川大博士生考试英语模拟试题(共16页)

1、博士研究生入学考试(r xu ko sh)英语模拟试题一Part Reading comprehensionPassage 1States are considering major changes in prepaid college tuition programs-raising prices, restricting participation or canceling them as they grapple with financial woos. Nationwide, families will likely have to pay more to participate, o

2、r accept that they might not cover tuition when children go to college.Colorado has closed its prepaid plan to new investors and told existing ones that it may not cover future tuition increases. Wisconsin stopped selling its plan on Dec.20. Maryland and Illinois are states hiking prices by 20 or mo

3、re.Prepaid plans let parents lock in tuition by paying for it now, protecting them against rising costs. But the bear market has hurt investment returns, leaving the plans unable to keep up with big increases in tuition. So far, Colorado is the only state that has told participants their investments

4、 may not cover tuition, and no plan has missed a payment.Other states have said they will fulfill obligations, even if it requires a legislative bailout. Still, the financial programs have forced thousands to grapple with uncertainty something prepaid plans were designed to avoid. More than 1 millio

5、n families have an estimated $8 billion invested in the plans, says (S) .Some states, including Colorado, may replace the prepaid plan with a guaranteed investment contract, a CD-like investment that has backed by an insurance company. Investors get a minimum rate of return, but no guarantee that it

6、 will cover tuition.Wisconsin, s EdVest program is encouraging investment in a state value fund, which is similar to a guaranteed investment contract , in its investment plan. Wisconsins prepaid plan never guaranteed to cover tuition inflation. It also never got a lot of investors, possibly because

7、it lacked that guarantee.In Florida , a task force is considering limiting the states prepaid program to low-in-come families. Ohio officials are also looking at limiting participation, but its a measure they hope to avoid . “Program administrators are looking for alternative,” says Andrea Feirstein

8、, a state-plan consultant.Maryland recently boosted its prices by up to 30; Illinois by up to 23. The increases have made some prepaid plans uneconomical for parents of older children. In Ohio , the price of one years tuition for a child over 12 months old is $8000，more than 40 above current tuition

9、 at Ohio state. So it may not be a good deal for children starting college in three or four years because tuition may not jump that much that fast.Prepaid college tuition is generally designed on the principle that_.it is easy to pay at the present timeit is economical in the long run it save pains

10、to pass the entrance examit ensures the admission to the collegeMany states plan to modify their prepaid college tuition program_.under the mounting financial pressuresbecause of deficient college facilitiesto ease overcrowing problems in collegeto limit the participation of low-income familieaThe w

11、ord “investors”(Line 1, Para.2) most exactly refers to those who_.serve as the main source of finance to the stateinvest money in developing local collegesponsor colleges and their educational programsjoin the plan and pay the tuition in advance Colorado now has told participants in the prepaid tuit

12、ion plan that_.they would not have to make any other payment laterthey would not be guaranteed against further paymentthe plan would cover further tuition increasesthe plan would be replaced by guaranteed investment contract It can be inferred from the last paragraph that in Ohio_.prepaid plans requ

13、ires a participation at most 3 or 4 years before starting college children may start college 3 or 4 years earlier than at a normal age if they prepay tuitionCollege tuition 3 or 4 years later may not be so high as todays price of prepaid tuitionThe younger a child to join the plan, the greater loss

14、he/she will suffer at the age for college Passage 2Potentially offering a powerful new tool against terrorism, researchers , researchers have found a novel way to detect deception: in the liars blushing face.The technique , described in the journal, nature, uses a thermal camera to detect sudden, in

15、voluntary shifts of blood flow in the face. The system performed as accurately as a traditional polygraph, the scientists report.Yet the camera can provide answers instantly, and does not require a highly trained specialist to operate it or interpret its results. This makes it far better suited than

16、 the polygraph for a new, high-tech approach to security that is already raising the hackles of civil libertarians: the screening of large numbers of citizens, at airports and other sensitive are-as, who have done nothing wrong.“The next decade is going to see the development of truly accurate lie d

17、etectors”, said Stephen M.Kosslyn, an export on detecting lies and a professor of psychology at Harvard University.The prototype, built by researchers at the Mayo Clinic and Honeywell Laboratories in Minnesota, is at least 2 years from being ready for general use. But other scientists said the disco

18、very of previously unknown physiological changes in the face was itself an important step forward.“This is potentially very important work , which may open a new window on the mind,” said Kosslyn.Pushed by technological advances, and with fresh interest since Sept.11, the discovery is part of a boom

19、 in the scientific study of deceit and its detection. Although the lie remains a mysterious phenomenon , researchers in recent years have found a number of new approaches that might replace the polygraph, from brain scans, to subtle changes in eye movement, to sparks of electrical activity that sign

20、al a person has seen a victim or a crime scene before.The new finding, though, is remarkable for its simplicity. When a person tells a lie, the team found, there is a sudden rush of blood to the area around the eyes, according to the Mayo Clinics Dr. James A. Levine. Although the change is not ordin

