2005 National English Contest for College Students
(Level B - Final)
Part I Listening Comprehension (25 minutes, 30 points)
Section A Dialogues (10 points)
Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short dialogues. At the end of each dialogue, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the dialogue and the question will be read 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 centre.
1. A. August 1st. B. August 7th. C. July 1st. D. July 6th.
2. A. At the Peach Corner Street.
B. At the subway station.
C. At the traffic light.
D. At the express bus terminal.
3. A. His wife's promotion.
B. His and his wife's wedding anniversary.
C. His wife's graduation.
D. His wife's birthday.
4. A. By bus. B. On foot. C. By bicycle. D. By subway.
5. A. Staying with the job.
B. Searching for another job.
C. Talking with his boss.
D. Getting a different friend.
6. A. To buy tickets for a film.
B. To see if there is a vacancy in the restaurant.
C. To make a reservation of the table.
D. To confirm his reservation.
7. A. The man.
B. The man's friend.
C. The man's mother-in-law.
D. The man's wife.
8. A. By asking the lawyer himself.
B. By looking it up in the telephone book.
C. By calling his friend.
D. By asking the telephone company.
9. A. $ 24. B. $ 20. C. $ 16. D. $ 12.
10. A. They both have bad teeth.
B. The woman hates “Monday mornings” most.
C. Both of them had bad experiences with dentist.
D. They have different opinions about dentists.
Section B News Items (10 points)
Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short pieces of news from BBC or VOA. After each news item and question, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
11. A. Best Supporting Actor. B. Best Actor. C. Best Director.
12. A. Clean up the corruption and ineffective rule that plagued Palestine.
B. Overhaul the Palestinians' government, economy and security forces.
C. Protect Palestine's national security.
13. A. ＄25 million. B. ＄70 million. C. ＄90 million.
14. A. It's a psychedelic classic.
B. It's a piece of science fiction.
C. Neither.
15. A. Ali Jalali. B. Habiba Sarobi. C. Hamid Karzai.
16. A. The Baikal Finance Group.
B. A division of Yukos.
C. The large state natural gas company Gazprom.
17. A. A rock star. B. A footballer. C. A drummer.
18. A. About 5 million.
B. About 7 million.
C. About 10 million.
19. A. Iraqi. B. American. C. Italian.
20. A. In 1979. B. In 1990. C. In 1994.
Section C Passages (10 points)
Directions: In this section, you will hear 2 passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear 5 questions. 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 centre.
Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
21. A. In 2000. B. In 2001. C. In 2002. D. In 2003.
22. A. Her love of cooking and e-mail.
B. Her picture on a cereal box.
C. Her friendship with Britney Spears.
D. Her support for the Grammy Awards.
23. A. Because she was with her coach.
B. Because she met many famous people.
C. Because she was the fourth skater on the ice.
D. Because she came first in the final competition.
24. A. Because she got little sleep and fell ill.
B. Because she was in Los Angeles.
C. Because she was heartbroken.
D. Because she was with the Backstreet Boys.
25. A. She should always strive to win.
B. She should keep improving her skating skills.
C. She should be more relaxed when skating.
D. She should have courage.
Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26. A. In Japan. B. In France.
C. In China. D. In Portugal.
27. A. Paper. B. Feathers or leaves.
C. Masks or laces. D. Silk.
28. A. Paper was stuck on a frame of flat sticks.
B. Silk was stretched on a round frame.
C. Grasses were fixed to a wooden handle.
D. Lace was printed on an ivory handle.
29. A. In the 14th century.
B. In the 17th century.
C. In the 18th century.
D. In the 15th century.
30. A. It invented a new kind of fan in Europe.
B. It was a main producer of fans.
C. It invented a fan frame.
D. It first brought fans to Europe.
Part II Vocabulary and Structure (5 minutes, 10 points)
Directions: There are 10 incomplete sentences in this part. For each blank 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 centre.
31. It might be the world's most widely distributed email client, but Microsoft has confirmed that it has no _________ of further developing Outlook Express.
A. willingness B. readiness C. intention D. demonstration
32. Leisure time is a _________ commodity for most professors; still, _________ manage to curl up with a good book when they have the chance.
