厦门大学考博英语-1(总分100,考试时间90分钟)Ⅰ**prehensionPart AThere are three 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 the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.If there is one thing scientists have to hear, it is that the game is over. Raised on the belief of an endless voyage of discovery, they recoil (畏缩) from the suggestion that most of the best things have already been located. If they have, today' s scientists can hope to contribute no more than a few grace notes to the symphony of science.A book to be published in Britain this week, The End of Science, argues persuasively that this is the case. Its author, John Horgan, is a senior writer for Scientific American magazine, who has interviewed many of today's leading scientists and science philosophers. The shock of realizing that science might be over came to him, he says, when he was talking to Oxford mathematician and physicist Sir Roger Penrose.The End of Science provoked a wave of denunciation (谴责) in the United States last year. "The reaction has been one of complete shock and disbelief," Mr. Horgan says.The real question is whether any remaining unsolved problems, of which there are plenty, lend themselves to universal solutions. If they do not, then the focus of scientific discovery is already narrowing. Since the triumphs of the 1960s--the genetic code, plate tectonics (板块构造税), and the microwave background radiation that went a long way towards proving the Big Bang--genuine scientific revolutions have been scarce. More scientists are now alive, spending more money on research, than ever. Yet most of the great discoveries of the 19th and 20th centuries were made before the appearance of state sponsorship, when the scientific enterprise was a fraction of its present size.Were the scientists who made these discoveries brighter than today's? That seems unlikely. A far more reasonable explanation is that fundamental science has already entered a period of diminished returns. "Look, don't get me wrong," says Mr. Horgan. "There are lots of important things still to study, and applied science and engineering can go on for ever. I hope we get a cure for cancer, and for mental disease, though there are few real signs of progress."1. The sentence "most of the best things have already been located" could mean ______ .A. most of the best things have already been changedB. most of the best things remain to be changedC. there have never been so many best things waiting to be discoveredD. most secrets of the world have already been discovered2. John Horgan ______ . Ⅰ. has published a book entitled The End of Science Ⅱ. has been working as an editor of Scientific American Ⅲ. has been working many years as a literary critic Ⅳ. is working as a science writerA. Ⅰand ⅡB. ⅠonlyC. Ⅰand ⅣD. Ⅰ,Ⅱand Ⅳ3. There have not been many genuine scientific revolutions in the past few decades becauseA. there have been decreased returns in the research of fundamental scienceB. there are too many important things for scientists to studyC. applied science and engineering take up too much time and energyD. today's scientists are not as intelligent as those in the past4. The term "the Big Bang" probably refers to ______ .A. the genetic code theoryB. a geological theoryC. a theory of the origin of the universeD. the origin and the power of atomic energy5. The best title of this passage can be ______ .A. Great Scientific Discoveries Will Never Be PossibleB. The Harsh Challenge Has to Be Met by Modem ScientistsC. The State Sponsorship and Scientific Enterprise Are All in VainD. The Chance for Great Scientific Discoveries Becomes ScarceAstronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career, including three space flights and one space walk. But he recalls with special fondness a decidedly earthbound (为地球引力所束缚的) experience in the summer of 1980, when he participated in the NASA-ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. V oss, then a science teacher at West Point, was assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center's propulsion (推进) lab in Alabama to analyze why a hydraulic fuel pump seal on the space shuttle was working so well when previous seals had failed. It was a seemingly tiny problem among the **plexities of running the space program. Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seal could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them."I worked a bit with NASA engineers," says Voss, "but I did it mostly by analysis". I used a handheld calculator, not a computer, to do a thermodynamic(热力学的)analysis." At the end of the summer, he, like the other NASA-ASEE fellows working at Marshall, summarized his findings in a formal presentation and detailed paper. It was a valuable moment for V oss because the ASEE program gave him added understanding of NASA, deepened his desire to fly in space, and intensified his application for astronaut status."It was not an easy process. V oss was actually passed over when he first applied for the astronaut program in 1978. Over the next nine years he reapplied repeatedly, and was finally accepted in 1987. Since then he