you will
take a test 可知在入学第一天要进行测试。
64．homestay 由第六段 Every Atlas course fee includes
accommodation in carefully selected homestay families 可知学校会安排
学生住在居民家里。
65．linguistic credentials 由第七段 Such a record will allow you
to present your linguistic credentials to academic institution or
potential employers around the world 可知。
Part Ⅳ Cloze
66．correction 根据文章内容，这里指“健康的负罪感是一种警告信号：
已经发生的事情需要改正”。
67．violating violate 侵犯，违反。
68．analogy analogy 相似，类似。
69．due due to 因为，由于。
70．recurrence recurrence 复发，重现。这里指“防止再发生类似事
件”。
71．with deal with 安排，处理。
72．Deny 句意：否认自己做错了。
73．confirmation 根据上下文，此句意为“或者把这种感觉当作是对自己
是一个一文不值或者不可救药的人的证实”。confirmation 证实，证明。
74．Disagreement disagreement 意见不同，不和。根据 exchanges
angry words，可知“L 先生和 Y 先生有些不同意见”。
75．cause cause 原因，起因。
76．unwarranted 根据前文可推断，此处应是“无根据的”的意思，所以
是 unwarranted。
77．evidence 这里指“这是一种不合逻辑的想法，是一种病态负罪感的证
明。”
78．on do research on 拿…做实验。
79．lead to lead to 导致。
80．that that 引导同位语从句，修饰 idea。
Part Ⅴ Translation
Section A
81．我们的机器变得更加智能了，比如计算机和虚拟世界，我们人类也变
得更加像机器了，我们也注意到许多的工伤是因为不必要的重复的操作所造成
的。
(本句翻译不难，划线部分两句话的意思是并列关系。)
82．虽然公众仍然崇拜科学的世界观，但是人们已经被过去二十年中出现
的生态遭到破坏的种种事实所震惊，那些威胁都是人们从来就没有想过的。
(本句是一个主从复合句，主语是 the public，谓语是 has been
shocked，中间有插入成分 though still worshipping the scientific
world-view，在翻译的时候可以把主句单独提出来。)
83．事实越来越明显，我们凭借这样的科学技术，人类最终将无法生存，
但是如果没有科学技术，我们的生活也很难想象。
(本句中，it 做形式主语，It is becoming increasingly evident 译为
“事实越来越明显”，with our current science and technology 译为“凭
借这样的科学技术”。)
84．多年以来，一直有一股规模不大但坚持不懈的力量，主张采用一种新
型的利于生态发展的科学方法，用可持续使用的技术，或者说以“适度的”技
术来替代那种严重破坏大自然的大规模技术。
(a small but persistent movement 译为“规模不大但坚持不懈的力
量”，sustainable or "appropriate" technologies for the
megatechnologies 译为“用可持续使用的技术”，或者说以“适度的技术来替
代大规模技术”。)
85．而且，关注生态、主张适度使用技术是与科学世界观及其以技术最终
征服自然并打碎一切束缚人类行动的枷锁的种种遐想直接对立的。
(go counter 的意思是“违反”，ecological sensitivity 译为“关注生
态”。)
Section B
86．Life would be too dull without the odd adventure now and then.
(本句考察 odd 的用法。odd 奇怪的，古怪的，临时的。)
87．Being very discreet, he has never told me anything about it.
(discreet 小心的，谨慎的。)
88．If you can't grab this opportunity．you won't get another one.
(本句考察 grab 的用法。grab 抢夺，夺取；常与 opportunity 连用，表示
“抓住机会”。)
89．He made it clear that he would never survive his usefulness.
(本句考察 survive 的用法。survive 比…活得长，幸免于，经历…后依然
活着。本句中“永远不要成为无用之人”译为 would never survive his
usefulness。“明确表示”译为 make clear。)
90．Although the price for a plasma television has now been
greatly reduced, it is still early to write an obituary for the bulky
tube television.
(本句考察 obituary 的用法。obituary 讣告，讣闻。write an obituary
for 为…写讣告，即宣告…死亡。)
Part Ⅵ IQ Test
91．I am the son of Peter. /Peter is my father.
