填空题Historically, dictionaries have been thought of as dull and mechanical which is perhaps why many teachers are reluctant to exploit them in their classes. But these books have come a long way in recent years. This passage is about how learner's dictionaries can be a stimulating source of activities. You know that guilty feeling-your students could really benefit from the excellent learner's dictionaries now available, but somehow you can't find the time to check on their reference skills. I can't count the number of times teachers have said to me, "In theory, we do dictionary skills lessons every term, but actually it often seems to go by the board." Perhaps that's pardy because dictionary activities used to be rather dull and mechanical. So did the dictionaries. In the old days, they were impenetrable books, full of complicated definitions and rather artificial, made-up examples, which didn't really help the student find out what the word meant or when and how it should be used. It's no wonder that language learners were less than enthusiastic about dictionary work. But things have come long way since then. Dictionaries themselves have become much more user-friendly and accessible, and, as a result, they are more powerful and valuable as teaching and learning tools. The once difficult definitions have been replaced by easy-to-understand word explanations, which are written in limited defining vocabularies. Headwords are often accompanied by useful information, such as details about frequency and the examples of words usage are typically authentic and illustrative. A similar revolution has taken place with dictionary activities. In the past, workbooks and worksheets concentrated on the mechanics of dictionary use, rather than focusing on the user. The emphasis was on explaining conventions, and on working through the various parts of an entry. Today, the new generation of dictionary workbooks show how dictionaries can be used to help students improve their reading comprehension, and, in some cases, their writing as well. Let's look at receptive uses of a dictionary first. This is how dictionaries are normally used-to look up the meaning of a word that is either not known at all or not fully understood. One way of making dictionary activities more realistic and stimulating has been achieved by embedding dictionary activities in text-based work, thereby replicating the way a student would normally use a dictionary, that is, to work from text to dictionary. This enables the classroom teacher to use texts for a variety of purposes: as practice for student has understood the meaning and that they know about basics such as alphabetical order and so on. It's important that students know how to deal with multi-sense words in English. As teachers, we are all familiar with the very odd written work that results from students looking up each and every word in a passage, and quite often producing paraphrases that indicate that the student has selected the wrong sense of a word. Viewing the word in context helps the student fully understand the word or the meaning instead of trying to decode the word in isolation. The activity on this page can be used with any multi-sense words found in any text. It's very easy to create other exercises like this yourself. Naturally, the words you choose must be presented in a definite context, and they must have multiple meanings. Dictionary workbooks increasingly include exercises that help students improve their writing skills. Moreover, these are often of the best activities of the lot. Cartoons, crosswords, snakes and ladders, and advertisements have all been used to create interesting and lively activities, aimed at improving students' writing skills. Some common ones are: choosing the right word, using gap-fill, and that old faithful, multiple choice; using a phrase rather than a single word, for example, look up to someone-instead of the easier, but less natural word admire; manipulating phrasal verbs and other grammar problems; taking care not to make common mistakes, like using an article with uncountable nouns, the crime instead of just crime, for example. Dictionary workbooks now also include group work so as to provide activities that are ideal for classroom use, for example, using dictionaries to find words that describe your partner. To sum up, dictionary activities have evolved to take advantage of the increased richness of dictionaries. Today, they can be used to train learners to fully exploit them as a key resource, both in class and for self-access. Learner training can now encompass training in dictionary skills in order to further learner independence. Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.

填空题 Directions: There are 10 blanks in the passage. Use the words (phrases) given in the box to fill in the blanks , changing the form where necessary. Use only one word (phrase) in each blank. There are two extra words (phrases) which you do not need to use. on foot, game, race, involve, line, second, team, sometimes, save, include, run, win Racing is a competition of speed. There are many kinds of racing {{U}}(79) {{/U}} almost every means of transportation and physical activity. There are races {{U}}(80) {{/U}} , on vehicles of all kinds and on horses. There are races between animals--large and small--horses, dogs, and even frogs. {{U}}(81) {{/U}} prizes are awarded for victory, but often the pleasure is enough reward. Foot racing was a major at the ancient Greek Olympic {{U}}(82) {{/U}} . Winners were rewarded and honored by the people. This sport was also popular at the Roman games. Foot racing is a sport in which endurance is often important. In short the competitors run the course as fast as they can but in longer course; they must {{U}}(83) {{/U}} enough strength to end the race in a strong finish. As various machines made for speed were developed, man raced them. He has {{U}}(84) {{/U}} boats, bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles and airplanes. Most races {{U}}(85) {{/U}} direct competition by the participants. They start at the same time from a starting line. The first to cross the finish {{U}}(86) {{/U}} is the winner. However, mass starts are dangerous in some races, such as skiing. In these races competitors run the course individually. The person or {{U}}(87) {{/U}} to complete the course in the least time is winner. Relay race are team races. Each team member races the same distance. As the first man finishes, the {{U}}(88) {{/U}} starts. This continues until each team member completes his part of the race. Victory is awarded to the team rather than to an individual.

