To trace back the origin of opera, it actually derived from Greece.

The origin of the American party system can be traced to ______.

A．the struggle between the Royalists and revolutionaries in the War of Independence

B．the constitutional debate between the Federalists and the anti-Federalists

C．the struggle between those who upheld slavery and those who opposed slavery

D．none of the above

The origin of the American party system can be traced to _______.

A．the struggle between the Royalists and revolutionaries in the War of Independence

B．the constitutional debate between the Federalists and the anti-Federalists

C．the struggle between those who upheld slavery and those who opposed slavery

D．none of the above

A、the late Paleolithic age

B、the Neolithic age

C、the Zhou Dynasty

D、the Shang Dynasty

The Olympic Games originated in 776 B.C. in Olympia, a small town in Greece. Participants in the first Olympiad are said to have run a 200-yard race, but as the Games were held every four years, they expanded in scope. Only Greek amateurs were allowed to participate in this festival in honor of the god Zeus. The event became a religious, patriotic, and athletic occasion where winners were honored with wreaths and special privileges. They were banned in 394 A.D. by Emperor Theodosius, after they became professional circuses and carnivals.

The modern Olympic Games began in Athens in 1896 as a result of the initiative of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator whose desire was to promote international understanding through athletics. Nine nations participated in the first Games; over 100 nations currently compete.

The taint of politics and racial controversy, however, has impinged upon the Olympic Games in our epoch. In 1936 Hitler, whose country hosted the Games, affronted Jesse Owens, a black American runner, by refusing to congratulate Owens for the feat of having won four gold medals. In the 1972 Munich Games, the world was appalled by the deplorable murder of eleven Israeli athletes by Arab terrorists, The next Olympic Games in Montreal were boycotted by African nations; in addition, Taiwan Province withdrew. In 1980, following the former Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, sixty-two nations caused great dismay to their athletes by refusing to participate in the Games. The consensus among those nations was that their refusal would admonish the Soviets.

According to the passage, the first Olympic games were held______.

A．as a religious festival

B．for political reasons

C．as an international competition

D．as a professional athletes' competition

Part A

Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D . Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.

The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the three major Chinese traditional festivals, along with Spring Festival and the Moon Festival. Of the three, it is possibly the oldest, dating back to the Warring States Period. As the term suggests, dragon-boat is a boat caved like a dragon. The origin of the dragon-boat race is related to Quyuan, a senior official of Chu in the period of the Warring States. He hated the crafty sycophants in the important positions. At last, he was squeezed out by them and exiled. He threw himself into a river on the fifth of the fifth lunar month in 278 BC. The local people organized spontaneously to rescue him by rowing boat. However, the rescue ended in vain. This common practice developed into the dragon-boat sports to memorize Quyuan.

The dragon-boat race has become a custom since Tang Dynasty. To win the race, the following must be concerned about:

1. High quality wood. Heavy wood will affect the speed, so it is usually made of light wood.

2. Players with energy, endurance and rowing skills. The method to choose excellent oarsmen is interesting. Two contestants sit in the same boat back to back. They both row to the directions they are facing, and the one whose direction the boat moves to is the winner. He will be chosen as the player.

3. Excellent dispatch. Since there are scores or even a hundred oarsmen on a boat, they can not win the game until they are in the same step. A strong man beat a drum in the center of the boat, and the oarsmen unity the rhythm accordingly, which helps them to be in step to win the game.

Last but not least, an excellent coxswain is very important. The boat moves forward like a lightning once it sets off. It is not easy to adjust if it moves off the right direction.

Nowadays, dragon-boat race has been a world competitive game. The first world dragon boat championship was held in China in 1995. Every spring there are nearly 60 dragon boat races are held outside China in cities from Vancouver to Sydney, from Gdansk, Poland to Cape Town, South Africa. Canada alone has nearly 50 dragon boat teams and Germany has nearly 30. It is influencing the world with its special power.

Which of the following statements would the author be likely to agree?

A．The heavier the wood is, the better the boat is.

