2015~2019年武汉大学考博英语真题及详解【圣才出品】

一、段落分析Concept-defining(一)C ontent 内容（from paragraph level）1 Topic 话题（特点general笼统）2 Aspect (supporting sentence)from material to spiritual aspects从物质到精神from physical to psychological aspects从身体到心理from idea/mentality to behavior从思想到行为from technology to societyfrom individual to social aspects从个体到社会from oneself to others从自身到他人from direct to indirect aspects从直接到间接from physical environment to economic and social structure从地理环境到社会经济结构3 Perspective (point of view)角度+ Key words=thesis 论点+evidence论据=theme主题（main idea）+aspects方面4 Form/Function形式（passage level）Structure: the organization of the whole articleIntroduction (what)Body (why)Conclusion (how)(二)P aragraph development1 Skill/Pattern；Fact/DetailStatistics统计Examples例证Statements阐述Quotation引言2 Method针对所选用的skill的方法1)topic order2)causal order = cause and effect3)spatial order = space order4)chronological order = time order5)problem and solution6)means and ends7)process and result8)classification9)hierarchical structure 分层次、等级的(from least to most)10)antithesis对偶、排比11)progression递进(a gradual process of change or developing over period of time)12)comparison (相似) and contrast(差异) 对比3 Logic relationship (from passage level) (what, why, how)1)Cause and effect因果关系=why & how2)Means and ends = process and purpose = how手段和目的；过程和目的3)Topic/idea and reason (introduction)= what & why4)Problem and solution = what & how5)Example = how(三)D eveloping Paragraph/Body(正文/主体)1Unity (一致性)—topic sentence切题，与开篇提出的论点相关2Development (发展性)—supporting sentences no more than 5 aspects论据是否充分Common Methods of Development1)exemplification例证2)facts事实3)citation引证4)comparison and contrast比较与对比5)analysis分析6)classification分类3Coherence (连贯性):主要指段落中的句子与句子之间在逻辑上和结构上的相互连贯—条理清楚、层次分明、衔接自然1)transitions/signposts过渡词/路标词2)from the most important to the least important or vice verse由重到轻，反之亦然3)general principle by classification:总原则（分类）from material to spiritual aspects从物质到精神from physical to psychological aspects从身体到心理from individual to social aspects从个体到社会from oneself to others从自身到他人from direct to indirect aspects从直接到间接from physical environment to economic and social structure从地理环境到社会经济结构第一课的第三段：Our second major discovery was that the Information Marketplace will dramatically affect people and organizations on a wide scale.Besides its many uses in commerce, office work, and manufacturing, it will also improve health care, provide new ways to shop, enable professional and social encounters across the globe, and generally permeate the thousands of things we do in the course of our daily lives. It will help us pursue old and new pleasures, and it will encourage new art forms, which may be criticized but will move art forward, as new tools have always done. It will also improve education and training, first in specific and established ways and later through breakthroughs that are confidently awaited. Human organizations from tiny companies to entire第一课的第十二段：The wise eye will also see that the Information Marketplace is much influential than its parts—the interfaces, middleware and pipes that make up the three-story building on which we stand. Once they are integrated, they present a much greater power—t he power to prevent an asthmatic from dying in a remote town in Alaska, to enable an unemployed bank loan officer to find and succeed at a new form of work, to allow a husband and wife to revel in the accomplishments of a distant daughter while also providing emotional and financial support. These powers are far greater than第八课的第一段：Countless cultures around the world have disappeared, along with their mythologies.In Mesoamerica, dozens of ornate Mayan temples lie mute, as do an untold number of Incan monuments in Peru, Celtic cairns in Wales, Khmer statues in Cambodia, and magnificent第八课的第四段：It is likely that changes in the forest occurred over decades and would have been difficult to detect immediately. An islander might easily have missed the long-term trend, thinking: “This year we cleared those woods over there, but trees are starting to grow back again over here.”Furthermore, any islander who issued a warning against the oncoming disaster would have been silenced by the ruling class. Chiefs, priests, and stone carvers all depended on the status quo to第八课的第六段：Humanity may not act in time to prevent the decimation of the rain forests, fossil fuels, arable land, and fisheries. In only 40 years, Ethiopia’s forest cover shrank from 30% to 1%. During the same time period, the rest of the world lost half of its rain forests. Powerful decision-making groups ignore those who sound an alarm; their political, economic, and religious agendas fail to address the第八课的第八段：If we are going to avoid the fate of the Easter Islanders, we must change the myths that are leading us toward extinction and find inspiring visions of a plausible and appealing future. The old myths have collapsed, but no new ones have emerged to fill the vacuum. For transformation to occur, human beings must actively shape the future, an enterprise that goes to the heart of mythmaking. If we are each a cell in what Peter Russell calls “The Global Brain,” then this is an第八课的第十二段：But as the Grand Narrative of Progress came to dominate other values and views, it cast a malignant shadow. The invention of the automobile was the quintessence of progress, but it left overcrowded highways, air pollution, and deforestation in its wake. Fertilizers increased crop production but also increased the growth of algae in lakes and canals. The discovery of powerful insecticides——first greeted with enthusiasm and a Nobel Prize——was followed by theunintentional poisoning of fish, birds, and animals. Nuclear power plants increased available energy but led to storage problems, life-threatening contamination, and at least one accident with worldwide repercussions. The waste products of technological living began to choke great cities and foul once-pristine lands. Although Western housing, clothing, and religion were brought to aboriginal people, and the rate of infectious disease went down, the rate of alcoholism, drug第八课的第二十五段：The third principle is to identify real-life situations in which antagonists can find common ground. With a recognition of the limitations of linguistic exchange, postmodernists urge that groups “press beyond dialogue.” For example, athletes and musicians from all walks of life can generate smooth and effective teams or musical groups. Business executives and scientists from conflicting backgrounds are often able to work together to generate multinational corporations and二、文章结构分析第八课1-4段Countless cultures around the world have disappeared, along with their mythologies. In Mesoamerica, dozens of ornate Mayan temples lie mute, as do an untold number of Incan monuments in Peru, Celtic cairns in Wales, Khmer statues in Cambodia, and magnificent ziggurat-like structures in central Africa.Easter Island, celebrated for the giant statues left by its vanished civilization, is unique in archaeology because of its isolation from its neighbors. Current archaeological evidence indicates that some 1,600 years ago the island’s first settlers, explorers from Polynesia, found themselves in a pristine paradise with subtropical forests, dozens of wild bird species, and no predators. They multiplied and prospered, distributing resources in a manner that suggests a sophisticated economy and complex political system. Rival clans erected ever-larger statues on platforms, emulating the stone carvings of their Polynesian forebears, trying to surpass each other with displays of power and wealth.Eventually, as the island’s population grew to 20,000 people, the forests were cut more rapidly than they regenerated. Trees were transformed into fuel, canoes, and houses, as well as rollers and ropes to transport the gigantic stone heads. In time, the absence of wood for sea going canoes reduced the fish catches, while erosion and deforestation diminished crop yields. The growing populace consumed the local bird and animal populations. When the island could no longer feed its human population, the political and religious oligarchy that had directed and distributed the local resources began to languish. Many archaeologists believe the ruling class was overthrown by warriors. In the ensuing disorder, clan fought clan fought clan, toppling and desecrating each other’s statues. When the Europeans arrived on Easter Sunday, 1772, the once-fertile island was barren and desolate. Its remaining inhabitants, only a fraction of the numbers a few generations earlier, were heirs to a once-greater society that had degenerated into violence, starvation, and cannibalism.It is likely that changes in the forest occurred over decades and would have been difficult to detect immediately. An islander might easily have missed the long-term trend, thinking: “This year we cleared those woods over there, but trees are starting to grow back again over here.”Furthermore, any islander who issued a warning against the oncoming disaster would have been silenced by the ruling class. Chiefs, priests, and stone carvers all depended on the status quo to retain their positions and privileges.附：武汉大学博士研究生英语试题Part I Documental Analysis 20%Attention: Analyze the following paragraph according to the requirements of perspective, method and skill, and questions.But as the Grand Narrative of Progress came to dominate other values and views, it cast a malignant shadow. The invention of the automobile was the quintessence of progress, but it left overcrowded highways, air pollution, and deforestation in its wake. Fertilizers increased crop production but also increased the growth of algae in lakes and canals. The discovery of powerful insecticides--first greeted with enthusiasm and a Nobel Prize--was followed by the unintentional poisoning of fish, birds, and animals. Nuclear power plants increased available energy but led to storage problems, life-threatening contamination, and at least one accident with worldwide repercussions. The waste products of technological living began to choke great cities and foul once-pristine lands. Although Western housing, clothing, and religion were brought to aboriginal people, and the rate of infectious disease went down, the rate of alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide, and spouse and child abuse went up.Part II Article Analysis 15%Attention:Fill the chart according to the requirements based on your understanding of the following article.1. We live in times that are harsh but exciting, where everyone agrees that we are moving to a new level of civilization. Principles, values, ways of life, will no longer be the same; but as yet we are not really ready for these changes; we are faced with inventing the future and also bringing it into operation, progressively; we make experiments and we frequently make mistakes; but we are beginning to know what we want when we talk of justice, freedom and democracy. The scientific and technological community is directly involved in the questions that arise. Following those of our generation, the demands of your generation will continue until these aims have been at least partially achieved.2. The closeness of scientific problems to political problems is such that scientific workers are not,far from it, protected from socio-economic vicissitudes. So much so that they sometimes express the same needs as all other workers and join them in this context; but they also call for specific measures. Like everyone else we need freedom but we especially need freedom of expression for our scientific and technological ideas; we need this even if it is only to put them forward for criticism. We don't ask for any particular privilege but we would like the efforts made to be evaluated at their actual worth, in the interests of society.3. If our federation is so active in working for a statement of the rights and responsibilities of scientific workers, it is because we wish to resolve this problem in a way appropriate to most countries.4. So you will certainly play an important part in society, even if this is not always readily recognized by society, because scientific and technological knowledge and expertise are the context in which future economic, social and political changes will take place. Whatever you do, you cannot ignore them and, whatever is said, society will not be able to ignore you. You will also have a decisive part to play, and perhaps an even more difficult one, in the scientific and technological community itself. The whole extension of this community and its interaction with society as a whole leads scientific workers to get involved in all political debates, crises and decisions. You will have to note the essential demands of science as such; it is not simply a matter of protecting society from unacceptable consequences; one must also protect scientific activity from political and financial meddling.5. It is vital to safeguard the basic honesty of science, the honesty that is basic to its method. Whenever, in the history of science, this honesty has been set aside, the consequences have been serious. I am not speaking merely of the suicide or disgrace of an individual but of the social and economic damage arising from such lapses. There are worse possibilities: at a time when problems are increasingly complex, with ever widening political implications, we need science to be technically dependable and socially credible. In a world of turbulence, science's saving grace is not simply material but lies in its rationality.Part III Writing 25%Attention: Write an essay on the following topic with substantial evidence and good reasoning (e.g.in a linear way) in more than 300 words.How to Write English Well as a PhD Candidate---- On My Class ExperiencePart I. Documental Analysis 20%Topic: ______________________________ ______________________________Perspective(s): ____________________________________________________Method(s): ______________________________________________________Skill(s): _______________________________ _______________________________Questions: ________________________________________________________Part II. Article Analysis 15%。

