昆明理工大学考博英语真题,考博英语试题

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昆明理工大学2008年博士研究生入学考试英语试题
Part I Listening Comprehension (10%)
Directions: In this part you will hear 20 statements. Each statement will be spoken only once. At the end of the statement you will be given 20 seconds to answer each of the questions. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
1. The speaker is talking to a ______.
A. doctor
B. pharmacist
C. mechanic
D. waiter
2. What is the speaker’s attitude?
A. He couldn’t agree any more.
B. He agrees completely.
C. He agrees partially.
D. He couldn’t stand it any more.
3. How much did Mr. Dawson pay for the sweater?
A. $30
B. $13
C. $80
D. $18
4. What does staying healthy mean today?
A. You should often go to a doctor.
B. Going to a doctor regularly helps.
C. Keep fit and strong all the time.
D. You should never go to a doctor.
5. Where is the speaker?
A. In a bank.
B. In a restaurant.
C. In an office.
D. In a shop.
6. The speaker regretted having ______.
A. missed the game
B. gone to the game
C. won the game
D. missed the bet
7. What does the speaker think about teachers?
A. Teachers get much satisfaction from work.
B. Teachers get little satisfaction from work.
C. Few teachers are satisfied with their work.
D. Few teachers feel satisfied with their salary.
8. The speaker is comparing two ______.
A. research projects
B. political declarations
C. kinds of candies
D. political events
9. What does the speaker mean?
A. John was unhappy with his dormitory.
B. John’s dormitory wasn’t full.
C. John didn’t meet me at the door.
D. There wasn’t any vacant room.
10. What does the statement imply?
A. We are sorry that we both failed.
B. Mary is envious of Jane’s success.
C. We are amazed by the fact.
D. Jane is envious of Mary’s success.
11. The speaker thinks that ______.
A. writing is his favorite course
B. he prefers other courses to composition
C. one particular course is better than writing
D. he doesn’t like any course, least of writing
12. What does the speaker imply?
A. He didn’t finish the exercises yesterday.
B. The exercises were handed in yesterday.
C. He knew the exercises should be handed in today.
D. He doesn’t need to hand in the exercises today.
13. The speaker was ______ minutes late.
A. 50
B. 15
C. 30
D. 10
14. What does the statement mean?
A. The speaker didn’t attend the exam.
B. The speaker didn’t do the spelling.
C. The speaker was good at spelling.
D. The speaker ignored his spelling.
15. According to the statement, the house is ______.
A. badly built
B. noisy inside
C. very dirty
D. in disorder
16. The weather last weekend was ______.
A. warm and dry
B. cold and wet
C. cool and crisp
D. sunny and lovely
17. Joe went to court because he was a ______.
A. law breaker
B. trainee lawyer
C. friend of the judge
D. traffic policeman
18. Where did the speaker think they were supposed to meet?
A. On the platform.
B. On the train.
C. Near the stairs.
D. At the information desk.
19. What is being described?
A. Telephone.
B. Telegraph.
C. Microfilm.
D. Microscope.
20. How long was the coach delayed?
A. Three hours and forty-five minutes.
B. Five and a half hours.
C. Two hours and forty-five minutes.
D. Eight hours and fifteen minutes.
Part II Vocabulary and Structure (20 points)
Directions: In this section, there are forty incomplete sentences. For each sentence there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one answer that best completes the sentence. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
21. In some countries preschool education in nursery schools or kindergartens ______ the first grade.
A. leads
B. precedes
C. forwards
D. advances
22. That tragedy distressed me so much that I used to keep indoors and go out only ______ necessity.
A. within reach of
B. for fear of
C. by means of
D. in case of
23. Haven't I told you I don't want you keeping ______ with those awful riding-about bicycle boys?
A. company
B. acquaintance
C. friends
D. place
24. This platform would collapse if all of us ______ on it.
A. stand
B. stood
C. would stand
D. had stood
25. It will be safer to walk the streets because people will not need to carry large amounts of cash. Virtually all financial ______ will be conducted by computer.
