2017年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语(一)试题
Section I Use of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word (s) for each numbered
blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
Could a hug a day keep the doctor away? The answer may be a
resounding "yes!" 1 helping you feel close and 2 to people you care
about, it turns out that hugs can bring a 3 of health benefits to your body and
mind. Believe it or not, a warm embrace might even help you 4 getting sick this
winter.
In a recent study 5 over 400 health adults, researchers from
Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania examined the effects of perceived
social support and the receipt of hugs 6 the participants' susceptibility to
developing the common cold after being 7 to the virus .People who perceived
greater social support were less likely to come 8 with a cold ,and the
researchers 9 that the stress-reducing effects of hugging 10 about 32 percent
of that beneficial effect. 11 among those who got a cold, the ones who felt
greater social support and received more frequent hugs had less severe 12 .
"Hugging protects people who are under stress from the 13 risk
for colds that's usually 14 with stress," notes Sheldon Cohen, a professor
of psychology at Carnegie. Hugging "is a marker of intimacy and helps 15
the feeling that others are there to help 16 difficulty."
Some experts 17 the stress-reducing , health-related benefits of
hugging to the release of oxytocin, often called "the bonding
hormone" 18 it promotes attachment in relationships, including that
between mother and their newborn babies. Oxytocin is made primarily in the
central lower part of the brain , and some of it is released into the
bloodstream. But some of it 19 in the brain, where it 20 mood, behavior and
physiology.
1.[A] Unlike [B] Besides [C] Despite [D] Throughout
2.[A] connected [B] restricted [C] equal [D] inferior
3.[A] choice [B] view [C] lesson [D] host
4.[A] recall [B] forget [C] avoid [D] keep
5.[A] collecting [B] involving [C] guiding [D] affecting
6.[A] of [B] in [C] at [D] on
7.[A] devoted [B] exposed [C] lost [D] attracted
8.[A] across [B] along [C] down [D] out
9.[A] calculated [B] denied [C] doubted [D] imagined
10.[A] served [B] required [C] restored [D] explained
11.[A] Even [B] Still [C] Rather [D] Thus
12.[A] defeats [B] symptoms [C] tests [D] errors
13.[A] minimized [B] highlighted [C] controlled [D] increased
14.[A] equipped [B] associated [C] presented [D] compared
15.[A] assess [B] moderate [C] generate [D] record
16.[A] in the face of [B] in the form of [C] in the way of [D] in
the name of
17.[A] transfer [B] commit [C] attribute [D] return
18.[A] because [B] unless [C] though [D] until
19.[A] emerges [B] vanishes [C] remains [D] decreases
20.[A] experiences [B] combines [C] justifies [D]influences
Section II Reading
Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text
by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
First two hours , now three hours-this is how far in advance
authorities are recommending people show up to catch a domestic flight , at
least at some major U.S. airports with increasingly massive security lines.
Americans are willing to tolerate time-consuming security procedures
in return for increased safety. The crash of Egypt Air Flight 804,which
terrorists may have downed over the Mediterranean Sea ,provides another tragic
reminder of why. But demanding too much of air travelers or providing too
little security in return undermines public support for the process. And it
should: Wasted time is a drag on Americans' economic and private lives, not to mention
infuriating.
Last year, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) found in
a secret check that undercover investigators were able to sneak weapons---both
fake and real-past airport security nearly every time they tried .Enhanced
security measures since then, combined with a rise in airline travel due to the
improving Chicago's O'Hare International .It is not yet clear how much more
effective airline security has become-but the lines are obvious.
Part of the issue is that the government did not anticipate the
steep increase in airline travel , so the TSA is now rushing to get new
screeners on the line. Part of the issue is that airports have only so much
room for screening lanes. Another factor may be that more people are trying to
overpack their carry-on bags to avoid checked-baggage fees, though the airlines
strongly dispute this.
There is one step the TSA could take that would not require
remodeling airports or rushing to hire: Enroll more people in the PreCheck
program. PreCheck is supposed to be a win-win for travelers and the TSA.
Passengers who pass a background check are eligible to use expedited screening
lanes. This allows the TSA wants to enroll 25 million people in PreCheck.
