PASSAGE TWO

(1) The Nobels are the originals, of course. Alfred Nobel, the man who invented deadly explosives,decided to try and do something good with all the money he earned, and gave prizes to people who made progress in literature, science, economics and —perhaps most importantly —peace.

(2) Not all rewards are as noble as the Nobels. Even though most countries have a system ofrecognizing, honoring and rewarding people who have done something good in their countries, there are now hundreds of awards and award ceremonies for all kinds of things.

(3)The Oscars are probably the most famous, a time for the (mostly)American film industry to tell itself how good it is and an annual opportunity for lots of big stars to give each other awards and make tearful speeches. As well as that there are also the Golden Globes, evidently for the same thing.

(4) But it’ s not only f ilms---there are also Grammies, Brits, the Mercury Prize and the MTV for music. In Britain, a writer who wins the Booker Prize can expect to see their difficult, literary novel hit the bestseller lists and compete with the Da Vinci Code for popularity. The Turner Prize is an award for British contemporary artists —each year it causes controversy by apparently giving lots of money to artists who do things like displaying their beds, putting animals in glass cases or— this year— building a garden shed.

(5) Award s don ’ t only exist for arts. There are now awards for Sports Personality ofthe Year, for European Footballer of the Year and World Footballer of the Year. This seems very strange— sometimes awards can be good to give recognition to people who deserve it, or to helppeople who don’ t make a lot of money carry on their work without worrying about finances, but professional soccer players these days certainly aren’ t short of cash!

(6) Many small towns and communities all over the world also have their own award ceremonies, for local writers or artists, or just for people who have graduated from high school or, got a university degree. Even the British Council has its own awards for “ Innovation in English Language Teaching”.

(7) Why have all these awards and ceremonies appeared recently? Shakespeare never won a prize, nor did Leonardo Da Vinci or Adam Smith or Charles Dickens.

(8) It would be possible to say, however, that in the past, scientists and artists couldwin “patronage form rich people”—a king or a lord would give the artists or scientists money to have them paint their palaces or help them develop new ways of making money. With the change in social systems across the world, this no longer happens. A lot of scientific research is now either funded by the state or by private companies.

(9)Perhaps award ceremonies are just the most recent phase of this process.

(10) However, there is more to it than that. When a film wins an Oscar, many more people will go and see it, or buy the DVD. When a writer wins the Nobel Prize, many more people buy their books. When a group wins the MTV awards, the ceremony is seen by hundreds of thousands of people across the world. The result?The group sells lots more records. (11) Most award ceremonies are now sponsored by big organizations or companies. This means that it is not only the person who wins the award who benefits---but also the sponsors. The MTV awards, for example, are great for publicizing not only music, but also MTV itself!

(12) On the surface, it seems to be a “ Win -win ”situation, with everyone being happy, but let me ask you a question—how far do you think that publicity and marketing are winning here, and how much genuine recognition of achievement is taking place?

1. What is the author ’s tone when he mentions awards such as the Oscars, the Golden Globes and

Grammies (Paras. 3 & 4)

A. Amused.

B. Appreciative.

C. Sarcastic.

D. Serious.

2. According to Para. 4, what would happen to award winning writers?

A. They would enjoy a much larger readership.

B. They would turn to popular novel writing.

C. They would continue non-fiction writing.

D. They would try controversial forms of art.

3. Which of the following statements best sums up Para. 6?

A. Awards ceremonies are held for local people.

B. Awards ceremonies are held on important occasions.

C. Awards ceremonies are held in certain professions.

D. Awards ceremonies are held for all sorts of reasons.

4. According to Para. 8, one difference between scientists and artists in the past and those at present

lies in_____________.

