北京航空航天大学考博英语真题,考博英语试题

北京航空航天大学2005年博士研究生入学考试英语试题

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Part I Listening Comprehension (25 points)
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Section One (10 points)

Directions: You will hear ten short conversations between two speakers. After you
have heard each conversation, choose the best answer. Write your answer on the
ANSWER SHEET.

1.
    A. She disagrees with the man.
    B. She doesn't agree with Cynthia.
    C. She thinks it's narrow minded.
    D. She doesn't believe either of them.

2.
    A. That she needs $ 200 to open an account.
    B. That savings accounts earn low interest.
    C. That she should not open an account.
    D. That's 2,000 will earn reasonable interest.

3.
    A. That his wife has a bad character.
    B. That the Consul's reception will start earlier than usual.
    C. That he normally has to wait for his wife.
    D. That it'll take a long time to drive to the reception.

4.
    A. She'll be given an extra quarter to finish it.
    B. She'll get a very low grade.
    C. She won't be able to continue her studies.
    D. She'll feel very disappointed.

5.
A. Find the trouble. B. Carry the parts outside.
C. Practice working together. D. Follow the directions.

6.
    A. She would like the store to send it to her.
    B. It will arrive next week.
    C. It must be wrapped quickly.
    D. She will take it with her to save trouble.

7.
A. Try a new ribbon. B. Help her type the paper.
C. Get another typewriter. D. Change the paper.

8.
    A. Inform Mrs. Jones.
    B. Dial the international code number first.
    C. Pay in advance.
    D. Use his own phone.

9.
A. It's smaller than the old one. B. It's larger than the old one.
C. It's quieter than the old one. D. It's worse than the old one.

10.
    A. Peter is going to fly to New York.
    B. Peter is going to fly to Iran next week.
    C. Peter went to Iran last week.
    D. Peter will stay in New York.

Section Two (5 points)

Directions: You are going to hear twice a talk from a course director. As you listen,
fill in the gaps below. Write your answer on the ANSWER SHEET.

There is a variety of opinions about the proper 11. __________ that should exist within
initial teacher education between 12. __________ in schools and the study of the disciplines
of education. It is our conviction that beginning teachers need to confront and 13.
__________ on ideas about the aims and methods of education, but we believe more strongly
that the 14. __________ of teaching is best learnt in school, working, with 15. __________
teachers.

Section Three (10 points)

Directions: Listen to the news twice and try to answer the following questions. Write
your answer on the ANSWER SHEET.

16. Where did the man break into?
________________________________________________________________________

17. How much money has been stolen?
________________________________________________________________________

18. How did he get away?
________________________________________________________________________

19. Why is the man dangerous?
________________________________________________________________________

20. What should people do if they see him?
________________________________________________________________________

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Part II Reading Comprehension (25 points)
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Section One (15 points, 1 point each)

Directions: There are three passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some
questions. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You
should decide on the best choice and then mark the corresponding letter on the
ANSWER SHEET by blackening it with a pencil.

Passage 1

All that we really need to plot out the future of our universe are a few good
measurements. This does not mean that we can sit down today and outline the future Course
of the universe with anything like certainty. There are still, too many things we do not know
about the way the universe is put together. But we do know exactly what information we
need to fit in our knowledge, and we have a pretty good idea of how to go about getting it.

Perhaps the best way to think of our present situation is to imagine a train coming into
a switchyard (调车场). All of the switches we can see are set before the train arrives, so that
its path is completely determined. Some switches we can see, others we cannot. There is no
ambiguity if we can see the setting of a switch. We can say with confidence that some
possible future will not materialize and other at will. At the unseen switches, however, there is
no such certainty. We know the train will take one of the tracks leading out, but we have no
idea which one. The unseen are the true decision points in the future, and what happens
when we arrive at them determines the entire subsequent course of events.

When we think about the future of the universe, we can see our "track" many billions of
years into the future, but utter that there are decision points to be dealt with and possible
fates to consider. The goal of science is to reduce the ambiguity at the decision points and
find the true road that will be followed.