It has not gotten anywhere close to that, and one big reason is
sticker shock. Passengers must pay $85 every five years to process their
background checks. Since the beginning, this price tag has been PreCheck's
fatal flaw. Upcoming reforms might bring the price to a more reasonable level.
But Congress should look into doing so directly, by helping to finance PreCheck
enrollment or to cut costs in other ways.
The TSA cannot continue diverting resources into underused PreCheck
lanes while most of the traveling public suffers in unnecessary lines. It is
long past time to make the program work.
21. the crash of Egypt Air Flight 804 is mentioned to
[A] stress the urgency to strengthen security worldwide.
[B] highlight the necessity of upgrading major US airports.
[C] explain Americans' tolerance of current security checks.
[D] emphasis the importance of privacy protection.
22. which of the following contributions to long waits at major
airport?
[A] New restrictions on carry-on bags.
[B] The declining efficiency of the TSA.
[C] An increase in the number of travelers.
[D] Frequent unexpected secret checks.
23.The word "expedited" (Line 4, Para.5) is closest in
meaning to
[A] faster.
[B] quieter.
[C] wider.
[D] cheaper.
24. One problem with the PreCheck program is
[A] A dramatic reduction of its scale.
[B] Its wrongly-directed implementation.
[C] The government's reluctance to back it.
[D] An unreasonable price for enrollment.
25. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
[A] Less Screening for More Safety
[B] PreCheck-a Belated Solution
[C] Getting Stuck in Security Lines
[D] Underused PreCheck Lanes
Text 2
"The ancient Hawaiians were astronomers," wrote Queen
Liliuokalani, Hawaii's last reigning monarch, in 1897. Star watchers were among
the most esteemed members of Hawaiian society. Sadly, all is not well with
astronomy in Hawaii today. Protests have erupted over construction of the
Thirty Meter Telescope(TMT), a giant observatory that promises to revolutionize
humanity's view of the cosmos.
At issue is the TMT's planned location on Mauna Kea, a dormant
volcano worshiped by some Hawaiians as the piko , that connects the Hawaiian
Islands to the heavens. But Mauna Kea is also home to some of the world's most
powerful telescopes. Rested in the Pacific Ocean, Mauna Kea's peak rises above
the bulk of our planet's dense atmosphere, where conditions allow telescopes to
obtain images of unsurpassed clarity.
Opposition to telescopes on Mauna Kea is nothing new. A small but vocal
group of Hawaiians and environments have long viewed their presence as
disrespect for sacred land and a painful reminder of the occupation of what was
once a sovereign nation.
Some blame for the current controversy belongs to astronomers. In
their eagerness to build bigger telescopes, they forgot that science is the
only way of understanding the world. They did not always prioritize the
protection of Mauna Kea's fragile ecosystems or its holiness to the island's
inhabitants. Hawaiian culture is not a relic of the past; it is a living
culture undergoing a renaissance today.
Yet science has a cultural history, too, with roots going back to
the dawn of civilization. The same curiosity to find what lies beyond the
horizon that first brought early Polynesians to Hawaii's shores inspires
astronomers today to explore the heavens. Calls to disassemble all telescopes
on Mauna Kea or to ban future development there ignore the reality that
astronomy and Hawaiian culture both seek to answer big questions about who we
are, where we come from and where we are going. Perhaps that is why we explore
the starry skies, as if answering a primal calling to know ourselves and our
true ancestral homes.
The astronomy community is making compromises to change its use of
Mauna Kea. The TMT site was chosen to minimize the telescope's visibility
around the island and to avoid archaeological and environmental impact. To
limit the number of telescopes on Mauna Kea, old ones will be removed at the
end of their lifetimes and their sites returned to a natural state. There is no
reason why everyone cannot be welcomed on Mauna Kea to embrace their cultural
heritage and to study the stars.
26. Queen Liliuokalani's remark in Paragraph 1 indicates
[A] its conservative view on the historical role of astronomy.
[B] the importance of astronomy in ancient Hawaiian society.
[C] the regrettable decline of astronomy in ancient times.
[D] her appreciation of star watchers' feats in her time.
27. Mauna Kea is deemed as an ideal astronomical site due to
[A] its geographical features
[B] its protective surroundings.
