10届钻石卡学员强化阶段英语测试题(1)

10届海文钻石卡学员公外英语强化阶段测试题

考试时间：180分钟满分：100分

学员姓名：卡号：主管顾问：是否学数学：

参加考试类型：（A、自愿参加B、督促参加C、强制参加）

Section I Use of English

Directions:

Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark [A], [B], [C] or [D] on the ANSWER SHEET.(10 points)

The United States is widely recognized to have a private economy because privately owned businesses play 1 roles. The American free enterprise system 2 private ownership more than public sectors. Private businesses produce 3 goods and services, 4 almost two-thirds of the nation’s total economic output goes to 5 for personal use. The consumer role is 6 great, in fact, that the nation is sometimes characterized as having a “ 7 economy”.

This emphasis 8 private ownership arises, 9 , from American beliefs about personal freedom. From the time the nation was 10 , Americans have 11 excessive government power, and they have sought to 12 government’s authority over individuals—including its role in the economic realm.

13 , American generally believe that an economy largely with private ownership is likely to operate more 14 than 15 with substantial government ownership. When economic forces are unfettered, Americans believe, supply and demand 16 the price of goods and services. Prices, in turn, tell businesses what to produce; If people want more of a particular good than the economy is producing, the price of the goods 17 . That catches the attention of new or other companies that, 18 an opportunity to earn profit, start producing more 19 that goods. On the other hand, if people want less of the goods, prices fall and less competitive producers either go out of business or start producing 20 goods.

1. [A] insignificant [B] important [C] magnificent [D] respected

2. [A] emphasizes [B] praises [C] evaluates [D] compares

3. [A] major [B] minor [C] most [D] less

4. [A] while [B] but [C] although [D] and

5. [A] government [B] business [C] individuals [D] families

6. [A] such [B] so [C] very [D] extremely

7. [A] market [B] people [C] consumer [D] plan

8. [A] on [B] in [C]with [D] at

9. [A] in effect [B] in the light of [C] in short [D] in part

10. [A] invented [B] forged [C] manufactured [D] created

11. [A] exterminated [B] scared [C] appreciate [D] feared

12. [A] expand [B] develop [C] limit [D] destroy

13. [A] However [B] Nevertheless [C] Additionally [D] Similarly

14. [A] powerfully [B] efficiently [C] sufficiently [D] fundamentally

15. [A] these [B] those [C] it [D]one

16. [A] order [B] illustrate [C] manifest [D] determine

17. [A] falls [B] raises [C] rises [D] climbs

18. [A] neglecting [B] overcoming [C] feeling [D] sensing

19. [A] than [B] of [C] off [D] on

20. [A] different [B] better [C] qualified [D] authentic

Section II Reading Comprehension

Part A

Directions:

Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing [A], [B], [C] or [D]. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)

Text 1

Is it possible that women may change their minds about going out to work in the face of all that social disorder—crime, delinquent children, and divorces? So far there is no sign of it. A poll for the Whirlpool Foundation, a research body linked to the eponymous white-goods producer, found in the mid-1990s that most women in Western Europe and North America would want to work whether or not they needed her money.

Attitudes to working women vary considerably, even in the richer countries. One reason, according to Francoise Core, who conducted a study of female employment for the OECD, is that in countries where agriculture declined rapidly and early, and in which urbanization and industry took over, the habit of fairly equal sharing of work between men and women was lost for a long time. New social expectations grew up along with the urban, modern and nuclear family. This was true in Britain and America, for example, whereas in France the shift from agriculture came much later, with a shorter gap before new service professions expanded to create jobs for women. This sort of difference also explains why sexual equality is more pronounced in Finland’s labor market than in neighboring Sweden’s.

Such a mixed heritage also explains why it is wrong to conclude that increasing female participation in the workforce—with its 1960s assistant, the contraceptive pill—has caused crime and disorder. Even if the correlation could be shown to be based on causation, it would be wrong then to argue that female liberties should be curtailed with any degree of compulsion. Mr. Fukuyama of George Mason University stops short of this, but he praises Japan for having forbidden the use of the pill until this year, and wonder whether this will bring family breakdown and rising crime to Japan.

