北 京 科 技 大 学
2013年硕士学位研究生入学考试试题
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试题编号： 618 试题名称： 基础英语 （共 10 页）
适用专业： 外国语言文学（包括外国语言学及应用语言学和英语语言文学） 说明： 所有答案必须写在答题纸上，做在试题或草稿纸上无效。
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Part Ⅰ Vocabulary (30 minutes, 30 points, 1 point each) Section A
Directions: There are fifteen incomplete sentences in this section. For each sentence there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the ONE that best completes the sentence.
1. In my opinion, he’s the most imaginative of all the contemporary poets. A. in all B. at best C. for all D. by far
2. The chief reason for the population growth isn’t so much a rise in birth rates a fall in death rates as a result of improvements in medical care. A. and B. as C. but D. or 3. She is a musician than her brother.
A. much of B. much as C. more of D. more as
4. my family’s consistent encouragement I wouldn’t have accomplished my graduate study.
A. But for B. But with C. Except for D. As are
5. Just as there are occupations that require college or even higher degrees, occupations for which technical training is necessary.
A. so too there are B. so also there are C. so there are too D. so too are there
6. In such desperate strains did he find himself that he was reduced to the violin in the streets.
A. play B. playing C. be playing D. having played 7. Those twins are so alike that it is next to impossible to distinguish .
A. who is who B. which is which C. one and the other D. one another 8. He is determined to prove his innocence, he has to go to the highest court. A. even though B. even as C. even if D. even so
9. When the young man realized that the police had spotted him, he made the exit as quickly as possible, only to find that two policemen were waiting outside. A. off B. from C. towards D. for
10. The stark reality is that our education system people, but industry does not find them useful.
A. turns out B. produces out C. churns out D. bring out 11. On that rainy night, John told his father that the lock on the door loose.
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A. was felt B. felt like C. was feeling D. felt
12. Critics charge that this is partly because Europe is still moving slowly to government stimulus programs and right its own ailing financial system.
A. roll back B. roll down C. roll in D. roll out 13. when she started complaining.
A. Not until he arrived B. No sooner had he arrived C. Hardly had he arrived D. Scarcely did he arrive
14. Noise pollution generally receives less attention than air pollution. A. does B. it does C. receives D. it does over
15. corn is usually believed to be the American favorite vegetable, broccoli is actually the favorite vegetable, according to the poll done.
A. Actually B. However C. While D. Despite
Section B
Directions: There are ten sentences in this section with one word or phrase underlined in each sentence. From the four choices given, choose one that best explains or defines the underlined part in each sentence.
16. Scientific evidence from different disciplines demonstrates that for most humans the left half of the brain controls language.
A. fields of study B. groups of experts C. seminars D. regulations 17. Your analogy was not a good one because the two situations are not similar.
A. comparison B. categorization C. classification D. cognition
18. The conquerors stole not only the gold and silver that were needed to replenish the badly depleted treasury but also the supplies that were vital to the nation.
A. substitute B. recollect C. restock D. resume 19. Whenever he goes, he readily accommodates to new circumstances. A. finds a lodging in B. makes a close study of C. provides lodging for D. adapts himself to
20. Even after ten years her name conjures up such beautiful memories. A. covers up B. reveals C. brings to mind D. makes up 21. Many of his arguments have no pertinence to the subject under discussion. A. significance B. value C. enlightenment D. relevance
22. The graduate committee must be in full accord in their approval of a dissertation. A. indecisive B. sullen C. vocal D. unanimous
23. We regret being unable to entertain your request for providing free boarding to 15 sportsmen for two weeks.
A. receive B. comply C. coincide D. consider
24. The artist spent years on his monumental painting, which covered the whole roof of the church, the biggest in the country.
A. archaic B. sentimental C. outstanding D. entire
25. The ancient Jewish people regarded themselves as the salt of the earth, the chosen few by God. A. outcast B. elite C. nomad D. disciple
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Section C
Directions: Each of the following five sentences below has two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Beneath the sentence are five lettered or sets of words. Choose the word or set of words for each blank that best fits the meaning of the sentence.
26. Eric was frustrated because, although he was adept at making lies sound when telling the truth, he the power to make himself believed.
