自考专业英语（英语阅读一）模拟试卷二

Be very wary of opinions that flatter your self-esteem. (63)Both men and women, nine times out of ten, are firmly convinced of the superior excellence of their own sex.There is abundant evidence on both sides. If you are a man, you can point out that most poets and men of science are male; if you are a woman, you can retort that so are most criminals. (64)The question is inherently insoluble, but self-esteem conceals this from most people.We are all, whatever part of the world we come from, persuaded that our own nation is superior to all others. (65)Seeing that each nation has its characteristic merits and demerits, we adjust our standard of values so as to make out that the merits possessed by our nation are the really important ones, while its demerits are comparatively trivial.(66)Here, again, the rational man will admit that the question is one to which there is no demonstrably right answer.It is more difficult to deal with the self-esteem of man as man, because we cannot argue out the matter with some nonhuman minD。 (67)The only way I know of dealing with this general human conceit is to remind ourselves that man is brief episode in the life of a small planet in a little corner of the universe, and that for aught we know, other parts of the cosmos may contain beings as superior to ourselves as we are to jellyfish

According to the passage, labor-market analysts mention a need for talents that liberal-arts majors are assumed to have, what does it include?

Passage 4

 If you know exactly what you want, the best route to a job is to get specialized training. A recent survey shows that companies like the graduates in such fields as business and health care who can go to work immediately with very little on-the-job training.

 That's especially true of booming fields that are challenging for workers. At Cornell's School of an of Hotel Administration, for example, bachelor's degree graduates get an average of four or five job offers with salaries ranging from the high teens to the low 20s and plenty of chances for rapid advancement. Large companies, especially like a background of formal education coupled with work experience.

 But in the long run, too much specialization doesn't pay off. Business, which has been flooded with MBAs, no longer considers the degree an automatic stamp of approval. The MBA may open doors and command a higher salary initially, but the impact of a degree washes out after five years.

 As further evidence of the erosion of corporate faith in specialized degrees, Michigan State's Scheetz cites a pattern in corporate hiring practices. Although companies tend to take on specialists as new hires, they often seek out generalists for middle and upper-level management. "They want who isn't constrained by nuts and bolts to look at the big picture, "says Scheetz. like a formal statement that you approve of the liberal-arts graduate. Time and again labor-market analysts mention a need for talents that liberal-arts majors are assumed to have: writing and communication skills, organizational skills, open-mindedness and adaptability, solve problems. David Birch claims he does not hire anybody with an g degree. "I hire only liberal-arts people because they have a less-than- says Birch. Liberal-arts means an academically thorough and strictes literature, history, mathematics, economics science, human behavior-plus two. With that under your belt, you can feel free to specialize. "A liberal-arts degree coupled with an MBA or some other technical training is a very good combination in the market place,“says Scheetz.

According to the passage, what does "liberal-arts" mean?

Through know educate  take hold with  of proportionate

scholar claim international spoken require

 For about a thousand years-from about the fifth century(51)( ) the fifteenth Latin was the second language of educated people all over Europe and all (52)( ) works were written in Latin. For, before the invention of the printing press, reading and writing were skills (53)( )

 only to scholars. Most of the scholars were priests and clergymen, and Latin was the language of the church. Latin was a subject(54)( ) in schools and in colleges, and all(55)( ) people had some familiarity(56)( ) it.

 The number of people who study Latin has not grown smaller, but(57)( ) it has become very much smaller. As ordinary people all over the world began to be able to read and write their own languages, and as scientific work of the sixteenth and later centuries came more and more to be written in living languages, a knowledge of Latin was not so essential. Thus, although Latin might once have been(58)( ) as the most suitable of possible international languages(at least for Europeans), this time has definitely passed.

 The earliest attempts to invent a simplified language for(59)( ) use came in the seventeenth century, but it was not until the late nineteenth century that any sizable group of people did actually attempt to speak and write an artificial language. Esperanto, which was published in 1887, was the first language really to (60)( ) At one time or another, as many as eight million people have learned Esperanto. It has been taught in great many schools and colleges in Europe, and the study of Esperanto was even made compulsory in some high schools in Germany.

(advantage) She argued that social( ) such as lacking a good living condition or a good standard of education, are major causes of crime.

(memory) An actor must be able to( ) his lines.

(essence) She has added a few characters and changed some names but this is a true story.

(able) This bird's large wings( ) it to fly very fast.

(accurate) Computers are used to perform. a wide variety of activities with reliability,( ) , and speed.

(create) She's very( ) ; she writes and paints.

(valid) A passport that is out of date is( )

(accomplish) Dancing and singing were among her many( )

(move) You cannot have party in the classroom, because the desks and chairs are( )

(succeed) Her rapid rise to the top has been one of the film industry's most remarkable( )stories.

