2012年吉大考博英语真题

Part I Vocabulary and Structure (30%)

Directions: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center.

1. Language, culture, and personality may be considered of each other in thought, but

they are inseparable in fact.

A. indistinctly

B. separately

C. inelevantly

D. independently

2. The work was done in theof reforms in the economic, social and cultural spheres.

A. context

B. contest

C. pretext

D. texture

3. The dean tried to retain control of the situation on campus, but his attempt wasbythe board of trustees.

A. approved

B. frustrated

C. disclosed

D. justified

4. Some journalists are found of overstating the situation so that their news may create a great.

A. explosion

B. sensation

C. exaggerating

D. stimulation

5. There was little, if any, evidence to substantiate the gossip and,there was little to

disprove it.

A. by the same token

B. under the same condition

C. at the same stage

D. for the same purpose

6. Every chemical change either results from energy being used to produce the change, or causes energy to bein some form.

A. given off

B. put out

C. set off

D. used up

7. The United Nation Law of the Sea Conference would soon produce an ocean-mining treaty following itsdeclaration in 1970 that oceans were the heritage of mankind.

A. unanimous

B. abstract

C. autonomous

D. almighty

8. This growth in theof diabetes is due, in part, to an increase in obesity.

A. inference

B. incidence

C. regulation

D. repetition

9. Preliminary estimation puts the figure at around ＄110 billion,the ＄160 billion the President is struggling to get through the Congress.

A. in proportion to

B. in reply to

C. in relation to

D. in contrast to

10. France’s of nuclear testing in the South Pacitic last month triggered polltical

debates and mass demonstrations.

A. assumption

B. consumption

C. presumption

D. resumption

11. Theof a oultural phenomenon is usually a logical consequence of some physical

aspect in the life style of the people.

A. implementation

B. demonstcation

C. manifestation

D. expedition

12. Reading the mind only with materials of knowledge, it is thinking that makes what

we read our.

A. rectities

B. prolongs

C. minimizes

D. furnishes

13. Previous studies provokedbecause the used patients whose diagnosis was questionable.

A. contrlbution

B. contraction

C. controversy

D. convergence

14. Although the model looks good on the surface, it will not bear close.

A. temperament

B. contamination

C. scrutiny

D. symmetry

15. I never said anything like that at all You are purposelymy ideas to prove your

points.

A. revising

B. contradicting

C. distorting

D. distracting

16. To survive in the intense trade competition between countries, companies mustthe qualities and varieties of their products to the world-market demand.

A. forfeit

B. enhance

C. guarantee

D. gear

17.I was unaware of the critical points invoived, so my choice was quite .

A. arbitrary

B. rational

C. mechanical

D. unpredictable

18. An important property of a scientific theory is its ability tofurther research and

further thinking about a particular topic.

A. stimulate

B. renovate

C. arouse

D. advocate

19. All the off-shore oil explorers were in high spirits as they readletters from their families.

A. affectionate

B. sentimental

C. intimate

D. sensitive

20. Whoever formulated the theory of the origin of the universe, it is just and needsproving.

A. spontaneous

B. hypothetical

C. intuitive

D. empirical

21.The ceremony willas soon as the president arrives.

A. commend

B. comply

C. confront

D. commence

22. The barbarous aggressors grew more and morein slaughtering people and burning

down their houses.

A. amorphous

B. ferocious

C. audacious

D. egregious

23. Some of the words employed by Shakespeare in his works have become and are no longer used in the present days.

A. obsolete

B. obscene

C. obvious

D. oblique

24. Because of the economic slowdown, the government changed its policy torevenue

by limiting commerce.

A. disregard

B. challenge

C. diminish

D. reject

25. The spectators in the stadium cheered up when they saw hundreds of colorful balloons slowly into the sky.

A. descending

B. ascending

C. escalating

D. elevating

26. An increasing proportion of our population, unable to live without advanced

medical, will become progressively more reliant on expensive technology.

A. interference

B. interruption

C. intervention

D. interaction

27. Several intemational events in the early 1990s seem likely to, or at least weaken,

the trends that emerged in the 1980s.

A. revolt

B. revolve

C. reverse

D. revive

28. Foreign disinvestments and theof South Africa from world capital markets after

1985 further weakened its economy.

