中石化中级职称英语

25 17 and 35，and most organizations specially make mature students the look．‘‘You’11 give everybody a fright and wake people up for miles

targets．

At present，homestay programs do not come under any quality guarantee schemes．The British Council and other inspection groups expect that，by the end of 1995，homestay programs will have their own quality scheme．But，as yet，no methods of monitoring and inspection have been agreed upon．This is likely to be a major logistical problem as many operators have hundreds of teachers running course all over the country． around．Besides，they’11 think you a drunkard，and me too，probably．And

then we’11 have a policeman after us．’’ “Never mind，”I said，intoxicated more with the sound of my own voice than with the few drinks we had．“I don’t care．What does it matter?”And I went on singing him the latest tunes at the top of my voice． Presently there came behind us the sound of a heavy tread，and before you could say‘‘Jack Robinson”，a policeman was standing in front of me，Questions：

What is homestay program?Living with the teacher(to get immersed in the English environment and culture)to learn English better．

If a person takes the homestay program，he will learn English better／he immersed in the English culture． What does the author suggest?

If students want to learn English better they should take homestay programs．

In order to make sure of the quality of the programs，they must . ···be inspected．

What is the main idea of the passage?

How to learn English better．／Homestay program． Passage 6

One evening，long after most people had gone to bed，a friend and I were making our way merrily home through the silent and almost deserted streets．We had been to a musical，and were talking about the people we had seen and heard in it．

“That show made him a star overnight,”said my friend about one of them．“He was completely unknown before．And now thousands of teenagers send him chocolates and love letters by every post．’’ “I thought him quite good，”I said，“but not worth thousands of love letters daily．As a matter of fact，one of his songs gave me a pain．’’ “What was that?”my friend asked．“Sing it to me．” I burst into a parody of the song． “Be quiet，for heaven’s sake．”My friend had given me an astonished

his notebook open，and a determined look on his face． “Excuse me，sir．”he said，“you have a remarkable voice，if I may say so．Who taught you singing'?I’d very much like to find someone who can give my daughter singing lessons．Would you be kind enough to tell me your name and address? Then my wife or 1 would drop you a line and we could discuss the matter．” Questions：

1)When did the writer and his friend walk home one evening? 1)Long after most people had gone to bed．／Late one evening. 2)Where had they been?2)They had been to a musical． 3)Why did his friend ask him to be quiet?

3)Because his friend thought that he would give everybody a fright and wake people up for miles around．Besides，they would think them drunkards． 4)What did they hear soon?4)The sound of a heavy tread． 5)Why did the policeman want to know his name and address? 5)He wanted to ask him to give his daughter singing lessons． Passage 7

One evening last week，my wife and I were sitting quietly at home．She was watching TV while I was reading a book. Suddenly we heard a loud band．I supposed that the old lady in the flat above ours was moving the furniture about．My wife was afraid that the noise would wake the baby. She turned down the television and a moment later we heard someone calling for help. I ran upstairs．The old lady’s door was shut，but I could see smoke coming through the letterbox and under the door，and could smell something burning．“the flat is on fire，”I shouted down to my wife，“ring the fire

brigade．”

26 4)Why did his wife go upstairs with the old lady when the firemen left?

I banged on the door，but the old lady took a long time to answer．I was turning over in my mind the idea of breaking the door down when she finally appeared．

“I was having a bath，”she said，“when the water heater in the kitchen blew up．”

“Why didn’t you open the door?”I asked her． “I was getting dressed when you knocked，”she said，looking embarrassed． I took her downstairs to our flat．Then I ran back，went inside the old lady's flat and turned the gas off to prevent another explosion．Smoke was pouring out of the kitchen and the heater was in flames．Just then I heard a fire engine arriving outside and the heavy footsteps of the firemen on the stairs．I looked round and noticed two of them standing in the doorway.“It’s in here．’’I said． “You turned up promptly，I must say．” When I got back to our flat，my wife was making the old lady a cup of tea．Soon afterwards，the fire chief came in to ask some questions．It turned out that the fire was not very serious and the firemen were already putting it out when they left，my wife went up with the old lady to help her clear up the mess．

When she returned，my wife remarked：“it’s all right now．Nothing was damaged except the heater．But wasn’t it lucky that Baby slept through all that noise?’’

