1、2008年天津外国语学院英语专业（基础英语）真题试卷及答案与解析 一、选择题 1 It is expected that the bilateral trade volume will hit a new high of $ 30 billion this year. （ A） longitudinal （ B） two sides （ C） delayed （ D） symmetric 2 I was stunned by her request for a letter of recommendation given our superficial knowledge of one ano
2、ther. （ A） thinking that （ B） considering the fact of （ C） with the preoccupation of （ D） as a result of deep contemplation of 3 For those who believe additional training would be beneficial, a booster program is available. （ A） program intended to facilitate student needs （ B） program set up for st
3、udents with special talents （ C） program to be offered to students with limited abilities （ D） program designed to escalate student performance 4 For a long time, France has been pushing for lifting the weapons embargo against those countries. （ A） removing （ B） alleviating （ C） hollering （ D） chang
4、ing 5 Even before the train had come to a stop, the massive onslaught of bodies engulfed us from all sides. （ A） plunging （ B） outpouring （ C） striking （ D） withdrawing 6 Earlier that year, UNESCO listed Kunqu as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. （ A） hypothetical （ B） valuable （ C） nonphysical （ D）
5、unchangeable 7 The Games of the 29th Olympiad will leave Beijing and the world sports a rich environmental legacy. （ A） bequest （ B） protection （ C） experience （ D） property 8 By enshrining the scientific outlook on development in its constitution, the CPC has made a commitment to the Chinese people
6、 and to the whole world that it will follow the path of sustainable development and make sure the fruits of development are shared by all people. （ A） compiling as a major part （ B） worshiping as sacred （ C） cherishing as treasure （ D） enclosing in as an important part 9 Indigenous Australians belie
7、ve that reconciliation is necessary but the government should, most importantly, make a formal apology for what they did in the past. （ A） conflict （ B） confrontation （ C） rapprochement （ D） reconnaissance 10 The Beijing Olympic security command center set up a control center for the softball champi
8、onship, which had seven subdivisions in charge of the security of the competition venues, athletes accommodations, traffic and other areas. （ A） the box where all the VIPs stay （ B） the playground for competition （ C） the setting where the competition takes place （ D） the sports hall that the player
9、s and spectators go 11 Scientist say that unless we curb global warming emissions, average world temperatures could be 3 to 9 degrees higher by the end of the century. （ A） hinder （ B） restraint （ C） accelerate （ D） stop 12 Change was supposed to position all of its instruments to face the moon on N
10、ovember 18, a posture facilitating its probing work. （ A） precising （ B） assisting （ C） producing （ D） twisting 13 Although his bid to apply for the membership turned out to be futile, he did not stop his secessionist efforts. （ A） fruitless （ B） prosperous （ C） scrupulous （ D） incompetent 14 Theyre
11、 virtual criminals who prey on IT security weaknesses and are becoming more sophisticated, skilled and organized in their attacks. （ A） real （ B） actual （ C） cyber （ D） fake 15 Putin has been seen as trying to choose between Medvedev, a business friendly lawyer and Sergei Ivanov, another first deput
12、y premier who built up a stern and hawkish reputation while defense minister. （ A） warlike （ B） peaceful （ C） merciful （ D） merciless 16 Police dont yet know why Hawkins chose the Westroads Mall or the Von Maur department store in particular, Warren said, adding only that the teen may have frequente
13、d the mall. （ A） paid regular visits to （ B） been a habitual patron to （ C） purchased a large amount of goods from （ D） gone window-shopping in 17 The recognizable feature of these buildings is their massiveness. （ A） messiness （ B） adroitness （ C） bulkiness （ D） cuteness 18 Terrorism is the calcula
14、ted use of violence or threat of violence to attain goals that are political, religious, or ideological in nature through intimidation, coercion, or instilling fear. （ A） hoax （ B） compulsion （ C） temptation （ D） blackmail 19 The Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in this case. （ A） disguised
15、 （ B） resounding （ C） partially agreed （ D） well agreed 20 Inflation has surged in recent months due to double-digit spike in sensitive food prices blamed on shortages of pork and other basic goods. （ A） sharp rise （ B） regular increase （ C） dramatic drop （ D） anticipated decrease 二、阅读理解 20 AIt is a
16、 little difficult at first to get your bearings in this strange place because the falling water disappears abruptly into a slit in the earths surface, and thereafter the river, the Zambezi, rushes away along a narrow gorge that keeps twisting and turning back on itself in the most confusing way. Con
