Directions: In this section, you will hear one long conversation. The conversation will be read only once. At the end of the conversation, there will be a one-minute pause. During the pause, you must read the four questions, each with three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer.

Federal Express is a company that specializes in rapid overnight delivery of high-priority packages. The first company of its type, Federal Express was founded by the youthful Fred Smith in 1971, when he was only 28 years old. Smith had actually developed the idea for the rapid delivery service in a term paper for an economics class when he was a student at Yale University. The term paper reputedly received a less-than-stellar grade because of the infeasibility of the project that Smith had outlined. The model that Smith proposed had never been tried; it was a model that was efficient to operate but at the same time was very difficult to institute. Smith achieved efficiency in his model by designing a system that was separate from the passenger system and could, therefore, focus on how to deliver packages most efficiently. His strategy was to have his own planes so that he could create his own schedules and to ship all packages through the centralized hub city of Memphis, a set-up which resembles the spokes on the wheel of a bicycle. With this combination of his own planes and hub set-up, he could get packages anywhere in the United States overnight. What made Smith"s idea difficult to institute was the fact that the entire system had to be created before the company could begin operations. He needed a fleet of aircraft to collect packages from airports every night and deliver them to Memphis, where they were immediately sorted and flown out to their new destinations; he needed a fleet of trucks to deliver packages to and from the various airports; he needed facilities and trained staff all in place to handle the operation. Smith had a $4 million inheritance from his father, and he managed to raise an additional 91 million dollars from venture capitalists to get the company operating.

{{B}}Interview Two{{/B}}

Gettingacoldorcatchingthefluisacommoncomplaintforpeopleeveryyear.Infact,peopleusuallycatchbetweentwoandfivecoldsayear.Nooneenjoystheaccompanyingsymptoms:thesorethroat,runnynose,constantsneezingandheadaches.Notsurprisingly,coldmedicationshavebecomeabigbusiness.Peoplespendbillionsofdollarstocombatthisrecurringproblem.Weseethenumberandvarietyofover-the-countermedicineseachtimeweenterapharmacy.Peopleestimatethat,ifyoucombineconsumerpurchasesanddrainsonhealthcaresystems,atleast40billiondollarsarespenteachyearintheUSalone.Isacureforthecommoncoldpossible?Theanswerseemstobebothyesandno.Firstofall,the"common"colditselfisnotasingledisease.Anyoftwohundreddifferentvirusescouldberesponsibleforthesymptomsofacold.Developingavaccineforthecommoncoldwouldliterallymeanhavingtodevelophundredsofvaccines.Additionally,somecoldviruseshavetheabilitytochangetheirmolecularcomposition.Thus,eventhoughourbodiesmaybecomeimmunetoacertaincoldvirusthiswinter,bynextwinterourantibodieswillprobablynotrecognizeit.However,onefamilyofviruses,therhinoviruses,seemstoaccountforalmost40%ofallcolds.Therefore,scientistshavebeenfocusingtheirresearchonthisfamilyofvirusesinthehopesthattreatmentstargetingrhinoviruseswillresultinadrasticdecreaseinthenumberofcoldspeopleget.Inthelate1990sresearchersexperiencedsomeinitialsuccess.Biologistsdevelopedatreatment,ananti-viralmoleculecalledBIRR4,whichpreventedthebindingofthevirustocellsinthenose.Thisbindingisanessentialfirststepinstoppingaviralinfectionand,wasitpreventable,manyinfectionswouldbeby-passed.Forthenextfewyears,thepharmaceuticalgiantBoehringertriedtomakethistreatmentcommerciallyviable.Unfortunately,theyfoundtotheirdismaythatthistreatmentonlyworkedjustpriortogettingacoldorinthefirststagesofinfection,whenmostpeopledonotyetrealizeanythingiswrong.Asapossibletreatmentforacold,itwasseverelylimitedandsoin2000,BoehringerdroppedtheBIRR4project.Anotherdifficultyinfindingacureforthecommoncoldisthatthecoldvirusdoesnotactuallycauseourcoldsymptoms.Indeed,bythetimewestarttoshowcoldsymptoms,theviralinfectionisalmostover.Mostinfectionsresultinnosymptomsatall.Thesymptomsthatwegetfromacoldare,inreality,producedbyourbody'simmuneresponse,notbythevirusitself.Onewaythebodyfightsinfectioniswithananti-inflammatoryresponse.Partofthisresponseistodilatebloodvesselsintheaffectedareaandtomaketheaffectedceilsreleasefluidtothesurroundingarea.Incold,thisresultsintheswellingofthenoseandthroat,aswellassneezingandarunnynose.Thisalsoverysimilartohowthebodyreactswhenwehaveallergies.Thus,somescientistsarenowsuggestingtargetingthebody'simmuneresponsesratherthanthevirusitself,aswedowhenwetreatallergies.Onemedicalresearchersuggeststhatinordertofindacureforcoldswemustweakenourimmunesystem'sresponse.Throughacocktailofcertaindrugs—interferon,ibuprofenandchlorpheniramine—coldsuffererswouldbeabletodecreasetheanti-inflammatorypartoftheimmuneresponseandgetridoftheirsymptoms,whilestillallowingtheirbodiestofightofftheremainingviralinfection.Ibuprofenandchlorpheniraminearebothinexpensiveandavailableoverthecounter.Unfortunately,however,asingledoseofinterferonisabout$200andisasyetunavailableinlargeover-the-counterquantities.Thoughattimesithasseemedthatacurewastantalizinglyclose,thisprocessofinfectionandourbodies'responsetoitisclearlymorecomplicatedthanpreviouslyguessed.Undoubtedly,thesearchforacureforthecommoncoldwillcontinue.Whatformthiseventualcurewilltakethough,isanyone'sguess.Forquestions66to68,writeYESifthestatementagreeswiththeinformationgiveninthepassageNOifthestatementcontradictstheinformationgiveninthepassage

