2013年北京师范大学考博英语真题及答案

2013年北京师范大学考博英语真题及答案

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Part I Reading Comprehension (45%)

Directions: Read the following passages carefully and then select the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D by marking the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center.

Passage One

In contrast to rock musicians, jazz players prefer to spend their time with their music and tend to measure success by that single standard, as a trombonist once put it: ‘‘ A jazz musician would rather play a good concert for three people than a bad one for three thousand. ” All the same, with their fellow players, jazzmen are collegiate and gregarious, exchange musical ideas in a spirit of mutual support or friendly competition, uniting in a collaborative effort to raise the level of their art. Even the greatest individuals have benefited from the talents of others.

In this legendary band, Duke Ellington provided star soloists with the ideal framework for their abilities. At the same time, they inspired him with the rich material of their personal idioms and phrases, which found their way into his compositions.In fact, Ellington was so adept at recycling what he heard that one of them described him as “ not a composer but a compiler”.

Ellington’s creative gifts were genuine and vast, but for much of his life he did receive crucial assistance not only from the involvement of his band, but from an actual day-in, day-out collaborator.In 1938 he met Billy Strayhom, a young pianist-composer who was immediately brought into the ducal fold. Strayhom became Ellington’s altered ego, contributing scores to the band but functioning even more importantly as a silent partner, completing pieces Ellington left unfinished, reworking others and acting as all-purpose composer — sometimes credited, more often not.

Ellington provided Strayhom with financial security, artistic respect and the creative medium of the Ellington band. Throughout their partnership 一 which lasted until Strayhom’s death in 1967 一 they never had a contract. Ellington simply paid all creative equal and friends, describing him as “ my favorite human being”，Strayhom, a homosexual bon vivant, brilliant but self-effacing, let Ellington take both the glory and the strain of stardom, while he relieved some of the artistic pressure with a talent comparable to the leader’s own.

Though occasionally there was discord over the matter of official composer credit in their joint works, Ellington always publicly acknowledged his colleague’s contributions, and the many Strayhom originals in Ellington’s book speak for themselves, including the band’s famous theme and greatest hit,“Take the Train”. Thought the young man was adept at imitating the ducal style, his own unique voice, full of subtle impressionist colors, influenced a generation of later jazz composers.

1. According to the article, jazzmen .

A. compete fiercely with each other

B. are not sociable when they are with their fellow players

C. refuse to exchange ideas about music with their fellow players

D. collaborate a lot with their fellow players to improve the level of their art

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE about Duke Ellington?

A. He refused to collaborate with but a few talented musicians.

B. He had little natural talent but rather used other’s genius for his own purposes.

C. He entered into a collaborative relationship with Billy Strayhom that suited both men.

D. He often utilized material from lesser known musicians without proper acknowledgement.

3. Of the Strayhorn/Ellington relationship，the author believes .

A. both men were ultimately dissatisfied with their working arrangement

B. Strayhom was respected and well compensated for his contributions to the band

C. Strayhom provided the bulk of the creative talent while Ellington received the public recognition for their effort

D. while their professional relationship was productive, their personalities often clashed, putting a strain on their relationship

4. The author feels jazz musicians .

A. strive for commercial success over musical accomplishment

B. differ from rock musicians in their ability to raise the level of their music

C. are traditionally soloists who gain little from cooperative collaboration

D. gain much through mutual collaboration, although often individualists

5. It is indicated that Billy Strayhom .

A. wrote many famous songs and often attributed to Duke Ellington

B. ended his work with Duke Ellington amid tension and frustration

C. struggled financially as he never received proper credit for his work

D. was basically known for integrating different jazz themes into a larger compilation

6. The title for this passage would be •

A. Jazzmen Strayhom and Ellington Walk Alone

B. A Classic Collaborative Effort during Jazz’s Finest Hour

C. Strayhom and Ellington: an Unequal and Frustration Collaboration

D. Jazz Is Never Played in Group: Ellington and Strayhom Tell the World

7. What is the possible meaning of the underlined word “hit” in the last paragraph?

A. a successful play

B. striking vigorously

C. a song that was welcomed by the public

D. a headline printed prominently to draw the public attention

Passage Two

Water is the giver and, at the same time, the taker of life. It covers most of the surface of the planet we live on and features large in the development of the human race. On present predictions，it is a cement that is set to assume even greater significance.