 On the fourth day of his sojourn, the Time Traveler understands why the Eloi are terrified after nightfall. (31)( ) Following them, he discovers that they belong to a loathsome, ape-like creature that lopes along before him, eventually disappearing down a ladder into a shaft. The Time Traveler cannot believe that this creature is as human as the Eloi until he realizes that the Morlocks, as they are called, are also descended from the human beings of his time. The world has been divided between the fragile, helpless Eloi, who inhabit the surface of the earth, and the fierce, obscene Morlocks, who clamber about in the darkness of their underground tunnels, like human spiders, emerging only at night. (32)( )

The Morlocks, descended from the working class, do all the physical labor, but their brutality and savagery keep the Eloi in mortal terror of the day these servants will revolt.

 Certain now that the Morlocks, and not the Eloi, are responsible for hiding his machine, the Time Traveler determines to follow them into their subterranean caverns, despite Weena's warnings. (33)( ) He is attacked by them, but by lighting matches before their eyes, he manages to escape above grounD。 (34)( )

 (35)( ) As the Time Traveler is running out of matches, he goes exploring the next day with Weena to find some other sources of light. He discovers an ancient palace of green porcelain, apparently a science and natural history museum long forgotten by the Eloi. (36)( )

 Weena is exhausted after the long trek to the museum, so the Time Traveler decides to camp out with her that night, building a fire to keep the beasts away. (37)( ) During the night he awakens to discover that his new fire has gone out, his matches are missing, and Weena is no longer there. (38)( ) He finds that his first fire has spread through the forest, killing thirty or forty Morlocks.

 Sleeping by night, he makes his way back to the sphinx, which he is determined to open with a crowbar from the science museum. (39)( ) Inside he discovers his machine. (40)( ) _ Just as the Morlocks are about to carry him off to suffer Weena's fate, the machine hurtles him out of their grasp and far into the future.

A. The Eloi, obviously the masters, are descended from the nineteenth-century ruling class in England

B. Later the horrible realization comes to him that the Morlocks live on Eloi meat, carrying off their victims at night

C. Clambering laboriously into one of the caves, the Time Traveler sees a group of the creatures gnawing at a chunk of meat

D. But when he sees some Morlocks crouching in the woods, he decides it would be safer to spend the night up on a hill where he builds new campfire

E. But at that instant a group of Morlocks pounce upon him, and it is all he can do to fend them off while he starts the machine

F. The door, however, is already open when he gets there, and, not suspecting a trap, the Time Traveler enters

G. In the dark ruins of an ancient building he becomes aware of strange eyes staring at him

H. Fearing that she has been abducted by the Morlocks, he searches for her without success

I. The machine lands on a desolate beach where the Time Traveler discovers the only inhabitants are giant, evil-looking crabs

J. There he fortunately finds some matches wax from which he can fashion candle

K. The only safeguard against these obscene creatures is light, which they fear as much as the Eloi fear darkness

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

How many states entered the Union between 1818 and 1912?

Where the stars were placed on the national flag in 1818 and 1912 was depend on

The first national flags of the United States

A company's efforts to keep expenses low and profits high may result in( )

Passage 6

 The basic flag of the United States is one of the world's oldest national flags. Only the basic flags of Austria, Denmark, Great Britain the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland are older During the discovery and settlement of what is now the United States, the flags of various European nations were flown over the land, as symbols of possession Later, in the Colonial(殖民的) and Revolutionary War periods, flags representing famous persons, places, and events were flown in the American Colonies.

 The first official flag of the United States was created by Congress会) on June14,?1777. It consisted of 13 alternate red and white stripes and 13 white stars in a field of blue, representing the 13 colonies that had declared their independence in?1776. Congress adopted new flag of 15 stars and 15 stripes in 1795, to give representation to the two new states admitted into the Union, Vermont and Kentucky.

 By 1817, there were 20 states in the Union and it became apparent that adding one stripe for each new state would destroy the shape of the flag. As a result, Congress in 1818 restored the original design of 13 stripes and provided that each state was to be represented by one star. In 1912 President William H. Taft made the first official provision for the arrangement of the stars. He ordered that there be six rows of eight stars each. Previously the arrangement of the stars had been left to the flag-maker's desire.

 The evolution of the Stars and Stripes reflects the growth of the United States. After the admission of Hawaii into the Union in 1959, the flag was officially changed for the 26th time since its creation.

 There are many government flags flown in the United States in addition to the national flag. Among them are the president's and vice-president's flags and those of the federal departments and some federal agencies. Each state in the Union has an official flag.

Why were only the flags of various European nations flown over the land, during the discovery and settlement period?