[C] its religious implications.
[D] its existing infrastructure.
28. The construction of the TMT is opposed by some locals partly
because
[A] it may risk ruining their intellectual life.
[B] it reminds them of a humiliating history.
[C] their culture will lose a chance of revival.
[D] they fear losing control of Mauna Kea.
29. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that progress in today's
astronomy
[A] is fulfilling the dreams of ancient Hawaiians.
[B] helps spread Hawaiian culture across the world.
[C] may uncover the origin of Hawaiian culture.
[D] will eventually soften Hawaiians' hostility.
30. The author's attitude toward choosing Mauna Kea as the TMT site
is one of
[A] severe criticism.
[B] passive acceptance.
[C] slight hesitancy.
[D] full approval.
Text 3
Robert F. Kennedy once said that a country's GDP measures
"everything except that which makes life worthwhile." With Britain
voting to leave the European Union, and GDP already predicted to slow as a
result, it is now a timely moment to assess what he was referring to.
The question of GDP and its usefulness has annoyed policymakers for
over half a century. Many argue that it is a flawed concept. It measures things
that do not matter and misses things that do. By most recent measures, the UK's
GDP has been the envy of the Western world, with record low unemployment and
high growth figures. If everything was going so well, then why did over 17
million people vote for Brexit, despite the warnings about what it could do to
their country's economic prospects?
A recent annual study of countries and their ability to convert
growth into well-being sheds some light on that question. Across the 163
countries measured, the UK is one of the poorest performers in ensuring that
economic growth is translated into meaningful improvements for its citizens.
Rather than just focusing on GDP, over 40 different sets of criteria from
health, education and civil society engagement have been measured to get a more
rounded assessment of how countries are performing.
While all of these countries face their own challenges , there are a
number of consistent themes . Yes , there has been a budding economic recovery
since the 2008 global crash , but in key indicators in areas such as health and
education , major economies have continued to decline . Yet this isn't the case
with all countries . Some relatively poor European countries have seen huge
improvements across measures including civil society , income equality and the
environment.
This is a lesson that rich countries can learn : When GDP is no
longer regarded as the sole measure of a country's success, the world looks
very different .
So, what Kennedy was referring to was that while GDP has been the
most common method for measuring the economic activity of nations , as a
measure , it is no longer enough . It does not include important factors such
as environmental quality or education outcomes - all things that contribute to
a person's sense of well-being.
The sharp hit to growth predicted around the world and in the UK
could lead to a decline in the everyday services we depend on for our
well-being and for growth . But policymakers who refocus efforts on improving
well-being rather than simply worrying about GDP figures could avoid the
forecasted doom and may even see progress .
31.Robert F. Kennedy is cited because he
[A]praised the UK for its GDP.
[B]identified GDP with happiness .
[C]misinterpreted the role of GDP .
[D]had a low opinion of GDP .
32.It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that
[A]the UK is reluctant to remold its economic pattern .
[B]GDP as the measure of success is widely defied in the UK .
[C]the UK will contribute less to the world economy .
[D]policymakers in the UK are paying less attention to GDP .
33.Which of the following is true about the recent annual study ?
[A]It is sponsored by 163 countries .
[B]It excludes GDP as an indicator.
[C]Its criteria are questionable .
[D]Its results are enlightening .
34.In the last two paragraphs , the author suggests that
[A]the UK is preparing for an economic boom .
[B]high GDP foreshadows an economic decline .
[C]it is essential to consider factors beyond GDP .
[D]it requires caution to handle economic issues .
35.Which of the following is the best title for the text ?
[A]High GDP But Inadequate Well-being , a UK Lesson
[B]GDP Figures, a Window on Global Economic Health
[C]Rebort F.Kennedy, a Terminator of GDP
[D]Brexit, the UK's Gateway to Well-being
Text 4
In a rare unanimous ruling, the US Supreme Court has overturned the
corruption conviction of a former Virginia governor, Robert McDonnell. But it
did so while holding its nose at the ethics of his conduct, which included
accepting gifts such as a Rolex watch and a Ferrari automobile from a company
seeking access to government.
