1、北京航空航天大学考博英语模拟试卷 5及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 Pity those who aspire to put the initials PhD after their names. After 16 years of closely supervised education, prospective doctors of philosophy are left more or less alone to write the equivalent of a large book. Most social-science postgraduate
2、s have still not completed their theses by the time their grant runs out after three years. They must then get a job and finish in their spare time,which can often take a further three years. By then,most new doctors are sick to death of the narrowly defined subject which has blighted their holidays
3、 and ruined their evenings. The Economic and Social Research Council,which gives grants to postgraduate social scientists, wants to get better value for money by cutting short this agony. It would like to see faster completion rates:until recently,only about 25 points of PhD candidates were finishin
4、g within four years. The ESRCs response has been to stop PhD grants to all institutions where the proportion taking less than four years is below 10 points;in the first year of this policy the national average shot up to 39 points. The ESRC feels vindicated in its toughness,and will progressively ra
5、ise the threshold to 40 points in two years. Unless completion rates improve further,this would exclude 55 out of 73 universities and polytechnics-including Oxford University,the London School of Economics and the London Business School. Predictably,howls of protest have come from the universities,w
6、ho view the blacklisting of whole institutions as arbitrary and negative. They point out that many of the best students go quickly into jobs where they can apply their research skills,but consequently take longer to finish their theses. Polytechnics with as few as two PhD candidates complain that th
7、ey are penalized by random fluctuations in student performance. The colleges say there is no hard evidence to prove that faster completion rates result from greater efficiency rather than lower standards or less ambitious doctoral topics. The ESRC thinks it might not be a bad thing if PhD students w
8、ere more modest in their aims. It would prefer to see more systematic teaching of research skills and fewer unrealistic expectations placed on young men and women who are undertaking their first piece of serious research. So in future its grants will be given only where it is convinced that students
9、 are being trained as researchers,rather than carrying out purely knowledge-based studies. The ESRC can not dictate the standard of thesis required by external examiners,or force departments to give graduates more teaching time. The most it can do is to try to persuade universities to change their w
10、ays. Recalcitrant professors should note that students want more research training and a less elaborate style of thesis,too. 1 By time new doctors get a job and try to finish their theses in spare time,_. （ A） most of them died of some sickness （ B） their holidays and evenings have been ruined by th
11、eir jobs （ C） most of them are completely tired of the narrowly defined subject （ D） most of their grants run out 2 Oxford University would be excluded out of those universities that receive PhD grants from ESRC,because the completion rate of its PhD studentstheses within four years is lower than_.
12、（ A） 25 points （ B） 40 points （ C） 39 points （ D） 10 points 3 All the following statements are the arguments against ESRCs policy EXCEPT_. （ A） all the institutions on the blacklist are arbitrary and negative （ B） there is no hard evidence to prove that faster completion rates result from greater ef
13、ficiency rather than lower standards or less ambitious doctoral topics. （ C） many of the best students go quickly into jobs where they can apply their research skills,but consequently take longer to finish their theses. （ D） some polytechnics are penalized by random fluctuations in student performan
14、ce 4 The ESRC would prefer_. （ A） that the students were carrying out purely knowledge-based studies rather than being trained as researchers （ B） to see higher standards of PhD studentstheses and more ambitious doctoral topics （ C） more systematic teaching of research skills to fewer unrealistic ex
15、pectations placed on inexperienced young PhD students （ D） that PhD students were less modest in their aims 5 What the ESRC can do is to_. （ A） force departments to give graduates more teaching time （ B） try to persuade universities to change their ways （ C） dictate the standard of thesis required b
16、y external examiners （ D） note that students want more research training and less elaborate style of thesis 5 St. Paul has transformed soaring energy costs into a golden opportunity for economic development by putting the final touches on plans to: 1. Build the nations first system that will heat al
