ENG92

92 年度英語読解力考査
This is NOT the actual test.

PART I

Text 1

The term fine arts may be traced back to the older but equivalent French termbeaux arts meaning "beautiful arts". In ancient Greece, the fine arts were watched overby the Muses, from which we get the word museum ― a place where fine arts are
displayed. Because museums of fine arts have tended to display mainly painting and
5 sculpture, these are the arts we first think of as belonging to the fine arts. But in fact
they comprise all artistic works, including literature, architecture, drama, opera, andeven up-to-date kinds like television and movies. In fact, any work that is exceptionallywell-crafted may be so described, as in the often heard statement that somebody hasraised furniture-making or penmanship or bookbinding ''to the level of a fine art".
10 Thomas de Quincey, an English writer of the early nineteenth century, entitled an essay''On Murder as One of the Fine Arts''.
When people hear the term cultural literacy, they sometimes associate it withartistic culture ― with opera, ballet, painting, poetry, sculpture, architecture, andclassical music. These fine arts are, of course, only a part of cultural literacy, but they do
15 make up a domain of experience that people must be aware of in order to communicate
with other literate people in our society. For many people, the appreciation of the finearts helps bring satisfaction, joy, and meaning to life; and every person deserves to be
exposed to good art, whether popular or classical. But an old and true proverb tells us
there is no disputing about taste. People who dislike ballet or Bach are not therefore
20 unworthy or insensitive people. Nor is the art of the Western tradition inherently
superior to that of other traditions. Yet whether the fine arts bring richness to ourpersonal lives or we prefer other forms of enrichment, every citizen does need an
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acquaintance with enduring artistic works and artists, if only because they are
indispensable reference points for our shared lives.

Questions for text1
29. Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between the term''fine arts'' and the term ''beaux arts''?
a. The former includes all arts, the latter only traditional arts.
b. The former is more specific, the latter more general.
c. The two terms have the same meaning.
d. The French term means ''beautiful arts", but the English term does not.
30. What effect does the writer mention that museums have had on our understandingof the fine arts?
a. They have helped us understand the meaning of the Greek Muses.
b. They have led us to believe that only painting and sculpture are fine arts.
c. They have raised the displaying of art to the level of a fine art.
d. They have helped make people more culturally literate.
31. Which of the following best describes the function of the last sentence in the firstparagraph?
a. It is an example of how anything may be considered a fine art.
b. It shows the writer's belief that the definition of fine arts is too general today.
c. It is a summary of the first paragraph.
d. It is used to show how old the idea of fine arts is.
32. Which of the following statements would the writer of this text probably agree with?
a. Traditional arts are superior to modern arts.
b. Insensitivity to traditional arts lessens one's appreciation of modern arts.
c. Western art is best understood in contrast to Eastern art.
d. No art tradition is necessarily better than any other.

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33. Which of the following statements would the writer of this text probably disagree
with?
a. People's lives may be enriched in a variety of ways.
b. People often think cultural literacy means knowing artistic culture.
c. Not everyone has to enjoy classical ballet.
d. Some people have better taste in art than others.
34. What is the opinion of the writer about knowledge of the fine arts?
a. People need to know the fine arts to fully enjoy life.
b. People who do not appreciate the fine arts are culturally inferior.
c. People need a knowledge of the fine arts to communicate with others.
d. People who do not like the fine arts do not need to know about them.
35. What would the writer of this text probably say about the popular Japanese
television show, ''Kato-chan Ken-chan"?
a. It cannot be an example of a fine art.
b. Only history can decide whether it is an example of a fine art or not.
c. Whether it is a fine art or not depends on how well-crafted it is.
d. Only television critics may decide whether it is a fine art or not.

