1、考博英语-85 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：0，分数：0.00)二、Text 1(总题数：1，分数：20.00)Scattered around the globe are more than 100 small regions of isolated volcanic activity known to geologists as hot spots. Unlike most of the world“s volcanoes, they are not always found at the boundaries
2、 of the great drifting plates that make up the earth“s surface; on the contrary, many of them lie deep in the interior of a plate. Most of the hot spots move only slowly, and in some cases the movement of the plates past them has left trails of dead volcanoes. The hot spots and their volcanic trails
3、 are milestones that mark the passage of the plates. That the plates are moving is not beyond dispute. Africa and South America, for example, are moving away from eath other as new material is injected into the sea floor between them. The complementary coastlines and certain geological features that
4、 seem to span the ocean are reminders of where the two continents were once joined. The relative motion of the plates carrying these continents has been constructed in detail, but the motion of one plate with respect to another cannot readily be translated into motion with respect to the earth“s int
5、erior. It is not possible to determine whether both continents are moving in opposite directions or whether one continent is stationary and the other is drifting away from it. Hot spots, anchored in the deeper layers of the earth, provide the measuring instruments needed to resolve the question. Fro
6、m an analysis of the hot spot population it appears that the African plate is stationary and that it has not moved during the past 30 million years. The significance of hot spots is not confined to their role as a frame of reference. It now appears that they also have an important influence on the g
7、eophysical processes that propel the plates across the globe. When a continental plate come to rest over a hot spot, the material rising from deeper layer creates a broad dome. As the dome grows, it develops seed fissures (cracks); in at least a few cases the continent may break entirely along some
8、of these fissures, so that the hot spot initiates the formation of a new ocean. Thus just as earlier theories have explained the mobility of the continents, so hot spots may explain their mutability (inconstant).（分数：20.00）(1).The author believes that _.（分数：5.00）A.the motion of the plates corresponds
9、 to that of the earth“s interiorB.the geological theory about drifting plates has been proved to be trueC.the hot spots and the plates move slowly in opposite directionsD.the movement of hot spots proves the continents are moving apart(2).That Africa and South America were once joined can be deduced
10、 from the fact that _.（分数：5.00）A.the two continents are still moving in opposite directionsB.they have been found to share certain geological featuresC.the African plates has been stable for 30 million yearsD.over 100 hot spots are scattered all around the globe(3).The hot spot theory may prove usef
11、ul in explaining _.（分数：5.00）A.the structure of the African platesB.the revival of dead volcanoesC.the mobility of the continentsD.the formation of new oceans(4).The passage is mainly about _.（分数：5.00）A.the features of volcanic activitiesB.the importance of the theory about drifting platesC.the signi
12、ficance of hot spots in geophysical studiesD.the process of the formation of volcanoes三、Text 2(总题数：1，分数：20.00)It was 3:45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken. After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary debates, Australia“s Northern Territory became the first legal
13、 authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to die. The measure passed by the convincing vote of 15 to 10. Almost immediately word flashed on the Internet and was picked up, half a world away, by John Hofsess, executive director of the Right to Die S
14、ociety of Canada. He sent it on via the group“s on line service, Death NET. Says Hofsess: “We posted bulletins all day long, because of course this isn“t just something that happened in Australia. It“s world history.“ The full import may take a while to sink in. The NT Rights of the Terminally law h
15、as left physicians and citizens alike trying to deal with its moral and practical implications. Some have breathed sighs of relief, others, including churches, right to life groups and the Australian Medical Association, bitterly attacked the bill and the haste of its passage. But the tide is unlike
16、ly to turn back. In Australiawhere an aging population, life extending technology and changing community attitudes have all played their partother states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia In the U.S. and Canada, where the right to die movement is gathering strength,
17、observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling. Under the new Northern Territory law, an adult patient can request deathprobably by a deadly injection or pillto put an end to suffering. The patient must be diagnosed as terminally ill by two doctors. After a “cooling off“ period of seven day
18、s, the patient can sign a certificate of request. After 48 hours the wish for death can be met. For Lloyd Nickson, a 54 year old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer, the NT Rights of Terminally law means he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering: a terrifying death
19、from his breathing condition. “I“m not afraid of dying from a spiritual point of view, but what I was afraid of was how I“d go, because I“ve watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks,“ he says.（分数：20.00）(1).From the second paragraph we learn that _.（分数：5.00）A.