填空题 Directions: In this section, you will hear a short passage. There are ten missing words in it. Fill in the blanks with the exact words you hear on the tape. In police work, you can never predict the next crime or problem. No working day is identical to any other, so there is no typical day for a police officer. Some days are {{U}}(21) {{/U}} slow, and the job is {{U}}(22) {{/U}} , other days are so busy that there is no time to eat. I think I can {{U}}(23) {{/U}} police work in one word: {{U}}(24) {{/U}} Sometimes it's dangerous. One day, for example, I was working undercover; that is, I was on the job, but I was wearing {{U}}(25) {{/U}} clothes, not my police {{U}}(26) {{/U}} . I was trying to catch some {{U}}(27) {{/U}} who were stealing money from people as they walked down the street. Suddenly, seven bad men jumped out at me; one of them had a knife, and we got into a fight. Another policeman arrived, and together, we {{U}}(28) {{/U}} three of the men; but the other four ran away. Another day, I helped a woman who was going to have a baby. She was trying to get to the hospital, but there was a bad traffic {{U}}(29) {{/U}} . I put her in my police car to get her there faster. I thought she was going to have the baby right there in my car. But {{U}}(30) {{/U}} , the baby waited to "arrive" until we got to the hospital.

填空题The Future of Tall Buildings Architects responsible for the construction of many skyscrapers believe that a tall building must always have a certain minimum width but that there is no limit to its absolute he (71) This means that the skyscrapers of the future are likely to be even taller. Engineers agree with this, but there is dis (72) over the best shape for very tall, slim buildings. The effects of wind pressure mean that cylindrical designs have enjoyed some pop (73) in recent years, and these are quite pleasing to the eye. Unfortunately, however, the ideal shape is an ugly square with heavily rounded corners. Would these tall buildings of the future offer more than a won (74) view? Some believe tall towers could contain all the requirements for modern living. The inh (75) of these vertical villages would travel up and down between their home and work zones and would rarely need to journey to ground level.

填空题Choose the best answer according to the passage. In the author"s opinion, Henry Moore"s greatest sculpturing feat has been ______.

填空题What horse never goes out in the day time?

填空题In this section, you will hear a short passage. For questions 21-30, complete the notes using three words or fewer for each blank. The passage will be read twice. Tertiary education: -a student is treated {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}. -students have to be more independent and be responsible for their own decisions. -They need, for example, to work out their own {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}and keep to it. Different classes: -many students will not have taken part in seminars and {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}at school. Speaking skills: -this does not mean pronunciation. -It deals with the way people structure {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}. -be needed when making presentations in writing or in {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}} -{{U}} {{U}} 6 {{/U}} {{/U}}three areas. -look at ways of {{U}} {{U}} 7 {{/U}} {{/U}}and {{U}} {{U}} 8 {{/U}} {{/U}} -Now divide the page {{U}} {{U}} 9 {{/U}} {{/U}}into three columns, the other two are one for {{U}} {{U}} 10 {{/U}} {{/U}}and one for writing.