A. usual; few B. cheap; many C. regular; less D. scarce; a few
33. It's unfair that she was overlooked and didn't get _________ for her accomplishments.
A. credit B. identification C. account D. validity
34. Instead, I'll _________ on the differences between the two versions; unfortunately most of the differences took away from the original film, _________ I think is truly excellent.
A. explain; that B. comment; which C. analyse; as D. remark; what
35. It took several days to _________ the courage to call, but through the encouragement of my parents I called the church where she worked.
A. build on B. make out C. work up D. bring forward
36. They are essentially unionistic, and seek union in harmony of spirit, life, and worship, _________ in a logical statement of doctrine.
A. other than B. better than C. rather than D. less than
37. _________, Edward couldn't help but resent how insignificant his mother made him feel.
A. Warm-hearted as he was B. That he was warm-hearted
C. Though warm-hearted he was D. Warm-hearted although he was
38. _________ the little girl with blue saucer eyes had waken before her mother and simply _________ off.
A. Noticeably; set B. Distinctly; stepped
C. Apparently; wandered D. Notably; trodden
39. I marvel that he _________, it having been said he had taken his final departure for Portugal.
A. was not here now B. should now be here
C. had been away D. hasn't left
40. It can be painful for parents when their children feel out of sync with others, but it is unwise _________ on the importance of fitting in; children get enough of that message in the outside world.
A. laying a lot of importance
B. to put too much emphasis
C. to give a large amount of concern
D. throwing a great deal of anxiety
Part III Situational Dialogues (5 minutes, 10 points)
Directions: There are 10 incomplete dialogues in this section. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that best completes the dialogue. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
41. Rose: Alan was really angry with Tom.
Bill: Was he? How could you tell?
Rose: ___________________________
Bill: Oh, really? I should have noticed that.
A. Didn't you see how red his face got?
B. He said I should say so.
C. I told him to stay calm.
D. Well, could I try to tell him?
42. Kate: John and Mary just had a baby!
Tony: ___________________________
Kate: Yes, isn't it? I'm really happy for them.
A. I didn't know about it!
B . That sounds interesting!
C. What a great idea!
D. That's wonderful news!
43． Derek: Have you seen the film Oliver Twist, Kathy?
Kathy: Yes, I went last night. ___________________________
Derek: Saw it Monday. Good, isn't it?
Kathy: Mm, it made me want to read the novel again.
A. How about you? B. How are things going?
C. How nice! D. How disappointing!
44. Paul: Go down Main Street and turn left at the first corner. Then walk two blocks and you'll see the library just in front of you.
Janet: _____________________
Paul: That's right.
A. Do you think I can find the library easily?
B. Is what you're saying right?
C. Main Street, first left, two blocks. Right?
D. The library on the right?
45. Richard: How much is it to rent an economy car?
Tina: $19.00 a day or $129.00 a week, unlimited mileage.
Richard: Could I have one for tomorrow morning?
Tina: ___________________________
Richard: Sure. Here it is.
Tina: Good. Now just complete this form, please.
A. Could you please show me your phone number, please?
B. Do you have your driver's license?
C. Can you tell me your address, please?
D. May I have your name, please?
46. Flora: What's the matter? Don't you like the soup?
Carl: _________________________
Flora: Oh, I'm sorry about that.
A. I see. It's a little hot.
B. Yes, I'm crazy about it.
C. Well, not very much, I'm afraid.
D. No. I like it, actually.
47. Tracy: Do you have a single room for two nights?
Clerk: We only have a small suite.
Tracy: _______________________
Clerk: $50.00 a night, including breakfast.
Tracy: Fine. Could you show it to me, please?
Clerk: Of course. Just follow me.
A. What's the rate? B. Where is it?
C. How far is it? D. When will it be ready?
48. Roger: Wow! It's like an oven in here!
Judy: __________________________
Roger: Thanks... That's a bit better.
A. Don't worry. Dinner will be ready soon.
B. Shall I open the window for you?
C. I'll move the furniture into the hall.
D. Would you like me to clean the room?
49. Sandy: “Beats me”? What do you mean by that?
Ruby: “I don't know.”
Sandy: You don't? ___________________
Ruby: Well, that's not what I meant. “Beats me” means “I don't know”.
A. Did you say you beat someone?
B. You meant to beat me?
C. Who do you think meant it?
D. How come you said it then?
50. David: Can you help me with my homework, please?
Lisa: ______________________________
David: Come on. Don't be so mean!
