中南大学2008级博士生英语考试试卷

English Test for Doctoral Candidates （A卷）

Dec. 28, 2008

Part I Listening Comprehension (20%)

Section A

Directions:In this section, you will hear 10 short conversations. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and question will be spoken only once. After each question, there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A, B, C and D, and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on your Answer Sheet I with a single line through the center.

1. A. Touch all his friends.

B. Write a lot.

C. Have a lot of time.

D. Have a lot of friends.

2. A. To work for a small company.

B. To start a large company.

C. To be independent.

D. To graduate.

3. A. Buy a new car.

B. Go to a new store.

C. Find a new repair shop.

D. Take a different bus.

4. A. 36 dollars.

B. 15 dollars.

C. 12 dollars.

D. 4 dollars.

5. A. One hour.

B. Two hours.

C. Three hours.

D. Four hours.

6. A. Perston's sister is going abroad.

B. The man is probably reading a newspaper.

C. The news today is very unusual.

D. The Prime Minister is warmly welcomed.

7. A. She likes Mexican food.

B. She expected a better dinner.

C. The dinner was expensive.

D. She enjoyed the food more than the man did.

8. A. 6 hours.

B. 1 hour.

C. 10 hours.

D. 4 hours.

9. A. In order to obtain a visa.

B. To prove she is a foreign visitor.

C. As identification to cash a check.

D. The man is an immigration official.

10. A. Bus-conductor and passenger.

B. Lawyer and client.

C. Doctor and patient.

D. Teacher and student.

Section B

Directions: In this section, you will hear 2 short passages. At the end of each passage, you will hear some questions. Both the passage and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D, and then mark the corresponding letter on your Answer Sheet I with a single line through the center.

Passage 1

11. A. In 1954.

B. In 1953.

C. In 1955.

D. In 1960.

12. A. Adventureland.

B. Tomorrowland.

C. Fantasyland.

D. Mianstreet, U.S.A.

13. A. It would take you several days at Disneyland to see everything.

B. Adventureland shows the jungles of Asia and Africa.

C. Walt Disney World was built in Florida.

D. Disneyland is deeply loved by children as well as adults.

Passage 2

14. A. At college level.

B. In primary school.

C. In high school.

D. After they graduate.

15. A. The Use of Computers in Education.

B. How Computers Are Used in Teaching.

C. On Computers.

D. Computers and Management.

Section C

Directions:In this part, you are going to hear a short passage. It will be spoken three times. After you hear the passage, please write a summary of it in about 60 words on your Answer Sheet II.

Part II Cloze (10%)

Directions:There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are

four choices marked A, B, C and D. Then mark the corresponding letter on your Answer Sheet I with a single line through the center.

There are many definitions of social movements and revolutions, but they all have some common points. Social movements are organized, 16 attempts by individuals to produce social change. These attempts are usually resisted by powerful people who 17 from the status quo, 18 it is often difficult for social movement participants to use the accepted and 19 means of producing social change (such as the courts and political institutions). 20 , social movement participants often 21 disruptive street their only means of action. The antiwar movement in the 1960s, the 22 Rights Movement that emerged strongly in the 1950s, and the antiabortion movement of the 1980s are all examples of social movement in America that have 23 both legal and illegal activities to 24 their goals. In fairness to social movement participants, 25 , their powerful opponents are just as likely to use illegal activities and violence to 26 the social movement.

Although there are 27 over the definition of revolution, there is a 28 view that revolutions are successful social movements on a much grander 29 , that is, involving more people and much more social change. Although social movements like the U.S. Civil Rights Movement may be working to 30 some law or produce some reform in the society, revolutions like the Chinese Revolution are aimed at 31 social change. The goals of revolutions are commonly the overthrow of a government, basic change in the political and economic system, 32 more generally a basic change in the stratification system in the country. Because of the extent of change 33 , revolutions are always accompanied by extensive violence. The 34 are so high that opponents will kill to prevent the revolution, and revolutionaries must be 35 to kill to achieve their goals.

