东北农业大学考博英语真题,考博英语试题

东北农业大学2008 年博士研究生入学考试英语试卷
English Test Paper

Part I Structure and Vocabulary (10 points)
Directions: Beneath each of the following sentences, there are four choices marked A, B,
C and D. Choose the one that best completes the sentence. Mark your answer on
ANSWER SHEET I by blackening the corresponding letter in the brackets with a pencil.
1. However, growth in the fabricated metals industry was able to ______ some of the
decline in the iron and steel industry. A. overturn B. overtake C. offset D. oppress
2. France's ______ of nuclear testing in the South Pacific last month triggered political
debates and mass demonstrations. A. assumption B. consumption C. presumption
D. resumption
3. The winners of the football championship ran off the field carrying the silver cup
______. A. turbulently B. tremendously C. triumphantly D. tentatively
4. The 215-page manuscript circulated to publishers last October, ______ an outburst of
interest. A. flared B. glittered C. sparked D. flashed
5. The most important ______ for assessment in this contest is originality of design. A.
threshold B. partition C. warrant D. criterion
6. The American society is ______ an exceedingly shaky foundation of natural resources,
which is connected with the possibility of a worsening environment. A. established on
B. affiliated to C. originated from D. incorporated with
7. They used to quarrel a lot, but now they are completely ______ with each other. A.
reconciled B. negotiated C. associated D. accommodated
8. At first, the ______ of color pictures over a long distance seemed impossible, but, with
painstaking efforts and at great expense, it became a reality. A. transaction B.
transmission C. transformation D. transition
9. We can't help being ______ of Bob who bought a luxurious sports car just after the
money was stolen from the office. A. skeptical B. appreciative C. suspicious D.
tolerant
10. The English weather defies forecast and hence is a source of interest ______ to
everyone. A. speculation B. attribution C. utilization D. proposition
11. In fact as he approached this famous statue, he only barely resisted the ______ to
reach into his bag for his camera. A. impatience B. impulse C. incentive D.
initiative
12. Some day software will translate both written and spoken language so well that the
need for any common second language could ______. A. descend B. decline C.
deteriorate D. depress
13. Equipment not ______ official safety standards has all been removed from the
workshop. A. conforming to B. consistent with C. predominant over D. providing
for
14. The introduction of gunpowder gradually made the bow and arrow ______,
particularly in Western Europe. A. obscure B. obsolete C. optional D. overlapping
15. They used to quarrel a lot, but now they are completely ______ with each other. A.
reconciled B. negotiated C. associated D. accommodate
16. Whoever formulated the theory of the origin of the universe, it is just ______ and
needs proving. A. spontaneous B. hypothetical C. intuitive D. empirical
17. The future of this company is ______: many of its talented employees are flowing
into more profitable net-based businesses. A. at odds B. in trouble C. in vain D. at
stake
18. It is no ______ that a large number of violent crimes are committed under the
influence of alcohol. A. coincidence B. correspondence C. inspiration D. intuition
19. The English language contains a(n) ______ of words which are comparative seldom
used in ordinary conversation. A. altitude B. latitude C. multitude D. attitude
20. A membership card ______ the holder to use the club's facilities for a period of
twelve months. A. approves B. authorizes C. rectifies D. endows
Part II Reading Comprehension (50 points)
Directions: Each of the passages below is followed by some questions. For each question
are four answers marked A, B, C, and D. Read the passages carefully and choose the best
answer to each of the questions. Then mark your answer on ANSWER SHEET by
blackening the corresponding letter in the brackets with a pencil.
Passage One
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
It is hardly necessary for me to cite all the evidence of the depressing state of literacy.
These figures from the Department of Education are sufficient: 27 million Americans
cannot read at all, and a further 35 million read at a level that is less than sufficient to
survive in our society.