92．Dick 身高从高到矮依次为 Dave, Dick, Dan，这说明三人的年龄由大
到小为 Dave, Dick, Dan。又已知 Don 的年龄大于 Dave，所以比 Dan 大又比
Dave 小的只有 Dick。
93．2520 数列后项与前项的商依次是 4、5、6，下一项应该是 7，故下一
个数是 2520。
94．The Earth 题意：我悬挂在空中，周围有光。时而更换新装(季节变化)
时而不着装(冬天)。有昼夜温差变化。每个人都可以踩在我身上，动物也可以
虐待我嘲笑我。然而我藏有可以让任何人开心的宝藏。由此可知答案为地球。
95．A 由题意知：B 的两侧分别是 A 与 D，C 不与 D 相邻则必定与 A 相邻。
Part Ⅶ Writing
Task Ⅰ
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to inquire about the parcel which my mother sent to
me by post two months ago. I am thrown into the confusion why I have
not received it yet.
That parcel is a cardboard box sent from Wuhan, China on April
18th to my current address: 27 North Street, Toronto, Canada, 100472.
My mother packed some summer clothes and Chinese specialties for
me, including the local dates. I doubt those dates must have been
spoiled on the way for such a long time.
I am very anxious for the situation of the parcel. I would be
grateful if you could make a thorough check to see what is going
wrong. I would preferably appreciate it if you will find it out and
send to me to the foresaid address.
I am looking forward to your earliest reply.
Yours truthfully,
Li Ming
Task Ⅱ
Since the reform and opening in 1978, great changes have taken
place in China. The Chinese people are becoming richer and richer,
creating unprecedented material wealth. Some people are convinced
that great possession of material wealth is a sign of success. In my
opinion, material wealth cannot be considered as a sign of success.
There is a more important standard of success. That is the
contribution to the people, to the society and even to the whole
human beings. People of this kind are really successful, though they
are not so wealthy in material. Scientists in various fields are not
wealthy either, yet they are honored the Nobel Prizes and are thought
highly of by the common people, and the value of their inventions
cannot be measured by any limited material wealth.
If material wealth is considered as a sign of success, people
will neglect the spiritual side of life by faithfully pursuing the
material wealth. In that case, the whole world will be only materialorientated, and finally the world will only be a cashbox without
friendship, love or vitality.
Because it's too limited and too parochial, material wealth is
only a tiny part of success but not a sign of success.
录音原文
Part Ⅰ Listening Comprehension
Section A
In this section, you will hear five short conversations. Each
conversation will be read only once. At the end of each conversation,
there will be a twenty-second pause. During the pause, 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.
1. M: Professor Johnson seems so serious.
W: But his lectures are quite humorous, aren't they?
2. W: The flight for Philadelphia left ten minutes ago?
M: That's right. It's now 12:15.
3. M: When shall we start our work, Mary?
W: Tomorrow at 8 o'clock. But we must work quickly, for we have
to finish everything before 3 in the afternoon.
4. M: How much is the rent?
W: It's $150 a month unfurnished or $200 a month furnished.
Utilities are $25 extra.
5. M: Is this the terminal for the hourly shuttle to L. A. ?
W: Yes, sir, but I'm sorry to say that you missed the 10:00 by 5
minutes.
Section B
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, 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
Jack : Peter, people around the world come to America to live,
work and study, so to understand America in terms of its cultural
differences is very important.
Peter: I couldn't agree with you more, Jack. Americans are much
more assertive than most foreigners. For example, Americans begin a
discussion with a focus on accomplishments and concrete facts.
Jack: You're right. America is a rather individualistic society,
with less social pressure to conform. So you will need to become more
assertive and to speak out on your own behalf.
Peter: Another aspect of American behavior is Americans are more
guarded about personal space. So when you are talking to an American,
don't stay too close. This personal distance is not due to body odor
or bad breath, but because closeness lends a sense of intimacy that
is out of proportion to the relationship at the moment.
Jack: Yes. Also, try to avoid physical contact while you are
speaking. Touching is a bit too intimate for casual acquaintances. So
don't put your arm around their shoulder, touch their face, or hold
their hand. Shaking hands when you initially meet or part is
acceptable, but this is only momentary.
Peter: In many cultures, eye contact is a sign of disrespect,
which is not the ease in America. In fact, it is an indication of
openness, honesty, and enthusiasm.
