六级考试高分突破(模拟题库)(修订版) 3

Paper One
Part I Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)
Section A
Directions: In this section you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the question will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A., B., C.  and D., and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
 
1. A. At railway station                       B. In New York
  C. At the airport                            D. In his office
2. A. $ 3.65                                    B. $ 3.85
  C. $ 3.55                               D. $ 3.75
3. A. The woman should choose one of the interesting science courses.
  B. The woman should sign up for one of the pure science courses.
  C. The woman should quit the pure science courses she's taking.
  D. The woman should sign up for one of the art and music courses.
4. A. The man succeeded because he worked hard.
  B. The man couldn't work any harder for his exam.
  C. The man should have worked harder for his exam.
  D. The man would have failed in his exam if he hadn't worked harder.
5. A. That the woman should eat wellbalanced foods.
  B. That the woman should keep her balance.
  C. That the woman should take less vitamin pills.
  D. That the woman should go on a diet.
6. A. tea                                 B. coffee
  C. juice                                D. none of the above
7. A. editor                                    B. reporter
  C. secretary                                  D. novelist
8. A. She thinks most TV programs are boring.
  B. She enjoys watching TV in her spare time.
  C. She always keeps her Television set on.
  D. She believes there are some worthwhile programs on TV.
9. A. The man doesn't understand why there will be an exam.
  B. The man knows nothing about the materials that are going to be examined about.
  C. The woman has some problems with the exam.
  D. The woman knows everything about the exam.
10. A. Jack has an open character and is very talkative.
   B. Jack is very shy and quiet.
   C. Jack rarely says a thing about his brother John.
   D. Jack never means what he says.
Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the question will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A., B., C. and D., and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
Passage One
Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.
11. A. 78℃     B. 98℃    C. 88℃          D. 68℃
12. A. 19 hours                                 C. 18 hours
   B. 17 hours                                  D. 16 hours
13. A. For six months of the year there is total darkness in Antarctic.
   B. Even in the summer months the temperature is often below zero in Antarctic.
   C. The expedition led by Ronald Amundsen was the largest and best equipped expedition that had ever set out for the Antarctic.
   D. Byrd's major achievement was to introduce the use of aircraft, radio and other devices in polar exploration.
Passage Two
Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.
14. A. At Harvard
     B. At West Point
     C. At the Carlisle Indian School
 D. At the Olympic Games held in Stockholm
15. A. They held grand banquets in his honor.
   B. They welcomed him with parades and celebration.
   C. They gave him the title of “the highest type of citizen".
   D. They made him a professional athlete.
16. A. Because someone found out that Thorpe had been using drugs.
   B. Because it was found out that Thorpe had once been an amateur athlete.
   C. Because Thorpe's fame began to decline after the Olympic Games.
   D. Because it was found out that at one time Thorpe had been a professional athlete.
Passage Three
  Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.
17. A. London           B. Washington                                      C. Southampton                           D. New York
18. A. In April 1911                              B. In April 1912
                       C. In March 1912     D. In May 1912
19. A. Because they did not hear Titanic's desperate calls for help.
        B. Because they didn't want to get involved in the accident.
   C. Because they hit each other while rushing to rescue.
   D. Because they didn't have enough fuel.
20. A. 1/2     B. 1/4                                                C. 1/3                                 D. 2/3
Section C (Compound Dictation)
Directions: In this section you will hear a passage three times. During the first reading, you should listen carefully for a general idea of the whole passage. Then listen to the passage again. When the first part of the passage is being read, you should fill in the missing word during the pause at each blank. After listening to the second part of the passage, you are required to write down the main points according to what you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read the third time you can check what you have written.
Agnes Miller was in the United States. She was born on a farm in Missouri in 1892. Strangely enough she  as a child. She was the only daughter and the youngest child of five. Her parents and her brothers .
In 1896, the family moved to Chicago.  . She enjoyed her years in school and was an outstanding student of mathematics. .
It was in 1900 that Agnes went off to college.  . She didn't like being treated unequally but she tried not to notice it. After graduating from college she tried to ―physics. She soon found it was almost impossible for a woman.
Agnes spent a full year looking for a job. Finally she . She began writing letters of protest to various newspapers. An editor in New York liked her ideas very much. . He asked her to do a series of stories on the difficulties women had in finding a job.
Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A., B., C. and D. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:
Annihilation refers to the extermination (灭绝) of a racial or ethnic group, most often through purposeful and deliberate action. In recent years it has also been referred to as genocide (种族灭绝), a word coined to describe the crimes committed by the Nazis during World War II―crimes that induced the United Nations to draw up a convention (公约) on genocide.
Sometimes annihilation occurs as an unintended result of new contact between two groups. For example, when the Europeans arrived in the Americas, they brought smallpox (天花) with them. Native American groups, the Blackfeet, the Aztecs, and the Incas, among many others, who had no immunity against this disease, were nearly wiped out. In most cases, however, the extermination of one group by another has been the result of deliberate action. The native population of Tasmania, a large island off the coast of Australia, was exterminated by Europeans in the 250 years after the country was discovered in 1642.
The largest, most systematic program of ethnic extermination was the murder of 11 million people―close to six million of whom were Jews―by the Nazis before and during World War II. In each country occupied by the Germans, the majority of the Jewish population was killed. Thus, in the mid1930s, before the war, there was about 3.3 million Jews in Poland, but at the end of the war in 1945 there were only 73,955 Polish Jews left. Among them, not a single known family remained intact.
Although there have been recent attempts to portray the holocaust (大屠杀) as a secret undertaking of the Nazi elite (社会上流人士) that was not widely supported by the German people, historical evidence suggests otherwise. For example, during a wave of antiSemitism (antiJewish prejudice, accompanied by violence and repression) in Germany in 1880s―long before the Nazi regime―only 75 German scholars and other distinguished citizens protested publicly. During the 1930s the majority of German Protestant churches endorsed (支持) the socalled racial principles that were used by the Nazis to justify first the disenfranchisement (选举权的剥夺) of Jews, then their forced deportation (遣送), and finally their extermination (Jews were blamed for a bewildering combination of crimes, including polluting the purity of the Aryan race, and causing the rise of communism while at the same time manipulating capitalist economies through their “secret control" of banks).
21. According to the passage, why were the Blackfeet, the Aztecs, the Incas, and other Native American groups wiped out?
A. Because they had no immunity against smallpox brought over by the European colonists.
B.  Because the European colonists practiced holocaust among the Native American groups.
C.  Because they were accidentally exterminated by the European colonists.
D. Because they fought heavily against their invaders.
22. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. The vast majority of German people were against the genocide practiced by the Nazis during World War II.
B.  The United Nations have drawn up a convention to prevent largescale genocide from taking place.
C.  The Europeans didn't intend to exterminate the native population of Tasmania.
D. The extermination of Jews was not backed up by the German Protestant churches.
23.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Sometimes annihilation occurs as an unintended result of new contact between two groups.
B.  During World War II, the Jews were deprived of their voting rights.
C.  Most of the allegations against the Jewish people were groundless.
D.  Only a few Jewish families in Poland were left intact when World War II was over.
24. How many Jewish people in Poland were killed during World War II?
A. 11 millionB.  close to 6 million
C.  over 3.2 million D.  3.3 million
25. What specific means did the author use to develop his theme?
A. giving definitions
B.  citing examples
C.  presenting a new theoretical approach
D.  both A and B
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:
Sailors and fishermen in particular, have always been extremely superstitious. This is hardly surprising when one considers the changeable nature of the sea where, even today with sophisticated weatherforecasting techniques a sudden storm can blow up quite unexpectedly. In the days before radio and engines, where there could be no longdistance communicating with another ship or land and when sails were the only means of movement, it was only natural for the sailor to take every precaution to avoid offending the gods who control the sea.
One way of pleasing these gods was to make an annual offering. This custom survives in the ceremony of blessing the sea, which can still be seen once a year in some fishing ports.
Next to pleasing the seagods, the most important thing for the sailor is to know that his boat is free from evil influences. The time to make sure of this is at the launching ceremony. It is clear that the wellknown custom of launching a ship by breaking a bottle of champagne against the side goes back a very long way.
On the North coast of Britain new ships are launched with seawater, and on the NorthEast coast of Scotland a similar ceremony takes place but with whisky substituted for seawater. In both cases, the launching is followed by drinking and celebration. The purpose of these ceremonies is to keep away evil spirits, rather than to ask for the seagod's protection.
Starting on a new voyage or fishing trip was a dangerous business at the best of times. Once the fisherman has set out for his trip he dared not, on any account, look back. It was bad luck even to call after him, so if he had forgotten anything, someone had to run after him and put the object into his hands.
But bad luck could also result from some chance meeting on the way to the boats. In some countries, it was considered particularly unlucky to meet a priest, a rabbit or a woman. In such an event, the only thing to do was to turn back and sail next day.