17、l major downtown buildings with waste heat now being dumped into the Mississippi River by electric utilities. 2. Create a & 9-million “energy bank“to lend money to improve the energy efficiency of homes at low 9-to-11-percent interest rates. 3. Construct the nations first “energy park“. The area wil
18、l include only those commercial, residential, and industrial facilities that are doing something energy-related. More than & 150-million worth of commit-ments has already been lined up. These developments did not just happen. They resulted when Mayor George Latimer asked volunteers to chart a new fu
19、ture for a city that is twice as cold as New York. “We cannot any longer look to foreign nations,old companies or the federal government to solve our energy crisis,“Latimer told his constituents. “We must look to ourselves to find the answers.“ 6 The reason why these developments did not happen befo
20、re was(that)_. （ A） the city imported enough foreign oil for its major downtown buildings （ B） the federal government didnt approve the necessary money for the construction （ C） not given （ D） St. Paul is colder than New York 7 St. Paul_. （ A） is located on the bank of the Mississippi River （ B） has
21、 got a new mayor recently （ C） is looking for the best approaches to solving its energy shortage （ D） is lending money for commercial, residential and industrial purposes 8 The plans_. （ A） were drawn by Mayor George Latimer （ B） were only for St. Pauls major downtown buildings （ C） were created by
22、volunteers when they were asked to offer their ideas （ D） were turning a golden opportunity into economic development 9 Which of the following facilities are/is NOT energy-related? （ A） Shops or supermarkets. （ B） A computer center or a factory. （ C） Private homes. （ D） Advertisement boards. 10 Judg
23、ing from what Mayor Latimer said,we are sure that_. （ A） these developments will some day become true （ B） foreign nations and oil companies are not reliable （ C） the future of St. Paul is quite uncertain （ D） high energy costs will soon be eliminated 10 Ideas about“spoiling“children have always inv
24、olved consideration of just what is a spoiled child. How does spoiling occur,and what are the consequences of spoiling； they have always included concepts of a childs nature and concepts of the ideal child and the ideal adult. The many mothers of the 1820s who belonged to the early“maternal associat
25、ions“struggled to uphold the ideals about child raising that had been prevalent in the 18th century. They had always been told that the spoiled child stood in danger of having trouble later in life (when exposed to all the temptations of the world)and,more importantly,stood in danger of spiritual ru
26、in. At first.the only approach these mothers knew was to “break the wilfof the child. This approach,com-ing initially from the theology of Calvin.the French Protestant reformer.was inherited from the stern outlook of the Puritans. As one mother wrote, “No child has ever been known,since the earliest
27、 period of the world,destitute of an evil disposition however sweet it appears. “Infant depravity.by which was meant the childs impulses, could be curbed only by breaking the will so that the child submitted completely to parental guidance. In 1834,a mother described this technique:Upon the fathers
28、order,her 16-month-old daughter had refused to say “Dear Mama“so the toddler was left alone in a room where she screamed wildly for ten minutes. After the ten minutes,the child was commanded again,and again she refused,so she was whipped and ordered again. This continued for four hours until the chi
29、ld finally obeyed. Parents commonly reported that after one such trial of “will“,the child became permanently submissive. In passing,we can note that knowledge about a childs “No“period might have moderated the disciplining of little children and the application of the saying“Spare the rod and spoil
30、 the child“. By freeing the child from its evil nature,parents believed they could then guide the child into acquiring the fight character traits,such as honesty,industriousness,and sobriety. These moral principles,fixed in the childs character,were to govern it throughout life,in a society where fr
31、ee enterprise,individual effort, and competition were believed to be the ruling forces. 11 When the author talks about ideas considered in“the spoiling of children“,he does not include the_. （ A） nature of a child （ B） reasons why spoiling occurs （ C） images of an ideal adult and child （ D） attitude
32、s of spoiled children when they become adults 12 “Spare the rod and spoil the child“means_. （ A） spoiling children is not as evil as it seems （ B） eliminating physical punishment is a sound policy （ C） if you do not inflict physical punishment,you will spoil your child （ D） spoiling childrenis a mat
33、ter of definition 13 The author suggests that nineteenth century parents were chiefly interested in a childs_. （ A） growing up to be industrious （ B） acquiring good character traits （ C） learning to compete successfully （ D） respecting his parents slavishly 14 People in the 19th century be believed
