[外语类试卷]考博英语（阅读理解）模拟试卷49及答案与解析.doc

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1、考博英语（阅读理解）模拟试卷 49及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 No company likes to be told it is contributing to the moral decline of a nation.“Is this what you intended to accomplish with your careers?“ Senator Robert Dole asked Time Warner executives last week.“You have sold your souls, but must you corrupt o

2、ur nation and threaten our children as well?“ At Time Warner, however, such questions are simply the latest manifestation of the soul searching that has involved the company ever since the company was born in 1990.Its a self-examination that has, at various times, involved issues of responsibility,

3、creative freedom and the corporate bottom line. At the core of this debate is chairman Gerald Levin, 56, who took over for the late Steve Ross in 1992.On the financial front, Levin is under pressure to raise the stock price and reduce the companys mountainous debt, which will increase to 17.3 billio

4、n after two new cable deals close.He has promised to sell off some of the property and restructure the company, but investors are waiting impatiently. The flap over rap is not making life any easier for him.Levin has consistently defended the companys rap music on the grounds of expression.In 1992,

5、when Time Warner was under fire for releasing Ice Ts violent rap song Cop Killer, Levin described rap as a lawful expression of street culture, which deserves an outlet.“The test of any democratic society,“ he wrote in a Wall Street Journal column, “lies not in how well it can control expression but

6、 in whether it gives freedom of thought and expression the widest possible latitude, however disputable or irritating the results may sometimes be.We wont retreat in the face of any threats.“ Levin would not comment on the debate last week, but there were signs that the chairman was backing off his

7、hard line stand, at least to some extent.During the discussion of rock singing verses at last months stockholders meeting, Levin asserted that “music is not the cause of societys ills“ and even cited his son, a teacher in the Bronx, New York, who uses rap to communicate with students.But he talked a

8、s well about the “balanced struggle“ between creative freedom and social responsibility, and he announced that the company would launch a drive to develop standards for distribution and labeling of potentially objectionable music. The 15 member Time Warner board is generally supportive of Levin and

9、his corporate strategy.But insiders say several of them have shown their concerns in this matter.“Some of us have known for many, many years that the freedoms under the First Amendment are not totally unlimited,“ says Luce.“I think it is perhaps the case that some people associated with the company

10、have only recently come to realize this.“ 1 Senator Robert Dole criticized Time Warner for_. （ A） its raising of the corporate stock price （ B） its self-examination of soul （ C） its neglect of social responsibility （ D） its emphasis on creative freedom 2 According to the passage, which of the follow

11、ing is TRUE? （ A） Luce is a spokesman of Time Warner. （ B） Gerald Levin is liable to compromise. （ C） Time Warner is united as one in the face of the debate. （ D） Steve Ross is no longer alive 3 In face of the recent attacks on the company, the chairman_. （ A） stuck to a strong stand to defend freed

12、om of expression （ B） softened his tone and adopted some new policy （ C） changed his attitude and yielded to objection （ D） received more support from the 15 member board 4 The best title for this passage could be_. （ A） A Company under Fire （ B） A Debate on Moral Decline （ C） A Lawful Outlet of Str

13、eet Culture （ D） A Form of Creative Freedom 4 What accounts for the great outburst of major inventions in early America-breakthroughs such as the telegraph, the steamboat and the weaving machine? Among the many shaping factors, I would single out the countrys excellent elementary schools; a labor fo

14、rce that welcomed the new technology; the practice of giving premiums to inventors; and above all the American genius for nonverbal, “spatial“ thinking about things technological. Why mention the elementary schools? Because thanks to these schools our early mechanics, especially in the New England a

15、nd Middle Atlantic states, were generally literate and at home in arithmetic and in some aspects of geometry and trigonometry. Acute foreign observers related American adaptiveness and inventiveness to this educational advantage.As a member of a British commission visiting here in 1853 reported, “Wi

