浙江大学博士英语复习Reading.doc

ReadingText 1Few social problems have increased so suddenly or been dramatized so effectively as the plight of the homeless in the 1980s and 1990s.Once an invisible people who could easily be ignored, the homeless are now recognized everywhere on the streets and in the public facilities of major cities. There are bag ladies who roam the streets carrying what is left of their possessions in shopping bags or grocery carts. There are disoriented men curled up on benches, in stairwells, or alongside walls. There are children some runaways and some throwaways scrounge(偷，骗取) for food and shelter.The number of homeless people in underdeveloped societies in the mid-1980s was estimated by the United Nations (UN) to be more than 100 million. The so-called “new” homeless live in the developed, industrialized nations of Europe, North America, and East Asia. Accurate statistics have been impossible to verify, in part because of the conflicting viewpoints on the subject of homelessness. Politicians, lawyers, and others who become advocates for the homeless have said that there are from 2 to 3 million homeless in the US alone. Others who have studied the problem from a less sympathetic point of view suggest that the number is closer to 300,000.One reason for statistical uncertainty is the composition of the homeless population. Some families suffer temporary poverty because of loss of a job. Unable to afford rent or mortgage payment, they may temporarily join the ranks of the homeless of the homeless for a period of days or weeks (or they may live with relatives). Once another job is found, the family can usually afford shelter once more.The number of those who are truly homeless consist of possibly 3 percent or less of the very poor. Their most common characteristic is poverty, though some work at least part-time, while others receive various kinds of welfare payments. The makeup of the homeless population, according to a study by the US Conference of Magors, indicated the following breakdown: 56 percent single men, 15 percent single women, and 28 percent in families- usually one-parent families. As a group, the homeless tend to be young, mostly under the age of 40.1 According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?A The homeless could not be seen until 1980s and 1990s.B The number of “new ” homeless is 2 to 3 million.C Some people becomes homeless on temporary.D Some homeless people get help from the government.2 Why are there different statistics of the homeless the US?A Because there are a lot of so-called “new” homeless people.B Because the accurate statistics are impossible to verify.C Because some of the homeless are easily ignored.D Because there are different opinions on homelessness.3 Which of the following is true?A There are more homeless people in Europe, North America, and East Asia.B The make-up of the homeless changes.C When people lose their job, they become homeless.D Homeless is clearly defined.4 What can be inferred from the last paragraph?A The composition of the homeless has broke down.B Most homeless people are young and without a job.C The truly homeless usually does not possess a true family.D The homeless are very poor though they work part-time.5 In this passage, what is the authors attitude towards the homeless?A indifferent B sympathetic C enthusiastic D neutralText 2Recent stories in the newspapers and magazines suggest that teaching and research contradict each other, that research pays too prominent a part in academic promotions, and that teaching is badly underemphasized. There is an element of truth in those statements, but they also ignore deeper and more important relationships.Research experience is an essential element of hiring and promotion at a research university because it is the emphasis on research that distinguishes such a university from an arts college. Some professors, however, neglect for research and that presents a problem.Most research universities renowned outstanding teaching, but the greatest recognition is usually 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 be challenged but disliked by those whose records are less impressive. The mild professor gets overall ratings that one usually high, but there is a sense of disappointment on the part of the best students, exactly those for whom the system should present the greatest challenge. Thus, a university trying to promote professors primarily on the basis of teaching qualities should have to confront this confusion.As modern science moves faster, two forms are exerted on professors: one is the time needed to keep up with the profession; the other is the time needed to teach. The training of new scientists requires outstanding teaching at the research university as well as the arts college. Although scientists are usually “made ” in the elementary schools. Scientists can be “lost” by poor teaching at the college and graduate school levels. The solution is not to separate teaching from research but to recognize that the combination is difficult but vital. The title of professor should be given only to those who profess and it is perhaps time for universities to reserve it for those given only to those who profess and it is perhaps time for universities to reserve it for those willing to be on earnest part of the community of scholars. Professors usually to teach can be called “distinguished research investigators” or something else.The pace of modern science makes it increasingly difficult to be a great research and a great teacher. Yet many are described in just those terms. Those who say we can separate teaching and research simply do not understand the system but those who say the problem will disappear are not fulfilling their responsibilities.1 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 to each other.C Research can never be emphasized too much.D It is wrong to overestimate the importance of teaching.2 In academic promotion, research universities attach more importance to research partly because_A research improve the quality of teachingB students who want to be challenged appreciate research professorsC professors with achievements in researchD its difficult to evaluate teaching quality objectively3 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 Its 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.4 The title of professor should be given only to those who first and foremost do?A scientific research B teaching C field work D investigation5 Which of the following can be a proper title of the text?A University: A place for training new scientistsB What does a professors title meanC Which is more important: Teaching or Researching?D How to balance teaching and researching?Text 3In march 1974 one of the most astonishing archaeological discoveries or the 20th century was unearthed in the county of Lintong, Shananxi Province. An entire army of life-sized warriors and horses, buried for more than 2,200 years, began to be uncovered. These replicas had been placed in trenches around the still-unexcavated tomb of Qinshihuang, the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty(221-207 B.C.). Each of the many hundreds of life-sized warriors was constructed of baked clay and painted with a variety of colors. Most were obviously intended as individual portraits.The head shapes of these figures and the expressions on their faces were, more or less, individualized, and so each man could be identified as to his place of regional origin. The square-faced, broad-foreheaded, prominent-checkbored, heavy-featured, big-mouthed and sharp-chimed, and thin-lipped soldiers were modeled after persons from the province of Sichuan. Others were clearly from Gansu, and there were some who appeared to be members of various minorities in northwestern China. Each had its own coiffure(发式) : the ones with long hair had this knotted at the right side of the head because the Qin people esteemed the right.To the surprise of both Chinese and Western archaeologists, a few of the clay soldiers showed non-Chinese characteristics, possibly being persons from as far away as Arabia or Persia. This was particularly surprising because it had long been assumed that those were no persons from outside China living there in such ancient times.Yet a century later the historical record does indicate limited contact with foreigners. There is one report in the annals of Eastern Han Dynasty(A.D. 25-220) of a Roman juggler who arrived in China by way of Burma in A.D. 109, and another of the arrival of an envoy from Macedonia at about the same time. And the Roman historian Lucius Anneus Florus mentions the coming of a Chinese envoy to Rome as early as the reign of Augustus(27B.C.-A.D.14).But extensive, contacts between China and the West didnt really begin until the northern Silk Road was gradually developed after 138 B.C. This overland route started at present-day Xian and passed through the Western Corridor beyond the Yellow River, Xinjiang, Farghan (now Uzbekistan), Persia(Iran) and Tajik(Iraq ) where it met western boundary of the Roman Empire.For more than a thousand years this northern Silk Road provided a route for caravans that brought to China dates, saffron powder and pistachio nuts from Persia; glass bottles from Egypt, and many other expensive and desirable goods from other parts of the world. And the caravans went home with their camels and horses loaded down by bolts of silk brocade and boxes filled with lacquer ware and porelains.Another Silk Road, documented in the geography section of the History of Han Dynasty, was a sea route that began at the ports of Xuwen and Hepu on the Reizhou Peninsula in South China(near which the city of Beihai is now located), passed through the Malacca Strait and ended in Burma or the Huangchi Kingdom of Southern India.More Chinese porcelions and silks reached Europe by this route than by the overlaid one because of marauding privacy and storms at sea. Subsidiary branches of this Silk Road of the sea reached such places as Korea , Japan and the Philippines to allow for the exchange of various goods not readily available over the land route. For example, as early as the third century A.D., the Philippines were shipping gold to China by this route.Q:1 Each excavated warrior_A was given a unique facial expression and hair styleB was made of stone or clayC was painted with one colorD was modeled after natives of central Shaanxi2 Which of the following statement is not true?A The clay warriors were as big as real people.B Soldiers long hair was knotted as the right side for convenience.C A soldiers appearance could tell where he was fromD The soldiers represented people of different nationalities.3 Archaeologists were surprised by the exotic characteristics of the clay