2000年1月大学英语四级(CET-4)真题
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Part I Listening Comprehension (20 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
Example:
You will hear:
You will read:
A) At the office.
B) In the waiting room.
C) At the airport.
D) In a restaurant.
From the conversation we know that the two were talking about some work they will start at 9 o’clock in the morning and have to finish at 2 in the afternoon. Therefore, D) “5 hours” is the correct answer. You should choose [D] on the Answer Sheet and mark it with a single line through the center.
Sample Answer [A] [B] [C] [D]
1. A) The woman is a close friend of the man.
B) The woman has been working too hard.
C) The woman is seeing a doctor.
D) The woman is tired of her work.（C）
2. A) This apple pie tastes very good.
B) His mother likes the pie very much.
C) This pie can’t match his mother’s.
D) His mother can’t make apple pies.（A）
3. A) Take a walk.
B) Give a performance.
C) Listen to the music.
D) Dance to the music.（D）
4. A) Read an article on political science.
B) Present a different theory to the class.
C) Read more than one article.
D) Choose a better article to read.（C）
5. A) The woman would understand if she did Mary’s job.
B) The woman should do the typing for Mary.
C) The woman should work as hard as Mary.
D) The woman isn’t a skillful typist.（A）
6. A) He wants to make an appointment with Mr. Smith.
B) He wants to make sure that Mr. Smith will see him.
C) He wants to change the time of the appointment.
D) He wants the woman to meet him at three o’clock.（B）
7. A) He gets nervous very easily.
B) He is an inexperienced speaker.
C) He is an awful speaker.
D) He hasn’t prepared his speech well.（B）
8. A) She didn’t like the books the man bought.
B) There wasn’t a large selection at the bookstore.
C) The man bought a lot of books.
D) She wanted to see what the man bought.（C）
9. A) Buy a ticket for the tem o’clock flight.
B) Ask the man to change the ticket for her.
C) Go to the airport immediately.
D) Switch to a different flight.（D）
10. A) Dr. Lemon is waiting for a patient.
B) Dr. Lemon is busy at the moment.
C) Dr. Lemon has lost his patience.
D) Dr. Lemon has gone out to visit a patient.（B）
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
Passage one
Questions 11 to 14 are based on the passage you have just heard.
11. A) A car outside the supermarket.
B) A car at the bottom of the hill.
C) Paul’s car.
D) The sports car.（C）
12. A) Inside the car.
B) At the foot of the hill.
C) In the garage.
D) In the supermarket.（D）
13. A) The driver of the sports car.
B) The two girls inside the car.
C) The man standing nearby.
D) The salesman from London.（A）
14. A) Nobody.
B) The two girls.
C) The bus driver.
D) Paul.（A）
Passage Two
Questions 15 to 17 are based on the passage you have just heard.
15. A) His friend gave him the wrong key.
B) He didn’t know where the back door was.
C) He couldn’t find the key to his mailbox.
D) It was too dark to put the key in the lock.（A）
16. A) It was getting dark.
B) He was afraid of being blamed by his friend.
C) The birds might have flown away.
D) His friend would arrive any time.（B）
17. A) He looked silly with only one leg inside the window.
B) He knew the policeman wouldn’t believe him.
C) The torch light made him look very foolish.
D) He realized that he had made a mistake.（B）
Passage Three
Questions 18 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.
18. A) The threat of poisonous desert animals and plants.
B) The exhaustion of energy resources.
C) The destruction of oil wells.
D) The spread of the black powder from the fires.（D）
19. A) The underground oil resources have not been affected.
B) Most of the desert animals and plants have managed to survive.
C) The oil lakes soon dried up and stopped evaporating.
D) The underground water resources have not been polluted.（D）
20. A) To restore the normal production of the oil wells.
B) To estimate the losses caused by the fires.
C) To remove the oil left in the desert.
D) To use the oil left in the oil lakes.（C）
Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids (小行星) now, one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it, say some scientists.
Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids (流星) that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don’t threaten us. But there are also thousands of asteroids whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.
Buy $50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one, the scientists say, we’ll have a way to change its course.
Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons. But the cost wouldn’t be cheap.
Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk re: 1) How likely the event is; and 2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500,000 years. Sounds pretty rare—but if one did fall, it would be the end of the world. “If we don’t take care of these big asteroids, they’ll take care of us,” says one scientist. “It’s that simple.”
The cure, though, might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “The world has less to fear from doomsday (毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them,” said a New York Times article.
21. What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?
A) They are heavenly bodies different in composition.
B) They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.
C) There are more asteroids than meteoroids.
D) Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.（B）
22. What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth?
A) It is very unlikely but the danger exists.
B) Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.
C) Collisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.
D) It’s still too early to say whether such a collision might occur.（A）
23. What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the courses of asteroids?
A) It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.
B) It may create more problems than it might solve.
C) It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.
D) Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.（B）
24. We can conclude from the passage that ________.
A) while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world
B) asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future
C) the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen in our lifetime
D) workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth（D）
25. Which of the following best describes the author’s tone in this passage?
A) Optimistic.
B) Critical.
C) Objective.
D) Arbitrary.（C）
Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
Believe it or not, optical illusion (错觉) can cut highway crashes.
Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent stripes, called chevrons (人字形), painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down.
Now the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D.C. is planning to repeat Japan’s success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes.
Excessive speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards are the greatest—curves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges.
Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars.
Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway sped and the number of traffic accidents.
26. The passage mainly discusses ________.
A) a new way of highway speed control
B) a new pattern for painting highways
C) a new approach to training drivers
D) a new type of optical illusion（A）
27. On roads painted with chevrons, drivers tend to feel that ________.
A) they should avoid speed-related hazards
B) they are driving in the wrong lane
C) they should slow down their speed
D) they are approaching the speed limit（C）
28. The advantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former ________.
A) can keep drivers awake
B) can cut road accidents in half
C) will have a longer effect on drivers
D) will look more attractive（C）
29. The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety plans to ________.
A) try out the Japanese method in certain areas
B) change the road signs across the country
C) replace straight, horizontal bars with chevrons
D) repeat the Japanese road patterns（A）
30. What does the author say about straight, horizontal bars painted across roads?
A) They are falling out of use in the United States.
B) They tend to be ignored by drivers in a short period of time.
C) They are applicable only on broad roads.
D) They cannot be applied successfully to traffic circles.（B）
Passage Three
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Amtrak (美国铁路客运公司) was experiencing a downswing in ridership (客运量) along the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham, were the long-distance western routes where ridership had been declining significantly.] At one time, trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west. Trains were fast, very luxurious, and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However, times change and the automobile became America’s standard of convenience. Also, air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances. Therefore, the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for travel in the west.
Two portions of the total market were targeted: 1) anxious fliers—those concerned with safety, relaxation, and cleanliness and 2) travel-lovers—those viewing themselves as relaxed, casual, and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacation. The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom, escape, relaxation, and enjoyment of the great western outdoors. It stressed experiences gained by using the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures.
Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains (Empire Builder, etc.). These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder, which was focused on in one ad, enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route.
31. What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A) To show the inability of trains to compete with planes with respect to speed and convenience.
B) To stress the influence of the automobile on America’s standard of convenience.
C) To emphasize the function of travel agencies in market promotion.
