2008 年 9 月公共英语三级考试真题
SECTION
I
Listening
Comprehension(25 minutes)
1~25 略
Section Ⅱ Use of English
Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word or phrase for each numbered
blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.
A webcam is a digital camera that sends video images to other computer users. It’
s about the (26) of a golf ball and typically (27) on top of your computer monitor.
Once the webcam is (28) to the USB port of your computer with the necessary software,
(29) images of you can be sent to one or more users over the Internet (30) an instant
messaging(IM) service.
A webcam costs about $50. More expensive models come with added (31) , such as better
picture resolution. Two leading makers, Logitech and Creative, offer a range of
models, (32) software is included. There is no extra Internet (33) to send or receive
video images, though you’ll have to (34) for a free instant messaging service.
Everyone can see and hear one another in (35) time. Grandparents can see their
grandkids more (36) Webcams can work with almost any computer bought in the past
five years and can (37) long distance phone bills.
(38) you have broadband, that is, a high-speed cable-modem or DSL connection, images
may (39) a long time to download, (40) a slide show rather than a movie. While webcams
are easy to link to your computer, learning to (41) the software can take time. You
have to make. some rearrangement with the configurations.
(42) you have a 56k modem and the people you want to (43) won’t mind seeing live
shots instead of perfect video, a webcam is still fun, (44) before you buy, be sure
everyone, (45) for the same IM service.
B size
B remains
B attached
C volume
C stays
D space
D sits
C connected
D fastened
B living
B with
C lively
D lovely
C from
D in
26.A weight
27.A rests
28.A joined
29.A live
30.A via
31.A devices
32.A so
33.A limit
34.A check in
B features
C designs
D attachments
B but
C for
D and
B charge
C registration
B log in
C sign up
D rate
D draw up
B actual
C genuine
D real
B frequently
C realistically
D immediately
B reform
B Because
C remove
D retain
C Unless
D Whereas
35.A true
36.A recently
37.A reduce
38.A Although
39.A waste
40.A resembled
41.A use
42.A because
43.A reach
44.A nevertheless
45.A register
B have
C spend
B resembling
B write
C download
B though
C if
D take
C to resemble
D fix
D unless
D resemble
B touch
C know
D show
B so
C besides
D but
B pays
C seeks
D asks
Section Ⅲ Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions: Read the following three texts. Answer the questions on each text by
choosing A, B,C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.
Text 1
A former town hall worker made legal history last week when she was awarded 67,000
pounds for stress brought on by her work. The ruling made Beverley Lancaster the
first person to get their employer to accept legal responsibility for stress-related
personal injury in a British court. It is likely to start a flood of other worker’
s claims; Mrs. Lancaster’s union already has 7,000 stress-related cases on its books.
The 44-year-old mother of two started a legal case against Birmingham City Council
after falling ill while working as a troubleshooter in a neighborhood housing office.
Dealing with rude and abusive members of the public pushed her into periods of gloom
and she suffered anxiety, Birmingham county court heard. Mrs. Lancaster joined the
council at 16, working her way up from junior clerk to senior draughtswoman. Her
problems began when she was promoted to housing officer in Sutton Oldfield. "With
no continuity, a constant high workload and little clerical support, I found it
difficult to switch from one problem or situation to another," she said. "My
concentration swung and I suffered sleepless nights. It made me feel like I was in
a hole with no key to open the door. I would break down in tears. I was being in
paperwork and at times my mind would just go blank."
In awarding compensation of 67,491 pounds, assistant recorder Frances Kirkham said
she understood the position of troubleshooter was very different from Mrs.
Lancaster’s precious job. She rejected claims from the council that Mrs. Lancaster
would be able to go back to her former profession, saying she accepted that the
possibility of future work would be less capacity.
After the hearing Mrs. Lancaster said she was relieved and pleased. She added, "I
hope this will act as a warning to employers. Everything I did was right. The council
made promises to me and they failed me. I felt isolated, let down, that I was not
good enough, not wanted." The payout, the first of its kind to be decided in a county
court, covers loss of wages and future loss of earnings.
A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said action had been taken by the authority
to review its staff and management procedures.
46.Mrs. Beverley Lancaster was awarded 67,000 pounds for ______.
A.illness caused by her job
B.her successful and good luck
C.the courage she showed in court
D.the amount of work she did
47.Mrs. Beverley Lancaster took legal action against the city council because
______.
A.it refused to award her for her job
B.she had to deal with rude members of the council
C.it was responsible for her problems
D.it denied her any clerical support
48.The Lancaster case shows that employees have the right to get compensation if
they ______.