The high court's decision said the judge in Mr. McDonnell's trial
failed to tell a jury that it must look only at his "official acts,"
or the former governor's decisions on "specific" and
"unsettled" issues related to his duties.
Merely helping a gift-giver gain access to other officials, unless
done with clear intent to pressure those officials, is not corruption, the
justices found.
The court did suggest that accepting favors in return for opening
doors is "distasteful" and "nasty." But under anti-bribery
laws, proof must be made of concrete benefits, such as approval of a contract
or regulation. Simply arranging a meeting, making a phone call, or hosting an
event is not an "official act".
The court's ruling is legally sound in defining a kind of favoritism
that is not criminal. Elected leaders must be allowed to help supporters deal
with bureaucratic problems without fear of prosecution for bribery." The
basic compact underlying representative government," wrote Chief Justice
John Roberts for the court," assumes that public officials will hear from
their constituents and act on their concerns."
But the ruling reinforces the need for citizens and their elected
representatives, not the courts, to ensure equality of access to government.
Officials must not be allowed to play favorites in providing information or in
arranging meetings simply because an individual or group provides a campaign
donation or a personal gift. This type of integrity requires well-enforced laws
in government transparency, such as records of official meetings, rules on
lobbying, and information about each elected leader's source of wealth.
Favoritism in official access can fan public perceptions of
corruption. But it is not always corruption. Rather officials must avoid double
standards, or different types of access for average people and the wealthy. If
connections can be bought, a basic premise of democratic society-that all are
equal in treatment by government-is undermined. Good governance rests on an
understanding of the inherent worth of each individual.
The court's ruling is a step forward in the struggle against both
corruption and official favoritism.
36. The undermined sentence (Para.1) most probably shows that the
court
[A] avoided defining the extent of McDonnell's duties.
[B] made no compromise in convicting McDonnell.
[C] was contemptuous of McDonnell's conduct.
[D] refused to comment on McDonnell's ethics.
37. According to Paragraph 4, an official act is deemed corruptive
only if it involves
[A] leaking secrets intentionally.
[B] sizable gains in the form of gifts.
[C] concrete returns for gift-givers.
[D] breaking contracts officially.
38. The court's ruling is based on the assumption that public
officials are
[A] justified in addressing the needs of their constituents.
[B] qualified to deal independently with bureaucratic issues.
[C] allowed to focus on the concerns of their supporters.
[D] exempt from conviction on the charge of favoritism.
39. Well-enforced laws in government transparency are needed to
[A] awaken the conscience of officials.
[B] guarantee fair play in official access.
[C] allow for certain kinds of lobbying.
[D] inspire hopes in average people.
40. The author's attitude toward the court's ruling is
[A] sarcastic.
[B] tolerant.
[C] skeptical.
[D] supportive
Part B
Directions:
The following paragraphs are given in a wrong order. For Questions
41-45, you are required to reorganize these paragraphs into a coherent article
by choosing from the list A-G to filling them into the numbered box. Paragraphs
B and D have been correctly placed. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET. (10
points)
[A]The first published sketch, "A Dinner at Poplar Walk"
brought tears to Dickens's eyes when he discovered it in the pages of The
Monthly Magazine. From then on his sketches ,which appeared under the pen name
"Boz" in The Evening Chronicle, earned him a modest reputation.
[B]The runaway success of The Pickwick Papers, as it is generally
known today, secured Dickens's fame. There were Pickwick coats and Pickwick
cigars, and the plump, spectacled hero, Samuel Pickwick, became a national
figure.
[C]Soon after Sketches by Boz appeared, a publishing firm approached
Dickens to write a story in monthly installments, as a backdrop for a series of
woodcuts by the ten-famous artist Robert Seymour, who had originated the idea
for the story. With characteristic confidence, Dickens successfully insisted
that Seymour's pictures illustrate his own story instead. After the first
installment, Dickens wrote to the artist and asked him to correct a drawing
Dickens felt was not faithful enough to his prose. Seymour made the change,
went into his backyard, and expressed his displeasure by committing suicide.
Dickens and his publishers simply pressed on with a new artist. The comic
novel, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, appeared serially in 1836
and 1837, and was first published in book form in 1837.
