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1、北京师范大学 2012 年 3 月考博英语真题 Part I: Listening Comprehension 略 Part II: Reading Comprehension Directions: There are six passages in this part. Each of the passages is followed by five questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and
2、 mark your answer on the ANSER SHEET. Passage One In 1900 the United States had only three cities with more than a million residents-New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. By 1930, it had ten giant metropolises. The newer ones experienced remarkable growth, which reflected basic changes in the economy
3、. Line The population of Los Angeles (114,000 in 1900) rose spectacularly in the early decades of the twentieth century, increasing a dramatic 1,400 percent from 1900 to 1930. A number of circumstances contributed to the meteoric rise of Los Angeles. The agricultural potential of the area was enormo
4、us if water for irrigation could be found, and the city founders had the vision and dating to obtain it by constructing a 225-mile aqueduct, completed in 1913, to tap the water of the Owens River. The city had a superb natural harbor, as well as excellent rail connections. The climate made it possib
5、le to shoot motion pictures year-round; hence Hollywood. Hollywood not only supplied jobs; it disseminated an image of the good life in Southern California on screens all across the nation. The most important single industry powering the growth of Los Angeles, however, was directly linked to the aut
6、omobile. The demand for petroleum to fuel gasoline engines led to the opening of the Southern California oil fields, and made Los Angeles North Americas greatest refining center. Los Angeles was a product of the auto age in another sense as well: its distinctive spatial organization depended on wide
7、spread private ownership of automobiles. Los Angeles was a decentralized metropolis, sprawling across the desert landscape over an area of 400 square miles. It was a city without a real center. The downtown business district did not grow apace with the city as a whole, and the rapid transit system d
8、esigned to link the center with outlying areas withered away from disuse. Approximately 800,000 cars were registered in Los Angeles County in 1930, one per 2.7 residents. Some visitors from the east coast were dismayed at the endless urban sprawl and dismissed Los Angeles as a mere collection of sub
9、urbs in search of a city. But the freedom and mobility of a city built on wheels attracted floods of migrants to the city. 21. What is the passage mainly about? A. The growth of cities in the United States in the early 1900s B. The development of the Southern California oil fields C. Factors contrib
10、uting to the growth of Los Angeles D. Industry and city planning in Los Angeles 22. The author characterizes the growth of new large cities in the United States after 1900 as resulting primarily from A. new economic conditions B. images of cities shown in movies C. new agricultural techniques D. a l
11、arge migrant population 23. The word “meteoric“ in line 6 is closest in meaning to A. rapid B. famous C. controversial D. methodical 24. According to the passage, the most important factor in the development of agriculture around Los Angeles was the A. influx of “new residents to agricultural areas
12、near the city B. construction of an aqueduct C. expansion of transportation facilities D. development of new connections to the citys natural harbor 25. The visitors from the east coast mentioned in the passage thought that Los Angeles A. was not accurately portrayed by Hollywood images B. lacked go
13、od suburban areas in which to live C. had an excessively large population D. was not really a single city Passage Two Imagine eating everything delicious you want with none of the fat. That would be great, wouldnt it? New “ fake fat” products appeared on store shelves in the United States recently,
14、but not everyone is happy about it. Makers of the products, which contain a compound called olestra, say food manufacturers can now eliminate fat from certain foods, Critics, however, say that the new compound can rob the body of essential vitamins and nutrients and can also cause unpleasant side ef
15、fects in some people. So it is up to consumers to decide whether the new fat-free products taste good enough to keep eating. Chemists discovered olestra in the late 1960s, when they were searching for a fat that could be digested by infants more easily. Instead of finding the desired fat, the resear
16、chers created a fat that can t be digested at all. Normally, special chemicals in the intestines “ grab ” molecules of regular fat and break them down so they can be used by the body. A molecule of regular fat is made up of three molecules of substances called fatty acids. The fatty acids are absorb
17、ed by the intestines and bring with them the essential vitamins A, D, E and K. When fat molecules are present in the intestines with any of those vitamins, the vitamins attach to the molecules and are carried into the bloodstream. Olestra, which is made from six to eight molecules of fatty acids, is
