最新武汉大学博士研究生入学英语试题及详解汇总

2008年武汉大学博士研究生入学英语试题

及详解

2008年武汉大学博士研究生入学英语试题及详解

Part I Reading Comprehension (40%, 1=2 points)

Directions: There are 5 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 your answer on the ANSWER SHEET by blackening the corresponding letter in the brackets. Questions 1 to 4 are based on the following passage:

Auctions are public sales of goods, conducted by an officially approved auctioneer.

He asks the crowd assembled in the auction-room to make offers, or "bids", for the various items on sale. He encourages buyers to bid higher figures and finally names the highest bidder as the buyer of the goods. This is called "knocking down" the goods, for the bidding ends when the auctioneer bangs a small hammer on a table at which he stands. This is often set on a raised platform called a rostrum. （definition）→

what

The ancient Romans probably invented sales by auction, and the English word comes from the Latin Autcio, meaning "increase". The Romans usually sold in this way the spoils taken in war; these sales were called sub hasta, meaning "under the spear", a spear being stuck in the ground as a signal for a crowd to gather. In England in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, goods were often sold "by the candle": a short candle was lit by the auctioneer, and bids could be made while it stayed alight.（history）→ how

Practically all goods whose qualities vary are sold by auction. Among these are coffee, hides, skins, wool, tea, cocoa, furs, spices, fruit and vegetables and wines. Auction sales are also usual for land and property, antique furniture, pictures, rare books, old china and similar works of art. The auction-rooms as Christie's and Sotheby's in London and New York are world-famous. （goods/items）→ how

An auction is usually advertised beforehand with full particulars of the articles to be sold and where and when they can be viewed by prospective buyers. I f the advertisement cannot give full details, catalogues are printed, and each group of goods

to be sold together, called a "lot", is usually given a number. The auctioneer need not begin with Lot I and continue in numerical order; he may wait until he registers the fact that certain dealers are in the room and then produce the lots they are likely to be interested in. The auctioneer's services are paid for in the form of a percentage of the price the goods are sold for. The auctioneer therefore has a direct interest in pushing up the bidding as high as possible. （process） how（363words）

1. Why is the end of the bidding called "knocking down"? （fact/detail）

A. Because the auctioneer knocks the buyer down.

B. Because the auctioneers knocks the rostrum down.

C. Because the goods are knocked down on to the table.

D. Because the auctioneer bangs the table with a hammer.

2. The Romans used to sell by auction _____.（fact/detail）

A. spoilt goods

B. old worn-out weapons

C. property taken from the enemy

D. spears

3. A candle used to bum at auction sales ______.（judgment/inference）

A. because they took place at night

B. as a signal for the crowd to gather

C. to keep the auctioneer warm

D. to limit the time when offers could be made

4. The auctioneer may decide to sell the "lots" out of the order because _____.

A. he sometimes wants to confuse the buyers

B. he knows from experience that certain people will want to buy certain items

C. he wants to keep certain people waiting

D. he wants to reduce the number of buyers

（judgment/inference）

Questios 5 to 8 are based on the following passage:

Space is a dangerous place, not only because of meteors but also because of rays from the sun and other stars.

Radiation is the greatest known danger to explorers in space.Doses of radiation are measured in units called 'rems'. We all receive radiation here on Earth from the sun,

from cosmic rays and from radioactive minerals. The 'normal' dose of radiation that we receive each year is about 100 millirems; it varies according to where you live, and this is a very rough estimate. Scientists have reason to think that a man can put up with far more radiation than this without being damaged, the figure of 60 rems has been agreed.The trouble is that it is extremely difficult to be sure about radiation damage -- a person may feel perfectly well, but the cells of his or her sex organs may be damaged, and this will not be discovered until the birth of children or even grandchildren. what

