江西师范大学2007年推荐免试研究生英语考试试卷
(2006年10月14日)
(请在答题纸上作答，写在试卷上无效)
Section Ⅰ Use of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark ［A］, ［B］, ［C］ or ［D］ on Answer Sheet 1. (20 points)
Generally speaking, a British is widely regarded as a quiet, shy and conservative person who is 1 only among those with whom he is acquainted. When a stranger is at present, he often seems nervous, 2 embarrassed. You have to take a commuter train any morning or evening to 3 the truth of this. Serious-looking businessmen and women sit reading their newspapers or dozing in a corner. Hardly anybody talks, since to do so would be considered quite offensive. 4 , there is an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior which, 5 broken, makes the offender immediately the object of 6 .
It has been known as a fact that the British has a 7 for the discussion of their weather and that, if given a chance, he will talk about it 8 . Some people argue that it is because the British weather seldom 9 forecast and hence becomes a source of interest and 10 to everyone. This may be so. 11 a British cannot have much 12 in the weathermen, who, after promising fine, sunny weather for the following day, are often proved wrong 13 a cloud over the Atlantic brings rainy weather to all districts! The man in the street seems to be as accurate — or as inaccurate — as the weathermen in his 14 .
Foreigners may be surprised at the number of references 15 weather that the British make to each other in the course of a single day. Very often conversational greetings are 16 by comments on the weather. “Nice day, isn’t it?” “Beautiful!” may well be heard instead of “Good morning, how are you?” 17 the foreigner may consider this exaggerated and comic, it is worthwhile pointing out that it could be used to his advantage. 18 he wants to start a conversation with a British but is 19 to know where to begin, he could do well to mention the state of the weather. It is a safe subject which will 20 an answer from even the most reserved of the British.
1. ［A］ relaxed ［B］ frustrated ［C］ amused ［D］ exhausted
2. ［A］ yet ［B］ otherwise ［C］ even ［D］ so
3. ［A］ experience ［B］ witness ［C］ watch ［D］ undergo
4. ［A］ Deliberately ［B］ Consequently ［C］ Frequently ［D］ Apparently
5. ［A］ unless ［B］ once ［C］ while ［D］ as
6. ［A］ suspicion ［B］ opposition ［C］ criticism ［D］ praise
7. ［A］ emotion ［B］ fancy ［C］ likeliness ［D］ judgment
8. ［A］ at length ［B］ to a great extent ［C］ from his heart ［D］ by all means
9. ［A］ follows ［B］ predicts ［C］ defies ［D］ supports
10. ［A］ dedication ［B］ compassion ［C］ contemplation ［D］ speculation
11. ［A］ Still ［B］ Also ［C］ Certainly ［D］ Fundamentally
12. ［A］ faith ［B］ reliance ［C］ honor ［D］ credit
13. ［A］ if ［B］ once ［C］ when ［D］ whereas
14. ［A］ propositions ［B］ predictions ［C］ approval ［D］ defiance
15. ［A］ about ［B］ on ［C］ in ［D］ to
16. ［A］ started ［B］ conducted ［C］ replaced ［D］ proposed
17. ［A］ Since ［B］ Although ［C］ However ［D］ Only if
18. ［A］ Even if ［B］ Because ［C］ If ［D］ For
19. ［A］ at a loss ［B］ at last ［C］ in groups［D］ on the occasion
20. ［A］ stimulate ［B］ constitute ［C］ furnish ［D］ provoke
Section Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A
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. (40 points)
Text 1
Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids(小行星)now，one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it，say some scientists. Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids (流星) that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don't threaten us. But there are also thousands whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth. Buy $ 50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $ 10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one，the scientists say，we'll have a way to change its course. Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons. But the cost wouldn't be cheap. Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) How likely the event is; and 2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500,000 years. Sounds pretty rare, but if one did fall，it would be the end of the world. “If we don't take care of these big asteroids，they'll take care of us，” says one scientist. “It's that simple.” The cure，though，might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “The world has less to fear from doomsday (毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them，” said a New York Times article.
21. What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?
[A ]They are heavenly bodies different in composition.
[B] They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.
[C ] There are more asteroids than meteoroids.
