Part 1V  Writing (45 marks)Section A (10 marks)

     Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the numbered blanks by using the

information from the passage.

      Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

     An apprenticeship is a form of on-the-job training that combines workplace experience and classroom learning. It can last anywhere from one to six years, but four years is typical for most. An apprentice spends the majority of the time in a workplace environment learning the practical skills of a career from a journeyman--someone who has done the job for many years. The rest of the apprentice's time is spent in a classroom environment learning the theoretical skills the career requires. Being an apprentice is a full-time undertaking.

     One of the advantages of apprenticeship is that it does not cost apprentices anything. The companies that hire them pay for school. What's more, it offers apprentices an "earn while you learn" opportunity. They usually start out at half the pay of a journeyman, and the pay increases gradually as they move further along in the job and studies. Near the end of the apprenticeship, their wages are usually 90 percent of what a journeyman would receive. Apprenticeship also pays off for employers. It can offer employers a pool of well-trained workers to draw from.

     Despite the advantages, apprentices are usually required to work during the day and attend classes at night, which leaves little time for anything else. Sometimes, they might be laid off(下岗) if business for the employers is slow.

     Once they have completed the apprenticeship and become journeymen, they receive a nationally recognized and portable certification and their pay also increases again. Some journeymen continue employment with the companies they apprenticed with; others go onto different companies or become self-employed contractors.

One afternoon I toured an art museum while waiting for my husband to finish a business meeting. I was looking forward to a quiet view of the wonderful works..

A young couple viewing the paintings ahead of me chatted nonstop between themselves. I watched them a moment and decided she was doing all the talking. I admired his patience for tolerating her constant words. Disturbed by their noise, I moved on.

I encountered them several times as I moved through the various rooms of art. Each time I heard her constant talking, I moved away quickly.

I was standing at the counter of the museum gift store doing some shopping when the couple approached the exit. Before they left, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a white object. He turned it into a long cane (手杖) and then tapped his way into the coatroom to get his wife’s jacket.

“He’s a brave man,” the clerk at the counter said, “Most of us would give up if we were blinded at such a young age. During his recovery, he made a promise his life wouldn’t change. So, as before, he and his wife come in whenever there’s a new art show.”

“But what does he get out of the art?” I asked, “He can’t see.”

“Can’t see! You’re wrong. He sees a lot. More than you or I do,” the clerk said, “His wife describes each painting so he can see it in his head.”

I learned something about patience, courage and love that day. I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person without sight and the courage of a husband who would not allow blindness to change his life.

And I saw the love shared by two people as I watched this couple walk away arm in arm.

Which of the following statements is true?

A. The husband was doing all the talking when the couple viewed the works.             

B. The husband tapped his way to the coatroom to get his jacket.   

C. The husband was considered a brave man by the clerk at the store.             

D. The husband allowed blindness to change his life.

The underlined word “encountered” in the passage means “________”.

A. saw    B. met     C. talked        D. argued

At first the author’s attitude towards the wife of the couple was _________.

A. positive     B. neutral           C. bored      D. admiring

What can be inferred from the passage is ___________. 

A. the man had his eyes blinded in a fight

B. the man must be a painter before

C. the woman was very devoted to his husband

D. the man often killed time by visiting exhibitions

Right is right. Right? Of course. But is left wrong? Well, the Romans used to think so. They thought left-handed people were mistakes of nature. Latin, the language of the Romans, had many words that expressed this view. Some words we use today still have this meaning. The Latin word “dexter” means “right”. The English word “dexterous” comes from this word. It means “handy” (clever with hands). So, right is handy. But the Latin word for left is “sinister”. The English word “sinister” comes from this word. Sinister means “evil” (very bad). Is it fair to call right-handed people handy and left-handed people evil? Well, fair or not, many languages have words that express such beliefs. In old English, the word for left means “weak”. That isn’t much of an improvement over “evil”.

 Not very long ago, children were often forced to write with their right hands. Doctors have since found that this can be very harmful. You should use the hand you were born to use.

People who use their left hands are just starting to get better treatment. But why they get all these bad names in the first place? One reason may be that there are not as many left-handed people as there are right-handed people. There is one left-handed person for every five right-handed ones. People who are different are often thought to be wrong. But attitudes do seem to be changing. Fair-minded right-handed people are finally starting to give left-handed people a hand.

