2010年9月公共英语三级考试真题及答案
SECTION I Listening Comprehension
听力略( 25 minutes)
SECTION II Use of English
( 15 minutes)
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the bestword or phrase for each numbered
blank and mark A, B,C or D on ANSWER SHEET I.
Western-style conversations often developquite differently from Japanese-
style conversations. A Western-styleconversation between two people is like a
26 of tennis. If Iintroduce a topic, a conversational ball, I expect you do 27
it back.If you agree with me, I don't expect you simply to agree andto 28 more.
I expect you to add something to carry the ideafurther.29 I don't expect you
always to agree. I am justas 30 if you completely disagree with me.31 you
agree or disagree,your 32 will return the ball to me. And then it is my turn
33. Idon't serve a new ball from my _ 34 starting line. I hit your ball
backagain to you by 35 your idea further. And so the ball goes back
andforth,36 each of us doing our best to give it a new twist.
A Japanese-style conversation,37, is not atall like tennis or volleyball.
It's like bowling.You 38 for yourturn. And you always know your 39 in line. It
depends on such thingsas whether you are older or younger, a close friend or a
relativestranger 40 the previous speaker, in a senior or junior position,
andso on. When your turn comes, you.41 up to the starting line with
yourbowling ball, and 42 bowl it. Everyone else stands back and
watchespolitely, whispering 43. Everyone waits until the ball has reached the
endof the alley, and watches to see if it 44 down all the pins, or onlysome of
them, or none of them. There is a pause, while every- one registersyour 45
26. A.play
B.game
C.round
D. set
27. A.hit
B.move
C] throw
D. push
28. A.everything
B.anything
C.nothing
D.something
29. A.Then
B.So
C.Instead
D.But
30. A.anxious
B.serious
C.happy
D.grateful
31. A.After
B.Because
C.Though
D.Whether
32. A.response
B.action
C.operation
D.service
33. A.also
B.again
C.too
D.soon
34. A.actual
B.new
C.particular
D.original
35. A.deepening
B.carrying
C J leading
D.employing
36. A.with
B.for
C.before
D.except
37. A.therefore
B.moreover
C.likewise
D.however
38. A.wonder
B.work
C.wait
D.watch
39. A.point
B.place
C.post
D.pole
40. A.than
B.beside
C.to
D.with
41. A.step
B.climb
C.stand
D.catch
42. A.accurately
B.carefully
C.awkwardly
D.courageously
43. A ]instruction
B.satisfaction
C.agreement
D.encouragement
44. A.knocks
B.pushes
C.kicks
D. puts
45. A.line
B.work
C.score
D.outcome
SECTION 111 Reading Comprehension(40 minutes)
Part A
Read the following three texts. Answer thequestions on each text by
Directions:
choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWERSHEET 1.
Text 1
When Amber Post started graduate school inphysics at Princeton,
her goal was the same as her male colleagues' : ateaching post at a major
university. Now with her Ph.D. just a year away, Postis thinking instead about
working for a policymaking agency in Washington.Although Princeton, with
Shirley Tilghman as the president, is welcoming tofemale scientists, Post
senses that her re- ception in the larger academicworld might be chillier. At
famous universities, the percentage of women earningdoctor's degrees in
science and engineering is considerably higher than thepercent- age of women
professors--whi.ch means that a lot of talented women Ph.D. s like Post leave
cam- pus for jobs in government or industry instead ofclimbing the teaching
ladder.
Stopping this female brain drain has been achallenge for years. At a
recent academic confer- ence, Harvard presidentLawrence Summers suggested that
women aren't succeeding because they lackability in math and science by nature.
His comments drew immediate criticism.Indeed, scien- tists have uncovered some
differences in male and female brains,but it's unclear how these differ- ences
affect talent.
Summers proposed two other possible problemsfor women:the conflict between
work and life, and absolute prejudice againstwomen( which he seemed to
dismiss). Many women scientists blame these twoproblems for the lack of women
professors. Junior teachers need to spend their20s and 30s on research and
publication. Those are the same years when women havechildren. Time is an
enemy for women in other professions, especially law andmedicine. But while
women doctors and lawyers benefit from lots of successfulrole models, academic
science continues to belong to men chiefly. "Theatmosphere isn't compelling or
welcoming, "Post says. "Too many of myfemale friends drop out of graduate
programs simply because the environment isdisappointing, not because they
can't handle the math. "
Even against this background, there has beensome progress. More
universities are pushing hard with stepped-up recruitmentefforts and trying
hard to assist staff members with young families. Butultimately, the best
remedy against prejudice would be more women on top,like Princeton's Tilghman.