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Text 2The old debate about sex-based mental differences was given new life recently by astudy that suggested to the news media that some truly new and unexpected scientificdiscovery had been revealed. Newspapers across the country boldly announced thatJohns Hopkins researchers found that boys are, by nature, better than girls in
5 mathematical reasoning. The ten-year Study of Camilla Benbow and Julian Stanleytested about 10, 000 students, mainly seventh and eighth graders, who were in theupper 3 percent of students in math ability. The study concluded that sex differences inachievement and in attitude toward mathematics exist and result from superior malemathematical ability.
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Since up to the time of testing the girls and boys in the study did not differ in thenumber of math courses taken, the researchers did not seriously consider any otherpossible social or environmental factors, though they did suggest that their results
could be explained by alternative interpretations of the data ― a possibility that none of
the news media reported. The researchers also did not think it important to take into

15 account that their subjects were volunteers, despite the evidence that gifted boys are
more likely to volunteer to take tests than are gifted girls. But as two professors ofmathematics wrote in their lead editorial in Science five weeks after the Benbow andStanley study appeared, ''anyone who thinks that seventh graders are free from,environmental influences can hardly be living in the real world.'' Who helps with the
20 math homework, the kinds of toys and games girls and boys are given, and the
expectations of parents and teachers are of critical importance. Mathematically giftedboys can confidently expect to use and be rewarded for their skills in math, science, andENG
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ENG92engineering, and will thus be motivated to excel, but it has been well documented thatparents, school counselors, and teachers have traditionally discouraged even talented
25 girls from seriously pursuing mathematics and science skills. One study found that 42
percent of girls interested in careers in mathematics or science reported being
discouraged by counselors from taking courses in advanced mathematics. In addition, at
an age when pressures are high to conform to expected sex roles and behaviors, many
girls do not want to seem as "unfeminine" in a culture that equates math and science
30 skills with ''masculinity." The Benbow and Stanley study will do little to discourage theidea that proficiency in mathematics is a sex-linked characteristic, which is alreadywidespread among elementary and high school teachers, college students, and young
mothers.
It is only recently that efforts have been made to educate teachers and counselors
35 away from sex-typing and channeling. Several studies have shown that in those schools
where the environment is equally challenging to both sexes, results are quite different
from those of Benbow and Stanley. In schools where all the teachers have science, math,or engineering backgrounds, communicate enthusiasm for math, and expect women toadvance as well as men, girls and boys score equally well in advanced mathematics
40 tests. Unfortunately, studies that show no differences in performance or attitude
between the sexes do not excite attention, or merit headlines and national news
coverage, and many are not accepted for publication. Until this situation can be changed,
studies that show sex-related differences in mathematical ability will continue to have agreater impact on society than those that do not.

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Questions for text2
36. What does the writer of this text seem to think about the study conducted by
Benbow and Stanley?
a. That it is too heavily based on environmental factors.
b. That its conclusion is poorly based and misleading.
c. That it should be used by teachers and counselors to help advise students.
d. That it should have received more attention by the news media.
37. Which of the following factors was considered important in the Benbow and Stanley
study?
a. Whether the participants in the study were volunteers.
b. Whether the participants had taken an equal number of mathematics classes.
c. Whether teachers could influence students' decisions about studying math.
d. Whether boys and girls were equally motivated to study math.
38. Why does the writer of this text think the issue about whether the participants
were volunteers is important?
a. Because volunteers try harder than those who have no choice.
b. Because test results with volunteers tend to be more accurate.
c. Because talented girls do not volunteer as often as talented boys.
d. Because students with low level math skills tend not to volunteer for tests.
39. In general, what can we say about the editorial that appeared in Science following
the report of the Benbow and Stanley study?
a. It was a neutral review of the Benbow and Stanley study.
b. It offered new information that supported the Benbow and Stanley conclusion.
c. It was critical about some limitations in the Benbow and Stanley study.
d. It agreed with the methodology but not the conclusion of the Benbow and Stanley
study
40. Which of the following does the writer of this text seem to be most critical of?
a. Parents, teachers, and school counselors.
b. The Benbow and Stanley study.
c. The lead editorial in Science.
d. The news media.
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41. What does the writer think about the idea that teachers and counselors havetraditionally discouraged girls from studying mathematics?
a. It is understandable, given girls' natural talents.
b. It is a well-supported fact.
c. It is just the opinion of a few researchers.
d. It has caused forty-two percent of all girls to be uninterested in mathematics.
42. How does the writer think the Benbow and Stanley conclusion probably affectedmost parents, teachers, and school counselors?
a. It probably confirmed the beliefs they already held about sex and math ability.
b. It probably caused them to change their ideas about the connection between mathability and sex.
c. It probably discouraged them about their ability to influence their children andstudents.
d. It probably made them think about the value of a good education in math.
43. What is the writer's opinion about ''sex-typing and channeling"?
a. She approves of these educational practices.
b. She finds these practices objectionable.
c. She is waiting for more data before deciding about their value.
d. It is not possible to determine what her opinion is on the basis of this text.
44. What does ''this situation'' in the last sentence of the text refer to?
a. Unequal environmental conditions for boys and girls at school.
b. Poorer performance on mathematics tests by girls.
c. A change in the number of school teachers with math and science backgrounds.
d. Lack of media interest in studies that show no relation between sex and ability.
45. What is the main purpose of the last paragraph in this text?
a. To review the environmental factors that affect math ability.
b. To describe recent efforts to raise math scores for girls.
c. To argue for greater media attention to studies that show
no sex-based differences.
d. To reemphasize the writer's opinion of the Benbow and Stanley study.

