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2001年英语专业四级真题及答案

Part Ⅰ WRITING [45 MIN.]
SECTION A COMPOSITION

    Write on ANSWER SHEET ONE a composition of about 150 words on the following topic: College life should be varied and colourful. And extracurricular activities are an important aspect of it. However, at present, there is much room for improveme nt in this regard. Write an article to the university radio entitled:

The Importance of Extracurricular Activities 

In the first part of your article you should clearly present your view, and in t he second part you should support your opinion with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring what you have written to a natural conclusion or summ ary.Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriacy. Failur e to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.

SECTION B NOTE-WRITING[10 MIN.]

    Write on ANSWER SHEET ONE a note of about 50-60 words based on the following situation:
You’ve read on the notice board that the university library is looking for a par t-time library assistant who can work at weekends. You think that your classmate , George, is a suitable person for this vacancy. Write him a note, telling him w hat you know about the vacancy and trying to persuade him to go for an interview Marks will be awarded for content organization, grammar and appropriacy.

Part Ⅱ DICTATION [15 MIN.]

    Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be read at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third readings, the passage w ill be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seco nds. The last reading will be read at normal speed again and during this time yo u should check your work. You will then be given 2 minutes to check through your work once more.Please write the whole passage on ANSWER SHEET TWO

Part Ⅲ LISTENING COMPREHENSION [20 MIN.]

 In Sections A, B, and C you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully an d then answer the questions that follow. Mark the best answer to each question o n your answer sheet.

Section A STATEMENT

    In this section you will hear nine statements. At the end of the statement you w ill be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following nine questions.

1. What is said about Harry’s brother?
A. He is happy with his job.
B. He is a very ambitious man.
C. He is too ambitious to be an engine driver.
D. He doesn’t like to be an engine driver. 

2. What do you learn about Ms. Ellis?
A. She has been waiting.
B. She is examining her patient.
C. She is seeing her doctor.
D. She wouldn’t mind waiting. 

3. Joan is probably a___.
A. nurse B. doctor C. lawyer D. saleswoman 

4. The speaker sees Mary wear ___ different silk scarves in a wee k.
A. 2 B.5 C.7 D. 6 

5. Where will the passengers change trains to go to Gilford?
A. East Croydon. B.Victoria. C. Southeast. D.Red Hill. 

6. What is the speaker probably doing?
A. Interviewing a clerk.
B. Writing a job ad.
C. Dismissing a clerk.
D. Making inquires 

7. What does the speaker mean?
A. Emily is neither honest nor trustworthy.
B. Emily used to be honest only.
C. Emily used to be trustworthy only.
D. Emily is more than honest and trustworthy. 

8. When does the next train leave?
A. 6:56. B. 7:00. C.7:28. D.8:38.

9. What was wrong with Malcolm?
A. He had trouble working hard.
B. He didn’t know where to go.
C. He never went anywhere.
D. He worked hard but never succeeded. 

SECTION B CONVERSATION

In this section, you will hear eight short conversations between two speakers. A t the end of each conversation you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of th e following eight questions.
10. What’s the probable relationship between the two speakers?
A. Teacher and student.
B. Doctor and patient.
C. Lawyer and client.
D. Boss and secretary. 

11. What is the weather usually like in November?
A. Hotter than the present weather.
B. More humid than the present weather.
C. Drier than the present weather.
D. Cooler than the present weather. 

12. What conclusion can we draw from this conversation?
A. Public buses are fast and cheap.
B. Parking is becoming a big problem.
C. Subway trains are even safer than taxis.
D. Taxis are more convenient than buses. 

13. What are the two speakers talking about?
A. Fixing the woman’s computer.
B. Ordering some new parts by Friday.
C. Getting the new parts ready by Friday.
D. Sending the woman’s computer for repair. 

14. What can we learn from the conversation?
A. Neither of them has a favourable opinion of the service.
B. The woman is having a terrible time serving in the restaurant.
C. Both agree it’s time for the restaurant to fire some staff.
D. The man thinks the restaurant is all right, but the woman doesn’t. 

