1、武汉大学考博英语-试卷 34 及答案解析(总分：52.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：5，分数：40.00)In such a changing, complex society formerly simple solutions to informational needs become complicated. Many of lifes problems which were solved by asking family members, friends or colleagues are beyond the capability o
2、f the extended family to resolve. Where to turn for expert information and how to determine which expert advice to accept are questions facing many people today. In addition to this, there is the growing mobility of people since World War II. As families move away from their stable community, their
3、friends of many years, their extended family relationships, the informal flow of information is cut off, and with it the confidence that information will be available when needed and will be trustworthy and reliable. The almost unconscious flow of information about the simplest aspects of living can
4、 be cut off. Thus, things once learned subconsciously through the casual communications of the extended family must be consciously learned. Adding to societal changes today is an enormous stockpile of information. The individual now has more information available than any generation, and the task of
5、 finding that one piece of information relevant to his or her specific problem is complicated, time-consuming and sometimes even overwhelming. Coupled with the growing quantity of information is the development of technologies which enable the storage and delivery of more information with greater sp
6、eed to more locations than has ever been possible before. Computer technology makes it possible to store vast amounts of data in machine-readable files, and to program computers to locate specific information. Telecommunications developments enable the sending of messages via television, radio, and
7、very shortly, electronic mail to bombard people with multitudes of messages. Satellites have extended the power of communications to report events at the instant of occurrence. Expertise can be shared world wide through teleconferencing, and problems in dispute can be settled without the participant
8、s leaving their homes and/or jobs to travel to a distant conference site. Technology has facilitated the sharing of information and the storage and delivery of information, thus making more information available to more people. In this world of change and complexity, the need for information is of g
9、reatest importance. Those people who have accurate, reliable up-to-date information to solve the day-to-day problems, the critical problems of their business, social and family life, will survive and succeed. “Knowledge is power“ may well be the truest saying and access to information may be the mos
10、t critical requirement of all people.（分数：8.00）(1).The word “it“(Line 3, Para. 2)most probably refers to_.（分数：2.00）A.the lack of stable communitiesB.the breakdown of informal information channelsC.the increased mobility of familiesD.the growing number of people moving from place to place(2).The main
11、problem people may encounter today arises from the fact that_.（分数：2.00）A.they have to learn new things consciouslyB.they lack the confidence of securing reliable and trustworthy informationC.they have difficulty obtaining the needed information readilyD.they can hardly carry out casual communication
12、s with an extended family.(3).From the passage we can infer that_.（分数：2.00）A.electronic mail will soon play a dominant role in transmitting messagesB.it will become more difficult for people to keep secrets in an information eraC.people will spend less time holding meetings or conferencesD.events wi
13、ll be reported on the spot mainly through satellites(4).We can learn from the last paragraph that_.（分数：2.00）A.it is necessary to obtain as muchB.people should make the best use of the informationC.we should realize the importance of accumulating information.D.it is of vital importance to acquire nee
14、ded information efficientlyThe American economic system is organized around a basically private-enterprise, market-oriented economy in which consumers largely determine what shall be produced by spending their money in the marketplace for those goods and services that they want most. Private busines
15、smen, striving to make profits, produce these goods and services in competition with other businessmen; and the profit motive, operating under competitive pressures, largely determines how these goods and services are produced. Thus, in the American economic system it is the demand of individual con
16、sumers, coupled with the desire of businessmen to maximize profits and the desire of individuals to maximize their incomes, that together determine what shall be produced and how resources are used to produce it. An important factor in a market-oriented economy is the mechanism by which consumer dem
17、ands can be expressed and responded to by producers. In the American economy, this mechanism is provided by a price system, a process in which prices rise and fall in response to relative demands of consumers and supplies offered by seller-producers. If the product is in short supply relative to the
