中科院2009年12月英语考博真题

中科院考博英语真题阅读理解精练Police fired tear gas and arrested more than3,000passively resisting protestors Friday in an attempt to break up the largest antinuclear demonstration ever staged in the United States.More than 123,000demonstrators confronted police on the construction site of a1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant scheduled to provide power to most of southern New anizers of the huge demonstration said,the protest was continuing despite the police actions.More demonstrators were arriving to keep up the pressure on state authorities to cancel the project.The demonstrator had charged that the project was unsafe in the densely populated area,would create thermal pollution in the bay,and had no acceptable means for disposing of its radioactive wasters.The demonstrations would go on until the jails and the courts were so overloaded that the state judicial system would collapse.Governor Stanforth Thumper insisted that there would be no reconsideration of the power project and no delay in its construction set for completion in three years."This project will begin on time and the people of this state will begin to receive its benefits on schedule.Those who break the law in misguided attempts to sabotage the project will be dealt with according to the law,"he said.And police called in reinforcements from all over the state to handle the disturbances.The protests began before dawn Friday when several thousanddemonstrators broke through police lines around the cordoned-off construction site.They carried placards that read"No Nukes is Good Nukes,""Sunpower,Not Nuclear Power,"and"Stop Private Profits from Public Peril."They defied police order to move from the area.Tear gas canisters fired by police failed to dislodge the protestors who had come prepared with their own gas masks or facecloths.Finally gas-masked and helmeted police charged into the crowd to drag off the demonstrators one by one.The protestors did not resist police,but refused to walk away under their own power.Those arrested would be charged with unlawful assembly,trespassing,and disturbing the peace.（PS:The way to contact yumingkaobo TEL:si ling ling-liu liu ba-l iu jiu qi ba QQ:si jiu san san qi yi liu er liu）1.What were the demonstrators protesting about?[A]Private profits.[B]Nuclear Power Station.[C]The project of nuclear power construction.[D]Public peril.2.Who had gas-masks?[A]Everybody.[B]A part of the protestors.[C]Policemen.[D]Both B and C.3.Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a reason for thedemonstration?[A]Public transportation.[B]Public peril.[C]Pollution.[D]Disposal of wastes.4.With whom were the jails and courts overloaded?[A]With prisoners.[B]With arrested demonstrators.[C]With criminals.[D]With protestors.5.What is the attitude of Governor Stanforth Thumper toward the power project and the demonstration?[A]stubborn.[B]insistent.[C]insolvable.[D]remissible.本文由“育明考博”整理编辑。

