茂茂甄測站｜甄試入學的好幫手

四、閱讀測驗（占32分）

41-44為題組

The kilt is a skirt
traditionally worn by Scottish men. It is a tailored garment that is wrapped
around the wearer’s body at the waist starting from one side, around the front
and back and across the front again to the opposite side. The overlapping
layers in front are called “aprons.” Usually, the kilt covers the body from the
waist down to just above the knees. A properly made kilt should not be so loose
that the wearer can easily twist the kilt around the body, nor should it be so
tight that it causes bulging of the fabric where it is buckled. Underwear may
be worn as one prefers.

One of the most distinctive
features of the kilt is the pattern of squares, or sett, it exhibits. The
association of particular patterns with individual families can be traced back
hundreds of years. Then in the Victorian era (19th century), weaving companies
began to systematically record and formalize the system of setts for commercial
purposes. Today there are also setts for States and Provinces, schools and
universities, and general patterns that anybody can wear.

The kilt can be worn with
accessories. On the front apron, there is often a kilt pin, topped with a small
decorative family symbol. A small knife can be worn with the kilt too. It
typically comes in a very wide variety, from fairly plain to quite elaborate
silver- and jewel-ornamented designs. The kilt can also be worn with a sporran,
which is the Gaelic word for pouch or purse.

41. What’s
the proper way of wearing the kilt?

(A) It should be worn
with underwear underneath it.

(B) It should loosely
fit on the body to be turned around.

(C) It should be long
enough to cover the wearer’s knees.

(D) It should be
wrapped across the front of the body two times. 

42. Which
of the following is a correct description about setts?

(A) They were once
symbols for different Scottish families.

(B) They were
established by the government for business purposes.

(C) They represented
different States and Provinces in the 19th century.

(D) They used to come
in one general pattern for all individuals and institutions.

43. Which
of the following items is NOT
typically worn with the kilt for decoration?

(A) A pin.                                                              (B)
A purse.

(C) A ruby
apron.                                                  (D)
A silver knife.

44. What
is the purpose of this passage?

(A) To introduce
a Scottish garment.                     (B)
To advertise a weaving pattern.

(C) To persuade
men to wear kilts.                        (D)
To compare a skirt with a kilt.

45-48為題組

Wesla Whitfield, a famous jazz
singer, has a unique style and life story, so I decided to see one of her
performances and interview her for my column.

I went to a nightclub in New York and watched the
stage lights go up. After the band played an introduction, Wesla Whitfield wheeled
herself onstage in a wheelchair. As she sang, Whitfield’s voice was so powerful
and soulful that everyone in the room forgot the wheelchair was even there.

At 57, Whitfield is small and
pretty, witty and humble, persistent and philosophical. Raised in California , Whitfield
began performing in public at age 18, when she took a job as a singing waitress
at a pizza parlor. After studying classical music in college, she moved to San Francisco and went on
to sing with the San Francisco Opera Chorus.

Walking home from rehearsal at
age 29, she was caught in the midst of a random shooting that left her
paralyzed from the waist down. I asked how she dealt with the realization that
she’d never walk again, and she confessed that initially she didn’t want to face
it. After a year of depression she tried to kill herself. She was then admitted
to a hospital for treatment, where she was able to recover.

Whitfield said she came to
understand that the only thing she had lost in this misfortunate event was the
ability to walk. She still possessed her most valuable asset—her mind. Pointing
to her head, she said, “Everything important is in here. The only real
disability in life is losing your mind.” When I asked if she was angry about
what she had lost, she admitted to being frustrated occasionally, “especially
when everybody’s dancing, because I love to dance. But when that happens
I just remove myself so I can focus instead on what I can do.”

45. In
which of the following places has Wesla Whitfield worked?

(A) A college.                                                        (B)
A hospital.

(C) A pizza
parlor.                                                 (D)
A news agency.

46. What does “when
that happens” mean in the last paragraph?

(A) When Wesla is
losing her mind.

(B) When Wesla is
singing on the stage.

(C) When Wesla is
going out in her wheelchair.

(D) When Wesla is
watching other people dancing.

47. Which
of the following statements is true about Wesla Whitfield’s physical
disability?

(A) It was caused by a
traffic accident.

(B) It made her sad
and depressed at first.

(C) It seriously
affected her singing career.

(D) It happened when
she was a college student.

48. What
advice would Wesla most likely give other disabled people?

(A) Ignore what you
have lost and make the best use of what you have.

(B) Be modest and
hard-working to earn respect from other people.

(C) Acquire a skill so
that you can still be successful and famous.

(D) Try to sing
whenever you feel upset and depressed.

【解答】

41 (D)  42 (A)  43
(C)  44 (A)  45 (C)

46 (D)  47 (B)  48
(A)