1、四川大学考博英语-2 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、 Reading Comperehen(总题数：0，分数：0.00)二、Passage One(总题数：1，分数：5.00)The table before which we sit may be, as the scientist maintains, composed of dancing atoms, but it does not reveal itself to us as anything of the kind, and it is not with dancing atoms but a solid
2、 and motionless object that we live.So remote is this “real“ tableand most of the other “realities“ with which science dealsthat it cannot be discussed in terms which have any human value, and though it may receive out purely intellectual credence it cannot be woven into the pattern of life as it is
3、 led, in contradistinction to life as we attempt to think about it. Vibrations in the either are so totally unlike, let us say, the color purple that the gulf between them cannot be bridged, and they are, to all intents and purposes, not one but two separate things of which the second and less “real
4、“ must be the most significant for us. And just as the sensation which has led us to attribute an objective reality to a non-existent thing which we call “purple“ is more important for human life than the conception of vibrations of a certain frequency, so too the belief in God, however ill founded,
5、 has been more important in the life of man than the germ theory of decay, however true the latter may be.We may, if we like, speak of consequence, as certain mystics love to do, of the different levels or orders of truth. We may adopt what is essentially a Platonist trick of thought and insist upon
6、 postulating the existence of external realities which correspond to the needs and modes of human feeling and which, so we may insist, have their being is some part of the universe unreachable by science. But to do so is to make an unwarrantable assumption and to be guilty of the metaphysical fallac
7、y of failing to distinguish between a truth of feeling and that other sort of truth which is described as a “truth of correspondence,“ and it is better perhaps, at least for those of us who have grown up in an age of scientific thought, to steer clear of such confusions and to rest content with the
8、admission that, though the universe with which science deals is the real universe, yet we do not and cannot have any but fleeting and imperfect contacts with it; that the most important part of our lives-our sensations, emotions, desires, and aspirations-takes place in a universe of illusions which
9、science can attenuate or destroy, but which it is powerless to enrich.（分数：5.00）(1).According to this passage, a scientist would conceive of a “table“ as being_.A. a solid motionless objectB. certain characteristic vibrations in “ether“C. a form fixed in space and timeD. a mass of atoms on motion（分数：
10、1.00）A.B.C.D.(2).By “objective reality“ the author means_.A. scientific realityB. a phenomenon we can directly experienceC. reality colored by emotionD. a symbolic existence（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(3).The author suggests that in order to bridge the puzzling schism between scientific truth and the world of
11、illusions, the reader should_.A. try to rid himself of his world of illusionB. accept his world as being one of illusionC. apply the scientific methodD. establish a truth of correspondence（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(4).The topic of this selection is_.A. the distortion of reality by scienceB. the confusion cau
12、sed by emotionsC. Platonic and contemporary views of truthD. the place of scientific truth in our lives（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(5).Judging from the ideas and tone of the selection, one may reasonably guess that the author is_. A. a humanist B. a pantheistC. a nuclear physicist D. a doctor（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.三
13、、Passage Two(总题数：1，分数：5.00)These days we hear a lot of nonsense about the “great classless society“. The idea that the twentieth century is the age of the common man has become one of the great cliches of our time. The same old arguments are put forward in evidence. Here are some of them: monarchy a
14、s a system of government has been completely discredited. The monarchies that survive have been deprived of all political power. Inherited wealth has been savagely reduced by taxation and, in time, the great fortunes will disappear altogether. In a number of countries the victory has been complete.
