学苑中心培训系列教材
2003年在职攻读硕士学位全国联考英语试题
Paper One
Part I Listening Comprehension (30 minutes, 15 points) (略)
Part II Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes, 10 points)
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. Mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center.
16. Scientists estimate that about 530，000 other objects, too small to detect with radar, ____ the Earth too.
A. being circled B. are circling
C. are to be circling D. are being circled
17. During the past years the of automobile accidents in New York City has decreased.
A. degree B. quantity C. number D. amount
18. Both approaches require that the actor his or her own personal values as well as the character’s.
A. must understand B. should understand
C. has to understand D. need to understand
19. It is wrong for people to think that experts are right when they explain their ideas on some subjects.
A. steadily B. constantly
C. persistently D. continuously
20. We had a party last weekend, and it was a lot of fun. So let’s have one this weekend.
A. another B. more
C. the other D. other
21. The brave firemen had fought for days before they managed to the forest fire.
A. put on B. put up
C. put off D. put out
22. You can arrive in Beijing earlier for the meeting you don’t mind taking the night train.
A. if B. unless
C. though D. until
23. He that a combination of recent oil discoveries and the advance of new technology will lead to a decline in the price of crude oil.
A. predicts B. compels
C. arranges D. disputes
24. in a simple style, the book clearly describes the author’s childhood experiences in a small town.
A. Writing B. To be written
C. Being written D. Written
25. For these reasons, the newspaper is having problems in the north of the country.
A. distribution B. regulation
C. recognition D. destruction
26. The parents were much kinder to their youngest child than they were to the others, ,
of course, made the others jealous.
A. which B. that
C. what D. who
27. “Sorry, there are no tickets for tomorrow’s performance,” the ticket officer said politely.
A. preferable B. considerable
C. accessible D. available
28. With temperature so rapidly, we could not go on with the experiment.
A. fell B. fall
C. falling D. fallen
29. History has demonstrated that countries with different social systems can join hands in meeting the common challenges to human and development.
A. evolution B. survival
C. satisfaction D. damage
30. before we departed last weekend, we would have had a wonderful dinner party.
A. Had they arrived B. Would they arrive
C. Were they arriving D. Were they to arrive
31. A lot of people were ready to work long hours because high unemployment meant that they could easily be .
A. separated B. appointed
C. transferred D. replaced
32. that saw the trade between the two countries reach its highest point.
A. During the 1990’s B. That it was in the 1990’s
C. It was in the 1990’s D. It was the 1990’s
33. They have been waiting for many hours. The airplane must have been .
A. of schedule B. on schedule
C. ahead of schedule D. behind schedule
34. The manager promised to keep me of how our business was going on.
A. informed B. informing
C. to be informed D. having informed
35. We can’t afford to let the situation get worse. We have to take to put it right.
A. decisions B. advantages
C. sides D. steps
Part III Reading Comprehension (55 minutes, 40 points)
Directions: There are four passages in this part. Each of the passage is followed by five questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center.
Passage One
The worst thing about television and radio is that they entertain us, saving us the trouble of entertaining ourselves.
A hundred years ago, before all these devices were invented, if a person wanted to entertain himself with a song or a piece of music, he would have to do the singing himself or pock up a violin and play it. Now, all he has to do is turn on the radio or TV. As a result, singing and music have declined.
Italians used to sing all the time. Now, they only do it in Hollywood movies. Indian movies are mostly a series of songs and dances trapped around silly stories. As a result, they don’t do much singing in Indian villages anymore. Indeed, ever since radio first came to life, there has been a terrible decline in amateur (业余的) singing throughout the world.
There are two reasons for this sad decline: One, human beings are astonishingly lazy. Put a lift in a building, and people would rather take it than climb even two flights of steps. Similarly, invent a machine that sings, and people would rather let the machine sing than sing themselves. The other reason is that people are easily embarrassed. When there is a famous, talented musician readily available by pushing a button, which amateur violinist or pianist would want to try to entertain family or family or friends by himself?
These earnest reflections came to me recently when two CDs arrived in the mail. They are historic recordings of famous writers reading their own works. It was thrilling to hear the voices from a long dead past in the late 19th century. But today, reading out loud anything is no longer common. Today, we sing songs to our children until they are about two, we read simple books to them till they are about five, and once they have learnt to read themselves, we become deaf. We’re alive only to the sound of the TV and the stereo (立体声音响) .