Yet the correlation is a broader one: that female liberation was merely a part of a general social change, as greater urbanization, affluence and mass education loosened family ties. There may have been a disruption, but the causes of it were wider than just a change in the status of women and in the ability to control pregnancy. And family ties are far from the only old bonds to have loosened. They have also grown looser in the area in which many women struggle: big business.

21. According to the text, which of the following is true of an agricultural society ?

[A] There is fairly equal sharing of work among men and women.

[B] Women play a more dominant role than men.

[C] Men play a more dominant role than women.

[D] Most crimes are committed by women.

22. Which of the following would be inferred about Finland?

[A] Its habit of equal sharing of work among men and women was long lost.

[B] Its shift from agriculture came later than that in America and Great Britain.

[C] It has a low crime rate.

[D] Its women are mostly employed in industrial sectors.

23. The word “correlation” in paragraph three refers to

[A] the demise of agriculture and urbanization.

[B] female participation in the workforce and sexual discrimination against men.

[C] women employment and rising crime rates.

[D] urbanization and rising crime rates.

24. Which of the following best expresses the views of Mr. Fukuyama of George Mason

University?

[A] Working women should be on the pill.

[B] More women should be in the workforce.

[C] Female liberties should be restrained through compulsory means.

[D] Women’s participation in the workforce may contribute to crime and disorder.

25. In the last paragraph, the author’s point is that

[A] more women should be liberated from their homes.

[B] women’s participation in the workforce has contributed to greater affluence and prosperity.

[C] crime and disorder may not be put down to women’s participation in the workforce alone.

[D] in big businesses women do better than men.

Text 2

What our society suffers from most today is the absence of consensus about what it and life in it ought to be. Such consensus cannot be gained from society’s present stage, or from fantasies about what it ought to be. For that the present is too close and too diversified, and the future too uncertain, to make believable claims about it. A consensus in the present hence can be achieved only through a shared understanding of the past, as Homer’s epics informed those who lived centuries later what it meant to be Greek, and by what images and ideals they were to live their lives and organize their societies.

Most societies derive consensus from a long history, a language all their own, a common religion, common ancestry. The myths by which they live are based on all of these. But the United States is a country of immigrants, coming from a great variety of nations. Lately, it has been emphasized that an asocial, narcissistic personality has become characteristic of Americans, and that it is this type of personality that makes for the lack of well-being, because it prevents us from achieving consensus that would counteract a tendency to withdraw into private worlds. In this

study of narcissism, Christopher Lasch says that modern man, “tortured by self-consciousness, turns to new therapies not to free himself of his personal worries but to find meaning and purpose in life, to find something to live for”. There is widespread distress because national morale has declined, and we have lost an earlier sense of national vision and purpose.

Contrary to rigid religions or political beliefs, as are found in totalitarian societies, our culture is one with the great individual differences, at least in principle and in theory. But this leads to disunity, even chaos. Americans believe in the value of diversity, but just because ours is a society based on individual diversity, it needs consensus about some dominating ideas more than societies based on uniform origin of their citizens. Hence, if we are to have consensus, it must be based on a myth—a vision—about a common experience, a conquest that made us Americans, as the myth about the conquest of Troy formed the Greeks. Only a common myth can offer relief from the fear that life is without meaning or purpose. Myths permit us to examine our place in the world by comparing it to a shared idea. Myths are shared fantasies that form the tie that binds the individual to other members of his group. Such myths help to ward off feeling of isolation, guilt, anxiety, and purposelessness—in short, they combat isolation and the breakdown of social standards and values.

26. In the author’s view, the greatest trouble with the U.S. society lies in the

[A] lack of serious disagreement over the organizations of social life.

[B] non-existence of unanimity on the forms the society should take.

[C] general denying of its conformity with what it was unexpected to be.

[D] public negation of the consensus on how to conduct social reforms.

27. Homer’s epics mentioned in Paragraph 1 exemplify the fact that

[A] the present is varying too fast to be caught up easily.

[B] the future may be so indefinite as to be unpredictable.

[C] the past can help to shape a consensus in the present.

[D] the past determines social moralities for later generations.

28. The asocial personality of Americans results from

[A] the multiracial constituents of the U.S. society.

[B] the absence of a common religion and ancestry.

[C] the want of a shared myths they possess in life.

[D] the obstruction of achieving a general agreement.

29. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that Christopher Lash is most probably

[A] an earnest nationalist. [B] an advanced psychologist.

[C] a radical reformer. [D] a social historian.

30. The author concludes that only shared myths can help Americans

[A] to bring about the uniformity of their culture.

[B] to diminish their great individual differences.

[C] to avoid the sense of being isolated and anxious.

[D] to regain the feeling of social values and morale.

Text 3

He changed the future without ever winning a vote or commanding an army. All Albert Einstein did was having an idea. It’s not a particularly easy one to grasp in all its ramifications, but the basic insight he expressed in his 1905 paper on special relativity is almost childlike in its simplicity. And yet it ushered in a new golden age of physics and did much to shape the course of the 20th century.

It also transformed the way the future is made: not with wars and revolutions but with scientific insights. That much is still true. But it is history that science precedes at the hands of the occasional lone genius. These days, vast networks of laboratories sponsored by government are all pushing to find the new thing. Discovery and invention, in the developed countries at least, have become regularized. The insights of individuals are still important, of course, but the overall effort relies less on any one genius. “In the late 19th century, you had predominantly the private inventor,” says Yale historian Daniel Kevles. “Now you have the organized inventor. Scientific fields are crowded with geniuses. Everybody’s working at the big problems all the time.”

This shift in the discovery has complicated matters. It is chiefly responsible for the complexity of machines, but also for the growing complexity of the act of inventing and building. The Pentagon awards a contract for a new jet fighter to a prime contractor, which passed the various systems and subsystems and components down through layers of subcontractors. “Henry Ford could understand every piece of his assembly line,” says Don Kash, a technology expert at George Mason University in Washington D.C., “Nobody can do that at Toyota.”

What’s different now, though, is how comfortable we’ve become with complexity. Innovation is part of our lives in a way it hasn’t been for previous generations. In 1970, Alvin Toffler argued in Future Shock that technology was changing society so quickly that a person in the span of single lifetime would find himself a stranger in his own culture. Toffler’s book struck home because many people felt that new technologies were bringing about change at a pace that was disorienting and not a little disturbing. These days we’ve learned how to ride the rocket of innovation. “My father thought the world would be the same,” says Kash. “My children wake up every day thinking the world will be different.”

31. The word “ramification” (Line 2, Paragraph 1) most probably means

radioactivity.

[A]

branches.

[B]

[C]

content.

command.

[D]

32. According to the passage, Einstein represents the people who

[A] change the future of the world through individual insights.

[B] write simple essays to make abstract theories understandable.

[C] end wars without using forces.

[D] make breakthroughs to shape the course of history.

33. The act of invention would become less complex if

[A] the means of discovery changed.

[B] capable people played the leading role.

[C] the act could be done by fewer people.

[D] scientific fields were not crowed with geniuses.

34. According to the text, what is people’s attitude towards innovation nowadays?

[A] Scared. [B] Comfortable.

[C] Disturbing. [D] Indifferent.

35. We can draw the conclusion from the text the role of individual genius nowadays is

[A] dependable and significant.

[B] important but not predominant.

[C] negative but needed.

[D] decisive and efficient.

Text 4

Economics has long been known as the dismal science. But is any economist so dreary as to criticize Christmas? At first glance, the holiday season in western economies seems a treat for those concerned with such vagaries as GDP growth. After all, everyone is spending; in America, retailers make 25% of their yearly sales and 60% of their profits between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Even so, economists find something to worry about in the nature of the purchases being made.

Much of the holiday spending is on gifts for others. At the simplest level, giving gifts involves the giver thinking of something that the recipient would like—he tries to guess her preferences, as economists say—and then buying the gift and delivering it. Yet this guessing of preferences is no mean feat; indeed, it is often done badly. Every year, ties go unworn and books unread. And even if a gift is enjoyed, it may not be what the recipient would have bought had they spent the money themselves.

Intrigued by this mismatch between wants and gifts, in 1993 Joel Waldfogel, then an economist at Yale University, sought to estimate the disparity in dollar terms. In a paper that has proved seminal in the literature on the issue, he asked students two questions at the end of a holiday season: first, estimate the total amount paid (by the givers) for all the holiday gifts you received; second, apart from the sentimental value of the items, if you did not have them, how much would you be willing to pay to get them? His results were gloomy: on average, a gift was valued by the recipient well below the price paid by the giver.

