2023年四川大学考博真题.docx

四川大学2023年博士硕士入学考试英语试题
I. Reading Comprehension (30%; one mark each)
Directions: Read the following six passages. Answer the questions below each passage by Choosing [A], [B], [C], or [D]. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet.

Passage One
Speech is so familiar a feature of daily life that we rarely pause to define it. It seems as natural to man as walking, and only less so than breathing. Yet it needs but a moment's reflection to convince us that this naturalness of speech is but an illusory feeling. The process of acquiring speech is, in sober fact, an utterly different sort of thing from the process of learning to walk. In the case of the latter function, culture, in other words, the traditional body of social usage, is not seriously brought into play. The child is individually equipped, by the complex set of factors that we term biological heredity, to make all the needed muscular and nervous adjustments that result in walking. Indeed, the very conformation of these muscles and of the appropriate parts of the nervous system may be said to be primarily adapted to the movements made in walking and in similar activities. In a very real sense, the normal human being is predestined to walk, not because his elders will assist him to learn the art, but because his organism is prepared from birth to take on all those muscular adaptations that result in walking. To put it concisely, walking is an inherent, biological function of man.
Not so language. It is of course true that in a certain sense the individual is predestined to talk, but that is due entirely to the circumstance that he is born in the lap of a society that is certain to lead him to its traditions. Eliminate society and there is every reason to believe that he will learn to walk, if, indeed, he survives at all. But it is just as certain that he will never learn to talk, that is, to communicate ideas according to the traditional system of a particular society. Or, again, remove the new-born individual from the social environment into which he has come and transplant him to an utterly foreign one. He will develop the art of walking in his new environment very much as he would have developed it in the old. But his speech will be completely at variance with the speech of his native environment. Walking then is a general human activity that varies only within a restricted limit as we pass from individual to individual. Its variability is purposeless. Speech is a human activity that varies without assignable limit as we pass from social group to social group, the product of long-continued social usage. It varies as all creative effort varies ... not as consciously, perhaps, but none the less as truly as do the religions, the beliefs, the customs, and the arts of different peoples. Walking is an organic, an instinctive, function; speech is a non-instinctive, acquired, “cultural” function.
1. The first sentence of Paragraph Two, "Not so language", is the closest in meaning to（ ）
[A] This is not the case with language
[B] So is language and net anything else
[C] No such a thing exists in language
[D] Not so much with language
2. The real difference between the ability to walk and the ability to talk is that （ ）.
[A] the former is like breathing while the latter is not
[B] the former does not require social interaction while the latter does
[C] the former requires muscular movement while the latter does not
[D] the former is predestined while the latter is not
3. Which of the following is NOT an idea of the author? （ ）
[A] Language is biologically programmed but has to be acquired later on.
[B] Only when a child grows up in a community can he learn to talk.
[C] Language interaction is a way to impart culture.
[D] Formal education is necessary for the learning of language.
4. When the author says the variability of walking "is purposeless", he means that（ ）.
[A] any person who walks would not have a purpose
[BI in all cultures people walk aimlessly
[C] culture does affect the ways people walk
[D] purpose in walking varies with one's ability
5. The author wrote this passage in order to（ ）.
[A] argue for a point [B] provide information
[C] narrate a legend [D] debate with his rivals
Passage Two
