1、考博英语模拟试卷 159及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 The word “bankruptcy“ comes from banes rotta, Italian for broken bench. The custom was that when a medieval trader failed to pay his creditors, his trading bench was broken. Since bankruptcy was taken off the street and put into the statute book, it has
2、become rather more complicated. Bankruptcy is as necessary for capitalism as profit; together they make up the stick and carrot which persuade businessmen to work. In Europe the accountants and lawyers who make a living from overseeing bankrupt companies expect the coming year to provide a bumper cr
3、op; in America bankruptcy courses are among the most popular at business schools. Only in Japan are experts talking about a possible decline in bankruptcies. Analyzing companies involves much the same task worldwide: look at the accounts and you will get some idea of how much or how little money a f
4、irm makes. Bankruptcy laws, however, vary enormously from country to country, mainly because each starts from different historical perspectives. Yet they all tackle the same issues and the most fundamental is how friendly the law should be to the debtor. Countries whose bankruptcy laws are based on
5、the British model view bankruptcy primarily as a way to recover creditors money. Typically, the courts replace the bankrupt firms management with a liquidator or a receiver whose mission is to pay back creditors as quickly as possible. Englands first bankruptcy law was an “act against such persons a
6、s do make bankrupt“. For centuries British bankrupts went to debtors prison. Continental countries also took the creditors side. In contrast, one of Americas attractions to immigrants was its very lack of a debtors prison. Bankruptcy is still viewed in America as a side-effect of entrepreneurship. M
7、anagers of a bankrupt firm are often allowed to stay on. Cynics reckon that some well-know businessmen have made a career ont of taking companies into and out of bankruptcy. The aim of American bankruptcy law is rehabilitation: to reorganize the company so that it can continue to trade, rather than
8、.to see that the creditors are paid off. Thus, while an ailing American company can opt for liquidation by filing under the chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, it can also file under chapter 11 to seek protection from its creditors. Once a firm has gone into chapter 11 its management has to produce a
9、reorganization plan: the creditors are arranged into committees to vote on it. These can become scrums where the various creditors relative seniority varies according to their lawyers eloquence. Fans of the American system argue that it gives companies a chance to recover. Critics say that American
10、law favors the same managers who bankrupted the firm, that it encourages lawyers to prolong bankruptcy protection, that it favors big bankers over smaller trade creditors, and that shareholders, the last to be paid in liquidation, gain at the expense of debt-holders. 1 In Paragraph One, “Since bankr
11、uptcy was taken off the streets and put into the statute book“ means_. （ A） creditor no longer broke the bankrupts bench on the streets but wrote down his name （ B） creditor had debtors name carved on a statue （ C） the punishment on a debtor was bounded by law instead of spontaneous action （ D） it t
12、ook more procedures to ask a trader to pay his creditors 2 We can infer from the second paragraph that _. （ A） bankruptcy is on the rise in both Europe and America with Japan being an exception （ B） business is predicted to flourish in the coming year （ C） bankruptcy is a course that business studen
13、ts like to major in （ D） experts in both Europe and America earn more than those in Japan 3 The passage drops a hint that _. （ A） some established American businessmen had taken advantage of bankruptcy law （ B） American government cared little about the benefit of creditors （ C） European bankruptcy
14、law is superior to that of the U. S. A. （ D） American bankruptcy law should be criticized 4 According to the passage, whose interest is ranked the last in American bankruptcy law? （ A） Big bankers. （ B） Small trade creditors. （ C） Shareholders. （ D） Debt-holders. 5 Which of the following is not true
