1、1989年考研英语真题Section IStructure and VocabularyIn each question, decide which of the four choices given will most suitably complete the sentence if inserted at the place marked. Put your choices in the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)EXAMPLE:I was caught _ the rain yesterday.A inB byC withD atANSWER: A1.Moder
2、n man faces dangers completely unknown _ his predecessors.A forB toC of（B）D by2.The chances of seeing a helicopter in my hometown are one _ a million.A forB toC in（C）D against3._ we have all the materials ready, we should begin the new task at once.A Since thatB Since nowC By now（D）D Now that4.We ho
3、pe the measures to control prices, _ taken by the government, will succeed.A whenB asC since（B）D after5.The historical events of that period are arranged _.A in alphabetical orderB in an alphabetical orderC in the alphabetical orders（A）D in alphabetical orders6.In some markets there may be only one
4、seller. _ is called a monopoly.A Situation as thisB Such kind of situationC Such a situation（C）D A situation of this7.He is _ to speak the truth.A too much of a cowardB too much a cowardC so much a coward（A）D so much of a coward8.He always gives _ to his wifes demands and does whatever she tells him
5、 to.A upB awayC in（C）D out9.Its _ in the regulations that you can take 20 kilos of luggage with you.A laid uponB laid outC laid up（D）D laid down10.Look at all the corruption thats going on. Its time the city was _.A cleaned outB cleaned downC cleaned away（D）D cleaned up11.Though he did not say so di
6、rectly, the inspector _ the man was guilty.A declaredB impliedC disclosed（B）D said12.The Prime Minister refused to _ on the rumour that he had planned to resign.A explainB commentC remark（B）D talk13.I asked the tailor to make a small _ to my trousers because they were too long.A changeB variationC r
7、evision（D）D alteration14.Magnificent views over the countryside have often _ people to write poems.A excitedB inspiredC induced（B）D attracted15.The food was divided _ according to the age and size of the children.A equallyB proportionatelyC sufficiently（B）D adequatelySection IIReading ComprehensionE
8、ach 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)Text 1A scientist once said: “I have concluded that the earth is b
9、eing visited by intelligently controlled vehicles from outer space.”If we take this as a reasonable explanation for UFOs (unidentified flying objects), questions immediately come up.“Why dont they get in touch with us, then? Why dont they land right on the White House lawn and declare themselves?” p
10、eople asked.In reply, scientists say that, while this may be what we want, it may not necessarily be what they want.“The most likely explanation, it seems to me,” said Dr. Mead, “is that they are simply watching what we are up to - that responsible society outside our solar system is keeping an eye
11、on us to see that we dont set in motion a chain reaction that might have unexpected effects for outside our solar system.”Opinions from other scientists might go like this: “Why should they want to get in touch with us? We may feel were more important than we really are! They may want to observe us
12、only and not interfere with the development of our civilization. They may not care if we see them but they also may not care to say hello.”Some scientists have also suggested that Earth is a kind of zoo or wildlife reserve. Just as we set aside wilderness areas and wildlife reserves to allow animals
13、 and growing things to develop naturally while we observe them, so perhaps Earth was set aside ages ago for the same purpose.Are we being observed by intelligent beings from other civilizations in the universe? Are they watching our progress in space travel? Do we live in a gigantic “zoo” observed b
14、y our “keepers,” but having no communication with them?Never before in our history have we had to confront ideas like these. The simple fact is that we, who have always regarded ourselves as supreme in the universe, may not be so. Now we have to recognize that, among the stars in the heavens, there
15、may very well be worlds inhabited by beings who are to us as we are to ants.16.People who ask the question “Why dont they get in touch with us. and declare themselves?” think that _.A there are no such things as UFOsB UFOs are visitors from solar systemC theres no reason for UFOs sooner or later（A）D
16、 we are bound to see UFOs sooner or later17.According to Dr. Mead, the attitude of beings from outer space toward us is one of _.A unfriendlinessB suspicionC superiority（B）D hostility18.The tone of the writer is that of _.A doubtB warningC indifference（D）D criticismText 2The use of the motor is beco
17、ming more and more widespread in the twentieth century; as an increasing number of countries develop both technically and economically, so a larger proportion of the worlds population is able to buy and use a car. Possessing a car gives a much greater degree of mobility, enabling the driver to move
18、around freely. The owner of a car is no longer forced to rely on public transport and is, therefore, not compelled to work locally. He can choose from different jobs and probably changes his work more frequently as he is not restricted to a choice within a small radius. Travelling to work by car is
19、also more comfortable than having to use public transport; the driver can adjust the heating in winter and the air conditioning in the summer to suit his own needs and preference. There is no irritation caused by waiting for trains, buses or underground trains, standing in long patient queues, or si
20、tting on windy platforms, for as long as half an hour sometimes. With the building of good, fast motorways long distances can be covered rapidly and pleasantly. For the first time in this century also, many people are now able to enjoy their leisure time to the full by making trips to the country or
21、 seaside at the weekends, instead of being confined to their immediate neighbourhood. This feeling of independence, and the freedom to go where you please, is perhaps the greatest advantage of the car.When considering the drawbacks, perhaps pollution is of prime importance. As more and more cars are
22、 produced and used, so the emission from their exhaust-pipes contains an ever larger volume of poisonous gas. Some of the contents of this gas, such as lead, not only pollute the atmosphere but cause actual harm to the health of people. Many of the minor illnesses of modern industrial society, heada
23、ches, tiredness, and stomach upsets are thought to arise from breathing polluted air; doctors surgeries are full of people suffering from illnesses caused by pollution. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to deal with the problem of traffic in towns; most of the important cities of the world
24、suffer from traffic congestion. In fact any advantage gained in comfort is often cancelled out in city driving by the frustration caused by traffic jams: endless queues of cars crawling one after another through all the main streets. As an increasing number of traffic regulation schemes are devised,