The most conservative estimate put the average receiver’s valuation at 90% of the buying price. The missing 10% is what economists call a deadweight loss: a waste of resources that could be averted without making anyone worse off. In other words, if the giver gave the cash value of the purchase instead of the gift itself, the recipient could then buy what she really wants, and be better off for no extra cost.

If the results are generalized, a waste of one dollar in ten represents a huge aggregate loss to society. It suggests that in America, where givers spend $40 billion on Christmas gifts, $4 billion is being lost annually in the process of gift-giving. Add in birthdays, weddings and non-Christian occasions, and the figure would balloon. So should economists advocate an end to gift-giving, or

at least press for money to become the gift of choice?

36. Why do some people regard the holiday season in western economies as a treat?

[A] Because the economic situation in US has been gloomy.

[B] Because holiday spending can stimulate GDP growth.

[C] Because American retailers make a quarter of their yearly sales through holiday

season.

[D] Because retailers can make as much profit as 60% over holiday season.

37. What’s the main idea for the second paragraph?

[A] In many cases the gifts present cannot meet the recipients needs.

[B] The purchases made over holiday season are actually a waste of money.

[C] It’s really not easy to guess the others’ preferences.

[D] People spend much on gifts in holidays.

38. The purpose of Joel Waldfogel’s study is to

[A] prove the mismatch between wants and gifts.

[B] spark new ideas of economic studies on holiday spending.

[C] evaluate the disparity between wants and gifts in economic terms.

[D] discover the exact cost of holiday spending on gift-giving.

39. Economists think of the missing 10% of holiday spending a deadweight loss because

[A] the cash value of the purchase is lower than the buying price.

[B] it makes many people even worse off for spending more on unwanted gifts.

[C] with the money the recipients can be better off for no extra cost.

[D] it is actually a waste of resources in economic terms.

40. According to the passage altogether how much money is wasted every year on gift-giving?

[A] About $40 billion.

[B] About $4 billion.

[C] About 10% of the total value.

[D] Much more than $4 billion.

Part B

Directions:

You are going to read a text about good rules to keep in mind when encountering hazards, followed by a list of supporting details, data or facts. Choose the best one from the list A-F for each numbered subheading (41-45). There is one extra detail which you do not need to use. Mark your answers on the Answer Sheet. (10 points)

C.P. Snow once said: “A sense of the future is behind all good policies. Unless we have it, we can give nothing wise or decent to the world.” Thinking carefully about an outcome is an intelligent first step in many processes, especially when the stakes are high, possibly even

dangerous. Do you have any experience in getting out of hazardous situations? In the most exceptional circumstances, a few good rules of thumb may save you. Here are five things to keep in mind.

(41) Stay calm

If a catastrophe threatens your life, panic will only make matters worse. Nothing but calmness can help you adequately take stock of the situation and take appropriate measures.

(42) Remain confident

Desperation can paralyze you or sap your energy, while confidence is the key to saving yourself.

(43) Help each other

You should organize for mutual assistance in case of an earthquake, flood, fire, etc. People working together can always cope more successfully with any adverse situation. Solidarity means strength; solidarity means victory.

(44) Be obedient to superiors

The best strategy when facing a catastrophe is to obey commands and keep order. More often than not, leaders are experts, or someone familiar with the situation or with rich experience. Being too individualistic and going your own way will usually make the situation worse for you and others. So, the best thing to do is to listen to authorities and remain orderly.

(45) Communicate

When in danger it is best to seek help immediately so those with more resources can come to your aid. If you are at risk, use whatever means available as soon as possible to contract others for help, and take efforts to maintain communication once it is established.

While every catastrophe is different in its own way, all can be met and hopefully overcome with the above-mentioned pieces of advice. By carefully considering what needs to be done, even under the worst of situations, one can find solutions, or endure until aided by others.

[A] A person trapped in ruins in an earthquake, didn’t lose hope. The victim overcame his pain and

despair, and kept banging out signals on the fallen wall around him for help. Because of his efforts, a rescue team was able to find him and save his life.

[B] For example, if numerous people are involved in a dangerous situation, some, out of fear or

inclination, may not follow direction of heed sound advice. As a result of the disorder, rescue efforts are hindered, or worse more casualties are incurred.