A. nature of work

B. personal contact

C. source of funding

D. social status

5. It can be concluded from Para. 12 that the author thinks awards ________.

A. promote market rather than achievements

B. do good to both market and popularity

C. help those who are really talented

D. are effective in making people popular

PART V READING COMPREHENSION

PASSAGE ONE

(1) The earliest settlers came to the North American continent to establish colonies that were free from the controls that existed in European societies. They wanted to escape the controls placed on their lives by kings and governments, priests and churches, noblemen and aristocrats. The historic decisions made by those first settlers have had a profound effect on the shaping of the American

character. By limiting the power of the government and the churches and eliminating a formal aristocracy, they created a climate of freedom where the emphasis was on the individual. Individual freedom is probably the most basic of all the American values. By freedom, Americans mean the desire and the ability of all individuals to control their own destiny without outside interference from the government, a ruling noble class, the church, or any other organized authority.

 (2) There is, however, a price to be paid for this individual freedom: self-reliance. It means that Americans believe they should stand on their own feet, achieving both financial and emotional independence from their parents as early as possible, usually by age 18 or 21.

(3) A second important reason why immigrants have traditionally been drawn to the United States is the belief that everyone has a equal chance to enter a race and succeed in the game. Because titles of nobility were forbidden in the Constitution, no formal class system developed in the U.S.

(4) There is, however, a price to be paid for this equality of opportunity: competition. If much of life is seen as race, then a person must run the race in order to succeed; a person must compete with others. The pressures of competition in the life of an American begin in childhood and continue until retirement from work. In fact, any group of people who does not compete successfully does not fit

into the mainstream of American life as well as those who do.

(5) A third reason why immigrants have traditionally come to the United States is to have a better life. Because of its abundant natural resources, the United States appeared to be a “land of plenty where millions could come to seek their fortunes. The phrase “going from rags to riches” became a slogan for the American dream. Many people did achieve material success. Material wealth became a value to the American people, and it also became an accepted measure of social status.

(6) Americans pay a price, however, for their material wealth: hard work. Hard work has been both necessary and rewarding for most Americans throughout their history. In some ways, material possessions are seen as evidence of people’s abilities. Barry Goldwater, a candidate for the presidencyin 1964, said that most poor people are poor because they deserve to be. Most Americans would find

this a harsh statement, but many might think there was some truth in it.

(7) These basic values do not tell the whole story of the American character. Rather, they should be thought of as themes, as we continue to explore more facets of the American character and how it affects life in the United States.

1. Para.4 seems to suggest that __________.

A. Americans are born with a sense of competition

B. the pressure of competition begins when one starts work

C. successful competition is essential in American society

D. competition results in equality of opportunities

2. Which of the following methods does the author mainly use in explaining American values?

A. Comparison

D. Cause and effect

C. Definition

D. Process analysis

TEXT D

Personality is ，to large extent, inherent --A-type parents usually bring about A-type offspring. But the

environment must also have a profound effect, since if competition is improtant to the parents, it is likely tobecome a major factor lives of their children.One place where children soak up A characteristics is school, which is, by its very nature, a highly competitiveinstitution. Too many schools adopt the "win at all costs" moral standard and measure their success by sportingachievements. The current passion for making children compete against their classmates or against the clockproduces a two-layer system, in which competitive A types seem in some way better than their B-type fellows.Being too keen to win can have dangerous consequences:remember that Pheidippides ,the first marathon runner,dropped dead seconds after saying:"Rejoice, we conquer!".By far the worst form of competition in school is the disproportionate emphasis on examinations . It is a rareschool that allows pupils to concentrate on those things they do well.The merits of competition by examinationare somewhat questionable, but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful.Obviously, it is neither practical nor desirable that all A youngsters change into 'B's. The would needs types,and schools have an important duty to try to fit a child's personality to his possible future employment. It is topmanagement. 16.According to the author, what factors contribute to the building of personality?

A. inheritance

b. inheritance, competition and environment

c. competition

d. environment

17.Which of the following statements is not true according to the author of the passage?

A.Schools usually adopt severe competitive policies.

B. Students are often divided by competition results.

C. School is place where children cultivate their characteristics.

D. The stronger desire for winning, the better.

18.The phrase "soak up" is closest in meaning to ____.

