1、2009年 3月国家公共英语（三级）真题试卷及答案与解析 一、 Section II Use of English (15 minutes) Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word or phrase for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. 0 The United States is a confederation of states. Each state has the【 C1】 _to make laws with reg
2、ard to the state.【 C2】 _, based on public opinion, states can【 C3】 _policies regarding education, and they may【 C4】 _a state income tax; they also determine the speed【 C5】 _, housing codes, and the drinking age. In most parts of the United States, you【 C6】 _be 21 years old to buy alcohol in a liquor
3、 store, bar,【 C7】 _restaurant. In some states you may buy beer in a grocery store. If a store sells alcohol to a minor, the【 C8】 _of the store is usually【 C9】 _a large sum of money.【 C10】 _, many areas have an open-container law,【 C11】 _means that people may not drink alcohol on the street or in a c
4、ar. Anyone【 C12】 _with an open container of alcohol may be arrested. 【 C13】 _, with all of these laws, the【 C14】 _of alcohol is a serious【 C15】 _in the United States and Canada. Drinking on college campuses,【 C16】 _there are many underage drinkers has【 C17】 _greatly. In fact, alcohol sales have gone
5、 up【 C18】 _the legal drinking age was【 C19】_from 18 to 21. Some people believe that if there were no legal drinking age,【 C20】 _in some other countries, North American youth would drink less. 1 【 C1】 （ A） privilege （ B） advantage （ C） right （ D） tradition 2 【 C2】 （ A） As a result （ B） For example （
6、C） In other words （ D） In this case 3 【 C3】 （ A） demand （ B） disagree （ C） discuss （ D） determine 4 【 C4】 （ A） collect （ B） issue （ C） demand （ D） implement 5 【 C5】 （ A） limit （ B） control （ C） rule （ D） regulation 6 【 C6】 （ A） can （ B） shall （ C） may （ D） must 7 【 C7】 （ A） and （ B） or （ C） also （ D
7、） not 8 【 C8】 （ A） clerk （ B） salesperson （ C） owner （ D） host 9 【 C9】 （ A） fined （ B） charged （ C） punished （ D） suffered 10 【 C10】 （ A） In addition （ B） In fact （ C） In reality （ D） In general 11 【 C11】 （ A） that （ B） this （ C） it （ D） which 12 【 C12】 （ A） exposed （ B） suspected （ C） caught （ D） d
8、etected 13 【 C13】 （ A） Nevertheless （ B） Anyway （ C） Moreover （ D） Therefore 14 【 C14】 （ A） application （ B） consumption （ C） expenditure （ D） usage 15 【 C15】 （ A） condition （ B） crisis （ C） question （ D） problem 16 【 C16】 （ A） though （ B） as （ C） where （ D） which 17 【 C17】 （ A） raised （ B） increase
9、d （ C） peaked （ D） climaxed 18 【 C18】 （ A） when （ B） since （ C） before （ D） after 19 【 C19】 （ A） shifted （ B） upgraded （ C） uplifted （ D） changed 20 【 C20】 （ A） same （ B） for （ C） as （ D） similar Part A Directions: Read the following three texts. Answer the questions on each text by choosing A, B, C
10、 or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. 20 A pioneering study by Donald Appleyard made the surprise sudden increase in the volume of traffic through an area affects a sudden increase in crime does. Appleyard observed this by fir house in San Francisco that looked much alike and had middle-class
11、and working-class residents. The difference was that only 2,000 cars a day ran down Octavia in Appleyards terminology while Gough Street (MEDIUM street) had 9,000 cars a day and Franklin Street (HEAVY street) had around 16,000 cars a day. Franklin Street often had as many cars in an hour as Octavia
12、Street had in a day. Heavy traffic brought with it danger, noise, fumes, and soot, directly, and trash secondarily. That is, the cars didnt bring in much trash, but when trash accumulated, residents seldom picked it up. The cars, Appleyard determined, reduced the amount of territory residents felt r
13、esponsible for. Noise was a constant intrusion into their homes. Many Franklin Street residents covered their doors and windows and spent most of their time in the rear of their houses. Most families with children had already left. Conditions on Octavia Street were much different. Residents picked u
14、p trash. They sat on their front steps and chatted with neighbors. They had three times as many friends and twice as many acquaintances as the people on Franklin. On Gough Street, residents said that the old feeling of community was disappearing as traffic increased. People were becoming more and mo
15、re preoccupied with their own lives. A number of families had recently moved. And more were considering it. Those who were staying expressed deep regret at the destruction of their community. 21 Appleyards study focuses on the influence of _. （ A） traffic volume on the residents （ B） rate of crime o
16、n the neighborhood （ C） social classes on the transportation （ D） degree of pollution on the environment 22 Appleyard discovered that increase in the volume of traffic _. （ A） made people more violent （ B） would lead to increase in crime （ C） was accompanied by increase in crime （ D） had the same ef
17、fect on people as increase in crime 23 The authors main purpose in the second paragraph is to _. （ A） discuss the problem of handling trash （ B） suggest ways to cope with traffic problems （ C） point out the disadvantages of heavy traffic （ D） propose an alternative system of transportation 24 People
18、 on Gough Street _. （ A） felt sorry that their block had been pulled down （ B） felt indifferent about people moving out （ C） thought their old community was gone （ D） thought mostly of themselves 25 What can we learn about Franklin Street? （ A） It is not a nice neighborhood for children. （ B） People
