外交学院考博英语真题,考博英语试题

外交学院2013年博士研究生入学考试英语试题

1001 英语（A卷）
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Part I: Basic English (35%)
Section A (20%)
Directions: There are 40 incomplete sentences in this section. For each sentence there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D. Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence. Then blacken the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET with a pencil.
1. ______ before we depart the day after tomorrow, we should have a wonderful dinner party.
A. Had they arrived
B. Would they arrive
C. Were they arriving
D. Were they to arrive

2. Even by tightening the purse strings and cutting ______ spending other than ______ necessities, the average Beijing resident would still need at least 25 years to buy an apartment, the latest report shows.
A. out, on
B. off, on
C. out, for
D. down, for

3. Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held for more than five years by Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian group that runs Gaza, was freed in exchange ______ 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. The first batch of 477 of them was released this week; the remainder are expected to be let ______ next month.
A. for, out
B. for, off
C. of, out
D. of, off

4. Thousands of anti-capitalist protesters took ______ the streets in scores of cities around the world.
A. in
B. into
C. to
D. off

5. Questions grew over Silvio Berlusconi's ability to hold his coalition together, after he only narrowly won a vote of ______ in the lower house of Italy's parliament.
A. confidence
B. account
C. thanks
D. support

6. ______ he's already heard the news.
A. Chances are
B. Chance is
C. Opportunities are
D. Opportunity is

7. He was here ______ the stroke.
A. in
B. on
C. with
D. to

8. Markets had feared that Dolly might disrupt production in the Gulf of Mexico, but the storm missed the oilfields before bearing ______ Texas.
A. down on
B. down at
C. away at
D. away to

9. ______ his knowledge and academic background, he is basically stupid.
A. But for
B. According to
C. For all
D. Thanks to

10. ______ man can now create radioactive elements, there is nothing he can do to reduce their radioactivity.
A. As
B. Whether
C. While
D. Now that

11. ______ of the burden of ice, the balloon climbed up and drifted to the South.
A. To be free
B. To free
C. Freeing
D. Freed

12. ______ we are having these days!
A. What a lovely weather
B. What lovely weathers
C. What lovely weather
D. What lovely a weather

13. America will never again have as a nation the spirit of adventure as it ______ before the West was settled.
A. could
B. was
C. would
D. did

14. Legislative success will come if Mr. Obama is skillful politically and is able to wrangle support ______ key legislators ______ key moments in the process.
A. from, at
B. between, and
C. from, to
D. out of, on

15. The commission would find itself ______ at every turn if its members couldn't reach an agreement.
A. collided
B. savaged
C. crumbled
D. hampered

16. While he was in Beijing, he spent all his time ______ some important art museums and buildings.
A. visiting
B. traveling
C. watching
D. touring

17. The toy maker produces a ______ copy of the space station, exact in every detail.
A. minimal
B. minimum
C. miniature
D. minor

18. Several guests were waiting in the ______ for the front door to open.
A. porch
B. vent
C. inlet
D. entry

19. They believed that this was not the ______ of their campaign for equality but merely the beginning.
A. climax
B. pitch
C. summit
D. maximum

20. A good many houses ______ knocked down by the earthquake.
A. was
B. were
C. is
D. are

21. Some donors, battered by so many appeals for help, may find themselves battling compassion ______.
A. indolence
B. fatigue
C. vacuum
D. leave

22. This issue has become a political hot ______.
A. potato
B. cake
C. rod
D. bun

23. He knew at ______ level that he was guilty.
A. spirit
B. gut
C. soul
D. eye

24. Critics called the proposal a ______ game that is not easily recognizable.
A. board
B. ball
C. home
D. shell

25. We carried out ______ checks on the vehicles before they leave the depot.
A. spot
B. pot
C. rain
D. coat

26. He had a fall and have a ______ fracture in a bone.
A. hairgrip
B. hairpiece
C. hairline
D. hairstyle

27. Tom's ______ is high in the network news business.
A. trump
B. game
C. stock
D. dot

28. George is only a stalking ______, his mother is the real boss.
A. horse
B. cat
C. duck
D. tiger

29. People from upper ______ gathered together at the auction yesterday.
A. crop
B. crux
C. cult
D. crust

30. He is very quiet and shy, he wouldn't say boo to a ______.
A. goose
B. fly
C. dog
D. bug

31. The film was given the ______ absent.
A. treatment
B. board
C. applause
D. comment

32. This year is a ______ year for me, for I bought my own house successfully.
A. taut
B. tawny
C. banner
D. bumper

33. This is a common or ______ dispute.
A. door
B. toilet
C. garden
D. kitchen

34. This should be a ______ for you, we all know you will finish it in time.
A. cakehole
B. cakewalk
C. catchall
D. catcall

35. If we acquiesce, we'll be borrowing ______ for the future.
A. pit
B. trouble
C. pitfall
D. storm

36. He is a dead ringer ______ his father.
A. to
B. for
C. with
D. after

37. He is sitting in the catbird ______.
A. seat
B. nest
C. position
D. den

38. Nick's new novel proves he isn't just a flash in the ______.
A. sky
B. pan
C. house
D. dark

39. Mom flipped her ______ when she found out I was pregnant.
A. chart
B. finger
C. side
D. lid

40. The verdict met with a ______ of criticism.
A. hail
B. gust
C. tuft
D. fit

Section B (15%)
Directions: You will find that in each sentence a word/phrase is underlined. Below each sentence you will find four other words or phrases. Choose the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to the underlined one. Then blacken the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET with a pencil.
41. Would such a deal fly? One source close to House Republicans tells me: "I think they'd take it; they're holding no cards at the moment… The capping of deductions would be very **magnanimous** and a good way to lay the groundwork for negotiating real tax reform."
A. magnificent
B. benevolent
C. prodigious
D. favoring

42. Crediting all good to Mr. Obama's leadership and all bad to Republican obstructionism, as Mr. Cassidy does, may not be entirely honest, but it does have the considerable virtue of freeing Mr. Obama of the burden of running as a feckless wimp **stymied** by Republican bullying.
A. obstructed
B. quipped
C. grunged
D. wrecked