A.are given work that they are unable to do
B.suffer mental injury caused by their work
C.are forced to do work that they don’t like
D.feel isolated, let down and extremely anxious
49.It can be inferred that ______.
A.Mr Lancaster will find a better paid job in the future
B.the job of draughtswoman is very demanding
C.the court may hear more stress-related cases
D.the job of housing officer causes mental injuries
50.If Birmingham City Gouncil plans to move an employee to a new job, it will
definitely make sure that ______.
A.there is continuity between the two jobs
B.no complaints from the employee occur
C.the amount of work is reduced for the new job
D.the employee is prepared for any mental problems
Text 2
Life learning (sometimes called un-schooling or self-directed learning) is one of
those concepts that are almost easier to explain by saying what it isn’t, than what
it is. And that’s probably because our own schooled backgrounds have convinced us
that learning happens only in a dedicated building on certain days, between certain
hours, and managed by a specially trained professional.
Within that schooling framework, no matter how hard teachers try and no matter how
good their textbooks, many bright students get bored, many slower students struggle
and give up or lose their self-respect, and most of them reach the end of the process
unprepared to enter into society. They have memorized a certain body of knowledge
long enough to rush back the information on tests, but they haven’t really learnt
much, at least of the official curriculum.
Life learners, on the other hand, know that learning is not difficult, that people
learn things quite easily if they’re not compelled and forced, if they see a need
to learn something, and if they are trusted and respected enough to learn it on their
own timetable, at their own speed, in their own way. They know that learning cannot
be produced in us and that we cannot produce it in others—no matter what age and
no matter whether we’re at school or at home.
Life learning is independent of time, location or the presence of teacher. It does
not require mom or dad to teach, or kids to work in workbooks at the kitchen table
from 9 to noon from September to June. Life learning is learner-driven. It involves
living and learning— in and from the real world. It is about exploring, questioning,
experimenting, making messes, taking risks without fear of making mistakes, being
laughed at and trying again.
Furthermore, life learning is about trusting kids to learn what they need to know
and about helping them to learn and grow in their own ways. It is about providing
positive experiences that enable children to understand the world and their culture
and to interact with it.
51.It is implied in the text that it is hard to ______.
A.carry life learning though
B.tell the nature of life learning
C.learn without going to school
D.find a specially trained teacher
52.According to the author, the schooling framework often ______.
A.produces slow students with poor memories
B.ignores some parts of the official curriculum
C.fails to provide enough knowledge about life
D.gives little care to the quality of teaching materials
53.Life learners recognize that learning will not be difficult if they are ______.
A.clear about why to learn
B.careful to make a time table
C.able to respect other people
D.cautious about any mistakes
54.According to the author, life learning ______.
A.could prevent one from running risks
B.could be a road full of trials and errors
C.makes a kid independent of his parents
D.teaches a kid how to avoid being scorned
55.Through life learning, children ______.
A.will grow without the assistance from parents
B.will learn to communicate with the real world
C.will be driven to learn necessary life knowledge
D.will be isolated from the negative side of society
Text 3
To find Kim Hyung Gyoon’ s office in Samsung’s R&D complex, just follow the baskets
of dirt clothes. No, Kim is not running the company laundry. As chief of Samsung’
s Washing & Cleaning Technology Group(WCTG), he’s the man behind a new washing
machine that deposits tiny silver particles(small pieces of things) —about 1 /
10,000 the thickness of a human hair— onto clothes to make them germ-and-odor-free
without the need of hot water. The device represents the first mass-produced
application of this tape of nanotechnology — the science of very small structures
—to home appliances. "In summer of 2002, I asked everyone in the office to take
off their socks," says Kim. "took one sock from each person and placed it in a regular
washing machine; the others were washed in a machine with the Ag+ Nano System. The
next day, I asked everyone to check the odor of their socks after a day’s wear.
One began produce a strong unpleasant smell, and the other was odorless."
Kim says he came up with the idea five years ago while on a business trip to Japan,
where he learned of a brand of socks that retained their freshness even after many
days of unwashed wear and tear. Tiny sticks of sliver with germ-killing chemicals
were woven into the fabric. When he got back to Seoul, Kim applied the principle
to washing machines.
According to the Korea Testing & Research Industry, Samsung’s device kills 99.9%
of germs. Kim says garments stay germ-free for up to a month after being laundered.
