全国大学生英语竞赛初赛试题
现在，越来越多的人意识到学习英语的重要性，但是，在日常生活中说英语的机会很少，以至于很多学生的口语很差，到英语水平很高，如果你是这样“做题性”的人，沪江小编希望大家参加大学生樱桃竞赛，下面是沪江小编为大家整理的全国大学生英语竞赛初赛试题，一起来看看吧!
(Preliminary )
Part I Listening Comprehension(30 minutes，30 points)
Section A Dialogues(10 points)
Directions ：In this section ，you will hear 10 short dialogues.At the end of each dialogue，a question will be asked about what was said.Both the dialogue and the question will be read only once.After each question there will be a the pause，you must read the four choices marked A，B ，C and D，and decide which is the best answer.Then m ark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
1.A .A sales clerk. B .A police officer.
C .A tailor. D .A nurse.
2.A .By train. B .She walks.
C .By car. D .By bus.
3.A .Fish is the only dish left. B .Chicken is the only dish left.
C .Vegetarian meals are not offered. D .There aren't any vegetarian meals left.
4.A .He starts work next weekend. B .He'll be away.
C .He'll be in the mountains. D .He's moving to Florida.
5.A .In an elevator. B .At a dress store.
C .On the seventh floor. D .At a department store.
6.A .They felt it was disorganized.
B .They were pleased with its Asian content.
C .They felt it lacked Asian content.
D .They felt it ignored recent events.
7.A .He doesn't have enough time.
B .He doesn't have a watch.
C .The library doesn't have the articles he wants.
D .He can't find the library.
8.A .He wants the woman to dine out with them.
B .He wants to work tomorrow.
C .He wants the woman to finish dinner first.
D .He wants to pay for the dinner.
9.A .Twice a day. B .Twice a week.
C .Once a week. D .Daily .
10.A .At two o'clock. B .At four o'clock.
C .At three thirty. D .At eight o'clock.
Section B News Items(10 points)
Directions ：In this section，you will hear 10 pieces of short news.There will be a question following each piece of news.Write down the answer to each question in no more than 15 words .
11._______________________________________
12._______________________________________
13._______________________________________
14._______________________________________
15._______________________________________
16._______________________________________
17._______________________________________
18._______________________________________
19._______________________________________
20._______________________________________ Section C Compound Dictation(10 points)
Directions ：In this section，you will hear a passage three times.When the passage is read for the first time ，you should listen carefully for its general idea.Then listen to the passage again.When the passage is read for the second time，you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 21 to 28 with the exact words you have just heard.For blanks numbered from 29 to 30，you are required to fill in the missing information .You can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words.Finally ，when the passage is read for the third time，you should check what you have written and rewrite the correct answers on the Answer Sheet.
Although general Motors and General Electric are large multinational companies with operations around the globe，there are numerous smaller companies that engage in international trade.Because 95percent of the world's population and two-thirds of its (21)_____ power are located outside the United States，it is important for American (22)_____to be present in foreign markets.However ，before we explain the different methods by which a company may (23)_____in international trade，we might first consider some important (24)_____that ies often fail to study before they sell products in a foreign country .These factors are (25)_____with differences in language ，in values and attitudes ，and in political (26)_____.
When (27)_____Coca-Cola into the Chinese market in 1920，the company used a group of Chinese symbols that，when spoken，sounded like Coca-Cola.However ，when read， these symbols meant，“a female horse fattened with wax”.Upon reentering the Chinese market in the 1970s，Coca-Cola used a series of Chinese (28)_____that translates into “happiness in the mouth ”.(29)_________________________.
Culture is the total pattern of human behavior that is practiced by a particular group of people .(30)_________________________.
Part II Vocabulary and Structure(15 minutes，30 points)
Section A Multiple Choice(20 points)
Directions ：Questions 31-50 constitute a complete passage.There are 20blanks in the passage.For each blank there are four choices marked A ，B ，C and D .Choose the one that best completes the sentence .Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
31.Senior Metropolitan police officers tried to dismiss the Noting Hill race riots which raged for five nights over the August bank holiday in 1958 as the work of“ruffians ，both colored and white”hell-bent on hooliganism ，according to __B___ official files.
A .recent revealed B .newly released
C .previous disclosing D .earlier exposing
32.But police eyewitness reports in the secret papers_D___ that they were overwhelmingly the work of a white working class mob out to get the“niggers ”.
A .contain B .convince
C .consist D .confirm
33.The ferocity of the Noting Hill“racial riots”，as the press called them at the time，shocked Britain into_A _C___ for the first time that it was not above the kind of racial conflict then being played out in the American deep south.
A .realizing B .witnessing
C .watching D .identifying
34.The carnival ，which will__C___ the streets of west London _____more than 1.5 million people this weekend ，was started in 1959 as a direct response to the riots.