Conversation Two
Fisher: Ah, good morning, Ms. Ross, do come in.
Ross: Hello, Mr. Fisher. Nice to see you.
Fisher: Face to face instead of on the phone, what? Haha. How are
you?
Ross: Fine, thanks, very well.
Fisher: Oh, do sit down. Would you like some coffee?
Ross: Oh, yes please, black.
Fisher: Here you are.
Ross: Thanks. Well, how's it all going?
Fisher: Oh, not too bad, we're just about to open a branch in New
Zealand.
Fisher : Oh ! ... I'm hoping to--if I can justify it to the
marketing director ! How's your little boy, has he started school yet?
Ross: Oh, yes, he's in the second year now.
Fisher: What, already? Doesn't time fly! Is he enjoying it?
Ross : Very much, it's much more fun than being home !
Fisher: Haha. Well, I suppose we'd better make a start. Shall we
get down to business?
Ross : Right. First of all can I confirm the time and date of the
presentation? It's Saturday 24 October in the morning. What time
exactly?
Fisher: Well, on the invitations we've sent out we've said that
the presentation itself will start at 11 and go on till 12:30.
Ross: So you'll need the room from about 10 till 2. Would you
like us to serve coffee beforehand?
Fisher: Yes, yes--and drinks and snacks at the end.
Ross: Better to have buffet lunch?
Fisher: No, I... people who are invited won't be expecting a free
lunch. They might think that's overdoing it. They'll want to get back
to their families, as it's Saturday.
Ross: All right, the normal pre-lunch snack buffet will be what
you need--that's basically the same as what you had last February.
Fisher: Oh, that'll be fine.
Ross : OK, well, we'll charge for the room, coffee and snack
buffet at the standard rate less 15% , as we agreed. And we'll charge
for the drinks served on a pro-rata basis.
Fisher: Free, fine, yes.
Ross: What type of... um.. , equipment, furniture would you like?
Fisher: Well, let's have.. , um... four.. , no, no... five tables
for our display. Er... we'll bring our own stands. Now, there's an
overhead projector and sound system already in the room, I believe?
Can you get someone to check that before we come, you know, to see
that it's working?
Ross: Oh, of course, the technician will be with you when you're
setting everything up. Oh, the seats in that room have flap-over desk
tops, will that be all right?
Fisher: Yes, yes, that's fine, sure.
Ross: You say you've sent out the invitations, any idea how many
people there'll be? Urn... I think you know there's... the capacity
for the room is about 50, but 40 is ideal.
Fisher: Yes, ah... the problem is that we won't know exactly how
many there'll be until shortly before.
Ross: Can you let me know definitely by Thursday?
Fisher: Mm... no. But I'll have a rough idea and we'll budget for
the number I give you then. We've sent out 100 invitations...
Ross: 100?!
Fisher: Yes, well, in theory that meant that there could be 200
people.
Ross : Yes, but the room won't...
Fisher: But of course, haha... I don't expect more than about 30
to come.
Ross : But what if they do? This room is the only one we have
that day--there's a wedding reception in the banqueting rooms, so
we...
Fisher: Well, in that case, I suppose...
Section C
In this section, you
item, which will be read
pause, read the question
decide which is the best
on the answer sheet with
will hear five short news items. After each
only once, there will be a pause. During the
and the three choices marked A, B and C, and
answer. Then mark the corresponding letter
a single line through the centre.
16. International medical guidelines call for pregnant women with
advanced HIV to get a combination of AIDS drugs including nevirapine
to prevent passing their infection on to their newborns during
delivery. But in poor countries, combinations have been expensive and
nevirapine has often been used alone, since studies have shown that a
single dose can cut the transmission rate in half.
17. Argentine President Eduardo Duhalde has warned that the
nation's economic crisis threatens democracy in Argentina. Mr.
Duhalde said Pope John Paul was correct when he made a similar
statement. The leader of the Catholic Church also blamed bad
management and financial wrong doing for the economic crisis.
President Duhalde said a public work plan would be announced by the
end of this month. Argentine officials say they have had good
meetings this week in Washington. The officials met with the
International Monetary Fund and American government officials.
Argentina wants to borrow as much as 23,000 million dollars from the
IMF. The money would help support the value of the Argentine peso.
