英语能力考试试卷(中级1)

英语能力考试试卷 (中级1)

第1部分：词汇选项(第1-15题，每题l分，共15分)

下面每个句子中均有1个词或短语划有底横线，请为每处划线部分确定1个意义最为接近的选项。

1. We are sure that he will get over his illness.

A. certain

B. aware

C. happy

D. determined

2. The policemen acted quickly because lives were at stake.

A. in despair

B. in danger

C. in misery

D. in pain

3. If headaches only occur at night, lack of fresh air is often the cause.

A. start

B. begin

C. happen

D. visit

4. The ice is not thick enough to bear the weight of a tank.

A. suffer

B. accept

C. receive

D. support

5. A small number of firms have ceased trading.

A. completed

B. finished

C. fulfilled

D. stopped

6. I enjoyed the play, because it had a clever plot and very funny dialogues.

A. long

B. original

C. humorous

D. boring

7. He demolished my arguments in minutes.

A. disproved

B. disputed

C. accepted

D. supported

8. The two banks have announced plans to merge next year.

A. combine

B. sell

C. close

D. break

9. Regular visits from a social worker can be of immense value to old people living alone.

A. immediate

B. great

C. equal

D. moderate

10. I want to provide my boys with a decent education.

A. private

B. general

C. good

D. special

11. We are aware of the potential problems.

A. global

B. possible

C. ongoing

D. central

12. The idea was quite brilliant.

A. positive

B. clever

C. key

D. original

13. Stock market price tumbled after rumor of a rise in interest rate.

A. regulated

B. increased

C. fell

D. maintained

14. The course gives you basic instructions in car maintenance.

A. coaching

B. idea

C. term

D. aspect

15. All houses within 100 meters of these are at risk of flooding.

A. in danger

B. out of control

C. between equals

D. in particular

第2部分：阅读判断(第16-22题，每题l分，共7分)

下面的短文后列出了7个句子，请根据短文的内容对每个句子做出判断；如果该句提供的是正确信息，请选择A；如果该句提供的是错误信息，请选择B；如果该句的信息文中没有提及，请选择C。

Plants in Desert

Only special plants can survive the terrible climate of a desert, for these are regions where the annual range of the soil temperature can be over 75℃. Furthermore, during the summer there are few clouds in the sky to protect plants from the sun’s ray. Another problem is the fact that there are frequently strong winds which drive small, sharp particles of sand into the plants, tearing and damaging them. The most difficult problem for all forms of plant life, however, is the fact that the entire annual rainfall occurs during a few days or weeks in spring.

Grasses and flowers in desert survive from one year to the next by existing through the long，hot, dry season in the form of seeds. These seeds remain inactive unless the right amount of rain falls. If no rain falls, or if insufficient rain falls, they wait until the next year, or even still the next. Another factor that helps these plants to survive is the fact that their life cycles are short. By the time that the water from the spring rains disappears — just a few weeks after it falls — such plants no longer need any.

The perennials have special features which enable them to survive as plants for several years. Thus, nearly all desert perennials have extensive root systems below ground and a small shoot system above ground. The large root network enables the plant to absorb as much water as possible in a short time. The small shoot system, on the other hand, considerably limits water loss by evaporation.

Another feature of many desert perennials is that after the rainy season they lose their leaves in preparation for the long, dry season, just as trees in wetter climates lose theirs in preparation for the winter. This reduces their water loss by evaporation during the dry season. Then, in next rainy season, they come fully alive once more, and grow new branches, leaves and flowers, just as the grasses and flowers in desert do.

16. Ordinary plants are unable to survive in the desert mainly because of the changeable weather.

A. Right

B. Wrong

C. Not mentioned

17. Grasses and flowers in desert are able to survive because they stay in the form of seeds to wait for the right amount of water to come.

A. Right

B. Wrong

C. Not mentioned

18. Grasses and flowers in the desert whose life cycles are short show their ability to adapt to the quick disappearance of rainwater there after it falls in spring.