[C] Nine fishermen from Peru were hit by a severe storm, but they didn’t panic even though their

boat was damaged so badly that they couldn’t sail home. They maintained faith that they would surely to be saved, and their belief gave them strength. When there is hope, there is a way! They survived at sea for 40 days before they were finally rescued. Their story is a good sample for future people lost sea. It is best to remember the proverb: God helps those who help themselves.

[D] History shows that when people are in danger mutual assistance promotes confidence, and

reassuring others not only helps them, but can calm you as well. Helping others is beneficial, especially in the direst circumstances. During the Sept.11 attacks in America, people pulled together and supported each other. This not only reduced casualties, but also left a deep impression on people around world. Remember, helping others is helping yourself!

[E] The Apollo 13 space mission suffered catastrophic mechanical problems en route to the Moon.

Its malfunction was caused by an explosion and rupture of oxygen tank No.2 in the service module. The NASA Mission Control Centre immediately issued two orders. The second order was concerning navigation. But, can you guess what the first order was? Unbelievably, the astronauts were told to take two tranquilizer pills each! As a result, calmness helped the astronauts overcome a series of difficulties and return to earth. Calmness can work miracles in times of emergency.

[F] The best way to prevent a catastrophe from happing is planning ahead. You should often check

your circuits, stoves, electrical appliances and gas pipelines. Before sleeping in a hotel, you should be aware of the nearest exit in case of an emergency. “Preparation averts peril.”

41. 42. 43. 44. 45.

Part C

Directions:

Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written neatly on the Answer Sheet. (10 points)

(46) Based on accumulated social research, there now can be little doubt that successful and well-adjusted children in modern societies are most likely to come from two-parent families consisting of the biological father and mother. Alternative family forms which are attempted, such as single-parent and step-families, have been demonstrated to be inferior in child outcomes. The recent movement away from the two-natural-parent family has led to considerable social malaise among the young, not to mention social decay in general.

(47) It can be argued that child well-being would be enhanced if families lived among care-giving relatives and in supportive communities, but this has become an ever-diminishing situation. Historically, a substantial stripping-down has occurred of both the extended family and the cohesive neighborhood, and this trend is probably irreversible. The state has tried to fill the vacuum, but without much success. The two-parent nuclear family may be more important today for children, and for society in general, than ever before in history.

Constituting one of the greatest dilemmas faced by modern societies, however, is the fact that nuclear family themselves are breaking apart at dramatically high rates. (48) The chances in some societies are now less than 50 to 50, thanks mainly to divorce, that a child will live continuously to adulthood with both natural parents. This is despite the fact that, unlike in times past, parents now almost always live to see their children reach maturity.

One fundamental reason for the high break-up rate is that the nature of marriage has changed. Not so long ago marriage was an economic bond of mutual dependency, a social bond heavily upheld by extended families. Today, marriage is none of these. (49) The economic bond has become displaced by wealth, by female economic pursuit, and by state support; extended family pressures on marriages have all but disappeared, and modern societies have become increasingly

unconcerned with religion. Marriage has become a purely individual pursuit, an implied and not very enforceable contract between two people; a relationship designed to satisfy basic needs for intimacy, dependency and sex. When these needs change, or when a presumptively better partner is discovered, marriages are easily dissolved. Moreover, more of the everyday needs, traditionally met by marriage can be met in other ways, such as through the marketplace.

50) With its surrounding and supporting social structures collapsing, can there be any hope that the nuclear family can be revived? Yes, the basis for hope lies in the fundamental biological and psychological makeup of human kind. If the evolutionary biologists are correct, human beings are a pair-species.

Section III Writing

Part A

51. Directions:

You are a senior of English for Business. A German company in China is recruiting an assistant to marketing project manager, which requires a good command of English and knowledge in German especially. Write a letter to the person concerned:

1) introducing yourself;

2) asking for an interview.

You should write about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.

Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter. Use “Li Ming” instead.

Do not write the address. (10 points)

Part B

52. Directions:

Study the following drawing carefully and write an essay in which you should

1) describe the drawing,

2) interpret its meaning, and

3) suggest counter-measures.

You should write about 160-200 words neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. (20 points)