Part Ⅳ Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes) Section A Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage. Laziness is a sin, everyone knows that. We have probably all had lectures pointing out that laziness is immoral, that it is wasteful, and that lazy people will never amount to anything in life. But laziness can be more harmful than that, and it is often caused by more complex reasons than simple wish to avoid work. Some people who appear to be lazy are suffering from much more serious problems. They may be so distrustful of their fellow workers that they are unable to join in any group task for fear of ridicule or fear of having their ideas stolen. These people who seem lazy may fear of failure that prevents fruitful work. Or other sorts of fantasies may prevent work: some people are so busy planning, sometimes planning great deals of fantastic achievements that they are unable to deal with; strictly speaking, they are merely procrastinating--rescheduling their day.
Laziness can actually be helpful. Like procrastinators, some people may look lazy when they are really thinking, planning, contemplating, researching. We should remember that some great scientific discoveries occurred by chance or while someone was "goofing off." Newton wasn't working in the orchard when the apple hit him and he devised the theory of gravity. All of us would like to have some "lazy" build the car or stove we buy, particularly if that "laziness" were caused by the worker's taking time to check each step of his work and to do his job right. And sometimes, being "lazy"—that is, taking time off for a rest—is good for the overworked student or executive. Taking a rest can be particularly helpful to the athlete who is trying too hard, to doctor who's simply working himself overtime too many evenings, at the clinic. So be careful when you're tempted to call someone lazy. That person may be thinking, resting, or planning his or her next book.
47. What is the main idea of this passage? 48. According to the first paragraph, some people appear lazy because ___________________ _ . 49. What do you think of laziness according to the second paragraph? 50. According to the author, we cannot call the people lazy who are not at work because _______________________. 51. The word "fantasies" probably means _______________________.
Section B Passage One Questions 52 to 56 are based on the following passage. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest events on the advertising calendar, as companies vie to produce the most memorable and innovative ads. The battle for the National Football League's ultimate prize attracts more viewers than anything else on American television and provides a "symbolic pulsetaking" for the advertising industry every February, says John Frelinghuysen, an analyst at Bain and Company, a consultancy. But this year the patient is in poor health. All the advertising slots(广告摊位) for the 2008 Super Bowl had been sold by the end of November 2007, despite the $ 2.6 million price of each. For 2009 the price has risen to $ 3 million, but at least, ten slots (out of 67) are still looking for a buyer.
General Motors, which ran 11 ads on Super Bowl Sunday in February 2008, has already said that it will not run any in 2009. America's two other big carmakers, Ford and Chrysler, are likely to follow suit. Tellingly, Monster com, an online job-search company, said recently that it was buying a slot. Instead of the usual parade of expensive ads paying tribute to American consumerism, 2009's Super Bowl will reflect a country in recession and indicate a hard year for the advertising industry.
Most forecasts for next year say that ad spending in America will decline by 5% or more. Much depends on the fate of the automotive industry: carmakers and dealers normally spend around $ 20 billion a year on advertising, but Chrysler and Ford scaled back their expenditure by more than 30% in the first nine months of 2008, and are expected to make further cuts in 2009 as they struggle for survival.
The car industry's situation will hurt all media, but especially television. Analysts at BMO Capital Markets predict that total spending on television ads will fall by almost 9% next year. Only newspapers, where a decline of 12% is expected, are forecast to fare worse. Carmakers have already shifted some of their advertising spending to the Internet, and are likely to go further in 2009. Car ads make up 25% of advertising revenues for local television channels, and carmakers have been among the most consistent buyers of high-priced ads on national television.
So far local stations have been most affected by falling spending on advertising. National stations have been safer, because they operate on longer-term contracts with advertisers. But in the New Year they will also feel the chill, as companies fail to renew their contracts. Television, which has remained strong as print media have lost advertising dollars and readers to the Internet, could enter a decline of its own. "Next on the list is TV stations," says Anthony Diclemente, a media analyst at Barclays Capital.
52. Why does the author give the example of Super Bowl? A) Because it is the most popular football games in America. B) Because it shows advertisers' enthusiasm in running slots has dropped. C) Because it is an event that attracts the attention of advertisers. D) Because it will be right on in America in 2009.
