历年天津大学考博英语真题
Direction: Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read
four times. During the first reading the passage will be read at normal speed and
you are supposed to listen only and try to have a general understanding of it. For
the second and third readings the passage will be read sentence by sentence or phrase
by phase with an interval of 12-15 seconds in between for writing. The last reading
will be done at the normal speed again for you to check up.
II Vocabulary and
Structure (10%)
Directions: There are 20 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence
there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D. Circle the one that best completes
the sentence.
1. It was very kind of you to get me something for my birthday, but you me such
an expensive present.
[A] didn‘t need buying [B] needn’t buy [C] needn‘t have bought [D] hadn’
t needed to buy
2. The——of a cultural phenomenon is usually a logical consequence of some
physical aspect in the life style of the people.
[A] manifestation [B] implementation [C] expedition [D] demonstration
3. He is holding a——position in the company and expects to be promoted soon.
[A] subordinate [B] succeeding [C] successive [D] subsequent
4. In American universities, classes are often arranged in more flexible—
—and many jobs on campus are reserved for students.
[A] scales [B] ranks [C] grades [D] patterns
5. The government gave a very explanation of its plan for economic development.
[A] comprehensive [B] compound [C] considerable [D] complacent
6. In my opinion, you can widen the of these improvements through your active
participation. [A] dimension [B] volume [C] magnitude [D] scope
7.No Tobacco Dayis the day when the world Health Organization to people to stop
using tobacco products. [A] asks [B] applies [C] appeals [D] urges
8. The dentist‘s confident manner me that I was in safe hands. [A] insured [B]
assured [C] ensured [D] secured
9. We prefer that the plan before being put into execution. [A] be fully discussed
[B] must be fully discussed [C] will be fully discussed [D] is fully discussed
10. The sound of footsteps on the bare floor the downstairs neighbors. [A]
disturbed [B] interrupted [C] annoyed [D] irritated
11. I asked him for a job the impression that he was the head of the firm, but
he wasn‘t. [A] with [B] under [C] in [D] of
12. It‘s no good remember grammatical rules. You need to practice what you have
learned. [A] trying to [B] try to [C] to try to [D] tried to
13. The dictator relied on abuse of its opponents on sounding reasoning. [A]
more than [B] rather than [C] other than [D] better than
14. To make the best and the most efficient of your time and to achieve your
goals, start each day by your agenda. [A] holding on [B] making out [C] keeping
on [D] taking down
15. Once the question is put, we know try to obtain the answer. [A] to proceed
in direction to [B] where direction proceed to [C] in which direction to proceed
to [D] which direction proceed toward
16. During the opera‘s most famous aria, the tempo chosen by the orchestra’
s conductor seemed , without necessary relation to what had gone before [A] tedious
[B] melodious [C] capricious [D] moderation
17. It is time the nations of the world a halt to the manufacture of nuclear
weapons. [A] would call [B] call [C] called [D] will call
18.When the drops were placed in the patient‘s eyes, his pupils became . [A]
dilated [B] smaller [C] irritated [D] sensible
19. To visit zoos that simulate the natural habitats of animals of great interest
to zoologists. [A] are [B] be [C] were [D] is
20. Mr. Smith with the government for thirty-seven years by the time he retires.
[A] will work [B] will have worked [C] will be working [D] will have been worked
III Sentence Transformation (20%)
Directions: Rewrite each of the following sentences by using the word (s)
below it so that each new sentence means roughly the same as the original one. In
some instances it may be necessary to change the tense of the given word (s)。
1. He is warm-hearted, but this doesn‘t mean that he is bright.(follow)
2. The manager has asked me to consider this proposal carefully.(consideration)
3. The garden is too small for a swimming pool.(room)
4. Increasing the tax on household goods is bound to cause trouble. It‘s asking
5. The museum is closed this afternoon. There is
6. Don‘t touch those wires in any circumstances. Under
7. The small number of potential buyers does not provide a sufficiently large
market for this kind of apparatus.(enough)
8. I was finally able to convince him of its value. I finally succeeded
9. Film makers understandably lose much of their interest in the genre.(appeal
to )
10. Not all of the people like this movie.(popular)
IV Cloze (10%)
Directions: Read through the following passage and then decide which of the
choices given below could correctly complete the passage if inserted in the
corresponding blanks. Circle the correct choice for each blank.