Early space probes showed that radiation varies in different parts of space around the Earth. It also varies in time because, when great spurts of gas shoot out of the sun, they are accompanied by a lot of extra radiation. Some estimates of the amount of radiation in space, based on various measurements and calculations, are as low as 10 rems per year, others are as high as 5 rems per hour. Missions to the moon have had to cross the Van Allen belts of high radiation and, during the outward and return journeys, the Apollo 8 crew accumulated a total dose of about 200 millirems per man. It was hoped that there would not be any large solar flares during the times of the Apollo noon walks because the walls of the LEMs were not thick enough to protect the men inside, though the command modules did give reasonable protection. So far, no dangerous doses of radiation have been reported, but the Gemini orbits and the Apollo missions have been quite short. We simply do not know yet how men are going to get on when they spend weeks and months outside the protection of the atmosphere, working in a space laboratory or in a base on the moon. Drugs might help to decrease the damage done by radiation, but no really effective ones have been found so far. At present, radiation seems to be the greatest physical hazard to space travelers, but it is impossible to say just how serious the hazard will turn out to be in the future.

how (422words)

5. Scientists have fixed a safety level of _____.（fact/detail）

A. 10 rems per year

B. 60 rems per year

C. 100 milliremes per year

D. 5 rems hour

6. The spacemen were worried about solar flares when they were ______.

A. crossing the Van Allen belts

B. setting up a moon base

C. exploring the surface of the moon

D. waiting in the command module

（judgment/inference）

7. When men spend long periods in space how will they protect themselves?

A. By taking special drugs.

B. By wearing special suits.

C. By using a protective blanket.

D. No solution has been found yet.

（judgment/inference）

8. Which of the following is true?

（judgment/inference）

A. The grandchildren of astronauts are deformed.

B. The children of astronauts have damaged sex organs.

C. Radiation damage may show only in later generations.

D. Radiation does not seem to be very harmful.

Questions 9 to 12 are based on the following passage:

Over the past decade, American companies have tried hard to find ways to discourage senior managers from feathering their own nests at the expense of their shareholders. The three most popular reforms have been recruiting more outside directors in order to make boards more independent, linking bosses' pay to various performance measures, and giving bosses share options, so that they have the same long-term interests as their shareholders.

These reforms have been widely adopted by America's larger companies, and surveys suggest that many more companies are thinking of following their lead. But have they done any good? Three papers presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management in Boston this week suggest not.What (idea--attitude)

Start with those independent boards. On the face of it, dismissing the boss's friends from the board and replacing them with outsiders looks a perfect way to make senior managers more accountable. But that is not the conclusion of a study by Professor James Westphal. Instead, he found that bosses with a boardroom full of outsiders spend much of their time building alliances, doing personal favors and generally pleasing the outsiders.

Why-what

All too often, these seductions succeed. Mr. Westphal found that, to a remarkable degree, "independent" boards pursue strategies that are likely to favor senior managers rather than shareholders. Such companies diversify their business, increase the pay of executives and weaken the link between pay and performance. Why-how To assess the impact of performance-related pay, Mr. Westphal asked the bosses of 103 companies with sales of over $ 1 billion what measurements were used to

determine their pay. The measurements varied widely, ranging from sales to earnings per share. But the researcher's big discovery was that bosses attend to measures that affect their own incomes and ignore or play down other factors that affect a company's overall success. How

In short, bosses are quick to turn every imaginable system of corporate government to their advantage -- which is probably why they are the people who are put in charge of things. Here is a paradox for the management theorists: any boss who cannot beat a system designed to keep him under control is probably not worth having. (360words) What

9. What is the purpose of the large companies in recruiting outsiders and putting them on the board of directors?

（judgment/inference）

A. To diversify the business of corporation

B. To enhance the cooperation between the senior managers and the board directors.

C. To introduce effective reforms in business management.

D. To protect the interests of the shareholders.

10. What does Professor James Westphal's study suggest?

（judgment/inference）but

A. Boardroom reforms have failed to achieve the desired result.

B. Outside board directors tend to be more independent.

C. With a boardroom full of outsiders, senior managers work more conscientiously.

D. Cooperation between senior managers and board directors suffered from the reforms.

11. Which of the following statements is true?

（Facts -judgment/inference）but

A. Corporate executives in general are worth the high pay they receive.

B. The income of corporate executives is proportional to the growth of corporate profits.

C. Corporate executives tend to take advantage of their position to enrich themselves.

D. The performance of corporate executives affects their own interests more than those

of the shareholders.