Redheads and people with flat feet were also to be avoided, but if the fisherman did happen to meet them, he could avert bad luck by speaking to them first. For a fisherman to see a dog near his boat was unlucky, while cats were considered lucky, especially black ones. Some fishermen's wives believed a black cat would bring their husbands back from the sea, and sometimes domestic cats disappeared from island towns and turned up in fishing villages!
26. It is implied in the passage that superstitious practices stemmed from .
A. ancient religions
B.  sailors and fishermen's fear for the unreliability of nature
C.  traditional ceremonies and annual offerings
D.  the unavailability of longdistance communication on the sea
27. Which of the following was NOT mentioned as an object that is supposed to bring bad luck to sailors and fishermen?
A. catsB. dogsC. rabbitsD. priests
28. How can a fisherman avoid bad luck when he encounters a redhead on his way to the boat?
A. He should take the initiative in starting to talk to the person he meets.
B.  He should not, by any account, look back.
C.  He should turn back, and sail next day.
D.  He should break a bottle of whisky to avoid bad luck.
29. The word “precaution” in the first paragraph most probably means .
A. riskB.  care in advance
C.  measureD.  determination
30. The purpose of breaking a bottle of whisky when new ships are launched in Scotland is to
A. please the gods that control the sea
B.  wish the sailors good luck
C.  bless the first voyage of the ship
D.  keep away evil spirits
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:
By education, I mean the influence of the environment upon the individual to produce a permanent change in the habits of behavior, of thought and of attitude. It is in being thus susceptible to the environment that man differs from the animals, and the higher animals from the lower. The lower animals are influenced by the environment but not in the direction of changing their habits. Their instinctive responses are few and fixed by heredity. When transferred to an unnatural situation, such an animal is led astray by its instincts. Thus the antlion whose instinct implies it to bore into loose sand by pushing backwards with abdomen, goes backwards on a plate of glass as soon as danger threatens, and endeavors, with the utmost exertions to bore into it. It knows no other mode of flight or if such a lonely animal is engaged upon a chain of actions and is interrupted it either goes on vainly with the remaining actions (as useless as cultivating an unsown field) or dies in helpless inactivity. Thus a netmaking spider which digs a burrow and rims it with a bastion of gravel and bits of wood, when removed from a half finished home, will not begin again, though it will continue another burrow, even one made with a pencil.
Advance in the scale of evolution along such lines as these could only be made by the emergence of creatures with more and more complicated instincts. Such beings we know in the ants and spiders. But another line of advance was destined to open out a much more farreaching possibility of which we do not see the end perhaps even in man. Habits, instead of being born readymade (when they are called instincts and not habits at all) were left more and more to the formative influence of the environment, of which the most important factor was the parent who now cared for the young animal during a period of infancy in which vaguer instincts than those of the insects were molded to suit surroundings which might be considerably changed without harm.
This means, one might at first imagine, that gradually heredity becomes less and environment more important. But this is hardly the truth and certainly not the whole truth. For although fixed automatic responses like those of the insectlike creatures are no longer inherited, although selection for purification of that sort is no longer going on, yet selection for educability is very definitely still of importance. The ability to acquire habits can conceivably inherit just as much as can definite responses to narrow situations. Besides, since a mechanism―is now, for the first time, created by which the individual (in contradiction to the species) can be fitted to the environment, the latter becomes, in another sense, less not more important. And finally, less not the higher animals who possess the power of changing their environment by engineering feats and the like, a power possessed to some extent even by the beaver, and preeminently by man. Environment and heredity are in no case exclusive but always supplementary factors.
31. Which of the following is the most suitable title for the passage?
A. The Evolution of Insects
B.  Environment and Heredity
C.  Education: The Influence of the Environment
D.  The Instincts of Animals
32. What can be inferred from the example of the antlion in the first paragraph?
A. Instincts of animals can lead to unreasonable reactions of animals in a strange situation.
B.  When it is engaged in a chain actions it cannot be interrupted.
C.  Environment and heredity are two supplementary factors in the evolution of insects.
D.  Along the lines of evolution heredity becomes less and environment more important.
33. Based on the example provided in the passage, we can tell that when a spider is removed to a new position where half of a net has been made, it will probably.
A. begin a completely new net
B.  destroy the halfmade net
C.  spin the rest of the net
D.  stay away from the net
34. Which of the following is true about habits according to the passage?
A. They are natural endowments to living creatures.
B.  They are more important than instincts to all animals.
C.  They are subject to the formative influence of the environment.
