<P>07年英语四级考试即将来临,考生对英语四级样卷试题的把握决定了四级考生在英语四级考试当中的成绩,如果能够在英语四级考试之前见识或者做一些英语四级样题,对英语四级考生大有帮助,为满足广大英语四级考生的要求,本站特准备了这套英语四级考前预测样卷,以供四级考生参考: <FONT color=#ffffff></FONT></P>
<P>Part I Writing (30 minutes) <BR>注意:此部分试题在 答题卡 1 上。 <BR><BR><BR>Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) <BR>Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1 . <BR>For questions 1-7, mark <BR>Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage; <BR>N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage; <BR>NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. <BR>For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage. <BR><BR>Landfills <BR><BR>You have just finished your meal at a fast food restaurant and you throw your uneaten food, food wrappers, drink cups, utensils and napkins into the trash can. You don\'t think about that waste again. On trash pickup day in your neighborhood, you push your can out to the curb, and workers dump the contents into a big truck and haul it away. You don\'t have to think about that waste again, either. But maybe you have wondered, as you watch the trash truck pull away, just where that garbage ends up. <BR>Americans generate trash at an astonishing rate of four pounds per day per person, which translates to 600,000 tons per day or 210 million tons per year! This is almost twice as much trash per person as most other major countries. What happens to this trash? Some gets recycled ( 回收利用 ) or recovered and some is burned, but the majority is buried in landfills. <BR><BR>How Much Trash Is Generated? <BR>Of the 210 million tons of trash, or solid waste, generated in the United States annually, about 56 million tons, or 27 percent, is either recycled (glass, paper products, plastic, metals) or composted (做成堆肥) (yard waste). The remaining trash, which is mostly unrecyclable, is discarded. <BR>How Is Trash Disposed of? The trash production in the United States has almost tripled since 1960. This trash is handled in various ways. About 27 percent of the trash is recycled or composted, 16 percent is burned and 57 percent is buried in landfills. The amount of trash buried in landfills has doubled since 1960. The United States ranks somewhere in the middle of the major countries (United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France and Japan) in landfill disposal. The United Kingdom ranks highest, burying about 90 percent of its solid waste in landfills. <BR><BR>What Is a Landfill? <BR>There are two ways to bury trash: <BR>· Dump – an open hole in the ground where trash is buried and that is full of various animals (rats, mice, birds). (This is most people’s idea of a landfill!) <BR>· Landfill – carefully designed structure built into or on top of the ground in which trash is isolated from the surrounding environment (groundwater, air, rain). This isolation is accomplished with a bottom liner and daily covering of soil. <BR>o Sanitary landfill – landfill that uses a clay liner to isolate the trash from the environment <BR>o Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill – landfill that uses a synthetic (plastic) liner to isolate the trash from the environment. <BR>The purpose of a landfill is to bury the trash in such a way that it will be isolated from groundwater, will be kept dry and will not be in contact with air. Under these conditions, trash will not decompose (腐烂) much. A landfill is not like a compost pile, where the purpose is to bury trash in such a way that it will decompose quickly. <BR><BR>Proposing the Landfill <BR>For a landfill to be built, the operators have to make sure that they follow certain steps. In most parts of the world, there are regulations that govern where a landfill can be placed and how it can operate. The whole process begins with someone proposing the landfill. <BR>In the United States, taking care of trash and building landfills are local government responsibilities. Before a city or other authority can build a landfill, an environmental impact study must be done on the proposed site to determine: <BR>· the area of land necessary for the landfill <BR>· the composition of the underlying soil and bedrock <BR>· the flow of surface water over the site <BR>· the impact of the proposed landfill on the local environment and wildlife <BR>· the historical value of the proposed site <BR><BR>Building the Landfill <BR>Once the environmental impact study is complete, the permits are granted and the funds have been raised, then construction begins. First, access roads to the landfill site must be built if they do not already exist. These roads will be used by construction equipment, sanitation (环卫) services