2009年考研英语真题及其答案Section I Use of EnglishDirections:Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank a nd mark [A], [B], [C] or [D] on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)Research on animal intelligence always makes me wonder just how smart huma ns are. 1 _______ the fruit-fly experiments described in Carl Zimmer’s piec e in the Science Times on Tuesday. Fruit flies who were taught to be smarter th an the average fruit fly 2 _______ to live shorter lives. This suggests that 3 _______ bulbs burn longer, that there is an 4 _______ in not being too terrifically bright.Intelligence, it 5 _______ out, is a high-priced option. It takes more upkeep, burns more fuel and is slow 6 _______ the starting line because it d epends on learning — a gradual 7 _______ — instead of instinct. Plenty of o ther species are able to learn, and one of the things they’ve apparently learn ed is when to 8 _______.Is there an adaptive value to 9 _______ intelligence? That’s the questi on behind this new research. I like it. Instead of casting a wistful glance 10 _______ at all the species we’ve left in the dust I.Q.-wise, it implicitl y asks what the real 11 _______ of our own intelligence might be. This is 1 2 _______ the mind of every animal I’ve ever met.Research on animal intelligence also makes me wonder what experiments anim als would 13 _______ on humans if they had the chance. Every cat with an own er, 14 _______, is running a small-scale study in operant conditioning. we b elieve that 15 _______ animals ran the labs, they would test us to 16 ___ ____ the limits of our patience, our faithfulness, our memory for terrain. They would try to decide what intelligence in humans is really 17 _______, not m erely how much of it there is. 18 _______, they would hope to study a 19 _______ question: Are humans actually aware of the world they live in? 20 _______ the results are inconclusive.1. [A] Suppose [B] Consider [C] Observe [D] Imagine2. [A] tended [B] feared [C] happened [D] threatened3. [A] thinner [B] stabler [C] lighter [D] dimmer4. [A] tendency [B] advantage [C] inclination [D] priori ty5. [A] insists on [B] sums up [C] turns out [D] puts forwa rd6. [A] off [B] behind [C] over [D] along7. [A] incredible [B] spontaneous [C]inevitable [D] gradual8. [A] fight [B] doubt [C] stop [D] think9. [A] invisible [B] limited [C] indefinite [D] different10. [A] upward [B] forward [C] afterward [D] backward11. [A] features [B] influences [C] results [D] costs12. [A] outside [B] on [C] by [D] across13. [A] deliver [B] carry [C] perform [D] apply14. [A] by chance [B] in contrast [C] as usual [D] for instance15. [A] if [B] unless [C] as [D] lest16. [A] moderate [B] overcome [C] determine [D] reach17. [A] at [B] for [C] after [D] with18. [A] Above all [B] After all [C] However [D] Otherwise19. [A] fundamental [B] comprehensive [C] equivalent [D] hostile20. [A] By accident [B] In time [C] So far [D] Better stillSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by cho osing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)Text1Habits are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine. “Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd,” William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the ever-changing 21st century, even the word “habit”carries a negative connotation.So it seems antithetical to talk about habits in the same context as creat ivity and innovation. But brain researchers have discovered that when we consci ously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative track s.But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedu re are worn into the hippocampus, they’re ther e to stay. Instead, the new habi ts we deliberately ingrain into ourselves create parallel pathways that can byp ass those old roads.“The first thing needed for innovation is a fascination with wonder,” say s Dawna Markova, author of “The Open Mind” and an e xecutive change consultant for Professional Thinking Partners. “But we are taught instead to ‘decide,’ just as our president calls himself ‘the Decider.’” She adds, however, that “to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one. A good innovational thi nk er is always exploring the many other possibilities.”All of us work through problems in ways of which we’re unaware, she says. Researchers in the late 1960 covered that humans are born with the capacity to approach challenges in four primary ways: analytically, procedurally, relationa lly (or collaboratively) and innovatively. At puberty, however, the brain shuts down half of that capacity, preserving only those modes of thought that have s eemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life.The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and proce dure, meaning that few of us inherently use our innovative and collaborative mo des of thought. “This breaks the major rule in the American belief system — t hat anyone can do anything,” explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book “Th is Year I Will...” and Ms. Markova’s business partner. “That’s a lie that w e have perpetuated, and it fosters commonness. Knowing what you’re good at and doing even more of it creates excellence.” This is where d eveloping new habits comes in.21. The view of Wordsworth habit is claimed by beingA. casualB. familiarC. mechanicalD. changeable.22. The researchers have discovered that the formation of habit can beA. predictedB. regulatedC. tracedD. guided23.” ruts”(in line one, paragraph 3) has closest meaning toA. tracksB. seriesC. characteristicsD. connections24. Ms. Markova’s comments suggest that the practice of standard testing ?A, prevents new habits form being formedB, no longer emphasizes commonnessC, maintains the inherent American thinking modelD, complies with the American belief system25. Ryan most probably agree thatA. ideas are born of a relaxing mindB. innovativeness could be taughtC. decisiveness derives from fantastic ideasD. curiosity activates creative mindsText 2It is a wise father that knows his own child, but today a man can boost his paternal (fatherly) wisdom –or at least confirm that he’s the kid’s dad. All he needs to do is shell our $30 for paternity testing kit (PTK) at his loc al drugstore – and another $120 to get the results.More than 60,000 people have purchased the PTKs since they first become available without prescriptions last years, according to Doug Fog, chief operat ing officer of Identigene, which makes the over-the-counter kits. More than twodozen companies sell DNA tests Directly to the public , ranging in price from a few hundred dollars to more than $2500.Among the most popular : paternity and kinship testing , which adopted c hildren can use to find their biological relatives and latest rage a many passi onate genealogists-and supports businesses that offer to search for a family’s geographic roots .Most tests require collecting cells by webbing saliva in the mouth and s ending it to the company for testing. All tests require a potential candidate with whom to compare DNA.But some observers are skeptical, “There is a kind of false precision be ing hawked by people claiming they a re doing ancestry testing,” says Trey Dust er, a New York University sociologist. He notes that each individual has many a ncestors-numbering in the hundreds just a few centuries back. Yet most ancestry testing only considers a single lineage, either the Y chromosome inherited thr ough men in a father’s line or mitochondrial DNA, which a passed down only fro m mothers. This DNA can reveal genetic information about only one or two ancest ors, even though, for example, just three generations back people also have six other great-grandparents or, four generations back, 14 other great-great-grand parents.Critics also argue that commercial genetic testing is only as good as th e reference collections to which a sample is compared. Databases used by some c ompanies don’t rely on data collected systematically but rather lump together information from different research projects. This means that a DNA database may differ depending on the company that processes the results. In addition, the computer programs a company uses to estimate relationships may be patented and not subject to peer review or outside evaluation.26.In paragraphs 1 and 2 , the text shows PTK’s ___________.[A]easy availability[B]flexibility in pricing[C] successful promotion[D] popularity with households27. PTK is used to __________.[A]locate one’s birth place[B]promote genetic research[C] identify parent-child kinship[D] choose children for adoption28. Skeptical observers believe that ancestry testing fails to__________.[A]trace distant ancestors[B] rebuild reliable bloodlines[C] fully use genetic information[D] achieve the claimed accuracy29. In the last paragraph ,a problem commercial genetic testing faces is _ _________.[A]disorganized data collection[B] overlapping database building30. An appropriate title for the text is most likely to be__________.[A]Fors and Againsts of DNA testing[B] DNA testing and It’s problems[C]DNA testing outside the lab[D] lies behind DNA testingText 3The relationship between formal education and economic growth in poor coun tries is widely misunderstood by economists and politicians alike progress in b oth area is undoubtedly necessary for the social, political and intellectual de velopment of these and all other societies; however, the conventional view that education should be one of the very highest priorities for promoting rapid eco nomic development in poor countries is wrong. We are fortunate that is it, beca use new educational systems there and putting enough people through them to imp rove economic performance would require two or three generations. The findings of a research institution have consistently shown that workers in all countriescan be trained on the job to achieve radical higher productivity and, as a res ult, radically higher standards of living.Ironically, the first evidence for this idea appeared in the United Stat es. Not long ago, with the country entering a recessing and Japan at its pre-bu bble peak. The U.S. workforce was derided as poorly educated and one of primary cause of the poor U.S. economic performance. Japan was, and remains, the globa l leader in automotive-assembly productivity. Yet the research revealed that th e U.S. factories of Honda Nissan, and Toyota achieved about 95 percent of the p roductivity of their Japanese countere pants a result of the training that U.S. workers received on the job.More recently, while examing housing construction, the researchers discove red that illiterate, non-English- speaking Mexican workers in Houston, Texas, c onsistently met best-practice labor productivity standards despite the complexi ty of the building industry’s work.What is the real relationship between education and economic development? We have to suspect that continuing economic growth promotes the development of education even when governments don’t force it. After all, that’s how educati on got started. When our ancestors were hunters and gatherers 10,000 years ago, they didn’t have time to wonder much about anything besides finding food. Onl y when humanity began to get its food in a more productive way was there time f or other things.As education improved, humanity’s productivity potential, they could in tu rn afford more education. This increasingly high level of education is probablya necessary, but not a s, ufficient, condition for the complex political syste ms required by advanced economic performance. Thus poor countries might not be able to escape their poverty traps without political changes that may be possib le only with broader formal education. A lack of formal education, however, doe sn’t constrain the ability of the developing world’s workforce to substantial ly improve productivity for the forested future. On the contrary, constraints o n improving productivity explain why education isn’t developing more quickly t here than it is.31. The author holds in paragraph 1 that the important of education in poo r countries ___________.