1999年广东省专插本英语真题
Part I Reading Comprehension(40%)
Passage I
Today,supermarkets are found in almost every large city in the world.But the first supermarket was opened only fifty years ago.It was opened in New York by a man named Michael Cullen.
A supermarket is different from other types of stores in several ways.In supermarkets,goods are placed on open shelves.The customers choose what they want and take them to the check-out counter.This means that fewer employees are required than in other stores.
The way products are displayed is another difference between supermarkets and many other types of stores.For example,in supermarkets there is usually a display of small inexpensive items just in front of the check-out counter:candies,chocolate,magazines,cheap books and so on.Why are they there?
Most customers who go to a supermarket buy from a shopping list.They know exactly what they need to buy.They shop according to a plan.By the time he or she reaches the check-out counter,the customer is feeling pleased and relaxed because the task of shopping is finished.In this happy mood,the customer sees an attractive display of inexpensive goods that were not on his or her shopping list.Now he or she feels like buying something just for his or her own pleasure and enjoyment.Many customers buy from these displays of products near the check-out counter,and this is exactly what the owner of the supermarket hopes they will do.
Another important fact in helping a customer choose what to buy is where a product is placed on a shelf.A product that is placed at eye level on a shelf sells much better than one which is placed on a lower or higher shelf.A product which is easy to see sells best.Manufacturers pay a higher price to have their products placed at eye level on the shelves.
The comfort and convenience of shopping centers is another factor which makes them popular with customers.Large parking spaces are provided,and many supermarkets stay open until very late at night.
1.According to the passage,which statement is NOT true?
A.Today supermarkets are found in almost every bit city.
B.The first supermarket was opened only half a century ago.
C.The first supermarket was opened in New York.
D.A supermarket is different from other kinds of stores in two ways.
2.According to the passage,which statement is TRUE?
A.Supermarkets need more clerks than other stores.
B.In supermarkets goods are placed on closed shelves.
C.The customers prefer supermarkets to other kinds of stores.
D.The customers pay any clerk they meet for what they have bought in supermarkets.
3.A product that is placed______sells best.
A.on a lower shelfB.on a higher shelf
C.as high as one’s waistD.as high as one’s eyes
4.Why do you think shopping centers attract more customers than other kinds of stores?
A.They have more kinds of goods
B.They have few employees.
C.They display small inexpensive items in front of check--out counters.
D.They have large parking lots and they stay open until almost midnight.
5.According to the passage,small or cheap goods are generally placed_____.
A.at eye level on the shelves B.near the check--out counter
C.near the check-in counterD.in the center of the supermarket
Passage 2
Obviously television has both advantages and disadvanges.
In the first place,television is not only a convenient source of entertainment,but also a comparatively cheap one.With a T.V.set in the family people don’t have to pay for expensive seats at the theatre,the cinema,or the opera.All they have to do is to push a button or turn a knob,and they can see plays,films,operas and shows of every kind.Some people,however,think that this is where the danger lies.The television viewers need do nothing.He does not even have to use his legs if he has a remote control.He makes no choice and exercises no judgement.He is completely passive and has everything presented to him without any effort on his part.
Television,it is often said,keeps one informed about current events and the latest developments is science and politics.The most distant countries and the strangest customs are brought right into one’s sitting-room.It could be argued that the radio performs this service as well;but on television everything is much more living,much more real.Yet here again there is a danger.The television screen itself has a terrible,almost physical charm for us.We get so used to looking at the movements on it,so dependent on its pictures,that it begins to control our lives.People are often heard to say that their television sets have broken down and that they have suddenly found that they have far more time to do things and that they have actually begun to talk to each other again.It makes one think ,doesn’t it?
There are many other arguments for and against television.We must realize that television in itself is neither good nor bad.It is the uses to which it is put that determines its value to society.
6.Television,as a source of entertainment,is______.
A.not very convenientB.very expensive
C.quite dangerous D.relatively cheap
7.Some people are against T.V.because______.
A.T.V.programs are not interestingB.T.V.viewers are totally passive
C.T.V.prices are very highD.T.V.has both advantages and disadvantages
8.One of the most obvious advantages of T.V.is that______.