16、th a mind prepared by thorough school discipline, the American boy develops rapidly into the skilled workman.“ A further stimulus to invention came from the “premium“ system, which preceded our patent system and for years ran parallel with it.This approach, originated abroad, offered inventors medal

17、s, cash prizes and other incentives. In the United States, multitudes of premiums for new devices were awarded at country fairs and at the industrial fairs in major cities.Americans flocked to these fairs to admire the new machines and thus to renew their faith in the beneficence of technological ad

18、vance. Given this optimistic approach to technological innovation, the American worker took readily to that special kind of nonverbal thinking required in mechanical technology.As Eugene Ferguson has pointed out, “A technologist thinks about objects that cannot be reduced to unambiguous verbal descr

19、iptions; they are dealt with in his mind by a visual, nonverbal process.The designer and the inventor.are able to assemble and manipulate in their minds devices that as yet do not exist.“ This nonverbal “spatial“ thinking can be just as creative as painting and writing.Robert Fulton once wrote, “The

20、 mechanic should sit down among levers, screws, wedges, wheels, etc., like a poet among the letters of the alphabet, considering them as an exhibition of his thoughts, in which a new arrangement transmits a new idea.“ When all these shaping forces-schools, open attitudes, the premium system, a geniu

21、s for spatial thinking-interacted with one another on the rich U.S.mainland, they produced that American characteristic, emulation.Today that word implies mere imitation.But in earlier times it meant a friendly but competitive striving for fame and excellence. 5 According to the author, the great ou

22、tburst of major inventions in early America was in a large part due to_. （ A） elementary schools （ B） enthusiastic workers （ C） the attractive premium system （ D） a special way of thinking 6 It is implied that adaptiveness and inventiveness of the early American mechanics_. （ A） benefited a lot from

23、 their mathematical knowledge （ B） shed light on disciplined school management （ C） was brought about by privileged home training （ D） owed a lot to the technological development 7 A technologist can be compared to an artist because_. （ A） they are both winners of awards （ B） they are both experts i

24、n spatial thinking （ C） they both abandon verbal description （ D） they both use various instruments 8 The best title for this passage might be_. （ A） Inventive Mind （ B） Effective Schooling （ C） Ways of Thinking （ D） Outpouring of Inventions 8 The most thoroughly studied intellectuals in the history

25、 of the New World are the ministers and political leaders of seventeenth-century New England.According to the standard history of American philosophy, nowhere else in colonial America was “so much important attached to intellectual pursuits“.According to many books and articles, New Englands leaders

26、 established the basic themes and preoccupations of an unfolding, dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life. To take this approach to the New Englanders normally means to start with the Puritans theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the church important subjects th

27、at we may not neglect.But in keeping with our examination of southern intellectual life, we may consider the original Puritans as carriers of European culture, adjusting to New World circumstances.The New England colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely understood idea

28、ls of civility and virtuosity. The early settlers of Massachusetts Bay included men of impressive education and influence in England.Besides the ninety or so learned ministers who came to Massachusetts churches in the decade after 1629, there were political leaders like John Winthrop, an educated ge

29、ntleman, lawyer, and official of the Crown before he journeyed to Boston.There men wrote and published extensively, reaching both New World and Old World audiences, and giving New England an atmosphere of intellectual earnestness. We should not forget, however, that most New Englanders were less wel

30、l educated.While few crafts men or farmers, let alone dependents and servants, left literary compositions to be analyzed.Their thinking often had a traditional superstitions quality.A tailor named John Dane, who emigrated in the late 1630s, left an account of his reasons for leaving England that is

31、filled with signs.Sexual confusion, economic frustrations, and religious hope-all name together in a decisive moment when he opened the Bible, told his father the first line he saw would settle his fate, and read the magical words: “come out from among them, touch no unclean thing, and I will be you

32、r God and you shall be my people.“ One wonders what Dane thought of the careful sermons explaining the Bible that he heard in puritan churched. Meanwhile, many settles had slighter religious commitments than Danes, as one clergyman learned in confronting folk along the coast who mocked that they had