21. According to the passage, it is difficult to be certain about the distant future of the
universe because we __________.
    A. have too many conflicting theories
    B. do not have enough funding to continue our research
    C. are not sure how the universe is put together
    D. have focused our investigations on the moon and planets

22. What does the author see as the function of the universe's unseen "switches"?
    A. They tell us which one of the tracks the universe will use.
    B. They enable us to alter the course of the universe.
    C. They give us information about the lunar surface.
    D. They determine which course the universe will take in the future.

23. In Paragraph 3, the word "track" could be best replaced by which of the following?
A. Band. B. Reeds. C. Path. D. Sequence.

24. For whom is the author probably writing this passage?
A. Train engineers. B. General audiences.
C. Professors of statistics. D. Young children.

25. Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the passage?
    A. A statement illustrated by an analogy.
    B. A hypothesis supported by documentation.
    C. A comparison of two contrasting theories.
    D. A critical analysis of a common assumption.

Passage 2

The American Revolution was not a revolution in the sense of a radical or total change.
It was not a sudden and violent overturning of the political and social framework, such as
later occurred in France and Russia, when both were already independent nations.
Significant changes were ushered in, but they were not breathtaking. What happened was
accelerated evolution rather than outright revolution. During the conflict itself people went
on working and praying, marrying and playing. Most of them were not seriously disturbed
by the actual fighting, and many of the more isolated communities scarcely knew that a war
was on.

America's War of Independence heralded the birth of three modern nations. One was
Canada, which received its first large influx of English-speaking population from the
thousands of loyalists who fled there from the United States. Another was Australia, which
became a penal colony now that America was no longer available for prisoners and debtors.
The third newcomer—the United States—based itself squarely on republican principles.

Yet even the political overturn was not so revolutionary as one might suppose. In some
states, notably Connecticut and Rhode Island, the war largely ratified a colonial. Self-rule
already existing British officials, everywhere ousted, were replaced Try home-grown
governing class, which promptly sought a local substitute for king and Parliament.

26. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
    A. The United States: An Isolated Community.
    B. Breathtaking Events during the American Revolution.
    C. Canada and the American War of Independence.
    D. The American Revolution: Evolution Not Revolution.

27. In the first paragraph, what does the author suggest about the French and Russian
revolutions?
    A. They were explosive and abrupt.
    B. They were ineffective.
    C. They involved only those people living in urban areas.
    D. They led to release of the political prisoners.

28. In lines 6-7, what does the author mean by "people went on working and praying,
marrying and playing"?
A. More people got married than divorced. B. The war created new jobs.
C. People had more than enough leisure time. D. Life went on as usual.

29. It can be inferred from the passage that the loyalists who escaped to Canada were
__________.
A. Russian B. French C. British D. Australian

30. What will the paragraph following the passage most probably discuss?
    A. The transport of prisoners to Australia.
    B. The creation of new state governments.
    C. Events leading up to the American Revolution.
    D. How Canada and the United States became friends.

Passage 3

Research that went into developing the highly specialized technology for space travel
has resulted in many unexpected practical application back on earth. Out of the engineering
that produced rocket motor, space suits, and other necessities of space flight came
by-products that no one had anticipated. Equipment and procedures designed for use in
medicine, industry, and the home, these valuable by-products of space research, called
spin-offs, have improved the quality of life on earth in many ways.

Some of the best-known examples of spin-offs from space research are found in
hospitals and doctors' offices. One such example is the sight switch, which was originally
developed to allow astronauts to control their spacecraft without using their hands. The
sight switch is now used by handicapped people to operate devices using eye movements.
Another spin-off is the voice command device, which was designed to enable astronauts to
steer their spacecraft by voice command. This device is now being used to help deaf people
learn to speak.

Doctors have also benefited from the technology required to make electronic
instruments small enough and durable enough for trips into space. From this technology
have come hearing aids, the size of an aspirin and television cameras small enough to be
attached to a surgeon's head to give medical students a close-up view of an operation.