A .crowd ;of B .pour ;for
C .fill ;with D .emerge ;in
35.While senior officers tried to play down the racial aspects of the riots，the internal Metropolitan police files released this month at the public record office confirm that the disturbances were overwhelmingly _C __A__ by 300 to 400 strong“Keep Britain White” mobs ，many of them Teddy boys armed with iron bars ，butcher's knives and weighted leather belts，who went“nigger-hunting ”among the West Indian residents of Noting Hill and Noting Dale.
A .erupted B .commenced
C .triggered D .inaugurated
36.The first night left five black men _A __D__ on the pavements of Noting Hill.
A .lying unconscious B .there died
C .feel faint D .serious hurt
37.The battles raged over the bank holiday weekend as the black _D____responded in kind with counterattacks by large groups of“men of color”similarly armed.
A .column B .army
C .brigade D .community
38.Thomas Williams was stopped by the police as he came out of Bluey's Club on Talbot Road，Noting Hill .He __B___a piece of iron down his left trouser leg，a petrol bomb in his right pocket and a razor blade in his inside breast pocket：“I have to protect myself，”he told the arresting officer.
A .found to have B .was found to have
C .found having D .was found having
39.The _A_B ___ files，which were sealed under the 75-year rule but have been released early，show that senior officers tried to convince the then home secretary，“Rab ”Butler ，that there was not a racial element to the rioting.
A .forbidden B .confidential
C .incredible D .strict
40.In his official report，Detective Sergeant M.Walters of the Notting Hill police said the national press had been wrong to portray the“widespread series of street disturbances”as “racial ”riots ：“Whereas there certainly was some __A___ feeling between white and colored residents in this area，it is abundantly clear much of the trouble was caused by ruffians，both colored and white，who seized on this opportunity to indulge in hooliganism .”
A .ill B .sick
C .painful D .hurt
41.But the police witness statements and private statistics __B_D__ .
A .told differently B .interpreted in a different way
C .existed m any differences D .told a different story
42.The Met commissioner was told that _C_D___ the 108people who were charged with offences ranging from grievous bodily harm to affray and riot and possessing offensive weapons，72 were white and 36 were “colored ”.
A .for B .from
C .of D .in
43.It is popularly believed that the riot began on the night of Saturday，August 20，when a 400-strong crowd of white men，_B D____“Teds ”，attacked houses occupied by West Indians.
A .they are all B .many of them
C .some were D .most of them belong to
44.Among the __C__ was Majbritt Morrison ，a young white Swedish bride of a Jamaican.
A .offenders B .rioters
C .victims D .residents
45.She was pelted with stones，glass and wood，and _B _D___ in the back with an iron bar as she tried to get home.
A .bruised B .struck
C .patted D .scratched
46.The internal police witness statements provide graphic evidence of the motives of the mobs—at one point crowds several thousand strong roamed the streets of Notting Hill，_B____ homes and attacking any West Indian they could find.
A .plunging into B .breaking into
C .seeking for D .searching for
47.PC Richard Bedford said he had seen a mob of 300 to 400 white people in Bramley Road _C__A__：“We will kill all black bastards.Why don't you send them home?”
A .shouting B .to cry
C .utter D .announced
48.PC Ian McQueen on the same night said he was told：“Mind your own __D___，cops .Keep out of it .We will settle these niggers our way.We'll murder the bastards .”
A .matters B .affair
C .things D .business
49.The disturbances continued night after night until they finally petered out on September 5.At the Old Bailey Judge Salmon later handed down exemplary __D___ of four years each on nine white youths who had gone“nigger hunting”.
A .decisions B .statements
C .trials D .sentences
50.While those dealt with by the courts were overwhelmingly white ，the large number of black people also arrested and the official _C____ there had not been a racial motive ensured a legacy of black mistrust of the Metropolitan police that has never really been eradicated .
A .persistence B .perseverance
C .insistence D .instance
Section B Error Correction(10points )
Directions ：The following passage contains 9 errors.In each case only one word is involved.You should proofread the passage on the Answer Sheet and correct it in the following way：
EXAMPLE
One night，quite late，I was still awake in the room I am shared with 1. am
my husband.I was lying on my right side and can hear a child crying. 2. could
Getting up，I went ∧ see if our son was all right. 3. to
He was sleeping soundly，breathing deeply and gently. 4. √
The Zipper
Whatever did we do before the invention of the zipper?
In 1893 the world's first zipper was produced in Chicago.
Although the inventor claimed that it was a reliable fastening
for clothing，this was not the case.The Chicago zipper sprang 51.______
open without warning，or jammed shut，and it swiftly lost
popularity .Twenty years ago a Swedish-born engineer called 52.______
Sundback solved the problem.He attached tiny cups to the
backs of the interlocked teeth，and this meant that the teeth 53.______
could be enmeshed more firmly and reliably.
At first zippers were made of metal.They were heavy，and
if they got stuck it was difficult to free.Then came nylon 54.______
zippers which were lighter and easier to use，and had smaller
teeth .The fashion industry liked the new zippers far better
because they didn’t distort the line of the garment or weighing 55.______
down light fabrics.They were also easier for the machinists
to fit into the garment.
