暨南大学考博英语真题,考博英语试题

暨南大学2018年博士研究生入学考试英语试题

Part I Reading Comprehension (60 points)
Directions: There are 6 passages in this Part. Each of the passages is followed by 5 questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET.
Passage 1
In foreign transport today the most popular and common kind of packing material is foam plastic. Before its coming in the 1950s, however, people used wood, paper, sponge and cotton as wrappers. Wood and paper were not resistible enough to intense shocks that were inevitable during long distance transport; cotton and sponge cost too much to be wrappers for ordinary goods like glass, porcelain etc. Often delicate goods were put in a wooden trunk; on each side and end there was a layer of sponge, every individual object then was wrapped by a thick layer of paper or cotton. This was very safe indeed, but the packing and unpacking meant a great deal of labour and a waste of a lot of money.
The arrival of foam plastic almost brought a revolution to the world’s packing industry. Today it accounts for three quarters of packing materials for delicate goods while cotton and sponge have nearly withdrawn from the modern stage of packaging. This is nothing accidental: for one thing it is as cheap as dirt itself; one ton of foam plastic, which occupies a space of as much as 1000 m³, amounts to only US $260. It is softer than wood, and harder than cotton and sponge and paper, and therefore a more suitable wrapper for delicate goods. What is more, it can be easily shaped but its shape is unchangeable so that delicate goods like cameras with their intruding parts, musical instruments with their irregular shapes and extreme delicacy can be completely wrapped and well protected in it without additional fillings. Still another advantage is that the foam plastic wrapper can be used to safeguard your objects as long as it lasts: You buy a TV set in the super market. The foam plastic wrapper protects it on the way to your home. When you move home ten years later, the same wrapper can be picked out from the box at the corner of your barn and used to safeguard your TV set to your new home.
1. What kind of material is foam plastic?
A. The cheapest
B. The most popular
C. The safest
D. The hardest
2. Where did intense shocks often occur?
A. During long distance transport
B. In a wooden trunk
C. In freight transport today
D. In a messy shop
3. Why were cotton and sponge not good wrappers for ordinary goods?
A. Too soft
B. Too expensive
C. Too cheap
D. Too hard
4. What was the usual container of delicate goods before?
A. A wooden trunk
B. A layer of sponge
C. A layer of paper
D. A layer of plastic
5. Why is foam plastic so popular? The following are the reasons except?
A. it is cheap
B. its shape is unchangeable
C. it can be used for many times to protect the same object
D. it is dirt itself and can be got everywhere
Passage 2
Alan Chang was a handsome young man with good manners.
One morning he was walking along a street on his way to an appointment. He did not want to be early or late. He had forgotten to put on his watch so he went up to a man who was waiting for a taxi.
“Excuse me, sir,” he said, very politely, “but could you tell me the time?”
The man, who was very well-dressed and looked quite rich, said nothing. He did not even look at Alan.
Alan spoke to him again. “Excuse me, sir,” he said. “but could you please tell me what time is?”
This time the man looked at him, but he did not speak and looked quickly away.
Alan thought to himself: Well, he’s not deaf. He must be just rude.
“Why won’t you tell me the time, sir?” he demanded.
The man turned towards him and said, “Try to understand me, I am standing here waiting for a taxi. You come up to me and ask me for the time. If I tell it to you, you will thank me. I will say, ‘That’s all right.’ You may then say, ‘It’s a beautiful day,’ to which I may reply ‘Yes, I like these sunny winter days.’ Before we know what is happening we have a friendly conversation. You are a pleasant, polite young man and so when my taxi comes, I offer you a ride. You accept. We talk. I like you. You like me. I invite you to my home. You meet my daughter. She is a very pretty girl. You are a good-looking man. You like each other. Soon you fall in love. You want to marry. Now do you understand my problem?”
Alan shook his head.
“No sir, I’m sorry, I don’t. Everything you have said seems very natural to me.”
“Exactly,” the man said, “and I do not want my daughter to marry a man who is too poor to buy a watch. Good morning to you,” and with these words he hurried away.
