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二级自测

发布日期:2015-03-05    作者:     来源:    点击:

二级学业测试

College English Achievement Test

Part I Listening Comprehension (25%)

Section A

Directions: In this section, you’ll hear five short conversations. After each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversation and question will be read only once. Listen carefully and choose the best answer to each question.

1.   A. In a hotel.                                                          B. In a post office.

      C. In a library.                                                        D. In a laboratory.

2 A. A friend told her about it.                                   B. She saw an ad in the newspaper.

      C. She heard about it during a television interview.  D. She saw it on a notice board.

3.   A. He doesn’t care much about it.                           B. He enjoys it very much.

      C. He doesn’t mind even though it’s tedious.          D. He hates working overtime.

4. A. The woman doesn’t think it exciting to travel by air.

      B. They’ll stay at home during the holidays.

      C. They are offered some plane tickets for their holidays.

      D. They’ll be flying somewhere for their vacation.

5.   A. $150.                                                               B. $100.

      C. $300.                                                               D. $200

 

Section B

Directions: In this section, you’ll hear a long conversation. The conversation will be read twice. At the end of the passage, you’ll hear five questions. Listen carefully and choose the best answer to each question.

6.   A. The benefits of strong business competition.     

      B. A proposal to lower the cost of production.

      C. Complaints about the expense of modernization.

      D. Suggestions concerning new business strategies.

7.   A. It costs much more than its value.                    

      B. It should be brought up-to-date.

      C. It calls for immediate repairs.                             

      D. It can still be used for a long time.

8.   A. The personnel manager should be fired for inefficiency.

      B. A few engineers should be employed to modernize the factory.

      C. The entire staff should be retrained.

      D. Better-educated employees should be promoted.

9.   A. Their competitors have long been advertising on TV.

      B. TV commercials are less expensive.

      C. Advertising in newspapers alone is not sufficient.

      D. TV commercials attract more investments.

10. A. Time.                                                                 B. Human resources.

      C. The costs.                                                          D. Other competitors.

 

Section C

Directions: In this section, you’ll hear a short passage. The passage will be read twice. At the end of the passage, you’ll hear five questions. Listen carefully and choose the best answer to each question.

11.  A. The prison gates are always open.                         B. Its prisoners can work outside.

      C. The prison has no armed guards.                           D. The prison is open to the public.

12. A. The prisoners are provided with jobs on release.    

      B. Its prisoners are seldom made to work overtime.

      C. It is run on the principle of trusting prisoners.

      D. It has no security measures.

13. A. One year.                                                              B. Two years.

C. Thirteen years.                                                      D. Fourteen years.

14. A. Because he has served his sentence for nearly fourteen years.

B. Because he was remarried.

C. Because Toluker gave him the confidence for life.

D. Because he wanted to contribute to the society.

15. A. Doubtful.                                                              B. Positive.

C. Critical.                                                                 D. Indifferent

 

Section D

Directions: There is a passage with eight blanks in this section. You’ll hear the passage read twice. Listen carefully and fill in the blanks with what you have heard.

May first is an important date in the college (16) _______ process in the United States. This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or (17) ______ offers of admission in the fall. Offers are sent by April fifteenth.

Acceptance (18) _______ at the top colleges were lower than ever this year. No surprise, just more (19) _______ from stories of top students getting rejection letters even from less competitive schools.

Numbers tell the story. The Education Department (20) _______ that the number of high school graduates in the United States will reach the highest level ever this year. Three million three hundred thirty thousand students are expected to graduate.

But not only are there more college applicants these days, they are also (21) _______ to more colleges. Online and common applications make the process easier. It can mean several acceptances to choose from. It also means (22)________________________________________.

Many colleges and universities hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight; sort of a test drive. Some schools send gifts. At least one college has its international students write letters in the native languages of accepted applicants.

For  many  families, though, the  most  important  thing  colleges  can  do  is  to show  them the money. Lately, top schools with lots of money have increased their financial aid, (23) __________________________________.

 

Part II Reading Comprehension (25%)

Section A

Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.

  

Questions 1 to 10 are based on the following passage:

NEW YORK (AP) — In a report, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said 47 percent of U.S. adult Internet users have looked for (1) _______ about themselves through Google or another search engine.

