Passage Four
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
If you want to teach your children how to say sorry, you must be good at saying it yourself, especially to your own children. But how you say it can be quite tricky.
If you say to your children “I’m sorry I got angry with you, but …” what follows that “but” can render the apology ineffective: “I had a bad day” or “your noise was giving me a headache” leaves the person who has been injured feeling that he should be apologizing for his bad behavior in expecting an apology.
Another method by which people appear to apologize without actually doing so is to say “I’m sorry you’re upset”; this suggests that you are somehow at fault for allowing yourself to get upset by what the other person has done.
Then there is the general, all covering apology, which avoids the necessity of identifying a specific act that was particularly hurtful or insulting, and which the person who is apologizing should promise never to do again. Saying “I’m useless as a parent” does not commit a person to any specific improvement.
These pseudo-apologies are used by people who believe saying sorry shows weakness. Parents who wish to teach their children to apologize should see it as a sign of strength, and therefore not resort to these pseudo-apologies.
But even when presented with examples of genuine contrition(痛悔), children still need help to become aware of the complexities of saying sorry. A three-year-old might need help in understanding that other children feel pain just as he does, and that hitting a playmate over the head with a heavy toy requires an apology. A six-year-old might need reminding that spoiling other children’s expectations can require an apology. A 12-year-old might need to be shown that raiding the biscuit tin without asking permission is acceptable, but that borrowing a parent’s clothes without permission is not.
36. If a mother adds “but” to an apology, ________.
A) she doesn’t feel that she should have apologized.
B) she does not realize that the child has been hurt
C) the child may find the apology easier to accept
{D) the child may feel that he owes her an apology}
37. According to the author, saying “I’m sorry you’re upset” most probably means “_______”.
A) You have good reason to get upset
{B) I’m aware you’re upset, but I’m not to blame}
C) I apologize for hurting your feelings
D) I’m at fault for making you upset
38. It is not advisable to use the general, all-covering apology because ______.
A) it gets one into the habit of making empty promises
B) it may make the other person feel guilty
{C) it is vague and ineffective}
D) it is hurtful and insulting
39. We learn from the last paragraph that in teaching children to say sorry ______.
A) the complexities involved should be ignored
{B) their ages should be taken into account}
C) parents need to set them a good example
D) parents should be patient and tolerant
40. It can be inferred from the passage that apologizing properly is _________.
A) a social issue calling for immediate attention
B) not necessary among family members
C) a sign of social progress
{D) not as simple as it seems }
Part III Vocabulary (20 minutes)
Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked [A], [B], [C] and [D]. Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
41. Some people believe that since oil is scarce, the ____ of the motor industry is uncertain.
A) terminal B) benefit {C) fate }D) estimate
42. To speed up the ______ of letters, the Post Office introduced automatic sorting.
A) treatment{ B) delivery} C) transmission D) departure
43. These overseas students show great ______ for learning a new language.
{A) enthusiasm }B) authority C) convention D) faith
44. The defense lawyer was questioning the old man who was one of the ______ of the murder committed last month.
A) observers {B) witnesses} C) audiences D) viewers
45. Politically these nations tend to be ______, with very high birth rates but poor education and very low levels of literacy.
{A) unstable} B) reluctant C) rational D) unsteady
46. The chairman was blamed for letting his secretary ________too much work last week.
A) take to B) take out C) take away {D) take on}
47. “You try to get some sleep. I’ll _____the patient’s breakfast,” said the nurse.
{A) see to }B) stick to C) get to D) lead to
48. The London Marathon is a difficult race. _______, thousands of runners participate every year.
A) Therefore B) Furthermore C) Accordingly {D) Nevertheless}
49. The bank refused to ______ him any money, so he had to postpone buying a house.
A) credit B) borrow {C) loan }D) lease
50. The more a nation’s companies _______ factories abroad, the smaller that country’s recorded exports will be.
A) lie B) spot C) stand {D) locate}
51. Being ignorant of the law is not accepted as an ______ for breaking the law.
{A) excuse} B) intention C) option D) approval
52. Within two days, the army fired more than two hundred rockets and missiles at military _____ in the coastal city.
A) goals B) aims{ C) targets} D) destinations
53. It is said in some parts of the world, goats, rather than cows, serve as a vital _____of milk.
A) storage B) reserve C) resource{ D) source}
54. “This light is too______ for me to read by. Don’t we have a brighter bulb some where”, said the elderly man.
A) mild {B} dim} C) minute D) slight
55. We have arranged to go to the cinema on Friday, but we can be _______ and go another day.
A) reliable B) probable C) feasible{ D) flexible}
56. We are quite sure that we can ______our present difficulties and finish the task according to schedule.
A) get across {B) get over} C) get away D) get off
57. ______ recent developments we do not think your scheme is practical.
{A) In view of} B) In case of C) In memory of D) In favor of
58. Jessica was ______ from the warehouse to the accounting office, which was considered a promotion.
A) delivered B) exchanged {C) transferred} D) transformed
59. Mr. Smith asked his secretary to ______ a new paragraph in the annual report she was typing.
A) inject B) install C) invade {D) insert}
60. There’s the living room still to be _____, so that's my next project.
A) abandoned {B) decorated }C) dissolved D) assessed
61. The old paper mill has been ______ to make way for a new shopping centre.
A) cut down B) kept down {C) torn down }D) held down
62. It may be necessary to stop ______ in the learning process and go back to the difficult points in the lessons.
A) at a distance B) at intervals C) at case D) at length
63. You can hire a bicycle in many places. Usually you’ll have to pay a _________.
A) fare B) fund {C) deposit }D) deal
64. My grandfather had always taken a _______ interest in my work, and I had an equal admiration for the stories of his time.
A) splendid B) weighty C) vague {D) keen}
65. ________ quantities of water are being used nowadays with the rapid development of industry and agriculture.
{A) Excessive} B) Extensive C) Extreme D) Exclusive
66. John cannot afford to go to university, _______ going abroad.
A) nothing but B) anything but {C) not to speak of} D) nothing to speak of
67. Most laboratory and field studies of human behavior ______ taking a situational photograph at a given time and in a given place.
{A) involve} B) compose C) enclose D) attach
68. If you don’t like to swim, you _____ as well stay at home.
A) should{ B) may} C) can D) would
69. Dr. Smith was always ______ the poor and the sick, often providing them with free medical care.
A) reminded of B) absorbed in C) tended by {D) concerned about}
70. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth ______ of American Independence.
A) ceremony B) occasion C) occurrence {D) anniversary}