She took the teacups into the kitchen and I heard her scream and the cups crash to the floor．When I got there，water was dripping slowly from the ceiling and forming a pool on the floor．The baby woke up at last and started to cry． Questions： 1)Why did the author know the flat was on fire?He saw smoke coming through the letter box and under the door，and smelt something burning． 2)Why didn’t the old lady open the door?Because she was getting dressed． 3)What was the lady doing when the water heater in the kitchen exploded? She was having a bath．

She went up to help the old lady clear up the mess.

5)Why did his wife scream? Because the cups crashed to the floor． Passage 8

I would like to propose 1 hat for sixty to ninety minutes each evening，right after the early evening news，all television broadcasting in the United States be prohibited by law．

Let us take a serious，reasonable look at what the results might be if such a proposal were accepted．Families might use the time for a real family hour．Without the distraction of TV，they might sit around together after dinner and actually talk to one another．It is well known that many of our problems—everything，in fact，from the generation gap to the high divorce rate to some forms of mental illness-are caused at least in part by failure to communicate. We do not tell each other what is disturbing us．The result is emotional difficulty of one kind or another．By using the quiet family hour to discuss our problems，we might get to know each other better，and to like each other better． On evenings when such talk is unnecessary，families could rediscover more active pastimes．Freed from TV，forced to find their own activities，they might take a ride together to wach the sunset．Or they might take a walk together(remember feet?)and see the neighbor-hood with fresh，new eyes．

With free time and no TV，children and adults might rediscover reading．There is more entertainment in a good book than in a month of typical TV programming．Educators report that the generation growing up with television can barely write and English sentence，even at the college level．Writing is often learned from reading．A more literate new generation could be a product of the quiet hour．

A different form of reading might also be done，as it was in the past：reading aloud．Few pastimes bring a family closer together than gathering around and listening to mother or father read a good story．The quiet hour could become the story hour．When the quiet hour ends，the TV networks might even be forced to come up with better shows in order to get us back

from our newly discovered activities．

27 Prof．Zog said，“that there is no life on Earth．”

At first glance，the idea of an hour without TV seems radical．What will parents do without the electronic baby—sitter? How will we spend the time? But it is not radical at all．It has been only twenty-five years since television came to control American free time．Those of us thirty—five and older can remember childhoods without television，spent partly with radio-which at least involved the listener’s imagination-but also with reading．1earning,talking，playing games，inventing new activities．It wasn’t that difficult．Honest．The truth is we had a ball． Questions：

What is the writer’s proposal?

1)The proposal is that for sixty to ninety minutes each evening，right after the early evening news，all television broadcasting in the United States be prohibited by law．

In part at least，what caused the generation gap，high rate divorce rate and some forms of mental illness problems?

2)They are caused in part at least by our failure to communicate． According to the author，what could help to turn out a more literate new generation?3)Turning off TV for an hour every evening．

What effect might the idea of an hour without TV have on the TV networks? 4)They might even be forced to come up with better shows． What is the main idea of this passage? 5)We should show no television programs for about one hour every evening． passage 9 There was great excitement on the planet of Venus this week，for the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth，and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since． The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan．Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals，Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information as to the feasibility of a manned flying saucer landing on Earth．A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology． “We have come to the conclusion，based on last week’s satellite landing”，

“How do you know this?”The science reporter of the Venus Evening Star

asked．

“For one thing, Earth’s surface in the area of Manhattan is composed of solid concrete and nothing can grow there．For another，the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive．”

“What does this mean as far as our flying saucer program is concerned?” “We shall have to take our own oxygen with us，which means a much heavier flying saucer than we originally planned．”

“Are there any other hazards that you discovered in your studies?” “Take a look at this photo．You see this dark black cloud hovering over the surface of Earth? We call this the Consolidated Edison Bell．We don’t know what it is made of，but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have to make further tests before we send a Venus Being there．” “Over here you will notice what seems to be a river，but the satellite findings indicate it is polluted and the water is unfit to drink．This means we shall have to carry our own water，which will add even greater weight to the saucer．’’

“Sir，what are all those tiny black spots on the photographs?”

