2008年6月研究生学位英语官方word版真题

2008-6

PAPER ONE

PART I LISTENING COMPREHENSION (25 minutes, 20 points) Section A (1 point each)

1. A. Composition is her favorite course.

B. She prefers other courses to composition.

C. She enjoys most of the courses.

D. She doesn't like any course.

2. A. She hasn't read the passage.

B. She doesn't understand it either.

C. She cannot read it in darkness.

D. She suggests that the man read it.

3. A. To guard her money.

B. Not to go shopping downtown

C. To look for a new wallet.

D. Not to take the train.

4. A. The working hours were too long.

B. The job was not well-paid.

C. He didn't like working in a company

D. The job was quite difficult.

5. A. Steven is satisfied with his experiment.

B. Steven couldn't enjoy the parties any more

C. Steven is a pleasure-seeker,

D. Steven is worried about his experiments.

6. A. To go to a concert with the man.

B. To give the mall a lift to the countryside

C. To enjoy the sunshine.

D. To have a short trip for pleasure.

7. A. Fred keeps annoying other people.

B. Fred looks very funny.

C. Fred always makes other people laugh.

D. Fred is a man of his word.

8. A. To obey the established rules.

B. To buy a new book for guidance.

C. To try a new but safer experiment.

D. To learn the methods from practice.

9. A. Bob doesn't swim.

B. Bob cannot be relied on.

C. Bob cannot persist in doing anything.

D. Bob won't be free.

Section B (1 point each)

Mini-talk one

10. A. To find effects on the teaching of reading.

B. To raise test scores in reading comprehension.

C. To increase the teaching time for reading.

D. To help all children read at or above grade level.

11. A. Teachers.

B. Critics.

C. Congressmen.

D. Federal officials

12. A. Green Eggs and Ham.

B. To Kill A Mockingbird.

C. Of Mice and Men.

D. A Child Called ‘It’.

Mini-talk Two

13. A. A scientist

B. A forester.

C. A school master.

D. A farmer.

14. A. He taught students to watch grass grow.

B. He taught students how to manage forest.

C. He got parents involved in their children's work

D. He developed games about science.

15. A. He wrote his own textbooks.

B. He made students interested in their studies.

C. He helped the students increase their scores.

D. He made school activities creative.

Section C (1 pointeach)

Notes about the lecture

16. The United Nations World Food Program says ____________ could push one hundred million people into hunger.

17. Some reasons for high food prices:

l) Inflated costs for fuel and fertilizer.

2) The ________ of the dollar.

18. The main reason for high food prices is ____________ in some rice-growing nations:

19. Thailand is the world' s___________, Vietnam is the second.

20. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says high food prices could harm:

1) world trade,

2) economic growth,

3)___________,

4) political security.

PART II VOCABULARY (10 minutes, 10 points )

Section A (0.5 point each)

21. Some scientists are trying to eliminate malaria by developing a GM mosquito that can't transmit the disease.

A. remove

B. fabricate

C. enhance

D. utilize

22. A tall building is usually equipped with several elevators, so it doesn't matter if one of them is out of order.

A. in a mess

B. in bad condition

C. in short supply

D. in a hurry

23. As the train service had been suspended, thousands of people had to wait for days at the station.

A. elevated slightly

B. cancelled completely

C. delayed frequently

D. stopped temporarily

24. We can learn about the hazards of hunting big game in stories about their ancestors.

A. adventures

B. pleasures

C. dangers

D. consequences

25. Novel drugs developed through biotechnologies can be expected to deliver a better effect.

A. distribute

B. produce

C. liberate

D. express

26. The price of housing varies with demand, and the same rule seems to hold for automobiles.

A. contain

B. fasten

C. grasp

D. apply

27. Some people are skeptical about the validity of Aristotle's argument that man is by nature a political animal.

A. efficiency

B. soundness

C. availability

D. contribution

28. Heart-broken and desperate, she was determined to leave this family for good.

A. permanently

B. alternatively

C. temporarily

D. desirably

29. It is generally believed that money can always bring happiness, but studies and surveys have proved that this is a myth.