D) To illustrate the important role of persuasive communication in changing consumer attitudes.（D）
32. It can be inferred from the passage that the drop in Amtrak ridership was due to the fact that ________.
A) trains were not suitable for short distance passenger transportation
B) trains were not the fastest and most convenient form of transportation
C) trains were not as fast and convenient as they used to be
D) trains could not compete with planes in terms of luxury and convenience（B）
33. To encourage consumers to travel by train, DDB Needham emphasized ________.
A) the freedom and convenience provided on trains
B) the practical aspects of train travel
C) the adventurous aspects of train trips
D) the safety and cleanliness of train trips（C）
34. The train ads were placed among family-oriented TV programs involving nature and America because ________.
A) they could focus on meaningful travel experiences
B) they could increase the effectiveness of the TV programs
C) their profits could be increased by some 15 percent
D) most travel-lovers and nervous fliers were believed to be among the audiences（D）
35. According to the passage, the Empire Builder enjoyed an increase in ridership and profits because ________.
A) the attractiveness of its name and route was effectively advertised
B) it provided an exciting travel experience
C) its passengers could enjoy the great western outdoors
D) it was widely advertised in newspapers and magazines in Chicago and Seattle（A）
Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
Why does cram go bad faster than butter? Some researchers think they have the answer, and it comes down to the structure of the food, not its chemical composition—a finding that could help rid some processed foods of chemical preservatives.
Cream and butter contain pretty much the same substances, so why cream should sour much faster has been a mystery. Both are emulsions—tiny globules (小球体) of one liquid evenly distributed throughout another. The difference lies in what’s in the globules and what’s in the surrounding liquid, says Brocklehurst, who led the investigation.
In cream, fatty globules drift about in a sea of water. In butter, globules of a watery solution are locked away in a sea of fat. The bacteria which make the food go bad prefer to live in the watery regions of the mixture. “This means that in cream, the bacteria are free to grow throughout the mixture,” he says.
When the situation is reversed, the bacteria are locked away in compartments (隔仓室) buried deep in the sea of fat. Trapped in this way, individual colonies cannot spread and rapidly run out of nutrients (养料). They also slowly poison themselves with their waste products. “In butter, you get a self-limiting system which stops the bacteria growing,” says Brocklehurst.
The researchers are already working with food companies keen to see if their products can be made resistant to bacterial attack through alterations to the food’s structure. Brocklehurst believes it will be possible to make the emulsions used in salad cream, for instance, more like that in butter. The key will be to do this while keeping the salad cream liquid and not turning it into a solid lump.
36. The significance of Brocklehurst’s research is that ________.
A) it suggested a way to keep some foods fresh without preservatives
B) it discovered tiny globules in both cream and butter
C) it revealed the secret of how bacteria multiply in cream and butter
D) it found that cream and butter share the same chemical composition（A）
37. According to the researchers, cream sours fast than butter because bacteria ________.
A) are more evenly distributed in cream
B) multiply more easily in cream than in butter
C) live on less fat in cream than in butter
D) produce less waste in cream than in butter（B）
38. According to Brocklehurst, we can keep cream fresh by ________.
A) removing its fat
B) killing the bacteria
C) reducing its water content
D) altering its structure（D）
39. The word “colonies” (Line 2, Para. 4) refers to ________.
A) tiny globules
B) watery regions
C) bacteria communities
D) little compartments（C）
40. Commercial application of the research finding will be possible if salad cream can be made resistant to bacterial attack ________.
A) by varying its chemical composition
B) by turning it into a solid lump
C) while keeping its structure unchanged
D) while retaining its liquid form（D）
Part III Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes)
Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence 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 center.
