中口真题笔试部份.docVIP

SECTION 2: STUDY SKILLS (45 minutes) Directions: In this section, you wiIl read several passages. Each passage is followed by several questions based on its content. You are to choose ONE best answer, (A), (B), (C) or (D), to each question. Answer all the questions following each passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage and write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET. Questions 1--5 I came across an old country guide the other day.It listed all the tradesmen in each village in my part of the country,and it was impressive to see the great variety of services which were available on ones own doorstep in the late Victorian countryside. Nowadays a superficial traveler in rural Eng1and might conclude that the only village tradesmen still flourishing were either selling frozen food to the inhabitants or selling antiques to visitors. Nevertheless, this would really be a false impression. Admittedly there has been a contraction of village commerce, bul its vigor is still remarkable. Our local grocers shop, for example, is actually expanding in spite of the competition from supermarkets in the nearest town. Women sensibly prefer to go there and exchange the local news whi1e doing their shopping, instead of queueing up anonymously at a supermarket. And the proprietor knows well that persona1 service has a substantial cash value. His Prices may be a bit higher than those in the town, bu he will deliver anything at any time. His assistants think nothing of bicycling down the village street in their lunch hour to take a piece of cheese to an old age pensioner who sent her order by word of mouth with a friend who happened to be passing. The more affluent customers telephone their shopping lists and the goods are on their doorsteps within an hour.They have only to hint at a fancy for some commodity outside the usual stock and the grocer a red-faced figure, instantly obtains it for them.. The village gain