2019年全国英语竞赛《A类研究生》初赛试题及答案
A类研究生
历年真题
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更新于 2026-09-26
二、Part Ⅱ Vocabulary
15 marks
1
There are 15 incomplete sentences in this part.For each blank there are five choices marked A, B, C, D and E.Choose the one that best completes the sentence.Then mark the corresponding letter on the answer sheet with a single line through the centre.
Many new _____ will be opened up in the future for those with a university education.
Many new _____ will be opened up in the future for those with a university education.
- A.adaptabilities
- B.availabilities
- C.necessities
- D.probabilities
- E.opportunities
2
The wealth of a country should be measured _____ the health and happiness of its people as well as the material goods it can produce.
- A.in line with
- B.in terms of
- C.in contact with
- D.in addition to
- E.in place of
3
When in his rebellious years, that is when he was sixteen or eighteen, Simon Thompson _____ going around with a strange set of people and staying out very late.
- A.took to
- B.took over
- C.took up
- D.took on
- E.took in
4
Any negative statements and accusations made should be _____ and forthrightly answered.
- A.promptly
- B.deliberately
- C.punctually
- D.accurately
- E.constantly
5
If anybody here does not agree with me, they should _____ their own plans for improving the living conditions of these people.
- A.put back
- B.put on
- C.put down
- D.put in
- E.put forward
6
Francis, _____ born in Kentucky, lived and practiced law in Missouri.
- A.if
- B.although
- C.was
- D.he was
- E.who he was
7
All the mountains are stunningly beautiful, and there are _____ valleys and the smell of peat from every cottage.
- A.wood
- B.woods
- C.wooden
- D.wooded
- E.wooding
8
It is not so much the language _____ the cultural background that makes the article difficult to understand.
- A.but
- B.or
- C.as
- D.nor
- E.like
9
_____ for your help, we’d never have been able to finish the project on time.
- A.If it were not
- B.Had it not been
- C.If we had not been
- D.Had it not
- E.Had we not
10
Once environmental damage _____, it will take many years for the system to recover.
- A.has done
- B.to be done
- C.is done
- D.done
- E.been done
11
I enjoyed myself so much _____ I visited my grandparents in the countryside last year.
- A.when
- B.where
- C.because
- D.that
- E.as
12
Language belongs to _____, to the flower-seller as much as to the professor.
- A.each among us
- B.each one of us
- C.anybody of us
- D.everybody of us
- E.those of us
13
—Did you watch the 6 o’clock programme on Channel 9 yesterday evening? I was about to watch it when someone came to see me.
—Yeah! It reported some major breakthrough in cancer research._____
—Yeah! It reported some major breakthrough in cancer research._____
- A.It really made me feel scared.
- B.It was frequently interrupted by commercials.
- C.The programme was mainly meant for cancer patients.
- D.People over 40 would find the programme worth watching.
- E.People of all ages should watch it.
14
—Hello, I have a reservation for tonight.
—Your name, please.
—Nelson, Charles Nelson.
—OK, Mr.Nelson.That’s a room for five and...
—But excuse me, you mean a room for five pounds? _____
—No, no, hold on—according to our records, a room for five guests was booked under your name.
—Your name, please.
—Nelson, Charles Nelson.
—OK, Mr.Nelson.That’s a room for five and...
—But excuse me, you mean a room for five pounds? _____
—No, no, hold on—according to our records, a room for five guests was booked under your name.
- A.I didn’t know the special was so good.
- B.I’m not going to stay here any longer.
- C.You tried to take advantage of my inexperience.
- D.It’s only half price on weekends.
- E.It’s offered to frequent guests only.
15
—Mary, I hope you’ve packed and are ready to leave.
—Yes, I’ve packed, but not quite ready.I can’t find my passport.
—Your passport? That’s the one thing you mustn’t leave behind.
—I know.I haven’t lost it.I’ve packed, but _____
—Well, you have to find it at the airport.Come on! The taxi is waiting.
—Yes, I’ve packed, but not quite ready.I can’t find my passport.
—Your passport? That’s the one thing you mustn’t leave behind.
—I know.I haven’t lost it.I’ve packed, but _____
—Well, you have to find it at the airport.Come on! The taxi is waiting.
- A.there might be a traffic jam.
- B.I’ve probably left it in a taxi.
- C.I’m afraid you’ve taken it.
- D.there’s a lot of stuff to pack.
- E.I can’t remember which bag it’s in.
三、Part Ⅲ Cloze
10 marks
Read the following passage and fill in each blank with one word.Choose the correct word in one of the following three ways: according to the context, by using the correct form of the given word or by using the given letter(s) of the word.Remember to write the answers on the answer sheet.
Research by U.S. and Canadian scientists suggest that the brains of men and women differ structurally in ways that may explain differences in mental ability. Men’s brains are larger than women’s, (46) _____ (principal) because men are larger in all respects. But the isthmus of the corpus callosum, (47) _____ links the right and left halves of the brain, is generally larger in women than in men, according to a number of different studies (48) _____ (report) to the New York Academy of Sciences.
