北京大学 2014 年考博英语真题
1. _________ before we leave the day after tomorrow, we should have a wonderful
time together.
[A] Had they arrived
to arrive
[B] Would they arrive
[C] Were they arriving
[D] Were they
2._________ last year and is now earning his living as an advertising agent.
[A] He would leave school
He has left school
[B] He left school
[C] He had left school
[D]
3.Some people viewed the findings with caution, noting that a cause-and-effect
relationship between passive smoking and cancer remained _________.
[A] to be shown
[B] to have been shown
[C] to have shown
[D] being shown
4.__________ that should be given priority to.
[A] It is the committee has decided
[C] It is what the committee has decided
[B] It is only the committee has decided
[D] It is what has the committee decided
5. The most interesting new cars may owe __________ the simple wisdom of hiring
a few talented people and allowing them to work.
[A] less local free-spiritedness than
to
[C] to less local free-spiritedness than
[B] less local free-spiritedness than to
to
[D] less to local free-spiritedness than
6. Over the years, Jimmy Connors __________ phenomenal displays of tennis and temper
—and at the U.S. Open last week, he exhibited both again.
[A] has treated spectators with
[C] has treated spectators
[B] has treated spectator for
[D] has treated spectators to
7. Summer holidays spent on the hot ghetto streets are __________ the time
middle-class students devote to camps, exotic vacations and highly organized
sports.
[A] as hardly culturally enriching as
[C] hardly as culturally enriching as
[B] as hardly enriching culture as
[D] hardly as cultural enriching as
8. The major obstacle to the reform in New Orleans, __________, is money.
[A] as is it across the country
across the country
[D] as were it across the country
[C] as it were across the country [B] as it is
9.Nearly all trees have seeds that fall to the earth, take root, and eventually
__________.
[A] generate new seeds
[C] generates new seeds
[B] new seeds generated
[D] new seeds are generated
10. The well-maintained facility in San Francisco _________ leagues in virtually
every sport.
[A] were home to
[B] was the home of
[C] was home to
[D] was home of
11. Students at these schools test far below the state average in reading, and their
scores have improved only __________.
[A] marginally
[B] marvelously
[C] martially
[D] markably
12. I was in some doubt as to whether the Corporal had __________ us accidentally
on his way out of the town or if he'd been deliberately tasked.
[A]crashed on
[B]bumped into
[C]fallen against [D]puzzled about
13. In previous time, when fresh meat was in short __________, pigeons were kept
by many households as a source of food.
[A] storage
[B] reserve [C] supply
[D] provision
14. The hospital denies there is any connection between the disciplinary action
and Dr. Reid’s __________ about health problems.
[A] allegiance
[B] alliance [C] allegations
[D] alliteration
15. The organization issued a cry of alarm last week, citing “__________ evidence”
that those children are not receiving the same quality of education as their richer
peers.
[A] comparing
[B] completing
[C] compelling
[D] composing
16. Since no one could __________ his scribbling, the chief editor decided to replace
him with another columnist.
[A] encode
[B] decipher [C] clear
[D] identify
17.Many Fine Art graduates take __________ professional practice as artists, and
this course encourages them to consider their role as artists in the community by
providing opportunities for short-term placements outside the Faculty.
[A] down [B] up
[C] out
[D] in
18. The statement said the people of Srebrenica __________ to the presidents of
the United States and France to help halt the offensive.
[A] aroused
[B] ascribed
[C] acclaimed
[D] appealed
19. The professor stopped for a drink and then __________ with his lecture on the
Indian culture.
[A] proceeded
[B] processed
[C] preferred
[D] presented
20. Although the false banknotes fooled many people, they did not __________ close
examination.
[A] put up with
[B] keep up with
[C] stand up to
[D] look up to
Part III: Reading Comprehension Section A
Directions: Each of the following three passages is followed by some questions.
For each question four answers are given. Read the passages carefully and choose
the best answer to each question. Mark your choices on the ANSWER SHEET. (10%)
Passage One
In science the meaning of the word “explain” suffers with civilization’s every
step in search of reality. Science cannot really explain electricity, magnetism,
and gravitation; their effects can be measured and predicted, but of their nature
no more is known to the modern scientist than to Thales who first speculated on
the electrification of amber. Most contemporary physicists reject the notion that
man can ever discover what these mysterious forces
“really” are. Electricity, Bertrand Russell says, “is not a thing, like St. Paul’
s Cathedral; it is a way in which things behave. When we have told how things behave
when they are electrified, and under what circumstances they are electrified, we
have told all there is to tell.” Until recently scientists would have disapproved
of such an idea. Aristotle, for example, whose natural science dominated Western
thought for two thousand years, believed that man could arrive at an understanding
of reality by reasoning from self-evident principles. He felt, for example, that
it is a self-evident principle that everything in the universe has its proper place,
hence one can deduce that objects fall to the ground because that’s where they
belong, and smoke goes up because that’s where it belongs. The goal of Aristotelian
science was to explain why things happen. Modern science was born when Galileo began
trying to explain how things happen and thus originated the method of controlled
experiment which now forms the basis of scientific investigation.
