第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36～55题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

Two friends visited the zoo together. The zoo was very large and it was 36 to go everywhere. They had to decide where and which animal to visit as their time was 37. So both of them agreed not to 38 after choosing a 39 at every fork (岔路口).

A road sign at the first fork 40 one way to the lion quarters and the other to the tiger hill. They decided on the 41 after a 42 discussion because lions were “the king of the grassland”. The second showed a division (路口) going separately to the panda and peacock. They 43 panda as it was the nation’s treasure and went its way. Thus they made choices all along the way and each choice meant 44  what they couldn’t help regretting. But they had to make it, and  45 , for it brooked(容忍) no delay. If they hesitated they would miss 46  . Only 47 decision could offer more chances for sightseeing and 48  possible regret.

Life is 49 like this—choices often occur that one has to make, for example, between two 50  jobs, two fascinating wooers(追求者). To get one you 51 give up the other——you can get half of it. If you 52 weighing the pros and cons and calculating gains and losses, you will most likely 53 empty-handedness. Don’t be sad about it.  54 you have got half of the desirable things in life——something that is  55 to come by.

36. A. easy               B. eager　　　       C. impossible       D. possible

37. A. enough　　　       B. limited　　 C. tight             D. plentiful

38. A. retrace          B. come　　　       C. go　　　　　    D. go back

39. A. main road　          B. branch　　         C. crossing　　　   D. highway

40. A. showed　　　      B. pointed　　         C. intended　　　  D. made

41. A. former　　　        B. later　　　     C. last                D. the third

42. A. brief　　　           B. long　　　         C. no　　　　　    D. heated

43. A. hoped　　　        B. wanted　　       C. favored             D. got

44. A. getting          B. taking　　          C. grasping           D. giving up

45. A. slowly　　　         B. immediately      C. timely　　      D. easily

46. A. less　　　　         B. more　　　       C. most　　　　  D. least

47. A. high　　　　        B. slow　　　        C. short　　　　  D. rapid

48. A. increase　　             B. rid　　　　         C. reduce　          D. raise

49. A. just exactly        B. more or less         C. hardly           D. most

50. A. unwanted　　      B. rejected　       C. enjoyable          D. desirable

51. A. wish　　　　       B. want　　　       C. must　　　　　 D. have to

52. A. spend time　　    B. kill time            C. have a hard time  D. hope for

53. A. start with　      B. get up　　          C. succeed in　　   D. end up in

54. A. By no means       B. Not in the least   C. At most              D. At least

55. A. stupid　　　         B. delighted　     C. hard               D. supported

People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed. Some want technical improvements such as quieter air conditioners or better sound barriers around major roads. Others want tougher laws to restrict noise from building sites or to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs. But the highest priority (优先) was a noise complaints system that works.

Brisbane City Council receives more complaints about noise than all other problems put together. So it conducted survey and found that about half its citizens are upset by noise in one form or another—traffic, mowers, pool pumps, air conditioners or loud parties. This inspired the Council to bring together more than 100 citizens one evening to talk through solutions to the problem.

The meeting found the present noise complaints system bizarre. Depending on the problem, responsibility for noise can lie with the Council, the Environment Protection Authority, one of three government departments or even the police. So complaints often feel they are getting the run-round. When the people at the meeting were asked to vote for changes, the strongest response was for a 24-hour, noise hotline to be the first port of call for all complaints.

The meeting also favored regulatory measures, such as tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances like air conditioners. This even makes economic sense, as noise is a waste of energy—and money. Other measures the meeting supported were wider buffer zones around noisy activities and controls to keep heavy traffic away from residential areas（居民区）.

1. According to the passage, what do people want most?

A. Tougher laws.                      　B. Technical improvements.

C. An effective noise complaints system   　 D. Tougher minimum standards for noise

2. What does the underlined word bizarre in the second paragraph mean?

   A. reasonable      B. wonderful          C. strange       D. responsible

3. How many regulatory measures against noise are mentioned in the last paragraph?

   A. 3.             B. 4.                 C. 2.           D. 5.

4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances are necessary.

B. Traffic, mowers, pool pumps, and air conditioners are all the sources of noise.

C. 90% of the residents are annoyed by noise.

D. Heavy traffic should be kept away from residential areas according to the meeting.

5. Brisbane City Council brought together citizens to talk through solutions to the noise problem mainly due to      .

A. the result of the survey carried out by itself

B. a noise complaints system that works

C. people asking for tougher laws on noise

D. requirements of an effective noise complaints system

It is often said that politeness costs nothing. In fact，__1__ hearing the phrase “thank you” or “well done” means the same to employees as a modest pay __2__， researchers say.

Praise and encouragement also __3__ employees more likely to work hard and stay in their jobs, saving on the cost of finding __4__.

A third of 1,000 workers __5__ said they did not get thanked at all when they did well，and a(n) __6__ third said they were not thanked enough.

In both __7__， the employees said they felt __8__， meaning they were less likely to be __9__ to their jobs and were more likely to look for employment elsewhere.

According to the survey, praising employees has the same __10__ as a 1 percent pay rise, and works out much __11__ for bosses.