43. The Republican landslide in the 2010 mid-terms swept a new breed of conservative **zealot** into office, destroying the middle ground and making legislating next to impossible.
A. sensation
B. teetering
C. fanatic
D. prod

44. He was **cocky and brash** and self-mocking.
A. insuperable
B. gawky
C. preachy
D. conceited

45. It was so pleasing to find a breeze up there allaying the **fervid** afternoon.
A. incendiary
B. incandescent
C. dispassionate
D. contumacious

46. The senator was accused of **waffling** on major issues.
A. vaguing
B. stiffening
C. vacillating
D. reshuffling

47. Yes, it's a **hackneyed** phrase, but politics is the art of the possible.
A. trite
B. haggard
C. poundaged
D. sighted

48. When he won the prestigious Cultural Prize in Germany in 1994, "it was reported nowhere in Britain," he says, sounding rather **piqued**.
A. annoyed
B. satisfied
C. excited
D. humiliated

49. Beneath the rhetoric about who is practicing a purer form of the sport is a nasty battle over who will dominate access to the rocks—**aficionados** of "sport".
A. creators
B. enthusiasts
C. organizers
D. advocators

50. Your attitude should be that of an employee who's there to talk about a new project, rather than the more **obsequious** attitude of a candidate who's hoping to get an offer.
A. aggressive
B. servile
C. humble
D. confident

51. He sat there **swigging** beer and smoking.
A. sucking
B. lapping
C. Gulping
D. sipping

52. This crisis will test the Prime Minister's **mettle**.
A. plan
B. judgment
C. stamina
D. knowledge

53. The troops slept in **cramped** conditions.
A. untidy
B. makeshift
C. dirty
D. crowded

54. This observation **flummoxed** Terkel, a self-styled Jewish free-thinker who says he knows nothing about God but everything about human nature.
A. inspired
B. surprised
C. bewildered
D. provoked

55. What amazes me is her complete **disregard** for anyone.
A. ignorance
B. bias
C. focus
D. emphasis

Part II: Cloze (10%)
Directions: In this part, you will read a passage with ten blanks and fill in the blanks with words or phrases given. Choose one suitable word or phrase marked A, B, C, and D for each blank and then blacken the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET with a pencil.
I quiz myself once in a while: How many official South African languages can I name? There are eleven—Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu—but I usually get __56__ around six or seven. I often wonder how the South African government can __57__ them all. It turns out that they really can't.
Many languages are regulated by some kind of authority, such as Spain's Real Academia Espanola (a government body) or France's Academie Francaise (more of an outside advisor). South Africa's eleven languages are all regulated by the chronically underfunded Pan South African Language Board, a governmental department. English is in no danger, of course. Afrikaans is mostly regulated by a separate body. As a result, PanSALB concerns itself mostly __58__ the nine official Bantu languages, as well as Khoi, San and South African Sign Language.
I wrote last week that literature in southern African languages is __59__ before ever having a chance to be __60__. Yes, there are social and historical reasons why literature development has been __61__. But some blame rests __62__ PanSALB, the sole institution dedicated to these languages. It is repeatedly accused of corruption and mismanagement. During a recent inquiry, it was uncooperative. The parliament's culture committee has voted to reduce funding for PanSALB until it "got its house in __63__", after wondering aloud in April how its budget of 56m rand ($6.9m) produced so little. Thandile Sunduza, the chairwoman of the committee, thinks it best to eliminate PanSALB altogether, saying in May "There is nothing that has been done—no program, nothing, any money. There is nothing."
To be sure, mismanagement is __64__ in South Africa's government. Even if PanSALB were able to produce textbooks in, say, Pedi, recent events suggest that they would never __65__ it to Pedi-speaking students in Limpopo province. But for infant literatures, PanSALB's incompetence could be fatal. PanSALB is the only major funding and support lifeline for many South African languages.
56.
A. stuck
B. caught
C. /
D. mad