53. Why can't at least ten slots find a buyer (Last sentence, Para. 1 ) according to the passage? A) The price for running the advertising slots has risen to $ 3 million. B) It is not attractive any more for the advertising industry. C) The advertising industry is suffering a hard year. D) The advertising slots have been on the rise since 2007.
54. What may the carmakers resort to for promoting their automobiles and cutting down expenditure? A) Buying low-priced ads on national television. B) Renewing new contracts with national stations. C) Shifting their advertising spending to the Internet. D) Relying on such print media as newspaper.
55. What does the sentence "Next on the list is TV stations" ( last paragraph) said by Anthony Diclemente mean? A) What he is going to analyze next is TV stations. B) What advertisers prefer to use is TV stations. C) TV station is the next to be defeated by Internet. D) He would choose TV station as a second choice.
56. We can learn from the passage that ______. A) Ford and Chrysler will run the advertising slots in 2009 B) 2009's Super Bowl will still be an expensive ads parade C) America's ad spending this year will decline by 5% or more D) Carmakers' fate determines to certain extent the ad spending in America
Passage Two Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage. According to some individuals, if your house is built in the right position, this may affect your success in life, which seems strange to many people. However, to believers in Feng-Shui, or the art of geomancy, not only the position but also the choice of decorations and even the color of your home can mean the difference between good fortune and disaster. This art has been practiced for centuries in China and is still used all over South East Asia. Even the huge Hong Kong banks call in a geomant if they are planning to build new offices. They have such faith in his knowledge that if he advises them to move, they will alter their plans for even their biggest buildings.
Like many Oriental beliefs the geomant's skill depends on the idea of harmony in nature. If there is no imbalance between the opposing forces of Yin and Yang, the building will bring luck to its inhabitants. This means that the house must be built on the right spot as well as facing the right direction, and also be painted an auspicious color. For instance, if there are mountains to the north, this will protect them from evil influences. If the house is painted red, this will bring happiness to the occupants while green symbolizes youth and will bring long life. Other factors, such as the owner's time and date of birth, are taken into account, too. The geomant believes that unless all these are considered when choosing a site for construction, the fortune of the people using it will be at risk.
Indeed, to ignore the geomant's advice can have fatal results. The death of the internationally famous Kung-Fu star, Brucee Lee, has been used as an example. It is said that when Lee found out that the house he was living in was an unlucky one, he followed a geomant's advice and installed an eight-sided mirror outside his front door to bring him luck. Unfortunately, a storm damaged the mirror and the house was left unprotected from harmful influences. Lee died in mysterious circumstances.
Not only is Feng-Shui still used in South East Asia, but it has also spread right across the world. Even in modern New York a successful commercial artist called Milton Glaser has found it useful. He was so desperate as broken into six times that he consulted a geomant. He was told to install a fish tank with six black fish and fix a red clock to the ceiling. Since then he has not been burglarized once. It may seem an incredible story, but no other suitable explanation has been offered.
57. From the passage we can infer that Feng-Shui is NOT used in ______. A) Hong Kong B) the United States C) Japan D) Thailand
58. Geomants believe that ______. A) houses must only be painted red B) houses must face mountains C) nature and life should be in harmony D) green is an unlucky color
59. Geomants think that the reason for Bruce Lee's death is that ______. A) he didn't follow the geomants' advice B) he installed an eight-sided mirror C) he misunderstood the geomant's advice D) a storm damaged the protection for his house
60. The story of Milton Glaser shows that ______. A) colors are not important in geomancy B) geomancy is used by artists C) geomancy is used in the West D) the fight against crime is being won
61. Which of the following best describes geomancy? A) It is a style of Oriental decoration. B) It is a type of painting. C) it is an ancient Chinese belief called Feng-Shui. D) It is an architectural design.
