1、考博英语模拟试卷 144及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 The single business of Henry Thoreau, during forty-odd years of eager activity, was to discover all economy calculated to provide a satisfying life. His one concern, which gave to his ramblings in Concord fields a value of high adventure, was to explore
2、the true meaning of wealth. As he understood the problems of economics, there were three possible solutions open to him, to exploit himself, to exploit his fellows, or to reduce the problem to its lowest denominator. The first was quite impossible-to imprison oneself in a treadmill when the morning
3、called to great adventure. To exploit ones fellows seemed to Thoreaus sensitive social conscience an even greater infidelity. Freedom with abstinence seemed to him better than serfdom with material well-being, and he was content to move to Walden Pond and set about the high business of living, “to f
4、ront only the essential facts of life and to see what it had to teach.“ He did not advocate that other men should build cabins and live isolated. He had no wish to dogmatize concernig the best mode of living-each must settle that for himself. But that a satisfying life should be lived, he was virtua
5、lly concerned. The story of his emancipation from the lower economics is the one romance of his life, and Walden is his great book. It is a book in praise of life rather than of Nature, a record of calculating economies that studied saving in order to spend more largely. But it is a book of social c
6、riticism as well, in spite of its explicit denial of such a purpose. In considering the true nature of economy he concluded, with Ruskin, that the cost of a thing is the amount of life which is required in exchange for it, immediatey or in the long run. In Walden Thoreau elaborated the text: “The on
7、ly wealth is life.“ 1 The main idea of this paragraph is best expressed as _. （ A） problems of economics （ B） Thoreaus philosophy （ C） Walden, Thoreaus greatest book （ D） how Thoreau saved money 2 Thoreaus chief aim in life was to _. （ A） discover a satisfactory economy （ B） do as little work as pos
8、sible （ C） convert others to his way of life （ D） write about Nature 3 Thoreaus solution to the problem of living was to _. （ A） study nature （ B） make other men work for him （ C） work in a mill （ D） live in a simple way 4 According to Thoreau, the wealth of an individual is measured by _. （ A） the
9、money he makes （ B） the experience he gains （ C） the amount he saves （ D） the books he writes 5 In Thoreaus opinion, the price of a thing should be measured in terms of _. （ A） pleasure （ B） effort （ C） money （ D） life 5 Montaignes hold on his readers arises from many causes. There is his frank and
10、curious self-delineation. That interests, because it is the revelation of a very peculiar nature. Then there is the positive value of separate thoughts imbedded in his strange whimsicality and humor. Lastly, there is the perennial charm of style, which is never a separate quality, but rather the ama
11、lgam and issue of all the mental and moral qualities in a mans possession, and which bears the same relation to these that light bears to the mingled elements that make up the orb of the sun. And style, after all, rather than thought, is the immortal thing in literature. In literature, the charm of
12、style is indefinable, yet all-subduing, just as fine manners are in social life. In reality, it is not of so much consequence what you say, as how you say it. Memorable sentences are memorable on account of some irradiating word. “But Shadwell never deviates into sense, for instance.“ Young Roscius,
13、 in his provincial barn, will repeat you the great soliloquy of Hamlet, and although every word may be given with tolerable correctness, you find it just as commonplace as himself. The great actor speaks it, and you “read Shakespeare as by a flash of lightning“. And it is in Montaignes style, in the
14、 strange freaks and turnings of his thought, his constant surprises, his curious alternations of humor and melancholy, his careless, familiar form of address, and the grace with which everything is done, that his charm lies, and which makes the hundredth perusal of him as pleasant as the first. 6 Li
15、terature lives because of the authors _. （ A） ideas （ B） humor （ C） surprises （ D） style 7 Montaigne revealed _. （ A） fine manners （ B） a peculiar nature （ C） a formal style （ D） irradiating words 8 Shadwell is described as _. （ A） literary （ B） foolish （ C） straightforward （ D） sensible 9 Roscius r
16、eading of Hamlet is poor because he himself is _. （ A） a farmer （ B） an actor （ C） incorrect （ D） ordinary 10 According to the author, style includes all of the items below EXCEPT _. （ A） familiarity （ B） surprise （ C） thoughts （ D） contrast 10 Many critics of the current welfare system argue that e