57.
A. keep an eye on
B. keep an eye at
C. keep track of
D. keep track on

58.
A. to
B. on
C. with
D. of

59.
A. slow
B. sick
C. booming
D. decent

60.
A. good
B. healthy
C. vulgar
D. popular

61.
A. down
B. gone
C. slow
D. developed

62.
A. with
B. to
C. on
D. upon

63.
A. order
B. time
C. finance
D. full

64.
A. rare
B. respected
C. dispected
D. endemic

65.
A. make
B. bring
C. take
D. seek

Part III: Reading Comprehension (25%)
Directions: There are 5 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. Choose the best answer and mark the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET with a pencil.
Passage One
Questions 66 to 70 are based on this passage.
The shuttle Columbia was doomed in part because NASA relied on flawed computer simulations and mathematical formulas that failed to accurately predict damage to the shuttle from flying pieces of foam, documents released by the space agency and the group investigating the accident show.
Nuclear and aviation industry safety experts who are familiar with the sorts of analyses NASA used say space agency officials were wrong to rely on the simulations to gauge risks. Instead, the experts say, they should have performed tests on shuttle components to determine the damage that foam from the fuel tank might do to its wing.
These simulations and formulas—some done before the launch, others done during the mission—often were based on erroneous assumptions about the ability of the shuttle to withstand damage. NASA managers assumed it was safe for Columbia to return to Earth even though foam had struck the wing.
The foam hit the left wing 82 seconds after liftoff and broke through one of the carbon panels designed to protect the wings from the intense heat of re-entry. Columbia broke apart as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere on Feb. 1. All seven astronauts were killed.
Today, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board will issue its findings on what caused the accident. In addition to detailing how the blow from the foam led to the break-up, the board will document how decisions by NASA managers underestimated the peril Columbia faced and how they ignored warnings, according to previous public statements from board members.
The independent board's report also is expected to find that the NASA safety office was ineffective and underfunded.
Among the areas to be discussed is NASA's reliance on computer simulations and mathematical models. Before the mission—and again after fuzzy photos showed the foam had hit Columbia's wing—simulations and other analyses led to poor decisions by NASA managers, documents show. The simulations appear to have blinded them to danger signals about foam on earlier flights and led them to dramatically underestimate the threat to Columbia.
In one case, during the Columbia mission, at least 75 shuttle experts with NASA and its contractors were so concerned about the poor quality of data in an analysis they were preparing that they recommended taking photos of the shuttle in space, sources say. Those photos could have shown whether foam had damaged the left wing.
Instead, NASA managers trusted the analysis that the experts said was so flawed. The analysis wrongly estimated where the foam hit and concluded that the shuttle had not sustained significant damage. Had NASA known the extent of the damage, the agency might have launched a rescue mission to try to save Columbia's crew.
Engineers connected to the analysis say they are angry and puzzled that NASA would not seek photos from satellites or telescopes. NASA managers say they were not told of the limitations on computer simulations and analyses.
By necessity, NASA relies heavily on computer models and other analysis tools to provide clues about what happens to the shuttle from launch until re-entry. It cannot easily recreate the extreme temperatures of space in a lab. Used properly, such analyses can improve safety. Indeed, analysis techniques routinely help design safer jet wings and nuclear plants.
But safety experts in high-risk industries say they've learned the hard way mathematical formulas and computer simulations cannot fully mimic nature. Several major aviation crashes and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident were caused by poor analyses, experts say.
"You need to take into account the uncertainties," says Elizabeth Pate-Cornell, chairman of the management sciences and engineering department at Stanford University. "It's the old story: garbage in, garbage out."
As Columbia orbited, engineers erroneously concluded the foam could not damage the wing's carbon panels. The analysis was based on earlier tests of small ice pellets hitting the panels. But those tests could not predict whether a large chunk of foam would cause damage.
A computer program known as Crater, which engineers used to predict whether the foam damaged the ceramic tiles beneath Columbia's wing, had not been designed to account for impacts from large pieces of foam.
66. Nuclear and aviation safety experts
A. know very well the sorts of analyses made by NASA managers
B. indicate that space agency officials relied on the wrong analyses
C. believe that space agency officials should have made more simulations
D. strongly criticize space agency officials for being unscrupulous

67. In the author's opinion, NASA managers
A. made wrong hypothesized conclusions about the safety of Columbia
B. in fact knew clearly what kind of danger Columbia would face
C. felt it difficult to predict what might happen to Columbia as it returned to Earth
D. did not realize that the left wing of Columbia was hit by the foam after liftoff

68. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board will issue its findings with regard to the following EXCEPT
A. why the shuttle broke apart as it returned to Earth
B. how the foam hitting the left wing caused the accident
C. how decisions by NASA managers were made
D. how NASA managers misunderstood danger signals

69. NASA managers made poor decisions because they did NOT
A. get all the findings of data analyses
B. know the shuttle had significant damage
C. get along well with shuttle expert
D. trust the analysis produced by simulation

70. Safety experts in high-risk industries indicate that computer simulations
A. are not reliable at all
B. yielded poor analyses
C. have severe limitations
D. should be abandoned

Passage Two
Questions 71 to 75 are based on this passage.
The Human Stain, directed by Robert Benton from a screenplay by Nicholas Meyer, is an honorable B+ term paper of a movie: sober, scrupulous and earnestly respectful of its literary source. This is precisely the problem: that source, Philip Roth's 2000 novel is not especially sober, scrupulous or respectful. It is an angry, ungainly squall of a book, a clamorous defense of sexual vitality in an age of Puritan censoriousness and a lyrical inquiry into the mysteries of race, old age and recent American history. Like much of Mr. Roth's recent work, The Human Stain bursts with characters and ideas, and its apparently haphazard organization disguises an elegant and cunning narrative strategy.
The filmmakers explicate Mr. Roth's themes with admirable clarity and care and observe his characters with delicate fondness, but they cannot hope to approximate the brilliance and rapacity of his voice, which holds all the novels' disparate elements together. Without the active intervention of Mr. Roth's intelligence the story fails to cohere. Its people wander through a strangely artificial landscape, and the ideas hover in the air above them like clouds painted on a backdrop.
Zuckerman played by Gary Sinise has retreated to a lakeside cabin in New England, hoping to find peace and quiet after two divorces and a bout of prostate cancer.
His solitude is interrupted one night by the arrival of Coleman Silk played by Anthony Hopkins, a former dean and classics professor at nearby Athena College, who was forced to resign after being accused of making racist remarks during a lecture. Coleman, whose wife died suddenly in the wake of the scandal, wants to take revenge on his former colleagues by writing a book. He puts this project aside once he falls into a revivifying affair with Faunia Farley played by Nicole Kidman, a damaged, desolate and illiterate 34-year-old who does menial jobs at the college, the post office and a local dairy farm. Their sexual idyll is menaced by the faculty busybodies who chased Coleman from his job, and also by Faunia's former husband, Lester (Ed Harris), a deranged Vietnam veteran who used to beat her and now stalks her in his big red pickup truck.
What keeps the movie, which opens today nationwide, from drifting in the Sargasso Sea of literary high-mindedness is the vitality of the acting. Mr. Benton is the kind of director whose affection and respect for actors seep through the screen; his solicitude seems to open them up.
That Mr. Hopkins and Ms. Kidman are miscast is almost axiomatic. Ms. Kidman tries to overcome this by sheer force of will, struggling to stifle her natural radiance, blunt her crystalline voice and blur her fine features, and she comes closer to succeeding than you might expect. Mr. Hopkins, for his part, must battle a more glaring discrepancy, and he does so with swinging nonchalance. Coleman Silk is a black man who has passed for white for most of his adult life, styling himself as the first Jewish classicist ever hired at Athena.
These peculiarities of casting matter less than they might, or rather how much they matter changes from scene to scene. The film includes some sex, a boxing match and an occasional burst of dancing, but most of the action consists of two characters in a room talking. Some of these moments—a late confrontation between Lester and Zuckerman, a breakfast table quarrel between Faunia and Coleman, a meeting of the minds between Faunia and a large, caged crow—are awkwardly paced and placed, but many others are alive with human pain and heat.
Some of the best performances are in secondary roles. Jacinda Barrett is wonderfully touching as Coleman's first great love, a blond Midwesterner to whom he decides, heedlessly and a little cruelly, to divulge the secret of his race. Ms. Smith, her face a mask of maternal stoicism, brings home the tragedy of Coleman's decision to pass for white with a speech so drily and evenly enunciated that its lacerating insight only registers once the camera has turned away.
At its best—which also tends to be at its quietest—The Human Stain allows you both to care about its characters and to think about the larger issues that their lives represent. Its deepest flaw is an inability to link those moments of empathy and insight into a continuous drama, to suggest that the characters' lives keep going when they are not on screen. The film's powerful individual scenes seem like excerpts from a missing whole, well-appointed rooms in a house whose beams and girders have been cut away.
71. The Human Stain is a
A. respectable screenplay
B. scrupulous novel
C. characteristic book
D. movie with many characters

