years ． Earlier problems with the quality of plasma's contrast have been addressed ， and current screens are cleaner and better defined ．
Price range ： US ＄ 600－2，800 HDTV
Simply put ，high-definition TV is 10 times as sharp as traditional TV ，and the sound is digital ，like CD sound ，not FM ， which is what traditional TV provides ．HD technology achieves its visual clarity with more immage lines on the screen．Where analog TVs have 480 horizontal lines ，HDTV has 720 or 1 ，080lines ．Be aware ：m any HDTV sets being sold now are in fact only HDTV monitors ， offering a crisp picture ． To receive genuine high-definition television signals， owners must buy a separate HDTV receiver ． Price range ： US ＄ 1， 000 － 6， 000 LOS ANGELEST IMES
81． According to the article ，TV sets with ____ will still be the most popular in the coming years
．
82． The factors that stimulate the thin screens to be more and more popular include ___ ， ______ ， and __ ． 83． The rapidly expanding market for LCD panels and their large-scale production will help lower ___ ．
84． When a wealthy customer wants to buy a very large TV ，he should select _____ and ____ according to the passage ． 85． We can infer from the passage that among all kinds of TV sets ___ is of the best quality ． Questions 86 to 90 are based on the following passage ： Dell Does Domination
Over the years I've spent a fair amount of time hanging out with Michael Dell ， and what I noticed during my latest visit with him in Austin is how things have changed ． Yes， he is still unflappable ．And yes ， he greets me in his new glossy offices with the same Stamford Wife-like grin he has always had ．But he appears thinner now ，as if he's lost baby fat ． While he's still slow-moving ，as if he's conserving energy ，he now cuts to the quick in conversation ．And when he zeroes in on the point he wants to make ，when he reiterates why Dell Computer is in a better position than any other PC maker in the world ，you realize that the 36-year-old has lost what was once one of his greatest advantages ：no one underestimate ates him anymore ．
Instead ，Michael Dell looms over the PC landscape like a giant ， casting a shadow over all his unfortunate com petitors ．This is a terrible time in a difficult business ．PC sales were down for the first time last year ．Dell's sales will be down ，too， also for the first time ．Yet even with that ， even with recession ，even with the threat of a Hewlett-Packard ／ Com paq Goliath ， this is the only PC maker you can count on to grow and grow and grow ． Almost single-handedly ， Dell is forcing this industry to consolidate ．Could this mean “ game over”in the PC biz ？“ Game over ？”he looks back at me incredulously ．“ No way ．We only have 14 ％ global market share ．” The Dellites may not admit to “game over”aspirations，but clearly they are thinking of a kind of domination never seen before among PC makers ．“ We think 40 ％ market share is possible ，” says Dell's No ． 2 ， Kevin Rollins ． That's a remarkable goal ； what's more remarkable is that it really is attainable ． Don't look for Dell to hit that kind of number anytime soon ．Rather ，the company's growth will come from grinding out gains on several existing fronts ，while shrewdly expanding into new target markets ．
The reason is simple ：there's no better way to make ，sell ，and deliver PCs than the way Dell does it ，and nobody executes that model better than Dell ．By now most business people can recite the basic tenets of Dell's direct-sales model ．Dell machines are made to order and delivered directly to the customer ． There is no middleman ． The customer gets the exact machine he wants cheaper than he can get it from the competition ． The company gets paid by the customer weeks before it pays suppliers ． Given all that ， the company that famously started in Austin out of a University of Texas dorm room now dominates the northern side of this city the way giant steelworks once lorded over old mill towns
． Dell has some 24
facilities in and near Austin and employs more than 18 ，000 local workers ．Dell did over ＄ 30billion in sales in 2000 ， ranking 48th on the FORTUNE 500 ，ahead of names like Walt Disney ，and Du Pont ．Michael is the richest man under 40 in the world ， worth ＄ 16 billion ．
Two facts show how well the Dell model is working ， even in tough times ： Dell is on track to earn over ＄ 1.7 billion in 2001 ， taking almost every single dollar of profit among makers of Windows-based PCs ．And Dell is gaining market share． That's not true for any other major PC maker ．
Quite the contrary ．The others are going splat for the same reason that Dell is succeeding ：commoditization ．The desktop PC has become a commodity ． That's great for consumers ，who get standardized ， easy-to-use， cheap PCs． Commoditization has been going on in the industry for years ．Dell ，as master of the direct model ，spent most of the 1990s operating in techno-Nirvana ．The PC market was growing by 15 ％ -plus per year ． For its quarter ended January 2000 ， Dell did a record ＄6．8 billion in sales ，up 31％ from the previous year's quarter ．In a sign of things to come ， sales growth slowed later in 2000 ． Then the growth disappeared in 2001 ．
The economic slowdown was bad news for everyone ，but Michael Dell and Kevin Rollins ，who is increasingly his equal partner in running this business ，made sure it was terrible news for Dell's com petitors ．In late 2000they decided to slash prices ．“ It was advantageous for us ，actually ，because in periods of slow demand component prices drop ，and， unlike our competition ，we can pass those savings on immediately to customers ，” explains Rollins ，a fine violinist who grew up in a hard-charging Utah family —his father was an engineering professor at Brigham Young —and came to Dell from the Bain consulting firm ．Dell could make more money selling more computers at lower prices than it could selling fewer computers at higher prices ．The low prices wreaked havoc on competitors ． Compaq ， HP， and Gateway all lost market share for the 12 months that ended Sept ． 30， 2001， while Dell's share of the U ． S． market climbed 31 ％． 86． was once one of Dell's greatest advantages ． 87． The passage attributes the success of Dell to ____ ．
