1、考博英语模拟试卷 274及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 A century ago in the United States, when an individual brought suit against a company, public opinion tended to protect that company. But perhaps this phenomenon was most striking in the case of the railroads. Nearly half of all negligence cases decided
2、through 1896 involved railroads. And the railroads usually won. Most of the cases were decided in state courts, when the railroads had the climate of the times on their sides. Government supported the railroad industry; the progress railroads represented was not to be slowed down by requiring them o
3、ften to pay damages to those unlucky enough to be hurt working for them. Court decisions always went against railroad workers. Mr. Farwell, an engineer, lost his right hand when a switchmans negligence ran his engine off the track. The court reasoned that since Farwell had taken the job of an engine
4、er voluntarily at good pay, he had accepted the risk. Therefore the accident, though avoidable had the switchmen acted carefully, was a “pure accident“. In effect a railroad could never be held responsible for injury to one employee caused by the mistake of another. In one case where a Pennsylvania
5、Railroad worker had started a fire at a warehouse and the fire had spread several blocks, causing widespread damage, a jury found the company responsible for all the damage. But the court overturned the jurys decision because it argued that the railroads negligence was the immediate cause of damage
6、only to the nearest buildings. Beyond them the connection was too remote to consider. As the century wore on, public sentiment began to turn against the railroadsagainst their economic and political power and high fares as well as against their callousness(无情 )toward individuals. 1 What does the wor
7、d “negligence“ mean in the passage? （ A） ignorance （ B） arrogance （ C） carelessness （ D） depression 2 Which of the following is NOT true in Farwells case? （ A） Farwell would not have been injured if the switchman had been more careful. （ B） The court argued that the victim had accepted the risk sinc
8、e he had willingly taken his job. （ C） The court decided that the railroad should not be held responsible. （ D） Farwell was injured because he negligently ran his engine off the track. 3 What must have happened after the fire case was settled in court? （ A） The railroad compensated for the damage to
9、 the immediate buildings. （ B） The railroad compensated for all the damage by the fire. （ C） The railroad paid nothing for the damaged building. （ D） The railroad worker paid for the property damage himself. 4 The following aroused public resentment EXCEPT_. （ A） political power （ B） high fares （ C）
10、 economic loss （ D） indifference 5 What does the passage mainly discuss? （ A） Railroad oppressing individuals in the U. S. （ B） History of the U. S. railroads. （ C） Railroad workers working rights. （ D） Law cases concerning the railroads. 5 Researchers have studied the poor as individuals, as famili
11、es and households, as members of poor communities, neighborhoods and regions, as products of larger poverty-creating structures. They have been analyzed as victims of crime and criminals, as members of minority cultures, as passive consumers of mass culture and active producers of a “counterculture“
12、, as an economic burden and as a reserve army of laborto mention just some of the preoccupations of poverty research. The elites, who occupy the small upper stratum within the category of the non-poor, and their functions in the emergence and reproduction of poverty are as interesting and important
13、an object for poverty research as the poor themselves. The elites have images of the poor and of poverty which shape their decisions and actions. So far, little is known about those images, except as they are sketchily portrayed in popular stereotypes. The elites may well ignore or deny the external
14、 effects of their own actions(and omissions)upon the living conditions of the poor. Many social scientists may take a very different view. As poverty emerged and was reproduced, legal frameworks were created to contain the problems it caused with profound, and largely unknown, consequences for the p
15、oor themselves. In general, political, educational and social institutions tend to ignore or even damage the interests of the poor. In constructing a physical infrastructure for transport, industry, trade and tourism, the settlements of the poor are often the first to suffer or to be left standing a
16、nd exposed to pollution, noise and crowding. Most important are the economic functions of poverty, as for lack of other options the poor are forced to perform activities considered degrading or unclean. The poor are more likely to buy second-hand goods and leftover foodstuffs, thus prolonging their
17、economic utility. They are likely to use the services of low-quality doctors, teachers and lawyers whom the non-poor shy away from. Poverty and the poor serve an important symbolic function, in reminding citizens of the lot that may befall those who do not heed the values of thrift, diligence and cl
18、eanliness, and of the constant threat that the rough, the immoral and the violent represent for the rest of society. Physically, the poor and the non-poor are kept apart, through differential land use and ghettoization. Socially, they are separated through differential participation in the labor mar
19、ket, the consumption economy, and in political, social and cultural institutions. Conceptually, they are divided through stereotyping and media cliche. This separation is even more pronounced between the elites and the poor. 6 According to the author, studying the elites also sheds light on poverty
20、research because _. （ A） they are also members of the same society as the poor （ B） they play an important role in creating and reproducing poverty （ C） solution of the poverty problem is at their mercy （ D） they know the living conditions of the poor better than other groups 7 While social scientis
21、ts are devoting much of their effort to poverty research,_. （ A） not enough legal frameworks have been created to relieve the condition of the poor （ B） they have done little to actually provide relief programs for the poor （ C） they ignore the role of the elites as an object for poverty research （
22、D） the poor people themselves do not much appreciate such effort 8 In the eyes of the society, _. （ A） the poor tend to symbolize what lazy and evil people turn out to be （ B） the poor are not worthy of the sympathy the society shows them （ C） economic prejudice is more of an obstacle to the solutio
23、n of poverty （ D） the non-poor should show more sympathy for the poor 9 The word “pronounced“ in the last sentence of the passage probably means_. （ A） sympathetic （ B） conspicuous （ C） identifiable （ D） unbridgeable 10 In the passage, the author is mainly concerned with_. （ A） analyzing a problem （
24、 B） providing a solution （ C） defining a situation （ D） outlining a proposal 10 Industrial production managers coordinate the resources and activities required to produce millions of goods every year in the United States. Although their duties vary from plant to plant, industrial production managers
25、 share many of the same major responsibilities. These responsibilities include production scheduling, staffing, procurement and maintenance of equipment, quality control, inventory control, and the coordination of production activities with those of other departments. The primary mission of industri