A. transactions
B. transmissions
C. transitions
D. transformations
26. The purpose of a ______ is to cut down imports in order to protect domestic industry and workers from foreign competition.
A. tax
B. toll
C. fee
D. tariff
27. We can rely on William to carry out this mission, for his judgment is always ______.
A. inexplicable
B. healthy
C. sound
D. straight
28. The director was critical ______ the way we were doing the work.
A. at
B. in
C. of
D. with
29. He came back later, ______ which time they had left.
A. after
B. by
C. from
D. for
30. Using extremely different decorating schemes in adjoining rooms may result in ______ and lack of unity in style.
A. conflict
B. confrontation
C. disturbance
D. disharmony
31. He promised me a letter; he ought to ______ it days ago.
A. have written
B. write
C. had written
D. be writing
32. The rules stated that anyone who had held office for three years was not ______ for reelection.
A. admirable
B. eligible
C. reliable
D. capable
33. Although there are several variations on the exact format that worksheets can take, they are all similar in their ______ aspects.
A. potential
B. social
C. essential
D. partial
34. Negro slavery, many claimed, was good for all ______.
A. concerned
B. is concerned
C. to concern
D. that concerns
35. We think ______ possible for them to fulfill their task in a few weeks.
A. it
B. that
C. what
D. this
36. China is mobilized to go all out to build the country into a powerful, modern, ______ socialist country.
A. Whole
B. The whole
C. The whole of
D. The all of
37. ______, we shall go out for a picnic on Monday.
A. Weather permits
B. Weather permitted
C. Weather permitting
D. With weather to permit
38. Prof. Ward hardly ever went to ______ the theatre.
A. neither the cinema nor
B. either the cinema nor
C. neither the cinema or
D. either the cinema or
39. Your advice would be ______ valuable to him, who is at present at his wit’s end.
A. exceedingly
B. excessively
C. extensively
D. exclusively
40. The monopoly-capitalist group ______ many smaller enterprises last year.
A. integrated
B. merged
C. combined
D. collected
41. This watch is ______ to all the other watches on the market.
A. superior
B. advantageous
C. super
D. beneficial
42. Scholars maintain that social development can easily ______ language changes.
A. bring up
B. bring about
C. bring out
D. bring forward
43. They are a firm of good repute and have large financial ______.
A. reserves
B. savings
C. storages
D. resources
44. The bus moved slowly in the thick fog. We arrived at our ______ almost two hours later.
A. designation
B. destiny
C. destination
D. dignity
45. The government is trying to do something to ______ better understanding between the two countries.
A. raise
B. promote
C. heighten
D. increase
46. Every man in this country has the right to live where he wants to, ______ the color of his skin.
A. with the exception of
B. in the light of
C. by virtue of
D. regardless of
47. That sound doesn't ______ in his language, so it's difficult for him to pronounce it.
A. happen
B. occur
C. have
D. take place
48. My students found the book ______; it provided them with an abundance of information on the subject.
A. enlightening
B. confusing
C. distracting
D. amusing
49. I ______ you that the goods will be delivered next week.
A. insist
B. confirm
C. assure
D. ensure
50. In many countries tobacco and medicine are government ______.
A. control
B. monopoly
C. business
D. belongings
51. In this factory the machines are not regulated ______ but are jointly controlled by a central computer system.
A. independently
B. individually
C. irrespectively
D. irregularly
52. They lost their way in the forest, and ______ made matters worse was that night began to fall.
A. it
B. that
C. which
D. what
53. The last half of the nineteenth century ______ the steady improvement in the means of travel.
A. told
B. declared
C. viewed
D. witnessed
54. At first Jackie prayed, frozen in fear, but gradually his terror ______ curiosity.
A. put up with
B. lived up to
C. gave way to
D. did away with
55. In most countries, the metric system has been ______ for all measurement.
A. admitted
B. adapted
C. applied
D. adopted
56. One of the important properties of a scientific theory is its ability to ______ further research and further thinking about a particular topic.