D.  They are destined to open out a much more farreaching possibility in the evolution of human beings.
35. What does the word“ education” in the first paragraph mean?
A. susceptibility to the environment
B.  advance in the scale of evolution
C.  complicated instincts of animals
D.  formative influence of the environment
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:
Why does the Foundation concentrate its support on basic rather than applied research? Basic research is the very heart of science, and its cumulative product is the capital of scientific progress, a capital that must be constantly increased as the demands upon its rise. The goal of basic research is understanding for its own sake. Understanding of the structure of the atom or the nerve cell, the explosion of a spiral nebula(螺旋星?) or the distribution of cosmic dust, the causes of earthquakes and droughts, or of man as a behaving creature and of the social forces that are created whenever two of more human beings come into contact with one another―the scope is staggering, but the commitment to truth is the same. If the commitment were to a particular result, conflicting evidence might be overlooked or, with the best will in the world, simply not appreciated. Moreover, the practical applications of basic research frequently cannot be anticipated. When Roentgen, the physicist, discovered Xrays, he had no idea of their usefulness to medicine.
Applied research, undertaken to solve specific practical problems, has an immediate attractiveness because the results can be seen and enjoyed. For practical reasons, the sums spent on applied research in any country always far exceed those for basic research, and the proportions are more unequal in the less developed countries. Leaving aside the funds devoted to research by industry―which is naturally far more concerned with applied aspects because these profits quickly―the funds the U. S. Government allots to basic research currently amount to about seven per cent of its overall research and developments funds. Unless adequate safeguards are provided, applied research invariably tends to drive out basic. Then, as Dr. Waterman has pointed out,Development will inevitably be undertaken prematurely, career incentives will gravitate strongly toward applied science, and the opportunities for making major scientific discoveries will be lost. Unfortunately, pressures to emphasize new developments, without corresponding emphasis upon pure science. tend to degrade the quality of the nation's technology in the long run, rather than to improve it.
36. According to the passage, which of the following does NOT belong to the scope of basic research?
A. Xrays used in medical researches
B.  research on human behavior
C.  research on the explosion of a spiral nebula
D.  structure of atoms
37. What does the word “staggering" in the first paragraph mean?
A. confusingB.  surprisingC.  excitingD.  glamorous
38.Industry is primarily concerned with applied researches because.
A. it provides better understanding
B.  it drives out basic research
C.  it can bring immediate profits
D.  it solves many theoretical problems
39. It can be inferred from the passage that .
A. the Foundation devotes most of its funds to applied research
B. when Roentgen discovered Xrays he didn't mean to use them in medical researches
C. the United States Government currently concentrates its support on applied rather than on basic research
D. Dr. Waterman is a strong advocate of applied research
40. Which of he following is the most suitable title for this passage?
A. Allocation of Foundation Funds
B.  The Role Basic Research Plays in Science
C.  Advocates of Applied Science
D.  Basic Research Vs. Applied Research
Part III Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes)
Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence 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 center.
41. If you have never planted anything, you won't be able to know the pleasure of watching the thing you have planted .
A. grow                                  B. to grow
C. growing                                D. to be growing
42. You may find it timeconsuming and tiresome to recite these English passages, but  it will pay off.
A. in the first place                    B. in the long run
C. as far as it goes                     D. at the least
43. We've been classifying the files for three hours, but we haven't made a  on this huge pile of dossiers.
A. hollow   B. dentC. hole       D. touch
44. Almost all the students complained that the biology exam was hard, but he said it was only  and he finished it within half an hour!
A. a cake                                B. nothing to it
C. a piece of cake                       D. a cake piece
45. We will send you a check for the car as soon as the price is agreed .
A. on  B. withC. about        D. to
46. Myra told Sarah the secret, who  told Ali.
A. in a turn                                    B. in the turn
C. in turn                                      D. in one turn
47. Though  the truth, he would not tell.
A. knowing  B. knowsC. he knowing        D. him knowing
48. It is a great  to hear the most renowned contemporary pianist play.
A. privilege                                    B. benefit
C. advantage                                    D. award
49. It's not fair that you come home after a bad day at work and  your wife and children.
A. take it out on                               B. take out it on
C. take out on                                  D. take on it with
50. She put an extra blanket over the baby for fear that .
A. he catches cold                        B. he should catch cold
C. he caught cold                         D. he be catching cold
51. Our teacher recommended that we  as attentive as possible when we visit the museum.
