Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension （40 minutes）

Section A

Directions：In this section，there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.

Questions 26 to 35 are based on the following passage.

Today，there are many avenues open to those who wish to continue their education.However，nearly all require some break in one’s career in order to attend school full time.Part-time education，that is，attending school at night or for one weekend a month，tends to drag the process out over time and puts the 26 of a degree program out of reach of many people.Additionally，such programs require a 27 time commitment which can also impact negatively on one’s career and family time.Of the many approaches to teaching and learning，however，perhaps the most flexible and accommodating is that called distance learning.Distance learning is an educational method，which 28 the students the flexibility to study at his or her own pace to achieve the academic goals，which are so 29 in today’s world.The time required to study may be set aside at the student’s 30 with due regard to all life’s other requirements.Additionally，the student may enroll in distance learning courses from 31 any place in the world，while continuing to pursue their chosen career.Good distance learning programs are characterised by the inclusion of a subject evaluation tool with every subject.This 32 the requirement for a student to travel away from home to take a test.Another characteristic of a good distance-learning program is the 33 of the distance-learning course with the same subject materials as those students taking the course on the home campus.The resultant diploma or degree should also be the same whether distance learning or on-campus study is 34 .The individuality of the professor/student relationship is another 35 of a good distance-learning program.In the final analysis，a good distance learning program has a place not only for the individual students but also the corporation or business that wants to work in partnership with their employees for the educational benefit，professional development，and business growth of the organisation.

A）allows I）fixed

B）amazingly J）characteristic

C）completion K）irregular

D）convenience L）necessary

E）efficient M）precludes

F）employed N）unfamiliarity

G）equivalence O）virtually

H）excludes

Section B

Directions：In this section，you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs.Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

Part-Time Vegetarians

A）For the last 15 years，Dawn Jackson Blatner has been what’s now called a“flexitarian”or“almost vegetarian”.She eats lots of fruits，vegetables，nuts and vegetarian burgers.But she sometimes indulges in a pork chop or her grandma’s pot roast.

B）It might seem like being a vegetarian of convenience isn’t particularly inspiring，but a growing number of experts and even some famous gourmets（美食家）are fans.They say that cutting back on meat，rather than giving up completely，may be a practical compromise that benefits our bodies and our environment.

C）“It gives you the health benefits of a vegetarian diet without having to follow the strict rules，”says Blatner， a registered nutritionist（营养师）.“We know that people live longer and live healthier when they eat vegetarian，but it’s just too hard to do it 100 percent of the time.”Even gourmet food writers，used to meat delicacies，are advocating the eat-less-meat movement.In January，Mark Bittman，author of How to Cook Everything，is coming out with new book called Food Matters，（Simon&Schuster）about how our diet affects global warming and“globesity”（global obesity）.Bittman has been very critical of America’s tendencies to eat too much meat at a meal.“I am an advocate of what I like to think of as a much healthier diet—a largely plant-based diet，”he says.A meat-based diet is，he says，“not even close to sustainable.”Last year，Bittman published How to Cook Everything Vegetarian，（Wiley，2007），though he is not a vegetarian himself.

D）Bittman notes that Americans eat about 200 pounds of meat and fish a year—twice as much as the global average.He argues that not only is a heavily vegetable diet healthier for us physically，but that it’s also true that the industrial production and processing of grain-fed livestock（家畜）consumes a huge amount of energy and has a negative impact on the environment.

E）It’s unclear how many people are official“flexitarian”converts，but nutritionists believe there are a growing number of people who are simply eating fewer meat main courses whether it’s for health，or economic reasons or because there are more good meatless dishes on offer.Think how many Americans regularly eat peanut-butter sandwiches，bean burritos（墨西哥玉米煎饼）and cheese pizzas as their main courses，says Blatner.“I do feel like that is a shocking thing，when you think about how much vegetarian food we eat without even trying.”

F）And while only 2 to 3 percent of Americans are traditional vegetarians according to the Vegetarian Resource Group，vegetarian foods have become increasingly popular among non-vegetarians.“If you look around at every regular，mainstream grocery stores，you have soy（大豆）milk right next to regular milk，you have vegetarian burgers in the frozen section，and tubs of tofu sitting there in the produce section，”says Blatner.She suggests that many of those who buy these products may be flexitarians and not even realize it.Even devoted vegetarians say they are somewhat flexible.A 2003 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that two out of three vegetarians say they can’t stick to a pure vegetarian diet all the time.

G）Some vegetarian advocates hope that a movement that begins with eating less meat might lead to more people embracing a no-meat and no-fish lifestyle.Vegetarian Resource Group co-director Charles Stahler calls it a“step in the right direction”.It should also inspire even more restaurants to create vegetarian options，and more people to realise that it’s“easy to be a vegetarian，”he says.In fact，it already has become a bit easier for gourmet food lovers to find main courses that are good and meatless.

