北京地区成人本科学士学位英语统一考试 2014年11月 Part I Reading Comprehension (30%)

Directions: There are three 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 blacken the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet. Passage 1

Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage:

Jarden Zinc (锌) Products, a large zinc plant a few miles outside Greeneville, Tennessee, has a special claim. Since 1982, it has been the only supplier of penny blanks for the U.S. Mint (铸币厂). It's a good business for Jarden-since 2000, the company has earned more than $ 800 million. But it may not be a good deal for the U.S.

(76) The value of the penny has been dropping for years. In 2006, it began to cost more than a penny to make a penny. It now costs 2 C to produce a 1 C coin. Many countries have stopped using pennies. Is it time for the U.S. to do the same?

Jarden and the zinc industry are fighting to keep the penny. Since 2006, Jarden has given $1.2 million to Americans for Common Cents (ACC). The group's mission is to keep the penny in use. Mark Weller is ACC's executive director. He argues that there are three main reasons for keeping the penny: Without it, we would become more reliant on the five-cent coin, which also has problems; charities (慈善机构) that depend on penny drives would not be able to raise as much money; and a 2012 survey shows that 67% of Americans want to keep the penny. (77) Many people surveyed said they feared they would end up paying more for products. Many experts disagree with ACC, They point to the dozens of countries that have gotten rid of their lowest-value coins without raising prices for consumers. And charities don't seem too concerned either.

President Barack Obama says the mint could explore using cheaper metals to make pennies. Steel is less expensive than zinc. Pennies are 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper. But no matter what it is made of, the penny's days may be numbered. Most in-store purchases are now made with credit cards, not cash. Is it time for a change? 1. what is the main idea of the passage?

A. Many countries are trying to reduce the cost of making coins. B. These days a penny made is a penny wasted.

C. There is disagreement over whether the U.S. should stop using pennies. D. Many countries have stopped using pennies. 2. The mission of ACC is to ______. A. conduct online surveys

B. lower the production costs of the penny C. raise money for charities D. keep the penny in use

3. The penny coin is mainly made of _____. A. copper B. steel C. iron D. zinc

4. What does the sentence \penny's days may be numbered\in the last paragraph probably mean?

A. The penny may be out of use very soon. B. The value of the penny may rise.

C. The penny has a special place in American history. D. The penny is part of American culture.

5. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT TRUE? A. Jarden is the sole supplier of the zinc the U.S. Mint uses to make the penny. B. The majority of American people are in favor of keeping the penny.

C. Many Americans fear that getting rid of the penny would cause prices to rise. D. The U.S. Mint now spends 2.4 cents to make a penny.

Passage 2

Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:

Charles Dickens was born in 1812 in Portsmouth, England. He was the second of eight children. His father always had problems with money. When Charles was 12 years old, his father went to prison because he was in debt. Charles had to leave school to help his family. He got a job in a dirty, old factory. Charles Dickens never forgot his difficult childhood. Many of his stories and books were about poor people and their problems.

(78) Later, Charles went back to school for two more years. He left school when he was 15 years old to become a newspaper reporter. In 1836, he began to write The Pickwick Papers. It was published as a series and was a huge success. By age 24, Dickens was a prominent writer in both Great Britain and the United States.

Many people bought his books, but they also paid to hear him read his stories aloud. Because there was no radio or television, people liked to hear famous writers read in public. Dickens read his works like he was acting in a play. He went on very successful reading tours and earned a lot of money.

Dickens was meticulous (过分注意琐事的). Everything had to be just right. When he worked at home, everything had to be in its place. He worked at a desk by a window that always had a vase (花瓶) of flowers and the same ornaments (装饰物) on it. (79) He wrote 2, 000 words a day and he required complete quiet while he wrote. He divided his page into three parts, and on each side he had notes in difficult colors. The main writing was in middle, the story notes were in the right margin, and the chapter notes were in the left margin. He also cared a lot about his appearance.

6. Charles Dickens' father was put into prison because he . A. stole money from other people B. refused to pay tax

C. didn't pay for his children's education D. owed money to other people

7. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE ? A. Dickens loved to travel.