But my own worry today is less that of the overwhelming problem of elemental
literacy than it is of the slightly more luxurious problem of the decline in the skill even of
the middle-class reader, of his unwillingness to afford those spaces of silence, those
luxuries of domesticity and time and concentration, that surround the image of the classic
act of reading. It has been suggested that almost 80 percent of America's literate,
educated teenagers can no longer read without an accompanying noise music in the
background or a television screen flickering at the corner of their field of perception. We
know very little about the brain and how it deals with simultaneous conflicting input, but
every common-sense intuition suggests we should be profoundly alarmed. This violation
of concentration, silence, solitude goes to the very heart of our notion of literacy; this
new form of part-reading, of part-perception against background distraction, renders
impossible certain essential acts of apprehension and concentration, let alone that most
important tribute any human being can pay to a poem or a piece of prose he or she really
loves, which is to learn it by heart. Not by brain, by heart; the expression is vital.
Under these circumstances, the question of what future there is for the arts of reading
is a real one. Ahead of us lie technical, psychic (心理的), and social transformations
probably much more dramatic than those brought about by Gutenberg, the German
inventor in printing. The Gutenberg revolution, as we now know it took a long time; its
effects are still being debated. The information revolution will touch every fact of
composition, publication, distribution, and reading. No one in the book industry can say
with any confidence what will happen to the book as we've known it.
21. The picture of the reading ability of the American people, drawn by the author, is
______. A. rather bleak B. fairly bright C. very impressive D. quite encouraging
22. The author's biggest concern is ______. A. elementary school children's disinterest
in reading classics B. the surprisingly low rate of literacy in the U.S. C. the musical
setting American readers require for reading D. the reading ability and reading behavior
of the middle class
23. A major problem with most adolescents who can read is ______. A. their fondness
of music and TV programs B. their ignorance of various forms of art and literature C.
from economic decline. The Economist's commodity price index is broadly unchanging
from a year ago. In 1973 commodity prices jumped by 70%, and in 1979 by almost 30%.
36. The main reason for the latest rise of oil price is ______. A. global inflation. B.
reduction in supply. C. fast growth in economy. D. Iraq's suspension of exports.
37. It can be inferred from the text that the retail price of petrol will go up dramatically if
______. A. price of crude rises. B. commodity prices rise. C. consumption rises.
D. oil taxes rise.
38. The estimates in Economic Outlook show that in rich countries ______. A. heavy
industry becomes more energy-intensive. B. income loss mainly results from
fluctuating crude oil prices. C. manufacturing industry has been seriously squeezed. D.
oil price changes have no significant impact on GDP.
39. We can draw a conclusion from the text that ______. A. oil-price shocks are less
shocking now. B. inflation seems irrelevant to oil-price shocks. C. energy
conservation can keep down the oil prices. D. the price rise of crude leads to the
shrinking of heavy industry.
40. From the text we can see that the writer seems ______. A. optimistic. B. sensitive.
C. gloomy. D. scared.
Passage Five
Questions 41 to 45 are based on the following passage.
Over the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination have been
condemned or made illegal. But one insidious form continues to thrive: alphabetism. This,
for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those
whose surnames begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet.
It has long been known that a taxi firm called AAAA cars has a big advantage over
Zodiac cars when customers thumb through their phone directories. Less well known is
the advantage that Adam Abbott has in life over Zysman. English names are fairly evenly
spread between the halves of the alphabet. Yet a suspiciously large number of top people
have surnames beginning with letters between A and K.
Thus the American president and vice-president have surnames starting with B and C
respectively; and 26 of George Bush's predecessors (including his father) had surnames
in the first half of the alphabet against just 16 in the second half. Even more striking, six
of the seven heads of government of the G7 rich countries are alphabetically advantaged
(Berlusconi, Blair, Bush, Chirac, Chrétien and Koizumi). The world's three top central
bankers (Greenspan, Duisenberg and Hayami) are all close to the top of the alphabet,
even if one of them really uses Japanese characters. As are the world's five richest men
(Gates, Buffett, Allen, Ellison and Albrecht).
