According to the passage, which of the following sayings about trains and movies is NOT true?
Directions:In this part, there is one passage followed by a summary. Read the passage carefully and complete the summary with the appropriate words from the passage. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
Questions 1-5 are based on the following passage.
Cosmetics have been used throughout history. The ancient Greeks, the Egyptians, and the Romans all used various kinds of makeup. Some of these cosmetics were used to improve their appearance. Others were used to protect their skin. But in some cases, things used for makeup were dangerous, or even deadly!
Some of the first skin care treatments started in Egypt. In fact, Cleopatra was known to use them. She thought a bath in milk and honey left her skin silky smooth. Egyptians also developed some of the earliest sunscreens. They used oils and creams for protection against the sun and dry winds. Egyptian and other ancient cultures also used various powders on their skin for beauty. Egyptians used black kohl around their eyes. Romans put white chalk on their faces. And Indians painted red henna on their bodies.
Most of the ancient cosmetic powders, oils, and creams were harmless. But in the name of beauty, some people applied dangerous chemicals and poisons to their skin. During the Italian Renaissance, women wore white powder made of lead on their faces. Of course, doctors now know lead is like a poison for our bodies.
Also around the time of the Renaissance, women in Italy put drops of belladonna in their eyes. Belladonna is a very poisonous plant. The poison in the plant affects the nerves in the body. By putting belladonna drops in her eyes, a woman’s pupils would become very large. People thought this made her more beautiful. Actually, this is why the plant is called belladonna. In Italian, belladonna means “beautiful woman.”
When Elizabeth I was queen of England in the late 1500s, some rather dangerous cosmetics were also used by women there. Women were using rouge made with mercury. They were also using special hair dye made with lead and sulphur. The dye was designed to give people red hair, the same color as the queen’s hair. Over time, the dye made people’s hair fall out. Finally, women using this dye ended up bald, like the queen, and had to wear wigs.
Summary:
Although people have used cosmetics throughout history, not all of them have been safe. In fact, some of them have been quite 1 to people. For example, long ago in Italian 2 , people thought women with big pupils were beautiful. Therefore, in the 3 of beauty, women began to put 4 of belladonna in their eyes to make their pupils larger. Today we know belladonna is poisonous, and it can affect the 5 in the body.
We may conclude from the passage that the four media luna departments ______.
The passage states that the operas of the Florentine Camerata are ______.
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage.
A call home can cost £1.37 a min
BRITISH tourists are still ripped off by mobile phone firms charging over the odds for “roaming” services, the European Commission has found.
Calls made or received on mobiles while abroad cost up to £1.37 a minute—or 19 times as much as domestic calls, a study revealed.
Users have to pay roaming charges when using a foreign network, under an agreement with their own operator.
Mobiles automatically switch to a local network when outside the UK.
Companies such as Vodafone and T-Mobile are accused of abusing their dominant position by charging high fees and passing them on to customers.
British operator Vodafone and T-Mobile’s parent company Deutsche Telekom are guilty of anti-competitive practices in Germany, the EC claims.
If found guilty, both could be fined millions of pounds for abusing their monopoly. Vodafone is appealing against earlier EC allegations that its British roaming rates are “unfair and excessive”.
Jonathan Morris, of What Mobile? magazine, said: “If people use their phone when away, they can rack up hundreds of pounds quickly. Making quick calls won’t help as calls are charged by the minute, not the second.”
Questions:
1.Mobile phone firms cheat British tourists by making them pay too much money for ______________.
2.Which mobile phone company is cheapest to call UK from Australia?
3.If found guilty, which two mobile phone firms could be fined millions of pounds for abusing their monopoly?
4.What are the European Commission’s allegations about Vodafone?
5.How will people be charged if they use their phone when away?
Passage 2
The USes Big Three carmakers, General Motors (GM), Chrysler and Ford, are presently fighting for their survival.
The first two have now unveiled major new plans to see them through a period of global downturn, falling consumer demand, and loss of their market share.
They involve job and production cuts, and seeking more US government aid—and the numbers concerned are huge.
The pair are seeking $ 21. 6bn (£15. 2bn) in financial support, on top of the combined $17. 4bn they have already received. In return, they have promised substantial cuts, including axing 50, 000 jobs.
The crisis comes as the Big Three have seen US market share decline from 70% in 1998 to 53% in 2008, amid fears that they will not return to viability unless North American consumer demand for cars returns.