A. displacement

B. elimination

C. exclusion

D. exception

29. We are moving towards a more and cooperative society ,which is getting better and better.

A fraternal

B emotional

C exclusion

D illegal

30. The student were about who their new teacher would be when the

bell rang for their first class in the new semester.

A. foreseeing

B. speculating

C. fabricating

D. pondering

Part III Reading Comprehension (60%)

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

When a disease of epidemic proportions rips into the populace, scientists immediately get towork, trying to locate the source of the affliction and find ways to combat it. Oftentimes, successis achieved, as medical science is able to isolate the parasite, germ or cell that causes the problemand finds ways to effectively kill or contain it. In the most serious of cases, in which the entirepopulation of a region or country may be at grave risk, it is deemed necessary to protect the entirepopulation through vaccination, so as to safeguard lives and ensure that the disease will notspread.

The process of vaccination allows the patient’s body to develop immunity to the virus ordisease so that, if it is encountered, one can fight it off naturally. To accomplish this, a small weakor dead strain of the disease is actually injected into the patient in a controlled environment, sothat his body’s immune system can learn to fight the invader properly. Information on how topenetrate the disease’s defenses is transmitted to all elements of the patient’s immune system in aprocess that occurs naturally, in which genetic information is passed from cell to cell. This makessure that, should the patient later come into contact with the real problem, his body is wellequipped and trained to deal with it, having already done so before.

There are dangers inherent in the process, however. On occasion, even the weakened versionof the disease contained in the vaccine proves too much for the body to handle, resulting in theimmune case of the smallpox vaccine, designed to eradicate the smallpox epidemic that nearlywiped out the entire Native American population and killed massive numbers of settlers.Approximately 1 in 10,000 people who receives the vaccine contract the smallpox disease fromthe vaccine itself and dies from it. Thus, if the entire population of the United States were toreceive the Smallpox Vaccine today, 3000 Americans would be left dead.

Fortunately, the smallpox virus was considered eradicated in the early 1970s, ending themandatory vaccination of all babies in America In the event of a re-introduction of the disease,however, mandatory vaccinations may resume, resulting in more unexpected deaths fromvaccination. The process, which is truly a blessing, may indeed hide some hidden cures.

51. How do vaccines protect humans from diseases according to paragraph two?

A. By passing information on how to fight the disease to the disease.

B. By passing information on how to fight the disease to the immune system.

C. By weakening the disease so that the immune system can defeat it.

D. Introducing the disease to the body, so that survivors have already fought it.

52. What does the example of the smallpox vaccine illustrate?

A. The way that vaccines protect people from diseases.

B. The effectiveness of vaccines in eradicating certain diseases.

C. The practical use of a vaccine to control an epidemic disease.

D. The possible negative outcome of administering vaccines.

53. The author argues that vaccinations are both a blessing and a curse because .

A. saving the many would not necessarily justify the death of the few.

B. some vaccines, such as the smallpox vaccine, have negative side effects.

C. they don’t always work.

D. while many lives are saved, SOME ARE ACTUALLY KILLED BY THE VACCINT.

54. The best title for the passage would be.

A. “The Smallpox Vaccine:An Analysis”.

B. “How Vaccines Work”.

C. “Vaccines: Methods and Implications”.

D. “A Warning on the Negative Side Effects of Vaccines”.

55. The main purpose of the passage is to.

A. convince the reader that vaccines are not as safe as many think.

B. educate the reader on how vaccines are used and some of their dangers.

C. educate the reader on the circumstances that would necessitate widespread vaccinations.

D. present the method by which vaccines are used through the case of the smallpox vaccine. Passage Two

Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.

Few natural dangers are more feared than avalanches. Avalanches are a familiar part ofEuropean history, Particularly in the Swiss and French Alps. This is where the direction of warshas turned almost instantly because of avalanches wiping out invading armies.

In North America, avalanches are limited almost entirely to the Rocky Mountains and thelower ranges to the west, the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascades. Avalanches have occurred in themountains of New England but not with the regularity and intensity seen in the westernmountains.

Several methods are used in explaining and predicting avalanches. Scientists and learningabout them using research methods. So many of the factors that create avalanches are hiddenbeneath the snow’s surface that predictions are still largely guesswork. Therefore, winter travelersmust assume the worst of conditions when the traverse the slopes.