17、sequently from ground level it is impossible to obtain a general view. The thing that really takes your eye, however, is a white cloud that constantly hangs over the scene. From the distance this cloud looks like a forest fire(the native name for the falls is Musi-o-tunya, the Smoke that Thunders),
18、but in actual fact it is composed of tiny particles of water which have been carried into the sky by the displaced air rushing up from the bottom of the gorge. If you stand on the edge of the Victoria Falls themselves you feel this cool wet updraught very keenly, and it is rather like being in the m
19、idst of a fine scotch mist, except that the sun shines through and creates astonishing circular rainbows in the air. In the midday heat condensation sets in and the cloud diminishes, but in the evening and in the early morning it climbs up to a thousand feet again. The Zambezi does not hasten to the
20、 falls. It slides, flat, blue-grey and placid among islands across the plain, and then unexpectedly plunges headlong into the vast abyss. Sometimes hippopotami, grown feeble with sickness or badly wounded in one of their communal fights, are washed helplessly over the lip, and then for weeks on end
21、their bodies float round and round in the whirlpools in the chasm below. No one has yet succeeded in plumbing these depths; even a cable weighted with a steel rail is swept out at a tangent by the torrent. Crocodiles take good care to remain in the calmwater above the falls, and though it is not oft
22、en you see them they are always there. A notice on the bank states with simple emphasis; Swimming is suicidal. BApart from this and a few other unobtrusive signs of the white mans civilization, the falls remain pretty much as they were when Dr. Livingstone discovered them on 16 November, 1855. The s
23、ame bulging baobab trees that Livingstone described grow along the bank, the same orchids thrust up through the dank and rotten undergrowth, and precisely in July each year the elephants still return from the dry wastes of Bechuanaland looking for water. The river then is low, and they wade out to K
24、ing George Island washing themselves as they go along with an inexpressible satisfaction. Livingstones spirit broods very much over this country; they have an excellent collection of his maps and letters in the town, and here at the falls a lifelike statue has been erected. The doctor gazes steadfas
25、tly at the rushing water, his Bible and his field-glasses in his left hand, his walking stick in his right, his cap with flaps on his head, his trousers caught up by string around his shins, and in the evening light one can easily imagine that it is the great man himself who is standing there, and t
26、hat nothing much divides you from his century-old loneliness and his utter determination. CA curious sort of mesmerism is created by so much roaring, Tumbling water. If you stare at it long enough you have the feeling that you are being gently lifted from the earth. You float in a solitary detachmen
27、t, and it is not unpleasant. Nothing seems to be of much importance, except that this pattern should go on constantly repeating itself, that these millions of tons of water should keep on arriving, poising for a moment as they inevitably spill over the brink, and then vanish into the depths below. O
28、ne can understand the morbid attraction waterfalls have for people about to commit suicide and such tragedies do occur here from time to time. These people avoid the prospect of a horrible death among the crocodiles upstream; they want to fall with the water. Often it has a soothing effect, making t
29、hem behave right up to the end in the most matter of fact way. Quite recently, I was told, a woman came up to a man who was standing on the brink and said to him casually, Would you mind holding my handbag for a minute? He took the bag and then she jumped. Then too there are the accidents. No railin
30、gs have been erected above the gorge, and at many places foolhardy people like to clamber down among the wet rocks to get a closer view. If they slip, their only chance of survival lies in being caught by the clumps of trees that grow out from the face of the precipice. This happened to a man not lo
31、ng ago, and although the fire brigade played its searchlights about all night they could not find him. It was only by chance that in the morning a tourist happened to see a tiny figure far below clinging to a ledge. The man was beating dementedly on the rock in a futile attempt to be heard above the
32、 roaring water. They went down with ropes and ladders and got him to the top. Normally of course the atmosphere of Livingstone is a great deal more cheerful than this. As at Niagara, honeymoon couples arrive. Launches ply about among the hippopotami on the upper reaches of the river, and native boys
33、 push the tourists in toy railway cars between the hotel and the falls. Monkeys come down from the trees to snatch cake from the picnic parties on the islands, and baboons, with great acumen, have learned how to open car doors and windows when the owners are away. There is an orchestra playing on th
