1、2008年上海交通大学考博英语真题试卷及答案与解析 一、 Structure and Vocabulary 1 A child hears his mother tongue spoken from morning till night in its_form. （ A） correct （ B） accurate （ C） genuine （ D） perfect 2 The first few months of the year I had dreaded the ringing of the telephone, because I knew it meant another_deci
2、sion to be made. （ A） critical （ B） plentiful （ C） decent （ D） massive 3 In protest, blacks and_ whites sat at the counters of these restaurants and refused to move until they were served. （ A） sensible （ B） indifferent （ C） influential （ D） sympathetic 4 The brain drain of experts away from develop
3、ing countries will greatly influence these countries development of _industry. （ A） complicated （ B） sophisticated （ C） primitive （ D） collective 5 _in their island community, the various tribes used languages which became more and more similar to each others. （ A） Managed （ B） Shrunk （ C） Assumed （
4、 D） Isolated 6 If full credit were given to this part it could_ a high grade for the students in his physical course. （ A） belong to （ B） be due to （ C） be subject to （ D） contribute to 7 The teacher wrote a brief comment in the_to show the student why it is wrong. （ A） manual （ B） margin （ C） edge
5、（ D） verge 8 The structure of this animals brain gives no_that it is any more wrong. （ A） indication （ B） index （ C） hint （ D） implication 9 While others sat at home studying papers on the subject, Jefferson got into a boat and made _observations. （ A） of-the-spot （ B） in-the-spot （ C） on-the-spot （
6、 D） at-the-spot 10 Can you explain this_of ten years in your job history which you have not accounted for? （ A） interruption （ B） gap （ C） split （ D） paring 11 Mrs. Thompson gave us a_account of what had happened; thats why we no longer believe in the sincerity of her utterance. （ A） curved （ B） dis
7、torted （ C） twisted （ D） tangled 12 The headlights of the approaching car were so_that the cyclist had to stop riding. （ A） gleaming （ B） staring （ C） glaring （ D） dazzling 13 Some cultures have customs that_ the clothing fashions of people in certain social classes. （ A） modify （ B） alter （ C） regu
8、late （ D） revise 14 The _ beauty of the mountain has made it a world-famous resort. Every year numerous tourists from home and abroad come to visit it. （ A） perpetual （ B） perplexed （ C） preserved （ D） perished 15 The kitchen was small and _ so that the disabled woman could reach everything without
9、difficulty. （ A） complex （ B） complete （ C） compact （ D） composite 16 With the_of aluminum, shiny metals such as tin or copper turns into black powders when ground fine. （ A） reception （ B） deception （ C） exception （ D） perception 17 Californians and New Englanders speak the same language and_by the
10、 same federal laws. （ A） conform （ B） abide （ C） sustain （ D） comply 18 Ideas _ from ones own experience are sometimes more valuable than those from books. （ A） derived （ B） deprived （ C） retreated （ D） restored 19 If you want to_a pleasant visit, find out as much as possible about the manners and c
11、ustoms of your host country. （ A） secure （ B） insure （ C） assure （ D） ensure 20 For 50 years they were able to produce and sell their goods more cheaply than other countries and this gave them a_advantage in world trade. （ A） considerable （ B） concrete （ C） considerate （ D） conventional 21 Because o
12、f the massive oil spillage in the gulf, both the plant and animal lives in this area are in_. （ A） destiny （ B） amenity （ C） jeopardy （ D） tragedy 22 They ignored him, despite his repeated_that he was not on the scene of murder that evening. （ A） assumptions （ B） suppositions （ C） affirmations （ D）
13、confirmations 23 The lease is _in saying that the rent must be paid in dollars by the 20 th of every month. （ A） explicit （ B） implicit （ C） conspicuous （ D） distinctive 24 He was in extreme state of distress and depression when he knew that he had_lung cancer. （ A） extracted （ B） contracted （ C） ab
14、stracted （ D） attracted 25 The relationship between technology and development is complicated. At times the negative features of technology seem to_the positive ones. （ A） withdraw （ B） discharge （ C） maximize （ D） outweigh 26 Do you know the fact that broad beans contain_that must be destroyed by c
15、ooking them at high temperature before eating them? （ A） flake （ B） aroma （ C） ether （ D） toxin 27 The doctor informed his patient that the drug was very _and can have unpleasant side-effects. （ A） potent （ B） efficient （ C） intricate （ D） fragile 28 The poison produced by the spiders skin is so _ t
16、hat it will paralyze a bird or a monkey immediately. （ A） lethal （ B） liable （ C） tedious （ D） profound 29 Over-cultivation and a long period of soil erosion has reduced the_of much of the countrys farmland. （ A） sufficiency （ B） fertility （ C） prosperity （ D） mobility 30 Owing to an _ lack of lower
