1、2010 年北京外国语大学英语专业（基础英语）真题试卷及答案与解析一、阅读理解0 Americans are living in an argument culture. There is a pervasive warlike atmosphere that makes us approach public dialogue, and just about anything we need to accomplish, as if it were a fight. Thinking of human interactions as battles is a metaphorical fram
2、e through which we learn to regard the world and the people in it.All language uses metaphors to express ideas; some metaphoric words and expressions are novel, made up for the occasion, but more are calcified in the language. They are simply the way we think it is natural to express ideas. We dont
3、think of them as metaphors. When someone says, “Dont pussyfoot around; get to the point“ , there is no explicit comparison to a cat, but the comparison is there nonetheless, implied in the word “pussyfoot“. I doubt that individuals using the word “pussyfoot“think consciously of cats. More often than
4、 not, we use expressions without thinking about their metaphoric implications. But that doesnt mean those implications are not influencing us.Americans talk about almost everything as if it were a war. A book about the history of linguistics is called The Linguistics Wars. A magazine article about c
5、laims that science is not completely objective is titled The Science Wars. One about competition among caterers is“ Party Wars“and on and on in a potentially endless list. Politics, of course, is a prime candidate. One of the innumerable possible examples, the headline of a story reporting that the
6、Democratic National Convention nominated Bill Clinton to run for a second term declares, “ DEMOCRATS SEND CLINTON INTO BATTLE FOR A 2D TERM. “But medicine is as frequent a candidate, as we talk about battling and conquering disease.Why does it matter that our public discourse is filled with military
7、 metaphors? Arent they just words? Why not talk about something that matterslike actions?Because words matter. When we think we are using language, language is using us. As linguist Dwight Bolinger put it(employing a military metaphor), language is like a loaded gun;It can be fired intentionally, bu
8、t it can wound or kill just as surely when fired accidentally. The terms in which we talk about something shape the way we think about itand even what we see.The power of words to shape perception has been proven by researchers in controlled experiments. Psychologists Elizabeth Loftus and John Palme
9、r, for example, found that the terms in which people are asked to recall something affect what they recall. The researchers showed subjects a film of two cars colliding, then asked how fast the cars were going; one week later, they asked whether there had been any broken glass. Some subjects were as
10、ked, “ About how fast were the cars going when they bumped into each other?“Others were asked, “About how fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?“Those who read the question with the verb “smashed “estimated that the cars were going faster. They were also more likely to“remember“
11、having seen broken glass.(There wasnt any.)This is how language works. It invisibly molds our way of thinking about people, actions, and the world around us. Military metaphors train us to think aboutand seeeverything in terms of fighting, conflict, and war. This perspective then limits our imaginat
12、ions when we consider what we can do about situations we would like to understand or change.In the argument culture, war metaphors pervade our talk and shape our thinking. Nearly everything is framed as a battle or game in which winning or losing is the main concern. These all have their uses and pl
13、ace, but they are not the only wayand often not the best wayto understand and approach our world. Conflict and opposition are as necessary as cooperation and agreement, but the scale is off balance, with conflict and opposition over-weighted.1 We know from Paragraph 2 that_.（A）the word “pussyfoot“ h
14、as no relation with cats（B） metaphoric words are usually created for special occasions（C） pussyfootis a newly-coined word（D）metaphoric implications can be found in all languages2 The underlined words “a prime candidate“ in Paragraph 3 probably means_.（A）an important person for election（B） the first
15、person considered for a job（C） something most suitable for a particular purpose（D）something more important than words3 By saying “language is using us“(Paragraph 5), the writer means_.（A）the terms we use shape our perception of the world（B） military metaphors help linguists to express ideas more cle
16、arly（C） language can hurt people unintentionally（D）language empowers us to fight with each other4 The experiment conducted by the two psychologists shows_.（A）the choice of words can affect the way people see things（B） it is of utmost importance to ask good questions（C） there is difference between “s
17、mash“ and “bump into“（D）the memory of an accident can only last for one week5 We can learn from the text that, in the writers opinion, _.（A）the argument culture is good for American society（B） Americans place too much importance on conflict and opposition（C） war metaphors have a positive impact on p
