－Have you finished your composition already?
－Yes. I ________ it in twenty minutes.
| A．have finished | B．finished | C．will finish | D．had finished |
Section C (25)
Directions :Write an English composition according to the instructions given below in Chinese .
假如你是某家英文报社的编辑，昨日收到一位中学生读者刘娟的来信。请根据来信内容用英语写一封不少于120字的回信。
Dear Editor,
I am a hardworking girl and want to be the number one in my class. But in the exams, I always make mistakes that I should have avoided. I really worry about it. What can I do to improve my performance in exams?
Wang Li
Dear Liu Juan,
It’s good that you know what prevents you achieving satisfying scores in exams.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Editor
Astronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career，including three space flights and one space walk. But he recalls with special fondness a decidedly earthbound（为地球引力所束缚的）experience in the summer of 1980 when he participated in the NASA ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. Voss， then a science teacher at West Poin，was assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center's propulsion（推进） lab in Alabama to analyze why a hydraulic fuel pump seal （液压燃料泵的密封圈）on the space shuttle（航天飞机） was working so well when previous seals had failed. It was a seemingly tiny problem among the vast complexities of running the space program. Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seal could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them.
“I worked a bit with NASA engineers，” says Voss， “but I did it mostly by an analysis. I used a handheld calculator， not a computer， to do a thermodynamic（热力学的） analysis.” At the end of the summer，he，like the other NASA ASEE fellows working at Marshall，summarized his findings in a formal presentation and detailed paper. It was a valuable moment for Voss because the ASEE program gave him added understanding of NASA，deepened his desire to fly in space，and intensified his application for astronaut status.
It was not an easy process. Voss was actually passed over when he first applied for the astronaut program in 1978. Over the next nine years he reapplied repeatedly，and was finally accepted in 1987. Since then he has participated in three space missions. The 50 year old Army officer，who lives in Houston，is now in training for a four-month mission as a crew member on the International Space Station starting in July 2000.
Voss says the ASEE program is wonderful for all involved. “It brings in people from the academic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time. It brings some fresh eyes and fresh ideas to NASA，and establishes a link with our colleges and universities，” Voss explains. “There's an exchange of information and an exchange of perspectives that is very important.”
For the academic side，Voss says，the ASEE program also “brings institutions of higher learning more insight into new technology. We give them an opportunity to work on real world problems and take it back to the classroom.”
66. Why was the hydraulic fuel pump seal important for the space shuttle？
A） Because previous seals all failed.
B） Because it was very complex in running the space program.
C） Because great care has to be taken of the hydraulic fuel pump sealing.
D） Because any crack in the seals would cause disastrous results for the astronauts.
67.The great significance of Voss's findings lies in_________ .
A） strengthening his determination to join in space flights
B） furthering his understanding of NASA
C） consolidating his astronaut status in NASA programs
D） Both A and B
68. How many flights will Voss have finished if his four-month mission starting in July 2000 ends up successfully？
A） Three B） Two C） Four D） Five
69. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to what Voss said on the ASEE program？
A） Fresh members from the academic world participate in the program.
B） The program brings new outlooks to NASA space programs.
C） It is important for the space scientists to exchange information and perspectives.
D） American colleges and universities are a special property of NASA.
70. What does Voss want to stress in the last paragraph？
A） The technological significance of the program.
B） The educational significance of the program.
C） The philosophical significance of the program.
D） The historical significance of the program.
I needed to get some money so, after Christmas, I took a job in the clothes department at Graham’s for the first fortnight of the January sale. I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but it was an experience I’ll never forget.
I could never understand why there were so many things in the sales; where did they all come from? Now I know the secret! Firstly, there is the special winter stock (货物) and the stock that people buy all the year round; some of these things are slightly reduced. Secondly, there are the summer clothes they couldn’t sell last year; these are heavily reduced to clear them. Thirdly, there are cheap clothes bought in specially for the sales; these are put out at high prices ten days before the sale begins and then are reduced by 60% in the sale. Clever! Lastly, they buy in “seconds? (clothes not in perfect condition) for the sale and they are sold very cheaply.
When I arrived half an hour before opening on the first day of the sale, there was already a queue around three sides of the building. This made me very nervous.
When the big moment arrived to open the doors, the security guards, looking less confident than usual, came up to them, keys in hand. The moment they had unlocked the doors, they hid behind the doors for protection as the noisy crowd charged in. I couldn’t believe my eyes; this wasn’t shopping, it was a battlefield! One poor lady couldn’t keep her feet and was knocked over by people pushing from behind.
Clothes were flying in all directions as people searched for the sizes, colours and styles they wanted. Quarrels broke out. Mothers were using their small children to crawl(爬行) through people’s legs and get hold of things they couldn’t get near themselves.
Within minutes I had half a dozen people pushing clothes under my nose, each wanting to be the first served. Where had the famous English Queue gone? The whole day continued like that, but I kept my temper(脾气)! I was taking money hand over fist and began to realize why, twice a year, Graham’s were happy to turn their expensive store into a battlefield like this.