[D] Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.
22. What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth?
[A] It is very unlikely but the danger exists.
[B] Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.
[C] Collisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.
[D] It's still too early to say whether such a collision might occur..
23. What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the
course of asteroids?
[A] It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.
[B] It may create more problems than it might solve.
[C] It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very
unlikely.
[D] Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.
24. We can conclude from the passage that .
[A] while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world
[B] asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future
[C] the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely
to happen in our lifetime
[D] workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids
with Earth.
25. Which of the following best describes the author's tone in this pass age?
[A] Optimistic. [B] Critical. [C] Objective. [D] Arbitrary.
Text 2
Do you remember last summer，when furious travelers were pounding on Congress to do something about airline customer service？Airlines promised to improve，and they adopted new standards just before Christmas．But as another summer nears，plenty of experienced travelers don't see much improvement in customer service overall．
This month，the Department of Transportation's（DOT）inspector general's office will issue its first critical article on whether airlines are honoring their promises．One survey suggests problems：The number of complaints to the DOT about the top 10 airlines in the first quarter soared 89％ from a year ago．
Hit last summer by passenger complaints and the threat of consumer-protection laws by Congress，14 carriers voluntarily agreed to adopt a set of basic customer-service standards called Customers First．From immediate refunds to truthful reservation agents to toilets that flush during onboard delays，the "12 commitments" to passengers were introduced as a major effort to improve service．Since then，airlines have been redesigning websites，retraining employees and upgrading technology．
Recently，DOT inspector general Kenneth Mead，at McCain's request，sent 20 examiners to airports to document whether each airline is doing what it promised，Mead cautions travelers shouldn't expect too much．Most of the promises are aimed at better communication with customers，not problems free flights．
"We think passengers，both business and leisure，perceive travel as more of a quarrel these days," spokeswoman Shelly Sasson says．"Some of this is perception，but a lot is reality," "And when improvements are made，it takes a long time for them to be noticed"，she says．
Now，the efforts may be working．During the first quarter，Delta had the second-lowest rate of complaints among the top 10 carriers．Still，its rate，along with other carriers'，is up from last year．McCain and other lawmakers say new consumer protection laws aren't out of the question if the industry's voluntary program doesn't work．
26．The passage tells us that _______ ．
[A] passenger complaints increase though airlines have taken steps to improve air service
[B] passenger complaints decrease for airlines have taken steps to improve air service
[C] air service has been improved greatly though it is hard to notice by passengers
[D] air service needs improving badly as the results of passenger complaints
27．Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage ？
A] Government has sent officials to check any improvement the air service airlines have made．
B] Some people suggest passengers show more understanding to airlines about their efforts to better air service．
C] To improve air service doesn't mean that there will no longer be any deficiencies in
air traveling．
D] It is thought that passengers should be patient when they are waiting for any
improvement made by airlines．
28．Which of the following statements is closest in meaning to the sentence "Some of this is perception，but a lot is reality．"（Para．5）
[A] Some people's complaints about air service are rather subjective，but most people's are fairly objective．
[B] When people travel by air，they usually quarrel，which is a fact passengers all see．
[C] Some people take a biased view on air service because they don't see facts．
[D] Most people saw facts，but a few people failed．
29．The author has written the last paragraph mainly to mean _______ ．
[A] the rate of complaints is going up in all airlines in spite of the efforts they made
[B] improvements some airlines have made are not effective，which leads to more
complaints
[C] there may be a need to pass laws to improve airline customers service
[D] some people are too aggressive when complaining about air service though airlines have made great efforts on it
30．In paragraph 1，the phrase "pounding on" means" _______"．
[A]striking at
[B] urging
[C] attacking
[D] soundings with loud noises
Text 3
Old people are always saying that the young are not what they were. The same comment is made from generation to generation and it is always true. It has never been truer than it is today. The young are better educated; they have a lot more money to spend and enjoy more freedom. They grow up more quickly and are not so dependent on their parents. They think more for themselves and do not blindly accept the ideals of their elders. Events which the older generation remembers vividly are nothing more than past history. This is as it should be. Every new generation is different from the one that preceded it. Today the difference is very marked indeed. The old always assume that they know best for the simple reason that they have been around a bit longer. They don’t like to feel that their values are being questioned or threatened. And this is precisely what the young are doing. They are questioning the assumptions of their elders and disturbing their sense of feeling contended. They doubt that the older generation has created the best of all possible worlds.