One of the most valuable contributions of aerospace technology to industry is a
management technique called the systems approach. With the aid of computers, this
technique brings together all the elements of a complex project, including people, money,
and materials, to ensure that everything is completed at the optimum time. It has been to a
variety of situations unrelated to space exploration. Among them are cancer research,
hospital design, city planning, crime detection, pollution control, building construction, and
transportation.

The experience gained from developing NASA Spacesuits was applied to the process of
designing clothing for use in other professions. Firefighters now have lighter and special
"fire blocking" materials that are more resistant to burning. Spacers used for cushioning in
moon boots were adapted for use in athletic shoes that are designed to reduce fatigue and
injury.

31. The word "such" in Paragraph 2 refers to __________.
A. spin-offs from space research B. research in hospitals
C. research in doctors' offices D. handicapped people

32. The author mentions hearing aids and television cameras as example of __________.
    A. spin-offs from the technology required to make miniature durable instruments for
       space flight
    B. important applications of space research in industry
    C. inventions by aerospace scientists in England
    D. ways to enhance the benefits of the systems approach

33. With what topic is Paragraph 4 mainly concerned?
    A. The importance of management techniques.
    B. The complexity of hospital design.
    C. Uses of computers in industry.
    D. Applications of the systems approach.

34. The word "optimum" in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to __________.
A. most accurate B. best C. latest D. fastest

35. The article mainly discusses __________.
    A. devices that enable astronauts to control their spacecraft
    B. the value of the systems approach
    C. practical applications of space research
    D. ways of monitoring patients

Section Two (10 points, 2 points each)

Directions: Read through the passage and then answer the questions. Write your answer on
the Answer Sheet.

Passage 4

The picture of the family television set is finally beginning to change.

For more than 70 years, the big box, crammed with analog technology, has looked
pretty much the same. The machine's clarity glass tube is so familiar to Americans that it
has become synonymous with TV itself. But advances in technology the past few years have
finally caught up with the grand dame of home entertainment. In many new models, the
tube is gone altogether. And that familiar color picture looks a lot sharper like the view
outside a living-room window on a clear blue day.

What's happened? First, a much larger percentage of TVs - some of them still with
tubes - are built to show high-definition programming. When these programs are fed to
viewers via a high-definition signal, HDTV-ready televisions can display them with 10
times the resolution of an analog set. Besides providing a clearer, crisper picture, other new
TVs are lighter and slimmer. By transmitting TV signals through thin layers of plasma or
liquid crystal, rather than a tube, manufacturers have trimmed the depth of TVs to as little as
three inches. Buyers can hang a flat-panel TV from a wall instead of eating up living-room
space.

High-definition and flat-panel TVs have been around for a few years. But better
technology and aggressive efforts on the part of retailers to sell them, have recently drawn
consumer attention.

More people than retailers had expected are buying new models, some of which
integrate both advances. And while prices remain too high for many buyers, the growing
popularity of the new TVs sends a clear message: After 2003, television will never look the
same. About 2.4 million high-definition-ready TVs were sold last year - more than an 80
percent increase over the previous year. (Note: An "HDTV-ready" set still requires the
addition of a special tuner, often costing about $350, to receive HDTV broadcasts. An
"integrated" set has such a tuner built in.) Flat-panel purchases - some HDTV, some not -
rose about 400 percent, to about 1.4 million units, according to the Consumer Electronics
Association.

The reason for the stronger sales, say experts, is not that consumers are tired of their
old sets, but that they are intrigued by the new technology. People recognize "that they can
watch, at home, TV that has the same quality [as] what they watch in the theater," says Alan
McCullough, president of Circuit City, the national electronics chain. HDTVs provide a
cinema-quality picture. The sets show movies and TV programs with a resolution of 1,080
lines per second, compared with 480 for standard sets. Flat-panel TVs that hang high
on a wall are being used to replicate the feel of a theater. Experts say the models
are particularly popular among women, who appear most likely to appreciate the sets'
interior-design benefits. Both types of TVs usually come pretty large - between 30 and 60
inches, measured diagonally. And they are often capable of displaying the widescreen
versions of movies, without cutting off the sides or requiring a "letter box" format, which
shrinks the picture.