A. plausible…lacked B. convincing…held C. honest… found D. true… acquired
27. The techniques now available to livestock breeders will continue to be but will probably be by new ones under development.
A. fruitful… reversed B. refined… upgraded C. inconvenient… reassessed D. used… supplemented
28. Any population increase beyond a certain level necessitates greater vegetable foods; thus, the ability of a society to choose meat over cereals always arises, in part, from the number of people.
A. production of … estimating B. spending on … concealing C. recourse to … limiting D. attention to… varying
29. Since 1813 reaction to Jane Austen’s novels has oscillated between and condescension; but in general later writers have esteemed her works more highly than did most of her literary .
A. dismissal…admirers B. adoration… contemporaries C. disapproval…readers D. indifference…followers
30. The actual of Wilson’s position was always by his refusal to compromise after having initially agreed to negotiate a settlement. A. outcome…foreshadowed B. logic…enhanced
C. rigidity…betrayed D. uncertainty… alleviated
Part Ⅱ Proofreading and error correction (20 minutes, 20 points, 2 points each)
Directions: The following passage contains TEN errors. Each indicated line contains a maximum of ONE error. In each case, only ONE word is involved. You should proof-read the passage and correct it in the following way.
For a wrong word, underline the wrong word and write the correct one in the blank
provided at the end of the line.
For a missing word, mark the position of the missing word with a “∧” sign and write
the word you believe to be missing in the blank provided at the end of the line.
For an unnecessary word, cross out the unnecessary word with a slash “/” and put the word
in the blank provided at the end of the line.
Example
When∧art museum wants a new exhibit, 1. an it never buys things in finished form and hangs 2. never them on the wall. When a natural history museum
wants an exhibition, it must often build it. 3. exhibit
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In his 1988 best seller A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
made readers wonder: if the universe is expanding, where is it expanding to?
Now Hawking has teamed up his daughter, Lucy Hawking, to write (1) George’s Secret Key to the Universe, the first in a trilogy of novels directed
at the fertile minds of children. In an interview on e-mail, Hawking (2) explains: “The aim of the book is to encourage children’s sense of wonder
at the universe. We want them to look up outward only then will they (3) be able to make the right decisions to safeguard the future of the human race.”
George’s Secret Key to the Universe, aimed 9-11-year-olds, (4) tells the story of a young boy, George, and a cheery astrophysicist,
Eric, who talking computer opens a portal to the unknown universe. The (5) duo make spacesuits and use the portal to search for planets to which
humanity can escape the irreversible warming of the earth. Along the way, (6) George and the reader learn from the basics of astrophysics and astronomy (7) through illustrations and captioned photographs. “You don’t need
actual secret key to explore the universe, ” George ultimately discovers. (8) “There’s one that everyone can use. It’s called physics.”
The Hawkings portray the universe as harmony and largely benign. (9) But our present knowledge of the universe suggests that is, in fact, a
desolate and often violent expanse place in which humankind plays an (10) inconsequential role.
Part III Reading Comprehension (50 minutes, 40 points, 2 points each)
Directions: There are four passages in this part. Read each passage carefully and answer the questions following each passage as you are required.
Passage One
Modern industrial society grants little status to old people. In fact, such a society has a system of built-in obsolescence. There is no formal system for continuing our education throughout our life in order to keep up with rapidly changing knowledge. When our education and job skills have grown obsolete, we are treated exactly like those who have never gained an education or job skills and are not encouraged or given the opportunity to begin anew.
As a society becomes more highly developed, the overall status of older people diminishes. Improved health technology creates a large pool of old people, who compete for jobs with the young. However, economic technology lowers the demand for workers and creates new jobs for which the skills of the aged are obsolete, forcing older people into retirement. At the same time, young people are being educated in the new technology and are keeping pace with rapid changes in knowledge. Finally, urbanization creates age-segregated neighborhoods. Because the old live on fixed incomes, they must often live in inferior housing. All these factors — retirement, obsolete knowledge and skills, inferior standards of living — lower the status of the aged in society.
