1、共 14 页 第 1 页 2017 年湖南农业大学硕士招生自命题科目试题 科目名称及代码： 单独考试英语 240 适 用 专 业： 所有专业单考生 考生需带的工具： 考生注意事项： 所有答案必须做在答题纸上，做在试题纸上一律无效； 按试题顺序答题，在答题纸上标明题目序号； 请将所选答案字母涂黑。如： ABCD 总分 : 100分； 考试时间： 180分钟 I. Use of English (10 points / 0.5 point each) Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numb
2、ered blank and mark A, B, C and D on the ANSWER SHEET. The term e-commerce refers to all commercial transactions conducted over the Internet, including transactions by consumers and business-to-business transactions. Conceptually, e-commerce does not _1_ from well-known commercial offerings such as
3、banking by phone, “mail order” catalogs, or sending a purchase order to supplier _2_ fax.E-commerce follows the same model _3_ in other business transactions; the difference _4_ in the details. To a consumer, the most visible form of e-commerce consists _5_ online ordering. A customer begins with a
4、catalog of possible items, _6_ an item, arranges a form of payment, and _7_ an order. Instead of a physical catalog, e-commerce arranges for catalogs to be _8_ on the Internet. Instead of sending an order on paper or by telephone, e-commerce arranges for orders to be sent _9_ a computer network. Fin
5、ally, instead of sending a paper representation of payment such as a check, e-commerce _10_ one to send payment information electronically. In the decade _11_ 1993, e-commerce grew from an _12_ novelty to a mainstream business influence. In 1993, few _13_ had a web page, and _14_ a handful allowed o
6、ne 共 14 页 第 2 页 to order products or services online. Ten years _15_, both large and small businesses had web pages, and most _16_ users with the opportunity to place an order. _17_, many banks added online access, _18_ online banking and bill paying became _19_. More importantly, the value of goods
7、 and services _20_ over the Internet grew dramatically after 1997. 1.A distract B descend C differ D derive 2.A with B via C from D off 3.A appeared B used C resorted D served 4.A situates B lies C roots D locates 5.A on B of C for D to 6.A reflects B detects C protects D selects 7.A sends in B puts
8、 out C stands for D carries away 8.A visible B responsible C feasible D sensible 9.A beside B over C beyond D up 10.A appeals B admits C advocates D allows 11.A after B behind C until D toward 12.A optional B invalid C occasional D insignificant 13.A communities B corps C corporations D compounds 14
9、.A largely B slightly C solely D only 15.A lately B later C late D latter 16.A offered B convinced C equipped D provided 17.A Instead B Nevertheless C However D Besides 18.A and B or C but D though 19.A different B flexible C widespread D productive 20.A acquired B adapted C practiced D proceeded II
10、. Reading Comprehension(40 points / 2 points each) Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C and D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. TEXT ONE 共 14 页 第 3 页 High-quality customer service is preached by many ,but actually keeping customers
11、 happy is easier said than done. Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store, but instead will alert their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers-and anyone who will listen. Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular cus
12、tomers decide t frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by Verde group and Wharton school. “Storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers,”said Paula Courtney, President of the Verde group.”the store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.
13、” On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four other, and will no longer visit the specific store for every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative reviews. The resulting “snowball effect” can be disastrous to retailers. According to the researc
14、h, shoppers who purchased clothing encountered the most problems. ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers. The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople. During peak s
15、hopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty parking spaces. This guidance eliminated the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided confronta
16、tion between those eyeing the same parking space. Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions. Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and p
17、olite with angry customers. “Retailers whore responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who arent so friendly.” said Professor Stephen Hoch.“Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help.” Customers can also improve future shopping experiences
18、by filing complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve 共 14 页 第 4 页 when they have no idea what is wrong. 21. Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints? A Most customers wont bother to complain even if they have had
19、 unhappy experiences. B Customers would rather relate their unhappy experiences to people around them. C Few customers believe the service will be improved. D Customers have no easy access to store managers. 22. What does Paula Courtney imply by saying “ the shopper must also find a replacement” (Li
20、ne 2, Para. 4)? A New customers are bound to replace old ones. B It is not likely the shopper can find the same products in other stores. C Most stores provide the same D Not complaining to the manager causes the shopper some trouble too. 23. Shop owners often hire moonlighting police as parking att
21、endants so that shoppers_. A can stay longer browsing in the store B wont have trouble parking their cars C wont have any worries about security D can find their cars easily after shopping 24. What contributes most to smoothing over issues with customers? A Manners of the salespeople B Hiring of eff
22、icient employees C Huge supply of goods for sale D Design of the store layout. 25. To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to _. A exert pressure on stores to improve their service B settle their disputes with stores in a diplomatic way 共 14 页 第 5 页 C voice their dissatisfactio
23、n to store managers directly D shop around and make comparisons between stores TEXT TWO Scientists have devised a way to determine roughly where a person has lived using a strand of hair , a technique that could help track the movements of criminal suspects or unidentified murder victims . The metho
24、d relies on measuring how chemical variations in drinking water show up in peoples hair. “Youre what you eat and drink, and thats recorded in you hair,” said Thure Cerling, a geologist at the University of Utah. While U.S diet is relatively identical, water supplies vary. The differences result from
25、 weather patterns. The chemical composition of rainfall changes slightly as raid clouds move. Most hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water are stable , but traces of both elements are also present as heavier isotopes . The heaviest raid falls first .As a result, storms that form over the Pacific deliver
26、heavier water to California than to Utah.Similar patterns exist throughout the U.S. By measuring the proportion of heavier hydrogen and oxygen isotopes along a strand of hair, scientists can construct a geographic timeline. Each inch of hair corresponds to about two months. Cerlings team collected t
27、ap water samples from 600 cities and constructed a mop of the regional differences. They checked the accuracy of the map by testing 200 hair samples collected from 65 barber shops. They were able to accurately place the hair samples in broad regions roughly corresponding to the movement of raid syst
28、ems.“Its not good for pinpointing ,” Cerling said . “Its good for eliminating many possibilities.”Todd Park, a local detective, said the method has helped him learn more about an unidentified woman whose skeleton was found near Great Salt Lake.The woman was 5 feet tall. Police recovered 26 bones, a
29、T-shirt and several strands of hair.When Park heard about the research, he gave the hair samples to the researchers. Chemical testing showed that over the two years before her death, she moved about every two months. She stayed in the Northwest, although the test could not be more specific than some
30、where between eastern Oregon and western Wyoming.“Its still a substantial area,” Park 共 14 页 第 6 页 said “But it narrows it way down for me.” 26. What is the scientists new discovery? A Ones hair growth has to do with the amount of water they drink. B A persons hair may reveal where they have lived.