So given all this great technology, what is the perfect set to buy? The answer hinges on
how much you are willing to spend.

The ultimate TV might combine a high-definition picture with a flat-panel,
wide-screen frame. Several manufacturers offer these models. Sony's 32-inch set, for
example, sells for $5,000. Pioneer's 43-inch model costs $8,000.

But the two technologies, high-definition and flat-panel, can also be bought separately.
In fact, high-definition technology inside a regular tube or projection TV is less expensive
than in a flat-panel set. Samsung and Philips sell 27-inch HDTV-ready tube models for
$800 and $900, respectively. RCA's 52-Lach HDTV-ready projection monitor sells for
$1,900.

Flat-panel TVs, conversely, are a bit better prized without high-definition technology.
Gateway, better known for manufacturing computers, sells a 42-inch plasma semen for
$3,000. Panasonic offers a 42-inch model for less than $5,000. TVs with a liquid crystal
display (LCD) come in smaller sizes and cost as little as $1,000 for a 15-inch set.

Prices on most of these models are half of what they were a few years ago, and
industry analysts expect them to drop at a similar rate over the next 18 months. "It's coming
within the realm of affordability for mainstream consumers," says David Dritsas, editor of
Dealer scope Magazine. Experts credit much of the price drop to decisions by
mass-marketers to stock and heavily promote the new TVs, even before consumers showed
interest in buying them.

Even as retailers believe these new TVs will drive most of their future sales, and are
aggressively pushing them in stores, consumers have reasons to wait. Some experts believe
plasma (等离子) and LCD offer a poorer picture compared with even standard analog sets,
and some models are susceptible to an image "burning" into the screen if the picture does
not change for several hours. They are relatively untested as a day-to-day consumer product.
"The biggest issue right now is we're not sure how long they'll last, because no one has
owned them for that long," says Ms. Jenson.

The broad availability of high-definition technology is also in question. By 2006,
networks will be required to offer all programs in a HDTV format, and several have
already begun to switch to high-definition for prime-time programs. But fewer than 10
percent of the 733 local television stations that broadcast high-definition programming are
being carried on cable systems capable of delivering the format, according to the National
Association of Broadcasters (NAB). Moreover, because two-thirds of all American
households receive their local channels via cable, most viewers cannot access the
high-definition versions of programs right now.

But that issue could be resolved in a year or so, say experts, as cable companies and
TV manufacturers come closer to agreeing on a standard by which the function of a cable
box - used to pull in channels - can be performed by a high-definition router. Right now,
most consumers buy the tuner separately. Carrier issues aside, other observers are more
concerned by the effect a revolution in TV technology might have on the dynamics of the
American household.

When TV first reached the mass market in the 1940s say experts, its placement in the
front room of the house changed the way Americans thought about home life. "The front
room used to be for guests," says Notre Dame University communications professor
Christine Becker. "When the TV came along, it complicated the separation between the
public and private."

Now, some experts hypothesize that widespread adoption of high-end TVs could
prompt consumers to make entertainment that was once an entirely public experience, like
movie-going, a home-based activity. "If you can get as good an image at home with home
theater, cinema attendance may fall victim," says William Uricchio, a professor of
comparative media studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.

36. Summarize the main idea of the passage in less than 20 words.
________________________________________________________________________

37. Where is this passage most probably taken from?
________________________________________________________________________

38. What are the two technologies mentioned in the passage?
________________________________________________________________________

39. According to the passage, why is the broad availability of high-definition technology
still in question?
________________________________________________________________________

40. What does the sentence "...widespread adoption of high-end TVs could prompt
consumers to make entertainment that was once an entirely public experience" mean?
________________________________________________________________________

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Part III Cloze (10 points, 0.5 point each)
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Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four
choices marked A, B, C and D. You should choose the one that best fits into the
passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet by blackening it
with a pencil.