Meanwhile a new fastening agent made its appearance at
the end of the twenty century: velcro. Velcro is another product 56.______
made from nylon.Nylon is a very tough synthetic fibre first
developed in the 1930s，and bearing a name to mind the wearer 57.______
of the two places where it was developed：NY for New York and
LON for London.Velcro is made with very small nylon hooks on
one side of the fastening which caught tiny looped whiskers on the 58.______
other side of the fastening.It is strong and durable.
Velcro is used on clothing，luggages and footwear.It is quick 59.______
and easy to fasten and unfasten，and has taken a large part of
the zipper's share of the market.It is also used in ways a zipper
cannot be used—for instance as an easily changed fastening on
plaster casts，and to hold furnishing fabrics in a position. 60.______
Part III Situational Dialogues(5 minutes，10 points)
Directions ：Complete the following dialogues by choosing the best answer .Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
61.Rob ：Hey Jill，you're looking great.
Jill ：Thanks ，Rob .____________
Rob ：Well ，you did it.How ?
Jill ： I jog every morning，and I go to aerobics every other day.
A .I bought this dress yesterday.Really smart.
B .You are looking fine too.
C .I'm recovering my strength after the flu.
D .My New Year's resolution was to get in shape.
62.Bob ：Hi Jane.How are you?
Jane ：____________I didn't sleep a wink last night.The people next door were making a lot of noise again till very late at night.
A .I'm feeling a bit out of sorts this morning.
B .Fine ，thank you.And you?
C .I slept like a log and didn't want to get out of bed.
D .It seems a bit unusual，you know.
63.Ann ：Aah !He's gorgeous!Look at those big，golden paws.When did you get him? Roger ：Yesterday .____________
Ann ：Oh ，right .What kind is she?
Roger ：A Labrador.
A .Susan's got a more beautiful one.
B .What's up?
C .It's a she actually.
D .Isn't it right?
64.Tina ：Wow ，look at all the things on sale.____________
Andrew ：Yes ，look ，this shirt is 50 %off .
Tina ：And look at these shoes.They are 30 %off the normal price.
A .I'd like to buy a skirt.B .There are some real bargains.
C .Are the prices reasonable?D .These shoes are the same as mine.
65.Woman ：Have you finished the packaging?
Man ：____________
Woman ：Good .Because the truck will be coming soon，this is a rush job.
A .Don't hurry m or I'll break the glass.
B .Almost .I just have to wrap the glass and put it into boxes.
C .No ，I haven't.Why didn't you help me with it?
D .Yes ，I have.What else can I do for you?
66.Customs Officer ：________________________
Mrs .John son ：No ，nothing at all.
Customs Officer ：No perfume，alcohol or cigarettes?
Mrs .John son ：Well ，I have 200 cigarettes;that's all.
A .Do you have anything in the bag，ma'am ?
B .Do you have anything to declare，ma'am ?
C .Do you want to buy something，ma'am ?
D .Is there anything I can do for you，ma'am ?
67.Linda ：Hello .I'd like to send this package，please .
Clerk ：____________________________________
Linda ：First class.How long will that take?
Clerk ：About three days.
A .How would you like to send it? B .Which class are you in?
C .Where do you want to send it to?D .Which class is it in?
68.Assistant ：Can I help you?
Colin ：Yes ，it's about this sports shirt.I washed it the other day.The colour ran and it shrank. Assistant ：Oh dear，I see.________________________
Colin ：I'm afraid not.
Assistant ：I'm sorry，but I'm not allowed to change anything without a receipt.
A .Did you buy it here?
B .Would you want to change it?
C .Do you have the receipt?
D .Could you tell me who sold it to you?
69.James ：Could I have my bill，please ?Can I pay by credit card or eurocheque?
Receptionist ：____________
James ：I'll pay by credit card，then .
Receptionist ：That's fine.I hope you enjoyed your stay here.
A .Here's your bill.B .Sorry ，we don't take credit card.
C .You can pay by eurocheque.D .Yes ，we take both.
70.Husband ：When is our anniversary?
Wife ：________________________
Husband ：No ，it's just that I bought these flowers for you and I was hoping today was the day.
A .Hmm ...I can't remember either.Why ?
B .Hey ，are these flowers for me?
C .Who cares?Do you want to give me a surprise?
D .Are you joking?Have you really forgotten again?
Part IV Reading Comprehension(25 minutes，40 points)
Section A Multiple Choice(10 points)
Directions ：There is one reading passage in this part .The passage is followed by 5 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre .
Questions 71 to 75 are based on the following passage：
Taking a peep at what's going on in your head
CARL Filer，18，a star salesman at a B&Q hardware store in the UK，was called up for promotion within one week of starting work.But ，instead of being made supervisor，he was sacked—after his employers saw the results of his psychometric test.
You might think that anyone who answers that he“strongly disagrees he is an over-achiever is asking for trouble，but Mr Filer already thought he had proved himself more than capable.
This year ，nearly half of UK firms —46 percent —will use psychometric tests to select trainees ，compared with just 17 percent in 2000，according to a report for GTI，a publisher of graduate career guides .