88． Why did Dell's share of the U.S ． market climb 31 ％ in 2001 while the economy slowed down ？ 89． Dell hopes to increase its global market share by ___ according to the passage ． 90． If one wants to buy a Dell computer ， who do you think he is supposed to pay ？ Part V Word Guessing and IQ Test (5 minutes ， 10 points ) Section A Word Guessing ( 5 points )
91． In the western countries ， a person who serves the guests in a restaurant expects a gratuity in appreciation for good service ． A ． good remark B ． letter of thanks C．tip D ． promotion
92．In Greek mythology ，the hero usually finds himself in a terrible predicament in which he has to face a fate which has been foretold by the Oracle at Delphi ． A ． strange phenomenon C． unusual circumstance A ． compensate B ． understand
B． unpleasant situation D ． huge monster C． inform
D ． award
93． A first-class business establishment will fully recompense its customers if there is ever any dissatisfaction with the service or product ． 94． Our family was truly a matriarchy ， because my grandmother had to raise her children and provide for them all by herself ； my grandfather had died when his sons and daughter were quite young ． A ． family governed by women C． family depending on the mother
B． family without the father D ． family with many young children
．Why don't we split up and meet back
95．I'd love to help you look for all those things but I'm a bit pushed for time today
in a couple of hours for a quick cuppa and then I can have a look at what you've bought ． A ． put it aside C． save the time
B． go separately D．do it one by one
Section B IQ Test ( 5 points ) 96． What number should replace the question mark ？
A． 10 B． 9 C． 8 D ． 7
97．If someone could take a sheet of paper 0 ．1mm thick ，tear it in half ， put the pieces on top of each other ，tear these in half ， then repeat the process until the paper had been torn 25 times ， what would be the final height of the pile of paper？
A ．As thick as a book ． B． As tall as a man ． C．As high as a house ． D．As high as a mountain ． 98．If the pyramid were flattened out would it look like A ，B，C or D？ 99．Only one of the sets of six letter below can be rearranged into a six-letter word in the English language that set？ A ． LO RIDM
．Can you find
B． ETNMIU C． TUBLID D． MIRCEL
100 ． These are millennium celebrations taking place in 4 different places ． Which one occurred first ？
A. PARIS B. SYDNEY
C. NEW YORK
D. GREAT WALL OF CHINA
Part VI Translation (10 minutes ， 10 points )
Directions ： Translate the underlined sentences of the following passage into Chinese on the Answer Sheet ． TASTE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
Wherever you are in the world ， it seems， the billboards and supermarket shelves are saturated with the same brand names．There are few places left on the planet where you can't buy a Diet Coke ，a packet of Kellogg's cornflakes ，or Oxo cubes．
But just try tasting them ．( 101) The packaging and the product may look identical ， but the flavour maybe far from familiar ．Even the most famous brand names are specially for-mulated to appeal to individual national palates ． Heinz ， for instance ， insists that its tomato ketchup is “the same recipe worldwide ”， but admits that “ there maybe very subtle
■ g ■ ■ g I ■ ■ ? variations in the spicing ”．
Even the ultimate global brand ，Coca-Cola ，accepts that not all its products are what they appear to be ．“ We go to great lengths to ensure that Coca-Cola is the same wherever you drink it ，” says a spokesman．“ But Diet Coke may change slightly from country to country ， because we use different sweeteners in different places ．”
Americans prefer many products ，particularly chocolate ，to be far more sugary than Europeans do ．( 102 )The French perceive strawberry flavour in a different way from the British ， so the artificial flavouring in France will not have a “ proper ” strawberry taste to Britons ． Preferences for saltiness and color differ as well ，and most Japanese consumers dislike the taste of milk ．
The French in general prefer stronger ，fuller-tasting coffee than the British ．There is a higher cream content in a Magnum in Italy than in Britain ，because the Italians expect ice-cream to have a much richer taste ．Tea sold in Europe tends to be weaker than the strong tea preferred by Britons ．（ 103） Taste preferences can vary even within countries ： at least one well-known soft drink is made according to a sweeter recipe in the southern states of the United States than that on sale in the north ． Local water and soil will affect the taste of home-grown natural ingredients
．Some key constituents may not be available ，
meaning that alternatives must be found ． Sometimes， especially in developing countries ， premium grade components ， such as high-grade flour ， are replaced with lower-quality equivalents ．
（ 104 ） Extremes in climate will require different additives and preservatives to be used ． Chocolate calls for an alternative recipe in hot
countries if it is to maintain its texture and taste ．
And multinationals must conform to national laws and regulations on additives ， flavorings ， colorings ，and artificial low-calorie sweeteners ．Mars and Snickers bars taste slightly different in Australia fat must not be used in chocolate ．
Local religious sensibilities must also be observed ．（ 105）Even McDonald's ，which proclaims the homogeneity of its Big
Macs （巨无霸）around the globe , has to serve lamb rather than beef burgers in India , because the sacred status of cows means that the majority of its Indian customers can't eat beef ． Part VII Writing （30 minutes， 20 points）
Directions ：The chart below shows the amount of leisure time enjoyed by men and women of different employment status．Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below ．You should write at least 150 words ． Leisure time in a typical week ：by sex and employment status， 1998 －99 2003 年全国大学生英语竞赛初赛赛卷答案 Part I Listening Comprehension （30 分 ） Section A Dialogues （10 分, 每题 1 分） 1. C. 2. C 3. C 4. B 5. D 6. C 7. A 8. A 9. B 10. B Section B News Items （10 分, 每题 1 分） 11. The UN Security Council 12. $100 million.