46. Amber Post is thinking about a job ingovernment because __
A.it isthe usual goal of the Ph.D. students at Princeton
B she is doubtful about her future inthe academic world
C.it isdifficult to get a teaching post at major universities
D.shefears that she may not graduate with a Ph. D. degree
47. According to the text, the gap inpercentage between women Ph.D. s and
women professors indicates that
A.universities lack competitiveness in the recruitment market
B.a lotof women professors have chosen to leave universities
C.few womenPh. D. s are qualified for the competitive campus
D.universitiesare faced with the problem of female brain drain
48. According to the writer, Summers'comments on women's ability seem to
be based on
A. hisown attitude towards women scientists
B.hisrecent study on women's weaknesses
C. the latest findings about human brains
D.the conventional opinion about talents
49. We can infer that the most seriousproblem of women teachers is
A. theirconflict with male colleagues
B. thetrouble in balancing work and life
C.theircooperation with male colleagues
D.thedifficulty in their career advancement
50. The best solution to the female braindrain in universities is to
A. create more academic posts for women
B. offerhelp to women with young children
C.dismissthose with prejudice against women
D. promote more women to leadershippositions
Text 2
Recently in the Scottish Highlands,260theatergoers were led
up a well-lit, pin-tree-lined con- crete path. Theirdestination? A vacant
water plant. The large concrete space had the impersonalfeel of an army camp--
exactly the atmosphere the producers of Black Watch hopedto reproduce. The
play is based on the true story of a Highlands troop sentoverseas in 2004.
Essentially, site-specific theater refers toplays produced in places
directly relevant to their ac- tion. At the MuseumHotel in Wellington, New
Zealand, audiences filed into room 217 to watch a taleabout the various
personalities who had occupied the room over time. "Ithink people are tired of
the same old plays in the same confines of space,"says Paul McLaughlin, who
produced Hotel."Drama happens all aroundus--at the bus stop, in a supermarket-
-so we attempted to show how people caninteract with the space that surrounds
them. "
To be sure, on-scene productions presenttheir own set of challenges.
Producers of Black Watch had to scout aroundLondon for a location for when the
show comes to the British capital. But formany audience members, leaving the
comfort of their theater seats makes for amore meaningful experience. "A lot
of site-specific work challenges theway you look and think, "says Nick Kaye,
adrama professor at theUniversity of Exeter.
Site-specific shows can also satisfy thegrowing desire for individualized
entertainment fueled by on-demand televisionand the Intemet. In Faust, which
the London-based theater group Punch- drunkjust wrapped up, audience members
got to pick what they wanted to see. Housedin an old five-story storehouse in
east London, the play featured different settings.Audience members could
choose to watch a scene and follow certain actors fromlocation to location.
Felix Barrett, the direc- tor of Faust, says today'stheatergoers expect more
than just the traditional audience-actor relation-ship. "What I wanted to do
was to create a piece where the audience cancarve out the night they want to
have, and it stays with them. "Creating astrong sense of place goes a long way
toward a- chieving that. -
51. Recently,260 Scottish people went to adeserted water plant
A.to toura newly-built military base
B. towatch a play about military life
C. to visit a military troop back home
D. to attend a military trainingprogram
52. The essence of site-specific theaterlies in the idea that drama
A. shouldbe made as lifelike as possible
B. should reflect people's feelings andideas
C.should reveal what is going on in theworld
D.should be acted by those related to thestory
53. Compared with the conventional form oftheater, on-scene theater to
producers is less
A.meaningful
B.demanding
C.convenient
D.interactive
54. In the play Faust, audience members can
A.revisethe story in their own way
B. talk freely to their favoriteactors
C.chooseto take part in the acting
D.jump over uninteresting scenes
55. We learn from the text thatsite-specific drama is created to
accommodate
A. the change in what theatergoers expect ofa play
B.theatergoers'growing need for a sense of place
C.thechange in the role modem drama is to play
D.theatergoers' falling interest in entertainment
Text 3
Forgive and forget. Most of us find theforgetting easier,
but maybe we should work on the for- giving part."Holding on to hurts wears
you down physically and emotionally, "saysStanford Uni- versity psychologist
Fred Luskin, author of Forgive for Good."Forgiving someone can be a powerful
remedy. "
In a recent study, Charlotte Van OyenWitvliet, assistant professor of
psychology at Hope Col- lege in Holland,Michigan, and colleagues asked 71
volunteers to remember a past hurt. Tests re-corded sudden increases in blood
pressure, heart rate and muscle tension--thesame responses that occur when
people are beside themselves. Research haslinked temper and heart diseases.
When the volunteers were asked to imagineforgiving those who'd wronged them,
they remained calm by comparison.
What's more, forgiveness can be learned,insists Luskin, director of the
Stanford Forgiveness Project. "We teachpeople to rewrite their story in their
minds, to change from victim to hero. Ifthe hurt is from a husband's or a
wife's unfaithfulness, we might encouragethem to think of themselves not only
as a person who was cheated on, but as theperson who tried to keep the
marriage togeth- er. "Two years ago Luskintested his method on five Northern
Irish women whose sons had been murdered.After undergoing a week of
forgiveness training, the women's sense of hurt,measured u- sing psychological
tests, had fallen by more than half. They werealso much less likely to feel
de- pressed and angry. "Forgiving isn'tabout regarding what happened as
harmless or acceptable, "says Luskin."It is about breaking free of the person
who wronged us. "
The early signs that forgiving improvesoverall health are promisings. A
survey of 1,423 adults by the University ofMichigan's Institute for Social
Research in 2001 found that people who hadforgiven someone in their past also
reported being in better health than thosewho hadn't.