A. Right

B. Wrong

C. Not mentioned

19. Winter is the toughest season for grasses and flowers to survive in desert.

A. Right

B. Wrong

C. Not mentioned

20. The shoot system of perennials can help the plants absorb less of the sun’s ray.

A. Right

B. Wrong

C. Not mentioned

21. The theme of the second last paragraph is why the perennials can survive as plants for several years.

A. Right

B. Wrong

C. Not mentioned

22. Desert perennials lose their leaves after the rainy season just as trees lose theirs in wetter climates before winter arrives, but the reasons for this feature are different.

A. Right

B. Wrong

C. Not mentioned

第3部分：概括大意与完成句子(第23-30题，每题l分，共8分)

下面的短文后有2项测试任务：(1)第23-26题要求从所给的6个选项中为指定段落每段选择l个小标题；(2)第27-30题要求从所给的6个选项中为每个句子确定一个最佳选项。

Pathways to Research: Problem-solving

1 Pittsburgh’s many hills aren’t kind to bikers. Anyone hoping to pedal to work there has to contend with steep streets like Canton Avenue, which famously climbs at nearly 40-degree angle. As a result, some residents avoid biking altogether.

2 But University of Pittsburgh graduate Micah Toll, 23, and a few friends recently launched an invention that they hope will increase the city’s pedal power. An electric bike called to Pulse PEVO.

A super-strong battery powers the bicycle. Able to hit nearly 20 miles per hour without pedaling, it zips up the city’s highest hills. Toll hopes it will persuade people in Pittsburgh and elsewhere to get out of their cars and onto bikes.

3 If it sounds like Toll has a way for fixing problems, that’s becaus e he does. In high school, he designed a new type of construction beam. It weights no more than a feather pillow but can used to build sturdy homes for refugees fleeing war or natural disaster. For his work, Toll was invited to attend the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) -- twice, in 2006 and 2007. The annual competition for young researchers is program of Society for Science and the Public. Toll says that when it comes to science, he keeps it simple: “You see a problem and say, -- How could I solve that?”

4 He’s not the only one to take that approach. Many young researchers get their start by trying to solve a problem or fulfill a need in their own communities. When students dedicate themselves to finding a solution that many benefit the ir community, “a passion is ignited,” says Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation, which sponsors Intel ISEF. “Finding that passion and fostering it can be the key to many students’future success.” she says.

23. Paragraph 1 __________

24. Paragraph 2__________

25. Paragraph 3 __________

26. Paragraph 4 __________

27. A Pulse PEVO is powered with __________.

28. Toll hopes his Pulse PEVO will encourage people to __________.

29. A new construction beam invented by Toll weighs like __________.

30. Many young researchers are finding solutions to problems that may __________.

第4部分：阅读理解(第31-45题，每题3分，共45分)

下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题。请根据短文内容，为每题确定l个最佳选项。

第1篇Smart Windows

Windows not only let light in to cut down on electricity use for lighting, but the light coming through the window also provides heat. However, windows are not something people typically

associate with an advanced technology. Researchers are now working on new technologies that enable a window to quickly change from clear to dark and anything in between easily.

“It took us a long time to figure out what a window really is,”says Claes Granqvist. He’s a professor of solid-state physics at Uppsala University in Sweden. “It contact s with the outside world. You have to have visual contact with the surrounding world to feel well.” So, windows and natural light are importan t for improving the way people feel when they’re stuck indoors.

Yet, windows are the weak link in a building when it comes to energy and temperature control. In winter, cold air leaks in. When it’s hot and sunny, sunlight streams in. All of this sunlight carries lots of heat and energy. And all of this extra heat forces people to turn on their conditioners. Producing blasts of cold air, which can feel so refreshing, actually sucks up enormous amounts of electricity in buildings around the world.

Windows have been a major focus of energy research for a long time. Over the years, scientists have come up with a variety of strategies for coating, glazing, and layering windows to make them more energy efficient. Smart windows go a step further. They use chromogenic technologies which involve changes of color.

Electro chromic windows use electricity to change color. For example, a sheet of glass coated with thin layers of chemical compound such as tungsten oxide works a bit like a battery. Tungsten oxides is clear when an electric charge is applied and dark when the charge is removed, that is, when the amount of voltage is decreased, the window darkens until it’s completely dark after all electricity is taken away. So applying a voltage determines whether the window looks clear or dark.

