2010年同等学力申硕英语模拟试题

38. The word “gizmos”（Line 1, Paragraph 2）most probably means

A. programs         B. experts          C. devices        D. creatures

39. According to the text, what is beyond man’s ability now is to design a robot that can___

A. fulfill delicate tasks like performing brain surgery

B. interact with human beings verbally

C. have a little common sense

D. respond independently to a changing world

40. Besides reducing human labor, robots can also

A. make a few decisions for themselves

B. deal with some errors with human intervention

C. improve factory environments

D. cultivate human creativity

41. The author uses the example of a monkey to argue that robots are

A. expected to copy human brain in internal structure

B. able to perceive abnormalities immediately

C. far less able than human brain in focusing on relevant information

D. best used in a controlled environment

42. According to the last paragraph of the text the human brain is          than robots.

A. more simple            B. more stupid           C. more complicated   D. less complicated

Passage Three

In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into super systems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly. As recently as 1995, the top four railroads accounted for under 70 percent of the total ton-miles moved by rails. Next year, after a series of mergers are completed, just four railroads will control well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers.

Supporters of the new super systems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service. Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks. But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities traveling long distances, such as coal, chemicals, and grain, trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by the throat.

The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company. Railroads typically charge such “captive” shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do when another railroad is competing for the business. Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government’s Surface Transportation Board for rate relief, but the process is expensive, time consuming, and will work only in truly extreme cases.

Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone’s cost. If railroads charged all customers the same average rate, they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line. It’s theory to which many economists subscribe, but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail.” Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace？”asks Martin Bercovici, a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shipper.

Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with a round of huge rate increases. The railroad industry as a whole, despite its brightening fortuning fortunes, still does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic. Yet railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another, with Wall Street cheering them on. Consider the＄1.2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year. Conrail’s net railway operating income in 1996 was just＄427 million, less than half of the carrying costs of the transaction. Who’s going to pay for the rest of the bill？Many captive shippers fear that they will, as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market.

43. In 1995, the top four railroads accounted for          of the total ton-miles moved by rails.

A. about 90%             B. above 70%                    C. over 90%               D. below 70%

44. According to those who support mergers railway monopoly is unlikely because          .

A. cost reduction is based on competition

B. services call for cross-trade coordination

C. outside competitors will continue to exist

D. shippers will have the railway by the throat

45. What is many captive shippers’ attitude towards the consolidation in the rail industry？

A. Indifferent.                                  B. Supportive.

C. Indignant.                                           D. Apprehensive.

46. It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that          .

A. shippers will be charged less without a rival railroad

B. there will soon be only one railroad company nationwide

C. overcharged shippers are unlikely to appeal for rate relief

D. a government board ensures fair play in railway business

47.The word “arbiters”（Line 6, Paragraph 4）most probably refers to those          .

A. who work as coordinators                    B. who function as judges

C. who supervise transactions                       D. who determine the price

48. According to the text, the cost increase in the rail industry is mainly caused by___________.

A. the continuing acquisition          B. the growing traffic

C. the cheering Wall Street                  D. the shrinking market

Passage Four

When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn’t biting her nails just yet. But the 47-year-old manicurist isn’t cutting, filing or polishing as many nails as she’d like to, either. Most of her clients spend＄12 to＄50 weekly, but last month two longtime customers suddenly stopped showing up. Spero blames the softening economy. “I’m a good economic indicator, “she says. “I provide a service that people can do without when they’re concerned about saving some dollars. “So Spero is downscaling, shopping at middle-brow Dillard’s department store near her suburban Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus.” I don’t know if other clients are going to abandon me, too, “she says.  Even before Alan Greenspan’s admission that America’s red-hot economy is<!–nextpage–> cooling, lots of working folks had already seen signs of the slowdown themselves. From car dealerships to Gap outlets, sales have been lagging for months as shoppers temper their spending. For retailers, who last year took in 24 percent of their revenue between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cautious approach is coming at a crucial time. Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7 percent from last year’s pace. But don’t sound any alarms just yet. Consumers seem only mildly concerned, not panicked, and many say they remain optimistic about the economy’s long-term prospect seven as they do some modest belt-tightening.

Consumers say they’re not in despair because, despite the dreadful headlines, their own fortunes still feel pretty good. Home prices are holding steady in most regions. In Manhattan, “there’s a new gold rush happening in the＄4 million to＄10 million range, predominantly fed by Wall Street bonuses, “says broker Barbara Corcoran. In San Francisco, prices are still rising even as frenzied overbidding quiets.” Instead of 20 to 30 offers, now maybe you only get two or three, “says John Tealdi, a Bay Area real-estate broker. And most folks still feel pretty comfortable about their ability to find and keep a job.

Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. Potential home buyers would cheer for lower interest rates. Employers wouldn’t mind a little fewer bubbles in the job market. Many consumers seem to have been influenced by stock-market swings, which investors now view as a necessary ingredient to a sustained boom. Diners might see an upside, too. Getting a table at Manhattan’s hot new Alain Ducasse restaurant used to be impossible. Not anymore. For that, Greenspan Co. may still be worth toasting.

49. By “Ellen Spero isn’t biting her nails just yet”（Line 1, Paragraph 1）, the author means

A. Spero can hardly maintain her business

B. Spero is too much engaged in her work

C. Spero has grown out of her bad habit•

D. Spero is not in a desperate situation

50. When the economic situation goes worse the number of people who have their nails cut in Spero’ store will           .

A. increase

B. keep the same

C. decrease

D. rise

51. How do the public feel about the current economic situation？

A. Optimistic                                    B. Confused.

C. Carefree.                                      D. Panicked.

52. When mentioning “ the＄4 million to＄10 million range”（Lines 3, Paragraph 2）, the author is talking about          .

A. gold market                               B. real estate

C. stock exchange                                D. venture investment

53. Why can many people see “silver linings” to the economic slowdown？

A. They would benefit in certain ways.

B. The stock market shows signs of recovery.

C. Such a slowdown usually precedes a boom.

D. The purchasing power would be enhanced.

54. To which of the following is the author likely to agree？

A. A new boom, on the horizon.

B. Tighten the belt, the single remedy.

C. Caution all right, panic not.

D. The more ventures, the more chances.

Passage Five

Over the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination have been condemned or made illegal. But one insidious form continues to thrive: alphabetism. This, for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those whose surnames begin with a letter in the lower half of tile alphabet.

It has long been known that a taxi firm called AAAA cars has a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers thumb through their phone directories. Less well known is the advantage that Adam Abbott has in life over Zoe Zysman. English names are fairly evenly spread between the halves of the alphabet. Yet a suspiciously large number of top people have surnames beginning with letters between A and K.

Thus the American president and vice-president have surnames starting with B and C respectively；and 26 of George Bush’s predecessors（including his father）had surnames in the first half of the alphabet against just 16 in the second half. Even more striking, six of the seven heads of government of the G7 rich countries are alphabetically advantaged（Berlusconi, Blair, Bush, Chirac, Chretien and Koizumi）.The world’s three top central bankers（Greenspan, Duisenberg and Hayami）are all close to the top of the alphabet, even if one of them really uses Japanese characters. As are the world’s five richest men（Gates, Buffett, Allen, Ellison and Albrecht）.

Can this merely be coincidence？One theory, dreamt up in all the spare time enjoyed by the alphabetically disadvantaged, is that the ret sets in early. At the start of the first year in infant school, teachers seat pupils alphabetically from the front, to make it easier to remember their names. So shortsighted Zysman junior gets stuck in the back row, and is rarely asked the improving questions posed by those insensitive teachers. At the time the alphabetically disadvantaged may think they have had a lucky escape. Yet the result may be worse qualifications, because they get less individual attention, as well as less confidence in speaking publicly.

The humiliation continues. At university graduation ceremonies, the ABCs proudly get their awards first; by the time they reach the Zysmans most people are literally having a-ZZZ. Shortlists for job interviews, election ballot papers, lists of conference speakers and attendees: all tend to be drawn up alphabetically, and their recipients lose interest as they plough through them.

55. What does the author intend to illustrate with AAAA cars and Zodiac ears？

A. A kind of overlooked inequality.

B. A type of conspicuous bias.

C. A type of personal prejudice.

D. A kind of brand discrimination.

56. What can we infer from the first three paragraphs？

A. In both East and West, names are essential to success.

B. The alphabet is to blame for the failure of Zoe Zysman.

C. Customers often pay a lot of attention to companies’ names.

D. Some form of discrimination is too subtle to recognize.

57. The 4th paragraph suggests that          .

A. questions are often put to the more intelligent students

B. alphabetically disadvantaged students often escape from class

C. teachers should pay attention to all of their students

D. students should be seated according to their eyesight

58. What does the author mean by “most people are literally having a ZZZ”（Lines 2, Paragraph 5）？

A. They are getting impatient.

B. They are noisily dozing off.

C. They are feeling humiliated.

D. They are busy with word puzzles.

59. According to the text those whose surnames begin with a letter in the top half of the alphabet can         .

A. get more advantages in various aspects in the society

B. get less advantages in various aspects in the society

C. suffer more unfairness

D. get more chances for job

60. Which of the following is true according to the text？

A. People with surnames beginning with N to Z are often ill-treated.

B. VIPs in the Western world gain a great deal from alphabetism.

C. The campaign to eliminate alphabetism still has a long way to go.

D. Putting things alphabetically may lead to unintentional bias.

Part IV Cloze (15minutes, 15points)

Directions: in this part, there is a passage with 15 blanks. For each blank there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D choose the best answer foe each blank and mark the corresponding letter with a single bar across the square brackets on your machine-scoring ANSWER SHEET.