21、arily visible the blood warms the skin, causing bands of color to appear through a camera sensitive to heat.The team devised a computer program that can identify the telltale changes based on the camera images. In testing at the U.S. Department OF Defense Polygraph Institute , which trains federal p

22、olygraph examiners, the device performed better than polygraphs, with 85 percent accuracy compared with 70 percent for the polygraph.Compared with a traditional polygraph a thermal camera _. can show accurate results can easily be handled by anybody is a high-tech approach is used to fight against t

23、errorismThe phrase “raising the hackles of .” (Line 3, Para. 3) most probably means_.arousing someones interest giving someone high prioritydrawing someones attention making someone feel very angryA thermal camera is expected to detect deception by_.showing the physiological changes in the liars fac

24、e scanning the liars brain and his/hei whole body Catching the sudden movements of the liars eyesScreening the sudden rush of the liars blood pressureWith respect to the advances in studying lie detection scientists think highest of _.Simplifying the entire process of detection The mechanic design o

25、f thermal camerasSubstituting new approaches for polygraphThe discovery that one blushes while telling lies It can safety be inferred that Sept.11_.Confirmed the failure of polygraph in detecting deceptionMade American begin to know about lie detectionGave a spur to the study of lie detection in the

26、 United StatesTriggered Americas development of lie detectors Passage 3Of late, there have been several posts suggesting that America has no culture or that what culture it has is somehow inferior to that of other societies. Of course, it cannot be both. To suggest that America has ,in some sense, a

27、n inferior culture is to grant that it has a culture.America most definitely has culture and the culture of America is easily the most dominant of the world. Whether it is McDonalds in the heart of what as once the center of the Evil Empire, or Arnold Schwarzenagger storming across German theatres,

28、or Disneylan sending the French snobs into hysteria, American culture dominates Europe as never before. And it is not just Europe. Enter any shopping center in Asia and the odds are that the music blasting over the sound system is American pop music. Madonna look like speak Mandarin Chinese.Often, A

29、merican culture is derided by so-called “intellectuals”.(And by that, I do not mean the traditional definition of those who use their intellect to make a living as , in a increasingly service economy, there are few people today who would not fit into that category but, rather, people who fancy thems

30、elves as in some way gifted to impose their views upon the rest of us, to save us from ourselves.)What is it about American culture that annoys the “intellectuals” so much ? It is precisely that which differentiates it from other culture, particularly the cultures of Europe (“intellectuals” tending

31、to be Europhiles). Whereas European culture (and, indeed, most pre-industrial culture) sprang from their traditions of aristocracy and the subservience of the ruling class, American culture serves the middle-class, the vulgar, if you will. Where-as European culture is concerned with what is exclusiv

32、e and aloof, American culture is concerned with what is common and accessible. You dont need classes in school in rock music appreciation or the finer aspects of eating pizza.Some have suggested that America is doomed because it has no culture. But the contrary is more likely the case. In spite of t

33、he best efforts of the multi-cultural fascists, America has yet to fulfill its manifest destiny primarily because its culture is not only dominating and assimilating immigrants from every corner of the world, it is, indeed reaching out to every corner of the world and creating a world community, a c

34、ommunity centered on the individual, every individual not just those gifted with expensive tastes.11. From the beginning of the passage we can infer that the author_.A. believes that America has culture despite its inferiority to othersB. agrees that America has no culture, let alone an inferior cul

35、tureC. objects to both of the views about American cultureD. tries to show objectively the two views about American culture12. According to the passage, Disneyland in France_.A. has overridden the countrys cartoon industryB. has driven all its fans there madC. has encountered strong oppositionD. has

36、 enjoyed a nationwide acclaim13. It is implied in Paragraph 2 that _.A. Chinese girls are crazy about MadonnaB. McDonalds is regarded as evil in RussiaC. German films become more of Schwarzenaggers styleD. American pop music is confined to shops and stored in Asia14. The last sentence “You dont need

37、eating pizza” are those who_.A. rock music, eating pizza or the like is quite popular in the school curriculumB. anything that concerns American pop culture is prohibited in schoolC. schoolchildren are all equal in enjoying rock music and eating pizzaD. American culture is never taught to but intuit

38、ively assimilated by people15. Which of the following would the author most probably agree to as to describing American culture?A. It is full of vitality. B. It is non-intellectualC. It enhances vulgarity. D. It scorns wealthPassage 4Most critical plot points in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone

39、came from J. K. Rowlings imagination, but Flamel and his powerful pebble were legendary long before Harry went to Hogwarts. The 14th century alchemist created the philosopers stone (called “sorcerers” in U.S. editions of Potter), with which he turned mercury to gold and gained eternal life. But Flam

40、els tale-like his stone and his science-was no more real than a magic.The philosophers stone was the key to alchemy, the medieval predecessor to chemistry that aimed to cure all illnesses, make the elixir of life, and transmute base metals into gold. The last made perfect sense at the time. The Aris