A. are    B. shall beC. be        D. were
52. The figures we got are not  with the previous experiment results.
A. insistent                                    B. persistentC. resistant                                    D. consistent
53. Surprising as it may seem, banks are the major  of the supply of money, even though the U. S. Constitution reserves the right to print money only to the federal government.
A. origin   B. sourceC. resource   D. producer
54. Since the plane will not leave until two hour later, we  go to the snack bar and have something to eat.
A. may well                               B. just as well
C. might as well                          D. as well
55. I suffered the  of saying that I was wrong in front of all the people.
A. indignity                                    B. insensitivity
C. incredulity                                  D. inelegance
56. You  business interfering with my affairs.
A. have none                                    B. have no
C. have none of the                             D. have nothing like
57. The new cut in interest rate  promote domestic investment.
A. means to                               B. directs toward
C. is meant to                                  D. leads to
58. They invited us to visit their farm,  was very kind of them.
A. which                                      B. of which
C. that                                         D. it
59. Light from the Sun and distant stars  a vacuum in space.
A. fills                                        B. traverses
C. surrounds                                    D. creates
60. The installation of the new equipment has doubled the  of the factory.
A. manufacture                            B. productC. productivity                           D. produce
61. The  from the Stone Age through the Bronze Age and Iron Age took centuries.
A. transient                                    B. transformation
C. transition                                   D. sequence
62. As the oldest child in the family, you should know better than  the stranger you met at the airport to our house!
A. to be bringing                         B. bringing
C. to be brought                          D. to bring
63. The loss of one million dollars on the stock market  that company's profit of that year.
A. cut into                               B. cut in
C. cut back                               D. cut out
64. Advertising media like direct mail, radio, television and newspapers  to increase the sales of industrial products.
A. have been used                         B. will be used
C. is being used                          D. has been used
65. The new railway will be completed  the end of this year.
A. before      B. untilC. than         D. on
66. All these activities have  mutual understanding and friendship between our two countries.
A. boosted   B. advancedC. promoted      D. raised
67. Instead of giving a faithful description of the event, he presented a rather  picture of what had happened.
A. distorted     B. twistedC. false       D. perverted
68. While being questioned on the court, the man denied  the old lady's necklace.
A. having taken                           B. taking
C. to have taken                          D. to take
69. Dr. Park was accused   the patient with overdose of sleeping pills so that the patient's life was terminated before the expected time.
A. of providing                           B. with providing
C. to have provided                             D. to provide
70. Professor Johnson, I would be very  if you could give me an extension on this thesis.
A. obliged  B. detachedC. appreciable      D. indifferent
Paper Two
Part I Error Correction (15 minutes)
Directions: This part consists of a short passage. In this passage, there are altogether 10 mistakes, one in each numbered line. You may have to add a word, cross out a word, or change a word. If you add a word, put an insertion mark (∧) in the right place and write the missing word in the blank. If you cross out a word, put a slash ( / ) in the blank. If you change a word, cross it out and write the correct word in the corresponding blank.
Example:
Television is rapidly becoming the literatures of our periods. Many of the argum ents having used for the study of literature as a school subject are valid for∧study of television.〖〗1.   time 
2.    /   
3.   the 
The producers of instant coffee found their product strongly resisted in the market places in spite their products' manifest advantages. Furthermore, the advertising expenditure for instant coffee was far greater than which for regular coffee. Efforts were made to find the cause of the consumers' seemingly unreasonable resistance against the product. The reason given by most people was dislike with the taste. The producers suspected that there might be deeper reasons, however. This confirmed by one of motivation research's classic studies, one often cited in the trade. Mason Haire of the University of California, constructed two shopping lists that were identical except for one item. There were six items common to both lists with the brands or amounts specify. The seventh item, in fifth place on both lists, read Maxwell House Coffee on one list and Nestle Instant Coffee on other. One list was given to each one in a group of fifty women, and the other list to whom in another group of the same size. The women were asked to study their lists and then to describe, as far they could, the kind of women (personality and character) who would draw up that shopping list. Nearly half of those who had received the list including instant coffee described a housewife who was lazy and poor planner. On the other hand, only one woman in the other group described the housewife, who had included regular coffee on her list, as lazy.〖〗
71.
 
