Part I. Paraphrase the following sentences or sentence fragments.

1. The slightest mention of the decade brings nostalgic recollections of to the middle-aged

2. The war acted merely as a catalytic agent in this breakdown of the Victorian social structure

3. with a clamor of bells that set the swallows soaring, the festival of summer came to the city Omelas

4. the riders exercised their restive horses before the race

5. by the very fact of production, he has risen above the animal kingdom

6. work became the chief factor in a system of inner-worldly asceticism, an answer to man’s sense of aloneness and isolation

7. the country itself is not uncomely, despite the grime of the endless mills

8. it reduced the whole aspiration of a man to a macabre and depressing joke

9. the Fiesta appears to have sunk without a trace

10. it was the automotive equivalent of the International Style

11. and yet the same revolutionary belief for which our forebears fought is still at issue around the globe

12. United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures.

13. Bar friends are not deeply involved in each other’s lives.

14. Even with the most educated and the most literate, the King’s English slips and slides in conversation.

15. let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors

16. The rejection of Victorian gentility was, in any case, inevitable.

17．Prohibition afforded the young the additional opportunity of making their pleasures illicit

18. each town had its fast set which prided itself on its unconventionality

19.  their high calls rise like the swallows’ crossing flights over the music and singing

20.  the riders exercised their restive horses before the race

21.  all are expressions of the creative transformation of nature by man’s reason and skill

22.  work became the chief factor in a system of inner-worldly asceticism, an answer to man’s sense of aloneness and isolation

23.  boy and man, I had been through it often before

24.  when they had taken on the patina of the mills it is the color of an egg long past all hope of caring

25. as in architecture, so in automaking

26. when every artist thought he owed it to himself to turn his back on the Eiffel Tower, as a protest against the architectural blasphemy

27. this much we pledge—and more.

28. to enlarge the area in which its writ may run

29. it is an activity only of humans

30. Even with the most educated and the most literate, the King’s English slips and slides in conversation.

31. There is always a danger that words will harden into things for us

32. It could still go ignorantly on

33.  each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty

34.  before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction

35. it has thus undermined an article of faith: the thingliness of things

36. the benefit is that he begins to suspect home in the traditional sense is another name for limitations

37. they meet, in some unfathomable way, its obscure and unintelligible demands

38. I award this championship only after laborious research and incessant prayer

39. he has a feeling of fraudulency about his product and a secret contempt for it

40. but this usefulness often serves only as a rationalization for the appeal to complete passivity and receptivity

41. its habits are too uncouth for it to respond to humane treatment

42. this is the treason of the artist, a refusal to admit the banality of evil and the terrible boredom of pain

43. this one lasted until the money run out, until the crash of the world economic structure at the end of the decade called the party to a halt and forced the revelers to sober up and face the problems of the new age

44. the country was blind and deaf to anything save the glint and ring of the dollar

45. each town had its fast set which prided itself on its unconventionality

Part II. Reading comprehension.

Passage 1

       The custom of sending the gullible on fool’s errands and of playing other practical jokes on April 1 has been around since at least the Middle Ages and has elicited more than its share of joking explanations. The two most popular ones in the nineteenth century, according to E. Cobham Brewer, were that April was a month of fickle (that is “fooling”) weather, and that the Jews started the custom during Jesus’s passion, by sending him on fool’s errands to various magistrates (Annas, Caiaphas, Herod, finally Pilate) before his crucifixion. An eighteenth century journalist related the custom to Noah’s error of “sending the dove out of the ark before the water had abated” on a date that corresponded to our April 1.

       William Walsh rightly ridiculed these speculations and offered a more plausible one. Until 1564, he pointed out, March 25 marked the European New Year, and the festivities associated with its arrival typically lasted eight days, until April 1. With the calendar change of that year, the New Year became January 1, but not everyone immediately got the message. Those who continued to make the New Year’s visits and to offer the traditional presents on April 1would have been accounted April Fools, and eventually these bona fide courtesies were replaced by “pretended gifts and mock ceremonial visits.”

       That explains why fooling should have become associated with the beginning of April, but, as Walsh himself makes clear, the concept of a day devoted to foolishness is older than the sixteenth century. Both the Roman Saturnalia and the medieval Feast of Fools provided opportunities for the overturning of conventional reason, and indeed the overturning of the social order itself. Slaves were freed at the Saturnalia, and Boy Bishops, Mock Kings, and Lord of Misrule were elected during the Middle Ages. Harvey Cox, in his provocative study of the Feast of Fools, emphasized its “implicitly radical dimension,” and places it within a social context whose flexibility was its capacity for self-mockery. “The divine right of kings, papal infallibility, and the modern totalitarian state,” he writes, “all flowered after the Feast of Fools disappeared.”