16. A. purposeful B. idealized C. empirical D. reciprocal

17. A. acquire B. profit C. prohibit D. succeed

18. A. and B. but C. because D. though

19. A. cultural B. legal C. educational D. industrial

20. A. However B. Still C. Thus D. Nevertheless

21. A. regard B. find C. treat D. use

22. A. Civil B. Liberty C. Humanity D. Privacy

23. A. engaged B. involved C. employed D. initiated

24. A. achieve B. accelerate C. complete D. strive

25. A. moreover B. however C. furthermore D. therefore

26. A. stop B. promote C. advocate D. avoid

27. A. diversities B. discrepancies C. inconsistencies D. disagreements

28. A. conform B. regular C. specified D. standard

29. A. level B. scale C. degree D. range

30. A. enable B. enact C. enlarge D. envelop

31. A. main B. principal C. major D. primary

32. A. and B. nor C. also D. or

33. A. sought B. aimed C. strove D. endeavored

34. A. stakes B. dangers C. odds D. risks

35. A. resentfulB. ready C. reluctant D. relieved

Part III Reading Comprehension (30%)

Section A

Directions:There are 5 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 your Answer Sheet I with a single line through the center.

Passage One

Water shortage on Earth? It seems impossible. Images of our planet from outer space show vast oceans, lakes as big as small countries, and wide rivers flowing with incredible volumes. How can there not be enough water? But the fact is that the world is facing the prospect of water shortages caused by population growth, uneven supplies of water, pollution, and other factors. The United Nations (UN) predicts that water shortages could retard the economic growth of some countries and lead to food shortages and, even possibly, to international conflicts.

Humans use water for three basic purposes: agriculture, industry, and domestic and municipal use (water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and so forth). And the amount of water available to each person decreases as the population grows, raising the possibility of water shortages. Water shortages will not come all at once in every part of the world, just as the world's population is unevenly distributed by region, so is the annual supply of renewable water. Rainfall and snowfall are determined by uneven weather patterns and landscape, and as a result, some areas of the world get more precipitation than others. This leads the uneven distribution of water all over the world.

Natural water scarcity has prompted many nations to try to increase their water supplies by building dams to catch water that otherwise would escape to the sea, or by sinking more and deeper wells. But these efforts can have negative side effects that can contribute to water scarcity. Instead of building dams, some countries choose to increase their access to groundwater. But this practice increases the risk of overpumping aquifers.

Pollution also affects the water supply, reducing the available water by making it toxic or otherwise unfit for human use.

Water shortage could also lead to international conflicts as countries compete for limited water resources. Political tensions over water often appear when different nations lay claim to the same river, lake, or aquifer. According to the UN, more than 300 river basins and aquifers worldwide cross national boundaries, creating the potential for conflicts.

36. Which of the following is NOT a factor that would cause water shortage?

A. Population growth.

B. Uneven supplies of water.

C. Industrial pollution.

D. Global warming.

37. Water shortages could lead to all the following EXCEPT _______.

A. economic growth

B. food shortage

C. over-pumping of the underground water

D. international conflicts

38. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A. Humans use water for crop growing, industrial production and domestic

consuming.

B. The annual supply of renewable water is unevenly distributed over the world.

C. Pollution can reduce the available water by making it toxic.

D. Building dams to catch river water could best solve the problem of water

shortages.

39. How can water shortages lead to international conflicts?

A. Countries cannot agree with each other on water price.

B. Countries compete for limited water resources.

C. Countries pollute each other's water.

D. Countries steal each other's water.

40. Which of the following best describe the author's tone in this passage?

A. Optimistic.

B. Ironic.

C. Objective.

D. Arbitrary.

Passage Two

Why is stage fright so universal when it does not pose a physical threat?

Our ego and self-esteem are threatened, evidently to a significant degree. No normal person wants to look like a fool. Consequently, a speaking situation does involve peril, not physical but psychological. The brain instructs the body to react exactly the way it would at times of physical danger. In essence, the brain tells the body, "get ready to fight off the danger or to run away from it."