12. How does the author feel about the efforts to control senior executives? but

A. Doubtful.

B. Optimistic.

C. Positive.

D. Approving.

（judgment/inference）

Questions 13 to 16 are based on the following passage:

There is extraordinary exposure in the United States to the risks of injury and death from motor vehicle accidents. More than 80 percent of all households own passenger cars or light trucks and each of these is driven an average of more than 11,000 miles each year. Almost one-half of fatally injured drivers have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.1 percent or higher. For the average adult, over five ounces of 80 proof spirits would have to be consumed over a short period of time to attain these levels. One third of drivers who have been drinking, but fewer than 4 percent of all drivers, demonstrate these levels. Although less than 1 percent of drivers with BACs of 0.1 percent or more are involved in fatal crashes, the probability of their involvement is 27 times higher than for those without alcohol in their blood. What-problem

There are a number of different approaches to reducing injuries in which intoxication plays a role. Based on the observation that excessive consumption correlates with the total alcohol consumption of a country's population, it has been suggested that higher taxes on alcohol would reduce both. While the heavier drinkers would be taxed the most, anyone who drinks at all would be penalized by this approach. How-solve-what To make drinking and driving a criminal offense is an approach directed only at intoxicated drivers. In some states, the law empowers police to request breath tests of drivers cited for any traffic offense and elevated BAC can be the basis for arrest. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates, however, that even with increased arrests, there are about 700 violations for every arrest. At this level there is little evidence that laws serve as deterrents to drinking while intoxicated. I n Britain, motor vehicle fatalities fell 25 percent immediately following implementation of the Road Safety Act in 1967. As the British increasingly recognized that they could drink and not be stopped, the effectiveness declined, although in the ensuing three years the fatality rate seldom reached that observed in the seven years prior to the Act. How-solve-how

Whether penalties for driving with a high BAC or excessive taxation on consumption of alcoholic beverages will deter the excessive drinkers responsible for most fatalities is unclear. In part, the answer depends on the extent to which those with high BACs involved in crashes are capable of controlling their intake in response to economic or penal threat. Therapeutic programs which range from individual and group counseling and psychotherapy to chemotherapy constitute another approach, but they have not diminished the proportion of accidents in which alcohol was a factor. In the few controlled trials that have been reported, there is little evidence that rehabilitation

programs for those repeatedly arrested for drunken behavior have reduced either the recidivism or crash rates. Thus far, there is no firm evidence that Alcohol Safety Action Project supported programs, in which rehabilitation measures are requested by the court, have decreased recidivism or crash involvement for clients exposed to them, although knowledge and attitudes have improved. One thing is clear, however: unless we deal with automobile and highway safety and reduce accidents in which alcoholic intoxication plays a role, many will continue to die.How-result (532words)

13. The author is primarily concerned with _____.（main idea）

A. interpreting the results of surveys on traffic fatalities

B. reviewing the effectiveness of attempts to curb drunk driving

C. suggesting reasons for the prevalence of drunk driving in the United States

D. analyzing the causes of the large number of annual traffic fatalities

14. It can be inferred that the 1967 Road Safety Act in Britain _____.

（judgment/inference）

A. changed an existing law to lower the BAC level which defined driving while intoxicated

B. made it illegal to drive while intoxicated

C. increased the number of drunk driving arrests

D. placed a tax on the sale of alcoholic drinks

l 5. The author cites the British example in order to ______.（judgment/inference）

A. prove that a slight increase in the number of arrests of intoxicated drivers will not deter drunk driving

B. prove that stricter enforcement of laws against intoxicated drivers would reduce traffic deaths

C. show that the problem of drunk driving is worse in Britain that in U.S.

D. suggest that taxation of alcohol consumption may be more effective than criminal laws

l 6. The author's closing remarks can best be described as _____. however （attitude）