19、 often throw trash out as they drive through. （ C） People there have made friends with people on Octavia. （ D） People there own twice as many cars as people on Gough Street. 25 Imagine, if you will, the average games player. What do you see? A guy who never grew up? Or a nervous 18-year-old pushing
20、buttons on his controller, lost and alone in a violent onscreen world? Sorry, you lose. The average gamer is starting to look pretty much like the average person. For the first time, according to a US poll commissioned by AOL Games, roughly half of those surveyed, ages 12 to 55, are tapping away at
21、some kind of electronic game whether on a PC, a cell phone or another handheld device for an average of three hours every week. The games people play say a lot about who they are. Machines like the Xbox and PlayStation 2 are largely the territory of twenty-something men, who prefer to picture themse
22、lves as sports stars and racing drivers. Men 50 and older prefer military games. Teenage girls are much more likely than boys to play games on their phone, while older women make up the majority of people playing card games such as Hearts on line. Is it a good thing, all this time spent on games? Or
23、 is it as harmful as television, pulling people ever further from reality? The AOL survey suggests some players are in denial about the extent of their habit. One in 10 gamers find it impossible to resist games; 1 in 4 admits to losing a nights sleep to play games; and another quarter has been too a
24、bsorbed to have meals. But dont think were all heading into a world with everyone plugged into, if not totally controlled by, his own game. Quite the contrary: gamers appear to be more engaged with reality than other kinds of couch potatoes. According to a comprehensive survey by the Entertainment S
25、oftware Association (ESA-whose members, of course, want you to think video games are healthy), gamers spend an average of 23 hours a week volunteering and going to church, concerts, museums and other cultural events. More enthusiastic gamers who play 11 hours a week or more spend ever more time out
26、in the cultural world (34 hours). 26 The AOL survey finds that electronic games _. （ A） do not present a violent onscreen world （ B） no longer keep gamers from growing up （ C） are no longer exclusive to young people （ D） are not as popular with teenagers as before 27 Who does the author say tend to
27、identify themselves with the characters in the game? （ A） Teenage girls. （ B） Older women. （ C） Men in their 20s. （ D） Men 50 and older. 28 When asked about the extent of their habit, some players _. （ A） refused to provide an answer to this question （ B） denied they were affected by electronic game
28、s （ C） wondered why they were asked such a question （ D） stressed their interest in playing electronic games 29 It can be inferred from the text that _. （ A） electronic games are less harmful than television （ B） television viewers are more realistic than gamers （ C） television is more popular than
29、electronic games （ D） gamers have less self-control than TV viewers 30 According to the writer, the ESA members _. （ A） have sufficient knowledge of games （ B） think their games are healthy products （ C） serve as the role models for game players （ D） are concerned about gamers cultural activities 30
30、 The ostrich, the largest bird in the world at present, lives in the drier regions of Africa outside the actual deserts. Because of its very long, powerful legs and the floating effect of its extended wings, it is able to run at great speed over considerable distances. The female ostrich normally pr
31、oduces about twenty eggs every rainy season. When the female ostrich begins to lay her eggs, however, she does not begin in her own nest. Instead she goes off in search of the nests of neighboring females and lays two or three eggs in each of them. By the time she has laid eight or nine eggs, she re
32、turns and lays the rest in her own nest. Because of the size of the eggs, the female ostrich cannot lay more than one every two days, so it takes her three weeks to finish laying in her own nest. During that period, she spends a lot of time away from her nest looking for food. And while she is off h
33、er nest, other females visit it to lay their eggs amongst hers. By the time she is ready to sit on the eggs to hatch them, there could be up to thirty eggs in her nest, over half of which are not her own. The female ostrich can comfortably cover only about twenty eggs when she is sitting on the nest
34、 so before settling down she pushes the surplus ten or so eggs out of the nest. The rejected eggs, however, never include any of her own. Each female is remarkably consistent in the size and shape of the eggs she produces, so it is not difficult for her to distinguish her own from those of strangers
35、. Of all the eggs laid by a colony of ostriches, only a very small number hatch into young birds. There are times when nests are left unprotected, for there are too few males to sit on all the nests at night. Thus there are ample opportunities for their natural enemies to raid the nests and eat the
36、eggs. In fact, nearly 80% of the nests are destroyed. But even if a particular females nest suffers this fate, there is a good chance that one or two of her eggs will be hatched in the nest of one of her neighbors. 31 We learn from the text that an ostrich can go a long distance at high speed as _.