The Ag+ Nano device went on sale in March 2003 and costs around $1,150; the
revolutionary technology is also being used in Samsung’s refrigerators and air
conditioners.
No wonder: consumers seem to a little sliver in their spin cycles. Since Samsung’
s nano-armed products were first launched, they have brought in an estimated $779
million in revenue. Overall, nanotech has been one of science’s fastest-growing
fields in recent years, with potential applications in fields as diverse as energy
production and toothpaste manufacture. The nanotech market is projected to be worth
$1 trillion by 2015.
56.Which of the following best describes the nature of Kim Hyung Gyoon’s work?
A.Product developmen
B.Market investigatio
C.Research designin
D.Sales promotio
57.One advantage of nano-armed washing machines is that ______.
A.one wash-load is much larger than before
B.the clean-up is done with an additional benefit
C.cleaning powder is no longer necessary
D.a lot of water could be saved
58.In terms of nanotechnology, Kim was the first ______.
A.to use it in washing machines
B.to come up with the idea
C.to introduce it to Korea
D.to apply it to socks
59.The author believes that the future of nanotechnology will be ______.
A.conspicuous
B.distinctive
C.foreseeable
D.promising
60.This text centers on ______.
A.the success of an enterprise
B.the application of a technology
C.the market share of Samsung’s WCTG
D.the mass-production of a home appliance
Part B
Directions: Read the following texts in which 5 people expressed their opinions about
the concept of "happiness". For questions 61 to 65, match the name of each person
(61 to 65) to one of the statements (A to G ) given below. Mark your answers on ANSWER
SHEET 1.
Heather McCoy
Entering a bookstore, one cannot help but notice entire shelves devoted to books
boating knowledge of the true path to happiness.
Whether this wave of infomercials and books can actually make people happier is the
question. Happiness cannot be found by adhering to a narrow set of steps or rules.
Finding happiness is not as simple as following a how-to manual, it’s something
that every person must find in his or her own way.
Gary Russell
Does happiness grow proportionally with wealth? Hardly.
Experiences teaches us material satisfaction comes only when one finds himself
wealthier than those around him; and, in a like manner, one feels of being lowered
when confronting a billionaire, while a worker with a monthly salary of several
hundred dollars becomes the envy of the villagers in remote mountainous regions.
David Niven
True happiness is not a result from human action. Results are temporary whereas
happiness is everywhere and can neither be created nor destroyed. True happiness
is realized by understanding one’s own SELF. With true happiness there is no place
for disappointments! True happiness may mean pain and restraint in the beginning
but will lead to eternal joy and freedom. To achieve true happiness, we should isolate
and remove the negatives.
Joshua Party
Happiness is a state of mind. You can be happy in almost any situation. Likewise,
you can be unhappy in an equal number of situations. In the end, it’s your decision.
If one can control one’s unhappiness, then one must be able to control one’s happiness.
As far as I know, the Human Genome Project has not been able to identify a single
part of any human chromosome which is responsible for happiness.
Laura Johnson
So what makes me a happy person? Studying to be a journalist because I loved to write,
not because it pays a lot of money. Skiing in the winter snow and swimming in the
summer sun. Spending time with my close friends from home that like the real me just
as much as the old me. Being in a stable family. Reading romance novels and watching
bizarre movies. Having a boyfriend who knows more about rock and roll history than
I do.
Now match the name of each person (61 to 65) to the appropriate statements.
Note: there are two extra statements.
Statements
[A] Happiness lies in persistent pursuit.
[B] Happiness is in your own hand.
[C] Freedom is positively related to happiness.
[D] Happiness is based on comparison.
[E] There does not exist a guide to happiness.
[F] Happiness is a balance between man and nature.
[G] Happiness is all about doing what you want to.
Section Ⅳ Writing
Directions:You should write your responses to both Part A and Part B of this
section on ANSWER SHEET 2.
1.
complaint to the store where your TV set was bought,
1)to express what is wrong with your TV set;
2)to make your request (change for a new one, or return the broken one ... );
Your TV broke down only one week after it was bought. Write a letter of
3)to urge the store to give an early reply.
You should write approximately 100 words. Do not sign your own name at the end
of your letter. Use "Wang Lin" instead. You do not need to write your address
and the date.
2. Bellow is a cartoon about Chinese domestic migration of human resources in
recent years. Look at the cartoon and write an essay of about 120 words, make
reference to the following points:
1)a description of the cartoon;
2)the cause and effect of this migration.