[D]Charles Dickens is probably the best-known and, to many people,
the greatest English novelist of the 19th century. A moralist, satirist, and
social reformer. Dickens crafted complex plots and striking characters that
capture the panorama of English society.
[E]Soon after his father's release from prison, Dickens got a better
job as errand boy in law offices. He taught himself shorthand to get an even
better job later as a court stenographer and as a reporter in Parliament. At
the same time, Dickens, who had a reporter's eye for transcribing the life
around him especially anything comic or odd, submitted short sketches to
obscure magazines.
[F] Dickens was born in Portsmouth, on England's southern coast. His
father was a clerk in the British navy pay office -a respectable position, but
wish little social status. His paternal grandparents, a steward and a
housekeeper possessed even less status, having been servants, and Dickens later
concealed their background. Dicken's mother supposedly came from a more
respectable family. Yet two years before Dicken's birth, his mother's father
was caught stealing and fled to Europe, never to return. The family's
increasing poverty forced Dickens out of school at age 12 to work in Warren's
Blacking Warehouse, a shoe-polish factory, where the other working boys mocked
him as "the young gentleman." His father was then imprisoned for
debt. The humiliations of his father's imprisonment and his labor in the
blacking factory formed Dicken's greatest wound and became his deepest secret.
He could not confide them even to his wife, although they provide the
unacknowledged foundation of his fiction.
[G] After Pickwick, Dickens plunged into a bleaker world. In Oliver
Twist, e traces an orphan's progress from the workhouse to the criminal slums
of London. Nicholas Nickleby, his next novel, combines the darkness of Oliver
Twist with the sunlight of Pickwick. The popularity of these novels consolidated
Dichens' as a nationally and internationally celebrated man of letters.
Part C
Directions:
Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined
segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written neatly on the ANSWER
SHEET. (10 points)
The growth of the use of English as the world`s primary language for
international communication has obviously been continuing for several decades.
(46)But even as the number of English speakers expands further there
are signs that the global predominance of the language may fade within the
foreseeable future.
Complex international, economic, technological and culture change
could start to diminish the leading position of English as the language of the
world market, and UK interests which enjoy advantage from the breath of English
usage would consequently face new pressures. Those realistic possibilities are
highlighted in the study presented by David Graddol
(47)His analysis should therefore end any self-contentedness among
those who may believe that the global position of English is so stable that the
young generation of the United Kingdom do not need additional language
capabilities.
David Graddol concludes that monoglot English graduates face a bleak
economic future as qualified multilingual youngsters from other countries are
proving to have a competitive advantage over their British counterparts in
global companies and organizations. Alongside that,(48)many countries are
introducing English into the primary-school curriculum but British
schoolchildren and students do not appear to be gaining greater encouragement
to achieve fluency in other languages.
If left to themselves, such trends will diminish the relative
strength of the English language in international education markets as the
demand for educational resources in languages, such as Spanish ,Arabic or
Mandarin grows and international business process outsourcing in other language
such as Japanese, French and German, spreads.
(49)The changes identified by David Graddol all present clear and
major challenges to UK`s providers of English language teaching to people of
other countries and to broader education business sectors. The English language
teaching sector directly earns nearly &1.3 billion for the UK in invisible
exports and our other education related explores earn up to &10 billion a
year more. As the international education market expands, the recent slowdown
in the number of international students studying in the main English-speaking
countries is likely to continue, especially if there are no effective strategic
policies to prevent such slippage.
The anticipation of possible shifts in demand provided by this study
is significant:(50) It gives a basis to all organization which seek to promote
the learning and very different operating environment. That is a necessary and
practical approach. In this as in much else, those who wish to influence the
future must prepare for it.
Section III Writing
Part A
51. Directions:
You are to write an email to James Cook , a newly-arrived Australian
professor , recommending some tourist attractions in your city . Please give
reasons for your recommendation .
You should write neatly on the ANSWER SHEET .
Do not sign your own name at the end of the email . Use "Li
Ming" instead.
Do not write the address . (10 points)
Part B
52. Directions:
Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following pictures. In
your essay , you should
1)describe the pictures briefly,
2)interpret the meaning , and
3)give your comments.
You should write neatly on the ANSWER SHEET.( 20 points )