1.        Which of the following can best tell the main idea of the passage?

A.       the custom of April Fools

B.        the deviation of April Fools

C.       the account of April Fools

D.       the practice of April Fools

2.        Which of the following statements was not mentioned among the interpretations of April 1 festival?

A.       It originated from the Jews’ custom.

B.        It was related to Noah’s error.

C.       It came from the calendar change of the European New Year.

D.       It was the day of sending presents to foolish people.

3.        Which of the following words can best describe William Walsh’s explanation on April 1?

A.       reasonable

B.        factual

C.       practical

D.       sensible

4.        According to William Walsh, April Fools can most probably date back to

A.       the Middle Ages

B.        earlier than the sixteenth century

C.       the eighteenth century

D.       the nineteenth century

5.        What is associated with the Feast of Fools?

A.       the overturning of the Roman Saturnalia

B.        the disappearing of infallibility of the Pope

C.       the production of totalitarianism

D.       the freedom of slaves

Passage 2

In the last half of the nineteenth century “capital” and “l(fā)abor” were enlarging and perfecting their rival organizations on modern lines. Many an old firm was replaced by a limited liability company with a bureaucracy of salaried managers. The change met the technical requirements of the new age by engaging a large professional element and prevented the decline in efficiency that so commonly spoiled the fortunes of family firms in the second and third generation after the energetic founders. It was moreover a step away from individual initiative, towards collectivism and municipal and state-owned business. The railway companies, though still private business managed for the benefit of shareholders, were very unlike old family business. At the same time the great municipalities went into business to supply lighting, trams and other services to the taxpayers.

The growth of the limited liability company and municipal business had important consequences. Such large, impersonal manipulation of capital and industry greatly increased the numbers and importance of shareholders as a class, an element in national life representing irresponsible wealth detached from the land and the duties of the landowners; and almost equally detached from the responsible management of business. All through the nineteenth century, America, Africa, India, Australia and parts of Europe were being developed by British capital, and British shareholders were thus enriched by the world’s movement towards industrialization. Towns like Bournemouth and Eastbourne sprang up to house large “comfortable” classes who had retired on their incomes, and who had no relation to the rest of the community except that of drawing dividends and occasionally attending a shareholders’ meeting to dictate their orders to the management. On the other hand shareholding meant leisure and freedom which was used by many of the later Victorians for the highest purpose of a great civilization.

The “shareholders” as such had no knowledge of the lives, thoughts or needs of the workmen employed by the company in which he held shares, and his influence on the relations of capital and labor was not good. The paid manager acting for the company was in more direct relation with the men and their demands, but even he had seldom that familiar personal knowledge of the workmen which the employer had often had under the more patriarchal system of the old family business now passing away. Indeed the mere size of operation and the numbers of workmen involved rendered such personal relations impossible. Fortunately, however, the increasing power and organization of the trade unions, at least in all skilled trades, enabled the workmen to meet on equal terms the managers of the companies who employed them. The cruel discipline of the strike and lockout taught the two parties to respect each other’s strength and understand the value of fair negotiation.

1.      It’s true of the old family firms that ___.

A.       they were spoilt by the younger generations

B.        they failed for lack of individual initiative

C.       they lacked efficiency compared with modern companies

D.       they could supply adequate services to the taxpayers

2.      The growth of limited liability companies resulted in ___.

A.       the separation capital from management

B.        the ownership of capital by managers

C.       the emergence of capital and labor as two classes

D.       the participation of shareholders in municipal business

3.      According to the passage, all of the following are true EXCEPT that ___.

A.       the shareholders were unaware of the needs of the workers

B.        the old firm owners had a better understanding of their workers

C.       the limited liability companies were too large to run smoothly

D.       the trade unions seemed to play a positive role

4.      The author is most critical of ___.

A.       family firm owners

B.        landowners

C.       managers

D.       shareholders

Passage 3

       As another presidential election season unfolds, Americans remain frustrated with politics and unhappy with the alternatives the parties have to offer. Our public life is rife with discontent. President Clinton, who recently spoke of trying to lift Americans from their national “funk”, attributes the discontent to the insecurity of jobs in the global economy. His solution is to equip Americans, through federally supported education and job-training programs, to “compete and win” in the global economy. Republicans, on the other hand, interpret the discontent as unhappiness with big government. Their solution is to scale back the federal government, reduce regulation, and devolve power to states and localities.