I count myself extremely lucky to have been born before TV became so common. I was about six before TV appeared. To keep us entertained my mother had to do a good deal of singing and tell us endless tales. It was the same in many other homes. People spoke a language; they song it, they recited it; it was something they could feel.
Professional actors’ performance is extraordinarily revealing. But I still prefer my own reading. Because it’s mine. For the same reason, people find karaoke (卡拉OK) liberating. It is almost he only electronic thing that gives them bake their own voice. Even if their voices are hopelessly out of tune, at least it is meaningful self–entertainment.
36. The main idea of this passage is that .
A. TV and radio can amuse us with beautiful songs and music
B. TV and radio prevent us from self–entertainment
C. people should sing songs and read books aloud themselves
D. parents should sing songs and read books aloud to their children
37. According to the passage, Italians .
A. only sing songs in Hollywood
B. are no longer fond of music
C. only sing and dance in villages
D. don’t sing much nowadays
38. Which of the following is NOT the reason for the decline in amateur singing?
A. It is easier for people to please themselves with songs through TV and radio.
B. Amateurs feel embarrassed for they cannot sing as well as the professionals.
C. People don’t want to take the trouble to sing songs themselves.
D. Famous and talented musicians can easily be met.
39. When hearing the voices from the famous writers of a long dead past, the author .
A. was very excited
B. was very frightened
C. thought that writers shouldn’t read their own books
D. thought the past recording was not of good quality
40. The author’s attitude toward karaoke is .
A. negative B. positive
C. neutral D. indifferent
Passage Two
If those “mad moments”—when you can’t remember what your friend has told you or where you left your keys —are becoming more frequent, mental exercises and a healthy brain diet may help.
Just as bodies require more maintenance with the passing years, so do brains, which scientists now know show sighs of aging as early as the 20s and 30s. “Brain aging starts at a very young age, younger than any of us had imagined and these processed continue gradually over the years,” said Dr. Gary Small, the director of the Center on Aging at the University of California, Los Angeles. “I’m convinced that it is never too early to get started on a mental or brain-fitness program,” he added.
In his book, The Memory Bible, the 51-year-old neuroscientist (神经学家) lists what he refers to as the 10 suggestions for keeping the brain young. They include training memory, building skills, reducing stress, mental exercises, brain food and a healthy lifestyle. It’s a game plan for keeping brain cells sparking and neural networks in perfect shape.
“Misplacing your keys a couple of times don’t mean you should start labeling your cabinets. Memory loss is not an inevitable consequence of aging .Our brains can fight back,” he said.
Small provides the weapons for a full–scale attack.
Simple memory tests give an indication of what you are up against and tools such as “look” and “connect” are designed to make sure that important things such as names and dates are never forgotten. “So if you wanted to learn names and faces, for example, you meet Mrs. Beatty and you notice a distinguishing facial feature, maybe a high eyebrow,” said Small. “You associate the first thing that comes to mind. I think of the actor Warren Beatty so I create a mental picture of Warren Beatty kissing her brow.”
Small admits it may sound a bit strange but he says it works. “Mental exercises could be anything from doing crossword puzzles and writing with your left hand if you are right handed or learning a langrage. It could be anything that is fun that people enjoy doing,” he added.
He also recommends physical exercise, a low–fat diet and eating foods rich in fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants (抗氧化剂) including blueberries and onions in addition to reducing stress.
41. The “mad moment” in the first paragraph refers to the time when we .
A. don’t listen to our friends
B. have lost our important things
C. have some mental problems
D. have a bad memory
42. In this passage, the author mainly tells us .
A. everyone has bad memories sometimes no matter how old he is
B. we can prevent our mind from aging with various methods
C. brain aging starts at the time when we are in the 20s and 30s
D. memory lost is not the sign that we are getting old
43. By giving the example “you meet Mrs. Beatty and you notice a distinguishing …eyebrow”, Dr. Small is trying to explain the memory tool of .
A. look B. physical exercises
C. connect D. mental exercises
44. By saying “I think of the actor Warren BEATTY so I create … her brow”’ Dr. Small is trying to explain the memory tool of .