Since these fibres represent the main highway within the brain, the researchers believe it may explain why, on (49) _____, women have a superior ability with words to men and why girls are less often dyslexic than boys. Some researchers believe the physical difference may also explain why men are generally better at tasks (50) inv_____ spatial relationships, such as engineering and reading maps. Speculating even further, the sexing of brains (an infant science) may account for the fact that there have been more women poets and (51) _____ (novel) than female painters and sculptors.
Such research has been discouraged by feminists for a long time. They fear that it might be used to justify male-female differences which they (52) mai_____ are result of unfair social attitudes and conditioning. Scientists admit that the physical differences between male and female brains may have a less important effect (53) _____ education and experience.
But at a recent meeting of the New York Academy, the largest claims for a physically significant difference between the sexes, other than the obvious and well-researched ones, were made by women. Sandra Witelson, a Canadian neuropsychologist, said the differences in size already mentioned may be “just the tip of the (54) ice_____... The physical structure of men’s and women’s brains may be far more different than we suspect.” But men were (55) _____ (doubt) about the importance of the finding that women had a larger isthmus in their corpus callosum. A male scientist said, “In the brain, bigger doesn’t always mean better.”
Research by U.S. and Canadian scientists suggest that the brains of men and women differ structurally in ways that may explain differences in mental ability. Men’s brains are larger than women’s, (46) _____ (principal) because men are larger in all respects. But the isthmus of the corpus callosum, (47) _____ links the right and left halves of the brain, is generally larger in women than in men, according to a number of different studies (48) _____ (report) to the New York Academy of Sciences.
Since these fibres represent the main highway within the brain, the researchers believe it may explain why, on (49) _____, women have a superior ability with words to men and why girls are less often dyslexic than boys. Some researchers believe the physical difference may also explain why men are generally better at tasks (50) inv_____ spatial relationships, such as engineering and reading maps. Speculating even further, the sexing of brains (an infant science) may account for the fact that there have been more women poets and (51) _____ (novel) than female painters and sculptors.
Such research has been discouraged by feminists for a long time. They fear that it might be used to justify male-female differences which they (52) mai_____ are result of unfair social attitudes and conditioning. Scientists admit that the physical differences between male and female brains may have a less important effect (53) _____ education and experience.
But at a recent meeting of the New York Academy, the largest claims for a physically significant difference between the sexes, other than the obvious and well-researched ones, were made by women. Sandra Witelson, a Canadian neuropsychologist, said the differences in size already mentioned may be “just the tip of the (54) ice_____... The physical structure of men’s and women’s brains may be far more different than we suspect.” But men were (55) _____ (doubt) about the importance of the finding that women had a larger isthmus in their corpus callosum. A male scientist said, “In the brain, bigger doesn’t always mean better.”
16
_____.
17
_____.
18
_____.
19
_____.
20
_____.
21
_____.
22
_____.
23
_____.
24
_____.
25
_____.
四、Part Ⅳ RC
30 marks（Reading Comprehension）
There are four passages in this part.Each passage is followed by several questions.Respond to the questions using information from the passage.Remember to write the answers on the answer sheet.
Section A (5 marks)
Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.
In Greenville community centre, we will talk about what we as a community can do to help each other in severe weather. Our lovely little village is quite remote. There may be other similar-sized communities only 25 kilometres away but emergency services have to drive 500 kilometres to reach us from the closest large town. That can mean a wait of up to ten hours before help arrives.
Having said that, we are very lucky in that we’ve always had our own fire service and, thanks to the arrival of Dr. Jones earlier this year, we no longer have to drive so far if anyone gets sick. What we don’t have, and are unlikely to get in the near future, is a weather station.
The National Weather Bureau can provide a lot of helpful information and even warn us about severe storms, but they can only do this if they build up a database of information and to do that they need local help. That means us. What we’d like to do is set up a group of volunteer storm spotters to pass information on to the Weather Bureau.
What do these storm spotters have to do? Thankfully you don’t have to be particularly skilled at anything. Quite simply, immediately after a storm has passed, the first thing you have to do is call the national weather station to let them know. After that you have to complete a report card, which is very simple and won’t take more than a few minutes to do. The only other thing they ask is that we keep an eye out for any reports in the local newspaper of storms or storm damage. You need to cut these out and send them in as well. Damage that makes news here is unlikely to make it into the national papers so these can be an important source of extra information.
That’s all as far as the duties go. What sort of thing do you need to report? They don’t want to hear about every single storm that we have, only the ones that bring some unusual conditions. For example, we don’t need to call them just because there is hail, but we should report any hailstones that are two centimetres in diameter or bigger. They also need to know about damage caused by high wind, especially if it uproots large trees. Again, don’t contact them every time you see a tree fallen over. You should use your common sense and restrict it to those big enough to cause a problem, especially on our roads. They’d also like to hear about very heavy rainfall and more especially any localized flash floods.
