1、2011年武汉大学考博英语真题试卷及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 Walls and wall building have played a very important role in Chinese culture. These people, from the dim mists of prehistory have been wall-conscious; from the Neolithic periodwhen ramparts of pounded earth were used10 the Communist Revolution, wall
2、s were an essential part of any village. Not only towns and villages, the houses and the temples within them were somehow walled, and the houses also had no windows overlooking the street, thus giving the feeling of wandering around a huge maze. The name for “city“ in Chinese means wall, and over th
3、ese walled cities, villages, houses and temples presides the god of walls and mounts, whose duties were, and still are, to protect and be responsible for the welfare of the inhabitants. Thus a great and extremely laborious task such as constructing a wall, which was supposed to run through the count
4、ry, must not have seemed such an absurdity. However, it is indeed a commom mistake to perceive the great wall as a single architectural structure, and it would also be erroneous to assume that it was built during a single dynasty. For the building of the wall spanned the various dynasties, and each
5、of these dynasties somehow contributed to the reburbishing and the construction of a wall, whose foundations had been laid many centuries ago. It was during the fourth and third century B. C. that each warring state started building walls to protect their kingdoms , both against one another and agai
6、nst the northern nomads. Especially three of these states: the Qin, the Zhao and the Yan, corresponding respectively to the modern provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Hebei, over and above building walls that surrounded their kindoms, also laid the foundations on which Qin Shih Huang Di would build his
7、 first continuous Great Wall. The role that the Great Wall played in the growth of Chinese economy was an important one. Throughout the centuries many settlements were established along the new border. The garrison troops were instructed to reclaim wasteland and to plant crops on it, roads and canal
8、s were built, to mention just a few of the works carried out. All these undertakings greatly helped to increase the countrys trade and cultural exchanges with many remote areas and also with the southern, central and western parts of Asiathe formation of the Silk Route. Builders, garrisons, artisans
9、, farmers and peasants left behind a trail of objects, including inscribed tablets, household articles, and written work, which have become extremely valuable archaeological evidence to the study of defense institutions of the Great Wall and the everyday life of these people who lived and died along
10、 the wall. 1 Chinese cities resembled a maze because_. （ A） they were designed to protect their kingdoms （ B） the houses had no external windows （ C） the name for cities means “wall“ （ D） walls have always been important there 2 Constructing a wall that ran the length of the country_. （ A） honored t
11、he god of walls and mounts （ B） was an absurdly laborious task （ C） may have made sense within Chinese culture （ D） made the country look like a huge maze 3 The Great Wall of China_ . （ A） used existing foundations （ B） was built in a single dynasty （ C） was built by the Qin, the Zhao and the Yan （
12、D） was refurbished in the fourth and third centuries B.C. 4 Crops were planted_. （ A） on wasteland （ B） to reclaim wasteland （ C） on reclaimed wasteland （ D） along the canals 4 Awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 1918, German physicist Max Planck is best remembered as the originator of the quantu
13、m theory. His work helped usher in a new era in theoretical physics and revolutionized the scientific communitys understanding of atomic and subatomic processes. Planck introduced an idea that led to the quantum theory, which became the foundation of 20th century physics. In December 1900, Planck wo
14、rked out an eqation that described the distribution of radiation accurately over the range of low to high frequencies. He had developed a theory which depended on a model of matter that seemed very strange at the time. The model required the emission of eletromagnetic radiation in small chunks or pa
15、rticles. These particles were later called quantums. The energy associated with each quantum is measured by multiplying the frequency of the radiation in by a universal constant, h. Thus, energy, or E, equals hv. The constant, h, is known as Plancks constant. It is now recognized as one of the funda
16、mental constants of the world. Planck announced his findings in 1900, but it was years before the full consequences of his revolutionary quantum theory were recognized. Throughout his life, Planck made significant contributions to optics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, physical chemistry,
