四川师范大学考博英语真题,考博英语试题

四川师范大学
2015年攻读博士学位研究生入学考试试题

Part I. Reading Comprehension (30%, 1.5 points for each)
Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on Answer Sheet 1.
Passage 1
It is clear that human history will end; the only mystery is when. It is also clear that if the timing is left to nature (or, if you prefer, to God) and humans hang on until the bloody end, the race's final exit will be ignoble. If future generations escape the saurian suffering of extinction by a wandering chunk of rock or ice, the sun's unavoidable growth to giant-hood will still burn their last successors into ashes: only cinders and gases and dust will remain.
Far future generations might prolong the process by posting colonies beyond the earth's orbit, but these would be sad outposts at the end of the solar system's long day, clutching memories of a lost planet and of billions of sacrificed souls. The difficulties—fantastic difficulties—of interstellar travel might be overcome, but the mightiest of starships could do no more than suspend the end of the world. An ignoble existence hopping from planet to planet—clinging to each clod until it, in its turn, was vaporized or frozen—might still be bearable, were it not for the knowledge of its final usefulness. In the end, there is only death by gravity, the fiery quantum pit or the heatless grey soup.
The great violinist Jascha Heifetz was great not least because he quit the concert stage at his peak before the show became stale or the audience drifted away. To exit gracefully is sublime, as Heifetz understood. And only one species is capable of choosing a similarly graceful exit; all others march on like robots. To call time on the human race by choice, not necessity, would be the final victory of the human spirit over animal nature, an absolute emancipation from the command of DNA. Precisely because no other known life-form could do or even conceive such a thing, humanity must.
More science has revealed only one place in the universe that is hospitable to intelligent life, and humans are the only intelligence that, as far as is known, has ever enjoyed the opportunity to occupy it. If people left the stage after a reasonable run, in the fullness of time intelligence could evolve again (dolphin-people? chim-people? orchid people?). And then, in due course, when this new species deciphered human books or reached the marker that might be left for them on the windless moon, they would know that man ended his dominion so that theirs might begin. Imagine, then, how they will regard us. It is, far and away, the greatest act of goodness ever contemplated, the ennoblement of a whole species, an act, almost, of angels.
1. According to the passage, what may be human being's best choice about its future?
A. leaving the timings to nature
B. the saurian-like elimination
C. being eliminated by the sun's unavoidable growth to giant hood
D. leaving the timing to human being itself
2. What does "interstellar travel" serve according to the writer?
A. a practical way to escape the end of the world.
B. nothing more than postponing the end of the world.
C. a way hopping from planet to planet.
D. a way to escape from gravity.
3. The writer cites Jascha Heifetz's example because ________.
A. he is a famous violinist.
B. he quit the concert stage at his peak.
C. his quitting the stage gives some inspiration to human beings.
D. he is adored by his audience.
4. According to the passage, what may be the reason for human being's leaving the stage?
A. The force of the nature
B. The force of God
C. Human being's rationality
D. The command of DNA
5. The writer thinks human being's leaving the stage can be any of the following BUT ________.
A. the greatest act of goodness ever contemplated
B. the ennoblement of a whole species
C. an act, almost, of angels
D. human being's having no alternative
Passage 2
Art is considered by many people to be little more than a decorative means of giving pleasure. This is not always the case, however; at times, art may be seen to have a purely functional side as well. Such could be said of the sand paintings of the Navaho Indians of the American southwest; these have a medicinal as well as an artistic purpose.
According to Navaho traditions, one who suffers from either a mental or physical illness has in some way disturbed or come in contact with the supernatural, perhaps a certain animal, a ghost, or the dead. To counteract this evil contact, the ill person or one of his relatives will employ a medicine man called a 'singer' to perform a healing ceremony which will attract powerful supernatural being. During the ceremony, which may last from 2 to 9 days, the 'singer' will produce a sand painting on the floor of the Navaho hogan. On the last day of the ceremony, the patient will sit on this sand painting and the 'singer' will rub the ailing parts of the patient's body from a specific figure in the sand painting. In this way the patient absorbs the power of that particular supernatural being and becomes strong after the ceremony, the sand painting is then destroyed and disposed of so its power will not harm anyone.
The art of sand painting is handed down from old 'singers' to their students. The materials used are easily found in the areas the Navaho inhabit; brown, red, yellow, and white sandstone, which is pulverized by being crushed between 2 stones much as corn is ground into flour. The 'singer' holds a small amount of this sand in his hand and lets it flow between his thumb and forefingers onto a clean, flat surface on the floor. With a steady hand and great patience, he is thus able to create designs of stylized people, snakes and other creatures that have power in the Navaho belief system. The traditional Navaho does not allow reproduction of sand paintings, since he believes the supernatural powers that taught him the craft have forbidden this; however, such reproductions can in fact be purchased today in tourist shops in Arizona and New Mexico. These are done by either Navaho Indians or by other people who wish to preserve this craft.