What they reject more than anything is conformity. Office hours, for instance, are nothing more than enforced slavery. Wouldn’t people work best if they were given complete freedom and responsibility? And what about clothing? Who said that all the men in the world should wear dull gray suits and convict haircuts? If we turn our minds to more serious matters, who said that human differences can best be solved through conventional politics or by violent means? Why have the older generation so often used violence to solve their problems? Why are they so unhappy and guilt-ridden in their personal lives; so obsessed with mean ambitions and the desire to amass more and more material possessions? Can anything be right with the rat-race? Haven’t the old lost touch with all that is important in life?
These are not questions the older generation can shrug off lightly. Their record over the past forty years or so hasn’t been exactly spotless. Traditionally, the young have turned to the older for guidance. Today, the situation might be reversed. The old—if they are prepared to admit it—could learn a thing or two from their children. One of the biggest lessons they could learn is that enjoyment is not sinful. Enjoyment is a principle one could apply to all aspects of life. It is surely not wrong to enjoy your work and enjoy your leisure; to shed restricting inhibitions. It is surely not wrong to live in the present rather than in the past or future. The world is full of uncertainty and tension. This is their glorious heritage. Can we be surprised that they should so often question the sanity of the generation that passed it down?
31. Which of the following features in the young is NOT mentioned?
[A] Better educated ［B］ More money and freedom.
[C] Greater independence. ［D］ Respect for work.
32. What do the young have an attitude for?
［A］ The differences between the old and young.
［B］ The assumption of the old generation.
［C］ The emphasis on violence as a solution to social problems.
［D］ The social conventions that they are expected to follow.
33. Why do the young stress on the present because.
［A］ the past is full of sanity that should be done with
［B］ the present is more secure than the past
［C］ the present world is substantial and sustaining
［D］ the present is made up of a glorious heritage
34. What can the old learn from the young generation?
［A］ Enjoyment is not despicable for what it is
［B］ People should have more time for leisure.
［C］ It is a blessing that people can learn to enjoy life
［D］ One should break free of the restrictions that life imposes
35. How do the young think about office hours?
［A］ They are more painful than enforced slavery
［B］ They are happier than enforced slavery
［C］ They are almost as painful as enforced slavery
［D］ They are the most painful enforced slavery
Text 4
Researchers are finding that boys and girls really are from two different planets. Experts say boys and girls have different “crisis points”, stages in their emotional and social development where things can go very wrong. Until recently, girls got all the attention. But boys are much more likely than girls to have discipline problems at school and to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Boys far outnumber girls in special-education classes. They’re also more likely to commit violent crimes and end up in jail. Even normal boy behavior has come to be considered pathological（病态的）in the wake of the feminist movement. An abundance of physical energy and the urge to conquer－these are normal male characteristics, and in an earlier age they were good things, even essential to survival. “If Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer were alive today,” says Michael Gurian, author of The Wonder of Boys, “we’d say they had ADD.” He says one of the new insights we’re gaining about boys is a very old one: boys will be boys. “They are who they are,” says Gurian, “and we need to love them for who they are. Let’s not try to rewire them.”
But what exactly is the essential nature of boys? Even as infants, boys and girls behave differently. A recent study at Children’s Hospital in Boston found that boy babies are more emotionally expressive; girls are more reflective. (That means boy babies tend to cry when they’re unhappy; girl babies suck their thumbs.) This could indicate that girls are innately more able to control their emotions. Boys have higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of neurotransmitter serotonin(神经传递素), which inhabits aggression(睾丸激素) and impulsivity. That may help explain why more males than females carry through with suicide or become alcoholics.