These tests，which rate candidates’ ability and gauge their personality，have been used in the UK since the 1980s.But assorted studies have shown most people—graduates in particular—are wholly cynical about the idea of their personality being“measured .
“People tend to see them as either too silly or too clever ， says Clive Fletcher ，professor of occupational psychology at University of London.“But all the evidence indicates the tests do have some value .
The first personality test as we know it，was developed by the American army in 1917 to filter out weak recruits .
But it was not until the 1980s that the tests became popular in Britain.With a rising number of graduates going for a decreasing number of jobs，organizations began to see psychometric testing as a cheap，reliable alternative to the expensive，time-consuming interview.
But today the tests are becoming alarmingly sophisticated and are edging towards probing the “dark side ：pathology and personality disorders.Increasingly ，tests are being used to try to detect promising young graduates who may，later in life，fly off the rails(go crazy);or to stop psychopaths(having mental disorder )getting recruited.
In the future ，interviewees could even be given a mouth swab to reveal the genetic and biological markers of personality.“We are heading for the era of genetic screening，”warns Carolyn Jones，of the Institute for Employment Rights.“I think these tests are very flawed.
And there are other problems with the tests.For starters，it is possible to fake it—even the test producers agree on this.But they have made it as hard as possible.For example， look at whether you agree or disagree with the following two statements：“New ideas come easily to me and “I find generating new concepts difficult. How long did it take you to realize they both could mean the same thing?
The main argument，however ，is that the tests are invalid and cannot quantify(put a numerical value on)something as changeable as personality.
The golden rule is then，that a psychometric test should never be used as the sole basis of selection，but should always be followed by interviews.
71.Most people's attitude towards the psychometric test is ______.
A .contemptuous B .favorable C .tolerant D .confounded
72.Which of the following is one of the reasons why psychometric testing wins an advantage over interviews ?
A .It doesn't cost any money. B .It requires no equipment.
C .It is time-saving. D .It can be done within seconds.
73.Which of the following statements is the author's idea?
A .Psychometric tests are defective.
B .Psychometric tests should not be the only way to recruit promising young graduates.
C .Psychometric tests are invalid and cannot quantify something changeable as personality.
D .Psychometric tests are golden rules.
74.The test producers make the tests very complicated to ______.
A .avoid cheating B .improve genetic screening
C .find out the best ideas D .generate new concepts
75.Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A .The American army developed the first personality test to screen out weak recruits.
B .In the future，interviewers could give a mouth swab to reveal interviewees’ symptoms .
C .There are possibilities for starters to cheat in the psychometric tests.
D .Interviews still play an important role in evaluating interviewees.
Section B Short Answer Questions(30 points)
Directions ：In this part there are 3 passages with 15 questions or incomplete statements .Read the passages carefully .Then answer the questions in the fewest possible words (not exceeding 10 words ).Remember to rewrite the answers on the Answer Sheet.
Questions 76 to 80 are based on the following passage：
The 8 Steps of Social Invention
1.Get ready to play.
Like other types of creativity ，social inventiveness flourishes when you begin thinking outside conventional boundaries.Charlie Girsch，a St.Paul ，Minnesota-based creativity consultant，suggests that you start by playing with obviously absurd explanations for everyday events.“If traffic is slow，you'll be tem pted to say，‘Hmm .Must be an accident up ahead.’ Instead ，try saying，‘Must be a family of turtles crossing the highway’or ‘I expect there's some kind of alien abduction going on.’You'll be amazed how soon you will be looking at familiar problems in new ways.”Girsch's book，Fanning the Creative Spirit(Creativity Central，1999)has scores of other exercises for limbering up the inventive part of your brain.
2.Generate a zillion far-fetched ideas.
Concerned about the homeless in your neighborhood ?Imagine a Homeless Parliament ，a Homeless Circus ，homeless families forming an orchestra，a homeless museum ...and on and on.Generate like mad with no regard for feasibility in order ，as social invention pioneer Nicholas Albery advises ，to “overcome e worthy-but-dull ideas.”Eventually the two or three best ideas will begin to stand out.
3.Take your wildest idea and bring it down to earth.
How about that Homeless Circus ?Could it turn into a forum for homeless people to display their creative talents ?A performance series about homelessness ?A neighborhood carnival with the homeless as guests of honor?Your flakiest idea may have a germ of brilliance that actually makes it more attractive，and thus more feasible(and fundable)，than its worthy-but-dull cousins.
4.Look for in venations that solve more than one problem.
The Slow Food Movement ，born in Italy ，boosts local farmers and regional cuisine traditions and restaurateurs and the same time that it“feeds ”our hunger for authentic tastes， healthy eating，and a more leisurely，saner style of life.
5.Accentuate the positive.
“A very common question that I get when I work with people in communities is‘Why doesn't anybody care about our problems ?’”notes M chael Patterson ，a social inventor and activist in Massachusetts .“What a worthless question.‘Why ’?questions are for philosophers.Ask ‘How ’?and ‘What ’?questions —they are a lot more practical.”For instance， Patterson asks，“What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?”