18、eoples thinking（D）more research should be done on the argument culture6 The best title for this passage is probably_.（A）Metaphors in an Argument Culture（B） We Are What We Speak; Living in an Argument Culture（C） Words Do Matter; Metaphors in American Culture（D）Language and Culture Debate6 I recently
19、became one of the last people in America to acquire a portable radio/headphone set. This delay was out of characternormally I ride the crest of every trend. But in this case I sensed a certain dangerous potential. So I put off the purchase for ages, feeling wary of such an inviting distraction. Too
20、much headphone time, I worried, could easily impair my business performance, if not ruin my way of life completely.As it turns out, my concerns were right on target.The problem isnt the expense, or the constant exposure to musical drivel, or even the endangerment of my hearingand I do like to keep t
21、he volume set on “blast“. No, the problem is more subtle and insidious. Its simply that, once I was fully plugged in, things stopped occurring to me.I get excited about good ideas. Especially my own. I used to have lists of them in all my regular haunts. My office desk, kitchen, car and even my gym
22、bag were littered with bits of paper. Ideas ranging from a terrific brochure headline or a pitch to a new client for my public-relations agency to finding a new route to avoid the morning rusheach notion began as an unsummoned thought, mulled over and jotted down.The old story has it that Isaac Newt
23、on identified the concept and presence of gravity while sitting under an apple tree. One fruit fell and science gained new dimension. While there may be some historic license in that tale, its easy to see that if Newton had been wearing his Walkman, he probably would have overlooked the real impact
24、of the apples fall.This is the problematic side of technological evolution. As tools become more compact, portable and inescapable, they begin to take away something they cannot replace. The car phone, battery-powered TV, portable fax and notepad-size computer do everything for accessibility. They m
25、ake it easy to be in touch, to be productive, to avoid the tragedy of a wasted second. But there are worse things than empty time. A calendar packed to the max makes it easy to overlook whats missing. A dearth of good ideas isnt something that strikes like a lightning bolt. Its a far more gradual da
26、wning, like the slow unwelcome recognition that ones memory has become less sharp.If that dawning is slow, its because our minds are fully occupied. It now takes an unprecedented depth of knowledge to stay on top of basic matters, from choosing sensible investments to purchasing the healthiest food.
27、 There is literally no end to the information that has become essential.When there is a chance to relax, we dont stop the input; we change channels. With earphones on our heads or televisions in our faces, we lock in to a steady barrage of news, views and videos that eliminate likelihood of any spon
28、taneous thought.Still, we are not totally oblivious. We work hard to counter the mind-numbing impact of the river of information we are forced to absorb. There is a deliberate emphasis on the importance of creative thought as a daily factor. From seminars to smart drinks, from computer programs to y
29、oga postures, theres no end to the strategies and products that claim to enhance creativity. It would be unfair to say that all of these methods are without value. But beyond a certain point they are, at best, superfluous. Trying too hard to reach for high-quality insight can thwart the process in t
30、he worst way.The best ideas occur to me when my mind is otherwise unchallenged and there is no pressure to create. I have mentally composed whole articles while jogging, flashed upon the solution to a software dilemma while sitting in the steam room, come up with just the right opening line for a cl
31、ients speech while pushing a vacuum. These were not problems I had set out to address at those particular times. Inventiveness came to my uncluttered mind in a random, unfocused moment.Certainly not every idea that pops up during a quiet time is a winner. But a surprising number do set me on the pat
32、h to fresh solutions. And I have found that a free flow of ideas builds its own momentum, leapfrogging me along to answer that work.The simple fact is that time spent lost in thought isnt really lost at all. Thats why“ unplugged time “is vital. Its when new directions, different approaches and excit
33、ing solutions emerge from a place that cant be tapped at will.It is unwise to take this resource for granted. Better to recognize it, understand something about where it resides and thereby ensure it is not lost.Clearly, this is far easier said than done. Technology is seductive. It chases us down,