has participated in three space missions. The 50-year-old Army officer, who lives in Houston, is now in training for a four-month mission as a crew member on the International Space Station starting in July 2000.Voss says the ASEE program is wonderful for all involved. "It brings in people from theacademic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time. It brings some fresh eyes and fresh ideas to NASA, and establishes a link with our colleges and universities," V oss explains. "There's an exchange of information and an exchange of perspectives that is very important."For the academic side, V oss says, the ASEE program also "brings institutions of higher learning more insight into new technology. We give them an opportunity to work on real-world problems and take it back to the classroom".6. Why was the hydraulic fuel pump seal important for the space shuttle?A. Because previous seals all failed.B. Because it was **plex in running the space program.C. Because great care has to be taken of the hydraulic fuel pump sealing.D. Because any crack in the seals would cause disastrous results for the astronauts.7. The great significance of V oss' findings lies in ______. Ⅰ．strengthening his determination to join in space flights Ⅱ. furthering his understanding of NASA Ⅲ. consolidating his astronaut status in NASA programsA. ⅠonlyB. ⅡonlyC. Ⅰ,Ⅱand m all includedD. ⅠandⅡonly8. How many flights will V oss have finished if his four-month mission starting in July 2000 ends up successfully?A. Three.B. Two.C. Four.D. Five.9.10. What does V oss want to stress in the last paragraph?A. The technological significance of the program.B. The educational significance of the program.C. The philosophical significance of the program.D. The historical significance of the program.The current emergency in Mexico City that has taken over our lives is nothing. I could ever have imagined for me or my children. We are living in an environmental crisis, an air-pollution emergency of unprecedented severity. What it really means is that just to breathe here is to play a dangerous game with your health.As patents, what terrorizes us most are reports that children are at higher risk because they breathe more times per minute. What more can we do to protect them and ourselves? Our pediatrician's (儿科医师的) medical recommendation was simple: abandon the city permanently. We are foreigners and we are among the small minority that can afford to leave. We arc here because of my husband's work. We are fascinated by Mexico--its history and rich culture. We know that for us, this is a temporary danger. However, we cannot stand for much longer the fear we feel for our boys. We cannot stop them from breathing.But for millions, there is no choice. Their lives, their jobs, their futures depend on being here. Thousands of Mexicans arrive each day in this city, desperate for economic opportunities. Thousands more are born here each day. Entire families work in the streets and practically live there. It is a familiar sight: as parents hawk goods at stoplights, their children play in the grassy highway dividers, breathing exhaust fumes. I feel **plaining about my personal situation; wewon't be here long enough for our children to form the impression that skies are colored only gray. And yet the government cannot do what it must to end this problem. For any country, especially a developing Third World economy like Mexico, the idea of barring from the capital city enough cars, closing enough factories and spending the necessary billions on public transportation is simply not an option. So when things get bad, as in the current emergency, Mexico takes half measures--prohibiting some more cars from circulating, stopping some factories from producing--that even its own officials concede aren't adequate.The word "emergency" implies the unusual. But when daily life itself is an emergency, the concept loses its meaning. It is human nature to try to adapt to that which we cannot change or to mislead ourselves into believing we can adapt.11. According to the passage, the current emergency in Mexico City refers to ______ .A. serious air pollutionB. economic crisisC. unemploymentD. natural disaster12. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?A. Kids are in greater danger than grown-ups in Mexico City.B. The author is not a native Mexican.C. The author's husband is a pediatrician.D. The Mexican history and culture appeal to the author.13. The word "hawk" (Paragraph 3) most probably means ______ .A. sellB. transportC. placeD. deliver14. The Mexican government takes half measures to solve the pollution problem because ______ .A. Mexican economy depends very much on cars and factoriesB. it is not wise enough to come up with effective measuresC. Mexicans are able to adapt themselves to the current emergencyD. Mexicans enjoy playing dangerous games with their health15. The purpose of the passage is to ______ .A. describe the harmful air pollutionB. explain the way to prevent air pollutionC. show the worries about the air pollutionD. recommend a method to avoid air pollutionPart BThe passage below summarizes the main points of the passage. Read the summary and then select the best word or phrase from the box blow, according to the passage. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.Every morning, Allie wakes up and accompanies her friend to the washroom. She turns on the light, soaps up a washcloth, and begins cleaning her friend's face. Is Anie an extremely **panion? Yes! Allie is a capuchin monkey who helps her disabled friend perform everyday tasks.Monkeys like Allie are just one of many kinds of animals that help improve--or even save--human lives. But not all animals are suited to do every job. Certain animals are "hired" forspecific jobs based on their traits, or characteristics. By using different methods of conditioning (training animals to act in a particular way in response to a stimulus, or signal), humans can teach animals toper form extraordinary tasks.Throughout history, humans have relied on animals' traits to get certain jobs done. For example, compared with humans, dogs are "far superior at tracking down odors", says Marian Bailey, an animal behaviorist at Henderson State University in Arkansas. That's because dogs have million of olfactory receptors, or smell nerves, in their noses.For that reason, hunters used dogs to track down prey even in ancient Egypt. Today, dogs my be employed to sniff out illegal substances in school lockers or earthquake victims buried beneath the rabble of the collapsed building or highway.Primates may not be good sinffers, but they can certainly lend a helping hand--or two. Monkeys are perfect helpmates for quadriplegics, people paralyzed from the neck down who are unable to use their own hands (and legs). Like humans, explains Bailey monkeys have opposable thumbs--thumbs that face the hand's other fingers--so monkeys can pick up objects. Capuchins learn to open doors, clean up spills, and unscrew bottle tops. They can even get a sandwich out of the refrigerator and load your favorite tape into the VCR.And speaking of VCRs, animals are even helping scientists make a videotape. Jennifer Hurley, an animal researcher at the Long Marine Lab in Santa Cruz, California, is training two sea lions to carry video cameras on their backs to record the natural behavior of whales.So how do you get an animal employee to do its job? The answer, career-training. Trainers teach the animals to obey their instructions through a process called conditioning.Most trainers condition animals by using positive reinforcement, rewarding an animal for doing something correctly, says animal behaviorist Bailey. For example, trainers teach their dogs how to sniff out drugs by hiding a towel with the smell of drags. "Dogs love to retrieve objects so the towel becomes a reward", says Morris Berkowitz, who heads up a canine drug-sniffing program in New York.After repeating this game of hide-and-seek many times, the dog begins to "associate the odor with a reward", says Berkowitz. When he gives **mand, or stimulus, the dog seeks cot drags (it's like learning to study hard for a tests in order to get a good grade as a reward.)At "Helping Hands--Monkey Helpers for the Disabled", capuchin monkeys are trained twice before being teamed with a disabled human. First, monkeys are placed with a foster family to become socialized to people. For five years, families help the monkeys adapt to a human environment, so the monkeys will trust and enjoy being around people.Taking the monkeys in when they're four to six weeks old is important, says Bailey. "That's when monkeys normally become socialized to other monkeys," she says.Second, trainers at Helping Hands train the monkeys to perform specific tasks to assist a particular person. For example, a monkey may be trained to scratch an itch, or slip a floppy disc into a computer dive. Trainers reward the monkeys by using positive reinforcement, such as food, drinks.Allie is a capuchin 16 who helps her disabled friend perform everyday tasks. Allie is a(n) 17 of many animals who can be 18 to do certain jobs. Besides monkeys, 19 and sea lions can also give people a helping 20 .Dogs are good at 21 down prey and sniffing out 22 and 23 because they havemillions of 24 in their nose Monkeys are good helper for the 25 , who cannot look after themselves. Sea lions can help scientists to record the 26 of whales because they :can 27 to the deep ocean. In addition, 28 are part of whales' natural environment, which makes the video more 29 .But animals cannot do the jobs 30 training. The main process of training is called 31 , which uses 32 . During the training, trainers 33 an animal for doing something 34 . For monkeys, the positive reinforcement can 35 a year before they are qualified for their jobs.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.27.28.29.30.31.32.33.34.35.