{{B}}Section A{{/B}} Translate the underlined sentences of the following passage into Chinese. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet. How to find true love? As a writer of romance novels, I create exotic fantasies. My heroines are beautiful, my heroes gilded with a touch of the legendary, my plots larger than life. Fans sometimes think of me as an 'expert' on love, but my children never ask my advice. When I try to give it anyway, they roll their eyes. (86) {{U}}To them, I'm just Morn—too impossibly old-fashioned and ordinary to understand the winds of their times.{{/U}} Since they have reached their teens, however, their often painful searches for that special someone have left me sleepless many a night. There are so many things I wish for them that I am utterly powerless to provide. Sometimes I imagine a little scene, Robby and Johanna ask me, 'Morn, how do I find true love?' here is what I say: 1. Understand that love is a state of mind and heart. It is not dependent on beauty, physical strength or the romantic settings I use in my books. Though it may begin with infatuation, it moves from physical attraction in a golden curve, often involving sacrifice, to the deepest bond between two people. 2. Settle for nothing less than total commitment. (87) {{U}}A marriage certificate won't solve all your problems, but until you have the guarantee of one, you can't begin the struggle to forge yourselves into one unit against the world—the ultimate goal.{{/U}} A mate is the post you lean on, the person who, when you've really screwed up, loves you anyway. The only way to get that kind of mate is to make the dreadful leap of trust and be that kind of mate. 3. Talk about everything—except divorce. I was not a talker when I met your dad. In my childhood, I'd learned that it was best to remain silent around my alcoholic father, who could twist any statement into a weapon. But Robert stubbornly refused to accept my silence. It was my first intimation of tile strength of his love. Your father and I learned this the hard way. During a trying period years ago, I found myself calmly saying, 'Maybe we should get a divorce.' He answered, 'Maybe we should.' The day we frankly confronted the divorce option, we were not terribly angry with each other, but we had gradually let divorce become a real choice in our thinking. We made a pact, then and there, never again to mention the word 'divorce' in association with us. We haven't dared break the pact in 17 years. 4. Want the best for each other. Being married doesn't mean that you are glued together. One of the wonderful things about love is that it binds without crippling. Remember not all your activities, friends or enthusiasm will be the same as your mate' s. When your father went back to college for his teaching degree, it meant starting over, but I wanted him to fulfill his potential. When I decided to abandon paramedical training and become a writer, he encouraged me. (88) {{U}}Loving someone doesn't mean your goals are always identical. But if you want something then your mate wants it for you too.{{/U}} 5. Only one person can be crazy at a time. Life is seldom a smooth highway of cooperation. You get angry. Your mate becomes obsessed. Either one of you can become totally obnoxious. But you can't both go wild at the same time. One of you has to stay in adult mode. The real thing has to do with love. And it isn't always glamorous-or easy. Love helps you get to the bathroom when you're sick. Love agrees to disagree on serious subjects. When you walk out the door in a rage, love trails after you, shouting, 'You can't get away from me! I love you, and I'll follow you wherever you go !' (89) {{U}}And so in my sleepless hours, Robby and Johanna, I wish for you that moment when you look up and find someone watching you as if you were a candle—as if you were the only light in a world of darkness.{{/U}}