18、 too large for the intestines to absorb. It just slides through the intestines without being broken down. Manufacturers say it s that ability to slide unchanged through the intestines that makes olestra so valuable as a fat substitute. It provides consumers with the taste of regular fat without any
19、bad effects on the body. But critics say olestra can prevent vitamins A, D, E, and K from being absorbed. It can also prevent the absorption of carotenoids, compounds that may reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, etc. Manufacturers are adding vitamins A, D, E and K as well as carotenoids to the
20、ir products now. Even so, some nutritionists are still concerned that people might eat unlimited amounts of food made with the fat substitute without worrying about how many calories they are consuming. 26. We learn from the passage that olestra is a substance that _ . A. contains plenty of nutrient
21、s B. renders foods calorie-free while retaining their vitamins C. makes foods easily digestible D. makes foods fat-free while keeping them delicious 27. The result of the search for an easily digestible fat turned out to be _. A. commercially useless B. just as anticipated C. somewhat controversial
22、D. quite unexpected 28. Olestra is different from ordinary fats in that _ ? A. it passes through the intestines without being absorbed B. it facilitates the absorption of vitamins by the body C. it helps reduce the incidence of heart disease D. it prevents excessive intake of vitamins 29. What is a
23、possible effect of olestra according to some critics? A. It may impair the digestive system. B. It may affect the overall fat intake. C. It may increase the risk of cancer. D. It may spoil the consumers appetite. 30. Why are nutritionists concerned about adding vitamins to olestra? A. It may lead to
24、 the over-consumption of vitamins. B. People may be induced to eat more than is necessary. C. The function of the intestines may be weakened. D. It may trigger a new wave of fake food production. Passage Three A “ scientific” view of language was dominant among philosophers and linguists who affecte
25、d to develop a scientific analysis of human thought and behavior in the early part of this century. Under the force of this view, it was perhaps inevitable that the art of rhetoric should pass from the status of being regarded as of questionable worth (because although it might be both a source of p
26、leasure and a means to urge people to right action, it might also be a means to distort truth and a source of misguided action) to the status of being wholly condemned. If people are regarded only as machines guided by logic, as they were by these “ scientific” thinkers, rhetoric is likely to be hel
27、d in low regard; for the most obvious truth about rhetoric is that it speaks to the whole person. It presents its arguments first to the person as a rational being, because persuasive discourse, if honestly conceived, always has a basis in reasoning. Logical argument is the plot, as it were, of any
28、speech or essay that is respectfully intended to persuade people. Yet it is a characterizing feature of rhetoric that it goes beyond this and appeals to the parts of our nature that are involved in feeling, desiring, acting, and suffering. It recalls relevant instances of the emotional reactions of
29、people to circumstancesreal or fictional that are similar to our own circumstances. Such is the purpose of both historical accounts and fables in persuasive discourse： they indicate literally or symbolically how people may react emotionally, with hope or fear, to particular circumstances. A speech a
30、ttempting to persuade people can achieve little unless it takes into account the aspect of their being related to such hopes and fears. Rhetoric, then, is addressed to human beings living at particular times and in particular places. From the point of view of rhetoric, we are not merely logical thin
31、king machines, creatures abstracted from time and space. The study of rhetoric should therefore be considered the most humanistic of the humanities, since rhetoric is not directed only to our rational selves. It takes into account what the “ scientific” view leaves out. If it is a weakness to harbor
32、 feelings, then rhetoric may be thought of as dealing in weakness. But those who reject the idea of rhetoric because they believe it deals in lies and who at the same time hope to move people to action, must either be liars themselves or be very naive;pure logic has never been a motivating force unl
33、ess it has been subordinated to human purposes, feelings, and desires, and thereby ceased to be pure logic. 31. According to the passage, to reject rhetoric and still hope to persuade people is A. an aim of most speakers and writers. B. an indication either of dishonesty or of credulity. C. a way of
