2004年辽宁成人本科学位英语试卷(二级)

Part I Phonetics (10 points)

Directions: In this part, there are ten groups of words. From the A, B, C, and D choices, choose the word with the underlined part which has the same pronunciation as the word given. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

1. we A. me B. him C. bed D. date

2. fell A. tent B. basket C. parcel D. castle

3. garage A. prestige B. gate C. begin D. league

4. as A. ass B. pass C. seal D. lose

5. fine A. sing B. ring C. mine D. sang

6. odd A. awed B. cork C. pull D. don

7. theme A. thin B. that C. this D. with

8. treasure A. sour B. shine C. occasion D. seal

9. air A. share B. near C. sphere D. sear

10. pool A. full B. food C. foot D. could

Part II Reading Comprehension (30 points)

Directions: There are four reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D. you should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

I

Greek mythology is largely made up of stories about gods and goddesses, but it must not be read as a kind of Greek Bible, an account of the Greek religion.

According to the most modern idea, a real myth has nothing to do with religion. It is an explanation of something in nature; how, for instance, any and everything in the universe came into existence: men, animals, this or that tree or flower, the sun, the moon, the stars, storms, eruption, earthquakes, all that is and all that happens. Thunder and lightning are caused when Zeus hurls his thunderbolt. A volcano erupts because a terrible creature is imprisoned in the mountain and every now and then struggles to get free. The Dipper, the constellation called also the Great Bear, does not set below the horizon because a goddess once was angry at it and decreed that it should never sink into the sea. Myths are early science, the result of men’s first trying to explain what they saw around them.

But there are many so-called myths which explain nothing at all. These tales are pure entertainment, the sort of thing people would tell each other on a long winter’s evening. The story of Pygmalion and Galatea is an example; it has no conceivable connection with any event in nature. Neither has the Quest of the Golden Fleece, nor Orpheus and Eurydice, nor many another. This fact is now generally accepted; and we do not have to try to find in every mythological heroine the moon or the dawn and in every hero’s life a sun myth. The stories are early literature as well as early science. But religion is there, too. In the background, to be sure, but nevertheless plain to see. From Homer through the tragedians and even later, there is a deepening realization of what human beings need and what they must have in their gods.

11. The author believes that myths _____.

A. have nothing to do with religion

B. contain very modern ideas.

C. are pure entertainment with no religious content

D. have to do with science, religion and entertainment

12. In every myth, ____.

A. there is a connection with some natural event

B. there is not necessarily an attempt to explain an event in nature

C. there are angry gods and goddesses

D. there exists some religious teaching

13. According to the passage, the story of Pymalion and Galatea ______.

A. has something to do with the explanation of nature

B. is pure entertainment

C. has something to do with science

D. is closely related to religion

14. Myths are early science because they_______.

A. explain the natural events

B. teach about the history

C. have nothing to do with religion

D. reflect people’s expectations

15. The author, in regard to modern ideas on myth_____.

A. is impressed and agrees with them

B. refuses to accept any of them

C. adds to them new points of view

D. none of the above

II

Researchers have established that when people are mentally engaged, biochemical changes occur in the brain that allow it to act more effectively in cognitive areas such as attention and memory. This is true regardless of age.

People will be alert and receptive if they are faced with information that gets them to think about things they are interested in. And someone with a history of doing more rather than less will go into old age more cognitively sound than someone who has not had an active mind.

Many experts are so convinced of the benefits of challenging the brain that they are putting the theory to work in their own lives. “The idea is not necessarily to learn to memorize enormous amounts of information,” says James Fozard, associate director of the National Institute on Aging. “Most of us don’t need that kind of skill. Such specific training is of less interest than being able to maintain mental alertness.” Fzard and others say they challenge their brains with different mental skills, both because they enjoy them and because they are sure that their range of activities will help the way their brains work.

Gene Cohen, acting director of the same institute, suggests that people in their old age should engage in mentally and physical activities individually as well as in groups. Cohen says that we are frequently advised to keep physically active as we age, but older people need to keep mentally active as well. Those who do are more likely to maintain their intellectual abilities and to be generally happier and better adjusted. “The point is, you need to do both,” Cohen says, “Intellectual activity actually influences brain-cell health and size.”