Henry Ford's statement can be taken negatively because( )

According to the passage, immigrants choose to settle in the U.S., dreaming that( )

The influence of business in the U.S. is evidenced by the fact that( )

Passage 5

 Henry Ford, the famous U. S. inventor and car manufacturer, once said, "The business of America is business. "By this he meant that the U. S. way of life is based on the values of the business world Few would argue with Ford's statement. A brief glimpse at a daily newspaper vividly shows how much people in the United States think about business. For example, nearly every newspaper has a business section, in which the deals and projects, finances and management, stock prices and labor problems of corporations are reported daily. In addition, business news can appear in every other section. Most national news has an important financial aspect to it. Welfare, foreign aid, the federal budget, and the policies of the Federal Reserve Bank are all heavily affected by business.

 Moreover, business news appears in some of the unlikeliest places. The world of arts and entertainment is often referred to as" the entertainment industry" or "show business".

 The positive side of Henry Ford's statement can be seen in the prosperity that business has brought to U.S. life. One of the most important reasons so many people from all over the world come to live in the United States is the dream of better job. Jobs are produced in abundance because the U. S. economic system is driven by competition. People believe that this system creates more wealth, more jobs, and a materially better way of life.

 The negative side of Henry Ford's statement, however, can be seen when the word business is taken to mean big business. And the term big business-referring to the biggest companies, is seen in opposition to labor. Throughout U. S. history working people have had to fight hard for higher wages, better working conditions, and the right to form. unions. Today, many of the old labor disputes are over, but there is still some employee anxiety. Downsizing-the laying off of thousands of workers to keep expenses low and profits high-creates feelings of insecurity for many.

The United States is a typical country( )

The writer mentions lawyers and accountants in order to(?? )

In the second paragraph, "collecting beans is nearest in meaning to

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

Passage 4

 When I first considered becoming college professor, tenure was not an attraction or even an issue. was drawn to the profession by the work and the environment. Even after earning a Ph. D. spending time working in Washington D. C., and finally getting my first teaching job in public administration, I was not particularly concerned with tenure. now work at a regional institution that requires an attainable balance between teaching, research, and service. I have always been a hard worker and see no reason to stop.

 But my vision of tenure has changed, do not want to always be the same kind of professor I am now. Now, I am working on articles, course preparations, learning the details of the curriculum so I can advise students, and building institutional knowledge by serving on university committees. Today, my productivity is high and I focus on "collecting beans", tomorrow, I would like to focus on quality.

 Whether tenure can give me the opportunity to focus on quality is questionable, but the idea of longevity is concept that seems to have broad acceptance in most professions. My friends who became lawyers and accountants spend their time talking about becoming partners; medical doctors talk about establishing a practice; civil servants are protected by the merit system. The professionals in these fields serve probationary period(试用期) and demonstrate competence to attain certain level of freedom in their fields. After that, we expect that their professionalism can be used to serve society.

By "I do not want to always be the same kind of professor I am now", the author means that

The author claims that what sets human beings apart from beasts is( )

According to the author, the ability to distinguish between the true and the false is( )

The basic idea of the first paragraph may be stated as follows:( )

About himself, the author states that( )

Passage 3

 Good sense is the most equitably distributed thing in the world, for each man considers himself so well provided with it that even those who are most difficult to satisfy in everything else do not usually wish to have more of it than they have already. It is not likely that everyone is mistaken in this; it shows, rather, that the ability to judge rightly and separate the true from the false, which is essentially what is called good sense or reason, is by nature equal in all men, and thus that our opinions differ not because some men are better endowed with reason than others, but only because we direct our thoughts along different paths, and do not consider the same things, for it is not enough to have good mind: what is most important is to apply it rightly. The greatest souls are capable of the greatest vices; and those who walk very slowly can advance much further, if they always keep to the direct road, than those who run and go astray.

 For my part, I have never presumed my mind to be more perfect than average in any way; I have, in fact, often wished that my thoughts were as quick, or my imagination as precise and distinct, or my memory as capacious or prompt, as those of some other men.

The success of the Nike team lies in( )

The difficulty Knight ran into in 1972 arose from( )

According to the passage, Bowerman shoes were first sold by( )

Bowerman's response to competition is related to sportsmen's( )

Passage 2

According to the passage, privacy is like health in that

What do most Americans do with regard to privacy protection?

What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?

Why does the author say "we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret"(ParA3)?

Passage 1

 Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the websites you've visited. Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.

 In fact, it's likely some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen-the 21st century equivalent of being caught naked.

 Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it's important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread crumbs(碎屑) you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to reconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.

 The key question is: Does that matter?

 For many Americans, the answer apparently is "no".

 When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey found an overwhelming pessimism about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is "slipping away, and that bothers me".

 But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny fraction of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths )to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessandro Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will surrender personal information like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50- -cents-off coupon(优惠券)

 But privacy does matter-at least sometimes It's like health: When you have it, you don't notice it. Only when it's gone do you wish you'd done more to protect it.

What does the author mean by saying "the 21st century equivalent of being caught naked" (ParA2)?