Passage Two

　　I have certainly seen lots of changes in my lifetime! I look around my home and see "mod cons" that I could never have dreamed of 50 or 60 years ago. I spent the early part of childhood in a cottage without running water or electricity and yet these days, I feel paralyzed if there is a power cut for even just an hour or two! So, I have changed too. Things that I couldn't even imagine in the past now seem quite normal.

　　Businessmen can travel from London to New York in three hours and lots of people exceed the seventy-mile-per-hour speed limit on motorways. A person of 75 is not old these days. A serious illness does not mean certain death because there have been so many advances in medical science. We no longer need to be afraid of contracting diseases like polio or smallpox. I can speak to my son in Australia from my own sitting room here in Manchester, watch athletes running a race on the other side of the world without moving from my own home and I can even do my shopping while I sit here in an armchair. I never need to worry about food going bad in the warm weather and, at the flick of a switch, I can have a hot meal in a couple of minutes. So, it seems, the quality of life has greatly improved since my own childhood.

　　I'm not convinced, however, that people are happier today than they were 50 years ago. We are certainly materially better off than we were but most people still seem to be weighed down by problems. My daughter and her family are a good illustration. They have a spacious, comfortable home with every labor-saving device you can think of. There's a washing machine, a clothes dryer, a food processor, a vacuum cleaner and all sorts of other household items which are designed to save time but it seems to me that my daughter and her husband just spend all that "saved" time working! They never relax and are always complaining of being tired and "stressed".

　　62. What is the passage mainly about?

　　[A] How life has improved. [B] How life has become worse.

　　[C] A comparison of life now and that in the past. [D] Memory of life in the past.

　　63. Which of the following statements is NOT correct?

　　[A] People can travel faster nowadays.

　　[B] In the past, a 75-year-old person is considered old.

　　[C] Now a person will die if he suffers from a serious illness.

　　[D] At present we will no longer be helpless victims of diseases like polio or smallpox.

　　64. What does the word "contracting" (Line 4, Para. 2) mean?

　　[A] Infecting. [B] Acquiring. [C] Shrinking. [D] Entering into an agreement.

　　65. Which of the following is NOT an example given by the author to demonstrate the convenience of _____ modern life?

　　[A] Quick food. [B] Easy shopping. [C] Internet. [D] TV shows.

　　66. According to the author, what is a problem of modem life?

　　[A] Increased crimes. [B] Diminished friendships. [C] Increased divorce rate. [D] Pressure of modem life.

　　Part Ⅴ Cloze

　　Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked [A]、[B]、[C] and [D] on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

　　On March I, a reader's letter published in Lianhe Zaobao's Forum page with the headline "Feedback from Readers Taken Seriously" caught my eyes. The author cited a number of suggestions he made which received (67) responses from the authorities and quick follow-up actions to back his observation. His own experiences (68) him to conclude that: "This is a good (69) of the democratic system at work in Singapore." Newspaper provides avenues for people to air their views and these are taken seriously by the authority (70) act promptly to find solutions (71) problems. (72) first glance, the letter appears only to affirm the positive and effective communication between government departments and the people. (73) should not be overlooked, however, is that underpinning this virtuous circle is the (74) of the media. To begin with, the people must have faith in the media for them to (75) up problems and issues in the belief that when their concerns are highlighted in the press, the authorities will (76) the situation. This is evidence of the credibility that the press enjoys among people. Similarly, the government, well (77) of the influence the newspapers have over its readers, pays close attention to reports, comments and views in the press. And ministries or departments will investigate and (78) with problems that come under their purview in a speedy manner. This shows that government (79) the media and believes the concerns expressed by the man in the street are genuine. It is the duty of the media to keep the people (80) of government policies and major events as well as provide (81) feedback to the government on the problems and hardships the people face. The media (82) as a bridge between the government and the people and should seek to make each aware of the concerns of the other and establish an (83) channel of communication between them. This is also the process (84) which the media develops its credibility. To win the trust of the people and strengthen its hand, the government should keep (85) of the changing needs of the people and help them overcome problems. An open and democratic government should respect the fight of the people to have (86) to information. It should, for example, explain to them the rationale for changing an important policy. And the information should be timely and comprehensive.

　　67. [A] slow [B] swift [C] mild [D] emotional

　　68. [A] lead [B] leads [C] let [D] led

　　69. [A] illustration [B] show [C] way [D] sign

　　70. [A] where [B] when [C] which [D] by which

　　71. [A] of [B] to [C] with [D] about

　　72. [A] As [B] In [C] On [D] At

　　73. [A] What [B] How [C] Which [D] That

　　74. [A] persuasion [B] influence [C] credibility [D] status

　　75. [A] bring [B] propose [C] make [D] discover

　　76. [A] exacerbate [B] press [C] remedy [D] disregard

　　77. [A] resent [B] aware [C] above [D] notice

　　78. [A] dispenses [B] passes [C] deals [D] handles

　　79. [A] respects [B] is afraid of [C] is superior to [D] relies

　　80. [A] away [B] informed [C] fear [D] acquisitive

　　81. [A] questionable [B] little [C] retorted [D] accurate

　　82. [A] acts [B] plays [C] is [D] looks

　　83. [A] good [B] effective [C] smooth [D] accurate

　　84. [A] in [B] to [C] by [D] with

　　85. [A] pace [B] looking [C] abreast [D] time

　　86. [A] access [B] channel [C] way [D] methods

　　Part VI Translation

　　Directions: Complete the sentences on Answer Sheet 2 by translating into English the Chinese given in brackets.

　　87. There are a lot of people______________________(喜歡看電視), but I prefer to read books in my spare time.

　　88.There is no specific requirements on the sample listening tests, so students can listen to the dialogue repeatedly__________________________________(想要聽幾遍都可以).

　　89. Internet is__________________________________________(起著越來越重要的作用) in our modem society.

　　90. __________________________(除了比較長之外), the report can be regarded as convincing and impressive.

　　91. As a client relationship manager, one has to always consider the needs of the customers ______________________(而不是自己的方便)

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