25、 the poor bewildered driver finds himself diverted and forced into one-way systems which cause even greater delays than the traffic jams they are supposed to prevent. The mounting cost of petrol and the increased license fees and road tax all add to the drivers worries. In fact, he must sometimes wo
26、nder if the motor car is such a blessing and not just a menace.19.More and more people can afford to buy and use cars because _.A an increasing number of cars are being producedB the cost of cars is getting cheaper with the development of technologyC lots of countries have become more developed（C）D
27、the use of cars has proved to be more economical20.The advantages of having a car are best experienced in the drivers _.A freedom in choosing his jobB comfort during the travelsC enjoyment of his leisure time（D）D feeling of self-reliance21.What is considered by the writer as the greatest menace to t
28、he people caused by the widespread use of motor cars?A air pollutionB traffic jamsC fatal diseases（A）D high costText 3Manners nowadays in metropolitan cities like London are practically non-existent. It is nothing for a big, strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last r
29、emaining seat on the tube or bus, much less stand up and offer his seat to her, as he ought. In fact, it is saddening to note that if a man does offer his seat to an older woman, it is nearly always a Continental man or one from the older generation.This question of giving up seats in public transpo
30、rt is much argued about by young men, who say that, since women have claimed equality, they no longer deserve to be treated with courtesy and that those who go out to work should take their turn in the rat race like anyone else. Women have never claimed to be physically as strong as men. Even if it
31、is not agreed, however, that young men should stand up for younger women, the fact remains that courtesy should be shown to the old, the sick and the burdened. Are we really so lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferently reading the paper or a book, saying to ourselves “F
32、irst come, first served,” while a grey-haired woman, a mother with a young child or a cripple stands? Yet this is all too often seen.Conditions in travel are really very hard on everyone, we know, but hardship is surely no excuse. Sometimes one wonders what would have been the behaviour of these sto
33、ut young men in a packed refugee train or a train on its way to a prison-camp during the War. Would they have considered it only right and their proper due to keep the best places for themselves then?Older people, tired and irritable from a days work, are not angels, either - far from it. Many a bri
34、sk argument or an insulting quarrel breaks out as the weary queues push and shove each other to get on buses and tubes. One cannot commend this, of course, but one does feel there is just a little more excuse.If cities are to remain pleasant places to live in at all, however, it seems imperative, no
35、t only that communications in transport should be improved, but also that communication between human beings should be kept smooth and polite. All over cities, it seems that people are too tired and too rushed to be polite. Shop assistants wont bother to assist, taxi drivers growl at each other as t
36、hey dash dangerously round corners, bus conductor pull the bell before their desperate passengers have had time to get on or off the bus, and so on and so on. It seems to us that it is up to the young and strong to do their small part to stop such deterioration.22.From what you have read, would you
37、expect manners to improve among people _?A who are physically weak or crippledB who once lived in a prison-camp during the WarC who live in big modern cities（C）D who live only in metropolitan cities23.What is the writers opinion concerning courteous manners towards women?A Now that women have claime
38、d equality, they no longer need to be treated differently from men.B It is generally considered old-fashioned for young men to give up their seats to young women.C “Lady First” should be universally practiced.（D）D Special consideration ought to be shown them.24.According to the author communication
39、between human beings would be smoother if _.A people were more considerate towards each otherB people were not so tired and irritableC women were treated with more courtesy（A）D public transport could be improved25.What is the possible meaning of the word “deterioration” in the last paragraph?A worse
40、ning of general situationB lowering of moral standardsC declining of physical constitution（B）D spreading of evil conductSection IIICloze TestFor 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. Rea
41、d the whole passage before making your choice. (10 points)One day drought may be a thing of the past at least in coastal cities. Vast areas of desert throughout the world may for the first time and provide millions of hectares of land where now nothing grows.By the end of this century this may not b
42、e mere . Scientists are already looking into the possibility of using some of the available ice in the Arctic and Antarctic. In these regions there are vast ice-caps formed by snow that has fallen over the past 50,000 years. Layer layer of deep snow means that, when melted, the snow water would be p
43、ure, not salty as sea-ice would be. There is so much pure water here that it would need only a fraction of it to turn much of the desert or poorly irrigated parts of the world into rich farmland. And what useful packages it would come in! It should be possible to cut off a bit of ice and transport i
44、t! Alternatively perhaps a passing iceberg could be . They are always breaking away from the main caps and floating around, pushed by currents, until they eventually melt and are wasted.Many icebergs are, of course, far too small to be towed distance, and would melt before they reached a country tha
45、t needed them anywhere. It would be necessary to locate one that was and that was big enough to provide a good supply of ice when it reached us. Engineers think that an iceberg up to seven miles long and one and a half miles wide could be transported if the tug pulling it was as big as a supertanker
46、! Even then they would cover only twenty miles every day. However, the iceberg was at its destination, more that 7,000 million cubic metres of water could be taken from it! That would probably be more than enough for any medium-sized city even in the hottest summer! But no doubt a use could be found
47、 for it. , scientist say, there would not be too much wastage in such a journey. The larger the iceberg, the slower it melts, even if it is towed through the tropics. This is because when the sun has a bigger area to warm , less heat actually gets into the iceberg. The vast frozen centre would be unaffected.26.A come to lifeB come into existenceC come into activity（A）D come round27.A speculationB imaginationC c