17、xisting welfare regulations foster family instability. They maintain that those regulations, which exclude most poor husband and wife families from Aid to Families with Dependent Children assistance grants, contribute to the problem of family dissolution. Thus, they conclude that expanding the set o
18、f families eligible for family assistance plans or guaranteed income measures would result in a marked strengthening of the low-income family structure. If all poor families could receive welfare, would the incidence of instability change markedly? The unhappily married couple, in most cases, remain
19、 together out of a sense of economic responsibility for their children, because of the high costs of separation, or because of the consumption benefits of marriage. The formation, maintenance, and dissolution of the family is in large part a function of the relative balance between the benefits and
20、costs of marriage as seen by the individual members of the marriage. The major benefit generated by the creation of a family is the expansion of the set of consumption possibilities. The benefits from such a partnership depend largely on the relative dissimilarity of the resources or basic endowment
21、s each partner brings to the marriage. Persons with similar productive capacities have less economic “cement“ holding their marriage together. Since the family performs certain function society regards as vital, a complex network of social and legal buttresses has evolved to reinforce marriage. Much
22、 of the variation in marital stability across income classes can be explained by the variation in costs of dissolution imposed by society, e. g. division of property, alimony, child support, and the social stigma attached to divorce. Marital stability is related to the costs of achieving an acceptab
23、le agreement on family consumption and production and to the prevailing social price of instability in the marriage partners social economic group. Expected AFDC income exerts pressures on family instability by reducing the cost of dissolution. To the extent that welfare is a form of government subs
24、idized alimony payments, it reduces the institutional costs of separation and guarantees a minimal standard of living for wife and children. So welfare opportunities are a significant determinant of family instability in poor neighborhoods, but this is not the result of AFDC regulations that exclude
25、 most intact families from coverage. Rather, welfare instability occurs because public assistance lowers both the benefits of marriage and the costs of its disruption by providing a system of government subsidized alimony payments. 11 Some criticize the current welfare regulations because _. （ A） th
26、ose regulations encourage family dissolution （ B） the low-income families are not given enough family assistance grants （ C） they expand the set of families eligible for family assistance （ D） the guaranteed income measures are increased 12 According to this passage, family stability depends on _. （
27、 A） the couples earning ability （ B） the relative balance between the benefits and costs of marriage （ C） how much possessions the couple have before marriage （ D） a network of social and legal support 13 All of the following are mentioned by the author as factors tending to perpetuate a marriage EX
28、CEPT _. （ A） the stigma attached to divorce （ B） the social class of the partners （ C） the cost of alimony and child support （ D） the loss of property upon divorce 14 The author argues that _. （ A） the agreement between couples reinforce marital stability （ B） expected AFDC income helps to strengthe
29、n family stability （ C） AFDC regulations are to blame for family instability （ D） public assistance upsets the balance between benefits and costs of marriage 15 The tone of the passage can best be described as _. （ A） confident and optimistic （ B） scientific and detached （ C） discouraged and alarmed
30、 （ D） polite and sensitive 15 The war was the most peaceful period of my life. The window of my bedroom faced southeast. My mother had curtained it, but that had small effect. I always woke up with the first light and, with all the responsibilities of the previous day melted, felt myself rather like
31、 the sun, ready to shine and feel joy. Life never seemed so simple and clear and full of possibilities as then. I stuck my feet out under the sheets-I called them Mrs. Left and Mrs. Right-and invented dramatic situations for them in which they discussed the problems of the day. At least Mrs. Right d
32、id; she easily showed her feelings, but I didnt have the same control of Mrs. Left, so she mostly contented herself with nodding agreement. They discussed what Mother and I should do during the day, what Santa Claus should give a fellow for Christmas, and what steps should be taken to brighten the h
33、ome. There was that little matter of the baby, for instance. Mother and I could never agree about that. Ours was the only house in the neighborhood without a new baby, and Mother said we couldnt afford one till Father came back from the war because it cost seventeen and six. That showed how foolish