[A] is subject groundless doubts [B] has fallen victim of bias[C] is conventional downgraded [D] has been overestimated32. It is stated in paragraph 1 that construction of a new education syste m __________.[A]challenges economists and politicians [B]takes efforts of generations[C] demands priority from the government [D] requires sufficient labor fo rce33.A major difference between the Japanese and U.S workforces is that ____ ______.[A] the Japanese workforce is better disciplined[B] the Japanese workforce is more productive[C]the U.S workforce has a better education[D] ]the U.S workforce is more organize34. The author quotes the example of our ancestors to show that education emerged __________.[A] when people had enough time[B] prior to better ways of finding food[C] when people on longer went hung[D] as a result of pressure on government35. According to the last paragraph , development of education __________.[A] results directly from competitive environments[B] does not depend on economic performance[C] follows improved productivity[D] cannot afford political changesText 4The most thoroughly studied in the history of the new world ar e the ministers and political leaders of seventeenth-century New Eng land. According to the standard history of American philosophy, nowh ere else in colonial America was “So much important attached to inte llectual pursuits ” According to many books and articles, New Englan d’s leaders established the basic themes and preoccupations of an un folding, dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life.To take this approach to the New Englanders normally mean to start with the Puritans’ theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the ch urch-important subjects that we may not neglect. But in keeping with our examin ation of southern intellectual life, we may consider the original Puritans as c arriers of European culture adjusting to New world circumstances. The New Engla nd colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely unde rstood ideals of civility and virtuosity.The early settlers of Massachusetts Bay included men of impressive educa tion and influence in England. `Besides the ninety or so learned ministers who came to Massachusetts church in the decade after 1629,There were political lead ers like John Winthrop, an educated gentleman, lawyer, and official of the Crow n before he journeyed to Boston. There men wrote and published extensively, rea ching both New World and Old World audiences, and giving New England an atmosph ere of intellectual earnestness.We should not forget , however, that most New Englanders were less well educated. While few crafts men or farmers, let alone dependents and servants, left literary compositions to be analyzed, The in thinking often had a tradition al superstitions quality. A tailor named John Dane, who emigrated in the late 1 630s, left an account of his reasons for leaving England that is filled with si gns. sexual confusion, economic frustrations , and religious hope-all name toge ther in a decisive moment when he opened the Bible, told his father the first l ine he saw would settle his fate, and read the magical words: “come out from a mong them, touch no unclean thing , and I will be your God and you shall be my people.” One wonders what Dane thought of the careful sermons explaining the B ible that he heard in puritan churched.Mean while , many settles had slighter religious commitments than Dane’s, as one clergyman learned in confronting folk along the coast who mocked that t hey had not come to the New world for religion . “Our main end was to catch fi sh. ”36. The author notes that in the seventeenth-century New England__________ _.[A] Puritan tradition dominated political life.[B] intellectual interests were encouraged.[C] Politics benefited much from intellectual endeavors.[D] intellectual pursuits enjoyed a liberal environment.37. It is suggested in paragraph 2 that New Englanders__________.[A] experienced a comparatively peaceful early history.[B] brought with them the culture of the Old World[C] paid little attention to southern intellectual life[D] were obsessed with religious innovations38. The early ministers and political leaders in Massachusetts Bay________ __.[A] were famous in the New World for their writings[B] gained increasing importance in religious affairs[C] abandoned high positions before coming to the New World[D] created a new intellectual atmosphere in New England39. The story of John Dane shows that less well-educated New Englanders we re often __________.[A] influenced by superstitions[B] troubled with religious beliefs[C] puzzled by church sermons[D] frustrated with family earnings40. The text suggests that early settlers in New England__________.[A] were mostly engaged in political activities[B] were motivated by an illusory prospect[C] came from different backgrounds.[D] left few formal records for later referencePart BDirections:Directions: In the following text, some sentences have been removed. For Q uestions (41-45), choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to fit into ea ch of the numbered blank. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the gaps.Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)Coinciding with the groundbreaking theory of biological evolution proposed by British naturalist Charles Darwin in the 1860s, British social philosopher Herbert Spencer put forward his own theory of biological and cultural evolution. Spencer argued that all worldly phenomena, including human societies, changed over time, advancing toward perfection. 41.____________.American social scientist Lewis Henry Morgan introduced another theory of cultural evolution in the late 1800s. Morgan, along with Tylor, was one of the founders of modern anthropology. In his work, he attempted to show how all aspe cts of culture changed together in the evolution of societies.42._____________.In the early 1900s in North America, German-born American anthropologist F ranz Boas developed a new theory of culture known as historical particularism. Historical particularism, which emphasized the uniqueness of all cultures, gave new direction to anthropology. 43._____________ .Boas felt that the culture of any society must be understood as the result of a unique history and not as one of many cultures belonging to a broader evo lutionary stage or type of culture. 44._______________.Historical particularism became a dominant approach to the study of cultur e in American anthropology, largely through the influence of many students of B oas. But a number of anthropologists in the early 1900s also rejected the parti cularist theory of culture in favor of diffusionism. Some attributed virtually every important cultural achievement to the inventions of a few, especially gif ted peoples that, according to diffusionists, then spread to other cultures. 45. ________________.Also in the early 1900s, French sociologist ?mile Durkheim developed a the ory of culture that would greatly influence anthropology. Durkheim proposed tha t religious beliefs functioned to reinforce social solidarity. An interest in t he relationship between the function of society and culture—known as functiona lism—became a major theme in European, and especially British, anthropology.[A] Other anthropologists believed that cultural innovations, such as inve ntions, had a single origin and passed from society to society. This theory was known as diffusionism.[B] In order to study particular cultures as completely as possible, Boas became skilled in linguistics, the study of languages, and in physical anthropo logy, the study of human biology and anatomy.[C] He argued that human evolution was characterized by a struggle he call ed the “survival of the fittest,” in which weaker races and societies must ev entually be replaced by stronger, more advanced races and societies.[D] They also focused on important rituals that appeared to preserve a peo ple’s social structure, such as initiation ceremonies that formally signify ch ildren’s entrance into adulthood.[E] Thus, in his view, diverse aspects of culture, such as the structure o f families, forms of marriage, categories of kinship, ownership of property, fo rms of government, technology, and systems of food production, all changed as s ocieties evolved.[F]Supporters of the theory viewed as a collection of integrated parts tha t work together to keep a society functioning.[G] For example, British anthropologists Grafton Elliot Smith and W. J. Pe rry incorrectly suggested, on the basis of inadequate information, that farming, pottery making, and metallurgy all originated in ancient Egypt and diffused th roughout the world. In fact, all of these cultural developments occurred separa tely at different times in many parts of the world.Part CDirections:Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segmen ts into Chinese. Your translation should be written carefully on ANSWER SHEET 2.(10 points)There is a marked difference between the education which every one gets fr om living with others, and the deliberate educating of the young. In the former case the education is incidental; it is natural and important, but it is not t he express reason of the association.46It may be said that the measure of the w orth of any social institution is its effect in enlarging and improving experie nce; but this effect is not a part of its original motive. Religious associatio ns began, for example, in the desire to secure the favor of overruling powers a nd to ward off evil influences; family life in the desire to gratify appetites and secure family perpetuity; systematic labor, for the most part, because of e nslavement to others, etc. 47Only gradually was the by-product of the instituti on noted, and only more gradually still was this effect considered as a directi ve factor in the conduct of the institution. Even today, in our industrial life, apart from certain values of industriousness and thrift, the intellectual and emotional reaction of the forms of human association under which the world's wo rk is carried on receives little attention as compared with physical output.But in dealing with the young, the fact of association itself as an immedi ate human fact, gains in importance.48 While it is easy to ignore in our contac t with them the effect of our acts upon their disposition, it is not so easy as in dealing with adults. The need of training is too evident; the pressure to a ccomplish a change in their attitude and habits is too urgent to leave these co nsequences wholly out of account. 49Since our chief business with them is to en able them to share in a common life we cannot help considering whether or no we are forming the powers which will secure this ability. If humanity has made so me headway in realizing that the ultimate value of every institution is its dis tinctively human effect we may well believe that this lesson has been learned l argely through dealings with the young.50 We are thus led to distinguish, within the broad educational process wh ich we have been so far considering, a more formal kind of education -- that of direct tuition or schooling. In undeveloped social groups, we find very little formal teaching and training. These groups mainly rely for instilling needed d ispositions into the young upon the same sort of association which keeps the ad ults loyal to their group.Section III WritingPart A51.Directions:Restrictions on the use of plastic bags have not been so successful in som e regions. “White pollution ”is still going on. Write a letter to the editor(s) of your local newspaper to1) give your opinions briefly and2) make two or three suggestionsYou should write about 100 words. Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter. Use "Li Ming" instead. You do not need to write the address.Part B52. Directions:In your essay, you should1) describe the drawing briefly,2) explain its intended meaning, and then3) give your comments.You should write neatly on ANSHWER SHEET 2. (20 points)2009年参考答案Section I: Use of English (10 points)Section II: Reading Comprehension (60 points) Part A (40 points)Part B (10 points)Part C (10 points)46.可以说，要衡量任何社会制度的价值，就要看它对扩大和改进经验方面的影响，但是这种影响并不是其原来动机的一部分。

