中国矿业大学（北京）考博英语真题,考博英语试题

Entrance Examination in English
for Ph.D. Candidates at CUMTB
November, 2006

Name ____________________ Score ____________________

Part One: Cloze (10 points)
Directions: Read the following passage carefully and choose the best word or phrase for each blank from the choices given. Mark your choice on the Answer Sheet.
Most people who travel long distances complain of jetlag. Jetlag makes business travelers less productive and more prone __1__ making mistakes. It is actually caused by __2__ of your "body clock" - a small cluster of brain cells that controls the timing of biological __3__. The body clock is designed for a __4__ rhythm of daylight and darkness, so that it is thrown out of balance when it __5__ daylight and darkness at the "wrong" times in a new time zone. The __6__ of jetlag often persist for days while the internal body clock slowly adjusts to the new time zone.
Now a new anti-jetlag system is available that is based on proven, extensive, pioneering scientific research. Dr. Martin Moore-Ede has __7__ a practical strategy to adjust the body clock much sooner to the new time zone through controlled exposure to bright light. The time zone shift is easy to accomplish and eliminates most of the __8__ of jetlag.
A successful time zone shift depends on knowing the exact times to either __9__ or avoid bright light. Exposure to light at the wrong time can actually make jetlag worse. The proper schedule for light exposure depends a great deal on __10__ travel plans.
1.
A. for
B. from
C. to
D. of
2.
A. eruption
B. disruption
C. corruption
D. breakdown
3.
A. actions
B. functions
C. reflection
D. behavior
4.
A. regular
B. formal
C. continual
D. circular
5.
A. retains
B. encounters
C. possesses
D. experiences
6.
A. diseases
B. symptoms
C. signs
D. defects
7.
A. devised
B. recognized
C. criticized
D. tended
8.
A. trouble
B. comfort
C. suffering
D. difficulty
9.
A. attain
B. shed
C. retrieve
D. seek
10.
A. unique
B. specific
C. complicated
D. peculiar
Part Two: Reading Comprehension (45 points)
Directions: There are 6 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.
Passage 1
When a Scottish research team startled the world by revealing 3 months ago that it had cloned an adult sheep, President Clinton moved swiftly. Declaring that he was opposed to using this unusual animal husbandry technique to clone humans, he ordered that federal funds not be used for such an experiment - although no one had proposed to do so - and asked an independent panel of experts chaired by Princeton President Harold Shapiro to report back to the White House in 90 days with recommendations for a national policy on human cloning. That group - the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) - has been working feverishly to put its wisdom on paper, and at a meeting on 17 May, members agreed on a near-final draft of their recommendations.
NBAC will ask that Clinton's 90-day ban on federal funds for human cloning be extended indefinitely, and possibly that it be made law. But NBAC members are planning to word the recommendation narrowly to avoid new restrictions on research that involves the cloning of human DNA or cells - routine in molecular biology. The panel has not yet reached agreement on a crucial question, however, whether to recommend legislation that would make it a crime for private funding to be used for human cloning.
In a draft preface to the recommendations, discussed at the 17 May meeting, Shapiro suggested that the panel had found a broad consensus that it would be "morally unacceptable to attempt to create a human child by adult nuclear cloning." Shapiro explained during the meeting that the moral doubt stems mainly from fears about the risk to the health of the child. The panel then informally accepted several general conclusions, although some details have not been settled.
NBAC members also indicated that they will appeal to privately funded researchers and clinics not to try to clone humans by body cell nuclear transfer. But they were divided on whether to go further by calling for a federal law that would impose a complete ban on human cloning. Shapiro and most members favored an appeal for such legislation, but in a phone interview, he said this issue was still "up in the air."
1.
A. the private funding for human cloning should be eliminated.
B. the use of private funds for human cloning is to be illegal.
C. the privately funded researchers will stop cloning humans.
D. the issue is not yet clear.
2.