6. A good title for this article might be ________.
A. Modern Art
B. The Navaho Indian
C. Sand painting
D. Medicine
7. The purpose of healing ceremony is ________.
A. to please supernatural powers
B. to attract supernatural powers
C. to frighten supernatural powers
D. to create a sand painting
8. The 'singer' rubs sand on the patient because ________.
A. the patient receives strength from the sand
B. it has medical value
C. it decorates the patient
D. it is one of the special process of the ceremony
9. What is used to produce a sand painting?
A. paint
B. beach sand
C. crushed sandstone
D. flour
10. It can be inferred that ________.
A. in the Navaho's opinion, sand painting is nothing but a kind of art.
B. in the Navaho's opinion, sand painting is only a healing method.
C. the Navaho understands sand painting as a kind of relaxation.
D. the Navaho takes sand painting as a pure pleasure of their life.
Passage 3
'Very few people like to talk about how much money they make—especially people who earn a lot of money,' wrote Salmon in his post Why Salaries Shouldn't Be Secret, in the wake of news that recently-departed New York Times editor Jill Abramson had started asking questions about the pay discrepancy between her and her predecessor. 'Since companies tend to be run by people who earn a lot of money, the result is a culture of silence and secrecy when it comes to pay.'
There are several surprising reasons. 'Secrecy surrounding pay is generally a bad idea for any organizations,' Salmon wrote. 'For one thing, secrecy about pay is bad for women, who are worse at asking for raises than men are. If men secretly ask for raises and secretly get them, while women don't, then that helps to explain, at least in part, why men end up earning more than women,' Salmon wrote. 'Secrecy around pay is also a great way to allow managers to—consciously or unconsciously—play favorites with their staff.'
'We've all worked in companies, I'm sure, where the only way to get a substantial raise is to confront management with a job offer from somewhere else,' he added. 'That's clearly a dreadful way to run a company, since it gives all employees a huge incentive to spend a lot of time looking for work elsewhere, even if they're happy where they are.'
'If you work for a company where everybody knows what everybody else is earning, then it's going to be very easy to see what's going on. You'll see who the stars are, you'll see what kind of skills and talent the company rewards,' he wrote. 'You'll also see whether men get paid more than women, whether managers are generally overpaid, and whether behavior like threatening to quit is rewarded with big raises. What's more, because management knows that everybody else will see such things, they'll be much less likely to do the kind of secret deals which are all too common in most companies today.'
11. What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Salmon is the first writer who put forward the question of pay discrepancy.
B. Jill Abramson left New York Times when she knew that difference in pay.
C. Managers seldom talk about their pay because it is a tradition not to.
D. Jill Abramson didn't get the same pay with someone who did the same job.
12. What is a possible reason why men usually earn more than women according to Salmon?
A. Men are more likely to get the trust of their boss.
B. Managers tend to think men are more capable than women.
C. Men expect more pressure on the boss for pay raise than women.
D. Men are more likely to make secret deal with the manager about pay.
13. The italicized phrase "play favorite with" (in paragraph 2) most likely means to ___.
A. make secret deals with
B. treat differently
C. show prejudice against
D. cheat
14. Another big problem secrecy about pay might cause is ___.
A. employees' lack of full commitment
B. low productivity
C. unhappy employees
D. frequent confrontations
15. What does Salmon suggest might happen if there is no secrecy in pay?
A. Managers will earn less than they do today.
B. Employees will be more skilled than today.
C. It will be clear who the boss's favorite is.
D. The company will become a fairer place than today.
Passage 4
The benefits of a diverse workforce are only seen if the staff is well managed. Bosses need to understand that people with differing backgrounds will come up with ideas in different ways and give them the flexibility to be creative in their custom.
That comes together with a couple steps; first, managers need to be sure they are actively pursuing new hires that not only add diversity but also offer a new perspective.
The key is not just adding a Hispanic woman to the staff because you don't have one now. It's best to seek people whose backgrounds are different from your current staff as they will likely find solutions in different ways.
Take as an example the accounting firm Deloitte, an elderly adopter of diversity. The firm was training minorities to become top managers, but then it often lost them before they reached the executive level—as often happens in that profession. So Deloitte created a new executive training program that urged its accountants to stay on rather than jumping to another firm for advancement. This assured that the minorities the company was grooming for top management wouldn't leave the company before reaching higher ranks.
But it's not just about putting minorities in a few jobs and having them run things as usual. For instance, immigrants from countries where banks have failed or simply aren't trusted may need to build a relationship with someone in a branch before depositing their money. A local branch manager who understands that relationship may be more likely to get that business.
