考博英语模拟试题及答案解析

考博英语模拟试题

Part I Listening Comprehension(15 points) (

略

)

Part II Reading Comprehension (40 % )

Directions:

There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions

or

unfinished

statements.

For

each

or

them

there

are

four

choices

marked

A,

B,

C

and

D.

You

should decide on the best choice and then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage:

Eight

times

within

the

past

million

years,

something

in

the

Earth's

climatic

equation

has

changed,

allowing

snow

in

the

mountains

and

the

northern

latitudes

to

accumulate

from

one

season to the next instead of melting away. Each time, the enormous ice sheets resulting from this

continual buildup lasted tens of thousands of years until the end of each particular glacial cycle

brought a warmer climate. Scientists speculated that these glacial cycles were ultimately driven by

astronomical factor: slow, cyclic changes in the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit and in the tilt and

orientation of its spin axis. But up until around 30 years ago, the lack of an independent record of

ice- age timing made the hypothesis untreatable.

Then

in

the

early

1950's

Emirian

produced

the

first

complete

record

of

the

waxwings

and

awnings of first glaciations. It came from a seemingly odd place, the seafloor. Single-cell marine

organisms called

the foraminifera die, sink to the bottom, and become part of seafloor sediments, the carbonate of

their shells preserves certain characteristics of the seawater they inhabited. In particular, the ratio

of

a

heavy

isotope

of

oxygen

(oxygen-

18)

to

ordinary

oxygen

(oxygen

-

16)

in

the

carbonate

preserves the ratio of the two oxygen’s in wate

r molecules.

It is now understood that the ratio of oxygen isotopes reflects the proportion of the world's

water locked up in glaciers and ice sheets. A kind of meteorological distillation accounts for the

link.

Water

molecules

containing

the

heavier

isotope

tend

to

condense

and

fall

as

precipitation

slightly sooner than molecules containing the lighter isotope. Hence, as water vapor evaporated

from warm oceans moves away from its source, its oxygen - 18 returns more quickly to the oceans

than

does

its

oxygen

-

16.

What

falls

as

snow

on

distant

ice

sheets

and

mountain

glaciers

is

relatively

depleted

of

oxygen

-18.

As

the

oxygen

-18

-poor

ice

builds

up,

the

oceans

become

relatively

enriched

in

the

isotope.

The

larger

the

ice

sheets

grow,

the

higher

the

proportion

of

oxygen - 18 becomes in seawater -- and hence in the sediments

Analyzing cores drilled from seafloor sediments, Mililani found that the isotopic ratio rose

and fell in rough accord with the Earth's astronomical cycles. Since that pioneering observation,

oxygen

isotope

measurements

have

been

made

on

hundreds

of

cores.

The

combined

record

enables scientists to show that the record contains the very periodicities as the orbital processes.

Over

the

past

800,

000

years,

the

global

ice

volume

peaked

every

100,000

years,

matching

the

period

of

the

orbital

eccentricity

variation.

In

addition,

superposed

on

each

cycle

--

small decreases or surges in ice volume -- have come at intervals of roughly 23, 000 and 41,000

years, in keeping with the precession and tilt frequencies of the Earth's spin axis.

16. In opening paragraph, the author introduces his topic by________

A. unfolding a phenomenon.

B. posing a contrast.

C. refuting a speculation.

D. testifying a hypothesis.

17. The expression

A. regularities and eccentricities.

B. vaporizations and sediments.

C. variants and constants.

D. maximizations an minimizations.

18. As pointed out in the text, the ratio of oxygen - 18 to oxygen - 16 in seafloor sediments and

that of these isotopes locked in glaciers and ice-sheets are________

A. irrelevant.

B. correlated.

C. corresponding.

D. identical.

19. Single- cell marine organisms referred to as

as_________

A. a proof against the existence of oxygen.

B. a testimony to sediment formation processes.

C. a valid record justifying glacial periodic cycles.

D. an indicator of the ratio of the t

wo oxygen’s.

20. What can we safely infer from the text?

A. Many a phenomenon might be caused by astronomical factors.

B. Any hypothesis should be abandoned unless supported by solid records.

C. Glaciers are the records keeping Earth's astronomical cycles.

D. Oxygen isotopes are evenly distributed throughout the earth surface.

Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

If you smoke and you still don't believe that there's a definite between smoking and bronchial

troubles,

heart

disease

and

lung

cancer,

then

you

are

certainly

deceiving

yourself.