B．The stronger players are more likely to be chosen in the dragon boat race.

C．Good oarsmen can drive the boat in perfect direction.

D．The final result of the race is dependant on three conditions.

Part A

Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D . Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.

The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the three major Chinese traditional festivals, along with Spring Festival and the Moon Festival. Of the three, it is possibly the oldest, dating back to the Warring States Period. As the term suggests, dragon-boat is a boat caved like a dragon. The origin of the dragon-boat race is related to Quyuan, a senior official of Chu in the period of the Warring States. He hated the crafty sycophants in the important positions. At last, he was squeezed out by them and exiled. He threw himself into a river on the fifth of the fifth lunar month in 278 BC. The local people organized spontaneously to rescue him by rowing boat. However, the rescue ended in vain. This common practice developed into the dragon-boat sports to memorize Quyuan.

The dragon-boat race has become a custom since Tang Dynasty. To win the race, the following must be concerned about:

1. High quality wood. Heavy wood will affect the speed, so it is usually made of light wood.

2. Players with energy, endurance and rowing skills. The method to choose excellent oarsmen is interesting. Two contestants sit in the same boat back to back. They both row to the directions they are facing, and the one whose direction the boat moves to is the winner. He will be chosen as the player.

3. Excellent dispatch. Since there are scores or even a hundred oarsmen on a boat, they can not win the game until they are in the same step. A strong man beat a drum in the center of the boat, and the oarsmen unity the rhythm accordingly, which helps them to be in step to win the game.

Last but not least, an excellent coxswain is very important. The boat moves forward like a lightning once it sets off. It is not easy to adjust if it moves off the right direction.

Nowadays, dragon-boat race has been a world competitive game. The first world dragon boat championship was held in China in 1995. Every spring there are nearly 60 dragon boat races are held outside China in cities from Vancouver to Sydney, from Gdansk, Poland to Cape Town, South Africa. Canada alone has nearly 50 dragon boat teams and Germany has nearly 30. It is influencing the world with its special power.

Which of the following statements would the author be likely to agree?

A．The heavier the wood is, the better the boat is.

B．The stronger players are more likely to be chosen in the dragon boat race.

C．Good oarsmen can drive the boat in perfect direction.

D．The final result of the race is dependant on three conditions.

Section III Reading Comprehension

(60 minutes)

Part A

Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing [A] , [B] ,[C] or [D] . Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET1.

Text 1

The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the three major Chinese traditional festivals, along with Spring Festival and the Moon Festival. Of the three, it is possibly the oldest, dating back to the Warring States Period. As the term suggests, dragon-boat is a boat caved like a dragon. The origin of the dragon-boat race is related to Quyuan , a senior official of Chu in the period of the Warring States. He hated the crafty sycophants in the important positions. At last, he was squeezed out by them and exiled. He threw himself into a river on the fifth of the fifth lunar month in 278 BC. The local people organized spontaneously to rescue him by rowing boat. However, the rescue ended in vain. This common practice developed into the dragon-boat sports to memorize Quyuan .

The dragon-boat race has become a custom since Tang Dynasty. To win the race, the following must be concerned about:

1. High quality wood. Heavy wood will affect the speed, so it is usually made of light wood.

2. Players with energy, endurance and rowing skills. The method to choose excellent oarsmen is interesting. Two contestants sit in the same boat back to back. They both row to the directions they are facing, and the one whose direction the boat moves to is the winner. He will be chosen as the player.

3. Excellent dispatch. Since there are scores or even a hundred oarsmen on a boat, they can not win the game until they are in the same step. A strong man beat a drum in the center of the boat, and the oarsmen unity the rhythm accordingly, which helps them to be in step to win the game.

Last but not least, an excellent coxswain is very important. The boat moves forward like a lightning once it sets off. It is not easy to adjust if it moves off the right direction. ":

Nowadays, dragon-boat race has been a world competitive game. The first world dragon boat championship was held in China in 1995. Every spring there are nearly 60 dragon boat races are held outside China in cities from Vancouver to Sydney, from Gdanisk, Poland to Cape Town, South Africa. Canada alone has nearly 50 dragon boat teams and Germany has nearly 30. It is influencing the world with its special power.