2017年武汉大学考博英语真题及答案注意：所有的答题内容必须写在答案纸上，凡写在试题或草稿纸上的一律无效。

Part I Reading Comprehension (2’×20 = 40 points)Directions: In this part of the test, there will be 5 passages for you to read. Each passage is followed by 4 questions or unfinished statements, and each question or unfinished statement is followed by four choices marked A, B, C and D. You are to decide on the best choice by blackening the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET.Passage OneMr Gordon is right that the second industrial revolution involved never-to-be-repeated changes. But that does not mean that driverless cars count for nothing. Messrs Erixon and Weigel are also right to worry about the West’s dismal recent record in producing new companies. But many old firms are not run by bureaucrats and have reinvented themselves many times over: General Electric must be on at least its ninth life. And the impact of giant new firms born in the past 20 years such as Uber, Google and Facebook should not be underestimated: they have all the Schumpeterian characteristics the authors admire.On the pessimists’ side the strongest argument relies not on closely watching corporate and investor behavior but rather on macro-level statistics on productivity. The figures from recent years are truly dismal. Karim Foda, of the Brookings Institution, calculates that labor productivity in the rich world is growing at its slowest rate since 1950. Total factor productivity (which tries to measure innovation) has grown at just 0.1% in advanced economies since 2004, well below its historical average.Optimists have two retorts. The first is that there must be something wrongwith the figures. One possibility is that they fail to count the huge consumer surplus given away free of charge on the internet. But this is unconvincing. The official figures may well be understating the impact of the internet revolution, just as they downplayed the impact of electricity and cars in the past, but they are not understating it enough to explain the recent decline in productivity growth.Another, second line of argument that the productivity revolution has only just begun is more persuasive. Over the past decade many IT companies may have focused on things that were more “fun than fundamental” in Paul Krugman’s phrase. But Silicon Valley’s best companies are certainly focusing on things that change the material world.Uber and Airbnb are bringing dramatic improvements to two large industries that have been more or less stuck for decades. Morgan Stanley estimates that driverless cars could result in $507 billion a year of productivity gains in America, mainly from people being able to stare at their laptops instead of at the road.1.What has led to the pessimistic opinion concerning the world’s economy?A.It is based on macro-level statistics on productivity.B.It is based on close observation on corporate and investor behavior.C.It is due to the fact that many old firms are not run by bureaucrats.D.It is due to the fact that not enough new firms have been created.2.The first argument on the optimists’side is unconvincing because theofficial figures.A.are both wrong and unconvincingB.downplay the internet revolutionC.fail to include the consumer surplusD.can’t explain the decline in productivity growth3.What is true about the IT companies in Silicon Valley??A.They have only focused on the fun part of life.B.They have made a difference in the real world.C.They have more persuasive productivity.D.They have only just begun to develop.4.How can driverless cars benefit American industries?A.Driverless cars have revived two large American industries.B.The sale of driverless cars can reach hundreds of billion dollars.C.Thanks to them people free from driving can do more creative work.D.Driverless cars have stimulated the development of Uber and Airbnb.Passage TwoWinston Churchill was one of the central statesmen of the 20th century and, almost 50 years after his death, remains a subject of enduring fascination. Part of the current interest in this venerable figure can be attributed to two superb biographies written in the 1980s by historian William Manchester: “The Last Lion: Visions of Glory” and “The Last Lion: Alone.” These two books examined the first two-thirds of Churchill’s life.Unfortunately, after completing the second volume, Manchester’s health declined and the rest of the project stalled. So great was public interest in the long-delayed final volume that it was the subject of a front page story in The New York Times.Eventually, in 2003, Manchester asked his friend Paul Reid to complete the trilogy. Now, nearly a decade later, Reid has published The Last Lion, the final piece of this monumental undertaking. Reid starts when Churchill was appointed prime minister in May 1940 andfollows him through his death in 1965. While most of this volume is appropriately devoted to World War II, it also includes the vast expansion of the British welfare state following the war, the start of the Cold War and the enormous dangers it carried, and the loss of the British Empire.Reid has written a thorough and complete analysis of these years, and it is a worthy finale to the first two volumes. Exhaustively researched and carefully written, it draws on a full range of primary and secondary materials. This book will be essential reading for those who enjoyed the first two volumes and those with a deep interest in understanding this seminal figure and his place in history.Reid does a wonderful job of capturing Churchill in all his complexity. He gives Churchill great praise for his personal courage and inspirational leadership during the dark days when Britain stood alone, but he is equally clear about Churchill’s poor strategic judgments, such as the efforts to defend Greece and Crete, the Allied assault on Anzio, and the decision to send the battleship Prince of Wales and battle cruiser Repulse to the South China Sea without adequate air cover where they were promptly sunk by the Japanese.He highlights Churchill’s naiveté in dealing with Soviet Premier Stalin in the early years of the war, but praises his prescience in anticipating Stalin’s land grab in Eastern Europe at the end of the conflict. Reid also gives welcome attention to aspects of the war ― such as Churchill’s fear that the United States might decide to put its primary emphasis on defeating Japan regardless of the “Germany first”understanding he shared with Roosevelt that have received little attention in other books.5.What can be known about the two biographies of Churchill?A.They were written in an interesting style.B.They were written prior to Churchill’s death.C.They are mainly written from a historical point of view.D.They have helped intrigue the readers over a long period.6.Why did the biography once become a front page story in The New York Times?A.People were looking forward to the publication of the final volume.B.Readers were angry with the author for the delay of the final volume.C.The publication of the final volume was then a heatedly discussed issue.D.Readers wanted to know who would be the new author of the final volume.7.Why does the third volume prove to be worthy?A.It is widely read and welcomed by readers.B.It involves enough details in Churchill’s life.C.It is based on thorough and reliable research.D.It offers a unique understanding of Churchill.8.What can we know about Churchill through the third volume?A.He is a man with complexity.B.He pulled Britain through WWII.C.He made many strategic mistakes.D.He is courageous and inspirational.Passage ThreeAsteroids and comets that repeatedly smashed into the early Earth covered the planet’s surface with molten rock during its earliest days, but still may have left oases of water that could have supported the evolution of life, scientists say. The new study reveals that during the planet’s infancy, the surface of the Earth was a hellish environment, but perhaps not as hellish as often thought, scientists added.Earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago. The first 500 million years of its life are known as the Hadean Eon. Although this time amounts to more than 10 percent of Earth’s history, little is known about it, since few rocks are known that are older than 3.8 billion years old.For much of the Hadean, Earth and its sister worlds in the inner solar system were pummeled with an extraordinary number of cosmic impacts. “It was thought that because of these asteroids and comets flying around colliding with Earth, conditions on early Earth may have been hellish,”said lead study author Simone Marchi, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. This imagined hellishness gave the eon its name — Hadean comes from Hades, the lord of the underworld in Greek mythology.However, in the past dozen years or so, a radically different picture of the Hadean began to emerge. Analysis of minerals trapped within microscopic zircon crystals dating from this econ “suggested that there was liquid water on the surface of the Earth back then, clashing with the previous picture that the Hadean was hellish,” Marchi said. This could explain why the evidence of the earliest life on Earth appears during the Hadean — maybe the planet was less inhospitable during that eon than previously thought.The exact timing and magnitude of the impacts that smashed Earth during the Hadean are unknown. To get an idea of the effects of this bombardment, Machi and his colleagues looked at the moon, whose heavily cratered surface helped model the battering that its close neighbor Earth must have experienced back then.“We also looked at highly siderophile elements (elements that bind tightly to iron), such as gold, delivered to Earth as a result of these early collisions, and the amounts of these elements tells us the total mass accreted by Earth as the results of these collisions,” Marchi said. Prior research suggests these impacts probably contributed less than 0.5 percent of the Earth’s present-day mass.The researchers discovered that “the surface of the Earth during the Hadean was heavily affected by very large collisions, by impactors [ɪm'pæktə] larger than 100 kilometers (60 miles) or so — really, really big impactors,’ Marchi said. “When Earth has a collision with an object that big, that melts a large volume of the Earth’s crust and mantle, covering a large fraction of the surface,”Marchi added. These findings suggest that Earth’s surface was buried over and over again by large volumes of molten rock — enough to cover the surface of the Earth several times. This helps explain why so few rock survive from the Hadean, the researchers said.9.Why is little known about the Earth’s first 500 million years?A.Because it is an imagined period of time.B.Because this period is of little significance.C.Because it is impossible to know about this period.D.Because no rocks are available as research evidence.10.Why is the early Earth imagined to be hellish?A.Because it was often smashed by asteroids and comets.B.Because back then Hades, the lord of Hell, resigned.C.Because it was so according to Greek mythology.D.Because back then there was no life.11.Why was the early Earth in fact less inhospitable than often thought?A.Because minerals of the Hadean have been found suggesting the existenceof life.B.Because the clashing brought by asteroids and comets was not completelydamaging.C.Because during the Hadean there already existed the evidence of life.D.Because there had already been liquid water on the Earth back then.12.How can the moon help with the understanding of the impacts that smashed theEarth?A.The moon once smashed into the Earth too.B.The moon was battered earlier than the Earth.C.The moon, as a close neighbor, is easier to observe.D.The moon’s surface is heavily cratered as the Earth’s.Passage FourFrom beach balls, pool toys, and jump houses, inflatable technology takes a big step forward for its next frontier: space station. A new kind of tech will be aboard Space X’s eighth supply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). A compressed living module will be delivered and attached to the station where, in the void of space, it will expand into a new habitat for astronauts.Designed by Bigelow Aerospace, the inflatable space habitat is one area NASAis exploring for potential deep space habitats and other advanced space missions.“The ‘Bigelow Expandable Activity Module,’or the BEAM, is an expandable habitat that will be used to investigate technology and understand the potential benefits of such habitats for human missions to deep space,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden wrote in a blog post.The habitats could be a way to “dramatically increase” the space available for astronauts while also offering added protection from the dangers of space, like radiation and space debris, the NASA press release says.But how is an inflatable space station supposed to be a viable means of housing for space travelers? BEAMs are far more than balloon-like rooms where astronauts can take asylum. Technically, the modules don’t inflate ―they expand, according to the company. And beyond just air, the habitats are reinforced with an internal metal structure. The outside is composed of multiple layers of material including things like rubber and kevlar to protect from any speeding debris.Inside SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft on the way to the ISS, the BEAM will be approximately 8 feet in diameter. It will expand once deployed in space to offer 565 cubic feet of space for astronauts. “It’ll be the first time human beings will actually step inside this expandable habitat in space,”former astronaut George Zamka, who has worked for Bigelow Aerospace, told USA Today. “There won’t be this sense of it being like a balloon.”But astronauts won’t be getting inside the module for some time yet. The BEAM will be attached to the Tranquility Node and deployed. Inside the module are a series of tools that will help the crew of the ISS monitor different aspects of the expandable area to see how it acts in space. The crew will watch heat, radiation, orbital debris, and provide information about the viability of using similar modules in the future.The testing is scheduled to go on for a two-year time period, after which the module will be released and burn up in the atmosphere. NASA’s partnership with Bigelow fits Mr. Bolden’s desire to help grow a robustprivate sector industry to commercialize aspects of space ― a process he sees as vital if humans want to reach farther cosmic destinations. “The world of low Earth orbit belongs to industry,”Bolden said at a press conference in January 2015.13.What is special about the new living module on SpaceX’s eighth mission toISS?A)It is expandable. C) It is going to deep space.B)It looks like a toy. D) It will not return to Earth.14.What is the purpose of designing the inflatable space habitat?.A.It is to find out its potential capacity.B.It is to give a try on a new technology.C.It is to save time and money in production.D.It is to see if it can be applied in deep space.15.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 mean?A.The habitat will not be a balloon-like room.B.The habitat will not feel like a balloon.C.The habitat will be like a senseless balloon.D.The habitat will be a different kind of balloon.16.Why does NASA intend to commercialize aspects of space?A.It can save NASA time and energy.B.It is necessary for a robust industry.C.It is crucial for further space explorations.D.It meets both NASA’s and Bigelow’s needs.Passage FiveOf all the people on my holiday shopping list, there was one little boy for whom buying a gift had become increasingly difficult. He’s a wonderful child, adorable and loving, and he’s not fussy or irritable or spoiled. Though he lives across the country from me, I receive regular updates and photos, and he likes all the things that the boys his age want to play with. Shopping for him should be easy, but I find it hard to summon up any enthusiasm, because in all the years I’ve given him presents, he never once sent me a thank-you note.“Sending thank-you notes is becoming a lost art,”mourns Mary Mitchell, a syndicated columnist known as “Ms. Demeanor”and author of six etiquette books. In her view, each generation, compared with the one before, is losing a sense of consideration for other people. “Without respect,” she says, “you have conflict.”Ms. Demeanor would be proud of me: I have figured out a way to ensure that my children always send thank-you notes. And such a gesture is important, says Ms. Demeanor, because “a grateful attitude is a tremendous life skill, an efficient and inexpensive way to set ourselves apart in the work force and in our adult lives. Teach your children that the habit of manners comes from inside ― it’s an attitude based on respecting other people.”A few years ago, as my children descended like piranhas on their presents under the Christmas tree, the only attitude I could see was greed. Where was the appreciation of time and effort?A thank-you note should contain three things: an acknowledgement of the gift (Love the tie with the picture of a hose on it); a recognition of the time and effort spent to select it (You must have shopped all over the state to find such a unique item!); a prediction of how you will use your gift or the way ithas enhanced your life (I’ll be sure to wear it to the next Mr. Ed convention!).So, five years ago, in one of my rare flashes of parental insight, I decided that the most appropriate time to teach this basic courtesy is while the tinsel is hot. To the horror of my children, I announced that henceforth every gift received will be an occasion for a thank-you note written immediately, on the spot. I have explained to my kids how I have reacted to not hearing from the little boy ― how it made me fell unappreciated and unmotivated to repeat the process next year.I have reluctantly given my kids the green light to send e-mail thank-you notes; though hand-lettered ones (at least to me) still seem friendlier. But pretty much any thank-you makes the gift giver feel special ―just as, we hope, the recipient feels. It’s a gesture that perfectly captures the spirit of the holidays.17.The author felt unmotivated when buying a gift for the little boy because he.A.purposely intended not to show gratitude for her kindness andconsiderationB.had never expressed appreciation of the gifts he received in previousyears.C.had no idea how thoughtful she was in choosing a gift for himD.didn’t like any of the gift she had given him18.According to Ms. Demeanor, showing appreciation has the benefit of .A.forming the habit of good mannersB.regaining the lost art of expressing thanksC.motivating the gift giver to buy more giftsD.distinguishing oneself from others in work and life19.In a thank-you note, “The book will be my good companion when I am alone”serves as.A. a recognition of the time and effort spent to select itB.an announcement of how it has enhanced your lifeC. a prediction of how you will use your giftD.an acknowledgement of the gift20.What does the author mean by “while the tinsel is hot (Line 2, Para. 6)?A.The moment her kids receive a gift.B.The moment she starts choosing gifts for each kid.C.When the art of sending thank-you notes isn’t lost yet.D.When her kids still remember who bought the gifts for them.Part II English-Chinese Translation (5’×4 = 20 points)Directions: Read the following passage, and then translate the underlined parts numbered from (1) to (4), from English into Chinese. Please write your answer on the ANSWER SHEET.Economics is no different. Supply, demand, elasticity, comparative advantage, consumer surplus, deadweight loss--these terms are part of the economist’slanguage. In the coming chapters, you will encounter many new terms and some familiar words that economists use in specialized ways.(1)At first, this new language may seem needlessly arcane. But, as you will see, its value lies in itsability to provide you a new and useful way of thinking about the world in which you live.Economists try to address their subject with a scientist’s objectivity. They approach the study of the economy in much the same way as a physicist approaches the study of matter and a biologist approaches the study of life: (2)They devise theories, collect data, and then analyze thesedata in an attempt to verify or refute their theories.To beginners, it can seem odd to claim that economics is a science. After all, economists do not work with test tubes or telescopes. (3)The essence of science, however, is the scientificmethods--the dispassionate development and testing of theories about how the world works.This method of inquiry is as applicable to studying a nation’s economy asit is to studying the earth’s gravity or a species’ evolution. (4)As Albert Einstein once put it, “The whole of science isnothing more than the refinement of everyday thinking.”(225words)Part II Chinese-English Translation (20 points)Directions: Translate the following paragraph from Chinese into English. Please write youranswer on the ANSWER SHEET.为了寻找实验室试验的替代品，经济学家十分关注历史所提供的自然实验。

