陕西英语本科自考大综合真题.doc

Comprehensive Test for English Majors

PartⅠ: Structure and Error Identification
Structure
Directions: questions 1-10 are incomplete sentences. Beneath each sentence there are four words or phrases marked A,B,C andD. Chose the one that best completes the sentence and tick theanswer. (10%)

1. Geothermal energy is a potentially inexhaustible energy source ______been tapped by humans for centuries but,until recent years,only on a small scale.
(A) has it
(B) has
(C) that has
(D) that it has

2. _______ the evidence is inconclusive, it is thought that at least some seals have an echolocation system akin to that of bats, porpoises, and shrews.
(A) Rather
(B) Despite
(C) Although
(D) Why

3. Like bacteria, protozoans _______by splitting in two.
(A) reproducing
(B) reproduce
(C) to reproduce
(D) reproduction

4. ______main processes involved in virtually all manufacturing: extraction,assembly,and alteration.
(A) There are three
(B) Three
(C) The three
(D) Three of the

5. The province of Alberta lies along three of the major North American flyways Used by birds _______between their winter and summer homes.
(A) the migration
(B) migrating
(C) migrate
(D) and migrate

6. Astronomers estimate ______called the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus is 415 light-years away from Earth.
(A) that a loose cluster of stars
(B) a loose cluster of stars is
(C) that is a loose cluster of stars
(D) there is a loose cluster of stars

7. Pearl Sydenstricker Buck, _____ the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938, is Best known for her novels about China.
(A) won
(B) winner of
(C) to win
(D) who the winner of

8. Forests stabilize _____and retain precipitation,
thereby helping to prevent erosion and regulate the flow of streams.
(A) to the soil
(B) the soil
(C) where the soil
(D) the soil is
9.The Democratic Party began to assume its modern form during the intense political conflict __ US citizens after the war of1892.
A.divided
B.that divided
C.that divided it
D.that it divided
10. ____ basically hunting animals and as such are physiologically adapted to going for long periods without food or water.
A.Dogs being
B.Dogs
C.There are dogs
D.Dogs are

Error Identification
Directions: in questions 11-25 each sentence has four circled words or phrases. Identify the mistake by ticking the corresponding letter.(15%)
　　11. Lake Michigan is the third (A.large) of the American Great Lakes and (B.the only) one (C.lying) wholly (D.within) the United States.
　　12. (A.Many) films (B.produced) in the United States (C.during) the 1930's were set in the American Civil War period and the years following (D.them.)
　　13. Children (Awho) form a positive self-concept are more assertive, optimistic, (B.confidence), and sociable (C.than those) who (D.do not).
　　14. From the outset, (A.the) formulation and teaching of technique figured (B.prominently) in the (C.development) of American modern (D.dancer).
　　15. Oil shales, (A. which may) furnish a (B. significantly) fraction of the world's future energy, vary in richness, (C. yielding) from four to fifty percent oil (D. by weight).
　　16. Niagara Falls (A. is) not (B. only one) of (C. North America's greatest) tourist attractions but (D. also source) of hydroelectricity.
　　17. (A. Although) the beaver is a (B. powerful) swimmer, it has difficulty (C. moves) the logs and braches it (D. needs for) building and for food.
　　18. (A. In) warm-blooded animals, body temperature (B.are) maintained within narrow (C. limits) regardless of the temperature of the animals' (D. surroundings).
　　19. Bret Harte, (A. which) best-known works describe life in California in the mid-1800's, (B. helped shape) the (C. literary) movement (D. called) local-color writing.
　　20. (A. With the) Democrats' adoption of (B. economic) radicalism in the 1890's, (C. and the) Republicans emerged as the (D. majority party) in the United States.
　　21. (A. The more) kinetic (B. energy in) the particles of (C. a material), the (D. hottest) the material is.
　　22.Weather forecasting was of vital (A. important) in the seafaring (B. and agricultural) lives (C. led by) the seventeenth-century European colonists (D. in what) is now the United States.
　　23. Peter Cooper launched a number of (A. successful) commercial (B. enterprise), including the Canton Iron Works in Baltimore, (C. which produced) the first (D. commercially operated) North American steam locomotive.
　　24.Fainting (A. is caused) by stoppage of the blood supply to brain, due to (B. temporary) heart (C. fail) from shock, (D. weakness), or exhaustion.
　　25.(A.The wolf) was once the (B. most widely) distributed (C. kind of) mammal (D. on) the world.

PartⅡ: Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension
Vocabulary
Directions there are 10 sentences in this section. Each sentence has one underlined word followed by four answers. Find the word that has the closest meaning to the underlined word and tick the answer. (10%)
26. when he was very young, he was afflicted with paralysis.
A.inflicted B. Striken C.reflected D. Influenced
27. God is said to be omnipotent.
A. ever-lasting B. Extraordinary C. All-powerful D. Important
28. parents who lack the finance to send their children toprivate school have to tolerate the state system.
A. put up with B. Stand with C. Stand up to D. Put themselves to
29. the university hospital is next to our dormitory building.
A. private B. Adjacent C. Bordering D. Neighboring
30. Although technically we speak the same language, many British people feel the United States to be an alien culture.
A. an outlandish B. A foreign C. A refined D. A barbarian
31. The center of the attraction was the barbecue, around which they all crowded excitedly, lured by the delicious smell of frying sausages.
A. compelled B. Attracted C. Seduced D. Trapped
32. The good about Tony is that you know where you are with him; he always calls a spade a spade.
A. speaks ironically B. Talks appropriately C. Speaks frankly D. Talks seriously
33. Myths have inspired many of the world’s greatest poets,artists, musicians, and scientists.
A. comforted B. Overwhelmed C. Contradicted the ideas ofD. Fired the imagination of
34. In Silent Spring, Rachel Carson forcelly decried the indiscriminate use of pesticides.
A. haphazard B. Unpleasant C. Regional D. Periodic
35. Classicism is a form of art derived from Greek and Roman styles and is characterized by harmony, symmetry, and serenity.
A. symbolism B. Ornamentation C. Balance D. individualism