A century ago, when one could expect to live only to 50 or so, the life span more or less
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coincided with the occupation and family cycle. But today the average life span allows for fifteen to twenty years of life after these cycles. It appears that our life span is outpacing our usefulness in society.
1. By “a system of built-in obsolescence” the author means . A. no formal system exists in modern industrial society B. old people have no status in modern industrial society C. young people have chances in modern industrial society D. knowledge changes rapidly in modern industrial society 2. The more highly developed a society is, . A. the more advanced technology will be B. the larger the number of people will be
C. the more diminished old people’s status will be
D. the lower the overall status of the old people will be 3. Which of the following statement is NOT true? A. Retired people could only live on fixed incomes. B. Retired people are more skillful than young people. C. Young people are educated in the new technology. D. Young people are keeping pace with rapid changes.
4. The sentence “our life span outpaces our usefulness” means we can live longer . A. and make progress B. and do more work C. but move slowly D. but become useless
5. The author’s attitude toward the aged is .
A. realistic B. optimistic C. pessimistic D. sympathetic
Passage Two
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Mahatma Gandhi probably never said these words, despite claims to the contrary, but they perfectly describe the progress of open-source software over the past 15 years or so. Such software, the underlying recipe for which is created by volunteers and distributed free online, was initially dismissed as the plaything of nerdy hobbyists. Big software firms derided the idea that anyone would put their trust in free software written by mysterious online collectives. Was it really secure? Whom would you call if it went wrong?
At the time, selling software to large companies was sometimes likened to drug dealing, because once a firm installed a piece of software, it had to pay a stream of licence fees for upgrades, security patches and technical support. Switching to a rival product was difficult and expensive. But with open-source software there was much less of a lock-in. There are no licence fees, and the file formats and data structures are open. Open-source software gained ground during the dotcom boom and even more so afterwards, as a way to cut costs.
Microsoft, the world’s biggest software company, went from laughing at the idea to fighting it, giving warning that there might be legal risks associated with using open-source software and even calling it a “cancer” that threatened to harm the industry. Yet the popularity of open-source programs such as the Linux operating system continued to grow. The fact that Google, the industry’s new giant, sits on a foundation of open-source code buried the idea that it was not powerful or reliable enough for heavy-duty use. One by one the industry’s giants embraced open
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source. Even Microsoft admits that drawing on the expertise of internet users to scrutinize and improve software has its merits, at least in some cases.
The argument has been won. It is now generally accepted that the future will involve a blend of both proprietary and open-source software. Traditional software companies have opened up some of their products, and many open-source companies have adopted a hybrid model in which they give away a basic version of their product and make money by selling proprietary add-ons. The rise of software based on open, internet-based standards means worries about lock-in have become much less of a problem.
But now there is the danger of a new form of lock-in. “Cloud computing”—the delivery of computer services from vast warehouses of shared machines—enables companies and individuals to cut costs by handing over the running of their e-mail, customers databases or accounting software to someone else, and then accessing it over the internet. There are many advantages to this approach for both customers (low cost, less complexity) and service providers (economies of scale). But customers risk losing control once again, in particular over their data, as they migrate into the cloud. Moving from one service provider to another could be even more difficult than switching between software packages in the old days. For a foretaste of this problem, try moving your MySpace profile to Facebook without manually retyping everything.
The obvious answer is to establish agreed standards for moving data between clouds. An industry effort to this effect kicked off in March. But cloud computing is still in its infancy, and setting standards too early could hamper innovation. So buyers of cloud-computing services must take account of dangers of lock-in, and favour service providers who allow them to move data in and out of their system without too much hassle. This will push providers to compare on openness from the outset—and ensure that the lessons from the success of open-source software are not lost in the clouds.
6. Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude towards the open-source software? A. Skeptical B. Contemptuous C. Supportive D. Enthusiastic 7. Why would the author describe software selling as drug dealing? A. It is illegal.
B. It costs huge “running money” after first time purchasing. C. It is hard to stick to software. D. It comes with virus.
8. Which of the following facts is not the reason for Microsoft to change its view on open-source software?
A. Linux uses open-source software. B. Google is based on open-source code.
C. Open-source software is proved to be reliable for heavy-duty running. D. The number of open-source program is increasing.
