一．考试趋势

 1. 阅读理解新新题型；

 2. 应用文写作；

 3. 作文 B 节的变化；

 4. 翻译改卷标准的变化。

二．考试特点

 1. 与六级的区别；

 2. Selective test; (Hunter vs. Game)

 3. Reliability.

Example

The human nose is an underrated tool. Humans are often thought to be insensitive smellers compared with animals, 1 this is largely because, 2 animals, we stand upright. This means that our noses are 3 to perceiving those smells which float through the air, 4 the majority of smells which stick to surfaces. In fact 5 , we are extremely sensitive to smells, 6 we do not generally realize it. Our noses are capable of 7 human smells even when these are 8 to far below one part in one million.

1.［ A ］although ［ B ］as［ C ］but ［ D ］while
2.［ A ］above［ B ］unlike［ C ］excluding［ D ］besides
3. ［ A ］ limited ［ B ］ committed ［ C ］ dedicated ［ D ］ confined
4. ［ A ］ catching ［ B ］ ignoring ［ C ］ missing ［ D ］ tracking
5. ［ A ］ anyway ［ B ］ though ［ C ］ instead ［ D ］ therefore
6. ［ A ］ even if ［ B ］ if only ［ C ］ only if ［ D ］ as if
7. ［ A ］distinguishing［ B ］discovering［ C ］determining［ D ］detecting
8. ［ A ］ diluted ［ B ］ dissolved ［ C ］ dispersed ［ D ］ diffused

三．考试哲学

1 ．培养兴趣；

2 ．树立信心；

3 ．掌握方法。

四．备考重点

1 ．阅读技巧；

Example 1

Of all the components of a good night's sleep, dreams seem to be least within our control. In dreams, a window opens into a world where logic is suspended and dead people speak. A century ago, Freud formulated his revolutionary theory that dreams were the disguised shadows of our unconscious desires and fears; by the late 1970s, neurologists had switched to thinking of them as just “mental noise” — the random byproducts of the neural-repair work that goes on during sleep. Now researchers suspect that dreams are part of the mind's emotional thermostat, regulating moods while the brain is “off-line.” And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control, to help us sleep and feel better. “It's your dream,” says Rosalind Cartwright, chair of psychology at Chicago's Medical Center. “If you don't like it, change it.”

Evidence from brain imaging supports this view. The brain is as active during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep — when most vivid dreams occur — as it is when fully awake, says Dr. Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh. But not all parts of the brain are equally involved; the limbic system (the “emotional brain”) is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex (the center of intellect and reasoning) is relatively quiet. “We wake up from dreams happy or depressed, and those feelings can stay with us all day,” says Stanford sleep researcher Dr. William Dement.

The link between dreams and emotions shows up among the patients in Cartwright's clinic. Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night, progressing toward happier ones before awakening, suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day. Because our conscious mind is occupied with daily life we don't always think about the emotional significance of the day's events — until, it appears, we begin to dream.

And this process need not be left to the unconscious. Cartwright believes one can exercise conscious control over recurring bad dreams. As soon as you awaken, identify what is upsetting about the dream. Visualize how you would like it to end instead; the next time it occurs, try to wake up just enough to control its course. With much practice people can learn to, literally, do it in their sleep.

At the end of the day, there's probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping or “we wake up in a panic,” Cartwright says. Terrorism, economic uncertainties and general feelings of insecurity have increased people's anxiety. Those suffering from persistent nightmares should seek help from a therapist. For the rest of us, the brain has its ways of working through bad feelings. Sleep — or rather dream — on it and you'll feel better in the morning. (468 words)

•  Researchers have come to believe that dreams

[A] can be modified in their courses [B] are susceptible to emotional changes
[C] reflect our innermost desires and fears. [D] are a random outcome of neural repairs.

•  By referring to the limbic system, the author intends to show

[A] its function in our dreams. [B] the mechanism of REM sleep.
[C] the relation of dreams to emotions. [D] its difference from the prefrontal cortex.

•  The negative feelings generated during the day tend to

[A] aggravate in our unconscious mind. [B] develop into happy dreams.
[C] persist till the time we fall asleep. [D] show up in dreams early at night.

•  Cartwright seems to suggest that

[A] waking up in time is essential to the ridding of bad dreams.
[B] visualizing bad dreams helps bring them under control.
[C] dreams should be left to their natural progression.
[D] dreaming may not entirely belong to the unconscious.

•  What advice might Cartwright give to those who sometimes have bad dreams?

[A] Lead your life as usual. [B] Seek professional help.
[C] Exercise conscious control. [D] Avoid anxiety in the daytime.