37、（ A） it is a special kind of bird （ B） it lives in large desert areas （ C） it has special wings and legs （ D） it is the largest bird in the world 32 Normally, in every rainy season, the female ostrich produces about _. （ A） 12 eggs in her nest （ B） 18 eggs in her nest （ C） 20 eggs in her nest （ D） 3
38、0 eggs in her nest 33 The female ostrich would push some of the eggs out of her nest because _. （ A） she can only hatch her own eggs （ B） those eggs are unlikely to be hatched （ C） those eggs are to be hatched by others （ D） she can only hatch a limited number of eggs 34 The female ostrich identifie
39、s her own eggs by their size and _. （ A） color （ B） number （ C） shape （ D） weight 35 The female ostrich lays her eggs in her neighbors nests most probably because _. （ A） her nest -is not big enough （ B） she cannot protect all her eggs （ C） she cannot tolerate all her eggs （ D） her nest is not comfo
40、rtable enough Part B Directions: Read the text, match the items (61-65) to one of the statements (A to G) given below. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. 35 What the women I spoke with said was that they want a husband who is independent and dedicated to his career, but that he doesnt have to make
41、 a lot of money. The emphasis was always on finding a best friend a soul mate someone you could tell all your troubles to and who would be supportive. So it doesnt seem to be the case that these women were looking for super high-achieving men. Grise Levison I think that for women, as well as for men
42、, the standard for someone who youd want to spend your life with depends much more today on emotional intimacy. It takes some trial and error and a pretty long and dedicated search to identify the kind of person who is emotionally matching you and who is able to communicate and listen to trouble tal
43、k. Marry Brown In recent decades girls have been raised to be more competitive and stronger than they were in the past. Several women I talked to mentioned that in their life they felt that their intelligence or intellectual achievement seemed to work against them in their romantic relationships wit
44、h men. However, most of the women I interviewed felt that there were some men “out there“ who would be attracted to smart women. The problem was finding them. Donna Smith I think, for the women I talked to, their ultimate sense of what they want in life includes family and children, but they arent w
45、illing to think about the fact that they therefore will probably have to give up some of their own individual pursuits and career goals. I think the definition of success includes both love and work, and that the challenge is how to arrange that in a particular order. Elizabeth Budy I think that peo
46、ple who have clone at least some of the things that are essential for a wise judgment about a partner are more likely to eventually end up in a stable marriage. Its also true that theyre likely to marry someone who is similar to them in education and earning power, which means that those marriages a
47、re likely to have more money in them. Note: there are two extra statements. Statements A Career success is in fact not a disadvantage. B The ability to choose a right partner ensures a stable mar riage. C How to balance career with family is key to success. D The essential part of marriage is the un
48、ion of soul. E Finding an emotionally intimate mate isnt a piece of cake. F Career success ensures a solid marriage. G Social assistance is needed for todays single women. 36 Timothy Constance 37 Grise Levison 38 Marry Brown 39 Donna Smith 40 Elizabeth Budy Part A 41 Your friend Li Ming has written
49、to invite you to go to his hometown together with him and you are willing to accept his invitation. Write a reply to Li Ming, 1. to express your appreciation and acceptance of his invitation; 2. to ask about his schedule for the trip; 3. to ask about what necessary preparations you need to make. You should write approximately 100 words. Do not sign your name at the end of your let