15. Who will pay for the call?
A. The man. B. The operator. C. The man’s sister. D. The man and his sister. 

16. What does the man think of the woman’s choice of clothing?
A. He thinks her choice is good.
B. He thinks her choice is terrible.
C. He doesn’t like the colour.
D. He doesn’t like the style. 

17. What happened to Mr. Runt’s project?
A. It was fairly successful.
B. It was hard and futile.
C. It failed for lack of fund.
D. It stopped for lack of land. 

SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST

Question 18 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you wil l be given 1O seconds to answer the question.

Now listen to the news.

18. According to the news, NATO and Russia___.
A. have finalized a charter on their new relationship
B. still have differences in military and political issues
C. will hold a fifth round of talks in Luxembourg
D. made no progress in this round of talks 

Questions 19 and 20 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item , you will be given 20 seconds to answer the two questions.

Now listen to the news.
19. ___ people were killed during the air crash.
A. 61 B. 51 C. 41 D. 10
20. According to the news, the plane crashed___.
A. shortly before it landed
B. minutes after it took off
C. after it cleared the mountains
D. at the foot of the mountains 

Questions 21 and 22 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item , you will be given 20 seconds to answer the two questions.

Now listen to the news.
21. Which of the following is NOT listed as a terrorist group by the US ?
A. The pro-Iranian Hezbollah. B. The Palestinian group Hamas. C. The Irish Republican Army. D. The Basque separatist group ETA. 
22. The affected groups will be prevented from___.
A. entering the United States legally
B. freezing US financial assets abroad
C. receiving support from other countries
D. giving weapons to other terrorist groups 

Question 23 is based on the following news. At the end of the news item, you wil l be given 1O seconds to answer the question.

Now listen to the news.
23. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu___.
A. has been prosecuted by the Justice Ministry
B. may be prosecuted by the Justice Ministry
C. has been prosecuted by the police
D. will be prosecuted on Monday 

Questions 24 and 25 are based on the following news. At the end of the news item , you will be given 20 seconds to answer the two questions.

Now listen to the news.
24. The winners of the reported elections are___.
A. the left-wing Conservatives
B. the left-wing Socialists
C. the centre-right Conservatives
D. the centre-right Socialists 

25. If the left secures the parliamentary majority,___.
A. Chirac will share his presidential power with Jospin
B. Jospin will share his prime ministerial power with Chirac
C. Jospin will become prime minister, and Chirac will remain
D. Jospin will become prime minister, and Chirac will resign 

Part Ⅳ CLOZE [15 MIN.]

Decide which of the choices given below would best complete the passage if inserted in the corresponding blanks. Mark the best choice for each blank on your answer sheet.
The difference between a liquid and a gas is obvious ( 26 ) the conditions of temperature and pressure commonly found at the sur face of the Earth. A liquid can be kept in an open container and ( 27 ) it to the level of a free surface. A gas forms no free surface but ( 28 ) to diffuse throughout the space available; it must  ( 29 ) be kept in a closed container, as ( 30 )a planet’s atmosphere. The distinction was a prominent feature of early theories ( 31 )the phases of matter. In the nineteenth century, for example, one theory maintained that a liquid could be “dissolved” in a vapor without losing its identity, and another theory held that the two phases are ( 32 ) different kinds o f molecules(分子). The theories now prevailing ( 33 ) a quit e different approach by emphasizing what liquids and gases have in common. They are both forms of matter that have no permanent structure, and they both flow ea sily. They are fluids. 