A. the ban on federal funds for human cloning should be made a law.
B. the cloning of human DNA is not to be put under more control.
C. it is criminal to use private funding for human cloning.
D. human cloning should be delayed.
3.
A. it is morally wrong to try to create a human child by adult nuclear cloning.
B. the cloning of human DNA should be restricted.
C. federal funds should not be used for human cloning.
D. private researchers should not clone humans.
4.
A. the NBAC will issue a statement on the cloning of human DNA and cells.
B. the White House has responded to the recommendations.
C. the NBAC has reached agreement on all issues.
D. the cloning of human DNA is a routine research.
5.
A. some NBAC members hesitate to ban human cloning completely.
B. a law banning human cloning is to be passed immediately.
C. privately funded researchers will respond positively to NBAC's appeal.
D. the issue of human cloning is still unsettled.
Passage 2
The long years of food shortage in this country have suddenly given way to apparent abundance. Stores and shops are choked with food. Rationing is virtually suspended, and overseas suppliers have been asked to hold back deliveries. Yet, instead of joy, there is widespread uneasiness and confusion. Why do food prices keep on rising, when there seems to be so much more food about? Is the abundance only temporary, or has it come to stay? Does it mean that we need to think less now about producing more food at home? No one knows what to expect.
The recent growth of export surpluses on the world food market has certainly been unexpectedly great, partly because a strange sequence of two successful grain harvests in North America is now being followed by a third. Most of Britain's overseas suppliers of meat, too, are offering more this year and home production has also risen.
But the effect of all this on the food situation in this country has been made worse by a simultaneous rise in food prices, due chiefly to the gradual cutting down of government support for food. The shops are overstocked with food not only because there is more food available, but also because people, frightened by high prices, are buying less of it.
Moreover, the rise in domestic prices has come at a time when world prices have begun to fall, with the result that imported food, with the exception of grain, is often cheaper than the home-produced variety. And now grain prices, too, are falling. Consumers are beginning to ask why they should not be enabled to benefit from this trend.
The significance of these developments is not lost on farmers. The older generation have seen it all happen before. Despite the present price and market guarantees, farmers fear they are about to be squeezed between cheap food imports and a shrinking home market. Present production is running at 51 per cent above pre-war levels, and the government has called for an expansion to 60 per cent by 1956; but repeated Ministerial advice is carrying little weight and the expansion programme is not working very well.
6.
A. the food shortage has suddenly ended.
B. there is now an abundance of food.
C. people are happy about the food abundance.
D. food prices are falling.
7.
A. because government support for food has been reduced.
B. because people are buying less food.
C. because imported food is cheaper.
D. because home production has risen.
8.
A. food prices are falling in the world market.
B. imported food is more expensive than home-produced food.
C. grain prices are rising.
D. consumers are benefiting from the price fall.
9.
A. they will be squeezed between cheap imports and a shrinking market.
B. they will get higher prices for their products.
C. the government will support them.
D. their production will expand.
10.
A. the government's expansion programme is successful.
B. farmers are confident about the future.
C. the food situation is improving rapidly.
D. the farmers' expansion programme is not working well.
Passage 3
To understand the marketing concept, it is only necessary to understand the difference between marketing and selling. Not too many years ago, most industries concentrated primarily on the efficient production of goods, and then relied on "persuasive salesmanship" to move as much of these goods as possible. Such production and selling focuses on the needs of the seller to produce goods and then convert them into money.
Marketing, on the other hand, focuses on the wants of consumers. It begins with first analyzing the preferences and demands of consumers and then producing goods that will satisfy them. This eye-on-the-consumer approach is known as the marketing concept, which simply means that instead of trying to sell whatever is easiest to produce or buy for resale, the makers and dealers first endeavor to find out what the consumer wants to buy and then go about making it available for purchase.