15、The people rule; the great millennium has become a political reality. But has it? Close examination doesnt bear out the claim.It is a fallacy to suppose that all men are equal and that society will be leveled out if you provide everybody with the same educational opportunities. (It is debatable whet
16、her you can ever provide everyone with the same educational opportunities, but that is another question.) The fact is that nature dispenses brains and ability with a total disregard for the principle of equality. The old rules of the jungle, “survival of the fittest“, and “might is right“ are still
17、with us. The spread of education has destroyed the old class system and created a new one. Rewards are based on merit. For “aristocracy“ read “meritocracy“; in other respects, society remains unaltered: the class system is rigidly maintained.Genuine ability, animal cunning, skill, the knack of seizi
18、ng opportunities, all bring material rewards. And what is the first thing people do when they become rich? They use their wealth to secure the best possible opportunities for their children, to give them a good start in life. For all the lip service we pay to the idea of equality, we do not consider
19、 this wrong in the western world. Private schools which offer unfair advantages over state schools are not banned because one of the principles in a democracy is that people should be free to choose how they will educate their children. In this way, the new meritocracy can perpetuate itself to a cer
20、tain extent: an able child from a wealthy home can succeed far more rapidly than his poorer counterpart. Wealth is also used indiscriminately to further political ends. It would be almost impossible to become the leader of a democracy without massive, financial backing. Money is as powerful a weapon
21、 as ever it was.In societies wholly dedicated to the principle of social equality, privileged private education is forbidden. But even here people are rewarded according to their abilities. In fact, so great is the need for skilled workers that the least able may be neglected. Bright children are ca
22、refully and expensively trained to become future rulers. In the end, all political ideologies boil down to the same thing: class divisions persist whether you are ruled by a feudal king or an educated peasant.（分数：5.00）(1).What is the main idea of this passage?A. Equality of opportunity in the twenti
23、eth century has not destroyed the class system.B. Equality means money.C. There is no such society as classless society.D. Nature cant give you a classless society.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(2).According to the author, the same educational opportunities cant get rid of inequality because_.A. the principle “s
24、urvival of the fittest“ existsB. nature ignores equality in dispensing brains and abilityC. material rewards are for genuine abilityD. people have the freedom how to educate their children（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(3).Who can obtain more rapid success?A. Those with wealth.B. Those with the best brains.C. Tho
25、se with the best opportunities.D. Those who have the ability to catch at opportunities.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(4).Why does the author say the new meritocracy can perpetuate itself to a certain extent? Because _.A. money decides everythingB. private schools offer advantages over state schoolsC. people are
26、free to choose the way of educating their childrenD. wealth is used for political ends（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(5).According to the author, “class divisions“ refers to_.A. different opportunities for peopleB. the rich and the poorC. oppressor and the oppressedD. genius and stupidity（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.四、Passag
27、e Three(总题数：1，分数：5.00)The discovery of the Antarctic not only proved one of the most interesting of all geographical adventures, but created what might be called “the heroic age of Antarctic exploration“. By their tremendous heroism, men such as Shackleton, Scott, and Amundsen caused a new continent
28、 to emerge from the shadows, and yet that heroic age, little more than a century old, is already passing. Modern science and inventions are revolutionizing the techniques of former explorers, and, although still calling for courage and feats of endurance, future journeys into these icy wastes will p
29、robably depend on motor vehicles equipped with caterpillar traction rather than on the dogs that earlier discoverers found so invaluable.Few realize that this Antarctic continent is almost equal in size to South America, and enormous field of work awaits geographers and prospectors. The coasts of th
30、is continent remain to be accurately charted, and the mapping of the whole of interior presents formidable task to the cartographers who undertake the work. Once their labors are completed, it will be possible to prospect the vast natural resources which scientists believe will furnish one of the la
31、rgest treasure hoards of metals and minerals the world has yet known, an almost inexhaustible sources of copper, coal, uranium, and many other ores will become available to man. Such discoveries will usher in an era of practical exploitation of the Antarctic wastes.The polar darkness which hides thi
32、s continent for the six winter months will be defeated by huge batteries of light, and make possible the establishing of air fields for the future intercontinental air service by making these areas as light as day. Present flying routes will completely change, for the Antarctic refueling bases will