中国科学院研究生院博士研究生学位英语考试样题Sample TestNON-ENGLISH MAJOR DOCTORATEENGLISH QUALIFYING EXAMINATION (DET)PAPER ONEPart I Listening Comprehension (35 minutes, 30 points)Section ADirections: In this part, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what is said. Eachconversation and the question will be spoken only once. When you hearthe question, read the four choices of the answer given and choose thebest one by marking the corresponding letter A, B, C, or D on yourAnswer Sheet I.1. A. Go back home.B. Mail a letter.C. Do the shopping.D. Ask the way.2. A. Dennis always alters his idea about an outing.B. Dennis has no choice but to come with them.C. It’s surprising that Dennis would come with them.D. Dennis at last accepted the idea about going out.3. A. Go out for fun with the girl.B. Travel with the girl to Holland.C. Try not to spend so much money.D. Let the girl pay her own bill.4. A. The man should reschedule the trip.B. She has no idea when the semester ends.C. She’ll call the travel agency to confirm the date.D. The man should spend his holidays somewhere else.5. A. He forgot to mail the letter.B. He left the letter in his office.C. The letter slipped off his desk.D. He should have put the letter in his bag.6. A. He was exhausted.B. He was drunk.C. He was worried.D. He was late for work.17. A. In a mall.B. In a pharmacy.C. In the cleaner’s.D. In a department store.8. A. The woman argued for her innocence at court.B. The woman complained that she was forced to pay the fine.C. The woman has got away with many violations of traffic law.D. The woman pleaded ignorance this time of her violation of the traffic law.9. A. Jack has to meet a tight deadline.B. Jack has completed his assignmentC. Jack got himself burnt last night.D. Professor David is a pleasant figure.10 A. He does not like Beth.B. He thinks the world is too crowded.C. He is too excited to do anything about the party.D. He will not help arrange for the party.Section BDirections: In this part, you will hear two mini-talks. While you listen, complete the sentences in your Answer Sheet II for Questions 11 to 20 by writing NOMORE THAN THREE WORDS in each sentence. You will hear each talkor conversation TWICE.Questions 11 to 15 are based on a talk about the concept of community.You now have 30 seconds to read Questions 11 to 15.11.A village, or town, or ____________ can be called an area of social life.12.The speaker states that it is ____________ that people in a community shouldhave the sense of belonging together.13.In some countries ____________ form islands of their own peculiar life.14.The speaker holds that community means any circle of _______.15.When we use the term “____________” rather than “society”, we should think ofsomething greater than organization.You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Questions 11 to 15.Questions 16 to 20 are based on an interview about “global warming.”You now have 30 seconds to read Questions 16 to 20.16.Scientists want to know whether global warming is caused by __________.17.Insulation may cause the Earth to ___________.218.There are many _________on the global climate.19.The _________does not remain static.20.We can not understand the global climate well without understanding _____.You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Questions 16 to 20.Section CDirections: In this part, you will hear three mini-talks and each of them will be spoken only once. While listening to them, read the questions that follow eachtalk. At the end of each mini-talk you will hear the questions read to you.There will be a 40-second-pause after each question. During the pause,you will be asked to write down your answer on your Answer Sheet II,using one sentence only, either complete or incomplete. Your answershould be concise and to the point.Questions 21 to 23 are based on Mini-talk One:Mini-talk OneQuestion 21: How much grain do rats destroy each year in India?Question 22: Where do rats live?Question 23: How do rats spread diseases indirectly?Questions 24 to 26 are based on Mini-talk Two:Mini-talk TwoQuestion 24: What education does the vast majority of US Postal Service jobs require? Question 25: Where can one find the special requirements for some postal jobs? Question 26: In addition to the variety of paid leave, what other benefits are provided fora postal employee? (List at least two.)Questions 27 to 30 are based on Mini-talk Three:Mini-talk ThreeQuestion 27: Why is popular art said to be primarily entertainment?Question 28: What is the distinction in art between a professional and an amateur? Question 29: How does high art differ from popular art financially?Question 30: What are people interested in high art often required to do?Part II Use of English and Reading Comprehension (55 minutes, 40 points) Section ADirections: There are 15 blanks in the following passage. Read the passage carefully and fill in each of the blanks by choosing the right word or phrase fromthe list given below. Write your answer on the Answer Sheet II. Capitalizethe word when it is necessary. The words and phrases listed are twice as3many as the blanks. Once a word or phrase is chosen, it must be used onlyonce.Many of the most damaging and life-threatening types of weather—torrential rains, severe thunderstorm, and tornadoes—began quickly, strike suddenly, and dissipate rapidly, devastating small regions 31 leaving neighboring areas untouched. One such event, a tornado, struck the northeastern section of Edmonton, Alberta, in July 1987. Total damages from the tornado 32 $ 250 million, the highest 33 for any Canadian storm. Conventional computer models of the atmosphere have limited value in predicting short-lived local storms 34 the Edmonton tornado, because the available weather data are generally not detailed enough to allow computers to discern the subtle atmospheric changes that 35 these storms. In most nations, for example, weather-balloon observations are taken just 36 every twelve hours at locations typically 37 by hundreds of miles. With such limited data, conventional forecasting models do a much better job predicting general weather conditions over large regions 38 they do forecasting specific local events. Until recently, the observation—intensive approach needed for accurate, very short-range forecasts, or “Nowcast”, was not39 . The cost of equipping and operating many thousands of conventional weather stations was prohibitively high, and the difficulties involved in rapidly collecting and processing the raw weather data from such a network were insurmountable. 40 , scientific and technological advances have 41 most of these problems. Radar systems, automated weather instruments, and satellites are all capable of making detailed, nearly 42 observations over large regions at a relatively low cost. Communications satellites can transmit data around the world cheaply and 43 , and modern computers can quickly compile and analyze this large volume of weather information. Meteorologists and computer scientists now work together to design computer programs and video equipment capable of 44 raw weather data into words, symbols, and vivid graphic displays that forecasters can interpret easily and quickly. 45 meteorologists have begun using these new technologies in weather forecasting offices, nowcasting is becoming a reality.Section B (30minutes, 15 points)Directions: Read the following passages carefully and then select the best answer from among the four choices given to answer each of the questions or completeeach of the statements that follow each passage. Mark the letter of yourchoice on your Answer Sheet I.Passage 1For centuries, the gravel and sand of Georges Bank and the great canyons, muddy basins, and shallow ledges of the Gulf of Maine have supported one of the world’s most productive fishing regions. But big boulders have historically protected a41050-square-kilometer region at the bank’s northeastern tip from dredging boats in search of scallops and trawlers hunting down groundfish. However, those boulders are becoming less of a deterrent against improved and sturdier gear. So when geologist Page Valentine of the U.S. Geological Survey in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, stood before his colleagues last month and defended his proposal to safeguard this rare, undisturbed gravel bed, he knew that he was also standing at the crossroads of science and politics.Va lentine’s presentation was part of a 2-day workshop held at the New England Aquarium here to build support for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), a controversial concept aimed at preserving biodiversity in coastal waters. The meeting, organized by Elliott Norse, founder of the Marine Conservation Biology Institute in Redmond, Washington, featured talks by 21 experts across a range of marine habitats and species and represented the marine community’s biggest push for MPAs.The discussion generated a map that nominated 29% of the ocean floor off the coast of New England and Canada’s Maritime Province for protection, as well as 25% of pelagic (open-ocean) waters. The next step will come in the fall, when the scientists discuss the plan with government officials, commercial stakeholders, and environmental activists—meetings that are likely to be contentious. “The conservation groups will want to see if various species are covered. And various fishermen will be convinced that their livelihood is threatened,” says Mik e Pentony, an analyst for the New England Fishery Management Council, who was an observer at last month’s workshop. The areas could be established by the National Marine Fisheries Service or under existing U.S. and Canadian laws to protect endangered species and habitats.46. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?A.Fishery Industry in New England.B.Plan to Protect Coastal waters of New England.C.Restoration of Marine Life in the Gulf of Maine.D.Problems Critical to Ecological Balance in Georges Bank.47. The abundance of fish in the area has been a result of ________.A.the perpetual fishery closureB.the stringent ban on overfishingC.the effective fishery managementD.its unique geographic features48. Boulders used to be a deterrent to ________.A.scallopB.groundfishC.fishing boatsD.improved gear49. At the two-day workshop, the scientists reached an agreement on ______.A.the marine areas to be preservedB.how to rescue the endangered speciesC.the guarantee of the fishermen’s livelihoodD.what to discuss with the government officials550. Which of the following CANNOT be concluded from the last paragraph?A.The fishermen will be worried about their livelihood.B.A decision is soon to be made on the protected areas.mercial stakeholders may be at odds with scientists.D.Conflicting interests will arise between fishermen and scientists.Passage 2Some people are accustomed to thinking that facts must either be believed or they must be disbelieved—as if beliefs were like a light switch with only two positions, on or off. My use of the bathtub hoax is intended to illustrate that belief does not have to operate as a simple yes or no choice, all or nothing. Belief can be more conditional; it can be something that we decide to have “up to a point.” And so, the question we might ask ourselves while reading does not have to be “Should I believe it or not?”but instead can be “How much should I believe it?”This later question implies that the belief we have in any given fact, or in any given idea, is not determined by whether it sounds right or whether the source is an authority. It means that our beliefs are determined by the reasons that justify them. Belief is not a mechanical action, brought about by invariable rules of nature. It is a human activity, the exercise of judgment. With this in mind, we might say that we perform this action better when we know what the reasons are that have led to our belief, and why they are good reasons.These observations do not deprive us of our ability to believe in what we read. They are not intended to transform you from credulous believers into stubborn doubters. The process of weighing beliefs against the quality of reasons is one that you already go through all the time, whether you are aware of it or not. We all do. The practice of critical reading is the exercise of this kind of judgment on purpose. By doing it, we protect ourselves from being led into belief for inadequate reasons, but at the same time we open up our minds to the possibility of arriving at belief for adequate ones. If we decide to grant or withhold consent based on the quality of the reasons that we are given we admit at the same time that two things are possible: We admit that we might consent less in the future if we discover that the reasons are not so good after all; and we admit that we might consent more if we are ever presented with better reasons than we had formerly known. This attitude is not pure skepticism any more than it is pure credulity. It is somewhere in between. It is the attitude of an open-minded thinker, of someone who wishes to be responsible for deciding for herself or himself what to believe.51. The author’s use of the bathtub hoax is meant to suggest that __________.A.facts must be believed unconditionallyB.belief is more than a simple yes or no choiceC.nothing should be believed or disbelievedD.belief is nothing but a light switch52. To believe or disbelieve what you read should be based on ________.A.the facts that you are givenB.whether the author is an open-minded authorityC.the quality of reasons provided by the materialD.the assumption that you know everything about it653. As a human activity, weighing the facts about something is actually _______.A.determined by the rules of natureB. a performanceC.brought about even at birthD.experienced by everyone54. According to the author, which of the following is true?A.Our