2004年在职攻读硕士学位全国联考英语试题

Paper One

Part Ⅱ Vocabulary and Structure (20 minutes, 10 points)

Directions: There are 20 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that best completes the sentence. Mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center.

16. If the work       by the end of this month is delayed, the construction company will be    heavily fined.
    A. is completed                        B. to be completed
    C. will have been completed              D. will be completed

17. Had Paul received six more votes in the last election, he        our chairman now.
     A. must be        B. would have been      C. shall be       D. would be

18.      pollution control measures tend to be money consuming, many industries hesitate to adopt them.
     A. Although        B. However        C. When           D. Since

19.       is often the case with a new idea, much initial activity and optimistic discussion produce no concrete proposal.
     A. It             B. Which         C. As            D. That

 20. According to the       of the contract, employees must give six months’ notice if they intend to leave.
     A. laws             B. rules            C. terms            D. details

 21. All of the plants now raised on farms have been developed from plants      in the wild.
     A. once they grew   B. that once grew   C. they grew once   D. once grew

22. The      meter can detect even a very small amount of gas in the room.
     A. sensible          B. sensitive         C. sensing          D. sensed

23. Not until recent years      a popular means of communication.
     A. e-mail became                        B. e-mail has become
     C. did e-mail become                     D. will e-mail become

24. Mobile phones have proved to      with flight instruments and have a negative effect on flight safety.
        A. interfere         B. disturb          C. interrupt         D. trouble

25. Although there are many predictions about the future, no one knows for sure      the world would be like in 50 years.
     A. how            B. that            C. which          D. what

26. The bank manager asked his assistant if it was possible for him to      the investment plan within a week.
     A. work out         B. put out          C. make out        D. set out

27. I was speaking to Ann on the phone about our tour plan      suddenly we were cut off.
     A. that             B. while            C. before           D. when

28. Television will provide information on prices at the nearby shops      news and entertainment.
     A. as many as       B. as far as          C. as well as        D. as long as

29.       , the researchers cannot concentrate on that very precise experiment.
     A. With you standing there               B. On your standing there
     C. You are standing there                D. You stand there

30. Jane takes an      interest in clothes and is very particular about what she wears.
     A. exhaustive       B. excelling         C. executive        D. excessive

31. She went to Europe on vacation but her happy time ended in       when their hotel      caught fire.
     A. tragedy          B. crisis            C. drama          D. misfortune

32. You could become a good musician, but your lack of practice is      you    .
     A. taking...over     B. holding...back    C. making...up     D. leaving...out

33. Retail sales volume in local urban and rural areas rose 57.8% and 46.8%       last year.
     A. individually      B. respectively      C. correspondingly  D. accordingly

34. The managing director took the      for the accident, although it was not really his fault.
     A. guilt             B. blame           C. charge           D. accusation

35. It is requested that all the students       present at the meeting tomorrow.
     A. were            B. will be           B. are              D. be

Part Ⅲ Reading Comprehension (55 minutes, 40 points )
Directions: There are four 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 mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center.
 
Passage One
 
　　In ancient Greek, the term euthanatos meant“easy death”. Today euthanasia (安乐死) generally refers to mercy killing, the voluntary (自愿) ending of the life of someone who is terminally ill. Like abortion, euthanasia has become a legal, medical, and moral issue over which opinion is divided.

　　Euthanasia can be either active or passive. Active euthanasia means that a physician or other medical personnel takes an action that will result in death, such as giving an overdose of deadly medicine. Passive euthanasia means letting a patient die for lack of treatment, or stopping the treatment that has begun. Examples of passive euthanasia include taking patients off a breathing machine or removing other life-support systems. Stopping the food supply is also considered passive.

　　A good deal of the debate about mercy killing originates from the decision-making process. Who decides whether a patient is to die? This issue has not been solved legally in the United States. The matter is left to state law, which usually allows the physician in charge to suggest the option of death to a patient’s relatives, especially if the patient is brain dead. In an attempt to make decisions about when their own lives should end, several terminally ill patients in the early 1990s used a controversial suicide device, developed by Dr. Jack Kevorkian, to end their lives.