The observer does not have to look far to discover that Western society is youth oriented and youth worshiping. The phenomenon shows itself in many ways. First, adults do all they can to be youthful and to remain young because old age is feared and youthfulness admired. Beauty and cosmetic industries have made billions of dollars by encouraging this emulation of agelessness.
Second, much of what parents do is for their young. Thousands of parents make daily sacrifices for their children. The numerous benefits heaped upon children are evident. Many mothers say: "I would give my life for my children." This feeling does not apply to all parents, but it applies to enough of them to be proof positive that today's adults care about their young people.
Third, most adults say that the majority of youth today are "pretty good kids." This point of view can be fairly well substantiated. Most studies that focus on normal adolescents agree that the majority are not problems, not in turmoil, not deeply disturbed, not at the mercy of their impulses, not resistant to parental values, not politically active, and not rebellious. In a recent Gallup poll, 97 percent of teens said they got along with their parents either very well or fairly well. Only 3 percent said they did not get along at all well. Sometimes, parents carry a positive view of their teenagers to an over-idealized extreme. They refuse to believe their children are ever at fault or ever capable of doing wrong, and they tend to attack any friend, teacher, or town official who tries to tell them otherwise. Despite this over-idealization most youths are not problems --- to themselves or to their communities. Misconceptions are foraged by focusing only on the drug-addicted, delinquent, and disturbed or on the social rebels who are in fact a minority.
Finally, although most youths today are not activist rebels like those of the late 1960s and early 1970s; youthful idealism is still much in evidence. Adolescents are much concerned about social issues such as juvenile crime, drug abuse, the energy crises, unemployment, women's liberation, materialism and indifference in society, pollution, and the environment. They also show genuine concern for the underdog, indicated by their frequent political alliance with blacks or the poor. They will give generously and work hard to help the starving overseas or will come to the defense of convicted criminals if they feel their cause is just. Clergy and other caring adults applaud youths who join the "love" generation to find more meaningful relationships than those between their parents at home or between business elements in a highly competitive society. These adults-emphasize that parents ought not to be critical of their young for hating corruption, injustice, or superficial values. Although they are a little awed by youths who will work for months to keep a wilderness area from being mined by developers, value-oriented adults tell parents to admire their Young and admit that their activities are more worthwhile than swallowing goldfish or seeing how many kids can crowd themselves into a telephone booth.
6. By "youth worshiping", the author expressed the idea that in Western society the adults
[A] worship the young people [B] are all religious believers
[C] desire to stay young [D] worship God like the youth
7. According to the passage, teenagers in Western society are.
[A] unmotivated students in schools
[B] sympathetic with the unfortunate
[C] highly competitive on the job market
[D] equipped with all kinds of values
8. All of the following can be inferred from the passage EXCEPT that .
[A] young people are more active than adults in protecting their environment
[B] a majority of families live in peace and harmony
[C] adults used to believe that adolescents are rebellious
[D] it is not right for adults to criticize the youths
9. Which of the following is the best paraphrase of the idea of the last sentence of the passage ?
[A] Youths may go too far in their social activities, but that's 'better than their doing mischievous things or wasting their time.
[B] Youths may oppose development, and that's worthwhile because goldfish and telephone booth are far less important.
[C] Youths are environment protectionists, but they may also cause damage to wildlife or to public properties.
[D] Youths stay too long in wilderness, since they love things in nature instead of goldfish or telephone booths in modem cities.
10. Most likely, the author of this passage is .
[A] a sociologist [B] a loving parent
[C] a political official [D] a clergyman

