2013 National English Contest for College Students

(Level C - Preliminary)

 

(总分：150分 答题时间：120分钟)

 

Part I Listening Comprehension (30 marks)

Section A (5 marks)

In this section, you will hear five short conversations. Each conversation will be read only once. At the end of each conversation, there will be a twenty-second pause. During the pause, read the question and the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the answer sheet with a single line through the center.

 

1.       Why didn’t the man go to see Macbeth last week?

A.      He didn’t manage to get a ticket.

B.      He had to attend a conference.

C.      He had a better production to watch.

2.       What does “Fill Me In” refer to in this conversation?

A.      A type of upgraded mobile phone.

B.      A well-selling magazine.

C.      A writer’s new book series.

3.       Why doesn’t the woman like the bag?

A.      She doesn’t like the pattern.

B.      It’s not easy to carry.

C.      It’s too big for her.

4.       What makes a bad CV according to the man?

A.      Fake information.     B. Terrible writing. C. Undesirable length.

5.       How will Cathy continue her Spanish learning?

A.      She’s going to make a friend in Spain.

B.      She’ll communicate with a Spanish friend in Spain.

C.      She’ll practice speaking Spanish with an English friend.

 

Section B (10 marks)

In this section, you will hear two long conversation. Each conversation will be read only once. At the end of each conversation, there will be a one-minute pause. During the pause, read the question and the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the answer sheet with a single line through the center.

 

Conversation One

6.       What traffic accident are the speakers talking about?

A.      A kid was knocked down by a car.

B.      Two cars crashed into a shop.

C.      A car ran into a wrong place.

7.       Why did the accident happen according the woman?

A.      There were many shops around.

B.      The crossing is in a wrong place.

C.      There was no crossing here.

8.       Which of the following is the suggestion they made?

A.      More traffic lights should be installed.

B.      A speed camera should be mounted.

C.      More policemen should patrol that area.

9.       Where, as the woman mentioned, has got improved traffic?

A.      Her own neighborhood.

B.      Her big brother’s neighborhood.

C.      Her parents’ neighborhood.

10.   How was the man punished for his traffic offence?

A.      He was fined 100 pounds with extra penalty points.

B.      He had to pay 150 pounds and got 6 penalty points.

C.      He finally paid 600 pounds without any penalty points.

 

Conversation Two

11.   Why is the expert opposed to the view that memory aids make your memory worse?

A.      There is no evidence showing that memory aids are invalid.

B.      Human beings’ brain functions mainly through memory aids in an effective way.

C.      Memory aids encourage an organized approach which helps the brain function effectively.

12.   What is interview’s attitude towards the idea that visual image help the memory

A.      It is hard to believe.

B.      It is nothing strange.

C.      It is obviously nonsense.

13.   Who developed the system of memory aids centuries ago?

A.      Inhabitants on an isolated island.

B.      The Ancient Greeks.

C.      A great psychologists.

14.   How does mapping out notes affect the brain?

A.      It is helpful in reflecting the way people link information in the brain.

B.      It prevents people from arranging things logically.

C.      It makes people’s brain function the opposite way.

15.   What tends to affect people’s ability to think clearly?

A.      Upbringing and innate differences.

B.      Worry and anxiety.

C.      Their aptitudes.

 

Section C (5 marks)

In this section, you will hear five short news items. After each item, which will be read only once, there will be a pause. During the pause, read the question and the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the answer sheet with a single line through the center.

 

16.   How can social media influence the presidential election in the USA according to the latest research?

A.      It can help voters to choose their president.

B.      It can help to ensure the fairness of the elections.

C.      It can help to increase the number of voters.

17.   What honorary title has Yaya Toure been granted?

A.      The African Player of the Year.

B.      212 Star of the Confederation of African Football.

C.      The Ivory Coast star.

18.   Why did Reshma Saujani set up the organization “Girls Who Code”?

A.      To raise women’s status in the field of science.

B.      To improve girls’ aptitude and performance in STEM.

C.      To arouse girls’ interest in science and technology.

19.   Which tablet computer’s hardware inside is more powerful?

A.      The CNET Kum.      B. The Google Nexus 7. C. The Apple iPad mini.

20.   What does the company announce that it can do for the United States?

A.      It can reduce the amount of plastic waste.

B.      It can help to recycle the plastic waste.

C.      It can increase the amount of exports.

 

Section D (10 marks)

In this section, you will hear a short passage. There are 10 missing words or phrases. Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases you hear. The passage will be read twice. Remember to write the answers on the answer sheet.

 

If you (21) ____ smooth skin that glows with youth, the chances are that at some point you will have heard the exhortation to drink lots of water in order to (22) ____ those evil toxins and keep your skin healthy.

       The exact amount people suggest varies. US – based advice (23) ____ eight glasses a day, while in hotter climates people are advised to drink to more to (24) ____ higher rates of sweating. But regardless of the exact volume of water suggested, the principle behind the advice remains the same --- taking extra water on board will keep your skin hydrated. In other words, water acts like a moisturizer, but from the inside out.

       This is such a common idea you might be surprised at the (25) ____ to back up. You might expect there to be countless studies where people are (26) ____ two groups, one assigned to sip water all day, the other to drink a normal amount. Then the smoothness of the skin could be (27) ____ a month or so later to establish whether sipping more lead to smoother skin.

       In fact such studies are rare, partly because water can’t be patented, so it is hard to find anyone to fund such research when there will be no new (28) ____ or cosmetic to sell that could repay the costs. A review by the dermatologist Ronni Wolf at the Kaplan Medical Center in Israel found just one study looking at the effect of long-term water intake on the skin. But the results were (29) ____. After four weeks, the group who drank mineral water showed a decrease in skin density, which some believe suggests the skin is retaining more moisture, while those who drank tap water showed an increase in skin density. But regardless of the type of water they drank, it made no difference to their (30) ____ or to the smoothness of their skin.