The ( 34 ) similarly of liquids and gases becomes clear ly apparent when the temperature and pressure are raised somewhat.( 35 ) a closed container partially filled with a liquid is heated. The li quid expands or ( 36 ), becomes less dense; some of it evapor ates.( 37 ), the vapor above the liquid surface becomes dense r as the evaporated molecules are added to it. The combination of temperature an d pressure ( 38 ) the densities become equal is ( 3 9 ) the critical point. Above the critical point the liquid and the gas can no longer be ( 40 ); there is a single, undifferentiated fluid phase of uniform density.
26. A. in B. on C. under D. beyond 
27. A. fills B. be filled  C. filling D. to fill 
28. A. intends B. tends  C. inclines D. contends 
29. A. however B. nevertheless  C. so D. therefore 
30. A. in the event of B. in the case of C. with a view to D. with reference to 
31. A. having described B. described C. describing D. to have described 
32. A. made up of B. consisted of C. constituted of D. made from 
33. A. apply B. adapt C. take D. conduct 
34. A. elementary B. crucial  C. rudimentary D. fundamental 
35. A. Suppose B. To suppose  C. Being supposed D. Supposed 
36. A. in a word B. in the meantime C. in other words D. in that case 
37. A. Similarly B. In contrast  C. Furthermore D. Instead 
38. A. on that B. on which  C. at that D. at which 
39. A. known B. defined  C. called D. referred to 
40. A. classified B. recognized  C. categorized D. distinguished

Part Ⅴ GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY [15 MIN.]

There are twenty-five sentences in this section. Beneath each sentence there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Choose one word or phrase that best completes the sentence. Mark your answers on your answer sheet.

41. Acute hearing helps most animals sense the approach of thunderstorm s long before people___.

A. do B. hear C. do them D. hearing it 

42. This is an illness that can result in total blindness ___ left u ntreated.

A. after B. if C. since D.unless 

43. The central provinces have floods in some years, and ___.

A. drought in others B. droughts are others C. while other droughts D. others in drought 

44. Do help yourself to some fruit,___ you?

A. can’t B. don’t C. wouldn’t D. won’t 

45. There___ nothing more for discussion, the meeting came to an e nd half an hour earlier.

A. to be B. to have been C. being D. be

46. My mother can’t get ___ because she has rheumatism (风湿病). 

A. about B.on C. through D. in

47. I was very much put ___ by Mark’s rude behavior; it really annoy ed me.

A.over B.off C.up D.by 

48. You ___ Jim anything about it. It was none of his business.
A. needn’t have told B. needn’t tell  C. mustn’t have told D. mustn’t tell 

49. All of us would have enjoyed the party much more if there___ q uite such a crowd of people there.

A. weren’t B. hasn’t been C. hadn’t been D. w ouldn’t be 

50. Firms that use computers have found that the number of staff ___ quality control can be substantially reduced.

A.whose B.as C.what D.that 

51. ___ at in this way, the present economic situation doesn’t seem so gloomy.

A. Looking B. Looked C. Having looked D. To look 

52. Many people are ___ to insect bites, and some even have to go to hospital.

A. insensitive B. allergic C. sensible D. infected 

53. When you’re driving on a motorway, you must obey the signs telling you to get into the right ___.

A.way B.track C.road D.lane 

54. The motorist had to ___to avoid knocking the old woman down in the middle of the road.

A. swerve B. twist C. depart D. swing 

55. In winter drivers have trouble stopping their cars from ___ on icy roads.

A. skating B. skidding C. sliding D. slipping 

56. This project would ___ a huge increase in defense spending.

A. result B. assure C. entail D. accomplish 

57. The chances of a repetition of these unfortunate events are ___ indeed.

A. distant B. slim C. unlikely D. narrow 

58. We should make a clear ___ between ’competent’ and ’proficient’ for the purposes of our discussion.

A. separation B. division C. distinction D. diffe rence 

59. In the present economic ___ we can make even greater progress than previously.

A. air B. mood C. area D. climate 

60. Rite of Passage is a good novel by any standards;___, it shoul d rank high on any list of science fiction.

A. consistently B. consequently C. invariably D. fortunately 

61. The diversity of tropical plants in the region represents a seeming ly___ source of raw materials, of which only a few have been utilized.

A. exploited B. controversial C. inexhaustible D. remarkable 

62. While he was in Beijing, he spent all his time ___ some import ant museums and buildings.

A. visiting B. traveling C. watching D. touring 

63. You must let me have the annual report without ___ by ten o’cl ock tomorrow morning.

A. failure B. hesitation C. trouble D. fail

64. As the director can’t come to the reception, I’m representing the c ompany

A. on his account B. on his behalf  C. for his part D. in his interest 

65. Dreams are___ in themselves, but when combined with other data, they can tell us much about the dreamer.

A. uninformative B. startling C. harmless D. uncontrollable 

PartⅥ READING COMPREHENSION [30 MIN.]
SECTION A READING COMPREHENSION[25 MIN.]