6.Give it a rest.
Walk away from your favorite idea for a while，forget about it，let it sleep.With your conscious mind out of the way，your subconscious gets to fiddle with the concept for a while， and you just might have an unexpected insight or breakthrough.
7.Practice “yes and”in stead of“yes but”.
No matter how tempted you are to say“Yes ，but this will be hard because，”or “Yes ，but a million other people are doing this，”shift the conjunction to“and ”and see what sort of positive refinement or change emerges .“Yes ，and we could concentrate on immigrants.”“Yes ，and we can make it open to all ages.”
8.Get your idea into the world.
This is the tough part.You might seek out the help of activists who will take a shine to your ideas.Or become an organizer yourself.Paul Glove，a New York social inventor，coun-sels ：“If you have an idea you believe in ，write a pamphlet with your phone number on it and post it in Laundromats and bookstores .If three people call you，have lunch with them and call yourselves an organization.If five people call，meet with them and issue a press release.” Presto ，you're launched.
76.To generate far-fetched ideas helps to ______.
77.Michael Patterson wants us to come up with“How ”?and “What ”?instead of“Why ”?questions because he considers they are more practical than ______.
78.The purpose to practice“yes and”instead of“yes but”is to make yourself more ______.
79.According to the article，when one has difficulty developing his favorite idea，he should ______.
80.One should not only generate far-fetched ideas but also ______ because the latter step is the nearest to reality.
Questions 81 to 85 are based on the following passage：
Thin Slice of TV Has Big Market
It is too early to write an obituary for bulky picture tubes，which will remain the most affordable TV sets for years to come.
But ，analysts and industry executives insist that thin screens already have started to become the dominant format for TV sets in the digital era.
Sharp price cuts have brought plasma sets and other thin ，flat televisions out of high-end electronic boutiques and into thousands of mass-market outlets such as Cosco，a wholesale buying club in the US，best known for offering members bulk items and big discounts.
The least expensive plasma sets still cost a hefty US $3，000or more ，yet sales are growing so rapidly that many manufacturers are racing to boost production.
That increase，combined with expanding production capacity and improved technology， could push the price of plasma sets down by one-third next year ，according to analyst Richard Doherty of Envisioneering Group，a US research firm.
But manufacturers are not just competing with each other;they are also trying to fend off challenges from competing thin-screen technologies，such as liquid crystal displays(LCD ).
The demand for thin screens is fuelled in part by the advent of DVDs and digital TV broadcasts，which offer more detailed pictures and more lifelike colors than conventional analog TV signals.
To see the difference，consumers need a set that can pack more information onto the screen than their current TVs can.
This sharpness is most vivid on screens that are 40inches diagonal or larger.At that size，however ，traditional direct view and projection TVs are so bulky that many consumers have trouble finding a place for them at home.
Hence the interest in thin screens—models slender and light enough to hang on a wall.
The glass panels at the heart of plasma and LCD sets come mainly from about a dozen companies with factories in Japan，South Korea and，increasingly ，China .About 800，000 plasma panels will be shipped this year around the world，analysts say.
That is a tiny amount compared with the overall market for TVs，which was about 140 million sets last year .But ，industry experts said 2003would be a“breakout year” or plasma because shipments should double .
Helping drive the growth are new or expanded manufacturing facilities .For example ， Japanese electronics giant NEC last year doubled the capacity of its Japanese factory—reaching 300，000to 400，000 plasma panels.And it plans to double it again in 2003，officials said.
As competition has heated up during the last four years ，prices have fallen more than 50 percent .According to“NPD Tec world”，the average price of a plasma display sold in the US dropped from US $12，700in January 1999 to US $6，100in October 2002.
The best markets for plasma screens have been in Asia ，and about half of the sets have gone to businesses instead of homes.
LCD TVs carry a premium price —they can be 10 times as expensive as a comparable tube-driven television —that knocks them out of most buyers’ budgets .
But LCD panels are quickly taking over the market for computer monitors，and the tens of millions of panels being produced for that segment will help push down prices for LCD TVs，analysts predicted. Sharp Electronics ，for one ，is betting heavily on LCDs .Its chairman ，Toshiaki Urushisako ， has predicted that Sharp will switch completely from conventional tube sets to LCD TVs in Japan by 2005. Flat-panel refers to wafer-thin (3 inches or less )TVs ，whereas flat-screen may actually describe traditional cathode-ray-tube sets(CRTs )whose glass front lacks the distorting curve that TVs have had for 50 years.
Be aware of two things：One ，flat-panel technology may not be high-definition TV;for eventual HDTV reception ，some of these sets will require a separate HD tuner.Two ，some flat-panel TVs are just the panel and lack speakers and sometimes a built-in tuner.
Price range：US $700-2，000
LCD vs plasma
In general，LCD technology is used for smaller screens because of the enormous number of transistors needed to turn the glasslike liquid crystals into color images .The larger the display ，the more transistors ，the more chance of failed connections.
