1、考博英语模拟试卷 158及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 Extraordinary creative activity has been characterized as revolutionary, flying in the face of what is established and producing not what is acceptable but what will become accepted. According to this formulation, highly creative activity transcends the
2、limits of an existing form and establishes a new principle of organization. However, the idea that extraordinary creativity transcends established limits is misleading when it is applied to the arts, even though it may be valid for the sciences. Differences between highly creative art and highly cre
3、ative science arise in part from a difference in their goals. For the sciences, a new theory is the goal and end result of the creative act. Innovative science produces new propositions in terms of which diverse phenomena can be related to one another in more coherent ways. Such phenomena as a brill
4、iant 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 very different: the phenomenon itself becomes the direct product of the creative act. Shakespeare s Hamlet is not a tract about the behav
5、ior of indecisive princes or the uses of political power, nor is Picasso s painting Guernica primarily a propositional statement about the Spanish Civil War or the evils of fascism. What highly creative artistic activity produces is not a new generalization that transcends established limits, but ra
6、ther an aesthetic particular. Aesthetic particulars produced by the highly creative artist extend or exploit, in an innovative way, the limits of an existing form, rather than transcend that form. This is not to deny that a highly creative artist sometimes establishes a new principle of organization
7、 in the history of an 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 little bearing on its aesthetic worth. Because they embody a n
8、ew principle of organization, some musical works, such as the operas of Florentine Cnmerata, are of signal historical importance, but few listeners or musicologists would include these among the great works of music. On the other hand, Mozart s The Marriage of Figaro is surely among the masterpieces
9、 of music even though its modest innovations are confined to extending means. It bas been said of Beethoven that he toppled the rules and freed music from the stifling confines of convention. But a close study of his compositions reveals that Beethoven overturned no fundamental rules. Rather, he was
10、 an incomparable strategist who exploited limits the rules, forms, and conventions that he inherited from predecessors such as taydn and Mozart, Handel and Bach in strikingly original ways. 1 The author considers a new theory that coherently relates diverse phenomena to one another to be the_. （ A）
11、basis for reaffirming a well-established scientific formulation （ B） byproduct of an aesthetic experience （ C） tool used by a scientist to discover a new particular （ D） result of highly creative scientific activity 2 The author implies that Beethoven s music was strikingly original because Beethove
12、n_. （ A） strove to outdo his predecessors by becoming the first composer to exploit limits （ B） fundamentally changed the musical forms of his predecessors by adopting a richly inventive strategy （ C） manipulated the established conventions of musical composition in a highly innovative fashion （ D）
13、attempted to create the illusion of having transcended the musical form of his predecessors 3 The author regards the idea that all highly creative artistic activity transcends limits with_. （ A） deep skepticism （ B） strong indignation （ C） marked indifference （ D） moderate amusement 4 The author imp
14、lies that an innovative scientific contribution is one that_. （ A） is cited with high frequency in the publications of other scientists （ B） is accepted immediately by the scientific community （ C） presents the discovery of a new scientific fact （ D） introduces a new valid generalization 4 Things we
15、re never easy within the family. But at a time when the family was oriented toward the production of goods, which alone made the survival of its members possible, there was an obvious necessity and a rational basis for their living and working together. Dire necessity did not permit putting into que
16、stion the very existence of the family, despite the great emotional demands living together made on each of its members. Today the main economic activities of the family are in the nature of consumptionhowever productive may be what some of its members do in society. And from an early age on, each m
17、ember of the family could survive without its support since society at large is ready to provide support. It is quite easy to put the existence of the family into question. This happens very frequently, not just as families separate, or fail to be formed, but also within families which to all outer
18、appearance are still intact. But once the family needs seriously to justify its existence, it is no longer intact as a family in the old sense. The modern family, deprived of its ancient and firm basis in economic necessity, now tries to justify its existence through the emotional ties within it. Th
19、ese always were present, but they were a superstructure good or bad, over the solid foundation of necessity. With the foundation of necessity removed, the emotions either tend to run rampant or to wither away. The more a family tries to justify itself by means af the feelings existing within it, the
20、 stronger these are aroused, and the more easily and severely do they get hurt. There is more reason to wish to exculpate oneself, to wish that the blame for what goes wrong should rest with someone else. The young generation easily blames their parents for all the difficulties they encounter within
21、 themselves, society, and the family. Parents prefer to see all that is wrong ascribed either to the indifferent or otherwise nasty behavior of the new generation, to the destructive impact of the peer group, or of society at large. Which is preferred as the target to be blamed depends on the struct
22、ure of the personality of the individual, the mood of the day, or the most recent headlines. In Civilization and Its Discontent Freud showed why civilization must exact a high price in psychological discomfort for the very great and real advantages it provides us: creating and maintaining a civilize
23、d life requires considerable and difficult repression and sublimation of many aspects of our selfish drives, although we would prefer them to find immediate gratification. How understandable, then, that as civilization imposes a considerable price in personal psychological frustration, the same is t
24、rue for the family, out of which civilization grew. If this is so, why have we such a hard time accepting the frustrations and disappointments which are the unavoidable price we have to pay for living in families?. Why do we wish to blame the hardships of family living on something or somebody, even
25、 on ourselves, although blaming these difficulties on each other increases them beyond endurance? 5 In the early time, the whole family was closely tied by _. （ A） strong emotional demand （ B） necessity of survival （ C） blood relationship （ D） habits in existence 6 According to the passage, the mode
