2011 National English Contest for College students

(Level D-Preliminary)

Part 1 Listening Comprehension (30 marks)

Section A (5 marks)

In this section, you will hear five short conversations. Each conversation will be read only once.

After each conversation, there will be a pause. During the pause, reading the question and the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best choice. Then mark the corresponding letter on the sheet with a single line through the centre.

1. How will the price be determined?

A. By calling the company. B. By asking the salesman. C. By looking at the price list.

2. Where most probably are the two speakers?

A. A t a bus stop. B. On a train. C. In a car.

3. What are the two speakers talking about?

A. What to have for lunch. B. Whether or not to eat out. C. How to get to the conference.

4. Who is the man talking to?

A. A baker’s deliver service. B. An office supply store salesperson.

C. A book designer.

5. What is Bart concerned about?

A. Finishing the report on time.

B. Meeting the chairman of the board

C. Convincing Judith to help him

Section B (10 marks)

In this section, you will hear two conversations. Each conversation will be read only once. After each conversation, there will be a once-minute pause. During the pause, read the five questions, each with the there choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best choice. Then mark the cirr1esponding letter on the answer sheet with a single line through the centre.

Conversation 1

6. Why dose Ruth call Jackie.

A. To invite him to a party.

B. To ask him to buy some food.

C. To ask him to send some invitations.

7. What do you know about Ben’s new job?

A. It is in London.

B. His is going to work for a magazine

C. His is going to become a teacher

8. Where are they going to have the party?

A. In a flat

B. In a restaurant

C. In a public hall

9. What is being prepared for the party?

A. A dance

B. A film show

C. Some French food

10. When will Jackie meet Ruth?

A. At nine o’clock

B. At a quarter to nine

C. At ten o’clock

Conversation 2

11. What are they talking about?

A. Tony’s daily schedule

B. Tony;s school life

C. tony;s job.

12. Where dose the man work now?

A. At a bank.

B. In a hospital.

C. At a school.

13. When did the man get up when he is a student?

A. At 5:30.

B. At8:30.

C. At lunchtime.

14. What dose the man have to wear to work?

A. Jeans B. A suit C. A T-Shirt.

15. What is one advantages of the man’s job?

A. He can use the internet. B. He has long holidays. C. He is paid a good salary.

Section C (5 Marks)

In this section you will hear a monologue. The monologue will be read twice. After the monologue, there will be a pause. During the pause, read the five questions, each with three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best choice. Then mark the corresponding letter on the answer sheet with a single line through the centre.

16. Where did the thief steal the cars from?

A. Gardens B. Showrooms. C. Garages

17. What was the thief’s job?

A. A salesman. B. A doctor. C. A cleaner

18. What did the thief do with the cars that he stole?

A. He cleaned them, and then left them at the side of the road.

B. He painted them and then kept them.

C. He sold them to other people.

19. What’s the punishment for the thief’s behavior?

A. A long jail sentence. B. Cleaning all the cars that he stole.

C. A fine of f4000.

20. How long was the thief’s marriage to Mary?

A. 36 years. B. 13 years. C. 48 years.

Section D (10 marks)

In this section, there is a short passage which will be read twice. Listen to the passage carefully, and then fill in the blanks with the words or phrases you hear on the tape. Remember to write down the answers on the answer sheet.

In Britain, there are two occasions each year when people usually receive presents: on Christmas day and on their birthdays. In the past, the 21st birthday was (21) _____because it symbolized becoming an adult. People (22) ______received a silver key on that day to symbolize opening the door to the adult world. Today, people in Britain legally become adults at the age of (23) _____so they often have the biggest celebration on that birthday.

The customer of giving gifts on 25 December only (24) _____ Victorian times. Before that it was more common for people in Britain to (25)_____presents on New Year’s eve or Twelfth Night. These days ,on Christmas Eve parents put presents for young children in ‘stocking’ and hang them on the end of their presents. Gifts for older children believe that Santa Claus came during the night and (26) _____ them their presents. Gifts for older children and grown-up are (27) _____the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Then, on Christmas morning, everyone sits around the tree and opens their presents.