One important feature that makes a smart window so smart is that it has a sort of “memory”. All it takes is a small change of voltage to turn the window from one state to the other. Then, it stays that way. Transitions take from 10 seconds to a few minutes, depending on the size of the window. The development of smart windows could mean that massive air conditioning systems may no longer be needed. “In the future, ”Granqvist says, “our buildings may look different.”

31. Which of the following of values of windows is NOT mentioned?

A. They let light in to brighten the house.

B. They let light in to heat the house.

C. They let us have visual contact with the surrounding world.

D. They let us think about the outside world.

32. The expression “when it comes to” in Paragraph 3 is used to __________.

A. signal the arrival of a guest.

B. indicate the recovery of consciousness.

C. show our understanding of something.

D. introduce a new aspect of a topic.

33. According to Paragraph 4, smart windows are the windows that _____________.

A. are coated.

B. are glazed.

C. have several layers.

D. can change color.

34. Which paragraph gives an account of the way electro chromic windows work?

A. Paragraphs 5.

B. Paragraph 3.

C. Paragraph 4.

D. Paragraphs 6.

35. A smart window is smart mainly because ___________.

A. it can change its size.

B. it can change its structure.

C. it can change the voltage of electricity.

D. it has a sort of memory.

第2篇Spelling in Schools

There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, vastly different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is, how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities of spelling?

If spelling become the only focal point of his teacher’s interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to play safe. He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language. That’s why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.

I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience: This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling errors and technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad reflection on the teacher who had feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the errors, but if his priorities had centered on the child’s ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more motivation to seek improvement.

36. Teachers are different in their opinions about_________.

A. the necessity of teaching spelling

B. the role of spelling in general language development

C. the way of teaching spelling

D. the complexities of the basic writing skills

37. As used in the second paragraph, the expression play safe most probably means__________.

A. to spell correctly

B. to write smoothly

C. to avoid using words one is not sure of

D. to use dictionaries frequently

38. Teachers encourage the students to use dictionaries so that_________.

A. students will be able to write more freely

B. students will be more skillful in writing

C. students will be more confident in writing

D. students will be independent enough

39. The author’s tone is_______.

A. ironic

C. practical

B. satirical

D. critical

40. This passage mainly discusses_______.

A. the necessity of spelling

B. the role of developing writing skills

C. the complexities of spelling

D. the relationship between spelling and the content of writing

第3篇Tea

Tea drinking was common in China for nearly one thousand years before anyone in Europe had ever heard about tea. People in Britain were much slower in finding out what tea was like, mainly because tea was very expensive. It could not be bought in shops and even those people who could afford to have it sent from Holland did so only because it was a fashionable curiosity. Some of them were not sure how to use it. They thought it was a vegetable and tried cooking the leaves. Then they served them mixed with butter and salt. They soon discovered their mistake but many people used to spread the used tea leaves on bread and give them to their children as sandwiches.

Tea remained scarce and very expensive in England until the ships of the East India Company began to bring it direct from China early in the seventeenth century. During the next few years so much tea came into the country that the price fell and many people could afford to buy it.

At the same time people on the Continent were becoming more fond of tea. Until then tea had been drunk without milk in it, but one day a famous French lady named Madame de Sevigne decided to see what tea tasted like when milk was added. She found it so pleasant that she would never again drink it without milk. Because she was such a great lady her friends thought they must copy everything she did, so they also drank their tea with milk in it. Slowly this habit spread until it reached England and today only very few Britons drink tea without milk.

At first, tea was usually drunk after dinner in the evening. No one ever thought of drinking tea in the afternoon until a duchess found that a cup of tea and a piece of cake at three or four o’clock stopped her getting “a sinking feeling”as she called it. She invited her friends to have this new meal with her and so, tea-time was born.

41. Which of the following is true of the introduction of tea into Britain?

A. The Britons got expensive tea from India.

B. Tea reached Britain from Holland.

C. The Britons were the first people in Europe who drank tea.

D. It was not until the 17th century that the Britons had tea.

42. This passage mainly discusses_____________.

A. the history of tea drinking in Britain

B. how tea became a popular drink in Britain

C. how the Britons got the habit of drinking tea

D. how tea-time was born

43. Tea became a popular drink in Britain ____________.

A. in eighteenth century

B. in sixteenth century

C. in seventeenth century

D. in the late seventeenth century

44. People in Europe began to drink tea with milk because________.

A. it tasted like milk

B. it tasted more pleasant

C. it became a popular drink

D. Madame de Sevinge was such a lady with great social influence that people tried to copy the way she drank tea

45. We may infer from the passage that the habit of drinking tea in Britain was mostly due to the

influence of____________.