What should you do if you care about our community and you want to help? Obviously you’ll need a bit more information and preparation than I’ve given you today so we’ll be conducting a training session next month. This will only take up a day, so don’t worry too much about it. If you do have the time and would like to come along, then you’ll need to talk to the police who are coordinating the event. And as our storm season is from November right to the end of January, you’ll need to put your name down by the end of October at the very latest, but if you’d like to get in early, Sergeant Philips is here and he’s happy to take names now. This really is important for our community, and we’re hoping to get a lot of support.
Question 56—60
Fill in the blanks below with information from the passage, using no more than three words for each blank.
Volunteer storm spotters
Section A (5 marks)
Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.
In Greenville community centre, we will talk about what we as a community can do to help each other in severe weather. Our lovely little village is quite remote. There may be other similar-sized communities only 25 kilometres away but emergency services have to drive 500 kilometres to reach us from the closest large town. That can mean a wait of up to ten hours before help arrives.
Having said that, we are very lucky in that we’ve always had our own fire service and, thanks to the arrival of Dr. Jones earlier this year, we no longer have to drive so far if anyone gets sick. What we don’t have, and are unlikely to get in the near future, is a weather station.
The National Weather Bureau can provide a lot of helpful information and even warn us about severe storms, but they can only do this if they build up a database of information and to do that they need local help. That means us. What we’d like to do is set up a group of volunteer storm spotters to pass information on to the Weather Bureau.
What do these storm spotters have to do? Thankfully you don’t have to be particularly skilled at anything. Quite simply, immediately after a storm has passed, the first thing you have to do is call the national weather station to let them know. After that you have to complete a report card, which is very simple and won’t take more than a few minutes to do. The only other thing they ask is that we keep an eye out for any reports in the local newspaper of storms or storm damage. You need to cut these out and send them in as well. Damage that makes news here is unlikely to make it into the national papers so these can be an important source of extra information.
That’s all as far as the duties go. What sort of thing do you need to report? They don’t want to hear about every single storm that we have, only the ones that bring some unusual conditions. For example, we don’t need to call them just because there is hail, but we should report any hailstones that are two centimetres in diameter or bigger. They also need to know about damage caused by high wind, especially if it uproots large trees. Again, don’t contact them every time you see a tree fallen over. You should use your common sense and restrict it to those big enough to cause a problem, especially on our roads. They’d also like to hear about very heavy rainfall and more especially any localized flash floods.
What should you do if you care about our community and you want to help? Obviously you’ll need a bit more information and preparation than I’ve given you today so we’ll be conducting a training session next month. This will only take up a day, so don’t worry too much about it. If you do have the time and would like to come along, then you’ll need to talk to the police who are coordinating the event. And as our storm season is from November right to the end of January, you’ll need to put your name down by the end of October at the very latest, but if you’d like to get in early, Sergeant Philips is here and he’s happy to take names now. This really is important for our community, and we’re hoping to get a lot of support.
Question 56—60
Fill in the blanks below with information from the passage, using no more than three words for each blank.
Volunteer storm spotters
26
_____.
27
_____.
28
_____.
29
_____.
30
_____.
Section B (10 marks)
Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.
Over 1,000 years ago, Chinese poet Wang Wei of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) wrote “I know my brothers would, with dogwood spray in hand, climb up mountain and miss me so far away”—to express his nostalgia during Chongyang Festival.
(61) __________
The Chongyang Festival, or the Double Ninth Festival, which takes place on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month on the Chinese calendar.
According to I Ching, or Book of Changes, “nine” is a positive—or yang—number.Therefore, the ninth day of the ninth month means “double nine” or “double yang”.(62) __________
Through records in all kinds of notes and historical literature, scholars have dated Chongyang’s history back to the Warring States Period (475—221BC).It became widely celebrated after the Wei and Jin dynasties (220—420) and was officially declared to be a festival during the Tang Dynasty.
(63) __________ So, it was not uncommon for superstitious folk to climb mountains, or find higher ground to avoid some perceived oncoming doom.
Today, customs during this festival include climbing mountains, enjoying chrysanthemum flowers, drinking chrysanthemum wine, eating crabs, wearing dogwood to drive away ghosts and composing poems.
(64) __________ Moreover, standing on high ground and looking far into the distance on a balmy autumn day can help alleviate some of the seasonal depression and anxiety.If you can’t find a mountain to hike up, there is another solution: Ascending buildings or towers will, apparently, also work.For example, Wang Bo, a man of letters in the Tang Dynasty once ascended a tower on the Chongyang Festival and wrote his representative work, A Tribute to King Teng’s Tower.
Mountains aside, chrysanthemum symbolizes longevity, as well as integrity and chrysanthemum wine is seen as an auspicious drink to enjoy during the festival.It is believed that the custom originates from poet Tao Yuanming who lived during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317—420) and was famous for his hermit’s lifestyle and his special love for the flower.