A. ironic

B. indignant

C. indifferent

Questions 17 to 20 are based on the following passage:

Self-esteem is what people think about themselves -- whether or not they feel valued and when family members have self-respect, pride, and belief in themselves, this high self-esteem makes it possible to cope with the everyday problems of growing up. What- Definition

Successful parent begins by communicating to children that they are loved for no other reasons than just because they exist. Through touch and tone of voice parents tell their infants whether or not they are valued, special, and loved, and it is these messages that form the basis of the child's self-esteem. When children grow up with love and are made to feel lovable despite their mistakes and failures, they are able to interact with others in a responsible, honest, and loving way. A healthy self-esteem is a resource for coping when difficulties arise, making it easier to see a problem as temporary, manageable, and something from which the individual can emerge. What- how-advantage

If, however, children grow up without love and without feelings of self-worth, they feel unlovable and worthless and expect to be cheated, taken advantage of, and looked down upon by others. Ultimately their actions invite this treatment, and their self-defeating behavior turns expectations into reality. They do not have the personal resources to handle everyday problems in a healthy way, and life maybe viewed as just one crisis after another. Without a healthy self-esteem they may cope by acting out problems rather than talking them out or by withdrawing and remaining indifferent towards themselves and others. These individuals grow up to live isolated, lonely lives, lacking the ability to give the love that they have never received. What- how-disadvantage

Self-esteem is a kind of energy, and when it is high, people feel like they can handle anything. It is what one feels when special things are happening or everything is going great. A word of praise, a smile, a good grade on a report card, or doing something that creates pride within oneself can create the energy. When feelings about the self have been threatened and self-esteem is low, everything becomes more of an effort. It is difficult to hear, see, or think clearly, and others seem rude, inconsiderate, and rough. The problem is not with others, it is with the self, but often it is not until energies are back to normal that the real problem is recognized.Why-important

Children need help understanding that their self-esteem and the self-esteem of those they interact with have a direct effect on each other. For example, a little girl comes home from school and says," I need loving 'cause my feelings got hurt today." The mother responds to child's need to be held and loved. If instead the mother said she

was too busy to hold the little girl, the outcome would have been different. How-process-form

The infant's self-esteem is totally dependent on family members, and it is not until about the time the child enters school that outside forces contribute to feelings about the self. A child must also learn that a major resource for a healthy self-esteem comes from within. Some parents raise their children to depend on external rather than internal reinforcement through practices such as paying for good grades on report cards or exchanging special privileges for good behavior. The child learns to rely on others to maintain a high self-esteem and is not prepared to live in a world in which desirable behavior does not automatically produce a tangible reward such as a smile, money, or special privileges. How-process-form

Maintaining a healthy self-esteem is a challenge that continues throughout life. One family found that they could help each other identify positive attitudes. One evening during an electric storm the family gathered around the kitchen table, and each person wrote down two things that they liked about each family member. These pieces of paper were folded and given to the appropriate person, who one by one opened their special messages. The father later commented, "It was quite an experience, opening each little piece of paper and reading the message. I still have those gifts, and when

I've had a really bad day, I read through them and I always come away feeling better." How-suggestion

The foundation of a healthy family depends on the ability of the parents to communicate messages of love, trust, and self-worth to each child. This is the basis on which self-esteem is built, and as the child grows, self-esteem is reflected in the way he or she interacts with others. How-suggestion (742words)

17. According to the passage, a person with a self-esteem _____.（Facts/ detail）

A. often withdraws from the society

B. always remains indifferent towards himself and other people

C. has pride and belief in himself

D. tends to take advantage of others

18. Which is one of the effective means that parents should employ for fostering a child's self-esteem?

（Facts/ detail）

A. Paying for good grades on report cards.

B. Buying the child a present for his good behavior.

C. Praising and smiling to the child no matter what is happening to him.

D. Loving the child in spite of his mistakes and failures.

19. Which of the following statements is true?

（Facts/ detail）

A. Good parents tell their children that they are loved for no other reasons than just because they are there as their children.