9. Which of the following statements is true about the future of open-source software? A. It will transform into a private owned property which can be better protected. B. Traditional software can only earn money from value-added services.
C. Users may be less worried about the losing of data by using open-based program. D. Open-source program is always free of charge.
10. Which of the following statements is true about “cloud computing”? A. It is an online program such as Facebook or Myspace.
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B. It may hamper innovation.
C. It intends to provide a third party database for data owner and service provider. D. It may cause data losing in the cloud.
Passage Three
The Roman language served as the first model for answering the question. Even to someone with no knowledge of Latin, the similarities among Roman languages would have made it natural to suggest that they were derived from a common ancestor. On the assumption that the shared characteristic of these languages came from the common ancestor, it would have been possible to reconstruct many of the characteristics of the original common language. In much the same way it became clear that the branches of the Indo-European family could be studied and a hypothetical family tree constructed, reading back to a common ancestor. This is the tree approach. The basic process represented by the tree model is one of divergence: when languages become isolated from one another, they differ increasingly, and dialects gradually become different until they become separate languages.
Divergence is by no means the only possible tendency in language evolution. Johannes Schmidt introduced a “wave” model, in which linguistic changes were like waves, eventually leading to convergence; that is, growing similarity among languages that were initially quite different.
Today, however, most linguists think primarily in terms of family trees. It is necessary to construct some models of how language change might occur according to a process-based view. There are four main classes of models.
The first is the process of initial colonization, by which an uninhabited territory becomes populated; its language naturally becomes that of the colonizers. Second are processes of divergence, such as the linguistic divergence arising from separation or isolation mentioned above in relation to early models of the Indo-European languages. The third group of models is based on processes of linguistic convergence. The wave model, formulated by Schmidt in the 1870’s, is an example, but convergence methods have not generally found favor among linguists.
Now, the slow and rather static operation of these processes is complicated by another factor: linguistic replacement. That factor provides the basis for a fourth class of models. In many areas of the world the languages initially spoken by the indigenous people have come to be replaced, fully or partially, by languages spoken by people coming from outside. Were it not for this large complicating factor, the world’s linguistic history could be faithfully described by the initial distribution of Homo Sapiens, followed by the gradual workings of divergence and convergence. So linguistic replacement also has a key role to play in explaining the origins of the Indo-European languages.
11. The characteristics of the original common language can be described on the basis of . A. the similarities among Roman languages B. the hypothetical family tree
C. the process known as divergence
D. the common features of Roman languages
12. According to Johannes Schmidt, . A. languages change on a large scale like waves
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B. divergence is not the only possible tendency in language change
C. language evolution can be explained in terms of divergence and convergence
D. different languages will become increasingly similar until they develop into one language 13. It can be inferred from paragraph 4 that .
A. there doesn’t exist any satisfactory model of language change
B. most linguists explain language change only in terms of divergence C. most linguists generally don’t accept the idea of language convergence
D. the first process in language evolution is colonization, followed by divergence 14. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Linguistic replacement can be ignored for the linguistic history to be fully described.
B. Linguistic replacement cannot be ignored in explaining where the Indo-European languages come from.
C. Because of linguistic replacement, the other three models prove to be incorrect.
D. Compared with the other models, linguistic replacement is the most important model. 15. This passage is primarily written to . A. discuss the importance of linguistic replacement B. introduce the origin of the Indo-European language C. explain the divergence of the Indo-European languages
D. introduce models concerning the origin of the Indo-European languages
Passage Four
Having reached the highest point of our route according to plan, we discovered something the map had not told us. It was impossible to climb down into the Kingo valley. The river lay deep between mountain sides that were almost vertical. We couldn’t find any animal tracks, which usually show the best way across country, and the slopes were covered so thickly with bushes that we could not see the nature of the ground. We had somehow to break through to the river which would give us our direction out of the mountains into the inhabited lowlands.
Our guide cut a narrow path through the bushes with his long knife and we followed in single file. Progress was slow. Then, when we thought we had really reached the river, we found ourselves instead on the edge of a cliff with a straight drop of 1000 feet to the water below. We climbed back up the slope and began to look for another way down. We climbed, slipped, sweated and scratched our hands to pieces and finally arrived at the river. Happily we strode downhill along its bank without having to cut our way. However, after a few miles the river entered a steep-sided gap between rocks and suddenly dropped thirty-five feet over a waterfall. There was no path alongside it and no way round it.