A plasma screen is found in TV sets larger than 20 inches.Color is comparable to an LCD's.LCDs do not deteriorate over time，while a plasma display averages 30，000 hours(a traditional TV screen can go for 20，000)，after which it fades over a period of years.Earlier problems with the quality of plasma's contrast have been addressed，and current screens are cleaner and better defined.
Price range：US $600-2，800
HDTV
Simply put，high-definition TV is 10 times as sharp as traditional TV，and the sound is digital，like CD sound ，not FM ，which is what traditional TV provides.HD technology achieves its visual clarity with more immage lines on the screen.Where analog TVs have 480 horizontal lines，HDTV has 720 or 1，080lines .Be aware ：m any HDTV sets being sold now are in fact only HDTV monitors ，offering a crisp picture .To receive genuine high-definition television signals，owners must buy a separate HDTV receiver .
Price range：US $1，000-6，000
LOS ANGELEST IMES
81.According to the article，TV sets with _____will still be the most popular in the coming years.
82.The factors that stimulate the thin screens to be more and more popular include _____，_____，and_____.
83.The rapidly expanding market for LCD panels and their large-scale production will help lower _____.
84.When a wealthy customer wants to buy a very large TV，he should select _____and _____according to the passage.
85.We can infer from the passage that among all kinds of TV sets _____is of the best quality.
Questions 86 to 90 are based on the following passage：
Dell Does Domination
Over the years I've spent a fair amount of time hanging out with Michael Dell，and what I noticed during my latest visit with him in Austin is how things have changed.Yes ，he is still unflappable.And yes，he greets me in his new glossy offices with the same Stamford Wife-like grin he has always had.But he appears thinner now，as if he's lost baby fat.While he's still slow-moving，as if he's conserving energy，he now cuts to the quick in conversation.And when he zeroes in on the point he wants to make，when he reiterates why Dell Computer is in a better position than any other PC maker in the world，you realize that the 36-year-old has lost what was once one of his greatest advantages：no one underestimate ates him anymore.
Instead ，Michael Dell looms over the PC landscape like a giant ，casting a shadow over all his unfortunate com petitors.This is a terrible time in a difficult business.PC sales were down for the first time last year.Dell's sales will be down，too ，also for the first time.Yet even with that，even with recession ，even with the threat of a Hewlett-Packard /Com paq Goliath，this is the only PC maker you can count on to grow and grow and grow.Almost single-handedly，Dell is forcing this industry to consolidate .Could this mean “game over ”in the PC biz ?“Game over ?”he looks back at me incredulously .“No way.We only have 14% global market share.”
The Dellites may not admit to “game over ”aspirations ，but clearly they are thinking of a kind of domination never seen before among PC makers.“We think 40%market share is possible，”says Dell's No .2，Kevin Rollins .That's a remarkable goal ;what's more remarkable is that it really is attainable .Don't look for Dell to hit that kind of number anytime soon.Rather ，the company's growth will come from grinding out gains on several existing fronts，while shrewdly expanding into new target markets .
The reason is simple：there's no better way to make，sell ，and deliver PCs than the way Dell does it，and nobody executes that model better than Dell.By now most business people can recite the basic tenets of Dell's direct-sales model .Dell machines are made to order and delivered directly to the customer .There is no middleman.The customer gets the exact machine he wants cheaper than he can get it from the competition .The company gets paid by the customer weeks before it pays suppliers .Given all that，the company that famously started in Austin out of a University of Texas dorm room now dominates the northern side of this city the way giant steelworks once lorded over old mill towns .Dell has some 24 facilities in and near Austin and employs more than 18，000 local workers.Dell did over $30billion in sales in 2000，ranking 48th on the FORTUNE 500，ahead of names like Walt Disney ，and Du Pont.Michael is the richest man under 40 in the world，worth $16 billion.
Two facts show how well the Dell model is working，even in tough times：Dell is on track to earn over $1.7 billion in 2001，taking almost every single dollar of profit among makers of Windows-based PCs .And Dell is gaining market share.That's not true for any other major PC maker.
Quite the contrary .The others are going splat for the same reason that Dell is succeeding ：commoditization .The desktop PC has become a commodity .That's great for consumers ，who get standardized ，easy-to-use ，cheap PCs.
Commoditization has been going on in the industry for years.Dell ，as master of the direct model，spent most of the 1990s operating in techno-Nirvana.The PC market was growing by 15%-plus per year.For its quarter ended January 2000，Dell did a record $6.8 billion in sales，up 31% from the previous year's quarter .In a sign of things to come ，sales growth slowed later in 2000.Then the growth disappeared in 2001.
The economic slowdown was bad news for everyone ，but Michael Dell and Kevin Rollins ，who is increasingly his equal partner in running this business，made sure it was terrible news for Dell's com petitors .In late 2000they decided to slash prices.“It was advantageous for us，actually ，because in periods of slow demand component prices drop，and ， unlike our competition，we can pass those savings on immediately to customers，”explains Rollins，a fine violinist who grew up in a hard-charging Utah family —his father was an engineering professor at Brigham Young—and came to Dell from the Bain consulting firm .Dell could make more money selling more computers at lower prices than it could selling fewer computers at higher prices.The low prices wreaked havoc on competitors.Compaq ，HP ，and Gateway all lost market share for the 12 months that ended Sept.30，2001，while Dell's share of the U .S .market climbed 31%.