18、 demand, the price will be bid up and some consumers will be eliminated from the market. If, on the other hand, producing more of a commodity results in reducing its cost, this will tend to increase the supply offered by seller-producers, which in turn will lower the price and permit more consumers
19、to buy the product. Thus, price is the regulating mechanism in the American economic system. The important factor in a private enterprise economy is that individuals are allowed to own productive resources(private property), and they are permitted to hire labor, gain control over natural resources,
20、and produce goods and services for sale at a profit. In the American economy, the concept of private property embraces not only the ownership of productive resources but also certain rights, including the right to determine the price of a product or to make a free contract with another private indiv
21、idual.（分数：8.00）(1).In Para 1, “the desire of individuals to maximize their incomes“ means_.（分数：2.00）A.Americans are never satisfied with their incomesB.Americans tend to overstate their incomesC.Americans want to have their incomes increasedD.Americans want to increase the purchasing power of their
22、incomes(2).The first two sentences in the second paragraph tell us that_.（分数：2.00）A.producers can satisfy the consumers by mechanized productionB.consumers can express their demands through producersC.producers decide the prices of productsD.supply and demand regulate prices(3).According to the pass
23、age, a private-enterprise economy is characterized by_.（分数：2.00）A.private property and rights concernedB.manpower and natural resources controlC.ownership of productive resourcesD.free contracts and prices(4).The passage is mainly about_.（分数：2.00）A.how American goods are producedB.how American consu
24、mers buy their goodsC.how American economic system worksD.how American businessmen make their profitsPersonality is to a large extent inherent A-type parents usually bring about A-type offspring. But the environment must also have a profound effect, since if competition is important to the parents;
25、it is likely to become a major factor in the lives of their children. One place where children soak up A-characteristics is school, which is, by its very nature, a highly competitive institution. Too many schools adopt the “win at all costs“ moral standard and measure their success by sporting achie
26、vements. The current passion for making children compete against their classmates or against the clock produces a two-layer system , in which competitive A-types seem in some way better than their B-type fellows. Being too keen to win can have dangerous consequences; remember that Pheidippides, the
27、first marathon runner, dropped dead seconds after saying: “Rejoice, we conquer!“ By far the worst form of competition in schools is the disproportionate emphasis on examinations. It is a rare school that allows pupils to concentrate on those things they do well. The merits of competition by examinat
28、ion are somewhat questionable, but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful. Obviously, it is neither practical nor desirable that all A-youngsters change into Bs. The world needs types, and schools have an important duty to try to fit a childs personality to his possibl
29、e future employment. It is top management. If the preoccupation of schools with academic work was lessened, more time might be spent teaching children surer values. Perhaps selection for the caring professions, especially medicine, could be made less by good grades in chemistry and more by such cons
30、iderations as sensitivity and sympathy. It is surely a mistake to choose our doctors exclusively from A-type stock. Bs are important and should be encouraged.（分数：8.00）(1).According to the passage, A-type individuals are usually_.（分数：2.00）A.impatientB.considerateC.aggressiveD.agreeable(2).The author
31、is strongly opposed to the practice of examinations at schools because_.（分数：2.00）A.the pressure is too great on the studentsB.some students are bound to failC.failure rates are too highD.the results of examations are doubtful(3).The selection of medical professionals are currently based on_.（分数：2.00
32、）A.candidatessensitivityB.academic achievementsC.competitive spiritD.surer values(4).From the passage we can draw the conclusion that_.（分数：2.00）A.the personality of a child is well established at birthB.family influence dominates the shaping of ones characteristicsC.the development of ones personali
33、ty is due to multiple factorsD.B-type characteristics can find no place in competitive societyTightlipped elders used to say, “Its not what you want in this world, but what you get. “ Psychology teaches that you do get what you want if you know what you want and want the right things. You can make a