Having a diverse workforce is only an advantage if you're able to utilize that diversity. It is understanding the experience of people and what they can bring to your business.
The floating market is a little microcosm of that. Every day, locals and tourists peruse the stands and counters that jut out from the boats. The customers are all shades and backgrounds, and that's just the way the islanders like it.
The same can happen at offices. But it's up to managers to show they value ideas as creative as the floating market.
16. Which of the following statements best summarizes the passage?
A. It is beneficial for companies to hire people from different backgrounds.
B. A diverse workforce will do good to the company if managed properly.
C. People from different backgrounds can contribute different ideas.
D. The importance of minority people is getting more and more attention.
17. What is most valued about minority group?
A. Their local culture
B. Their unique experience
C. Their different perspectives
D. Their executive ability
18. What does the author intend to say in the fourth paragraph?
A. Deloitte attached importance to having minorities in its top management.
B. Talent loss at executive level is a common occurrence in accounting business.
C. Proper training is necessary for minorities to make more contribution.
D. Minorities are more likely to look for a new company for better opportunities.
19. What is the advantage of a minority bank worker according to the passage?
A. He will spend more time and energy persuading clients to deposit money in his bank.
B. He knows better how to keep the bank's reputation and win the clients' trust.
C. It is easier for him to develop a relationship with immigrants from his home country.
D. He understands better the importance of the relationship between bank and clients.
20. What is a floating market probably like?
A. It sells goods from all over the world.
B. It is a market on the water.
C. It does not have a fixed location.
D. It sells goods at rather low price.
Part II. Vocabulary and Structure (10%, 0.5 point for each)
Directions: There are 20 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence, there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that best completes the sentence and then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with single line through the center.
21. It is a pity for ______ any disagreement in the family.
A. there to be
B. there being
C. there be
D. being
22. On closer ____, however, the place has subtle marks of distinction.
A. inspection
B. inspiration
C. expectation
D. execution
23. Einstein's theory of relativity seemed ___ when it was first introduced.
A. impressive
B. unaccountable
C. inconsistent
D. incredible
24. While a nuclear destruction will never become ___, we can help to make it less probably by advising the superpowers to change their attitudes.
A. desperate
B. impossible
C. serious
D. inevitable
25. Because we had eaten turkey on Thanksgiving for so many years, we wondered whether some other dish might be an equally tasty ____.
A. alternative
B. alternation
C. altercation
D. allusion
26. I think we should ___ the matter further before signing the contract.
A. look into
B. look upon
C. look after
D. look up
27. Like a magazine, a newspaper has a contents guide that indicates ______ located.
A. where is each feature
B. each of the features is
C. each feature where it is
D. where each feature is
28. ______, for whom many young men are crazy.
A. Here the movie star comes
B. Here comes the movie star
C. The movie star comes here
D. comes here the movie star
29. He believed in conventional behaviors which ______ to the highest standards.
A. confirmed
B. confronted
C. conformed
D. affirmed
30. A scientist ___ judgment and refrains from drawing conclusions until all the facts are known.
A. delays
B. postpones
C. suspends
D. adjourns
31. The doctor is trying to save the patient by every ______ means.
A. imaginative
B. imaginary
C. imaginable
D. imagination
32. Parties to a joint venture shall apply for arbitration ______ the relevant written agreement.
A. in case of
B. in harmony with
C. in accordance with
D. in itself
33. The elimination of inflation would ensure that the amount of money used in repaying a loan would have ______ as the amount of money borrowed.
A. as the same value
B. the same value
C. value as the same
D. the value is the same
34. Accuracy is ___ to the programming of computer.
A. elemental
B. base
C. fundamental
D. inherent
35. Academic records from other institutions often become part of a university official file and can neither be returned to a student nor ___.
A. explicated
B. complicated
C. duplicated
D. implicated
36. The insect that ___ a fine mist neatly and quickly can not be simply poured into a bottle.
A. spurs
B. sprays
C. squashes
D. spreads
37. If you are looking for a quality education at a reasonable price, then consider State University as the place to ____.
A. sit
B. enroll
C. encounter
D. situate
38. The sun frizzled the grasses and blazed on the rocks of Kasauli. All was either ___ or blackened by heat and glare.
A. quenched
B. breached
C. bleached
D. white
39. The legal ownership of the goods ____ the seller until the final payment has been made.
A. relies on
B. consists
C. remains with
D. falls into
40. Experiments in the photography of moving objects ______ in both the United States and Europe well before 2000.
A. have been conducting
B. was conducted
C. had been conducted
D. being conducted
Part III. Cloze. (10%, 0.5 for each blank)
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 Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the center.
