大学英语三级试卷

大学英语三级考试试卷

I. Reading Comprehension (30%)

Passage One

Tread (踩) softly in the garden and pluck that rose with care; flowers cry when cut, cucumbers scream and even healthy fruit gurgles (发出咯咯声) according to new acoustic research on the stressful life of plants.

The findings, released by the Institute for Applied Physics at the University of Bonn, could have important implications for farmers since, with the proper eavesdropping device, one can now distinguish between healthy and sick vegetables. Talking to plants, it seems, is not as rewarding as listening to them. The Bonn scientists have developed laser-driven microphones that pick up sounds inaccessible to the human ear. When a leaf or a stem is sliced, the plant signals pain (or perhaps merely dismay) by releasing the gas ethylene (乙烯) over its entire surface.

Doctor Frank Kuhnemann of Bonn University has been trapping the ethylene in a bell jar. The gas molecules are later bombarded with laser beams, which makes them vibrate. This produces a sound wave picked up by the microphones. "The more a plant is subjected to stress, the louder the signal we get on our microphone," he said.

(By eavesdropping on plants it should be possible to develop an early warning

system to detect pests and disease). Knowing the stress level of fruit and vegetables can also be an aid in efficient storing and transporting. Acoustical evidence demonstrates that apples emit higher levels of ethylene, which causes neighboring plants to wilt (枯萎). As a result, the scientists urged fruit producers to store apples separately.

1. The first paragraph tells us that _____.

A. plants also have feelings like human beings

B. plants may have different reactions to different treatments

C. we should not cut flowers

D. healthy fruit will cry

2. The findings' implication lies in that _____.

A. we can know more about plants through talking to them

B. we can help plant grow by playing music for them

C. with acoustic device, we can know about the situation a plant is in

D. with the help of eavesdropping, we can hear plants talking

3.In the experiment, _____ is not used.

A. ajar

B. microphones

C. a bell

D. laser beams

4.According to the passage, plants can _____.

A. dance to the music

B. listen to people talk

C. be trapped by laser beams

D. release the gas ethylene

5. Through the experiment we know that _____.

A. we should not store apples together with the other fruits

B. not all plants can release the gas ethylene

C. we can hear the cry of a plant with our ears

D. plants also eavesdrop our conversation

Passage Two

(Despite a cooling of the economy, high-technology companies are still crying out for skilled workers). The Information Technology Association of America projects that more than 800,000 technology jobs will go unfilled next year. The lack of qualified workers poses a huge threat to the U.S. economy.

The most commonly cited reason for this state of affairs is that the country's agrarian-age (农村时代) education system fails to prepare students in the primary and secondary grades for twenty-first-century work. Yet an inadequate and outmoded education system is only part of the problem. A less tangible but equally powerful cause is an antique classification system that divides the workforce into two camps: white-collar knowledge workers and blue-collar

manual laborers.

Blue-collar workers emerged in the United States during the Industrial Age as work migrated from farms to factories.

(White-collar office workers became a significant class in the twentieth century, outnumbering the blue-collar workers by mid-century). Corporations increasingly require a new layer of knowledge worker: a highly skilled

multi-disciplined talent, who combines the mind of the white-collar worker with a solid grounding in mathematics and science (physics, chemistry, and biology). These "gold-collar" workers - so named for their contributions to their companies and to the economy as well as for their personal earning ability - apply that knowledge to technology.

The gold-collar worker already exists in a wide range of jobs. The maintenance technician who test and repairs aircraft systems at American Airlines; the network administrator who manages systems and network operations at Procter & Gamble; the engineering technologist who assists scientists at Sandia National Laboratories; and the advanced-manufacturing technician at Intel can all be regarded as gold-collar workers.

6. In the first paragraph, the word "projects" can be best replace by _____.

A. throws

B. predicts

C. concludes

D. claims

7. Compared with a blue-collar worker, a gold-collar worker _____.

A. is more skillful in technology

B. has received higher education

C. used to be a white-collar worker

D. learnt more in high school

8. A gold-collar worker _____.

A. knows more than one kind of knowledge or skill

B. knows only one kind of knowledge of skill

C. earns less than a blue-collar worker

D. earns less than a white-collar worker

9. The first group of blue-collar workers were most likely to be _____ in the past.

A. migrants

B. educators

C. servants

D. farmers

10. When did the number of white-collar workers become bigger than that of the blue-collar workers in American?

A. Recently.

B. In 1970 or so.

C. In 1950 or so.

D. During the Industrial Age.

Passage Three

In the United States there are two major political parties, the Democratic and the Republican. (The Democratic Party is the older of the two, tracing its history back to the time of Andrew Jackson in 1820s. The Republican Party, which followed the Federalist party and the Whigs, was organized in the 1850s primarily as an antislavery party. Since antislavery sentiment was strongest in the manufacturing area of the North and East, the Republican Party logically adopted the protective tariff and other ideas furthering the growth of manufacturing in the United States. In 1860 the Democratic party was split into two factions, the northern and the southern Democrats, each putting up its own candidate for president. While the two factions together polled more votes than did the Republican ticket, the Republicans received a total higher than that of either faction of the Democrats, and Abraham Lincoln was elected president. From 1860 to the present day there have been many attempts to found new parties. But whenever a third party has had considerable appeal at the polls, one of both of the major parties in the next election has embraced the platform accounting for its appeal, and the third party has faded away.