“The very simple take on how the US industry has got into this situation is that they have been making the wrong vehicles, having concentrated on light trucks,” Mike Tyndall, an auto specialist at Nomura in London, told the BBC website.”
“The slowdown in light truck sales in 2008 left them in a position with nothing to do.”
“If you look at the production mix in 2007—a total of 55% of production was in light trucks, which includes pickups and SUVs.”
“Demand for these stopped when the gasoline price went to $ 4 a gallon in the US.”
“Also, people in construction tend to drive pickups, and when the housing market slowed down—coinciding with a tightening of credit—then that also hit sales of these vehicles.”
In December 2008 the US government said it would provide $17. 4bn in loans to help GM and Chrysler survive.
At the time, President George W Bush said allowing the US car industry to fail would not be “a responsible course of action”.
And, although demand for light trucks has risen slightly—helped by the oil price coming down—since the two carmakers went to the US government in December, overall vehicle sales have been hit by rising unemployment.
“That is a key driver of sales,” says Mr. Tyndall. “People who are about to lose their jobs do not tend to buy new cars. So, overall, the situation is probably worse than it was in December.”
As part of their new survival schemes both GM and Chrysler said they had examined the possibility of going into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
However they decided that this option would be more expensive in the long run than a straightforward cash bail-out.
“The [bail-out] requests pale in comparison to what it might cost taxpayers if GM or Chrysler go bankrupt,” warns Aaron Bragman, auto industry analyst for the consulting firm IHS Global Insight. American manufacturing.”
Automotive jobs are also the lifeblood of manufacturing in Michigan, the state with highest unemployment, where jobless rates are well above the national average.
And those jobless figures appear set to get bigger, with the firms planning to axe a total of 50, 000 workers in total, although more than half of those posts will be shed outside the US.
Meanwhile, those jobs figures could potentially be higher in the end, as not everyone believes vehicle makers should be saved at any cost necessary.
“We continue to believe that government support is not open-ended,” says Gregg Lemos-Stein, auto analyst at S&P in New York “Accordingly, in our opinion, even if this plan is approved and additional funding is provided, bankruptcy risk will remain high because of very uncertain consumer demand for light vehicles and other serious risks—for example weak credit markets, and potential supplier failures.”
GM has outlined plans to return to break-even status in 2010 as part of a reduced production volume of 11.5 million to 12.0 million vehicles—or units as the industry calls them—for the year.
However, analysts at Citi Investment Research predict that to also achieve a “significant recovery in unit profitability” GM will probably need improved pricing and content, as well as substantial lower raw material costs.
“While successful product launches and an improving economy could eventually drive a unit profit recovery, such a bounce by 2010 seems optimistic,” its analysts’ note says.
Meanwhile, a lot of work remains to be done before both GM’s and Chrysler’s drastic proposals could become reality.
“Much as we would like to see a rapid solution, there are some very delicate negotiations with unions, and bondholders, and the government, still ahead,” says Nomura’s Mr. Tyndall.
“So the fact that there are so many interested parties means it will take a while to resolve.”
1. What is the strategy that has led to the difficulty of the Big Three carmakers?
2. Briefly describe GM’s attitude toward bankruptcy? According to the outsiders, is GM likely to go bankrupt and why?
3. List the possible ways given by analysts to help GM return to break-even status.
Directions:In this part, there is one passage followed by a summary. Read the passage carefully and complete the summary with the maximum of three words from the passage. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage.
NO CASH, NO PROBLEM As technology continues to develop, people are changing the way they pay for things. Many of us have a cash card or a credit card, but more and more people carry a cashless card-a computerized “smart card.” These lucky people never have to look for money, or carry around a heavy wallet full of coins. With these cards we are one step closer to a more convenient and cashless society. The idea behind cashless cards is to get rid of small change and to save time.
Many American and British students use these cards to buy food or drinks at college cafeterias and even to ride buses. These cards also act as ID cards. Students use the cards to access buildings and computer files, or check out books from the library. College cafeteria staff say the cards have reduced waiting time at checkouts on campus. Users can put money from their bank accounts onto smart cards at special machines on or around campus.
There is one big problem with smart cards. If an owner loses his or her smart card, the cash that is stored on it can be used by whoever finds it. However, to protect the user, most cards have the owner’s photograph on them.
Summary:
Passage 2 ● Look at the sentences below and five paragraphs
● Which view (A, B, C, D or E) does each statement l-8 refer to?