41. She ought to stop work; she has a headache because she ________ too long.
A) has been reading
B) had read
C) is reading
D) read（A）
42. Niagara Falls is a great tourist ________, drawing millions of visitors every year.
A) attention
B) attraction
C) appointment
D) arrangement（B）
43. I don’t mind ________ the decision as long as it is not too late.
A) you to delay making
B) your delaying making
C) your delaying to make
D) you delay to make（B）
44. The hopes, goals, fears and desires ________ widely between men and women, between the rich and the poor.
A) alter
B) shift
C) transfer
D) vary（D）
45. Corn originated in the New World and thus was not known in Europe until Columbus found it ________ in Cuba.
A) being cultivated
B) been cultivated
C) having cultivated
D) cultivating（A）
46. The sale usually takes place outside the house, with the audience ________ on benches, chairs or boxes.
A) having seated
B) seating
C) seated
D) having been seated（C）
47. This kind of glasses manufactured by experienced craftsmen ________ comfortably.
A) is worn
B) wears
C) wearing
D) are worn（B）
48. Some diseases are ________ by certain water animals.
A) transplanted
B) transformed
C) transported
D) transmitted（D）
49. Wouldn’t you rather your child ________ to bed early?
A) go
B) went
C) would go
D) goes（B）
50. Although Anne is happy with her success she wonders ________ will happen to her private life.
A) that
B) what
C) it
D) this（B）
51. The words of his old teacher left a ________ impression on his mind. He is still influenced by them.
A) staying not
B) not to stay
C) that he would not stay
D) that he not stay（C）
52. Mike’s uncle insists ________ in this hotel.
A) whatever
B) whomever
C) whichever
D) whoever（D）
53. We agreed to accept ________ they thought was the best tourist guide.
A) whatever
B) whomever
C) whichever
D) whoever（D）
54. It is our ________ policy that we will achieve unity through peaceful means.
A) consistent
B) continuous
C) considerate
D) continual（A）
55. Between 1974 and 1997, the number of overseas visitors expanded ________27%.
A) by
B) for
C) to
D) in（A）
56. Although many people view conflict as bad, conflict is sometimes useful ________ it forces people to test the relative merits of their attitudes and behaviors.
A) by which
B) to which
C) in that
D) so that（C）
57. He is ________ about his chances of winning a gold medal in the Olympics next year.
A) optimistic
B) optional
C) outstanding
D) obvious（A）
58. Sometimes I wish I ________ in a different time and a different place.
A) be living
B) were living
C) would live
D) would have lived（B）
59. The director was critical ________ the way we were doing the work.
A) at
B) in
C) of
D) with（C）
60. In a sudden ________ of anger, the man tore up everything within reach.
A) attack
B) burst
C) split
D) blast（B）
61. ________ she realized it was too late to go home.
A) No sooner it grew dark than
B) Hardly did it grow dark that
C) Scarcely had it grown dark than
D) It was not until dark that（D）
62. In Britain people ________ four million tons of potatoes every year.
A) swallow
B) dispose
C) consume
D) exhaust（C）
63. I’d ________ his reputation with other farmers and business people in the community, and then make a decision about whether or not to approve a loan.
A) take into account
B) account for
C) make up for
D) make out（A）
64. It is essential that these application forms ________ back as early as possible.
A) must be sent
B) will be sent
C) are sent
D) be sent（D）
65. She cooked the meat for a long time so as to make it ________ enough to eat.
A) mild
B) slight
C) light
D) tender（D）
66. We take our skin for granted until it is burned ________ repair.
A) beyond
B) for
C) without
D) under（A）
67. The computer revolution may well change society as ________ as did the Industrial Revolution.
A) certainly
B) insignificantly
C) fundamentally
D) comparatively（C）
68. ________ in this way, the situation doesn’t seem so disappointing.
A) To look at
B) Looking at
C) Looked at
D) To be looked at（C）
69. A lot of ants are always invading my kitchen. They are a thorough ________.
A) nuisance
B) trouble
C) worry
D) anxiety（A）
70. Some women ________ a good salary in a job instead of staying home, but they decided not to work for the sake of the family.
A) must make
B) should have made
C) would make
D) could have made（D）
Part IV Cloze (15 minutes)
Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
In a telephone survey of more than 2,000 adults, 21% said they believed the sun revolved (旋转) around the earth. An __71__ 7% did not know which revolved around __72__ I have no doubt that __73__ all of these people were __74__ in school that the earth revolves around the sun; __75__ may even have written it __76__ a test. But they never __77__ their incorrect mental models of planetary (行星的) __78__ because their everyday observations didn’t support __79__ their teachers told them: People see the sun “moving” __80__ the sky as morning turns to night, and the earth seems stationary (静止的) __81__ that is happening.