34、she was. The Geneys up the road had a baby, and everyone knew they couldnt afford seventeen and six. It was probably a cheap baby, and Mother wanted something really good, but I felt she was too hard to please. The Geneys baby would have done us fine. Having settled my plans for the day, I got up, p
35、ut a chair under my window, and lifted the frame high enough to stick out my head. The window overlooked the front gardens of the homes behind ours, and beyond these it looked over a deep valley to the tall, red-brick house up the opposite hillside, which were all still shadow, while those on our si
36、de of the valley were all lit up, though with long storage shadows that made them seem unfamiliar, stiff and painted. After that I went into Mothers room and climbed into the big bed. She woke and I began to tell her of my schemes. By this time, though I never seem to have noticed it, I was freezing
37、 in my nightshirt, but I warmed up as I talked until the last frost melted. I fell asleep beside her and woke again only when I heard her below in the kitchen, making breakfast. 16 How did the author feel early in the morning? （ A） He felt frightened by the war. （ B） He felt cheerful. （ C） He felt p
38、uzzled by the dramatic situations around him. （ D） He felt burdened with responsibilities. 17 When he woke up in the morning, he would _. （ A） visit Mrs. Left and Mrs. Right （ B） roll up the curtains （ C） try to work out his plans for the day （ D） make Mrs. Left argue with Mrs. Right 18 What did the
39、 author think of his mother? （ A） She was stubborn. （ B） She was poor. （ C） She was not very intelligent. （ D） She did not love him very much. 19 Where was the authors father during the war? （ A） He was out on business. （ B） He was working in another town. （ C） He went traveling. （ D） He was fightin
40、g in the front. 20 In which month did the story probably take place? （ A） In January. （ B） In September. （ C） In December. （ D） In November. 二、 Structure and Vocabulary 21 The vast _ area of this country enabled us to welcome the hordes of immigrants that flocked to our shores. （ A） teeming （ B） exp
41、lored （ C） flourishing （ D） undeveloped 22 The members of the House of Commons were shocked when the opposition speaker _ the character of the Prime Minister. （ A） mentioned （ B） disputed （ C） lauded （ D） doubted 23 They greeted his proposal with _ and refused to give it serious study. （ A） incredul
42、ity （ B） fickleness （ C） derision （ D） intensity 24 The age of the general practitioner is over. More and more graduates of medical schools tend to _, that is, to concentrate on limited areas of their profession. （ A） generalize （ B） rationalize （ C） study （ D） specialize 25 The great _ that have in
43、fluenced the worlds thinkers came not from committees but from individuals who groped for the truth in independent research. （ A） obeservations （ B） generalization （ C） manifestation （ D） catastrophes 26 Edisons remark that genius is “one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration“ dem
44、onstrates that the _ worker is valuable. （ A） inspired （ B） assiduous （ C） perspired （ D） eager 27 In his researches on _ diseases, he discovered many facts about the lungs of animals and human beings. （ A） inherited （ B） chronic （ C） infectious （ D） pulmonary 28 The candidates speech was filled wit
45、h empty promises, _ and clichs. （ A） candor （ B） platitudes （ C） anger （ D） threats 29 The book, published _, revived our interest in the author who had just died. （ A） anonymously （ B） privately （ C） recently （ D） posthumously 30 The spring floods had washed away the bridge, we were forced to take
46、a _ route. （ A） circular （ B） fantastic （ C） damp （ D） circuitous 31 These sporadic attacks seem to indicate that the enemy is waging a war of _ rather than attacking us directly. （ A） fragments （ B） attrition （ C） intensity （ D） words 32 I can think of nothing more _ than arriving at the theater an
47、d discovering that I have left the tickets at home. （ A） vicious （ B） inviting （ C） vexatious （ D） immoral 33 Such an _ act of hostility can only lead to war. （ A） overt （ B） opportunistic （ C） occadional （ D） unequaled 34 When the news of his _ with the enemy became known, he was hanged in effigy.
48、（ A） involement （ B） conversations （ C） collusion （ D） complacency 35 In times of war, we must take precautions against acts of _ as well as of direct violence. （ A） viciousness （ B） sabotage （ C） pretext （ D） hatefulness 36 When the colonel learned that headquarters had been unable to send him rein
49、forcements, he _ the order for the scheduled attack. （ A） countermanded （ B） relinquished （ C） rephrased （ D） invalidated 37 After graduation, he was _ to a teaching post. But a year later, he resigned from the job and plunged himself into business. （ A） dominated （ B） dispersed （ C） designated （ D） displaced 38 The ditry tricks played upon the Secretary of the State are _ by the high-ranki