Ⅱ Short Question AnswerRead the following passage and then give short answers to the following five questions.Today's worker is no longer willing to work in an authoritarian and dehumanizing environment. Workers want meaning in their work and balance in their lives. They want opportunities to contribute and to know how their work is effective. Employees want to work for organizations that respect them as individuals. They also want to know that they are working for an **pany that acts in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.Today, and in the future, companies must design work so that employees can take responsibility and be rewarded appropriately. By changing altitudes, and conditions in the workplace, organizations can help make work more meaningful.Repetitive factory routines and office work that simply moves paper from in-box to out-box are mindless task that destroy motivation and productivity. Research has shown that mental challenge is closely related to job satisfaction. Too little challenge in the work, as in completely automated tasks, generally leads to boredom and lowered satisfaction. on the other hand, too much challenge may lead to failure and frustration. Thus success or achievement in reaching an accepted standard of competence is an important factor in job satisfaction, today's workers want to be a valued part of the whole. They want to know that their work is important and how it fits into the corporate strategy. They want to know not only how the work they do affects others and the organization's goals, but how the/as individuals can make an impact. Employees will contribute their knowledge enthusiastically in a corporate culture that values the individual. The profitability of a company is related to the quality and efforts of its workers. Therefore, a direct relationship between job performance and reward makes work more meaningful. Compaq Computers, for example, has an unusually low turnover rate among its employees. Like **panies in **puter field, Compaq expects its people to work long and hard to achieve big results quickly. In **panies an atmosphere of constant push would inspire people to seek employment with less pressure somewhere else. Instead, high quality people stay with Compaq. **pany's culture emphasizes individual responsibility for results and high respect for individuals, Compaq benefits from creating opportunities for employees to perform to the vast of their potential and to be rewarded for their achievements.36. What is an **pany?37. What kinds of work will kill job satisfaction?38. What may happen if there is too much challenge in one's job?39. on what condition does high turnover of employees occur?40. How do employees contribute to the profitability under the corporate culture of Compaq Computers?ⅢV ocabulary and StructureFor each sentence there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the ONE that **pletes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answersheet with a single line through th41. "Better late than never" is a ______ that is very familiar to most English speakers.A. plauditB. plenaryC. plentyD. platitude42. Professor Smith and Professor Brown will ______ in presenting the series of lectures on American literature.A. alterB. alternateC. substituteD. exchange43. The facts have proved that they all have the ______ of solving practical problems.A. capabilityB. abilityC. capacityD. power44. In order to prevent stress from being set up in the metal, expansion joints are fitted which ______ the stress by allowing the pipe to expand or contract freely.A. relieveB. reconcileC. reclaimD. rectify45. The people of the village fought for the right to ______ cattle on the grassland.A. grazeB. grinC. graspD. grope46. I think the charge for overloaded luggage is excessive in ______ to its size.A. dimensionB. rateC. percentageD. proportion47. My panic was ______ and ceased when I began to have my class.A. transientB. permanentC. trivialD. contemporary48. He raised his eyebrows and stuck his head forward and ______ it in a single nod, a gesture boy, used then for O. K. when they were pleased.A. shruggedB. tuggedC. jerkedD. twisted49. The children like to ______ the new English teacher, who has a noticeable manner of walking.A. take outB. take overC. take downD. take off50. Cancer of the liver, if malicious, in ordinary ______ , will surely lead to death.A. fashionB. mannerC. practiceD. parlance51. They **pletely ______ by the heavy rain.A. drenchedB. drownedC. parchedD. merged52. The professor found himself constantly ______ the question: How could anyone do these things?A. presidingB. poringC. ponderingD. presuming53. This is not the right ______ to ask for my help; I am far too busy even to listen!A. momentB. situationC. opportunityD. circumstance54. A(n) ______ sentence is of doubtful meaning because it can be interpreted in more than one way.A. affirmativeB. unanimousC. negativeD. ambiguous55. The magician's talk creates a(n) ______ of attention so that the audience does not see how he does his tricks.A. diversionB. derivationC. disorderD. interference56. The ______ has left for the Antarctic and it **e back in six months.A. expeditionB. executionC. exploration 'D. delegation57. His plan is not practical and is ______ to failure.A. expectedB. doomedC. dueD. predicted58. The rain was very heavy and ______ the land was