An interesting theory in economics is 1 by the Head Man of a small mountain tribe.
If seems that this tribe was very good at making straw mats that had great sales
2 in the 3 market. The representative of an American company went to visit the tribe
and tried to make a good business deal. He 4 to the Head Man and 5 that his company
would like to 6 several thousand pieces.
Undoubtedly, he said, the business 7 would be 8 to the tribe. After some
thoughts, the Head Man 9 , but announced that the price per piece would be 10 in
such a 11 order than it would be if 12 a small order were placed. The representative
was 13 than a little shocked 14 the business sense of the Head Man 15 insisted that
the price should be 16 because of the large volume, and 17 not higher.No,replied
the head of the tribe 18 .But why not ?asked the American.Because 19 is so tiresome
to make the 20 article over and over,answered the Head Man. 1. A. illustrated B.
appreciated C. demonstrated D. anticipated 2. A. capacity B. potential C. ability
D. fortune 3. A. straw B. global C. world D. earth 4. A. addressed B. spoke C. asked
D. told 5. A. declared B. confirmed C. demanded D. gestured 6. A. order B. sell C.
dispose D. make 7. A. treaty B. pact C. matter D. deal 8. A. effective B. efficient
C. valuable D. profitable 9. A. agreed B. accepted C. refused D. received 10. A.
lower B. higher C. expensive D. cheaper 11. A. small B. big C. vast D. high 12. A.
certainly B. really C. only D. simply 13. A. greater B. stronger C. less D. more
14. A. from B. of C. at D. since 15. A. who B. and C. then D. therefore 16. A. lower
B. higher C. little D. raised 17. A. never B. really C. certainly D. yet 18. A. weakly
B. happily C. stubbornly D.hesitatingly 19. A. he B. it C. what D. work 20. A. similar
B. beautiful C. alike D. same
V Reading Comprehension (20%)
Directions: In this part there are four passages followed by questions or
unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A),B),C) and D)。
Choose the one that you think is the correct answer.
1) A report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is how friendly,
courteous, and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair, this observation
is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians, and should best be considered North
American. There are, of course, exceptions. Small-minded officials, rude waiters,
and ill-mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US. Yet it is an observation
made so frequently that it deserves comment.
For a long period of time and in many parts of the country, a traveler was a
welcome brak in an otherwise dull existence. Dullness and loneliness were common
problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers
and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside
world.
The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality.
Someone traveling alone, if hungry, injured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn
except to the nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the
traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers. It reflected
the harshness of daily life: if you didn‘t take in the stranger and take care of
him, there was no one else who would, And someday, remember, you might be in
the same situation.
Today there are many charitable organizations that specialized in helping the
weary traveler. Yet, the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very
strong in the US, especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy
tourist trails.I was just traveling through, got talking with this American, and
pretty soon he invited me home for dinner-amazing.Such observations reported by
visitors to the US are not uncommon, but are not always understood properly. The
casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial
nor as artificial, but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition.
As is true of any developed society, in America a complex set of cultural
signals, assumptions, and conventions underlies all social interrelationships.
And, of course, speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone
understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail totranslatecultural
meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions. For example, when an American uses
the wordfriend, the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from
those it has in the visitor‘s language and culture. It takes more than a brief
encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual
interest. Yet,being friendly is a virtue that many Americans value highly and expect
from both neighbors and strangers.
1. The wordobservationin the first paragraph most probably means [A] attention.
[B] watchfulness. [C] survey [D] opinion.