72.
 
73.
74.
 
75.
 
 
 
 
76.
 
77.
78.
 
79.
 
 
 
80. Part II Translation from English to Chinese (15 minutes)
Directions:In this part, there are five items, which you should translate into Chinese, each item consists of one or two sentence. These sentences are all taken from the reading passages you have just read in the Second Part of the Test Paper.
You are allowed 15 minutes to do the translation. You can refer back to the passages so as to identify their meanings in the context.
81. (Lines 14, Para.4, Passage 1)
Although there have been recent attempts to portray the holocaust as a secret undertaking of the Nazi elite that was not widely supported by the German people, historical evidence suggests otherwise.
 
 
 
82. (Lines 48, Para.1, Passage 2)
In the days before radio and engines, where there could be no longdistance communicating with another ship or land and when sails were the only means of movement, it was only natural for the sailor to take every precaution to avoid offending the gods who control the sea.
 
 
 
83. (Lines 34, Para.5, Passage 2)
Once the fisherman has set out for his trip he dared not, on any account, look back.
 
 
 
84. (Lines 34, Para.2, Passage 3)
It is in being thus susceptible to the environment that man differs from the animals, and the higher animals from the lower.
 
 
 
85. (Lines 35, Para.2, Passage 4)
For practical reasons, the sums spent on applied research in any country always far exceed those for basic research, and the proportions are more unequal in the less developed countries.
 
 
 
