Passage 7
A well-balanced life is necessary to live in today's world. Without a well-balanced life a person can neither function properly nor develop into a well-rounded individual. Without some sort of balance in life people tend to be unfulfilled and unhappy.
I've experienced great stress in my study and work. And I've tried every means to adjust myself and relieve my stress. Finally I found a way out in my leisure time. Leisure time is very important and necessary for me. Without it I am sure I would go insane. I spend most of my extra time reading, listening to music, talking to my real life friends, or talking on the Internet with people I meet. I really enjoy going out into a quiet place and reading poetry or books by Walt Whitman and Robert Frost. If I did not make time for all of this I would not be able to handle everything else in life. Along with reading to relax, listening to music is very important to me. If I feel sad, I listen to slow songs, while if I am happy I like listening to fast songs. Music is the universal language and it can express different feelings. It can relate to the soul, or in fact I think it is the soul of feelings.
My real life friends and my Internet friends are also part of my leisure and social time. Friends have always been important to me. They are the backbone in everything I do. The good friends that I have are always there for me in every situation I am in. Without them I would not have led a healthy, balanced life. Not so long ago I went through a short time of depression. I fell behind in all my work and stopped talking to my friends. After a week of acting this way, one of my good friends pulled me aside and invited me to go for a walk with her. We talked about what was going on in my life and she helped me to figure out what I wanted to do. I do not know what would have happened if she had not been there.
Many things add to having a well-balanced life. Stress can be a very dangerous and tiresome experience. It can lead to depression and unhappiness. But when it happens, you can do something other than wait, like talking to your friends or listening to music. Then you may not think you should have been so stressed and depressed.
A well-balanced life is important to maintain. Without some sort of balance it is hard to get by in everyday life. And the creative use of leisure time plays a vital role.
31. What does the author mainly tell us in the passage?
a. A well-balanced life is not easy to have in today’s world.
b. She has experiences great stress in her study and work.
c. Satisfying work is crucial to having a well-balanced life
d. Leisure time plays a vital role in maintaining a well-balanced life
32. What does the author mean by saying “Finally I found a way out in my leisure time” (Line 2, Para. 2)?
a. She found leisure time could help relieve her stress and maintain a well-balanced life.
b. She found a way to enjoy herself in her leisure time.
c. She got to know how to spend her leisure time.
d. She came to understand what “a well-balanced life” means.
33. When does the author listen to slow music?
a. When she is happy.
b. When she is lonely.
c. When she is sad.
d. When she is trying to work.
34. How important are good friends to the author?
a. They usually help her lift the physical burden with their strong backbone.
b. They support her in everything she does and help her in every situation she is in.
c. They often pull her aside and invite her to go for a walk.
d. They will do everything that she wants them to do.
35. What main suggestion does the author gives in the passage on how to relieve stress?
a. Talking to friends
b. Listening to music
c. Reading poetry
d. Pursuing some leisure activities
Passage 8
Under normal conditions, the act of communication requires the presence of at least two persons: one who sends and one who receives the communication. In order to communicate thoughts and feelings, there must be a conventional system of signs or symbols that mean the same to the sender and the receiver.
The means of communication are too numerous and varied for systematic classification; therefore, the analysis must begin with the means of receiving communication. Reception of communication is achieved by our senses. Sight, hearing, and touching seem to play the most important roles. Smell and taste play very limited roles, for they cannot receive intellectual expression from fully developed systems of sings and symbols.
Examples of visual communication are gesture and imitation. Although both frequently accompany speech, there are systems that rely solely on sight, such as those used by deaf, and dumb persons. Another means of communicating visually is by signals of fire, smoke, flags, or flashing light. Feelings may be simply communicated by touch, such as by handshaking or backslapping, although a highly developed system of hand-stroking has enabled blind, deaf, and dumb persons to communicate intelligently. Whistling to someone, applauding in a theater, and other forms of communication by sound rely upon the ear as a receiver. The most fully developed form of auditory communication is, of course, the spoken language.