26、al production managers is planning the production schedule within budgetary limitations and time constraints. They do this by analyzing the plants personnel and capital resources to select the best way of meeting the production quota. Industrial production managers determine, often using mathematica
27、l formulas, which machines will be used, whether new machines need to be purchased, whether overtime or extra shifts are necessary, and what the sequence of production will be. They monitor the production run to make sure that it stays on schedule and correct any problems that may arise. Industrial
28、production managers also must monitor product standards. When quality drops below the established standard, they must determine why standards are not being maintained and how to improve the product. If the problem relates to the quality of work performed in the plant, the manager may implement bette
29、r training programs, reorganize the manufacturing process, or institute employee suggestion or involvement programs. If the cause is substandard materials, the manager works with the purchasing department to improve the quality of the products components. Because the work of many departments is inte
30、rrelated, managers work closely with heads of other departments such as sales, procurement, and logistics to plan and implement company goals, policies, and procedures. For example, the production manager works with the procurement department to ensure that plant inventories are maintained at their
31、optimal level. This is vital to a firms operation because maintaining the inventory of materials necessary for production ties up the firms financial resources, yet insufficient quantities cause delays in production. A breakdown in communications between the production manager and the purchasing dep
32、artment can cause slowdown and a failure to meet production schedules. Just-in-time production techniques have reduced inventory levels, making constant communication among the manager, suppliers, and purchasing departments even more important. Computers play an integral part in this coordination. T
33、hey also are used to provide up-to-date information on inventory, the status of work in progress, and quality standards. Production managers usually report to the plant manager or the vice president for manufacturing, and may act as liaison between executives and first-line supervisors. In many plan
34、ts, one production manager is responsible for all aspects of production. In large plants with several operations, there are managers in charge of each operation, such as machining, assembly, or finishing. 11 The passage is mainly about_. （ A） the procedures for industrial production （ B） the ways to
35、 raise working efficiency and productivity （ C） the importance of coordination in production activities （ D） the role of an industrial production manager 12 To meet the production quota, it is of vital importance that_. （ A） every machine be utilized to its fullest capability （ B） problems be correc
36、ted at once whenever they arise （ C） work shifts be arranged to yield the highest productivity （ D） the optimal staffing and budgeting arrangement be made 13 Which of the following aspects is the focus of the fourth paragraph? （ A） Quality control. （ B） Inventory control. （ C） Coordination of produc
37、tion activities. （ D） The necessity to obtain the latest information. 14 The procurement department is in charge of_. （ A） purchasing the production materials （ B） distributing the inventories in stock （ C） controlling the quality of the products （ D） making constant communication with other departm
38、ents 15 What is the role of computers in the production process? （ A） They control the techniques of production. （ B） They keep each department well-informed. （ C） They monitor the progress and status of work. （ D） They transmit directions from the management to employees. 15 Linguists have understo
39、od for decades that language and thought are closely related. Humans construct reality using thought and express these thoughts through the use of language. Edward Sapir and his student Benjamin Whorf are credited with developing the most relevant explanation outlining the relationship between thoug
40、ht and language, the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. The hypothesis consists of two parts, linguistic relativity and linguistic determinism. Supporters of linguistic relativity assume that culture is shaped by language. Terwilliger defines linguistic determinism as the process by which “the functions of one
41、s mind are determined by the nature of the language which one speaks. “ In simpler terms, the thoughts that we construct are based upon the language that we speak and the words that we use. In its strongest sense, linguistic determinism can be interpreted as meaning that language determines thought.
42、 In its weakest sense, language partially influences thought. Whorf was careful to avoid authoritative statements which would permanently commit him to particular position. Because of the broad nature of his statements, it is difficult to distinguish exactly to what extent Whorf believes that langua
43、ge determines thought. Heated debate among modern linguists demonstrates that disagreement exists about the accuracy and correctness of Whorfs studies and of the actual level of influence of language on thought processes. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis essentially consists of two distinct statements con
44、necting the relation of thought and language. Whorf believes that humans may be able to think only about objects, processes, and conditions that have language associated with them. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis also explains the relationship between different languages(French, English, German, Chinese,
45、 and so on)and thought. Whorf demonstrated that culture is largely determined by language. Different cultures perceive the world in different ways. Culturally essential objects, conditions and processes usually are defined by a plethora of words, while things that cultures perceive as unimportant ar
46、e usually assigned one or two words. Whorf developed this theory while studying the Hopi Indian tribe. Whorf was amazed that the Hopi language has no words for past, present, and future. The Hopi have only one word for flying objects. A dragonfly, an airplane, and a pilot are defined using the same
47、word. Whorf questioned whether or not the Hopi view the world differently than western peoples. After further interpretation and analysis he concluded that the Hopi have a sense for the continuum of time despite having no words to specifically describe past, present, and future. It is commonly belie
48、ved that the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis possesses some truth, but the extent to which it is applicable to all situations is questioned. Linguists generally support a “strong“ or a “weak“ interpretation. Linguists who study the hypothesis tend to cite examples that support their beliefs but are unable or
49、 unwilling to refute the opposing arguments. Examples exist that strengthen the arguments of everyone who studies the hypothesis. Nobody has gained significant ground in proving or refuting the hypothesis because the definitions of Sapir and Whorf are very vague and incomplete, leaving room for a significant amount of interpretation. 16 Advocates of linguistic determinism insist that_. （ A） the realities constructed through different languages are different （ B） language and thought are intimately related to each other （ C）