Students can learn the right answers __82__ heart in class, and yet never combined them __83__ their working models of the world. The objectively correct answer the professor accepts and the __84__ personal understanding of the world can __85__ side by side, each unaffected by the other.
Outside of class, the student continues to sue the __86__ model because it has always worked well __87__ that circumstance. Unless professors address __88__ errors in students’ personal models of the world, students are not __89__ to replace them with the __90__ one.
71. A) excessive
B) extra
C) additional
D) added（C）
72. A) what
B) which
C) that
D) other（B）
73. A) virtually
B) remarkably
C) ideally
D) preferably（A）
74. A) learned
B) suggested
C) taught
D) advised（C）
75. A) those
B) these
C) who
D) they（D）
76. A) on
B) with
C) under
D) for（A）
77. A) formed
B) altered
C) believed
D) thought（B）
78. A) operation
B) position
C) motion
D) location（C）
79. A) how
B) which
C) that
D) what（D）
80. A) around
B) across
C) on
D) above（B）
81. A) since
B) so
C) while
D) for（C）
82. A) to
B) by
C) in
D) with（B）
83. A) with
B) into
C) to
D) along（A）
84. A) adult’s
B) teacher’s
C) scientist’s
D) student’s（D）
85. A) exist
B) occur
C) survive
D) maintain（A）
86. A) private
B) individual
C) personal
D) own（C）
87. A) in
B) with
C) on
D) for（A）
88. A) general
B) natural
C) similar
D) specific（D）
89. A) obliged
B) likely
C) probable
D) partial（B）
90. A) perfect
B) better
C) reasonable
D) correct（D）
Part V Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed thirty minutes to write a composition on the topic How I Finance My College Education. You should write at least 120 words, and base your composition on the outline (given in Chinese) below:
1. 上大学的费用(tuition and fees)可以通过多种途径解决
2. 哪种途径适合于我(说明理由)
How I Finance My College Education
2000年1月四级参考答案
Part I
1. C
2. A
3. D
4. C
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. C
9. D
10. B
11. C
12. D
13. A
14. A
15. A
16. B
17. B
18. D
19. D
20. C
Part II
21. B
22. A
23. B
24. D
25. C
26. A
27. C
28. C
29. A
30. B
31. D
32. B
33. C
34. D
35. A
36. A
37. B
38. D
39. C
40. D
Part III
41. A
42. B
43. B
44. D
45. A
46. C
47. B
48. D
49. B
50. B
51. C
52. D
53. D
54. A
55. A
56. C
57. A
58. B
59. C
60. B
61. D
62. C
63. A
64. D
65. D
66. A
67. C
68. C
69. A
70. D
Part IV
71. C
72. B
73. A
74. C
75. D
76. A
77. B
78. C
79. D
80. B
81. C
82. B
83. A
84. D
85. A
86. C
87. A
88. D
89. B
90. D
2000年1月四级听力原文
1. M: Hi, Jane, do you have some changes? I have to make a call on the payphone.
W: Payphone? Why not use my mobile phone? Here you are.
Q: What will the man most probably do?
2. M: Can you tell me the title of this oil painting?
W: Sorry, I don’t know for sure, but I guess it is an early 18 century work. Let me look it up in the catalog.
Q: Where does this conversation most probably take place?
3. M: I am worried about those classes I missed when I was sick.
W: I will try to bring you up today on what we’ve done.
Q: What does the woman mean?
4. W: Hey Dan. I hear you’re meeting Susan’s parents for the first time.
M: Yeah, next weekend. Fortunately, her father loves to fish, so we will have so many things to talk about.
Q: What can be inferred about Dan?
5. W: Professor White’s presentation seemed to go on forever. I was barely able to stay awake.
M: How could you sleep through it? It is one of the best that I have ever heard on this topic.
Q: What does the man think of Professor White’s presentation?
6. W: I am looking for quality paper to type my essay. I don’t see any on the shelf.
M: I saw some in the stockroom this morning. I will go and check.