17、 and other fields. In 1930 he was elected president of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, which was renamed the Max Planck Society after World War II . Though deeply opposed to the facist regime of Adolf Hitler, Planck remained in Germany throughout the war. He died in Gottingen on October 4, 1947. 5 In wh
18、ich of the following fields did Max Planck NOT make a significant contribution? （ A） Optics. （ B） Thermodynamics. （ C） Statistical mechanics. （ D） Biology. 6 The word“revolutionary“ which is underlined in the passage, means_. （ A） dangerous （ B） extremist （ C） momentous （ D） militarist 7 It can be i
19、nferred from the passage that Plancks work led to the development of which of the following? （ A） The rocket. （ B） The atomic bomb. （ C） The internal combustion engine. （ D） The computer. 8 The implication in this passage is that_. （ A） only a German physicist could discover such a theory （ B） quant
20、um theory, which led to the development of 20th century physics, is basically a mathematical formula （ C） Plancks constant was not discernible before 1900 （ D） radiation was hard to study 8 Obesity generally is defined as an accumulation of fat(adipose tissue)beyond what is considered normal for a p
21、ersons age, sex , and body type. In todays society obesity is considered as a disease, not a moral failing. It occurs when energy intake exceeds the amount of energy expended over time. Only in a small minority of cases is obesity caused by such illnesses as hypothyroidism , or the result of taking
22、medications, such as steroids, that can cause weight gain. The more a person weighs, the more blood vessels the body needs to circulate blood throughout the body. The heart takes on a heavy burden as it has to pump harder to force the blood flow through so many vessels. As a result, the heart grows
23、in size and blood pressure tends to rise. Obesity is also a factor in osteoarthritis(because of the extra weight placed on joints), gout, bone and joint diseases(including ruptured intervertebral discs), varicose veins, respiratory ailments, gallbladder disease, complications during pregnancy and de
24、livery, and higher accidental death rate. Obesity can alter hormone levels, affect immune function, and cause impotence in men and reproductive problems in women. Women who are 30% overweight are twice as likely to die of endometrial cancer, and those who are 40% overweight have four times the risk.
25、 Obese women also are more likely to incur cancers of the breast, cervix, ovaries, and gallbladder. Obese men are more likely to develop cancers of the rectum, colon, esophagus, bladder, pancreas, stomach, and prostate. Obesity can also cause psychological problems. Sufferers are associated with laz
26、iness, failure, or inadequate willpower. As a result, overweight men and women blame themselves for being heavy, thus causing feelings of guilt and depression. Scientific evidence has found an association between MBI(body-mass index)and higher death rates. However, the relative risk of being heavy d
27、eclines with age. Some researchers have found that data linking overweight and death are inconclusive, while other researchers have found that losing weight may be riskier than dangers posed by extra pounds. Some researchers counter that overweight indirectly contributes to over 300, 000 deaths a ye
28、ar. A poll by Shape Up America found that 78% of overweight or obese adults have abandoned dieting as a means of losing weight. Diets do not teach people how to eat properly. They merely restrict food intake temporarily, so when the diet ends, weight gain resumes. 9 The main idea of this passage is_
29、. （ A） obesity can lead to many health problems （ B） obesity is considered to be a disease （ C） obesity can teach people dieting （ D） obesity puts a burden on the heart 10 According to the passage, _. （ A） medications such as steroids are often related to obesity （ B） obesity does not affect a perso
30、ns chances of getting cancer （ C） a diagnosis of obesity is based on a normal weight for ones age and sex （ D） obesity is becoming less of a problem in todays society 11 According to the passage, why does dieting not result in permanent weight loss? （ A） Diets cause feelings of deprivation. （ B） The
31、re are too many diets and each has different requirements. （ C） Diets lead to guilt and depression. （ D） Diets dont teach people good eating habits. 12 What does the underlined sentence from the fifth paragraph suggest about obesity? （ A） Losing a lot of weight is not wise for older persons. （ B） St
32、omach stapling and other surgical methods for weight loss are superior to dieting. （ C） All obese people need to shed their extra pounds. （ D） Obese people should consult their doctors about the pros and cons of losing weight. 12 Elaine, Justins mom, had set down the house rules with self-confident
33、assurance. Only the most obtuse person would have failed to understand:no tattoos, no body piercings and no co-ed sleepovers while living in the house of Elaine Tucker Brown. Still, the day Justin turned 18, he lied to his mother about where he was going and headed straight to the tattoo parlor, as