and the general public. After roads have been built, digging can begin. In the North Wake County Landfill, the landfill began 10 feet below the road surface. <FONT color=#ffffff></FONT><BR><BR>What Happens to Trash in a Landfill? <BR>Trash put in a landfill will stay there for a very long time. Inside a landfill, there is little oxygen and little moisture. Under these conditions, trash does not break down very rapidly. In fact, when old landfills have been dug up or sampled, 40-year-old newspapers have been found with easily readable print. Landfills are not designed to break down trash, merely to bury it. When a landfill closes, the site, especially the groundwater, must be monitored and maintained for up to 30 years! <BR><BR>How Is a Landfill Operated? <BR>A landfill, such as the North Wake County Landfill, must be open and available every day. Customers are typically municipalities and construction companies, although residents may also use the landfill. <BR>Near the entrance of the landfill is a recycling center where residents can drop off recyclable materials (aluminum cans, glass bottles, newspapers and paper products). This helps to reduce the amount of material in the landfill. Some of these materials are banned from landfills by law because they can be recycled. <FONT color=#ffffff>四六级无忧</FONT> <BR>As customers enter the site, their trucks are weighed at the scale house. Customers are charged tipping fees for using the site. The tipping fees vary from $10 to $40 per ton. These fees are used to pay for operation costs. The North Wake County Landfill has an operating budget of approximately $4.5 million, and part of that comes from tipping fees. <BR>Along the site, there are drop-off stations for materials that are not wanted or legally banned by the landfill. A multi-material drop-off station is used for tires, motor oil, lead-acid batteries. Some of these materials can be recycled. <BR>In addition, there is a household hazardous waste drop-off station for chemicals (paints, pesticides, other chemicals) that are banned from the landfill. These chemicals are disposed of by private companies. Some paints can be recycled and some organic chemicals can be burned in furnaces or power plants. <BR>Other structures alongside the landfill are the borrowed area that supplies the soil for the landfill, the runoff collection pond and methane (甲烷) station. <FONT color=#ffffff></FONT><BR>Landfills are complicated structures that, when properly designed and managed, serve an important purpose. In the future, new technologies called bioreactors will be used to speed the breakdown of trash in landfills and produce more methane. <BR>Section A <BR><BR>Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. <BR><BR>注意:此部分试题请在 答题卡 2 上作答。 <BR><BR>11. A) The man hates to lend his tools to other people. <BR>B) The man hasn\'t finished working on the bookshelf. <BR>C) The tools have already been returned to the woman. <BR>D) The tools the man borrowed from the woman are missing.
<p><BR><BR><BR>12. A) Save time by using a computer. C) Borrow Martha\'s computer. <BR>B) Buy her own computer. D) Stay home and complete her paper. <BR><BR><BR>13. A) He has been to Seattle many times. C) He holds a high position in his company. <BR>B) He has chaired a lot of conferences. D) He lived in Seattle for many years. <BR><BR><BR>14. A) Teacher and student. C) Manager and office worker. <BR><BR>B) Doctor and patient. D) Travel agent and customer. <BR><BR><BR>15. A) She knows the guy who will give the lecture. <BR>B) She thinks the lecture might be informative. <BR>C) She wants to add something to her lecture. <BR>D) She\'ll finish her report this weekend. <BR><BR>Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. <BR><BR><BR>23. A) Searching for reference material. C) Writing a course book. <BR>B) Watching a film of the 1930s\'. D) Looking for a job in a movie studio. <BR><BR><BR>24. A) It\'s too broad to cope with. C) It\'s controversial. <FONT color=#ffffff></FONT><BR>B) It\'s a bit outdated. D) It\'s of little practical value. <BR><BR><BR>25. A) At the end of the online catalogue. <BR>B) At the Reference Desk. <BR>C) In The New York Times . <BR>D) In the Reader\'s Guide to Periodical Literature . <BR><BR>Section B <BR><BR>Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. <BR><BR>注意:此部分试题请在 答题卡 2 上作答。 <BR><BR>Passage One <BR><BR>Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard. <BR><BR><BR>26. A) Synthetic fuel. C) Alcohol. <BR>B) Solar energy. D) Electricity. <BR><BR><BR>27. A) Air traffic conditions. C) Road conditions. <BR>B) Traffic jams on highways. D) New traffic rules.