Most children with healthy appetites are ready to eat almost anything that is offered to them. A child rarely dislikes food  61  it is badly cooked. The  62  a meal is cooked and served is most important and an 63  served meal will improve a child’s appetite. Never ask a child  64   he likes or dislikes a food and never  65   likes and dislikes in front of him or allow anybody else to do so. If the father says he hates fat meat or the mother  66   vegetables, in the child’s hearing he is  67   to copy this procedure. Take it  68   granted that he likes everything and he probably will. Nothing healthful should be omitted from the meal because of a 69   dislike. At meal times it is a good  70   to give a child a small portion and let him come back for a second helping rather than give him as  71   as he is likely to eat all at once. Do not talk too much to the child during meal times, but let him go on with his food; and do not  72   him to leave the table immediately after a meal or he will soon learn to swallow his food  73   he can hurry back to his toys. Under  74   circumstances must a child be coaxed (哄骗)  75   forced to eat.

61. A. if                   B. until                    C. that                 D. unless

62. A. procedure            B. process              C. way                D. method

63. A. adequately                  B. attractively                 C. urgently              D. eagerly

64. A. whether               B. what                   C. that                 D. which

65. A. remark               B. tell                      C. discuss               D. argue

66. A. opposes              B. denies                        C. refuses              D. offends

67. A. willing                B. possible              C. obliged                    D. likely

68. A. with                 B. as                       C. over                      D. for

69. A. supposed             B. proved                       C. considered           D. related

70. A. point                 B. custom                        C. idea                      D. plan

71. A. much                 B. little                     C. few                       D. many

72. A. agree                B. allow                   C. force                      D. persuade

73. A. so                  B. until                     C. lest                       D. although

74. A. some                 B. any                     C. such                D. no

75. A. or                        B. nor                      C. but                  D. neither

Paper Two试卷二

Part I Translation (30 minutes, 20 points)

Section A

Directions: Translate the following passage into Chinese. Write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET.

The new year always brings an old problem for students who return to campus after a long winter holiday. As the spring semester begins, some students find themselves having to adapt to college life all over again – a process they refer to as “the holiday blues”, or “post-holiday syndrome”.

Students must return to the uncomfortable confines of life with roommates in a crowded dormitory. Just ask 19-year-old Jiang Cheng, who lived in a spacious, well-decorated home in Tianjin over the break. Now back in the university, Jiang is sleeping on a wooden board and a few blankets, which causes his body aching.

Section B

Directions: Translate the following passage into English. Write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET.

很多十几岁、二十出头的人就像这样一刻不停地进行着社交活动。他们无时无刻不在通过手机、即时通信和社交网站相互联络。这个人群之庞大，让学校、工作单位和家庭面临着一大堆新问题需要应对。一些人认为，他们可以完成大量工作。另一些人则认为，他们相互之间的关系很淡薄，而面对面的人际交往能力也很弱。

Part II   Writing   (30 minutes, 15 points)

Directions：In this part，you are to write within 30 minutes a composition of no less than 150 words about “Advertisements: Good or Bad”. Please remember to write it clearly on the ANSWER SHEET.

2010年同等学力人员申请硕士学位外国语水平模拟考试

参考答案及解析

1-5 AAAAA  6-10 BCBCD  11-15 ABDCC  16-20 AABAD  21-25 CBCAB

26-30 DBADB  31-35 CBBDD  36-40 ACCDB  41-45 CCDCD  46-50 CBADC

51-55 ABACA  56-60 DCBAD  61-65 DCBAC   66-70 CDDAC  71-75 ABADA

汉译英：

Because so many people in their teens and early 20s are in this constant whir of socializing–accessible to each other every minute of the day via cell phone, instant messaging and social-networking Web sites — there are a host of new questions that need to be addressed in schools, in the workplace and at home. Some argue they can accomplish a great deal. Others contend that the bonds between them are shallow, and that their face-to-face interpersonal skills are poor.

参考范文：

Advertisements can be a service to people. First, they are informative, and can help people buy and sell goods. Second, they can widen people’s knowledge, and make people more experienced. Lastly, people can enjoy themselves in watching those funny and interesting programs.

However, sometimes advertisements may cause troubles. The most unbearable thing is to watch the advertisements before or during the programs on TV. There are always so many of them that they make you forget what you are sitting there for. The ironical thing is that the advertisements of the same type of things are often shown one after another so that you are confused as to what product you should choose.

In modern times, many advertisements are subjective rather than objective, persuasive rather than informative. The only purpose of these advertisements is to persuade people to buy their poorly-made products. Therefore, it is wise for people to make sure if the advertisements are telling the truth.