34、if impervious to his mothers wrath. He got a light blue heart, the size of an orange permanently etched on his arm. Above this work of art was the word“Blessed“. No, Justin was not stupid, but he was obstinate. Elaine saw this as an act of sheer defiance. She was incensed, her anger exacerbated by t
35、he fact that Justin had breezed into the house, found her in the kitchen, taken off his shirt with a smile and said, “Got it!“ “No, Justin. Let me tell what youve got, “ Elaine said angrily. “Youve got five minutes to go upstairs and pack a bag. I am taking you to Pop-Pops. “ The ride to Pop-Pops ho
36、use was chilly, to say the least. Elaine berated Justin for everything she could think of, which wasnt much because he was a straight A senior with a full academic scholarship to his top college pick. He had a kind heart and started a foundation in the ninth grade, which donated used sporting equipm
37、ent to underprivileged kids in South Africa. Elaine pulled up to her fathers door and ordered Justin out. Not 10 minutes later, her cell phone rang. “Elaine, have you lost it? You are kicking a boy as good as him out the house for a tattoo-that says Blessed, no less?“her father asked, incredulous. “
38、You will miss him so much. Dont cut off your nose to spite your face , Elaine. Come pick this young man up. “Elaine, having grown up obeying most of her parents demands, turned her car around and went back to pick up her son. Justin was surprisingly contrite. “ Sorry for being so disrespectful , Mom
39、, “he said earnestly. “I will try to follow house rules from now on. “ 13 What title would best fit this passage? （ A） House Rules. （ B） Visiting Pop-Pop. （ C） Straight As. （ D） Body Piercings. 14 What was Justins attitude when he showed his mother the tattoo? （ A） cautiously jubilant （ B） willfully
40、 defiant （ C） convincingly contrite （ D） noticeably melodramatic 15 Which of the following details does not make the reader sympathetic to Justin? （ A） He is described as obstinate. （ B） He is portrayed as kind-hearted. （ C） He is described as a straight A student. （ D） He is described as receiving
41、a full scholarship to college. 16 Which of the following is the best interpretation of the underlined idiom in the paragraph? （ A） Calling something bad that is not. （ B） Trying to teach something too difficult. （ C） Loving a person less for what he has done. （ D） Pursuing revenge and hurting yourse
42、lf in the process. 16 Coca-Cola, which sold 10 billion cases of soft drinks in 1992, now finds itself asking, where will sales of the next 10 billion cases come from? The answer lies overseas, where income levels and appetites for Western products are at an all-time high. Often, the company that get
43、s into a foreign market earliest dominates that countrys market. Coke patriarch Robert Woodruff realized this and unleashed a brilliant ploy to make Coke the early bird in many of the major foreign markets. At the height of World War II, Woodruff proclaimed, “Wherever American boys were fighting, th
44、eyd be able to get a Coke. “ By the time Pepsi tried to make its first international pitch in the 1950s, Coke had established its brand name along with a powerful distribution network. During the last 40 years, many new markets have emerged. In order to tap into these opportunities, both Coke and Pe
45、psi have attempted to find ways to cut through the red tape that thwarts their efforts to conduct business in these new regions. One key maneuver in the soda wars occurred in 1972, when Pepsi signed an agreement with the Soviet Union that made it the first Western product to be sold to consumers in
46、Russia. This landmark agreement gave Pepsi the upper hand. At present, Pepsi has 23 plants in the former Soviet Union and is the leader in the soft-drink industry in Russia. It outsells Coca-Cola by a ratio of 6 to 1 and is seen there as a local brand, similar to Cokes home-grown reputation in Japan
47、. However, Pepsi has also encountered some obstacles. An expected increase in brand loyalty for Pepsi subsequent to its advertising blitz in Russia has not materialized, even though Pepsi produced commercials tailored to the Russian market and sponsored televised concerts. Some analysts believe that
48、 Pepsis domination of the Russian market has more to do with pricing. While Pepsi sells for 250 Rubels(about 25 cents)a bottle, Coca-Cola sells for 450 Rubels. Likewise, Pepsi sells their 2 liter economy bottle for 1, 300 Rubels, while Coca-Colas 1. 5 liters is marketed at 1, 800 Rubels. On the othe
49、r hand, Coca-Cola only made its first inroads into Russia 2 years ago. Whats more, although Coca-Colas bottle and label gave it a high-class image, Russians do not perceive Coca-Cola as a premium brand in the Russian market. Consequently, it has so far been unable to capture a market share. 17 According to the passage, all of the following have been used to attract customers to buy one of the two brands of soft drink mentioned in the passage EXCEPT_. （ A） offering soft drinks for a limited time at special