31、C Hair analysis accurately identifies criminal suspects. D The chemical composition of hair varies from person to person. 27. What does the author mean by “Youre what you eat and drink.” (Line 2, Para.2)? A Food and drink affect ones personality development. B Food and drink preferences vary with in
32、dividuals. C Food and drink leave traces in ones body tissues. D Food and drink are indispensable to ones existence. 28. What is said about the rainfall in Americas West? A There is much more rainfall in California than in Utah. B The water it delivers becomes lighter when it moves inland. C Its che
33、mical composition is less stable than in other areas. D It gathers more light isotopes as it moves eastward. 29. What did Cerlings team produce in their research? A A map showing the regional differences of tap water. B A collection of hair samples from various barber shops. C A method to measure th
34、e amount of water in human hair. D A chart illustrating the movement of the rain system. 30. What is the practical value of Cerlings research? A It helps analyze the quality of water in different regions. B It helps the police determine where a crime is committed. C It helps the police narrow down p
35、ossibilities in detective work. D It helps identify the drinking habits of the person under investigation. 共 14 页 第 7 页 TEXT THREE By almost any measure , there is a boom in Internet-based instruction . In just a few years , 34 percent of American universities have begun offering some form of distan
36、ce learning (DL), and among the larger schools , its closer to 90 percent . If you doubt the popularity of the trend, you probably havent . It enrolls 90,000 student , a statistic used to support its claim to be the largest private university in the country. While the kinds of instruction offered in
37、 these programs will differ, DL usually signifies a course in which the instructions post syllabi, reading assignments , and schedules on Websites , and students send in their assignments by e-mail . Generally speaking , face-to-face communication with an instructor is minimized or eliminated altoge
38、ther. The attraction for students might at first seem obvious . Primarily , theres the convenience promised by courses on the Net: you can do the work, as they say , in your pajamas. But figures indicate that the reduced effort results in a reduced commitment to the course . While dropout rates for
39、all freshmen at American universities is around 20 percent , the rate for online students is 35 percent . Students themselves seem to understand the weaknesses inherent in the setup . In a survey conducted for e-Cornell , the DL division of Cornell University , less than a third of the respondents e
40、xpected the quality of the online course to be as good as the classroom course. Clearly from the schools perspective , theres a lot of money to be saved . Although some of the more ambitious programs require new investments in servers and networks to support collaborative software , most DL courses
41、can run on existing or minimally upgraded systems . The more students who enroll in a course but dont come to campus , the more the school saves on keeping the lights on in the classrooms , paying doorkeepers , and maintaining parking lots , And theres evidence that instructors must work harder to r
42、un a DL course for a variety of reasons , wont be paid any more , and might well be paid less. 31. What is the most striking feature of the University of Phoenix? A All its courses are offered online. B Its online courses are of the best quality. 共 14 页 第 8 页 C It boasts the largest number of studen
43、ts on campus D Anyone taking its online courses is sure to get a degree. 32 According to the passage , distance learning is basically characterized by_. A A considerable flexibility in its academic requirements B The great diversity of students academic backgrounds C A minimum or total absence of fa
44、ce-to-face instruction D t the casual relationship between students and professors 33. Many students take Internet -based courses mainly because they can_. A Earn their academic degrees with much less effort B Save a great deal on traveling and boarding expenses C Select courses from various college
45、s and universities D Work on the required courses whenever and wherever 34. What accounts for the high drop-out rates for online students? A There is no strict control over the academic standards of the courses. B The evaluation system used by online universities is inherently weak. C There is no me
46、chanism to ensure that they make the required effort. D Lack of classroom interaction reduces the effectiveness of instruction. 35. According to the passage, universities show great enthusiasm for DL programs for the purpose of_. A building up their reputation C upgrading their teaching facilities B
47、 cutting down on their expenses D providing convenience for students TEXT FOUR Everyone is interested in whether different foods or nutrients affect our odds of getting diseases like cancer or of developing risk factors for those diseases, such as too much weight or high blood pressure. But there are many barriers to studying dietary change, which is why 共 14 页 第 9 页 we still have no easy answers to the question of what, exactly, we should eat to be at our healthiest. Its also why you can be forgiven for often feeling whipsawed by headlines: Is coffee good or