<P>四六级无忧</P><BR><BR><BR>28. A) Go through a health check. C) Arrive early for boarding. <BR>B) Take little luggage with them. D) Undergo security checks. <BR><BR>Passage Two <BR><BR>Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard. <BR><BR><BR>29. A) Beauty. C) Luck. <BR>B) Loyalty. D) Durability. <BR><BR><BR>30. A) He wanted to follow the tradition of his country. <BR>B) He believed that it symbolized an everlasting marriage. <BR>C) It was thought that a blood vessel in that finger led directly to the heart. <BR>D) It was supposed that the diamond on that finger would bring good luck. <BR><BR><BR>31. A) The two people can learn about each other\'s likes and dislikes. <BR>B) The two people can have time to decide if they are a good match. <BR>C) The two people can have time to shop for their new home. <BR>D) The two people can earn enough money for their wedding. <BR><BR>Passage Three <BR><BR>Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
<p><BR><BR><BR>32. A) Because there are no signs to direct them. <BR>B) Because no tour guides are available. <BR>C) Because all the buildings in the city look alike. <BR>D) Because the university is everywhere in the city. <BR><BR>33. A) They set their own exams. C) They award their own degrees. <BR>B) They select their own students. D) They organize their own laboratory work. <BR><BR>34. A) Most of them have a long history. <BR>B) Many of them are specialized libraries. <BR>C) They house more books than any other university library. <BR>D) They each have a copy of every book published in Britain. <BR><BR>35. A) Very few of them are engaged in research. <BR>B) They were not awarded degrees until 1948. <BR>C) They have outnumbered male students. <BR>D) They were not treated equally until 1881. <BR><BR><BR>Section C <BR><BR><BR>Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written. <FONT color=#ffffff>转载请注明来自www.cetok.cn</FONT> <BR><BR>注意:此部分试题在 答题卡 2 上;请在 答题卡 2 上作答。 <BR>Part IV Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth) (25 minutes) <BR>Section A <BR>Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once . <BR><BR>Questions 47 to 56 are based on the following passage. <BR><BR><BR>When Roberto Feliz came to the USA from the Dominican Republic, he knew only a few words of English. Education soon became a 47 . “I couldn\'t understand anything,” he said. He 48 from his teachers, came home in tears, and thought about dropping out. <BR>Then Mrs. Malave, a bilingual educator, began to work with him while teaching him math and science in his 49 Spanish. “She helped me stay smart while teaching me English,” he said. Given the chance to demonstrate his ability, he 50 confidence and began to succeed in school. <FONT color=#ffffff></FONT><BR>Today, he is a 51 doctor, runs his own clinic, and works with several hospitals. Every day, he uses the language and academic skills he 52 through bilingual education to treat his patients. <BR>Roberto\'s story is just one of 53 success stories. Research has shown that bilingual education is the most 54 way both to teach children English and ensure that they succeed academically. In Arizona and Texas, bilingual students 55 outperform their peers in monolingual programs. Calexico, Calif., implemented bilingual education, and now has dropout rates that are less than half the state average and college 56 rates of more than 90%. In El Paso, bilingual education programs have helped raise student scores from the lowest in Texas to among the highest in the nation. <BR><BR>注意:此部分试题请在 答题卡 2 上作答。 <BR><BR>A) wonder <BR><BR>B) acquired <BR><BR>C) consistently <BR><BR>D) regained <BR><BR>E) nightmare <BR><BR>F) native <BR><BR>G) acceptance <BR><BR>H) effective <BR><FONT color=#ffffff></FONT><BR>I) hid <BR><BR>J) prominent <BR><BR>K) decent <BR><BR>L) countless <BR><BR>M) recalled <BR><BR>N) breakthrough <BR><BR>O) automatically <BR>听力原文 <BR><BR>Tape Script of Listening Comprehension <BR><BR>Section A <BR><BR>Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. <BR><BR><BR>11. W: Simon, could you return the tools I lent you for building the bookshelf last month? <BR>M: Uh, well, I hate to tell you this … but I can\'t seem to find them. <BR>Q: What do we learn from the conversation? <BR><BR><BR>12. W: I\'m going to Martha\'s house. I have a paper to complete, and I need to use her computer. <BR>M: Why don\'t you buy one yourself? Think how much time you could save. <BR>Q: What does the man suggest the woman do? <BR><BR><BR>13. W: Bob said that Seattle is a great place for conferences. <BR>M: He\'s certainly in a position to make that comment. He\'s been there so often. <BR>Q: What does the man say about Bob? <BR><BR><BR>14. W: Mr. Watson, I wonder whether it\'s possible for me to take a vacation early next month . <BR>M: Did you fill out a request form? <BR>Q: What is the probable relationship between the two speakers? <BR><BR><BR>15. M: Do you want to go to the lecture this weekend? I hear the guy who\'s going to deliver the lecture spent a year living in the rain forest. <BR>W: Great! I\'m doing a report on the rain forest. Maybe I can get some new information to add to it. <BR>Q: What does the woman mean? <BR><BR><BR>16. W: Wow! I do like this campus: all the big trees, the green lawns, and the old buildings with tall columns . It\'s really beautiful. <BR>M: It sure is. The architecture of these buildings is in the Greek style. It was popular in the eighteenth century here. <BR>Q: What are the speakers talking about? <BR><BR>17. M: This article is nothing but advertising for housing developers. I don\'t think the houses for sale are half that good. <BR>W: Come on, David. Why so negative? We\'re thinking of buying a home, aren\'t we? Just a trip to look at the place won\'t cost us much. <BR>Q: What can be inferred from the conversation? <BR><BR><BR>18. M: Would you pass me the sports section, please? <BR>W: Sure, if you give me the classified ads and local news section. <BR>Q: What are the speakers doing? <BR><BR><BR>Now you\'ll hear two long conversations. <BR><BR><BR>Conversation One <BR>W: Hello, Gary. How\'re you? <BR>M: Fine! And yourself? <BR>W: Can\'t complain. Did you have time to look at my proposal? <BR>M: No, not really. Can we go over it now? <BR>W: Sure. I\'ve been trying to come up with some new production and advertising strategies. First of all, if we want to stay competitive, we need to modernize our factory. New equipment should\'ve been installed long ago. <BR>M: How much will that cost? <BR>W: We have several options ranging from one hundred thousand dollars all the way up to half a million. <BR>M: OK. We\'ll have to discuss these costs with finance. <BR>W: We should also consider human resources. I\'ve been talking to personnel as well as our staff at the factory. <BR>M: And what\'s the picture? <BR>W: We\'ll probably have to hire a couple of engineers to help us modernize the factory. <BR>M: What about advertising? <BR>W: Marketing has some interesting ideas for television commercials. <BR>M: TV? Isn\'t that a bit too expensive for us? What\'s wrong with advertising in the papers, as usual?