Easter and Mother’s Day are also important days. Young children usually receive (28) _____at Easter and most people often give presents to their mothers on Mother’s Day. People also receive gifts on important occasions in their lives. For example, all the guests (29) _____usually bring a gift for the bride and groom. And these days, students sometimes get presents from their parents if they (30) _____their exams!

Part 5 Vocabulary and Structure (15)

There are 15 incomplete sentences. For each blank, there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. choose the one that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the answer sheet with a single line through the centre.

31. It goes without ____that you’ll be paid for all this extra time you’re spending on the project.

A. saying B. telling C. talking D. speaking

32. We ____the money to your money market account within three working days.

A. have been transferred B. will transfer C. transferring D. will be transferred

33. The colorful illustrations included in the new edition if the book make it ____attractive.

A. much more B. most of all C. the more D. that most

34. The crew worked so hard that they finished eh entire project three days ____ of schedule.

A. forward B. ahead C. soon D. advanced

35. Her Olympic experience gave her a bid ____ over the other contestants.

A. with which B. to that C. with D. to which

36. It is useful to be able to predict the extent ____ a price change will affect supply and demands.

A. learn about B. worthwhile C. valuable D. valuing

37. The old lady became worried when she didn’t ____- her son for a whole month.

A. learn about B. hear of C. hear from D. learn from

38. He decided it wasn’t _____ reading the report as he’d been informed of all the changes already.

A. worthy B. worthwhile C. valuable D. valuing

39. They have taken measures to solve the city’s pollution problem, but it may be some time___ the situation improves.

A. give in B. blooming C. bloom D. bloomed

40. Large companies sometimes try to ____smaller companies by buying a majority of the shares.

A. give in B. suggested C. persuaded D. implied

41. Using recent developments in science and technology, man can make various flowers ____before their time.

A. give in B. get up C. look after D. take over

41. Using recent developments in science and technology, man can make various flowers _____before their time.

A. insisted B. suggested C. persuaded D. implied

42. Our neighbours have ______us to buy the same kind of carpeting that they have.

A. insisted B. suggested C. persuaded D. implied

43. –excuse me,______?

Yes. That’s one glass of white wine, one mineral water and one sandwich. Ten pounds, please.

Thanks, is service includes?

No.

Ok , here you are.

A. can we have the bill, please B. what would you like to have.

C. do you have any hamburgers D. could you please get me some water

44. Reception , how may I help you?

There isn’t soap in the bathroom!

______, sir.

Thanks you. Can I have some shower gel, and some shaving cream, too, please?

Sorry. We don’t provide shaving cream, but there’s some shower gel in the bathroom cabinet.

A. You can buy some in the shop. B. I’ll send some to your room right away

C. I’m really sorry to hear that D. That’s impossible. There must be some.

45. Hello. I’d like to speak to Julie, please.

I’m afraid she isn’t here right now. _____?

Yes. This is her friend M ark. I’m calling to ask her if she’d like to see a movie tomorrow night.

Okay. I’ll give her the message.

Thanks.

A. would you like to hold on?

B. Do you know when she will be back

C. Would you like to see a movie tonight

D. Can I take a message.

Part 3 close(15 marks)

Read the passage and fill in each blank with one word. Choose he word in one of the following three ways: according to the context, by using the correct form if the given word, or by using the given letter of the word. Remember to write the answers on the answer sheet.

This is Matt Drudge, millionaire founder and owner of the Drudge Report, the first and most successful online ‘newspaper’. People have called Drudge the ultimate blogger but he doesn’t accept this (46)______(describe). He considers the Drudge Report to be a proper newspaper, very different (47 _______the thousands of weblogs which have sprung up on the internet.

Drudge’s fascination for news and gossip stems form a childhood job (48) d_____ papers for The Washington Star, which gave him plenty of time and o_____ to catch up with the latest news.