33、make flight from Australia to South America comparatively easy over the 5,000 miles journey.The climate is not likely to offer an insuperable problem, for the explorer Admiral Byrd has shown that the climate is possible even for men completely untrained for expeditions into those frozen wastes. Some
34、 of his parties were men who had never seen snow before, and yet he records that they survived the rigors of the Antarctic climate comfortably, so that, provided that the appropriate installations are made, we may assume that human beings from all countries could live there safely. Byrd even affirms
35、 that it is probably the most health climate in the world, for the intense cold of thousands of years has sterilized this continent, and rendered it absolutely germfree, with the consequences that ordinary and extraordinary sicknesses and disease from which man suffers in other zones with different
36、climates are here utterly unknown.There exist no problems of conservation and preservation of food supplies, for the latter keep indefinitely without any signs of deterioration; it may even be that later generations will come to regard the Antarctic as the natural storehouse for the whole world. Pla
37、ns are already on foot to set up permanent bases on the shores of this continent, and what so few years ago was regarded as a “dead continent“ now promises to be a most active centre of human life and endeavor.（分数：5.00）(1).When did man begin to explore the Antarctic?A. About 100 years ago.B. In this
38、 century.C. At the beginning of the 19th century.D. In 1798.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(2).What must the explorers be, even though they have modern equipment and techniques?A. Brave and tough. B. Stubborn and arrogant.C. Well-liked and humorous. D. Stout and smart.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(3).What kind of metals and
39、minerals can we find in the Antarctic?A. Magnesite, coal and oil. B. Copper, coal and uranium.C. Silver, natural gas and uranium. D. Aluminum, copper and natural gas.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(4).The most healthy climate in the world is_.A. in South America B. in the Arctic RegionC. in the Antarctic Continen
40、t D. in the Atlantic Ocean（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(5).What is planned for the continent?A. Building dams along the coasts.B. Setting up several summer resorts along the coasts.C. Mapping the coast and the whole territory.D. Setting up permanent bases on the coasts.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.五、Passage Four(总题数：1，分数：5
41、.00)Television is one of todays most powerful and widespread means of mass communication. It directly influences our lives on both a short and long-term basis; it brings worldwide situations into our homes; it affords extensive opportunities for acquiring higher education; and it performs these task
42、s in a convenient yet effective manner. We are all aware of the popularly accepted applications of television, particularly those relative to entertainment and news broadcasting. Television, however, has also been a vital link in unmanned deep space exploration (such as the Voyager I and missions),
43、in providing visions from hazardous areas (such as proximity to radioactive materials or environments) in underwater research, in viewing storms moving across a metropolitan area (the camera being placed in a weather-protective enclosure near the top of a tower), etc. The earths weather satellites a
44、lso use television cameras for vie- wing cloud cover and movements from 20,000 miles in space. Infrared filters are used for night views, and several systems include a spinning mirror arrangement to permit wide-area views from the camera. Realizing the unlimited applications for todays television, o
45、ne may thus logically ponder the true benefits of confining most of our video activities to the mass-entertainment field.Conventional television broadcasting within the United States centres around free enterprise and public ownership. This requires funding by commercial sponsors, and thus functions
46、 in a revenue-producing business manner. Television in USSR-subjected areas, conversely, is a government-owned and maintained arrangement. While such arrangements eliminate the need for commercial sponsorship, it also has the possibility of limiting the type of programs available to viewers (a numbe
47、r of purely entertainment programs similar to the classic “Bewitched“, however, have been seen on these government -controlled networks. All isnt as gray and dismal as the uninformed might unnecessarily visualize). A highly modified form of television called Slow-Scan TV is presently being used by m
48、any Amateur Radio operators to provide direct visual communications with almost any area of the world. This unique visual mode recently allowed people on the tiny South Pacific country of Pitcairn Island to view, for the first time in their lives, distant areas and people of the world. The chief rad
49、io Amateur and communications officer of Pitcairn, incidentally, is the legendary Tom Christian-great, great grandson of Tom Christian of “Mutiny on the Bounty“ fame. Radio Amateurs in many lands worked together for several months establishing visual capabilities. The results have proven spectacular, yet the visual capabilities have only been used for health education, or welfare purposes. Commercial TV is still unknown to natives of that tiny country. Numerous other forms of television and visual communication, have also been used on a