填空题The annals of natural history contain many astonishing examples of the ability of animals to find their way home after making distant journeys. Salmon, for example, are born in freshwater streams and soon afterward journey down to sea. Several years later, after they have attained maturity, they swim back upstream to spawn and, in many cases, to die. The particular stream that serves as the journey's end is almost invariably the same one in which they were born. It is chosen out of dozens or hundreds of equally suitable streams. The expression "almost invariably" is used advisedly in this case. In one investigation by Canadian biologists, 469,326 young sockeye salmon were marked in a tributary of the Fraser River. Several years later almost 11,000 were recovered after they had completed a return journey to the very same stream, but not a single one was ever recovered from other streams nearby. What underwater guideposts can these fish possibly follow? It has been discovered by A. D. Hasler and his associates at the University of Wisconsin that the salmon, like many other fish, have an acute sense of smell and are able tore member slight differences in the chemical composition of water. The most reasonable theory to explain salmon homing is that each individual remembers the distinctive "fragrance" of its native stream. As it moves upstream it makes the correct choice each time a new tributary is encountered, until finally it arrives home. Long-distance migration is especially common in birds, because many species must make annual journeys between their nesting grounds and prime feeding areas far away. Each year over 100,000 sooty terns, an attractive tropical sea bird, travel from the waters off the west coast of Africa all the way across the Atlantic to Bush Key, a tiny island near the tip of Florida. Here they build their nests and breed. Once the young can fly, all journey back over the Atlantic. Why do the sooty terns migrate at all? Like many other seabirds, they find protection from cats, foxes, and other predators on isolated islands. It is evidently safer for them to make an entire transoceanic voyage to reach one such haven than it would be to try to nest on the nearby African shores. A somewhat different reason lies behind the north-south migration of birds in the temperate zones. Each spring a legion of migratory forms, from robins, thrushes, and warblers to geese and ducks, makes its way north into the greening countryside, where large quantities of food are becoming freshly available. Working rapidly, they are able to rear one or more broods of young. As winter approaches and the food supply declines, all head south again. Some species proceed all the way to Central and South America. The record annual journey in the Western Hemisphere is made by the golden plover, one group of which travels from northern Canada to southern South America. A second group of the same species migrates from Alaska to Hawaii and the Marquesas Islands. Human beings could never make such journeys unaided by maps and navigational instruments. How do the birds do it? A large part of the answer lies in their ability to use celestial clues. At migration time, caged starlings become unusually restless. If permitted to see the sun, they begin to fly toward the side of the cage that lies in the direction of their normal migration route. However, when the sky is overcast and the sun is obscured from view, their movements persist, but they are non directional. Other migratory birds fly at night and can evidently use the position of the stars to guide them. This surprising fact has been established by several biologists, including S. T. Emlen of Cornell University, who allowed a type of bird called indigo buntings to attempt flights under the artificial night sky of a planetarium. The birds oriented "correctly" with reference to the planetarium sky even when the positions of its constellations did not correspond with the position of the true constellations outside. Thus other outside influences were eliminated, and it could be concluded that the birds were able to orient to what they believed to be the position of the stars. SUMMARY: Animals are able to get back home after they make long journeys. Salmon, for example, are known to swim back several years later to (51) where they were born. What guide these fish upstream.9 According to scientists at the University of Wisconsin, salmon (52) and follow the fragrance of their native stream as they have a sharp (53) Birds also make long distance migration each year. Sooty terns, a type of tropical sea bird, travel across the Atlantic from Africa to an island near Florida, where they breed and can (54) from predators. Birds also migrate in order to find food and rear their young. It is discovered that birds are aided by (55) to make distant journeys that even human beings cannot make without the assistance of navigational instruments.

填空题Why do some students do better than others? To find out, the Reader's Digest invited 2,130 high-school seniors to take a special academic test and then answer a list of personal questions. Among the poll's top findings: Strong families give kids an edge in school. For instance, students who lived with two parents scored high more often on our test than students who didn't. Students who regularly shared mealtimes with their families tested better than those who didn't. This "family gap" showed up for students of all backgrounds. Today's youth are far more optimistic about themselves and their futures than is generally believed. Four of five were confident. They would be able to "make things better for myself and for other people." Almost the same number described their lives at home as "pretty good" or "wonderful". As has been in other polls, not all groups tested equally well. Children with college-educated parents tested better than kids whose parents didn't go past high school. Whites tended to score higher than blacks. Boys generally scored higher than girls. But more importantly, the Reader's Digest poll revealed that, within each group, strong families were a significant factor. With the help of Louis Harris and Associates, Inc., last spring, the Digest surveyed a representative cross-section of high-school seniors in classrooms across the nation. Our paper-and- pencil poll asked eight questions in each of the six subjects: math, science, literature, geography, history and government.