No

one

will

accuse you of hypocrisy. Let us just say that you are suffering from a bad case of wishful thinking.

This

needn't

make

you

too

uncomfortable

because

you

are

in

good

company.

Whenever

the

subject of smoking and health is raised, the governments of most countries hear no evil, see no

evil and smell no evil. Admittedly, a few governments have taken timid measures. In Britain, for

example,

cigarette

advertising

has

been

banned

on

television.

The

conscience

of

the

nation

is

appeased, while the population continues to puff its way to smoky, cancerous death.

You don't have to look very far to find out why the official reactions to medical findings have

been so lukewarm. The answer is simply money. Tobacco is a wonderful commodity to tax. It's

almost

like

a

tax

on

our

daily

bread.

In

tax

revenue

alone,

the

government

of

Britain

collects

enough from smokers to pay for its entire educational facilities. So while the authorities point out

ever

so

discreetly

that

smoking

may,

conceivably,

be

harmful,

it

doesn't

do

to

shout

too

loudly

about it.

This

is

surely

the

most

short-sighted

policy

you

could

imagine.

While

money

is

eagerly

collected

in

vast

sums

with

one

hand,

it

is

paid

out

in

increasingly

vaster

sums

with

the

other.

Enormous amounts are spent on cancer research and on efforts to cure people suffering from the

disease. Countless valuable lives are lost. In the long run, there is no doubt that everybody would

be much better-off if smoking were banned altogether.

Of course, we are not ready for such drastic action. But if the governments of the world were

honestly

concerned

about

the

welfare

of

their

peoples,

you'd

think

they'd

conduct

aggressive

antismoking campaigns. Far from it! The tobacco industry is allowed to spend staggering sums on

advertising. Its advertising is as insidious as it is dishonest. We are never shown pictures of real

smokers coughing up their lungs early in the morning. That would never do. The advertisements

always depict virile, clean-shaven young men. They suggest it is manly to smoke, even positively

healthy!

Smoking

is

associated

with

the

great

open-air

life,

with

beautiful

girls,

true

love

and

togetherness. What utter nonsense!

For a start, governments, could begin by banning all cigarette and tobacco advertising and

should then conduct anti-smoking advertising campaigns of their own. Smoking should be banned

in all public places like theatres, cinemas and restaurants. Great efforts should be made to inform

young people especially of the dire consequences of taking up the habit. A horrific warning -- say,

a

picture

of

a

death's

head

--

should

be

included

in

every

packet

of

cigarettes

that

is

sold.

As

individuals we are certainly weak, but if governments acted honestly and courageously, they could

protect us from ourselves.

21. The best title of the text may be _______

A. give up the habit of smoking immediately.

B. word governments should conduct serious campaigns against smoking.

C. go on with anti-smoking lobby vigorously.

D. world governments should allocate more funds on cancer researches.

22.

As

pointed

out

in

the

text,

governments

are

reluctant

to

exercise

total

ban

on

cigarette

and

tobacco advertising _____

A. in the interests of financial rewards.

B. for the sake of the public's welfare.

C. without regard to tax collections.

D. in anticipation of smokers lobbying.

23. The word

A. dishonesty.

B. predicament.

C. indecision.

D. intimidation.

24. It can be concluded that anti-smoking campaigns should be conducted_______

A. insidiously and discreetly.

B. vividly and attractively.

C. aggressively and drastically.

D. disinterestedly and bravely.

25. The author is most critical of________

A. anti-smoking lobbyists.

B. tobacco advertisers.

C. world governments.

D. tax collectors.

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

It is the staff of dreams and nightmares. Where Tony Blair's attempts to make Britain love the

Euro have fallen on deaf ears, its incarnation as notes and coins will succeed. These will be used

not just in the Euro area but in Britain. As the British become accustomed to the Euro as a cash

currency, they will warm to it paving the way for a yes note in a referendum.

The idea of Euro creep appeals to both sides of the Euro argument. According to the pros, as

Britons become familiar with the Euro, membership will start to look inevitable, so those in favor

are bound to win. According to the antis, as Britons become familiar with the Euro, membership

will start to look inevitable, so those opposed must mobilize for the fight.

Dream or nightmare, Euro creep envisages the single currency worming its way first into the

British economy and then into the affections of voters. British tourists will come back from their

European holidays laden with Euros, which they will spend not just at airports but in high street

shops. So, too, will foreign visitors. As the Earn becomes a parallel currency, those who make up

the

current

two-o-one

majority

will

change

their

minds.