　　In parts of Europe, the decision-making process has become very flexible. Even in cases where the patients are not brain dead, patients have been put to death without their approval at the request of relatives or at the suggestion of physicians. Many cases of passive euthanasia involve old people or newborn infants. The principle justifying this practice is that such individuals have a “life not worthy of life”.

　　In countries where passive euthanasia is not legal, the court systems have proved very tolerant in dealing with medical personnel who practice it. In Japan, for example, if physicians follow certain guidelines they may actively carry out mercy killings on hopelessly ill people. Courts have also been somewhat tolerant of friends or relatives who have assisted terminally ill patients to die.

36. A terminally ill patient is one who      .
    A. gets worse every day                   B. can never get well again
    C. is very seriously ill in the end            D. is too ill to want to live on

37. The difference between active and passive euthanasia is whether      .
    A. there is an action that speeds up the death of the patient
    B. the breathing machine is taken off the patient
    C. an overdose of deadly medicine is used
    D. the patient is denied food supply

38. According to the passage, who has/have the legal responsibility to decide on euthanasia?
    A. The national or state government.
    B. The patient’s relatives.
    C. Physicians in charge of the patient.
    D. The answer varies from country to country.

39. The principle justifying passive euthanasia in Europe is that terminally ill patients are      .
    A. living a life without consciousness
    B. living a life that can hardly be called life
    C. too old or too weak to live on
    D. too old or too young to approve of euthanasia

40. The attitude of the writer toward euthanasia is      .
    A. negative         B. positive          C. objective         D. casual
 
Passage Two
 
　　Next week, as millions of families gather for their Thanksgiving (感恩节) feasts, many other Americans will go without. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 12 million households lack enough food for everyone in their family at some time during the year—including holidays.

　　Hunger is surprisingly widespread in our country—one of the world’s wealthiest—yet the government estimates that we waste almost 100 billion pounds of food each year, more than one-quarter of our total supply.
Reducing this improper distribution of resources is a goal of America’s Second Harvest, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Last year, it distributed nearly 2 billion pounds of food to more than 23 million people in need.

　　America’s Second Harvest is a network of 214 inter-connected food banks and other organizations that gather food from growers, processors, grocery stores and restaurants. In turn, the network distributes food to some 50,000 soup kitchens, homeless shelters and old people’s centers in every county of every state.
A great deal of work is involved in distributing tons of food from thousands of donors (捐赠者) to hundreds of small, nonprofit organizations. Until a few years ago, America’s Second Harvest lacked any effective way to manage their inventory. Without accurate and timely information, soup kitchens were sometimes empty while food was left to spoil in loading places.

　　In 2000, America’s Second Harvest began to use a new inventory and financial-management system—Ceres. It is software designed specifically for hunger-relief operations. It is used by more than 100 America’s Second Harvest organizations to track food from donation to distribution.

　　Ceres has helped reduce the spoiling of food and improve distribution. An evaluation found that the software streamlined food banks’ operations by 23 percent in the first year alone.

　　With more accurate and timely reports, Ceres saves time, flees staff members to focus on finding new donors, and promises more efficient use of donations.

　　Hunger in America remains a troubling social problem. Technology alone cannot solve it. But in the hands of organizations such as America’s Second Harvest, it is a powerful tool that is helping to make a difference—and helping more Americans to join in the feast.

41. According to the passage, the total supply of food in America every year reaches       .
     A. 12 million pounds                   B. more than 12 million pounds
     C. almost 100 billion pounds             D. about 400 billion pounds

42. By“this improper distribution of resources”in Paragraph 3, the writer means that many      .Americans lack enough food while.
    A. their country is one of the richest in the world
    B. much food is left to spoil
    C. others waste too much food
    D. others consume too much food

43. A problem for America’s Second Harvest a few years ago was that      .
    A. it did not get enough food from donors
    B. it did not have a large enough network
    C. it did not have enough soup kitchens
    D. it did not have a good way to manage its food stock

44. With Ceres, America’s Second Harvest is now able to      .
    A. enlarge its network
    B. prevent food from spoiling
    C. give out food more efficiently
    D. solve the hunger problem in the country

45. The main idea of the passage is that      .
    A. technology can help in the fight against hunger
    B. America’s Second Harvest has found more donors
    C. America’s Second Harvest promotes the development of technology
    D. hunger is a problem even in the wealthiest country in the world