26、rn family gives the first priority to the emotional ties because_. （ A） food, clothing and shelter is no longer a matter of great concern （ B） modern men are civilized by receiving a lot of education （ C） parents and children are lacking in communication （ D） modern men are more interested in the re
27、search on superstructure 7 Based on Freuds view,_. （ A） its quite normal to have frustration accompany with the civilization （ B） civilization can bring along immediate satisfaction free of charge （ C） development of civilization costs the human race a large amount of money （ D） it s advisable to bl
28、ame hardships of family living on each other 8 The passage is mainly about _. （ A） economic foundation and superstructure （ B） todays generation gap （ C） the family problems now and then （ D） psychological discomfort in a civilized society 8 It is curious to note how slowly the mechanism of the inte
29、llectual life improves. Contrast the ordinary library facilities of a middle-class English home, such as the present writer is now working in, with the inconveniences and deficiencies of the equipment of an Alexandrian writer, and one realizes the enormous waste of time, physical exertion, and atten
30、tion that went on through all the centuries during which that library flourished. Before the present writer lie half a dozen books, and there are good indices to three of them. He can pick up any one of these six books, refer quickly to a statement, verify a quotation, and go on writing. Contrast wi
31、th the tedious un- folding of a rolled manuscript. Close at hand are two encyclopedias, a dictionary, an atlas of the world, a biographical dictionary, and other books of reference. They have no marginal indices, it is true, but that, perhaps, is asking too much at present. There were no such resour
32、ces in the world in 300 B.C. Alexandria had still to produce the first grammar and the first dictionary. This present book is being written in manuscript; it is then taken by a typist and typewritten very accurately. It can then, with the utmost convenience, be read over, corrected amply, rearranged
33、 freely, retyped, and recorrected. The Alexandrian author had to dictate or recopy every word he wrote. Before he could turn back to what he had written previously, he had to dry his last words by waving them in the air or pouring sand over them; he had not even blotting-paper. Whatever an author wr
34、ote had to be recopied again and again before it could reach any considerable circle of readers, and every copyist introduced some new error. New books were dictated to a roomful of copyists, and so issued in a first edition of some hundreds at least. In Rome, Horace and Virgil seem to have been iss
35、ued in quite considerable editions. Whenever a need for maps or diagrams arose, there were fresh difficulties. Such a science as anatomy, for example, depending as it does upon accurate drawing, must have been enormously hampered by the natural limitations of the copyist. The transmission of geograp
36、hical fact again must have been almost incredibly tedious. No doubt a day will come when a private library and writing desk of the year A.D. 1925 will seem quaintly clumsy and difficult; but, measured by the standards of Alexandria, they are astonishingly quick, efficient, and economical of nervous
37、and mental energy. 9 In Alexandrian Times, writers _. （ A） didnt have enough sources at their elbows （ B） had private libraries with many books （ C） had their manuscripts typed accurately （ D） didnt have much interest in writing 10 The first sentence of the passage_. （ A） is written as a conclusion
38、of the passage （ B） seems to contradict the main idea of the passage （ C） has no relation to the rest of the passage （ D） appears to have some connection with the passage 11 In developing his idea, the author used _ in writing. （ A） comparison （ B） contrast （ C） simile （ D） metaphor 12 This passage
39、chiefly describes _. （ A） the inconveniences and deficiencies of an Alexandrian writer （ B） the development of writing and publishing since Alexandrian Times （ C） the conveniences and sufficiencys of modern writers （ D） the similarities and differences between Ancient and Modern Times 12 Man has lon
40、g wished to predict earthquakes. Recent findings indicate that reliable earthquake prediction is almost a reality. Before earthquakes occur, there frequently are changes in rock behavior that affect the velocities of other earthquake waves passing through the rocks. The former Soviet seismologists h
41、ave used earthquake waves from other unrelated earthquakes to meas- ure the alterations in wave speed through rocks around a fault zone. For months to years before a particular earthquake, the former Soviet scientists observed that the strained rock in the fault zone was deformed in a way that slowe
42、d other earthquake wave that passed through the zone. Similar behavior has preceded earthquakes in California and New York. Changes in electrical resistance, water pressure l rock motion, and leakage of gas also can accompany the lowering of wave velocity. Fractures in the fault zone apparently open
43、, which leads to a lowering of water pressure. When the fractures are filled by underground water, the continuing stress on the rocks is also exerted on the water in pores, which contributes to pressure within the rocks and ultimately causes further fault movement and earthquakes. These preliminary
44、events have been observed and studied for many earthquakes. The larger the earthquake, apparently the longer the time during which the preliminary events take place. Careful observation and measurement of the early events will precede reliable forecasts. The preliminary events are most evident along
45、 normal and reverse fault systems, and strike-slip faults may not produce the same effect. Although earthquake forecasting is in its infancy, both American and the former Soviet scientists have been able to predict the occurrence of a few earthquakes. Understanding of the causes of earthquakes has o
46、pened several possibilities for their control. Underground nuclear explosions in Nevada have released strain energy stored in certain rocks. In some instances, the shock wave from the explosion has raised the strain on nearby fractures and faults enough to initiate fault movement. All of the resulti
47、ng earthquakes have been small, but a large earthquake could conceivably be initiated. In the future, a situation may arise where it is desirable to deliberately initiate an earthquake near a heavily populated area because too large an amount of strain has accumulated on an active fault zone in the
48、vicinity. If hazardous areas were left empty and if emergency services were standing at the ready, such action might be considered necessary to prevent a later much more damaging earthquake. However, the legal, environmental, and human problems would be large in- deed, perhaps too great for such act
49、ion to be taken. Another possibility for earthquake control is much more exciting. Increasing water pressures can initiate faulting, as was unintentionally demonstrated by a deep well at the U. S. Army s Rock Mountain Arsenal near Denver, Colorado, in the early 1960s. Disposal of nerve gas wastes in the well triggered movement along deeply buried inactive faults in the region. The liquid waste reduced frictional resistance along fault flat surface in the rocks surrounding the well, leading to movement along the
