Section B
Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.

(A)

Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.

“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.

“And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in the town!”

George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.

Then Richard married a mysterious girl. The couple spent their honeymoon on the coast—but Richard never came back. The police found his wallet on a deserted beach but the body was never found. He must have drowned.

Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow, old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his formal rival(競爭對手). Perhaps he missed him?

George was very interested in old dictionaries. He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.

“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia.”

65. George and Richard were ______ at school.
A. roommates B. good friends C. competitors D. booksellers

66. How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?
A. He envied Richard’s marriage.
B. He thought of Richard from time to time.
C. He felt lucky with no rival in town.
D. He was guilty of Richard’s death.

67. George got information about Richard from ______.
A. a dictionary collector in Australia B. the latter’s rivals Dylans
C. a rare first edition of a dictionary D. the wrapping paper of a book

68. What happened to George and Richard in the end?
A. Both George and Richard became millionaires.
B. Both of them realized their original ambitions.
C. George established a successful business while Richard was missing.
D. Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success.? ? ?

(B)

Welcome to Banff, Canada’s first, most famous and arguably most fascinating national park. If you’ve come to ski or snowboard, we’ll see you on the slopes. Skiing is a locals’ favorite too.

While you’re here, try other recreational activities available in our mountains. Popular choices include a Banff Gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain, bathe in the natural mineral waters at the Upper Hot Spring, horse-drawn sleigh ride, drive-your-own-team dog sled excursion, and snowmobile tour to the highland (but not in the national park).

We also recommend you make time to enjoy simple pleasure. After looking around Banff Ave shops, walk a couple of blocks west or south to the scenic Bow River.

Try ice skating on frozen Lake Louise where Ice Magic International Ice Sculpture Competition works are displayed after Jan 25. You can rent skates in Banff or at the sport shop in the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise hotel.

Banff’s backcountry paths access a wilderness world of silence and matchless beauty—cross country skis and snowshoes provide the means. Banff sport shops rent equipment and clothes, or join an organized tour. Although we’ve been many times, we still find the cliffs and icefalls of our frozen canyons worth visiting.

Wildlife watching also creates satisfying memories. We have seen hundreds of the elk and bighorn sheep that attract visitors, yet they still arouse a sense of wonder

And the rare spotting of a cougar, wolf or woodland caribou takes our breath away.

See if simple pleasures work for you. Fight in the snow with your kids, walk beside a stream or climb to a high place and admire the view.

—Banff Resort Guide Editors

69. According to the passage, Banff’s backcountry is accessible by _____.
A. cross country skiing B. horse-drawn sleigh riding
C. snowmobiling D. dogsledding

70. which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Dogsledding is the most popular sport among local people.
B. Watching wildlife is a memorable experience.
C. Travellers should bring their own sports equipment.
D. Shopping is too simple a pleasure to enjoy.

71. The purpose of the writing is to ______.
A. promote scenic spots in Canada B. advertise for the sports in Banff
C. introduce tourist activities in Banff D. describe breathtaking views in Banff

(C)

“Get your hands off me, I have been stolen,” the laptop, a portable computer, shouted. That is a new solution to laptop computer theft: a program that lets owners give their property a voice when it has been taken.

The program allows users to display alerts on the missing computer’s screen and even to set a spoken message. Tracking software for stolen laptops has been on the market for some time, but this is thought to be the first that allows owners to give the thief a piece of their mind.

Owners must report their laptop missing by logging on to a website, which sends a message to the model: a red and yellow “l(fā)ost or stolen” banner pops up on its screen when it is started. Under the latest version(版本) of the software, users can also send a spoken message.

The message can be set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the thief closes it. “One customer sent a message saying, ‘You are being tracked. I am right at your door’,” said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive of the company which produces the program, Retriever.

In the latest version, people can add a spoken message. The default through the computer’s speakers is: “Help, this laptop is reported lost or stolen. If you are not my owner, please report me now.”

The Retriever software package, which costs $29.95 (￡21) but has a free trial period, has the functions of many security software programs. Owners can remotely switch to an alternative password prompt if they fear that the thief has also got hold of the access details.

If a thief accesses the internet with the stolen laptop, Retriever will collect information on the internet service provider in use, so that the police can be alerted to its location.

Thousands of laptops are stolen every year from homes and offices, but with the use of laptops increasing, the number stolen while their owners are out and about has been rising sharply.

Other security software allows users to erase data remotely or lock down the computer.

72. The expression “to give the thief a piece of their mind” can be understood as “_______”.
A. to give the thief an alert mind B. to express the owners’ anger to the thief
C. to remind the thief of his conscience D. to make the thief give up his mind

73. Different from other security software, Retriever can ______.
A. record the stealing process B. help recognize the lost laptop
C. lock down the computer remotely D. send a spoken message

74. One function of the program is that it allows the owner to ______ at a distance.
A. change some access details for switching on the laptop
B. turn on the laptop by using the original password
C. operate the laptop by means of an alternative password
D. erase the information kept in the stolen laptop

75. Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?
A. With no Retriever, thousands of laptops are stolen every year.
B. A new software provides a means to reduce laptop theft.
C. Retriever has helped to find thieves and lost computers.
D. A new program offers a communication platform with the thief.

(D)
The latest research suggests a more prosaic, democratic, even puritanical view of the world. The key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not a divine spark. It’s not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success, even in realms like chess. Instead, it’s deliberate practice. Top performers spend more hours (many more hours) rigorously practicing their craft. If you wanted to picture how a typical genius might develop, you’d take a girl who possessed a slightly above average verbal ability. It wouldn’t have to be a big talent, just enough so that she might gain some sense of distinction. Then you would want her to meet, say, a novelist, who coincidentally shared some similar biographical traits. Maybe the writer was from the same town, had the same ethnic background, or, shared the same birthday.
This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self. It would give her some idea of a fascinating circle she might someday join. It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12, giving her a strong sense of insecurity and fueling a desperate need for success. Armed with this ambition, she would read novels and life stories of writers without end. This would give her a primary knowledge of her field. She’d be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly perceive its inner workings.

Then she would practice writing. Her practice would be slow, painstaking and error-focused. By practicing in this way, she delays the automatizing process. Her mind wants to turn conscious, newly learned skills into unconscious, automatically performed skills. By practicing slowly, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating, she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance. Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her performance from the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges. By now she is redoing problems—how do I get characters into a room—dozens and dozens of times. She is establishing habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.

The primary trait she possesses is not some mysterious genius. It’s the ability to develop a purposeful, laborious and boring practice routine. The latest research takes some of the magic out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is affected by genetics and what we’re “hard-wired” to do. And it’s true that genes play a role in our capabilities. But the brain is also very plastic. We construct ourselves through behavior.

76. The passage mainly deals with _____.
A. the function of I.Q. in cultivating a writer B. the relationship between genius and success
C. the decisive factor in making a genius D. the way of gaining some sense of distinction

77. By reading novels and writers’ stories, the girl could ______.
A. come to understand the inner structure of writing
B. join a fascinating circle of writers someday
C. share with a novelist her likes and dislikes
D. learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security

78. In the girl’s long painstaking training process, _____.
A. her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success
B. her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performance
C. she acquires the magic of some great achievements
D. she comes to realize she is “hard-wired” to write

79. What can be concluded from the passage?
A. A fuelling ambition plays a leading role in one’s success.
B. A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing.
C. As to the growth of a genius, I.Q. doesn’t matter, but just his/her efforts.
D. What really matters is what you do rather than who you are.