black fiction GRE,农业补贴是04年专八第一个阅读，司法审判是2014年考研阅读，男女角色是05年专八阅读，都有原题，选项都没有改过Roger Rosenblatt’s book Black Fiction, in attempting to apply literary rather than sociopolitical criteria to its subject, successfully alters the approach taken by most previous studies. As Rosenblatt notes, criticism of Black writing has often served as a pretext for expounding on Black history. Addison Gayle’s recent work, for example, judges the value of Black fiction by overtly political standards, rating each work according to the notions of Black identity which it propounds.Although fiction assuredly springs from political circumstances, its authors react to those circumstances in ways other than ideological, and talking about novels and stories primarily as instruments of ideology circumvents much of the fictional enterprise. Rosenblatt’s literary analysis discloses affinities and connections among works of Black fiction which solely political studies have overlooked or ignored.Writing acceptable criticism of Black fiction, however, presupposes giving satisfactory answers to a number of questions. First of all, is there a sufficient reason, other than the racial identity of the authors, to group together works by Black authors? Second, how does Black fiction make itself distinct from other modern fiction with which it is largely contemporaneous? Rosenblatt shows that Black fiction constitutes a distinct body of writing that has an identifiable, coherent literary tradition. Looking at novels written by Blacks over the last eighty years, he discovers recurring concerns and designs independent of chronology. These structures are thematic, and they spring, not surprisingly, from the central fact that the Black characters in these novels exist in a predominantly White culture, whether they try to conform to that culture of rebel against it.Black Fiction does leave some aesthetic questions open. Rosenblatt’s thematic analysis permits considerable objectivity; he even explicitly states that it is not his intention to judge the merit of the various works—yet his reluctance seems misplaced, especially since an attempt to appraise might have led to interesting results. For instance, some of the novels appear to be structurally diffuse. Is this a defect, or are the authors working out of, or trying to forge, a different kind of aesthetic? In addition, the style of some Black novels, like Jean Toomer’s Cane, verges on expressionism or surrealism; does this technique provide a counterpoint to the prevalent theme that portrays the fate against which Black heroes are pitted, a theme usually conveyed by more naturalistic modes of expression?In spite of such omissions, what Rosenblatt does include in his discussion makes for an astute and worthwhile study. Black Fiction surveys a wide variety of novels, bringing to our attention in the process some fascinating and little-known works like James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man. Its argument is tightly constructed, and its forthright, lucid style exemplifies levelheaded and penetrating criticism.21. The author of the passage objects to criticism of Black fiction like that by Addison Gayle because it(A)emphasizes purely literary aspects of such fiction(B)misinterprets the ideological content of such fiction(C)misunderstands the notions of Black identity contained in such fiction(D)substitutes political for literary criteria in evaluating such fiction(E)ignores the interplay between Black history and Black identity displayed in such fiction22. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with(A)evaluating the soundness of a work of criticism(B)comparing various critical approaches to a subject(C)discussing the limitations of a particular kind of criticism(D)summarizing the major points made in a work of criticism(E)explaining the theoretical background of a certain kind of criticism23. The author of the passage believes that Black Fiction would have been improved had Rosenblatt(A)evaluated more carefully the ideological and historical aspects of Black fiction(B)attempted to be more objective in his approach to novels and stories by Black authors(C)explored in greater detail the recurrent thematic concerns of Black fiction throughout its history(D)established a basis for placing Black fiction within its own unique literary tradition(E)assessed the relative literary merit of the novels he analyzes thematically24. The author’s discussion of Black Fiction can be best described as(A)pedantic and contentious(B)critical but admiring(C)ironic and deprecating(D)argumentative but unfocused(E)stilted and insincere25. It can be inferred that the author of the passage would be LEAST likely to approve of which of the following?(A)An analysis of the influence of political events on the personal ideology of Black writes(B)A critical study that applies sociopolitical criteria to autobiographies by Black authors(C)A literary study of Black poetry that appraises the merits of poems according to the political acceptability of their themes(D)An examination of the growth of a distinct Black literary tradition within the context of Black history(E)A literary study that attempts to isolate aesthetic qualities unique to Black fiction26. The author of the passage uses all of the following in the discussion of Rosenblatt’s book EXCEPT(A)rhetorical questions(B)specific examples(C)comparison and contrast(D)definition of terms(E)personal opinion27. The author of the passage refers to James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man most probably in order to(A)point out affinities between Rosenblatt’s method of thematic analysis and earlier criticism(B)clarify the point about expressionistic style made earlier in the passage(C)qualify the assessment of Rosenblatt’s book made in the first paragraph of the passage(D)illustrate the affinities among Black novels disclosed by Rosenblatt’s literary analysis(E)give a specific example of one of the accomplishments of Rosenblatt’s workD AE B C D ETEXT D"In every known human society the male's needs for achievement can be re cognized... In agreat number of human societies men's sureness of their sex r ole is tied up with their right, orability, to practice some activity that women a re not allowed to practice. Their maleness in facthas to be underwritten by pr eventing women from entering some field or performing somefeat."This is the conclusion of the anthropologist Margaret Mead about the way i n which the rolesof men and women in society should be distinguished.If talk and print are considered it would seem that the formal emancipation of women is far fromcomplete. There is a flow of publications about the continui ng domestic bondage of womenand about the complicated system of defe nces which men have thrown up around their hitherto accepted advantages, t aking sometimes the obvious form of exclusion from types of occupation a nd sociable groupings, and sometimes the more subtle form of automatic do ubtof the seriousness of women's pretensions to the level of intellect and r esolution that men, itis supposed, bring to the business of running the world .There are a good many objective pieces of evidence for the erosion of men 's status. In thefirst place, there is the widespread postwar phenomenon of the woman Prime Minister, inIndia, Sri Lanka and Israel.Secondly, there is the very large increase in the number of women who work, especially marriedwomen and mothers of children. More diffusely there are t he increasingly numerous convergences between male and female behaviour: the approximation to identical styles indress and coiffure, the sharing of d omestic tasks, and the admission of women to all sorts of hitherto exclusiv ely male leisure-time activities.Everyone carries round with him a fairly definite idea of the primitive or nat ural conditions ofhuman life. It is acquired more by the study of humorous c artoons than of archaelology, butthat does not matter since it is not significan t as theory but only as an expression of inwardlyfelt expectations of people's sense of what is fundamentally proper in the differentiationbetween the roles of the two sexes. In this rudimentary natural society men go out to huntand fish and to fight off the tribe next door while women keep the fire going. Amo rous initiative is firmly reserved to the man, who sets about courtship with a club.25. The phrase "men's sureness of their sex role" in the first paragraph sugg ests that theyA. are confident in their ability to charm women.B. take the initiative in courtship.C. have a clear idea of what is considered "manly".D. tend to be more immoral than women are.26. The third paragraph does NOT claim that menA. prevent women from taking up certain professions.B. secretly admire women's intellect and resolution.C. doubt whether women really mean to succeed in business.D. forbid women to join certain clubs and societies.27. The third paragraphA. generally agrees with the first paragraphB. has no connection with the first paragraphC. repeats the argument of the second paragraphD. contradicts the last paragraph28. At the end of the last paragraph the author uses humorous exaggeratio n in order toA. show that men are stronger than womenB. carry further the ideas of the earliest paragraphsC. support the first sentence of the same paragraphD. disown the ideas he is expressing29. The usual idea of the cave man in the last paragraphA. is based on the study of archaeologyB. illustrates how people expect men to behaveC. is dismissed by the author as an irrelevant jokeD. proves that the man, not woman, should be the wooer30. The opening quotation from Margaret Mead sums up a relationship betw een man andwoman which the authorA. approves ofB. argues is naturalC. completely rejectsD. expects to go on changing25. C26. B 27. A 28. C 29. B 30. ATEXT AFarmers in the developing world hate price fluctuations. It makes it hard to plan ahead. But most of them have little choice: they sell at the price the market sets. Farmers in Europe, the U.S. and Japan are luckier: they receive massive government subsidies in the form of guaranteed prices or direct handouts. Last month U.S. President Bush signed a new farm bill that gives American farmers $190 billion over the next 10 years, or $83 billion more than they had been scheduled to get, and pushes U.S. agricultural support close to crazy European levels. Bush said the step was necessary to “promote farmer independence and preserve the farm way of life for generations”. It is also designed to help the Republican Party win control of the Senate in November’s mid?t erm elections.?Agricultural production in most poor countries accounts for up to 50% of GDP, compared to only 3% in rich countries. But most farmers in poor countries grow just enough for themselves and their families. Those who try exporting to the West find their goods whacked with huge tariffs or competing against cheaper subsidized goods. In 1999 the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development concluded that for each dollar developing countries receive in aid they lose upto $14 just because o f trade barriers imposed on the export of their manufactured goods. It’s not as if the developing world wants any favours, says Gerald Ssendwula, Uganda’s Minister of Finance. “What we want is for the rich countries to let us compete.”?Agriculture is one of the few areas in which the Third World can compete. Land and labour are cheap, and as farming methods develop, new technologies should improve output. This is no pie?in?the?sky speculation. The biggest success in Kenya’s economy over the past decade h as been the boom in exports of cut flowers and vegetables to Europe. But that may all change in 2008, when Kenya will be slightly too rich to qualify for the “least?developed country” status that allows African producers to avoid paying stiff European import duties on selected agricultural products. With trade barriers in place, the horticulture industry in Kenya will shrivel as quickly as a discarded rose. And while agriculture exports remain the great hope for poor countries, reducing trade barriers in other sectors also works: Americas African Growth and Opportunity Act, which cuts duties on exports of everything from handicrafts to shoes, has proved a boon to Africa’s manufacturers. The lesson: the Third World can prosper if the rich world gives it a fair go.?This is what makes Bush’s decision to increase farm subsidies last month all the more depressing. Poor countries have long suspected that the rich world urges rade liberalization onlyso it can wangle its way into new markets. Such suspicions caused the Seattle trade talks to break down three years ago. But last November members of the World Trade Organization, meeting in Doha, Qatar, finally agreed to a new round of talks designed to open up global trade in agriculture and textiles. Rich countries assured poor countries, that their concerns were finally beingaddressed. Bush’s handout last month makes a lie of America’s commitment to those talks and his personal devotion to free trade.?16.By comparison, farmers ____ receive more government subsidies than others.?A.in the developing worldB.in JapanC.in EuropeD.in America?17.In addition to the economic considerations, there is a ____ motive behind Bush’s signing of the new farm bill.?A.partisanB.socialC.financialD.cultural?18.The message the writer attempts to convey throughout the passage is that ____.?A.poor countries should be given equal opportunities in trade?B.“the least?developed country” status benefits agricultural countries?C.poor countries should remove their suspicions about trade liberalization?D.farmers in poor countries should also receive the benefit of subsidies?19.The writer’s attitude towards new farm subsidies in the U.S. is ____.?A.favourableB.ambiguousC.criticalD.reserved??PART ⅢREADING COMPREHENSIONSECTION A READING COMPREHENSIONTEXT A短文大意：美国总统布什签订了一份农业议案，旨在提高农业补贴。