Three out of four employees said that regular __12__ by their bosses was important to them, __13__ only a quarter said they were actually given as much praise __14__ they felt they needed. Those doing manual(体力的)jobs were less likely to be given any __15__ for doing well.

Scottish employees felt __16__ undervalued, eight out of ten saying they would like more praise. However, workers in the northeast are less __17__ by being buttered up by the boss, as only 69 percent said they felt the __18__ to be told “well done” regularly.

The research found that words of praise did more than __19__ a pleasant place to work—they could __20__ increase profits.

1．A.properly　　 　　　B．consequently　 C．insistently　　　　　 D．frequently

2．A.rise　　　　　　　 B．ride　　　　　 C．surprise　　　　　　 D．incident

3．A.forces　　　　　 　B．catches　　　 C．makes　　　　　 　 D．contributes

4．A.possibilities　　　　 B．replacements　 C．responsibilities　　　 D．disadvantages

5．A.surveyed　　　　　 B．reported　　 C．employed　　　　　　 D．inspired

6．A.adequate　　　 B．total　　　　　　 C．special　　　　　 　D．further

7．A.surveys　　　　 B．cases　　　　　　　 C．parts　　　　　　 D．points

8．A.privileged　　　　　 B．favored 　　　 C．undervalued　　　 D．evaluated

9．A.caught　　　　　　　 B．attached　　　 C．involved　　　　 D．devoted

10．A.motivation　　　　 B．advantage　　 C．development　　　　 D．feeling

11．A.less convenient　　　　 B．more likely　 C．cheaper　　　　　 D．more expensive

12．A.inspection　　　　 B．acknowledgement　 C．commitment　　 D．outlines

13．A.but　　　　　 B．otherwise　　　　　 C．thus　　　　　　 D．so

14．A.that　　　　　 B．when　　　　　　　 C．while　　　　　　 D．as

15．A.solution　　　　　 B．situation　　　 C．recognition　　　　　 D．communication

16．A.least　　　　　　 B．the less　　　　 C．the more　　　　　 D．most

17．A.charged　　　　　 B．impressed　　　 C．delayed　　　　　　 D．exploded

18．A.chance　　　　　 B．need　　　　　 C．potential　　　 　　D．function

19．A.create　　　　 B．demand　　　　　　 C．require　　　　　 D．restore

20．A.alone　　　　　 B．still　　　　　　 C．even　　　　　　　 D．yet

　 TAIBEI—Increasing numbers of Taiwanese students are joining the island’s “China rush”, seeking education on the Chinese mainland.

　 According to official Chinese figures, the number of Taiwanese students admitted into college and postgraduate(研究生)programmes on the mainland totaled 461 in 1996, 928 in 1997 and 839 in 1998. Although no latest official numbers were available, Netbig.com said this number had risen between 30 to 50 percent annually in the past two years with well over 1000 entering mainland campuses last year.

　 The Internet site, based in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, provides education service and information on Chinese mainland colleges and universities . “Many Taiwanese believe a Chinese education giving more knowledge about the people and culture in the mainland will increase their chances in the Chinese job market”, Netbig.com vice-president Ingrid Huang said. “I believe it will give me hands-on experience in the business field in the Chinese mainland and a better understanding of the Chinese mainland people,” said Lydia Chang, a 19-year-old majoring in journalism at Shih Shin University. Chang plans to go on to get a master’s degree in business administration in Shanghai, which she says offers the best environment for such studies.

　 A journalism graduate student, surnamed Lin, at the National Taiwan University said he would like to study law on the Chinese mainland since “there will be better career prospects now that more Taiwanese companies are going there.”

　 Some business executives were sending their children to study in the Chinese mainland. “They hope the children could build up connections which could later become useful in their business operations,” said Yang Ching-yao, professor of the Chinese mainland studies. A Netbig.com survey showed the campuses favored by Taiwanese students included Beijing, Qinghua and Renmin universities in Beijing, and Jinan and Zhongshan universities in Guangzhou. The most popular studies were law, business and Chinese medicine.

　 At present, Chinese Taibei doesn’t recognize diplomas earned in the Chinese mainland nor help with any inquiries about studying there. But recognizing the trend, education authorities are giving a final form to a policy accepting certificates(证书)from selected universities.

1. More Taiwanese students study on the Chinese mainland because____.

　 A. Taiwan will reunite with the mainland sooner or later

　 B. the fees asked for are lower than those of Taiwan

　 C. what they have learned on the mainland will bring them a bright future

　 D. there are many famous universities for them to choose

2. Some business executives were sending their children to study in the Chinese mainland so that their children____.

　 A. could receive better education

　 B. could learn more about the policy there

　 C. could do well in the business operations

　 D. could make more friends there

3. The underlined word “it ”(para 3)refers to ____.

　 A. Netbig.com

　 B. a Chinese education on the mainland

　 C. the Chinese job market

　 D. the university

4. The author wrote the article to tell us____.

　 A. more Taiwanese students are studying on the mainland

　 B. the number of Taiwanese students going to universities on the mainland had been

increasing year after year

　 C. education on the mainland is more attractive compared with Taiwan

　 D. Taiwan and the mainland should cooperate with each other in every field