The Swiss Alps were once the place to come for a breath of fresh air. But no more.
The government estimates that half the trees in Switzerland are sick and are 41 , as a
result of air pollution. Parliament wants to change that. It has ordered the cabinet to devise
measures which would 42 the air to the quality of the 1950s, but it is learning that
some things are easier said 43 done. Interior Minister Flavio Cotti reported back this
month that Switzerland had pioneered the 44 to cleaner air in Europe, but added: "The
government is unable to propose steps that will meet the goals 45 and not all the air
pollution is homemade."

The thick smog that paralyzed parts of northern 46 in January was not quite so
dramatic here. But snow turned grey as it fell, and doctors warned 47 letting children
play outside. Since then, local authorities have been acting 48 , not waiting for a
national plan of action. Two cities, Basel and Baden, passed laws to 49 motorists who
leave their engines running at stop lights. In Zurich, the country's biggest 50 area, the
city council adopted a plan to curtail traffic drastically by making the streets narrower and
cutting down on parking places. To 51 , the Alps are still breathtaking, but increasingly
the views are marred by a haze. Government experts worry 52 the damage to the trees
has substantially increased the risk of avalanches. And, unlike lowland countries,
Switzerland, with 53 deep valleys and irregular weather patterns, cannot count on the
wind to blow pollution into someone else's backyard 54 with the Chernobyl nuclear
accident and the Rhine pollution disaster at Basle in November, these factors have led
conservative politicians and "Greens" alike to 55 strongly conservationist warnings.

Some of the government's key measures are already in place. Switzerland introduces tough
US-style car pollution 56 last November which require all new cars to be 57 with
catalytic converters - the first European country to do so. Two years ago it cut 58 limits
to reduce fumes, and from next month car exhaust levels must be tested 59 .

Now it wants tighter controls on diesel-powered vehicles and motorcycles, and end to
building new roads and measures to 60 public transport.

41.
A. dying B. cementing C. drying D. interpreting

42.
A. dispose B. compromise C. return D. put

43.
A. and B. than C. or D. So

44.
A. orbit B. path C. route D. way

45.
A. in time B. again C. in short D. or else

46.
A. Asia B. Europe C. Africa D. Switzerland

47.
A. about B. on C. at D. against

48.
A. themselves B. together C. independently D. currently

49.
A. support B. fine C. excuse D. suspect

50.
A. metropolitan B. urban C. rural D. mountain

51.
A. be noted B. say nothing C. be sure D. the point

52.
A. that B. about C. why D. how

53.
A. their B. its C. one's D. no

54.
A. Matched B. Dealt C. Surrounded D. Coupled

55.
A. view B. warn C. sound D. protest

56.
A. doses B. inspection C. injury D. norms

57.
A. coped B. equipped C. powered D. run

58.
A. speed B. car C. vehicle D. consumption

59.
A. daily B. steadily C. annually D. accordingly

60.
A. employ B. stop C. modify D. promote

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Part IV Translation (20 points)
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Directions: Translate the following letter into English.

你就在大学里到底是学历史专业还是学计算机专业一事征求我的意见，那么我就
在此试着为你提供一些有用的建议。

如果我是你，我会选择计算机专业而不是历史专业作为自己的专业。你知道，历
史，不管它多么令人神往，就业前景不是太好。然而，你要是学计算机专业的话，你
就有机会得到报酬丰厚的工作。为未来着想，你应该选择计算机专业。同时，我建议
你在业余时间坚持阅读历史书籍，这可以拓宽你的知识面。

我衷心希望你能考虑我的建议，并最终做出一个明智的选择。

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Part V Writing (20 points)
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Directions: Write a composition of no less than 200 words based on the following
instruction.

Some people think it is more important for a single language as an international official
language. Others think that it will make it difficult to identify countries and lose culture.
What is your opinion? Show your reason and example.