attitude toward what we read may change if we are given more reasons.B.An open-minded thinker is responsible for what he or she says.C.Critical reading can make us believe more in what we read.D.We ought to question the value of what we read if its source is notauthoritative.55. What is the topic of this passage?A.Judgment and Responsibility.B.Reading and Belief.C.Trust and Faith.D.Reading and Human Activity.Passage 3Things don’t come easily to Matteo, a 4-year-old New Yorker with brown bangs and cowboy bandanna. Afflicted by cerebral palsy, he moves awkwardly. He thinks slowly and doesn’t talk much. Small frustrations upset him terribly. But when Matteo visits Clive Robbins, his music therapist, he bangs gleefully on a snare drum, placing one hand on the rim to steady himself, he uses the other to rap in tempo to Robbins’s improvised song. As the tune progresses, Matteo moves his act to the piano, banging along with one or two fingers and laughing excitedly. By following the rhythm, he is learning to balance his body and coordinate the movement of his limbs. He’s also learning to communicate. “He is grown much more motivated and intent,” says Robbins, the co-founder of New York Univ ersity’s Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy.Disabled children aren’t the only ones feeling the therapeutic power of music. A 79-year-old stroke survivor listens to Viennese waltzes on his headphones to help him to relearn to walk. A woman in labor h ad LeAnn Rimes’ country tunes blaring from a stereo to help her keep in step with her contraction. And, yes, ostensibly healthy people are listening to airy New Age discs, and maybe lighting a candle or two, to lessen stress and promote well-being. They may all be on to something. Mounting evidence suggests that almost any musical stimulus, from Shostakovich to the Spice Girls can have therapeutic effects.Music therapy isn’t mainstream health care, but recent studies suggest it can have a wide range of benefits. In 1996, researchers at Colorado State University tried giving 10 stroke victims 30 minutes of rhythmic stimulation each day for three weeks. Compared with untreated patients, they shared significant improvements in their ability to walk steadily. P eople with Parkinson’s disease enjoyed similar benefits. A musical beat from any genre seemed to provide a rhythmic cue, stimulating the brain’s motor systems.7Other body systems seem equally responsive. Scottish researchers have found, for example, that a daily dose of Mozart or Mendelssohn significantly brightens the moods of institutionalized stroke victims. Using psychological tests, the Scottish team showed that patients receiving 12 weeks of daily music therapy were less depressed and anxious, and more stable and sociable, than other patients in the same facility. Music therapy has also proved useful in the management of Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. And Deforia Lane, a music therapist at University Hospitals in Cleveland, has shown that music can boost immune function in children. That’s consistent with a 1995 finding by Louisiana researchers that preemies exposed to lullabies in the hospital went home earlier.56.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?A.Why Music is PowerfulB.Music and Pain MedicationC.Music and Disabled ChildrenD.The Medical Power of Music57.Which of the following statements is right about Matteo?A. He is suffering a paralysis of the brain.B. He is late in his ability to walk and talk.C. He plays music better by taking the advice.D. He’s ambitious to become a professional drummer.58.Paragraph 2 mainly tells that ________________.A.music helps pregnant women undergo contractionsB.music stimulates promotion of people’s well-beingC.music seems to have therapeutic effects on all peopleD.sick people benefit a lot from listening to music59.Based on the author’s description, the Spice Girls is taken asA.a classic example of music.B.a typical extreme of music.C.the most popular musical category.D.disgusting but having some medical effect.60.According to the context, the word “preemies” probably means________.A.sick children coming to see a doctorB.children with infectious diseasesC.newly recovered young patientsD.premature babiesSection C (10minutes, 10 points)Direction: In the following passage, five sentences have been removed from the original text. They are listed from A to F and put below the passage. Choosethe most suitable sentence fro the list to fill in each of the blanks numbered61 to 65. There is one sentence that does not fit in any of the blanks. Markyour answers on your Answer Sheet I.8Virtual reality engineers are space makers, to a certain degree they create space for people to play around in. A space maker sets up a world for an audience to act directly within, and not just so the audience can imagine they are experiencing a reality, but so they can experience it directly. “The film maker says, ‘Look, I’ll show you.’” The space maker says, “Here, I’ll help you discover.”61 Are virtual reality systems going to serve as supplements to our lives, or will individuals so miserable in their daily existence find an obsessive refuge in a preferred cyberspace? What is going to be included, deleted, reformed, and revised? Will virtual reality systems be used as a means of breaking down cultural, racial, and gender barriers between individuals and thus nurture human values? During this century, responsive technologies are moving even closer to us, becoming the standard interface through which we gain much of our experience. 62 Instead of a global village, virtual reality may create a global city, the distinction being that the city contains enough people for groups to form affiliations, in which individuals from different cultures meet together in the same space of virtual reality. 63 A special camera, possibly consisting of many video cameras, would capture and transmit every view of the remote locations. Viewers would receive instant feedback as they turn their heads. Any number of people could be looking through the same camera system. Although the example described here will probably take many years to develop, its early evolution has been under way for some time, with the steady march of technology moving from accessing information toward providing experience.64 Virtual Reality is now available in games and movies. An example of a virtual reality game is Escape From Castle Wolfenstein. In it, you are looking through the eyes of an escaped POW from a Nazi death camp. You must walk around in a maze of dungeons where you will eventually fight Hitler. One example of a virtual reality movie is Stephen King’s The Lawnmower Man. It is about a mentally retarded man that uses virtual reality as a means of overcoming his handicap and becoming smarter. He eventually becomes crazy from his quest for power and goes into a computer. From there he is able to control most of the world’s computers. This movie ends with us wondering if he will succeed in world domination. From all of this we have learned that virtual reality is already playing an important part in our world. 65A.Reality is to trick the human senses, to help people believe and uphold an illusion.B.The ultimate result of living in a cybernetic world may create an artificial globalcity.C.As well, it is probably still childish to imagine the adoption of virtual realitysystems on a massive scale because the starting price to own one costs about $300,000.D.The city might be laid out according to a three dimensional environment thatdictates the way people living in different countries may come to communicate and understand other cultures.E.Even though we are quickly becoming a product of the world of virtual reality, wemust not lose touch with the world of reality. For reality is the most important part of our lives.F.However, what will the space maker help us discover?9PAPER TWOWriting (60 minutes, 30 points)Section A (20 minutes, 10 points)Directions:Read the following article and write a summary of no more than 150 words on your Answer Sheet II.The label of world’s oldest spaceman sat uncomfortably with John Glenn. He insisted that he was simply another astronaut in the service of science, conducting experiments aboard the shuttle Discovery. But last week, before returning to Earth, a relaxed Glenn began to embrace what is likely to be his mission’s most lasting legacy: a redefinition of our image of aging. The nation’s No. 1 role model for seniority made jokes and even dispensed a bit of advice about not accepting a dull life (don’t “live by the calendar”) in old age.In a rapidly graying society, Americans are quick to celebrate heroes who defy stereotypes about aging: Glenn going up in space at 77, George Bush parachuting from an airplane at 72. We even made best-selling authors out of the Beardstown Ladies (average age: 70), until it was revealed that their investment returns were only mediocre. Why were we so eager to assume a bunch of novices could pick stocks better than a Wall Street pro? Because we want to believe that growing old is not as bad as we fear.Many who work with the elderly are reconsidering this adulation of senior overachievers. “John Glenn has taken us from our fear of aging to a fear of not being John Glenn in old age,” says Martha Holstein of Chicago’s Park Ridge Cente r for the Study of Health, Faith and Ethics. It’s one thing, she says, to knock down stereotypes that mark the elderly as enfeebled or befuddled. But raising unrealistic standards of vigor isn’t any better. Historian Theodore Roszak note s that along with the celebration of Glenn have come paroxysms of press about 90-year-old marathon runners and other aged mega-athletes. These “supermen images,” says Roszak, author of America the Wise, a new book about how the swelling ranks of the elderly will benefit America, give rise to the dangerous notion that “seniors need to achieve at the level of 30- or 40-year-olds” to win respect.Gerontologists talk about “productive aging,” the notion that one’s 60s and 70s constitute a new middle age as people live longer and healthier lives. Productive aging, with its roots in the social movements of the 1960s, began as a counter to prejudice against the elderly. But such well-intentioned efforts to bring new value to old age sometimes gloss over the fact that older hearts, lungs, ears, and eyes do start to wear out. Forty percent of Americans over age 65 have some chronic condition that limits such simple everyday activities as walking around the block or lifting a bag of groceries.One leading proponent of productive aging wants to use what we know about how proper exercise and diet can forestall illness and physical decline to encourage Americans to maintain healthier lifestyles. John Rowe of Mount Sinai-New York University Medical Center, coauthor of the new book Successful Aging, advocates an incentive program in which Medicare would pay a larger share of medical costs for individuals who quit smoking, drink moderately, or lose weight. That, he says, would10“enhance the well-being of older people” an d also cut the bill for Medicare.Others worry about creating ideals that the white, wealthy, and educated are most likely to live up to. The poor, minorities, and often women have the worst health in late life. A recent study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that the death rate among the poorest Americans is three times that of others of the same age—but not because they lead significantly less healthy lives. Rather, says Meredith Minkler of the University of California-Berkeley, poverty has “weathering” or cumulative effects. A woman who spends her life on her feet as a waitress or in some other physically demanding job—and then maybe also cares for her grandchildren—winds up in worse health than someone whose white-collar job lets her pay for membership in a health club.In reality, old age means to live with both vigor and limits. Barbara Toomer made that clear last week as she joined protesters in Washington who handcuffed their wheelchairs together at the doors of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to demand funding to live in their own homes. “We hear how marvelous it is for John Glenn to be in such great shape” says the 69-year-old Utah activist with American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today, “but we’re down here fighting to get everybody out of nursing homes, which is where you’re likely to get placed when you get old.”Section B (40 minutes, 20 points)Direction:Write an essay of no less than 250 words on the topic given below. Use the proper space on your Answer Sheet II.Topic: List three important problems facing the world today. Discuss these problems and offer your suggestions as to how to solve them.11Reference key to Sample TestNON-ENGLISH MAJOR DOCTORATE ENGLISH QUALIFYINGEXAMINATION (DET)PAPER ONEPart I Listening ComprehensionSection A1－10 C D A DA B C C B DSection B11.country12.inevitable13.immigrantsmon life.munity16.human activity /humans.17.get warmer.18.influences19.earth’s temperature20.(the) oceans.Section CMini-talk One21: Ten million tons of grain each year.22: Any place they can get into—homes, shops, farm buildings and farm and home storage areas.23: By carrying fleas, mites and other organisms that cause sickness.Mini-talk Two24: Four years of high school or less.25: Any special requirements will be stated on the announcement of examination.26: Retirement support, life insurance and health insurance.Mini-talk Three27: Many of them are hits for a few weeks then they disappear.28: A professional tries to make a living by working in art, while an amateur does all the artistic work just for pleasure.29: Popular art usually makes a lot of money, while high art often lacks funds.30: To give money to make future performances possible.12。