Special food is usually an indispensable part of festivals, just like mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival and zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival.So, for Chongyang, crabs are the snack du jour because that’s when their meat is at its best.Chongyang cake, made of rice, is also a traditional festival food popular in the eastern part of China.
(65) __________ Since the pronunciation of nine in Chinese is the same as “eternal” or “forever”, the festival is regarded as an especially auspicious day to wish longevity and health upon our senior citizens and people usually visit, or send greetings to, the senior members of their family.
As a result, in 1989, the Chinese government assigned yet another moniker to the festival to promote respect for the elderly: Senior Citizen’s Festival.
Questions 61 to 65
Choose from the sentences A—G the one which best fits each gap of 61—65.There are two extra sentences which you do not need to use.
Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.
Over 1,000 years ago, Chinese poet Wang Wei of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) wrote “I know my brothers would, with dogwood spray in hand, climb up mountain and miss me so far away”—to express his nostalgia during Chongyang Festival.
(61) __________
The Chongyang Festival, or the Double Ninth Festival, which takes place on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month on the Chinese calendar.
According to I Ching, or Book of Changes, “nine” is a positive—or yang—number.Therefore, the ninth day of the ninth month means “double nine” or “double yang”.(62) __________
Through records in all kinds of notes and historical literature, scholars have dated Chongyang’s history back to the Warring States Period (475—221BC).It became widely celebrated after the Wei and Jin dynasties (220—420) and was officially declared to be a festival during the Tang Dynasty.
(63) __________ So, it was not uncommon for superstitious folk to climb mountains, or find higher ground to avoid some perceived oncoming doom.
Today, customs during this festival include climbing mountains, enjoying chrysanthemum flowers, drinking chrysanthemum wine, eating crabs, wearing dogwood to drive away ghosts and composing poems.
(64) __________ Moreover, standing on high ground and looking far into the distance on a balmy autumn day can help alleviate some of the seasonal depression and anxiety.If you can’t find a mountain to hike up, there is another solution: Ascending buildings or towers will, apparently, also work.For example, Wang Bo, a man of letters in the Tang Dynasty once ascended a tower on the Chongyang Festival and wrote his representative work, A Tribute to King Teng’s Tower.
Mountains aside, chrysanthemum symbolizes longevity, as well as integrity and chrysanthemum wine is seen as an auspicious drink to enjoy during the festival.It is believed that the custom originates from poet Tao Yuanming who lived during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317—420) and was famous for his hermit’s lifestyle and his special love for the flower.
Special food is usually an indispensable part of festivals, just like mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival and zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival.So, for Chongyang, crabs are the snack du jour because that’s when their meat is at its best.Chongyang cake, made of rice, is also a traditional festival food popular in the eastern part of China.
(65) __________ Since the pronunciation of nine in Chinese is the same as “eternal” or “forever”, the festival is regarded as an especially auspicious day to wish longevity and health upon our senior citizens and people usually visit, or send greetings to, the senior members of their family.
As a result, in 1989, the Chinese government assigned yet another moniker to the festival to promote respect for the elderly: Senior Citizen’s Festival.
Questions 61 to 65
Choose from the sentences A—G the one which best fits each gap of 61—65.There are two extra sentences which you do not need to use.
31
_____.
- A.In ancient China, the Chongyang Festival was sometimes seen as a bad omen, as it fell in the late autumn when the weather turns cold and plants wither.
- B.The dogwood is a plant with a strong fragrance, and is often used as a Chinese herbal medicine.
- C.Today, it is still celebrated by people from China, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
- D.Today, thankfully, the Chongyang Festival has a more positive meaning.
- E.The bright clear weather and the joy of bringing in the harvest make for a festival’s happy atmosphere.
- F.Since “chong” means double in Chinese, it is also called “Chongyang” in China.
- G.Among all these customs, mountain climbing is the most important one since it is an activity that is believed to help one avoid misfortune.
32
_____.
- A.In ancient China, the Chongyang Festival was sometimes seen as a bad omen, as it fell in the late autumn when the weather turns cold and plants wither.
- B.The dogwood is a plant with a strong fragrance, and is often used as a Chinese herbal medicine.
- C.Today, it is still celebrated by people from China, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
- D.Today, thankfully, the Chongyang Festival has a more positive meaning.
- E.The bright clear weather and the joy of bringing in the harvest make for a festival’s happy atmosphere.
- F.Since “chong” means double in Chinese, it is also called “Chongyang” in China.
- G.Among all these customs, mountain climbing is the most important one since it is an activity that is believed to help one avoid misfortune.
33
_____.
- A.In ancient China, the Chongyang Festival was sometimes seen as a bad omen, as it fell in the late autumn when the weather turns cold and plants wither.
- B.The dogwood is a plant with a strong fragrance, and is often used as a Chinese herbal medicine.
