东南大学
2003年攻读硕土学位研究生入学考试试题
基础英语与写作
Ⅰ. Reading Comprehension (60 points)
Directions: Below each of the following passages, you will find question or incomplete statements about the passage. Each statement or question is followed by lettered words or expressions. Select the word or expression that most satisfactorily completes each statement or answer each question in accordance with the meaning of the passage. On your answer sheet, indicate the letter A, B, C, or D against the number of each item for the world or expression you choose.
Passage 1
The scientific pipeline in America is drying up: the retirement of aging US scientists, a shortage of new and young scientists because of the low bring rate in the 60s and 70s, and the homeward migration of many US.-educated foreigners. The result could be a shortfall of between 450,000 and 750,000 American scientists and mathematicians by the year 2000. The science deficit threatens America’s competitiveness with rising technological giants like Japan, South Korea and Germany.
How did America, birthplace of Thomas Edison and the Wright brothers, come to such a pass? One reason is lack of consistent financial support for science education. Funding for the National Science Foundation used to be between $18 million to $130 million, but by recent years financing for NSF’S education division had fallen to almost zero, and Congress had to fight to revive it over the protests of the federal government.
Some experts, though probably a minority, argue that funding is not the critical problem, or is not the only reason why U.S. scientists are becoming a scarce commodity. The image of scientists is less prominent than it was in the 50s and 60s, when men and women in lab coats were seen as national heroes helping the U.S. beat the Soviets in all kinds of scientific and technological.
Capable science teachers are difficult to find, in part because school salaries are no match for the incomes to be made at any of those business companies. As a result, the men and women who do choose the classroom over the corporate lab are often poor role models for potential young scientists. According to a survey of 1993, half of the country’s newly employed math and science teachers are not qualified to teach their subjects.
Many worried U.S. educators and business executives have concluded that America’s shrinking scientific capital is too important a problem to be left to state legislatures and local communities. If a national dialogue on ways to improve education were to be opened, science instruction would be sure to be a major topic of discussion. “Science and math are the substance of this age, just as exploration and warfare were the substance of this age, just as exploration and warfare were the substance of other ages.” says William Baker, former chairman of AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories. “Science is the way to prepare Americans for the 21st century.”
1. Which of the following does the author seem to worry about?
A.The dried pipelines in American homes.
B.The weakening of America’s competitiveness in science.
C.The incapability of state legislature to solve problems.
D.The immigration of many educated foreigners into the U.S.
2. Thomas Edison and the Wright brothers are mentioned in the passage to indicate that
A.they, as great scientists and inventors, were born in America.
B.they once helped America to be competitive in science and technology .
C.America has historically been a place for great scientists and inventors.
D.America’s supremacy in science and technology was something in the past.
3. What is NOT mentioned as a cause for the decline of science education in America?
A.Insufficient funding.
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