2012年工程硕士联考英语试题(4)

　　Passage One

　　It may look like just another playgroup, but a unique educational center in Manhattan is really givingbabies something to talk about.“It’s a school to teach languages to babies and young children with games, songs—some of the classes also have arts and crafts,”said Francois Thibaut, the founder of the Langrage Workshop for Children, a place where babies become bilingual.

　　Children as young as few months are exposed to French and Spanish before many of them can even speak English. Educators use special songs and visual（视觉的）aids to ensure that when a child is ready to talk, the languages will not be so foreign. “Children have a unique capacity to learn many languages at the same time,”said Thibaut.“Already at nine months, a child can tell the differences between the sounds he or she has heard since birth and the sounds he or she has never heard yet.”Thibaut says the best time to expose children to language is from birth to 3 years ol　　D. For the last 30 years, the school has been using what it calls the Thibarut Technique, a system that combines language lessons with child’s play.

　　“I always wanted to learn Spanish, but by the time I got to high school it was too late to pick it up and speak fluently,”said Marc Lazare, who enrolled his son at the school. “I figured at this age, two, it’s a perfect time for him to learn.”

　　Aside from learning a language, the kids also gain a tremendous sense of confidence. One young student boasted that aside from French, she can speak five languages (though that included “monkey”and“lion”). The school gives children the tools to communicate, and sometimes that gives them an advantage over their parents.“I think they sometimes speak French when they think I won’t understand them,”said parent Foster Gibbons.

　　Depending on the age group, classes run from 45 minute up to 2 hours. Even when students are not in class, the program is designed to make sure the learning continues at home. Tapes and books are included so kids can practice on their own.

　　1. The word“bilingual”in the first paragraph probably means .
　　A. capable of using two languages
　　B.both clever and confident
　　C. aware of their own limitations and strengths
　　D. independent of their parents

　　2. The passage tells us that the best time for a child to learn languages is
　　A. before seven years old
　　B.from birth to three years old
　　C. in his childhood
　　D. in his teens

　　3. According to Thibaut, it is possible
　　A. for children to take advantage of their parents by using a foreign language
　　B.to expose children to a foreign language after they can speak English
　　C. to combine language lessons with sports games
　　D. for children to learn several languages at the same time

　　4. The school teaches language by
　　A. exposing children to the new environment
　　B.using modern facilities and equipment
　　C. combining language lessons with games
　　D. giving children confidence

　　5. The best title for this text is .
　　A. A Unique Language School for Children
　　B.The Foreign Language for Children to Learn
　　C. Special Songs and Visual Aids in Learning
　　D. The Best Way to Learn a Foreign Language

Passage Two

The girls in this sixth grade class in East Palo Alto, California, all have the same access to computers as boys. But researchers say, by the time they get to high school, they are victims of what the researchers call a major new gender (性别) gap in technology. Janice Weinman of the American Association of University Women says,“Girls tend to be less comfortable than boys with the computer. They use it more for word processing rather than for problem solving, rather than to discover new ways in which to understand information.”

　　After re-examining a thousand studies, the American Association of University Women researchers found that girls make up only a small percentage of students in computer science classes. Girls consistently rate themselves significantly lower than boys in their ability and confidence in using computers. And they use computers less often than boys outside the classroom.

　　An instructor of a computer lab says he’s already noticed some differences. Charles Cheadle of Cesar Chavez School says, “Boys are not so afraid they might do something that will harm the computer, whereas girls are afraid they might break it somehow.”

　　Six years ago, the software company Purple Moon noticed that girls’ computer usage was falling behind boys. Karen Gould says,“The number one reason girls told us they don’t like computer games is not that they’re too violent, or too competitive. Girls just said they’re incredibly boring.”

　　Purple Monn says it found what girls want, characters they can relate to and story lines relative to what’s going on in their own lives. Karen Gould of Purple Moon Software ways,“What we definitely found from girls is that there is no intrinsic (固有的) reason why they wouldn’t want to play on a computer；it was just a content thing.”

　　The sponsor of the study says it all boils down to this：the technology gender gap that separates the girls from the boys must be closed if women are to compete effectively with men in the 21st century.