武汉大学2015年翻译硕士英语考研真题及详解一、词汇结构题（共40小题，每题0.5分，共20分）Directions: There are 40 sentences in this section. Beneath each sentence there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that bestcompletes the sentence. Mark your answer on your answer sheet.1. His natural ______ saved him from being spoilt by fame and success.A. honestyB. simplicityC. modestyD. morality【答案】C【解析】词义辨析。

句意：他天生谦逊，不因名望和成就而骄傲。

modesty谦逊；质朴；稳重。

honesty诚实，正直。

simplicity朴素；天真；愚蠢。

morality道德；品行，美德。

2. Patriotism was the army captain’s ______ when he spoke at our school assembly.A. themeB. theoremC. thesisD. theory【答案】A【解析】近形词辨析。

句意：这位陆军上尉在我们学校大会上的发言是以爱国主义为主题。

theme主题；主旋律；题目。

theorem[数]定理；原理。

thesis论文；论点。

theory理论；学说；推测。

3. A modern ship has its ______ in the hollowed log used by primitive peoples.A. protonB. patternC. predecessorD. prototype【答案】D【解析】近形词辨析。

武汉大学考博英语-12(总分：71.00，做题时间：90分钟)一、Part Ⅰ Reading Comprehension(总题数：4，分数：31.00)Opponents of affirmative action say the battle over the use of race in college admissions is hardly over, despite the Supreme Court"s ruling Monday upholding the goal of a diverse student body. Higher education leaders overwhelmingly hailed the decision, saying it reaffirmed policies used by most .selective colleges and universities. But some critics raised the possibility of more lawsuits, and promised to continue pressuring the Department of Education"s Office of Civil Rights to investigate questionable policies. "We"re talking about admission programs, scholarships, any program only for minorities or in which the standards used to judge admissions are substantially different," says Linda Chavez, founder and president of the Center for Equal Opportunity, a conservative non-profit group.Others say they"ll take their case to voters. "We have to seriously contest all this at the ballot box," says University of California regent Ward Connerly, who helped win voter approval of California"s Proposition 209, which prohibits considering race or gender in public education, hiring and contracting. Because of that law, Monday"s ruling had no practical impact in the state. "It may be time for us to let the (Michigan) voters decide if they want to use race as a factor in admissions," Connerly said Monday.Meanwhile, U. S. Education Secretary Rod Paige, consistent with President Bushes stance opposing affirmative action, said the Department of Education will "continue examining and highlighting effective race-neutral approaches to ensure broad access to and diversity within our public institutions". Even Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O"Connor, in one of the opinions, recommended that states look for lessons in race-neutral programs being tried in California and elsewhere. While the ruling said admission officials may consider race in the selection process, colleges and universities are not obligated to do so. "Ultimately in the debate, diversity is a choice, not a legal mandate", says Arthur Coleman, a former Department of Education official who now helps colleges and universities ensure constitutional policies.The public, too, remains conflicted, largely along racial lines. According to a January poll by the non-profit research organization Public Agenda, 79% of Americans said it is important for colleges to have a racially diverse student body, while just 54% said affirmative action programs should continue. In a Gallup poll conducted days before the ruling, 49% of adults said they favor affirmative action and 43% did not, with blacks and Hispanics far more likely to favor the practice than whites. And some educators doubt that with Monday"s ruling, those opposing affirmative action will change their minds.For now, admission officials and university lawyers are poring over the ruling to determine how or whether to adjust policies. While most tend to be closed-mouthed about admission policies, many say they don"t expect significant changes.（分数：7.50）(1).What the critics said in the first paragraph amounts to the idea that ______.（分数：1.50）A.no admission policies based on race should be implemented √B.minority applicants should be given favorable considerationsC.different standards for admitting minority students should be set upD.selective colleges and universities should be punished for their discrimin--atory policies 解析：不应当实施基于种族的录取政策。

2014年湖北省考博英语真题试卷(题后含答案及解析)题型有：1. Reading Comprehension 2. Cloze 3. English-Chinese Translation 4. Chinese-English Translation 5. WritingReading ComprehensionI am writing this at home because last week my ergonomic(符合人体工程学的)chair at the office fell apart, unable any longer to bear my weight. I am writing it on a computer that is propped on top of two thick books, because otherwise my neck would be cricked as I peered at the screen. At 1. 93m and weighing. . . well, I’m not going to say what I weigh, but think second-row rugby union forward. . . I am not built for this world. We therefore welcome a new report from Professor Tim Hatton at the University of Essex, demonstrating that the average height of men in Europe has increased by 4 inches in the past century and in the UK by a whopping 5 inches. A similar increase is likely to have occurred among women:but, because the study is based in part on military records, evidence is thinner on the ground. The problem, as Hatton observes, is that the world hasn’t kept pace with our increased height. I long ago abandoned buses—levering myself into a narrow seat was impossible. Air travel is also challenging. I was in the back row of an easyjet plane recently, which has even less space than an ordinary seat, and would have ended up with a severe backache had it not been for some thoughtful passenger not turning up, allowing me to relocate to an aisle seat where the only danger is being hit by the trolley. Small cars are impossible—I have to drive with my head through the sunroof. West End theaters are hopelessly cramped. As before in cricket grounds: I would under no circumstances pay ￡80 for a plastic bucket seat at a Test match, where I would be wedged uneasily between two loud, red-trousered merchant bankers sipping warm champagne. As for those appalling pine beds with footboards, usually found in absurdly small hotel rooms where I invariably get stuck in the toilet because the door won’t open with me inside, they should be banned immediately. Our extra height generally means extra weight. US data show that baseball players are on average 3 inches taller and 2 stones heavier than they were a century ago—and these are the superfit guys. Other data suggest ordinary Americans have added 2. 54 cm and 12. 6 kg in the past 50 years alone. We are all giants now—or will be soon. As a representative of this new breed, I would say just one thing: beware garden furniture. It appears to be made for gnomes. I routinely remove pleasant-looking but wholly impractical cane chairs, and once, while interviewing the actress Jenny Seagrove, snapped the strings of a hammock-type chair in her garden. It is not easy to get your interviewee to take you seriously after your I am writing this at home because last week my ergonomic(符合人体工程学的)chair at the office fell apart, unable any longer to bear my weight. I am writing it on a computer that is propped on top of two thick books, because otherwise my neck would be cricked as I peered at the screen. At 1. 93m and weighing. . . well, I’m not going to say what I weigh, but think second-row rugbyunion forward. . . I am not built for this world. We therefore welcome a new report from Professor Tim Hatton at the University of Essex, demonstrating that the average height of men in Europe has increased by 4 inches in the past century and in the UK by a whopping 5 inches. A similar increase is likely to have occurred among women:but, because the study is based in part on military records, evidence is thinner on the ground. The problem, as Hatton observes, is that the world hasn’t kept pace with our increased height. I long ago abandoned buses—levering myself into a narrow seat was impossible. Air travel is also challenging. I was in the back row of an easyjet plane recently, which has even less space than an ordinary seat, and would have ended up with a severe backache had it not been for some thoughtful passenger not turning up, allowing me to relocate to an aisle seat where the only danger is being hit by the trolley. Small cars are impossible—I have to drive with my head through the sunroof. West End theaters are hopelessly cramped. As before in cricket grounds: I would under no circumstances pay ￡80 for a plastic bucket seat at a Test match, where I would be wedged uneasily between two loud, red-trousered merchant bankers sipping warm champagne. As for those appalling pine beds with footboards, usually found in absurdly small hotel rooms where I invariably get stuck in the toilet because the door won’t open with me inside, they should be banned immediately. Our extra height generally means extra weight. US data show that baseball players are on average 3 inches taller and 2 stones heavier than they were a century ago—and these are the superfit guys. Other data suggest ordinary Americans have added 2. 54 cm and 12. 6 kg in the past 50 years alone. We are all giants now—or will be soon. As a representative of this new breed, I would say just one thing: beware garden furniture. It appears to be made for gnomes. I routinely remove pleasant-looking but wholly impractical cane chairs, and once, while interviewing the actress Jenny Seagrove, snapped the strings of a hammock-type chair in her garden. It is not easy to get your interviewee to take you seriously after your vast bulk has been plunged suddenly on to their manicured lawn.1．The best title of this passage might be______.A．Poor Quality of ChairsB．Trouble with Being TallC．Embarrassment of Being RejectedD．Difficulties in Taking Planes and Buses正确答案：B解析：本文的最佳标题也许是：高个子带来的麻烦。