41. Which of the following statements would the author be likely to agree?

[A] The heavier the wood is, the better the boat is.

[B] The stronger players are more likely to be chosen in the dragon boat race.

[C] Good oarsmen can drive the boat in perfect direction.

[D] The final result of the race is dependant on three conditions.

The term "folk song" has been current for over a hundred years, but there is still a

good deal of disagreement as to what it actually means. The definition provided by the

International Folk Music Council states that folk music is the music of ordinary people,

Line which is passed on from person to person by being listened to rather than learned from

(5) the printed page. Other factors that help shape a folk song include: continuity (many

performances over a number of years); variation (changes in words and melodies either

through artistic interpretation or failure of memory); and selection (the acceptance of a

song by the community in which it evolves).

When songs have been subjected to these processes their origin is usually impossible

(10) to trace. For instance, if a farm laborer were to make up a song and sing it to a-couple of

friends who like it and memorize it, possibly when the friends come to sing it themselves

one of them might forget some of the words and make up new ones to fill the gap, while"

the other, perhaps more artistic, might add a few decorative touches to tile tune and

improve a couple of lines of text. if this happened a few times there would be many

(15) different versions, the song's original composer would be forgotten, and the song would

become common property. This constant reshaping and re-creation is tile essence of folk

music. Consequently, modem popular songs and other published music, even though

widely sung by people who are not professional musicians, are not considered folk music.

The music and words have been set by a printed or recorded source, limiting scope for

(20) further artistic creation. These songs' origins cannot be disguised and therefore they

belong primarily to the composer and not to a community.

The ideal situation for the creation of folk music is an isolated rural community. In

such a setting folk songs and dances have a special purpose at every stage in a person's

life, from childhood to death. Epic tales of heroic deeds, seasonal songs relating to

(25) calendar events, and occupational songs are also likely to be sung.

What does the passage mainly discuss?

A．Themes commonly found in folk music

B．Elements that define folk music

C．Influences of folk music on popular music

D．The standards of the International Folk Music Council

The term "folk song" has been current for over a hundred years, but there is still a good deal of disagreement as to what it actually means. The definition provided by the International Folk Music Council states that folk music is the music of ordinary people, Line which is passed on from person to person by being listened to rather than learned from (5) the printed page. Other factors that help shape a folk song include: continuity (many performances over a number of years); variation (changes in words and melodies either through artistic interpretation or failure of memory); and selection (the acceptance of a song by the community in which it evolves). When songs have been subjected to these processes their origin is usually impossible (10) to trace. For instance, if a farm laborer were to make up a song and sing it to a-couple of friends who like it and memorize it, possibly when the friends come to sing it themselves one of them might forget some of the words and make up new ones to fill the gap, while" the other, perhaps more artistic, might add a few decorative touches to tile tune and improve a couple of lines of text. if this happened a few times there would be many (15) different versions, the songs original composer would be forgotten, and the song would become common property. This constant reshaping and re-creation is tile essence of folk music. Consequently, modem popular songs and other published music, even though widely sung by people who are not professional musicians, are not considered folk music. The music and words have been set by a printed or recorded source, limiting scope for (20) further artistic creation. These songs origins cannot be disguised and therefore they belong primarily to the composer and not to a community. The ideal situation for the creation of folk music is an isolated rural community. In such a setting folk songs and dances have a special purpose at every stage in a persons life, from childhood to death. Epic tales of heroic deeds, seasonal songs relating to (25) calendar events, and occupational songs are also likely to be sung.109． What does the passage mainly discuss?

Which of the following statements about the term "folk song" is supported by the passage?

A．It has been used for several centuries.

B．The International Folk Music Council invented it.

C．It is considered to be out-of-date.

D．There is disagreement about its meaning.