填空题 In this section, you will hear one passage once. You are required to make some necessary notes when you listen to it. After you hear the passage, you should complete the summary below using the exact words you hear from the recording, not exceeding three words in each blank. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet. An {{U}}(21) {{/U}}, giving information on more than three quarters of the actors {{U}}(22) {{/U}} in Britain, is now available on CD-ROM. Some theatrical {{U}}(23) {{/U}} have over 500 actors on their {{U}}(24) {{/U}} and it is difficult to remember all their {{U}}(25) {{/U}} The database lists information on over 5,500 actors and can be searched for details such as past {{U}}(26) {{/U}} they have appeared in, {{U}}(27) {{/U}} they might have, and even the colour of their eyes. The database can quickly locate person with {{U}}(28) {{/U}} and, although some actors feel it is too impersonal to be of much use, it is certain to change the way actors are chosen for parts in {{U}}(29) {{/U}}. Ring the following telephone number for further enquiries about the {{U}}(30) {{/U}}: 0171-379-6000.

填空题Proofreadthepassageasrequired,eachindicatedlinecontainsamaximumofoneerror.Correctthepassageinthefollowingway:foracorrectline,putthesign"√"inthecorrespondingblank;forawrongword,underlinethewrongwordandwritethecorrectoneintheblank;foramissingword,markthepositionofthemissingwordwiththesignandwritethewordyoubelievetobemissingintheblank;foranunnecessaryword,crosstheunnecessarywordwiththesign"/"andputthewordwiththesign"/"intheblank.Remembertowritetheanswersontheanswersheet.Oneoftheworstthingyoucandoasaspeakeristoholdyour81.______armsstifflyatyourside.Youneedtomoveyourarmsin82.______appropriategesturestoemphasiseyourpoints.Yourgestures83.______shouldappearspontaneously,notrehearsed.Thisdoesn'tmean84.______thatyoushouldn'trehearseit.Thepointistomakethemseemto85.______bespontaneous,fittedthetext.Don'tusejustyourhandsorthe86.______lowerpartofyourarms.Youneedtomovethewholebodywitha87.______waythatlooksnaturalwiththegesture.Inaddition,youshouldawareofyourbodylanguageas88.______youusegestures.Yourfacialexpressionshouldmirrortheemotion89.______youmightbedemonstrating,Forexample,ifyouaretalkingaboutsomethingfrighteningandareholdingupyourarmsasiftoprotectyourself,yourfaceshouldhaveafearexpression.90.______

填空题Questions 68-73 are based on the following passage. Normally a student must attend a certain number of courses in order to graduate, and each course which he attends gives him a credit which he may count towards a degree. In many American universities the total work for a degree consists of thirty-six courses each lasting for one semester. A typical course consists of three classes per week for fifteen weeks; while attending a university a student will probably attend four or five courses during each semester. Normally a student would expect to take four years attending two semesters each year. It is possible to spread the period of work for the degree over a longer period. It is also possible for a student to move between one university and another during his degree course, though this is not in fact done as a regular practice. For every course that he follows a student is given a grade, which is recorded, and the record is available for the student to show to prospective employers. All this imposes a constant pressure and strain of work, but in spite of this some students still find time for great activity in student affairs. Elections to positions in student organizations arouse much enthusiasm. The effective work of maintaining discipline is usually performed by students who advise the academic authorities. Any student who is thought to have broken the rules, for example, by cheating has to appear before a student court. With the enormous number of students, the operation of the system does involve a certain amount of activity. A student who has held one of these positions of authority is much respected and it will be of benefit to him later in his career.