72. The Human Stain,
A. fails to make the story coherent
B. was produced by a good writer
C. has the best actors and actresses
D. is full of mysterious landscapes

73. Which of the following is the flaw of The Human Stain in the author's opinion?
A. It is not from a good screenplay.
B. Some actors are not suitable for their roles.
C. There is too much talking between people.
D. Ms. Kidman and Mr. Hopkins are poor actors.

74. Which of the following could be a possible comment made by the author?
A. The Human Stain is mysterious and unscrupulous.
B. The Human Stain is sober, scrupulous and respectful.
C. The Human Stain does not tell us a coherent story.
D. The Human Stain well reveals human weaknesses.

75. The author's attitude towards The Human Stain is
A. negative
B. positive
C. neutral
D. sympathetic

Passage Three
Questions 76 to 80 are based on this passage.
Corporations as a group offer a variety of jobs. Most large companies send people to colleges to interview graduating students with the required academic training. A large university may have more than 500 companies a year knocking on its doors. Big firms are your best place for a job because their normal growth, employee retirements, and turnover create thousands of jobs nationwide each year.
Corporations, however, illustrate the rule that the biggest isn't always the best. Many small firms with just a few hundred employees have positions that may correspond with your profession goals, too. Such firms may not have the time, money, or need to send people around to your college; you'll probably have to contact them yourself either directly or through an employment agency. Don't ignore these little companies. Their salaries are usually competitive and the chances for advancement and recognition even stronger than those of a big firm. You could become a big fish in a small pond, reaching a high-level position more quickly than you would if you had climbed the most competitive ladder of a corporate giant.
For example, a small company may need a bright engineering, accounting or management graduate who would report directly to the senior vice-president of engineering, the company controller, or the general manager. In larger firms it may take years to reach that level and accumulate similar in-depth experience. In addition, responsibilities may come faster in a small firm with less specialization and fewer lower-level employees to receive delegated authority.
76. The purpose of the passage is
A. to define corporations and firms
B. to show the relation between firms and colleges
C. to inform the job-seeker of the employment requirements
D. to give a description of corporations for college students

77. Which of the following is TRUE of large corporations?
A. They only employ college graduates.
B. They can offer many job opportunities.
C. They have many sub-companies nationwide.
D. Their requirements are very competitive.

78. The word "Their" (paragraph 2, line 6) refers to
A. corporations'
B. graduating students'
C. small firms'
D. employers'

79. Which of the following is NOT true of small firm?
A. It may be unnecessary for them to send people to colleges.
B. Their employees may be promoted more quickly.
C. They may offer positions which you demand.
D. They cannot afford to send people to college.

80. With whom is the passage most probably concerned?
A. Students
B. Employers
C. Employees
D. Engineers

Passage Four
Questions 81 to 85 are based on this passage.
A rapid means of long distance transportation became a necessity for the United States settlement spread ever farther westward. The early trains were impractical curiosities, and for a long time the railroad companies met with troublesome mechanical problems. The most serious ones were the construction of rails able to bear the load, and the development of a safer, effective stopping system.
Once these were solved, the railroad was established as the best means of land transportation. By 1860s there were thousands of miles of railroads crossing the eastern mountain ranges and reaching westward to the Mississippi. There were also regional southern and western lines.
The high point in railroad building came with the construction of the first transcontinental system. In 1862 Congress authorized two western railroad companies to build lines from Nebraska westward and from California eastward to a meeting point, so as to complete a transcontinental crossing linking the Atlantic seaboard with Pacific. The Government helped the railroads generously with money and land. Actual work on this project from California used Chinese labor, while the Union Pacific employed crews of Irish laborers. The two groups worked at remarkable speed, each trying to cover a greater distance than the other. In 1869 they met at a place called Promontory in what is now the state of Utah. Many visitors came there for the great occasion. There were joyous celebrations all over the country, with parade and the ringing of church bells to honor the great achievement.
The railroad was very important in encouraging westward movement. It also helped build up industry and farming by moving raw materials and by distributing products rapidly to distant markets. In linking towns and people to one another it helped unify the United States.
81. The major problems with America's railroad system in the mid 19th century lay in
A. poor quality rails and unreliable stopping systems
B. lack of financial support for development
C. limited railroad lines
D. lack of transcontinental railroad

82. The building of the first transcontinental system
A. brought about a rapid growth of industry and farming in the west
B. attracted many visitors to the construction sites
C. attracted labors from Europe
D. encouraged people to travel all over the country

83. The best title for this passage would be
A. settlements spread westward
B. the coast to coast railroad: a vital link
C. American railroad history
D. the importance of railroads in the American economy

84. The construction of the transcontinental railroad took
A. 9 years
B. 7 years
C. 4 years
D. 3 years

85. What most likely made people think about a transcontinental railroad?
A. The possibility of government support for such a task.
B. The need to explore Utah.
C. The need to connect the east coast with the west.
D. The need to develop the railroad industry in the west.