Passage Three
 
　　The differences in living standards around the world are vast. In 1993, the average American had an income of about $25,000. In the same year, the average Mexican earned $7,000, and the average Nigerian earned $1,500. Not surprisingly, this large variation in average income is reflected in various measures of the quality of life. Changes in living standards over time are also large. In the United States, incomes have historically grown about 2 percent per year (after adjusting for changes in the cost of living). At this rate, average income doubles every 35 years. In some countries, economic growth has been even more rapid. In Japan, for instance, average income has doubled in the past 20 years, and in South Korea it has doubled in the past 10 years.

　　What explains these large differences in living standards among countries and over time? The answer is surprisingly simple. Almost all variation in living standards is attributable to differences in countries’ productivity—that is, the amount of goods and services produced from each hour of a worker’s time. In nations where workers can produce a large quantity of goods and services per unit of time, most people enjoy a high standard of living; in nations where workers are less productive, most people must endure a more meager existence. Similarly, the growth rate of a nation’s productivity determines the growth rate of its average income.

　　The fundamental relationship between productivity and living standards is simple, but its implications are far-reaching. If productivity is the primary determinant of living standards, other explanations must be of secondary importance. For example, people might think that labor unions or minimum-wage laws contributed to the rise in living standards of American workers over the past century. Yet the real hero of American workers is their rising productivity.

　　The relationship between productivity and living standards also has great implications for public policy. When thinking about how any policy will affect living standards, the key question is how it will affect our ability to produce goods and services. To improve living standards, policymakers need to raise productivity by ensuring that workers are well educated, have the tools needed to produce goods and services, and have access to the best available technology.

46. Which of the following countries has enjoyed the fastest economic growth in history?
      A. Mexico.      B. The United States.   C. Japan.        D. South Korea.

47. The word “meager” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to“       ”
      A. modest          B. poor            C. meaningless      D. plentiful

48. What is the most important factor that leads to the rise in living standards of average people?
      A. Labor unions.                       B. Minimum-wage laws.
      C. Rising productivity.                   D. Favorable public policy.

49. The study of the relationship between productivity and living standards is significant in that     .
      A. it calls policymakers’ attention to a qualified work force
      B. it encourages workers to get better education
      C. it helps improve the workers’ ability to produce goods and services
      D. it enables policymakers to access the latest technology

50. The passage mainly discusses      .
      A. the differences in average income among countries
      B. the relationship between productivity and living standards
      C. the causes of the rise in living standards
      D. the importance of raising productivity
                                        
Passage Four
 
　　Not so long ago almost any student who successfully completed a university degree could find a good career quite easily. Companies toured the academic institutions, competing with each other to select graduates. However, those days are gone, even in Hong Kong, and nowadays graduates often face strong competition in the search for jobs.

　　Most careers organizations highlight three stages for graduates to follow in the process of securing a suitable career：recognizing abilities, matching these to available jobs and presenting them well to possible employers.

　　Job seekers have to make a careful assessment of their own abilities. One area of assessment should be of their academic qualifications, which would include special skills within their subject area. Graduates should also consider their own personal values and attitudes. An honest assessment of personal interests and abilities such as creative skills, or skills acquired from work experience, should also be given careful thought.

　　The second stage is to study the opportunities available for employment and to think about how the general employment situation is likely to develop in the future. To do this, graduates can study job and position information in newspapers, or they can visit a careers office, write to possible employers for information or contact friends or relatives who may already be involved in a particular profession. After studying all the various options, they should be in a position to make informed comparisons between various careers.

　　Good personal presentation is essential in the search for a good career. Job application forms and letters should, of course, be filled in carefully and correctly, without grammar or spelling errors. Where additional information is asked for, job seekers should describe their abilities and work experience in more depth, with examples if possible. They should try to balance their own abilities with the employer’s needs, explain why they are interested in a career with the particular company and try to show that they already know something about the company and its activities.

　　When graduates go to an interview, they should prepare properly by finding out all they can about the possible employer. Dressing suitably and arriving for the interview on time are also important. Interviewees should try to give positive and helpful answers and should not be afraid to ask questions about anything they are unsure about. This is much better than pretending to understand a question and giving an unsuitable answer.