When the danger signals reach the brain, the brain instructs the adrenal gland (肾上腺) to start secreting (分泌) adrenal fluid into the bloodstream. The adrenal fluid brings about specific bodily reactions.

First, our senses become more keen because we will have to rely on them to help us fight or run. Blood goes away from the muscles of the stomach and intestines. The sudden rush of blood from the digestive system causes the sensation known as "butterflies in the stomach." The large muscles of the arms and legs become most important in the "fight or flight" reaction, as they must do the punching and kicking.

The extra blood and the oxygen it contains get the muscles so tense that they must function strongly. Our hands shake, our knees knock, and we feel tension in the larger muscles of the body. We experience a dry, cottony mouth, sometimes to the point where good articulation becomes impossible.

41. The author's purpose in writing this passage is to describe _______.

A. types of physical and psychological danger

B. cures for stage fright

C. the biochemistry of the brain

D. the physical reaction that might result from state fright

42. It can be inferred from the passage that psychological reactions _______.

A. are more serious than stage fright

B. diminish our ability to speak

C. diminish our ability to fight

D. cause anxiety

43. According to the passage, "butterflies in the stomach" are produced by _______.

A. hunger pains

B. the ego

C. blood leaving the digestive system

D. poor articulation

44. The passage mentions all of the following reactions EXCEPT _______.

A. trembling

B. tension

C. dryness in the mouth

D. blushing

45. According to the passage, a speaking situation may result in _______.

A. physical peril

B. brain damage

C. forgetfulness

D. psychological peril

Passage Three

A satellite is usually launched by a rocket. Once the satellite is in orbit, the plane of the orbit is relatively fixed in space. However, as the satellite goes around the earth, the earth spins on its axis beneath it. Thus on each circuit the satellite passes over a different part of the earth's surface.

The orbit of a satellite is usually not a circle. During launching, variations from the calculations of elevation, altitude, and speed are impossible to eliminate. The orbit is then elliptical. Scientists deliberately plan for a satellite to enter an elliptical orbit so that it will probe a range of altitudes. An elliptical path can bring a satellite into the upper atmosphere. The friction of the atmosphere on the satellite causes its speed to decrease. It is then drawn closer to the earth, and may be heated ultimately to incandescence (白热，白炽) and be vaporized as it enters the lower portion of the eqarth's atmosphere.

A satellite which has been given an initial horizontal speed of 30,000 km/hr orbits about the earth in a circular path at an altitude of about 500 km. If this horizontal speed is raised to 40,000 km/hr, the space vehicle leaves the earth's orbit and goes into orbit around the sun. The velocity at which this happens is called escape velocity. 46. According to the passage, an elliptical orbit may cause the satellite to vaporize due

to _______.

A. the vibration of the engines

B. friction with the atmosphere

C. the heat of the sun

D. the earth spinning on its axis

47. According to the passage, which speed will produce an elliptical orbit of a satellite

around the earth?

A. 5,000 km/hr.

B. 15,000 km/hr.

C. 30,000 km/hr.

D. 35,000 km/hr.

48. The passage states that an elliptical orbit is beneficial because it allows the

satellite to _______.

A. probe a range of altitudes

B. orbit the sun

C. vaporize

D. stay above the same point on earth

49. The author's style can best be described as _______.

A. argumentative

B. explanatory

C. humorous

D. rhetorical

50. According to the passage, satellite orbits are usually not circular because _______.

A. there is friction in the atmosphere

B. the earth spins on its axis

C. variations from precise calculations are difficult to eliminate

D. too great a speed is needed for circular orbits

Passage Four

For most of us, the work is the central, dominating fact of life. We spend more than half our conscious hours at work, preparing for work, traveling to and from work. What we do there largely determines our standard of living and to a considerable extent the status we are accorded by our fellow citizens as well. It is sometimes said that because leisure has become more important the indignities and injustices of work can be pushed into a corner, that because most work is pretty intolerable, the people who do it should compensate for its boredom, frustrations and humiliations by concentrating their hopes on the other parts of their lives. I reject that as a counsel of despair. For the foreseeable future the material and psychological rewards which work can provide, and the conditions in which work is done, will continue to play a vital part in determining the satisfaction that life can offer. Yet only a small minority can control the pace at which they work or the conditions in which their work is done; only for a small minority does work offer scope for creativity, imagination, or initiative.