Can this merely be coincidence? One theory, dreamt up in all the spare time enjoyed
by the alphabetically disadvantaged, is that the rot sets in early. At the start of the first
year in infant school, teachers seat pupils alphabetically from the front, to make it easier
to remember their names. So short-sighted Zysman junior gets stuck in the back row, and
is rarely asked the improving questions posed by those insensitive teachers. At the time
the alphabetically disadvantaged may think they have had a lucky escape. Yet the result
may be worse qualifications, because they get less individual attention, as well as less
confidence in speaking publicly.
The humiliation continues. At university graduation ceremonies, the ABCs proudly
get their awards first; by the time they reach the Zysmans most people are literally having
a ZZZ. Shortlists for job interviews, election ballot papers, lists of conference speakers
and attendees: all tend to be drawn up alphabetically, and their recipients lose interest as
they plough through them.
41. What does the author intend to illustrate with AAAA cars and Zodiac cars? A. A
kind of overlooked inequality. B. A type of conspicuous bias. C. A type of personal
prejudice. D. A kind of brand discrimination.
42. What can we infer from the first three paragraphs? A. In both East and West, names
are essential to success. B. The alphabet is to blame for the failure of Zysman. C.
Customers often pay a lot of attention to companies' names. D. Some form of
discrimination is too subtle to recognize.
43. The 4th paragraph suggests that ______. A. questions are often put to the more
intelligent students. B. alphabetically disadvantaged students often escape form class.
C. teachers should pay attention to all of their students. D. students should be seated
according to their eyesight.
44. What does the author mean by "most people are literally having a ZZZ" (Lines 2-3,
Paragraph 5)? A. They are getting impatient. B. They are noisily dozing off. C.
They are feeling humiliated. D. They are busy with word puzzles.
45. Which of the following is true according to the text? A. People with surnames
beginning with N to Z are often ill-treated. B. VIPs in the Western world gain a great
deal from alphabetism. C. The campaign to eliminate alphabetism still has a long way
to go. D. Putting things alphabetically may lead to unintentional bias.
Part III Cloze (10 points)
Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four
choices marked A, B, C. and D. on the right side of the paper. You should choose the
ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on the ANSWER
SHEET by blackening corresponding letter in the brackets with a pencil.
A food bank is the center of food collection and distribution in a community. This
food usually __46__ from grocery stores or manufacturers that have thousands of pounds
of food to give __47__ . Food banks operate intricate and advanced warehousing
operations, __48__ food is collected, __49__ and re-distributed to the community.
Traditionally, a food bank does not distribute food __50__ to those in __51__ . __52__ ,
food banks serve an __53__ network of organizations in their __54__ communities.
These organizations serve one part of the __55__ and know the needs of the people there.
__56__ , working together, the food bank and the community organization can serve a
greater __57__ of people in the most efficient way.
Many food banks provide __58__ services. They __59__ from after school feeding
programs, __60__ Kids Cafe, to community agriculture projects.
In the aftermath of welfare reform, food banks throughout the country are raising
private __61__ to operate innovative programs and to __62__ those who are hungry.
Every food bank strives to be a hunger advocate producing __63__ studies and tracking
statistics, while lending their hands-on expertise to get legislation passed and ensuring
that the __64__ of domestic hunger is not lost in the shadow of an "__65__ boom".
46. A. results B. collects C. comes D. gathers
47. A. away B. out C. over D. off
48. A. which B. where C. what D. how
49. A. accepted B. offered C. processed D. sorted
50. A. instantly B. directly C. voluntarily D. readily
51. A. need B. haste C. debt D. order
52. A. However B. Otherwise C. Instead D. Certainly
53. A. abnormal B. optional C. imaginary D. extensive
54. A. individual B. respective C. special D. widespread
55. A. organization B. bank C. operation D. community
56. A. Therefore B. Nevertheless C. Still D. Conversely
57. A. amount B. deal C. number D. quantity
58. A. regular B. other C. daily D. depositing
59. A. change B. alter C. differ D. range
60. A. including B. providing C. managing D. distributing
61. A. demands B. properties C. funds D. plans
62. A. shelter B. feed C. clothe D. finance
63. A. poverty B. welfare C. hunger D. food
64. A. issue B. policy C. reform D. project
65. A. economical B. economics C. economy D. economic
Part IV Error Correction (10 points)
Direction: Each of the following sentences has four underlined parts. These parts are
labeled A, B, C, and D. Identify the part of sentence that is incorrect and put your choice
in the ANSWER SHEET. Then, without altering the meaning of the sentence, write down
your correct answer on the line in the ANSWER SHEET.
