1、2007年东北财经大学考博英语真题试卷及答案与解析 一、 Structure and Vocabulary 1 It was clear that they abused their power and rode roughshod over the people. （ A） hauled （ B） misused （ C） deceived （ D） initiated 2 Once again, Success in farming is accompanied by new worries, which brought about a disaster to the village. （
2、 A） assaulted （ B） followed （ C） approved （ D） adapted 3 Structurally, the inside of early Christian churches was quite simple. （ A） layout （ B） design （ C） interior （ D） content 4 The organization provides information on health issue to the public at large. （ A） at length （ B） in general （ C） in de
3、tail （ D） in brief 5 The biggest computer company in Silicon Valley has laid off hundreds of people during the last few years. （ A） declined （ B） detached （ C） dismissed （ D） dispersed 6 Fictory and accompanying prosperity muted memories of the Great Depression and made him a national hero. （ A） tra
4、nspire （ B） upbraid （ C） muffle （ D） twist 7 This book is essential to anyone interested in space exploration. （ A） dispensable （ B） indisputable （ C） indispensable （ D） disputable 8 It is also believed that these steroids could be used to treat disorders such as acute anxiety and pre-men-strual syn
5、drome. （ A） enmity （ B） symptom （ C） adversity （ D） plaintiff 9 If that desk is at least 100 years old.it is an authentic antique and valuable. （ A） real （ B） ancient （ C） eminent （ D） obsolete 10 Her best-known paintings are those in which she magnified flowers or animal skulls to fill the picture.
6、 （ A） dissected （ B） duplicated （ C） glorified （ D） enlarged 11 “Better late than never“is a_that is very familiar to most English speakers. （ A） plaudit （ B） platitude （ C） plenty （ D） plenary 12 Scarcely had the boat reached the open water_it encountered high winds and heavy seas. （ A） than （ B） a
7、s （ C） when （ D） since 13 Electrical resistance is a common property of all materials, _. （ A） only differs in degree （ B） only in degree it differs （ C） differing only in degree （ D） and differing in degree only 14 Hardly anything_more than happiness of seeing someone using his device for treatment
8、 （ A） please him （ B） does please him （ C） does him please （ D） pleases him 15 The tree, the branches_are almost bare, is a very old one. （ A） of which （ B） in which （ C） for which （ D） with which 16 The car in front_suddenly at the traffic light. （ A） pulled in （ B） pulled into （ C） pulled up （ D）
9、pulled through 17 The unruly crowd became even more_when the negotiator tried to quiet them. （ A） boisterous （ B） bombastic （ C） boorish （ D） bloated 18 In most cases politicians are_as they seldom tell the truth. （ A） credible （ B） incredulous （ C） credulous （ D） incredible 19 We dont think it is a
10、 good habit for Tom to_ in affairs that are of no concern to him. （ A） impart （ B） ponder （ C） abound （ D） meddle 20 To get my travelerscheques I had to_a special cheque to the bank for the total amount （ A） make for （ B） make off （ C） make out （ D） make over 二、 Reading Comprehension 20 An invisible
11、 border divides those arguing for computers in the classroom on the behalf of studentscareer prospects and those arguing for computers in the classroom for broader reasons of radical educational reform. Very few writers on the subject have explored this distinction which goes to the heart of what is
12、 wrong with the campaign to put computers in the classroom. An education that aims at getting a student a certain kind of job is a technical education Justified for reasons radically different from why education is universally required by law. It is not simply to raise everyones job prospects that a
13、ll children are legally required to attend school into their teens. Rather, we have a certain conception of the American citizen, a character who is incomplete if he cannot competently assess how his livelihood and happiness are affected by things outside of himself. But this was not always the case
14、;before it was legally required for all children to attend school until a certain age.it was widely accepted that some were just not equipped by nature to pursue this kind of education. With optimism characteristic all industrialized countries, we came to accept that everyone is fit to be educated.