6. Why did Alan ask the man what time it was?
A. He was late.
B. He was early.
C. He had forgotten to put on his watch.
D. He wanted to meet the man’s daughter.
7. What did Alan think the man was when he would not tell him the time?
A. rude
B. deaf
C. stupid
D. unable to speak English
8. Why didn’t the man tell Alan the time?
A. He did not know it
B. He did not have a watch.
C. He thought Alan was a thief.
D. He did not want to speak to Alan.
9. What kind of a man did the man consider Alan Chang?
A. a thief
B. a poor man
C. a cheat
D. a rich man
10. What is the story really about?
A. telling the time
B. being rude to people
C. not speaking to strangers
D. one thing leading to another
Passage 3
Good sense is the most equitably distributed thing in the world, for each man considers himself so well provided with it that even those who are most difficult to satisfy in everything else do not usually wish to have more of it than they have already. It is not likely that everyone is mistaken in this; it shows, rather, that the ability to judge rightly and separate the true from the false, which is essentially what is called good sense or reason, is by nature equal in all men, and thus that our opinions differ not because some men are better endowed with reason than others, but only because we direct our thoughts along different paths, and do not consider the same things, for it is not enough to have a good mind: what is most important is to apply it rightly. The greatest souls are capable of the greatest vices; and those who walk very slowly can advance much further, if they always keep to the direct road, than those who run and go astray.
For my part, I have never presumed my mind to be more perfect than average in anyway. I have, in fact, often wished that my thoughts were as quick, or my imagination as precise and distinct, or my memory as capacious or prompt, as those of some other men. And I know of no other qualities than these which make for the perfection of the mind; for as to reason, or good sense, inasmuch as it alone makes us men and distinguishes us from the beasts, I am quite willing to believe that it is whole and entire in each of us, and to follow in the common opinion of the philosophers who say that there are differences of more or less only among the accidents, and not among the forms, or natures, or the individuals of a single species.
11. According to the author, the three elements that comprise the perfect mind are ______.
A. tenacity of thought, capacious memory, quickness of mind
B. precise imagination, tenacity of memory, quickness of mind
C. quickness of wit, ease of conscience, quickness of thought
D. promptness of memory, distinctness of imagination, quickness of thought
12. The basic idea of the first paragraph may be stated as follows: ______.
A. all persons have an equal portion of good will when they are born
B. great souls are capable of great evil
C. good sense, in terms of its distribution among persons, may be called common sense
D. good sense is the mark of the truly good person
13. About himself, the author states that ______.
A. he had always sensed his mental superiority over most persons
B. his awareness of his mental superiority over other was something that grew slowly with experience
C. he actually regards his own mental faculties as inferior in many ways to those of the great majority of persons
D. he has never had the feeling that his mind was more perfect than average in any way
14. The author claims that what sets human beings apart from beasts is ______.
A. a sense of organization combined with the ability to create
B. the ability to adapt to the surroundings
C. a sense of reason coupled with a strong sense of practicality
D. a sense of reason
15. According to the author, the ability to distinguish between the true and the false is ______.
A. endowed by nature to all creatures
B. endowed in equal measure to all persons
C. more heavily present in some persons than in others
D. an unnatural, cultivated trait in all persons
Passage 4
A few years ago a young mother watched her husband diaper their firstborn son. “You do not have to be unhappy about it,” she protested. “You can talk to him and smile a little.” The father, who happened to be a psychologist, answered firmly, “He has nothing to say to me, and I have nothing to say to him.”
Psychologist now know how wrong that father was. From the moment of birth, a baby has a great deal to say to his parents, and they to him. But a decade or so ago, these experts were describing the newborn as a primitive creature who reacted only by reflex, a helpless victim of its environment without capacity to influence it. And mothers accepted the truth. Most thought (and some still do) that a new infant could see only blurry shadows, that his other senses were undeveloped, and that all he required was nourishment, clean diapers, and a warm bassinet.
Today university laboratories across the country are studying newborns in their first month of life. As a result, psychologists now describe the new baby as perceptive, with remarkable learning abilities and an even more remarkable capacity to shape his or her environment including the attitudes and actions of his parents. Some researchers believe that the neonatal period may even be the most significant four weeks in an entire lifetime.
Far from being helpless, the newborn knows what he likes and rejects what he doesn’t. He shut out unpleasant sensations by closing his eyes or averting his face. He is a glutton for novelty. He prefers animate things over inanimate and likes people more than anything.
When a more nine minutes out, an infant prefers a human face to a head-shaped outline. He makes the choice despite the fact that, with delivery room attendants masked and gowned, he has never seen a human face before. By the time he’s twelve hours old, his entire body moves in precise synchrony to the sound of a human voice, as if he were dancing. A non-human sound, such as a tapping noise, brings no such response.
16. The author points out that the father diapering his first-born son was wrong because ______.
A. he believed the baby was not able to hear him
B. he thought the baby didn’t have the power of speech
C. he was a psychologist unworthy of his profession
D. he thought the baby was not capable of any response
17. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. A new infant can see only blurry shadows.