That is (2)_____ than twice the 22 percent of users who did in 2002, but Pew senior research specialist Mary Madden was surprised the (3) _____ wasn’t higher. “Yes, it’s doubled, but it’s still the case that there’s a big chunk of Internet users who have never done this simple act of plugging their names with search engines,” she said. “Certainly (4)_____ has increased, but I don’t know it’s necessarily kept pace with the amount of content we post about ourselves or what others post about us.”

About 60 percent of Internet users said they aren’t worried about the extent of information about themselves online, despite increasing (5) _____ over how that data can be used. Americans under 50 and those with more education and income were more (6)______ to self-Google — in some cases because their jobs demand a certain online persona.

Meanwhile, Pew found that 53 percent of adult Internet users (7)_____ to looking up information about someone else, celebrities excluded. Often, it’s to find someone they’ve lost (8)_____ with. But looking up information about friends, (9)_____ , colleagues and neighbors also was common. Besides, men and women equally searched for online information about themselves, women were (10)_____  more likely to look up information about someone they are dating.

 

A)    destination

B)    concern

C)    cases

D)    touch

E)     decrease

F)     allow

G)    slightly

H)    awareness

(I) information

(J)    relatives

(K)  likely

(L)   admit

(M) growth

(N)  necessarily

(O)  more

 

Section B

Directions: There are three reading passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best answer to each question.

 

Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage:

If a man’s mother is highly educated, chances are the woman he marries will have a similar education, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Iowa found that nearly 80 percent of high-achieving men who were sons of mothers with college degrees married women with a similar education. And 62 percent of men whose mothers had graduate degrees tied the knot with a graduate degree holder.

“These young men look up to their mothers as role models. They grew up in a family where their mothers were educated women,” sociologist Christine Whelan, who conducted the study, said in an interview. “For an increasing number of these men ... when they make their own choices about someone who they think will be a good wife in the future or a good mother, they go back to their role models.”

Whelan and her colleague Christie Boxer studied data on 3,700 people who took part in a survey about men and the educational level of the women close to them. All the men surveyed were considered to be high achievers in their 20s and 30s who earned salaries in the top 10 percent for their age group. The researchers found that more than 70 percent of the men had mothers who worked while they were growing up, and that the same group was twice as likely to marry women who made $50,000 or more a year.

Whelan, who interviewed more than 100 men and has written a book entitled Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women, found many men welcomed the idea of a working spouse. “They are increasingly excited about the idea that they won't have to be the only bread winner in the family, so these men are attracted to women who have a job and express a continuing interest to work,” Whelan explained.

11. According to the passage, in choosing their wives, men usually_____ .

A. marry women with the same family background as his

B. prefer the younger and lively type

C. follow their own mothers as the role model

D. hate to marry the smart women

12. The men in Whelan’s survey are most_____ .

   A. from the celebrated and wealthy family

   B. likely to marry a girl from a working class family

   C. high achievers in their age group

   D. likely to be single

13. It can be inferred from the passage that ____ .

   A. mother has great impact on son’s choice of marriage

   B. working mothers can set a good example for their sons

   C. mother’s working experiences affect son’s personality

   D. women should earn more money

14. The word “spouse” means _____ .

   A. bachelor                    B. fiancée                   C. husband or wife              D. class

15. The author’s tone in this passage is ____ .

   A. neutral                      B. joking                    C. ironic                       D. critical

Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage:

In some countries where racial prejudice is acute (尖锐的), violence has so come to be taken for granted as a means of solving differences, that it is not even questioned. There are countries where the white man imposes his rule by brute force; there are countries where the black man protests by setting fire to cities and by looting and pillaging. Important people on both sides, who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor of violence as if it was a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fills you with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch (紧要关头), we have made no actual progress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basically unchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation of violence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learnt that violence never solves a problem but makes it more acute. The sheer horror, the bloodshed and the suffering mean nothing. No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruins and wonder what hit us.

The truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and harder to get a hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because they advocate (提倡) such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes into violent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the slums and ghettos, at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we would have gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is sapped (削弱) by having to mop up the mess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill the ideals of a stable social program. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutions are everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible, providing we work within the framework of the law.