    In this section there are four passages followed by questions or unfinished stat ements, each with four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one th at you think is the best answer.
Mark your answers on your answer sheet.

TEXT A

 Clearly if we are to participate in the society in which we live we must communi cate with other people. A great deal of communicating is performed on a person-t o-person basis by the simple means of speech. If we travel in buses, buy things in shops, or eat in restaurants, we are likely to have conversations where we gi ve information or opinions, receive news or comment, and very likely have our vi ews challenged by other members of society.

Face-to-face contact is by no means the only form of communication and during th e last two hundred years the art of mass communication has become one of the dom inating factors of contemporary society. Two things, above others, have caused t he enormous growth of the communication industry. Firstly, inventiveness has led to advances in printing, telecommunications, photography, radio and television. secondly, speed has revolutionised the transmission and reception of communicat ions so that local news often takes a back seat to national news, which itself i s often almost eclipsed by international news.

No longer is the possession of information confined to a privileged minority. In the last century the wealthy man with his own library was indeed fortunate, but today there are public libraries. Forty years ago people used to flock to the c inema, but now far more people sit at home and turn on the TV to watch a program me that is being channelled into millions of homes. Communication is no longer merely concerned with the transmission of information . The modem communication industry influences the way people live in society and broadens their horizons by allowing access to information, education and entert ainment. The printing, broadcasting and advertising industries are all involved with informing, educating and entertaining.

Although a great deal of the material communicated by the mass media is very val uable to the individual and to the society of which he is a part, the vast modem network of communications is open to abuse. However, the mass media are with us for better, for worse, and there is no turning back.

66. In the first paragraph the writer emphasizes the___ of face-t o-face contact in social settings.
A. nature B. limitation C. usefulness D. creativity 

67. It is implied in the passage that___.
A. local news used to be the only source of information.
B. local news still takes a significant place.
C. national news is becoming more popular.
D. international news is the fastest transmitted news. 

68. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?
A. To possess information used to be a privilege.
B. Public libraries have replaced private libraries.
C. Communication means more than transmission.
D. Information influences ways of life and thinking. 

69. From the last paragraph we can infer that the writer is___.
A. indifferent to the harmful influence of the mass media
B. happy about the drastic changes in the mass media
C. pessimistic about the future of the mass media
D. concerned about the wrong use of the mass media 

TEXT B

The men and women of Anglo-Saxon England normally bore one name only. Distinguis hing epithets were rarely added. These might be patronymic, descriptive or occup ational. They were, however, hardly surnames. Heritable names gradually became g eneral in the three centuries following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It was not until the 13th and 14th centuries that surnames became fixed, although for many years after that, the degree of stability in family names varied considerably in different parts of the country.

British surnames fall mainly into four broad categories: patronymic, occupationa l, descriptive and local. A few names, it is true, will remain puzzling: foreign names, perhaps, crudely translated, adapted or abbreviated; or artificial names . In fact, over fifty per cent of genuine British surnames derive from place names of different kinds, and so they belong to the last of our four main categories. Even such a name as Simpson may belong to this last group, and not to the first , had the family once had its home in the ancient village of that name. Otherwis e, Simpson means “the son of Simon”, as might be expected.

Hundreds of occupational surnames are at once familiar to us, or at least r ecognisable after a little thought: Archer, Carter, Fisher, Mason, Thatcher, Tay lor, to name but a few. Hundreds of others are more obscure in their meanings an d testify to the amazing specialisation in medieval arts, crafts and functions. Such are “Day”, (Old English for breadmaker) and “Walker” (a fuller whose job it was to clean and thicken newly made cloth).