An avalanche occurs when a given amount of snow becomes too heavy for whatever isholding it in place. It then breaks loose and slides downhill.

Avalanches are divided into two general categories, loose snow and slab. A loose snowavalanche usually starts at a single point, such as a skier’s track, and spreads out like a fan or apyramid in a chain reaction. One crystal breaks another free, which multiples as the loose snowmoves downhill. Sometimes these avalanches stop after only a few feet. Sometimes they movethousands of tons of snow downhill in speeds up to 300 miles per hour. This creates a shock wavethat can flatten parts of a forest that are not even touched by the actual avalanche.

Slab avalanches are those that have a wide area of snow which breaks loose in a large piece.These can range in size from just a few square feel to thousands of square feet of snow. The mostdangerous and common type of avalanche for skiers is the so-called “soft slab” avalanche. Thistype occurs most often during, or just after a heavy snowfall. The snow hasn’t yet had a chance tosettle and adhere to the temperature, the less likely the new snow will form a bond with the

existing snow.

56. What would be the best title for this passage?

A. Avalanches

B. The History of Avalanches

C. Skiers Beware

D. Avalanches Can Kill

57. According to the passage, how did avalanches affect wars?

A. They hid the armies approaching the city aiding in the attack.

B. They killed the armies approaching the city.

C. They blocked paths into the city.

D. They snowblinded the approaching armies.

58. According to the passage, what must skiers assume about avalanches when skiing?

A. They only have to worry after a heavy snowfall.

B. Avalanches only occur in the Swiss or French Alps.

C. They should always expect that an avalanche will occur.

D. When skiing in New England, they will never have to worry about an avalanche.

59. According to the passage, when is the most dangerous time for skiers?

A. When the temperature is below 20 degrees F.

B. Right before a snowstorm.

C. During a snowstorm.

D. In the winter.

60. According to the passage, which factor causes an avalanche?

A. The slope of the mountain.

B. The size of the snowfall.

C. The amount and intensity of movement around the snowfall.

D. The weight of the snow.

Passage Three

Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

Recent stories in the newspapers and magazines suggest that teaching and research contradicteach other, that research plays too prominent a part in academic promotions, and that teaching isbadly underemphasized. There is an element of truth in these statements, but they also ignoredeeper and more important relationships.

Research experience is an essential element of hiring and promotion at a research universitybecause it is the emphasis on research that distinguishes such a university from an arts college.Some professors, however, neglect teaching for research and that presents s problem.

Most research universities reward outstanding teaching, but the greatest recognition isusually given for achievements in research. Part of the reason is the difficulty of judging teaching.A highly responsible and tough professor is usually appreciated by top students who want to bechallenged but disliked by those whose records are less impressive. The mild professor getsoverall ratings that are usually high, but there is a sense of disappointment on the part of the beststudents, exactly those for whom the system should present the greatest challenges. Thus, auniversity trying to promote professors primarily on the basis of teaching qualities would have toconfront this confusion.

As modern science moves faster, two forces are exerted on professors: one is the time neededto keep up with the profession; the other is the time needed to teach. The training of new scientistsrequires outstanding teaching at the research university as well as the arts college. Althoughscientists are usually “made” in the elementary schools, scientists can be “lost” by poor teaching atthe college and graduate school levels. The solution is not to separate teaching and research but torecognize that the combination is difficult but vital. The title of professor should be given only tothose who profess and it is perhaps time for universities to reserve it for those who profess and itis perhaps time for universities to reserve it for those willing to be an earnest

part of thecommunity of scholars. Professors unwilling to teach can be called “distinguished researchinvestigators” of something else.

The pace of modern science makes it increasingly difficult to be a great researcher and agreat teacher. Yet many are described in just those terms. Those who say we can separate teachingand research simply do not understand the system, but those who say the problem will disappearare not fulfilling their responsibilities.

61. What idea does the author want to convey in the first paragraph?

A. The relationship between teaching and research should not be simplified.

B. Teaching and research are contradictory.

C. Research can never be emphasized too much.

D. It is wrong to overestimate the importance of teaching.

62. In academic promotions research universities still attach more importance to research partly because.

A. research improves the quality of teaching.

B. students who want to be challenged appreciate research professors.

C. professors with achievements in research are usually responsible and tough.

D. it is difficult to evaluate teaching quality objectively.

63. According to the fourth paragraph, which of the following will the author probably agree with?

A. Distinguished professors at research universities should concentrate on research only.

B. It is of utmost importance to improve teaching in elementary schools in order to train new

scientists.

