1、考博英语模拟试卷 171及答案与解析 一、 Structure and Vocabulary 1 Customers may also be permitted to _ their current accounts for a short period in anticipation of a credit item coming in. （ A） overextend （ B） overdraw （ C） overvalue （ D） overpay 2 If you want to buy this house, the payment may be made in five _. （
2、A） installments （ B） pieces （ C） shares （ D） parts 3 The purpose of a _ is to cut down imports in order to protect domestic industry and workers from foreign competition. （ A） tax （ B） toll （ C） fee （ D） tariff 4 If the profits in one year are not sufficient to pay the dividend, the _ will be paid f
3、rom the profits of later year. （ A） arrear （ B） debt （ C） difference （ D） margin 5 Dozens of scientific groups all over the world have been _ the goal of a practical and economic way to use sunlight to split water molecules. （ A） pursuing （ B） chasing （ C） reaching （ D） winning 6 The discussion was
4、so prolonged and exhausting that _ the speakers stopped for refreshments. （ A） at large （ B） at intervals （ C） at ease （ D） at random 7 When travelling, you are advised to take travellers checks, which provide a secure _ to carrying your money in cash. （ A） substitute （ B） selection （ C） preference
5、（ D） alternative 8 I never trusted him because I always thought of him as such a _ character. （ A） gracious （ B） suspicious （ C） unique （ D） particular 9 Changing from solid to liquid, water takes in heat from all substances near it, and this _ produces artificial cold surrounding it. （ A） absorptio
6、n （ B） transition （ C） consumption （ D） interaction 10 I didnt say anything like that at all. You are purposely _ my ideas to prove your point. （ A） revising （ B） contradicting （ C） distorting （ D） distracting 11 He hoped the firm would _ him to the Paris branch. （ A） exchange （ B） transmit （ C） tra
7、nsfer （ D） remove 12 Having decided to rent a flat, we _ contacting all the accommodation agencies in the city. （ A） set about （ B） set down （ C） set out （ D） set up 13 The relationship between employers and employees has been studied _. （ A） originally （ B） extremely （ C） violently （ D） intensively
8、 14 _ their differences the couple were developing an obvious and genuine affection for each other. （ A） But for （ B） For all （ C） Above all （ D） Except for 15 One day I _ a newspaper article about the retirement of an English professor at a nearby state college. （ A） came across （ B） came about （ C
9、） came after （ D） came at 16 The car _ halfway for no reason. （ A） broke off （ B） broke down （ C） broke up （ D） broke our 17 The newcomers found it impossible to _ themselves to the climate sufficiently to make permanent homes in the new country. （ A） suit （ B） adapt （ C） regulate （ D） coordinate 18
10、 A _ to this problem is expected to be found before long. （ A） result （ B） response （ C） settlement （ D） solution 19 You have nothing to _ by refusing to listen to our advice, （ A） gain （ B） grasp （ C） seize （ D） earn 20 As a result of careless washing the jacket _ to a childs raze. （ A） compressed
11、（ B） shrank （ C） dropped （ D） decreased 二、 Cloze 20 Comparisons were drawn between the development of television in the 20th century and the diffusion of printing in the 15th and 16th centuries. Yet much had happened【 21】 . As was discussed before, it was not【 22】 the 19th century that the newspaper
12、 became the dominant pre-electronic【 23】 , following in the wake of the pamphlet and the book and in the【 24】 of the periodical. It was during the same time that the communications revolution【 25】 up, beginning with transport, the railway, and leading【 26】 through the telegraph, the telephone, radio
13、, and motion pictures【 27】 the 20th-century world of the motor car and the air plane. Not everyone sees that process in【 28】 . It is important to do so. It is generally recognized,【 29】 , that the introduction of the computer in the early 20th century,【 30】 by the invention of the integrated circuit
14、 during the 1960s, radically changed the process,【 31】 its impact on the media was not immediately【 32】 . As time were by, computers became smaller and more powerful, and they became “personal“ too. as well as【 33】 , with display becoming sharper and storage【 34】 increasing. They were thought of, li
15、ke people,【 35】 generations, with the distance between generations much smaller. It was within the computer age that the term “information society“ began to be widely used to describe the context within which we now live. （ A） between （ B） before （ C） since （ D） later （ A） after （ B） by （ C） during
16、（ D） until （ A） means （ B） method （ C） medium （ D） measure （ A） process （ B） company （ C） light （ D） form （ A） gathered （ B） speeded （ C） worked （ D） picked （ A） on （ B） out （ C） over （ D） off （ A） of （ B） for （ C） beyond （ D） into （ A） concept （ B） dimension （ C） effect （ D） perspective （ A） indeed
17、 （ B） hence （ C） however （ D） therefore （ A） brought （ B） followed （ C） stimulated （ D） characterized （ A） unless （ B） since （ C） lest （ D） although （ A） apparent （ B） desirable （ C） negative （ D） plausible （ A） institutional （ B） universal （ C） fundamental （ D） instrumental （ A） ability （ B） capabi