A. No, but I can give you a helping hand.
B. Why not? I have plenty of time.
C. I'd like to, but I want to watch this video.
D. Yes, of course I can do that for you.
Part IV IQ Test (5 minutes, 5 points)
Directions: There are 5 IQ Test questions in this part. For each question there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Mark your answer on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
51.
When point G is added, DEFG is a square.
What are the coordinates of point G?
A. (1,7) B. (0,6) C. (2,7) D. (1,6)
52.
At the airport, Ground Control must guide a plane from point T to the beginning of the runway, R, ready to take off, avoiding any trees on the way.
The plane can only move FORWARD, TURN LEFT 90° or TURN RIGHT 90°. Which set of instructions will guide the plane to the runway, avoiding any trees?
A. FORWARD 3, RIGHT 90°,
FORWARD 2, LEFT 90°,
FORWARD 5.
B. FORWARD 1, LEFT 90°,
FORWARD 2, RIGHT 90°,
FORWARD 7.
C. FORWARD 3, RIGHT 90°,
FORWARD 3, LEFT 90°,
FORWARD 6.
D. FORWARD 1, RIGHT 90°,
FORWARD 2, LEFT 90°,
FORWARD 7.
53. Katie, Adam, Lucy, Ranjit and Richard all wear school uniforms.
Katie, Adam and Ranjit wear ties.
Ranjit wears a blazer.
Richard hates the uniform but wears a blazer and tie.
Lucy and Katie wear hats.
Adam wears a blazer but no hat.
Who wears the least items of the uniform?
A. Adam. B. Ranjit. C. Richard. D. Lucy.
54.
How many times will shape T fit into shape S?
A. 16. B. 20. C. 24. D. 26.
55. To answer this question you have to work out a code. On the left are some shapes and the codes that go with them. You must decide how the code letters go with the shapes. Then find the correct code for the test shape from the set of four codes on the right.
Part V Reading Comprehension (25 minutes, 35 points)
Section A Multiple Choice (5 points)
Directions: There is 1 passage in this part with 5 questions or unfinished statements. For each of them, there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following CV.
Questions:
56. What is Jane Westmacott's postcode?
A. CR8 5LL. B. CU1 4TX. C. SW2 4EJ. D. GR3 6WO.
57. Where did Jane Westmacott go to school?
A. Brixton, London.
B. Gads Hill, Kent.
C. Fissborough, near Coventry.
D. Guildford, Surrey.
58. In which subject did Jane Westmacott get the best GCSE Grade?
A. English Language. B. French. C. History. D. Statistics.
59. How many jobs has Jane Westmacott had?
A. 1. B. 2. C. 3. D. 4.
60. Which job did Jane Westmacott describe in detail on her CV?
A. Her present job only.
B. All her past jobs.
C. Her last two jobs.
D. Her first job.
Section B Short Answer Questions (20 points)
Directions: In this part, there are 2 passages followed by 10 questions or unfinished statements. Read the passages carefully, then answer the questions in the fewest possible words (not exceeding 10 words). Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.
Scientists say there has been a severe decrease in the amount of water in Lake Chad in northern Africa in the last thirty years. They reported that nature and humans share equal blame for this loss.
In 1963, the fresh-water lake covered 25,000 square kilometers. Now the lake is only about five percent of that size. It measures only about 1,300 square kilometers in the dry season.
Four nations surround Lake Chad. People in Niger, Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon use it for water, fish and plant life.
Michael Coe and Jonathan Foley, water experts at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, reported on Lake Chad in a science journal. They say the area has suffered from a lack of heavy rain for more than thirty years. This has forced people to build systems to carry water to dry land. These irrigation systems further decrease the amount of lake water.
Mr. Coe says Lake Chad will be only a small body of water in the future. He says people still can get water from the lake to drink and for crops. But he says the lake will no longer provide a healthy environment for fish and plant life.
The researchers used a computer to study what caused the water loss. Their computer study estimated the climate and amount of water in the area. The estimate started with written records from the early 1960s. Then the researchers compared the estimates with the area's recorded climate and water supply for the same period.
The computer study showed results similar to the recorded ones for the first twenty years. But there was a big change in the 1980s. At the time, the lake got smaller much faster than the computer research had estimated.