C. The separation of teaching from research can lower the quality of future scientists.

D. The rapid development of modern science makes it impossible to combine teaching with

research.

64. The title of professor should be given only to those who first and foremost do.

A. scientific research

B. teaching

C. field work

D. investigation

65. The phrase “the problem” (Line 4, Para. 5) refers to.

A. raising the status of teaching.

B. the separation of teaching from research.

C. the combination of teaching with research.

D. improving the status of research..

Passage Four

Questions 66 to 70 are based on the following passage.

Large companies need a way to reach the savings of the public at large. The same problem,on a smaller scale, faces practically every company trying to develop new products and create newjobs. There can be little prospect of raising the sort of sums needed from friends and people weknow, and while banks may agree to provide short-term finance, they are generally unwilling toprovide money on a permanent basis for long-term projects. So companies turn to the public,inviting people to lend them money, or take a share in the business in exchange for a share infuture profits. This they do by issuing stocks and shares in the business through The

StockExchange. By doing so, they can put into circulation the savings of individuals and institutions,both at home and overseas.

When the saver needs his money back, he does not have to go to the company with whom heoriginally placed it. Instead, he sells his shares through a stockbroker to some other saver who isseeking to invest his money.

Many of the services needed both by industry and by each of us are provided by theGovernment or by local authorities. Without hospitals, roads, electricity, telephones, railways, thiscountry could not function. All these require continuous spending on new equipment and newdevelopment if they are to serve us properly, requiring more money than is raised through taxesalone. The Government, local authorities, and nationalized industries therefore frequently neededto borrow money to finance major capital spending, and they, too, come to The Stock Exchange.

There is hardly a man or woman in this country whose job or whose standard of living doesnot depend on the ability of his or her employers to raise money to finance new development. Inone way or another, this new money must come from the savings of the country. The StockExchange exists to provide a channel through which these savings can reach those who needfinance.

66. Almost all companies involved in new production and development must.

A. rely on their financial resources.

B. persuade the banks to provide long-term finance.

C. borrow large sums of money from friends and people we know.

D. depend on the population as a whole for finance.

67. The money which enables these companies to go ahead with their projects is .

A. repaid to its original owners as soon as possible.

B. raised by the selling of shares in the companies.

C. exchanges for part ownership in The Stock Exchange.

D. invested in different companies on The Stock Exchange.

68. When the savers want their money back they.

A. ask another company to obtain their money for them.

B. look for other people to borrow money from.

C. put their shares in the company back on the market.

D. transfer their money to a more successful company.

69. All the essential services on which we depend are.

A. run by the Government or our local authorities.

B. in constant need of financial support.

C. financed wholly by rates and taxes.

D. unable to provide for the needs of the population.

70. The Stock Exchange makes it possible for the Government, local authorities and nationalized industries.

A. to borrow as much money as they wish.

B. to make certain everybody saves money.

C. to raise money to finance new developments.

D. to make certain everybody lends money to them.

Passage Five

Questions 71 to 75 are based on the following passage.

The producers of instant coffee found their product strongly resisted in the market placesdespite their manifest advantages. Furthermore, the advertising expenditure for instant coffee wasfar greater than that for regular coffee. Efforts were made to find the cause of the consumers’seemingly unreasonable resistance to the product. The reason given by most people was dislike forthe taste. The producers suspected that there might be deeper reasons, however. This wasconfirmed by one of m otivation research’s classic studies, one often cited in the trade. MasonHaire,of the University of California, constructed two shopping lists that were identical except forone item. There were six items common to both lists: hamburger, carrots, baking powder, bread,canned peaches and potatoes, with the brands or amounts specified. The seventh item, in the fifthplace on both lists, read “I lb. Maxwell House coffee” on one list and “Nescafe instant coffee” onthe other. One list was given to each person in a group of fifty women, and the other list to thosein another group of the same size. The women were asked to study their lists and then to describe,as far as they could, the kind of woman ( “personality and character”) who would draw up thatshopping list. Nearly half of those who had received the list including instant coffee described ahousewife who was lazy and a poor planner. On the other hand, only one woman in the othergroup described the housewife, who had included regular coffee on her list, as lazy, only six ofthat group suggested that she was a poor planner. Eight women felt that the instant-coffee user wasprobably not a good wife! No one in the other group drew such a conclusion about the housewifewho intended to buy regular coffee.