20、the objection to euthanasia is slow to come in other countriesB.physicians and citizens share the same view on euthanasiaC.changing technology is chiefly responsible for the hasty passage of the lawD.it takes time to realize the significance of the law“s passage(2).When the author says that observer
21、s are waiting for the dominoes to start falling, he means _.（分数：5.00）A.observers are taking a wait and see attitude towards the future of euthanasiaB.similar bills are likely to be passed in the U.S., Canada and other countriesC.observers are waiting to see the result of the game of dominoesD.the ef
22、fect taking process of the passed bill may finally come to a stop(3).When Lloyd Nickson dies, he will _.（分数：5.00）A.face his death with calm characteristic of euthanasiaB.experience the suffering of a lung cancer patientC.have an intense fear of terrible sufferingD.undergo a cooling off period of sev
23、en days(4).The author“s attitude towards euthanasia seems to be that of _.（分数：5.00）A.oppositionB.suspicionC.approvalD.indifference四、Text 3(总题数：1，分数：20.00)A report consistently brought back by visitors to the U.S. is how friendly, courteous, and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair, this o
24、bservation 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 U.S Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves c
25、omment. For a long period of time and in many parts of the country, a traveler was a welcome break 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
26、 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 char
27、itable 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 which specialize in
28、 helping the weary traveler. Yet, the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the U.S., 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
29、amazing.“ Such observations reported by visitors to the U.S. 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 tru
30、e 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 meant that someone understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail to “translate“ cultu
31、ral meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions. For example, when an American uses the word “friend“, 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 courteo
32、us convention and individual interest. Yet, being friendly is a virtue that many American value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers.（分数：20.00）(1).In the eyes of visitors from the outside world, _.（分数：5.00）A.rude taxi drivers are rarely seen in the U.S.B.small minded officials deserve
33、 a serious commentC.Canadians are not so friendly as their neighborsD.most Americans are ready to offer help(2).It could be inferred from the last paragraph that _.（分数：5.00）A.culture exercises an influence over social interrelationshipB.courteous convention and individual interest are interrelatedC.
34、various virtues manifest themselves exclusively among friendsD.social interrelationships equal the complex set of cultural conventions(3).Families in frontier settlements used to entertain strangers _.（分数：5.00）A.to improve their hard lifeB.in view of their long distance travelC.to add some flavor to
35、 their own daily lifeD.out of a charitable impulse(4).The tradition of hospitality to strangers _.（分数：5.00）A.tends to be superficial and artificialB.is generally well kept up in the United StatesC.is always understood properlyD.was something to do with the busy tourist trails五、Text 4(总题数：1，分数：20.00)
36、Technically, any substance other than food that alters our bodily or mental functioning is a drug. Many people mistakenly believe the term drug refers only to some sort of medicine or an illegal chemical taken by drug addicts. They don“t realize that familiar substances such as alcohol and tobacco a
37、re also drugs. This is why the more neutral term substance is now used by many physicians and psychologists. The phrase “substance abuse“ is often used instead of “drug abuse“ to make clear that substances such as alcohol and tobacco can be just as harmfully misused as heroin and cocaine. We live a
38、society in which the medicinal and social use of substances (drugs) is pervasive: an aspirin to quiet a headache, some wine to be sociable, coffee to get going in the morning, a cigarette for the nerves. When do these socially acceptable and apparently constructive uses of a substance become misuses
39、? First of all, most substances taken in excess will produce negative effects such as poisoning or intense perceptual distortions. Repeated use of a substance can also lead to physical addiction or substance dependence. Dependence is marked first by an increased tolerance, with more and more of the
40、substance required to produce the desired effect, and then by the appearance of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the substance is discontinued. Drugs (substances) that affect the central nervous system and alter perception, mood, and behavior are known as psychoactive substances. Psychoactive sub
41、stances are commonly grouped according to whether they are stimulants, depressants, or hallucinogens. Stimulants initially speed up or activate the central nervous system, whereas depressants slow it down. Hallucinogens have their primary effect on perception, distorting and altering it in a variety
42、 of ways including producing hallucinations. These are the substances often called psychedelic (from the Greek word meaning “mind manifesting“) because they seemed to radically alter one“s state of consciousness.（分数：20.00）(1).“Substance abuse“ (Line 5, Para. 1) is preferable to “drug abuse“ in that_
43、.（分数：5.00）A.substances can alter our bodily or mental functioning if illegally usedB.“drug abuse“ is only related to a limited number of drug takersC.alcohol and tobacco are as fatal as heroin and cocaineD.many substances other than heroin or cocaine can also be poisonous(2).The word “pervasive“ (Li
44、ne 1, Para. 2) might mean _.（分数：5.00）A.widespreadB.overwhelmingC.piercingD.fashionable(3).Physical dependence on certain substances results from _.（分数：5.00）A.uncontrolled consumption of them over long periods of timeB.exclusive use of them for social purposesC.quantitative application of them to the
45、 treatment of diseasesD.careless employment of them for unpleasant symptoms(4).From the last paragraph we can infer that _.（分数：5.00）A.stimulants function positively on the mindB.hallucinogens are in themselves harmful to healthC.depressants are the worst type of psychoactive substancesD.the three ty
46、pes of psychoactive substances are commonly used in groups六、Text 5(总题数：1，分数：20.00)No company likes to be told it is contributing to the moral decline of a nation. “Is this what you intended to accomplish with your careers?“ Senator Robert Dole asked Time Warner executives last week. “You have sold y
47、our souls, but must you corrupt our nation and threaten our children as well?“ At Time Warner, however, such questions are simply the latest manifestation of the soul searching that has involved the company ever since the company was born in 1990. It“s a selfexamination that has, at various times, i
48、nvolved issues of responsibility, creative freedom and the corporate bottom line. At the core of this debate is chairman Gerald Levin, 56, who took over for the late Steve Ross in 1992. On the financial front, Levin is under pressure to raise the stock price and reduce the company“s mountainous debt
49、, which will increase to 17.3 billion after two new cable deals close. He has promised to sell off some of the property and restructure the company, but investors are waiting impatiently. The flap over rap is not malting life any easier for him. Levin has consistently defended the company“s rap music on the grounds of expression. In 1992, when Time Warner was under fire for releasing Ice T“s violent rap song Cop Killer, Levin described rap as a lawful expression of street culture, which deserves an outlet