From

there,

it

will

be

a

short

step

to

decide to dispense with the pound.

Nell Kinnock, a European commissioner and former leader of the Labor Party, predicts that

the Euro will soon become Britain's second currency. Hans Eichel, the German finance minister,

also says that it will become a parallel currency in countries like Switzerland and Britain. Peter

Hain, the European minister who is acting as a cheerleader for membership, says

the Euro will

become

practical

day-to- day

reality

and

that

will

enable

people

to

make

a

sensible

decision

about it

they will take Euros in some of their shops. BP has also announced that it will accept Euros at

some of its garages.

But

there

is

less

to

this

than

meet

the

eye.

British

tourists

can

now

withdraw

money

from

cash point from European holiday destinations, so they are less likely than in the past to end up

with excess foreign money. Even if they do, they generally get rid of it at the end of their holidays,

says David South well, a spokesman for the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

26. According to the writer, once the British get used to the Euro,__

A. there will be no obstacle for it to be a currency in Britain.

B. it will take the place of pound in whatever aspects in Britain.

C. the British will accept it as a cash currency gradually.

D. it will become a symbol of reunification for European countries.

27. The writer seems_________

A. to be over-enthusiastic about the success of the Euro.

B. to launch a vigorous campaign against the Euro creep.

C. to hold a hostile attitude towards Euro expansions.

D. to take a matter-of-face attitude towards the issue.

28. The word

A.

B.

C.

D.

29. What does the writer intends to illustrate with Marks and Spencer.9

A. A kind of professional service.

B. Objections to the Euro creep.

C. A type of subjective brand loyalty.

D. Expansions of the Euro in Britain.

30. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A. The Prospect of the Euro in Britain.

B. A New Currency under Attack.

C. The Popularity of the Euro in Britain.

D. A Theme of Dreams and Nightmares.

Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

Whenever

you

see

an

old

film,

even

one

made

as

little

as

ten

years

ago,

you

cannot

help

being struck by the appearance of the women taking part. Their hairstyles and make-up look dated;

their skirts look either too long or too short; their general appearance is, in fact, slightly ludicrous.

The men taking part in the film, on the other hand, are clearly recognizable. There is nothing about

their appearance to suggest that they belong to an entirely different age.

This illusion is created by changing fashions. Over the years, the great majority of men have

successfully resisted all attempts to make them change their style of dress. The same cannot be

said for women. Each year a few so-called top designers' in Paris or London lay down the law and

women the whole world over msh to obey. The doctrines of the designers are unpredictable and

dictatorial. This year, they decide in their arbitrary fashion, skirts will be short and waists will be

high; zips are in and buttons are out,, Next year the law is reversed and far from taking exception,

no one is even mildly surprised.

If

women

are

mercilessly

exploited

year

after

year,

they

have

only

themselves

to

blame.

Because they shudder at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they

are annually blackmailed by the designers and the big stores, Clothes which have been worn only

a few times have to be discarded because of the dictates of fashion. When you come to think of it,

only a woman is capable of standing in front of a wardrobe packed full of clothes and announcing

sadly that she has nothing to wear.

Changing

fashions

are

nothing

more

than

the

deliberate

creation

of

waste.

Many

women

squander vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Woman

who cannot afford to discard clothing in this way waste hours of their time altering the dresses

they have. Hem lines are taken up or let down; waist- lines are taken in or let out; neck-lines are

lowered or raised, and so on.

No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society.

Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital things like warmth, comfort and durability. They

are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put

up with any amount of discomfort providing they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn't

at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shivering in a flimsy dress on a wintry day,

or delicately picking her way through deep snow in dainty shoes.

When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, the conclusions to be drawn are

obvious.

Do

the

constantly

changing

fashions

of

women's

clothes,

one

wonders,

reflect

basic

qualities of fickleness and instability? Men are too sensible to let themselves be bullied by fashion

designers. Do

their

unchanging

styles

of

dress

reflect

basic

qualities

of

stability

and

reliability?

That is for you to decide.

31. In the opening paragraph, the writer introduced his topic by________

A. introducing an illusion.

B. making a comparison.

C. depicting a vivid scene.

D. posing a sharp contrast.

32. In the eyes of the author, the dictates of fashion probably means a sort of design characterized

by ________

A. obsolescence and sensibility.

B. uniqueness and stability.

C. creativity and hypocrisy.

D. inconstancy and irrationality.

33. The word

A.