Inequality at work and in work is still one of the cruelest and most glaring forms of inequality in our society. We cannot hope to solve the more obvious problems of industrial life, many of which arise directly or indirectly from the frustrations created

by inequality at work, unless we tackle it head-on; still less can we hope to create a decent and humane society.

The most glaring inequality is that between managers and the rest. For most managers, work is an opportunity and a challenge. Their jobs engage their interest and allow them to develop their abilities. They are constantly learning; they are able to exercise responsibility; they have a considerable degree of control over their own and others' working lives. Most important of all, they have opportunity to initiate. By contrast, for most manual workers, and for a growing number of white-collar workers, work is a boring, dull, even painful experience. They spend all their working lives in conditions which would be regarded as intolerable—for themselves—by those who take the decisions which let such conditions continue. The majority have little control over their work; it provides them with no opportunity for personal development. Often production is so designed that workers are simply part of the technology. In offices, many jobs are so routine that workers justifiably feel themselves to be mere cogs in the bureaucratic machine; as a direct consequence of their work experience, many workers feel alienated from their work and their firm, whether it is in public or in private ownership.

51. In the author's opinion, people tend to judge others _______.

A. completely by where they work

B. absolutely by their amount of money

C. to a great extent by the type of work they do

D. slightly by their amount of money

52. Why does the author take for a counsel of despair the opinion that workers should

turn their attention from intolerable work to other parts of life?

A. Because work is the sole focus of people's life.

B. Because work has always been important in deciding the satisfaction in life.

C. Because people are not interested in other parts of life.

D. Because other parts of life are similarly intolerable.

53. What may be the cause of the more obvious problems of industrial life?

A. The frustrations in other parts of life.

B. The frustrations resulting from inequality at work.

C. The indecency and inhumanity of society.

D. The cruelty of most managers.

54. What does work mean to most managers and workers respectively?

A. Work means opportunity and challenge to both managers and workers.

B. Work means responsibility to workers only and control to managers.

C. Work means a monotonous experience to both workers and managers.

D. Work may be intolerable to workers and challenging to managers.

55. Why do many workers feel alienated from their work?

A. Because they have no control over their work.

B. Because they feel themselves to be mere cogs in the bureaucratic machine.

C. Because they are considered part of the technology.

D. Because they spend most of their life working hard.

Passage Five

Until recently, hunting for treasure from shipwrecks was mostly fantasy; but with recent technological advances, the search for sunken treasure is becoming more popular as a legitimate endeavor. One team of salvagers has searched the wreck of the RMS Republic, which sank in 1909, 55 miles southeast of Boston harbor. The search party, using side-scan sonar, a device which projects sound waves across the ocean bottom and produces a profile of the sea floor, located the wreck in just two-and-a-half days. Before the use of this new technology, searches could take months or years. The team of 45 divers searched the wreck for two months, finding silver tea services, crystal dinnerware, and thousands of bottles of wine; but they did not find the five-an-a-half tons of American Gold Eagle coins they were searching for. Whether or not the team finds the gold, their mission has already sparked more debate between preservationists and treasure hunters over the spoils.

While a shipwreck's treasure may not have a high monetary value, it can be an invaluable source of historic artifacts preserved in nearly mint condition. Maritime archaeologists worry that the success of salvagers will attract more treasure-hunting expeditions and thus threaten remaining, undiscovered wrecks. Once a salvage team has scoured a site, much of the archaeological value is lost. Preservationists are lobbying their state lawmakers to legally restrict underwater searches and unregulated salvages. On the other hand, the treasure hunters argue that without the lure of gold and million-dollar treasures, the wrecks and their historical artifacts would never be recovered.

