1990年考研英语试题及答案

1990年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语试题

Section I Structure and Vocabulary

In each question, decide which of the four choices given will most suitably complete the sentence if inserted at the place marked. Put your choice in the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)

EXAMPLE:

I was caught ________ the rain yesterday.

[A] in

[B] by

[C] with

[D] at

ANSWER: [A]

1. Those two families have been quarrelling ________ each other for many

years.

[A] to

[B] between

[C] against

[D] with

2. There are many things whose misuse is dangerous, bur it is hard to

think of anything that canbe compared ________ tobacco products.

[A] in

[B] with

[C] among

[D] by

3. “How often have you seen cases like this?” one surgeon asked

another. “Oh, ________ times,I guess,” was the reply.

[A] hundred of

[B] hundreds

[C] hundreds of

[D] hundred

4. Give me your telephone number ________ I need your help.

[A] whether

[C] so that

[D] in case

5. You sang well last night. We hope you’ll sing ________.

[A] more better

[B] still better

[C] nicely

[D] best

6. Those people ________ a general understanding of the present

situation.

[A] lack of

[B] are lacking of

[C] lack

[D] are in lack

7. Alone in a deserted house, he was so busy with his research work that

he felt ________ lonely.

[A] nothing but

[B] anything but

[C] all but

[D] everything but

8. Grace ________ tears when she heard the sad news.

[A] broke in

[B] broke into

[C] broke off

[D] broke through

9. She refused to ________ the car keys to her husband until he had

promised to wear his safetybelt.

[A] hand in

[B] hand out

[C] hand down

[D] hand over

10. Michael found it difficult to get his British jokes ________ to

American audiences.

[B] over

[C] across

[D] down

11. The book contained a large ________ of information.

[A] deal

[B] amount

[C] number

[D] sum

12. Nowadays advertising costs are no longer in reasonable ________ to

the total cost of the product.

[A] proportion

[B] correlation

[C] connection

[D] correspondence

13. When she saw the clouds she went back to the house to ________ her

umbrella.

[A] carry

[B] fetch

[C] bring

[D] reach

14. We must ________ that the experiment is controlled as rigidly as

possible.

[A] assure

[B] secure

[C] ensure

[D] issue

15. He was knocked down by a car and badly ________.

[A] injured

[B] damaged

[C] harmed

[D] ruined

Section II Reading Comprehension

Each of the three passages below is followed by some questions. For each question there are four answers. Read the passages carefully and choose the best answer to each of the questions. Put your choice in the ANSWER SHEET. (20 points)

Text1

In May 1989, space shuttle “Atlantis” released in outer space the space probe “Megallan,” which is now on her 15-month and one-billion-kilometer flight to Venus. A new phase in spaceexploration has begun.

The planet Venus is only slightly smaller than Earth; it is the only other object in the solarsystem, in fact, that even comes close to earth’s size. Venus has a similar density, so it is probably made of approximately the same stuff, and it has an atmosphere, complete with clouds. It isalso the closest planet to earth, and thus the most similar in distance from the sun. In short,Venus seems to justify its long-held nickname of “earth’s twin.”

The surface temperature of Venus reaches some 900F. Added to that is an atmospheric pressure about 90 times Earth’s: High overhead in the carbon dioxide (CO2) that passes for air is alayer of clouds, perhaps

10 to 20 miles thick, whose little drops consist mostly of sulfuric acid(H2SO4). Water is all but nonexistent.

Born with so many fundamental similarities to earth, how did Venus get to be so radicallydifferent: It is not just an academic matter. For all its extremes, Venus is a valuable laboratory forresearchers studying the weather and climate of earth. It has no earth’s oceans, so the heat transport and other mechanisms are greatly simplified. In addition, the planet Venus takes 243 earth-days to turn once on its axis, so incoming heat from the sun is added and distributed at a moreleisurely, observable pace.

16. Venus is similar to Earth in ________.

[A] size and density

[B] distance from the sun

[C] having atmosphere

[D] all of the above

17. The greatest value in studying Venus should be to ________.

[A] allow us to visit there

[B] understand Earth better

[C] find a new source of energy

[D] promote a new space program

18. The main idea of this passage is about ________.

[A] problems of space travel

[B] scientific methods in space exploration

[C] the importance of Venus to Earth

[D] conditions on Venus

Text2

Tourists were surprised to see a woman driving a huge orange tractor down one of Rome’smain avenues. Italy’s political leaders and some of its male union chiefs are said to have been evenmore puzzled to see that the tractor was followed by about 200,000 women in a parading procession that took more than three hours to snake through central Rome.