Passage Three
Crocodiles are incredibly strong, agile and aggressive. They are merciless killers and it's their nature to be brutal. They are estimated to kill up to 200 people per year in Africa and they can eat up to half their body weight in one meal. This is why in Burkina Faso, the lakeside Bazoule village is famous for its unique tradition.
For many generations the villagers have lived harmoniously with about 200 wild crocodiles. Crocodiles have remained the same for over 200 million years. They are feared and avoided by humans and animals alike. But the people of Bazoule revere the sacred crocodiles in the lake. This unique tradition started many generations ago at a time when the people of Bazoule were facing a great drought and there was no water. Women used to walk 40 kilometers searching for water. The crocodiles lived apart and hence there was no co-habitation between the crocodiles and the people of Bazoule.
Legend says that one day the women were passing close to the crocodiles and one woman attempted to collect water in the lake and the crocodile let her fetch water without attacking her. From then onwards all the women in Bazoule village could fetch water from the lake. The villagers named the ferocious animals the sacred crocodiles for they had saved them and they could not only fetch drinking water but also water their plants and they survived the famine.
"The crocodiles of Bazoule are sacred because they are the totems of the village. They're the ancestors of the village because they saved the villagers and that is why they' are called sacred," says Prosper Kabore, Head Crocodile guide.
Prosper was born into this tradition. His job is to safeguard the unique relationship between the people and the sacred crocodiles. Every child in Bazoule is taught to be kind and respectful. They are constantly reminded that the life they enjoy today is as a result 'of the kindness and compassion shown to their ancestors. Kindness and help provided to them by the most unlikely animals, the crocodile. At one point in time the crocodiles cried for one month. Everybody wondered what was wrong. When Prosper told the local chief who is entirely in charge of the conservation of the sacred crocodiles, he prohibited children from picking grass at the lake. Then one night a child went into the water and did not return. The crocodiles cried a lot. The day that followed people saw somebody drowned in the water. "We tried to retrieve the body but we couldn't. Then we saw the crocodile bringing the body. He pushed it out of the water and we took the body and buried," recalls Kabore.
Hence this unique co-existence is what draws people from all over and they are shocked to see this phenomenon that has been in this village for many generations. They get a chance to ride on the backs of the sacred crocodiles, feed them with chickens. The chickens fed to the crocodiles come from Bazoule village, any chicken outside the village is not fed to the crocodiles; This is meant to appease the ancestors.
The sacred crocodiles and Bazoule people have a great interdependency. The crocodiles allow the villagers to use the water and the villagers allow the crocodiles to feed on their plants and the cycle of life goes on harmoniously. The money attained from tourists goes directly to help the needy children in Bazoule. Hence not only does the community help in conserving the crocodiles and the old tradition but it also, uplifts the lives of its community members.
11. All of the following about crocodiles are true EXCEPT that they .
[A] move swiftly and flexibly [B] need a lot of food to eat
[C] have a mild temperament [D] live in waters
12. According to the passage, the Bazoule villagers respect the crocodiles as sacred beings because the crocodiles there .
[A] live far away from the village
[B] are respected as the emblem of the villagers
[C] eat chickens and plants only
[D] would feel sad when a human being dies
13. Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?
[A] The Bazoule villagers are active animal protectionists.
[B] Even crocodiles can be tamed just like dogs are domesticated.
[C] Ecological harmony may lead to the prosperity of tourism.
[D] Human beings have treated ferocious animals in a wrong way.
14. Which of the following is opposite in meaning to "uplift" in the last sentence of the passage?
[A] degrade [B]downplay [C] downpour [D]delimit
15. Which of the following may be the most appropriate title for this passage?
[A] Animal Protection and Development of Tourism
[B] An Unbelievable Tradition in an African Tribe
[C] Crocodiles and Villagers in Mutual Understanding
[D] Crocodile Conservation: a Human Endeavor

Passage Four

Excessive sun exposure is bad for our health. But sun deprivation is also harmful - contributing to ailments from depression to disturbed sleep, obesity and even cancer. People inhabiting the far northern hemisphere are particularly vulnerable, forced to endure long, dark winter nights and sometimes only seeing the sun for three quarters of an hour per day in December.
But relief could be on its way, with Swedish researchers exploring a range of projects that could bring light to the wider population. They are working on a device that could transform people's homes and lives by regulating the amount of light to which they are exposed. At Lund University, in southern Sweden, Prof Thorbjorn Laike shows off what he calls an "artificial sun", a collection of bright bluish lights that wouldn't look out of place in a giant's dentist surgery.
The "sun" has pride of place in the architecture department, reflecting Prof Laike's passion for light and the benefits it can bring. He is Spearheading the "Healthy Homes" project, which aims to ensure that people living in the dark upper reaches of the northern hemisphere receive the right amount of the "right sort" of light at the right time. They are developing a device called a Daysimeter, which monitors a pers