B. If a child is not loved or felt valued, he may not deal with daily problems in a good way in the future.

C. External rather than internal reinforcement plays a more important role in forming a child's self-esteem.

D. One's self-esteem has nothing to do with the self-esteem of other people he has to interact with.

20. The author's main point in writing this article is _____.（main idea）

A. to teach how to love the children

B. to emphasize the family's role in the development of a child's self-esteem

C. to illustrate the profits of self-esteem

D. to help family members to understand each other

Part II

English-Chinese Translation (20%)

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and then translate the underlined sentences into Chinese and write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET.

(1) For most people, shopping is still a matter of wandering down the high street or loading a cart in a shopping mall.Soon, that will change.

Electronic commerce is growing fast and will soon bring people more choice.There will, however, be a cost: protecting the consumer from fraud will be harder.Many governments therefore want to extend high-street regulations to the electronic world.(64words) But politicians would be wiser to see cyberspace as a basis for a new era of corporate self-regulation.

(2) Consumers in rich countries have grown used to the idea that the government takes responsibility for everything from the stability of the banks to the safety of the drugs, or their rights to refund when goods are faulty. But governments cannot enforce national laws on businesses whose only presence in their country is on a screen.(56words) Other countries have regulators, but the rules of consumer protection differ, as does enforcement. Even where a clear right to compensation exists, the on-line catalogue customer in Tokyo, say, can hardly go to New York to extract a refund for a dud purchase.

(3) One answer is for governments to cooperate more: to recognize each other's rules. But that requires years of work and volumes of detailed rules.And plenty of countries have rules too fanciful for sober states to accept.Then, let the electronic businesses do the "regulation" themselves. (46words) They do, after all, have self-interest in doing so.

(4) In electronic commerce, a reputation for honest dealing will be a valuable competitive https://www.360docs.net/doc/3c2597262.html,ernments, too, may compete to be trusted.For instance, customers ordering medicines on-line may prefer to buy from the United States because they trust the rigorous screening of the Food and Drug Administration; or they may decide that the FDA's rules are too strict, and buy from Switzerland instead. (63words)

Consumers will still need to use their judgment. But precisely because the technology is new, electronic shoppers are likely for a while to be a lot more cautious than consumers of the normal sort -- and the new technology will also make it easier for them to complain noisily when a company lets them down. In this way, at least, the advent of cyberspace may argue for fewer consumer protection laws, not more.

(1) For most people, shopping is still a matter of wandering down the high street or loading a cart in a shopping mall.Soon, that will change.

Electronic commerce is growing fast and will soon bring people more choice.There will, however, be a cost: protecting the consumer from fraud will be harder.Many governments therefore want to extend high-street regulations to the electronic world.(64words)

（1）对大多数人而言，购物仍然是在闹市街逛街购物或者在购物广场用购物车自选购物。但这一情形会将会有所改变。电子商务正在快速发展，这将给人们带来更多购物方式的选择。不过，电子商务也有它的缺陷：防止消费者受骗将会比传统购物模式更困难。因此，很多政府想将闹市购物所用的规范适用到电子商务领域。

(2) Consumers in rich countries have grown used to the idea that the government takes responsibility for everything from the stability of the banks to the safety of the drugs, or their rights to refund when goods are faulty. But governments cannot enforce national laws on businesses whose only presence in their country is on a screen.(56words)

（2）发达国家的消费者习惯了一种根深蒂固的观念，即政府为万事承担责任，从银行的稳定到药品的安全，到买到瑕疵产品时的退货权，都由政府负责。但如果交易仅出现在该国的电脑屏幕上，政府就无法将本国法适用到这次交易之上。

(3) One answer is for governments to cooperate more: to recognize each other's rules. But that requires years of work and volumes of detailed rules.And plenty of countries have rules too fanciful for sober states to accept.Then, let the electronic businesses do the "regulation" themselves. (46words)