A. fairy tale

B. absolute myth

C. mistaken idea

D. big controversy

30. The sight of these soldiers toiling along the expressway was extremely touching to atender heart.

A. sympathetic

B. mild

C. concerned

D. feeble

Section B (0.5 point each)

31. Students of English are advised to try to ___________the meaning of a new word from the context.

A. turn out

B. figure out

C. look out

D. put out

32. The drastic changes that have taken place in China have won worldwide __________.

A. identification

B. realization

C. admission

D. recognition

33. Bill Clinton rose to prominence after he was elected ________ of Arkansas at age 32 in1978.

A. president

B. secretary

C. governor

D. premier

34. The finding of this experiment is __________ with what was previously reported.

A. consistent

B. constant

C. coherent

D. competent

35. However, the nature of online ________ is such that we tend to be more honest, moreintimate.

A. interruptions

B. interpretations

C. imaginations

D. interactions

36. Reading extensively can broaden our vision and extend our life into a new _________.

A. perspective

B. hierarchy

C. layer

D. dimension

37. I was quite _______ to find my test score well below that of my tablemate.

A. fascinated

B. dismayed

C. amused

D. convinced

38. An earthquake of 8- _________ struck some parts of this province, causing a death tollof over 30,000.

A. altitude

B. aptitude

C. magnitude

D. gratitude

39. Both linguists and psychologists are eager to learn more about the process oflanguage ________.

A. acquisition

B. attainment

C. possession

D. fulfillment

40. An overseas market with a great growth potential is not easy to _________.

A. break down

B. break up

C. break through

D. break into

PART III CLOZE TEST (10 minutes, 10 points, 1 point each)

According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),car crashes are the leading cause of death among children 41 5 and 14 years ofage. Says NHTSA: "Over 50% of children who die in crashes are 42 by safetydevices. 43, 4 out of 5 children are improperly restrained."

The NHTSA offers a number of safety tips and 44 for those who areaccompanied by children while driving. Although laws 45from country tocountry and even from state to state, these guidelines may 46 food for thought tomany parents and guardians of children. Please check your local laws and do 47you can to keep your precious baby safe.

The safest place for all children is in the back seat. Infants should be 48 in arear-facing safety seat in the backseat of the car. A child at least a year old and 49at least 20 pounds may be placed in a forward-facing seat. At 40 pounds, the child canuse a "booster seat", which is secured by one of the car's lap and shoulder 50. Atapproximately 80 pounds and a height of about four feet nine inches, the child may beginusing an adult safety belt.

41. A. at B. between C. for D. about

42. A. bound B. undefined C. unrestrained D. inhibited

43. A. Of course B.On contrary C.Nevertheless D. In addition

44. A. cautions B. forms C. notes D. concepts

45. A. work B. vary C. enforce D. affect

46. A. give way B. differ from C. serve as D. deal with

47. A. whatever B. whichever C. that D. which

48. A. tied B. stuck C. surrounded D. placed

49. A. weight B. weighted C. weigh D. weighing

50. A. stripes B. belts C. ribbons D. bows

PART IV READING COMPREHENSION (45 minutes, 30 points, 1 point each)

Passage One

Americans are more socially isolated than they were 20 years ago, separated bywork, commuting and the single life, researchers reported on Friday.

Nearly a quarter of people surveyed said they had "zero" close friends with whom todiscuss personal matters. More than 50 percent named two or fewer confidants, theresearchers said.

“This is a big social change,and it indicates something that's not good for oursociety,” said

Duke University Professor Lynn Smith-Lovin. Smith-Lovin's group useddata from a national survey of 1,500 American adults that has been ongoing since 1972.

She said it indicated people had a surprising drop in the number of close friendssince 1985. At that time, Americans most commonly said they had three close friendswhom they had known for a long time, saw often, and with whom they shared a numberof interests. They were almost as likely to name four or five friends, and the relationshipsoften sprang from their neighborhoods or communities.

Ties to a close network of friends create a social safely net that is good for society.Research has also linked social support and civic participation to a longer life,Smith-Lovin said.

The data also show the social isolation trend mirrors other class divides: Non-whitesAmericans and the highly educated. That means that in daily life, personal emergenciesand national disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, those with the lowest resources alsohave the lowest personal friends to call for advice and assistance.

"It's one thing to know someone and exchange e-mails with them. It's another thingto say, …Will you give me a ride out of town with all of my possessions and pets? And canI stay with you for a couple or three months??” Smith-Lovin said.

"Worrying about social isolation is not a matter of remembering a warm past. Realthings are strongly connected with that," added Harvard University Public PolicyProfessor Robert Putnam. He suggested flexible work schedules would allow Americansto tend both personal and professional lives.