Before we can even begin to contemplate peaceful co-existence between the races, we must appreciate each other’s problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simple exercise in communication, in exchanging information. ‘Talk, talk, talk,’ the advocates of violence say, ‘all you ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser.’ It’s rather like the story of the famous barrister (律师) painstakingly explained his case to the judge. After listening to a lengthy argument the judge complained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. ‘Possible, my lord,’ the barrister replied, ‘none the wiser, but surely far better informed.’ Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite to wisdom.

16. What is the best title for this passage?

A. Advocating Violence.

B. Violence Can Do Nothing to Diminish Race Prejudice.

C. Important People on Both Sides See Violence as a Legitimate Solution.

D. The Instincts of the Human Race Are Thirsty for Violence.

17. Recorded history has taught us _____ .

A. violence never solves anything                  

B. nothing

C. the bloodshed means nothing                           

D. everything

 

18. It can be inferred from the second paragraph that truly reasonable men ______ .

A. can get a hearing                          B. are not looked down upon

C. are not persecuted                        D. have difficulties in communicating with other races

19. “He was none the wiser” means _____ .

A. he was not at all wise in listening B. he was not at all wiser than before

C. he gains nothing after listening            D. he makes no sense of the argument

20. According to the author, the best way to solve race prejudice is ______ .

A. law enforcement                                 B. knowledge

C. nonviolent activities                            D. mopping up the violent mess

 

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

Mrs. Lester kept on asking her husband to take her to the ballet (芭蕾舞剧). Mr. Lester hates the ballet, but when his employer invited him and his wife, he could not get out of it. As they drove to the theatre that evening, the fog got worse and worse. The traffic slowed down to a walking pace and almost stopped. When they eventually got to the theatre, the ballet was over. Mrs. Lester could not work out how it had taken them so long to get there, even taking the fog into account. The theatre was within walking distance of their house. It took her a long time to get over the disappointment. A month later, Mrs. Lester found out what had happened. Mr. Lester told a friend of his that he had taken wrong turning on purpose. This friend told his wife, and the wife immediately went around telling Mrs. Lester. The two women began to plan revenge.

One day, when Mr. Lester was not in, they broke into his study, which he always locked. His hobby was collecting old coins. Mrs. Lester had already worked out how much his collection was worth: $850! They were taking some coins out of the case when they heard a car pull up outside the house. Mrs. Lester quickly switched the light off, and they waited, holding their breath. The front door opened and Mr. Lester came in. They heard him take his coat off. He walked towards the study door and opened it. There was no chance for the women to get away without being seen. Mr. Lester switched the light on and was astounded to see his wife standing there with a handful of valuable coins. It took both husband and wife a long time to get over this.

21Which of the following is correct?

A. Mr. Lester likes to watch ballet.

B. Both of them like to watch ballet.

C. Mrs. Lester likes to watch ballet.

D. Neither of them likes to watch ballet.

22. It was quite_____ when they drove to the theatre.

A. rainy                           B. stormy                 C. cloudy                 D. foggy

23. The theater is_____ from Mr. and Mrs. Lester’s home.

A. an hour-driving                                       B. far away

C. not far                                                       D. 10 miles away

24. How did Mr. Lester avoid going to the theatre?

       A. He refused to accept the invitation.

       B. He gave the tickets to another couple.

       C. He missed the performance because of the traffic jam.

       D. He missed the performance by taking the wrong turning on purpose.

25.  The wife of Mr. Lester’s friend must be a _____.

A. social worker              B. house cleaner              C. gossip            D. baby sitter

 

Part III Vocabulary and Structure (20%)

Directions: For each of the following sentences there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one answer that best completes the sentence.

1A rare smile ______ her stern features.

    A. lit up                 B. outgrew                   C. stunned                 D. converted

2. It’s stupid of you to lose your temper when you are ought to _____ your argument. 

    A. object to            B. list                           C. apply                     D. reinforce

3. The kitchen _______ fresh baked bread, which carried her back to her childhood.

    A. emerged             B. smelled of                C. displayed               D. pervaded

4. He declared it was his wife’s handwriting, _____ his lawyer.

    A. as done            B. so as to                      C. as did                    D. protesting against

5. We should try to _______ that he is wasting his life in his job.

    A. call him through                                                                     B. get through to him

      C. enlighten him with                                 D. come about

6. Reducing the gap between the rich and poor is one of the main _______ facing the government.

      A. confrontations                                        B. confrontation       

      C. challenges                                              D. challenge

7. In his speech he _____the importance of education by giving full details of the most serious problems caused by the educational system.

