南京理工大学工程硕士英语课程考试2011.8试题及参考答案.doc

南京理工大学工程硕士英语课程考试试题（2011年8月）Directions： Write all your answers on the Answer Sheet.Part I Reading Comprehension (40 points)Section A Reading in depthDirections: In this section there are 2 passages. Each passage is followed by 5 questions or unfinished sentences. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C, and D. Choose the best answer and mark your choice on your Answer Sheet.Passage One Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage. All forms of life interact with the environment in which they exist, and also with other life forms. In the 20th century this premise gave rise to the concept of ecosystems, which can be defined as any situation where there is interaction between organisms and their environment.Ecosystems are composed of a variety of abiotic and biotic components that function in an interrelated way. The structure and composition is determined by various environmental factors that are interrelated. Variations of these factors will initiate dynamic modifications to the ecosystem. Some of the more important components are: soil, atmosphere, radiation from the sun, water, and living organisms.Each living organism has a continual relationship with every other element that makes up its environment. Within the ecosystem, species are connected and dependent upon one another in the food chain, and exchange energy and matter between themselves as well as with their environment. Every species has limits of tolerance to factors that affect its survival, reproductive success and ability to continue to thrive and interact sustainably with the rest of its environment, which in turn may have effects on these factors for many other species or even on the whole of life. The concept of an ecosystem is thus an important subject of study, as such study provides information needed to make decisions about how human life may interact in a way that allows the various ecosystems to be sustained for future use rather than used up or otherwise rendered ineffective. For the purpose of such study, a unit of smaller size is called a micro-ecosystem. For example, an ecosystem can be a stone and all the life under it. A macro-ecosystem might involve a whole ecological region, with its drainage basin. The following ecosystems are examples of the kinds currently under intensive study: oceanic ecosystems, continental ecosystems, such as “forest ecosystems”, meadow ecosystems such as steppes or savannas, or agro-ecosystems, systems in inland waters, such as lentic ecosystems such as lakes or ponds; or lotic ecosystems such as rivers. Another classification can be made by reference to its communities, such as in the case of a human ecosystem. Regional groupings of distinctive plants and animals best adapted to the regions physical natural environment, latitude, altitude, and terrain are known as biomes. The broadest classification, today under wide study and analysis, and also subject to widespread arguments about its nature and validity, is that of the entire sum of life seen as analogous to a self-sustaining organism.1.Which of the following statements about an ecosystem is NOT true?A) An ecosystem is usually composed of some nonliving and living organisms. B) A stone and all the life under it can be regarded as an ecosystem.C) An ecosystem means the interaction between some nonliving and living organisms and their environment. D) Sunlight, air, soil, water, and human beings are some of the important elements within the ecosystem.2. How is the relationship among all the living organisms? A) All the living organisms are closely related to each other.B) Each living organism depends on others.C) In order to thrive, they have to give and gain energy from others.D) All of the above.3. Why is it important to learn the concept of an ecosystem according to the text?A) Many species have limited capacities to continue to grow vigorously.B) We can learn how to protect the natural resources for future use.C) Apart from a micro-ecosystem, it is also important to learn the concept of a macro-ecosystem which usually involves a whole ecological region.D) We can make decisions for human life to interact with sustainable development.4. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?A) Rivers, lakes or ponds belongs to oceanic ecosystem.B) The classification that each life can be regarded as a self-sustaining organism is still under widespread arguments. C) The broadest classification of ecosystem might involve a whole ecological region, such as in the case of a human ecosystem. D) All of the above.5. The possible meaning of the word “lentic” in the last paragraph is “of or relating to _”.A) dirty waters B) still waters C) deep waters D) fresh waters Passage Two Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage. Exactly where we will stand in the long war against disease by the year 2050 is impossible to say. But if developments in research maintain their current pace, it seems likely that a combination of improved attention to dietary and environmental factors, along with advances in genetherapy and protein-targeted drugs, will have virtually eliminated most major classes of disease.From an economic standpoint, the best news may be that these accomplishments could be accompanied by a drop in health-care costs. Costs may even fall as diseases are brought under control using pinpointed, short-term therapies now being developed. By 2050 there will be fewer hospitals, and surgical procedures will be largely restricted to the treatment of accidents and other forms of trauma(外伤). Spending on nonacute care, both in nursing facilities