18. The temporary Minister of Air Transport and Tourism of
Afghanistan has been beaten to death at Kabul Airport. A crowd of
Afghan religious travelers beat Abdul Rahman because they were angry
about travel delays to Mecca. Afghan government reports say the
minister was at the airport to fly on an official trip. In other news,
American forces at a base in Kandahar Airport are trying to stop a
huge grass fire. The fire was started by devices used to light areas
around the base at night.
19. India's Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is appealing for
calm after a mob in the state of Gujarat burned a train carrying
Hindu activists. The attackers were said to be Muslems. The attack
killed 57 people. Officials have ordered a curfew in the town of
Godhra where the attack happened. The train carried members of a
Hindu nationalist group from a gathering in the northern town of
Ayodhya. Local officials say the Hindus were shouting statements that
angered Muslems in Godhra. The Hindu group wants to build a holy
place in Ayodhya on the ruins of an ancient mosque. Hindus destroyed
the Islamic center 10 years ago.
20. A 3-day international conference on fighting the African
trade in child labor has ended in Ivory Coast. Discussions centered
on developing international cooperation to stop the trade. The United
Nations estimates that about 200,000 children were forced into child
labor in the past year in Africa. The UN says the problem could be
getting worse.
Section D
In this section, you will hear one passage once. You are required
to make some necessary notes when you listen to it. After you hear
the passage, you should complete the summary 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.
Prof. Higgins: Let's now turn to the general aims of group
discussions. I want to mention the two most important objectives
which emerged from the survey at London University ; afterwards I'll
mention reasons why students find group discussions so difficult.
In the first place, the aim which far outweighs all others in
importance is that, and I quote, "students should be helped to
discuss and to clarify difficulties arising from lectures or other
teaching sessions. " It should be remembered that lectures are
usually fairly formal and students are not really expected to
interrupt the lecturer to ask a question or to disagree with a point
he's made. It's usual to wait for the follow-up group discussion to
ask questions or challenge a lecturer's points.
The second most important objective is, and I quote again, "to
obtain more intimate and personal contact with students than is
possible in lectures. " Very often lectures are attended by a
relatively large number of students and it's virtually impossible for
the lecturer to give students personal attention. The discussion
sessions, in smaller groups, provide this opportunity.
Other more specific aims mentioned by Dr. Beard include: to give
practice in oral presentation; to promote critical and logical
thinking; to ensure that concepts and principles are understood and
to provide feedback to staff on students' progress.
Group discussions of any type are a demanding part of any
academic course and, if properly exploited by students, can be highly
stimulating and extremely beneficial. Yet many students, especially
non-native speakers, understandably find it difficult to take full
advantage of them. There are many reasons for this. I'll just mention
three of them.
Firstly, there's the speed of the dialogue. This is especially
the case if the student finds he's the only non-native speaker in a
group. If there's a rapid interchange between two or more native
speakers it may well prove difficult for the learner of English to
follow with ease.
Secondly, a non-native speaker may not know how to break into a
discussion by drawing attention to himself politely : unfortunately
it's easy to create the wrong impression by using for instance, an
unsuitable opening phrase or by choosing an inappropriate intonation
pattern. Furthermore, the student may be unaware of the acceptable
linguistic formulae used to express disagreement, to ask for an
explanation or to interrupt another student.
The third major difficulty is how to formulate questions quickly
and accurately. It often happens that a student has something to ask
but by the time he's mentally worked out the form of this question,
the discussion has moved on to another topic and his chance has gone.
So what advice can be given to learners of English who have
difficulty in participating in group discussions? Well, it's not easy.
There's no magic formula. However, the first thing to do is to try to
build up self-confidence. This can only be done by learning the
language forms commonly used by native speakers to ask questions,
interrupt, disagree, ask for explanation etc. , and then by taking
every opportunity to put them into practice. Practice putting
questions to your teacher and to your fellow students; practice also
asking for a point to be explained in greater detail, practice
disagreeing with others' points of view. This will definitely help
you overcome any shyness you may have. Secondly, you should realize
that although grammatical accuracy is important, the ability to
communicate orally must be your first objective, even if you're not
using perfectly correct English constructions. So try to make a
contribution to group discussions even though you may not be so sure
of your grammar.