Samuel also points out that counter to claims from the business lobby, the secret ballot would not be eliminated. The change would only take the control of the timing of the election out of the hands of the employers.“On the ground, the difference between having this legislation and not would be the difference between night and day,” said Richard Shaw of the Harris County Central Labor Council, who says it would have a tremendous impact on the local level．
The bill has other provisions(规定，条款) as well. The Employee Free Choice Act would also impose binding arbitration(促裁) when a company and a newly formed union cannot agree ona con-tract after 3 months. An agreement worked out under binding compulsory arbitration would be in effect for 2 years, a fact that Straczewski calls,“borderline unconstitutional”. “I don't see how it will benefitemployees if they're locked into a contract,” said Straczewski．
The bill's proponents point to the trend of recognized unions unable to get contracts from unwilling employers. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the organization that oversees arbitration, reported that in 2004, 45 percent of newly formed unions were denied first contracts by employers. The bill would also strengthen the penalties for companies that illegally coerce or intimidate employees. As it stands, the law on the books hasn't changed substantially since the National Labor Relations Act was made into law in 1935．The NLBR can enforce no other penalty than reinstating wrongfully fired employees or recovering lost wages．
26．Which of the following statements best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
A．House bill aims to spur labor union growth．

B．House bill aims to counter labor union growth．

C．Employee Free Choice Act aims to spur employment．

D．Employee Free Choice Act aims to raise employees' income．


27．According to its opponents, the bill______．
A．will protect employees' rights

B．will benefit workers by binding contracts

C．will empower unions too much

D．makes it possible for employees to yield to coercion from unions


28．The word “it”( line 5, Para. 5 ) refers to______．
A．the change B．the legislation

C．the AFL-CIO D．the difference


29．People support the bill because of the following reasons EXCEPT
A．the bill will probably enable unions to have fewer members of private industries
B．the bill will allow a union to be recognized earlier and have a great effect on the local level
C．binding arbitration will be imposed to protect employees if a contract can't be agreed
on between a recently established union and a company
D．the bill will strengthen the punishment for companies which illegally coerce or threaten employ ees
30．It is implied that______．
A．fewer private industries joined unions in the past

B．workers' coercion often comes from unions

C．the bill will be a win-and-win one for employees and employers

D．punishment authorized by the bill will be lighter Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage． Some African Americans have had a profound impact on American society, changing many


people's views on race, history and politics. The following is a sampling of African Americans who have shaped society and the world with their spirit and their ideals．
Muhammad All
Cassius Marcellus Clay grew up a devout Baptist in Louisville, Kentucky, learning to fight at age 12 after a police officer suggested he learn to defend himself. Six years later, he was an Olympic boxing champion, going on to win three world heavyweight titles. He became known as much for his swagger(趾高气扬) outside the ring as his movement in it, converting to Islam in 1965, changing his name to Muhammad Ali and refusing to join the
U. S. Army on religious grounds. Ali remained popular after his athletic career ended and he developed Parkinson's disease, even lighting the Olympic torch at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and conveying the peaceful virtues of Islam following the September 11 terrorist attacks．
W. E．B．Du Bois(William Edward Burghardt Du Bois)
Born in 1868, this Massachusetts native was one of the most prominent, prolific intellectuals of his time. An academic, activist and historian, Du Bois co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), edited “The Crisis” magazine and wrote 17 books, four journals and many other scholarly articles. In perhaps his most famous work, “The Souls of Black Folk”, published in 1903, he predicted “the problem of 20th century [would be］ the problem of the colorline”．
Martin Luther King Jr．
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is considered one of the most powerful and popular leaders of the American civil rights movement. He spearheaded(带头；作先锋) a massive, nonviolent initiative of marches, sit-ins, boycotts and demonstrations that profoundly affect-ed Americans' attitudes toward race relations. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964．
Malcolm X
Black leader Malcolm X spoke out about the concepts of race pride and black nationalism in the early 1960s. He denounced the exploitation of black people by whites and developed a large and dedicated following, which continued even after his death in 1965．Interest in the leader surged again after Spike Lee's 1992 movie “Malcolm X” was released．
Jackie Robinson
In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier by joining the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first black baseball player in the U. S. major leagues. After retirement from baseball in 1957, he remained active in civil rights and youth activities. In 1962, he became the first African-American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame．
31．Which of the following is NOT true about Muhammad Ali?
A．He never served in the army．

B．He learned to fight at an early age．

C．His popularity decreased after his retirement from boxing．

D．He loves peace．


32．The italicized word “prolific”(line 2, Para. 3) is synonymous to______．
A．smart B．skilled C．productive D．pioneering
33．According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A．W. E．B．Du Bois was engaged in thecause of promoting the status of coloredpeople．

B．Jackie Robinson was denied by U. S. major baseball leagues throughout his life．


C．Martin Luther King Jr. was highly awarded for his contributions to the civil rights movements．
D．Malcolm X directly or indirectly inspired interest in leadership even after his death．
34．What is common among the celebrities mentioned in the passage?
A．Each achieved enormous success in his/her field and was highly recognized．

B．Each was devoted to his/her cause but didn't win recognition until death．

C．All were active and famous in several fields in their lifetime．

D．All loved peace and remained active in civil rights activities．


35．Which of the following can be a title of the passage?
A．Life of Famous African Americans

B．Influence of Famous African Americans

C．Political Pioneers: Icons and intellectuals

D．Cultural Pioneers: Icons and intellectuals
Part Ⅲ Vocabulary (10％)



Directions: There are 20 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A, B, C and D．Choose the best one that completes the sentence or is nearest in meaning with the underlined word. And then mark the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center．
36．The building collapsedbecause its foundation was not strong enough to______the weight of the building．
A．subside B．idealize C．initiate D．sustain
37．The actress was very______at the insulting question raised by her opponent at the conference．

A．extraterrestrial B．explicit C．indignant D．innovative

38．It is known to all that children in this region have strong______to swimming in summer because of the hot weather．

A．inclination B．exposure C．flux D．correlation
39．The torch was______by a famous athlete at the opening of the sport meeting．
A．implement B．deceive C．exemplify D．ignited

40．These samples have to be______in certain kind of chemical water in order to protect them．

A．immersed B．crisped C．armored D．arrayed

41．Her talk at the seminar clearly______from the topic the supervisor expected in the field of sociology．

A．alternated B．amplified C．designated D．diverged
42．Three years______before he returned home from the United States．
A．denoted B．destined C．elapsed D．enveloped

43．A______plan needs to be considered and accepted so as to lower the prices in these cities．

A．deliberate B．disincentive C．functional D．fantastic
44．Sometimes in drawing and designing, the sign X______the unknown number．
A．facilitates B．fascinates C．denotes D．jots

45．The speaker was very much______by rude words and behavior of the audience in the hall．

A．jerked B．incensed C．laced D．limped

46．The two countries have developed a______relation and increased a great deal in foreign trade．