15、Computer-education advocates forsake this optimistic notion for a pessimism that betrays their otherwise cheery outlook. Banking on the confusion between educational and vocational reasons for bringing computers into schools; computer advocates often emphasize the job prospects of graduates over the
16、ir educational achievement There are some good arguments for a technical education given the right kind of student Many European schools introduce the concept of professional training early on in order to make sure children are properly e-quipped for the professions they want to join. It is, however
17、, presumptuous to insist that there will only be so many jobs for so many scientists, so many businessmen, so many accountants. Besides, this is unlikely to produce the needed number of every kind of professional in a country as large as ours and where the economy is spread over so many states and i
18、nvolves so many international corporations. But, for a small group of students, professional training might be the way to go since well-developed skills, all other factors being equal, can be the difference between having a job and not Of course, the basics of using any computer these days are very
19、simple. It does not take a lifelong acquaintance to pick up various software programs. If one wanted to become a computer engineer, that is, of course, an entirely different story. Basic computer skills take at the very longest a couple of months to learn. In any case, basic computer skills are only
20、 complementary to the host of real skills that are necessary to becoming any kind of professional. It should be observed, of course, that no school, vocational or not, is helped by a confusion over its purpose. 21 The author thinks the present rush to put computers in the classroom is_. （ A） far-rea
21、ching （ B） dubiously oriented （ C） self-contradictory （ D） radically reformatory 22 The belief that education is indispensable to all children_. （ A） is indicative of a pessimism in disguise （ B） came into being along with the arrival of computers （ C） is deeply rooted in the minds of computer-educa
22、tion advocates （ D） originated from the optimistic attitude of industrialized countries 23 It could be inferred from the passage that in the authors country the European model of professional training is_. （ A） dependent upon the starting age of candidates （ B） worth trying in various social section
23、s （ C） of little practical value （ D） attractive to ever kind of professional 24 According to the author, basic computer skills should be_. （ A） included as an auxiliary course in school （ B） highlighted in acquisition of professional qualifications （ C） mastered through a life-long course （ D） equa
24、lly emphasized by any school, vocational or otherwise 25 The word presumptuous in the third paragraph means_. （ A） self-assured （ B） confident （ C） insolent （ D） arrogant 25 Extraordinary creative activity has been characterized as revolutionary flying in the face of what is established and producin
25、g not what is acceptable but what will become accepted. According to this formulation, highly creative activity transcends the limits of an existing form and establishes a new principle of organiza-tioa However, the idea that extraordinary creativity transcends established limits is misleading when
26、it is applied to the arts, even though valid for the science. Differences between highly creative art and highly creative science arise in part from a difference in their goal, For the sciences, a new theory is the goal and end result of the creative act Innovative science produces new propositions
27、in terms of which diverse phenomena can be related to one another in more coherent ways. Such phenomena as a brilliant diamond or a nesting bird are relegated to the role of data, serving as the means for formulating or testing a new theory. The goal of highly creative art is different;the phenomeno
28、n itself becomes the direct product of the creative act Shakespeares Hamlet is not a tract about the behavior of indecisive princes or the uses of political power, nor is Picassos painting Guernica primarily a prepositional statement about the Spanish Civil War or the evils of fascism. What highly c
29、reative activity produces is not a new generalization that transcends established limits, but rather an aesthetic particular. Aesthetic particulars produced by the highly Creative artist extend or exploit, rather than transcend that form. This is not to deny that a highly creative artist sometimes e
30、stablishes a new principle of organization in the history of all artistic field; the composer Monteverdi who created music of the highest aesthetic value, comes to mind. More generally, however, whether or not a composition establishes a new principle in the history of music has no bearing on its ae
31、sthetic worth. Because they embody a new principle of organization, some musical works, such as the operas of the Florentine Camerata.are of signal historical importance, but few listeners or musicologists would include these among the great works of music. On the other hand, Mozarts The Marriage of
32、 Figaro(费加罗的婚礼 ) is surely among the master-pieces of music even though its modest innovations are confined to extending existing means. It has been said of Beethoven that he toppled the rules and freed music from the stifling confines of convention. But a close study of his composition reveals that