A. invent
B. stimulate
C. renovate
D. advocate
57. There is a general ______ that pouring old wine into the same bottles is the wrong way to go.
A. consensus
B. census
C. censorship
D. conscience
58. You are just the same ______ you were the day when I first met you.
A. that
B. as
C. like
D. so
59. Jack never dreams of ______ for him to be sent abroad to study very soon.
A. being a chance
B. there being a chance
C. there to be a chance
D. there be a chance
60. Criticism without suggesting areas of improvement is not ______ and should be avoided if possible.
A. constructive
B. productive
C. descriptive
D. relative
Part III Reading Comprehension (40 points)
Directions: Read the following four passages. Answer the questions below each passage by choosing A, B, C or D. Write the appropriate letter on the ANSWER SHEET.
Passage 1
Psychiatrists who work with older parents say that maturity can be an asset in child rearing — older parents are more thoughtful, use less physical discipline and spend more time with their children. But raising kids takes money and energy. Many older parents find themselves balancing their limited financial resources, declining energy and failing health against the growing demands of an active child. Dying and leaving young children is probably the older people’s biggest, and often unspoken, fear. Having late-life children, says an economics professor, often means parents, particularly fathers, "end up retiring much later." For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream.
Henry Metcalf, a 54-year-old journalist, knows it takes money to raise kids. But he’s also worried that his energy will give out first. Sure, he can still ride bikes with his athletic fifth grader, but he’s learned that young at heart doesn’t mean young. Lately he’s been taking afternoon naps to keep up his energy. "My body is aging," says Metcalf, "You can’t get away from that."
Often, older parents hear the ticking of another kind of biological clock. Therapists who work with middle-aged and aged parents say fears about aging are nothing to laugh at. "They worry they’ll be mistaken for grandparents, or that they’ll need help getting up out of those little chairs in nursery school," says Joann Galst, a New York psychologist. But at the core of those little fears there is often a much bigger one: "that they won’t be alive enough to support and protect their child," she says.
Many late-life parents, though, say their children came at just the right time. After marrying late and undergoing years of fertility treatment, Marilyn Nolen and her husband, Randy, had twins. "We both wanted children," says Marilyn, who was 55 when she gave birth. The twins have given the couple what they desired for years, "a sense of family."
Kids of older dads are often smarter, happier and more sociable because their fathers are more involved in their lives. "The dads are older, more mature," says Dr. Silber, "and more ready to focus on parenting."
61. Why do psychiatrists regard maturity as an asset in child rearing?
A. Older parents can better balance their resources against children’s demands.
B. Older parents are usually more experienced in bringing up their children.
C. Older parents are often better prepared financially.
D. Older parents can take better care of their children.
62. What does the author mean by saying "For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream"?
A. They have to go on working beyond their retirement age.
B. They can’t get full pension unless they work some extra years.
C. They can’t obtain the retirement benefits they have dreamed of.
D. They are reluctant to retire when they reach their retiring age.
63. The author gives the example of Henry Metcalf to show that ______.
A. many people are young in spirit despite their advanced age
B. taking afternoon naps is a good way to maintain energy
C. older parents tend to be concerned about their aging bodies
D. older parents should exercise more to keep up with their athletic children
64. What's the biggest fear of older parents according to New York psychologist Joann Galst?
A. Being laughed at by other people.
B. Slowing down of their paces of life.
C. Being mistaken for grandparents.
D. Approaching of death.
65. What do we learn about Marilyn and Randy Nolen?
A. They thought they were examples of successful fertility treatment.
B. Not until they had the twins did they feel they had formed a family.
C. They believed that children born of older parents would be smarter.
D. Not until they reached middle age did they think of having children.
Passage 2
Americans usually consider themselves a friendly people. Their friendships, however, tend to be shorter and more casual than friendships among people from other cultures. It is not uncommon for Americans to have only one close friend during their lifetime, and consider other "friends" to be just social acquaintances. This attitude probably has something to do with American mobility and the fact that Americans do not like to be dependent on other people. They tend to "compartmentalize" friendships, having "friends at work", "friends on the softball team", "family friends", etc.