Drudge was (50)______(interest) in school work or sport. However, he developed an obsession (51) ____ rumors and political gossip. At school his only good marks for (52) c____ affairs. Following a series of dead-end jobs Drudge ended up in los angels in the 1990s, just in (53) ____ for the beginning of what was to become the internet.

The World Wide Web was a fertile hunting (54) g_____ for Drudge. He spend hours sifting through the newsgroups and websites that then existed, searching (55) _____ rumors and inside stories from the political and entertainment worlds. He launched the Drudge Report website in 1995, (56) ______ has become a daily ‘rumor bulletin’ expressing his version of the latest and juiciest gossip from Hollywood and Washington. Always managing to be the first with (57) ____ (break) news, Drudge’s success was assured when he became the first person to publicise the Monica Lewinsky scandal in 1998.

Now with an income of over a million dollars a year and many thousands of (58) _____ (subscribe), the Drudge Report has become a ‘must see’ resource for those hungry for the latest news and gossip. Will the ever-increasing availability of news on the internet mean the (59) e____ for its older rival, the conventional newspaper? Drudge doesn’t think so. He thinks the two working (60) t______.

Part 5 reading comprehension (40 marks)

Read the following passages. Each passage is followed by several questions. Respond to the questions according to the passage. Remember to write the answers on the answer sheet.

Section A (10 marks)

On the evening of his 18th birthday, a teenager from a tiny village in northern Germany clicked ‘send’ on his computers in hospitals and blanks in Hong Kong, china had crashed, and trains in Australia and the USA and stopped.

In court a few months later, the teenager, Sven Jaschan, was charged with criminal damage. He was found guilty of putting the terrible ‘Sasser’ computer virus on the internet and received a 21-month suspended sentence. He avoided prison because he was only eighteen when he committed the crime. The virus infected millions of computer systems across the world, and caused millions of dollars damage.

Sven admitted his guilt to the detectives who came to his home. He had spent an enormous amount of time creating the Sasser virus on the computer in his bedroom. He often spent ten hours a day in front of his computer but his parents hadn’t known what he was doing at the time.

When he released the virus on the internet, he didn’t realize it would cause so much damage.

He was just delighted that in had worked. ‘I felt as if I had written a first-class essay’, said Sven. ‘I told my classmates- they thought it was terrific.’ But his feelings changed very quickly. He was terrified when se saw a TV news report about the virus and damage it had caused.

Detectives arrested Sven after one of his classmates contacted Microsoft and told them about him. Microsoft had offered a $250,000 reward for information about the virus. However, Sven’s teachers at school were astonished that Sven had created the virus. They said that he wasn’t a brilliant computer student. ‘there are others in the class who are better than him,’ one teacher said!

While he was waiting for his waiting for his trial to start, Sven left school and started work. He now works for a computer company, making ‘firewalls’ – vital pieces of software that protect computers from viruses!

Questions 61-62: read the questions and the four choices marked A, B, C and D, and decide which is the best choice according to the passage.

61. What was Sven Jaschan’s crime?

A. He stole a lot of computers.

B. He created a computer virus.

C. He created a computer virus.

D. He robbed a big bank.

62. Why wasn’t Sven sent to prison?

A. Because he was too young.

B. Because he wasn’t found guilty.

C. Because he admitted his guilty to detectives.

D. Because he worked for a big company.

Question 63-65: read the passage, and then complete the following statements in no more than four words for each blanks.

63. When Sven released the virus on the internet, he was at first _____, then frightened.

64. The police caught Sven using information given to Microsoft by____.

65. In the last paragraph, the word meaning ‘very important’ is ____.

Section B (10 MARKS)
Esquire

1 year, 12 issues

Price: $ 7.97

Esquire is lifestyle magazine aimed at professional men. The goal of the editors is to provide a broad scope of information of interest to this magazine, including business, health, fitness, fashion, sports, entertainment, family life and arts.

Boy’s life

1 years, 10 issues

Price: $ 23.00

Boy’s life is to entertain and educate all boys and to open their eyes to joyous world of reading. It includes a mix of new, nature, sports, history, fiction, science, entertainment, and comics. For boys aged 7 to 14.

