Section B Directions:In this
section, there is one passage followed by 5 questions. Read the passage
carefully, then answer the questions in a maximum of 10 words. Questions 61-65 are based on the following
passage. This Wednesday, Gordon Brown will replace Tony
Blair as the new head of Britain’s Labor Party. This long-serving chancellor is
a man of substance. However, even after more than a decade of scrutiny, his name
remains a mystery and is not fully understood. Brown was born in Glasgow,
Scotland in February 1951 and entered university at 16. After graduating" with a
history degree from Edinburgh University, he Went on to earn a PhD.
Brown’s destiny, though, was politics. He joined Blair in entering the
parliament in 1983. They even shared offices, where they became friends-with a
slight bit of competitiveness. When the Labor leader John Smith died
unexpectedly in May 1994, many believed Brown was the most likely to succeed
him. But Blair emerged from the sidelines. But, Brown has many achievements,
including giving independence to the Bank of England. His commitments to child
poverty and helping Africa have impressed many. In 2000, Brown
wed public relations executive Sara Macaulay after a four-year courtship. Many
people close to him say his wife has softened him. In January 2002, their
10-day-old daughter died after birth. At her funeral Brown declared that
Jennifer had transformed his and Sarah’s lives twice. "Once by entering our
lives, then by leaving." He later told an interviewer that he could not listen
to music for a year afterwards because his sorrow. The couple’s second son,
James Fraser, was born in 2006 and diagnosed with muscular and respiratory
problems. But Brown has said he is optimistic about his son’s future.
On the BBC Radio 4 Today program, Brown described himself as a "family man
who has two young children", who had changed as a result of his family
experiences. But the straightforward personal details on his treasury website
biography give the impression of a man totally committed to politics.
This week, Blair gave Brown his long-sought public approval as the
successor. "He’s got what it takes," Blair said, "He’s an extraordinary talent
... perhaps the most successful chancellor in our history." But
Blair’s conviction somehow sounded less than full, as if all those years of
competition had drained something from their relationship. With Blair so
unpopular over Iraq, Brown may benefit from the distance between them. However,
opposition parties have already begun hammering the "Blair-Brown government" in
recent months. Brown is sometimes described as a silent prince
caught up in the longest gloomy period in history. But Brown has said he
believes people have tired of "personality politics".
What was Brown’s position in the government before
he became the Prime Minister