All these vocational names carry with them a certain gravity and dignity, w hich descriptive names often lack. Some, it is true, like “Long”, “Short” or “Li ttle”, are simple. They may be taken quite literally. Others require more thinki ng: their meanings are slightly different from the modem ones. “Black” and “White ” implied dark and fair respectively. “Sharp” meant genuinely discerning, alert, acute rather than quick-witted or clever. Place-names have a lasting interest since there is hardly a town or village in a ll England that has not at some time given its name to a family. They may be pic turesque, even poetical; or they may be pedestrian, even trivial. Among the comm oner names which survive with relatively little change from old-English times ar e “Milton”(middle enclosure) and “Hilton”(enclosure on a hill).

70. Surnames are said to be ___ in Anglo-Saxon England.
A. common B. vocational C. unusual D. descriptiv e 

71. We learn from the first paragraph ___ for many years after the 13th and 14th centuries.
A. family names became descriptive and occupational
B. people in some areas still had no surnames
C. some people kept changing their surnames
D. all family names became fixed in England 

72. “Patronymic” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to “forme d from ___.
A. the name of one’s father” B. the family occupation” C. one’s family home” D. one’s family history” 

73. Which of the following sentences is an opinion rather than a fact?
A. hundreds of occupational names are at once familiar to us.
B. “Black” and “White” implied “dark” and “fair” respectively.
C. Vocational names carry with them a certain gravity and dignity.
D. Every place in England has given its name to a family. 

TEXT C

Since the early 1930s, Swiss banks had prided themselves on their system of banking secrecy and numbered accounts. Over the years, they had successfully w ithstood every challenge to this system by their own government who, in turn, ha d been frequently urged by foreign governments to reveal information about the f inancial affairs to certain account holders. The result of this policy of secre cy was that a kind of mystique had grown up around Swiss banking. There was a w idely-held belief that Switzerland was irresistible to wealthy foreigners, mainl y because of its numbered accounts and bankers’ reluctance to ask awkward questi ons of depositors. Contributing to the mystique was the view, carefully propagat ed by the banks themselves, that if this secrecy was ever given up, foreigners w ould fall over themselves in the rush to withdraw money, and the Swiss banking s ystem would virtually collapse overnight.

To many, therefore, it came like a bolt out of the blue, when, in 1977, the Swiss banks announced they had signed a pact with the Swiss National Bank (the Central Bank). The aim of the agreement was to prevent to improper use of the c ountry’s bank secrecy laws, and its effect was to curb severely the system of se crecy.

The rules which the banks had agreed to observe made the opening of numbere d accounts subject to much closer scrutiny than before. The banks would be requ ired, if necessary, to identify the origin of foreign funds going into numbered and other accounts. The idea was to stop such accounts being used for dubious p urposes. Also they agreed not to accept funds resulting from tax evasion or from crime.

The pact represented essentially a tightening up of banking rules. Although the banks agreed to end relations with clients whose identities were unclear or who were performing improper acts, they were still not obliged to inform on a client to anyone, including the Swiss government. To some extent, therefore, the princ iple of secrecy had been maintained.

74. Swiss banks took pride in___.
A. the number of their accounts
B. withholding client information
C. being mysterious to the outsiders
D. attracting wealthy foreign clients 

75. According to the passage, the widely-held belief that Switzerland w as irresistible to wealthy foreigners was ___ by banks themselves.
A. denied B. criticized C. reviewed D. defended 

76. In the last paragraph, the writer thinks that___.
A. complete changes had been introduced into Swiss banks
B. Swiss banks could no longer keep client information
C. changes in the bank policies had been somewhat superficial
D. more changes need to be considered and made 

TEXT D

Coketown was a town of red brick, or of brick that would have been red if the sm oke and the ashes had allowed it; but as matters stood it was a town of unnatura l red and black like the painted face of a savage. It was a town of machinery an d tall chimneys, out of which smoke trailed themselves for ever and ever. It had a black canal in it, and a river that ran purple with ill-smelling dye, and vas t piles of buildings full of windows where there was a rattling and a trembling all day long, and where the piston of the steam-engine worked monotonously up an d down like the head of an elephant in a state of madness. The town contained se veral large streets all very like one another, and many small streets still more like one another, inhabited by people equally like one another.

A sunny midsummer day. There was such a thing sometimes, even in Coketown. Seen from a distance in such weather, Coketown lay covered in a haze of its own. You only knew the town was there, because you knew there could have been no such blo tch upon the view without a town.