Shouting slogans, waving flags and dancing to drumbeats, the women had come to the capital from all over Italy to demonstrate for “a job for each of us, a different type of job, and a society without violence.” So far, action to improve women’s opportunities in employment has beenthe province of collective industrial bargaining. “But there is a growing awareness that this is notenough,” says a researcher on female labor at the government-funded Institute for the Development of Professional Training for Workers.

Women, who constitute 52 per cent of Italy’s population, today represent only 35 per centof Italy’s total workforce and 33 per cent of the total number of Italians with jobs. However, their presence in the workplace is growing. The employment of women is expanding considerablyin services, next to the public administration and commerce as their principal workplace. Officialstatistics also show that women have also made significant strides in self-employment. More andmore women are going into business for themselves. Many young women are turning to businessbecause of the growing overall in employment. It is also a fact that today many prejudices havedisappeared, so that banks and other financial institutes make judgments on purely business considerations without caring if it is a man or a woman.

Such changes are occurring in the professions too. The number of women doctors, dentists, lawyers, engineers and university professors increased two to three fold. Some of the changes areimmediately visible. For example, women have appeared on the scene for the first time as statepolice, railway workers and street cleaners.

However, the present situation is far from satisfactory though some progress has been made. A breakthrough in equal opportunities for women is now demanded.

19. The expression “snake through central Rome” probably means “to

move ________

[A] quietly through central Rome.”

[B] violently through central Rome.”

[C] in a long winding line through central Rome.”

[D] at a leisurely pace through central Rome.”

20. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

[A] There are more women than men in Italy.

[B] In Italy, women are chiefly employed in services.

[C] In Italy, women are still at a disadvantage in employment.

[D] In Italy, about two-thirds of the jobs are held by men.

21. About 200,000 women in Rome demonstrated for ________.

[A] more job opportunities

[B] a greater variety of jobs

[C] “equal job, equal pay”

[D] both A and B

22. The best title for this passage would be ________.

[A] The Role of Women is Society

[B] Women Demonstrate for Equality in Employment

[C] Women as Self-employed Professionals

[D] Women and the Jobs Market

Text3

The old idea that talented children “burn themselves out” in the early years, and, therefore, aresubjected to failure and at worst, mental illness is unfounded. As a matter of fact, the outstanding thing that happens to bright kids is that they are very likely to grow into bright adults.

To find this out, l, 500 gifted persons were followed up to their thirty-fifth year with theseresults:

On adult intelligence tests, they scored as high as they had as children. They were, as agroup, in good health, physically and mentally. 84 per cent of their group were married andseemed content with their lives.

About 70 per cent had graduated from college, though only 30 per cent had graduated withhonors. A few had even dropped out, but nearly half

of these had returned to graduate. Of the men, 80 per cent were in one of the professions or in business management orsemiprofessional jobs. The women who had remained single had office, business, or professionaloccupations.

The group had published 90 books and 1,500 articles in scientific, scholarly, and literarymagazines and had collected more than 100 patents.

In a material way they did not do badly either. Average income was considerably higher among the gifted people, especially the men, than for the country as a whole, despite their comparative youth.

In fact, far from being strange, most of the gifted were turning their early promise into practical reality.

23. The old idea that talented children “burn themselves out” in the

early years is ________.

[A] true in all senses

[B] refuted by the author

[C] medically proven

[D] a belief of the author

24. The survey of bright children was made to ________.

[A] find out what had happened to talented children when they became

adults

[B] prove that talented children “burn themselves out” in the early

years

[C] discover the percentage of those mentally ill among the gifted

[D] prove that talented children never burn themselves out

25. Intelligence tests showed that ________.

[A] bright children were unlikely to be mentally healthy

[B] between childhood and adulthood there was a considerable loss

of intelligence

[C] talented children were most likely to become gifted adults

[D] when talented children grew into adults, they made low scores

Section III Cloze Test

For each numbered blank in the following passage there are four choices labeled [A], [B], [C], and [D].Choose the best one and put your choice in the ANSWER SHEET. Read the wholepassage before making your choice. (10 points)

No one knows for sure what the world would be like in the year 2001. Many books havebeen written 26 the future. But the 19th-century French novelist Jules Verne may be called afuturologist in the fullest 27 of the word. In his fantastic novels “A Trip to the Moon” and“80 Days Around the World,” he described with detail the aeroplane and even the helicopter.These novels still have a great attraction 28 young readers of today because of their boldimagination and scientific accuracy.