71. The fact that producers found resistance to their product despite the fact that they spent moreadvertising money on instant than regular coffee shows that.

A. advertising does not assure favorable sales results.

B. companies spent more money on advertising than they should.

C. people pay little attention to advertising.

D. the more one advertises the better the sales picture.

72. In this instance, the purpose of motivation research was to discover .

A. why people drink coffee.

B. why instant coffee did not taste good.

C. why regular coffee was successful.

D. the real reason why people would not buy instant coffee.

73. This investigation indicated that.

A. 50 per cent of housewives are lazy.

B. housewives who use instant coffee are lazy.

C. many women believe that wives who use instant coffee are lazy.

D. wives who use regular coffee are good planners.

74. On the results of this test, the producers probably revised their advertising to showa.

A. lazy housewife using regular coffee.

B. hard-working housewife using instant coffee.

C. lazy housewife using instant coffee.

D. man obviously enjoying the taste of instant coffee.

75. Implied but not stated.

A. Despite its advantages, most people disliked instant coffee because of its taste.

B. The advertising expenditure for instant coffee was greater than that for regular coffee.

C. Very often we do not know the real reasons for doing things.

D. Taste is the principal factor in determining what we buy.

Passage Six

Questions 76 to 80 are based on the following passage.

In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of the inadequacies of the judicialsystem in the United States. Costs are staggering both for the taxpayers and the litigants—and thelitigants, of parties, have to wait sometimes many years before having their day in court. Manysuggestions have been made concerning methods of ameliorating （改善）the situation, but as inmost branches of government, changes come slowly.

One suggestion that has been made in order to maximize the efficiency of the system is toallow districts that have an overabundance of pending cases to borrow judges from other districtsthat do not have such a backlog. Another suggestion is to use pretrial conferences, in which thejudge meets in his chambers with the litigants and their attorneys in order to narrow the issues,limit the witnesses, and provide for a more orderly trial. The theory behind pretrial conferences isthat judges will spend less time on each case and parties will more readily settle before trial whenthey realize the adequacy of thei r claims and their opponents’ evidence Unfortunately, at least onestudy has shown that pretrial conferences actually use more judicial time than they save, rarelyresult in pretrial settlements, and actually result in higher damage settlements.

Many states have now established another method, small-claims courts, in which cases oversmall sums of money can be disposed of with considerable dispatch. Such proceedings cost thelitigants almost nothing. In California, for example, the parties must appear before the judgewithout the assistance of counsel. The proceedings are quite informal and there is no pleading (辩护) —the litigants need to make only a one-sentence statement of their claim. By going to thistype of court, the plaintiff (原告) waives (放弃) any right to a jury trial and the right to appeal thedecision.

76. The pretrial conference, in theory, is supposed to do all of the following except.

A. narrow the issues

B. cause early settlements

C. save judicial time

D. increase settlement costs

77. What is the main topic of the passage?

A. All states should follow California’s example in using small-claims courts in order to free

judges for other work.

B. The legislature needs to formulate fewer laws so that the judiciary can catch up on its

older cases.

C. Nobody seems to care enough to attempt to find methods for making the judicial system

more efficient.

D. While there are many problems with the court system, there are viable suggestions for

improvement.

78. The word “litigants” means most nearly .

A. jury members

B. commentators

C. parties in a lawsuit

D. taxpayers

79. Which of the following is true about small-claims courts?

A. It is possible to have one’s case heard by a jury if he or she is dissatisfied with the court’sdecision.

B. The litigants must plead accurately and according to a strict form.

C. The decision may not be appealed to a higher court.

D. The parties may not present their cases without an attorney’s help.

80. What can we assume from the passage?

A. Most people who feel they have been wronged have a ready remedy in courts of law.

B. Many people would like to bring a case to a court, but unable to because of the cost and

time required.

C. The judicial system in the United States is highly acclaimed for its efficiency.

D. Pretrial conferences will someday probably have replaced trials completely.