Part III Short Answer Questions (15 minutes)
Directions: In this part, there is a short passage with five questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words (not exceeding 10 words).
Homing pigeons are placed in a training program from about the time they are twentyeight days of age. They are taught to enter the loft through a trap and to exercise above and around the loft and gradually they are taken away for short distances in wicker baskets and released. They are then expected to find their way home in the shortest possible time.
In their training flights or in actual races, the birds are taken to prearranged distant points and released to find their way back to their own lofts. Once the birds are liberated, their owners, who are standing by at the home lofts, anxiously watch the sky for the return of their entries. Since time is of the essence, the speed with which the birds can be induced to enter the loft trap may make the difference between gaining a win or a second place.
The head of a homing pigeon is comparatively small, but its brain is one quarter larger than that of the ordinary pigeon. The homing pigeon is very intelligent and will persevere to the point of stubbornness; some have been known to fly a hundred miles off course to avoid a storm.
Some homing pigeon experts claim that this bird is gifted with a form of built in radar that helps it find its own loft after hours of flight, for hidden under the headfeathers are two very sensitive ears, while the sharp, prominent eyes can see great distance in daytime.
Why do homing pigeons fly home? They are not unique in this inherent skill; it is found in most migratory birds, in bees, ants, toads, and even turtles, which have been known to travel hundreds of miles to return to their homes. But in the animal world, the homing pigeon alone can be trusted with its freedom and trained to carry out the missions that people demand.
Questions:
86. According to the passage, when homing pigeons are about four weeks old, people .
87. Why do you think the owners of homing pigeons watch the sky, anxiously waiting for their return?
.
88. What distinguishes homing pigeons from ordinary pigeons?
.
89. What are the unique attributes that enable homing pigeons to return home according to some homing pigeon experts?
.
90. The author mentions migratory birds, bees, ants, toads, and turtles in the last paragraph in order to .
Part IV Writing (30 minutes)
Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition according to the following topic given in Chinese. Your part of writing should be no less than 120 words.
春节联欢晚会是中央电视台每年必办的节目，近年来有人认为春节联欢晚会应该取消，在除夕之夜播出其他的一些节目。你对此有什么看法？请说出你的理由来。
Tapescripts for Model Test Four
Section A
Directions:(omitted)
1. W: Mr. Hobbs, Dr. Brown will have to change your appointment tomorrow at the same time. He's still waiting for a flight out of New York.
  M: Ah well, thank you for calling. I'll see you in my office tomorrow then.
  Q: Where is Dr. Brown now?
2. M: I'd like to send this package by rapid service.
  W: Sure. That will cost $2.50 for the postage and another $1.15 for the rapid service.
  Q: How much will it cost the man to send the package?
3. W: All the courses are quite new to me, and I don't know which one to choose for this semester.
  M: What about music and art courses? They are certainly more interesting than pure science courses.
  Q: What does the man suggest that the woman should do?
4. M: I failed my history test again.
  W: If you had worked a little harder, you would have succeeded.
  Q: What does the woman mean?
5. W: Doctor, do I have to take some vitamin pills?
  M: If you keep a wellbalanced diet, you won't have to take any.
  Q: What does the man suggest?
6. W: In China, tea is more commonly used than coffee.
  M: I agree with the Chinese habit. But juice tastes better as far as I am concerned.
  Q: What does the man like to drink?
7. M: Mary worked as a secretary for three years, then she became a reporter after she started writing novel.
  W: Yes, and she has been doing nothing else ever since.
  Q: What is Mary's occupation now?
8. M: Nowadays I find TV very boring and I don't even bother to turn it on.
  W: But not all programs are that bad, I suppose.
  Q: What can we learn from the woman's response?
9. W: Do you want me to explain these problems before the exam?
  M: What's the point? I don't understand a thing!
  Q: What can we learn from the conversation?
10. W: John is a person who is very shy and quiet. He rarely says a thing.
   M: Oh, but his brother Jack is just the opposite.
   Q: What do you know from this conversation about Jack?
Section B
Directions: (omitted)
Passage One
The Antarctic is probably the most difficult place on earth for human beings to survive. For six months of the year there is total darkness, and temperatures may fall as low as -88℃. Even in the summer months the temperature is often below zero.
The first successful expedition to the South Pole was led by Ronald Amundsen. His team used dogs and sledges to cross the frozen continent, and reached the pole in December 1911.
In 1928, Richard Byrd decided to lead an expedition to the Antarctic to explore the unknown area from the air for the first time. It was the largest and best equipped expedition that had ever set out for the Antarctic. Byrd and his team established a base which they called Little America on the coast of the Rosa Sea. In November 1929, during the Antarctic spring, Byrd and three colleagues flew from the Little America base to the South Pole and back in 19 hours.