flooded.A. consequentlyB. continuouslyC. constantlyD. consistently59. After investigation it was proved that the ______ letter was written by a teacher.A. anonymousB. simultaneousC. spontaneousD. homogeneous60. It is not as difficult to store information as it is to ______ it quickly when it is wanted again.A. representB. retainC. restoreD. retrieve61. This book is about how these basic beliefs and values affect important ______ of American life.A. facetsB. formatsC. formulasD. fashions62. His thoughts were ______ from the painful topic by the sudden arrival of a close friend.A. dissuadedB. distractedC. discernedD. discounted63. The deputy managers, one of whom is ______ by each party, shall assist the general manager in his duties.A. nominatedB. summonedC. calledD. named64. The simplest animals are those whose bodies are simplest in structure and which do the things done by all living animals, such as eating, breathing, moving and feeling, in the most ______ way.A. bizarreB. primitiveC. advantageousD. unique65. Some people want only real flowers on their tables while others like to have ______ ones.A. fashionableB. syntheticC. falseD. artificial66. From the hill top we can see horses are ______ here and there in the pasture.A. gazingB. bitingC. lickingD. devouring67. She strongly ______ the government's hypocrisy in dealing with the Israeli-Palestine issue.A. denouncedB. impeachedC. renouncedD. degraded68. He ______ a hasty meal before going on with his thesis.A. snatchedB. scratchedC. scrapedD. seized69. The landlady fired the servant who ______ household funds for her own rise.A. robbedB. pocketedC. muggedD. clenched70. At last the policemen used tear gas to ______ the demonstrators.A. disperseB. dispatchC. disappearD. vanish71. The economic recession has meant that job ______ is a rare thing.A. securityB. safetyC. protectionD. secureness72. Grain production in the world is ______ ,but still millions go hungry.A. soaringB. staggeringC. shrinkingD. suspending73. These charming girls are the ______ of equal pay for men and women.A. advocatesB. adventurerC. successorsD. predecessors74. Many people nowadays save money to ______ for their old age.A. caterB. supplyC. provideD. equip75. The lack of money and facilities depressed and ______ them a lot.A. frustratedB. flatteredC. distractedD. diverted76. Some crops are relatively high yielders and could be planted in preference to others to ______ the food supply.A. enhanceB. curbC. disruptD. heighten77. They waited in the ______ for the front door to open.A. porchB. porchC. thresholdD. inlet78. She had recently left a job and had helped herself to copies of **pany's client data, which she intended to ______ in starting her own business.A. dwell onB. come uponC. base onD. draw upon79. All of us were impressed by her ______ complexion.A. fluffyB. floralC. floridD. fluid80. We don't know if the story is tree, but we'll try our best to ______ it.A. verifyB. justifyC. amplifyD. rectifyⅣ TranslationRead the following passage carefully and then translate the underlined sentences into Chinese. Real estate, in broad definition, is land and everything made permanently a part thereof, and the nature and extent of one's interest therein. In law, the word real, as it relates to property, means land as distinguished from personal property; and estate is defined as the interest one has in property.Real estate may be acquired, owned, and conveyed (or transferred) by individuals; business corporations; charitable, religious, educational, fraternal, and various other nonprofit corporations; fiduciaries, such as trustees and executors; partnerships; and generally by any legal entity as determined and defined by the laws of the various states of the US Limitations are established in connection with sales of real estate by minors, incompetents, and certain types of corporations, and generally in cases involving some form of legal disability or lack of capacity.(82) In such instances, it is necessary in some jurisdictions to make application to the courts for permission to sell, in other jurisdictions such transfers are governed by statute.(83) Real property is generally acquired by purchase, by descent and devise, or by gift. When acquired by purchase, a deed is given by the seller, or grantor, to the purchaser, or grantee.The deed contains a legal description of the property conveyed. It must be drawn, executed, and acknowledged in proper form to be entitled to record. (84)It is customary for the seller and the purchaser to enter into a contract, at which time the purchaser makes a deposit on account of the purchase price.(85) The purchaser engages an attorney or a **pany to search the title to the property. The **pany ensures that the seller can convey clear title, the transaction is then closed.81.82.83.84.85.V WritingWrite an essay of no less than 200 words on the topic given below.1. Good management can help the organization achieve its desired results. This is particularly true of the management of an organization full of scientists and research workers. What is your idea about a good management or a good manager of such a group of people?。
