2014年11月学位英语考试题

学位英语考试题

2014年11月

Passage 1

Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage:

Jarden Zinc Products, a large zinc plant a few miles outside Greeneville, Tennessee, has a special claim. Since

1982, it has been the only supplier of penny blanks for the U.S. Mint (铸币厂). It's a good business for

Jarden-since 2000, the company has earned more than $ 800 million. But it may not be a good deal for the U.S.

a penny. It now costs 2 C to produce a 1 C coin. Many countries have stopped using pennies. Is it time for the U.S.

to do the same?

Jarden and the zinc industry are fighting to keep the penny. Since 2006, Jarden has given $1.2 million to

Americans for Common Cents (ACC). The group's mission is to keep the penny in use. Mark Weller is ACC's

executive director. He argues that there are three main reasons for keeping the penny: Without it, we would

become more reliant on the five-cent coin, which also has problems; charities（慈善机构）that depend on penny

drives would not be able to raise as much money; and a 2012 survey shows that 67% of Americans want to keep Many experts disagree with ACC, They point to the dozens of countries that have gotten rid of their

lowest-value coins without raising prices for consumers. And charities don't seem too concerned either.

President Barack Obama says the mint could explore using cheaper metals to make pennies. Steel is less

expensive than zinc. Pennies are 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper. But no matter what it is made of, the penny's days

may be numbered. Most in-store purchases are now made with credit cards, not cash. Is it time for a change?

1. what is the main idea of the passage?

A.Many countries are trying to reduce the cost of making coins.

B.These days a penny made is a penny wasted.

C.There is disagreement over whether the U.S. should stop using pennies.

D.Many countries have stopped using pennies.

2. The mission of ACC is to ______.

A. conduct online surveys B.lower the production costs of the penny

C. raise money for charities D.keep the penny in use

3. The penny coin is mainly made of _____.

A. copper B. steel C. iron D. zinc

4. What does the sentence "the penny's days may be numbered" in the last paragraph probably mean?

A.The penny may be out of use very soon.

B.The value of the penny may rise.

C.The penny has a special place in American history.

D.The penny is part of American culture.

5. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A.Jarden is the sole supplier of the zinc the U.S. Mint uses to make the penny.

B. The majority of American people are in favor of keeping the penny.

C. Many Americans fear that getting rid of the penny would cause prices to rise.

D. The U.S. Mint now spends 2.4 cents to make a penny.

Passage 2

Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:

Charles Dickens was born in 1812 in Portsmouth, England. He was the second of eight children. His father

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