34、 mental blueprint of a desire as you would make a blueprint of a house, and each of us is continually making these blueprints in the general routine of everyday living. If we intend to have friends to dinner, we plan the menu, make a shopping list, decide which food to cook first, and such planning
35、is an essential for any type of meal to be served. Likewise, if you want to find a job, take a sheet of paper, and write a brief account of yourself. In making a blueprint for a job, begin with yourself, for when you know exactly what you have to offer, you can intelligently plan where to sell your
36、services. This account of yourself is actually a sketch of your working life and should include education, experience and references. Such an account is valuable. It can be referred to in filling out standard application blanks and is extremely helpful in personal interviews. While talking to you, y
37、our could be employer is deciding whether your education, your experience, and other qualifications will pay him to employ you and your “wares“ and abilities must be displayed in an orderly and reasonably connected manner. When you have carefully prepared a blueprint of your abilities and desires, y
38、ou have something tangible to sell. Then you are ready to hunt for a job. Get all the possible information about your could be job. Make inquiries as to the details regarding the job and the firm. Keep your eyes and ears open, and use your own judgment. Spend a certain amount of time each day seekin
39、g the employment you wish for, and keep in mind: Securing a job is your job now.（分数：8.00）(1).What do the elders mean when they say, “Its not what you want in this world, but what you get“?（分数：2.00）A.Youll certainly get what you want.B.Its no use dreaming.C.You should be dissatisfied with what you ha
40、ve.D.Its essential to set a goal for yourself.(2).A blueprint made before inviting a friend to dinner is used in this passage as_.（分数：2.00）A.an illustration of how to write an application for a jobB.an indication of how to secure a good jobC.a guideline for job descriptionD.a principle for job evalu
41、ation(3).According to the passage, one must write an account of himself before starting to find a job because_.（分数：2.00）A.that is the first step to please the employerB.that is the requirement of the employerC.it enables him to know when to sell his servicesD.it forces him to become clearly aware of
42、 himself(4).When you have carefully prepared a blueprint of your abilities and desires, you have something_.（分数：2.00）A.definite to offerB.imaginary to provideC.practical to supplyD.desirable to presentDiscoveries in science and technology are thought by “ untaught minds“ to come in blinding flashes
43、or as the result of dramatic accidents. Sir Alexander Fleming did not, as legend would have it, look at the mold(霉)on a piece of cheese and get the idea for penicillin there and then. He experimented with antibacterial substances for nine years before he made his discovery. Inventions and innovation
44、s almost always come out of laborious trial and error. Innovation is like soccer; even the best players miss the goal and have their shots blocked much more frequently than they score. The point is that the players who score most are the ones who take most shots at the goal and so it goes with innov
45、ation in any field of activity. The prime difference between innovation and others is one of approach. Everybody gets ideas, but innovators work consciously on theirs and they follow them through until they prove practicable or otherwise. What ordinary people see as fanciful abstractions, profession
46、al innovators see as solid possibilities. “Creative thinking may mean simply the realization that theres no particular virtue in doing things the way they have always been done, “ wrote Rudolph Flesch, a language authority. This accounts for our reaction to seemingly simple innovations like plastic
47、garbage bags and suitcases on wheels that make life more convenient: “How come nobody thought of that before?“ The creative approach begins with the proposition that nothing is as it appears. Innovators will not accept that there is only one way to do anything. Faced with getting from A to B, the av
48、erage person will automatically set out on the best-known and apparently simplest route. The innovator will search for alternate courses, which may prove easier in the long run and are bound to be more interesting and challenging even if they lead to dead ends. Highly creative individuals really do
49、march to a different drummer.（分数：8.00）(1).What does the author probably mean by “untaught mind“ in the first paragraph?（分数：2.00）A.A person ignorant of the hard work involved in experimentation.B.A citizen of a society that restricts personal creativity.C.A person who has had no education.D.An individual who often comes up with new ideas by accident.(2).According to the author, what distinguishes innovators from non-innovators?（分数：2.00）A.The variety of ideas they have.B.The intelligence they possess.C.Th