- C.Today, it is still celebrated by people from China, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
- D.Today, thankfully, the Chongyang Festival has a more positive meaning.
- E.The bright clear weather and the joy of bringing in the harvest make for a festival’s happy atmosphere.
- F.Since “chong” means double in Chinese, it is also called “Chongyang” in China.
- G.Among all these customs, mountain climbing is the most important one since it is an activity that is believed to help one avoid misfortune.
34
_____.
- A.In ancient China, the Chongyang Festival was sometimes seen as a bad omen, as it fell in the late autumn when the weather turns cold and plants wither.
- B.The dogwood is a plant with a strong fragrance, and is often used as a Chinese herbal medicine.
- C.Today, it is still celebrated by people from China, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
- D.Today, thankfully, the Chongyang Festival has a more positive meaning.
- E.The bright clear weather and the joy of bringing in the harvest make for a festival’s happy atmosphere.
- F.Since “chong” means double in Chinese, it is also called “Chongyang” in China.
- G.Among all these customs, mountain climbing is the most important one since it is an activity that is believed to help one avoid misfortune.
35
_____.
- A.In ancient China, the Chongyang Festival was sometimes seen as a bad omen, as it fell in the late autumn when the weather turns cold and plants wither.
- B.The dogwood is a plant with a strong fragrance, and is often used as a Chinese herbal medicine.
- C.Today, it is still celebrated by people from China, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
- D.Today, thankfully, the Chongyang Festival has a more positive meaning.
- E.The bright clear weather and the joy of bringing in the harvest make for a festival’s happy atmosphere.
- F.Since “chong” means double in Chinese, it is also called “Chongyang” in China.
- G.Among all these customs, mountain climbing is the most important one since it is an activity that is believed to help one avoid misfortune.
Section C (10 marks)
Questions 66 to 70 are based on the following passage.
One chilly autumn morning in 1945, five thousand shoppers crowded the pavements outside Gimbels Department Store in New York City. The day before, Gimbels had taken out a full-page newspaper advertisement in the New York Times, announcing the sale of the first ballpoint pens in the United States—the new writing instrument.
In fact, this “new” pen was not new after all, and was just the latest development in a long search for the best way to deliver ink to paper. In 1884 Lewis Waterman had patented the fountain pen, giving him the sole rights to manufacture it. This marked a significant leap forward in writing technology, but fountain pens soon became notorious for leaking. In 1888, a leather tanner named John Loud devised and patented the first “rolling-pointed marker pen” for marking leather. Loud’s design contained a reservoir of ink in a cartridge and a rotating ball point that was constantly bathed on one side with ink. Loud’s pen was never manufactured, however, and over the next five decades, 350 additional patents were issued for similar ball-type pens, though none advanced beyond the design stage. Each had their own faults, but the major difficulty was the ink: if the ink was thin, the pens leaked, and if it was too thick, they clogged. Depending on the climate or air temperature, sometimes the pens would do both.
Almost fifty years later, Ladislas and Georg Biro, two Hungarian brothers, came up with a solution to this problem. They set about making models of new pen designs and creating better inks to use in them. Ladislas was determined to construct a pen using the same type of ink. Georg came up with the idea of fitting his pen with a tiny ball bearing in its tip. As the pen moved along the paper, the ball bearing rotated and picked up ink from the ink cartridge which it delivered to the paper.
The first Biro pen, like the designs that had gone before it, relied on gravity for the ink to flow to the ball bearing at the tip. The Biro brothers had a rethink and eventually devised a new design, which relied on capillary action rather than gravity to feed the ink. In 1938, as World War II broke out, the Biro brothers fled to Argentina, where they applied for a patent for their pen and established their first factory.
The Biros’ pen soon came to the attention of American fighter pilots, who needed a new kind of pen to use at high altitudes. Thus fortune smiled on the Biro brothers in May 1945, when the American company “Eversharp” paid them $500,000 for the exclusive manufacturing and marketing rights of the Biro ballpoint for the North American market. Eversharp were slow to put their pen into production, however, and this delay ultimately cost them their competitive advantage.
Meanwhile, in June 1945 an American named Milton Reynolds stumbled upon the Biro pen while on vacation in Buenos Aires. Immediately seeing its commercial potential, he bought several pens and returned to Chicago, where he discovered that loud’s original 1888 patent had long since expired. This meant that the ballpoint was now in the public domain, and he, therefore, wasted no time making a copy based on the Biro design. Establishing his pen company with just $26,000, Reynolds quickly set up a factory with 300 workers who began production on 6th October 1945, stamping out pens from precious scraps of aluminum that hadn’t been used during the war for military equipment or weapons. Just 23 days later, it was Reynolds’s ballpoint pen that caused the stampede at Gimbels Department Store. Following the ballpoint’s debut in New York City, Eversharp challenged Reynolds in the law courts, but lost the case because the Biro brothers had failed to secure a U.S. patent on their invention.