1. What does the passage lead us to believe when one writes?

A. He can only use his right hand.

B. He can only use his left hand.

C. He can use either his left hand or his right hand.

D. He can use both his left hand and his right hand.

2. The last sentence of this article means ________.

A. Fair-minded right-handed people want to change the habit of the left-handed people

B. Fair-minded right-handed people are starting to help the left-handed people

C. Fair-minded right-handed people are starting to use left hand to write and so on

D. Fair-minded right-handed people are starting to give up using their left hands

3. After we read the article we can certainly know that _______.

A. left-handed people have been treated poorly

B. the number of the left-handed people is larger than that of right-handed people

C. right-handed people are much cleverer than left-handed people

D. left-handed people are less smart but hardworking

4. Which of the following is NOT right, according to the article?

A. At one time, left-handed people were forced to use their right hands.

B. Left-handed people today are being treated better than those in the past.

C. There are not as many left-handed people as there are right-handed people today.

D. “Dexterous” comes from Latin, means “evil” and English “sinister” means “handy”.

BUNOL, Spain (AFP) — Tens of thousands of people from around the world threw tons of ripe tomatoes at each other in an annual food fight that painted the eastern Spanish town of Bunol red.

More than 40,000 people, including many visitors from Australia, Britain and the United States, took part in the food fight known as the “Tomatina”, now in its 64th year, a spokeswoman for Bunol’s town hall said.

They were provided with over 100 tons of tomatoes by the town council for the battle which lasted about one hour and left participants covered in red.

Many men were shirtless while others wore old clothes, hardhats, goggles or protective plastic sheets.

Shopkeepers put up huge plastic covers on their store fronts or boarded them up to protect their properties from the sea of red mush (糊状物).

After the battle, governmental workers and local residents used “giant hoses” to clear the walls and streets of the tomato pulp in just half an hour while the participants headed to a nearby river where temporary showers were set up.

The event cost the town of some l0, 000 residents 40,000 dollars, and Spanish media reported.

The “Tomatina” is held each year in Bunol, located in a fertile (富饶的) region about 40 kilometers north of the coastal city of Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city, on the last Wednesday in August.

The origins of the event are unclear although it is thought to have its roots in a food fight between childhood friends in the mid-1940s in the city.

It has grown in size as international press coverage brought more and more people to the festival.

To keep their stores safe, the shopkeepers _____.

A. kept their store fronts covered          B. hung plastic sheets on the walls

C. closed all the doors and windows        D. stopped people throwing at them

Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the underlined word “pulp” (in Paragraph 6)?

A. skin.                      B. color.                     C. mush.                      D. value.

It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A. the “Tomatina” brings in huge profits

B. the festival attracted more tourists this year

C. no one knows the history of the festival        

D. tourism plays an important role in Bunol

What would be the best title for the passage?

A. It is fun to throw tomatoes         B. An exciting story about tomatoes

C. Fighting and sightseeing in Bunol   D. Spanish town painted red in tomato fight

The key to happiness is how quickly you can get back your focus on what`s important.

——Anonymous

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here`s what happened. I hopped in a taxi，and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when，all of a sudden，a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes，skidded，and missed the other car`s back end by just inches!

The driver of the other car，who almost caused a big accident，started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean，he was friendly.  So，I said，"Why did you just do that？This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital！"And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck. "

Many people are like garbage （rubbish）trucks. They run around full of garbage，full of frustration， full of anger，and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up，they need a place to dump it. And if you let them，they`ll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you，don`t take it personally. You just smile，wave，wish them well，and move on. You`ll be happy with what you did.

I started thinking，how often do I led Garbage Trucks run right over me？And how often do I　take their garbage and spread it to other people at work，at home，or on the streets？It was that day I said，"I`m not going to do anymore. "

Successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you？If you let more garbage trucks pass you by，you`ll be happier. Life`s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So，Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don`t.

What happened one day when the author was taking a taxi？

A.The taxi almost hit another car.

B.The taxi driver was injured.

C.The author scolded the driver of the other car.

D.The author learned a lesson from the driver of the garbage truck.

How did the taxi driver respond to the behaviour of the driver of the black car？

A.He yelled back at the driver.

B.He sent the driver to the hospital.

C.He was friendly towards the  driver.

D.He dumped some garbage in front of his car.

What does the taxi driver think of people according to Paragraph 3？

A.Many people like to drive garbage trucks.

B.Many people dump garbage wherever they like.

C.Many people are warm-hearted to make others happy.

D.Many people tend to be very much depressed.

What can we infer from Paragraph 4？

A.The author used to have a lot of garbage trucks.

B.The author used to complain a lot.

C.The author used to have a lot of money.

D.The author used to be a good manager.

According to the passage，what should you do if people "dump garbage" on you？

A.Ignore them and go on with our own work.

B.Try our best to persuade them not to do that again.

C.Tell them to dump the garbage in the right place.

D.Take over their work and carry the garbage to somewhere else.