17、-income housing, the municipal government is embarrassed by the impressing housing issue. （ A） alien （ B） obscure （ C） acute （ D） elaborate 31 Away from their profession, scientists are inherently no more honest or ethical than other people. But in their profession they work in an arena that puts a
18、high_on honesty. （ A） conviction （ B） inference （ C） caution （ D） premium 32 She criticized my writing but in a way that was very_. I learned a lot from her. （ A） autonomous （ B） constructive （ C） fundamental （ D） elementary 33 You know yourself better than anyone else; do not undertake that project
19、 unless you can _it. （ A） complement （ B） compliment （ C） implement （ D） supplement 34 The two pharmaceutical companies collaborated in developing new drugs to_the pain of patients in the terminal stages of cancer. （ A） alleviate （ B） confront （ C） insulate （ D） terminate 35 Anesthetics are substanc
20、es_to deaden pain or produce a condition in which some or all of the senses, especially touch, stop functioning or are reduced. （ A） diverted （ B） enforced （ C） exercised （ D） administered 36 Some people want to make as much money as they can because they believe that money can bring them fame and_.
21、 （ A） directory （ B） morality （ C） prestige （ D） monopoly 37 She bought a house near the sea last year so she could take a _ along the beach whenever she wanted to. （ A） stroll （ B） stride （ C） stretch （ D） strand 38 The color and smell of water in these rivers_itself how serious the pollution is bu
22、t many people are still ignoring the fact. （ A） illustrates （ B） demonstrates （ C） manifests （ D） exemplifies 39 When she learned that she broke the world record, she felt an irresistible_to cry at the winners stand. （ A） courtesy （ B） routine （ C） bravery （ D） impulse 40 To some people, the greates
23、t pleasure of life is to spend their time at home watching TV and _their pets. （ A） stroking （ B） desiring （ C） modeling （ D） flattering 二、 Reading Comprehension 40 How many things can you see in the night sky? A lot! On a clear night you might see the Moon, some planets, and thousands of sparkling
24、stars. You can see even more with a telescope. You might see stars where before you only saw dark space. You might see that many stars look larger than others. You might see that some stars that look white are really red or blue. With bigger and bigger telescopes you can see more and more objects in
25、 the sky. And you can see those objects in more and more detail. But scientists believe there are some things in the sky that we will never see. We wont see them with the biggest telescope in the world, on the clearest night of the year. Thats because theyre invisible. Theyre the mysterious dead sta
26、rs called black holes. You might find it hard to imagine that stars die. After all, our Sun is a star. Year after year we see it up in the sky, burning brightly, giving us heat and light. The Sun certainly doesnt seem to be getting old or weak. But stars do burn out and die after billions of years.
27、As a stars gases burn, they give off light and heat. But when the gas runs out, the star stops burning and begins to die. As the star cools, the outer layers of the star pull in toward the center. The star squashes into a smaller and smaller ball. If the star was very small, the star ends up as a co
28、ld, dark ball called a black dwarf. If the star was very big, it keeps squashing inward until its packed together tighter than anything in the universe. Imagine if the Earth were crushed until it was the size of a tiny marble. Thats how tightly this dead star, a black hole, is packed. What pulls the
29、 star in toward its center with such power? Its the same force that pulls you down when you jump the force called gravity. A black hole is so tightly packed that its gravity sucks in everything even light. The light from a black hole can never come back to your eyes. Thats why you see nothing but bl
30、ackness. So the next time you stare up at the night sky, remember: theres more in the sky than meets the eye! Scattered in the silent darkness are black holes the great mystery of space. 41 According to the article, what causes a star to die? （ A） As its gases run out, it cools down. （ B） It collide
31、s with other stars. （ C） It can only live for about a million years. （ D） As it gets hotter and hotter, it explodes. 42 Which of the following statements is NOT true? （ A） Black holes are dead stars. （ B） Black holes have gravity. （ C） Black holes are invisible. （ D） There is nothing as mysterious a
32、s a black hole. 43 What happens AFTER a star dies? （ A） It becomes invisible. （ B） It fails to Earth. （ C） It burns up all of its gases. （ D） It becomes brighter and easier to see. 44 Why cant you see light when you look at a black hole? （ A） Because most black holes are so far away. （ B） Because th
33、e gravity of a black hole is so strong that it sucks the light inward. （ C） Because as the stars gases burn, it stops giving off heat and light. （ D） Because as a star cools, its outer layers pull in toward its center. 45 What is the main idea of the article? （ A） The future of our Sun billions of y