The researchers say that major irrigation systems were built in the 1980s. The systems took water from two rivers that flow into Lake Chad. The Chari and Logone rivers carry most of the water that enters the lake. The study showed that the increased irrigation reduced the flow in the two rivers. Climate changes also were responsible for the reduction. The flow of the two rivers was reduced by almost seventy-five percent.
Scientists say the problem is expected to worsen in the coming years as the population and demand for water continued to increase.
Questions:
61. The amount of water in Lake Chad is _______.
62. The change in the size of Lake Chad is caused by the climate, _______ and _______.
63. The water from Lake Chad is no longer environmentally appropriate for ________.
64. When did the scientists find that Lake Chad got smaller much faster?
65. The water that the Chari and Logone rivers carry is now _______ percent of the flow of the past.
Questions 66 to 70 are based on the following passage.
For many older people, the modern world is like a foreign country: telephones they can't use; video machines they can't programme; television programmes they can't understand and music they can't stand. Not to mention forgetting everyday things, like names and facts. No wonder that most people think that as we get older, our minds steadily lose their power and effectiveness.
However, recent scientific experiments have shown that it is not necessarily all downhill once you are past 70. In fact, in some important ways, scientists have seen that mental powers actually improve with age. They have demonstrated that we actually get better at making social and personal judgments as we grow older. While older people are not mentally sharper than the young and their eyesight and hearing aren't as good, they seem to have greater wisdom instead.
These discoveries about old people have come about, says Dr. Thomas Hess of North Carolina State University, because scientists have changed the things they are looking at. “We were looking at problem areas, at abnormal brain states, because we were interested in understanding illnesses like Alzheimer's. Now we have started to look at what happens in normal brain function and the position looks more hopeful.”
In one experiment carried out by Hess, groups of older and younger people were given a list of things that some imaginary people did and were asked to judge their characters for honesty and intelligence. The older group turned out to be much better at saying which people were dishonest or unintelligent.
In another experiment, old and young people were asked to create stories on various themes. These were then written down and read out to judges who didn't know the authors' ages. Again, older people did better.
Even in cases where scientists had previously discovered a weakening with age, such as with memory, new studies have shown that this tendency is not as clear as was once thought. It is true that when told stories, older people are usually poor at remembering details, for example. However, when scientists gave older people stories that mirrored their own experiences—for instance, stories of retirement homes—they were just as good at remembering as young people. Hess believes that this simply shows that older people don't bother to remember things that aren't important to them.
This research seems to show that with age, while we lose the ability to acquire skills, we gain in other ways. Other research has shown that older people are generally happier and have better mental health. All this seems to show that, while the young may not want to admit it, there are many things they could usefully learn from their elders.
Questions:
66. Many old people often feel as if _______ .
67. Recent scientific experiments have shown that, overall, human mental abilities _______ .
68. In the first experiment, Dr. Hess found that older people were _______ .
69. New studies have shown that older people can remember centain things _______ as young people.
70. Older people tend to forget things that are _______ .
Section C True (T) or False (F) (10 points)
Directions: In this part, there is 1 passage followed with 10 statements. Read the passage and decide which of the statements at the end of the passage are true and which are false. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
Questions 71 to 80 are based on the following advertisement.
Statements:
71. The sole of the men's boots is made of leather.
72. You can get the men's boots in two colours.
73. The leather jacket is already insured when you buy it.
74. It is cheaper to pay for the leather jacket over forty weeks.
75. You can get the swimsuit in black.
76. The swimsuit comes in four sizes.
77. The jeans have a zip.
78. You wear the jeans low.
79. The order number for a green epaulette shirt is KQ 8149.
80. The rugby shirt is not like the shirt worn by the rugby teams.
Part VI Cloze (10 minutes, 10 points)
Directions: There are 10 blanks in the passage. For each blank, the first letter of the word has been given. Read the passage below and think of the word which best fits each blank. Use only one word in each blank. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
In 1885, the U.S. Post Office had a problem in the southern state of Florida. The delivery service f 81 Lake Worth to Biscayen Bay was taking six weeks.
They found a solution—a 136-mile route that took three days. It meant that the mailmen had to walk barefoot along beaches for eighty miles and then c 82 the remaining fifty-six miles by boat. This difficult job was f 83 carried out by mailman Edwin R. Bradley. In the summer of 1887, James “Ed” Hamilton took over deliveries but a few m 84 later his career ended suddenly in circumstances which made him f 85 in the Post Office.