34、their society to be based on all but_. （ A） free enterprise （ B） competitive endeavor （ C） individualism （ D） honesty 15 The purpose of this passage is to_. （ A） inform （ B） persuade （ C） incite （ D） change an attitude 15 It is possible to persuade mankind to live without war? War is an ancient inst
35、itution which has existed for at least six thousand years. It was always wicked and usually foolish,but in the past the human race managed to live with it. Modern ingenuity has changed this. Either Man will abolish war,or war will abolish Man. For the present， it is nuclear weapons that cause the gr
36、avest danger,but bacteriological or chemical weapons may,before long,offer an even greater threat. If we succeed in abolishing nuclear weapons,our work will not be done. It will never be done until we have succeeded in abolishing war. To do this,we need to persuade mankind to look upon international
37、 questions in a new way,not as contests of force,in which the victory goes to the side which is most skillful in massacre, but by arbitration in accordance with agreed principles of law. It is not easy to change age-old mental habits,but this is what must be attempted. There are those who say that t
38、he adoption of this or that ideology would prevent war. I believe this to be a profound error. All ideologies are based upon dogmatic assertions which are,at best,doubtful,and at worst,totally false. Their adherents believe in them so fanatically that they are willing to go to war in support of them
39、. The movement of world opinion during the past two years has been very largely such as we can welcome. It has become a commonplace that nuclear war must be avoided. Of course very difficult problems remain in the international sphere,but the spirit in which they are being approached is a better one
40、 than it was some years ago. It has began to be though,even by the powerful men who decide whether we shall live or die,that negotiations should reach agreements even if both sides do not find these agreements wholly satisfactory. It has begun to be understood that the important conflict nowadays is
41、 not between East and West,but between Man and the H-bomb. 16 This passage implies that war is now_. （ A） more wicked than in the past （ B） as wicked as in the past （ C） less wicked than in the past （ D） what people try to live with 17 According to the author,_. （ A） it is impossible to live without
42、 war （ B） war is the only way to suede international disagreements （ C） war must be abolished if man wants to survive （ D） war will be abolished by modem ingenuity 18 The author says that modern weapons_. （ A） will help abolish war （ B） put mankind in grave danger （ C） will gradually become part of
43、mans life （ D） need further improving 19 The author believes that the only way to abolish war is to_. （ A） abolish nuclear weapons （ B） let the stronger side take over the world （ C） improve bacteriological and chemical weapons （ D） settle international issues through negotiation 20 The last paragra
44、ph suggests that_. （ A） nuclear war will definitely not take place （ B） international agreements are now reached more and more easily （ C） man is beginning to realize that nuclear war is his greatest enemy （ D） world opinion is in favour of nuclear war 二、 Structure and Vocabulary 21 Comparing the ti
45、me scales between many flu epidemics,scientists can_when another one might happen. （ A） determine （ B） anticipate （ C） predict （ D） assure 22 The talk might_for weeks before any concrete result is announced. （ A） get bogged down （ B） hold out （ C） press on （ D） drag on 23 The river is already_its ba
46、nks because of excessive rainfall and the city is threatened with a likely flood. （ A） flat on （ B） flush with （ C） parallel to （ D） level in 24 She tried to kick the pajamas loose,but they were_in the satin sheet. （ A） submerged （ B） tangled （ C） gouged （ D） scooped 25 The mans_directions confused
47、us,we did not know which of the two roads to take. （ A） complicated （ B） arbitrary （ C） ambiguous （ D） intricate 26 Cranes are used to_building materials to the upper floors during the construction of skyscrapers. （ A） hoist （ B） tow （ C） hurl （ D） toss 27 If the test taker finds an item to which an
48、 answer is not known， it may be_to leave it blank and go on with the test. （ A） probable （ B） considerable （ C） advisable （ D） preferable 28 The new laws threaten to_many people of the most elementary freedom. （ A） snatch （ B） depress （ C） strip （ D） deprive 29 However,the new law,once passed,will_t
49、he Bridling ton agreement illegal by giving workers the right to join unions of their choice. （ A） cancel （ B） render （ C） eliminate （ D） convert 30 Dr. White,who is_to be one of the best surgeons in London,performed the operation and successfully removed the tumor in her lungs. （ A） perceived （ B） thrilled （ C） reputed （ D） confessed 31 Curiosity and discontent are deep human urges which work together to_all human discovery and achievements. （ A） accomplis