填空题Businesses Thrive on Transparency Stakeholders scrutinize business activity. Corporate transparency is changing the face of business. Consumers are now armed with new tools to uncover information about business firms on matters important to them. Corporations have no choice but to rethink their values and behaviors. Several factors drive this trend. · The success of market economies and globalization: As market capitalism grows globally, the competitive success of firms and nations depends on genuine performance. · The rise of knowledge work and business webs that depend on openness and candor regarding business and production matters, as opposed to firms' knowledge, which remains in employees' brains and resources. · {{U}}The spread of communications technology, especially the Internet, which challenges traditional business hierarchies by making information pervasive, immediate, and impossible to control.{{/U}} · Demographics and the rise of the Net Generation: Young people today are more aware of the world around them and have a stronger sense of civil values than previous generations, mostly through technologies like the Internet. · The rising global civil foundation: It's becoming more difficult to get away with bad behavior. The corporate World is responding by behaving more responsibly; business integrity is on the rise—and not for just legal or ethical reasons. It makes economic sense. {{U}}Firms that exhibit ethical values, openness, and candor have discovered that they can better compete and profit. Furthermore, firms can't hide their secrets, thanks to information and communications innovations. Firms are transparent whether they want to be or not, and many are opting to make themselves transparent to better serve their shareholders and the public.{{/U}} The international banana company Chiquita is a firm that has benefited from this transparency. Chiquita saved itself from bankruptcy by becoming a transparent organization with more open, honest, and straightforward communications with all its stakeholders. Furthermore, a dramatic change in the company's image occurred: Chiquita has won several awards and is widely cited as a leader in corporate responsibility. Transparency has resulted in a network of stakeholders who scrutinize firms, with or without their knowledge. Firms that don't pay attention to this network open themselves to attack and can be devastated or destroyed. Those that stay aware of constituent and community values and behave accordingly can develop sustainable business models. Other benefits of transparency include more successful business partnerships and improved employee trust, resulting in lower costs, improved quality, better innovation, and loyalty. {{U}}Transparency will also bring about a new breed of executive, one who has integrity, who leads by example, and who has the courage to do the right thing.{{/U}} Transparency demands that the corporation change, from paternalistic, inward-looking, and self-indulgent to engaged, stakeholder focused, responsive, and responsible. Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.

填空题{{B}}Section A{{/B}} There are 5 blanks in the passage. For each blank, two or three letters of the word have been given. Read the passage below and decide which word best fits each blank using only one word in each blank. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet. An Important English Town The site of the town of Winchester was a natural place for a settlement at the point where a river cut through the chalk of the southern hillsides. A simple camp at St Catherine's Hill was the ear{{U}} (71) {{/U}} known use of the site. This was followed by an Iron Age hill-fort, but this was left uninhabited by 100 BC. It was the Romans who finally established the town and sur{{U}} (72) {{/U}} it with a defensive wall for the protection of their people and trade. With the bu{{U}} (73) {{/U}} of its first cathedral in the seventh century, the town became an important religious centre. Later, King Alfred, who had sue{{U}} (74) {{/U}} pushed back the invading Danes, moved his palace to Winchester. The town then experienced rapid dev{{U}} (75) {{/U}} and its central role in English history was underlined in 1066, when the conquering Normans, under King Alfred the great, made Winchester their capital.

填空题{{B}}Section D{{/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. Remember to write the answers on the Answer Sheet. High Dropout Rate in US Many young people in the United States never finish high school. Exactly how many dropouts is another issue. Recent studies of dropout rates have had conflicting results. For one thing, schools define and measure their dropout rates differently. Some researchers say about fifteen to twenty parents of public school students do not complete their education. But many other experts and policymakers believe that for the past twenty years, the dropout rate has been around thirty percent. For Latino and black students, the numbers are even higher. Researchers say almost half of them leave school. At the same time, almost half the states let students leave school before the age of eighteen without informing their parents. Finding a good job without a high school education is more and more difficult. A Northeastern University study in 2002 found that almost half of all dropouts aged sixteen to twenty-four did not have a job. The lack of high school education can also lead to other problems. An estimated two-thirds of prisoners in the United States dropped out of high school. Recent studies have shown that the majority of students who drop out do not do it because they are failing. Many are bored with their classes or feel disconnected from their school and teachers. Some students feel that educators place low expectations on them. Teen pregnancies also add to the dropout problem. During the past twenty years, there have been efforts to increase graduation rate through education reforms. Some communities are working on dropout prevention programs. These include alternative high schools to meet special needs. Some programs, for example, provide free transportation and childcare to help young mothers and fathers finish school. Yet special programs can cost a lot, and many school systems have limited budgets. Federal spending on second-chance programs to help students finish school has decreased from the 1970s. This was shown in a report last year from the Educational Testing Service. Experts suggest "early warning systems" to help identify young schoolchildren at risk of dropping out of high school. They say schools also need to get parents more involved, especially if their children are missing school often. Questions:

填空题Read the following passage and fill in each blank with one word in three ways: according to the context; using the correct form of the given words; according to the given letters of the words. Excessive sugar has a strong mal-effect on the functioning of active o{{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}such as the heart, kidneys and the brain. Shipwrecked sailors who ate and drank nothing but sugar for nine days surely went {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}some of this trauma. This incident occurred when a vessel carrying a ca{{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}of sugar was shipwrecked in 1793. The five {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}(survive) sailors were finally rescued nine days after the accident. They were in a wasted condition due to starvation, having consumed nothing but {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}. French physiologist F.Magendie was inspired by that incident to co{{U}} {{U}} 6 {{/U}} {{/U}}a series of experiments with an{{U}} {{U}} 7 {{/U}} {{/U}}. In the experiments, he fed dogs a diet of sugar and water. All the dogs wasted and died. The shipwrecked sailors and the French physiologist's experimental dogs proved the same point. As a steady diet, sugar is worse than nothing. Plain water can keep you a{{U}} {{U}} 8 {{/U}} {{/U}}for quite some time. Sugar and water can kill you. Humans and animals are "unable to subsist {{U}} {{U}} 9 {{/U}} {{/U}}a diet of sugar". The dead dogs in Professor Magendie's la{{U}} {{U}} 10 {{/U}} {{/U}}alerted the sugar industry to the hazards of free scientific inquiry. From that day to this, the sugar industry has invested millions of dollars in behind-the-scenes, subsidized science. The best scientific names that money could buy have been hired, in the hope that they could one day come up with something at least pseudoscientific in the way of glad tidings about sugar.

填空题{{B}}Section C{{/B}} Directions: You are going to read an article. Seven sentences have been removed from it. Choose from the sentences A-H the one which best fits each gap. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. Remember to mark the answers on the Answer Sheet. I have called this book The Insomniac's Dictionary partly because it was born in the dark hours of night during my own periods of sleeplessness. {{U}}(64) {{/U}} For one thing, it doesn't require much in the way of mental or emotional commitment. And secondly, it's not meant to be read through at once. I encourage everyone to skim and skip around a bit. The Insomniac's Dictionary presents nearly 3,000 strange and intriguing words, all of which are grouped together by categories. {{U}}(65) {{/U}} It's been more than a dozen years since I first discovered the joys of dictionary reading. From the very beginning, I was amazed by the richness of our language. I quickly became enchanted with words like kakistocracy (government by the worst citizens), and I wanted more. {{U}}(66) {{/U}} It didn't take long to realize I was stymied—there were books that included these delightful words but none that grouped them together to be enjoyed as a whole. {{U}}(67) {{/U}} The results are here for you to enjoy. Some of the thematic lists are as all-inclusive as I could make them. Every chapter has been thoroughly and painstakingly researched. I cannot claim that the resulting lists are absolutely complete but can state that they are more complete than any lists that can be found in any other reference books. {{U}} (68) {{/U}} Such chapters are intended merely as introductions to their respective subjects. By way of example, our language contains over 20,000 eponyms (words which are based on a person's name). Most of these are obscure scientific terms or measurements and it's obviously beyond the scope of this book to list them all. {{U}}(69) {{/U}} Most of the word lists are pretty long, and I've therefore chosen to divide them into smaller groups. I admit these sub-categories are totally arbitrary—they are a means of presenting the words in easier-to-digest servings and should not be construed as definitive classification. {{U}}(70) {{/U}} Remember, this book is best enjoyed by browsing, not straightforward reading. Sentences: A. Thus my research began. B. And speaking of digestibility, I would not recommend reading some of the longer chapters at one sitting. C. It wouldn't be much fun either. D. On the other hand, some of the chapters make no attempt to be all-inclusive. E. More to the point, it's the perfect book for insomniacs, book browsers and anyone else with a little time to while away. F. By way of explaining why I've chosen this format, I'd like to briefly relate my inspiration for writing this book. G. I wanted to see all the weird and wonderful words there were. H. Though it may be hard to believe, all entries in The Insomniac's Dictionary are real words.