● For each sentence l-8, mark the letter (A, B, C, D or E) on your Answer Sheet.
● You will need to use some of these letters more than once.
Example:
0. Skills of opening are introduced to them in order to attract attention.
1. During the course, the use of such aids as projectors, slides, recordings and videos is also encouraged so as to improve the effect of oral presentation.
2. It is the national capital of Australia.
3. It includes determining the conference agenda.
4. If you communicate at international academic conferences, you will use it.
5. It may be able to come up with solutions much faster.
6. If you want to go some place for a holiday, you can go there.
7. The work force with electronics industry provides most of the other jobs available.
8. Faced with the unexpected, it counts for more than one person working single handed.
A
The Speech of the Paper Presenters
The presentation of academic papers is the most fundamental form of communication at international academic conferences and the core activity of a simulated international academic conference as well. Well require that, on the platform, the students should be able to adjust themselves to the optimal state, control their voice, volume, speed and intonation, adapt themselves to the situation and express themselves freely. Skills of opening are introduced to them such as direct opening, thanking and praising, background introduction, and humorous expressions, in order to attract attention. They are also taught the approaches to logical development, topic shifting illustrating facts, displaying concrete examples, emphasizing key points, dealing with long sentences, repairing slip of the tongue, etc. Various aids are encouraged to improve the courses.
B
On the-spot Preparations
On-the-spot preparations relatively simple, which mainly refers to the arrangement of the conference room one or two hours before the conference, including hanging the logo, posting the papers(or abstracts), preparing drinks(for the breaks), adjusting the projector, arranging the seats of the guests, ensuring the recording and photographing, etc.
C
Canberra
Canberra, with a population of 286,000, is the regional capital of the Australinal Capital Territory (A.C. T.). The A.C.T was created especially as home for the national capital in l911 to prevent jealousy between the various states (former colonies) of the country. It is located in south-east Australia and surrounded on all sides by New South Wales (originally the prison colony established by the British in l788). All the major government administrative offices, the Australian National University, and the national museums are sited in Canberra. About 60%of the work force is employed by the government, with a small electronics industry providing most of the other jobs available. Originally a small town, the purpose-built capital shows urban planning at its best, with elegant public buildings and landscapes gardens.
D
Algarve
Whatever kind of holiday you want, you’ll find it in the Algarve, the garden coast of Portugal. But what the Algarve does, and better than most places, is the villa holiday. With your chosen companions—there are villas catering for from four to eight people-you for a package that includes transfers from Faro Airport to the villa, a fully-stocked fridge on arrival, maid service, and a fabulous villa with its own swimming pool are feeling really lazy, or simply want to try Portuguese cuisine without the worry of which restaurant to choose a cook. The best villas are usually those located on a hill— side overlooking the sea, although there are some very attractive ones that are almost on the beach.
E
The ideal size for a team is between 5 and 8 members. Larger that this and agreements are more difficult to reach. Each member of the team must have a clear picture of the goals of that particular team and be committed to, and responsible for, the other members of his or her team. It is essential that teams should act together and develop the team’s spirit rather than working individually. Training should take place together, along with group discussions, debate and decision-making based on the various situations that team is being trained to respond to.
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage. Exercise is one of the few factors with a positive role in long-term maintenance of body weight. Unfortunately, that message has not gotten through to the average American, who would rather try switching to “light” beer and low-calorie bread than increase physical exertion. The Centers for Disease Control, for example, found that fewer than one-fourth of overweight adults who were trying to shed pounds said they were combining exercise with their diet. In rejecting exercise, some people may be discouraged too much by caloric-expenditure charts: for example, one would have to briskly walk three miles just to work off the 275 calories in one delicious Danish pastry (小甜饼). Even exercise professionals concede half a point here. “Exercise by itself is a very tough way to lose weight,” says York Onnen, program director of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Still, exercise’s supporting role in weight reduction is vital. A study at the Boston University Medical Center of overweight police officers and other public employees confirmed that those who dieted without exercise regained almost all their old weight, while those who worked exercise into their daily routine maintained their new weight. If you have been sedentary (极少活动的) and decide to start walking one mile a day, the added exercise could burn an extra 100 calories daily. In a year’s time, assuming no increase in food intake, you could lose ten pounds. By increasing the distance of your walks gradually and making other dietary adjustments, you may lose even more weight. “Even exercise professionals concede half a point here” (Line 3, Para. 2) means “They ()”.
According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?