1、考博英语-590 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Cloze(总题数：1，分数：10.00)A jungle is a thick, tangled mass of tropical plant life. Low bushes, ferns, vines, and young trees grow very (1) . In fact, people often must use an ax or long knife to (2) the growth. Most (3) are found near the equator, in South America,
2、Africa, and parts of Asia.Many people are confused by the difference (4) a tropical rain forest and a jungle. Tropical rain forests have tall trees. These prevent (5) from reaching the forest floor. A jungle, however, can grow only (6) tall trees do not block the sun. Very often, when tropical rain
3、forests are (7) , the jungle moves in to take over the now-sunny forest floor.At different heights the jungle offers (8) kinds of plant and animal life. At ground level huge palms and ferns grow, much (9) they did in prehistoric times. Ants are the commonest (10) there. For that reason, anteaters (1
4、1) on the jungle floor. Jaguars, tapirs, armadillos, and snakes are also (12) sights in the jungle.Twenty-five feet (13) from the jungle floor, sunlight streams through trees that are alive with animal and insect life. (14) the air is always hot and humid, all life moves at an easy pace. Lizards, tr
5、ee-dwelling anteaters, wild turkeys, sloth, and kinkajous, who live (15) ants and insects, can find their food very easily. To get food, they never even have to (16) the trees.About seventy-five feet above the ground monkeys playfully maneuver among the scattered tall trees. Around them fly the bril
6、liantly colored birds (17) which the jungle is famous. Parrots, macaws, and toucans shrilly break the jungle (18) . Their (19) can be clearly heard. When the birds and (20) look down to the jungle floor, they are seeing jungle life as it has been for millions of years.（分数：10.00）(1).A. slowly B. dens
7、ely C. poorly D. attractively（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(2).A. penetrate B. increase C. help D. appeal（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(3).A. trees B. plants C. jungles D. bushes（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(4).A. in B. between C. through D. among（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(5).A. water B. fire C. ashes D. light（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(6).A. where B. tha
8、t C. what D. when（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(7).A. planted B. produced C. cut down D. confused（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(8).A. all B. various C. same D. some（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(9).A. so B. then C. and D. as（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(10).A. creature B. event C. living D. plant（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(11).A. sleep B. escape C. thrive D.
9、hide（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(12).A. attractive B. common C. unusual D. lovely（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(13).A. down B. along C. beside D. up（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(14).A. Because B. Though C. If D. When（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(15).A. in B. by C. on D. with（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(16).A. plant B. leave C. clear D. clean（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D
10、.(17).A. in B. on C. by D. for（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(18).A. silence B. noise C. voice D. calls（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(19).A. squeaks B. hisses C. whines D. calls（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(20).A. ants B. monkeys C. insects D. turkeys（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.二、Reading comprehens(总题数：0，分数：0.00)三、Passage One(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Writers
11、 learn as apprentices do except that they have no master to work for except themselves and the market.The fact is that writing is an empirical art, which can only be learned by doing it. This fact is no reflection on the art of writing. Because skill is acquired in a seemingly haphazard way it is no
12、ne the worse, indeed sometimes the better, for it. As in every art you must have at least the foundation of a gift, without which it is useless to proceed; but if the foundation exists, then successnot merely economic is largely a matter of persistence and of making the most of opportunities. Experi
13、ence is a hard school. Wastage among aspiring writers is high and most survivors have to rely on another job. The pros and cons of that situation are debatable. Working out in the world is not solely a form of insurance; it can also be a vital source of material and incentive, particularly for the f
14、iction writer. Many well-known authors labored away at other jobs for part or all of their lives, and either profited there from or made their names notwithstanding.Economic security frees the mind from worry, but a routine job also consumes mental energy which might otherwise be harnessed to creati
15、ve output. This applies as much to freelance journalism and other ancillary activities of authorship as to nonliterary employment. A regular stint of reviewing, reading manuscripts for publishers, broadcasting, lecturing, and the like, may oil the machinery of the mind, but it may also use up horsep