2015年武汉大学考博英语考试真题一、阅读理解Justice in society must include both a fair trial to the accused and the selection of an appropriate punishment for those proven guilty. Because justice is regarded as one form. of equality, we find in its earlier expressions the idea of a punishment equal to the crime. Recorded in the Old Testament is the expression "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." That is, the individual who has done wrong has committed an offence against society. To make up for his offence, society must get even. This can be done only by doing an equal injury to him. This conception of retributive justice is reflected in many parts of the legal documents and procedures of modern times. It is illustrated when we demand the death penalty for a person who has committed murder. This philosophy of punishment was supported by the German idealist Hegel. He believed that society owed it to the criminal to give a punishment equal to the crime he had committed. The criminal had by his own actions denied his true self and it is necessary to do something that will counteract this denial and restore the self that has been denied. To the murderer nothing less than giving up his own will pay his debt. The demand of the death penalty is a right the state owes the criminal and it should not deny him his due.Modern jurists have tried to replace retributive justice with the notion of corrective justice. The aim of the latter is not to abandon the concept of equality but to find a more adequate way to express it. It tries to preserve the idea of equal opportunity for each individual to realize the best that is in him. The criminal is regarded as being socially ill and in need of treatment that will enable him to become a normal member of society. Before a treatment can be administered, the cause of his antisocial behavior. must be found. If the cause can be removed, provisions must be made to have this done. Only those criminals who are incurable should be permanently separated front the rest of the society. This does not mean that criminals will escape punishment or be quickly returned to take up careers of crime. It means that justice is to heal the individual, not simply to get even with him. If severe punishments is the only adequate means for accompanying this, it should be administered. However, the individual should be given every opportunity to assume a normal place in society. His conviction of crime must not deprive him of the opportunity to make his way in the society of which he is a part.1. The best title for this selection is （）A. Fitting Punishment to the CrimeB. Approaches to Just PunishmentC. Improvement in Legal JusticeD. Attaining Justice in the Courts2.The passage implies that the basic difference between retributive justice and corrective justice is the （）.A. type of crime that was provenB. severity for the punishmentC. reason for the sentenceD. outcome of the trial3. The punishment that would be most inconsistent with the views of corrective justice would be（）.A. forced brain surgeryB. whippingC. solitary confinementD. the electric chair4. The Biblical expression "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth”was presented in order to （）.A. prove，that equality demands just punishmentB. justify the need for punishment as a part of lawC. give moral backing to retributive justiceD. prove that man has long been interested in justice"In every known human society the male's needs for achievement ca n be recognized... In agreat number of human societies men's sureness of their sex role is tied up with their right, orability, to practice some activity that women are not allowed to pra ctice. Their maleness in facthas to be underwritten by preventing women from entering some field or performing some feat."This is the conclusion of the anthropologist Margaret Mead about the way in which the rolesof men and women in society should be distinguished.If talk and print are considered it would seem that the formal emancipation of women is far fromcomplete. There is a flow of publications about the continuing domest ic bondage of womenand about the complicated system of defences which men have thrown u p around theirhitherto accepted advantages, taking sometimes the obvious form of exc lusion from types ofoccupation and sociable groupings, and sometimes the more subtle formof automatic doubtof the seriousness of women's pretensions to the level of intellect and resolution that men, itis supposed, bring to the business of running the world.There are a good many objective pieces of evidence for the erosi on of men's status. In thefirst place, there is the widespread postwar phenomenon of the woman Prime Minister, in India, Sri Lanka and Israel.Secondly, there is the very large increase in the number of wome n who work, especially married women and mothers of children. More diffusely there are the increasin gly numerousconvergences between male and female behaviour: the approximation to i dentical styles indress and coiffure, the sharing of domestic tasks, and the admissionof women to all sorts ofhitherto exclusively male leisure-time activities.Everyone carries round with him a fairly definite idea of the pr imitive or natural conditions ofhuman life. It is acquired more by the study of humorous cartoons t han of archaeology, butthat does not matter since it is not significant as theory but only as an expression of inwardlyfelt expectations of people's sense of what is fundamentally proper i n the differentiationbetween the roles of the two sexes. In this rudimentary natural soci ety men go out to huntand fish and to fight off the tribe next door while women keep the fire going. Amorousinitiative is firmly reserved to the man, who sets about courtship w ith a club.5. The phrase "men's sureness of their sex role" in the first parag raph suggests that they （）A. are confident in their ability to charm women.B. take the initiative in courtship.C. have a clear idea of what is considered "manly".D. tend to be more immoral than women are.6. The third paragraph （）A. generally agrees with the first paragraphB. has no connection with the first paragraphC. repeats the argument of the second paragraphD. contradicts the last paragraph7. The usual idea of the cave man in the last paragraph（）A. is based on the study of archaeologyB. illustrates how people expect men to behaveC. is dismissed by the author as an irrelevant jokeD. proves that the man, not woman, should be the wooer8. The opening quotation from Margaret Mead sums up a relationship b etween man and woman which the author（）A. approves ofB. argues is naturalC. completely rejectsD. expects to go on changingFarmers in the developing world hate price fluctuations. It makes it hard to plan ahead. But most of them have little choice: they sell at the price the market sets. Farmers in Europe, the U.S. and Japan are luckier: they receive massive government subsidies in the form of guaranteed prices or direct handouts. Last month U.S. President Bush signed a new farm bill that gives American farmers $190 billion over the next 10 years, or $83 billion more than they had been scheduled to get, and pushes U.S. agricultural support close to crazy European levels. Bush said the step was necessary to "promote farmer independence and preserve the farm way of life for generations". It is also designed to help the Republican Party win control of the Senate in November's mid term elections.Agricultural production in most poor countries accounts for up to 50% of GDP, compared to only 3% in rich countries. But most farmers in poor countries grow just enough for themselves and their families. Those who try exporting to the West find their goods whacked with huge tariffs or competing against cheaper subsidized goods. In 1999 the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development concluded that for each dollar developing countries receive in aid they lose up to $14 just because of trade barriers imposed on the export of their manufactured goods. It's not as if the developing world wants any favours, says Gerald Ssendwula, Uganda's Minister of Finance. "What we want is for the rich countries to let us compete."Agriculture is one of the few areas in which the Third World can compete. Land and labour are cheap, and as farming methods develop, new technologies should improve output. This is no pie in the sky speculation. The biggest success in Kenya's economy over the past decade has been the boom in exports of cut flowers and vegetables to Europe. But that may all change in 2008, when Kenya will be slightly too rich toqualify for the "least developed country" status that allows African producers to avoid paying stiff European import duties on selected agricultural products. With trade barriers in place, the horticulture industry in Kenya will shrivel as quickly as a discarded rose. And while agriculture exports remain the great hope for poor countries, reducing trade barriers in other sectors also works: Americas African Growth and Opportunity Act, which cuts duties on exports of everything from handicrafts to shoes, has proved a boon to Africa's manufacturers. The lesson: the Third World can prosper if the rich world gives it a fair go.This is what makes Bush's decision to increase farm subsidies last month all the more depressing. Poor countries have long suspected that the rich world urges trade liberalization only so it can wangle its way into new markets. Such suspicions caused the Seattle trade talks to break down three years ago. But last November members of the World Trade Organization, meeting in Doha, Qatar, finally agreed to a new round of talks designed to open up global trade in agriculture and textiles. Rich countries assured poor countries, that their concerns were finally being addressed. Bush's handout last month makes a lie of America's commitment to those talks and his personal devotion to free trade.9.By comparison, farmers （）receive more government subsidies than others.?A.in the developing worldB.in JapanC.in EuropeD.in America?10.In addition to the economic considerations, there is a （）moti ve behind Bush’s signing of the new farm bill.?A.partisanB.socialC.financialD.cultural?11.The message the writer attempts to convey throughout the passage i s that （）?A.poor countries should be given equal opportunities in trade?B.“the least?developed country”status benefits agricultural countries?C.poor countries should remove their suspicions about trade liberalizat ion?D.farmers in poor countries should also receive the benefit of subsid ies12.The writer’s attitude towards new farm subsidies in the U.S. is （）?A.favourableB.ambiguousC.criticalD.reservedRoger Rosenblatt’s book Black Fiction, in attempting to apply literary rather than sociopolitical criteria to its subject, successfully alters the approach taken by most previous studies. As Rosenblatt notes, criticism of Black writing has often served as a pretext for expounding on Black history. Addison Gayle’s recent work, for example, judges the value of Black fiction by overtly political standards, rating each work according to the notions of Black identity which it propounds.Although fiction assuredly springs from political circumstances, its authors react to those circumstances in ways other than ideological, and talking about novels and stories primarily as instruments of ideology circumvents much of the fictional enterprise. Rosenblatt’s literary analysis discloses affinities and connections among works of Black fiction which solely political studies have overlooked or ignored.Writing acceptable criticism of Black fiction, however, presupposes giving satisfactory answers to a number of questions. First of all, is there a sufficient reason, other than the racial identity of the authors, to group together works by Black authors? Second, how does Black fiction make itself distinct from other modern fiction with which it is largely contemporaneous? Rosenblatt shows that Black fiction constitutes a distinct body of writing that has an identifiable, coherent literary tradition. Looking at novels written by Blacks over the last eighty years, he discovers recurring concerns and designs independent of chronology. These structures are thematic, and they spring, not surprisingly, from the central fact that the Black characters in these novels exist in a predominantly White culture, whether they try to conform to that culture or rebel against it.Black Fiction does leave some aesthetic questions open. Rosenblatt’s thematic analysis permits considerable objectivity; he even explicitly states that it is not his intention to judge the merit of the various works yet his reluctance seems misplaced, especially since an attempt to appraise might have led to interesting results. For instance, some of the novels appear to be structurally diffuse. Is this a defect, or are the authors working out of, or trying to forge, a different kind of aesthetic? In addition, the style of some Black novels, like Jean Toomer’s Cane, verges on expressionism or surrealism; does this technique provide a counterpoint to the prevalent theme that portrays the fate against which Black heroes are pitted, a theme usually conveyed by more naturalistic modes of expression?In spite of such omissions, what Rosenblatt does include in his discussion makes for an astute and worthwhile study. Black Fiction surveys a wide variety of novels,bringing to our attention in the process some fascinating and little-known works like James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man. Its argument is tightly constructed, and its forthright, lucid style exemplifies levelheaded and penetrating criticism.13 The author objects to criticism of Black fiction like that by Ad dison Gayle because it（）.A. emphasizes purely literary aspects of such fictionB. misinterprets the ideological content of such fictionC. misunderstands the notions of Black identity contained in such fic tionD. substitutes political for literary criteria in evaluating such fict ion14. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with （）.A. evaluating the soundness of a work of criticismB. comparing various critical approaches to "a subjectC. discussing the limitations of a particular kind of criticismD. summarizing the major points made in a work of criticism15. The author's discussion of Black Fiction can be best described a s （）.A. pedantic and contentiousB. critical but admiringC. ironic and deprecatingD. argumentative but unfocused16. It can be inferred that the author would be LEAST likely to ap prove of which of the following （）A. An analysis of the influence of political events on the personal ideology of Black writersB. A critical study that applies sociopolitical criteria to autobiogra phies by Black authorsC. A literary study of Black poetry that appraises the merits of po ems according to the political acceptability of their themesD. An examination of the growth of a distinct Black literary traditi on within the context of Black history二、汉译英得病以前，我受父母宠爱，在家中横行霸道。