15、? （ A） The fate of entrepreneurs is not uniform under different bankruptcy laws. （ B） The stick and the carrot refer to bankruptcy and profit respectively. （ C） People immigrate to the U. S.A. because they wont be put behind bar once in debt. （ D） The most eloquent lawyers will help the most advanta
16、geous creditors get paid back. 5 The devastating effects of earthquakes on human lives and property have encouraged the search for earthquake prediction. This challenge remains and contemporary seismologists continue to seek reliable methods for pinpointing the time, place and magnitude of individua
17、l quakes. One prediction technique involves an analysis of the recurrence rates of earthquakes as indicators of future seismic activity. Earthquakes are concentrated in certain areas of the world where tectonic plates such as the Pacific Plate, the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate meet and creat
18、e fault zones and it is in these areas that seismologists focus their investigations. The tectonic plate model provides another tool for earthquake prediction by calculating the accumulated strain at plate boundaries. When the strain reaches a certain magnitude the pressure must be released and it i
19、s therefore hypothesized that in such eases an earthquake is imminent. The search for premonitory phenomena has received particular attention. In contrast to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who relied on the howling of dogs as a warning sign, modern seismologists have focused on physical evidence for
20、 an impending earthquake. Evidence of plate strain can be found by measuring relative movements in geodetic stations, while chemical changes also offer signals for seismologists. Using chemical-detection techniques, scientists established a link between the rise in the concentration of radon gas in
21、mineral water and the subsequent earthquake. Analysis of the changes in magnetic properties and conductivity of rocks provides further data for prediction. The electrical and magnetic properties of crustal rocks particularly sensitive to strain and studies measuring changes which occur in these prop
22、erties have provided promising results. The conductivity of crustal rock is determined by the degree to which the rock is saturated with fluid and the electrolytic properties of those fluids. Before large earthquakes, small fractures develop in rocks, which change the quantity of fluid present. Thes
23、e changes can be measured and provide useful predictive data. However, similar changes in the fluid-bearing capacity of rock can occur as a result of other factors such as changes in the water table, and therefore this technique is not entirely reliable. The belief that the behavior of birds, eats a
24、nd dogs provides evidence of imminent earthquakes has recently gained credence. It is hypothesized that the animals are sensitive to the seismic waves which precede major quakes. In zones where earthquakes are known to occur, improved construction techniques can significantly reduce the effects of s
25、eismic waves. If more accurate information regarding the time and magnitude were available, governments could take even more effective measures to reduce the impact on human life. If an entirely accurate prediction technique became available, there would be significant social and political implicati
26、ons. An earthquake prediction in a major urban area would require governments to provide an effective evacuation strategy, necessitating massive resource and political will. 6 Which of the following is true? （ A） Earthquakes only occur in the Pacific, Eurasian, and African Plates. （ B） Earthquakes a
27、re caused by the tectonic plate model. （ C） An increase in the level of radon gas in water always indicates an imminent earthquake. （ D） The devastation of earthquakes prompted the set, king for reliable prediction methods. 7 “The electrical and magnetic properties of crustal rocks particularly sens
28、itive to strain and studies measuring changes which occur in these properties have provided promising results.“ ( Paragraph 5) What is the function of this sentence? （ A） To provide an example of a previous idea. （ B） To summarize the paragraph. （ C） To provide an argument against the previous idea.