2. People in frontier settlements used to entertain travelers because these
strangers would______. [A] bring good news from outside world. [B] help locals solve
their problems. [C] bring a change to the life in the settlements. [D] requires a
different definition.
3. Nowadays the tradition of friendliness to strangers______. [A] is still
prevailing. [B] can rarely be seen [C] is wading fast [D] requires a different
definition
4. According to the passage, which of the following is true? 考博网编辑
kaobo.net kaobo.cn
[A] People are still fond of traveling to remote places. [B] Foreign travelers
now keep away from busy tourist trails. [C] There is no charitable organization in
small cities. [D] Foreign visitors to the US have trouble understanding American
‘s friendliness.
5. From the last paragraph of the passage we have learned that______ [A] the
ability of speaking a foreign language implies a better understanding of its culture.
[B] various virtues manifest themselves exclusively among friends. [C] culture
exercises a great influence on social interrelationships. [D] courteous convention
and individual interest are closely interrelated. 考博网编辑 kaobo.net kaobo.cn
2)It is well known that when an individual joins a group he tends to accept
the group ‘ s standards of behavior and thinking. He is expected to behave in
accordance with these norms-in other words the group expects him to conform. Many
illustrations could be given of this from everyday life, but what is of particular
interest to psychologists is the extent to which people’s judgments and opinions
can be changed as a result of group pressure.
In a typical experiment, the experimenter asks for volunteers to join a group
that is investigating visual perception. The victims are not, therefore, aware
of the real purpose of the experiment. Each volunteer is taken to a room where he
finds a group of about seven people who are collaborating with the experimenter.
The group is shown a standard card which contains a single line. They are then asked
to look at a second card. This has three lines on it. One is obviously longer than
the line on the first card, one is shorter and one the same length. They have to
say which line on the second card is the same length as the line on the standard
card. The other members of the group answer first but what the volunteer does not
know is that they have been told to pick one of the wrong lines. The volunteer sees
that the other members of the group unanimously choose a line which is obviously
not the same length as the one on the standard card.
When it is his turn to answer he is faced with the unanimous opinion of the group
-all the others have chosen line A but he quite clearly sees line B as correct.
What will he do? According to Asch, more than half of the victims chosen will change
their opinion. What is equally surprising is that, when interviewed about their
answers, most explained that they knew the group choice was incorrect but that they
yielded to the pressure of the group because they thought they must be suffering
from an optical illusion.
6. Psychologists are interested in ________. [A] how far group pressure can
influence people‘s judgments. [B] how to make judgments according to everyday
experience. [C] how to change people’s judgments. [D] the group‘s standards of
social behaviour.
7. In the experiment. Who have been told to pick the wrong line?
[A] The victims. [B] The volunteer. [C] The experimenter. [D] The other members.
8. In what circumstances do most people yield to pressure?
[A] When the group is separated. [B] When the group is unanimous. [C] When they
know they are the victims. [D] When they are forced to answer questions.
9. The experiments demonstrate that _______. [A] nearly every individual will
behave differently from others [B] group pressure is caused by the interference of
the psychologists. [C] psychologists wish to change the people‘s judgments and
opinions. [D] people will change their ideas under group pressure.
10.The best title of this passage would be _________. [A]A Typical Experiment.
[B]Are We Afraid to be Different?
[C]The Group‘s Standards of Behavior and Thinking. [D]Dose an Individual Need
to Follow a Group’s Standards?