13. About a deadly shooting. 14. 14.
15. A way to reduce early births among women at the risk of premature delivery. 16. The Bush administration. 17. A fire in a night club. 18. To seek UN approval for war. 19. Murder and injury. 20. A gunshot.
Section C Compound Dictation （10 分， 21—28 题，每题 0.5 分；29、30题，每题 3分） 21. purchasing 22. firms 23. engage 24. factors 25. concerned 26. climate 27. introducing 28. characters
29. This critical problem of proper translating is only one of many cultural differences facing American corporations overseas 30. Because of their cultural heritage, businesspersons in each country conduct their activities differently.
Part II Vocabulary and Structure （30 Section A Multiple Choice （20 分,
， since laws there state that vegetable
's resolution.
分） 每题 1 分 ）
36. A 37. D 38. B 39. B 40. A
31. B 32. D 33. A 34. C 35. C 41. D 42. C 43. B 44. C 45. B 46. B
47. A 48. D 49. D 50. C
Section B Error Correction （10 分, 每题 1 分）
51. V 52. ago later 53. in terlocked
in terlock ing 54. free them
55. weighing weigh 56. twenty twentieth 57. mind remind 58. caught catch 59. luggages luggage 60. a -删除a
Part III Situational Dialogues （10 分, 每题 1 分）
61. D 62. A 63. C 64. B 65. B 66. B 67. A 68. C 69. D 70. D Part IV Reading Comprehension （ 40 分） Section A Multiple Choice （10 分, 每题 2 分 ） 71. A 72. C 73. B 74. A 75. B
Section B Short Answer Questions （30 分, 每题 2 分） 76. increase your social inventiveness 77. theoretical/philosophical 78. determined 79. give it a rest
80. get them into the world / make them known 81. bulky picture tubes
82. price cuts, convenience, the demands for high definition 83. prices for LCD TVs 84. LCD, HDTV 85. HDTV
86. That he was once underestimated / That someone once underestimated him 87. The direct sales model / commoditization
88. They slashed the prices. / They lowered the prices. 89. 26%
90. The Dell company.
Part V Word Guessing and IQ Test （10 分） Section A Word Guessing （5 分，每题 1 分） 91. C 92. B 93. A
94. A 95. B
Section B IQ Test （5 分，每题 1 分 ） 96. C 97. D 98. A
99. B 100. B
Part VI Translation （10 points）
101. 包装和产品也许看起来是完全一样的，但是味道也许跟所熟悉的相差甚远。
102. 法国人对草莓口味的感觉与英国人不同，所以法国产的草莓人工调味剂不合英国人的胃口。
103. 甚至在一国之内， 口味偏好也会有极大差别： 至少一种指明软饮料， 在美国南部地区是用比在北方销售的饮 料甜味更重的配方制成的。 104. 气候的巨大差别要求使用不同的添加剂和防腐剂。
105. 即使宣称在全球销售同一种类的巨无霸的麦当劳也不得不在印度提供羊肉汉堡而不是牛肉汉堡，
神圣地位意味着大多数印度顾客不能食用牛肉。
原因是牛的
Part VII Writing （20 分 ）
（参考范文）
The chart shows the number of hours of leisure enjoyed by men and women in a typical week in 1998-99, according to gender and employment status.
Among those employed full-time, men on average had forty-seven hours of leisure, whereas women had approximately thirty-seven hours. There were no figures given for male part-time workers, but female part-timers had thirty-nine hours of leisure time, only slightly more than women in full-time employment, perhaps reflecting their work in the home.
In the unemployed and retired categories, leisure time showed an increase for both sexes, as might have been expected. Here
全国大学生英语竞赛C类真题及答案