PartⅢ:Reading comprehension
In this section you will read two passages. Each one is followed by five questions. For each question, choose the one that best suits the corresponding question by ticking it. (10%)
Question 36-40
　　The agricultural revolution in the nineteenth century involved two things: the invention of labor-saving machinery and the development of scientific agriculture. Labor-saving machinery naturally appeared first where labor was scarce. "In Europe, said Thomas Jefferson, "the object is to make the most of their land, labor being abundant: here it is to make the most of our labor, land being abundant. It was in the United States, therefore, that the great advances in nineteenth-century agricultural machinery first came.
　　At the opening of the century, with the exception of a crude plow, farmers could have carried practically all of the existing agricultural implements on their backs; by 1860, most of the machinery in use today had been designed in an early form. The most important of the early inventions was the iron plow. As early as 1790 Charles Newbold of New Jersey had been working on the idea of a cast-iron plow and spent his entire fortune in introducing his invention. The farmers, however, were not interested in it, claiming that the iron poisoned the soil and made the weeds grow. Nevertheless, many people devoted their attention to the plow, until in 1869 James Oliver of South Bend, Indiana, turned out the first chilled-steel plow.
　　36What is the main topic of the passage?
　　(A) The need for agricultural advances to help feed a growing population
　　(B) The development of safer machines demanded by the labor movement
　　(C) Machinery that contributed to the agricultural revolution
　　(D) New Jersey as a leader in the agricultural revolution
　　37.The underlined word "naturally" is closest in meaning to
　　(A) unsurprisingly
　　(B) gradually
　　(C) apparently
　　(D) safely
　　38. The underlined expression "make the most of" is closest in meaning to
　　(A) get the best yield from
　　(B) raise the price of
　　(C) exaggerate the worth of
　　(D) earn a living on
　　39. Which of the following can be inferred from what Thomas Jefferson said (first paragraph)?
　　(A) Europe was changing more quickly than the United States.
　　(B) Europe had greater need of farm machinery than the United States did.
　　(C) The United States was finally running out of good farmland.
　　(D) There was a shortage of workers on United States farms.
　　40.The underlined word "here" refers to
　　(A) Europe
　　(B) United States
　　(C) New Jersey
　　(D) Indiana

Question 41-45
　　In the 1600s when the Spanish moved into what later was to become the southwestern United States， they encountered the ancestors of the modern-day Pueblo， Hopi， and Zuni peoples. These ancestors， known variously as the Basket Makers， the Anasazi， or the Ancient Ones， had lived in the area for at least 2，000 years. They were an advanced agricultural people who used irrigation to help grow their crops.
　　The Anasazi lived in houses constructed of adobe and wood. Anasazi houses were originally built in pits and were entered from the roof. But around the year 700 A.D.， the Anasazi began to build their homes above ground and join them together into rambling multistoried complexes， which the Spanish called pueblos or villages. Separate subterranean rooms in these pueblos——known as kivas or chapels——were set aside for religious ceremonials. Each kiva had a fire pit and a hole that was believed to lead to the underworld. The largest pueblos had five stories and more than 800 rooms.
　　The Anasazi family was matrilineal， that is， descent was traced through the female. The sacred objects of the family were under the control of the oldest female， but the actual ceremonies were conducted by her brother or son. Women owned the rooms in the pueblo and the crops， once they were harvested. While still growing， crops belonged to the man who，in contrast to most other Native American groups， planted them. The women made baskets and pottery， the men wove textile and crafted turquoise jewelry.
　　Each village had two chiefs. The village chief dealt with land disputes and religious affairs. The war chief led the men in fighting during occasional conflicts that broke out with neighboring villages and directed the men in community building projects. The cohesive political and social organization of the Anasazi made it almost impossible for other groups to conquer them.
　　41. The Anasazi people were considered "agriculturally advanced" because of the way they
　　（A） stored their crops
　　（B） fertilized their fields.
　　（C） watered their crops.
　　（D） planted their fields.
　　42.The underlined word "pits" is closest in meaning to
　　（A） stages
　　（B） scars
　　（C） seeds
　　（D） holes.
　　43.The underlined word "stories" is closest in meaning to
　　（A） articles
　　（B） tales
　　（C） levels
　　（D） rumors
　　44.Who would have been most likely to control the sacred objects of an Anasazi family？
　　（A） A twenty-year-old man
　　（B） A twenty-year-old woman
　　（C） A forty-year-old man
　　（D） A forty-year-old woman
　　45.The underlined word "they" refers to
　　（A） women
　　（B） crops
　　（C） rooms
　　（D） pueblos

PartⅣ : Translation
Section A
Directions: translate the following excerpt into Chinese (25%)
America this evening is a nation called to great responsibilities. And we are rising to meet them.
As we gather tonight, hundreds of thousands of American servicemen and women are deployed across the world in the war on terror. By bringing hope to the oppressed, and delivering justice to the violent, they are making America more secure.
Each day, law enforcement personnel and intelligence officers are tracking terrorist threats; analysts are examining airline passenger lists; the men and women of our new Homeland Security Department are patrolling our coasts and borders. And their vigilance is protecting America.

PartⅤ: Writing
Directions: write an argumentative essay of about 150 words to show your view on the following topic. Some people think that using animals for experimentation purpose is cruel, but other people think that it is necessary for the development of science. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. (30%)