33、 not come to the New World for religion.“Our main end was to catch fish.“ 9 The author notes that in the seventeenth-century New England_. （ A） Puritan tradition dominated political life （ B） intellectual interests were encouraged （ C） politics benefited much from intellectual endeavors （ D） intelle

34、ctual pursuits enjoyed a liberal environment 10 It is suggested in paragraph 2 that New Englanders_. （ A） experienced a comparatively peaceful early history （ B） brought with them the culture of the Old World （ C） paid little attention to southern intellectual life （ D） were obsessed with religious

35、innovations 11 The early ministers and political leaders in Massachusetts Bay_. （ A） were famous in the New World for their writings （ B） gained increasing importance in religious affairs （ C） abandoned high positions before coming to the New World （ D） created a new intellectual atmosphere in New E

36、ngland 12 The story of John Dane shows that less well-educated New Englanders were often_. （ A） influenced by superstitions （ B） troubled with religious beliefs （ C） puzzled by church sermons （ D） frustrated with family earnings 13 The text suggests that early settlers in New England_. （ A） were mos

37、tly engaged in political activities （ B） were motivated by an illusory prospect （ C） came from different backgrounds. （ D） left few formal records for later reference 13 Money spent on advertising is money spent as well as any I know of.It serves directly to assist a rapid distribution of goods at r

38、easonable price, thereby establishing a firm home market and so making it possible to provide for export at competitive prices.By drawing attention to new ideas it helps enormously to raise standards of living.By helping to increase demand it ensures an increased need for labour, and is therefore an

39、 effective way to fight unemployment.It lowers the costs of many services: without advertisements your daily newspaper would cost four times as much, the price of your television licence would need to be doubled, and travel by bus or tube would cost 20 percent more. And perhaps most important of all

40、, advertising provides a guarantee of reasonable value in the products and services you buy.Apart from the fact that twenty-seven acts of Parliament govern the terms of advertising, no regular advertiser dare promote a product that fails to live up to the promise of his advertisements.He might fool

41、some people for a little while through misleading advertising.He will not do so for long, for mercifully the public has the good sense not to buy the inferior article more than once.If you see an article consistently advertised, it is the surest proof I know that the article does what is claimed for

42、 it, and that it represents good value. Advertising does more for the material benefit of the community than any other force I can think of.There is one more point I feel I ought to touch on.Recently I heard a well-known television personality declare that he was against advertising because it persu

43、ades rather than informs.He was drawing excessively fine distinctions.Of course advertising seeks to persuade. If its message were confined merely to information-and that in itself would be difficult if not impossible to achieve, for even a detail such as the choice of the colour of a shirt is subtl

44、y persuasive-advertising would be so boring that no one would pay any attention.But perhaps that is what the well-known television personality wants. 14 By the first sentence of the passage the author means that_. （ A） he is fairly familiar with the cost of advertising （ B） everybody knows well that

45、 advertising is money consuming （ C） advertising costs money like everything else （ D） it is worthwhile to spend money on advertising 15 In the passage, which of the following is NOT included in the advantages of advertising? （ A） Securing greater fame. （ B） Providing more jobs. （ C） Enhancing livin

46、g standards. （ D） Reducing newspaper cost. 16 The author deems that the well-known TV personality is_. （ A） very precise in passing his judgement on advertising （ B） interested in nothing but the buyers attention （ C） correct in telling the difference between persuasion and information （ D） obviousl

47、y partial in his views on advertising 17 In the authors opinion,_. （ A） advertising can seldom bring material benefit to man by providing information （ B） advertising informs people of new ideas rather than wins them over （ C） there is nothing wrong with advertising in persuading the buyer （ D） the

48、buyer is not interested in getting information from an advertisement 17 There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process.People have generally viewed personal growth as an external result or product that can easily be identified and measured.The worker who gets a prom

49、otion, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language all these are examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts. By contrast, the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since by definition it is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way.The process is not the road itself, but rather the attitudes and feelings people have, their caution or courage, as they encounter new experiences and unex