Passage Five
Questions 86 to 90 are based on this passage.
Should everyone be getting more folic acid? That's the question on a lot of doctors' minds. Though not as famous as vitamin C, folic acid plays a crucial role in the development of just about every cell in the body. Member of the B-vitamin family, it's found naturally in orange juice, beans and green vegetables. There is some evidence that folic acid may reduce the risk of heart disease, but it is best known for its role in preventing spina bifida and other birth defects. Indeed ever since 1998, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated that it be added to cereal products, the number of so-called neural-tube defects has dropped nearly 20% across America.
Now comes word that the vitamin may, just may, help ward off the ravages of Alzheimer's disease. In a study of more than 1,000 older adults published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at Boston University and Tufts University found that subjects who had high levels of a particular amino acid called homocysteine in their blood were twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's as those who didn't. The finding is important because one of the easiest ways to lower homocysteine levels is to get plenty of folic acid.
The study, although not definitive, is the strongest evidence to date that homocysteine plays a role in Alzheimer's. Previous research had found that Alzheimer's patients often have high levels of the amino acid in their blood—though that could be because folks with Alzheimer's often don't eat very well.
The new study lays that explanation to rest. As part of the famous Framingham study, which has tracked the development of heart disease among residents of Framingham, Massachusetts, for more than 50 years, researchers in the 1970s started measuring the homocysteine levels of men and women who had not yet developed dementia. Those patients whose homocysteine levels measured over 14 micromoles a liter while they were still healthy were twice as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease later on.
That doesn't mean that if you have high homocysteine levels, you will get Alzheimer's, or that low homocysteine levels will protect you from dementia. It's not even certain, warns Dr. Sudha Seshadri, a neurologist at Boston University who led the study, that "lowering homocysteine levels will lower the risk of Alzheimer's". But the case for adding folic acid to your diet is getting better all the time.
Of course the best source of any vitamin is a healthy diet. For those of us who still don't eat our beans and vegetables, most multivitamins contain the recommended daily folic acid dose of 400 micrograms. (Eating four slices of enriched bread gives you the equivalent of roughly 100 micrograms.) There is no risk of overdose, although high levels of folic acid can mask the signs of pernicious anemia in people who have developed the disorder. Folic acid by itself may not keep the doctor away, but there's no harm trying.
86. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Folic acid is best known for its role in preventing spina bifida.
B. There is a risk of overdose of folic acid.
C. There is evidence that folic acid may reduce the risk of heart disease.
D. If you have high homocysteine levels, you will get Alzheimer's.

87. The word "pernicious" in the last paragraph means
A. mild
B. fatal
C. moderate
D. benign

88. When did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandate that folic acid be added to cereal products?
A. 1998
B. 1990
C. 2000
D. 1997

89. The disease of "dementia" (paragraph 4) has something to do with
A. spine
B. back
C. blood
D. mind

90. Which of the following is NOT true about folic acid?
A. Folic acid is a member of the B-vitamin family.
B. Folic acid plays a crucial role in the development of just about every cell in the body.
C. Folic acid by itself may not keep the doctor away.
D. Folic acid reduces the risk of heart disease.

Part IV: Translation (30%)
Section A
Translate the following paragraph into Chinese. (15%)
Since Alfred Nobel died in 1896 we have entered an age of storm and tragedy. The power of man has grown in every sphere except over himself. Never in the field of action have events seemed so harshly to dwarf personalities. Rarely in history have brutal facts so dominated thought or has such a widespread individual virtue found so dim a collective focus.
We in Europe and the western world who have planned for health and social security, who have marvelled at the triumphs of medicine and science, and who have aimed at justice and freedom for all, have nevertheless been witnesses of famine, misery, cruelty, and destruction before which pale the deeds of Jenghiz Khan. And we who, first in the League of Nations and now in the United Nations, have attempted to give an abiding foundation to the peace of which men have dreamed so long have lived to see a world marred by cleavages and threatened by discords ever graver and more violent than those which convulsed Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire.
Alfred Nobel has left behind him a bright and enduring beam of culture, of purpose, and of inspiration to a generation which stands in sore need. This world-famous institution points a true path for us to follow. Let us, therefore, confront the clatter and rigidity we see around us with tolerance, variety, and calm.
Section B
Translate the following paragraph into English. (15%)
直到不久前，韩国以外还很少有人知道"江南"这个位于首尔东南部的一个上流社区，这里的居民数量约占首尔人口总数的5%。然后，朴载相横空出世。
更具体地说，应该是这位韩国流行歌手的单曲《江南Style》横空出世。这首歌今年夏季在YouTube上红透半边天。整个互联网到处都是模仿它的视频，从澳大利亚到秘鲁都有以《江南Style》为主题的快闪活动；喝着烧酒签下美国唱片合约，占据美国电视黄金时段；甚至还有人深入分析骑马舞。
但对于很多人来说，那个老问题仍然存在："江南"到底是什么样的？
江南区不乏知名品牌，但要想找到高端、小众的精品时装店，可以去Cheongdam和Shinsa等街区。在这里你会找到前卫的国际品牌概念商店，还有本土时装大牌。这里的商店都价格不菲，但要像朴载相所说的那样"穿得优雅、舞得奔放"，就得花这个代价。
奉恩寺（Bongeunsa）位于首尔江南区修道山上，是韩国历史最悠久的寺庙之一。尽管在李氏王朝初期，儒家思想受到的推崇超过了佛教，但在16世纪中叶，在普雨（Bowoo）大禅师的指导下，奉恩寺作为韩国主要的禅宗佛教中心开始兴旺起来。如果你想获得一些点化，可以参加一个为期两天的住持活动，主要是一些修身养性的活动，比如斋饭、茶道和冥想。