     A. talked                B. reported on               C. dealt with              D. dwelt on

8. Celina’s parents are Spanish _____, but they have British citizenship.

A. by birth              B. from birth                C. in origin                D. of origin

9. After the ex-manager resigned, Fred was ____ to the vacant post.

    A. obtained             B. accepted                   C. appointed              D. employed

10. Make sure that the name on the envelope _____ with the name on the letter inside.

      A. amounts            B. equals                      C. corresponds           D. echo

11. Jack, have you got that job yet?

Not yet. It’s still ______. I haven’t made up my mind yet.

   A. off balance         B. in the balance           C. on balance             D. out of balance

12. ______to the doctor right away, he might have been alive today.

A. If he went          B. Had he gone             C. Were he gone        D. Should he have gone

13. Careful planning and hard work will _______ our final success.

A. enclose              B. ensure                      C. discharge               D. deny

14. When you fill in the application form, please use your _______ address so that we can contact you easily later.

   A. policy                B. plain                        C. permanent             D. principal

15. He _______ to study harder in the future so that he could have more opportunities to find a better job.

  A. resolved             B. resorted                    C. requested              D. reserved

16. When a spacecraft travels, one of the major problems is the reentry into the Earth’s _______.

   A. surface               B. atmosphere              C. attitude                 D. bent

17. After working for twenty hours without any rest, the doctors were _______. 

  A. exhausted          B. mounted                  C. wrapped                D. restored

18. This movie has a _______ ending. You can not imagine who will be killed finally.

   A. dramatic            B. original                    C. considerable          D. tempting

19. He always _______ to everything and never agrees with anybody.

      A. protests              B. gives                        C. yields                    D. objects

20. These programs are designed for those young people who want to _______ higher education but do not have enough time to go to university.

  A. persist                B. purse                        C. purchase               D. pursue

 

Part IV  Cloze (10%)

Directions: There are 10 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one answer that best fits into the passage.

If you  1   begin a new job tomorrow, you would bring with you some basic strengths and weaknesses. Success or   2   in your work would depend, to a great extent,   3   your ability to use your strengths and weaknesses to the best advantage. Of the utmost importance is your   4   . A person who begins a job    5   that he isn't going to like it or is sure that he is going to fail is exhibiting a weakness which can only   6   his success. On the other hand, a person who is secure   7    his belief that he is probably as capable        8    doing the work as anyone else and who is willing to make a cheerful attempt at it possesses a certain strength of purpose. The  9   are that he will do well.

10 the prerequisite skills for a particular job is strength. Lacking those skills is obviously a weakness. A bookkeeper who can't add or a carpenter who can't cut a straight line with a saw is hopeless cases.

1. A. are to                    B. will                             C. were to                     D. would

2. A. improvement        B. victory                        C. failure                      D. achievement

3. A. in                         B. on                               C. of                             D. to

4. A. attitude                 B. intelligence                 C. perseverance             D. skill

5. A. complaining          B. concluded                   C. prevented                 D. convinced

6. A. hinder                   B. promote                      C. reinforce                  D. delay

7. A. onto                      B. on                               C. off                           D. in

8. A. to                         B. at                                C. of                             D. for

9. A. chances                 B. proportion                   C. likelihood                 D. dream

10. A. Have                     B. Had                             C. Having                     D. Had been

 

Part V Translation (20%)

Section A

Directions:  In this part there are some sentences taken from the reading passages. Translate them into Chinese. Refer to the related passages they are chosen from if necessary.

 

1.   If a man’s mother is highly educated, chances are the woman he marries will have a similar education.

                                                                                   

                                                                                  

2. They are increasingly excited about the idea that they won’t have to be the only bread winner in the family, so these men are attracted to women who have a job and express a continuing interest to work.

                                                                                   

                                                                                  

3. In some countries where racial prejudice is acute, violence has so come to be taken for granted as a means of solving differences, that it is not even questioned.