29、 （ D） To establish the main point of the passage. 8 According to Paragraph 5, measuring the conductivity of fluid in rock may not be a reliable earthquake predictor, because _. （ A） other factors may account for changes in conductivity （ B） rock may be saturated with fluid （ C） these changes can be
30、measured （ D） the conductivity of crustal rock is inherently variable 9 Which of the following is not what scientists attempt to find out about earthquakes? （ A） Time. （ B） Animals. （ C） Magnitude. （ D） Place. 10 According to the passage, an accurate prediction of earthquake available would give ris
31、e to the following except_. （ A） effective evacuation strategies （ B） necessitating massive resource （ C） the howling of dogs （ D） The improvement of construction techniques 10 There are many benefits to using online distance learning environments. Online education is available any place, any time f
32、or global communities of learners based on shared interests. Online education with its group-based instruction and computer mediated communication provides an opportunity for new development and understanding in teaching and learning. Computer mediated communication encourages collaborative learning
33、 by not providing cues regarding appearance, race, gender, education, or social status, bestowing a sort of anonymity to participants. Distance also permits the expression of emotion (both positive and negative) and promotes discussion that normally would be inhibited. Yet, this same text-based posi
34、tive aspect of online learning makes online education more cumbersome and therefore takes more time than face-to-face learning. In addition, the sheer bulk of messages can be overwhelming. The learner 0nly has the written text and no other non-verbal cues. This may confuse the learner and cause misu
35、nderstanding. Some students are not willing to take the time to go in and look up homework assignments and other online learning activities. ESL students shy away from online classes. They have expressed fear of having their work, viewed by others. In the road to dotcom in education, educators “have
36、 to slow down from their busy lives to be free to focus first on connecting with learners and connecting them to learning before they end up feeling like they are no longer using technology, but are being used by it“. There is pressure to keep up with the times as well as “a cost-of-entry issue rega
37、rding technology in education. Without a certain level of technology services and learning options, many students will not consider attending a certain institution“. Mark Milliron claims that “any technology has to prove that it will ultimately improve or expand learning“. This will come about if ed
38、ucators “slow down, look around, and get on the road to dotcom a place to thoughtfully engage and explore all aspects of technology, good, bad, or indifferent. A place with mindful focus on the people and passions that make life worth living“. Should online learning be an issue of control or should
39、students be convinced of its value as an authentic learning tool? Fear and a threatening environment dont enhance learning according to brain-based learning research. “How students feel about a learning situation determines the amount of attention they devote to it.“ “Positive emotions ensure that l
40、earning will be retained.“ Its very. important to discuss with students how they feel about technology and online learning so that they feel good about what they are doing. The process of implementing online distance learning is a slow and delicate one. Change will eventually come about but it will
41、take time. 11 There are many good and bad aspects of online distance learning. One good thing about it is_. （ A） easy to do （ B） cheaper than face-to-face learning （ C） convenient （ D） very fast going 12 Sometimes online distance learning can be a problem because _. （ A） learners dont have the money
42、 to pay for it （ B） some learners dont need face-to-face cues （ C） it is face-to-face learning （ D） some students feel it time consuming to read so many texts 13 Online distance classes are learning environments that are _. （ A） available all the time （ B） not always available （ C） very expensive （
43、D） very cheap 14 Which of the following is not true? （ A） While choosing a school, students will take its availability of technology into consideration. （ B） Discussion among participants in virtual learning environment is carried on without knowing the others. （ C） Educators feel online education i
44、s a pressure because they are used by technology. （ D） It seems all the communication in online communication is by written forms. 15 It can be inferred from the passage that _. （ A） online education slows down learning （ B） both students and educators are against online education （ C） online educat
45、ion is at the phase of research （ D） there are some problems with the technology applied in online education 15 In recent speeches at Republican fundraisers, President Bush has taken to criticizing the press for baring government secrets. The outgoing secretary of the Treasury, John Snow, in what ma
46、y have been his last official act, wrote to The New York Times that in exposing the monitoring of bank transfers, it had undermined a successful counterterrorism program. A house resolution, passed by a party line vote, called on the media to safeguard classified programs. The government has discove
47、red what governments have discovered before, that an undercurrent of hostility towards the news media runs through the country and that there could be political advantage in campaigning against the press in general. The champion press hater, of course, was President Nixon, who told his staff that th
48、e press is the enemy, and he proceeded to declare his own private war against the media. In 1969, he had a speech written by speechwriter Pat Buchanan denouncing the media as a “tiny and closed fraternity of privileged men“. And he gave it to Vice President Spiro Agnew to deliver. That speech is bes
49、t remembered today for the line contributed by another speechwriter, William Safire, about “nattering nabobs of negativism“. It is not clear that the public hates the press as much as officialdom would like to think. A recent Pew Research report found that public attitudes towards the press have been on a downward track for years. Growing numbers of people questioned the news medias patriotism and fairness. And yet most Americans continue to say they like mainstream news outlets. And so, as The Christian Science Monitor he