There’s a struggle between a desire and need for warmth on the one hand and a pull toward independence on the other. Boys are going through what psychologists long ago declared an integral part of growing up: individualization and disconnection from parents, especially mothers. But now some researchers think that process is too abrupt. When boys repress normal feelings like love because of social pressure, says William Pollack, head of the Center for Men at Boston’s McLean Hospital, “they’ve lost contact with the genuine nature of whom they are and what they feel. Boys are in a silent crisis. The only time we notice it is when they pull the trigger.”
36. Which of the following is NOT true according to the first paragraph?
［A］ Boys and girls are different.
［B］ Boys need more attention than girls.
［C］ Girls almost need no help from society.
［D］ Boys are more difficult to educate than girls.
37. What can be inferred about Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn?
［A］ They were more like today’s girls than boys.
［B］ They suffered Attention Deficit Disorder but were not diagnosed.
［C］ They were energetic and conquering.
［D］ They had more problems than today’s boys.
38. The word “rewire” ( Para. 1) could best be replaced by .
［A］ restore to a former condition ［B］ recognize the worth of
［C］ change the nature of ［D］ address the problems of
39. Which aspect of the boy and girl differences does Para. 3 discuss?
［A］ Physiological. ［B］ Psychological. ［C］ Cultural. ［D］ Intellectual.
40. It is implied in the passage that .
［A］ society approves of boys who have tender feelings
［B］ society expects boys to be independent
［C］ boys take more time to grow up than girls
［D］ boys and girls can never receive similar treatment
Part B
Directions:
The following paragraphs are given in a wrong order for Questions 41-45, you are required to reorganize these paragraphs into a coherent article by choosing from the list A-G to fill in each numbered box. The first and the last paragraphs have been placed for you in Boxes. Mark your answers on Answer Sheet 1. (10 points)
［A］ Concerned citizens and scientists have begun to take action. A wide range of solutions is being proposed to stop the destruction of biodiversity at the regional as well as the global level. Since 1985, the effort has become more precisely charted, economically efficient, and politically sensitive.
［B］ The new biodiversity studies will lead logically to an electronic encyclopedia of life designed to organize and make immediately available everything known about each of the millions of species. The industrialized countries will lead for a time. However, the bulk of the work must eventually be done in the developing countries. The latter contains most of the world’s species, and they are destined to benefit soonest from the research. The technology needed is relatively inexpensive, and its transfer can be accomplished quickly. The discoveries generated can be applied directly to meet the concerns of greatest importance to the geographic region in which the research is conducted, being equally relevant to agriculture, medicine, and economic growth.
［C］In the midst of this richness of life forms, however, the rate of species extinction is rising, chiefly through habitat destruction. Most serious of all is the conversion of tropical rainforests, where most species of animals and plants live. The rate has been estimated, by two independent methods, to fall between 100 and 10,000 times the pre-human background rate, with 1,000 times being the most widely accepted figure. The price ultimately to be paid for this cataclysm is beyond measure in foregone scientific knowledge; new pharmaceutical and other products; ecosystems services such as water purification and soil renewal; and, not least, aesthetic and spiritual benefits.
［D］ Since the current hierarchical, binomial classification was introduced by Carolus Linnaeus 250 years ago, 10 percent, at a guess, of the species of organisms have been described. It is believed that most and perhaps nearly all of the remaining 90 percent can be discovered, diagnosed, and named in as little as about 25 years. That potential is the result of two developments needed to accelerate biodiversity studies.
［E］ The increasing attention given to the biodiversity crisis highlights the inadequacy of biodiversity research itself. Earth remains in this respect a relatively unexplored planet. The total number of described and formally named species of organisms has grown, but not by much, and today is generally believed to lie somewhere between 1.5 million and 1.8 million. The full number, including species yet to be discovered, has been estimated in various accounts that differ according to assumptions and methods from an improbably low 3.5 million to an improbably high 100 million. By far the greatest fraction of the unknown species will be insects and microorganisms.
［F］ The past decade has witnessed the emergence of a much clearer picture of the magnitude of the biodiversity problem. Put simply, the biosphere has proved to be more diverse than was earlier supposed, especially in the case of small microorganisms. An entire domain of life, the Archaea, has been distinguished from the bacteria, and a huge, still mostly unknown and energetically independent environment has been found to extend three kilometers or more below the surface of Earth.
