B

Michael, a typical American, stays home on workdays. He plugs into his personal computer terminal in order to connect with the office. After work, he puts on his headphones, watches a movie on his home video recorder, or plays baseball on the computer. On many days, Michael doesn’t talk to any other human beings, and he doesn’t see any people except the ones on television. Michael is imaginary, but his life style is very possible. The inventions of modern technology seem to be cutting us off from contact with our fellow human beings.

The world of business is one area in which technology is isolating us. Experts say, for example, that many people will soon be able to work at home. With access to a large central computer, employees such as office clerks, insurance agents, and accountants could do their jobs at display terminals in their own homes. They would never have to actually see the people they’re dealing with. In addition, the way employees are paid will change. Workers’ salaries will be automatically paid into their bank accounts, making paper checks unnecessary. No workers will stand in line to receive their pay or cash their check. Personal banking will change, too. Customers will deal with machines to put in or take out money from their accounts.         Another area that technology is changing is entertainment. Music, for instance, was once a group experience. People listened to music at concert halls or in small social gatherings. For many people now, however, music is an individual experience. Walking along the street or sitting in their living rooms, they wear headphones to build a wall of music around them. Movie entertainment is changing, too. Movies used to be social events. Now fewer people are going out to see a movie. Many more are choosing to wait for a film to appear on television or are borrowing videotapes to watch at home. Instead of laughing with others, viewers watch movies in their own living rooms.

36. After work, Michael likes to ________.

A. listen to music at the concert hall     B. watch a movie in his living room

C. run a program on his computer in his office

D. play baseball with his workmates

37. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A. Clerks will be able to work at home.

B. One can play baseball on the computer.

C. One can listen to music without disturbing others.

D. One can borrow books from libraries at home.

38. The sentence “Michael is imaginary, but his lifestyle is very possible” means ________.

A. Michael is a person full of imagination and he can make his dreams come true

B. Michael is not a real person but the lifestyle does exist

C. Michael has ambitions but he can’t make his dreams come true

D. Michael is a person full of imagination and his lifestyle is common nowadays

39. What will the author most probably discuss after the last paragraph?

A. Games and sports.      B. Personal banking.

C. Music and films.      D. International business.

40. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. We may no longer need to communicate with other human beings.

B. Modern technology seems to be separating human being.

C. We may no longer need to work in the office.

D. Modern technology makes it possible for us to work and entertain ourselves at home.

C

Specialists say it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock” is the term these specialists use when talking about the feelings that people have in a new environment. There are three stages of culture shock, say the specialists. In the first stage, the newcomers like their new environment. Then, when the fresh experience dies, they begin to hate the city, the country, the people, and everything else. In the last stage, the newcomers begin to adjust to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life more.

There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The customs may be different. The public service systems—the telephones, post office, or transportation—may be difficult to work out. The simplest things seem to be big problems. The language may be difficult.

Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. But culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who never had any difficulties in their own community. Coming to a new country, these people find they do not have the same established positions. They find themselves without any identity. They have to build a new self-image.

Culture shock gives rise to a feeling of disorientation (迷失方向). This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying inside all the time. They want to protect themselves from the strange environment, and create an escape inside their room for a sense of security. This escape does solve the problem of culture shock for the short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and gaining experience — these are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock.

41. When people move to a new country, they _______.

A. will get used to their new surroundings with difficulty

B. have well prepared for the new surroundings

C. will get used to the culture of the country quickly

D. will never be familiar with the culture of the country

42. According to the passage, factors that give rise to culture shock include all of the following except __________.

A. language communication    B. weather conditions and customs

C. public service systems     D. homesickness

43. According to the passage, the more successful you are at home, _______.

A. the fewer difficulties you may have abroad

B. the more difficulties you may have abroad

C. the more money you will earn abroad

D. the less homesick you may feel abroad

44. When people are homesick, they tend to ______.

A. find some people to talk to     B. go outside to have a walk

C. visit their friends far away     D. stay indoors all the time

45. The writer tells us that the best way to overcome culture shock is to ______.

A. protect ourselves from unfamiliar environment

B. develop a strange sense of self-protection

C. get familiar with new culture

D. return to our own country

D

I am a writer. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language — the way it can evoke(唤起) an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth. Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all — all the Englishes I grew up with.

Born into a Chinese family that had recently arrived in California, I've been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as "broken" English. But I feel embarrassed to say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than "broken", as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked certain wholeness. I've heard other terms used, "limited English," for example. But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people's perceptions(认识) of the limited English speaker.

I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother's "limited" English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. And I had plenty of evidence to support me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.

I started writing fiction in 1985. And for reasons I won't get into today, I began to write stories using all the Englishes I grew up with: the English she used with me, which for a lack of a better term might be described as "broken", and what I imagine to be her translation of her Chinese, her internal (内在的) language, and for that I sought to preserve the essence, but neither an English nor a Chinese structure: I wanted to catch what language ability tests can never show; her intention, her feelings, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts.

46. By saying "Language is the tool of my trade", the author means that ______.

A. she uses English in foreign trade   B. she is fascinated by languages

C. she works as a translator    D. she is a writer by profession

47. The author used to think of her mother's English as ______.

A. impolite  B. amusing  C. imperfect   D. practical

48. Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?

A. Americans do not understand broken English.

B. The author's mother was not respected sometimes.

C. The author' mother had positive influence on her.

D. Broken English always reflects imperfect thoughts.

49. The author gradually realizes her mother's English is _____.

A. well structured     B. in the old style

C. easy to translate     D. rich in meaning

50. What is the passage mainly about?

A. The changes of the author's attitude to her mother's English.

B. The limitation of the author's perception of her mother.

C. The author's misunderstanding of "limited" English.

D. The author's experiences of using broken English.

第二节 信息匹配(共5小题;每小题2分，满分10分)

阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。  请注意：E=AB;   F=CD

下列是一些英文信件的模板

A

Dear Mr. / Ms. Last Name,

Thank you so much for hiring me to the position of teaching assistant. I appreciate the time you took to interview me, and I am very glad to be working for you.

I look forward to starting my position and, once again, I'd like to thank you for this great opportunity.

Sincerely,

Your Signature