AboutfortypercentofallemailtrafficintheUnitedStatesisspam,andthisfigureisclimbingrapidly.Spamisusuallydefinedasunsolicited,masscommercialemail.Itisoftenassociatedwithadvertisementsforpornographicwebsites,drugs,orsurgerythatcanenhanceyoursexlife.Withinanotheryearorso,industryexpertspredict,halfofallemailmessageswillbeunsolicited.Thefloodofemailmarketingcausesheadachesforemailusers.Additionally,itcostscorporationsbillionsofdollarsandreducesemployeeproductivity.Accordingtoarecentstudy,theaverageemployeespendsalmostsevenminutesperdayhandlinganaverageof13spammessages.Thistranslatestomajorcorporatelosses.Theannualcostofspamhasreached$9billionforUScorporationsalone.Perhapsworstofall,sparebafflesanti-spammers,whohaven'tvetcomeupwithasolutiontothisgrowingproblem,infact,theonlyprovenwaytostopspamisnottohaveanemailaddress.Internetserviceprovidersarethefrontlinedefendersagainstspam.ISPslikeAmericaOnline,Microsoft,andEarthlinkemployanti-sparetechnicians.Theseemployeesrunspamfilters.Theyphysicallywatchthesendingofemail,keepinganeyeoutforsuddenmassmailings.Whenamailinglookssuspicious,theanti-spammerschecktheownerofthesendingaddress.However,addressesaredifficulttotrackandeasyforspammerstohide.Spammersarecreative,mostrecentlyusingatrickcalledthe"dictionaryattack".Withspecialsoftware,spammerscangeneratemillionsofrandomentailaddressesusingcombinationsofletterssuchas"Joe236,"placedinfrontofthe"@aol.corn"partoftheaddress.Enoughoftheseaddressesarecorrectthattheemailreachesmillionsofemailusers.IntheUnitedStates,thesituationhaspromptedcallsfornationallegislation.State-levelantispamlawshavehadlimitedeffectivenesswithfewconvictions.MajorISPsareaggressivelypushingfornationallawsagainst'spamming.Ontheothersideoftheissue,thedirect-marketingindustryandsomeInternetretailershavesuccessfullyfoughtfederallaw,whichgoagainstfree-speechprovisionsoftheConstitution.TheEuropeanUnionhasadoptedapracticalbanonspamcalledan"opt-in"system,inwhichcompanieshavetowaitforconsumerstorequestcommercialemailbeforeitcanbesenttothem.Untiltechnologyoranti-spamlawsbecomemoreeffective,peoplearetakingsmallstepstofightspamontheirown.Forexample,onecomputerconsultanthascreatedemailaccountsforthespecificpurposeofattractingspam.Afterhereceivesspam,hesearchesforthesender.Hisgoalistocollectandpublicize"blacklists"ofspammers'Internetaddresses.Thesearethenincorporatedintospamfiltersthatblockanyemailcomingfromthoseaddresses.Emailuserscantakeafeweasystepstofightspam.·Don'tclickthe"unsubscribe"link.Onewouldthinkthat"unsubscribe"wouldtakeyouoffalist.However,spammershavetakenovertheunsubscribeoption,makingitaconfirmationofanactiveaccount.Itisbetterjusttodeletetheemail.·Keepmanyemailaccounts.Byusingseparateaccountsforelectronicbusinessandpersonaluse,youcankeepyourpersonaladdresscleaner.·Choosealongemailname.Useamixoflettersandnumbers.Thisdecreasesthechancethatacomputer-generatedemailaddresswillmatchyours.·AvoidWeb-baseddiscussiongroups.SpammersfrequentlytakeaddressesfromtheInternet.Onlinegroups"areeasytofind.·Avoidcontestsandsurveys.Again,spammersoftengatheraddressesfromtheWeb.·Lookintonewfilteringsoftware.ISPsandotherfirmsoffermanycreativesolutionstospam.EmailcommunicationhasbecomethefundamentalmeansofcommunicationintheInformationAge.However,itmaysoonbeconsidereduseless,asconsumersarechokingonspam.Ifeverycompanyfreelysentunsolicitedcommercialadvertisements,junkemailwouldcompletelyoverrunus.Already,usersareavoidingtheInternetbecausetheydon'tlikethehuge"amountsofjunktheyareforcedtosee.YESifthestatementagreeswiththeinformationgiveninthepassageNOifthestatementcontradictstheinformationgiveninthepassage