       The problem, though, runs deeper than these diagnoses suggest; it concerns the public philosophy by which we live and the conception of citizenship that informs our political debates. American politics has lost its civic voice. Despite their disagreements, liberals and conservatives share an impoverished vision of citizenship, leaving them unable to address the anxiety and frustration abroad in the land.

       For the past half century Democrats and Republicans have debated the role of government in the market economy and the proper scope of rights and entitlements. But this debate does not speak to the two concerns at the heart of our discontent. One is the fear that, individually and collectively, we are losing control of forces that govern our lives. The other is the sense that, from family to neighborhood to nation, the moral fabric of community is unraveling around us. These two fears define the anxiety of the age.

1.      The main idea of the first paragraph is __.

A.       discontent abounds in American society

B.        President Clinton wants to lift Americans from their national “funk”

C.       Republicans are unhappy with big government

D.       both parties pursue some solutions to release the public frustration

2.      According to President Clinton, the national frustration with politics results from __.

A.       lack of secure jobs

B.        lack of education programs

C.       lack of job-training programs

D.       lack of job opportunities

3.      The word inform in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to __.

A.       tell

B.        notify

C.       pervade

D.       communicate

4.      The author believes in neither the Democrat’s nor the Republican’s solution because __.

A.       both solutions are based on the good of the two parties

B.        both solutions ignore the civic voice

C.       both parties share an impoverished vision of citizenship

D.       both solutions ignore the public philosophy

5.      What is the ultimate cause of Americans’ discontent with the alternatives the parties have to offer?

A.       They cannot agree on the proper role and scale of government in the market economy.

B.        They cannot agree on the proper scale of rights and entitlements granted to the people.

C.       They do not realize what the public is worried at heart.

D.       They do not realize that the public is unconcerned with politics.

6.      Which of the following statements can best describe the main idea of the whole passage?

A.       Both the Democratic and the Republican parties can not solve the public concerns.

B.        The solutions to the public frustration may lie in proper attention to the public concerns.

C.       American people are worried that they are losing control of forces that govern their lives.

D.       American people are afraid that the moral fabric of community has been destroyed.

Passage 4

       Although a historical lack of access to formal Spanish-language education initially limited the opportunities of some Chicanos to hone their skills as writers of Spanish, their bilingual culture clearly fostered an exuberant and compelling oral tradition. It has thus generally been by way of the emphasis on oral literary creativity that these Chicano writers, whose English-language works are sometimes uninspired, developed the powerful and arresting language that characterized their Spanish-language works. This Spanish-English difference is not surprising. When writing in Spanish, these authors stayed close to the spoken traditions of their communities where publication, support, and instructive response would come quickly in local or regional newspapers. Works in English, however, often required the elimination of nuance or colloquialism, the adoption of a formal tone and the adjustment of themes or ideas to satisfy the different demands of national publications.

1.       The passage is primarily concerned with doing which of the following?

A.        Debating the historical value of a literary movement

B.        Describing and accounting for a difference in literary styles

C.        Explaining a publishing decision and evaluating its results

D.         Analyzing the expectations of a particular group of readers

2.       According to the author, the Chicano oral experience contributed directly to which of the following characteristics in the work of some Chicano writers?

A.       A sensitivity to and adeptness in using the spoken language

B.       A tendency to appear in national rather than regional publications

C.       A style reflecting the influence of Spanish-language education

D.       A reliance on a rather formal style

3.       Which of the following best describes the function of the last two sentences of the passage?

A.         They expand on an advantage mentioned in the first sentence of the passage

B.        They outline the consequences of a limitation discussed in the first sentence of the passage

C.         They provide explicit examples drawn from the oral and the written works mentioned in the second sentence of the passage

D.         They explain the causes of a phenomenon mentioned in the third sentence of the passage

Passage 5

       Analyzing the physics of dance can add fundamentally to a dancer’s skill. Although dancers seldom see themselves totally in physical terms—as body mass moving through space under the influence of well-known forces and obeying physical laws—neither can they afford to ignore the physics of movement. For example, no matter how much a dancer wishes to leap off the floor and then start turning, the law of conservation of angular momentum absolutely prevents such a movement.

       Some movements involving primarily vertical or horizontal motions of the body as a whole, in which rotations can be ignored, can be studied using simple equations of linear motion in three dimensions. However, rotational motions require more complex approaches that involve analyses of the way the body’s mass is distributed, the axes of rotation involved in different types of movement, and the sources of the forces that produce the rotational movement.