B. A new infant’s senses are undeveloped.
C. All a new infant requires is nourishment, clean diapers, and a warm bassinet.
D. A new infant is actually able to influence his or her environment.
18. What does the sentence “He is a glutton for novelty” probably mean?
A. The newborn is greedy for new food.
B. The newborn tends to overeat.
C. The newborn always loves things that are new to him.
D. The newborn’s appetite is a constant topic in novels.
19. According to the passage, it’s groundless to think that newborns prefer ______.
A. a human face to a head-shaped outline
B. animate things to inanimate ones
C. human voice to non-human sounds
D. nourishment to a warm bassinet
20. What is the passage mainly discussing about?
A. What people know about newborns.
B. How wrong parents are when they handle their babies.
C. How much newborns have progressed in about a decade’s time.
D. Why the first month of life is the most significant four weeks in a lifetime.
Passage 5
Exceptional children are different in some significant way from others of the same age. For these children to develop to their full adult potential, their education must be adapted to those differences.
Although we focus on the needs of exceptional children, we find ourselves describing their environment as well. While the leading actor on the stage captures our attention, we are aware of the importance of the supporting players and the scenery of the play itself. Both the family and the society in which exceptional children live are often the key to their growth and development. And it is in the public schools that we find the full expression of society’s understanding—the knowledge, hopes and fears that are passed on to the next generation.
Education in any society is mirror of that society. In that mirror we can see the strengths, the weakness, the hopes, the prejudices, and the central values of the culture itself. The great interest in exceptional children shown in public education over the past three decades indicates the strong feeling in our society that all citizens, whatever their special conditions, deserve the opportunity to fully develop their capabilities.
“All men are created equal.” We’ve heard it many times, but it still has important meaning for education in a democratic society. Although the phrase was used by this country’s founders to denote equality before the law, it has also been interpreted to mean equality of opportunity. That concept implies educational opportunity for all children—the right of each child to receive help in learning to the limits of his or her capacity, whether that capacity be small or great. Recent court decisions have confirmed the right of all children—disabled or not—to an appropriate education, and have ordered that public schools take the necessary steps to provide that education. In response, schools are modifying their program, adapting instruction to children who are exceptional, to those who cannot profit substantially from regular programs.
21. What is the purpose for author to cite the example of stage in paragraph 2?
A. To show those exceptional children are more easily influenced than normal children.
B. To indicate those exceptional children have great potentials.
C. To identify all men are born to be equal.
D. To illustrate the importance of environment such as family and society.
22. Why does public pay much attention to exceptional education?
A. Exceptional education is a part of compulsory education.
B. The belief that exceptional children should develop their potentials as well.
C. Exceptional education has been underestimated for a long time.
D. Exceptional education is a reflection of society.
23. Which one of the following actions has NOT been taken to facilitate exceptional education?
A. Courts have confirmed the right for exceptional children to receive education.
B. Governments have made policies to protect exceptional education.
C. Schools are forced by courts to take actions to offer education for exceptional children.
D. Schools have appropriated programs and instruction to satisfy the need of exceptional children.
24. The word “substantially” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. stunningly
B. generally
C. adequately
D. fundamentally
25. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. The necessity of adapting education to exceptional children.
B. The Specialty of exceptional children.
C. The introduction of education programs.
D. The responsibilities of government for those exceptional children.
Passage 6
Would you stop buying Apple’s products if it decided to help the FBI open a terrorist’s iPhone? I thought not.
Which is to say that Apple CEO Tim Cook, in his refusal to help the FBI break into iPhones, is ahead of most of the population. But maybe not all that far ahead. His very public stance might even turn out to be the smartest thing he’s done for Apple since becoming CEO.
We all give our privacy away every day, constantly, to a panoply of entities. I actually snorted a laugh when Facebook and Google proclaimed their support for Cook’s position. Facebook and Google horde more data about us than any other commercial entities and make billions of dollars on it. Remember, their products are free; their core business is selling the details of our lives to advertisers.
At the moment, when most consumers say they’re concerned about privacy, they’re kidding themselves. A recent survey by TRUSTe and the National Cyber Security Alliance found that 92 percent of respondents who use the Internet said they worry about online privacy, yet 89 percent do not avoid businesses they feel are not respecting their privacy. In other words, our anxieties about this stuff are completely disconnected from our actions.
And encroachments on our privacy are only going to get worse. Wearables like Fitbits, smart home devices like Nest, connected cars and Internet of Things sensors are all creating ever more data about ever more detailed and intimate aspects of our lives. Artificial intelligence software can stitch together different kinds of data to paint a ridiculously accurate picture of an individual.