{{B}}Section A{{/B}} Directions: Translate the underlined sentences of the following passage into Chinese. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet. War has escaped the battlefield and now can, with modem guidance systems on missiles, touch virtually every square yard of the earth's surface. War has also lost most of its utility in achieving the traditional goals of conflict. (91) {{U}}Control of territory carries with it the obligation to provide subject peoples certain administrative, health, education, and other social services; such obligations far exceed the benefits of control.{{/U}} If the ruled population is racially different from the rulers, tensions and constant unrest often exist which further reduce the benefits and increase the costs of domination. (92) {{U}}Large populations no longer necessarily enhance state power and, in the absence of high levels of economic development, can impose severe burdens on food supply, jobs, and the broad range of services expected of modem governments.{{/U}} The noneconomic security reasons for the control of territory have been progressively weakened by the advances of modem technology. (93) {{U}}The benefits of forcing another nation to surrender its wealth are vastly exceeded by the benefits of persuading that nation to produce and exchange goods and services.{{/U}} In brief, imperialism no longer pays. (94) {{U}}Making war has been one of the most persistent of human activities in the 80 centuries since men and women settled in cities and thereby became "civilized", but the modernization of the past 80 years has fundamentally changed the role and function of war.{{/U}} In premodernized societies, successful warfare brought significant material rewards, the most obvious of which was the stored wealth of the defeated. Equally important was human labor--control over people as salves or soldiers for the victor's army, and there was the productive capacity---agricultural lands and mines. Successful warfare also produced spiritual benefits. The removal or destruction of a threat brought a sense of security, and power gained over others created pride and national self-esteem. (95) {{U}}War was accepted in the premodernized society as a part of the human condition, a mechanism of change, and an unavoidable, even noble, aspect of life.{{/U}} The excitement and drama of war made it a vital part of literature and legends.