Section A 原文精译 【47】每个人都知道，懒惰是种罪过。我们可能都接受过这样的训诫：懒惰是不道德的，是浪费生命，懒人一生都不会有什么成就。但懒惰的害处却远不止于此;它通常是更复杂的原因所致，并不仅仅是简单的怠工。看似懒惰的人们，其实正遭受着更严重的问题。【50】他们可能对同伴极不信任，害怕被嘲弄或怕自己的想法被别人窃取，以至于不能参加团队工作。这些看似懒惰的人，可能因为害怕面临工作不能取得成效的失败而停顿不前。其他类型的幻想也可能妨碍工作：他们忙于计划，有时他们计划的是实际上达不到的伟大成就;严格来讲，他们只是在拖延——不断重新规划他们的每一天。
47.答案There are advantages and disadvantages in being lazy. 解析：这篇文章分两部分讲，第一段讲到懒惰的缺点;第二段提及懒惰的优点。考生要将两部分结合起来，本文主要讲了懒惰的优缺点。注意答案首字母大写。 48.答案they are distrustful of their fellow workers 解析：根据题干，考生可锁定文章的第一段。有些人看起来很懒惰，原因在于不信任他人。 49答案Laziness can actually be helpful sometimes. 解析：根据题干，考生可锁定文章的第二段。段首讲述了本段话的主要内容：懒惰有时候很有好处。. 50答案they may be thinking，resting，or planning their next work 解析：根据题干，考生可锁定文章的第二段。段末讲到，想叫某人“懒人”时一定要小心，因为他有可能在思考、休息、或构思下一部书。 51答案delusions 解析：此空比较简单。fantasy这里指的是delusion，意为“幻想”，考生要注意用名词复数形式。
Section B Passage One 原文精译 超级杯是广告日程上的大事之一，这是各大公司相互竞争，推出最值得纪念的、最新颖的广告。Bain and Company公司的分析师、顾问John Frelinghuysen认为，美国国家美式足球联盟最高奖项的角逐，比任何电视节目都吸引观众，每年二月份都为广告业提供了一个所谓“诊脉”的机会。但是今年病人的身体状况不佳。【52】尽管每个摊位价格高达两千六百万美元，2008年超级杯的广告摊位于2007年11月末已全部卖完。2009年价位上涨到三百万美元，但至今至少有10个摊位(总共67个)依然在寻找买主。 【52】通用汽车在2008年二月份第一个星期天举行的超级杯赛事中共有11个广告，但如今它已声明说2009年它不会有任何广告。其他美国的两家汽车制造商，福特和克莱斯勒很有可能会效仿。网上求职公司Monster com最近炫耀，自己买了一个摊位。和往年昂贵广告一字排开、赞赏美国消费主义不一样，【53】2009年的超级杯反映国家在处于经济消退期，暗示对广告业来讲将是艰苦的一年。 对来年的预测大多是，美国的广告消费将会下降5%，甚至更多。【56】美国广告消费很大程度上依赖于汽车行业的命运：汽车制造商和销售商一般每年花200亿美元在广告上，但2008年的前九个月克莱斯勒和福特砍掉了广告开支的30%还要多，预测2009年会削减更多，因为他们需要为生存而努力挣扎。 【56】汽车行业的形势会影响所有媒体，特别是电视。BMO资本市场的分析师预测，来年花在电视广告上的总开支将下降近9%。预测报纸下滑的更厉害，下滑12%。【54】汽车制造商已经把部分的广告花费转向了网络，2009年力度会更大。汽车广告为地方电视频道创造25%的广告收入，而汽车制造商曾是国家电视台高价广告的固定买主。 迄今为止，下降的广告开支已经对地方电视台造成了严重影响。国家电视台情况好一点，因为他们和广告商的合同是长期的。但新年里他们也会感觉到凉意，因为公司不会再续约。【55】在打印媒体把广告收入和读者让给了网络之时，电视的地位依然强势，而此刻却可能要下滑。Barclays Capital的媒体分析师Anthony Diclemente说，“下一个要让位的是电视台。”www.233.com考试就上考试大 52.答案B 解析：本题是个建立在细节上的推理题。根据题干，考生可锁定文章的第一段和第二段。第一段段末讲到，2007年11月末就卖完了2008年的广告摊位，而2009年的广告摊位现在依然寻找买主。第二段段首以通用汽车为例，它在2008年有11个广告，而2009年一个都没有。由这些细节可以判断，广告商做广告的热情在下降。 53.答案C 解析：本题是个细节题。根据题干，考生可将答案锁定在文章的第二段段末。原文讲，2009年的超级杯反映国家在处于经济消退期，暗示对广告业来讲将是艰苦的一年。 54.答案C 解析：本题是个细节题。根据题干，考生可锁定文章的第四段。汽车制造商把视线投向了网络，通过网络来做广告。 55.答案C 解析：本题是个建立在细节上的推理题。根据题干，考生可锁定文章的最后一段。考生想要理解此句话的意思，必须要联系上下文。上文中讲，打印媒体让位给了网络，那时电视的地位依然强势，而现在电视的地位要下降了。所以此句话的意思是，下一个要让位给网络的就是电视了。 56.答案D 解析：本题是个主旨题。考生在文章的第三段和第四段也可找到相关的证据。第三段中讲，美国广告消费很大程度上依赖于汽车行业的命运;文章第四段中讲，汽车行业的形势会影响所有媒体，特别是电视。由此可推断，汽车制造商的命运某种程度上决定了美国的广告消费。