A. remembering facial features B. reducing stress
C. connecting related things D. observing carefully
45. Mental exercises do NOT include ______.
A. writing with one’s left hand
B. learning a foreign language
C. doing crossword puzzles
D. taking pictures
Passage Three
It may look like just another playgroup, but a unique educational center in Manhattan is really giving babies something to talk about. “It’s a school to teach languages to babies and young children with games, songs—some of the classed also have arts and crafts,” said Francois Thibaut, the founder of the Langrage Workshop for Children, a place where babies become bilingual.
Children as young as few months are exposed to French and Spanish before many of them can even speak English. Educators use special songs and visual (视觉的) aids to ensure that when a child is ready to talk, the languages will not be so foreign. “Children have a unique capacity to learn many languages at the same time,” said Thibaut. “Already at nine months, a child can tell the differences between the sounds he or she has heard since birth and the sounds he or she has never heard yet.” Thibaut says the best time to expose children to language is from birth to 3 years old. For the last 30 years, the school has been using what it calls the Thibarut Technique, a system that combines language lessons with child’s play.
“I always wanted to learn Spanish, but by the time I got to high school it was too late to pick it up and speak fluently,” said Marc Lazare, who enrolled his son at the school. “I figured at this age, two, it’s a perfect time for him to learn.”
Aside from learning a language, the kids also gain a tremendous sense of confidence. One young student boasted that aside from French, she can speak five languages (though that included “monkey “and “lion”). The school gives children the tools to communicate, and sometimes that gives them an advantage over their parents. “I think they sometimes speak French when they think I won’t understand them,” said parent Foster Gibbons.
Depending on the age group, classes run from 45 minute up to 2 hours. Even when students are not in class, the program is designed to make sure the learning continues at home. Tapes and books are included so kids can practice on their own.
46. The word “bilingual” in the first paragraph probably means _____ .
A. capable of using two languages B. both clever and confident
C. aware of their own limitations and strengths D. independent of their parents
47. The passage tells us that the best time for a child to learn languages is ______.
A. before seven years old B. from birth to three years old
C. in his childhood D. in his teens
48. According to Thibaut, it is possible ______.
A. for children to take advantage of their parents by using a foreign language
B. to expose children to a foreign language after they can speak English
C. to combine language lessons with sports games
D. for children to learn several languages at the same time
49. The school teaches language by ______.
A. exposing children to the new environment
B. using modern facilities and equipment
C. combining language lessons with games
D. giving children confidence
50. The best title for this text is ______.
A. A Unique Language School for Children
B. The Foreign Language for Children to Learn
C. Special Songs and Visual Aids in Learning
D. The Best Way to Learn a Foreign Language
Passage Four
The girls in this sixth grade class in East Palo Alto, California, all have the same access to computers as boys. But researchers say, by the time they get to high school, they are victims of what the researchers call a major new gender (性别) gap in technology. Janice Weinman of the American Association of University Women says, “Girls tend to be less comfortable than boys with the computer. They use it more for word processing rather than for problem solving, rather than to discover new ways in which to understand information.”
After re-examining a thousand studies, the American Association of University Women researchers found that girls make up only a small percentage of students in computer science classes. Girls consistently rate themselves significantly lower than boys in their ability and confidence I using computers. And they use computers less often than boys outside the classroom.
An instructor of a computer lab says he’s already noticed some differences. Charles Cheadle of Cesar Chavez School says, “Boys are not so afraid they might do something that will harm the computer, whereas girls are afraid they might break it somehow.”
Six years ago, the software company Purple Moon noticed that girls’ computer usage was falling behind boys. Karen Gould says, “The number one reason girls told us they don’t like computer games is not that they’re too violent, or too competitive. Girls just said they’re incredibly boring.”
Purple Monn says it found what girls want, characters they can relate to and story lines relative to what’s going on in their own lives. Karen Gould of Purple Moon Software ways, “What we definitely found from girls is that there is no intrinsic (固有的) reason why they wouldn’t want to play on a computer; it was just a content thing.”
The sponsor of the study says it all boils down to this: the technology gender gap that separates the girls from the boys must be closed if women are to compete effectively with men in the 21st century.
51. According to the passage, girls are victims of the gender gap in technology because _____ .
A. they can not discover new ways to use computers
B. they have the same access to computers as boys
C. they are likely to be less comfortable with computers
D. they can only use computers for word processing
52. Girls often feel ______.
A. bored with computer games B. comfortable using computers
C. it hard to use computers in word processing D. worried about using computers
53. The research o girls and computers is ______.
A. based on a few recent articles B. presented by one person
C. based on thousands of studies D. not considered well grounded