Because the United States is a highly active society, full of movement and change, people always seem to be on the go. In this highly changed atmosphere, Americans can sometimes seem brusque or impatient. They want to get to know you as quickly as possible and then move on to something else. Sometimes, early on, they will ask you questions that you may feel very personal. No insult is intended; the questions usually grow out of their genuine interest or curiosity, and their impatience to get to the heart of the matter. And the same goes for you. If you do not understand certain American behavior or you want to know more about them, do not hesitate to ask them questions about themselves. Americans are usually eager to explain all about their country or anything "American" in which you may be interested. So much so in fact that you may become tired of listening. It doesn’t matter because Americans tend to be uncomfortable with silence during a conversation. They would rather talk about the weather or the latest sports scores, for example, than deal with silence.
On the other hand, don’t expect Americans to be knowledgeable about international geography or world affairs, unless those subjects directly involve the United States. Because the United States is not surrounded by many other nations, some Americans tend to ignore the rest of the world.
66. The general topic of the passage is ______.
A. American culture
B. American society
C. Americans’ activities
D. Americans’ personality
67. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A. Americans do not like to depend on other people.
B. Friendships among Americans tend to be casual.
C. Americans know a lot about international affairs.
D. Americans always seem to be on the go.
68. The phrase "highly changed" (Paragraph 2) most probably means ______.
A. extremely free
B. highly responsible
C. very cheerful
D. full of mobility and change
69. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. Americans want to participate in all kinds of activities
B. Americans' character is affected by their social and geographical environment
C. Americans do not know how to deal with silence
D. Curiosity is characteristic of Americans
70. According to the passage, Americans tend to ignore the rest of the world because ______.
A. they are not interested in other countries
B. they are too proud of themselves
C. their country does not have many neighboring nations
D. they are too busy to learn about other countries
Passage 3
The year 1400 opened with more peacefulness than usual in England. Only a few months before Richard II, weak, wicked, and treacherous, had been deposed, and Henry IV declared king in his stead. But it was only a seeming peacefulness, lasting for but a little while; for though King Henry proved himself a just and a merciful man, as justice and mercy went with the men of iron of those days — and though he did not care to shed blood needlessly, there were many noble families who had been benefited by King Richard during his reign, and who had lost somewhat of their power and prestige from the coming in of the new king.
Among these were a number of great lords who had been degraded from their former titles and estates, from which degradation King Richard had lifted them. They planned to fall upon King Henry and his followers and to massacre them during a great tournament which was being held at Oxford. And they might have succeeded had not one of their own members betrayed them. But Henry did not appear at the lists; whereupon, knowing that he had been lodging at Windsor with only a few attendants, the conspirators marched there against him. In the meantime, the king had been warned of the plot, so that instead of finding him in the royal castle, they discovered through their scouts that he had hurried to London, and that he was marching against them at the head of a considerable army. So nothing was left but fight. One and another, they were all caught and some killed. Those few who found friends faithful and bold enough to afford them shelter dragged those friends down in their own ruin.
71. What does the author seem to think of King Henry?
A. He was the best king England had ever had.
B. He was a better ruler than King Richard.
C. He was unfair and cowardly.
D. He was just as evil as King Richard.
72. How did King Henry find out about the plot?
A. His scouts discovered it.
B. He saw the conspirators coming.
C. One of the conspirators told him.
D. He found a copy of the conspirators' plan.
73. Why did the nobles wish to kill King Henry?
A. Henry had taken away power given to them by King Richard.
B. Henry was weak, treacherous, and wicked.
C. Henry had needlessly killed members of their families.
D. Henry had killed King Richard.
74. It can be inferred that Richard II’s reign was ______.
A. peaceful
B. corrupt
C. democratic
D. illegal
75. The main purpose of the passage is to ______.
A. prove that Richard II was a bad king
B. explain the customs of fifteenth-century England
C. describe some typical English kings
D. discuss the conspiracy against Henry IV
Passage 4
The full influence of mechanization began shortly after 1850, when a variety of machines came rapidly into use. The introduction of these machines frequently created rebellions by workers who were fearful that the machines would rob them of their work. Patrick Bell, in Scotland, and Cyrus McCormick, in United States, produced threshing machines. Ingenious improvements were made in plows to compensate for different soil types. Stream power came into use in 1860s on large farms. Hay rakes, hay-loaders, and various special harvesting machines were produced. Milking machines appeared. The internal-combustion engine run by gasoline became the chief power source for the farm.