Over the years, therefore, the positions of the two major parties have been changing and adapting themselves to the currently important problems of public policy. At one time the

Democratic party was considered to be a party standing up for state rights, and the Republican party a party representing the interests of business and industry.

A clear cut difference between the two parties, however, has not existed for more than half a century. If one reads the platforms of the two parties, one finds that there is very little difference between them. Each party seems to be appealing to practically every group of voters. Unlike the political parties of Europe, and unlike the Conservatives and Laborites in England, the political parties in the United States are the collections of many disparate (不同的) elements.

11. At first, the platform of the Republican party was centered around _____.

A. antislavery policies

B. developing manufacturing

C. settling the disputes between factions

D. solving social problems

12. According to the passage, Lincoln was elected because _____.

A. his antislavery policies

B. the Democratic party was split up

C. his penetrating speeches

D. the Democratic party was for him

13. The third parties cannot survive in America because _____.

A. they don't have appealing policies

B. the two major parties always adapt their policies to the public's interest

C. they are lack of funds

D. they are not allowed to take part in the election

14. Nowadays, the two major parties _____.

A. have quite similar platforms

B. don't' have any conflicts

C. appeal to different groups of people

D. have strayed away from the values they cherished in the past

15. The two major parties in Britain are _____.

A. similar with those in America

B. similar with those in Europe

C. the collection of many different elements

D. different from those in America

Passage Four

Not only politeness but an attitude of reverence is demanded in church. If one is not familiar with the service, he may maintain a respectful silence, standing

when others stand, sitting when they sit, and bowing during prayer. On entering a church an usher will probably show you to a seat and it is polite to take the one indicated by him, though it is quite proper to whisper a suggestion that one does not want to sit too far to the front, or that one is a little deaf and would like to sit well forward.

(It is usual for anyone attending church to take some money along for the offering, as it is a regular part of every church service and is used for the work of the church). Good clothes, but never evening clothes, are worn to a church service. In some churches it is improper for a lady not to wear a hat. It is impolite and disrespectful to talk or whisper, to eat or chew anything, or to enter or leave during the service. One must come on time and stay till the service is over. When the service is over, one passes quietly out of the church with the other worshippers. In many churches it is considered irreverent to talk before one has reached the entrance hall.

Sometimes the "Lord's Supper" or "Communion" is observed at the end of the service. This is a special service for the fellowship of Christians, and one is not supposed to participate unless he is a Christian. He may sit quietly and observe the service if he wishes.

16. If you don't know the procedures quite well, you'd better _____.

A. sit there silently all the time

B. stand by and observe the others

C. do as the others do

D. sit in the front seats

17. On entering a church, you _____.

A. can speak loudly to your friends

B. may whisper to the usher where you prefer to be seated

C. must follow the usher's direction

D. should always try to sit near to the front

18. It is desirable to go to a church wearing _____.

A. your best clothes

B. your evening clothes

C. clothes neat and formal

D. a hat

19. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. You'd take some money with you to the church.

B. Women are allowed to wear a hat in some churches.

C. You cannot be late for the service.

D. You may start talking when the service is over.

20. At the end of the service, _____ can take part in the "Communion".

A. only Christians

B. all the people present

C. only Americans

D. all the natives

II. Vocabulary and Structure (15%)

21. The quicksilver sniper felled victim after victim with a single, long-distance shot, then _____ quickly as a mist in a morning breeze.

A. faded out

B. vanished

C. blinked

D. orbit

22. The waitress said that she noticed the man because he was _____ not only in dress but in expenditure.

A. sophisticated

B. dizzy

C. racial

D. extravagant

23. He has spent all his life working with mentally _____ people.

A. diverged

B. disabled

C. naked

D. abolished

24. The plan for a new office tower went ahead _____ local opposition.

A. in connection with

B. without so much as

C. regardless of

D. on account of

25. "I would _____ that the most dangerous and difficult days are still ahead of us," he said.

A. suspect

B. bless

C. impose

D. capture

26. The waste water vent, which is under the shuttle cabin, in front of the left wing, is used to expel into space both urine and surplus water _____ from the shuttle's fuel cell power system.