34、ears from now. （ B） The difference between our Sun and a dead star. （ C） The mystery of black holes in the universe. （ D） The sparkling and dying stars in the sky. 45 By far the most common difficulty in study is simple failure to get down to regular concentrated work. This difficulty is much greate
35、r for those who do not work to a plan and have no regular routine of study. Many students muddle along, doing a bit of this subject or that, as the mood takes them, or letting their set work pile up until the last possible moment. Few students work to a set timetable. They say that if they did const
36、ruct a timetable for themselves they would not keep to it, or would have to alter it constantly, since they can never predict from one day to the next what their activities will be. There are many who shy away from the self-regimentation of a weekly timetable, and dislike being tied down to a defini
37、te program of work. Many able students claim that they work in cycles. When they become interested in a topic they work on it intensively for three or four days at a time. On other days they avoid working completely. It has to be confessed that we do not fully understand the complexities of the moti
38、vation to work. Most people over 25 years of age have been used to a work routine, and the majority of really productive workers set aside regular hours for the more important aspects of their work. The “tough-minded“ school of workers is usually very contemptuous of the idea that good work can only
39、 be done spontaneously, under the influence of inspiration. Those who believe that they need only work and study as the fit takes them have a mistaken belief either in their own talent or in the value of “freedom“. Freedom from discipline leads to unhappiness rather than to “self-expression“ or “per
40、sonality development“. Our society insists on regular habits, timekeeping and punctuality, and whether we like it or not, if we mean to make our way in society we have to comply with its demands. 46 The most widespread problem in applying oneself to study is that of_. （ A） the failure to keep to a r
41、outine of methodical and intensive work （ B） changing from one subject to another （ C） unwillingness to follow a systematic plan （ D） applying oneself to a subject only when one feels inclined 47 According to the selection, there are many students who_. （ A） do not like being commanded to study acco
42、rding to a weekly timetable （ B） are too timid to accustom themselves to a weekly timetable （ C） refuse to exert themselves the whole week as if under military discipline （ D） shrink from the self-discipline required for working to a weekly plan 48 Those workers with strict views on work_. （ A） are
43、very critical of the belief that good work can be a natural product of instinct （ B） reject the idea that good work is second nature to man （ C） do not regard as serious the opinion that good work can be done at any time regardless of inspiration （ D） despise the idea that work can only be done when
44、 free from external influence and prompted by internal stimulus 49 In Paragraph 4 “as the fit takes them“ means_. （ A） when they have the energy （ B） when they are in the mood （ C） when they find conditions suitable （ D） when they feel fit 50 A suitable title for the passage might be_. （ A） Attitude
45、s to Study （ B） Study Plans （ C） The Difficulties of Studying （ D） Study and Self-discipline 50 Every year thousands of people are arrested and taken to court for shop-lifting. In Britain alone, about HK $ 3,000,000 worth of goods are stolen from shops every week. As a result of this “shrinkage“ as
46、the shops call it, the honest public has to pay higher prices. Shop-lifters can be divided into three main categories: the professionals, the deliberate amateur, and the people who just cant help themselves. The professionals do not pose much of a problem for the store detectives, who, assisted by c
47、losed circuit television, can usually cope with them. The professionals tend to go for high value goods in parts of the shops where security measures are tightest. And, in any case, they account for only a small percentage of the total losses due to shop-lifting. The same applies to the deliberate a
48、mateur who is, so to speak, a professional in training. Most of them get caught sooner or later, and they are dealt with severely by the courts. The real problem is the person who gives way to a sudden temptation and is in all other respects an honest and law-abiding citizen. Contrary to what one wo
49、uld expect, this kind of shop-lifter is rarely poor. He does not steal because he needs the goods and cannot afford to pay for them. He steals because he simply cannot stop himself. And there are countless others who, because of age, sickness or plain absent-mindedness, simply forget to pay for what they take from the shops. In order to pr
