Section B
Directions: In this section, you are required to read one quoted blog and the comments on it. The biog and comments arc followed by questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers A, B, C and D. Choose the best answer and mark your answer on the Answer Sheet.
A fascinating new study reveals that Americans are more likely to call their children “intelligent,” while European parents focus on happiness and balance.
Here’s what one parent had to say about the intelligence of her 3-year-old, which was apparent to her from the very first moments of her life:
“I have this vivid memory, when she was born, of them taking her to clean her off... And she was looking all around... She was alert from the very first second... I took her out when she was six weeks old to a shopping mall to have her picture taken people would stop me and say, “What an alert baby.” One guy stopped me and said, “Lady, she was an intelligent baby.”
Not only are Americans far more likely to focus on their children’s intelligence and cognitive skills, they are also far less likely to describe them as “happy” or “easy” children to parent.
The U.S.’s unhealthy interest in cognitive development in the early years overlooks so much else,” the researchers told us.
Comment 1:
Probably indicates more about differences in cultural attitudes towards humility and boasting than about parenting styles. Here in the Netherlands if someone called their child “intelligent” I’d be rolling my eyes, both because it’s probably biased and overstated and because it’s just a rotten thing to draw attention to; as if it’s all about whose child is “Better”. Life isn’t that much of a damn contest to us.
Comment 2：
Agreed! That would apply in Sweden too. Parenting is more focused on the child’s well-being than social competition (there may be pressures here too, but it is not socially acceptable to express those things).
Comment 3:
I agree and I live in the U.S. Parent’s opinions of their children’s intellect are definitely biased and overstated. It is the most annoying thing to listen to. Being “advanced” at a young age has little if anything to do with their ability to learn as they get older and EVERY child is a genius if you give them a chance and an ear to listen to them. The happier the kid is, the smarter they will be. Happy and healthy is key.
41. The passage is mainly concerned with cultural differences in _____.
A. bringing up one’s children
B. describing one’s children
C. social contests
D. choosing a place to live in
42. The word “alert” (Para. 3) is closest in meaning to “_____.”
A. intelligent B. easy-going
C. quick at noticing things D. happy
43. According to Comment 1, in the Netherlands, calling one’s own child “intelligent” is_____.
A. boasting B. acceptable
C. encouraging D. reasonable
44. What nationality is the writer of Comment 2?
A. Dutch. B. American.
C. Swedish. D. French.
45. All of the following are true of Comment 3 EXCEPT that _____.
A. it agrees with all the other comments
B. being happy and healthy is important
C. being intelligent at a young age makes no sense
D. children’s intellect varies from person to person
Part IV Cloze (10 points)
Directions: In this part, there is a passage with ten blanks. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D. Choose the best answer for each blank and mark your answer on the Answer Sheet.
Riding a bike is good exercise and great fun. But what do you do with a bike after you outgrow it? Nicole Basil, 12, has a terrific answer to this question. When she was 8 years old, she 46 Pedal Power. It is a charity that collects bikes that kids have outgrown and donates them to Chicago public schools.
Since 2008, Nicole has collected and donated more than 1,000 bikes. 47 the bicycles, Pedal Power supplied riders with 400 helmets (头盔) last year. “It is important to ride 48 on a bike, and helmets are a big part of that,” Nicole says. The Wilmette Bicycle & Sport Shop helps to 49 that all donated bikes are safe to ride. Each bike receives a five-minute 50 by the shop’s employees.
The bikes are given to students who have good grades and perfect attendance. Nicole says: “Some kids aren’t as lucky as others, 51 they still do well in school. I think they should be 52 for that.” Nicole has received e-mails and phone calls from parents and teachers that say test 53 are improving. “Bikes can take you far,” she says. “Good grades can take you even 54.”
Barton Dassinger is the principal of Cesar E. Chavez school in Chicago. Students in his school have received bikes. “It’s been a great way to 55 students to do their best,” Dassinger says. “They work hard to make it happen.”
46. A. joined B. created C. helped D. reformed
47. A. In addition to B. In honor of C. In line with D. In exchange for
48. A. safely B. happily C. freely D. quickly
49. A. insist B. accept C. remember D. ensure
50. A. look-out B. drop-out C. check-up D. line-up
51. A. and B. so C. but D. or
52. A. remembered B. rewarded C. repaid D. recommended
53. A. papers B. scores C. conditions D. methods
54. A. higher B. better C. further D. greater
55. A. require B. exploit C. entitle D. motivate
Part V Text Completion (20 points)
Directions: In this part, there are three incomplete texts with 20 questions (Ranging from 56 to 75). Above each text there are three or four phrases to be completed. First, use the choices provided in the box to complete the phrases. Second, use the completed phrases to fill in the blanks of the text. Note you should blacken the letters that indicate your answers on the Answer Sheet.
Text One
A. optimistic about
B. a need
C. a third Phrases:
A. they felt 56 for
B. most were 57 the future for women
C. less than 58 of them
In a recent survey, 55% of 3,000 Japanese women polled said they weren’t being treated equally with men at work, and 59 said they expected women’s lives to improve over the next two decades. Yet，only 26% of the women said 60 a strong and organized women’s movement. In a similar survey of American women, a much smaller 29% believed they were treated unfairly at work, 61 ，and 37% said a women’s movement was needed.
Text Two
A. up to
B. collections
C. library Phrases:
A. introduce you to our 62 facilities
B. check out 63 five books
C. houses our humanities and map 64
Welcome to the university library. This tour will 65 . First of all, the library’s collection of books, reference materials, and other resources are found on levels one to four of this building. Level one 66 . On level two, you will find our circulation desk, current periodicals and journals, and our copy facilities. Our science and engineering sections can be found on level three. Finally, group study rooms and the multimedia center are located on level four. Undergraduate students can 67 for two weeks. Graduate students can check out fifteen books for two months. Books can be renewed up to two times.
Text Three
A. to understand them
B. to think about
C. not accent elimination
D. give them the most trouble Phrases:
A. identify which specific areas of pronunciation 68
B. give you some things 69
C. make it difficult for native speakers 70
D. focus on accent reduction, 71
Many ESL learners are concerned about eliminating their accents, but before you run out and spend hundreds of dollars on the latest pronunciation course, let me 72 . First, the main goal of any pronunciation course should be to 73 , which is virtually impossible. Rather, students should work on reducing areas of their pronunciation that affect comprehensibility, that is, areas of their accents that 74 . Second, with this goal in mind, students need to be able to 75 , Of course, there are universal areas of pronunciation that affect specific language groups, and reading up on these commonalities will help you.