PartIVTranslation
Thesubjectsinhisexperimentwere75collegestudents.TheyrepresentedalllevelsofabilityinEnglish:beginning,intermediate,andnative-speakingstudents.(PassageTwo)
Iftheoldmaximthatthecustomerisalwaysrightstillhasmeaning,thentheairlinesthatplytheworld’sbusiestairroutebetweenLondonandParishaveaflightontheirhands.
TheEurostartrainservicelinkingtheUKandFrenchcapitalsviatheChannelTunneliswinningcustomersinincreasingnumbers.InlateMay,itcarrieditsonemillionthpassenger,havingrunonlyalimitedservicebetweenLondon,ParisandBrusselssinceNovember1994,startingwithtwotrainsadayineachdirectiontoParisandBrussels.By1997,thecompanybelievesthatitwillbecarryingtenmillionpassengersayear,andcontinuetogrowfromthere.
FromJuly,EurostarstepsitsservicetoninetrainseachwaybetweenLondonandParis,andfivebetweenLondonandBrussels.Eachtraincarriesalmost800passengers,210oftheminfirstclass.
Theairlinesestimatethattheywillinitiallylosearound15%-20%oftheirLondon-ParistraffictotherailwaysonceEurostarstartsafullservicelaterthisyear(1995),with15trainsadayeachway.AsimilarservicewillstarttoBrussels.Thedamagewillbelimited,however,theairlinesbelieve,withpassengernumbersreturningtopreviouslevelswithintwotothreeyears.
Intheshortterm,thedamagecausedbythe1millionpeople-levelstravelingbetweenLondonandParisandBrusselsonEurostartrainsmeansthatsomeairservicesarealreadysuffering.Someofthemajorcarrierssaythattheirpassengernumbersaredownbylessthan5%andpointtotheirrivals-ParticularlyAirFrance-ashavingsufferedtheproblems.OntheBrusselsroute,therailwaycompanyhadlesssuccess,andtheairlinesreportanythingfromarounda5%droptonovisibledeclineintraffic.
Theairlines’optimismonreturningtrafficlevelsisbasedonhistoricalprecedent.BritishMidland,forexample,pointstoitsexperienceonHeathrowLeedsBradfordservicewhichsawpassengernumbersfoldby15%whenBritishRailelectrifiedandmodernizedtherailwaylinebetweenLondonandYorkshire.Twoyearslater,travelhadrisenbetweenthetwodestinationstothepointwheretheairlinewascarryingrecordnumbersofpassengers.
1.Britishairlinesconfideinthefactthat__.
A.theyaremorepowerfulthanotherEuropeanairlines.
B.theirtotallosswon’tgobeyondadropof5%passengers.
C.theirtrafficlevelswillreturnin2-3years.
D.travelingbyrailcannevercatchupwithtravelingbyair.
2.Theauthor’sattitudetowardsthedropofpassengersmaybedescribedas__.
A.worried.B.delightedC.puzzled.D.unrivaled.
3.Inthepassage,BritishRail(Para6)ismentionedto__.
A.provideacomparisonwithEurostar.
B.supporttheairlines’optimism.
C.provetheinevitabledropofairpassengers.
D.callforelectrificationandmodernizationoftherailway.
4.Therailway’sBrusselsrouteisbroughtforthtoshowthat__.
A.theEurostartrainserviceisnotdoinggoodbusiness.
B.theairlinescanwellcompetewiththerailway.
C.theEurostartrainserviceonlycausedlittledamage.
D.onlysomeairlines,suchasAirFrance,aresuffering.
5.Thepassageistakenfromthefirstofanessay,fromwhichwemaywellpredictthatinthefollowingparttheauthorisgoingto__.
A.praisetheairlines’clear-mindedness.
B.warntheairlinesofhigh-speedrailservices.
C.proposeareductionofLondon/Parisflights.
D.advisetheairlinestofollowBritishMidlandastheirmodel.
PartIIICloze
Directions:Therearetwentyblanksinthefollowingpassage.Foreachblanktherearefourchoices.ChoosetheonethatbestfitsintothepassageandthenmarksyouranswerontheAnswerSheet.
In1982,MarkThatcher,thesonofMrs.Thatcherwasreported61intheSaharaDesertwhilecompetingintheGrandPrixmotorracefromParistoDakar.Thissadnews,so62,shooktheusuallycalmandunperturbedseasonedpolitician63herbalance.Thoughshedidherbesttopretendasif64hadhappenedandmadeherpublicappearancesasusual,peoplecouldnot65tonoticethatshewasnolongertheold66primeministerwhoalwayshadeverything67control.68shehadbecomeaverysadmotherwhowasunabletorecoverfromhershock.
Oneday,whenshewastospeakataluncheonparty,areportercaughther69herguardby70upthesubjectofhermissingsonagain.Shewastotallymentally71forthequestionandlostherselfcontrol.Tearswererollingdownhereyesasshesobbinglytoldthereporterthatthere72stillnonewsofMarkandthatshewasveryworriedabouthim.Shesaidthatallthecountries73hadpromisedtodotheirbesttohelpherfindherson.74thatshebrokedowncompletelyandsobbedsilentlyforquiteawhile.Graduallyshe75downandstartedtospeakas76.itwasaverymovingscenewhich77anewsideofMrs.Thatcher’scharacterthepublicdonotusuallysee,78peoplebegantotalkabouttheIronWoman’smaternallove,asentimentthatis79toallhumankind.
LaterMarkreturned80andsoundtohismother’sside,good-humoredandallsmilesasusual,asifnothingunusualhadeverhappened.TheIronWoman,however,brokedownagainaswassobbingforthesecondtime.
61.A.missingB.missedC.wantingD.wanted
62.A.expectedB.expectingC.unexpectedD.unexpecting
63.A.withB.onC.outD.off
64.A.somethingB.anythingC.nothingD.everything
65.A.missB.failC.pretendD.expect
66.A.reassuredB.self-assuredC.assuringD.self-assuring
67.A.forB.beneathC.belowD.under
68.A.InsteadB.howeverC.ThereforeD.So
69.A.intoB.outofC.onD.off
70.A.puttingB.bringingC.takingD.giving
71.A.readyB.preparedC.unpreparedD.unexpected
72.A.wasB.wereC.shouldbeD.wouldbe
73.A.concerningB.concernedC.worryingD.worried
74.A.AtB.BeforeC.AfterD.With
75.A.satB.brokeC.calmedD.became
76.A.plannedB.planningC.plansD.aplan
77.A.explainedB.exposedC.excludedD.exclaimed
78.A.howeverB.insteadC.soD.but
79.A.universalB.uniqueC.singleD.strange
80.A.safeB.safelyC.sightD.hearing