                                                                                  

                                                                                  

4. The truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and harder to get a hearing.

                                                                                  

                                                                                  

5. Mrs. Lester could not work out how it had taken them so long to get there, even taking the fog into account.

                                                                                  

                                                                                  

 

Section B

Directions: Complete the sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets.

6. 他把他的成功归功于他的老师和家人。

                                                                                  

                                                                                  

7. After she traveled from the Europe,  she                                                                            

                                                               (开始用一种新的眼光看待生活).

8. I have given up my plan.                                                       (你有什么可供选择的建议吗)

9                                                           (不要对孩子过分严厉), otherwise he will develop a rebellious character.

10.在政府的领导下,人民奋起应对地震后的各种困难。

                                                                                  

                                                                                   

 

Key to College English Achievement Test

Band 2

 

Part I  Listening Comprehension (25%2223每题2分,其余每题1)

 

Section A

1. C               2. A                      3. B                     4. D                    5. C

 

Section B

6. D               7. B                     8. B                     9. C                     10. C

 

Section C

11. B               12. C                   13. A                    14. C                   15. B

 

Section D

16. admission                               17. reject                                             18. rates    

19. stress                                       20. predicts                                         21. applying

22. more work for colleges to get the students they accepted to accept them

23. putting pressure on other colleges to do the same

 

 

Part II  Reading Comprehension (25%,每题1)

 

Section A

1. I                 2. O                     3. M                     4. H                      5. B  

6. K                7. L                      8. D                     9. J                       10. G

 

Section B

11. C                12. C                      13. A                      14. C                      15. A 

16. B                17. B                      18. D                      19. C                      20. B

21. C                22. D                      23. C                      24. D                      25. C

 

 

Part III Vocabulary and Structure (20%,每题1)

1. A                  2. D                        3. B                        4. C                        5. B            

6. C                  7. D                        8. A                        9. C                        10. C

11. B                12. B                      13. B                      14. C                      15. A   

16. B                17. A                      18. A                      19. D                      20. D

Part IV  Cloze (10%,每题1)

1. C                  2. C                        3. B                        4. A                        5. D            

6. A                  7. D                        8. C                        9. A                        10. C

 

 

Part V  Translation (20%)

 

Section A (每题2)

1. 如果一个男人的母亲受到过很高的教育,那么他很有可能会娶一个有相同教育背景的女人。

2. 他们愈来愈欢迎这样一种观点:男人不再是家庭唯一的经济来源,因此这些男人更喜欢那些有工作并有兴趣继续工作的女性。

3. 在一些种族歧视非常严重的国家里,暴力成为解决纠纷的理所当然的方式,而且这一点甚至未被人质疑过。

4. 那些真正理智又知道问题答案的人们却发现获得发言申诉的机会是越来越难了。

5. 即使将浓雾的因素考虑进去,莱斯特夫人仍然搞不懂他们怎么会用了那么长时间才到达剧院。

 

Section B (每题2)

6.      He owes his success to his teachers and family.

7.      began to view/see life from a new perspective

8.      Do you have any alternative suggestion?

9.      Don’t be so hard on the boy,

10.   Under the leadership of the government, people have been striving to deal with all kinds of hardships after the earthquake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Script for Listening Comprehension

Band 2

 

Part I  Listening Comprehension

 

Section A

Directions: In this section, you’ll hear five short conversations. After each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversation and question will be read only once. Listen carefully and choose the best answer to each question.

 

1.      M:   There is a limit of three books for every student.

      W:   Fine. I’ll be certain to return them on time.

      Q: Where did their conversation probably take place?

2.   M:   How did you find your job? Was it advertised in the paper?

      W:   I looked and looked for months without finding anything. Then a friend told me about this job. So I applied and got it.

      Q: How did the woman learn about the job?

3. W:   You seem to have a lot of work to do at your office. You’re always staying late and working overtime.

M:       That’s true. But it’s no bother to me. The work is interesting. I don’t mind extra hours at all.

      Q: How does the man feel about his job?

4. M:   Well, the holiday should soon be here.

      W:   Yes, isn’t it exciting by this time next week! We’ll be on the plane.

      Q: What do we learn from the conversation?

