Passage Four
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:
Violin prodigies（神童）, I learned, have come in distinct waves from distinct regions. Most of the great performers if the late 19th and early 20th centuries were born and brought up in Russia and Eastern Europe. I asked Isaac Stern, one of the world's greatest violinists the reason for this phenomenon. "It is very clear," he told me. "They were all Jews（犹太人）and Jews at the time were severely oppressed and ill-treated in that part of the world. They were not allowed into the professional fields, but they were allowed to achieve excellence on a concert stage." As a result, every Jewish parent's dream was to have a child in the music school because it was a passport to the West.
Another element in the emergence of prodigies, I found, is a society that values excellence in a certain field to nurture（培育）talent. Nowadays, the most nurturing societies seem to be in the Far East. "In Japan, a most competitive society, with stronger discipline than ours," says Isaac Stem, children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields, including music. When Western music came to Japan after World War II, that music not only became part of their daily lives, but it became a discipline as well. The Koreans and Chinese as we know, are just as highly motivated as the Japanese.
That's a good thing, because even prodigies must work hard. Next to hard work, biological inheritance plays an important role in the making of a prodigy .J. S. Bach, for example, was the top of several generations of musicians, and four of his sons had significant careers in music.
26. Jewish parents in Eastern Europe longed for their children to attend music school because _________.
A) it would allow them access to a better life in the West
B) Jewish children are born with excellent musical talent
C) they wanted their children to enter into the professional field
D) it would enable the family to get better treatment in their own country
27. Nurturing societies as mentioned in the passage refer to societies that, _________.
A) enforce strong discipline on students who want to achieve excellence
B) treasure talent and provide opportunities for its full development
C) encourage people to compete with each other
D) promise talented children high positions
28. Japan is described in the passage as a country that attaches importance to _________.
A) all-round development
B) the learning of Western music
C) strict training of children
D) variety in academic studies
29. Which of the following contributes to the emergence of musical prodigies according to the passage?
A) A natural gift.
B) Extensive knowledge of music.
C) Very early training.
D) A prejudice-free society.
30. Which of the following titles best summarises the main idea of the passage?
A) Jewish Contribution to Music.
B) Training of Musicians in the World
C) Music and Society
D) The Making of Prodigies
Part III Vocabulary and Structure (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 that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.
31 Although punctual himself, the professor was quite ________ used late for his lecture.
A) to have students B) for students' being
C) for students to be D) to students' being
32 You should have been more patient ________ that customer; I'm sure that selling him the watch was a possibility.
A) of B) with
C) for D) at
33 Neither of the young men who had applied for a position in the university _______.
A) has been accepted B) have been accepted
C) was accepted D) were accepted
34 This box is too heavy, ________ give me a hand?
A) would you mind B) would you please
C) will you like to D) will you please to
35 __________ he works hard, I don't mind when he finishes the experiment.
A) As soon as B) As well as
C) So far as D) So long as
36 As early as 1647 Ohio made a decision that free, tax-supported schools must be established in every town __________ 50 households or more.
A) having B) to have
C) to have had D) having had
37 People appreciate __________ with him because he has a good sense of humor.
A) to work B) to have worked
C) working D) having worked
38 The man was put in the soft-padded cell lest he _______ himself.
A) injure B) had injured
C) injured D) would injure
39 We love peace, yet we are not the kind of people to yield ________ any military threat.
A) up B) to
C) in D) at
40 Although he knew little about the large amount of work done in the field, he succeeded __________ other more well-informed experimenters failed.
A) which B) that
C) what D) where
41 If tap water were as dangerous as some people think, ________ would be getting sick.
A) a lot of more us B) more a lot of us
C) a lot of us more D) a lot more of us
42 Living in the central Australian desert has its problems. _________ obtaining water is not the least.
A) for which B) to which
C) of which D) in which
43 Which sport has the most expenses _______ training equipment, players' personal equipment and uniforms?
A) in place of B) in terms of
C) by means of D) by way of
44 They are going to have the serviceman _________ an electric fan in the office tomorrow.
A) install B) to install
C) to be installed D) installed
45 I'm sure he is up to the job __________ he would give his mind to it.
A) if only B) in case
C) until D) unless
46 The car _______ halfway for no reason.
A) broke off B) broke down
C) broke up D) broke out
47 The newcomers found it impossible to ______ themselves to the climate sufficiently to make permanent homes in the new country.
A) suit B) adapt
C) regulate D) coordinate
48 A __________ to this problem is expected to be found before long.
A) result B) response
C) settlement D) solution
49 You have nothing to __________ by refusing to listen to our advice.
A) gain B) grasp
C) seize D) earn
50 As a result of careless washing the jacket ________ to a child's size.
A) compressed B) shrank
C) dropped D) decreased
51 He hoped the firm would _________ him to the Paris branch.
A) exchange B) transmit
C) transfer D) remove
52 Having decided to rent a flat, we __________ contacting all the accommodation agencies in the city.
A) set about B) set down
C) set out D) set up
53 The relationship between employers and employees has been studied ________.
A) originally B) extremely
C) violently D) intensively
54 __________ their differences. The couple were developing an obvious and genuine affection for each other.
A) But for B) For all
C) Above all D) Except for
55 One day I _________ a newspaper article about the retirement of an English professor at a nearby state college.
A) came across B) came about
C) came after D) came at
56 She was complaining that the doctor was ________ too much for the treatment he was giving her.
A) expending B) offering
C) costing D) charging
57 The manager spoke highly of such _______ as loyalty, courage and truthfulness shown by his employees.
A) virtues B) features
C) properties D) characteristics
58 Since the matter was extremely _______, we dealt with it immediately.
A) tough B) tense
C) urgent D) instant
59 You don't have to be in such a hurry, I would rather you _______ on business first.
A) would go B) will go
C) went D) have gone
60 When I try to understand ________ that prevents so many Americans from being as happy as one might expect, it seems to me that there are two causes.
A) why it does B) what it does
C) what it is D) why it is