34、grabs hold and will not let us go. Nor do we want it to. The challenge is to keep it in its place and to remember that time spent unplugged brings unique rewards. This doesnt mean I will abandon my new radio headset toy. But I will take the precaution of leaving it in my dresser drawer on a regular
35、basis. Otherwise, unlike wise old Newton, I may see the fall but never grasp its meaning.7 We may infer from the text that the writer_.（A）did not like to follow the trend（B） prefers to listen to soft music（C） works at a public relations firm（D）was not a creative person8 The writer uses the example o
36、f Isaac Newton to show that_.（A）scientists should stay close to nature to grasp the meaning of natural law（B） a creative scientist can change the course of history（C） a good idea is something that strikes like a lightning bolt（D）innovative ideas usually originate in times when the mind ranges freely
37、9 One of the problems that come with technological development is that_.（A）our minds are too occupied to have any creative ideas（B） tools become too complicated to operate（C） our memory becomes less sharp（D）people have too many gadgets to carry10 The underlined word“ haunts“ in Paragraph 4 probably
38、refers to_ .（A）places（B） people（C） activities（D）ghosts11 In the last few paragraphs, the writer suggests that people should_.（A）get rid of radio headsets（B） enjoy unplugged time regularly（C） face the challenge of technology（D）learn from Isaac Newton12 The best title for this text probably is_.（A）The
39、 Latest Trend in Headsets（B） Impacts of Scientific Development（C） We Are Too Busy for Ideas（D）The Best of the Gadgets二、判断题12 Read the following passage carefully and then decide whether the statements which follow are true(T)or false(F).Multiculturalism: E Pluribus PluresQuestions of race, ethnicity
40、, and religion have been a perennial source of conflict in American education. The schools have often attracted the zealous attention of those who wish to influence the future, as well as those who wish to change the way we view the past. In our history, the schools have been not only an institution
41、 to teach young people skills and knowledge, but an arena where interest groups fight to preserve their values, or to revise the judgments of history, or to bring about fundamental social change.Given the diversity of American society, it has been impossible to insulate the schools from pressures th
42、at result from differences and tensions among groups. When people differ about basic values, sooner or later those disagreements turn up in battles about how schools are organized or what the schools should teach. Sometimes these battles remove a terrible injustice, like racial segregation. Sometime
43、s, however, interest groups politicize the curriculum and attempt to impose their views on teachers, school officials, and textbook publishers. When groups cross the line into extremism, advancing their own agendas without regard to reason or to others, they threaten public education itself, making
44、it difficult to teach any issues honestly and making the entire curriculum vulnerable to political campaigns.For many years, the public schools attempted to neutralize controversies over race, religion, and ethnicity by ignoring them. The textbooks minimized problems among groups and taught a saniti
45、zed version of history. Race, religion, and ethnicity were presented as minor elements in the American saga; slavery was treated as an episode, immigration as a sidebar, and women were largely absent. The textbooks concentrated on presidents, wars, national politics, and issues of state. An occasion
46、al “great black“ or “great woman“ received mention, but the main narrative paid little attention to minority groups and women.With the ethnic revival of the 1960s, this approach to the teaching of history came under fire, because the history of national leadersvirtually all of whom were white, Anglo
47、-Saxon, and male ignored the place in American history of those who were none of the above. The traditional history of elites had been complemented by an assimilationist view of American society, which presumed that everyone in the American melting pot would eventually lose or abandon those ethnic c
48、haracteristics that distinguished each from mainstream Americans. The ethnic revival demonstrated that many groups did not want to be assimilated or melted. Ethnic studies programs popped up on campuses to teach not only that“ black is beautiful“ , but also that every other variety of ethnicity is “
49、 beautiful“ as well; eveiyone who had “roots“ began to look for them so that they, too, could recover that ancestral part of themselves that had not been homogenized.As ethnicity became an accepted subject for study in the late 1960s, textbooks were assailed for their failure to portray blacks accurately; within a few years, the textbooks in wide use were carefully screened to eliminate bias against minority groups and women. At the same time, new scholarship about the history of women, blacks