A. pull up

b. take up

c. take in

d. pull in

19.What attitude does the author hold toward examinations in schools?

A. positive

b. negative

c. doubtful

d. neutral

20.what suggestion does the author make concerning the management of schools?

A. All students be made into competitive A types.

B. A child's personality be considered in regard to his possible future job.

C. All students be changed into B characteristics.

D. Schools abolish all forms of examinations.

TEXT C

There are two factors which determine an individual's intelligence. The first is the sort of brain he is born with.

Human brains differ considerably , some being more capable than others. But no matter how good a brain he has

to begin with, an individual will have a low order of intelligence unless he has opportunities to learn. So the

second factor is what happens to the individual— the sort of environment in which he is brought up. If an

individual is handicapped(不利 ) environmentally, it is likely that his brain will fail to develop and he will never

attain the level of intelligence of which he is capable.The importance of environment in determining an individual's intelligence can be demonstrated by the case history of the identical twins, Peter and Mark. Being identical, the twins had identical brains at birth, and their growth processes were the same. When the twins were three months old, their parents died, and they were

placed in separate foster(抚养) homes. Peter was raised by parents of low intelligence in an isolated community

with poor educational opportunities. Mark was reared in the home of well-to-do parents who had been to college. He was read to as a child, sent to good schools, and given every opportunity to be stimulated

intellectually. This environmental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, when they were

given tests to measure their intelligence. Mark's I. Q. was 125, twenty-five points higher than the average and

fully forty points higher than his identical brother. Given equal opportunities, the twins, having identical brains,

would have tested at roughly the same level.

11.This selection can best be titled____________.

A. Measuring Your Intelligence

B. Intelligence and Environment

C. The Case of Peter and Mark

D. How the Brain Influences Intelligence

12.The best statement of the main idea of this passage is that _______.

A. human brains differ considerably

B. the brain a person is born with is important in determining his intelligence

C. environment is crucial in determining a person's intelligence

D. persons having identical brains will have roughly the same intelligence

13.According to the passage, the average I. Q. is_______.

A. 85 . B. 100 C. 110 D. 125

14.The case history of the twins appears to support the conclusion that_______.

A. individuals with identical brains seldom test at the same level B. an individual's intelligence is determined only by his environment

C. lack of opportunity blocks the growth of intelligence

D. changes of environment produce changes in the structure of the brain

15.This passage suggests that an individual's I. Q. _______.

A. can be predicted at birth

B. stays the same throughout his life

C. can be increased by education

D. is determined by his childhood

TEXT B

What we know of prenatal development makes all this attempt made by a mother to mold the character of her unborn child by studying poetry, art, or mathematics during pregnancy seem utterly impossible. How could

such extremely complex influences pass from the mother to the child? There is no connection between theirnervous systems. Even the blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly. An emotional shock to themother will affect her child, because it changes the activity of her glands and so the chemistry her blood. Any chemical change in the mother's blood will affect the child for better or worse. But we can not see how a looking

for mathematics or poetic genius can be dissolved in blood and produce a similar liking or genius in the child.

In our discussion of instincts we saw that there was reason to believe that whatever we inherit must be of

some very simple sort rather than any complicated or very definite kind of behavior. It is certain that no one

inherits a knowledge of mathematics. It may be, however, that children inherit more or less of a rather general

ability that we may call intelligence. If very intelligent children become deeply interested in mathematics, they

will probably make a success of that study.

As for musical ability, it may be that what is inherited is an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the

hands or the vocal organs connections between nerves and muscles that make it comparatively easy to learn the

movements a musician must execute, and particularly vigorous emotions. If these factors are all organized

around music, the child may become a musician. The same factors, in other circumstance might be organized

about some other center of interest. The rich emotional equipment might find expression in poetry. The capable

fingers might develop skill in surgery. It is not the knowledge of music that is inherited, then nor even the love of

it, but a certain bodily structure that makes it comparatively easy to acquire musical knowledge and skill.