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46. Which of the following is the best title for this text?
a. "Males Perform Better Than Females in Mathematics''
b. ''Environmental Influences on Mathematical Ability''c. ''Researchers Disagree on the importance of Mathematical Ability''d. ''The Controversy Over Male and Female Abilities in Mathematics''
47. Consider the advice that the four mothers below gave their high school age
daughters on studying advanced mathematics. Which mother would theresearchers from Johns Hopkins University agree with?
a. Mother 1: I know you don't really like math, dear, but all the best careers for womenin the future are going to be in the fields of science and engineering. If I you study
hard, you cart be the next Einstein.
b. Mother 2: Girls don't need to know advanced mathematics, dear, so don't do what I
did. Just find a good man and marry him.
c. Mother 3: Don't cry, dear. It's not your fault that Roger and John did better thanyou on the math test. Why don't you study something that girls are good at, likeliterature?
d. Mother 4: Your school counselor doesn't really know what he is talking about, dear.
Here, look at this editorial in last month's edition of Science.

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PART II

When drawing an analogy, people observe similarities _(48)_ two things, andusually go on to suggest that the thing which is _(49)_ can help explain the one which is
not or is only partly _(50)_. Scientists have often described living processes by analogy.
Some analogies are useful and accurate as far as they go. _(51)_, the comparison of the
5 heart _(52)_ a pump or the kidney with a filter has helped illustrate the nature andfunction of _(53)_ organs. However, analogies that have been proposed to explain the
nervous system have been _(54)_ successful. One aspect of analogies is that theyare_(55)_ the scientific understanding of the time. The mind _(56)_ be compared to acomputer, for instance, _(57)_ there is a computer.
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Several analogies have been used _(58)_ human memory. Plato, for example,
suggested memory was analogous to the impression of messages on wax tablets. Other
analogies for memory also involve artificial methods of storing information. _(59)_ of themind to a computer is attractive _(60)_ it emphasizes the ability of human memory torecall information quickly. No matter how attractive a given analogy may appear, _(61)_,

15 it is important to recognize the limited function of analogies in science. _(62)_ in science,
they generally act as substitutes _(63)_, models that guide research, _(64)_ genuine
explanations of phenomena. They are useful _(65)_ they lead to serious investigations
designed to establish differences between the things compared, but _(66)_ if they
promote simple acceptance of two things _(67)_ the same when they are really
20 fundamentally different.

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48. a. at

49. a. different

50. a. awareb. between

b. familiarb. consciousc. byc. similarc. knowable

d. intod. the samed. understood

51. a. Also

52. a. as

53. a. allb. For example

b. forb. otherc. Howeverc. intoc. somed. Stilld. withd. these

54. a. least

55. a. limited by

56. a. cannot

b. lessb. limitations tob. should

c. morec. limits onc. tends to

d. mostd. limiting ford. used to

57. a. once

58. a. explaining

59. a Comparing

b. sinceb. by explainingb. The comparisonc. untilc. explained byc. Structured. whend. to explaind. The structure

60. a. because

61. a. also

62. a. When usedb. onlyb. for example

b. For use

c. so

c. howeverc. Usefuld. while

d. insteadd. Using

63. a. by analogy

64. a. due to

65. a. andb. by comparisonb. far lessb. if

c. for understandingc. neither

c. so

d. to understandd. notd. together

66. a. dangerous

67. a. as beingb. deniedb. in beingc. different

c. not being

d. doubted

d. with being

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