参考答案及解析
Part I: Basic English (35%)
Section A (20%)
1. 【答案】D 【解析】与将来事实相反的虚拟语气。If + should (were to) + do…would (should) do。当 should (were to) + do 提前时，去掉 if。
2. 【答案】D 【解析】cut down 削减，缩短，砍倒；cut out 删去，割掉，裁剪；cut off 截止，中断供应，使死亡。此处 spending n. 花费，花销；spend v. 其后接介词 on。
3. 【答案】C 【解析】in exchange for 用……交换（物物交换）；in exchange of 换取；let (sb) off 宽恕，排放，使爆炸/爆发；let (sb) out 释放/放出，泄露，出租。
4. 【答案】C 【解析】take to 走向，喜欢，开始从事；take off 起飞，脱下，离开；take into 考虑到，说服；take (sb) in 欺骗，收留，接受，领会。
5. 【答案】D 【解析】a vote of support 投票支持。
6. 【答案】A 【解析】固定句型 Chances are that… = It is likely that… 某事很可能如何。
7. 【答案】A 【解析】on the stroke 准时地。
8. 【答案】A 【解析】bear down on 逼近，袭击，冲向。
9. 【答案】C 【解析】for all 虽然，尽管；but for 要不是，后接虚拟语气；according to 根据，按照，取决于；thanks to 由于，幸亏。尽管他有知识和理论背景，但他本质上是比较愚钝的。
10. 【答案】C 【解析】while 尽管，虽然；now that 由于，既然；as conj. 随着，因为，当……时。虽然人类现在能发现放射性元素，但是却不能减少放射现象的发生。
11. 【答案】D 【解析】freed 是 free（动词）的过去分词，这里作状语，free of 摆脱。摆脱了冰层的束缚，那气球腾空而起，飘向南方。
12. 【答案】A 【解析】感叹句常用（what a + adj. + 可数名词单数）/（what + adj. + 可数名词复数或不可数名词）+ 主语 + 谓语。
13. 【答案】D 【解析】从意义来看，空格应填 had，但主句中 have 是实义动词，为避免重复，可用助动词 do 替代，即用 did 替代 had，故 D 为答案。作为一个国家来说，美国将不再具有开拓西部前所具有的那种冒险精神。
14. 【答案】A 【解析】(support) from key legislators 来自主立法者的支持。at key moments 在关键时刻。
15. 【答案】D 【解析】hampered 妨碍，限制；collided 冲突，互撞；savaged 猛烈抨击；crumbled 弄碎。如果委员们不能达成一致意见，该委员会的意见将处处受阻。
16. 【答案】A 【解析】visit 指短期行为，更多用于动作，目的性较强；tour 通常用来形容整个的旅行，强调旅行的过程；travel 强调从某处到另一处，或者已经完成的旅行；watch 强调专注地看/注视移动着的物体，如看电视、看球赛、看戏等。
17. 【答案】C 【解析】miniature 微型的；minimal 最小的，最低限度的；minimum 最小的，最低的；minor 次要的，较小的，未成年的。
18. 【答案】D 【解析】entry 多指门口，入口处；porch（沿外墙建造、常带顶的）走廊，游廊；inlet 尤指河道、水湾的进口/入口。
19. 【答案】C 【解析】summit 书面用词，指山的最顶部分，也指通过努力可以达到的最高水平，还指最重要的、国家间的首脑最高级会谈；climax 指戏剧等的高潮，也指事物发展中的极点；pitch 程度，强度，点；maximum 指最大限度。
20. 【答案】B 【解析】因其前为可数名词复数 houses 被震垮，故用 were knocked down 即被动式的过去；许多房子在地震中被震垮了。a good/great many 指很多、大量的，后接可数名词。
21. 【答案】B 【解析】compassion fatigue 由于过分暴露于人类痛苦中而造成的怜悯心或同情心疲软甚至丧失；indolence 懒惰；vacuum 真空，空间；leave 离开。一些受到许多求助信号呼吁的捐助者们，可能发现自己的同情心在渐渐疲软。
22. 【答案】A 【解析】hot potato 棘手的问题，烫手山芋。这个问题已经变成了一个棘手的政治事件。
23. 【答案】A 【解析】spirit 专指人的内在品质、意志和精神或某事物的主要目的、意义、代表的精神；mind 一般指人的思想、记忆；soul 指人的心灵、灵魂，与 body 相对；gut 指勇气、胆量、肠子。
24. 【答案】C 【解析】shell game 骗局。
25. 【答案】A 【解析】spot check 抽查。
26. 【答案】C 【解析】hairline fracture 医学术语，"骨裂"，即一种如头发般的单处骨折裂痕；hairgrip 发卡；hairpiece 假发；hairstyle 发型。
27. 【答案】C 【解析】stock 股票，声望，地位；trump 喇叭；game 游戏，比赛；dot 点。
28. 【答案】A 【解析】a stalking horse 掩护，（政治竞争中为摸清对手实力而退出的）掩护性候选人。
29. 【答案】D 【解析】upper crust 上流社会，上流阶级。
30. 【答案】C 【解析】would not say boo to a goose 指非常胆小、害羞的人。
31. 【答案】A 【解析】treatment 对待，治疗；be given the absent treatment 在此处指被冷落；board 董事会，甲板；applause 欢呼，喝彩；comment 评论，意见，批评。
32. 【答案】D 【解析】taut 拉紧的，紧张的；tawny 黄褐色的，茶色的；banner 旗帜，横幅，标语；bumper 丰盛的，丰富的。今年是我丰收的一年，因为我成功地买了属于自己的房。
33. 【答案】C 【解析】a common or garden 平凡的，很普通的。
34. 【答案】B 【解析】cakewalk 易如反掌之事。
35. 【答案】B 【解析】pit 凹陷，深坑；pitfall 隐患，易犯的错误；trouble 麻烦，困难；storm 风暴。如果我们默许，那么我们将在未来陷入借贷麻烦之中。
36. 【答案】A 【解析】be a dead ringer for 长得和……一模一样。
37. 【答案】A 【解析】a catbird seat 有权力的职位，显赫或有利的地位。他处于必胜无疑的地位。
38. 【答案】B 【解析】a flash in the pan 昙花一现，转瞬即逝，多用来形容某事"持续时间短"。flash 指"闪光"，pan 指"旧式枪的火药池"。
39. 【答案】D 【解析】flip one's lid 只是一名美国俚语，意为发怒，发火，失去控制，变得狂热，大发脾气。
40. 【答案】A 【解析】a hail of 一阵（雹子般的）；a gust of 一阵（风）；a fit of 一阵（情绪）；a tuft of 一簇。
Section B (15%)
41. 【答案】B 【解析】magnanimous 宽宏大量的，有雅量的；benevolent 仁慈的，亲切的；magnificent 杰出的，壮丽的，宏伟的；prodigious 惊人的，非凡的，奇妙的，巨大的。
42. 【答案】A 【解析】stymie 阻碍，使受；obstruct 妨碍，阻碍；quip 讽刺，嘲弄；grunge （noun）沉闷的，乏味的；wreck 破坏，失事。
43. 【答案】C 【解析】zealot 狂热者，发烧友，狂徒；fanatic 狂热入迷者，盲信者；sensation 轰动，感动；teeter 摇摆；prod 刺针，签子。