Whether that ability shall be directed toward music or some other undertaking may be decided entirely by forces

in the environment in which a child grows up.

6.Which of the following statements is not true?

A. Some mothers try to influence their unborn children by studying art and other subjects during their

pregnancy.

B. It is utterly impossible for us to learn anything about prenatal development.

C. The blood vessels of mother and child do not join directly.

D. There are no connection between mother's nervous systems and her unborn child's.

7.A mother will affect her unborn baby on the condition that ____.

A. she is emotionally shocked

B.she has a good knowledge of inheritance

C. she takes part in all kind of activities

D. she sticks to studying

8.According to the passage, a child may inherit____.

A. everything from his mother B. a knowledge of mathematics

C. a rather general ability that we call intelligence

D. her mother's musical ability

9.If a child inherits something from his mother, such as an especially sensitive ear, a peculiar structure of the

hands or of the vocal organs, he will ____.

A. surely become musician

B. mostly become a poet

C. possibly become a teacher

D. become a musician on the condition that all these factors are organized around music

10.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. Role of Inheritance.

B. An Unborn Child.

C. Function of instincts.

D. Inherited Talents.

PART VREADING COMPREHENSION

In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished statements, each withfour suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that you think is the best answer.

TEXT A

Racket, din clamor, noise, whatever you want to call it, unwanted sound is America's most widespread

nuisance. But noise is more than just a nuisance. It constitutes a real and present danger to people's health. Day

and night, at home, at work, and at play, noise can produce serious physical and psychological stress. No one is

immune to this stress. Though we seem to adjust to noise by ignoring it, the ear, in fact, never closes and the

body still responds— sometimes with extreme tension, as to a strange sound in the night.

The annoyance we feel when faced with noise is the most common outward symptom of the stress building

up inside us. Indeed, because irritability is so apparent, legislators have made public annoyance the basis of

many noise abatement programs. The more subtle and more serious health hazards associated with stress

caused by noise traditionally have been given much less attention. Nevertheless, when we are annoyed or made

irritable by noise, we should consider these symptoms fair warning that other thing may be happening to us,

some of which may be damaging to our health.

Of many health hazards to noise, hearing loss is the most clearly observable and measurable by health

professionals. The other hazards are harder to pin down. For many of us, there may be a risk that exposure to the

stress of noise increases susceptibility to disease and infection. The more susceptible among us may experience

noise as a complicating factor in heart problems and other diseases. Noise that causes annoyance and irritability

in health persons may have serious consequences for these already ill in mind or body.

Noise affects us throughout our lives. For example, there are indications of effects on the unborn child when

mothers are exposed to industrial and environmental noise. During infancy and childhood, youngsters exposed

to high noise levels may have trouble falling asleep and obtaining necessary amounts of rest.

Why, then, is there not greater alarm about these dangers? Perhaps it is because the link between noise and

many disabilities or diseases has not yet been conclusively demonstrated. Perhaps it is because we tend to

dismiss annoyance as a price to pay for living in the modern world. It may also be because we still think of

hearing loss as only an occupational hazard.

1.In Paragraph 1, the phrase "immune to" are used to mean ___.

A.unaffected by

B.hurt by

C.unlikely to be seen by

D.unknown by

2.The author's attitude toward noise would best be described as ___.

A.unrealistic

B.traditional

C.concerned

D.hysterical

3.Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?

A.Noise is a major problem; most people recognize its importance.

B.Although noise can be annoying, it is not a major problem.

C.Noise is a major problem and has not yet been recognized as such.

D.Noise is a major problem about which nothing can be done.

4.The author condemns noise essentially because it ___.

A.is against the law

B.can make some people irritable

C.is a nuisance

D.in a ganger to people's health

5.The author would probably consider research about the effects noise has on people to be ___.

A.unimportant

B.impossible.

C.a waste of money

D.essential