2007 reading comprehension cloze translation full breakthrough

Author: Yuan Bingzheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: Business English: An Elementary Course is an English reading textbook designed for university students and self-learners interested in business English. The texts in this book help students improve their reading skills, expand their vocabulary, and enhance their comprehension of the material by reading articles from contemporary business publications. The book is divided into thirteen chapters, with each text selected from renowned English business magazines. Some articles have been rewritten by the editors. Students will benefit greatly from reading business-related texts that match their English proficiency level. These texts are organized around specific themes, with content that is positive, up-to-date, highly readable, and easily accessible. The articles are challenging yet fully considerate of students' English proficiency. Business English: An Elementary Course aims not only to improve students' reading ability and expand their vocabulary but also provides a platform for them to engage with familiar business theories and professional terminology. The book also incorporates oral expression, group discussions, and business writing exercises, all designed to enhance students' problem-solving skills.
Although the format of the National Master's Degree Entrance Examination in English has changed several times, the assessment of students' abilities has remained consistent and has even intensified year by year. The exam is essentially a test of English proficiency, primarily focusing on: reading comprehension, writing, and listening. In the exam paper, in addition to the four to five articles specifically designed to test reading comprehension, cloze tests and English-to-Chinese translation are also used to assess this skill. A 100-point exam allocates 70 points to reading comprehension (40 points for reading, 10 points for cloze, 10 points for the new reading section, and 10 points for English-to-Chinese translation). This clearly demonstrates that reading comprehension is the most critical aspect of the exam. By mastering and overcoming this challenge, students can address the main issue and thus break through the exam barrier.
Cloze tests primarily assess students' reading comprehension skills at the level of the entire passage. This exam format originated in the 1950s when a French teacher at Washington University in the United States removed one word from every seventh word in an article and tested the reading comprehension of his 107 students. Later, others removed either the odd or even-numbered words from each sentence, and still later, removed words from the beginning, middle, and end of sentences to assess students' skills. This tradition has continued to the present day, gradually evolving into the current format of removing key words and providing four options. This is similar to reading an article from a Chinese newspaper, where some words have been removed, but the article remains understandable. Therefore, we can say that cloze tests are a more challenging form of reading comprehension assessment than reading several articles.
The new reading section, based on the traditional cloze test, goes beyond simply removing a few words from the text by eliminating entire sentences or paragraphs to further assess students' ability to comprehend the overall passage. This also tests their understanding of textual features such as coherence and consistency, as well as the structure of the article. Undoubtedly, this makes the reading comprehension section of the exam even more difficult. English-to-Chinese translation is not just about testing translation techniques but primarily assesses students' ability to express key sentences in Chinese after fully understanding the entire passage. Without a thorough understanding of the text and its key sentences, students cannot provide accurate and faithful Chinese translations. In other words, reading comprehension is the foundation, and translation is the expression. The key to overcoming the challenge of reading comprehension is:
1. Expanding vocabulary as much as possible.
2. Engaging in extensive reading practice.
This book is written with these principles in mind, aiming to help students overcome this difficulty and pave the way for success in the exam. The book is divided into the following sections:
Part 1: Reading and Reading Skills
Part 2: Reading Comprehension and the New Reading Section (2005)
Part 3: Reading Comprehension and Cloze Tests
Part 4: Reading Comprehension and English-to-Chinese Translation
Part 5: Practice Tests and Past Exam Papers
This section includes 15 practice tests with answers, as well as selected past exam papers and answers from 2001 to 2003.
Appendix: Includes the 2004 and 2005 National Master's Degree Entrance Examination English test papers (with answers) and a glossary of exam terms.
Features of the Book:
1. Written according to the exam syllabus, with concise explanations and practical examples using multiple past exam questions. The selection is comprehensive and highly practical, with difficulty levels suitable for all students.
2. Emphasizes extensive practice, providing students with ample opportunities to improve their reading comprehension skills. The book includes:
- Over 100 passages from past exams and practice exercises.
- Approximately 35 cloze test questions from past exams and practice exercises.
- Nearly 20 simulation questions and exercises for the new reading section.
- About 200 English-to-Chinese translation questions and exercises.