People are not generally aware of the popularity of pet ownership. Research shows that pets act as companions and protectors, stress relievers and in some cases help to foster family cohesion. While pets are traditionally associated with family-type households, they are just as important to households without children. In an era when the population is ageing and more people are living along, pets can provide valuable relief from loneliness. Urban pet management has been the subject of extensive debate among veterinarians and those involved in local government for some time. Part of the reason is that people complain more readily about other people's pets than ever before. Emphasis on urban consolidation has meant that smaller homes and back gardens and multi-dwelling developments not only discourage people from owing pets but also place greater demands on scarce public open space. Pet owners may face tougher restrictions from either their local council or resident management committee. The term " socially responsible pet ownership" has emerged to describe a set of responsibilities to which pet owners are now expected to adhere. It might be tempting to prescribe different pets for different types of housing. Some people already have firm views about pets and housing type, mostly in relation to dogs, e. g. that the only environment for a dog is in conventional detached housing or that a " big" dog is only suitable in the country. However, suitability is as much dependent on the quality of space as it is on the quantity. A dwelling that overlooks areas of activity is ideal for pets because it increases the amount of stimulation that can be received from the property, e. g. dwellings that overlook a park or are adjacent to a busy street. This is one way to alleviate boredom and the negative behaviors that sometimes result. Preferably a dog should have access to some outdoor space. Open space is not essential for a cat provided an enriching environment is maintained indoors, e. g. a bay window or internal fernery. Ideally dogs should have access to all areas of open space on a property. On the whole a dog's behavior is likely to be better if he or she can see the street. Although the dog may bark at passers-by in the street, there will be less likelihood of excessive barking that might arise through boredom. Providing a dog with surveillance of the street also enhances public security-a very positive benefit. With adequate fencing, a dog will be confined to the property. The standard paling fence will restrain almost all dogs. They are recommended for side and rear boundaries. Furthermore, all gates should be fitted with a return spring self-closing device. Cats are not as easily restrained as dog as they are more agile and have quite different notions of territoriality. Mostly this does not create a problem, although difficulties may arise in environmentally sensitive areas where cats may prey on wildlife. It is recommended that cats be confined to the house at night for their own protection. Owning a pet brings with it responsibilities to which we are increasingly being called to adhere. It is hoped that the guidelines will encourage people to think about pets in decisions about residential and community development. If they do, pet ownership will not be prejudiced by the push for urban consolidation.

{{B}}Section D{{/B}} Directions: You are going to read a passage. Seven sentences have been removed from it. Choose from the sentences A-H the one which fits each gap. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. Questions 72-78 are based on the following passage. Learning disabilities are very common. They affect perhaps 10 percent of all children. Four times as many boys as girls have learning disabilities. Since about 1970, new research has helped brain scientists understand these problems better. {{U}}(72) {{/U}} and that they are caused by many different things. There is no longer any question that all learning disabilities result from differences in the way the brain is organized. You cannot look at a child and tell if he has a learning disability. There is no outward sign of the disorder. {{U}}(73) {{/U}}. In one study, researchers examined the brain of a learning-disabled person who had died in an accident. They found two unusual things. {{U}}(74) {{/U}}, which control language. These cells normally are white. In the learning-disabled person, however, these cells were gray. The researchers also found that many of the nerve cells were not in a line the way they should have been. The nerve cells were mixed together. The study was carried out under the guidance of Norman Geschwind, {{U}}(75) {{/U}}. Doctor Geschwind proposed that learning disabilities resulted mainly from problems in the left side of the brain. He believed this side of the brain failed to develop normally. Probably, he said, nerve cells there did not connect as they should. {{U}}(76) {{/U}}. Other researchers did not examine brain tissue. Instead, {{U}}(77) {{/U}} and made a map of the electrical signals. Frank Duffy experimented with this technique at Children's Hospital Medical center in Boston. Doctor Duffy found large differences in the brain activity of normal children and those with reading problems. {{U}}(78) {{/U}}. Doctor Duffy said his research gives evidence that reading disabilities involve damage to a wide area of the brain, not just the left side. Sentences: A. an early expert on learning disabilities B. Scientists now know there are many different kinds of learning disabilities C. So the brain was like an electrical device in which the wires were crossed. D. So some researchers began looking at the brain itself to learn what might be wrong. E. Scientists found that the brain cells of a learning-disability person differ from those of a normal person in size and arrangement. F. The differences appeared throughout the brain. G. they measured the brain's electrical activity H. One involved cells in the left side of the brain