B.

C.

D.

34. The writer would be less critical if fashion designers placed more stress on the

_______ of

clothing.

A. suitability

B. comfort

C. appearance

D. fabric

35. It can be inferred from the passage that women should________

A. see through the very nature of fashion myths.

B. boycott the products of the fashion industry.

C. avoid following fashion doctrines too closely.

D. blame designers for their waste of money.

Part III Vocabulary (10 % )

Directions:

There

are

20

incomplete

sentences

in

this

part.

For

each

sentence

there

are

four

choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one that completes the sentence or is nearest in

meaning

with

the

underlined

word.

And

then

mark

the

corresponding

letter

on

the

ANSWER

SHEET with a single line through the center.

36.

The

recovery

and

________

of

the

country'

s

economy

has

also

been

accompanied

by

increasing demands for high quality industrial sites in 'attractive locations.

A. renewal

B. revival

C. recession

D. relief

37. In fact tho purchasing power of a single person's pension in Hong Kong was only 70 per cent

of the value of the ______ Singapore pension.

A. equivalent

B. similar

C

. consistent

D. identical

38. It seems a reasonable rule of thumb that any genuine offer of help and support from people or

organizations will be accompanied by a name and address, and a willingness to be ______ as to

their motive in making contact.

A. seen through

B. checked out

C

. touched on

D. accounted to

39. According to BBC boxing reporter Mike Costello ,just as there is

worldwide _______ with

boxing, so there is worldwide opposition.

A. passion

B. attraction

C. emotion

D. fascination

40. Although there are several variations on the exact format that worksheets can take, they are all

similar in their _______ aspects.

A. potential

B. social

C. essential

D. partial

41. ________ any advice which you can get from the interviewer and follow up suggestions for

improving your presentation and qualifications.

A. Take the most of

B. Keep the most of

C. Have the most of

D. Make the most of

42.

There

is

a

loss

of

self-confidence,

a

sense

of

personal

failure,

great

anger

and

a

feeling

of

being utterly_______

A. let alone

B. let out

C. let down

D. let on

43. Japan remains tied to the Western camp partly because the relationship has become __ to her

economy and politics over forty years' association.

A. integral

B. unilateral

C. rational

D. hierarchical

44.

With

most

online

recruitment

services,

jobseekers

must

choose

their

words

'carefully;________ the search engine will never make the correct match.

A. therefore

B. whereas

C. provided

D. otherwise

45. The child should always ______ the same basic procedure: seeing the whole word-heating and

pronouncing-writing from memory.

A. go through

B. take over

C. respond to

D. carry off

46. That MGM Grand Youth Center is open to children 3 - 12 years old _______ what hotel they

are staying in.

A. regardless in

B. regardless of

C. regardless on

D. regardless from

47. Ever since Geoffrey sent a sizeable cheque to a well-known charity he's been _______ with

requests for money from all sides.

A. devastated

B. smashed

C. bombarded

D. cracked

48.

Knowing

that

the

cruel

criminal

has

done

a

lot

of unlawful

things,

feel

sure

that

I

have

no

_________ but to report him to the local police.

A. time

B. chance

C. authority

D. alternative

49. Behind his large smiles and large cigars, his eyes often seemed to regret.

A. teem with

B. brim with

C. come with

D. look with

50. They are always ready to heavy responsibilities.

A. take in

B. take on

C. put on

D. put in

51.

There

is

only

one

difference

between

an

old

man

and

a

young

one

the

young

one

has

a

glorious future before him and the old one has a ________ future behind him.

A. splendid

B. conspicuous

C. uproarious

D. imminent

52.

That

tragedy

distressed

me

so

much

that

I

used

to

keep

indoors

and

go

out

only______

necessity.

A. within reach of

B. for fear of

C. by means of

D. in case of

53. A young man sees a sunset and unable to understand or express the emotion that it ______ in

him, concludes that it must be the gateway to a world that lies beyond.

A. reflects

B. retains

C. rouses

D. radiates

54. _______ the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for another 8 - 10 minutes or until most of

the water has evaporated.

A. Turn off

B. Turn over

C. Turn down

D. Turn up

55.

Banks

shall

be

unable

to

_______,or

claim

relief

against

the

first

15%

of

any

loan

or

bankrupted debt left with them.

A. write off

B. put aside

C. shrink from

D. come over

Part IV Cloze (10 % )

Directions:

There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices

marked A, B, C and D. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the

corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

Every second,

56

hectare of the world's rainforest is destroyed. That's one to two football

fields.