A.it keeps us informedB.it is very cheap
C.it enables us to have a rest D.it controls our lives
9.According to the author,whether T.V.is good or depends on______.
A.its qualit yB.people’s attitude towards it
C.how we use itD.when we use it
10.In this passage,the author’s attitude towards T.V.is______.
A.negativeB.objective
C.criticalD.hostile
Passage 3
The United States is a country made up of many different races.Usually they are mixed together and can’t be told one from another.But many of them still talk about where their ancestors came from.It is something they are proud of.
The original Americans,of course,were the Indians.The so-called white men who then came were mostly from England.But many came from other countries like Germany and France.
One problem the United States has always had is discrimination.As new groups came to the United States they found they were discriminated against.First it was the Irish and Italians.Later it was the black.Almost every group has been able to eventually escape this discrimination.The only immigrants who have not are the blacks.Surprisingly enough the worst discrimination today is shown towards the Indians.
One reason the Indians are discriminated against is that they have tried hard to keep their identity.Of course they are not the only ones who have done so.The Japanese have their little Tokyo in Los Angeles and the Chinese a Chinatown in New York.The Dutch settlement in Pennsylvania also stays separate from other people,Their towns are like something from the 19th century.They have a different reason than the other groups for staying apart.They live separately for religious reasons rather than keeping together in a racial group.
Although some groups have kept themselves separate and others have been discriminated against,all groups have helped make the United States a great country.There is no group that has not helped in some way.And there is no group that can say they have done the most to make it a great country.
Many people still come from other countries to help the United States grow.A good example is the American project that let a man walk on the moon.It was a scientist from Germany who was responsible for doing that.It is certain that in the future the United States will still need the help of people from all racial groups to remain a great country.
11.Which of the following statements can best describe the main idea of this passage?
A.The United States is a country made up of many different races.
B.Discrimination is the most serious problem in the United States.
C.All the races in the United States have helped make the country a great one.
D.The prosperity of the United States is mainly due to the hard work of the most discriminated races.
12.In the first paragraph,the word “told” means_____.
A.separatedB.distinguished
C.revealed D.made known
13.This passage implies that discrimination is a problem which______.
A.many races in the United States have experienced
B.is still very serious in the United States
C.has already been solved in the United States
D.is strongly opposed by many different races in the United States
14.The main reason why the Indians are most discriminated against is that_____.
A.they have tried hard to keep their religions
B.they have tried hard to live together to keep their Indian customes
C.they are the only one who tried to keep their identity
D.they discriminate many other races
15.The Dutch live separately in Pennsylvania______.
A.to escape discriminationB.to enjoy themselves in their own towns
C.to keep together in a racial group D.for religious reasons
Passage 4
Awareness of earthquake hazards is now well developed in many countries,and the U.S.Geological Survey has recently published a map showing the relative probability of earthquake activity for various areas in the United States,The major hazard represented by seismic(地震的)events along the great earthquake belts of the world has now been clearly recognized,and a great deal of research money and effort is being directed toward earthquake prediction and possible control.Active fault(断层)systems,such as the San Andreas fault in California,are carefully monitored for observable changes that could indicate a possible earthquake.Although the nature of earthquakes and earthquake belts are relatively well understood,the possibility of accurately predicting major earthquakes,much less controlling them,still appears remote.
Probably the most interesting development in this field relates to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal earthquakes near Denver,Colorado.In1962 injection of fluid wastes into the Precambrian basement rocks nearly 4000m below the ground surface was followed by a series of small earthquakes.Studies of this phenomenon have indicated the injected fluid lubracated(使润滑)a fault under stress and thereby promoted release of seismic energy.Experimentation at the site is still going on,but the connection between the fluid injection and earthquake activity was quickly realized.Accordingly,the suggestion has been made that potentially destructive earthquakes could be converted into numerous nondestructive minor earthquakes by using fluid injection techniques.Thus,although man has no hope whatever of controlling the major earth movements that lead to earthquakes,he may in some cases be able to influence the manner in which earthquake energy is dissipated(消散).
16.What are earthquake belts?
A.Maps that show where earthquakes are likely.
B.Zones with a high probability of earthquakes.
C.Breaks between two sections of the earth’s surface.
D.The two layers of earth along a fault.