Questions 66 to 70
Answer the following questions with the information given in the passage.
Questions 66 to 70 are based on the following passage.
One chilly autumn morning in 1945, five thousand shoppers crowded the pavements outside Gimbels Department Store in New York City. The day before, Gimbels had taken out a full-page newspaper advertisement in the New York Times, announcing the sale of the first ballpoint pens in the United States—the new writing instrument.
In fact, this “new” pen was not new after all, and was just the latest development in a long search for the best way to deliver ink to paper. In 1884 Lewis Waterman had patented the fountain pen, giving him the sole rights to manufacture it. This marked a significant leap forward in writing technology, but fountain pens soon became notorious for leaking. In 1888, a leather tanner named John Loud devised and patented the first “rolling-pointed marker pen” for marking leather. Loud’s design contained a reservoir of ink in a cartridge and a rotating ball point that was constantly bathed on one side with ink. Loud’s pen was never manufactured, however, and over the next five decades, 350 additional patents were issued for similar ball-type pens, though none advanced beyond the design stage. Each had their own faults, but the major difficulty was the ink: if the ink was thin, the pens leaked, and if it was too thick, they clogged. Depending on the climate or air temperature, sometimes the pens would do both.
Almost fifty years later, Ladislas and Georg Biro, two Hungarian brothers, came up with a solution to this problem. They set about making models of new pen designs and creating better inks to use in them. Ladislas was determined to construct a pen using the same type of ink. Georg came up with the idea of fitting his pen with a tiny ball bearing in its tip. As the pen moved along the paper, the ball bearing rotated and picked up ink from the ink cartridge which it delivered to the paper.
The first Biro pen, like the designs that had gone before it, relied on gravity for the ink to flow to the ball bearing at the tip. The Biro brothers had a rethink and eventually devised a new design, which relied on capillary action rather than gravity to feed the ink. In 1938, as World War II broke out, the Biro brothers fled to Argentina, where they applied for a patent for their pen and established their first factory.
The Biros’ pen soon came to the attention of American fighter pilots, who needed a new kind of pen to use at high altitudes. Thus fortune smiled on the Biro brothers in May 1945, when the American company “Eversharp” paid them $500,000 for the exclusive manufacturing and marketing rights of the Biro ballpoint for the North American market. Eversharp were slow to put their pen into production, however, and this delay ultimately cost them their competitive advantage.
Meanwhile, in June 1945 an American named Milton Reynolds stumbled upon the Biro pen while on vacation in Buenos Aires. Immediately seeing its commercial potential, he bought several pens and returned to Chicago, where he discovered that loud’s original 1888 patent had long since expired. This meant that the ballpoint was now in the public domain, and he, therefore, wasted no time making a copy based on the Biro design. Establishing his pen company with just $26,000, Reynolds quickly set up a factory with 300 workers who began production on 6th October 1945, stamping out pens from precious scraps of aluminum that hadn’t been used during the war for military equipment or weapons. Just 23 days later, it was Reynolds’s ballpoint pen that caused the stampede at Gimbels Department Store. Following the ballpoint’s debut in New York City, Eversharp challenged Reynolds in the law courts, but lost the case because the Biro brothers had failed to secure a U.S. patent on their invention.
Questions 66 to 70
Answer the following questions with the information given in the passage.
36
What material was the first ballpoint pen designed to write on?
37
What was the problem with the ballpoint pens invented between 1888 and 1935?
38
Where did the Biro brothers open their first factory?
39
In what year did the first American Biro pen factory begin production?
40
Why was Reynolds able to copy the Biro brothers’ design?
Section D (10 marks)
Questions 71 to 75 are based on the following passage.
Jake, aged 16, has a grandmother named Rita, who is 70. They live close by, and they even take a Spanish class together twice a week at a local college. After class they sometimes stop at a café for a snack. On one occasion Rita tells Jake, “I think it’s great how fast you pick up new grammar. It takes me a lot longer.” Jake replies, “Yeah, but you don’t seem to make as many silly mistakes on the quizzes as I do. How do you do that?”
At that moment, Rita and Jake stumble across an interesting set of differences between older and younger minds. Popular psychology says that as people age their brains “slow down”. The implication, of course, is that elder men and women are not as mentally agile as middle-aged adults or even teenagers. However, although certain brain functions such as perception and reaction time do indeed take longer, that slowing down does not necessarily undermine mental sharpness. Indeed, evidence shows that older people are just as mentally fit as younger people because their brains compensate for some kinds of declines in creative ways that young minds do not exploit.
Just as people’s bodies age at different rates, so do their minds. As adults advance in age, the perception of sights, sounds and smells takes a bit longer, and laying down new information into memory becomes more difficult. The ability to retrieve memories also quickly slides and it is sometimes harder to concentrate and maintain attention.