44. 【答案】D 【解析】brash 无礼的，傲慢的；conceited 自以为是的，自高自大的，逞能的；insuperable 不能克服的，无敌的；gawky 笨拙的，鲁钝的。
45. 【答案】B 【解析】fervid 热心的，热情的；incandescent 白炽的，炽热的，光亮的；incendiary 煽动的，纵火的；dispassionate 冷静的，不带感情的，平心静气的，公平的；contumacious 不听命令的，顽固的。
46. 【答案】C 【解析】waffling 模糊不清的，优柔寡断的；vacillate 犹豫，犹疑，摇摆；vague 模糊的，不明确的；stiffen（使）变硬，（使）变粘稠；reshuffle 重新洗牌，重作安排，改组。
47. 【答案】A 【解析】hackneyed 平庸的，陈腐的；trite 老一套的，平庸的，陈腐的；haggard 野性的，憔悴的；sighted 目光短浅的，有视力的。
48. 【答案】A 【解析】piqued 生气的，恼怒的；annoyed 恼怒的，烦闷的；satisfied 感到满意的；excited 兴奋的；humiliated 羞辱的。
49. 【答案】B 【解析】aficionado 狂热爱好者；enthusiast 狂热者；creator 创造者；organizer 组织者；advocator 倡导者。
50. 【答案】B 【解析】obsequious 奉承的，顺从的，谄媚的；servile 奴隶的，奴性的，顺从的；aggressive 好斗的，侵略性的；humble 谦卑的；confident 自信的。
51. 【答案】D 【解析】swig 大口喝，大喝；sip 啜饮；suck 吸，吮；lap 舔；gulp 吞咽，狼吞虎咽。
52. 【答案】C 【解析】mettle 耐力，气质，勇气；stamina 毅力，持久力，耐力；plan 计划，平面图；judgment 意见，判断力；knowledge 知识，学问。
53. 【答案】D 【解析】cramped 狭窄的，堆满东西的；crowded 拥挤的，挤满的；untidy 不整齐的，不整洁的；makeshift 临时的，权宜的；dirty 肮脏的。
54. 【答案】C 【解析】flummoxed 困惑的；bewildered 困惑的，不知所措的；surprised 出人意料的，感到惊讶的；inspired 有灵感的；provoked 被激怒的。
55. 【答案】A 【解析】disregard 忽视，不尊重；ignorance 无知，愚昧；focus 焦点；emphasis 强调语气，重点，强调。
Part II: Cloze (10%)
56. 【答案】A 【解析】get stuck 卡住；get caught 被抓住；get mad 变得着迷。文中质疑自己能说出几种南非语言的名字，并一一列举这十一种语言，但是我却常常在说出6至7种语言名字后就卡住了。
57. 【答案】C 【解析】keep an eye (on) sth. 留神，密切注视；keep track of 记录，与……保持联系；keep track on 监控。
58. 【答案】C 【解析】concern with 与……有关，关心；concern on 关注。
59. 【答案】B 【解析】由文中第4段第三行 blame（指责）在于/取决于……可知前文情感基调是想表明在南非语言有一个健康发展的机会之前，其发展状况并不乐观。
60. 【答案】B 【解析】与前文 sick 相呼应。
61. 【答案】C 【解析】前文中提到语言发展状况并不乐观，于是作者提出疑问为什么语言文学的发展这么慢？
62. 【答案】A 【解析】rest with 在于/取决于，固定搭配。
63. 【答案】A 【解析】in order 按次序，井然有序；文中是指该组委员会应该清理干净自己的房子，即将自身腐败和管理不善问题逐一解决。
64. 【答案】D 【解析】很肯定的是，管理不善这一问题是南非政府的一项通病。
65. 【答案】A 【解析】文中指该组委员会不会给林波波省那些说佩迪语言的学生规定学习教材。
Part III: Reading Comprehension (25%)
Passage One
66. 【答案】B 【解析】文中第二段开始 were wrong to rely on the simulations to gauge risks……，正确答案为B。
67. 【答案】A 【解析】文中第三段作者说 were based on erroneous assumptions 可知，正确答案为A。
68. 【答案】D 【解析】文中第四段提到引发该事故的因素，并详细报道了机如何断裂，NASA对哥伦比亚号所出现的危险指数的错误估计，以及他们如何忽视来自中心的警告，但是文中并未提到NASA管理员们误解了那些危险信号。
69. 【答案】B 【解析】之所以做出错误决定是因为他们不了解航天飞机遭受了重大损坏。
70. 【答案】C 【解析】NASA managers say they were not told of the limitations on computer simulations and analyses. 但是安全专家们反驳了此观点。But safety experts in high-risk industries say they've learned the hard way mathematical formulas and computer simulations cannot fully mimic nature.
Passage Two
71. 【答案】D 【解析】由第一段第二句可知《人性的污点》是一部关于一部电影的学期论文报告，书中充满了人物和思想。
72. 【答案】A 【解析】文中第二段第四行作者给予该书作者 Mr. Roth 很高的评价，如果没有他的参与，本书所述的衔接就成问题了。Without the active intervention of Mr. Roth's intelligence the story fails to cohere.
73. 【答案】B 【解析】由第六段和第七段开头 That Mr. Hopkins and Ms. Kidman are miscast is almost axiomatic… These peculiarities of casting matter less than they might 可知是有些演员并不适合其角色扮演。
74. 【答案】C 【解析】综合全文以及文中最后作者的评论可知，作者认为这部电影未能讲出一个连贯的故事。
75. 【答案】C 【解析】作者指出本书有成功的一面也有一些缺陷，态度是中立的。
Passage Three
76. 【答案】D 【解析】本文开篇为我们介绍 corporations 的一些特点；corporations 提供各种类型的工作；平均每年有超过500家 corporations 会派面试人员去高校寻找合适的高校毕业人才；大公司有相对完善的职工培训和退休机制，每年的年产值能创造出上千个工作。接下来说明大企业也有一些缺陷，这些缺陷正是小公司的优势所在。文章最后举例说明与大企业相比较，小公司对毕业生而言的优势。
77. 【答案】B 【解析】文中第一段说道 Corporations as a group offer a variety of jobs 可知大企业就业机会多。
78. 【答案】C 【解析】Their salaries 与 those of a big firm 相比较可知此处指的是拿大型企业的薪水和小公司的薪水相比。
79. 【答案】C 【解析】参见文中第二段第七行 You could become a big fish in a small pond, reaching a high-level position more quickly than you would if you had climbed the most competitive ladder of a corporate giant. 他们提供的职位比你想要的还要高。