Byrd's major achievement was to introduce the use of aircraft, radio and other devices in polar exploration. He did not agree with Ronald Amundsen that the airplanes would one day replace dogs and sledges; he believed that modern techniques were only an addition to the traditional methods of exploration. All of his expeditions, therefore, carried dogs and sledges, and people to look after them. This proved very efficient, and Byrd was able to achieve results of great scientific value.
Questions 11 to 13 are based on the passage you have just heard.
11. What is the lowest temperature in the Antarctic?
12. How long did it take Byrd and his colleagues to fly from Little America to the South Pole and back?
13. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
Passage Two
      Jim Thorpe was an American Indian, born on May 28, 1888 in Oklahoma. When he had his education at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, his athletic coach considered him a splendid athlete and encouraged him to concentrate on sports. From then on, Thorpe participated in almost every aspect of athletics. Whenever he competed in any event, he easily won first place.
      In the years that followed, he took part in football games against such renowned teams as Harvard and West Point. Thorpe again and again brought his team to victory. In 1912 he was invited to compete in the Olympic Games in Stockholm. There he excelled in several track events and was presented with first place gold medals. He was the first athlete to capture first place awards in so many track events.
      When Thorpe returned home from the Olympic Games, he was welcomed with parades and celebration. The president called him the highest type of citizen. However, this was all shortlived because it was found out that at one time Thorpe had been a professional athlete. Since an athlete must be an amateur in order to participate in the Olympic games, Thorpe did not qualify. Therefore, all of his medals were taken away from him.
      In later years, Thorpe played baseball and football professionally. His admirers often tried to have his medals returned to him, but in vain. Thorpe died a lonely man in California on March 28, 1953. Today, as always, many still believe Thorpe was the best athlete that ever lived.
Questions 14 to 16 are based on the passage you have just heard.
14.Where was Thorpe's athletic talent discovered?
15. According to the passage, how did American people receive Thorpe when he came back from Stockholm in 1912?
16. Why were Thorpe's medals taken away from him?
Passage Three
      The Titanic, with 2,300 passengers aboard, was on its first voyage from Southampton to New York. It was 11:40 p.m. on April 14th 1912 and the sea was calm. Suddenly the lookout man saw the enormous iceberg. “Iceberg ahead!" he shouted.
    Immediately the ship turned, but not soon enough. The iceberg tore a 300foot hole in the hull and water began to pour in. At first the captain didn't worry because the ship was said to be“ unsinkable”. Then the ship began to lean. At 12:05 the captain gave the order “Uncover the lifeboats”!
      The Wireless operator sent out an SOS signal. Six ships began to race towards the Titanic. But the two ships who were closest did not hear the desperate calls for help.
      At two a.m. the captain gave the order “Abandon ship!” A few minutes later the Titanic began to slip beneath the surface. One by one the last passengers jumped into the sea. Then the stern rose up in the air and the Titanic sank quickly out of sight.
      At dawn the next morning a rescue boat picked up 705 survivors from the lifeboats. Most of them were first and second class passengers. All their children survived. Of the children who traveled third class, only a third survived.
Questions 17 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard.
17. Where was the destination of Titanic?
18. When did the incident happen?
19. Why didn't the closest ships come to the Titanic's rescue? 
20. What percentage of the thirdclass children survived?
Section C (Compound Dictation)
Directions: (omitted)
      Agnes Miller was one of the earliest leaders of the women's liberation movement in the United States. She was born on a farm in Missouri in 1892. Strangely enough she had a very happy life as a child. She was the only daughter and the youngest child of five. Her parents and her brothers always treated her as their favorite.
      In 1896, the family moved to Chicago. In 1899, they moved back to St. Louis where Agnes spent the rest of her childhood. She enjoyed her years in school and was an outstanding student of mathematics. She was also quite skillful as a painter.
      It was in 1900 that Agnes went off to college. Here she first became aware that women were not treated as equals. She didn't like being treated unequally but she tried not to notice it. After graduating from college she tried to get a job in her major field―physics. She soon found it was almost impossible for a woman.
      Agnes spent a full year looking for a job. Finally she gave up in anger. She began writing letters of protest to various newspapers. An editor in New York liked her ideas very much. He especially liked her style. He asked her to do a series of stories on the difficulties women had in finding a job.