Nick

1 year, 12 issues

Price: $ 24.00

Nick is filled with wonderful entertainment for children, aged 6 to 14. it is wholesome, imaginative and truly from a child’s point of view. Nick sees the world from your child’s perspective. Share the award-winning entertainment and humor magazine from NIck with your kids.

Seventeen

1 year, 12 issues

Price: $ 12.00

Seventeen is the world’s most popular magazine for today’s teenage girls! In every issue you’ll get the latest scoop on style, friends, guys, college, careers, the stars and love, as well as hot tips on beauty, fashion, fitness, entertainments and relationships. Each issue of seventeen has exciting features, including fiction, quizzes, music, videos, trends and so much more. And don’t forget the really cool articles, such as the ever-favorite Trauma-Rama. If it’s important to today’s young women, it’s in Seventeen.

Questions 66-69: Answer the following questions according to the passage.

66. Which magazine is the cheapest according to the advertisements?

67. How old are the boys that Boys’ Life aims at?

68. If you need to choose a magazine from the above listed for a 7-year-old girl, how much do you

Need to pay a year?

69. Who may be the most interested in Seventeen?

Questions70:Read the question and the four choices marked A, B, C, and D, and decide which is the best choice according to the passage.

70. What information is contained in all the four magazines?

A. Career. B. Entertainment. C. College. D. Business.

Section C(10 marks)

Many doctors know the story of ‘Mr Wright’. In 1957 he was diagnosed with cancer, and given only days to live. He heard tumors the size of oranges. He heard that scientists had discovered a new medication, Kerbionzen, which was effective against cancer, and he begged his doctor to give him the drug. His physician, Dr Philip West, finally agreed. Mr Wright was given an injection on a Friday afternoon, the astonished doctor found his patients out of his ‘death bed’, joking with the nurses the following Monday. ‘The tumurs,’ the doctor wrote later, ‘had melted like snow balls on a hot stove.’ Actually, Mr Wright had not been given a drug, just a mix of salt and water.

This story has been ignored by doctors for a long time, dismissed as one of those strange tales that medicine cannot explain. The idea that what a patient believes can make a fatal disease go away is regarded as just too strange However, no scientists are discovering that placebo effect is more powerful than anyone had ever thought. They are also beginning to discover how such miraculous results are achieved. (74) Through new techniques in brain imagery, it has been shown that a thought, a belief or a desire can cause chemical processes in the brain which can have powerful effects on the body.

Placebos are ‘lies that heal’, said Dr Anne Harrington, a science historian at Havard University. ‘The word placebo is Laitin for “I shall please” or “I shall make you happy” and it is typically a treatment that a doctor gives to anxious patients to please them,’ she said. ‘It looks like medication, but has no healing ingredients whatever.’ Nowadays, doctors have much more deffective medicines to fight disease, but these treatments have not diminished the power of the placebo – quite the opposite. (75)Maybe when scientists fully understand how they work, the powerful healing effects of the human maind will be used more systematically.

Questions 71-73:Read the passage, and then say whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

71.Wr Wright was given a new cancer medication which contained healing ingredienes.

72.After Dr Philip West gave Mr Wright the injection, Mr Wright got better.

73.Scientists are discovering that placebos don’t have any effect at all.

Questions 74-75: Translate the underlined sentences 74 and 75.

Section D (10 marks)

Robots are useful inexploring space because they can work in the conditions which exist in space. Such robots usually look like boxes with wheels. Though these robots are useful, however, they are extremely expensive-they break easily and they are cannot do very many tasks. Because of these problems, scientists have been working on a new and unusual kind of robot. These new robots will look and move like snakes, so they have been given the name ‘snakebots’.

The way a snake is shaped allows it to do special things, such as getting into very small spaces, like cracks in rocks. Snakes can also push themselves underground, and climb up different kinds of objects, like rocks and trees. Such abilities account for the usefulness of robots designed like snakes, because they will be able to do these things, too. Such robots would be much more effective than regular robots with wheels. Wheeled robots easily get stuck and fall over, but snakebots would not have these problems. They could go almost anywhere and so would be useful for exploringth different environments of other planets. Since they can carry tools, snakebots would be able to work in space, as well. They could, for example, help repair the Internetion Space Station.