In many ways, we welcome this—the better technology knows us, the better it can serve us. But at what point does the exploitation of our details turn from convenience into invasion? And don’t we want control of that knob to understand and decide what we’re agreeing to share?
Cook is making us think about all that now. Do most people care much about this one case, this one phone? Not likely. But this fight is making us realize that we need to make some decisions, individually and as a society, about digital privacy before it gets away from us. A cynic might say Apple can afford to take this stand because it doesn’t rely on selling advertising as a business model. But every company should take the public’s interest in Apple’s decision to heart. Privacy is rising to a new level of awareness.
Apple, so often on the forefront, seems to know this. The FBI said Cook’s stand is a marketing ploy. In Cook’s letter to customers, he snorted, “Absolutely not. Nothing could be further from the truth.” He added, “This is and always has been about our customers. We feel strongly that if we were to do what the government has asked of us—to create a backdoor to our products—not only is it unlawful but it puts the vast majority of good and law-abiding citizens, who rely on iPhone to protect their most personal and important data, at risk.”
So, really, Cooks’ position may not be a ploy. It could turn out to be brilliant marketing.
26. Why did the author snort a laugh when Facebook and Google proclaimed their support for Cook’s position?
A. Because they didn’t agree with Cook from the bottom of their hearts.
B. Because they possessed more information about us than any other commercial entities.
C. Because they made billions of dollars by supporting Apple.
D. Because they didn’t care about their clients privacy at all.
27. What does the word “encroachment” in paragraph 6 mean?
A. protection
B. violation
C. promotion
D. exploitation
28. The following devices are creating more data about our lives in a more detailed and intimate way EXCEPT ______.
A. TRUSTe
B. Internet of Things sensors
C. Wearables like Fitbits
D. Smart home devices like Nest
29. What can we infer from this passage?
A. Cook’s refusal is regarded as a mere tactic by the general public.
B. All companies that provide free products are selling details of our lives to advertisers.
C. Most people say they are concerned about their privacy but actually they fail to pay much attention to it.
D. Every company should learn from Apples’ business models.
30. The best title for this passage would be ______.
A. Awareness of privacy protection should be promoted
B. Whether Cook’s refusal is just a ploy
C. The battle between FBI and Apple
D. How Tim Cook aims to profit from protecting privacy
Part II Translation (15 points)
Directions: Translate the following 5 underlined parts from English into Chinese. Please write your answer on the ANSWER SHEET.
Governments throughout the world act on the assumption that the welfare of their people depends largely on the economic strength and wealth of the community. (1) Under modern conditions, this requires varying measures of centralized control and hence the help of specialized scientists such as economists and operational research experts. (2) Furthermore, it is obvious that the strength of a country’s economy is directly bound up with the efficiency of its agriculture and industry, and that this in turn rests upon the efforts of scientists and technologists of all kinds. It also means that governments are increasingly compelled to interfere in these sectors in order to step up production and ensure that it is utilized to the best advantage. For example, they may encourage research in various ways, including the setting up of their own research centers; they may alter the structure of education, or interfere in order to reduce the wastage of natural resources for tap resources hitherto unexploited; or they may co-operate directly in the growing number of international projects related to science, economics and industry. In any case, all such interventions are heavily dependent on scientific advice and also scientific and technological manpower of all kinds.
(3) Owing to the remarkable development in mass-communications, people everywhere are feeling new wants and are being exposed to new customs and ideas, while governments are often forced to introduce still further innovations for the reasons given above. At the same time, the normal rate of social change throughout the world is taking place at a vastly accelerated speed compared with the past. For example, (4) in the early industrialized countries of Europe the process of industrialization—with all the far-reaching changes in social patterns that followed—was spread over nearly a century, whereas nowadays a developing nation may undergo the same process in a decade or so. All this has the effect of building up unusual pressures and tensions within the community and consequently presents serious problems for the governments concerned. (5) Additional social stresses may also occur because of the population explosion or problems arising from mass migration movements—themselves made relatively easy nowadays by modern means of transport. As a result of all these factors, government are becoming increasingly dependent on biologists and social scientists for planning the appropriate programs and putting them into effect.
Part III Writing (25 points)
Directions: China claims to be the largest developing country in the world, yet its population is aging stunningly fast. What are the consequences and how will China solve the problem? Explain the issue thoroughly with relevant government statistics, policies and real-life experiences.
Write your composition with 220—250 words on the ANSWER SHEET.