16. People who are cognitively healthy are those_____.

A. who can remember large amounts of information

B. who are highly intelligent

C. whose minds are alert and receptive

D. who are good at recognizing different sounds

17. According to Fozard’s argument, people can make their brains work more efficiently by_____.

A. constantly doing memory work

B. taking part in various mental activities

C. going through specific training

D. making frequent adjustments

18. The findings of James and other scientists in their work_____.

A. remain a theory to be further proved

B. have been challenged by many other experts

C. have been generally accepted

D. are practiced by the researchers themselves

19. Older people are generally advised to_____.

A. keep fit by going in for physical activities

B. keep mentally active by challenging their brains

C. maintain mental alertness through specific training

D. maintain a balance between individual and group activities

20. This passage is mainly about_____.

A. how biochemical changes occur in the human brain

B. why people should keep active not only physically but also mentally

C. how intellectual activities influence brain-cell health

D. why people should receive special mental training as they age

III

Education achievement is a vital measure of any society’s level of development. In modern times, universal literacy for all social groups has become the goal of all nations, and education has been recognized as a right of both women and men. Apart from the absolute benefits that education brings to women, women’s education benefits society. Studies has shown that women’s education is closely related to children’s health outcomes (结果)and other social development indicators. Education and training increase women’s opportunities in the modern economic sector by better qualifying them for well-paid employment. Education also expands women’s life choices beyond marriage and child-raising.

Arab countries have made great advances in improving literacy rate in the past two decades for both men and women. However, women still remain behind men. In most countries the urban-rural contrast in female literacy is still great, creating an increasing gap of development opportunities for women within the same country.

Overall, the difference between male and female literacy rates is greater in lower-income countries, which suggests that when resources are scarce male education takes precedence(领先) over female education. The lower social value of girls’ education causes high dropout rates among those who come from poor families. Girls may also be removed from school to care for the younger or to be married at a young age. But a problem facing women and men alike is that the content of education is often unrelated to the needs of the labor market---so much so that some rural families prefer not to send their children to school, where they will lose useful agricultural skills and emerge with unmarketable knowledge.

21. According to the passage, the education of women is important because_____.

A. it represents the development of the society

B. it will benefit the society

C. women can enjoy their legal right

D. it shows women and men are equal

22. With the information given in the passage, the following statements are true EXCEPT_______.

A. women will be qualified for well-paid jobs

B. the economic position will be changed

C. women will be too busy to get married and give birth to a child

D. the scope of life for women will be expended with better education

23. Difference in education between male and female exits because of_____.

A. age B. race C. region D. wealth

24. Some families in the countryside are reluctant to send their children to school because_____.

A. they cannot afford the children’s schooling

B. girl’s education is regarded as of less important

C. the school education cannot meet the requirement of the society

D. they thought it was enough to stay at home with their present agricultural skill

25. In the first paragraph, education achievement refers to_____.

A. women’s education

B. the education of both men and women

C. the education of children in the countryside

D. the education of women in poor countries

IV

What is exactly a lie? Is it anything we say which we know is untrue? Or is it something more than that? For example, suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from you, you say: “I wish I could help you but I’m short of money myself.’ In fact, you are not short of money, but your friend is in the habit of not paying his debts and you don’t want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this. Is this really a lie?

A scientific study of lying shows women are better liars than men, particularly when telling a ‘white lie’ such as when a woman at a party tells another woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it looks terrible. However, this is only one side of the story. Other researches show that men are more likely to tell more serious lies, such as making a promise which they have no intention of fulfilling. This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at: the lie from which the liar hopes to profit or gain in some way.

Research has also been done into the way people’s behavior changes in a number of small, apparently unimportant ways when they lie. It has been found that if they are sitting down at the same time, they tend to move about in their chairs more than usual. To the trained observer they are saying ‘I wish I were somewhere else now.’

26. This passage tells us that_____.

A. telling lies is often necessary in order to avoid being defeated

B. telling lies is often bad because people ought not to be dishonest

C. telling lies is sometimes necessary in order not to hurt someone else’s feelings

D. telling lies is not bad at all in most cases

27. In paragraph 2, the sentence “…women are better liars than men.” Probably means “_____”.

A. Women are better at telling lies than men

B. Women liars are better accepted than men

C. Women have a better intention when telling lies

D. Women tell fewer lies than men do

28. A ‘white lie’ means_____.

A. a lie that is completely unbelievable

B. a lie that is told with a good will

C. a lie that is always believable

D. a lie that often has an evil purpose

29. Politicians and businessmen are supposed to be skilled at telling the kind of

lies _____.

A. from which they may gain some advantages

B. that seems to be believable

C. that women are most likely to believe

D. with which they can have better relationship with others

30. It can be concluded from the passage that_____.

A. there is a simple way of finding out if someone is lying

B. from some ways people behave we can know they are lying

C. certain emotions are proof of lying

D. in some situations women are most likely to think businessmen are dishonest

Part III Vocabulary and Structure (35 points)

Directions: there are thirty-five incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one answer that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with as single line through the center.

31. The engine____ smoke and steam.

A. gives up B. gives in

C. gives away D. gives off

32. When he declared that he would kill the murder in person, all his fellows____ him

in amazement.

A. stared at B. watched

C. glanced D. noticed

33. ____ the other boys and girls were playing on the ground, she alone remained in the classroom reading.