Then one of the guides saw a way of overcoming the difficulty. There was a fallen tree lying upside down over the waterfall with its leafy top resting on the opposite bank below the falls. Without hesitation he climbed down the slippery trunk to show us how easy it was. Having got to the fork of the tree, he moved hand over hand along a branch for four or five feet with his legs hanging in space, then he dropped onto the flat bank on the other side, throwing his arms in the air like a footballer who had scored a goal, and cheerfully waving us on.
16. Having reached the highest point on their route, the travelers expected to be able to . A. track animals to the river
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B. put away the maps they had been using C. approach the river from different direction D. get down to the river without much difficulty
17. The travelers wanted to get to the river because . A. it would lead them to the waterfall B. it would show them which way to go
C. it was the only possible route out of the mountains D. it was a quicker route
18. One reason why it took the travelers so long to get to the river was that . A. it was too hot to move quickly B. there was no proper path
C. they all tried to go in different ways D. they could not follow the animal tracks
19. The travelers were happy when they reached the river because . A. they had a sense of achievement B. the going was much easier then C. they were eager to see the waterfall
D. they knew they were near their destination
20. To get past the waterfall, the guide had to . A. use a fallen tree as a kind of bridge B. cross the river above the waterfall C. slide down a steep river bank
D. swing across the river from a high branch
Part Ⅳ Translation (40 minutes, 30 points, 15 points each)
Directions: There are two passages here. Put the underlined part in the first passage into Chinese and the second passage into English.
[1] It is simple enough to say that since books have classes — fiction, biography, poetry— we should separate them and take from each what it is right that each should give us. Yet few people ask from books what books can give us. Most commonly we come to books with blurred and divided minds, asking of fiction that it shall be true, of poetry that it shall be false, of biography that it shall be flattering, of history that it shall enforce our own prejudices. If we could banish all such preconceptions when we read, that would be an admirable beginning. Do not dictate to your author: try to become him. Be his fellow-worker and accomplice. If you hang back, and reserve and criticize at first, you are preventing yourself from getting the fullest possible, then signs and hints of almost imperceptible fineness, from the twist and turn of the first sentences, will bring you into the presence of a human being unlike any other. Steep yourself in this, acquaint yourself with this, and soon you will find that your author is giving you, or attempting to give you, something far more definite. The thirty-two chapters of a novel— if we consider how to read a novel first— are an attempt to make something as formed and controlled as a building: but words are more impalpable than bricks; reading is a longer and more complicated process than seeing. Perhaps the quickest way to understand the elements of what a novelist is doing is not to read, but to write; to make your own experience with dangers and difficulties of words. Recall, then, some
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event that has left a distinct impression on you— how at the corner of the street, perhaps, you passed two people talking. A tree shook; an electric light danced; the tone of the talk was comic, but also tragic; a whole vision, an entire conception, seemed contained in that moment.
[2] 从古至今多少诗人赞美过窗子，多少歌手歌唱过窗子，多少情人的眼睛凝望过窗子……
窗子的变化，是值得人们考察一番的。小小的窗子，几乎可以说，是文明的眼睛。在今后的日子里，窗子的变化会更加多种多样了。
窗子的玻璃会随着时钟，自动调和射进室内的光线，窗子会随着明暗变换颜色，窗框上装有循环水，它可以为居室的主人带走很多他发觉不到的天敌，又可以送进来他需要而又不易得到的芳香和养分……
有的窗子不需开，便能做到通风透光，它还可以把你不愿听到的声音隔在外边，但是悦耳的琴声，它是不会阻拦的……
打开窗子吧！现在开窗子就不光是为了迎进阳光、空气，或者远眺青山的青、新柳的绿、燕子飞来的掠影……而是迎接一个新的世纪。
Part Ⅴ Writing (40 minutes, 30 points)
Directions: Write a composition in English on the topic of “learning as a life-long profession”. The composition should be of no less than 400 words.
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