and in homes, will also fall sharply as more elderly people lead healthy lives until close to death.One result of medicines success in controlling disease will be a dramatic increase in life expectancy. The extent of that increase is a highly speculative matter, but it is worth noting that medical science has already helped to make the very old (currently defined as those over 85 years of age) the fastest-growing segment of the population. Between 1960 and 1995, the U. S. population as a whole increased by about 45%, while the segment over 85 years of age grew by almost 300%. There has been a similar explosion in the population of centenarians, with the result that survival to the age of 100 is no longer the newsworthy fear that it was only a few decades ago. U. S. Census Bureau projections already forecast dramatic increases in the number of centenarians in the next 50 years: 4 million in 2050, compared with 37,000 in 1990.Although Census Bureau calculations project an increase in average life-span of only eight years by the year 2050, some experts believe that the human life-span should not begin to encounter any theoretical natural limits before 120 years. With continuing advances in molecular medicine and a growing understanding of the aging process, that limit could rise to 130 years or more.6. The main idea of this passage is that _. A) the health-care costs will have been reduced by 2050 B) most people can live 120 years or even more after 2050 C) the development of medical science may help increase human life expectancy D) the development of medical science help the very old become the fastest-growing part of the population7. According to paragraph 1 and 2, which of the following is true? A) The drop of health-care costs may result in the increase of most diseases. B) The drop of health-care costs may result in the decrease of most diseases. C) As a result of a drop of health-care costs, most diseases may be eliminated. D) The elimination of most diseases may result in a drop in health-care costs.8. The author thinks that, by 2050, surgical procedures will be greatly limited to the treatment of trauma because _. A) there will be fewer hospitals B) the health-care expending drops C) most classes of diseases will be brought under control D) people dont like to go through the surgical procedure9. In paragraph 3, the sentence “the extent of that increase is a highly speculative matter ” implies that _. A) people are not quite sure about how much human life expectancy can be increase B) increasing human life-span venturous C) whether peoples life expectancy can be increased is doubtful D) people spend much time pondering on if human life-span can be longer10. From paragraph 3, we can infer that, only a few decades ago, _. A) it was not rare for a person to live for 100 years B) it was not a newsworthy fear for a person to live for 100 years C) few people could live for 100 years D) many people could live for 100 yearsSection B (Skimming and Scanning) Directions: In this part, you will have to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions.For questions 11-17, markY (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.For questions 18-20, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.What Do Dogs and Cats Bring to Us?Mans best friend is helping reform young offenders and along with cats, research shows, giving owners better health. Unwanted dogs bring criminals to heelFor a project designed to fight recidivism（累犯）（among some of the worst young offenders in the United States）, it has a somewhat unexpected title. Project Pooch is not the sort of name destined to make children sleep easier in their beds at night. The project gives juvenile murderers, rapists and armed robbers a badly behaved dog to look after and see if it improves their behaviour. The project at Oregons MacLaren youth correctional facility has had a 100% success rate in cutting reoffending. In the period studied, between 1993 and 1999, around 100 young offenders aged between 18 and 24 cared for wayward dogs. So far, not one is back behind bars. “Im really pleased with the success, but Im not altogether surprised,” said Joan Dalton, who runs Project Pooch. “These were kids who had never had any responsibility and we were taking them and saying, hey, this is something youre in charge of, something youre responsible for.” Project Pooch takes in dogs from local dog shelters that have behavioral problems, such as aggressiveness or excessive barking. They are then paired off with young offenders, most of whom have been convicted of serious crimes such as murder and sexual assault. The young offenders have to look after the dogs seven days a week, feed them, walk them, and take them through obedience（顺从）training, until they can be given to families who are looking for a dog. “I think the project works because the kids see the effect the bad behaviour of the dog has on them and it allows them to see the effect their bad behaviour has on others,” said Mrs Dalton. “You could really see the change in the kids, and that has obviously carried through when they left the correctional facility.” At the 10th International Conference on Human-Animal Interactions in Glasgow, Mrs Dalton said she hoped the project would be extended to other correctional institutions across the US. “But funding is a big problem,” she added. It is not, however, merely young offenders who benefit from having a dog - everyone does. Pets make owners healthierAccording to research unveiled at the conference, pet owners visit their doctors between 15% and 20% less than people who do not own animals. In a study