How do you make a robot shaped like a snake? A snakebot is put together like a chain, made of about thirty parts, or modules. Each module is basically the same-they all containa computer and a wheel to aid movement. The computer in the ‘head’ of the snake makes the modules work together. If one module fails, another can easily take its place. Snakebot modules can also carry different kinds of tools, as well as cameras. Since each module is actually a robot in itself, each module can work apart from the restif necessary.

The snakebot design is much simpler than of most common robots. Thus, snakebots will be much less expensive to build. One of the robots sent to Mars cost a hundred million dollars to build. However, snakebots cost as little as a few dollars to make and could therefore save . enormous amounts of money on future space missions ,With their versatility and affordability , snakebots will be the way of the future; at least as far as space robots are concerned.

Questions 76~80: read the passage carefully and then complete each space in the summary, using a maximum of three words from the passage.

Summary:

It is much easier to send robots, rather than people, into space, but scientists have found that robots with wheels are not the most (76)_____ ones. This is because there are many problems associated with today’s robots: they are very expensive, they (77)___ and cannot do many tasks. In fact, for exploring places with lots of obstacles to go over or under, (78)_____ word better than wheeled robots. They are made of separate parts, or (79)_______, each of which is actually a robot in itself. Snakebots can go almost anywhere and do many different kinds of tasks. It books as though robots shaped like snakes will be the way of the future owing to their (80) _____.

Part 5 translation (10 marks)

Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets. Remember to write answer on the answer sheet.

81. 请复习课堂上讨论过的要点， 还有你自己感到混淆不清的地方。 （as well as）

82. 不要管其他人怎样想， 作为一个个体， 这是一个你必须自己做的选择。 （regardless of）

83. 他们在大部分场合倾向于坦率， 毫无拘束的谈论自。 （tend）

84. 我宁愿现在就把真相告诉他， 而不愿一直保守这个秘密。 （would rather）

85. 被接见者说他熟悉办公室软，会做一些数据分析。 （be familiar with）

Part 6 IQ test (10 marks)

There are five IQ questions in this part. Write the answers on the answer sheet.

86. change MILK to WINE, one letter at a time, in three steps.

87. What number should replace the question mark?

58 (42) 26

39 (42) 45

32 (?) 68

88. clock A was correlate at midnight, but lost exactly 1 minute an hour from then on. It stopped 1 hour ago (B), having run for less than 12 hours. What the time now?

A B

89. how many lines appear below?

90. can you understand the reasoning behind these dominos and find the missing letter?

D W

B Y

F U

H ?

Part 7 writing (30 marks)

Task 1 (10 marks)

Suppose you are Wang Dan, and you have been given an opportunity to go to England to study English for one month. The institute where you will be studying has sent you some information about the family you will stay with, but there is still information you like to have before you go. Carefully read the information about your host family and the notes you have made below. Then write your letter to Mrs Rubens, introducing yourself briefly and asking for the information you need. Write a letter of more than 80 words in the answer sheet. Do not include addresses.

Student: Wang Dan

Host family name: Rybens

Adults: Maureen (F)

Nathan (M)

Children: Samuel (M) Age: 18

Rebecca (f) Age: 16

David (M) Age: 15

Address: 26 Cheltenham Close, Bath

The family will provide a single room, breakfast and evening meal and bed linen.

Use of washing machine.

Date of arrival: 20/7/2011

Date of departure: 19/8/2011

Are there any pets in the house?

Do they smoke?

How far from school?

Should I rent a bike?

Task 2 (20 marks)

A young people’s magazine is preparing a special issue on the subject of health. Write an article for this issue of the magazine on the question:

Should smoking cigarettes be made illegal?

Write the article on the answer sheet and the article should contain at least 120 words.

最新2011年全国大学生英语竞赛初赛试卷（D类真题）[1]