“We are not certain．They seem to be metal particles that move along certain paths．They emit gases，make noise and keep crashing into each other．There are so many of these paths and so many metal particles that it is impossible to land a flying saucer without its being smashed by one．” “What are those stalagmite projections sticking up?”

“They are some type of granite formations that give off light at night．Prof．Glom has named them skyscrapers since they seem to be scraping the skies．”

“If all you say is true, won’t this set back the flying saucer program several years?”

“Yes，but we shall proceed as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds．”

“Prof．Zog，why are we spending billions and billions of zilches to land

a flying saucer on Earth when there is no life there?”

28 All my life I’ve been registering scores like that，so that I have the

“Because if we Venusians can 1earn to breathe in an Earth atmosphere, then we can 1ive anywhere．” Questions：

1)What caused the excitement on the planet Venus?

1)For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a atellite on the planet Earth and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since．

2)What 1ed the Venusian scientists to believe that there is no life on Earth?

For one thing，Earth’s surface in the area of Manhattan is composed of solid concrete and nothing can grow there．For another，the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive．

3)What，according to Prof．Zog，will add weight to the saucer? They will have to take oxygen and water with them．

4)Why does Prof．Zog think it impossible to land a flying saucer on Earth without its being smashed?

Because there are so many paths and so many metal particles． 5)What do the“tiny black spots”refer to,in fact?Vehicles． 6)The tone of the essay is ．Humorous and satirical． 7)The purpose of the author in writing this book is .

The author wishes to call our attention to the fact that modern man has polluted his environment to such an extent that he might destroy himself if he went on like this．

8)what does the“dark cloud”on the photograph a11ude to(暗指)? The polluted air hovering over the surface of Earth． Passage 10

What is intelligence，anyway?when I was in the army I received a kind of aptitude test that a11 soldiers took and，against a norrnal of 100，scored 160．No one at the base had ever seen a figure like that and for two hours they made a big fuss over me．(It didn’t mean anything．the next day I was still a buck private with KP as my highest duty)

complacent feeling that I'm highly intelligent，and I expect other people to think so，too．Actually，though，don't such scores simply mean that I am very good at answering the type of academic questions that are considered worthy of answers by the people who make up the intelligence tests-people with intellectual bents similar to mine?

For instance，I had an auto-repair man once，who，on these intelligence tests,could not possibly have scored more than 80，by my estimate．I always took it for granted that I was far intelligent than he was．Yet，when anything went wrong with my car I hastened to him with it，watched him anxiously as he explored its vitals，and listened to his pronouncements as though they were divine oracles--and he always fixed my car．

Well then，suppose my auto-repair man devised questions for an intelligence test，or suppose a carpenter did，or a farmer，or，indeed，almost anyone but an academician．By every one of those tests，I’d prove myself a moron．And I’d be a moron，too．In a world where I could not use my academic training and my verbal talents but had to do something intricate or hard，working with my hands，I would do poorly．My intelligence，then，is not absolute，its worth is determined by the society I live in．Its numerical evaluation is determined by a small subsection of that society which has managed to foist itself on the rest of us as an arbiter of such matters．

Consider my auto repair man，again．He had a habit of telling me jokes whenever he saw me．One time he raised his head from the automobile hood to say：“Doc，a deaf—and dumb guy went into a hardware store to ask for some nails．He put two fingers together on the counter and made hammering motions with the other hand．The clerk brought him a hammer．He shook his head and pointed to the two fingers he was hammering．The clerk brought him nails．He picked out the sizes he wanted，and left．Well，doc，the next guy who came in was a blind man．He wanted scissors．How do you suppose he asked for them?”

I lifted my right hand and made scissoring motions with my first two fingers．Whereupon my auto- repair man laughed heartily and said，“Why，