H）Still，not everyone agrees that it’s a great idea to be mostly vegetarian instead of strict vegetarian.“Given the environmental，cruelty and health impact of a meat-based diet，going strict vegetarian is best，going vegetarian is good，and being a flexitarian is like smoking two packs of cigarettes instead of ten and beating one pig down the slaughter jump instead of two，”says Kathy Guillermo，director of research for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

[I]Blatner disagrees with the meat-is-immoral crowd.“It’s not that meat is some sort of evil，”she says.“It’s just that we eat excessive amounts of it.”She does agree that a plant-based diet is healthful，decreases the risk of cancer，and increases one’s lifespan.

J）Many big-name vegetarian cookbook authors like the idea of flexitarianism—though they tend to dislike the name.“How about just moderation？”says Deborah Madison，author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.Though she eats mainly a plant-based diet，she indulges in meat about once a week.“I’ve always had a hard time saying，‘I can’t eat that meal you made for me，’”she says.“I just think it’s rude.”Many of her readers，too，are not strict vegetarians.“They want to be able to have a vegetarian meal a couple of times a week，”she says.

K）Mollie Katzen，author of the well-known vegetarian bible Moosewood Cookbook（Ten Speed Press，2000） says she，too，is a flexible eater—indulging in occasional bites of her mom’s chicken.“I’m very happy that people can make the definition of‘vegetarian’be a positive statement about vegetables rather than a negative statement about meat—I don’t eat this，and I don’t eat that.I’m sick and tired of the no’s.”That said，she believes a plant-based diet is good for people and for the environment.“The environmental impact of meat and livestock raising is severe，”she says.“I’m not against eating meat or fish，but I believe people should be responsible and limited in their consumption.”

L）It’s important to remember，as well，that it’s possible to be vegetarian and unhealthy.“If you fry tofu，and eat baked goods，you’re going to be less healthy，”says registered nutritionist Mary Russell，director of nutrition services at the University of Chicago.But a diet that emphasises fruits and vegetables，done properly，should help protect the heart and lower blood pressure，she says.

M）Many former vegetarians turn to fish or meat because they feel they need more protein.Katie Petersen，25，a personal trainer，became a vegetarian when she was 14，largely because she didn’t like the texture of meat or the way it made her feel.But about two years ago，she started adding fish to her diet.She participates in “figure”competitions，a type of lightweight bodybuilding（健身），and felt she wasn’t getting enough protein from vegetarian burgers.

N）Sometimes people start adding a little fish or meat to their diets because the main course their friend or roommate is cooking in the kitchen simply smells too good to resist.Katelin Domanski，21，a senior at Northwestern University，gave up meat completely when she was 13—after she had some pieces of chicken with“blood veins”in them，she says.But just this month，she started eating a bit of chicken prepared by her gourmet roommate.Domanski also thinks it may be easier，when she graduates in June，to be flexible about her diet when she is in the workplace.

O）Of course，if vegetarians and gourmets like Mark Bittman have their way，most restaurants will someday offer enough main courses without meat to satisfy vegetarians whether they’re part-time or 100 percent committed.The good news is the days of vegetarian lovers being confined to the‘tofu surprise’are over.

36.Blatner disapproves of the notion that meat is immoral.

37.Deborah Madison likes the idea of flexitarianism but dislikes the name.

38.A 2003 study shows that about 67%vegetarians believe they can’t always adhere to a pure vegetarian diet.

39.People who eat more vegetarian food than meat belong to the flexitarian.

40.The famous vegetarian bible is Moosewood Cookbook，written by Mollie Katzen.

41.Mark Bittman is in favour of the eat-less-meat movement.

42.Charles Stahler supports a no-meat and no-fish lifestyle.

43.Katie Petersen started to eat meat again for she needed more protein.

44.Katelin Domanski chooses to eat a bit of chicken because the food smells too good to resist.

45.Bittman agrees that all the people on earth on average eat about 100 pounds of meat and fish yearly.

Section C

Directions：There are 2 passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are four choices marked A），B），C）and D）.You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

Language is，and should be，a living thing，constantly enriched with new words and forms of expression.But there is a vital distinction between good developments，which add to the language，enabling us to say things we could not say before，and bad developments，which subtract from the language by rendering it less precise.A lively，colourful use of words is not to be confused with mere slovenliness（不修边幅）.The kind of slovenliness in which some professionals deliberately indulge is perhaps similar to the cult（风尚）of the unfinished work，which has eroded most of the arts in our time.And the true answer to it is the same—that art is enhanced，not hindered，by discipline.You cannot carve satisfactorily in butter.

The corruption of written English has been accompanied by an even sharper decline in the standard of spoken English.We speak very much less well than was common among educated Englishmen a generation or two ago.The modern theatre has played a bad part in dimming our appreciation of language.Instead of the immensely articulate dialogue of，for example，Shaw（who was also very insistent on good pronunciation），audiences are now subjected to streams of barely literate trivia，often designed，only too well to exhibit“lack of communication”，and larded（夹杂）with the obscenities and grammatical errors of the intellectually impoverished.Emily Post once advised her readers：“The theatre is the best possible place to hear correctly-pronounced speech.”Alas，no more.One young actress was recently reported to be taking lessons in how to speak badly，so that she should fit in better.