{{B}}Section A{{/B}} Directions: Translate the underlined sentences in the following passage into Chinese. (94) {{U}}Like fine food, good writing is something we approach with pleasure and enjoy from the first taste to the last.{{/U}} And good writers, like good cooks, do not suddenly appear full-blown. Quite the contrary, just as the cook has to undergo an intensive training, mastering the skills of his trade, the writer must sit at his desk and devote long hours to achieving a style in his writing, whatever its purpose--schoolwork, matters of business, or purely social communication. (95) {{U}}You may be sure that the more painstaking the effort, the more effective the writing and the more rewarding.{{/U}} There are still some remote places in the world where you might find a public scribe to do your business or social writing for you, for a fee. (96) {{U}}There are a few managers who are lucky enough to have the service of that rare kind of secretary who can take care of all sorts of letter writing with no more than a quick note to work from.{{/U}} But for most of us, if there is any writing to be done, we have to do it ourselves. We have to write school papers, business papers or home papers. We are constantly called on to put words to paper. (97) {{U}}It would be difficult to count the number of such words, messages, letters, and reports put into the mails or delivered by hand, but the daily figure must be enormous.{{/U}} What is more, everyone who writes expects, or at least hopes, that his writing will be read. We want to arouse and hold the interest of the readers. (98) {{U}}We want whatever we write to be read, from first word to last, not just thrown into some "letters-to-be-read" file or into a wastepaper basket.{{/U}} This is the reason we bend our efforts toward learning and practising the skills of interesting, effective writing.

The treatment of the gypsy population of the United Kingdom is disgraceful. Local authorities are slow to provide permanent sites on which gypsies may camp. Some authorities prefer to neglect the problem of the education of gypsy children. But these authorities have a legal obligation both to provide camp sites and to ensure that the children attend school. It is a sad reflection on our society that there should be such reluctance to comply with the law. The reasons, however, are not difficult to find. Gypsies are widely reputed to be lazy, dirty and dishonest. No proud house-owner wishes to see a slovenly gypsy encampment a short distance down the road. His suburban spirit is shocked by the huddled caravans and ancient cars or ill-kept ponies; he is repelled by the slovenly women and the hordes of apparently unwashed children. And, of course, the majority of elected councilors are just such proud house-owners. But gypsies are, in large part, what we have made them. Ever since their arrival in Britain more than three-and-a-half centuries ago, they have been treated as a criminal race. They came to this country proudly proclaiming themselves Counts of Egypt, but within a few years they found that every man"s hand was raised against them. Somehow they have survived, a burden upon our conscience. The law no longer discriminates against them, as it does in so many other countries, but our society is still hostile toward them. We cannot hope for any dramatic changes in their position. The barrier of generations of mistrust can only be slowly broken down. The first step is to ensure that they are provided with adequate sites both for those willing to live in permanent camps and for those who are still confirmed nomads. After all, a camp site is far cheaper than a housing project, and gypsies who have been obliged to abandon their traditional sites because of the spread of our towns surely have a right to a place to live. Again, surely everybody would benefit from the provision of well-planned sites; the temporary encampments along the roads which so offend the tidy-minded would then disappear and the gypsies themselves would have somewhere to feel secure. At the moment, when so many of them are camped illegally, their lives are an unending battle against authority and they can never forget that they are outsiders, rejected by all.

Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short news items. After each item, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the question and the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer.

语法与词汇After her death, Audrey Hepburn was________internationally as one of the favourite film actresses of all time, an icon to style,elegance, dignity and charity

{{B}}Section A{{/B}} Directions: Translate the underlined sentences in the following passage into Chinese. (89) {{U}}What questions do visa officers have in mind when they face a student applying for a visa?{{/U}} Here is the gist of what Consul General David T. Hopper, the head of visa operations at the American embassy, explained: Are you a genuine student, headed to the US for the purpose of studying? (90) {{U}}Some applicants use fake documents, or have no real intention of attending college in America--the whole project is just a ruse (计策) to get to the US.{{/U}} The officers look closely at 1-20 forms, diplomas and school records for evidence of fraud. Can you pay for your studies? (91) {{U}}Some applicants have full scholarships, but many are self-supporting, so the visa officer must make sure the money is available.{{/U}} Are you really going to America to study and only to study, not to work? [The problem here is work after graduation, not part-time campus jobs while the student is in an academic program.] Do you intend to leave the US when you have your degree? (92) {{U}}Of course this is quite difficult to prove to the visa officer, and correspondingly difficult for the visa officer to judge.{{/U}} But the visa officer cannot simply ignore US visa law, which states that (93) {{U}}if you give a person a student visa ,you must be con~,inced that he intends to leave the US when his studies are finished.{{/U}}