carried out among 11,000 people in Germany, 2,000 people in Australia and 1,000 people in China, researchers discovered that even after things like gender and income were taken into account, pet owners visited their doctors 8% less. “This is the first time a study has been done where people have been repeatedly interviewed and it has really been shown conclusively that pet owners have better health than non-pet owners,” said Bruce Headey, from the University of Melbourne. “I dont think you can give any single reason why pet owners live longer, but I think companionship has a lot to do with it.” For people intending to prolong their life by buying a goldfish, however, there is a note of caution: the study only shows conclusively that owning a cat or a dog helps cut visits to the doctor. But anyone taking the trouble to look after a dog who does fall seriously ill may find another benefit to pet ownership. A study in the US on people who suffered heart attacks, revealed that pet owners are up to four times more likely to survive than non-pet owners. Erika Friedman, from the University of Maryland, said that in her study dog owners had a surprisingly high survival rate compared with non-pet owners. “There are a number of studies which show that in a moderately stressful situation pets can lower your stress responses,” she said. “We think this carries over into everyday life and, for dog owners, their pet can help them stay alive after a heart attack.” But it is not just dogs that relieve stress. In a more anecdotal UK survey carried out on 500 cat owners aged over 55 by the charity Cats Protection, most cat owners said their pet helped them overcome stress and loneliness. Perhaps more worryingly, some 75% of cat owners questioned said they preferred cats to humans. Dennis Turner, president of the conference, said the research unveiled yesterday revealed the dependency between pet owners and their pets. “The human-animal bond has indeed come of age,” he said. Animal magic Forget spending money on unused vitamin supplements and energy on unwanted gym visits, the secret to better health is pet - or specifically cat and dog - ownership. The average pet owner visits their doctor 20% less than non-pet owners. In the event of a cardiac arrest, it probably pays to call the pet shop shortly after the emergency services. Dog owners are four times more likely to stay alive following a heart attack than those who live a life without mans best friend. In a survey destined to do nothing to reverse clichs about who owns cats, cat owners aged over 55 said their pets alleviate loneliness and make them feel less stressed. So enamoured by their feline friends are the cat owners that 75% prefer their company to humans.11. Project Pooch aims to help juvenile reoffenders and brings peace to the troubled neighborhoods. 12. The dogs in the project Pooch are brought in by their owners and would be returned to the owners after the training. 13. The Project Pooch has brought a sense of responsibility to the kids who paired with the wayward dogs. 14. Projects like “Project Pooch” research on the interaction between Human beings and Animals. 15. According to the research, because of the companionship brought out by pet-raising, pet owners are less likely to go to hospital. 16. Pet can save owner who suffer from heart attacks and lower the owners stress responses. 17. The writer doesnt think it is good for the pet owners to prefer only pets as their life companions. 18. is a big problem for projects like “Pooh” to be carried out in the correctional institutions in United States.19. There isnt any specific reason why pets can or save the owners lives, but companionship has contributed a lot to it. 20. When one is diagnosed of cardiac diseases, it is suggested to call the pet shop because dog owners are four times more likely to after a heart attack than those without dogs.11. NG12. N 13. Y 14. Y 15. Y 16. Y 17. Y 18. Funding19. prolong20. stay alivePart II Short Answer Questions (2 points each, 10 points)Directions: In this section there is one passage followed by 5 questions. Read the passage and answer the questions briefly.Britains legal system, long known for Latin tongue-twisting phrases and slow delivery of justice, started a brave new world of plain English this month.In the biggest shakeup for the legal system in a century, civil cases will come to court as a last resort and lawyers will have to use approved contemporary phrases instead of ancient Latin expressions. Lawyers will also be punished with fines for arguing over minor points while judges will have to keep strict deadlines. Lawyers said the new reform package would benefit the profession by speeding up legal process and cutting costs.But the lawyers dismissed the removal of Latin expressions from their vocabulary as unnecessary. “I deliberately learned Latin at school to help me at the Bar,” said one lawyer who declined to be named. “At least they havent ruled out carborundum illegitimi,: he added, a Latin expression thought to originate in the 1940s and meaning “dont let them grind you down.” “Some of the terminology (to replace the Latin) is patronizing(照顾，惠顾) in the extreme,” said one London lawyer. “To substitute nine words where originally two would have been used is patronizing to the public,” he added.To help simplify the language for “plaintiffs (people who are bringing a claim to court),” Latin expressions such as “in camera”, which means in private, will come under the axe. Other phrases to return to history include “ex parte”(without notice) and an “Anton Piller order” named after a case involving a German compa