On the other hand, the ageing brain can create significant benefits by tapping into its extensive hoard of accumulated knowledge and experience. The biggest trick that older brains employ is to use both hemispheres simultaneously to handle tasks for which younger brains rely predominantly on one side. Electronic images taken by cognitive scientists at the University of Michigan, for example, have demonstrated that even when doing basic recognition or memorization exercises, seniors exploit the left and right sides of the brain more extensively than men and women who are decades younger. Drawing on both sides of the brain gives them a tactical edge, even if the speed of each hemisphere’s process is slower.
In another experiment, Michael Falkenstein of the University of Dortmund in Germany found that when elders were presented with new computer exercises they pauses longer before reacting and took longer to complete the tasks, yet they made 50% fewer errors, probably because of their more deliberate pace.
One analogy for these results might be the question of who can type a paragraph “better”: a 16-year-old who glides along at 60 words per minute but has to double back to correct a number of mistakes or a 70-year-old who strikes keys at only 40 words per minute but spends less time fixing errors? In the end, if “better” is defined as completing a clean paragraph, both people many end up taking the same amount of time.
Questions 71 to 75
Complete the summary below with information from the passage, using no more than three words for each blank.
Questions 71 to 75 are based on the following passage.
Jake, aged 16, has a grandmother named Rita, who is 70. They live close by, and they even take a Spanish class together twice a week at a local college. After class they sometimes stop at a café for a snack. On one occasion Rita tells Jake, “I think it’s great how fast you pick up new grammar. It takes me a lot longer.” Jake replies, “Yeah, but you don’t seem to make as many silly mistakes on the quizzes as I do. How do you do that?”
At that moment, Rita and Jake stumble across an interesting set of differences between older and younger minds. Popular psychology says that as people age their brains “slow down”. The implication, of course, is that elder men and women are not as mentally agile as middle-aged adults or even teenagers. However, although certain brain functions such as perception and reaction time do indeed take longer, that slowing down does not necessarily undermine mental sharpness. Indeed, evidence shows that older people are just as mentally fit as younger people because their brains compensate for some kinds of declines in creative ways that young minds do not exploit.
Just as people’s bodies age at different rates, so do their minds. As adults advance in age, the perception of sights, sounds and smells takes a bit longer, and laying down new information into memory becomes more difficult. The ability to retrieve memories also quickly slides and it is sometimes harder to concentrate and maintain attention.
On the other hand, the ageing brain can create significant benefits by tapping into its extensive hoard of accumulated knowledge and experience. The biggest trick that older brains employ is to use both hemispheres simultaneously to handle tasks for which younger brains rely predominantly on one side. Electronic images taken by cognitive scientists at the University of Michigan, for example, have demonstrated that even when doing basic recognition or memorization exercises, seniors exploit the left and right sides of the brain more extensively than men and women who are decades younger. Drawing on both sides of the brain gives them a tactical edge, even if the speed of each hemisphere’s process is slower.
In another experiment, Michael Falkenstein of the University of Dortmund in Germany found that when elders were presented with new computer exercises they pauses longer before reacting and took longer to complete the tasks, yet they made 50% fewer errors, probably because of their more deliberate pace.
One analogy for these results might be the question of who can type a paragraph “better”: a 16-year-old who glides along at 60 words per minute but has to double back to correct a number of mistakes or a 70-year-old who strikes keys at only 40 words per minute but spends less time fixing errors? In the end, if “better” is defined as completing a clean paragraph, both people many end up taking the same amount of time.
Questions 71 to 75
Complete the summary below with information from the passage, using no more than three words for each blank.
41
_____.
42
_____.
43
_____.
44
_____.
45
_____.
五、Part Ⅴ Translation
15 marks
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Section A (5 marks)
Translate the following paragraph into Chinese.Remember to write the answers on the answer sheet.
Walking is an attention-getter.If your boss says, “Come to my office,” you sense something formal or instructive is about to be related.If, instead, the boss comes up to you and says, “Walk with me,” you might detect an imminent moment of intimacy, revelation, even vulnerability.A walk is an empty thing.We fill it as we go.That squirrel crossing our path, grabbing an acorn (橡子) and scurrying (逃窜) up a nearby tree could not have been planned.You simply encounter it, feel it, perhaps try to figure out a meaning for it.
Translate the following paragraph into Chinese.Remember to write the answers on the answer sheet.
Walking is an attention-getter.If your boss says, “Come to my office,” you sense something formal or instructive is about to be related.If, instead, the boss comes up to you and says, “Walk with me,” you might detect an imminent moment of intimacy, revelation, even vulnerability.A walk is an empty thing.We fill it as we go.That squirrel crossing our path, grabbing an acorn (橡子) and scurrying (逃窜) up a nearby tree could not have been planned.You simply encounter it, feel it, perhaps try to figure out a meaning for it.
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Section B (10 marks)
Translate the following sentences into English by using the hints given in brackets.Remember to write the answer on the answer sheet.