16、ower to the point of exhaustion. Moreover, continuity of creation is often vitalwhether for the construction of a work of fiction or for historical research or, indeed, for any idea that has to be digested into literary form. Interruptions nowadays, however, are a professional hazard that all author
17、s have to contend with, but they are not insuperable and not the worst threat to a living literature.（分数：10.00）(1).According to the author, how is the skill of writing acquired?A. by methodical practiceB. by studying the marketC. by following another writers exampleD. by producing ones own work（分数：2
18、.00）A.B.C.D.(2).In the authors opinion, it is impossible to become a successful writer without _.A. some talentB. early publicationC. another source of incomeD. consideration for the reader（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(3).How does the author regard a writers second job?A. usually harmful to ones writingB. essen
19、tial in most casesC. too time-consumingD. helpful in researching facts（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(4).How might a second job damage a writer?A. by restricting his imaginationB. by using up his mental strengthC. by destroying his talentD. by removing the need to write（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(5).How do modern writers d
20、iffer from those of the past?A. They have less mental energy.B. They need to rely on another job.C. They cannot expect to work without interruption.D. They learn their art more thoroughly.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.四、Passage Two(总题数：1，分数：10.00)As spring unfolds across North America, tornadoes once again are i
21、n the news. Its a reminder that the United States is the severe-storm capital of the world.Describing this status recently in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Elbert W. Friday Jr., National Weather Service director, observed that “the United States experiences more severe local s
22、torms and flooding than any other country in the world. “ He added that a typical year brings “some 10000 violent thunderstorms, 5000 floods, and 1000 tornadoes. “Yet the country is not helpless before this onslaught, thanks to advances in meteorological knowledge and in the forecast and warning sys
23、tem, the tornado death rate, for example, has been cut in half in recent decades. Its down from nearly 2000 per decade 60 years ago to less than 1000 per decade today.Now the weather service is poised for what Mr. Friday calls “a meteorological revolution. “ Sharp-eyed new radars, more vigilant weat
24、her satellites, and computerized-information handling will bring what he calls “dramatic improvements in. forecasts and, detection of and warnings for severe weather. “ This is particularly true for tornadoes.These funnel-shaped circulations develop in association with severe thunderstorms. As the N
25、ational Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo., explains, the funnels often form at the thundercloud base. But tornado spotters also have to watch whats happening on the ground. The first clue may be swirling dust and debris.Of the 710 to 1000 tornadoes reported annually in the US,
26、 about 79 percent are what the American Meteorological Society calls “ weak “. About 20 percent are “strong“ About 1 percent are “violent“.Weak funnels last under 10 minutes and have wind speeds on the order of 110 miles per hour. They leave ground tracks less than a mile long and 100 yards wide. Al
27、though called “week“, they are potentially dangerous, while their short lifetimes make timely warnings difficult.Strong tornadoes last from 10 minutes to more than two hours. Maximum winds, as estimated from damage surveys, range up to 280 mph or higher. A single thunderstorm cell may produce these
28、powerful tornadoes in cycles. Each such sequence may last for tens of minutes. It can leave damage trails over 100 miles long by 1000 yards wide.Tornadoes have touched towns throughout North America in every month of the year. But NCAR notes that they occur predominantly over the Great Plains and Mi
29、dwest and are common in Easter states and the Gulf of Mexico. Their region of most frequent occurrence begins near the Gulf Coast in March and shifts toward Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska by May and June.A weather satellite Launched April 13 will help forecasters monitor this tornado “season“. The $220
30、million GOES-8 (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite), the first of five improved weather “eye“, can pinpoint storms to within 1.2 miles, compared with 6.2 to 12.4 miles for the old system.A new class of radars is also part of the meteorological “revolution“. Unlike their predecessors,
31、they sense motion of clouds, rain, and wind-borne debris. There will be 150 such radar sites. The National Weather Service will have 121. The Federal Aviation Agency and the Department of Defense will operate the other installations and share data with the Weather Service.（分数：10.00）(1).When compared
32、 to other countries, the passage states that the United States _.A. has a greater number of serious stormsB. fails to predict most violent thunderstormsC. never experiences typhoonsD. is often hit by hurricanes（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(2).According to Paragraph 4, the U. S. Weather Service is _.A. reluctant
33、 to changeB. on the brink of changeC. inefficient and outdatedD. already technologically advanced（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(3).The facts in the passage tell us that tornadoes _.A. are of constant durationB. leave homes and property unscathedC. are too varied to classifyD. often occur in January（分数：2.00）A.B.C