Passage Two 原文精译 对某些人来讲，房子所建的位置会影响人生的成功;而在其他许多人看来，这似乎很奇怪。但是，【61】对信奉风水或占卜的人来讲，不仅仅是位置，还有装修，甚至房子颜色都暗示好运和灾难。【61】在中国，数世纪之前，就有此做法，【57】而今在东南亚依然存在。香港的大银行打算设置新办公室，都会叫个风水师来看看。他们非常信任风水师。如果风水师建议搬走，他们会修改计划，不管建筑多宏伟。 【58】和很多东方的信仰相似，风水师的能力取决于他对自然和谐的看法。如果阴阳和谐，建筑就会给居民带来好运。这意味着，房子要建筑合适的位置，面朝正确的方向，刷上吉祥的颜色。比如，北面有山，将会阻挡厄运的影响。房子漆上红色，会给住户带来幸福;绿色代表年经，暗含长寿。屋主的出生时辰此类的因素也要考虑在内。风水师相信，人们建房子时如果不考虑这些，那他们将命运堪忧。 事实上，忽视风水师的建议，可能会带来致命的后果。国际功夫巨星李小龙之死，是个很好的例子。【59】据说，李小龙发现自己居住的房子不吉利时，他听从风水师的建议，在前门外安装了一个八面的镜子，期望带来好运。不幸的是，暴风雨毁坏了保护房子的镜子。随后不久，李小龙神秘死亡。 【57】【60】风水不仅在东南亚盛行，现在传播到了全世界。即使在最现代的纽约，非常成功的商业艺术家Milton Glaser也发现它很有用。歹徒破门进入他办公室六次，他很绝望，咨询了风水师。风水师告诉他，安装一个鱼缸，放6条黑色的鱼，房顶装一个红色的钟。自此之后，盗贼再也没有光临过。故事似乎难以置信，却没有其他合理的解释。 57.答案C 解析：本题是个建立在细节上的判断题。文中讲到，风水在东南亚很流行，现在还传播到了西方国家。选项A和D属于东南亚的，选项B在文章最后一段出现，用排除法可以判断C为正确选项。 58.答案C 解析：本题是个细节题。考生可锁定文章第二段，开头就说到风水师很看重和自然的和谐一致。选项D和文中意思刚好相反，而选项A和B只是文中用来说明和谐的例子而已。 59.答案D 解析：本题是个细节题。根据题干中的Bruce Lee，考生可将答案定位在文章的第三段。李小龙听风水师的建议安装了镜子，但暴风雨打碎了镜子，所以保护房子的屏障没有了。 60.答案C 解析：本题是个建立在细节上的总结判断题。根据题干中的人名Milton Glaser，考生可锁定文章的最后一段。第一句话是主题句，风水在西方流行开来，而Milton Glaser之事仅仅是证明这个观点的例子。 61.答案C 解析：本题是个总结判断题。通观全文，可用排除法来选择正确答案。选项A、B、D只是风水师看风水时考虑的因素。而文章的一段，把风水解释为占卜(Feng-Shui, or the art of geomancy)，接着说，在中国数世纪之前就很盛行。由此可以推断C为正确答案。
fear of failure that prevents fruitful work. Or other sorts of fantasies may prevent work: some people are so busy planning, sometimes planning great deals of fantastic achievements that they are unable to deal with; strictly speaking, they are merely procrastinating--rescheduling their day.
Lee died in mysterious circumstances.
as broken into six times that he consulted a geomant. He was told to install a fish tank with six black fish and fix a red clock to the ceiling. Since then he has not been burglarized once. It may seem an incredible story, but no other suitable explanation has been offered.