When a country is under-populated, newcomers are not competitors but assistants. If more come, they may produce not only quotas, but a 41. In such a state of things land is 42 and cheap. The possession of it 43 no power or privilege. No one will work for another for wages 44 he can take up new land and be his own master. Hence it will pay no one to own more land than he can 45 by his own labor, or with such aid as his own family 46. Hence, again, land 47 little or no rent; there will be no landlords living on rent and no laborers living on 48, but only a middle class of yeoman farmers. All are 49 on equality, and democracy becomes the political form, because this is the only state of society in which equality, on which democracy is 50, is realized as a fact. The same effects are powerfully 51 by other facts. In a new and under-populated country the industries which are most profitable are the extractive industries. The 52 of these, with the exception of some kinds of mining, is that they 53 for only a low organization of labor and small amount of capital. Hence they allow the workman to become 54 his own master, and they educate him to freedom, independence and self-55. At the same time, the social groups being only 56 marked off from each other, it is easy to 57 from one class of occupations, and consequently from one social grade, to another. Finally, under the same circumstances education, skill and superior training have but inferior value compared with what they have in 58 populated countries. The 59 lie, in an under-populated country, with the 60, unskilled, manual occupations, and not with the highest developments of science, literature and art.
41.
A. surplus
B. plus
C. remains
D. remainder
42.
A. scarce
B. sacred
C. abundant
D. extractive
43.
A. infers
B. defers
C. confers
D. refers
44.
A. but
B. when
C. while
D. so
45.
A. cultivate
B. culminate
C. calculate
D. conceive
46.
A. requests
B. supplies
C. implies
D. deploys
47.
A. fosters
B. promotes
C. bears
D. contributes
48.
A. rewards
B. salaries
C. wages
D. awards
49.
A. intentionally
B. potentially
C. substantially
D. consistently
50.
A. fertilized
B. based
C. drawn
D. guaranteed
51.
A. influenced
B. checked
C. reinforced
D. reshaped
52.
A. feature
B. characteristic
C. essence
D. fundamental
53.
A. yearn
B. require
C. call
D. account
54.
A. speedily
B. merrily
C. unfortunately
D. amusingly
55.
A. autonomy
B. reliance
C. dependence
D. regulation
56.
A. obviously
B. vaguely
C. positively
D. apparently
57.
A. transfer
B. transform
C. transmit
D. transport
58.
A. sporadically
B. densely
C. loosely
D. neatly
59.
A. advantages
B. disadvantages
C. gains
D. deficits
60.
A. flexible
B. coarse
C. presentable
D. masculine
Part IV Translation. (25%)
Section A Translate the following passage from English into Chinese. Please write your answer on Answer Sheet 2. (12%)
In the case of art appreciation, psychological conditions are required. Oriental art is dedicated not to the eye, but to the mind. It is for internal enjoyment. The ideal way of looking at a painting is not to go to a public gallery or in the midst of a crowd. The ideal way is to be alone with the painting, concentrating one's mind on it, communicating with it until one enters into the rhythmic vitality of the object. The garden, also, is never meant to be monumental or ornamental, but a place for spiritual communication and purification. In the appreciation of art, nature must be penetrated, profoundly understood, reflected upon. This attitude is almost a religious one, and is absolutely necessary in the appreciation of Oriental sculpture.
Section B Translate the following passage from Chinese to English. Then put your answer on Answer Sheet 2. (13%)
这部长达103分钟的纪录片《穹顶之下》于2月28日登上中国各大视频网站，它是由前央视记者柴静自费拍摄制作。影片一经发布就迅速引起公众对于空气污染的关注，也鼓励了人们要有所行动。新任环保部长陈吉宁表示，他已经联系了柴静并表达了感谢。在3月1日的新闻发布会上，他表示，保护环境从来不是环保部门的“个人行为”，欢迎人人贡献出自己的一份力。与此同时，一些专家也提醒观众，在被视频感动的同时，也要注意到片子也有其不足之处。
Part V Writing (25%)
Section A (10%)
Directions: Suppose you have made an appointment on tomorrow morning with your supervisor to discuss your research plan. Unfortunately, you decide now that you would not be able to make it due to various reasons. Write an email to your supervisor. Your email should contain 4 points: A) tell him or her clearly that you could not go for the appointment; B) give your reason(s) for not going; C) express your apology; and D) ask for the possibility to delay the appointment to Friday morning.
Attention: Do NOT sign your own name at the end of the email, and use "Tom" instead. Your writing should be no more than 100 words. Write it on Answer Sheet 2.
Section B (15%)
Directions: In this part, you are supposed to write a composition on the topic "a good study habit I want to recommend to student researchers". Your composition should be based on the following outline given below.
1. Among many good study habits, what is the one you would most like to recommend to student researchers in your discipline?
2. What are your reasons to recommend it?
3. What are the benefit(s) of having it in your research life?
Note: Your composition should be limited to around 200 words. Please write your composition on Answer Sheet 2.

(the end)