56. What is the main ideal of this passage?

A. Searching for wrecks is now much easier due to new technologies like side-

scan sonar.

B. Maritime archaeologists are concerned over the unregulated searching of

wrecks.

C. The search of the RMS Republic is causing further debate between

preservatinists and salvagers over searching wrecks.

D. Treasure hunting on underwater wrecks threatens the archaeological value of

the site.

57. The word "sunken" in line 2 is closest in meaning to which of the following words?

A. Broken.

B. Underwater.

C. Ancient.

D. Hollow.

58. The second paragraph is an example of _______.

A. chronological order

B. explanation

C. specific to general

D. definition

59. What enabled the search team to find the RMS Republic quickly?

A. Sea floor profiles.

B. A team of 45 divers.

C. Side-scan sonar.

D. Sound waves.

60. Which of the following people would most likely be a preservationist?

A. A treasure-hunter.

B. A diver.

C. A lawmaker.

D. A maritime archaeologist.

Section B

Directions:In this section, there is a short passage with five questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words. Put your answer on your Answer Sheet II.

People can be addicted (上瘾的) to different things, e.g. alcohol, drugs, certain foods, or even television. People who have such an addiction are compulsive; i.e., they have a very powerful psychological need that they feel they must satisfy. According to psychologists, many people are compulsive spenders; they feel that they must spend money. This compulsion, like most others, is irrational—impossible to explain reasonably. For compulsive spenders who buy on credit, charge accounts are even more exciting than money. Their pleasure in spending enormous amounts is actually greater than the pleasure that they get from the things they buy.

There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting. To save money, of course, most people look for sales, low prices, and discounts. Compulsive bargain hunters, however, often buy things that they don't need just because they are cheap. They want to believe that they are helping their budgets, but they are really playing an exciting game. When they can buy something for less than other people, they feel that they are winning. Most people, experts claim, have two reasons for their behavior: a good reason for the things that they do and the real reason.

It is not only scientists, of course, who understand the psychology of spending habits, but also business people. Stores, companies, and advertisers use psychology to increase business: they consider people's needs for love, power, or influence, their basic value, their beliefs and opinions, and so on in their advertising and sales methods.

Psychologists often use a method called "behavior therapy" to help individuals solve their personality problems. In the same way, they can help people who feel that they have problems with money.

1. Compulsive spenders get more pleasure in _______.

2. Most people look for sales and discounts because _______.

3. The problem with compulsive bargain hunters is that _______.

4. Companies and advertisers often make use of comsumers' psychology to _______.

5. What's the main idea of this passage?

Part IV Translation (20%)

Section A

Directions: Put the following into Chinese and write your Chinese version on your Answer Sheet II.

Equality between women and men is no longer a negotiable issue. As long as women remain unequal they can't have access to resources, they can never participate in political decision-making, they can't make their own choices in life. That is the bottom line. Women around the world are all concerned about equality. In developing countries, in states emerging as industrial powers, in the countries of the West, women are looking for action, action they sometimes call a revolution. [选自《新世纪博士生综合英语》Unit 1, Exercise Section 3 Translation I]

Women's health needs have in the past often been overlooked, or assumed to be the same as men's. At the Cairo conference last year it was agreed that the consequence of unsafe abortions is part of overall health care. The public has to recognize that women have specific health needs which must be understood, and that women must have full access to adequate health-care services. [选自《新世纪博士生综合英语》Unit 1, Exercise Section 3 Translation II-6]

Section B

Directions:Put the following into English and write your English version on your Answer Sheet II.

1993年国家对五万名初、高中生进行的调查显示中学生中吸食大麻的人数明显上升。一个研究人员陈述说：“我们肩负着一个不值得羡慕的任务，要让全国人民了解到吸食毒品现象正在回潮，这一流行病有可能重新出现。”专门从事毒品滥用研究的专家说：“如果你吸食大麻少于10次，吸食可卡因的可能性实际上为零。但是，如果你吸食大麻超过100次，或者说一年里每周两次，那么吸食可卡因的可能性就上升到了70%。”[选自《新世纪博士生综合英语》Unit 2, Exercise Section 3 Translation I]

Part V Writing (20%)

Section A

Directions: Write a letter to apply to a foreign university for a postdoc position. Your letter should include all the necessary parts of a formal letter in about 80-100 words. Write the letter on your Answer Sheet II.