51. One reason for the social isolation of Americans is ________.

A. frequent relocation

B. frequent traveling

C. living alone

D. working flexible hours

52. The percentage of people with more than two close friends is about________.

A. 25%

B. 50%

C. 60%

D. 75%

53. According to the passage, close social ties among people are_______.

A. a must for social progress

B. beneficial for the family

C. a source of happiness

D. good for people's health

54. It is implied that ________ tend to live a more socially isolated life.

A. people in the higher social ladder

B. people in the lower social ladder

C. people with a longer life span

D. people with a shorter life span

55. According to Robert Putnam, ________.

A. it is useless to worrying about social isolation

B. social isolation is not necessarily bad for us

C. it is time to do something about social isolation

D. social isolation does not mean the end of society

56. The passage is focused on _________.

A. the new trend in American social life

B. the urban problems in modem society

C. the ways to build a strong social network

D. the reasons for close interpersonal relationships

Passage Two

For years, France proudly resisted establishing domestic smoking bans. It held outlonger than Britain,Spain and Italy, but on January 2, 2008, it finallyforbid cigarettes inbars, cafes, restaurants and clubs.

This was not a decision taken lightly. Magazines ran photo-spreads reminding us thatFrench people look seriously cool with a cigar in their mouth. There were illustrations ofCharles de Gaulle, the French president during World War II, Brigitte Bardot the 1950sfamous fashionist, and the famous French philosopher and writer, Jean-Paul Sartre. Eventhe present President Nicolas Sarkozy, extremely image-conscious, posed for Paris Matchmagazine with a fat cigar.

But now, France's traditional “caf e-clop e” (morning coffee and cigarette) is onlypossible if people can bear the freezing temperatures outside.

In the latter part of the 20th century, the health risks of second-bend tobacco smokewere made public. Then, in 1975, a modern wave of smoking bans started in Minnesota,the US. Since then, many countries and regions have joined in the movement. Amongthem, the US has been a pioneer, with California being the first in the world to ban indoorsmoking at all public places, including bars and restaurants. Thus some French peoplecall the non-smoking law issued on January 2 "a touch too American".

However, studies before the ban showed that 70 percent of French people supportedthe enforcement. The public's positive response means that the smoking ban will be justone more US trend accepted by French society. Even among strong smokers, no onewants to risk a fine. French barman Jean-Michel, dressed in a leather waistcoat and a cowboy-styleshoelace tie,complained harshly about the ban. Was be anticipating a smokers' revolt?"No," he said calmly. "People will respect it. I'll do what I did at school. I'll smoke in the toilets.”

According to the non-smoking law, individuals who smoke in bars, cafes, restaurantsor clubs can be fined up to 450 euros. The owners of these places can be fined up to 750euros if they fail to stop customers from smoking.

57. The law of banning smoking in public places was not made easily because _______.

A. France proudly resists establishing new laws

B. French people like their images with a cigar in their mouth

C. French people have had such a strong habit since World War II

D. smoking has become fashionable for Frenchmen lately

58. According to the passage, French President Nicolas Sarkozy _________.

A. pays a great deal of attention to his own public image

B. has been a heavy smoker in public eyes

C. strongly opposes the law of banning smoking

D. is a model in the hearts of French people

59. Which of the following is the first place in the world to ban indoor smoking at allpublic places?

A. Minnesota.

B. California.

C. France.

D. Britain.

60. It is implied in the passage that _________.

A. French people usually resist American trends

B. French people oppose the non-smoking law because it is too American

C. French people often follow American suits

D. French people respect the non-smoking law because it is from the US

61. By saying "I'11 do what I did at school", Jean-Michel means that _______.

A. he did not smoke when he was a school student

B. he had to smoke in the toilets when he was at school

C. he olden anticipated revolts when he was at school

D. smoking was not allowed in the toilets when he was at school

62. What is the main idea of tiffs passage?

A. It is difficult to establish new laws in France.

B. How the non-smoking law was established?

C. Non-smoking law is another American trend.

D. France finally accepts smoking ban.

Passage Three

It is the world's fourth-most-important food crop, after maize, wheat and rice. Itprovides more calories, more quickly, using less land and in a wider range of climatesthan any other plant. It is, of course, the potato.

The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato. It hopesthat greater awareness of the merits of potatoes will contribute to the achievement of itsMillennium Development Goals, by helping to reduce poverty and promote economicdevelopment. It is always the international year of this or month of that. But the potato'sunusual history means it is well worth celebrating.

Unlikely though it seems, the potato promoted economic development by supportingthe Industrial Revolution in Englandin the 19th century. It provided a cheap source ofcalories and was easy to cultivate, so it liberated workers from the land. Potatoes becamepopular in the north of England, as people there specialized in livestock farming anddomestic industry, while farmers in the south concentrated on wheat production. By ahappy accident, the concentrated industrial activity in the regions where coal was readilyavailable, and a potato-driven population boom provided ample workers for the newfactories. Friedrich Engels even declared that the potato was the equal of iron for its"historically revolutionary role".