填空题 Read the following passage and fill in each blank with one word in three ways : according to the context; using the correct form of the given words; according to the given letters of the words. Remember to write the answers on the answer sheet. Those out to demolish old buildings often argue that a factory will bring prosperity to a town and pr{{U}} (66) {{/U}} employment for its people; a block of fiats will improve living conditions; a new road will create better transport f{{U}} (67) {{/U}} These arguments are true, but somehow unconvincing. Countless quiet country villages have been {{U}}(68) {{/U}} (spoil) by the addition of modern "improvements" like huge traffic-signs or tall concrete lamps which s{{U}} (69) {{/U}} a sickly yellow light. In the same way, buildings which are er {{U}}(70) {{/U}} without any thought being given to their surroundings, become prominent landmarks which may change the character of whole town. They are ugly because they are so out of {{U}}(71) {{/U}} Nothing can more seriously change the look of a town or city so dramatically than the sudden appearance of an office building which t{{U}} (72) {{/U}} above all the surrounding buildings. Before the arrival of this skyscraper, all the buildings in the city stood in special relationship to each other. The most str{{U}} (73) {{/U}} of them was probably the cathedral or the town hall f{{U}} (74) {{/U}} by other public buildings. These dominated the city and gave it a definite shape. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the new arrival dwarfs (使显得矮小) everything in sight, and even the most {{U}}(75) {{/U}}(grace) existing buildings may now be so sadly di{{U}} (76) {{/U}} as to seem slightly ridiculous beside this monster. It rises up above them like a huge, white, slotted (开门的) packing-case resting {{U}}(77) {{/U}} its side, demanding at{{U}} (78) {{/U}} merely because of its size and not because of any intrinsic (内在的) worth. Part of the charm of a big city l{{U}} (79) {{/U}} in the variety of styles that can be seen in the architecture of its buildings. One feels that the city has grown slowly and each age has left its mark. By demolishing buildings of f{{U}} (80) {{/U}} times, we wipe out every vestige of the past forever.

填空题 Read the following passage and fill in each blank with one word in three ways: according to the context; using the correct form of the given words; according to the given letters of the words. Remember to write the answers on the answer sheet. Most British couples, whether religious or not, have a church wedding, which combines the religious rite with the legal contract. Wedding arrangement for inviting and entertaining guests at a wedding are usually the {{U}}(66) {{/U}} (responsible) of the bride's family. In most cases it is mainly friends and re{{U}} (67) {{/U}} of both families who are invited, but when the bride's father is a person with pr{{U}} (68) {{/U}} social standing or a businessman of some kind, the wedding reception may provide a useful occasion for establishing social co{{U}} (69) {{/U}} with those people whose goodwill may be of great advantage to him and his family. It is however, the bride's mother who has the job of sending out the formal printed {{U}}(70) {{/U}} (invite) cards. In the case of church wedding, the vicar of each pa{{U}} (71) {{/U}} in which the bride and bridegroom live is normally informed about a month in {{U}}(72) {{/U}} of the ceremony so that an announcement of the coming wedding can be made in church on each of three Sundays before it takes place. Often up to a hundred or more people attend the religious service and the church and the bride usually wears the tr{{U}} (73) {{/U}} (tradition) long white dress and veil, while her br{{U}} (74) {{/U}} , who are often children, wear long dresses in attractive colours. The wedding ceremony resembles a Christian se{{U}} (75) {{/U}} during which the bride and bridegroom make promises to each other, according to which, whatever unforeseen difficulties they may encounter, they will remain l{{U}} (76) {{/U}} to each other until they die. The wedding ceremony may also happen in the case of a civil wedding in a register office but is probably less usual and more purely l{{U}} (77) {{/U}}. After the ceremony, there is nearly always a "reception" consisting {{U}}(78) {{/U}} a light meal, which is usually held in a restaurant, or in a local hall where a great number of guests attend. But it may also be held in the bride's own home when there are few guests. Refreshments are provided, a special iced wedding cake is cut and dis{{U}} (79) {{/U}} to the guests, toasts and drink and dancing may follow. At some point in the celebration, the bride goes off to change into her everyday clothes and then leaves the party with her husband to go on their ho{{U}} (80) {{/U}} , the journey they will make together, often in romantic surroundings abroad, during which they enjoy all the pleasure and none of the responsibilities of married life.