A. Now that B. since

C. while D. As

34. He began to like playing football; he____ his early interest.

A. survived B. outgrew

C. exhausted D. conflicted

35. A _______ discussion about whether men are braver than women is settled in a rather unexpected way.

A. hot B. burnt

C. heated D. heating

36. It has been decided that the measures should be taken to ____ the costs of project.

A. bring about B. bring down

C. bring out D. bring up

37. Madam Curie once said: “Life is not easy for any of us. We must work, and above all we must____ ourselves. We must____ that each of us is able to do something well.”

A. believe…believe in B. believe…believe

C. believe in… believe D. believe in…believe in

38. The teacher suggested that the student ____ his composition as soon as possible.

A. finishes writing B. should finish the writing

C. finished writing D. finish writing

39. There is ____ furniture in this room than in that one.

A. little B. fewer

C. less D. few

40. They can never relax. New problems are continually _____.

A. coming out B. coming up

C. raising D. presenting

41. They have developed techniques which are____ to those used in most factories.

A. simpler B. better

C. superior D. greater

42. We have____ sugar. Ask Mary to lend us some.

A. run away with B. run down

C. run out of D. run off

43. I am not the one who pushed you, ____?

A. am I B. was I

C. did I D. do I

44. This is a book____ I was telling you just now.

A. about that B. in that

C. in which D. about which

45. I was surprised to find his article on such an____ topic so____.

A. excited, boring B. exciting, bored

C. exciting, boring D. excited, bored

46. Mrs. Hill is _____ Tom’s marrying Stella.

A. keen for B. keen on

C. keen of D. keen after

47. There is a ____ of a thousand pounds offered for the capture of the murderer.

A. reward B. prize

C. award D. credit

48. John and I ____ friends until he called me a coward.

A. use to be B. were used to be

C. used to be D. used to being

49. It is a long time____?

A. when I saw you last B. then I saw you last

C. for I saw you last D. since I saw you last

50. Either Marry or I ____ to blame.

A. to be B. am

C. are D. is

51. It is on the top shelf, and it is____.

A. for distance B. for touch

C. out of reach D. out of attempt

52. ____ in 1635, the Boston Latin School is the oldest public school in the United States.

A. Founded B. Founding

C. To found D. Having found

53. A man’s character____ be judged by the jokes he tells.

A. can B. will

C. is to D. is going to

54. ____1998 did the university begin to enroll foreign students.

A. Only in B. As early as

C. Not until D. Not since

55. ____ the 1500’s____ the first European explored the coast of California.

A. It was not until…than B. It was not until…when

C. It is until… that D. It was not until…that

56. ____ that everything is properly arranged beforehand.

A. Look B. See

C. Watch D. Observe

57. He might have been killed____ the arrival of the police.

A. except for B. with

C. but for D. for

58. He was about to leave____ I walked into the room.

A. when B. while

C. once D. as

59. There____ nothing to say, the secretary got to his feet, said good-bye and

left the room.

A. is B. was

C. having D. being

60. It is desired that Tom____ to teach us at least twice a week.

A. come B. will come

C. would come D. comes

61. There were various____ in the small village.

A. actions B. activities

C. active D. acts

62. They all take too much____ of his kindness and generosity.

A. profit B. advantage

C. benefit D. use

63. When they lived in the countryside, they had to ____ many of the things they needed.

A. send for B. send away for

C. send off D. send out

64. Not____, the process of choosing names varies widely from culture to culture.

A. obviously B. surprisingly

C. particularly D. normally

65. At the top of the hill we were able to see the full ____ of the city.

A. expand B. extent

C. expense D. extend

Part IV Cloze (10 points)

Directions: There are ten blanks in the following passage. Four each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D. You should choose the one that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

We each have a mental picture of ourselves, a self-image. To find life reasonably satisfying, that self-image must be one we can live with, one we can like. When we are ___66___ our self-image, we feel confident and free to be ourselves, we function at our best. When we are ashamed ___67___our self-image, we attempt to hide it ___68___ express it. We become hostile and hard to get along with.

A miracle happens to the person whose self-esteem has been ___69___. He suddenly likes other people better. He is kinder and more cooperative with ___70___around him. Praise is the polish that helps keep his___71___ bright and sparkling.

What has this to do with your giving praise? A lot. You have the ability to perform that kind of miracle in another person. When you___72___ to his self-esteem, you make him want to like you and to cooperate with you.

In a classic bit of advice, Lord Chesterfield suggested to his son that he ___73___, the example of the Duke de Nivernios: “You will perceive that ___74___ makes people pleased with him by making them first pleased ___75____themselves.”

66. A. ashamed of B. anxious of C. proud of D. fond of

67. A. of B. with C. for D. to

68. A. rather to B. rather than C. instead D. but not

69. A. earned B. made C. raised D. aroused

70. A. he B. those C. men D. women

71. A. self-realization B. self-appraisal

C. self-evaluation D. self-image

72. A. put B. take C. bring D add

73. A. take B. follow C. learn D. imitate

74. A. he B. they C. what D. that

75. A. with B. of C. to D. for