80. 【答案】A 【解析】从文中第一段说很多大企业去校园进行招聘并述说在大或者小企业里各自所获以他们各自的工作优势，可知本文是想给那些学生尤其是即将毕业的学生的一些有关大企业和小公司的特点，为他们就业提供更多参考信息。
Passage Four
81. 【答案】A 【解析】由 The most serious ones were the construction of rails able to bear the load, and the development of a safer, effective stopping system. 可知主要问题在于铁轨质量和刹车系统。
82. 【答案】A 【解析】铁路建成后，吸引了众多游客前来参观。文中提到 Many visitors came there for the great occasion。横贯大陆的铁路建成后，也推动了西部工业和农业的发展。
83. 【答案】C 【解析】本文主要讲述了美国铁路交通的发展，并非强调铁路在经济发展中的重要性。
84. 【答案】B 【解析】由文章第二段 In 1862 Congress authorized… 到 In 1869 they met at a place called Promontory… 可知，该横贯大陆的铁路修建到完成共花了7年时间。
85. 【答案】C 【解析】综合全文，尤其是文章最后一段可知是为了在全国建立四通八达的铁路网，发展各地经济，连接东西海岸。
Passage Five
86. 【答案】C 【解析】由文中第一段第四句可知 There is some evidence that folic acid may reduce the risk of heart disease, but it is best known for its role in preventing spina bifida and other birth defects. B项原文是 There is no risk of overdose。D项与原文 That doesn't mean that if you have high homocysteine levels, you will get Alzheimer's 所述相反。
87. 【答案】B 【解析】Pernicious 有害的，恶性的，致命的，与 fatal 意思相同。
88. 【答案】A 【解析】由文中第一段倒数第一句可知 Indeed ever since 1998, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated that it be added to cereal products… 可知自1998年始。
89. 【答案】D 【解析】痴呆病的发生与大脑受损有关。
90. 【答案】D 【解析】文中是说 folic acid may reduce the risk of heart disease（可能降低），而不是 D 项所说的确实降低了风险。
Part IV: Translation (30%)
Section A 参考译文
自从阿尔弗雷德·诺贝尔1896年逝世以来，我们进入了一个充满风暴与悲剧的时代。人类的力量在各个领域都有所发展，除了其自身以外。在行动的战场上，人类受制于如此残酷的事件，使人格显得如此渺小。在历史上，残酷的事实如此主宰思想，如此广泛流传的个人美德竟也变得如此暗淡无光，这是极为罕见的。
我们在欧洲和西方世界，规划了健康和社会保障，为医学和科学的辉煌成就惊叹不已，我们为争取全人类的自由、公平与正义而不懈奋斗，然而却目睹饥荒、痛苦、残忍和毁灭的一再发生，这些足以使成吉思汗的丰功伟绩黯然失色。我们这些先是在国际联盟中、现在在联合国中一直试图为人类长期以来梦寐以求的和平奠定持久基础的人，却亲眼看到一个被分裂所损害、被比罗马帝国衰落后曾使欧洲动荡不安的纷争更为严重、更为激烈的纷争所威胁的世界。
阿尔弗雷德·诺贝尔为迫切需要他的一代人留下了一束明亮而持久的文化之光、目标之光和鼓舞之光。这个世界著名的机构为我们指出了一条真正值得追随的道路。因此，让我们以宽容、多样和冷静来面对我们周围的喧嚣与僵化吧。
Section B 参考译文
Until recently, people outside South Korea had seldom heard of Gangnam. This is a silk-stocking district in Seoul's southeast where residents make up 5% or so of the capital's population. Then, a singer named Psy made the whole world amazed.
More specifically, this South Korean pop musician's single "Gangnam Style" made its grand entrance. The song became a sensation on YouTube this summer. Videos imitating it can be seen all over the internet. From Australia to Peru, there are flash mob events themed around "Gangnam Style"; having signed a United States record deal, Psy's Gangnam Style dominates American TV primetime; and there are even in-depth analyses of the horse-riding dance.
But for many people, the old question still remains: what exactly is Gangnam like?
Gangnam is no stranger to famous brands, but if you're looking for high-end, niche boutiques, head to areas like Cheongdam and Shinsa. Here you'll find avant-garde international brand concept stores, as well as home-grown fashion labels. The shops here are expensive, but as Psy puts it, to "dress elegant and dance wild," it's a price worth paying.
Bongeunsa, located on the mountain of the same name in Seoul's Gangnam district, is one of the oldest temples in South Korea. Although in the early Joseon Dynasty, Confucianism was more favored than Buddhism, in the mid-16th century, under the guidance of Master Bowoo, Bongeunsa began to flourish as a major Zen Buddhist center in Korea. If you want to gain some enlightenment, you can participate in a two-day temple stay program, mainly consisting of self-cultivation activities such as vegetarian meals, tea ceremony, and meditation.