In the form of French fries, served alongside burgers and Coca-Cola, potatoes arenow a symbol of globalization. This is quite a change given the skepticism which firstgreeted them on their arrival in the Old World in the 16th century. They were variouslythought to be fit only for animals, to be associated with the devil or to be poisonous. Theytook hold in 18th-century Europe only when war and famine meant there was nothingelse to eat; people then realized just how useful and reliable they were. As Adam Smith,one of the potato's many admirers, observed at the time, "The very general use which ismade of potatoes in these kingdoms as food for man is a convincing proof that theprejudices of a nation, with regard to diet, however deeply rooted, are by no meansunconquerable." Mashed, fried, boiled and roast, a humble potato changed the world, andpeople everywhere should celebrate it.

63. By making 2008 the Year of the Potato, the United Nations hopes that the potatocould ________.

A. enrich people's daily food supply

B. be used to replace other food crops

C. help deal with environmental issues

D. he a solution to some economic problems

64. Paragraph 3 mainly describes _________.

A. why the potato became popular in the north of England

B. why the potato was important in England's population growth

C. how the potato contributed to England's industrial development

D. how the potato helped improve England's working conditions

65. Friedrich Engels's words show that he ________.

A. thought highly of the potato

B. took the potato too seriously

C. underestimated the role of the potato

D. lacked the basic knowledge of the potato

66. Europeans began to eat potatoes in the 18th century because _________.

A. there was a serious food shortage

B. they realized that potatoes tasted good

C. food safety had been greatly improved

D. eating potatoes had become fashionable

67. What Adam Smith said could be used to demonstrate the potato's _________.

A. generaluse

B. main features

C. success story

D. bright future

68. The best title for the passage is __________.

A. 2008-- the Potato's New Mission

B. In Praise of the Potato

C. The History of the Potato

D. The Potato and Globalization

Passage Four

You need a new vacuum cleaner. Several are on display—different features—but there are no clerks to be found. Finally a guy in a store vest slips past. You begin to ask questions, but he knows even less about vacuum cleaners than you do.

Robert Odom, shopping at the Southcenter Mall near Seattle, finds “it?s harder to get waited on now. many stores have one person covering a tremendous area. You?ve got to go looking to find a clerk.”

Retailing is big business in the United States. Every day, billions of transactions take place in the nation?s 1.4 million stores. Inventive technology speeds a staggering$2.5-trillion-a-year flow of purchases. But why do those bad encounters with salespeoplecontinue to bother us so?

When Yankelovich Partners asked 2500 shoppers what was "most important to youregarding customer service," people ranked courtesy, knowledgeability and friendlinessat the top. Almost two out of three said that salespeople "don't care much about me or my needs.”

The American Customer Satisfaction Index, developed in 1994 at the University ofMichigan's NationalQualityResearchCenter, shows customer satisfaction decliningabout a point a year. Retailers now average a less-than-satisfactory 71 out of 100. Eventop performers have slipped. What happened? John Goodman, president of Technical Assistance ResearchPrograms, a customer-service consulting firm, told us, "To cut costs, many retailers madethe mistake of trimming staff to the bone with obvious consequences."

How good is the help once you find it? Carol Cherry, founder of Shop'nChek,which monitors customer service for retailers and other clients, says, "One of the biggestproblems we encounter is unknowledgeable and untrained salespeople." Bruce VanKleeck, a vice president of the National Retail Federation, says, "We're not training asmuch as we used to," and urges more ongoing training for veteran salespeople.

The sad fact is, stores can get away with poor customer service because customerslet them. Customer-service expert John Goodman estimates that about half of customerscontinue to do business with firms they feel have mistreated them. This is "behavioralloyalty," explains Jeff Ellis of Maritz Marketing Research Inc. "We may bad-mouth astore after a bad experience, but we go back because it's close to our house or carriesitems we like."