In time, the number of certain farm machines that came into use skyrocketed and changed the nature of farming. Between 1940 and 1960, for example, 12 million horses and mules gave way to 5 million tractors. Tractors offer many features that are attractive to farmers. There are, for example, numerous attachments: cultivators that can penetrate the soil to varying depths, rotary hoes that chop weeds; spray devices that can spray pesticides in lands 100 feet across, and many others.
A piece of equipment has now been invented or adapted for virtually every laborious hand or animal operation on the farm. In the United States, for example, cotton, tobacco, hay, and grain are planted, treated for pests and diseases, fertilized, cultivated and harvested by machine. Large devices shake fruit and nut from trees, grain and blend feed, and dry grain and hay. Equipment is now available to put just the right amount of fertilizer in just the right place, to spray an exact row width, and to count out, space, and plant just the right number of seeds for a row.
Mechanization is not used in agriculture in many parts of Latin America, Africa. Agriculture innovation is accepted fastest where agriculture is already profitable and progressive. Some mechanization has reached the level of plantation agriculture in parts of the tropics, but even today much of that land is laboriously worked by people leading draft animals pulling primitive plows.
The problems of mechanization in some areas are not only cultural in nature. For examples, tropical soils and crops differ markedly from those in temperate areas that the machines are designed for, so adaptations have to be made. But the greatest obstacle to mechanization is the fear in underdeveloped countries that the workers who are displaced by machines would not find work elsewhere. Introducing mechanization into such areas requires careful planning.
76. Which of the following best summarize the main idea of the first paragraph?
A. The introduction of machines into agricultural work created rebellions by the workers.
B. The use of internal-combustion engine run by gasoline became the chief power for the farm working.
C. The mechanization of agricultural work gradually robbed many farmers of their work.
D. Steam power began to be used in farming machines in the 1860s to yield production.
77. In some areas of Latin America, ______.
A. mechanization is not yet used in agriculture.
B. mechanization is accepted fastest.
C. a lot of farm work is still done in the traditional way.
D. primitive plows are no longer in use.
78. By saying that "the problems of mechanizing in some areas are not only cultural in nature", the author means ______.
A. mechanization is not yet introduced in some areas for reasons other than culture.
B. human and animal labor in some areas are less expensive.
C. different kinds of tools are used in different cultures.
D. culture is the only factor that obstacles the introduction of mechanization.
79. Which of the following statements about farmer’s attitude to mechanization is true?
A. Farmers are all very happy to work with farming machines.
B. Nearly all the farm works can be done by the machines, so many farmers go to work in cities.
C. Farm works become easy for the workers, so they love mechanization.
D. Farm works don't need many workers, so they are anxious about their own job opportunities.
80. According to the passage, we can infer that ______.
A. mechanization can be introduced to all areas for economic growth.
B. human and animal labor in most areas are required.
C. mechanization should be considered carefully in some countries.
D. different kinds of mechanized farming tools are used in different cultures.
Part IV Translation
Directions: Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translations should be written clearly on 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. (81) Under modern conditions, this requires varying measures of centralized control and hence the help of specialized scientists such as economists and operational research expert. (82) 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, of which they may cooperate 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. (83) 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, (84) 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. (85) 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, governments are becoming increasingly dependent on biologists and social scientists for planning the appropriate programs and putting them into effect.
Part V Writing (10 points)
Directions: Present a written argument based on the following topic. Some people believe that government spends too much money on space research while there are still a lot of problems on the earth. Do you agree or disagree?
You should write no less than 150 words. Use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and with relevant evidence.