The streets were hot and dusty on the summer day, and the sun was so bright that it even shone through the haze over Coketown, and could not be looked at steadi ly. Workers emerged from low underground doorways into factory yards, and sat on posts and steps, wiping their faces and contemplating coals. The whole town see med to be frying in oil. There was a stifling smell of hot oil everywhere. The a tmosphere of those places was like the breath of hell, and their inhabitants was ting with heat, toiled languidly in the desert. But no temperature made the mad elephants more mad or more sane. Their wearisome heads went up and down at the s ame rate, in hot weather and in cold, wet weather and dry fair weather and foul. The measured motion of their shadows on the walls, was the substitute Coketown had to show for the shadows of rustling woods; while for the summer hum of insec ts, it could offer all the year round, from the dawn of Monday to the night of S aturday, the whirr of shafts and wheels.

77. Which of the following adjectives is NOT appropriate to describe Co ketown?
A. dull B. dirty C. noisy D. savage 

78. From the passage we know that Coketown was mainly a(n) ___town .
A. industrial B. agricultural C. residential D. commercial 

79. Only ___ were not affected by weather.
A. the workmen B. the inhabitants C. the steam-engines D. the rustling woods 

80. Which is the author’s opinion of Coketown?
A. Coketown should be replaced by woods.
B. The town was seriously polluted.
C. The town had too much oil in it.
D. The town’s atmosphere was traditional.

B

SECTION B SKIMMING AND SCANNING
In this section there are seven passages with a total often multiple-choice ques tions. Skim or scan them as required and then mark your answers on your answer s heet.

TEXT E

First read the following question.
81. The writer is concerned about___.
A. budget housekeeping B. the retail trade C. computer skills D. mental arithmetic 

Now read Text E quickly and mark your answer on your answer sheet.

A lot of attention is being given to children who leave school unable to read or write. I think there should be equal concern for those who are unable to cope w ith simple mental arithmetic -particularly girls. It is often stated that today’s children are growing up in a computer world and they don’t need the same skills that their grandparents did. But is it any wonde r that many young girls trying to cope with budget housekeeping fail for the sim ple reason they cannot keep accurate checks on their purchases? Shopping in markets is no source of cheap purchasing unless one is able to keep pace with the apparent mental agility of the vendor. Must we face the thought that at some time in the distant future everyone will n eed to carry in their handbag or pocket one of the miniature calculators?

TEXT F

First read the following question.

82. This is a letter of___.
A. reference B. application C. inquiry D. complaint 

Now read Text F quickly and mark your answer on your answer sheet.

10 Garden Ave.

Essex

The Personnel Officer

Belgian Medico Ltd.

P0 Box 920

Brussels

Belgium

5th May 200___ 

Dear Sir,

With reference to your advertisement in the “Daily Star”, I’d like to apply for the position of translator with your firm. I hold a degree in German and French from the University of London. And I have w orked as a translator for the past three years with Watson & Sons, Ltd., manufac turer of laboratory instruments, translating business correspondence from French and German into English. I am 25 years old and unmarried. I enjoy living and working in different countri es and I should welcome the chance of moving to Belgium.

Yours sincerely,

(Miss) Janet Holbrooke

TEXT G

First read the following question.
83. The passage is mainly about___.
A. loneliness B. experience C.memory D. isolation 

Now read Text G quickly and mark your answer on your answer sheet.

Loneliness is a curious thing. Most of us can remember feeling most lonely when we were not in fact alone at all, but when we were surrounded by people. Everyon e has experienced, at some time, that strong sense of isolation that comes over you when you are at a party or in a room full of happy laughing people. It sudde nly seems to you as if everybody knows everybody else, everybody knows what is g oing on; everybody, that is, except you.

This feeling of loneliness which can overcome you when you are in a crowd is ver y difficult to get rid of. People living alone are advised to tackle their lonel iness by joining a club or a society, by going out and meeting people.

TEXT H

First read the following question.
84. The author mainly discusses ___ of public transportation.
A. the price B. the types C. the improveme nt D. the advantage 

Now read Text H quickly and mark your answer on your answer sheet.