3 )The single business of Henry Thoreau ,during forty-old years of eager
activity was to discover an economy calculated to provide a satisfying life .His
one concern ,that gave to his ramblings in Concord fields a value of high adventure ,
was to explore the true meaning of wealth .As he understood the problem of economics ,
there three possible solutions open to him :to exploit himself ,to exploit his
fellows ,or to reduce the problem to its lowest denominator .The first was quite
impossible–to imprison oneself in a treadmill when the morning called to great
adventure .To exploit one‘s fellows seemed to Thoreau’s sensitive social conscience
an even greater infidelity .Freedom with abstinence seemed to him better than serfdom
with material well-being ,and he was content to move to Walden Pond and to set about
the high business of living ,to confront only the essential facts of life and to
see what it had to teach .He did not advocate that other men should build cabins
and live isolated .He had no wish to dogmatize concerning the best mode of living-each
must settle that for himself .But that a satisfying life should be lived ,he was
vitally concerned .The story of his emancipation from the lower economics is the
one romance of his life ,and Walden is his great book .It is a book In praise of
life rather than of Nature ,a record of calculating economics that studied saving
in order to spend more largely .But it is a book of social criticism as well ,
in spite of its explicit denial of such a purpose .In considering the true nature
of economy he concluded ,with Ruskin , that the cost of a thing is the amount of
life that is required in exchange for it ,immediately or in the long run .In Walden
Thoreau elaborated the text :The only wealth is life . 考博网编辑 kaobo.net kaobo.cn
11.Thoueau started an experiment at Walden Pond with the hope of ______.
[A]learning how to live quietly . [B]writing a book on philosophy . [C]discovering
what humans can learn from nature. [D]working out the best adjustment to material
life .
12.To Thoreau the best solution to the problem of economics is _______. [A]to
live a very simple life . [B]to become self–sufficient. [C]to live in the country .
[D]to reform the society .
13.Thoreau holds that the crucial thing for people to do is to ________. [A]have
a better understanding of what life means . [B]live harmoniously with nature . [C]to
save as much as one possibly can . [D]to live a life that one is content with .
14.In the bookWaldenall of the following can be found except________. [A] the
nature of economy. [B] the meaning of freedom. [C] the criticism of society. [D]
Ruskin‘s philosophy.
15. Thoreau‘s attitude toward society can best be characterized as one of _______.
[A] acceptance. [B] avoidance. [C]indifference [D] individualism
4)
Automation refers to the introduction of electronic control and automatic
operation of productive machinery. It reduces the human factors , mental and
physical, in production, and is designed to make possible the manufacture of more
goods with fewer workers. The development of automation in American industry has
been called theSecond Industrial Revolution.
Labor‘s concern over automation arises from uncertainty about its effects on
employment, and fears of major changes in jobs. In the main, labor has taken the
view that resistance to technological change is futile. In the long run, the result
of automation may well be an increase in employment, since it is expected that vast
industries will grow up around manufacturing , maintaining , and repairing
automation equipment. Unquestionably, however, there will be major shifts in jobs
within plants and displacement of labor from one industry to another. The interest
of labor lies in bringing about this transition with a minimum of inconvenience and
distress to the workers involved. Also, union spokesmen emphasize that the benefit
of the increased production and lower costs made possible by automation should be
shared by workers in the form of higher wages, more leisure, and improved living
standards.
To protect the interests of their members in the era of automation, unions have
adopted a number of new policies. One of these is the promotion of supplementary
unemployment benefits plans. It is emphasized that since the employer involved in
SUB plan has a direct financial stake in preventing unemployment, he will have a
strong incentive for planning new installations so as to cause the least possible
disruption in jobs and job assignments. Some unions are working for dismissal pay
agreements, requiring that permanently laid off workers be paid a sum of money based
on length of service. Another approach is the idea of theimprovement factor,which
calls for wage increase based on increases in productivity. It is probable, however,
that labor will rely mainly on reduction in working hours in order to gain a full
share in the fruits of automation.
16. We learn from paragraph 1 that automation will probably lead to_______. [A]
industrial expansion [B] an increase in employment [C] displacement of labor from
one industry to another. [D] an increase in unemployment.
17. Labor has the opinion that _______. [A] all efforts must be made to prevent
automation [B] automation will cause a rise in consumer costs [C] its main interest
lies in increasing all wages. [D] technological change cannot be stopped.