34、e hotel terrace in the evening when for a few short minutes the white cloud reflects the colours of the sunset; and in the morning, at dawn, one can take a joy ride in a plane as far as the Wankie reserve and back to the falls again. In short, it is the immemorial pattern of any beauty spot in any c
35、ountry, but set into an African background; and this is not a background that quite accepts the western world as yet. After reading each of the following questions, choose the ONE correct answer, and indicate it by writing down the letter that stands for it. In all questions only ONE answer is corre
36、ct. This is stressed in some questions, but remember that the rule applies to all of them. From Section A 21 Which ONE of the following is not one of the main points of the first paragraph? （ A） It is hard to take a clear look at the whole Victoria Falls. （ B） The water in the huge waterfall seems t
37、o disappear into the earth. （ C） Below the falls the river twists in a narrow gorge. （ D） The scene is dominated by a white cloud. （ E） During the afternoon the cloud becomes even thicker and denser. 22 Which ONE of the following words or phrases does not help to make the same point as the others? （
38、 A） it is a little difficult at first to get your bearings(1.1) （ B） in this strange place(II. 1-2) （ C） in the most confusing way(1.5) （ D） it is impossible to obtain a general view(1.6) （ E） that constantly hangs over the scene(II. 7-8) 23 Above the Victoria Falls the river Zambezi flows_. （ A） po
39、werfully （ B） rapidly （ C） slowly （ D） menacingly （ E） sluggishly 24 Which ONE of the following words or phrases does not refer to the same thing as the others? （ A） the bottom of the gorge(1.12) （ B） the vast abyss(1.22) （ C） the lip(1.24) （ D） the chasm(1.26) （ E） these depths(1.27) 25 The main re
40、ason why swimming is suicidal is the_. （ A） number of hippopotami swimming around （ B） obvious presence of crocodiles （ C） whirlpools in the chasm （ D） presence of hidden crocodiles （ E） headlong plunge of the water 26 Plumbing(1.27)means_. （ A） surviving in （ B） surveying （ C） photographing （ D） me
41、asuring （ E） paradox 27 The phrase like a forest fire(1.9)is_. （ A） a metaphor （ B） a simile （ C） an exaggeration （ D） a cliche （ E） a paradox 27 From Section B 28 Unobtrusive signs(1.1)do not_. （ A） prove easy to focus （ B） attract attention （ C） meet the eye （ D） dominate the scene （ E） change the
42、 scene 29 Precisely(1.6)in this context means_. （ A） definitely （ B） punctually （ C） normally （ D） annually （ E） actually 30 The purpose of including the sentence about baobab trees, orchids and elephamts(II. 4-8)is to_. （ A） introduce picturesque detail （ B） stress how unchanged the falls are since
43、 1855 （ C） emphasize that the falls are in Africa （ D） underline the connection （ E） help the reader to visualize the scene 31 A word that is used metaphorically is_. （ A） civilization(1.2) （ B） discovered(1.3) （ C） thrust(1.5) （ D） rotten(1.6) （ E） washing(1.9) 32 With an inexpressible satisfaction
44、(II.9-10)means with_. （ A） an instinctive impulse that we cannot understand （ B） a desire that cannot be gratified （ C） contentment that cannot be measured （ D） delight that cannot be put into words （ E） pride that cannot be easily understood 33 The ONE quality that this passage does not ascribe to
45、Livingstone is_. （ A） a consistent interest in religion （ B） perseverance in observing a new scene （ C） intense pried in his own achievements （ D） a fundamental inability to become friendly with his negro servant （ E） a resolution to achieve his objectives 33 From Section C 34 You float in a solitar
46、y detachment(II. 3-4)means that you feel that_. （ A） you are surveying the scene impartially （ B） you imagine you are suspended, alone, above the earth （ C） life is just not worth living （ D） you wish to avoid the company of other human beings （ E） that the scene is absorbingly fascinating 35 The wo
47、rd in the following list that conveys a very different meaning from the others is_. （ A） morbid(1.9) （ B） suicide(1.10) （ C） tragedies(1.10) （ D） horrible(1.11) （ E） soothing(1.13) 36 Most people who commit suicide by throwing themselves into the water very near the Victoria Falls_. （ A） appear some
48、what careless （ B） seem to act automatically like machines （ C） act very unpredictably （ D） apparently behave without emotion （ E） treat it offhandedly as an ordinary event 37 Accidents are caused by_. （ A） people who like to be thought brave （ B） the fact that the railings are in the wrong place （
49、C） the absence of trees above the falls （ D） the hippopotami who make visitors nervous and accident-prone （ E） rash visitors who try to get too close 38 Visitors are usually_. （ A） happy （ B） amazed （ C） anxious （ D） curious （ E） fascinated 39 Acumen(1.36)means_. （ A） wisdom （ B） discernment （ C） penetration （ D） sagacity （ E） impudence 40 The Victoria Falls are_. （ A） being changed in appearance to attract visitors （ B） fundamentally Af