5. W:   Our rent is now $ 400 a week.

      M:   I know. It’s exactly one-third more than it was when we first moved in.

      Q: How much rent had been paid at first?

 

Section B

Directions: In this section, you’ll hear a long conversation. The conversation will be read twice. At the end of the passage, you’ll hear five questions. Listen carefully and choose the best answer to each question.

 

W: Hello, Gary. How’re you?

M: Fine! And you?

W: Can’t complain. Did you have time to look at my proposal?

M: No, not really. Can we go over it now?

W: Sure. I’ve been trying to come up with some new production and advertising strategies. First of all, if we want to stay competitive, we need to modernize our factory. New equipment should have been installed long ago.

M: How much will that cost?

W: We have several choices ranging from one hundred thousand dollars all the way up to half a million.

M: OK. We’ll have to discuss these costs with finance department.

W: We should also consider human resources. I’ve been talking to personnel department as well as our staff at the factory.

M: And what’s the result?

W: We’ll probably have to hire some engineers to help us modernize the factory.

M: What about advertising?

W: The marketing department has some interesting ideas for television commercials.

M: TV? Isn’t that a bit too expensive for us? What’s wrong with advertising in the papers, as usual?

W: Quite frankly, it’s just not enough anymore. We need to be more aggressive in order to keep ahead of our competitors.

M: Can we afford all this?

W: I’ll look into it, but I think higher costs will be justified. These investments will result in higher profits for our company.

M: We’ll have to look at the figures more closely. Have finance department draw up a budget for these investments.

W: All right. I’ll see to it.

 

Questions 6 to 10 are based on the conversation you have just heard.

6. What are the two speakers talking about?

7. What does the woman say about the equipment of their factory?

8. What does the woman suggest about human resources?

9. Why does the woman suggest advertising on TV?

10. What seems to be the man’s main concern for the new strategies at the end of the conversation?

 

Section C

Directions: In this section, you’ll hear a short passage. The passage will be read twice. At the end of the passage, you’ll hear five questions. Listen carefully and choose the best answer to each question.

 

In the high mountain country outside the city of Toluker, there stands a prison. This prison is quite different from other prisons in the world. The guards, except for two at the main gate, are not armed. There are many remarkable things about Toluker prison. For example, of the 15,000 individuals who have been in prison at Toluker, less than two percent have got into trouble again with the law. Men in the open prison are free to find work on the outside but must go back to prison each night. On weekends they are allowed to go home. When most other prisons are still sending criminals back into society, Toluker is returning people who stand on their own feet and contribute to society. In 1974, a prisoner called Barb Crook moved to the open prison. A year later, he left Toluker for the last time. He was then nearly forty six and had been in prison for fourteen years. He got a job as construction worker in the city, remarried and was regarded as a useful person of his community. If you ask Barb why Toluker works, he would say “Because they believed in me when I was at my worst.”

 

Questions 11 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard.

 

11. Why is Toluker prison called an open prison?

12. What is the essential characteristic of Toluker Prison?

13. How long did Barb Crook stay in the Toluker prison?

14. Why did Barb Crook reform himself after he left Toluker?

15. What is the speaker’s attitude toward this type of prison?

 

Section D

Directions: There is a passage with eight blanks in this section. You’ll hear the passage read twice. Listen carefully and fill in the blanks with what you have heard.

 

May first is an important date in the college admission process in the United States. This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall. Offers are sent by April fifteenth.

Acceptance rates at the top colleges were lower than ever this year. No surprise, just more stress from stories of top students getting rejection letters even from less competitive schools.

Numbers tell the story. The Education Department predicts that the number of high school graduates in the United States will reach the highest level ever this year. Three million three hundred thirty thousand students are expected to graduate.

But not only are there more college applicants these days, they are also applying to more colleges. Online and common applications make the process easier. It can mean several acceptances to choose from. It also means more work for colleges to get the students they accepted to accept them.

Many colleges and universities hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight; sort of a test drive. Some schools send gifts. At least one college has its international students write letters in the native languages of accepted applicants.

For many families, though, the most important thing colleges can do is to show them the money. Lately, top schools with lots of money have increased their financial aid, putting pressure on other colleges to do the same.