Q: What does the woman want to buy?
7. M: It seems that we’ll have another fine day tomorrow. Let’s go to the seaside.
W: OK. But we’ll have to leave very early, or else we’ll get caught in the traffic.
Q: What does the woman suggest?
8. M: Do you know James? He is in your class.
W: Certainly. In fact he was the first person I got to know in my class. I still remember the look on his face when he showed up late on the first day of school.
Q: Why did the woman remember James so well?
9. W: The man at the garage thinks that I take good care of my car.
M: So do I. I can’t see any scratches on the outside, and the inside is clean, too.
Q: What does the man think of the woman’s car?
10. M: Wonderful day, isn’t it? Want to join me for a swim?
W: If you don’t mind waiting while I get prepared.
Q: What does the woman mean?
Passage One
A friend of mine told me that when he was a young man, he went to work as a teacher in one of the states of India. One day, he received an invitation to dinner at the ruler’s palace. Very pleased, he went to tell his colleagues. They laughed, and told him the meaning of the invitation. They had all been invited, and each person who was invited had to bring with him a certain number of silver and gold coins. The number of coins varied according to the person’s position in the service of the government. My friend’s income was not high, so he did not have much to pay. Each person bowed before the ruler, his gold went onto one hip, his silver went onto another hip. And in this way he paid his income tax for the year. This was a simple way of collecting income tax. The tax on property was also collected simply. The ruler gave a man the power to collect a tax from each owner of land or property in a certain area, if this man promised to pay the ruler a certain amount of money. Of course, the tax collector managed to collect more money than he paid to the ruler. The difference between the sum of money he collected and the sum of money he gave to the ruler was his profit.
Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.
11. What do we know about the speaker’s friend?
12. What was the real purpose of the ruler’s invitation?
13. What does the passage say about the tax collectors?
Passage Two
Around the year 1000.A.D, some people from northwest India began to travel westward. Nobody knows why. After leaving their homes, they did not settle down again, but spent their lives moving from one place to another, their later generations are called the Romany people, or Gypsies. There’re Gypsies all over the world, and many of them are still travelling with no fix homes. There are about 8,000,000 of them, including 3,000,000 in Eastern Europe. Gypsies sometimes have a hard time in the countries where they travel, because they are different, people may be afraid of them, look down on them, or think that they are criminals. The Nazies treated the Gypsies cruelly, like the Jews, and nobody knows how many of them died in Hitler’s deathcamps. Gypsies have their own language Romany. They liked music and dancing. And they often work in fairs and travelling shows. Travelling is very important to them, and many Gypsies are unhappy if they have to stay in one place. Because of this, it is difficult for Gypsy children to go to school, and Gypsies are often unable to read and write. In some places, the education authorities tried to arrange special travelling schools for Gypsy children, so that they can get the same education as other children.
Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.
14. Why did the ancestors of Gypsies leave their home?
15. What is the attitude of some people toward Gypsies?
16. What measure has been taken to help Gypsy children?
Passage Three
As the car industry develops, traffic accidents have become as familiar as the common code. Yet, their cause and control remain a serious problem that is difficult to solve. Experts have long recognized that this discouraging problem has multiple causes. At the very least, it is a problem that involves three factors: the driver, the vehicle, and the roadway. If all drivers exercise good judgments at all times, there would be few accidents. But that is rather like saying that if all people were honest, there would be no crime. Improved design has helped make highways much safer. But the type of accidents continued to rise because of human failure and an enormous increase in the numbers of automobiles on the road. Attention is now turning increasingly to the third factor of the accident, the car itself. Since people assume that the accidents are bound to occur, they want to know how cars can be built better to protect the drivers.
Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.
17. What does the speaker think of the causes of automobile accidents?
18. What measure has been taken to reduce car accidents?
19. What remains an important factor for the rising number of road accidents?
20. What is the focus of people’s attentions today according to the passage?
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