86._____was once one of Dell's greatest advantages.
87.The passage attributes the success of Dell to_____.
88.Why did Dell's share of the climb 31% in 2001 while the economy slowed down?
89.Dell hopes to increase its global market share by _____according to the passage.
90.If one wants to buy a Dell computer，who do you think he is supposed to pay?
Part V Word Guessing and IQ Test(5 minutes，10 points)
Section A Word Guessing(5 points)
91.In the western countries ，a person who serves the guests in a restaurant expects a gratuity in appreciation for good service.
A .good remark B .letter of thanks C .tip D .promotion
92.In Greek mythology，the hero usually finds himself in a terrible predicament in which he has to face a fate which has been foretold by the Oracle at Delphi.
A .strange phenomenon B .unpleasant situation
C .unusual circumstance D .huge monster
93.A first-class business establishment will fully recompense its customers if there is ever any dissatisfaction with the service or product.
A .compensate B .understand C .inform D .award
94.Our family was truly a matriarchy，because my grandmother had to raise her children and provide for them all by herself;my grandfather had died when his sons and daughter were quite young.
A .family governed by women B .family without the father
C .family depending on the mother D .family with many young children
95.I'd love to help you look for all those things but I'm a bit pushed for time today.Why don't we split up and meet back in a couple of hours for a quick cuppa and then I can have a look at what you've bought .
A .put it aside B .go separately
C .save the time D .do it one by one
Section B IQ Test(5 points)
96.What number should replace the question mark?
A .10 B .9 C .8 D .7
97.If someone could take a sheet of paper 0.1mm thick，tear it in half，put the pieces on top of each other ，tear these in half，then repeat the process until the paper had been torn 25 times，what would be the final height of the pile of paper?
A .As thick as a book. B .As tall as a man.
C .As high as a house. D .As high as a mountain.
98.If the pyramid were flattened out would it look like A，B ，C or D?
99.Only one of the sets of six letter below can be rearranged into a six-letter word in the English language .Can you find that set?
A .LO RIDM B .ETNMIU C .TUBLID D .MIRCEL
100.These are millennium celebrations taking place in 4 different places.Which one occurred first?
A. PARIS B. SYDNEY
C. NEW YORK D. GREAT WALL OF CHINA
Part VI Translation(10 minutes，10 points)
Directions ：Translate the underlined sentences of the following passage into Chinese on the Answer Sheet .
TASTE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
Wherever you are in the world，it seems，the billboards and supermarket shelves are saturated with the same brand names.There are few places left on the planet where you can't buy a Diet Coke，a packet of Kellogg's cornflakes，or Oxo cubes.
But just try tasting them.(101)The packaging and the product may look identical，but the flavour maybe far from familiar .Even the most famous brand names are specially for-mulated to appeal to individual national palates .Heinz ，for instance ，insists that its tomato ketchup is “the same recipe worldwide ”，but admits that“there maybe very subtle variations in the spicing”.
Even the ultimate global brand，Coca-Cola ，accepts that not all its products are what they appear to be .“We go to great lengths to ensure that Coca-Cola is the same wherever you drink it ，”says a spokesman .“But Diet Coke may change slightly from country to country，because we use different sweeteners in different places.”
Americans prefer many products ，particularly chocolate ，to be far more sugary than Europeans do .(102)The French perceive strawberry flavour in a different way from the British，so the artificial flavouring in France will not have a“proper ”strawberry taste to Britons.Preferences for saltiness and color differ as well，and most Japanese consumers dislike the taste of milk.
The French in general prefer stronger，fuller-tasting coffee than the British.There is a higher cream content in a Magnum in Italy than in Britain，because the Italians expect ice-cream to have a much richer taste .Tea sold in Europe tends to be weaker than the strong tea preferred by Britons .(103)Taste preferences can vary even within countries：at least one well-known soft drink is made according to a sweeter recipe in the southern states of the United States than that on sale in the north.
Local water and soil will affect the taste of home-grown natural ingredients.Some key constituents may not be available ，meaning that alternatives must be found .Sometimes ，especially in developing countries ，premium grade components ，such as high-grade flour ，are replaced with lower-quality equivalents .
(104)Extremes in climate will require different additives and preservatives to be used. Chocolate calls for an alternative recipe in hot countries if it is to maintain its texture and taste.
And multinationals must conform to national laws and regulations on additives， flavorings ，colorings ，and artificial low-calorie sweeteners.Mars and Snickers bars taste slightly different in Australia，since laws there state that vegetable fat must not be used in chocolate.