2016武大博士生英语入学考试真题答案Part I Reading Comprehension(40分)BCAD ACBA DDCA DCAB CCBAPart II English-Chinese Translation(5*4=20分)1. 如果我们的时间使用得当，就能生产出有用和重要的产品，在市场上买得一定的价钱；或者充实我们的经验，增长我们的才干，待到适当时机我们就能挣到金钱。

2. 我们想到死便震惊不已，因而不惜一切努力、麻烦和费用以保全生命。

可是我们对于损失一个钟头或者一天时间往往漠不关心，忘记生命原来就是我们生活的每一天、每一小时的总和。

3. 现在如果从我们的寿命中减去所有这些岁月，我们将发现，能让我们用于有效工作的时间大概是15或20年左右。

谁能记住这一点，就不会心甘情愿地浪费他生命的每时每刻。

4. 如果我们让生命的早晨时光悄悄溜走而未加利用，我们将永远无法弥补这种损失。

等我们长大了，获得知识的能力就变得迟钝了，因此在童年和青年时期没能获得的知识或技能将永远不能获得了。

Part III Chinese-English Translation(20分)We are not sure what “intelligence” is, not what is passed on. However, the fact does not prevent us fromfinding it a very useful concept, and placing a certain amount of reliance on tests which “measure” it. In anintelligence test we take a sample of an individual’s ability to solve puzzles and problems of various kinds, and if we have ta ken a representative sample, it will allow us to predict successfully the level ofperformance he will reach in a wide variety of occupations.The Education Act 1944 passed by the British parliament made secondary schooling for all become law. Grammar school s, with the exception of small number of independent foundation schools, became available to the whole population. Since t he number of grammar schools in the country could accommodate at most approximately 25 percent of the total child popul ation of eleven-plus, some kind of selection had to be made. Narrowly academic examinations and tests were considered to be in favor of children who had had the advantage of highly-academic primary schools and academically biased homes. Inte lligence tests were then devised to counteract this narrow specialization, by introducing problems which were not based on knowledge from books. In other words, the intelligence test attempts to assess the general ability of any child to think, reaso n, judge, analyze and synthesize, mainly by presenting him with different actual situations within his range of competence a nd understanding.Part IV Writing 20分Sample1Paper Book or Electronic Book Nowadays many electronic devices emerge, such as kindle, providing possibility for ele ctronic books. However, most of the readers still prefer reading in the traditional way instead of electronic books. Why do t he paper books win the landslide victory? Apparently, paper books are of greater collection value than the electronic book. S ome readers are looking forward to a blissful atmosphere with a book in hand, sitting in the sunshine comfortably. An electr onic book can never fulfill the desire for this atmosphere. What’s more, the paper book is better for the eyes while the scree n of electronic book may do harm to the retina to some extent. Using the electronic devices, the readers are absent-minded more easily as there exist many temptations.What we can’t deny, nevertheless, is that the electronic book has its own special merits as well. First of all, it’s much chea per. Then, it’s easier to be carried with. While some readers have to put a heavy paper book in the bag, the e-book reader me rely take the phone. Also, the electronic book has a larger coverage as some books or essays don’t have the paper version. Generally speaking, the paper books are irreplaceable, still playing the dominant role in reading market. Electronic books ar e also indispensable. We readers should use these ways correctly.Sample 2Reading in an Old-fashioned Way As scientific development has been a new trend of this era, words prefixed with an “e-” has been widely-used and gradually become a part of our daily routine. It’s an era of information explosion and the creat ion and innovation of E-book technology meets the requirements and developments of the network society. However, accor ding to the survey, e-book sales dropped in the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom. It seems that people tend to read in the old-fashioned way. In my point of view, the reasons of this phenomena are as follows. First of all, paper books c an easily make people calm down. Leafing through pages and feeling the unique scent of paper is absorbing and intriguing. Secondly, books printed on paper are easily shared by people, since reading is not an individual activity. Thirdly, nowadays people enjoy the relative informality of reading, and reading paper books is a good way to make people totally unrestricted by time and space. Last but not the least, paper books are cheaper than an e-book electronic screen. Generally speaking, re ading in an old-fashioned way can also meet the multiple needs of people nowadays. Scientific innovation gives us more ch oices and we are happy to enjoy the convenience of this golden times. However, reading in an old-fashioned way in the era of information fragmentation is some kind of habit that we should retain.。

2015年湖北省考博英语真题试卷(题后含答案及解析)题型有：1. Reading Comprehension 2. Cloze 3. English-Chinese Translation 4. Chinese-English Translation 5. WritingReading ComprehensionI am standing on the seventh-floor balcony of an apartment building overlooking the heart of Moscow. It is a dark city, some might say grim. It looks and feels as if it has been worn down to its bare bones: broken sidewalks, cracked facades, weeds rooted in the very mortar. This city is not easy to look at. So I avert my eyes, and they settle on a little boy sleeping inside the apartment. His name is Alexei. He is 7. With every rise and fall of his chest, Moscow, the used, broken city, is renewed for me a thousand times. A dark place has given me light in the form of my adoptive son. Alexei has been my son for only two days, but I have been waiting three years for him. That’s when I began the adoption process, three years ago, before I even knew of Alexei’s existence. Never in my imaginings did I think that I would one day be so far from home, counting my son’s breaths, counting the hours until we would board a plane for America, a place that he had no conception of “Alexei, “ I had said through a translator as I knelt before him at the orphanage and helped him with his socks. “ What do you know about America?” His reply was immediate: “I will have all the gum I want. “Most people adopt infants or very little children so that as much of their history as possible will be given to them by their parents. But Alexei carries a radiance of native culture: his memories of orphanage life in the once-closed city of Tula; the large, gracious, doting Russian women who have cared for him all his life; the aromatic Russian food he loves, and the language, that impossible, expressive, explosive Russian language that sometimes separates me from him like a wall, but also summons us to heroic legends as we attempt to communicate. I have been in Russia for two weeks. But it wasn’t until the fourth day that I was brought to see Alexei. My Russian contact drove me through 100 miles of a country struggling to get back on its feet after years of internal neglect; pitted roadways, crumbling bridges, warped roofs. It made me recall what someone had once said about Russia, that she is a third-world country with a first-world army. We finally came to an orphanage. Once inside, I stood in a near-empty room, reminding myself that this was the culmination of three years of scrutiny, disappointment, and dead-ends. There were moments when I had told myself, “It’s so much easier to have a kid the natural way. Nobody asks any questions. “ But as a single man, a biological child was not a ready option. I now recognized these as idle thoughts, for I realized that Alexei, even sight unseen, would be as much mine as if he were my natural son. The door opened. A woman came out, her hand on the shoulder of a little boy just awakened from sound sleep.I gave Alexei a Pez candy dispenser, something as alien to him as life in America. After a few moments of scrutiny, he filled with candy, a sure sign of intelligence, for Pez, dispensers are notoriously difficult to load. At the end of our first meeting Iknelt before Alexei and told him I would be back to get him in a week.1．The author watched every rise and fall of Alexei’s chestA．counting his son’s breaths and biding his time to board the planeB．turning his eyes away from the gloomy and dilapidated cityC．feeling a nameless pang of regret about the adoption processD．visualizing the potential of the city to regain its vigor and power正确答案：D解析：作者注视阿列克谢胸部一起一伏，想象该市恢复生机的潜力。

武汉大学考博英语模拟试卷26(题后含答案及解析)题型有：1. Reading Comprehension 2. English-Chinese Translation 3. Chinese-English Translation 4. WritingReading ComprehensionFriction between America’s military and its civilian overseers is nothing new. America’s 220-year experiment in civilian control of the military is a recipe for friction. The nation’s history has seen a series of shifts in decision-making power among the White House, the civilian secretaries and the uniformed elite(精英). However, what may seem on the outside an unstable and special system of power sharing has, without a doubt, been a key to two centuries of military success. In the infighting dates to the revolution, George Washington waged a continual struggle not just for money, but to control the actual battle plan. The framers of the Constitution sought to clarify things by making the president the “commander in chief.”Not since Washington wore his uniform and led the troops across the Alleghenies to quell(镇压)the Whiskey Rebellion has a sitting president taken command in the field. Yet the absolute authority of the president ensures his direct command. The president was boss, and everyone in uniform knew it. In the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln dealt directly with his generals, and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton handled administrative details. Lincoln, inexperienced in military matters, initially deferred(顺从)to his generals. But when their caution proved disastrous, he issued his General War Order No. 1—explicitly commanding a general advance of all Union forces. Some generals, George B. McClellan in particular, bridled at his hands-on direction. But in constitutional terms, Lincoln was in the right. His most important decision was to put Ulysses S. Grant in charge of the Union Army in 1864. Left to its own timetable, the military establishment would never have touched Grant. The relationship between the president and his general provides a textbook lesson in civilian control and power sharing. Grant was a general who would take the fight to the enemy, and not second-guess the president’s political decisions. Unlike McClellan, for example, Grant cooperated wholeheartedly in recruiting black soldiers. For his part, Lincoln did not meddle in operations and did not visit the headquarters in the field unless invited. The balance set up by Grant and Lincoln stayed more or less in place through World War I. Not until World War II did the pendulum finally swing back toward the White House. Franklin Roosevelt, who had been assistant Navy secretary during World War I, was as well prepared to be commander in chief as any wartime president since George Washington.1．According to the author, the system of power sharing between the White House and the generals _____.A．is unstable and strangeB．is a guarantee for American military successC．has caused a series of quarrelsD．undermines the bases Of American military power正确答案：B解析：文章开头就指出，美国军界及其文职上司的矛盾由来已久，但是这个貌似脆弱的分享权力的体系，却是二百多年来美国军事胜利的保障。

武汉大学考博英语-9(总分：86.50，做题时间：90分钟)一、Part Ⅰ Reading Comprehension(总题数：4，分数：31.50)The geology of the Earth"s surface is dominated by the particular properties of water. Present on Earth in solid, liquid, and gaseous states, water is exceptionally reactive. It dissolves, transports, and precipitates many chemical compounds and is constantly modifying the face of the Earth.Evaporated from the oceans, water vapor forms clouds, some of which are transported by wind over the continents. Condensation from the clouds provides the essential agent of continental erosion: rain. Precipitated onto the ground, the water trickles down to form brooks, streams, and rivers, constituting what is called the hydrographic network. This immense polarized network channels the water toward a single receptacle: an ocean. Gravity dominates this entire step in the cycle because water tends to minimize its potential energy by running from high altitudes toward the reference point that is sea level.The rate at which a molecule of water passes through the cycle is not random but is a measure of the relative size of the various reservoirs. If we define residence time as the average time for a water molecule to pass through one of the three reservoirs--atmosphere, continent, and ocean--we see that the times are very different. A water molecule stays, on an average, eleven days in the atmosphere, one hundred years on a continent and forty thousand years in the ocean. This last figure shows the importance of the ocean as the principal reservoir of the hydrosphere but also the rapidity of water transport on the continents.A vast chemical separation process takes places during the flow of water over the continents. Soluble ions such as calcium, sodium, potassium, and some magnesium are dissolved and transported. Insoluble ions such as aluminum, iron, and silicon stay where they are and form the thin, fertile skin of soil on which vegetation can grow. Sometimes soils are destroyed and transported mechanically during flooding. The erosion of the continents thus results from two closely linked and interdependent processes, chemical erosion and mechanical erosion. Their respective interactions and efficiency depend on different factors.（分数：8.00）(1).According to the passage, clouds are primarily formed by water ______.（分数：2.00）A.precipitating onto the groundB.changing from a solid to a liquid stateC.evaporating from the oceans √D.being carried by wind解析：根据短文，云层主要是靠海洋中的水蒸发而成的。