33、 Beethoven overturned no fundamental rules. Rather, he was an incomparable strategist who exploited limits of the rules, forms, and conventions that he inherited from predecessors such as Haydn and Mozart, Handel and Bach, in strikingly original ways. 26 According to the author, distinctions between
34、 those engaged in the creative arts and in natural sciences can in part be explained by_. （ A） the different objectives of those involved in their respective pursuits （ B） the different methods they employ in the collection of data to support their theories （ C） the different ways in which they atte
35、mpt to extend accepted conventional forms （ D） the different principles of organization that they utilize in order to create new works 27 Why does the author suggest that the work of Beethoven was, highly creative? （ A） Because he sought to become the only composer of his time to challenge accepted
36、musical conventions. （ B） Because he adopted a new principle of organization in his work by utilizing innovative strategies. （ C） Because he creatively manipulated the accepted rules and forms governing musical composition. （ D） Because he synthesized a transition between the older stylistic convent
37、ion and the newer musical form. 28 The passage implies that an original contribution in science is one that_. （ A） is often quoted in the work of other scientists （ B） is careful not to make a value judgment about the use of data （ C） is applauded by all distinguished experimentalists （ D） generates
38、 a novel and well-founded generalization 29 Which of the following would most likely follow the final sentence of the passage? （ A） In the similar manner, several modern composers successfully established musical conventions. （ B） Similarly, the succeeding generation of composers manipulated accepte
39、d musical forms. （ C） In contrast to Beethoven, however, even great modem composers like Bela Bertok did not attempt to alter accepted musical conventions. （ D） Musicologists are continuing to study the compositional styles of composers in order to determine whether their contributions have been inn
40、ovative. 29 Reforming the Social Security retirement program is an issue of enormous practical importance. Yet it remains the missing piece in American policy analysis. At a time when the Congress and the Administration are considering ways to reform welfare, Medicare, Medicaid, and the income tax,
41、elected officials are still unwilling to confront the serious problems of our Social Security system. Eventually, however, its deteriorating financial condition will force major reforms. Whether those reforms are good or bad, whether they deal with the basic economic problems of the system or merely
42、 protect the solvency of existing institutional arrange-ments will depend in part on whether we, as economists, provide the appropriate intellectual framework for analyzing reform alternatives. Major policy changes that affect the public at large can only happen in our democracy, when there is wides
43、pread public support for the new direction of policy. In the field of economics, the views of the media, of other private-sector opinion leaders, and of politicians and their advisers, depend very much on their perception of what economists believe feasible and correct. Fundamental policy reforms in
44、 a complex area like social security also require the devel opment of technical expertise, both in and out of government, about the options for change and their likely consequences. Fortunately, an expanding group of economists is now thinking and writing about social security reform. My remarks tod
45、ay greatly benefit from what they have written and from my conversations with many of them. I began to do my research on the effects of Social Security reform nearly 25 years ago(Feldstein, 1974, 1975). A central concept in my analysis of Social Security has been the notion of“ Social Security wealt
46、h“ , which I defined as the present actuarial value of the Social Security benefits to which the current adult population will be entitled at age 65 (or are already entitled to if they are older than 65) minus the present actuarial value of the Social Security taxes that they will pay before reachin
47、g that age. Social Security wealth has now grown to about $ 11 trillion or more than 1. 5 times GDP. Since this is equivalent to more than $ 50, 000 for every adult in the country, the value of Social Security wealth substantially exceeds all other assets for the vast majority of American households
48、. In the aggregate, Social Security wealth exceeds three-fourths of all private financial wealth, as conventionally measured. Social Security wealth is of course not real wealth but only a claim on current and future taxpayers. Instead of labeling this key magnitude“Social Security wealth“ , 1 could
49、 have called it the nations “Social Security liability“. Like ordinary government debt, Social Security wealth has the power to crowd out private capital accumulation, and Social Security wealth will continue to grow as long as our current system remains unchanged displacing an ever larger stock of capital. The $ 11 trillion Social Security liability is three times as large as the official national debt Although I certainly welcome the current political efforts to shrink future budget defic