A. transported

B. wandered

C. disposed

D. generated

27. Though faced with many difficulties, he would not _____ online learning.

A. give up

B. get through

C. get by

D. give in

28. We're searching for a couple of _____ from the young offenders' institution.

A. runaways

B. pursuer

C. watchmen

D. suspects

29. We've spent so much money on our new house, we can't afford to _____ it.

A. scrawl

B. furnish

C. retail

D. criticize

30. _____ forward a little while a person is talking shows your interest and shows you are listening to what the person is saying. By doing this, you are saying: I hear what you're saying, and I'm interested - keep talking!

A. Migrating

B. Scrawling

C. Leaning

D. Exposing

31. _____ winds prevented the race from taking place.

A. Fierce

B. Blunt

C. Inevitable

D. Scarce

32. More splendid still, the whole magnificent world of painting would be opened to me. I should look deep into the _____ of Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Rembrandt.

A. checkbooks

B. cargoes

C. cartons

D. canvases

33. Fears about the war _____ nearly half the population in the country.

A. mingled

B. furnished

C. plagued

D. stalked

34. Eleven Afghan civilians were killed when an American warplane pursuing enemy attackers mistakenly _____ a house near Afghanistan's eastern border with Pakistan.

A. bombed

B. barked

C. condemned

D. compressed

35. The road to the island only appears when the tide has _____.

A. sprinkled

B. receded

C. tilted

D. diminished

36. We collected hundreds of _____ in support of not allowing cars into the city centre.

A. signatures

B. awareness

C. stationery

D. statements

37. The occupants of the apartment used a small _____ and walked along one wall of the studio to reach the stairs to the apartment.

A. mall

B. vine

C. loudspeaker

D. entryway

38. Economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, which has been built on a consolidated foundation, still has ______ for further development and diversification.

A. evolution

B. compromise

C. contentment

D. potential

39. Movie directors use music to _____ the action on the screen.

A. contaminate

B. compliment

C. contemplate

D. complement

40. We tried to _____ the fact that it was just a school ball hall by putting up coloured lights and balloons.

A. impress

B. diminish

C. disguise

D. tolerate

41. He is so kind and easy-going that the kids go _____ him in a big way.

A. for

B. to

C. with

D. off

42. Your work will _____ though it needs some improvement.

A. get through

B. get along

C. get by

D. get round

43. He was warned to _____ at chasing married woman, or he was likely to be given a punch in jaw.

A. draw fire

B. draw the line

C. draw to an end

D. draw away

44. As National Day is round the corner, Shanghai is _____ a festive atmosphere.

A. looked on

B. involved in

C. bathed in

D. surrounded with

45. Everyone in the city has _____ to the large collection of books on various subjects in the city's public library.

A. alternative

B. procedure

C. access

D. process

46. Seeing their teacher left the classroom _____ a praise for their hard work, the pupils felt very disappointed

A. with so much as

B. without so much as

C. so much so that

D. as much as that

47. The occupants of the apartment used a small _____ and walked along one wall of the studio to reach the stairs to the apartment.

A. mall

B. vine

C. loudspeaker

D. entryway

48. Joan rummaged (到处翻寻) in her drawer and came up with a(n) _____ of newspaper clippings (剪报).

A. oven

B. kettle

C. fistful

D. carton

49. The old women _____ herself _____ the stairs with difficulty, holding on to the rail.

A. took /up

B. sat / up

C. kicked / up

D. pulled / up

50. She said _____ so I presumed it wasn't common knowledge.

A. in essence

B. in a whisper

C. in a flash

D. off his feet

III. Cloze (10%)

Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should choose the one that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter with a single line through the center.

It is the policy of keeping Africans inferior, and separate from Europeans. They are to be kept separate by not being allowed to live as citizens with rights in (51)_____ [A. European B. British C. African D. American] towns. They may go to European towns to work, but they may not have their families (52)_____ [A. working B. there C. at home D. either]; they must live in "Bantustans", the native areas. They are not to (53)_____ [A. deal B. combine C. cope D. mix] with Europeans by sitting in the (54)_____ [A. other B. black C. same D. luxurious] cafes, waiting-rooms, compartments of train, seats in parks. They are not to (55)_____ [A. walk B. bathe C. drink D. cook] from the same beaches, go to the same cinema, play (56)_____ [A. with B. on C. in D. around] the same game field or in the same (57)_____ [A. teams B. sports C. activity D. rights].

Twelve percent of the land is (58)_____ [A. amounted B. counted C. left D. utilized] for the Africans to live and farm on, and this is mostly dry, (59)_____ [A. rich B. cultivated C. well-design D. poor], mountainous land. Yet the Africans are three-quarter of the people. They are (60)_____ [A. determined B. about C. expected D. forced] to go and work for the Europeans, not only because their lands do not (61)_____ [A. rise B. possess C. store D. grow] enough food to keep them, but also (62)_____ [A. for B. as C. because D. perhaps] they must earn money to pay their taxes. Each (63)_____ [A. adult B. young C. old D. child] African man has to pay ￡1 a year poll-tax, and ten shillings a year tax for his hut. (64)_____ [A. since B. when C. unless D. after]