1.      The primary purpose of the passage is to

A.       initiate a debate over two approaches to analyzing a field of study

B.        describe how one field of knowledge can be applied to another field

C.       point out the contradictions between two distinct theories

D.       define and elaborate on an accepted scientific principle

2.      The author mentions all the following as contributing to an understanding of the physics of dance EXCEPT

A.       the law of conservation of angular momentum

B.        analyses of the way in which the body’s mass is distributed

C.       equations of linear motion in three dimensions

D.       the technical terms for movements such as leaps and turns

Part III. Translation.

Passage 1

He hates his customers, who force him to put up a show in order to sell. He hates his competitors because they are a threat; his employees as well as his superiors, because he is in a constant competitive fight with them. Most important of all, he hates himself, because he sees his life passing by without making any sense beyond the momentary intoxication of success. Of course, this hate and contempt for others and for oneself, and for the very things one produces, is mainly unconscious, and only occasionally comes up to awareness in a fleeting thought, which is sufficiently disturbing to be set aside as quickly as possible.

Passage 2

Heartened by the knowledge that Polly was not altogether a cretin, I began a long, patient review of all I had told her. Over and over and over again I cited instances, pointed out flaws, kept hammering away without let-up. It was like digging a tunnel. At first everything was work, sweat and darkness. I had no idea when I would reach the light, or even if I would. But I persisted. I pounded and clawed and scraped, and finally I was rewarded. I saw a chink of light. And then the chink got bigger and the sun came pouring in and all was bright.

Passage 3

One speaks of human relations and one means the most inhuman relations, those between alienated automatons; one speaks of happiness and means the perfect routinization which has driven out the last doubt and all spontaneity. The alienated and profoundly unsatisfactory character of work results in two reactions: one, the ideal of complete laziness; the other, a deep-seated, though often unconscious hostility toward work and everything connected with it.

Part IV. Fill in each blank with the proper form of the word given in parentheses.

1.     Boxing has been a controversial topic of conversation for a long time; its supporters say that it is man’s instinct to show that his _____ is greater than that of his opponent. (strong)

2.    They maintain that this instinct makes boxing a sport fine and _____. (man)

3.    They also say that it is very good for young boys to learn how to defend themselves in case of ________. (necessary)

4.     those who wish to see the ________ of boxing say just the opposite. (abolish)

5.   They declare that it is ________ and savage. (brute)

6.       Professional fighters are particularly criticized, but even more so the promoters of the boxing matches who, it is said, make untold ________ out of the sufferings of boxers. (wealthily)

7.      It must be realized that boxers too can make much money, and a good fighter can look forward to a comfortable _______ if he is sensible. (retiree)

8.      It is __________ that a famous boxer can attract far more spectators than even the most famous pop singer or film star. (deny)

9.      Even the most _______ cannot fail to be affected by the exciting atmosphere of an important boxing match. (emotion)

10.   Although we may not always approve of the motives that lead a man to take up professional boxing as a career, we cannot help _______ his bravery in the ring. (admirable)

11.  Throughout the conversation, which he found most _______ he wore an __________ look. (interest)

12.    The young boy was watching the ________ leaves with great interest. (fall)

13.  Instantly he jumped into the stream and swam to the ________ child. (struggle)

14.   There’s a __________ contrast between a ___________ area and an area with a bumper harvest. (strike)

15.    What would be the _________ principle of the _________ missile. (guide)

16.    The ________ (escape) prisoner soon made his presence _______ (feel).

Part V. Fill in each of the following blanks with an appropriate word beginning with the letter given below.

       Perhaps the most vital person I have ever met is an Italian professor of philosophy who teaches at the University of Pisa. Although I l____ met this man eight years ago, I haven’t f________ his special qualities. I was especially i_______ by his devotion to teaching. Because his lectures were always well-prepared and clearly delivered, s________ swarmed into his classroom. His followers appreciated the f______ that he believed in what he taught and that he was intellectually stimulating. Furthermore he could be counted o____ to explain his ideas in an imaginative w_____, introducing such aids to understanding a____ painting, recording and pieces of sculpture. O______ he even sang a song in class to illustrate a p_____.

Part VI. Composition.

1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Grades (marks) encourage students to learn. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

2. Some people say that computers have made life easier and more convenient. Other people say that computers have made life more complex and stressful. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

3. Some people prefer to work for themselves or own a business, and others prefer to work for an employer. Would you rather be self-employed, own a business, or work for someone else? Use specific reasons to explain your choice