Example 2

A hundred years ago it was assumed and scientifically "proved" by economists that the laws of society made it necessary to have a vast army of poor and jobless people in order to keep the economy going. Today, hardly anybody would dare to voice this principle. It is generally accepted that nobody should be excluded from the wealth of the nation, either by the laws of nature or by those of society. The opinions, which were current a hundred years ago, that the poor owed their conditions to their ignorance, lack of responsibility, are outdated. In all Western industrialized countries, a system of insurance has been introduced which guarantees everyone a minimum of subsistence ( 生活维持费 ) in case of unemployment, sickness and old age. I would go one step further and argue that, even if these conditions are not present, everyone has the right to receive the means to subsist ( 维持生活 ), in other words, he can claim this subsistence minimum without having to have any "reason". I would suggest, however, that it should be limited to a definite period of time, let's say two years, so as to avoid the encouraging of an abnormal attitude which refuses any kind of social obligation.

This may sound like a fantastic proposal, but so, I think, our insurance system would have sounded to people a hundred years ago. The main objection to such a scheme would be that if each person were entitled to receive minimum support, people would not work. This assumption rests on the fallacy of the inherent laziness in human nature, actually, aside from abnormally lazy people, there would be very few who would not want to earn more than the minimum, and who would prefer to do nothing rather than work.

However, the suspicions against a system of guaranteed subsistence minimum are not groundless from the standpoint of those who want to use ownership of capital for the purpose of forcing others to accept the work conditions they offer. If nobody were forced to accept work in order not to starve, work would have to be sufficiently interesting and attractive to induce one to accept it. Freedom of contract is possible only if both parties are free to accept and reject it; in the present capitalist system this is not the case.

But such a system would not only be the beginning of real freedom of contract between employers and employees, its principal advantage would be the improvement of freedom in interpersonal relationships in every sphere of daily life. (430 words)

1. People used to think that poverty and unemployment were due to __________.

[A] the slow development of the economy
[B] the fault of the poor and the jobless themselves
[C] the lack of responsibility on the part of society
[D] the large number of uneducated people

2. Now it is widely accepted that __________.

[A] the present system of social insurance should be improved
[B] everybody should be granted a minimum of subsistence without any "reason"
[C] everybody has the right to share in the wealth of the country
[D] people have to change their attitude towards the poor

3. The writer argues that a system of social insurance should __________.

[A] provide benefits for the sick, old and unemployed
[B] encourage people to take on more social obligations
[C] guarantee everyone the right of employment to support their families
[D] provide everyone with the right to a minimum subsistence for a certain period

4. The word "fallacy" (Para 2) means __________.

[A] doubt [B] fact [C] accepted theory [D] wrong belief

5. According to the writer, a system of guaranteed subsistence minimum __________.

[A] helps bring about changes in the relationship among people
[B] makes freedom of contract impossible
[C] helps people to become more interested in their work
[D] demands too much from society

2 ．作文提高策略

Part A

Two months ago you got a job as an editor for the magazine Design & Fashions. But now you find that the work is not what you expected. You decide to quit. Write a letter to your boss, Mr. Wang, telling him your decision, stating your reason(s), and making an apology.

Dear Mr. Wang,

I'm writing this letter to inform you of my decision to resign from my current position. Although I appreciate the opportunity of having worked here for two months, I do not feel the job suits me.

There are several reasons why I have to quit my job. First of all , I find that what I learned at university cannot meet the requirements of my job. Therefore, I plan to study further and decide to prepare for the entrance exams for graduate schools. In addition , I am more interested in communicating with people instead of the words. In the end , the work pressure is too much for me, which has affected my health.

I'm sorry for any inconvenience my resignation may cause. I hope you will approve of it and I'm looking forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Li Ming

(142 words)

Part B
Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following drawing. In your essay, you should first describe the drawing, then interpret its meaning and give your comment on it.

养老“足球赛”
A “Football Match” of Taking Care of Parents

As is illustrated in the cartoon , the four children are playing a “football match”, however , the “ball” is their old father, looking wretched with his ragged clothes. While the eldest son kicks his father out, his younger brothers and sister are serving as “ goalkeepers ”, trying to keep their father out of their “goals”.

There is no denying that this picture reveals a common yet serious problem in our country. In the first place , many young people are enjoying a comfortable life, but they regard their parents as burdens. In the second place , their parents have grown so physically weak that they cannot support themselves. If their children don't take care of them, they will be reduced to utter poverty. Last but not least , to be kind to one's parents is the height of virtue in our tradition.

As far as I am concerned , we should do something to prevent such an evil phenomenon from happening again. To begin with , all the society should condemn such a wrongdoing and these children should be punished by law. What's more , every citizen must realize it is our duty to support our parents when they are old. Only with the joint efforts can we hope to put an end to this problem. (208 words)

Nothing succeeds like success!