A. a famous French lady

B. the ancient Chinese

C. the upper social class

D. people in Holland

第5部分：补全短文（第46-50题，每题2分，共10分）

阅读下面的短文，文章中有5处空白，文章后面有6组文字，请根据文章的内容选择5组文字，将其分别放回文章原有位置，以恢复文章原貌。

Saving a City’s Public Art

Avoiding traffic jams in Los Angeles may be impossible, but the city’s colorful freeway murals can brighten even the worst commute. Paintings that describe famous people and historical scenes cover office buildings and freeway walls all access the city. With a collection of more than 2,000 murals, Los Angeles is the unofficial mural capital of the world.

But the combination of graffiti, pollution, and hot sun has left many L.A. murals in terrible condition.__________. (46) In the past, experts say, little attention was given to caring for public art. Artists were even expected to maintain their own works, not an easy task with cars racing by along the freeway.

__________. (47) The work started in 2003. So far, 16 walls have been selected and more may be added later.

Until about 1960, public murals in Los Angeles were rare. But in the 1960s and 1970s, young L.A. artists began to study early 20th-century Mexican mural painting. __________ (48) The most famous mural in the city is Judith Baca’s “The Great Wall”, a 13-foot-high (4-meter-high) painting that runs for half a mile (0.8 kilometer) in North Hollywood, __________.

(49) It took eight years to complete--400 underprivileged teenagers painted the designs -- and is probably the longest mural in the world.

One of the murals that will be restored now is Kent Twitchell’s “Seventh Street Altarpiece”. Which he painted for the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. __________ (50) Twitchell said, “It was meant as a kind of gateway through which the traveler to L.A. must drive. The open hands represent peace.”

Artists often call murals the people’s art. Along a busy freeway or hidden in a quiet neighborhood, murals can teach people who would never pay money to see fine art in a museum, “Murals give a voice to the silent majority,” said one artist.

第6部分：完形填空（第51-65题，每题1分，共15分）

阅读下面的短文，文中有15处空白，每处空白给出了4个选项，请根据短文的内容从4个选项中选择一个最佳答案。

Different Colors

Different things usually stand for different feelings. Red, for example, is the color of fire, heat, blood and life. People say red is an exciting and active color. They associate red with a strong feeling like 51. Red is used for signs of 52 , such as STOP signs and fire engines. Orange is the bright, warm color of 53 in autumn. People say orange is a 54 color. They associate orange with happiness. Yellow is the color of 55. People say it is a cheerful color. They associate yellow too, with happiness. Green is the cool color of grass in 56. People say it is a refreshing color. In general, people 57 two groups of colors: warm colors and cool colors. The warm colors are red, orange and 58. Where there are warm color and a lot of light, people usually want to be 59. Those who like to be with 60 like red. The cool colors are 61 and blue. Where are these colors, people are usually worried. Some scientists say that time seems to 62 more slowly in a room with warm colors. They suggest that a warm color is a good 63 for a living room or a 64. People who are having a rest or are eating do not want time to pass quickly. 65 colors are better for some offices if the people working there want time to pass quickly.

51. A. sadness B. anger C. administration D. smile

52. A. roads B. ways C. danger D. places

53. A. land B. leaves C. grass D. mountains

54. A. lively B. dark C. noisy D. frightening

55. A. moonlight B. light C. sunlight D. stars

56. A. summer B. spring C. autumn D. winter

57. A. speak B. say C. talk about D. tell

58. A. green B. yellow C. white D. gray

59. A. calm B. sleepy C. active D. helpful

60. A. the other B. another C. other one D. others

61. A. black B. green C. golden D. yellow

62. A. go round B. go by C. go off D. go along

63. A. one B. way C. fact D. matter

64. A. factory B. classroom C. restaurant D. hospital

65. A. Different B. Cool C. Warm D. All