69. The example in paragraph 1 shows that the salesman needs improvementon___________.

A. knowledge

B. politeness

C. friendliness

D. communication

70. According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index,_______________.

A. customer satisfaction with retailers remains constantly low

B. customer satisfaction with even the best retailers is dropping

C. customers complain most about the quality of the salespeople

D. customers put too high a demand on service these days

71. What may be the "obvious consequences" mentioned in paragraph 6?

A. The customers are not willing to buy from the retailers.

B. The customers cannot get the help they need.

C. The salespeople are not satisfied with their working condition.

D. The salespeople do not receive enough training.

72. Carol Cherry points out that the most serious problem is that ______________.

A. the quality of the salespeople cannot be guaranteed

B. the retailers do not care as much about training as they used to

C. the salespeople do not fully understand the benefits of training

D. the retailers cannot afford basic training for its employees

73. Which of the following examples can demonstrate the "behavioral loyalty"?

A. Customers frequent the store providing satisfactory service.

B. Customers refuse to buy in the store after a bad experience there.

C. Customers go to the store with good items no matter where it is.

D. Customers keep visiting the store that has treated them badly.

74. The passage mainly discusses_______________.

A. how we can get good customer service

B. why retailers should improve customer service

C. why there is poor customer service

D. what kind of customer service we need

Passage Five

In terms of lives lost and property destroyed, the Civil War was the most terriblearmed conflict Americans have ever known, but that has not prevented them fromremembering it with enduring fondness. The Civil War remains the most written-aboutperiod in American history, and it provides boundless entertainment in the United Statesand around the world. Instead of an object lesson in the dangers of political polarization,racial inequality, and human cruelty, fans consider

their favorite war an exercise innobility--a bloodbath that somehow forged the unbreakable bonds of American nationalidentity.

Most Civil War historians were reared in this romantic tradition, and they have yet tofully free themselves from it. They still view the struggle through rose-colored glasses,making excuses for flawed heroes who have the reputations they never deserved. Withthe publication of While in the Hands of the Enemy: Military prisons of the Civil War,Charles W. Sanders has distinguished himself as one of the few scholars capable ofaddressing the Civil War with utter frankness. His brilliantly researched book is a ringingaccusation of the prisoner-of-war (POW) systems maintained by both sides of that war, aswell as the politicians and soldiers who deliberately sent thousands of men to needlesssuffering and death. There are no heroes in this study, just too many unnecessary victims.

Sanders sets his study in context by first tracing the evolution of POW policy during the American Revolution, War of 1812, and Mexican War. Americans knew that POWs were vulnerable to mistreatment, and the quickest way to improve their lot was tonegotiate exchanges with the enemy. At the outset of the Civil War, neither side wasprepared to cope with the many prisoners-of-war their armies captured, and prisonersinevitably suffered from inadequate housing, food, medical care, and other necessities.Abraham Lincoln delayed the implementation of general exchanges until July 1862 forfear it would allow rebellious southerners to claim actual recognition of the Southernsovereignty. Once implemented, the exchange system quickly emptied prisons in theNorth and South, but it began breaking down by the end of the year.

75. Americans generally remember the Civil War with _______.

A. sadness

B. suspicion

C. horror

D. affection

76. Most Civil War historians would agree that the Civil War may have _________.

A. raised the awareness of the race issue

B. weakened American national identity

C. strengthened American national identity

D. taught a useful lesson about human nature

77. Civil War historians usually believe that "flawed heroes" ___________.

A. ought to be criticized

B. could be forgiven

C. should be studied further

D. should be evaluated objectively

78. According to Charles W. Sanders, the Civil War _______________.

A. brought pointless misery

B. created various heroes

C. started the first POW system

D. was brutal but inevitable

79. At the beginning of the Civil War, ____________ .

A. the POW exchanges were frequent

B. the number of the POWs was small

C. the POWs were in difficult situations

D. both sides used the POWs for political purposes

80. What does the passage say about the POW exchange during the Civil War?

A. It should have started earlier.

B. It lasted for many years.

C. It became a successful model for later time.

D. It raised the public awareness of the POW problem.

PAPER TWO

PART V TRANSLATION (30 minutes. 20 points)

Section A (15 minutes, 10 points)

Unlike the real world, where personalities are complex, motives unclear, and outcomesambiguous, television presents a world of clarity and simplicity. In show after show, rewardsand punishments follow quickly and logically. Crises are resolved, problems are solved, andjustice always triumphs. The central characters in these dramas are clearly defined: dedicated orcorrupt; selfless or ambitious; efficient or sentimental. To insure the widest acceptability andtell a story entertainingly, the plot lines follow the most commonly accepted notions of moralityand justice, whether or not those notions bear much resemblance to reality. The long list ofcommercials between parts of the play sometimes drives you crazy.

Section B (15 minutes, 10 points)

中国一直有重视教育的传统，尤其是儿童的教育。许多家长让孩子参加各种培训班，以增加被理想中学录取的可能性。但专家们指出，保持儿童对科学的好奇和兴趣有助于其智力发展。一个没有创造力和想象力的儿童很难有所作为。

PART VI WRITING ( 30 minutes, 10 points )

Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition of no lessthan 150 words under the title of "An Important Skill" Your composition should be basedon the information given below:

What is a very important skill a person should learn in order to be successful in theworld today? Choose one skill and give specific reasons and examples to support yourchoice.