However, while 75 per cent said they weresure God had forgiven them for
past mistakes, only52 per cent had been able tofind it in their hearts to
forgive others. Forgiveness, it seems, is stilldivine.
56. In Luskin's opinion, people could enjoybetter health if they
A.holdpast hurts back
B.avoidthe wrongdoers
C.becomeless emotional
D.let offthose who hurt them
57. According to Luskin, to forgive anunfaithful husband, a wife needs to
A.urgeherself to see the hurt as nothing
B.takemeasures in restoring the marriage
C.persuade herself to put up with the hurt
D. seeherself as the guardian of the marriage
58. According to the text, to forgive means
A.to keepsilent when someone hurts you article
B.to stop being angry with those who wrongedyou
C.tothink of something tolerable that has happened
D.toprevent yourself from doing wrong to your enemies
59. What does the last paragraphimply?
A. Most mistakes are forgivable.
B. It's really no easy task to forgive.
C.It's part of human nature toforgive.
D.Fewpeople can truly forgive others.
60. The best title of the text mightbe
A.TheResearch on Forgiveness
B.TheDifficulty in Forgiveness
C.ThePromotion of Forgiveness
D. The Healing Power of Forgiveness
Part B
Directions:
Read the texts from a magazine article whichdescribes the celebration of
the New Year in five places. For questions 61 to65, match the name of each
place (61 to 65) to one of the statements ( A to G )given below. Mark your
answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh is the home of Hogmanay, a grandlyexciting four-day celebration
that welcomes the New Year with fire, music,parades and then some more fire.
The party starts on Dec.29 with a15,000-strongsong-filled candlelight
procession and fire festival through Edinburgh and endswith the symbolic
burning of a Viking ship. Days of parades, concerts, dograces and fireworks
follow.
Reykjavik, Iceland
On New Year's Eve, Icelanders in Reykjavikgather around dozens of massive
fires in the open to sing traditional folksongs accompanied, according to
local legend, by imaginary human-like creaturesin folk tales. At midnight the
city explodes in a massive fireworks display.The dancing and partying that
follow last until the sun comes up, which inIceland is at about lunchtime on
Jan.1. Kahuitara Point, Chatham Islands
If you want to experience New Year with theearly birds, the South Pole is
the place to be. On any Jan.1, the sun sitsabove the horizon the whole day
across most of the South Pole. For a slight- lymore comfortable holiday
vacation, head to the Chatham Islands. Kahuitara Pointon Pitt Island in this
Pacific Ocean chain is the first populated place on theplanet to see the sun
rise.
Bangkok, Thailand
In Thailand you have three chances to ringin the New Year. On Dec.31,
Western New Year's Eve is celebrated with parties,concerts and fireworks. A
few weeks later, the country stages mas- sivecelebrations in honor of Chinese
New Year. Finally, on April 13, Thailandcelebrates the first day of the
traditional Thai calendar with Songkran, athree-day festival marked by parades,
feasts and waterthrowing.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
New Year's Eve is one of Rio de Janeiro'smost important holidays.
Expensive beachfront celebrations unfold alongCopacabana, attracting some 2
million participants. Live music ranging fromsamba to rock explodes along the
beach. New Year's Eve is also a day to honorthe goddess of sea with
conventional offerings packed in small wooden boats.Tradition holds that if
the goddess is pleased with a boat's offering, she willcarry the boat out to
sea and give the bearer blessings. If not, it's a greatparty.
Now match the name of each place (61 to65)to the appropriate statement.
Note: there are two extra statements.
Statements
61. Edinburgh, Scotland
62. Reykjavik, Iceland
63. Kahuitara Point, Chatham Islands
64. Bangkok, Thailand
65. RiO de Janeiro, Brazil
A. New Year's celebrations will go on four days on
B.People here are the first to greet the New Year's
C.Concerts are held on New Year's Eve forcelebration.
D.A midnight fireworks display is an important part of the celebration.
E.People send New Year's greeting cards and gifts
F.Peoplespend New Year's Eve on the beach singing and dancing.
G.NewYear is ~elebrated three times according to different calendars.
to each other.
end.
sun.
SECTION IV Writing
(40 minutes)
Directions:
You should write your responses to both PartA and Part B of this section
on ANSWER SHEET 2.
Part A
66. You received an email from your friendJohn, in which he
asked whether you could work
as a volunteer on a weekend program to helpthe aged people who live alone.
Write back to your friend,
1 )expressing your willingness toparticipate;
2) asking about what preparations to bemade;
3 )confirming the time and location for thework.
You should write about 100 words. Do notsign your own name at the end of
your email.
Use" Wang Lin" instead.
Part B
67. Look at the picture below and write anessay of about 120
Words, making reference to the following points:
1) a description of the picture;