大学英语期末自测试卷.doc

一． 阅读理解（40分）
Passage One
The United States has all kinds of lakes, large and small. But most of the fresh water
in America is in five large lakes in the northeast and central U.S. These are the "Great
Lakes" :Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Lake Ontario. There is enough water here to cover the U.S. 10 feet deep.
Travel in the Great Lakes area is easy because the lakes and many rivers are connected.
Water transportation is quicker and cheaper than travel by land. For this reason, many industries such as steel and automobile factories were started around the Great Lakes about
100 years ago. But because of the many factories, the lakes and rivers have become filled
with dangerous chemicals and oil. In 1969, the Cuyahoga River was so oily and dirty that
it caught fire and burned for many hours. Now people are trying to clean up the lakes and
rivers. The water is becoming cleaner and cleaner, and there are more fish. But there are still chemicals which are dangerous to human health.

1. Where are the five lakes discussed in this passage, in the U. S. ?
. a. In the northeast U. S.
b. In the southwest U. S.
c. In the central U. S.
d. In the northeast and central U. S.
2. Why is it easy to travel in the Great Lakes area?

a. Because the five lakes are connected with each other.
b. Because the five lakes and many rivers are connected.
c. Because the five lakes are connected with the sea.
d. Because the five lakes are very close to each other.
3.When were many industries around the Great Lakes started?

a. In 1900's.
b. In 1969.
c. In 1760.
d. In 1960's.
4. Why did the Cuyahoga River catch fire?
a. Because it was very dirty.
b. Because it was very oily.
c. Because there were fish in it.
d. Both a and b.
5. What are people trying to do?
a. To raise more fish in the lakes.
b. To raise more fish in the rivers.
c. To do something to prevent the lakes from catching fire.
d. To clean up the lakes and rivers.
Keys : 1. d 2. b 3. a 4. d 5. d

Passage Two
Helen was a student at a university. She was studying English. She was a clever girl,
and she was also very good at sports and games. Her best sport was throwing the javelin,
and she always won a prize for that at university games.
Helen's best friend was called Mary. She went to the same classes as Helen, and she
was a very good runner. The two girls often went out together in the evenings.
One evening they went to practice their sports in the university grounds, and when
they had finished, they walked part of the way home together, but at one corner they had
to say goodbye, because their homes were in different directions.
"Be careful on your way home," Mary said to Helen. "I would be happier if our houses were nearer.
"Me too," answered Helen. The streets were very quiet at that time of the evening.
The next morning Helen and Mary met at an English class, and Helen said to Mary,
"Do you know what happened to me after I left you yesterday evening?"
"No," answered Mary anxiously. "What happened to you?" "Well," Helen said,
"While I was walking home along that quiet street near my house, a thief came up behind
me and pulled my necklace off my neck and ran away with it. " "I wish I'd been there,"
Mary said angrily. "If I had been, I'd have run after the man and I'd probably have caught
him. But what'are you going to do now? Have you been to the police?"
"No, " Helen answered with a smile. "Why not?" Mary asked in surprise. "Be-
cause," Helen answered, "When the man pulled my necklace, I turned round suddenly and
put my hand out to try to stop him. I caught a chain which he was wearing round his neck
and pulled it off him. My necklace was a plastic one."
1. Where did Helen and Mary practice their sports?
a. At home.
b. In the university grounds.
c. In the stadium.
d. In the classroom.
2. Why didn't the girls walk all the way home together?
a. Because one of them met a friend and the other went home first.
b. Because one of them saw a thief and ran away.
c. Because the streets were very quiet at that time.
d. Because their houses were not in the same direction.
3. How did Helen lose her necklace?
a. A thief pulled it off her neck.
b. It fell off in a quiet street near her house.
c. Mary stole it.
d. A friend stole it.
4. What would Mary have done if she had been there?
a. She would have been to the police.
b. She would have run away quickly.
c. She would have tried to bring the necklace back to Helen.
d. She would have found the necklace.
5.What was Helen's chain made of?
a. Silver. b. Gold.
c. Plastic. d. Pearl.

Keys: 1. b 2. d 3. a 4. c 5. c

Passage Three
If you have recently taken the Cambridge First Certificate examination or you are in
an advanced class, you may be thinking about taking the Cambridge Advanced Exam, the
CAE. It is a fairly new exam and a lot Of people are not sure about what it involves.
The CAE is the Certificate in advanced English set by the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate(UCLES). It is held twice a year, in December and June,
at UCLES examination centers around the world. It is a high level exam which has be-
come increasingly popular since it was introduced in 1991. The level is much higher than
First Certificate(FCE)but not as high as Proficiency(CPE). Because it is only four years
old, it is quite different from FCE and CPE, both in its aims and in its format.
One of the reasons that the exam has become popular is the fact that it is very practical. It is not an academic or intellectual type of exam at all but is aimed at students who
are working or are about to start working.
If you are at advanced level and you are trying to decide between the Advanced and
Proficiency exams, then you should consider your own attitude to English and your future
ambitions. If you like reading English literature and you want to become a teacher, trans-
lator or academic, then Proficiency is definitely more suitable. But if you plan to use Eng-
lish for work or study and you are more interested in what you can do with English rather
than in English for its own sake, you will find CAE more relevant to your needs. A very
important point is that the Advanced Exam is easier to pass than Proficiency.
1. How often is CAE held?
a. Once a year.
b. Twice a year.
c. Three times a year.
d. Four times a year.
2. What is the level of CAE?
a. Higher than Proficiency.
b. Not as high as First Certificate.
c. Higher than First Certificate.
d. Higher than both Proficiency and First Certificate.
3. What is one of the reasons that CAE has become popular?
a. It is new.
b. It is academic.
c. It is very simple.
d. It is practical.
4. What should you consider if you are trying to decide whether to take part in the Advanced or Proficiency exam?
a. Your own attitude to English.
b. Your own ambitions.
c. Which one is easier to pass.
d. Both your attitude to English and your ambitions.
5. Which exam is more suitable if you want to use English for work or study?
a. CAE.
b. CPE.
c. FEC.
d. None of the above.
Keys:1. b 2. c 3. d 4. d 5. a