18、lity （ C） capacity （ D） faculty （ A） by means of （ B） in terms of （ C） with regard to （ D） in line with 三、 Reading Comprehension 35 The climate of Earth is changing. Climatologists are confident that over the past century, the global average surface temperature has increased by about half a degree C
19、elsius. This warming is thought to be at least partly the result of human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and the clearing of forests for agriculture. As the global population grows and national economies expand, the global average temperature is expected to continue increasing by an
20、 additional 1.0 to 3.5 by the year 2100. Climate change is one of the most important environmental issues facing human- kind. Understanding the potential impacts of climate change for natural ecosystems is essential if we are going to manage our environment to minimize the negative consequences of c
21、limate change and maximize the opportunities that it may offer. Because natural ecosystems are complex, nonlinear systems, it follows that their responses to climate change are likely to be complex. Climate change may affect natural ecosystems m a variety of ways. In the short term. climate change c
22、an alter the mix of plant species in land ecosystems such as grasslands. In the long term, climate change has the potential to dramatically alter the geo- graphic distribution of major vegetation types savannas, forests, and climate change can also potentially alter global ecosystem processes, inclu
23、ding the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Moreover. changes in these ecosystem processes can affect and be affected by changes in the plant species of the ecosystem and vegetation type. All of the climate change-induced alterations of natural ecosystems affect the services, that
24、these ecosystems provide to humans. The global average surface temperature increase of half a degree Celsius observed over the past century has been in part due to differential changes in daily maximum and minimum temperatures, resulting in a narrowing of the diurnal temperature range. Decreases in
25、the diurnal temperature range were first identified in the United States, where large-area trends showed that maximum temperatures have remained constant or increased only slightly, whereas minimum temperatures have increased at a faster rate. In this issue, Al-ward et al. report on the different se
26、nsitivities of rangeland plants to minimum temperature increases. 36 Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason for the global warming? （ A） The burning of fuels such as coal or oil. （ B） The clearing of forests. （ C） The cultivation of farmland, （ D） The negative consequences of human acti
27、vities. 37 The second paragraph is primarily concerned with _. （ A） the potential impacts of climate change for natural ecosystems （ B） how to minimize the negative consequences of climate change （ C） how to maximize the opportunities that climate change may offer （ D） the complex, nonlinear nature
28、of natural ecosystems 38 According to the author, what may chiefly be responsible for the temperature in- creases observed over the past century.? （ A） Increases of daily maximum temperatures. （ B） Decreases of daily minimum temperatures. （ C） Increases of diurnal temperature range. （ D） Decreases i
29、n the diurnal temperature range. 39 In subsequent paragraphs, we may expect the writer of this passage to _. （ A） discuss the global impacts of temperature increases （ B） present a point of view which supports the idea of the second paragraph （ C） introduce Alwards report on the different sensitivit
30、ies of rangeland plants to minimum temperature increases （ D） further illustrate the causes of the global average surface temperature increases 40 The word “diurnal“ (Line 3, Para. 3) is closest in meaning to_. （ A） day-and-nights （ B） everyday （ C） two days （ D） yearly 40 Many objects in daily use
31、have clearly been influenced by science, but their form and function, their dimensions and appearance were determined by technologists, artisans, designers, inventors, and engineers using nonscientific modes of thought. Many features and qualities of the objects that a technologist thinks about cant
32、 be reduced to unambiguous verbal descriptions; they are dealt with in the mind by a visual, nonverbal process. In the development of Western technology, it has been nonverbal thinking, by and large, that has fixed the outlines and filled in the details, and rockets exist not because of geometry or
33、thermodynamics, but because they were first a picture in the minds of those who built them. The creative shaping process of a technologists mind can be seen in nearly every artifact that exists. For example, in designing a diesel engine, a technologist might impress individual ways of non-verbal thi