soldier because _A no contact with foreigners at that time was known to themB no one had ever seem foreignersC no foreigners came to China before 138 B.C.D no record of foreign visits was available4 It could be inferred from the last paragraph that _A more merchants were killed on the sea routeB certain goods were too precious to be transported by landC trade between China and Southeast Asia brought more money to the governmentD the sea route was advantageous over the land route5 In the passage “Silk Road ” refers to _A a land route by which silk brocade was transported to the WestB any route which connected China with other countriesC flow of goods from China to other countriesD caravans that did business with China and other countriesText 4In 1967, in response to widespread public concern aroused by medical reports of Asbestos (石棉) related deaths, the National Medical Research Council organized a committee of enquiry to investigate the health threats associated with the use of asbestos in the building industry.After examining evidences provided by medical researchers and building workers and management, the council published a report which included advices for dealing with asbestos. The report confirmed the findings of similar research in the US & Canada. Exposure to relating small quantities of asbestos fibers, they concluded, was directly responsible for the development of cancers, asbestosis and related diseases. Taking into account evidence provided by economists and building industry management, however, the report assured that despite the availability of other materials, asbestos would continue to play a major role in the British building industry for many years to come because of its availability and low cost.As a result, the council gave a series of recommendations which were intended to reduce the risks to those who might be exposed to asbestos in working environment. They recommended that, where possible, asbestos free materials should be employed. In case where asbestos was employed, it was recommended that it should be used in such a way that loose fivers were less likely to enter the air.The report recommended that special care should be taken during work in environments which contain asbestos. Workers should wear protective equipment and take special care to remove dust from the environment and clothing with the use of vacuum cleaner.The report identified five factors which determined the level of risk involved. The state and type of asbestos is critical to determining the risk of factors in addition, dust formation was found to be linked where the asbestos was used when wet rather than dry.The choice of tools was also found to affect the qualities of asbestos particles that enter the air. Machine tools produce greatest quantities of dust that hand tools and, where possible, the use of the latter was recommended.A critical factor in risk reduction is the adequate ventilation of the working environment. When work takes place in an enclosed space, more asbestos particles circulate and it was therefore recommended that natural or machine ventilation should be used. By closely following these advices, it was claimed that exposure can be reduced to a reasonably practical minimum.Q: 1 Exposure to asbestos fibers can cause cancer,_A only when asbestos is used in building industryB only when it is used in large industryC even if it is used in small quantitiesD if they are used when wet rather than dry2 Evidence from the economists and the building industries shows that _A exposure to asbestos fibers is cancer causingB asbestos is in extensive use in building industryC use of asbestos is being reduced graduallyD exposure to asbestos fibers can be reduced significantly3 Exposure to asbestos fibers is harmful to peoples health,_A so the use of asbestos is limitedB but asbestos will continue to be used for a long time to comeC so other new kinds of materials are under developmentD but they will not be so when ventilation devices are used4 It can be inferred from the passage that the real danger comes from_A the asbestos dust that people take inB the state and type of asbestos particlesC the inferior quality of the asbestos itselfD the use of machine tools5 To reduce risk, it is very important to _A use machines in a working environmentB increase air circulation in a working environmentC work in an enclosed placeD remove asbestos from the building industryText 5Some people who end their lives or attempt suicide might be trying to escape feelings of rejection, hurt or loss. Others might be angry, ashamed, or guilty about something. Some people may be named about disappointing friends or family members. And some may feel unwanted, un loved, or like the one burden to others.Most social scientists believe that a societys structure and values can influence suicide rates. French sociologist Emilc Purkheim argued that suicide rates are related to social integration that is, the degree to which an individual feels part of a larger group. Purkheim found suicide was more likely when a person lacked social bonds or had relationships disrupted through a sudden change in status, such as unemployment. As one example of the significance of social bonds, suicide rates among adults are lower for married people than for divorced, widowed, or single people.Fluctuation in social and economic, conditions frequently result in cha