The autumn weather that year was severe. On 9th October, Hamilton felt unwell as he set off. D 86 this, he arrived at his first stop, Orange Grove. His n 87 call should have been at a place named Fort Lauderdale Refuge. This time he didn't arrive and he was never seen again. Nobody ever found out what h 88 to him.
In 1892, a road was b 89 and the days of the barefoot mailmen were over. However, their s 90 has never been forgotten. There are annual walks along the route, and a book and film have been made about them.
Part VII Translation (15 minutes, 20 points)
Section A English-Chinese Translation (10 points)
Directions： Translate the underlined sentences of the following passage into Chinese. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
There is nothing worse than someone who is always late. Lateness can be a charming eccentricity—for a little while. The trouble is that Mr. or Mrs. Unpunctual soon starts causing inconvenience to other people. That's when the cheerful acceptance gives way to scorn and resentment.
It's surprising how far the unpunctual person will go to inconvenience others. (91) For example, after accepting the offer of a lift to work the following morning, he or she will fail to turn up at the pick-up spot at the agreed time. There's sure to be a convincing reason: lost door keys, a child with whooping cough, a cat stuck up an apple tree...
The giver of the lift makes sure he's not late. He's made the offer and now he feels responsible for it; come what may he must keep his word. On the other hand, the person who's receiving the favour feels free to turn up 10, 15 or 30 minutes after the time which had been agreed on. For him or her they are minutes of hurried activity earning the right to chauffeur-driven luxury; for the driver—the victim—they are minutes of sheer frustration, boredom and wasted time.
What's the result of this easy-going attitude? (92) Well, maybe the person who offered the lift gives up the seemingly endless wait and disappears, in which case the latecomer struggles to complete his day's schedule later than ever. Wherever he goes he blames the lift for “letting him down”.
There's another equally likely result. (93) In this version of the story, the giver of the lift waits in loyal frustration at the side of the road for as long as his thoughtless passenger takes to reach the spot. Not only are both of them late for work, but the passenger tells his colleagues about the driver's impatience in traffic queues!
So what's the answer? Perhaps there should be a subtle change in how we view time. （94） At the moment we think of it as a very elastic commodity; we make vague arrangements to meet at about a certain time, and no one has a clear idea as to just how far that time will stretch. Will“about ten o'clock” stretch to a quarter past ten—or will it stretch to half past ten? There are no fixed rules.
Why not arrange to meet by a certain time and stick to it? Not giving even a minute's grace seems a little harsh, but look at it this way: a train won't wait for a late passenger. People know what the deadline is, they accept that they have to be on time and they usually are. （95） Even the closest friends give up on each other eventually, so they may as well set a giving-up time when they make their arrangement. “By ten o'clock” should mean “sorry, but that's when I set off without you.”
Section B Chinese-English Translation (10 points)
Directions: Translate the following sentences into English. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet.
96． 创造性的思考需要一种能够使你产生想法并且灵活地运用知识和经验的态度。
97． 基因是细胞最基本的组成部分，由父母遗传给子女，它们可能和人类的行为有某些关系。
98． 当两个人设法交流却没能准确地表达出各自的想法，或者错误地以为自己已经领悟了对方的意思时，通常误解就产生了。
99． 今天左撇子越来越被社会所接受，在某些体育项目上左撇子甚至被认为是占有优势的。
100． 我们的生活如此依赖各种交通工具，以至于我们无法想象没有交通工具我们的生活会怎样。
Part VIII Writing (30 minutes, 30 points)
Writing Task I (10 points)
Directions: You and a friend recently spent a few days in London, as part of a touring holiday. While you were there you both wanted to see a good show at the theatre. However, you were not happy with the arrangements the travel company made for you.
Read the advertisement below carefully, and look at the tickets and your comments. Then write a letter of no less than 120 words to the travel company, explaining why you were not happy with the service they gave. Remember to write your letter on the Answer Sheet and don't write your name or any addresses.
Writing Task II (20 points)
Directions: Write a composition of no less than 150 words, saying whether you agree or disagree with the following statement and giving examples:
The biggest dangers to our health and environment come from cars.
Remember to write your composition on the Answer Sheet.