34、nking on the machine by continually using an intuitive sense of rightness and fitness. What would be the shape of the combustion chamber? Where should be the valves placed? Should it have a long or short piston? Such questions have a range of answers that are supplied by experience, by physical requ
35、irements, by limitations of available space, and not least by a sense of form. Some decisions, such as wall thickness and pin diameter, may depend on scientific calculations, but the nonscientific component of design remains primary. Design courses, then, should be an essential element in engineerin
36、g curricula. Nonverbal thinking, a central mechanism in engineering design, involves perceptions, the stock-in-trade of the artist, not the scientist. Because perceptive processes are not assumed, to entail “hard thinking“, nonverbal thought is sometimes seen as a primitive stage in the development
37、of cognitive processes and inferior to verbal or mathematical thought. But it is paradoxical that when the staff of the Historic American Engineering Record wished to have drawings made of machines and isometric views of industrial processes for its historical record of American engineering, the onl
38、y college students with the requisite abilities were not engineering students, but rather students attending architectural schools. If courses in design, which in a strongly analytical engineering curriculum provide the background required for practical problem-solving, are not provided, we can expe
39、ct to en- counter silly but costly errors occurring in advanced engineering systems. For example, early models of high-speed railroad cars loaded with sophisticated controls were unable to operate in a snowstorm because a fan sucked snow into the electrical system. Absurd random failures that plague
40、 automatic control systems are not merely trivial aberrations; they are a reflection of the chaos that results when design is assumed to be primarily a problem in mathematics. 41 In the passage, the author is primarily concerned with _. （ A） identifying the kinds of thinking that are used by technol
41、ogists （ B） stressing the importance of nonverbal thinking in engineering design （ C） proposing a new role for nonscientific thinking in the development of technology （ D） criticizing engineering schools for emphasizing science in engineering curricula 42 It can be inferred that the author thinks en
42、gineering curricula are _. （ A） strengthened when they include courses in design （ B） strong because nonverbal thinking is still emphasized by most of the courses （ C） strong despite the errors that graduates of such curricula have made in the development of automatic control, systems （ D） strong de
43、spite the absence of nonscientific modes of thinking 43 The main point of the first two paragraphs can best be illustrated as _. （ A） when a machine like a rotary engine malfunctions, it is the technologist who is best equipped to repair it （ B） a telephone is a complex instrument designed by techno
44、logists using only nonverbal thought （ C） the designer of a new refrigerator should consider the designs of other refrigerators before deciding on its form （ D） the distinctive features of a suspension bridge reflect its designers conceptualization as wetl as the physical requirements of its site 44
45、 The example of the early models of high-speed railroad cars is used to _. （ A） weaken the point that math is a necessary part of the study of design （ B） support the idea that errors in modern engineering systems are likely to increase （ C） illustrate the topic that courses in design are the most e
46、ffective cost-reducing means （ D） exemplify the thesis that inadequate attention to nonscientific design may result in poor design 45 The author seems to be in agreement with which of the following? （ A） Mathematical thinking is essential to any design course. （ B） Non-verbal thinking has its advant
47、age over other perceptive processes. （ C） Engineering design demands scientific thought. （ D） Artists play a primitive role in engineering work. 45 We all know that the normal human daily cycle of activity is of some 748 hours sleep alternating with some 16,417 hours wakefulness and that, broadly sp
48、eaking, the sleep normally coincides with the hours of darkness. Our present concern is with how easily and to what extent this cycle can be modified. The question is no mere academic one. The ease, for example, with which people can change from working in the day to working at night is a question o
49、f growing importance in industry where automation calls for round the-clock working of machines. It normally takes from five days to one week for a person to adapt to a reversed routine of sleep and wakeful-ness, sleeping during the day and working at night. Unfortunately, it is often the case in industry that shifts are changed every week: a person may work from 12 midnight to 8 a. m. one week, 8 a. m. to 4 p. m. the next, and 4 p. m. to