41、totelian theory of elements stated that all things consisted of fire, air, water, and earth. So a little shift in one metals composition could create gold.Flamel was renowned as an alchemical success. In 1382, after 25 years of studying an ancient book by “Abraham the Jew”, he is said to have produc

42、ed the philosophers stone. His texts, notably a deconstruction of the “Abraham” work, were standard reading for aspiring scientists like Isaac Newton.Many alchemists believed Flamel faked his 1418 death and that of his wife. Rumored sightings in the 18th century placed them at the Paris Opera. As la

43、te as 1816 there were reports of people searching Flamels former house for secrets of the stone.Contemporary historians say a Nicolas Flamel did live in Paris in the 1300s and endowed many churches and hospitals with his wealth! But he was not alchemist. “He got his money in pedestrian ways-his wife

44、s earlier marriages, real-estate speculation”, says Lawrence Principe, author of The Aspiring Adept. Anachronisms, style of language, and the lack of earlier copies indicate that none of “his” writings originated prior to the 1500s.“This sort of thing happens in alchemy”, says Bill Newman, author of

45、 alchemical history Gehennical Five. When an alchemist couldnt back up his ideas, he might publish them in the guise of a “lost” work. Flamels wealth made a good candidate for alchemical identity theft.Flamels writings and sightings faded with alchemys prestige. And the closest anyones come to the p

46、hilosophers stone is Rowling. In her hands, it has yielded not just gold but eternal (shelf) life as well.16. According to the passage, that Flamel gained eternal life with the aid of his powerful pebble_.A. came from J. K. Rowings imaginationB. was legendary long before Rowing wrote the bookC. turn

47、ed out to be a magic in PotterD. was believed by many alchemists17. The passage shows that alchemy in the medieval time_.A. established modern chemistry B. cured all the diseasesC. turned base metals to gold D. was taken as somewhat justifiable18. It can be inferred that Flamel was believed_.A. to h

48、ave spend 25 years with “Abraham the Jew”B. to be the creator of the philosophers stoneC. to be the founder of alchemyD. to have cast light on Newtonian mechanics19. The word “pedestrian” (Line 3, Para.5) is closest in meaning to _ . .A. secret B. illegal C. ordinary D. dishonest20. The passage is m

49、ainly to_.A. reveal that everything in Potter was imagined by RowlingB. tell the truth about Flamel behind the tales in PotterC. point out the inability of alchemists to defend themselvesD. address that alchemy had an impact on modern science Passage 5Some politicians are scurrying about with much z

50、est and anticipation. Its time, their polls inform them, to find the quick fix for what they have determined is a society plagued by the irregular heartbeat of deficient values.But there are contradictions that intrude on this denunciatory atmosphere. If there are moral omissions in the society, the

51、y cannot be sealed by instant, slenderly based attacks on entertainment. The plain fain fact is we are rearranging our priorities in the wrong way.We are today misplacing our energies and our funding by directing all sorts of incentives to high schools and colleges. Too late. The moral scaffolding s

52、caffolding has been built by then, for better or worse. How then to begin this revision of life conduct? We must introduce in pre-school, and keep alive through grade five, a new school course.The course could be titled, “What is right, and what is plainly wrong”. For 30 minutes each day, the teache

53、r would illuminate for these every young children what William Faulkner labeled “the old verities”, the words that construct and implement the daily moral grind in every durable society must engage if it is to be judged a “just” society.These are words like duty, honor, service, integrity, pity, pri

54、de, compassion and sacrifice, plus the clear admonition that violence is wrong. To the teaching of the meaning of those words must be added that cleansing rule of treating other people as you would want them to treat you. And most of all to make sure that these kids understand with growing clarity t

55、hat home, school and church are the sanctuaries for their later life.If you ask enough people, you will find that most of us remember our first-or second-grade teacher. I remember Miss Corbett and Miss Walker, who read to us before we really understood, but the words had weight and allure. We listen

56、ed and, without really knowing it, we learned and saved what we learned. Perhaps it was because what we heard in those early school years was the first entry into our learning vessel.Absent from this kind of early instruction, absent from the building of this moral shield, no congressional law, no p

57、residential executive order, and no fiery rhetoric will either salvage a childs conduct nor locate a missing moral core.21. According to the author, some politicians attribute the societys deteriorated moral values to_.A. deficient values B. denunciatory atmosphereC. improper entertainment D. wrong

58、priorities22.With respect to the rectification of the situation the author believes that_.A. its easy to carry moral education at and above high school levelB. high school students dont need any further moral educationC. no return is to be gained on the investment in moral educationD. moral educatio

59、n in primary school or still earlier should be much emphasized23. “The old verities” labeled by William Faulkner must refer to_.A. the past ways for ruling a societyB. the societys established virtuesC. the out-of-date moral conductsD. the previous legal systems24. The author insists that children b

60、e made aware that home, school and church_.A. can protect them against moral fallB. can give comfort whenever they are in troubleC. are of great help of their career successD. are free from child abuse25. Which of the following can best summarize the authors argument?A. Home, school and church are r