北京地区成人本科学士学位英语统一考试（B） 2007.11.17

Part I Reading Comprehension (30%)

Directions: There are three passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

Passage 1

Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage:

Blind people can “see” things by using other parts of their bodies. This fact may help us to understand our feelings about colon If blind people can sense color differences, then perhaps we, too, are affected by color unconsciously( 无意识地 ).

(76) Manufacturers （生产商 ) have discovered by experience that sugar sells badly in green wrappings, that blue foods are considered unpleasant, and that cosmetics ( 化妆品） should never be packaged in brown. These discoveries have grown into a branch of color psychology.

Color psychology now finds application in everything from fashion to decoration. Some of our preferences are clearly psychological. Dark blue is the color of the night sky and therefore associated with calm, while yellow is a day color with associations of energy and incentive ( 刺激 ). For a primitive man, activity during the day meant hunting and attacking, while he soon saw red as the color of blood and anger and the heat that came with effort. And green is associated with passive defense and self-protection.

(77) Experiments have shown that colors, partly because of their psychological associations, also have a direct psychological effect . People exposed to bright red show an increase in breath, in heartbeat and in blood pressure; red is exciting. Similar exposure to pure blue has exactly the opposite effect; it is a calming colon Because of its exciting meaning, red is chosen as the signal for danger, but closer analysis shows that a vivid yellow can produce a more basic state of alarm. So fire engines and ambulances in some advanced communities are now rushing around in bright yellow colors that stop the traffic dead.

1. Our preferences for certain colors are__________according to the passage.

A. associated with the time of the day

B. dependent on our personalities

C. are linked with our ancestors

D. partly due to psychological factors

2. If people are exposed to bright red, which of the following things does NOT happen?

A. They breathe fasten

B. They feel satisfied.

C. Their blood pressure rises.

D. Their hearts beat faster.

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Color probably has an effect on us which we are not conscious of.

B. Yellow fire engines have caused many bad accidents in some advanced communities.

C. People exposed to pure blue start to breathe more slowly.

D. The psychology of color is of some practical use.

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Manufacturers often sell sugar in green wrappings.

B. Dark blue can bring people the feeling of being energetic.

C. Primitive people associated heat and anger with red.

D. Green and yellow are associated with calm and passive defense.

5. Which of the following could be the most suitable title for the passage?

A. The Branch of Color Psychology

B. Color and its Meanings

C. The Practical Use of Color Psychology

D. Color and Feelings

Passage 2

Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:

A study of art history might be a good way to learn more about a culture than is possible to learn in general history classes. Most typical history courses concentrate on politics, economics and war. But art history focuses on much more than this because art reflects not only the political values of a people, but also religious beliefs, emotions and psychology. In addition, information about the daily activities of our ancestors can be provided by art. (78) In short, art expresses the essential qualities of a time and a place, and a study of it clearly offers us a deeper understanding than can be found in most history books.

In history books, objective information about the political life of a country is presented; that is, facts about politics are given, but opinions are not expressed. Art, on the other hand, is subjective( 主观的 ): it reflects emotions and opinions. The great Spanish painter Francisco Goya was perhaps the first truly “political”artist. In his well-known painting The Third of May , 1808, he criticized the Spanish government for its abuse (