Section B

Directions: The development of science and technology has opened up a huge market for e-commerce. Write an article in around 200 words on your Answer Sheet II. The suggested title is:

The Prospect of E-commerce

Keys

Part I Listening Comprehension

Section C

Tapescript

Of all the elements of success none is more vital than education, the cultivation of intellectual powers. Education is the driving wheel in every profession and the master key of all problems.

Education is important to a country. The prosperity of a nation depends on the development of education. Any development in science and technology throughout the world is due to the development of education, which brings up scientists and inventors. It's difficult to emphasize just how important the role of education is. There's no doubt that countries with undeveloped education will stand still while a country with higher education and civilization will develop, and its economics will flourish.

Education is also vital to the development of an individual. An uneducated man, no matter how clever he is, will be pushed aside by educated men in the job market. An uneducated man can be hired to work all day for a few coins. Education would increase his income as well as his enjoyment of life. Education is more valuable than wealth which is held in high esteem by many people. It is true that men sometimes owe heir independence to wealth, but the independence derived from mere wealth can never last long, because wealth will be exhausted. Besides, to gain wealth will always need some professional skills. The independence derived from education is of a quite different nature. Knowledge, once acquired, remains in the head forever. Well-educated men live virtuous lives, for their characters are elevated and their mind enlightened.

Part II Cloze

16. A. purposeful

17. B. profit

18. A. and

19. B. legal

20. C. Thus

21. B. find

22. A. Civil

23. C. employed

24. A. achieve

25. B. however

26. A. stop

27. D. disagreements

28. D. standard

29. B. scale

30. B. enact

31. C. major

32. A. and

33. A. sought

34. A. stakes

35. B. ready

Part III Reading Comprehension

36. D 41. D 46. B 51. C 56. C

37. A 42. D 47. C 52. B 57. B

38. D 43. C 48. A 53. B 58. B

39. B 44. D 49. B 54. D 59. C

40. C 45. D 50. C 55. A 60. D

Section B

1. spending large amounts of money

2. they want to save money

3. they often buy things they don't need

4. promote sales

5. the psychology of people's spending habits

Part IV Translation

Section A

男女平等已不是什么可以商讨的问题。只要妇女仍处于不平等的地位，她们就得不到各种资源，永远无法参加政治决策，甚至在生活中都不能作出自己的选择。这就是基本点。(说明：这是底线，即男女平等问题必须得到解决。)全世界的妇女都关心平等问题。无论是发展中国家，正在成为工业国的国家，还是西方

国家，妇女都期望采取行动，她们有时称之为革命的行动。(说明：..., action they sometimes call a revolution是前面action的同位语，她们期望采取行动，采取革命行动。)[选自《新世纪博士生综合英语》Unit 1, Exercise Section 3 Translation I]

妇女的健康需求过去常被忽视，或者被认为和男人的需求相同。去年开罗的大会上一致认为不安全的流产，应该是整个医疗保健中要注意的一个方面。公众必须认识到，妇女有特殊的健康需求，妇女应充分获得足够的医疗卫生服务。[选自《新世纪博士生综合英语》Unit 1, Exercise Section 3 Translation II-6]

Section B

A 1993 national survey of 50,000 junior and senior high school students revealed a marked increase in marijuana use among high school students. One of the researchers noted, "We have the unenviable role of informing the country that drug use is making a come-back, that the epidemic could be re-emerging." A substance abuse expert notes, "If you used marijuana less than 10 times, the likelihood of using cocaine was practically nil. But if you used marijuana more than 100 times, or twice a week for a year, the likelihood of using cocaine went up to 70%."[选自《新世纪博士生综合英语》Unit 2, Exercise Section 3 Translation I]