This concept does not imply that business is benevolent or that consumer satisfaction is given priority over profit in a company. There are always two sides to every business transaction - the firm and the customer - and each must be satisfied before trade occurs. Successful merchants and producers, however, recognize that the surest route to profit is through understanding and catering to customers. A striking example of the importance of catering to the consumer presented itself in mid-1985, when Coca Cola changed the flavor of its drink. The non-acceptance of the new flavor by a significant portion of the public brought about a prompt restoration of the Classic Coke, which was then marketed alongside the new. King Customer ruled!
11.
A. the difference between marketing and selling.
B. the importance of selling.
C. the needs of the seller.
D. the production of goods.
12.
A. on the needs of consumers.
B. on the efficiency of production.
C. on persuasive salesmanship.
D. on the conversion of goods into money.
13.
A. finding out what the consumer wants.
B. producing goods that are easy to make.
C. selling the easiest products.
D. moving goods as quickly as possible.
14.
A. that business is always benevolent.
B. that consumer satisfaction comes before profit.
C. that both the firm and the customer must be satisfied.
D. that profit is not important.
15.
A. the change of flavor was successful.
B. the new flavor was popular.
C. the classic Coke was restored because of consumer demand.
D. Coca Cola was not concerned about customer preferences.
Passage 4
People have wondered for a long time how their personalities and behaviors are formed. It is not easy to explain why one person is intelligent and another is not, or why one is cooperative and another is competitive.
Social scientists are, of course, extremely interested in these types of questions. They want to explain why we possess certain characteristics and exhibit certain behaviors. There are no clear answers yet, but two distinct schools of thought on the matter have developed. As one might expect, the two approaches are very different from one another, and there is a great deal of debate between proponents of each theory. The controversy is often referred to as "nature vs. nurture."
Those who support the "nature" side of the conflict believe that our personalities and behavior patterns are largely determined by biological and genetic factors. That our environment has little, if anything, to do with our abilities, characteristics, and behavior is central to this theory. Taken to an extreme, this theory maintains that our behavior is predetermined to such a great degree that we are almost completely governed by our instincts.
Proponents of the "nurture" theory, or, as they are often called, behaviorists, claim that our environment is more important than our biologically based instincts in determining how we will act. A behaviorist, B. F. Skinner, sees humans as beings whose behavior is almost completely shaped by their surroundings. The behaviorists maintain that, like machines, humans respond to environmental stimuli as the basis of their behavior.
The social and political implications of these two theories are profound. In the United States, for example, blacks often score below whites on standardized intelligence tests. This leads some "nature" proponents to conclude that blacks are genetically inferior to whites. Behaviorists, in contrast, say that the differences in scores are due to the fact that blacks are often deprived of many of the educational and other environmental advantages that whites enjoy, and that, as a result, they do not develop the same responses that whites do.
Neither of these theories can yet fully explain human behavior. In fact, it is quite likely that the key to our behavior lies somewhere between these two extremes. That the controversy will continue for a long time is certain.
16.
A. the formation of personalities and behaviors.
B. intelligence and cooperation.
C. genetic factors.
D. environmental factors.
17.
A. our personalities are largely determined by biological factors.
B. environment has little to do with our abilities.
C. our behavior is almost completely shaped by our surroundings.
D. humans respond to environmental stimuli.
18.
A. the "nature" theory.
B. the "nurture" theory.
C. neither theory.
D. both theories equally.
19.
A. blacks are genetically inferior to whites.
B. the differences are due to environmental factors.
C. intelligence tests are not standardized.
D. whites are better educated.
20.
A. neither theory can fully explain human behavior.
B. the controversy will continue.
C. both theories are equally valid.
D. the answer lies between the two extremes.
Passage 5
The British psychoanalyst John Bowlby maintains that separation from the parents during the sensitive "attachment" period from birth to three may scar a child's personality and predispose to emotional problems in later life. Some people have drawn the conclusion from Bowlby's work that children should not be subjected to day care before the age of three because of the parental separation it entails, and many people do believe this. But there are also arguments against such a strong conclusion.