34、 displaying distrust of the audience s motives. D. a characteristic of most humanistic discourse. 32. It can be inferred from the passage that in the late nineteenth century rhetoric was regarded as A. the only necessary element of persuasive discourse. B. a dubious art in at least two ways. C. an o
35、utmoded and tedious amplification of logic. D. an open offense to the rational mind. 33. The passage suggests that a speech that attempts to persuade people to act is likely to fail if it does NOT A. distort the truth a little to make it more acceptable to the audience. B. appeal to the self-interes
36、t as well as the humanitarianism of the audience. C. address listeners emotions as well as their intellects. D. concede the logic of other points of view. 34. Which of the following persuasive devices is NOT used in the passage？ A. A sample of an actual speech delivered by an orator B. The contrast
37、of different points of view C. The repetition of key ideas and expressions D. An analogy that seeks to explain logical argument 35. Which of the following best states the author s main point about logical argument？ A. It is a sterile, abstract discipline, of little use in real life. B. It is an esse
38、ntial element of persuasive discourse, but only one such element. C. It is an important means of persuading people to act against their desires. D. It is the lowest order of discourse because it is the least imaginative. Passage Four Extraordinary creative activity has been characterized as revoluti
39、onary, flying in the face of what is established and producing not what is acceptable but what will become accepted. According to this formulation, highly creative activity transcends the limits of an existing form and establishes a new principle of organization. However, the idea that extraordinary
40、 creativity transcends established limits is misleading when it is applied to the arts, even though it may be valid for the sciences. Differences between highly creative art and highly creative science arise in part from differences in their goals. For the sciences, a new theory is the goal and end
41、result of the creative act. Innovative science produces new propositions in terms of which diverse phenomena can be related to one another in more coherent ways. Such phenomena as a brilliant diamond or a nesting bird are relegated to the role of data, serving as the means for formulating or testing
42、 a new theory. The goal of highly creative art is very different: the phenomenon itself becomes the direct product of the creative act. Shakespeares Hamlet is not a tract about the behavior of indecisive princes or the uses of political power, nor is Picassos painting Guernica primarily a propositio
43、nal statement about the Spanish Civil War or the evils of fascism. What highly creative artistic activity produces is not a new generalization that transcends established limits, but rather an aesthetic particular. Aesthetic particulars produced by the highly creative artist extend or exploit, in an
44、 innovative way, the limits of an existing form, rather than transcend that form. This is not to deny that a highly creative artist sometimes establishes a new principle of organization in the history of an artistic field: the composer Monteverdi, who created music of the highest aesthetic value, co
45、mes to mind. More generally, however, whether or not a composition establishes a new principle in the history of music has little bearing on its aesthetic worth. Because they embody a new principle of organization, some musical works, such as the operas of the Florentine Camerata, are of signal hist
46、orical importance, but few listeners or musicologists would include these among the great works of music. On the other hand, Mozarts The Marriage of Figaro is surely among the masterpieces of music even though its modest innovations are confined to extending existing means. It has been said of Beeth
47、oven that he toppled the rules and freed music from the stifling confines of convention. But a close study of his compositions reveals that Beethoven overturned no fundamental rules. Rather, he was an incomparable strategist who exploited limits-the rules, forms, and conventions that he inherited fr
48、om predecessors such as Haydn and Mozart, Handel and Bach-in strikingly original ways. 36.The author considers a new theory that coherently relates diverse phenomena to one another to be the A. basis for reaffirming a well-established scientific formulation. B. byproduct of an aesthetic experience.
49、C. tool used by a scientist to discover a new particular. D. result of highly creative scientific activity. 37.The passage supplies information for answering all of the following questions EXCEPT: A. Has unusual creative activity been characterized as revolutionary? B. Did Beethoven work within a musical tradition that also included Handel and Bach? C. Is Mozarts The Marriage of Figaro an example of a creative work that transcended limits? D. Who besides Monteverdi wrote music that the author would consider to embody new pri