The means of communication mentioned so far have two features in common: they last only a short time, and the persons involved must be relatively close to each other. Therefore, all are restricted in time and space.
36. Reception of communication ___________
a. is more important than sending messages
b. depends on two persons
c. involves use of the senses
d play only limited roles
37. Applauding is specifically mentioned as an example of __________.
a. communication by sound
b. gesture and imitation
c. communication by sending a message
d. communication between the listener and speaker
38. Persons who cannot see, hear, or speak are able to communicate through_________.
a. gesturing c. smelling
b. handshaking d. hand-stroking
39. The author specifically mentions that speech is ____________ .
a. often used when other means are impossible
b. necessary for normal communication
c. the only highly developed system of communication
d. the most developed form of communication based on hearing
40. According to the passage, means of communication __________.
a. can develop quickly if there is enough time and space/
b. all have the same features
c. have some limitations even if they are fully developed
d depend on the persons involved
Passage 9
Advertising has become more and more popular in modern times. In the business world of today, supply is usually greater than demand. There is great competition between different manufacturers of the same kind of product to persuade customers to buy their own particular brand. They always remind the consumer of the name and the qualities of their products. They do this by advertising. The manufacturer advertises in the newspapers and on posters. He sometimes pays for songs about his product in commercial radio programs. He employs pretty salesgirls to distribute samples of it. He organizes competitions, with prizes for the winners. He often advertises on the screens of local cinemas. Most important of all, in countries that have television he has advertisements put into programs that will accept them. Manufacturers often spend large sums of money on advertisement.
We buy a particular product because we think that it is the best. We usually think so because of the advertisements that say so. However, some people never pause to ask themselves if the advertisements are telling the truth.
41. How many kinds of advertisements are mentioned in the passage?
a. 7 b. 5 c. 4 d. 6
42. According to the passage which of the following is NOT true?
a. Some people never have any doubts about what advertisements tell them.
b. Competition exists between different manufacturers of the same products.
c. The customer usually demands more than the manufacturer can supply.
d. The manufacturer wants to persuade customers to buy his own brand.
43. The underlined part “do this”(Line 4, paragraph 1) refers to _____________.
a. Advertising in the newspapers
b. Reminding people of their products
c. Employing attractive salesgirls to distribute samples
d. Organizing competitions with prizes for the winners
44. From the passage, we know if a customer buys a particular brand, he thinks that_________.
a. he can get a prize b. it is at the reasonable price
c. there is a competition d. it is the best product
45. Which of the following can be a best title for the passage?
a. Advertising b. Supply and demand
c. The manufacturer and the customer d. The result of advertisements
Passage 10
A great French writer has ever said that we should help everyone as possible as we can because we often need help ourselves. The small can even help the great. To this effect, he tells us the following story.
An ant was drinking at a small stream and fell in. She made desperate efforts to reach the side, but made no progress at all. The poor ant, almost exhausted, was still bravely trying her best when a dove saw her. Moved with pity the bird threw her a blade of grass, which supported her like a raft, and thus she reached the bank again. While she was resting and drying herself in the grass she heard a man approaching. The man was walking along barefooted and carrying a gun in his hand. As soon as he saw the dove he wished to kill her, and he would certainly have done so, but the ant bit him in the foot just as he raised his gun to fire. He stopped to see what was biting him, and the dove immediately flew away. It was an insect much weaker and smaller than herself that he had saved her life.
46. Where was the ant making desperate efforts?
a. Near a stream. b. In the water
c. On the bank. d. In front of a hunter.
47. The ant tried to reach the side _____________.
a. and went away b. but failed
c. but give up d. and made progress
48. The ant finally reached the bank __________.
a. with the help of a raft b. with the help of a blade of grass
c. on the dove’s back d. by jumping
49. How did the ant save the dove?
a. By biting the man in the foot b. By raising his gun upward
c. With the help of an animal d. By telling her to fly away
50. The moral of this story is ____________.
a. a friend in need is a friend indeed b. the ant is really a helpful animal
c. the small should help the great d. do not neglect any help by the small