21. Bertrand Russell’s notion about electricity is __________.
[A] disapproved of by most modern scientists
[B] in agreement with Aristotle’s theory of self-evident principles
[C] in agreement with scientific investigation directed toward “how” things happen
[D] in agreement with scientific investigation directed toward “why” things happen
42. The passage says that until recently scientists disagreed with the idea that
__________.
[A] there are self-evident principles
universe [C] man cannot discover what forces “really” are
why things behave as they do
[B] there are mysterious forces in the
[D] we can discover
22. The expression “speculated on” (line 4) means __________ .
[B] suspected
[C] expected
[D] engaged in
[A] considered
buying and selling
Passage Two
The concept of personal choice in relation to health behaviors is an important one.
An estimated 90 percent of all illnesses may be preventable if individuals would
make sound personal health choices based upon current medical knowledge. We all
enjoy our freedom of choice and do not like to see it restricted when it is within
the legal and moral boundaries of society. The structure of American society allows
us to make almost all our own personal decisions that may concern our health. If
we so desire, we can smoke, drink excessively, refuse to wear seat belts, eat
whatever foods we want, and live a completely sedentary life-style without any
exercise. The freedom to make such personal decisions is a fundamental aspect of
our society, although the wisdom of these decisions can be questioned. Personal
choices relative to health often cause a difficulty. As one example, a teenager
may know the facts relative to smoking cigarettes and health but may be pressured
by friends into believing it is the socially accepted thing to do. A multitude of
factors, both inherited and environmental, influence the development of
health-related behaviors, and it is beyond the scope of this text to discuss all
these factors as they may affect any given individual. However, the decision to
adopt a particular health-related behavior is usually one of personal choice. There
are healthy choices and there are unhealthy choices. In discussing the morals of
personal choice, Fries and Crapo draw a comparison. They suggest that to knowingly
give oneself over to a behavior that has a statistical probability of shortening
life is similar to attempting suicide. Thus, for those individuals who are
interested in preserving both the quality and quantity of life, personal health
choices should reflect those behaviors that are associated with a statistical
probability of increased vitality and longevity.
23. The concept of personal choice concerning health is important because
__________.
[A] it is essential to personal freedom in American society
[B] it helps raise the level of our medical knowledge
[C] personal health choices help cure most illnesses
[D] wrong decisions could lead to poor health
24. Sound personal health choice is often difficult to make because __________.
[A] current medical knowledge is still insufficient
[B] there are many factors influencing our decisions
[C] people are usually influenced by the behavior of their friends
[D] few people are willing to trade the quality of life for the quantity of life
25. According to Fries and Crapo, sound health choice should be based on __________.
[A] personal decisions
statistical evidence
[B] society’s laws
[C]friends’ opinions
[D]
Passage Three
For gathering data about individuals or groups at different developmental levels,
researchers can use two related research designs: longitudinal and cross-sectional.
A longitudinal study is one that measures a behavior or a characteristic of an
individual over a period of time, perhaps decades. An example of such a study is
the Berkeley Growth Study begun in 1928 by Nancy Bayley. The study focused on a
group of 74 white, middle-class newborns. As they grew older, extensive measures
of their intellectual, personality, and motor development were recorded. The
subjects were studied for more than thirty years.
The longitudinal research design is a powerful technique for seeking understandings
of the effects of early experiences on later development. Also, differences in or
stability of behaviors or characteristics at different ages can be determined.
Longitudinal studies, however, are expensive to conduct, time-consuming, and
heavily contingent on the patience and persistence of the researchers. The findings
of a longitudinal study may be jeopardized by relocation of subjects to another
part of the country and by boredom or irritation at repeated testing. Another
disadvantage is that society changes from one time to another and the subjects
participating in the study reflect to some degree such changes. The methods of study
or the questions guiding the researchers may also change from one time to another.
If properly conducted, however, longitudinal studies can produce useful, direct
information about development.
A cross-sectional study is one in which subjects of differing ages are selected
and compared on a specific behavior or characteristic. They are alike with respect
to socioeconomic status, sex, or educational level. For example, a researcher may
be interested in looking at changes in intelligence over a thirty-year period. Three
groups of subjects, ages ten, twenty, and thirty, may be selected and tested.
Conclusions are drawn from the test data.
The cross-sectional research design has the clear advantage of being less expensive
to conduct and certainly less time-consuming. The major disadvantage is that
different individuals who make up the study sample have not been observed over time.
No information about past influences on development or about age-related changes
is secured. Like longitudinal studies, the cross-sectional methods cannot erase
the generational influence that exists when subjects studied are born at different
time. Psychologists are now beginning to use an approach that combines longitudinal
and cross-sectional research methods.
26. Which of the following is NOT one of the disadvantages of a longitudinal research?
[A] The subjects may become irritated at repeated testing.
[B] The participants in the study may not stay in one place for many years.
[C] The behavior of a subject in the study may be measured continuously for many
years.
[D] Social changes may be reflected in the behaviors of the subjects participating
in the study.
27. The word “contingent” in the third paragraph probably means __________.
[A] dependent
[B] consecutive
[C] determined
[D] continual
28. Which of the following statements is true?
[A] The subjects in a cross-sectional research are not of the same age group.
[B] The methods of study in longitudinal research will not change over time.
[C] Longitudinal research is reliable only in seeking understandings of the effects
of early experiences on later development.
[D] Cross-sectional methods are not usually adopted in studying, for example, the
changes in intelligence over a thirty-year period.
29.One of the differences between cross-sectional research and longitudinal
research is that __________.
[A] the latter usually focuses on only one subject, while the former involves groups
of subjects
[B] the former can be free from the influence of social changes
[C] the latter can be free from the influence of social changes
[D] the former costs less money and takes less time