Local religious sensibilities must also be observed .(105)Even McDonald's ，which proclaims the homogeneity of its Big Macs(巨无霸)around the globe，has to serve lamb rather than beef burgers in India ，because the sacred status of cows means that the majority of its Indian customers can't eat beef. Part VII Writing (30 minutes，20 points)
Directions ：The chart below shows the amount of leisure time enjoyed by men and women of different employment status.Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.You should write at least 150 words.
Leisure time in a typical week：by sex and employment status，1998-99
2003年全国大学生英语竞赛初赛赛卷答案
Part I Listening Comprehension (30 分)
Section A Dialogues (10 分, 每题1分)
1. C. 2. C 3. C 4. B 5. D 6. C 7. A 8. A 9. B 10. B
Section B News Items (10 分, 每题1分)
11. The UN Security Council’s resolution.
12. $100 million.
13. About a deadly shooting.
14. 14.
15. A way to reduce early births among women at the risk of premature delivery.
16. The Bush administration.
17. A fire in a night club.
18. To seek UN approval for war.
19. Murder and injury.
20. A gunshot.
Section C Compound Dictation (10 分，21—28题，每题0.5分;29、30题，每题3分)
21. purchasing 22. firms 23. engage 24. factors 25. concerned
26. climate 27. introducing 28. characters
29. This critical problem of proper translating is only one of many cultural differences facing American corporations overseas
30. Because of their cultural heritage, businesspersons in each country conduct their activities differently.
Part II V ocabulary and Structure (30 分)
Section A Multiple Choice (20 分, 每题1分)
31. B 32. D 33. A 34. C 35. C 36. A 37. D 38. B 39. B 40. A
41. D 42. C 43. B 44. C 45. B 46. B 47. A 48. D 49. D 50. C
Section B Error Correction (10 分, 每题1分)
51. √ 52. ago→ later 53. interlocked → interlocking 54. free∧→ them
55. weighing→ weigh 56. twenty → twentieth 57. mind → remind 58. caught → catch
59. luggages → luggage 60. a → 删除a
Part III Situational Dialogues (10 分, 每题1分)
61. D 62. A 63. C 64. B 65. B 66. B 67. A 68. C 69. D 70. D
Part IV Reading Comprehension ( 40 分)
Section A Multiple Choice (10分, 每题2分)
71. A 72. C 73. B 74. A 75. B
Section B Short Answer Questions (30分, 每题2分)
76. increase your social inventiveness
77. theoretical/philosophical
78. determined
79. give it a rest
80. get them into the world / make them known
81. bulky picture tubes
82. price cuts, convenience, the demands for high definition
83. prices for LCD TVs
84. LCD, HDTV
85. HDTV
86. That he was once underestimated / That someone once underestimated him
87. The direct sales model / commoditization
88. They slashed the prices. / They lowered the prices.
89. 26%
90. The Dell company.
Part V Word Guessing and IQ Test (10分)
Section A Word Guessing (5 分，每题1分)
91. C 92. B 93. A 94. A 95. B
Section B IQ Test (5 分，每题1分)
96. C 97. D 98. A 99. B 100. B
Part VI Translation (10 points)
101. 包装和产品也许看起来是完全一样的，但是味道也许跟所熟悉的相差甚远。
102. 法国人对草莓口味的感觉与英国人不同，所以法国产的草莓人工调味剂不合英国人的胃口。 103. 甚至在一国之内，口味偏好也会有极大差别：至少一种指明软饮料，在美国南部地区是用比在北方销售的饮料甜味更重的配方制成的。
104. 气候的巨大差别要求使用不同的添加剂和防腐剂。
105. 即使宣称在全球销售同一种类的巨无霸的麦当劳也不得不在印度提供羊肉汉堡而不是牛肉汉堡，原因是牛的神圣地位意味着大多数印度顾客不能食用牛肉。
Part VII Writing (20分)
(参考范文)
The chart shows the number of hours of leisure enjoyed by men and women in a typical week in 1998-99, according to gender and employment status.
Among those employed full-time, men on average had forty-seven hours of leisure, whereas women had approximately thirty-seven hours. There were no figures given for male part-time workers, but female part-timers had thirty-nine hours of leisure time, only slightly more than women in full-time employment, perhaps reflecting their work in the home.
In the unemployed and retired categories, leisure time showed an increase for both sexes, as might have been expected. Here too, men enjoyed more leisure time---over eighty hours, compared with less than seventy hours for women, perhaps once again reflecting the fact women spend more time working in the home than men.
Lastly, housewives enjoyed approximately fifty-four hours of leisure, on average. There were no figures given for househusbands! Overall, the chart demonstrates that in the categories for which statistics on male leisure time were available, men enjoyed at least ten hours of extra time.
沪江小编提醒大家，在竞赛复习过程中切勿忘本，一切竞赛一定都要以课本为基础，中学生英语能力竞赛中60%的知识点是来自课本中的，就怕孩子们为了竞赛喧宾夺主，不把精力放在课本上，做了很多竞赛题。所以提议孩子备战各种竞赛的时候一定是保证课本知识没问题的基础上再看竞赛内容。在备战过程中多做真题，总结规律，则可达到事半功倍。