But the BBC is the worst traitor.After years of very successfully helping to raise the general standard of spoken English，it suddenly went into reverse.As the head of the Pronunciation Unit Covly put it，“In the 1960s the BBC opened the field to a much wider range of speakers.”To hear a BBC disc jockey talking to the latest apelike pop idol is a truly shocking experience of verbal squalor（污秽）.And the prospect seems to be of even worse to come.School teachers are actively encouraged to ignore little Johnny’s incoherent grammar，awful spelling and disorganized punctuation，because worrying about such things might inhibit his creative genius.

46.The writer relates linguistic slovenliness to tendencies in the arts today in that____.

A）both appear to avoid perfection

B）both occasionally aim at a certain fluidity

C）both may make use of economical short cuts

D）both from time to time show a regard for the finishing touch

47.What is it claimed has happened to spoken English according to the passage？

A）On the whole，people tend to worry if they make pronunciation mistakes.

B）Writing problems are not reflected in poor oral expression.

C）Educated Englishmen now are less communicative than they were in the past.

D）Like written English，it has undergone a noticeable change for the worse.

48.Many modern plays，the author finds，frequently contain speech which____.

A）unintentionally shocks the reader

B）is far too ungrammatical for most people to follow

C）is incoherent and linguistically unpleasant

D）deliberately tries to hide the author’s intellectual inadequacies

49.Teachers are likely to overlook linguistic errors in their pupils since____.

A）they fear the children may become less coherent

B）more importance is now attached to oral expression

C）they find that children no longer respond to this kind of discipline nowadays

D）the children may be discouraged from giving vent to their own ideas

50.The author’s opinion of the developments in English is that____.

A）it is more relaxed linguistically，and he strongly condemns this

B）it is more relaxed，and he tends to be pleased with the changes

C）there is little to hope for，except in the attitude of school teachers

D）there is some cause for satisfaction，even in the attitudes of school teacher

Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

Each year Universum，a Swedish consulting firm，asks American MBA students where they would most like to work.The 2007 survey showed a few surprises in its top 50 companies named：Hewlett-Packard and Cisco Systems had fell，while old reliable ones such as General Electronic，Coca-Cola and General Mills had jumped up the list.But the most desired industry remains consulting，despite the beating it has taken since the end of the dotcom boom（网络泡沫），and the top firm remains McKinsey.Perhaps the reason is：in recent years McKinsey has done as much as any company to provide MBA graduates with increasingly better and more profitable positions.

The reason for this was the firm’s popularization of a concept known as“war for talent”.It advocated finding the best and brightest and rewarding their innovations in proportion to“talent”instead of their performance or seniority.But what is talent？And how does a company measure its employees’talent，especially when assigning them to new projects？The“war for talent”recommends a careful assessment of the inner skills and characteristics ready for success but gives few clues as to what those inner skills might be，which might make the war standardless.For a company focused on quick growth，one shortcut（捷径）could be young hires who had already been rewarded for their talent by receiving MBAs from well-respected schools.Thus as the idea of finding talented employees who could quickly learn the skills took off，so did the asking price of the star MBA graduates.

Unfortunately，now the“war for talent”seems less of a brilliant idea.The economic downturn，bringing with it less competition for the available talent，also did its part to control in indulgent（纵容的）employers.

Similarly，Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer emphasized that cultivating a talent means not just hiring the most effective performers，but being able to deal quickly and firmly with the least effective C performers.But he adds that the C refers not to the person but to the individual’s performance in a given job.Some low-performing managers were A or B performers earlier in their careers—and may attain that level of performance again.

MBA programs will remain attractive recruiting areas，but the MBA model itself has come under increasing criticism.Prof Pfeffer，in a 2007 article found little evidence that an MBA had much effect on future salary or career.Future MBA students might need to provide more evidence of their talent to impress potential employers.

51.McKinsey is favoured by American MBA students in that it____.

A）is famous for its consulting business

B）makes very attractive job offers to MBA holders

C）has a world-wide reputation for high salary

D）successfully survived the burst of dotcom bubble

52.What is a weak point of“war of talent”plan？

A）Talent is very hard to be defined or measured effectively.

B）Talent is something invisible and might be shown with time.

C）The talented people do not always have an MBA degree.

D）Different companies always rank the same person differently.

53.From the third paragraph，we learn that____.

A）the“war for talent”is totally useless nowadays

B）the“war for talent”has caused serious economy decrease

C）the economy decrease was caused by the lack of available talent

D）employers’attitude toward available talent has changed

54.What is Professor Pfeffer’s attitude towards cultivating a talent？

A）Only the A performers is worthy to be hired.

B）How to do with the C performers also needs attention.

C）C performers cannot change into A or B performers.

D）There is no difference among the A，B and C performers.

55.What is said about the MBA degree in the last paragraph？

A）It has lost all its original function.

B）It will still mean high income in future.

C）It might not be convincing in future.

D）Its holders lack talent evidence now.