　　6. According to the passage, girls are victims of the gender gap in technology because .
　　A. they can not discover new ways to use computers
　　B.they have the same access to computers as boys
　　C. they are likely to be less comfortable with computers
　　D. they can only use computers for word processing

　　7. Girls often feel .
　　A. bored with computer games
　　B.comfortable using computers
　　C. it hard to use computers in word processing
　　D. worried about using computers

　　8. The research on girls and computers is .
　　A. based on a few recent articles
　　　　B.presented by one person
　　C. based on thousands of studies
　　　　D. not considered well grounded

　　9. The software company seems to think .
　　A. if girls had an equal chance of playing games, they would like computers
　　B.if the software was more violent, girls would be more interested
　　C. if the software content was changed, girls would be more interested
　　D. if the character were funny, girls would like them better

　　10. The gender gap needs to be closed because .
　　A. it isn’t fair that boys are allowed to use computers all the time
　　B.there isn’t enough money for upgrading computers
　　C. most of the causes may boil down to a question of money
　　D. the ability to use computers is important in today’s world
Part Ⅰ Cloze Test ( 15 minutes, 5 points)

　　Directions: There are ten blanks in the following passage. For each numbered blank, there are four choices marked A, B, C and 　　D. Choose the best one and mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center.

　　Visitors to this country are normally admitted for six months, but foreign students can usually stay for one year. They must 56 an educational institution, and they are required to study for a 57 of fifteen hours a week on a daytime course. Prospective students have to show that they can afford their studies, and that they have sufficient 58 resources to support themselves 59 in this country.
　　In order to work here the foreigner needs a work permit, 60 must be applied for by his prospective employer. The problem here is that the Department of Employment has the right to grant or 61 these permits, and there is little that can be done 62 it；it would be extremely unwise for a foreign visitor to work 63 a permit, since anyone doing so is liable to immediate deportation （驱逐出境）. There are some people from the European countries, who are often given 64 residence permits of up to five years. Some other people, such as doctors, foreign journalists, authors and others can work without permits, and foreign students are normally allowed to 65 part-time jobs while they are studying here.

　　11.A. establish
　　B.purchase
　　 C. prove
　　D. attend
　　12.A. minimum
　　B.maximum
　　C. minority 　　
　　D. majority
　　13.A. natural
　　B.financial
　　C. human
　　D. economical
　　14.A. after
　　B.since
　　C. while
　　D. before
　　15.A. it
　　B.what
　　C. that
　　D. which
　　16. A. receive
　　B.refuse
　　C. oppose
　　D. accept
　　17. A. for
　　 B.on
　　C. about
　　D. with
　　18. A. with
　　 B.before
　　C. after
　　D. without
　　19. A. temporary
　　B.interior
　　C. permanent
　　D. short
　　20. A. engage
　　 B.take
　　C. expect
　　D. work

　　Paper Two
Part Ⅴ Translation (30 minutes, 15 points)
Directions: Translate the following passage into Chinese and put your translation on the ANSWER SHEET.

　　The generation gap is so great in Hong Kong that the teenagers there rarely turn to their parents or teachers for advice on anything. Whether it be sex, AIDS, school worries or family problems, adults are not considered up to the joB.　　

　　Until now, no one has asked Hong Kong youth,“What do you think?”Some understanding of the emotions of Hong Kong’s youth, however, has come from the work of Dr. Jeffrey Day—at the University of Hong Kong. His survey of young people does not focus, for example, on how many drugs they take—but tries to answer the question why.

　　Dr. Day hopes the results, which he plans to explain in full next week, will reveal what troubles—as well as pleases-today’s high school students. Conclusions will be passed on not only to government departments but back to the schools which took part.

Part Ⅱ Writing (30 minutes, 15 points)

　　Directions: You are to write in no less than 120 words about the title“Life-long Learning”. You should base your composition on the Chinese outline given below：
1.终身学习对每一个人的重要性。
2.终身学习的方式有多种……
3.你认为你应该采取哪种方式, 为什么？

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