Firstly, anthropologists point out that the insulated love affair between children and parents found in modern societies does not usually exist in traditional societies. For example, in some tribal societies, such as the Ngoni, the father and mother do not usually bring up their children together. Rather, children are often raised by a group. This suggests that separation from parents at an early age may not have the disastrous effects that Bowlby suggests.
Secondly, children in day care are often found to be more socially developed than children who stay at home with their mothers. They learn to share, to take turns, and to interact with other children. These are important social skills that will be useful later in life.
Thirdly, Bowlby's ideas are based on clinical observations of children who were severely deprived of parental care, such as those in orphanages. It is not clear that the same effects occur in children who are in day care, where they receive warm and consistent care from adults who are not their parents.
Finally, many working mothers report that their children are happy and well-adjusted, despite the fact that they spend part of the day in day care. It seems that the quality of care is more important than whether the care is provided by parents or by others.
21.
A. children should not be sent to day care before the age of three.
B. separation from parents at an early age may cause emotional problems.
C. day care is beneficial for children's social development.
D. Bowlby's ideas are completely wrong.
22.
A. the parent-child relationship in modern societies is not universal.
B. children in traditional societies are less attached to their parents.
C. tribal societies have better child-rearing practices.
D. separation from parents has no negative effects.
23.
A. day care children are more socially developed.
B. day care children are less aggressive.
C. day care children are more independent.
D. day care children are better at school.
24.
A. his observations were of children in extreme situations.
B. his theory is based on inadequate evidence.
C. his ideas have been disproven by recent research.
D. he was biased against working mothers.
25.
A. the quality of care is the most important factor.
B. parental care is always better than day care.
C. day care has no effect on children.
D. working mothers should stay at home.
Passage 6
The American economic system is organized around a basically private-enterprise, market-oriented economy in which consumers largely determine what shall be produced by spending their money in the marketplace for those goods and services that they want most. Private businessmen, striving to make profits, produce these goods and services in competition with other businessmen; and the profit motive, operating under competitive pressures, largely determines how these goods and services are produced. Thus, in the American economic system it is the demand of individual consumers, coupled with the desire of businessmen to maximize profits and the desire of individuals to maximize their incomes, that together determine what shall be produced and how resources are used to produce it.
An important factor in a market-oriented economy is the mechanism by which consumer demands can be expressed and responded to by producers. In the American economy, this mechanism is provided by a price system, a process in which prices rise and fall in response to relative demands of consumers and supplies offered by seller-producers. If the product is in short supply relative to the demand, the price will be bid up and some consumers will be eliminated from the market. If, on the other hand, producing more of a commodity results in reducing its cost, this will tend to increase the supply offered by seller-producers, which in turn will lower the price and permit more consumers to buy the product. Thus, price is the regulating mechanism in the American economic system.
The important factor in a private-enterprise economy is that individuals are allowed to own productive resources (private property), and they are permitted to hire labor, gain control over natural resources, and produce goods and services for sale at a profit. In the American economy, the concept of private property embraces not only the ownership of productive resources but also certain rights, including the right to determine the price of a product or to make a free contract with another private individual.
26.
A. consumers have the right to determine what shall be produced.
B. businessmen decide what to produce.
C. individuals maximize their incomes.
D. prices determine what consumers want.
27.
A. producers
B. consumers
C. both consumers and producers
D. the government
28.
A. the supply of a product increases.
B. the demand for a product decreases.
C. the price of a product goes up.
D. consumers stop buying the product.
29.
A. the ownership of productive resources.
B. the right to use the resources.
C. the right to make a profit.
D. all of the above.
30.
A. how American goods are produced.
B. how American consumers buy their goods.
C. how American economic system works.
D. how American businessmen make their profits.
Part Three Vocabulary and Structure (15 points)
Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence.
