2000年广东省专插本英语真题
Part I Reading Comprehension(40%)
Passage One
The man of Many Secrets -- Harry Houdini -- was one of the greatest American entertainers in the theater this century.He was a man famous for his escapes-from prison cells,from wooden boxes floating in rivers,from locked tanks full of water.He appeared in theaters all over Europe and America.Crowds came to see the great Houdini and his “magic” tricks.
Of course,his secret was not magic,or supernatural powers.It was simply strength.He had the ability to move his toes as well as he moved his fingers.He could move his body into almost any position he wanted.
Houdini started working in the entertainment world when he was 17,in 1891.He and his brother Theo performed card tricks in a club in New York.They called themselves the Houdini Brothers.When Harry married in 1894,he and his wife Bess worked together as magician and assistant.But for a long time they were not very successful.Then Harry performed his first prison escape,in Chicago in 1898.Harry persuaded a detective to let him try to escape from the prison,and he invited the local newspapermen to watch.
It was the publicity that came from this that started Harry Houdini’s success.Harry had fingers trained to escape from handcuffs and toes trained to escape from ankle chains.But his biggest secret was how he unlocked the prison doors.Every time he went into the prison cell,Bess gave him a kiss for good luck-and a small skeleton key,which is a key that fits many locks,passed quickly from her mouth to his.
Harry used these prison escapes to build his fame,He arranged to escape from the local jail of every town he visited.In the afternoon,the people of the town would read about it in their local newspapers,and in the evening every seat in the local theater would be full.What was the result?World--wide fame,and a name remembered today.
1.According to the passage,Houdini’s success in prison escapes depends on______.
A.his magic tricks and unhuman powersB.his special tricks and a skeleton key
C.his unusal ability and a skeleton keyD.his unhuman talents and magic tricks
2.In the fourth paragraph.the word “this”refers to______.
A.the previous sentenceB.the publicity
C.the place,ChicagoD.the time,1898
3.According to the passage,how did Houdini get the key which helped him unlock prison doors?
A.He took the key from his wife’s mouth.
B.His wife passed it to his hand while kissing him.
C.His wife gave it to him by a magic trick.
D.He got it in his mouth through a kiss by his wife.
4.It can be inferred from the passage that Houdini became famous______.
A.when he was about 24B.when he was about 17
C.after the year 1894D.before the year 1898
5.According to the passage,which of the following statements is true?
A.Houdini used to be a famous magician in the U.S.A.
B.Houdini was first recognized widely in Chicago.
C.Houdini entered the entertainment world together with his wife.
D.Houdini owned his great success to his small skeleton key.
Passage Two
Children learn almost nothing from televison,and the more they watch the less they remember.They regard television purely as entertainment ,resent programs that demand on them and are surprised that anybody should take the medium seriously.Far from being over--excited by programs,they are mildly bored with the whole thing.These are the main conclusions from a new study of children and television.The author--Cardiac Cullingford confirms that the modern child is an interested viewer.The study suggests that there is little point in the later hours.More than a third of the children regularly watch their favorite programs after 9 p.m.All 11 year-olds have watched programs after midnight.
Apart from the obvious waste of time involved,it seems that all this viewing has little effect.Children don’t pay close attention,says Cullingford,and they can recall few details.They can remember exactly which programs they have seen but they can rarely explain the elements of a particular plot.Recall was in “reverse proportion to the amount they had watched”.It is precisely because television,unlike a teacher,demands so little attention and response that children like it,argues Cullingford.Programs seeking to put over serious messages are strongly disliked.So are people who frequently talk on screen.What children like most,and remember best,are the advertisements.They see them as short programs in their own right and particularly enjoy humourous presentation.But again,they react strongly against high-pressure advertisement that attempt openly to influence them.
On the other hand,they are not emotionally involved in the programs.If they admire the stars,it is because the actors lead better lives and earn a lot of money,not because of their fictional skills with fast cars and shooting villains.They are perfectly clear about the functions of advertisements;by the age of 12,only one in 10 children believes what even favorite ads say about the product.And says Cullingford,educational television is probably least successful of all in imparting(传播)attitudes or information.
6.The study of children and television shows that______.
A.it is useless for television companies to delay adult viewing to the later hours.
B.it is a waste of time for children to watch adults programs on TV.
C.children should not watch television programs late into the night.
D.children are supposed to learn a lot from television programs.
7.“Recall was in reverse proportion to the amount they had watched”(paragraph 2) has almost the same meaning as ______.
