2005年12月24英语四级考试B卷(标准试卷)

Question 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.

In communities north of Denver, residents are pitching in to help teachers and administrators as the Vrain school District tries to solve a $13.8 million budget shortage blamed on mismanagement. ”We’re worried about our teachers and principals, and we really don’t want to lose them because of this,” one parent sail. “If we can help ease their financial burden, we will. ”

Teachers are grateful, but know it may be years before the district is solvent(有综合能力的). They feel really good about the parent support, but they realize it’s impossible for then to solve this problem.

The 22,000-student district discovered the shortage last month. “It’s extraordinary. Nobody would have imagined something happening like this at this level,” said State Treasurer Mike Coffman.

Coffman and district officials last week agreed on a state emergency plan freeing yp a $9.8 million loan that enabled the payroll(工资单) to be met for 2,700 teachers and staff in time for the holidays.

District officials also took $1.7 million from student-activity accounts its 38schools.

At Coffman’s request, the District Attorney has begun investigating the district’s finances. Coffman says he wants to know whether district officials hid the budget shortage until after the November election., when voters approved a $212 million bond issue for schools.

In Frederick, students’ parents are buying classroom supplies and offering to pay for groceries and utilities to keep first-year teachers and principals in their jobs.

Some $36,000 has been raised in donations from Safeway. A Chevrolet dealership donated $10,000 and forgave the district’s $10,750 bill for renting the driver educating cars. IBM contributed 4,500 packs of paper.

“We employ thousands of people in this community,” said Mitch Carson, a hospital chief executive, who helped raise funds. “We have children in the school, and we see how they could be affected.”

At Creek High School, three students started a website that displays newspaper articles, district information and an email forum(论坛)。 “Rumors about what’s happening to the district are moving at lighting speed,” said a student. “We wanted to know the truth, and spread that around instead.”

36.What has happened to the Vrain School District?

A)Lots of teachers in the district are planning to quit.

B)Many administrative personnel have been laid off.

C)A huge financial problem has arisen.

D)Many schools there are mismanaged.

37.How did the residents in the Vrain School District respond to the budget shortage?

A) They demanded a through investigation.

B) They pooled their efforts to help solve it.

C) They accused those responsible for it.

D)They felt somewhat helpless about it.

38.In the view of State Treasurer Mike Coffman, the educational budget shortage is_________.

A)irreversible

B)insolvable

C)unavoidable

D)unthinkable

39.Why did Coffman request an investigation?

A)To make sure that the school principals were innocent.

B)To see if there was a deliberate cover-up of the problem.

C)To find out the extent of the consequences of the case.

D)To stop the voters approving the $212 million bong issue.

40.Three high school students started a website in order to__________.

A)keep people properly informed of the crisis

B)expose officials who neglected their duties

C)appeal to the public for contributions and donations

D)attract greater public attention to their needs

Part III Vocabulary (20minutes)

41."This light is too______ for me to read by. Don’t we have a brighter bulb some where": said the elderly man.

A) dim B) slight C)mild D)minute

42.The more a nation's companies _______factories abroad, the smaller that country's recorded exports will be.

A)lie B) locate C)spot D)stand

43.Mr.Smith asked his secretary to ______a new paragraph in the annual report she was typing.

A) invade B)install C)insert D)inject

44.The old paper mill has been ______to make way for a new shopping centre.

A)held down B)kept down C)cut down D)turn down