51. “Those days are gone, even in Hong Kong” in Paragraph 1 suggests that      .
     A. finding a good career used to be easier in Hong Kong than elsewhere
     B. now everyone in Hong Kong has an equal chance of finding a good job
　　C. graduates now face stronger competition in Hong Kong than elsewhere
     D. even in Hong Kong companies tour universities trying to select graduates

52. It is implied in Paragraph 3 that graduates should      .
     A. aim to give a balanced account of what the employer needs
     B. consider careers which suit their values, interests and abilities
     C. recognize their own abilities regardless of what the employer looks for
     D. stress their personal attitudes and values in job applications

53. According to Paragraph 4, graduates should      .
     A. find a good position and then compare it with other careers
     B. ask friends or relatives to secure them a good job
     C. get information about a number of careers before making comparisons
     D. study the opportunities and the kinds of training that will be available

54. In the last paragraph, the writer seems to suggest that      .
     A. interviewees should appear humble if they can’t give an answer
     B. dressing properly is more important than being able to give an answer
     C. it is better for interviewees to be honest than to pretend to understand
     D. it is a good idea for interviewees to be boastful in their answers

55. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
     A. Until recently it was quite easy for graduates to get good jobs in Hong Kong.
     B. Job seekers should consider as many related factors as possible.
     C. Businesses used to visit the universities in Hong Kong to select graduates.
     D. Graduates used to compete with each other for a good job in Hong Kong.

Part Ⅳ Cloze Test ( 15 minutes, 5 points)

Directions: There are ten blanks in the following passage. For each numbered blank there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center.

　　Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. This is often done in the workplace, or  56 “continuing education” courses at secondary schools, or at a college or university.

　　Educating adults differs from educating  57  in several ways. One of the most important  58 is that adults have gained knowledge and experience which can  59  add value to a learning experience or interfere with it.
Another important difference is that adults frequently must apply their knowledge in some  60  fashion in order to learn effectively; there must be a  61  and a reasonable expectation that the new knowledge will help them further that goal. One example,  62  in the 1990s, was the spread of computer training courses in  63  adults, most of them office workers, could enroll. These courses would teach basic use of the operating system or specific application  64 . Because the skilh  65  to interact with a PC were so new, many people who had been working white-collar jobs for ten years or more eventually took such training courses, either of their own will (to gain computer skills and thus can higher pay) or at the request of their managers.

56. A. by             B. from           C. on              D. through
57. A. children         B. students        C. workers         D. employees
58. A. signs            B. features        C. differences      D. practices
59. A. either           B. neither         C. both            D. so
60. A. probable         B. practical       C. modem           D. routine
61. A. plan             B. prospect        C. goal            D. possibility
62. A. normal           B. common          C. regular         D. profitable
63. A. that             B. which           C. those           D. whose
64. A. software         B. hardware        C. technology      D. framework
65. A. related          B. designed       G. expected      D. required

Paper Two
Part Ⅴ Translation( 30 minutes, 15 points)
Directions: Translate the following passage into Chinese and put your translation on the ANSWER SHEET.

　　One of the really nice features about e-mails is that they allow us to send files as attachments to other users. This is a very good thing. If I’m working with a colleague and want to send him an image file or a word file, I can do so very quickly and easily, without having to fax it to him. This saves on long distance bills and printing costs. It also, however, presents a problem, because attachments can take a long time to download. For those of us who pay by the hour for Intemet service, unwanted attachments can be quite costly and time-consuming. I ouce had someone send me fifteen large image files, and it tied up my computer for 20 minutes just to download one of them. So, in short, if you’re going to send an attachment, get permission first.
 
Part Ⅵ Writing ( 30 minutes, 15 points)

Directions: You are to write in no less than 120 words on the title of “College Students Should (Not) Be Permitted to Live off Campus”. You are to take a position, either for or against the matter, and give your reasons. You should base your composition on the following Chinese outline.

近年来大学生在校外租房居住的现象越来越多, 这个问题已引起社会各界的关注。人们对这一现象的看法不一, 各持己见。
  1. 你对这个问题的观点是……
  2. 理由是……
  3. 结论……