A.“the more they watch the less they remember”.(paragraph 1)
B.“Programs seeking to put over serious messages are strongly disliked”(paragraph 2)
C.“They see them as short programs in their own right”.(paragraph 2)
D.“educational television is probably least successful of all in imparting attitudes or information”.(paragraph 3)
8.Which of the following is NOT true according to the new study of children and televison?
A.Some children stay up late to watch the programs they like.
B.Children enjoy watching challenging programs.
C.Children don’t like serious messages and high-pressured ads.
D.Though children like watching ads,most of them don’t believe what ads says about the product.
9.Cullingford concludes that______.
A.children are excited when they watch TV
B.watching TV has little real effect on children
C.parents should spend less time watching TV
D.parents should be worried about the effect of TV on children
10.Who would the result of the new study upset?
A.The advertisers.B.The children viewers.
C.The movie stars.D.The educators.
Passage Three
Agricultural pets are winning the battle against the poisonous chemicals in pesticides.As each new chemical pesticide is used,the insects or rodents gradually become used to it.The pests change themsleves so that they are not killed by the poison.Therefore,farmers,scientists,and food planners are trying a new method to control the pests that attack their crops.This method is called Integrated Pest Management,or IPM.
Integrated pest management is a plan that combines several different methods to destroy insects and rodents.These methods are specifically developed for individual areas and crops.The control methods include using the pests’natural enemies,controlling the pests’ breading environment,and developing stronger strains of seeds.Chemical poisons are used only when neccessary.The IPM method accepts the fact that it is useless to try to destroy pests completely with chemical poisons.Its aim is to control pest populations so that crops can still grow well.
Cotton farmers in Texas have been using the IPM method.The farmers find the best combination of control methods for their needs.In this way,they can produce crops without using too many chemical poisons.In 1977,three quarters of Texas cotton fields received no insecticides at all.That year’s cotton crop was better than average.The IPM method showed the farmers a better way to control the pests in their fields.
The United Nations Environment Program(UNEP) has been studying agricultural pests and chemicals.It has found that 223 pests are resistant to,or not affected by insecticides.Rodents,including rats,are also gaining resistance to poisons.In 1965,another UN organization,the UN Food Agricultural Organization,list 182 resistant types of pests.Three years later,there were 228 species on the resistant list.The 1977 survey raised the number to 364 species,it is necessary to find another method of control.By using Integrated Pest Management,farmers can still control and limit pests without depending on chemical poison.
11.Agricultural pests are______.
A.all killed by the poison B.rapidly being destroyed by chemical poisons
C.becoming used to poisons D.Integrated Pest Management
12.IPM is a method that______.
A.uses the pests’ natural enemies B.controls the pests’ breading environment
C.develops stronger strains of seeds D.does all of the above
13.IPM is different from the traditional method because______.
A.chemical poisons are often used B.chemical poisons are used when necessary
C.chemical poisons are completely useless D.farmers do not have to worry about pests
14.The cotton crop in Taxas in 1977______.
A.was smaller than averageB.was better than average
C.received no insecticieds at allD.received more insecticides than usual
15.According to this passage,in the future,chemical pesticides will probably______.
A.be used moreB.not be used at all
C.not be producedD.be more popular
Passage Four
Before the widespread use of computers,managers could not make full use of large amounts of valuable information about a company’s activities.The information either reached managers too late or was too expensive to be used.Today,managers are facing a wide range of data processing and information instruments.In place of a few financial controls,managers can draw on computer-based information systems to control activities in every area of their company.On any kinds of performance measures,the information provided by these systems helps managers compare standards with actual results,find out problems,and take corrective action before it is too late to make changes.
The introduction of computerized information systems has sharply changed management control in many companies.Even a neighbourhood shopkeeper may now use computers to control sales,billing,and other activities.In large companies,electronic data processing systems monitor entire projects and sets of operations.
Now,there are about 24 million microcomputers in use in the United States-one for every 10 citizents.It is estimated that by 1966,61 percent of American managers will be using some sort of electronic work station.In order for managers to be sure that the computer-based information they are receiving is accurate,they need to understand how computers word.However,in most cases they do not need to learn how to program computers.Rather ,managers should understand how computerized information systems work;how they are developed;their limitations and costs;and the manner in which information systems may be used.Such an understanding is not difficult to achieve.
One reserch found that business firms were more successful in teaching basic information about computers to business graduates than they were in teaching business subjects to computer science graduates.
16.Why couldn’t managers make full use of valuable information about a company’s activities before the widespread use of computers?
A.Because it often took them a lot time to get it .
B.Because they had to spend a lot of money buying it.
C.Because it didn’t reach them in time.
D.Either B or C.
17.According to the passage,computer-based information helps mangers______.
A.compare standards with expected results B.find out problems in their company
C.control activities of their company D.handle daily affairs