［G］ The first is information technology, with which high-resolution digitized images of specimens can now be obtained. Moreover, type specimens, scattered in museums around the world can now be photographed and made instantly available everywhere as “etypes” on the Internet. The second revolution about to catapult biodiversity studies forward is genomics, which will soon enable scientists to describe bacterial and archaean species by partial DNA sequences and to subsequently identify them by genetic bar-coding.
F→41.→42.→43.→44.→45.→B
Part C
Directions：
Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written clearly on Answer Sheet 2. (10 points)
Education begins with teachers. Yet teaching seems to be losing its appeal for many of the best and brightest college students: in high school, many of the best students decide that they want to be teachers, but their relatives and friends soon convince them to change their minds. (46) According to several recent reports on the shortcomings of American public schooling, teaching’s lack of appeal for the brightest college students is one of the teaching profession’s most worrisome problems.
Many articles on teaching, currently popular in newspapers, magazines, and professional education journals, concentrate on the negative aspects of teaching; the expression “teacher burnout” is commonly ascribed to thousands of thoughtful and dedicated teachers who are leaving the profession. (47) Teacher burnout is caused by such problems as violence in the classroom, vandalism(肆意破坏行为), inadequate salaries, involuntary transfers, interfering parents, oversized classes, and excessive paperwork. Even the best teachers cannot solve a child’s problems, but many of them believe the public expects them to, and they give up teaching in despair.
(48) Despite the more limited financial prospects, the deterioration of the American public’s attitude toward teachers, and the problems caused by disruptive students, many of the best students conclude that they want to pursue careers in the classroom after all. They usually discover that they want personal fulfillment from their life’s work more than they want material rewards. Each eventually chose to become a teacher. However, a growing body of evidence shows that such students are exceptions, rather than the rule, in America’s more than 1,200 teacher-training programs. Many teacher-training schools are beginning to look at ways to recruit the kind of people who would be inclined toward the positive aspects of teaching. The teaching profession has to become more attractive to good students.
(49) Prospective teachers will see increased emphasis by national teacher organizations, state certification agencies, and local districts on improving the status of the profession, as well as on improving teacher salaries. Continued efforts to eliminate jobs teachers do that are not teacher’s—such as policing the restrooms, hallways, and cafeterias—are important for upgrading the profession.
While teaching is not a wise career choice for all, teaching is a noble and rewarding profession for those who indeed seek personal fulfillment from their life’s work. (50) Though the first year of teaching is frequently the most frustrating year in a teacher’s life, the experience of solving problems that deal with instruction, students, parents, administrators, and fellow teachers is of immeasurable value for future success.
Section Ⅲ Writing
Part A (for all the applicants 所有考生必考)
51.Directions:
You are scheduled to head for a job interview tomorrow afternoon. However, you have just been informed that there will be an important lecture then, and you can’t excuse yourself. So write a letter to the interviewer:
1)Express your apology;
2)Explain the reason why you can’t meet the appointment;
3)Request your appointment be scheduled for another time;
4)Make sure that you are mostly polite in writing the letter.
Write your letter with no less than 150 words. Write it neatly on Answer Sheet 2. Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter, use “Li Ming” instead. You do not need to write the address. (20 points)
Part B
(For English majors applicants only 英语专业的学生必考，非英语专业考生不考)
52.Directions:
Write a letter of around 200 words to a professor indicating that you wish to pursue your postgraduate study under his supervision. Your letter should include:
1) a brief introduction to your academic background;
2) the reasons why you wish to study under him;
3) your wish to get a reply from the professor.
You should write neatly on Answer Sheet 2. (20 points)
Section IV Translate the following text into English. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET.（10 points）
(For English majors applicants only英语专业的学生必考，非英语专业考生不考)
照相是一种既兼并客观世界，又表达独特自我的技术。照片描绘业已存在的客观现实，不过只有造相机才能揭示这种客观现实。照片反映个别摄影者的气质，这种气质是通过照相机剪裁现实而显示出来的。那就是说，摄影术有两个相互对立的观念：第一，摄影术是反映世界的，摄影者只不过是无足轻重的观察者； 第二，摄影术是无畏探索的主观性的手段，摄影者决定一切。