Throughout history, water has had a huge impact on our lives. Humankind has always had a rather ambiguous relationship with water, on the one hand receiving enormous benefit from it, not just as a drinking source, but as a provider of food and a means whereby to travel and to trade. But forced to live close to water in order to survive and to develop, the relationship has not always been peaceful or beneficial. In fact, it has been quite the contrary. What has essentially been a necessity for survival was turned out in many instances to have a very destructive and life-threatening side.

Through the ages, great floods alternated with long periods of drought have assaulted people and their environment, hampering their fragile fight for survival. The dramatic changes to the environment that are now a feature of our daily news are not exactly new: fields that were once lush and fertile are now barren； lakes and rivers that were once teeming with life are now long gone； savannah has been turned to desert. What perhaps is new is our native wonder when faced with the forces of nature.

Today, we are more aware of climatic changes around the world. Floods in far-flung places are instant news for the whole world. Perhaps these events make us feel better as we face the destruction of our own property by floods and other natural disasters.

In 2002, many parts of Europe suffered severe flood damage running into billions of euros.Properties across the continent collapsed into the sea as waves pounded the coastline wreaking havoc with sea defenses. But it was not just the seas. Rivers swollen by heavy rains and by the effects of deforestation carried large volumes of water that wrecked many communities.

Building stronger and more sophisticated river defenses against flooding is the expensive short-term answer. There are simpler ways. Planting trees in highland areas, not just in Europe but in places like the Ganges Delta, is a cheaper and more attractive solution. Progress is already being made in convincing countries that the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is causing considerable damage to the environment. But more effort is needed in this direction.

And the future? If we are to believe the forecasts, it is predicted that two thirds of the world population will be without fresh water by 2025. But for a growing number of regions of the world the future is already with us. While some areas are devastated by flooding, scarcity of water in many other places is causing conflict. The state of Texas in the United States of America is suffering a shortage of water with the Rio Grande failing to reach the Gulf of Mexico for the first time in 50 years in the spring of 2002, pitting region against region as they vie for water sources. With many parts of the globe running dry through drought and increased water consumption, there is now talk of water being the new oil.

Other doom-laden estimates suggest that, while tropical areas will become drier and uninhabitable,coastal regions and some low-lying islands will in all probability be submerged by the sea as the polar ice caps melt. Popular exotic destinations now visited by countless tourists will become no-go areas.Today’s holiday hotspots of southern Europe and elsewhere will literally become hotspots — too hot to live in or visit. With the current erratic behavior of the weather，it is difficult not to subscribe to such despair.

Some might say that this despondency is ill-founded, but we have had ample proof that there is something not quite right with the climate. Many parts of the world have experienced devastating flooding. As the seasons revolve, the focus of the destruction moves from one continent to another. The impact on the environment is alarming and the cost to life depressing. It is a picture to which we will need to become accustomed.

8. The writer believes that water .

A. is gradually becoming of greater importance

B. will have little impact on our lives in future

C. is something we will need more than anything else

D. will have even greater importance in our lives in future

9. Humankind’s relationship with water has been

A. two-sided B. one-side

C. purely one of great benefit D. fairly frightening

10. The writer suggests that .

A. we are in awe of the news we read and see on TV every day

B. change to the environment leaves us speechless

C. we should not be in awe of the news we read and see on TV every day

D. our surprise at the environmental change brought about by nature is something new

11. According to the passage, planting trees .

A. has to be coordinated internationally

B. is more expensive than building sea and river defenses

C. is a less expensive answer to flooding in all regions

D. is not an answer to the problem of flooding in all regions

12. By 2025, it is projected that .

A. at least half the world population will have fresh water

B. one-third of the world population will have fresh water

C. the majority of the world population will have fresh water

D. fresh water will only be available to half of the world population

13. According to the passage, in the future low-lying islands .

A. will still be habitable B. will not be under water

C. are likely to be under water D. will probably not be under water

14. According to the writer, .

A. people do not need to get used to environmental damage

B. people will need to get used to climate changes that cause environmental damage

C. people are now more used to environmental damage than they have been in the past

D. the general despondency about environmental changes is ill-founded

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