Passage Four
In recent years ,many countries of the world have been faced with the problem of how
to make their workers more productive. Some experts claim the answer is to make jobs
more varied. But do more varied jobs lead to greater productivity? There is evidence to
suggest that while variety certainly makes the worker's life more enjoyable, it does not ac-
tually make him work harder. As far as increasing productivity is concerned, then, variety
is not an important factor.
Other experts feel that giving the worker freedom to do his job in his own way is important, and there is no doubt that this is true. The problem is that this kind of freedom
cannot easily be given in the modem factory with its complicated macl'~mery wmcn must De
used in a fixed way. Thus while freedom of choice may be important, there is usually very
little that can be done to create it.
Another important consideration is how much each worker contributes to the product
he is making. In most factories the worker sees only one small part of the product. Some
car factories are now experimenting with having many small production lines rather than
one large one, so that each worker contributes more to the production of the cars on his
line. It would seem that not only is the degree of worker contribution an important factor,
therefore, but it is also one we can do something about.
To what extent does more money lead to greater productivity? The workers them-
selves certainly think this is important. But perhaps they want more money only because
the work they do is so boring. Money just lets them enjoy their spare time more. A similar
argument may explain demands for shorter working hours. Perhaps if we succeed in making their jobs more interesting, they will neither want more money, nor will shorter working hours be so important to them.
What does this passage mainly discuss?
1. a. How to create more jobs.
b. Possible factors leading to greater productivity.
c. Modem factories.
d. Modern machinery.
2. What does the speaker think of the idea of making jobs more varied?
a. It makes the worker's life more enjoyable.
b. It doesn't actually make workers work harder.
c. It is an important factor leading to greater productivity.
d. Both a and b.
3. What is the speaker's comment on the idea of giving the worker freedom to do his job in his own way?
a. It is important, but practical.
b. It is not important.
c. It was important in the past.
d. It is important in some countries.
4. What is the speaker's opinion about degree of the worker contribution?
a. The degree of worker contribution is an important factor.
b. Something can be done about it.
c. No conclusions can be drawn yet.
d. Both a and b.
5. What other factors does the passage mention?
a. To give workers more money.
b. To shorten working hours.
c. How the worker spends his spare time.
d. Both a and b.
Keys:1. b 2. d 3. a 4. d 5. d

Passage Five
There are some problem areas for international students and immigrants studying in the
United States．Making friends is a challenge(this is also true for some American students)．
Many colleges and universities offer a variety of student clubs and organizations where both
Foreign-born and native American students have a greater chance of meeting people with
shared interests．Information about these out-of-class activities is often posted in the student center and listed in the student newspaper．Sometimes foreign students and immigrant students find Americans to be“cliquish(有派性的)”．(Americans find some non—U．S–born students do be cliquish as well．)If people feel separated from the social aspects of American college life，they should actively seek people with shared interests．It’s unlikely that students will make friends just by passing people on the campus．
Foreign or immigrant students may feel confused during the first few weeks at a new
school because they do not understand the system and are not willing to ask questions．Many
students do not take advantage of the numerous services offered on campus that assist students in developing new skills and social groups．Some colleges offer students tutorial(辅
导的)support in such subjects as writin9，language study，computer skills，and other basic
subjects．Students who appear to be most successful in“learning the ropes”are those who
can solve problems by taking the initiative to ask questions，locate resources，and experience
new social situations．
1．In the United States，students can find friends with the same interests by_______ ．
A) making friends on the campus B)reading the student newspaper
C) visiting the student center D)joining the student clubs
2.The sentence“people feel separated from the social aspects of American college life，’
(Line 8---9，Para．1) means they have difficulty in_________
A) joining social activities within the campus
B)being easily accepted by the university
people with shared Interests．
D)getting a j ob in American society
3 ．When they first come to college，some foreign students may feel confused because A)they are denied any help from people around
B)they are provided with few services
C)they are faced with an unfamiliar educational system
D)they are unwilling to adapt themselves to the new environment
4.The phrase“learning the ropes’’(Line 6，Para．2)is closest in meaning to_______ ．
A)finding the way to develop new skills B)having the skills to make conversations
C)learning how to answer questions D)knowing how to handle problems
5. From the passage we may conclude that foreign students ．
A)may face some problems in adjusting to college life
B)are unlikely to be successful in American college life
C)are not good at developing friendship and social groups
D)can hardly learn well when they enter an American college

Keys: 1.d 2.a 3.c 4.d 5.a

Passage Six

Most of us grow up taking certain things for granted．We tend to assume that experts and religious leaders tell us“the truth’’． We tend to believe that things advertised on television or in newspapers can’t be bad for us．
However，encouragement of critical thinking in students is one of the goals of most colleges and universities．Few professors require students to share the professor’s own beliefs. In general，professors are more concerned that students learn to question and critically examine the arguments of others，including some of their own beliefs or values．This does not mean that professors insist that you change your beliefs，either .. It does mean, however ,that professors will usually ask you to support the views you express in class or in your writing．
If your premises(前提)are shaky，or if your arguments are not logical，professors personally point out the false reasoning in your arguments．Most professors want you to learn to recognize the premises of your arguments，to examine whether you really accept these premises，and to understand whether or not you draw logical conclusions．Put it this way：Professors don’t tell you what to think；they try to teach you how to think．
On the other hand，if you intend to disagree with your prof