18. What is the relation between automation and employment in the opinion of
labor?
[A] Automation will definitely leads to more unemployment. [B] From a long-term
point of view automation will bring about more jobs. [C] Automation will not cause
much change in employment [D] sooner of later automation will do all the work instead
of man
19. The union stresses that ________. [A] workers should also enjoy the fruits
brought about by automation. [B] no workers should be fired in the development of
automation [C] it is necessary to slow down the development of automation [D] workers
should be paid according to their length of service
20. How many new policies of the unions have been listed in this passage?
[A]1 [B]2 [C]3 [D]
5)
VI Writing (20%)
Directions: People may hold different views as to the dispute over when the
shaping of a person‘s character, or natural disposition is completed. Some people
state that the process of forming one’s character is fulfilled in one‘s childhood,
whereas others argue that it is achieved after one finishes his school studies or
has worked for a year beyond campus. What do you think? Provide details in support
of your argument with at least 180 words.
2008 年 10 月 06 日
天津大学
Direction: Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read
four times. During the first reading the passage will be read at normal speed and
you are supposed to listen only and try to have a general understanding of it. For
the second and third readings the passage will be read sentence by sentence or phrase
by phase with an interval of 12-15 seconds in between for writing. The last reading
will be done at the normal speed again for you to check up.
II Vocabulary and
Structure (10%)
Directions: There are 20 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence
there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D. Circle the one that best completes
the sentence.
1. It was very kind of you to get me something for my birthday, but you me such
an expensive present.
[A] didn‘t need buying [B] needn’t buy [C] needn‘t have bought [D] hadn’
t needed to buy
2. The——of a cultural phenomenon is usually a logical consequence of some
physical aspect in the life style of the people.
[A] manifestation [B] implementation [C] expedition [D] demonstration
3. He is holding a——position in the company and expects to be promoted soon.
[A] subordinate [B] succeeding [C] successive [D] subsequent
4. In American universities, classes are often arranged in more flexible—
—and many jobs on campus are reserved for students.
[A] scales [B] ranks [C] grades [D] patterns
5. The government gave a very explanation of its plan for economic development.
[A] comprehensive [B] compound [C] considerable [D] complacent
6. In my opinion, you can widen the of these improvements through your active
participation. [A] dimension [B] volume [C] magnitude [D] scope
7.No Tobacco Dayis the day when the world Health Organization to people to stop
using tobacco products. [A] asks [B] applies [C] appeals [D] urges
8. The dentist‘s confident manner me that I was in safe hands. [A] insured [B]
assured [C] ensured [D] secured
9. We prefer that the plan before being put into execution. [A] be fully discussed
[B] must be fully discussed [C] will be fully discussed [D] is fully discussed
10. The sound of footsteps on the bare floor the downstairs neighbors. [A]
disturbed [B] interrupted [C] annoyed [D] irritated
11. I asked him for a job the impression that he was the head of the firm, but
he wasn‘t. [A] with [B] under [C] in [D] of
12. It‘s no good remember grammatical rules. You need to practice what you have
learned. [A] trying to [B] try to [C] to try to [D] tried to
13. The dictator relied on abuse of its opponents on sounding reasoning. [A]
more than [B] rather than [C] other than [D] better than
14. To make the best and the most efficient of your time and to achieve your
goals, start each day by your agenda. [A] holding on [B] making out [C] keeping
on [D] taking down
15. Once the question is put, we know try to obtain the answer. [A] to proceed
in direction to [B] where direction proceed to [C] in which direction to proceed
to [D] which direction proceed toward
16. During the opera‘s most famous aria, the tempo chosen by the orchestra’
s conductor seemed , without necessary relation to what had gone before [A] tedious
[B] melodious [C] capricious [D] moderation
17. It is time the nations of the world a halt to the manufacture of nuclear
weapons. [A] would call [B] call [C] called [D] will call