武汉大学考博英语模拟试卷12(题后含答案及解析)题型有：1. Structure and V ocabulary 2. Cloze 3. Reading Comprehension 4. English-Chinese Translation 5. WritingStructure and V ocabulary1．We’ve______sugar. Ask Mrs. Jones to lend us some.A．run away withB．run out ofC．run offD．run down正确答案：B解析：A项run away with意为“与……一起跑掉，不受约束”；B项run out of意为“用完；从……奔出”；C项run off为“跑掉，迅速写出”；D项run down 意为“往下跑，健康衰退”。

只有B项适合，为本题的正确答案。

知识模块：词汇2．Recently the car factory had to carry out personnel______because of financial trouble.A．cutsB．demandsC．reductionsD．orders正确答案：A解析：A项“裁员”；B项“需求”；C项“减小”；D项“订单”。

知识模块：词汇3．The Portuguese give a great deal of credit to one man for having promoted sea travel, that man ______ prince Henry the navigator, who lived in the 15th century.A．wasB．was calledC．callingD．being正确答案：D解析：后半句是独立结构，是one man的同位语。

A、B用了动词形式，不可；C项应为被动语态。

4．Landslides triggered by heavy rainfall impeded our best attempts at rescuingthe victims.A．encouragedB．hinderedC．nullifiedD．crowned正确答案：B5．Since neither side was ready to______ what was necessary for peace, hostility was resumed in 1980.A．precedeB．recedeC．concedeD．intercede正确答案：C解析：原句意思是“由于双方都不愿意——和平的必要条件，1980年他们之间又恢复了敌对状态”。

2017年武汉大学考博英语真题及答案注意：所有的答题内容必须写在答案纸上，凡写在试题或草稿纸上的一律无效。

Part I Reading Comprehension (2’×20 = 40 points)Directions: In this part of the test, there will be 5 passages for you to read. Each passage is followed by 4 questions or unfinished statements, and each question or unfinished statement is followed by four choices marked A, B, C and D. You are to decide on the best choice by blackening the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET.Passage OneMr Gordon is right that the second industrial revolution involved never-to-be-repeated changes. But that does not mean that driverless cars count for nothing. Messrs Erixon and Weigel are also right to worry about the West’s dismal recent record in producing new companies. But many old firms are not run by bureaucrats and have reinvented themselves many times over: General Electric must be on at least its ninth life. And the impact of giant new firms born in the past 20 years such as Uber, Google and Facebook should not be underestimated: they have all the Schumpeterian characteristics the authors admire.On the pessimists’ side the strongest argument relies not on closely watching corporate and investor behavior but rather on macro-level statistics on productivity. The figures from recent years are truly dismal. Karim Foda, of the Brookings Institution, calculates that labor productivity in the rich world is growing at its slowest rate since 1950. Total factor productivity (which tries to measure innovation) has grown at just 0.1% in advanced economies since 2004, well below its historical average.Optimists have two retorts. The first is that there must be something wrongwith the figures. One possibility is that they fail to count the huge consumer surplus given away free of charge on the internet. But this is unconvincing. The official figures may well be understating the impact of the internet revolution, just as they downplayed the impact of electricity and cars in the past, but they are not understating it enough to explain the recent decline in productivity growth.Another, second line of argument that the productivity revolution has only just begun is more persuasive. Over the past decade many IT companies may have focused on things that were more “fun than fundamental” in Paul Krugman’s phrase. But Silicon Valley’s best companies are certainly focusing on things that change the material world.Uber and Airbnb are bringing dramatic improvements to two large industries that have been more or less stuck for decades. Morgan Stanley estimates that driverless cars could result in $507 billion a year of productivity gains in America, mainly from people being able to stare at their laptops instead of at the road.1.What has led to the pessimistic opinion concerning the world’s economy?A.It is based on macro-level statistics on productivity.B.It is based on close observation on corporate and investor behavior.C.It is due to the fact that many old firms are not run by bureaucrats.D.It is due to the fact that not enough new firms have been created.2.The first argument on the optimists’side is unconvincing because theofficial figures.A.are both wrong and unconvincingB.downplay the internet revolutionC.fail to include the consumer surplusD.can’t explain the decline in productivity growth3.What is true about the IT companies in Silicon Valley??A.They have only focused on the fun part of life.B.They have made a difference in the real world.C.They have more persuasive productivity.D.They have only just begun to develop.4.How can driverless cars benefit American industries?A.Driverless cars have revived two large American industries.B.The sale of driverless cars can reach hundreds of billion dollars.C.Thanks to them people free from driving can do more creative work.D.Driverless cars have stimulated the development of Uber and Airbnb.Passage TwoWinston Churchill was one of the central statesmen of the 20th century and, almost 50 years after his death, remains a subject of enduring fascination. Part of the current interest in this venerable figure can be attributed to two superb biographies written in the 1980s by historian William Manchester: “The Last Lion: Visions of Glory” and “The Last Lion: Alone.” These two books examined the first two-thirds of Churchill’s life.Unfortunately, after completing the second volume, Manchester’s health declined and the rest of the project stalled. So great was public interest in the long-delayed final volume that it was the subject of a front page story in The New York Times.Eventually, in 2003, Manchester asked his friend Paul Reid to complete the trilogy. Now, nearly a decade later, Reid has published The Last Lion, the final piece of this monumental undertaking. Reid starts when Churchill was appointed prime minister in May 1940 andfollows him through his death in 1965. While most of this volume is appropriately devoted to World War II, it also includes the vast expansion of the British welfare state following the war, the start of the Cold War and the enormous dangers it carried, and the loss of the British Empire.Reid has written a thorough and complete analysis of these years, and it is a worthy finale to the first two volumes. Exhaustively researched and carefully written, it draws on a full range of primary and secondary materials. This book will be essential reading for those who enjoyed the first two volumes and those with a deep interest in understanding this seminal figure and his place in history.Reid does a wonderful job of capturing Churchill in all his complexity. He gives Churchill great praise for his personal courage and inspirational leadership during the dark days when Britain stood alone, but he is equally clear about Churchill’s poor strategic judgments, such as the efforts to defend Greece and Crete, the Allied assault on Anzio, and the decision to send the battleship Prince of Wales and battle cruiser Repulse to the South China Sea without adequate air cover where they were promptly sunk by the Japanese.He highlights Churchill’s naiveté in dealing with Soviet Premier Stalin in the early years of the war, but praises his prescience in anticipating Stalin’s land grab in Eastern Europe at the end of the conflict. Reid also gives welcome attention to aspects of the war ― such as Churchill’s fear that the United States might decide to put its primary emphasis on defeating Japan regardless of the “Germany first”understanding he shared with Roosevelt that have received little attention in other books.5.What can be known about the two biographies of Churchill?A.They were written in an interesting style.B.They were written prior to Churchill’s death.C.They are mainly written from a historical point of view.D.They have helped intrigue the readers over a long period.6.Why did the biography once become a front page story in The New York Times?A.People were looking forward to the publication of the final volume.B.Readers were angry with the author for the delay of the final volume.C.The publication of the final volume was then a heatedly discussed issue.D.Readers wanted to know who would be the new author of the final volume.7.Why does the third volume prove to be worthy?A.It is widely read and welcomed by readers.B.It involves enough details in Churchill’s life.C.It is based on thorough and reliable research.D.It offers a unique understanding of Churchill.8.What can we know about Churchill through the third volume?A.He is a man with complexity.B.He pulled Britain through WWII.C.He made many strategic mistakes.D.He is courageous and inspirational.Passage ThreeAsteroids and comets that repeatedly smashed into the early Earth covered the planet’s surface with molten rock during its earliest days, but still may have left oases of water that could have supported the evolution of life, scientists say. The new study reveals that during the planet’s infancy, the surface of the Earth was a hellish environment, but perhaps not as hellish as often thought, scientists added.Earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago. The first 500 million years of its life are known as the Hadean Eon. Although this time amounts to more than 10 percent of Earth’s history, little is known about it, since few rocks are known that are older than 3.8 billion years old.For much of the Hadean, Earth and its sister worlds in the inner solar system were pummeled with an extraordinary number of cosmic impacts. “It was thought that because of these asteroids and comets flying around colliding with Earth, conditions on early Earth may have been hellish,”said lead study author Simone Marchi, a planetary scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. This imagined hellishness gave the eon its name — Hadean comes from Hades, the lord of the underworld in Greek mythology.However, in the past dozen years or so, a radically different picture of the Hadean began to emerge. Analysis of minerals trapped within microscopic zircon crystals dating from this econ “suggested that there was liquid water on the surface of the Earth back then, clashing with the previous picture that the Hadean was hellish,” Marchi said. This could explain why the evidence of the earliest life on Earth appears during the Hadean — maybe the planet was less inhospitable during that eon than previously thought.The exact timing and magnitude of the impacts that smashed Earth during the Hadean are unknown. To get an idea of the effects of this bombardment, Machi and his colleagues looked at the moon, whose heavily cratered surface helped model the battering that its close neighbor Earth must have experienced back then.“We also looked at highly siderophile elements (elements that bind tightly to iron), such as gold, delivered to Earth as a result of these early collisions, and the amounts of these elements tells us the total mass accreted by Earth as the results of these collisions,” Marchi said. Prior research suggests these impacts probably contributed less than 0.5 percent of the Earth’s present-day mass.The researchers discovered that “the surface of the Earth during the Hadean was heavily affected by very large collisions, by impactors [ɪm'pæktə] larger than 100 kilometers (60 miles) or so — really, really big impactors,’ Marchi said. “When Earth has a collision with an object that big, that melts a large volume of the Earth’s crust and mantle, covering a large fraction of the surface,”Marchi added. These findings suggest that Earth’s surface was buried over and over again by large volumes of molten rock — enough to cover the surface of the Earth several times. This helps explain why so few rock survive from the Hadean, the researchers said.9.Why is little known about the Earth’s first 500 million years?A.Because it is an imagined period of time.B.Because this period is of little significance.C.Because it is impossible to know about this period.D.Because no rocks are available as research evidence.10.Why is the early Earth imagined to be hellish?A.Because it was often smashed by asteroids and comets.B.Because back then Hades, the lord of Hell, resigned.C.Because it was so according to Greek mythology.D.Because back then there was no life.11.Why was the early Earth in fact less inhospitable than often thought?A.Because minerals of the Hadean have been found suggesting the existenceof life.B.Because the clashing brought by asteroids and comets was not completelydamaging.C.Because during the Hadean there already existed the evidence of life.D.Because there had already been liquid water on the Earth back then.12.How can the moon help with the understanding of the impacts that smashed theEarth?A.The moon once smashed into the Earth too.B.The moon was battered earlier than the Earth.C.The moon, as a close neighbor, is easier to observe.D.The moon’s surface is heavily cratered as the Earth’s.Passage FourFrom beach balls, pool toys, and jump houses, inflatable technology takes a big step forward for its next frontier: space station. A new kind of tech will be aboard Space X’s eighth supply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). A compressed living module will be delivered and attached to the station where, in the void of space, it will expand into a new habitat for astronauts.Designed by Bigelow Aerospace, the inflatable space habitat is one area NASAis exploring for potential deep space habitats and other advanced space missions.“The ‘Bigelow Expandable Activity Module,’or the BEAM, is an expandable habitat that will be used to investigate technology and understand the potential benefits of such habitats for human missions to deep space,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden wrote in a blog post.The habitats could be a way to “dramatically increase” the space available for astronauts while also offering added protection from the dangers of space, like radiation and space debris, the NASA press release says.But how is an inflatable space station supposed to be a viable means of housing for space travelers? BEAMs are far more than balloon-like rooms where astronauts can take asylum. Technically, the modules don’t inflate ―they expand, according to the company. And beyond just air, the habitats are reinforced with an internal metal structure. The outside is composed of multiple layers of material including things like rubber and kevlar to protect from any speeding debris.Inside SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft on the way to the ISS, the BEAM will be approximately 8 feet in diameter. It will expand once deployed in space to offer 565 cubic feet of space for astronauts. “It’ll be the first time human beings will actually step inside this expandable habitat in space,”former astronaut George Zamka, who has worked for Bigelow Aerospace, told USA Today. “There won’t be this sense of it being like a balloon.”But astronauts won’t be getting inside the module for some time yet. The BEAM will be attached to the Tranquility Node and deployed. Inside the module are a series of tools that will help the crew of the ISS monitor different aspects of the expandable area to see how it acts in space. The crew will watch heat, radiation, orbital debris, and provide information about the viability of using similar modules in the future.The testing is scheduled to go on for a two-year time period, after which the module will be released and burn up in the atmosphere. NASA’s partnership with Bigelow fits Mr. Bolden’s desire to help grow a robustprivate sector industry to commercialize aspects of space ― a process he sees as vital if humans want to reach farther cosmic destinations. “The world of low Earth orbit belongs to industry,”Bolden said at a press conference in January 2015.13.What is special about the new living module on SpaceX’s eighth mission toISS?A)It is expandable. C) It is going to deep space.B)It looks like a toy. D) It will not return to Earth.14.What is the purpose of designing the inflatable space habitat?.A.It is to find out its potential capacity.B.It is to give a try on a new technology.C.It is to save time and money in production.D.It is to see if it can be applied in deep space.15.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 mean?A.The habitat will not be a balloon-like room.B.The habitat will not feel like a balloon.C.The habitat will be like a senseless balloon.D.The habitat will be a different kind of balloon.16.Why does NASA intend to commercialize aspects of space?A.It can save NASA time and energy.B.It is necessary for a robust industry.C.It is crucial for further space explorations.D.It meets both NASA’s and Bigelow’s needs.Passage FiveOf all the people on my holiday shopping list, there was one little boy for whom buying a gift had become increasingly difficult. He’s a wonderful child, adorable and loving, and he’s not fussy or irritable or spoiled. Though he lives across the country from me, I receive regular updates and photos, and he likes all the things that the boys his age want to play with. Shopping for him should be easy, but I find it hard to summon up any enthusiasm, because in all the years I’ve given him presents, he never once sent me a thank-you note.“Sending thank-you notes is becoming a lost art,”mourns Mary Mitchell, a syndicated columnist known as “Ms. Demeanor”and author of six etiquette books. In her view, each generation, compared with the one before, is losing a sense of consideration for other people. “Without respect,” she says, “you have conflict.”Ms. Demeanor would be proud of me: I have figured out a way to ensure that my children always send thank-you notes. And such a gesture is important, says Ms. Demeanor, because “a grateful attitude is a tremendous life skill, an efficient and inexpensive way to set ourselves apart in the work force and in our adult lives. Teach your children that the habit of manners comes from inside ― it’s an attitude based on respecting other people.”A few years ago, as my children descended like piranhas on their presents under the Christmas tree, the only attitude I could see was greed. Where was the appreciation of time and effort?A thank-you note should contain three things: an acknowledgement of the gift (Love the tie with the picture of a hose on it); a recognition of the time and effort spent to select it (You must have shopped all over the state to find such a unique item!); a prediction of how you will use your gift or the way ithas enhanced your life (I’ll be sure to wear it to the next Mr. Ed convention!).So, five years ago, in one of my rare flashes of parental insight, I decided that the most appropriate time to teach this basic courtesy is while the tinsel is hot. To the horror of my children, I announced that henceforth every gift received will be an occasion for a thank-you note written immediately, on the spot. I have explained to my kids how I have reacted to not hearing from the little boy ― how it made me fell unappreciated and unmotivated to repeat the process next year.I have reluctantly given my kids the green light to send e-mail thank-you notes; though hand-lettered ones (at least to me) still seem friendlier. But pretty much any thank-you makes the gift giver feel special ―just as, we hope, the recipient feels. It’s a gesture that perfectly captures the spirit of the holidays.17.The author felt unmotivated when buying a gift for the little boy because he.A.purposely intended not to show gratitude for her kindness andconsiderationB.had never expressed appreciation of the gifts he received in previousyears.C.had no idea how thoughtful she was in choosing a gift for himD.didn’t like any of the gift she had given him18.According to Ms. Demeanor, showing appreciation has the benefit of .A.forming the habit of good mannersB.regaining the lost art of expressing thanksC.motivating the gift giver to buy more giftsD.distinguishing oneself from others in work and life19.In a thank-you note, “The book will be my good companion when I am alone”serves as.A. a recognition of the time and effort spent to select itB.an announcement of how it has enhanced your lifeC. a prediction of how you will use your giftD.an acknowledgement of the gift20.What does the author mean by “while the tinsel is hot (Line 2, Para. 6)?A.The moment her kids receive a gift.B.The moment she starts choosing gifts for each kid.C.When the art of sending thank-you notes isn’t lost yet.D.When her kids still remember who bought the gifts for them.Part II English-Chinese Translation (5’×4 = 20 points)Directions: Read the following passage, and then translate the underlined parts numbered from (1) to (4), from English into Chinese. Please write your answer on the ANSWER SHEET.Economics is no different. Supply, demand, elasticity, comparative advantage, consumer surplus, deadweight loss--these terms are part of the economist’slanguage. In the coming chapters, you will encounter many new terms and some familiar words that economists use in specialized ways.(1)At first, this new language may seem needlessly arcane. But, as you will see, its value lies in itsability to provide you a new and useful way of thinking about the world in which you live.Economists try to address their subject with a scientist’s objectivity. They approach the study of the economy in much the same way as a physicist approaches the study of matter and a biologist approaches the study of life: (2)They devise theories, collect data, and then analyze thesedata in an attempt to verify or refute their theories.To beginners, it can seem odd to claim that economics is a science. After all, economists do not work with test tubes or telescopes. (3)The essence of science, however, is the scientificmethods--the dispassionate development and testing of theories about how the world works.This method of inquiry is as applicable to studying a nation’s economy asit is to studying the earth’s gravity or a species’ evolution. (4)As Albert Einstein once put it, “The whole of science isnothing more than the refinement of everyday thinking.”(225words)Part II Chinese-English Translation (20 points)Directions: Translate the following paragraph from Chinese into English. Please write youranswer on the ANSWER SHEET.为了寻找实验室试验的替代品，经济学家十分关注历史所提供的自然实验。

