The word "tarnish"(line 4, paragraph 4)most probably means______.
A. affect
B. warn
C. trouble
D. stain
Part A
Directions: Read the following texts and answer the questions which accompany them by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.
Not long ago, a mysterious Christmas card dropped through our mail slot. The envelope was addressed to a man named Raoul, who, I was relatively certain, did not live with us. The envelope wasn't sealed, so I opened it. The inside of the card was blank. Ed, my husband, explained that the card was both from and to the newspaper de-liveryman. His name was apparently Raoul, and Raoul wanted a holiday tip. We were meant to put a check inside the card and then drop the envelope in the mail. When your services are rendered at 4 a. m. , you can't simply hang around, like a hotel bellboy expecting a tip. You have to be direct.
So I wrote a nice holiday greeting to this man who, in my imagination, fires The New York Times from his bike aimed at our front door, causing more noise with mere newsprint than most people manage with sophisticated black market fireworks.
With a start, I realized that perhaps the reason for the 4 a. m. —wake-up noise was not ordinary rudeness but carefully executed spite: I had not tipped Raoul in Christmases past. I honestly hadn't realized I was supposed to. This was the first time he' d used the card tactic. So I got out my checkbook. Somewhere along the line, holiday tipping went from an optional thank-you for a year of services to a Mafia-style. protection racket(收取保护费的黑社会组织).
Several days later, I was bringing our garbage bins back from the curb when I noticed an envelope taped to one of the lids. The outside of the envelope said MICKEY. It had to be another tip request, this time from our garbage collector. Unlike Raoul, Mickey hadn't enclosed his own Christmas card from me. In a way, I appreciated the directness. " I know you don't care how merry my Christmas is, and that' s fine, " the gesture said. " I want $ 30, or I' 11 'forget' to empty your garbage bin some hot summer day. "
I put a check in the envelope and taped it back to the bin. The next morning, Ed noticed that the envelope was gone, though the trash hadn't yet been picked up: " Someone stole Mickey' s tip!" Ed was quite certain. He made me call the bank and cancel the check.
But Ed had been wrong. Two weeks later, Mickey left a letter from the bank on our steps. The letter informed Mickey that the check, which he had tried to cash, had been cancelled. The following Tuesday morning, when Ed saw a truck outside, he ran out with his wallet. "Are you Mickey?"
The man looked at him with scorn. "Mickey is the garbageman. I am the recycling. " Not only had Ed insulted this man by hinting that he was a garbageman, but he had obviously neglected to tip him. Ed ran back inside for more funds. Then he noticed that the driver of the truck had been watching the whole transaction. He peeled off another twenty and looked around, waving bills in the air. "Anyone else?"
Had we consulted the website of the Emily Post Institute, this embarrassing breach of etiquette(礼节)could have been avoided. Under "trash/recycling collectors" in the institute' s Holiday Tipping Guidelines, it says, " $ 10 to $ 30 each. " You may or may not wish to know that your pet groomer, hairdresser, mailman and UPS guy all expect a holiday tip.
The newspaper deliveryman put a blank card inside the envelope because______.
A. he forgot to write a few words on it
B. he wanted the couple to send it back
C. he used it to ask for a Christmas tip
D. he was afraid of asking for a tip in person
Part C
Directions: Answer questions 71-80 by referring to the following games.
Note: Answer each question by choosing A, B or C and mark it on ANSWER SHEET 1. Some choices may be required more than once.
A =The Imperial Palace B =The Temple of Heaven C =Potala Palace D =Jokhang Temple Which palace or temple ...
is the spiritual center of Tibet? 71.______
is circular in the northern part while square in the southern part? 72.______
presents the largest and most complete ensemble of traditional architecture? 73.______
covers a building space of 90 thousand square meters? 74.______
is the oldest one among the four in the text? 75.______
can present the visitor the significance of Heaven Kitchen? 76.______
is a combination of architectural styles from Han, Tibetan and Nepalese? 77.______
was the religious and political center of old Tibet? 78.______
is along with many comparatively small buildings on either side? 79.______
presents an edict signed with the Great Fifth' s handprint? 80.______
A
The Imperial Palace
What strikes one first in a bird s-eye view of Beijing proper is a vast tract of golden roofs flashing brilliantly in the sun with purple walls occasionally emerging amid them and a stretch of luxuriant tree leaves flanking on each side. That is the former Imperial Palace, popularly known as the Forbidden City, from which twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties ruled China for some 500 years—from 1420 to 1911. The Ming Emperor Yong Le, who usurped the throne from his nephew and made Beijing the capital, ordered its construction, on which approximately 10, 000 artists and a million workmen toiled for 14 years from 1406 to 1420. At present, the Palace is an elaborate museum that presents the largest and most complete ensemble of traditional architecture complex and more than 900, 000 pieces of court treasures in all dynasties in China.
Located in the center of Beijing, the entire palace area, rectangular in shape and 72 hectares in size, is surrounded by walls ten meters high and a moat 52 meters wide. At each corner of the wall stands a watchtower with a double-eave roof covered with yellow glazed tiles.
The main buildings, the six great halls, one following the other, are set facing south along the central north-south axis from the Meridian Gate, the south entrance, to Shenwumen, the great gate piercing in the north wall. On either side of the palace are many comparatively small buildings. Symmetrically in the northeastern section lie the six Eastern Palaces and in the northwestern section the six Western Palaces. The Palace area is divided into two parts: the Outer Court and the Inner Palace. The former consists of the first three main halls, where the emperor received his courtiers and conducted grand ceremonies, while the latter was the living quarters for the imperial residence. At the rear of the Inner Palace is the Imperial Garden where the emperor and his family sought recreation.
B
The Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven was initially built in Yongle Year 18 of the Ming Dynasty(in 1420). Situated in the southern part of the city, it covers the total area of 273 hectares. With the additions and rebuilding during the Ming, Qing and other Dynasties, this grand set of structures look magnificent and glorious; the dignified environment appears solemn and respectful. It is the place for both Ming and Qing Dynasty' s Emperors to worship Heaven and pray for good harve
听力原文: During the Christmas shopping rush in London, the intriguing story was reported of a tramp who, apparently through no fault of his own, found himself locked in a well-known chain store late on Christmas Eve. No doubt the store was filled with last-minute Christmas shoppers and the staff were dead beating and longing to get home. Presumably all the proper security checks were made before the store was locked and they left to enjoy the three-day holiday untroubled by customers desperate to get last-minute Christmas presents.
However that may be, our tramp found himself alone in the store and decided to make the best of it. There was food, drink, bedding and camping equipment, of which he made good use. There must also have been television sets and radios. Though it was not reported if he took advantage of these facilities , when the shop re-opened, he was discovered in bed with a large number of empty bottles beside him. He seems to have been a man of good humour and philosophic temperament—as indeed vagrants very commonly are. Everyone else was enjoying Christmas, so he saw no good reason why he should not do the same. He submitted, cheerfully enough, to being taken away by the police. Perhaps he had a better Christmas than usual. He was put into prison for seven days. The judge awarded no compensation to the chain store for the food and drink our tramp had consumed. They had, in his opinion, already received valuable free publicity from the coverage the story received in the newspapers and on television. Perhaps the judge had a good Christmas too.
The tramp was locked in the store______
A. for his own mistakes
B. due to a misunderstanding
C. by accident
D. through an error of judgment