（3）解决途径之一是与其他国家更多地合作，即相互承认对方的法律。但这需要很长时间并将生成卷帙浩繁的实施细则。另外，很多国家的法律，对一些保守的国家而言过于理想化，因此难以被他们接受。这样一来，确实只能让电子商务自我约束。

(4) In electronic commerce, a reputation for honest dealing will be a valuable competitive https://www.360docs.net/doc/3c2597262.html,ernments, too, may compete to be trusted.For instance, customers ordering medicines on-line may prefer to buy from the United States because they trust the rigorous screening of the Food and Drug Administration; or they may decide that the FDA's rules are too strict, and buy from Switzerland instead. (63words)

（4）在电子商务领域，诚信的名誉是一笔颇具竞争力的珍贵资产，政府之间也将相互竞争以赢得消费者信任。例如，在网上购买药品的消费者可能会选择从美国买，因为他们信任美国食品与药品管理条例的严格把关；相反，他们也有可能会选择瑞士，因为他们可能觉得美国食品与药品管理条例过于严格。

Part III

Chinese-English Translation (20%)

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and then translate it into English and write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET.

教育很可能是现在争议最大、争论最多的一个题目。在—个国家未来的经济增长越来越依靠科学和技术的时候，教育在一个国家未来的前途中起着决定性的作用。今天，享受教育的特权已不再限于极少部分人。教育的发展是如此之快，它现在已成为—个大行业。事实上，它是最大的行业，其雇佣的人数和所付的工资比其他任何—个全国性企业的都要多。有一些教育机构包装得非常漂亮，藉以提高知名度和吸引学生。在—定意义上讲，教育已经变成一种商品。从事教育的人对商业化这个说法会感到很不舒服，但是，恐怕除了少数例外，很多大学已经陷入了演变成有利可图的大规模制造厂的过程中。培养心智不再吃香；推销可出售的技能成了时髦。这就是教育的悲剧。不用说，某种拯救教育以防其更加衰落的具有想象力的办法和共同努力早就该出台了。竞争性的考试应该由素质教育取代，死记硬背应该让位于创造性和解决实际问题的能力的培养。只有这样，我们才能迎来教育的真正进步。

1．教育很可能是现在争议最大、争议最多的一个题目。(2分)

It is highly probable that education is the most controversial and most debated subject nowadays.

·结构(0．5分) /·争议最大(0．5分) /·争议最多(0．5分)

2．在一个国家未来的经济增长越来越依靠科学和技术的时候，教育在一个国家未来的前途起着决定性的作用。(2分)

When a country's prospective economic growth comes to depend more and more on science and technology, education plays a decisive part/role in a country's future. ·越来越依靠科学和技术(0．5分)/·起着决定性的作用(0．5分)

3．今天，享受教育的特权已不再限于少部分人。(1分)

Today, the privilege of education is no longer limited to a small minority.

·特权(0．5分)

4．教育的发展是如此之快，它现在已成为一个大行业。(1分)

Education has expanded so fast that is now big business.

·结构(0．5分)/·大行业(0．5分)

5．事实上，它是最大的行业，其雇佣的人数和所付的工资比其他任何一个全国性企业的都要多。(2分)

It is, indeed, the biggest business, employing more people and paying more salaries than any other national enterprise.

·结构(0．5分)/·雇佣(0．5分)/·付工资(0．5分)

6．有一些教育机构包装得非常漂亮，藉以提高知名度和吸引学生。(1分) Some of the educational enterprises are packaged attractively so as to boost publicity/visibility and increase enrollment/induce students.

·包装(0．5分)/·提高知名度(0．5分)

7，在一定意义上讲，教育已变成一种商品。(1分)

In a sense, education has become just one more commodity.

·在一定意义上(0.5分)

8．从事教育的人对商业化这个说法会感到很不舒服，但是，恐怕除了少数例外，很多大学正经陷入了演变成有利可图的大规模制造厂的过程中。(2分)

Educators are apt to be offended by the notion of commercialization (of education), but then, with perhaps a few exceptions, many colleges are caught in the process of evolving into profitable assembly-line plants.