人们以为科学对经济发展和国力增强有更大的贡献。而文科通常让人觉得是奢侈而虚无缥缈的。(77)然而，我认为科研资助不应该只对理科开放，其他领域也应该得到资助。(available)首先，一个健康的社会需要文科和理科的共同努力。(78)科学发明确实会让我们的生活变得简便，但是文科(arts)里的创新作品也会使我们的生活变得更丰富和更充实。(easier)例如，电脑的发明改变了我们沟通的方式，但是通过鼠标来画画这种新型艺术方式也颠覆了传统的“铅笔和画笔”等绘画工具。(79)对文科和理科的投入资助好比对我们生活双引擎投入动力，使我们的生活变得更便利、更有趣。(fuel the twin engines)其次，向理科以外的学科资助，能让我们更加了解自己和世界。(80)科学能改变世界，文科则能让我们认识自我、认识人与世界的关系。(understand ourselves)换而言之，科学研究能创造更多的工具，但是文科的研究能给这些工具带来意义和生命，并诠释这些工具与我们的关系。(81)总之，文科和理科各有所长，都值得我们资助。(their respective merits)
Translate the following sentences into English by using the hints given in brackets.Remember to write the answer on the answer sheet.
人们以为科学对经济发展和国力增强有更大的贡献。而文科通常让人觉得是奢侈而虚无缥缈的。(77)然而，我认为科研资助不应该只对理科开放，其他领域也应该得到资助。(available)首先，一个健康的社会需要文科和理科的共同努力。(78)科学发明确实会让我们的生活变得简便，但是文科(arts)里的创新作品也会使我们的生活变得更丰富和更充实。(easier)例如，电脑的发明改变了我们沟通的方式，但是通过鼠标来画画这种新型艺术方式也颠覆了传统的“铅笔和画笔”等绘画工具。(79)对文科和理科的投入资助好比对我们生活双引擎投入动力，使我们的生活变得更便利、更有趣。(fuel the twin engines)其次，向理科以外的学科资助，能让我们更加了解自己和世界。(80)科学能改变世界，文科则能让我们认识自我、认识人与世界的关系。(understand ourselves)换而言之，科学研究能创造更多的工具，但是文科的研究能给这些工具带来意义和生命，并诠释这些工具与我们的关系。(81)总之，文科和理科各有所长，都值得我们资助。(their respective merits)
六、Part Ⅵ EC
10 marks（Error Correction）
Proofread the passage as required.Each indicated line contains a maximum of one error.Correct the passage in the following ways: for a right line, put the sign “√” in the corresponding blank; for a wrong word, underline the wrong word and write the correct one in the blank; for a missing word, mark the position of the missing word with the sign “∧” and write the word you believe to be missing in the blank; for an unnecessary word, cross the unnecessary word with the sign “\” and put the word with the sign in the blank.Write the answers on the answer sheet.
48
_____.
49
_____.
50
_____.
51
_____.
52
_____.
53
_____.
54
_____.
55
_____.
56
_____.
57
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七、Part Ⅶ IQ Test
10 marks
58
There are five IQ Test questions in this part.Write the answers on the answer sheet.
Which item in the right-hand box could logically appear in the left-hand box?
Which item in the right-hand box could logically appear in the left-hand box?
59
Danielle travels around Europe.She likes Paris, but not London.She likes Frankfurt but not Bonn.She likes Amsterdam, but not Barcelona.Oh, does she like St Petersburg?
60
Which two of these butterflies are exactly as pretty as each other?
61
What four-letter word is missing in this list?
palm
mast
tory
__ __ __ __
ante
earn
nose
palm
mast
tory
__ __ __ __
ante
earn
nose
62
Which circle should replace the question mark?
A.A
B.B
C.C
D.D
E.E
Which circle should replace the question mark?A.A
B.B
C.C
D.D
E.E
八、Part Ⅷ Writing
30 marks
63
Section A (10 marks)
The chart below shows the percentage of UK adults to have used the Smart phones from 2004 to present.Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Note: Write a report of at least 100 words on the answer sheet.
The chart below shows the percentage of UK adults to have used the Smart phones from 2004 to present.Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Note: Write a report of at least 100 words on the answer sheet.
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Section B (20 marks)
Students nowadays spend more time on cell phones.For example, they usually surf on the Internet, watch movies, play games and reading or learning something by use of their cell phones.Naturally they spend less time reading books.Therefore, many teachers complain about them reading fewer books than before and lacking more knowledge.Do you think that students today are less knowledgeable because they read fewer books?
Write an article of at least 160 words to express your opinion on the answer sheet.
Students nowadays spend more time on cell phones.For example, they usually surf on the Internet, watch movies, play games and reading or learning something by use of their cell phones.Naturally they spend less time reading books.Therefore, many teachers complain about them reading fewer books than before and lacking more knowledge.Do you think that students today are less knowledgeable because they read fewer books?
Write an article of at least 160 words to express your opinion on the answer sheet.
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