This

57

rate of destruction has serious consequences

58

the environment. Scientists

estimate, for example, that 137

59

of plant, insect or animal become

60

every day due to

logging. In British Columbia,

61

, since 1990,thirteen rainforest valleys have been clear cut,

142 species of salmon have already become extinct, and the

62

of grizzly bears, wolves and

many

other

creatures

are

threatened.

Logging,

63

,

provides

jobs,

profits,

taxes

for

the

government and cheap products of all kinds for consumers, so the government is

64

to restrict

or control it. Much of Canada's forestry production

65

making pulp and paper. According to

the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association, Canada

66

34% of the world's wood pulp and 49%

of

its

newsprint

paper.

If

these

paper

products

could

be

produced

in

some

other

way,

Canadian

forests could be

67

. Recently, a possible

68

way of producing paper has been suggested by

agriculturalists

and

environmentalists:

a

plant

called

hemp.

Hemp

has

been

cultivated

by

many

cultures

for

thousands

of

years.

It

produces

fore

which can

be

69

paper,

fuel,

oils,

textiles,

food, and rope. For many centuries, it was essential to the economies of many countries

70

it

was

used

to

make

the

ropes

and

cables

used

on

sailing

ships;

colonial

expansion

and

the

establishment

of

a

world-wide

trading

71

would

not

have

been

possible

72

hemp.

Nowadays,

ships'

cables

are

usually

made

from

wire

or

synthetic

fibres,

but

scientists

are

now

suggesting

that

the

cultivation

of

hemp

should

be

73

for

the

production

of

paper

and

pulp.

According to its proponents, four-times as

74

paper can be produced from land using hemp

rather than trees, and many environmentalists believe that the

75

scale cultivation of hemp

could reduce the pressure on Canada's forests.

56. A. matching

B. equivalent

C. mounting

D. reaching

57. A. great

B. wonderful

C. imaginary

D. alarming

58. A. for

B. on

C. at

D. to

59. A. types

B. categories

C. species

D. classes

60. A. extinct

B. distinct

C. dead

D. exhausted

61. A. when

B. who

C. where

D. which

62. A. territory

B. land

C. habitat

D. inhabitant

63. A. however

B. furthermore

C. otherwise

D. instead

64. A. willing

B. likely

C. reluctant

D. intended

65. A. goes up

B. goes towards

C

. goes into

D. goes at

66. A. supplies

B. offers

C. presents

D. provides

67. A. maintained

B. sustained

C. preserved

D. held

68. A. optional

B. potential

C. promising

D. alternative

69. A. made into

B. made for

C. made up

D. made of

70. A. since

B. because

C. as

D. while

71. A. link

B. exchange

C. network

D. site

72. A. except

B. without

C. with

D. besides

73. A. resumed

B. renewed

C. refreshed

D. revived

74. A. much

B. many

C. few

D. more

75. A. great

B. large

C. immense

D. massive

Part V Translation from English into Chinese

Directions:

Translate

the

following

passage

into

Chinese,

and

then

write

it

on

the

ANSWER

SHEET.

What,

then,

does

Drucker

suggest

are

the

new

knowledge-based

industries

on

which

economic growth will depend? He discusses three categories of such industries. The first of these

is

the

information

industry.

This

industry

collects,

stores,

spreads,

and

applies

knowledge.

It

depends on the computer. In the future, however, the computer itself will probably become less

important than communicating and applying knowledge. Dmcker foresees a central computer that

will make information available to everyone. Another source of new industries is the science of

the oceans. New technologies may help to supply food and minerals from the seas. A third new

source

of

economic

growth

is

the

materials

industry.

This

industry

provides

the

materials

for

making objects. One such industry that has already become economically important is the plastic

industry. Dmcker explains that throughout history our traditional materials have been metals, glass,

natural fibers, and paper. Today, with the help of modem science, industries can make many new

materials to meet specific needs. Because they will be created to fit a certain product, they will be

highly efficient. Consequently, he points out, industries that supply traditional materials such as

steel or glass Will have trouble competing with those that produce these new materials.

Part VI Writing( 15 % )

Directions:

A. Study the following picture carefully and write an essay of about 200 words.

B. Your essay should meet the requirements below:

( 1 ) describe the picture and interpret its meaning.

(2) point out the problem and give your comments.

C. Your essay must be written clearly on the ANSWER SHEET. (20 points)