·商业化(0．5分)/·除···例外(0．5分)/·陷入(0．5分)/·有利可图(0.5分)

9，培养心智不再吃香；推销可出售的技能成了时髦。(2分)

Cultivation of the mind is out of fashion. The selling of marketable skills is in vogue. ·培养心智(0．5分)/·吃香(0．5分)/·推销(0．5分)/·时髦(0．5分)

10．这就是教育的悲剧。(1分)

Such is the tragedy of education.

·悲剧(0。5分)

11. 不用说，某种拯救教育以防其更加衰落的具有想象力的办法和共同努力早就该出台了。(2分)

Needless to say, some imaginative schemes and joint endeavors to rescue education from further decline are overdue.

·不用说(0．5分)/·拯救(0。5分)/·衰落(0。5分)

12．竞争性的考试应该由素质教育取代，死记硬背应该让位于创新性和解决实际问题的能力的培养。(2分)

Competitive examinations have to make room for quality-oriented education, and rote learning must give way to the cultivation of originality and the ability to solve practical problems

·素质教育(0．5分)/·死记硬背(0．5分)/·创新性(0．5分)

13．只有这样，我们才能迎来教育的真正进步。(1分)

Only in this way, we can celebrate the genuine progress of our educational system.

Competitive examinations have to make room for quality-oriented education, and rote learning must give way to the cultivation of originality and the ability to solve practical problems before we can celebrate the genuine progress of our educational system.

Part IV

Writing (20%)

Directions: Suppose you've read in an essay the key statements: "People should never be satisfied with the existing state of affairs. They should always want something novel and something different."

Write an article entitled Dissatisfactions Propel the Society Forward

You should write no less than 200 words.

Sample I (2001):

Rec ently I’ve read an article in a magazine saying that people should never be satisfied with the existing state of affairs. I readily agree with this point of view, as dissatisfaction seems to be a propensity inherent in human nature.

On the most abstract level, the spirit of dissatisfaction constitutes the very force of human history. Stimulated by the thirst for knowledge from within and challenged by the harsh environment from without, man has evolved triumphantly from the most primitive to the most advanced and sophisticated. If it had contented our pristine ancestors to dwell in caves or to lead their nomadic life, they would have remained more vagabond creatures, lurking in the unfriendly forests and in the hostile wilderness, forever on the alert so as not to fall prey to some ferocious predators.

Consequently we can safely conclude that it is precisely man’s inquiring mind and his aspiring nature that distinguish him from other creatures. In the modern world, this insatiable desire of man’s has given r ise to the most spectacular development of science and technology. We know that, with all the material wealth we have accumulated, we can live an acceptable, even a well-to-do life. However, we are also fully aware that life of this kind is not the best. Therefore, we travel into the unknown depths of the universe to explore all the mysteries and we undertake perilous expeditions to the South Pole with the hope of discovering alternative energy sources to compensate for those which we already have, but which are depleting at an alarming rate.

To sum up, people should never be satisfied with the existing state of affairs. They should always want something novel and something different for the sake of development.(288)

Sample II (2008):

As the old Chinese saying goes, “happiness consists in contentment.” But once a person contents himself with the status quo, he tends to be conservative and desires no more than what he has. To make further progress in this ever-changing world, we need a spirit

of enterprise rather than a sense of contentment.

The spirit of enterprise is fundamental to the development of

all walks of life. Only with an insatiable hunger for knowledge can a student work hard and become a man of profound learning. Only with

the spirit of "higher, swifter, stronger" can an athlete surpass his physiological limits and set new human record. Only with sustainable development in mind can a country achieve long-term prosperity.

To be enterprising, we should first realize that complacency and conservativeness would never lead to any progress and refuse to rest on our laurels. Then we should set challenging yet realistic goals to map out a fulfilling future. With such long-term as well as short-

term goals to motivate ourselves, we may draw up specific plans to achieve them. What’s more important, we should make every endeavor

to carry out the plans and always strive to make further progress. (196)