武汉大学考博英语-6(总分：89.00，做题时间：90分钟)一、Part Ⅰ Reading Comprehension(总题数：5，分数：39.00)And researchers say that like those literary romantics Romeo and Juliet, they may be blind to the consequences of their quests for an idealized mate who serves their every physical and emotional need.Nearly 19 in 20 never-married respondents to a national survey agree that "when you marry you want your spouse to be your soul mate, first and foremost", according to the State of Our Unions: 2001 study released Wednesday by Rutgers University.David Popenoe, a Rutgers sociologist and one of the study"s authors, said that view might spell doom for marriages."It really provides a very unrealistic view of what marriage really is," Popenoe said. "The standard becomes so high, it"s not easy to bail out if you didn"t find a soul mate."The survey points to a fundamental dilemma in which younger people want more from the institution of marriage while they seemingly are unwilling to make the necessary commitments.The survey also suggests that some respondents expect too much from a spouse, including the kind of emotional support rendered by same-sex friends. The authors of the study also suggest that the generation that was polled may more quickly leave a margin because of infidelity than past generations.Popenoe said the poll, conducted by the Gallup organization, is the first of its kind to concentrate on people in their 20s. A total of 1,003 married and single young adults nationwide were interviewed by telephone between January and March. The margin of error was plus or minus four percentage points.Respondents said they eventually want to get married, realize it"s a lot of work and think there are too many divorces. They believe there is one right person for them out there somewhere and think their own marriages won"t end in divorce.Since the poll is the first of its kind, researchers say it is impossible to say if expectations about marriage are changing or static.But scholars say the search for soul mates has increased over the last generation--and the last century--as marriage has become an institution centering on romance rather than utility. "one hundred years ago, people married for financial reasons, for tying families together, they married for political reasons," said John DeLamater, a sociologist at the University of Wisconsin. "And most people had children."Those conditions are no longer the case for young adults like David Asher, a 24-year-old waiter in a Trenton cafe who has been in a relationship for about two years. He wants to wait to make sure he"s ready to exchange vows."I know a lot of it has to do with financial reasons," he said. "Maybe if you"re going to have children, marriage is the best bet."But the main reason for matrimony: "If you"re in love with someone, it"s sort of like promising to them you are in love.""That"s all well and good," said Heather Helms-Erikson, an assistant professor of human development and family studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. "But passion--partly in endorphin- caused physiological phenomenon--has been known to diminish in time."（分数：7.50）(1).What"s the best title of this passage?（分数：1.50）A.Marriage Scholars Worry Search for "Soul Mates" is Unrealistic √B.People Should Seek for Romeo and JulietC.Marriage Should Happen between Soul MatesD.Search for "soul Mates" Should be Superseded by Reality解析：[解析] 本题中，B、C两项与文章的意思相反；D项与文章的意思不相符。

武汉大学2015年博士研究生入学考试英语试题及详解Part ⅠReading Comprehension (2×20=40分)Directions: In this part for the test, there will be 5 passages for you to read. Each passage is followed by 4 questions or unfinished statements, and eachquestion or unfinished statement is followed by four choices marked A, B,C and D. You are to decide on the best choice by blackening thecorresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET.Passage OneJustice in society must include both a fair trial to the accused and the selection of an appropriate punishment for those proven guilty. Because justice is regarded as one form of equality, we find in its earlier expressions the idea of a punishment equal to the crime. Recorded in the Old Testament is the expression “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” That is, the individual who has done wrong has committed an offence against society. T o make up for his offence, society must get even. This can be done only by doing an equal injury to him. This conception of retributive justice is reflected in many parts of the legal documents and procedures of modern times. It is illustrated when we demand the death penalty for a person who had committed murder. This philosophy of punishment was supported by the German idealist Hegel. He believed that society owed it to the criminal to give a punishment equal to the crime he had committed. The criminal had by his own actions denied his true self and it is necessary to do something that will counteractthis denial and restore the self that has been denied. To the murderer nothing less than giving up his own will pay his debt. The demand of the death penalty is a right the state owes the criminal and it should not deny him his due.Modern jurists have tried to replace retributive justice with the notion of corrective justice. The aim of the latter is not to abandon the concept of equality but to find a more adequate way to express it. It tries to preserve the idea of equal opportunity for each individual to realize the best that is in him. The criminal is regarded as being socially ill and in need of treatment that will enable him to become a normal member of society.Before a treatment can be administered, the course of his antisocial behavior must be found. If the cause can be removed, provisions must be made to have this done. Only those criminals who are incurable should be permanently separated from the rest of the society. This does not mean that criminals will escape punishment or be quickly returned to take up careers of crime. It means that justice is to heal the individual, not simply to get even with him. If severe punishment is the only adequate means for accompanying this, it should be administered. However, the individual should be given every opportunity to assume a normal place in society. His conviction of crime must not deprive him of the opportunity to make his way in the society of which he is a part.1. The best title for this passage is _____.A. Fitting Punishment to the CrimeB. Approaches to Just PunishmentC. Improvement in Legal JusticeD. Attaining Justice in the Courts2. The passage implies that the basic difference between retributive justice andcorrective justice is the _____.A. type of crime that was provenB. severity of the punishmentC. reason for the sentenceD. outcome of the trial3. The punishment that would be most inconsistent with the views of correctivejustice would be _____.A. forced labourB. imprisonmentC. fair sentenceD. the electric chair4. The Biblical expression “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” waspresented in order to _____.A. prove that equality demands just punishmentB. justifies the need for punishment as a part of lawC. give moral backing to retributive justiceD. show that man has long been interested in justice【答案与解析】1. B 主旨大意题。