1. The doctor ______ me that I would recover soon.
A. assured
B. ensured
C. insured
D. secured
2. The government has ______ a new policy to help the unemployed.
A. adapted
B. adopted
C. adjusted
D. admitted
3. The old man was ______ to his wife.
A. devoted
B. demanded
C. deposited
D. delivered
4. The company decided to ______ the project due to lack of funds.
A. abandon
B. abolish
C. absorb
D. abuse
5. The teacher ______ the students to hand in their homework on time.
A. commended
B. commanded
C. commented
D. communicated
6. The two countries have ______ diplomatic relations.
A. broken off
B. broken down
C. broken out
D. broken up
7. The news ______ through the village quickly.
A. spread
B. scattered
C. distributed
D. dispelled
8. The little boy was ______ by the thunder.
A. frightened
B. frightful
C. frightening
D. fright
9. The old building is in a good state of ______.
A. observation
B. preservation
C. conservation
D. protection
10. The professor's ______ contribution to science was recognized.
A. distinct
B. distinguished
C. distinctive
D. distinguishing
11. The new law will ______ from next month.
A. take effect
B. take place
C. take action
D. take part
12. The students are ______ the coming examination.
A. preparing for
B. preparing
C. prepared for
D. prepared
13. The book is ______ more interesting than that one.
A. very
B. quite
C. far
D. rather
14. The doctor ______ the patient to take more exercise.
A. advised
B. suggested
C. proposed
D. recommended
15. The old building ______ the 18th century.
A. dates back to
B. dates from
C. dates back
D. dates in
16. The teacher asked the students to ______ the text after class.
A. go over
B. go through
C. go on
D. go out
17. The police are ______ the cause of the accident.
A. looking into
B. looking for
C. looking after
D. looking out
18. The young man was ______ of having stolen the money.
A. accused
B. charged
C. blamed
D. criticized
19. The company has ______ a new branch in Paris.
A. set up
B. set out
C. set about
D. set off
20. The government has ______ a new plan to encourage people to save water.
A. set up
B. set out
C. set about
D. set off
21. The old man has ______ smoking for many years.
A. given up
B. given in
C. given away
D. given out
22. The company decided to ______ the old equipment and buy new machines.
A. do away with
B. do up
C. do without
D. do over
23. It is not easy to ______ the differences between the two parties.
A. make up for
B. make out
C. make up
D. make for
24. The old building was ______ to make room for a new shopping center.
A. pulled down
B. pulled up
C. pulled out
D. pulled in
25. The doctor told him to ______ smoking for the sake of his health.
A. give up
B. give in
C. give away
D. give out
26. The students were asked to ______ the new words after the teacher.
A. repeat
B. review
C. retell
D. recite
27. She was ______ to hear that her husband had been injured in the accident.
A. shocked
B. surprised
C. amazed
D. astonished
28. The teacher asked the students to ______ the text after class.
A. go over
B. go through
C. go on
D. go out
29. The students are ______ to hand in their homework on time.
A. required
B. demanded
C. requested
D. ordered
30. The teacher ______ the students to be more careful in their spelling.
A. reminded
B. recalled
C. recognized
D. remembered
Part Four Translation (20 points)
Section A: Translate the following English passage into Chinese. (10 points)
The progress of science and technology has made the world a better place to live in. It has brought us many conveniences and comforts that our ancestors could not even dream of. However, it has also created new problems and challenges that we must face. Pollution, overpopulation, and the depletion of natural resources are just a few of the problems that threaten our future. The question is: can we continue to enjoy the benefits of science and technology without destroying the planet that sustains us?
Section B: Translate the following Chinese passage into English. (10 points)
随着社会的发展，人们的生活水平有了很大提高。越来越多的人开始关注健康和生活质量。他们不仅要求吃得饱、穿得暖，还要求有一个舒适的生活环境和丰富的精神生活。这种变化反映了人们价值观的转变，也对社会提出了新的要求。
Part Five Writing (10 points)
Directions: Write a composition of about 150 words on the following topic.
Topic: The Importance of Time Management