2009年湖北博士入学考试英语湖北联考试题Part I Reading Comprehension (30 % )Directions: There are 4 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A，B，C，and D. You should decide on the best choice and mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET by blackening the corresponding letter in the brackets.Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage:In general，our society is becoming one of giant enterprise directed by a bureaucratic management in which man becomes a small，well-oiled cog in the machinery. The oiling is done with higher wages，well-ventilated factories and piped music and by psychologists and "human-relation" experts; yet all this oiling does not alter the fact that man has become powerless，that he does not whole heartedly participate in his work and that he is bored with it. In fact，the blue and the white-collar workers have become economic puppets(木偶) who dance to the tune of automated machines and bureaucratic management.he workers and employees are anxiou，not only because they might find themselves out of a job；they are anxious also because they are unable to acquire any real satisfaction or interest in life. They live and die without ever having confronted the fundamental realties of human existence as emotionally a，R，d ih:'t-ellectually independent and productive human beings.Those higher up on the social ladder are no less anxious.Their lives are no less empty than those of their subodinates. They are even more insecure in some respects.They are in a highly competitive race. To be promoted or to fall behind is not a matter of salary but even more a matter of self-respect. When they apply for their first job，they are tested for intelligence as well as for the right mixture of submissiveness and independence. From that moment on they are tested again and again——by psychologists，for whom testing is a big business，and by their superiors，who judge their behavior，sociability，capacity to get along，etc.This constant need to prove that one is as good as or better than one's fellow-competitors creates constant anxiety and stress，the very causes of unhappiness and illness.Am I suggesting that we should return to the preindustrial mode of production or to the 19th-century" free-enterprise" capitalism? Certainly not.Problems are never solved by returning to a stage which one has already outgrown. I suggest transforming our social system from a bureaucratically managed industrialism in which maximal production and consumption are ends in themselves into a humanist industrialism in which man and full development of his potentialities——those of love and of reason-are the aims of all social arrangements. Production and consumption should serve only as a means to this end，and should be prevented from ruling man.1. By "a well-oiled cog in the machinery" the author intends to render the idea that man is.A.an unimportant part in comparison with the rest of the society，though functioning smoothlyB. a necessary part of the society though each individual's function is negligibleC. a humble component of the society，especially when working smoothlyD.working in complete harmony with the rest of the society2.The real cause of the anxiety of the workers and employees is that .A.they are faced with the fundamental realties of human existenceB.they are deprived of their independence and productivityC.they are likely to lose their satisfactory jobsD.they are farther away from genuine life3.Those who are on the higher social ladder would feel more peaceful and secure if they could.A.get higher salary and more self-respectB.have more chance to be further promotedC.prove better than their fellow-competitorsD.keep far away from this compititive world4.To solve the present social problems the author suggests that we should .A.offer higher wages to the workers and employeesB.resort to the production mode of our ancestorsC.enable man to fully develop his potentialitiesD.take the fundamental realties for granted5.The author’s attitude towards industrialism might be best summarized as one of the .A.approvalB.dissatisfactionC.suspicionD.toleranceQuestions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:Coincident with concerns about the accelerating loss of species and habitats has been a growing appreciation of the importance of biological diversity，the number of species in a particular ecosystem，to the health of the Earth and human beings.Much has been written about the diversity of terrestrial organisms，particularly the exceptionally rich life associated with tropical rain-forest habitats. Relatively little has been said，however，about diversity of life in the sea even though coral reef systems are comparable to rain forests in terms ofrichness of life.An alien exploring the Earth would probably give priority to the planet's dominant，most distinctive feature-the ocean. Humans have a bias toward land that sometimes gets in the way of truly examining global issues. Seen from far away，it is easy to realize that landmasses occupy one-third of the Earth's surface. Given that two-thirds of the Earth's surface is water and that marine life lives at all levels of the ocean，the total three-dimensional living space of the ocean is perhaps 100 times greater than that of land and contains more than 90 percent of all life on Earth even though the ocean has fewer distinct specIes.The fact that half of the known species are thought to inhabit the world's rain forests does not seem surprising，considering the huge numbers of insects that comprise the bulk of species. One scientist found many different species of ants in just one tree from a rain forest. While every species is different from every other species，their genetic makeup constrains them to be insects and to share similar characteritics with 750,000 species ofinsects.If basic，broad categories such as phyla andclasses are given more emphasis than differentiating between species，then the greatest diversify of life is unquestionably the sea. Nearly every major type of plant and animal has some representation there.To appreciate fully the diversity of abundance of life in the sea，it helps to think small. Every spoonful of ocean water contains life on the order of 100 to 100000 bacterial cells plus assorted microscopics and animals，including larva's or organisms ranging from sponges and corals to starfish and clams and much more.6.What is the main point of the passage?A. Humans are destroying thousands of species.B. There are thousands of insect species.C.The sea is even richer in life than the mrlforests.D.Coral reefs are similar to rain forests.7.Why does the author compare coral reefs with rain forests(para. 1)?A.They share many similar species.B.They are approximately the same size.C.Most of their inhabitants require water.D.Both have many different forms of life.8.The passage suggests that most rain forest species are .A.insectsB.bacteriaC.mammalsD.birds9.The author argues that there is more diדersity of life in the sea than in the rain forest because .A. there are too many insects to make meaningful distinctionsB. more phyla and classes of life are represented in the seaC. many insect species are too small to divide into categoriesD. marine life-forms reproduce at a faster pace10. Which of the following conclusions is supported by the passage?A. Ocean life is highly adaptive.B. Ocean life is primarily composed of plants.C. The sea is highly resistant to the damage done by pollutants.D. More attention needs to be paid to preserving ocean species and habitats.Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage:Science is an enterprise concerned with gaining information about causality，or the relationship between cause and effect. A simple example of a cause is the movement of a paddle as it strikes a ping-pong ball; the effect is the movement of the ball through the air. In psychology and other sciences，the word "cause" is often replaced by the term “independent variable”.This term implies that the experimenter is often "free" to vary the independent variable as he or she desires (for example，the experimenter can control the speed of the paddle as it strikes the ball). The term“dependent variable”replaces the word"effect"，and this term is used because the effect，depends on some characteristic of the independent variable (the flight of the ball depends on the speed of the paddle). The conventions of science demand that both independent and dependent variables be observable events，as is the case in the ping-pong example. In the case of biorhythm theory，the independent variable is the number of days that have elapsed between a person's date of birth and some test day. The depedent variable is the person's level of performance on some specified task on the test. Notice that although the experimenter is not free to choose a birthday for a given individual，persons with different dates of birth can be tested on the same day, or a single subject can be tested on several different days.In order to predict the relationship between independent and dependent variables，many scientific theories make use of what are called intervening variables. Intervening variables are purely theoretical concepts that cannot be observed directly. To predict the flight of a ping-pong ball，Newtonian physics relies on a number of intervening variables; including force，mass，air resistance，and gravity. You can probably anticipate that the intervening variables of biorhythm theory are the three bodily cycles with their specified time periods.It should be emphasized that not all psychological theories include intervening variables，and some psychologists object to their use precisely because they are not directly observable.The final major component of a scientific theory is its syntax，or the rules and definitions that state how the independent and dependent variables are to be measured，and that specify the relationships among independent variables，intervening variables，anddependent variables.It is the syntax of biorhythm theory that describes how to use a person's birthday to calculate the current status of the three cycles. The syntax also relates the cycles to the dependent variable，performance，by stating that positive cycles should cause high levels of performance whereas low or critical cycles should cause low performance levels. To summarize，the components of a scientific theory can be divided into four major categories：independent variables，dependent variables，intervening variables，and syntax.11. Based on the passage，causality may have the meaning that .A. cause and effect can be independent of each otherB. there is hardly anything that happens without a causeC. dependent and independent variables affect each otherD. cause and effect may vary respectively in most events12. According to biorhythm theory，.A. one's behavior can be predicted by knowing his or her birhtdayB. nobody can choose his or her date of birth as he or she wishesC. an individual's performance is irrelevant to hisor her birthdayD. a person's level of performance varies according to the test date13. Many theories for predicting the relation ship between cause and effect .A. testify their complete conformity withgeneral scientific principlesB. justify the identity of dependent，independent，and intervening variablesC.specify the time periods of bodily cycles in terms of psychological testsD. verify their prediction by variables inconsisitent with conventions of science14. The example of the ping-pong ball used to .A. indicate a hard nut to crack in physicsB. predict variables in a person’s performanceC.prove a common feature most theories haveD. show the negligibility of intervening variables15. The word “syntax”used in the last paragraph refers to the.A. rules used for ordering and connecting words in a sentenceB. principles defining the connections among different variablesC. definitions describing the impact of biorhythm on one's behaviorD. criteria measuring a person's performance levels with biorhythmQuestions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage:Americans today don't place a very high value on intellect. Our heroes are athletes，entertainers，and entrepreneurs，not scholars. Even our schools are where we send our children to get a practical education——not to pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Symptoms of pervasive anti-intellectualism in our schools aren't difficult to find."Schools have always been in a society where practical is more important than intellectual，" says education writer Diane Ravitch. "Schools could be a counterbalance. " Ravitch's latest book，Left Back：A Century of Failed School Reforms，traces the roots of anti-intellectualism in our schools，concluding they are anything but a counterbalance to the American distaste for intellectual pursuits.But they could and should be. Encouraging kids to reject the life of the mind leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and control. Without the ability to think critically，to defend their ideas and understand the ideas of others，they cannot fully participate in our democracy. Continuing along this path，says writer Earl Shorris，“we will become a second-rate country. We will have a less civil society.”“Intellect is resented as a form of power or privilege，”write historian and professor Richard Hofstadter in Anti-intellectualism in American life，a Pulitzer Prize winnig book on the roots of anti-intellectualism in U. S. politics，religion，and education. From the beginning of our history，says Hofstadter，our democratic and populist urges have driven us to reject anything that smells of elitism. Practicality，common sense，and native intelligence have been considered more noble qualities than anything you could learn from a book. Ralph Waldo Emerson and other Transcendentalist philosophers thought schooling and rigorous book learning put unnatural restraints of children: "Weare shut up in schools and college recitation rooms for 1 0 or 15 years and cme out at last with a bellyful of words and do not know a thing." Mark Twaill:ֺ‎f Iuckleberry Finn exemplified American anti-intellectualism.Its hero avoids beingcivilized——going to school and learning to read——so he can preserve his innate goodness.Intellect，according to Hofstadter，is different from native intelligence，a quality we reluctantly admire. Intellect is the critical，creative，and contemplative side of the mind. Intelligence seeks to grasp，manipulate，reorder，and adjust，while intellect examines，thinks，wonders，theorizes criticizes and imagines.School remains a place where intellect is mistrusted. Hofstadter says our country's educational system is the grips of people who“joyfully and militantly proclaim theirhostility to intellect and their eagerness to identify with children who show the least intellectual promise.”16. What do American parents expect their children to acquire in school?A. The habit of thinking independently.B. Profound knowledge of the world.C. Practical abilities for future career.D. The confidence in intellectual pursuits.17. We can learn from the passage that Americans have a history of.A. undervaluing intellectB. favoring intellectualismC. supporting school reformD. suppressing native intelligence18. The views of Ravitch and Emerson on schooling are .A. identicalB.similarC. complementaryD. opposite19. Emerson，according to the passage，is probably .A. a pioneer of education reformC. a scholar in favor of intellectB. an opponent of intellectualismD. an advocate of regular schooling20. What does the author think of intellect?A.It evolves from common sense.B.It is second to intelligence.D. It underlies power.C.It is to be pursued.Part II Vocabulary (15 % )Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are fourchoeces marked A，B，C and D. Choose th ONE that best completes the sentence.Then mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET by blackening the corresponding letter in thebrackets.21. In the process of acquiring knowledges，as much can be learned from seeking as from finding，from journeys as fromA. travelB. destination D. seeking D.seeking22. Weare meant to live dangerously and should not be sheltered. Life is a perilous adventure；its richness is in its .A. hazardsB. securityC. peaceD. length23. Mary thought she would never meet Tom again，but by a curiousthey finally met.A. coincidenceB. incidenceC. incidentD. accident24. The traffic police were searching for evidence to prove the accused man's guilt，but in.A. hollowB. emptyC. voidD. vain25. The team's efforts to score were by the opposing goalkeeper.A. surpassed C. frustrated D. furtheredB. doubled26. A friend may be ，casual，situational or deep and lasting.A. identicalB. originalC. superficialD. critical27. This is the industrialist's ：invest，and risk going bankrupt，or not invest and risk losing your share of the market.A. paradoxB. junctionC. premiseD. dilemma28. The key to success is remembering that every hurdle crossed is one less hurdle in the of your personal ambition.A. pursuitB.proportionC. promotionD. propulsion29. Although he did not state his opinion，thewas that he doubted my words.A. interruptionB. implicationC. impositionD. interaction30. My work with leaders from all walks of life has me that they were not born leaders-they are made.A. advocatedB. impliedC. convincedD. illustrated31. You can't let your eyes glide across the lines of a book and an understanding of what you have read.A. come up toB. come acrossC. come aroundD. come up with32. In the museum there is a of the ship Mayflower.A. supplementB. nucleusC. miniatureD.valve33. Employees are not slaves who must bear being order around. They would not put theirin their pocket.A. arroganceB. conceitC.prideD. prime34. This was conducted to find out how many people prefer TV serious to films.A. examinationB. inspectionC.analysisD. survey35. The statistical figures in that report are not. You should not refer to them.A. accurateB. fixedC. delicateD. rigid36. All theoriesfrom practice and in turn serve practice.A. originateB. restrainC.modifyD. reflect37. This research has attracted wide coverage and has been featured on BBC television’s Tomorrow’s World.A. messageB. imformationC. mediaD. data38. Some people would like to do shopping on Sundays since they expect to pick upwonderful in the market.A. batteriesB. bargainsC. basketsD. barrels39. Amy was elected chairman of the committee by avote.A. ambiguousB. synonymousC. simultaneousD. unanimous40. Developments in ship design and construction methods came about into challenges encountered in trading.A.awarenessB. responseC. contrastD. agreement41.In many places£¬ illness was seen either as an invasion of the body by some poison or it was to the work of an angry god，malignant magic，or witchcraft.A. contributedB. attributedC. tributeD. distributed42. His new theory has caused an enormous throughout the civilized world.A.solidarity C. sermonB. sentimentD. sensation43. The captain of the ship entered the details in the .A. loungeB. logC. motelD. shipwreck44. Some 4 000 private importers，exporters and wholesalers were nationalized andinto a huge government monopoly，the State Trading Corp.A. incorporatedB. inclinedC. resignedD. resorted45. She has but a faint of dialectical materialism.A. sacrificeB. reactionC. notionD. clue46. among young people is difficult to expect or achieve.A. AssuranceB. ProbabilityC. RelianceD. ConfQrmity47. The swimming pool is the children's favorite in summer.A. cradleB. hauntC. headingD.hedge48. In of Mr. Mainwaring's years of service，the company presented him with agold watch.A. contradictionB. appreciationC.confrontationD. apprehension49. They their hunting skills for the life of settled farmers.A. forsookB. forgedC.sacrificedD. reserved50.If you can't give up smoking completely，at least try to.A. take downB. turn downC.cut downD. set downPart III Cloze (10 %)Directions: For each numbered braclE~("1h the following passage£¬ fill in a suitable word inthe blank on the ANSWER SHEET.Social change is more likely to occur in societies where there is a mixture of different kinds of people than in societies where people are similar in many 51. The simple 52for this is that there more different ways of looking at things 53 in the first kind of society. There are more ideas，more disagreements 54 interest，and moregroups and organizations 55 different beliefs. In 56，there is usually a greater worldly interest and greater tolerance in 57 societies. All these factors tend to promote social change by 58more areas of life to decision. In a simple-racial 59，there are 60 occasions for people to see the need or the opportunity for61 because everything seems to be the same. And 62 conditions may not be satisfactory，they are at least customary and undisputed.Social change is also likely to occur more frequently and 63 in the material aspects of the culture than in the non-material，for example£¬ in technology rather than in values；in the 64 basic and emotional aspects of society than in their opposites；in form rather than in 65；and in elements that are66to the culture rather than in strange elements.67，social change is easier if it is gradual. For example，it comes68 readily in human relations on a continuous scale rather than one with sharp differences. This is one reason why change has 69 come more quickly to Black Americans as 70 to other American minorities，because of sharp difference between them and their white counterparts.Part IV English-Chinese Translation (15 % )Directions: Read the following passage carefully and then translate the underlined sentencesinto Chinese on the ANSWER SHEET.I shall mention two or three matters in which the need for cooperation between philosophy and science is especially intimate. 71. Since scientific method depends upon first-hand experimental controlled experierices，any philosophic application of the scientific point of view will emphasize the need of such experiences in the school，as over against mere acquisition of ready-made information that is supplied in isolation from the students' own experIence. So far，it will be in line with what is called the "progressive" movement in education. But it will be an influence in counteracting any tendencies that may exist in progressive education to slight the importance of continuity in the experiences that are had and the importance of organization. Unless the scienceofeducation on its wn ground and behalf emphasizes subject-matters while contain within themselves the promise and power of continuous growth in the direction of organization，it is false to its own position as scientific. 72.In cooperationwith a philosophy of education，it can lend invaluable aid in seeing to it that the chosen subject-matters are also such that they progressively developtoward formation of attitudes of understanding the world in which students and teachers liveand woward forming the attitudes of purpose，desire and action which will make pupils effective in dealing with social conditions.Another point of common interest concerns the place in the schools of the sciences，especially the place of the habits which form scientific attitudes and methods. The sciences had to battle against powerful enemies to obtain recognition in the curriGulum. In a formal sense，the battle has been won，but not yet in a substantial sense. For scientific subject- matter is still more or less isolated as a special body of facts" and truths. 73.The full victory will not be won until every subject and lesson is taught in connection with its bearing upon creation and growth of the kind of power of observation，inquiry，reflection and testing that are the heart of scientific intelligence.Experimental philosophy is at one with the genuine spirit of a scientific attitude in the endeavor to obtain for scientific method this central placein education.Finally, the science and philosophy of educatin can and should work together in overcoming the split between knowledge and action, betreen theory and practive, which now affects both education and society so seriously and harmfully.Indeed it is not too much to say that institution of a happy marriage between theory and practice is in the end the chief meaning of a acence and a philosophy of education that work together for common ends.Part V Chises-English Translation(15%)Directions：Translate the following paragraph into English and write youyr translation on the ANSER SHEET.一本好书就是一位益友。