B. Dickens' stories were mostly about his own childhood. C. Dickens made a lot of money on his reading tours. D. Dickens left school to write The Pickwick Papers.

8. According to the passage, which of the following about Dickens is TRUE ? A. He was a peaceful person. B. He was a quiet writer.

C. He worked very hard at school.

D. He cared a lot about things around him.

9. The word “prominent” in the second paragraph means________ . A. Famous B. Thoughtful C. Careful D. difficult

10. After the last paragraph, the author will most probably discuss Dickens' . A. Success B. Appearance C. Works D. childhood

Passage 3

Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage:

Computer technology is advancing so fast that old hardware quickly becomes completely obsolete. The electronic waster (e-waste) from this constantly growing field is polluting the environment, both here and abroad.

Computers contain toxic (有毒的) materials such as lead. Despite the danger of throwing these hazardous materials in a landfill (垃圾填埋场), that's exactly where tons of computers end up. Americans reuse or recycle only about 10 percent of the 50 million computers they replace each year, according to ABC News. Eighty percent is being stockpiled (囤积), which could create even bigger problems in the future, and the remaining 10 percent is landfilled. Throwing e-waste in landfills creates a potential for landfills are tougher in the United States than in many other countries, e-waste is often exported, especially to some developing countries.

(80) Some countries are creating policies to deal with the growing e-waste problem. In the Netherlands, you can bring your old computer to the seller when buying a new one, and the seller must by law accept it free of charge. Japan passed a law in 2001 requiring producers to recycle certain parts.

In the united states, a movement called the Computer TakeBack Campaign is demanding that producers take more responsibility for disposing of (处理) old computers, California and Massachusetts recently prohibited certain computer parts in landfills, while Apple and IBM take back computers for about a $30 fee. Gateway is one step ahead: They will pay you $50 for recycling your old computer when you buy a new one from them. Lastly, many nonprofit programs accept used equipment, and services have popped up that distribute old computers to schools and other organizations.

11. Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A. The Main Exports of America

B. The Computer TakeBack Campaign C. The Harm of E-waste Treatment D. Electronic Waste-a Global Problem

12. What does the word “obsolete” in the first paragraph probably mean? A. Fashionable. B. Useful. C. Out of date. D. Out of control.

13. Americans reuse about______ million computers each year. A. 5 B. 10 C. 15 D. 20

14. According to the passage, American electronic waste is exported to other countries because these countries have_______.

A. the resources and more space to process the e-waste B. less strictly enforced environment safety standards C. a lot of skilled e-waste workers

D. many computer recycling businesses

15. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? A. Japan passed a law to address the e-waste problem.

B. Compared with stockpile, landfill is a better and safer method to deal with e-waste.

C. Apple will pay you $50 for recycling your old computer when you buy a new one from them. D. Old computers are safe to the environment even when improperly disposed of.

Part II Vocabulary and Structure (30%)

Directions: In this part there are 30 incomplete sentences. For each sentence there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then blacken the Corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

16. The fried fish we ate at the restaurant yesterday is delicious. I'd like to have it again even if it costs____.

A. as twice much B. twice as much C. much as twice D. as much twice 17. ____too much to do, they have to keep themselves busy all day long. A. Having B. Have C. Had D. Being

18. Air pollution, together with overpopulation, ____ many problems in big cities.

A. are causing B. is causing C. are caused D. is caused 19. She has no idea of what the book is about. She ____ have read it carefully. A. mustn’t B. can't C. shouldn't D. needn't

20. ____ from space, our earth, with water covering 70% of its surface, appears as a \A. Seeing B. To be seen C. Seen D. Having seen

21. The mere fact____ most people believe a nuclear war would be mad does not mean that it will not occur.

A. what B. which C. that D. why

22. It was____ he had made such great contributions to world peace that he won the Nobel Prize for Peace.

A. that B. because C. how D. why 23. If it ____tomorrow, we won't go for a picnic.

A. Will rain B. should rain C. rains D. rained 24. The number of members in the club____ to two hundred.

A. were limited B. limits C. was limited D. limited