Below is a description of what our life will be in the year 2001 as predicted by a 29 writer.

In 2001, in the home, cookers will be set so that you can cook a complete meal at the touchof a switch.

Television will provide information on prices at the 30 shops as well as news and entertainment. Videophones will bring pictures as well as 31 to telephone conversations.

Machines will control temperature, lighting, entertainment, security alarms, laundry andgardening.

Lighting will provide decoration as well as wallpaper.

At work, robots will take 32 most jobs in the manufacturing industries. Working hourswill fall to under 30 hours a week. Holidays will get longer; six weeks will be the normal annualholiday. Men and women will retire at the same age.

Our leisure will be different too. The home will become the center of entertainment throughtelevision and electronic games. More people will eat out in restaurants 33 they do today; also they will have a much wider variety of food available. There will be a change of taste towardsa more savoury-flavored menu. New synthetic foods will form a 34 part of people’s diets.

Foreign travel will 35;winter holidays will become more popular than summer ones.

Also non-stop flights from Britain to Australia and New Zealand will be easily available and muchcheaper. Education will become increasingly

more important than ever before.

26. [A] in

[B] of

[C] about

[D] for

27. [A] sense

[B] meaning

[C] detail

[D] implication

28. [A] for

[B] of

[C] on

[D] towards

29. [A] today

[B] nowadays

[C] present-day

[D] present

30. [A] near

[B] nearby

[C] nearly

[D] nearer

31. [A] noise

[B] sound

[C] tone

[D] tune

32. [A] to

[B] away

[C] off

[D] over

33. [A] than

[B] as

[C] when

[D] while

34. [A] usual

[B] popular

[C] daily

[D] regular

35. [A] add

[B] increase

[C] raise

[D] arise

Section IV Error-detection and Correction

Each of the following sentences has four underlined parts. These parts are labeled [A], [B], [C], and [D]. Identify the part of sentence that is incorrect and put your choice in the ANSWERSHEET. Then, without altering the meaning of the sentence, write down your correction on the line in the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)

EXAMPLE:

You have to hurry up if you want to buy something becausethere’s

AB

hardly somethingleft.

CD

ANSWER: [C] anything 36. Alice was havingtrouble to controlthe children because there were

ABCso manyof them. D

37. We were very much surprisedthat thevillage was suchlong way from

ABCD

the road.

38. John’s chance of being electedchairmanof the committee is far

ABCgreater than Dick.

D

39. “We have wonagreat victory onour enemy,” the captain said.

ABCD

40. There are many valuable serviceswhich the public are willing A

to pay for, but which does not bringa return in moneyto the

BCD

community. 41. The law I am referringrequires that everyonewho ownsa car have

ABCD

accident insurance.

42. “I considered ita honorto be invited to addressthe meeting of ABC

world-famous scientists,” said Professor Leacock.

D

43. He was seeingsomebody creepinginto the house throughthe open

ABCD

window last night.

44. The reason forall thechanges being madehas not explainedto us

ABCD

yet. 45. Even thoughthe children pretended asleep, the nurses were not

AB

deceivedwhenthey came into the room.

CD

Section V Verb Forms

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the verbs given in the brackets. Put youranswers in the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)

EXAMPLE:

It is highly desirable that a new president ________(appoint) for this college. ANSWER: (should) be appointed

46. Buying clothes ________ (be) very time-consuming as you rarely find

things that fit you nicely.

47. They keep telling us it is of utmost importance that our

representative ________ (send) to theconference on schedule.

48. I must call your attention to the directions. Read them carefully

and act as ________ (instruct).

49. Emma said in her letter that she would appreciate ________ (hear)

from you soon.

50. I ________ (call) to make an airline reservation, but I didn’t.

51. If Greg had tried harder to reach the opposite shore, we ________

(not have) to pick him upin the boat.

52. After twenty years abroad, William came back only ________ (find)

his hometown severelydamaged in an earthquake.

53. The lecture ________ (begin), he left his seat so quietly that no

one complained that his leaving disturbed the speaker.

54.The children were surprised when the teacher had them ________ (close)

their books unexpectedly.