66. This is a delicate balance of nature [which] many square miles of ocean and
vegetation and clean air are needed to maintain only a relatively few human beings.
67. Just outside the ruins [are] a magnificent building surrounded by tall trees.
68. In the teaching of mathematics, the way of instruction is generally traditional, with
teachers presenting formal lectures and students [take] notes.
69. Generally speaking, the bird flying across our path is observed, and the one staying
on the tree near at hand is passed by without any notice [taking] of it.
70. Some bosses dislike [to allow] people to share their responsibilities; they keep all
important matters tightly in their own hands.
71. On the whole, ambitious students are [much] likely to succeed in their studies than
are those with little ambition.
72. The advantages of radar are its long range, its precision, and ability [for] penetration
darkness and adverse weather.
73. It has been estimated that only 21 percent of the world's land surface [are] cultivatable
and that only 7.6 percent is actually under cultivation.
74. According to a recent report, the number of sugar that Americans consume does not
vary significantly from year to year.
75. The standards on which the metric system [are] based have been found to be slightly
inaccurate.
Part V English Chinese Translation (10 points)
Directions: Read the following passage carefully and then translate the underlined
sentences into Chinese. Your translation must be written clearly on the ANSWER
SHEET.
Do animals have rights? This is how the question is usually put. It sounds like a
useful, ground clearing way to start. (76) Actually, it isn't, because it assumes that there is
an agreed account of human rights, which is something the world does not have.
On one view of rights, to be sure, it necessarily follows that animals have none. (77)
Some philosophers argue that rights exist only within a social contract, as part of an
exchange of duties and entitlements.
Therefore, animals cannot have rights. The idea of punishing a tiger that kills
somebody is absurd, for exactly the same reason, so is the idea that tigers have rights.
However, this is only one account, and by no means an uncontested one. It denies rights
not only to animals but also to some people — for instance to infants, the mentally
incapable and future generations. In addition, it is unclear what force a contract can have
for people who never consented to it, how do you reply to somebody who says "I don't
like this contract"?
The point is this: without agreement on the rights of people, arguing about the rights
of animals is fruitless. (78) It leads the discussion to extremes at the outset: it invites you
to think that animals should be treated either with the consideration humans extend to
other humans, or with no consideration at all. This is a false choice. Better to start with
another, more fundamental, question: is the way we treat animals a moral issue at all?
Many deny it. (79) Arguing from the view that humans are different from animals in
every relevant respect, extremists of this kind think that animals lie outside the area of
moral choice. Any regard for the suffering of animals is seen as a mistake — a
sentimental displacement of feeling that should properly be directed to other humans.
This view which holds that torturing a monkey is morally equivalent to chopping
wood, may seem bravely "logical". In fact it is simply shallow: the confused center is
right to reject it. The most elementary form of moral reasoning — the ethical equivalent
of learning to crawl — is to weigh others' interests against one's own. This in turn
requires sympathy and imagination: without there is no capacity for moral thought. To
see an animal in pain is enough, for most, to engage sympathy. (80) When that happens,
it is not a mistake: it is mankind's instinct for moral reasoning in action, an instinct that
should be encouraged rather than laughed at.
Part VI Writing (10 points)
Direction: For this part, you are allowed to write a short essay entitled The Traffic
Problem in Urban Areas. You should write at least 150 words according to the outline
given below.
1. 交通问题成为城市的一大难题
2. 交通问题的负面影响
3. 提出自己的看法