中国人民大学2009年博士研究生入学考试英语试题Information is the primary commodity in more and more industries today.By 2005, 83% of American management personnel will be knowledge workers. Europe and Japan are not far behind.By 2005, half of all knowledge workers (22% of the labour force) will choose"flextime, flexplace"arrangements, which allow them to work at home, communicating with the office via computer networks.In the United States, the so-called "digital divide"seems to be disappearing. In early 2000, a poll found, that, where half of white households owned computers, so did fully 43% of African-American households, and their numbers were growing rapidly. Hispanic households continued to lag behind, but their rate of computer ownership was expanding as well.Company-owned and industry-wide television networks are bringing programming to thousands of locations. Business TV is becoming big business.Computer competence will approach 100% in US urban areas by the year 2005, with Europe and Japan not far behind.80% of US homes will have computers in 2005, compared with roughly 50% now.In the United States, 5 of the 10 fastest-growing careers between now and 2005 will be computer related. Demand for programmers and systems analysts will grow by 70%. The same trend is accelerating in Europe, Japan, and India.By 2005, nearly all college texts and many high school and junior high books will be tied to Internet sites that provide source material, study exercises, and relevant news articles to aid in learning. Others will come with CD-ROMs that offer similar resources.Internet links will provide access to the card catalogues of all the major libraries in the worldby 2005. It will be possible to call up on a PC screen millions of volumes from distant libraries. Web sites enhance books by providing pictures, sound, film clips, and flexible, indexing and search utilities.Implications: Anyone with access to the Internet will be able to achieve the education needed to build a productive life in an increasingly high-tech world. Computer learning may even reduce the growing American prison population.Knowledge workers are generally better paid than less-skilled workers. Their wealth is raising overall prosperity.Even entry-level workers and those in formerly unskilled positions require a growing level of education. For a good career in almost any field, computer competence is a must. This is one major trend raising the level ofeducation required for a productive role in today's work force. For many workers, the opportunity for training is becoming one of the most desirable benefits any job can offer.rmation technology is expected to have impact on all the following EXCEPT ____. A.American management personnelB.European management personnelC.American people's choice of careerD.traditional practice at work2. "digital divide"in the 4th paragraph refers to ____.A.the gap in terms of computer ownershipB.the tendency of computer ownershipC.the dividing line based on digitsD.the ethnic distinction among American households3.Which of the following statements is INCORRECT according to the passage? A. By 2005 all college and school study materials will turn electronic.B.By 2005 printed college and school study materials will be supplemented with electronic material.C.By 2005 some college and school study materials will be accompanied by CD-ROMs.D.By 2005 Internet links make worldwide library search a possibility.4.Which of the following areas is NOT discussed in the passage?A.Future careers.B.Nature of future work.C.Ethnic differences.D.Schools and libraries.5.At the end of the passage, the author seems to emphasize ____ in an increasingly high-tech world.A.the variety of educationB.the content of educationC.the need for educationD.the function of educationIt often happens that a number of applicants with almost identical qualifications and experience all apply for the same position. In their educational background, special skills and work experience, there is little, if anything, to choose between half a dozen candidates. How then does the employer make a choice? Usually on the basis of an interview.There are many arguments for and against the interview as a selection procedure. The main argument against it is that it results in a wholly subjective decision. As often as not, emplyers do not choose the best candidate,they choose the candidate who makes a good first impression on them. Some employers, of course, reply to this argument by saying that they have become so experienced in interviewing staff that they are able to make a sound assessment of each candidate’ s likely performance.The main argument in favour of the interview — and it is, perhaps, a good argument — is that an employer is concerned not only with a candidate’s ability, but with the suitability of his or her personality for the particular work situation. Many employers, for example, will overlook occasional inefficiencies from their secretary provided she has a pleasant personality.It is perhas true to say, therefore, that the real purpose of an interview is not to assess the assssable aspects of each candidate but to make a guess at the more intangible things, such as personality, character and social ability. Unfortunately, both for the employers and applicants for jobs, there are many people of great ability who simply do not interview well. There are also, of course, people who interview extremely well, but are later found to be very unsatisfactory employees.Candidates who interview well tend to be quietly confident, but never boastful; direct and straightforward in their questions and answers; cheerful and friendly, but never over-familiar; and sincerely enthusiastic and optimistic. Candidates who interview badly tend to be at either end of the spectrum of human behaviour. They are either very shy or over-confident. They show either a lack of enthusiasm or an excess of it. They either talk too little or never stop talking. They are either over-polite or rudely abrupt.1.We can infer from the passage that an employer might tolerate his secretary ’ s occasionalmistakes, if the latter is ____A. direct.B. cheerful.C. shy.D. capable.2.What is the author’s attitude towards the interview as a selection procedure?A. Unclear.B. Negative.C. Objective.D. Indifferent.3.According to the passage, people argue over the interview as a selection procedure mainly because they have ____.A. different selection proceduresB. different puposes in the interviewC. different standards for competenceD. different experiences in interviews4.The purpose of the last paragraph is to indicate ____. A. a link between success in interview and personalityB. connections between work abilities and personalityC. differences in interview experienceD. differences in personal behaviour research indicates that the mobile phone is changing not only our culture, but our very bodies as well.First. Let's talk about culture. The difference between the mobile phone and its parent, the fixed-line phone, you get whoever answers it.This has several implications. The most common one, however, and perhaps the thing that has changed our culture forever, is the "meeting" influence. People no longer need to make firm plans about when and where to meet. Twenty years ago, a Friday night would need to be arranged in advance. You needed enough time to allow everyone to get from their place of work to the first meeting place. Now, however, a night out can be arranged on the run. It is no longer "see you there at 8", but "text me around 8 and we'll see where we all are". Texting changes people as well. In their paper, "insights into the Social and Psychological Effects of SMS Text Messaging", two British researchers distinguished between two types of mobile phone users: the "talkers" and the "texters"-those who prefer voice to text message and those who prefer text to voice.They found that the mobile phone's individuality and privacy gave texters the ability to express a whole new outer personality. Texters were likely to report that their family would be surprised if they were to read their texts. This suggests that texting allowed texters to present a self-image that differed from the one familiar to those who knew them well.Another scientist wrote of the changes that mobiles have brought to body language. There are two kinds that people use while speaking on the phone. There is the "speakeasy": the head is held high, in a self-confident way, chatting away. And there is the "spacemaker": these people focus on themselves and keep out other people.Who can blame them? Phone meetings get cancelled or reformed and camera-phones intrude on people's privacy. So, it is understandable if your mobile makes you nervous. But perhaps you needn't worry so much. After all, it is good to talk.1.When people plan to meet nowadays, they A. arrange the meeting place beforehand B. postpone fixing the place till last minute C. seldom care about when and where to meet D. still love to work out detailed meeting plans.2.According to the two British researchers, the social and psychological effect are mostly likely to be seen onA. talkersB. the "speakeasy"C. the "spacemaker"D. texters3.We can infer from the passage that the texts sent by texters areA. quite revealingB. well writtenC. unacceptable by othersD. shocking to others4.According to the passage ,who is afraid of being heard while talking on the mobile A. talkersB. the speakeasyC. the spacemakerD. texters5.An appropriate title for the passage might be A. the SMS effectB. cultural implication of mobile useC. change in the use of the mobileD. body language and the mobile phoneI am one of the many city people who are always saying that given the choice we would prefer to live in the country away from the dirt and noise of a large city. I have managed to convince myself that if it weren't for my job I would immediately head out for the open spaces and go back to nature in some sleepy village buried in the county. But how realistic is the dream?Cities can be frightening places. The majority of the population live in massive tower blocks, noisy, dirty and impersonal. The sense of belonging to a community tends to disappear when you live fifteen floors up. All you can see from your window is sky, or other blocks of fiats. Children become aggressive and nervous - cooped up at home all day, with nowhere to play; their mothers feel isolated from the rest of the world. Strangely enough, whereas in the past the inhabitants of one street all knew each other, nowadays people on the same floor in tower blocks don't even say hello to each other.Country life, on the other hand, differs from this kind of isolated existence in that a sense of community generally binds the inhabitants of small villages together. People have the advantage of knowing that there is always someone to turn to when they need help. But country life has disadvantages too. While it is true that you may be among friends in a village, it is also true that you are cut off from the exciting and important events that take place in cities. There's little possibility of going to a new show or the latest movie. Shopping becomes a major problem, and for anything slightly out of the ordinary you have to goon an expedition to the nearest large ton. The city-dweller who leaves for thecountry is often oppressed by a sense of unbearable stillness and quiet.What, then, is the answer? The country has the advantage of peace and quiet, but suffers from the disadvantage of being cut off: the city breeds a feeling of isolation, and constant noise batters the senses. But one of its main advantages is that you are at the centre of things, and that life doesn't come to an end at half-past nine at night. Some people have found (or rather bought) a compromise between the two: they have expressed their preference for the "quiet life" by leaving the suburbs and moving to villages within commuting distance of large cities. They generally have about as much sensitivity as the plastic flowers they leave behind-they are polluted with strange ideas about change and improvement which they force on to the unwilling original inhabitants of the villages.What then of my dreams of leaning on a cottage gate and murmuring "morning" to the locals as they pass by. I'm keen on the idea, but you see there's my cat, Toby. I'm not at all sure that hewould take to all that fresh air and exercise in the long grass. I mean, can you see him mixing with all those hearty malesdown the farm? No, he would rather have the electric imitation-coal fire any evening.1.We get the impression from the first paragraph that the author___. A. used to live in the countryB. used to work in the cityC. works in the cityD. lives in the country2.In the author's opinion, the following may cause city people to be unhappy EXCEPT___.A. a strong sense of fearB. lack of communicationC. housing conditionsD. a sense of isolation3. The passage implies that it is easy to buy' the following things in the country EXCEPT___ A. daily necessities B. fresh fruits C. designer clothes D. fresh vegetables4.According to the passage, which of the following adjectives best describes those people who work in large cities and live in villages?A. Original.B. Quiet.C. Arrogant.D. Insensitive.5.Do you think the author will move to the country?A. Yes, he will do so.B. No, he will not do so.C. It is difficult to tell.D. He is in two minds.3 、英译汉10%We all have biological clock which … when we sleep and when we wake up. If you wake up at 7 every weekday morning but sleep until noon on weekend,you'll upset your biological clock and be fatigued.On weekend we should go to bed to sleep early in order to make your biological clock happy and relieve fatigue.4 、汉译英10%最近的新闻报道说，有一名马里兰州（Maryland）男子对手机制造商提起了法律诉讼，诉称手机微波使他患上了脑癌。