34、.D.(4).“Weak“ tornadoes _.A. comprise 20 percent of reported stormsB. begin when lightning strikesC. usually take people by surpriseD. never occur in January（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(5).In the U. S. , Meteorological forecasting _.A. has cut tornado deaths by 40%B. can prevent floodsC. depends on ground obse
35、rversD. will soon be more precise（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.五、Passage Three(总题数：1，分数：10.00)The Village Green in New Milford, Connecticut, is a snapshot of New England charm: a carefully manicured lawn flanked by scrupulously maintained colonial homes. Babysitters dandle kids in the wooden gazebo, waiting for
36、commuter parents to return from New York. On a lazy afternoon last week Caroline Nicholas, 16, had nothing more pressing to do than pinken in the early-summer sunshine and discuss the recent events in town. “I dont think a lot of older people knew there were unhappy kids in New Milford,“ she said. “
37、I could see it coming. “In a five-day period in early June eight girls were brought to New Milford Hospital after what hospital officials call suicidal gestures. The girls, all between 12 and 17, tried a variety of measures, including heavy doses of alcohol, over-the counter medicines and cuts or sc
38、ratches to their wrists. None was successful, and most didnt require hospitalization; but at least two attempts, according to the hospital, could have been fatal. Their reasons seemed as mundane as the other happenstances of suburban life. “I was just sick of it all,“ one told a reporter. “Everythin
39、g. Life. “ Most alarming, emergency-room doctor Frederick Lohse told a local reporter that several girls said they were part of a suicide pact. The hospital later backed away from this remark. But coming in the awake of at least six teen suicide attempts over the previous few months, this sudden clu
40、steralong with the influx of mediahas set this well-groomed suburb of 23 000 on edge. At a town meeting last Wednesday night, Dr Simon Sobo, chief of psychiatry at the hospital, told more than 200 parents and kids, “Were talking about a crisis that has really gotten out of hand. “ Later he added, “T
41、here have been more suicide attempts this spring than I have seen in the 13 years I have been here. “Sobo said that the girls he treated didnt have bad problems at home or school. “Many of these were popular kids,“ he said. “ They got plenty of love. “ But beneath the reassuring signs, a swath of te
42、ens here are not making it. Some say that drugs, both pot and “real drugs,“ are commonplace. Kids have shown up with LIFE SUCKS and LONG LIVE DEATH penned on their arms. A few girls casually display scars on their arms where they cut themselves. “Youd be surprised how many kids try suicide,“ said on
43、e girl, 17, “You dont want to put pain on other people; you put it on yourself. “ She said she used to cut herself “just to release the pain. “Emily, 15, a friend of three of the girls treated in June, said one was having family problems, one was “upset that day“ and the third was “just upset with e
44、verything else going on. “ She said they werent really trying to kill themselvesthey just needed attention. As Sobo noted, “Whats going on in New Milford is not unique to New Milford. “ The same underlying culture of despair could be found in any town. But teen suicide, he added, can be a “contagion
45、. “ Right now New Milford has the bugand has its bad.（分数：10.00）(1).What is the main subject of the passage?A. Eight girls committed suicide in New Milford.B. The village Green is not a charming place.C. Teen suicide.D. Dr. Simon Sobos achievements.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(2).In the 3rd sentence of the firs
46、t paragraph the word “pressing“ is closest in meaning to _.A. urgently important B. pushingC. inviting D. charming（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(3).What is NOT true about the eight girls?A. They are all between 12 and 17.B. They have tried a variety of measures.C. They attend a suicide pact.D. All their attempts
47、 to commit suicide are fatal.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(4).Which of the following statements about the teens there is NOT true?A. They are ill-bred students in school.B. Some of them take “real drugs“.C. Teens needs attention.D. A few casually display scars on their arms.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(5).According to the
48、 passage, the teens in the Village Green can be called _.A. depressed generation B. cool generationC. attractive generation D. prosperous generation（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.六、Passage Four(总题数：1，分数：10.00)It is hard to think of a major natural resource or pollution issue in North America today that does not a
49、ffect rivers. Farm chemical runoff, industrial waste, urban storm sewers, sewage treatment, mining, logging, grazing, military bases, residential and business development, hydropower, loss of wetlands. The list goes on. Legislation like the Clear Water Act and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act have provided some protection, but threats continue.The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported yesterday that an assessment of 642000 miles of rivers and streams showed 34 percent in less than good condition. In a major study of the Cle