55. A new road will be built here, and therefore a number of existing

houses ________ (have todestroy).

Section VI Chinese-English Translation

Translate the following sentences into English (15 points)

56. 你应该仔细核对全部资料，以避免严重错误。

57. 尽管这个实验复杂，他们决心按时把它完成。

58. 一切迹象表明这个人对这里发生的情况毫无所知。

59. 只有那些不怕困难的人，才有可能在工作中取得卓越的成果。

60. 这篇作品与其说是短篇小说，不如说更像是新闻报导。

Section VII English-Chinese Translation

Read the following passage carefully and then translate the sentences underlined into Chinese. (20 points)

People have wondered for a long time how their personalities and behaviors are formed. It isnot easy to explain why one person is

intelligent and another is not, or why one is cooperative andanother is competitive.

Social scientists are, of course, extremely interested in these types of questions. (61) Theywant to explain why we possess certain characteristics and exhibit certain behaviors. There are noclear answers yet, but two distinct schools of thought on the matter have developed. As onemight expect, the two approaches are very different from each other. The controversy is oftenconveniently referred to as “nature vs. nurture.”

(62) Those who support the “nature” side of the conflict believe that our personalities andbehavior patterns are largely determined by biological factors. (63) That our environment has little, if anything, to do with our abilities, characteristics and behavior is central to this theory.

Taken to an extreme, this theory maintains that our behavior is pre-determined to such a greatdegree that we are almost completely governed by our instincts.

Those who support the “nurture” theory, that is, they advocate education, are often calledbehaviorists. They claim that our environment is more important than our biologically based instincts in determining how we will act. A behaviorist, B. F. Skinner, sees humans as beingswhose behavior is almost completely shaped by their surroundings. (64) The behaviorists maintain that, like machines, humans respond to environmental stimuli as the basis of their behavior.

Let us examine the different explanations about one human characteristic, intelligence, offered by the two theories. (65) Supporters of the “nature” theory insist that we are born with acertain capacity for learning that is biologically determined. Needless to say: They don’t believethat factors in the environment have much influence on what is basically a predetermined characteristic. On the other hand, behaviorists argue that our intelligence levels are the product of ourexperiences. (66) Behaviorists suggest that the child who is raised in an environment where thereare many stimuli which develop his or her capacity for appropriate responses will experiencegreater intellectual development.

The social and political implications of these two theories are profound. (67) In the UnitedStates, blacks often score below whites on standardized intelligence tests. This leads some “nature” proponents to conclude that blacks are biologically inferior to whites. (68) Behaviorists, incontrast, say that differences in scores are due to the fact that blacks are often deprived of many ofthe educational and other environmental advantages that whites enjoy.

Most people think neither of these theories can yet fully explain human behavior.

1990年考研英语真题答案

Section I: Structure and Vocabulary (15 points)

Section II: Reading Comprehension (20 points)

Section III: Cloze Test (10 points)

Section IV: Error-detection and Correction (10 points)

Section V: Verb Forms (10 points)

Section VI: Chinese-English Translation (15 points)

56. You should check all the data carefully so as to avoid serious

mistakes.

57. Although the experiment is complicated, they are determined to finish

it on time.

58. All signs showed that the man knew nothing of what had happened here.

59. Only those who are not afraid of any difficulties have the chance of

achieving outstanding results in their work.

60. This piece of writing is more like a news report than a short story.

Section VII: English-Chinese Translation (20 points)

61. 他们想要说明，为什么我们具有某些性格特征和表现出某些行为。

62. 在这场争论中，赞成“天性”一方的那些人认为，我们的性格特征和行为模

式大多是由生物因素所决定的。

63. 这种理论的核心是，我们的环境同我们的才能、性格特征和行为即使有什么

关系的话，也是微不足道的。

64. 行为主义者坚信，人象机器一样，对环境的刺激作出反应，这是他们行为的

基础。

65. 支持“天性”论的人坚持说，我们生来就具有一定的学习才能，这是由生物

因素决定的。

66. 行为主义者的看法是，如果一个儿童在有许多刺激物的环境里成长，而这些

刺激物能够发展其作出适当反应的能力，那么，这个儿童将会有更高的智力发展。

67. 在美国，黑人在标准化智力测试中的成绩常常低于白人。

68. 相反，行为主义者认为，成绩的差异是由于黑人往往被剥夺了白人在教育及

其它环境方面所享有的许多有利条件。