2009年全国医学博士外语统一考试英语试题参考答案及解析Paper OnePart Ⅰ Listening Comprehension （30 ％）Section A1. D 女士的话Finally(终于通过了）说明John用了很长时间才通过这门考试。

2。

B 男士听到乘出租只要两小时后说“I'm up for that”，意思是我愿意这样做，即乐意乘出租车。

up for sth。

意思是愿意做某件事。

3。

C 由女士的话12135551212可知选C。

4。

C 由女士的话She came to see me this morning complaining a pain in her right leg可知病人的抱怨是右腿疼.5。

B 女士说：我要离开一周,我希望你能接着处理这里的事务,男士说You have nothing to worry about(你什么都不用担心），可知女士在给男士交待任务，应该是老板和秘书的关系.6. C 男士先说I feel ashamed to ask him for help（我不好意思找他帮忙），女士安慰说他是你的哥哥，然后男士说I'll call him tonight(我今晚给他电话),可知男士今天可能会找他哥哥帮忙.7。

B 由男士的话Now I am going retake your left leg and see how far you can raise it Keep the knee straight。

Does that hurt at an可知男士在给女士做检查。

8. D 女士说I have just made plans to play tennis,男士说Oh,that’s too bad. Maybe some other time，可知女士还要继续按自己的计划去打台球。

9. A 男士说She's been here as long as I have可知Louise并不是新来的护士.10。

中科院博士入学考试英语真题Text D Family MattersThis month Singapore passed a bill that would give legal teeth to the moral obligation to support one's parents. Called the Maintenance of Parents Bill, it received the backing of the Singapore Government.That does not mean it hasn't generated discussion. Several members of the Parliament opposed the measure as un-Asian. Others who acknowledged the problem o f the elderly poor believed it a disproportionate response. Still others believe it will subvert relations within the family: cynics dubbed it the "Sue Your Son" law.Those who say that the bill does not promote filial responsibility, of course, are right. It has nothing to do with filial responsibility. It kicks in where filial responsibility fails. The law cannot legislate filial responsibility any more than it can legislate love. All the law can do is to provide a safety net where this morality proves insufficient. Singapore needs this bill not to replace morality, but to provide incentives to shore it up.Like many other developed nations, Singapore faces the problems of an increasing proportion of people over 60 years of age.Demography is inexorable. In 19 80, 7.2% of the population was in this bracket. By the end of the century that figure will grow to 11%. By 2030, the proportion is projected to be 26%. The problem is not old age per se. It is that the ratio of economically active people to economically inactive people that will decline.But no amount of government exhortation or paternalism will completely eliminate the problem of old people who have insufficient means to make ends meet. Some people will fall through the holes in any safety net.Traditionally, a person's insurance against poverty in his old age was his family, lifts is not a revolutionary concept. Nor is it uniquely Asian. Care an d support for one's parents is a universal value shared by all civilized societies.The problem in Singapore is that the moral obligation to look after one's parents is unenforceable. A father can be compelled by law to maintain his children. A husband can be forced to support his wife. But, until now, a son or daughter had no legal obligation to support his or her parents.1989, an Advisory Council was set up to look into the problems of the aged. Its report stated with a tinge of complacency that 95% of those who did not have their own income were receiving cash contributions from relations. But what about the 5% who aren't getting relatives' support? They have several options: (a) get a job and work until they die; (b) apply for public assistance(you have to be destitute to apply); or(c) starve quietly. None of these options is socially acceptable. And what if this 5% figure grows, as it is likely to do, as society ages?The Maintenance of Parents Bill was put forth to encourage the traditional virtues that have so far kept Asian nations from some of the breakdowns encountered in other affluent societies. This legislation will allow a person to apply t o the court for maintenance from any or all of his children. The court would have the discretion to refuse to make an order if it is unjust. Those who deride the proposal for opening up the courts to family lawsuits miss the point. Only in extreme caseswould any parent take his child to court. If it does indeed become law, the bill's effect would be far more subtle.First, it will reaffirm the notion that it is each individual's - not society's - responsibility to look after his parents. Singapore is still conservative enough that most people will not object to this idea. It reinforces the traditional values and it doesn't hurt a society now and then to remind itself of its core values.Second, and more important, it will make those who are inclined to shirk their responsibilities think twice. Until now, if a person asked family elders, clergymen or the Ministry of Community Development to help get financial support from his children, the most they could do was to mediate. But mediators have no teeth, and a child could simply ignore their pleas.But to be sued by one's parents would be a massive loss of face. It would be a public disgrace. Few people would be so thick-skinned as to say, "Sue and be damned". The hand of the conciliator would be immeasurably strengthened. It is far more likely that some sort of amicable settlement would be reached if the recalcitrant son or daughter knows that the alternative is a public trial.It would be nice to think Singapore doesn't need this kind of law. But that belief ignores the clear demographic trends and the effect of affluence itself on traditional bends. Those of us who pushed for the bill will consider ourselves most successful if it acts as an incentive not to have it invoked in the first place.78. The Maintenance of Parents BillA. received unanimous support in the Singapore ParliamentB. was believed to solve all the problems of the elderly poorC. was intended to substitute for traditional values in SingaporeD. was passed to make the young more responsible to the old79. By quoting the growing percentage points of the aged in the population, the author seems to imply that __A. the country will face mounting problems of the old in futureB. the social welfare system would be under great pressureC. young people should be given more moral educationD. the old should be provided with means of livelihood80. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?A. Filial responsibility in Singapore is enforced by law.B. Fathers have legal obligations to look after their children.C. It is an acceptable practice for the old to continue working.D. The Advisory Council was dissatisfied with the problems of the old。