<p><BR>W: Quite frankly, it\'s just not enough anymore. We need to be more aggressive in order to keep ahead of our competitors. <BR>M: Will we be able to afford all this? <BR>W: I\'ll look into it, but I think higher costs will be justified. These investments will result in higher profits for our company. <BR>M: We\'ll have to look at the figures more closely. Have finance draw up a budget for these investments. <BR>W: All right. I\'ll see to it. <BR><BR><BR>Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard. <BR>• What are the two speakers talking about? <BR>• What does the woman say about the equipment of their factory? <BR>• What does the woman suggest about human resources? <BR>• Why does the woman suggest advertising on TV? <BR><BR>Conversation Two <BR><BR><BR>W: Sir, you\'ve been using the online catalogue for quite a while. Is there anything I can do to help you? <BR>M: Well, I\'ve got to write a paper about Hollywood in the 30s and 40s, and I\'m really struggling. There are hundreds of books, and I just don\'t know where to begin.
<p><BR>W: Your topic sounds pretty big. Why don\'t you narrow it down to something like … uh … the history of the studios during that time? <BR>M: You know, I was thinking about doing that, but more than 30 books came up when I typed in “movie studios.” <BR>W: You could cut that down even further by listing the specific years you want. Try adding “1930s” or “1940s” or maybe “Golden Age.” <BR>M: “Golden Age” is a good idea. Let me type that in …. Hey, look, just 6 books this time. That\'s a lot better. <BR>W: Oh … another thing you might consider … have you tried looking for any magazine or newspaper articles? <BR>M: No, I\'ve only been searching for books. <BR>W: Well, you can look up magazine articles in the Reader\'s Guide to Periodical Literature . And we do have the Los Angeles Times available over there. You might go through their indexes to see if there\'s anything you want. <BR>M: Okay. I think I\'ll get started with these books and then I\'ll go over the magazines. <BR>W: If you need any help, I\'ll be over at the Reference Desk. <BR>M: Great, thanks a lot. <BR><BR><BR>Questions 23 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard. <BR>• What is the man doing? <BR>• What does the librarian think of the topic the man is working on? <BR>• Where can the man find the relevant magazine articles? <BR><BR>Section B <BR><BR>Directions: In this section, you will hear 3 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. <BR><BR>Passage One <BR><BR>In the next few decades people are going to travel very differently from the way they do today. Everyone is going to drive electrically powered cars. So in a few years people won\'t worry about running out of gas. 四六级无忧 <BR>Some of the large automobile companies are really moving ahead with this new technology. F &amp; C Motors, a major auto company, for example, is holding a press conference next week. At the press conference the company will present its new, electronically operated models. <BR>Transportation in the future won\'t be limited to the ground. Many people predict that traffic will quickly move to the sky. In the coming years, instead of radio reports about road conditions and highway traffic, news reports will talk about traffic jams in the sky. <BR>But the sky isn\'t the limit. In the future, you\'ll probably even be able to take a trip to the moon. Instead of listening to regular airplane announcements, you\'ll hear someone say, “The spacecraft to the moon leaves in ten minutes. Please check your equipment. And remember, no more than ten ounces of carry-on baggage are allowed.” <BR><BR><BR>Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard. <BR>• What will be used to power cars in the next few decades?
<P>转载请注明来自www.cetok.cn</P><BR>• What will future news reports focus on when talking about transportation? <BR>• What is the special requirement for passengers traveling to the moon? <BR><BR>Passage Two <BR><BR><BR><BR>Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard. <BR>• What was the diamond ring said to represent? <BR>• Why did the Austrian man place the diamond ring on the third finger of the left hand of his would-be wife? <BR>• What is the chief advantage of having the engagement period? <BR><BR>Passage Three <BR><BR>“Where is the university?” is a question many visitors to Cambridge ask, but no one could point them in any one direction because there is no campus. The university consists of thirty-one self-governing colleges. It has lecture halls, libraries, laboratories, museums and offices throughout the city. <BR>Individual colleges choose their own students, who have to meet the minimum entrance requirements set by the university. Undergraduates usually live and study in their colleges, where they are taught in very small groups. Lectures, and laboratory and practical work are organized by the university and held in university buildings.