Washing habits have changed over the years. In the 16th century, most people had a bath once a month.., if they were lucky. Up until the 1950s, it was once a week. Only just recently has the concept of daily showering become popular. But now, according to the New York Times, things are changing again. The latest trend is known as "soap-dedging". It basically consists of washing less, having fewer showers and using less soap and deodorant. "I just wash my hair once a month now", said Brett Dawson, a 32-year-old management consultant. "I use a slice of lemon instead of the usual deodorant," said 35-year-old computer analyst Brandon Smith. "I have just one bath a week," said Miriam Bayliss, a 28-year-old accountant. And it appears to be growing in popularity. A poll last year for tissue manufacturer SCA found that 41% of British men and 33% of women don't shower every day. And 12% of people have a proper wash just once or twice a week. Further research by Mintel found that more than half of British teenagers don't wash every day-with many opting a quick spray of deodorant to mask any smell. But why? Over the last few years there have been regular suggestions that daily hair-washing, or even any hair-washing at all, is quite unnecessary, with the commentator Matthew Parris admitting he hadn't shampooed his hair for a decade, and broadcaster Andrew Mart reporting himself perfectly happy with the results when he followed suit for a short while. Many people clearly agree that a regular hair-wash is a hassle. In 2008, Boots reported a 45 % rise in sales of dry shampoo (a product that can be sprayed on hair between showers), while the Batiste brand has recently seen its sales double. And some people want to help the environment. "I limit my showers to about twice a week," said Nigel Hamerstone, a 42-year-old architect. "The rest of the time I have a sink wash," he adds. "I believe that I'm as clean as everyone else, and it's helped get my water consumption down to around 20 litres a day-well below the 100 to 150 average in the UK." The use of deodorant has fallen too. Some are concerned about the possible links between the aluminium in some antiperspirants and Alzheimer's disease. Others have discovered the benefits of crystal sticks (also known as "crystal mineral deodorant stones"). (74) These mineral salts prevent body odour from occurring naturally by forming a layer on the skin which kills the bacteria. They're non-sticky, non-staining and they haven't been tested on animals. (75) It might be worth us all occasionally missing a shower or two, then, so long as we don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. While being environmentally friendly is good, smelling like a bin is not. Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage; N(for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage.

{{B}}Section B{{/B}} Directions: In this section, there is one passage followed by 5 questions. Read the passage carefully, then answer the questions in a maximum of 10 words. Question 61-65 are based on the following passage. In the United States also there were great changes, though the causes here were due only in part to the war; they sprang mainly from technical progress, and the development of mass-production, in which the United States henceforth was to lead the world. The cheap automobile, pioneered by Henry Ford, is a good example. In 1915 the United States contained 2.5 million cars; in 1920, 9 million. Only the new mass-production techniques made it possible to build all these cars and only the growing practice of "easy-payments" made it possible to sell them. By 1925 three out of four cars, new and old, were sold in this way. About the same proportion were covered against the weather; ten years earlier, forty-nine cars out of fifty were open ones. The last fact is important. The car had not only become cheap; it had become a comfortable room on wheels not just a means of transport. First in the United States, then in Britain and other countries, the car began to revolutionize everyday life. People no longer had to live near their work or close to a railway station. So began, in earnest, the problem which is still with us. The town centers, once full of life and sociability, began to wither; evening found them dead and deserted, nothing but bright shop windows and locked doors. The car brought many far-reaching consequences and it was blamed, rightly or wrongly, for the decline in churchgoing and the increase in immorality. More recently, it meant the virtual end of horse drawn transport and a growing threat to the supremacy of the railroad.

Directions: In this section, you will hear 10 short pieces of news from BBC or VOA. After each news item and question, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the three choices marked A, B and C, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.

Before making a commitment to a real estate agent, it is sensible to find out about ________.