The price of public transportation in Beijing has doubled twice since 1989, but it is still a bargain. Using the subway and minibuses used to show class status; now people of all classes take them, while some wealthy prefer taxis or private cars. What a change in just a few years!But there are downfalls to having more cars on the roads. Fortunately, the gover nment is aware of the problem. No-lead gasoline is the only one permitted in the city, and the rest of the country follows. Thousands of trees are planted in an d around the city every year. Children are taught why and how to protect the env ironment. At the same time, public transportation has marked real progress: buse s are everywhere and run frequently. We no longer see those old buses with broke n windows. Instead, there are fast buses, double-decker buses, air-conditioned o r heated buses, all offering a good service.

TEXT I

First read the following questions.
85. Each participating team should at least have ___
A. two B.three C.four D. five 

86. Participants can bring along their ___ to the competition.
A. Christmas trees B. Christmas presents C. festival costumes D. decoration materials 

Now read Text I quickly and mark your answers on your answer sheet.
With Christmas Day around the corner, Hong Kong’s Provisional Regional Council announced that a Christmas tree decoration competition will be held on Sunday in conjunction with the ongoing Regional Council Festival. Members of the public are welcome to take part in the competition as families or small groups. Each team should be formed by at least three persons. A total of 99 Christmas trees of 1.5 metres in height will be available for the participating teams to decorate. Participants can bring along their own decorati on materials and to use their imagination and creativity to achieve the best res ults.

Each participating team can take home the Christmas tree it has decorated as a souvenir. In addition, there will be cash awards for the winners.

TEXT J

First read the following questions.

87. If you only have time for a half-day trip, which day would you choo se?
A. Sunday 23 July. B. Saturday 15 July. C. Wednesday 9 August. D. Saturday 5 August. 

88. Which of the following trips offers you the opportunity to see Geor gian architecture?

A. Trip One. B. Trip Two. C. Trip Three. D. Trip Four. 

Now read Text quickly and mark your answers on your answer sheet.

Summer Outings

Trip One

Saturday 15 July Stratford-upon-Avon and “Julius Caesar”

The coach will leave at 9 am, allowing a couple of hours to visit Stratford befo re the performance of “Julius Caesar” at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Back aro

und 7:30 pm.

Trip Two

Sunday 23 July Bath

The spa town of Bath contains the country’s finest Roman ruins, and much elegant Georgian architecture. The coach will depart at 9 am, returning at around 6:30 pm.

Trip Three

Saturday 5 August Stratford-upon-Avon and “The Taming of the Shrew” Another chance to visit Stratford. “The Taming of the Shrew” stars Josie Lawrenc e in the title role. The coach will leave at 9 am, returning at around 7:30 pm.

Trip Four

Wednesday 9 August Oxford and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” A half-day trip to Oxford. The coach will leave at 2:15 pm, allowing an afternoo n to see the sights before one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays at the Playho use Theatre. Back after the show.

TEXT K

First read the following questions.

89. Which nation is thought to be business-minded?
A. The Dutch. B. The Italians. C. The British. D. The Germans. 

90. The opinions seem to be most divided on___.
A. the Germans B. the Dutch C. the French D. the British 

Now read Text K quickly and mark your answers on your answer sheet.
Some of the data from a survey on national stereotypes in some European countries is summarized below:
Germans Liked themselves best of all. Most Europeans agreed that the Germans had the highest proportion of good qualities. They considered themselves very tolerant, but nobody else did.

French Not really admired by anyone except the Italians. Other Europeans found them conservative, withdrawn, brilliant, superficial. Also, not very friendl y.

British Mixed reactions. Some found them calm, reserved, open- minded, others thought they were insular and superior. The British most admired the Dutch.

Italians Generally considered by everyone to be lazy and untrustworthy, an d the Italians agreed! Most also found them to be charming, hospitable and noisy. The Italians admired the French. Hardly anyone loved the Italians except the French.

Dutch Most admired people in Europe—except by their neighbours—the Belgians. Everyone agreed that the Dutch are hardworking, thrifty, good-natured, tolerant and business-minded.