In the sale fever, people were spending money like water without thinking whether they needed what they were buying. As long as it was a bargain it was OK.
You won’t believe this but as soon as I got home I crashed out for four hours. Then I had dinner and went back to bed, fearing the sound of the alarm which would tell me to get ready for the second day of the sale.
61. What kind of clothes is likely to be sold 5% cheaper?
A. Last summer’s clothes. B. Clothes not in perfect condition.
C. Clothes bought in specially for the sales. D. Clothes for winter.
62. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The customers gave up the queuing for which the English are famous.
B. The customers kept their temper while looking for clothes they wanted.
C. Small children enjoyed crawling through people’s legs.
D. The security guards were fearless of the crowd.
63. In the author’s opinion, why were Graham’s happy to make their expensive store into “Battlefield?
A. There were too many clothes and they wanted to clear them in the sales.
B. They were eager to show that they were clever at doing business.
C. They could take the chance to raise the prices of all their clothes.
D. They wanted to make more money by having sales.
64. The expression “crashed out” means ________.
A. chatted with her friends B. slept soundly
C. broke down D. dined out
65. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. The Best Bargain. B. Hunting for a job.
C. Sale Fever. D. A Pleasant Fortnight.
Part Three: Reading Comprehension (30 points)
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For eahc of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best acoording to the information given in the passage.
（A）
More Americans are turning to charm school to gain an advantage over competitors in a job market stricken by the longest economic slowdown since the Great Depression.
Etiquette (礼节) trainers report business growing from clients who believe that good manners could be the key selling point that helps them get hired or keeps them off the unemployment line.
“People are prepared to do whatever it takes to keep their job”, said Gloria Starr, an adviser on image, etiquette and communications in North Carolina. Starr, who says business is up 40 percent in the past year at her school, said people were “realizing that it takes more than just ability and knowledge” to keep or win a job.
Peggy Newfield, who has been teaching etiquette for 30 years and runs a charm school, said business was “booming.” “When the economy is down etiquette training will always be up. They’re focusing on ‘What I can do to survive, I really have to keep up my game because the competition is keen.’”
Proper business manners, however, extend far beyond greeting or thanking a would-be employer. Etiquette classes deal with the basics of presentation in an interview, including what to say and how to dress.
“It’s so much more than writing the thank-you note at the end,” Newfield said. “It’s about walking in for the job interview, every hair is in place, your clothes are perfectly pressed, your shoes are polished, you’re groomed to the nines, you speak the part, and your English is correct.”
It’s great that we have seen this renewal in etiquette and manners and self respect.
Studies have shown that 85 percent of the reason a person gets a job, keeps a job and moves up is related to their personal skills. There are very few jobs out there where your manners, where your socials skills, are not a big piece of being successful. If you have manners you can walk into any business or social situation.
Teaching etiquette has become a tougher task. Some people point to bad public behavior by athletes and celebrities (名人) as a factor in ruining good manners in U.S. society. Hotel owner Paris Hilton, actress Lindsay Lohan and singer Britney Spears are among those who have been charged with setting a poor example, especially for children and adolescents. Hilton is infamous （声名狼藉的）for a sex tape that became an Internet hit, Lohan has long been gossip stuff due to her quarrels with the law and Spears was photographed partying without underwear.
56. The writer wants to tell the readers___________.
A. the etiquette training in America B. the ways to avoid failure
C. good manners count in keeping a job D. how to keep business up
57. From the passage we learn that the charm school____________.
A. helps those who are unemployed B. deals with moral problems
C. becomes more popular with people D. does good to the economy
58. The underlined sentence “you’re groomed to the nines” probably means “you’re_________.”
A. dressed in the best way B. fully understood
C. greeted with good manners D. very concerned
59. We can infer from the last paragraph that__________.
A. Good examples contribute to etiquette teaching
B. good public behavior doesn’t exist any more
C. teaching etiquette has become a tougher task
D. some famous people don’t have good manners
60．Which of the following can you NOT learn in Peggy Newfield’s charm school?
A. How to dress in a job interview.
B. How to hack into the company centeral database.
C. How to maintain an edge over other competitors in the job market..
D. How to improve your communicative skills with your collegues.
Section C (12 points)
Directions: Complete the following passage by using ONE word that fits the context.
Shopping habits in the United States have changed greatly in the past few decades. 48 in the 1900s most American towns and cities had a Main Street. Main Street was always in49 heart of a town. This street was built on both sides with many varied businesses. Here, shoppers walked into stores to look at all sorts of goods. _50__in the 1950s, a change began to take place .Too many automobiles had crowded into Main Street while too__51_parking places were available for shoppers. _52__the streets were crowded, merchants began to look with interest at the open spaces from the city limits. Open space is what their car-driving customers needed.
An open space is 53 they got when the first shopping centre was built. Shopping centres, or rather malls, were set __54_ as a collection of small new stores near crowded city centres. Towards the late 1970s,many shopping malls had almost developed into small cities themselves. In addition to providing the cheapness of one stop shopping, malls were transformed into landscaped parks, _55__benches, fountains, and outdoor entertainment.