<P>转载请注明来自www.cetok.cn</P><BR>There are over 10,000 undergraduates and 3,500 postgraduates. About forty percent of them are women and some eight percent from overseas. As well as teaching, research is of major importance. Since the beginning of the 20th century more than sixty university members have won Nobel prizes. <BR>The university has a huge number of buildings for teaching and research. It has more than sixty specialist subject libraries, as well as the University Library, which, as a copyright library, is entitled to a copy of every book published in Britain. <BR>Examinations are set and degrees are awarded by the university. It allowed women to take the university exams in 1881, but it was not until 1948 that they were awarded degrees. <BR><BR><BR>Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard. <BR>• Why is it difficult for visitors to locate Cambridge University? <BR>• What does the passage tell us about the colleges of Cambridge University? <BR>• What can be learned from the passage about the libraries in Cambridge University? <FONT color=#ffffff>转载请注明来自www.cetok.cn</FONT> <BR>• What does the passage say about women students in Cambridge University? <BR><BR><BR>Section C <BR><BR><BR>Directions: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks numbered from 36 to 43 with the exact words you have just heard. For blanks numbered from 44 to 46 you are required to fill in the missing information. For these blanks, you can either use the exact words you have just heard or write down the main points in your own words. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written. <BR>Russia is the largest economic power that is not a member of the World Trade Organization. But that may change. Last Friday, the European Union said it would support Russia\'s (36) effort to become a W.T.O. member. <BR>Representatives of the European Union met with Russian (37) officials in Moscow. They signed a trade agreement that took six years to (38) negotiate . <BR>Russia called the trade agreement (39) balanced . It agreed to slowly increase fuel prices within the country. It also agreed to permit (40) competition in its communications industry and to remove some barriers to trade. <BR>In (41) exchange for European support to join the W.T.O., Russian President Putin said that Russia would speed up the (42) process to approve the Kyoto Protocol, an international (43) environmental agreement to reduce the production of harmful industrial gases. (44) These “greenhouse gases” trap heat in the atmosphere and are blamed for changing the world\'s climate . <BR>Russia had signed the Kyoto Protocol, but has not yet approved it. The agreement takes effect when it has been approved by nations that produce at least 55 percent of the world\'s greenhouse gases . (45) But currently, nations producing only 44 percent have approved the Protocol. Russia produces about 17 percent of the world\'s greenhouse gases . The United States, the world\'s biggest producer, withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol after President Bush took office in 2001. So, Russia\'s approval is required to put the Kyoto Protocol into effect. <BR>(46) To join the W.T.O., a country must reach trade agreements with major trading countries that are also W.T.O. members . Russia must still reach agreements with China, Japan, South Korea and the United States. <BR><BR>The period of engagement is the time between the marriage proposal and the wedding ceremony. Two people agree to marry when they decide to spend their lives together. <BR>The man usually gives the woman a diamond engagement ring. That tradition is said to have started when an Austrian man gave a diamond ring to the woman he wanted to marry. The diamond represented beauty. He placed it on the third finger of her left hand. He chose that finger because it was thought that a blood vessel in that finger went directly to the heart. Today, we know that this is not true. Yet the tradition continues. <BR>Americans generally are engaged for a period of about one year if they are planning a wedding ceremony and party. During this time, friends of the bride may hold a party at which women friends and family members give the bride gifts that she will need as a wife. These could include cooking equipment or new clothing. <BR>Friends of the man who is getting married may have a bachelor party for him. This usually takes place the night before the wedding. Only men are invited to the bachelor party. <BR>During the marriage ceremony, the bride and her would-be husband usually exchange gold rings that represent the idea that their union will continue forever. The wife often wears both the wedding ring and engagement ring on the same finger. The husband wears his ring on the third finger of his left hand. <BR>Many people say the purpose of the engagement period is to permit enough time to plan the wedding. But the main purpose is to let enough time pass so the two people are sure they want to marry each other. Either person may decide to break the engagement. If this happens, the woman usually returns the ring to the man; they also return any wedding gifts they have received. <BR>