2017武大考博英语试题及答案

1武汉大学2017年攻读博士学位研究生外语综合水平考试试题（满分值100分）科目名称：英语科目代码：1101注意：所有的答题内容必须写在答案纸上，凡写在试题或草稿纸上的一律无效。PartIReadingComprehension(2’×20=40points)Directions:Inthispartofthetest,therewillbe5passagesforyoutoread.Eachpassageisfollowedby4questionsorunfinishedstatements,andeachquestionorunfinishedstatementisfollowedbyfourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD.YouaretodecideonthebestchoicebyblackeningthecorrespondingletterontheANSWERSHEET.PassageOneMrGordonisrightthatthesecondindustrialrevolutioninvolvednever-to-be-repeatedchanges.Butthatdoesnotmeanthatdriverlesscarscountfornothing.MessrsErixonandWeigelarealsorighttoworryabouttheWest’sdismalrecentrecordinproducingnewcompanies.Butmanyoldfirmsarenotrunbybureaucratsandhavereinventedthemselvesmanytimesover:GeneralElectricmustbeonatleastitsninthlife.Andtheimpactofgiantnewfirmsborninthepast20yearssuchasUber,GoogleandFacebookshouldnotbeunderestimated:theyhavealltheSchumpeteriancharacteristicstheauthorsadmire.Onthepessimists’sidethestrongestargumentreliesnotoncloselywatchingcorporateandinvestorbehaviorbutratheronmacro-levelstatisticsonproductivity.Thefiguresfromrecentyearsaretrulydismal.KarimFoda,oftheBrookingsInstitution,calculatesthatlaborproductivityintherichworldisgrowingatitsslowestratesince1950.Totalfactorproductivity(whichtriestomeasureinnovation)hasgrownatjust0.1%inadvancedeconomiessince2004,wellbelowitshistoricalaverage.Optimistshavetworetorts.Thefirstisthattheremustbesomethingwrongwiththefigures.Onepossibilityisthattheyfailtocountthehugeconsumersurplusgivenawayfreeofchargeontheinternet.Butthisisunconvincing.Theofficialfiguresmaywellbeunderstatingtheimpactoftheinternetrevolution,justastheydownplayedtheimpactofelectricityandcarsinthepast,buttheyarenotunderstatingitenoughtoexplaintherecentdeclineinproductivitygrowth.Another,secondlineofargumentthattheproductivityrevolutionhasonlyjustbegunismorepersuasive.OverthepastdecademanyITcompaniesmayhavefocusedonthingsthatweremore“funthanfundamental”inPaulKrugman’sphrase.ButSiliconValley’sbestcompaniesarecertainlyfocusingonthingsthatchangethematerialworld.2UberandAirbnbarebringingdramaticimprovementstotwolargeindustriesthathavebeenmoreorlessstuckfordecades.MorganStanleyestimatesthatdriverlesscarscouldresultin$507billionayearofproductivitygainsinAmerica,mainlyfrompeoplebeingabletostareattheirlaptopsinsteadofattheroad.1.Whathasledtothepessimisticopinionconcerningtheworld’seconomy?A.Itisbasedonmacro-levelstatisticsonproductivity.B.Itisbasedoncloseobservationoncorporateandinvestorbehavior.C.Itisduetothefactthatmanyoldfirmsarenotrunbybureaucrats.D.Itisduetothefactthatnotenoughnewfirmshavebeencreated.2.Thefirstargumentontheoptimists’sideisunconvincingbecausetheofficialfigures________.A.arebothwrongandunconvincingB.downplaytheinternetrevolutionC.failtoincludetheconsumersurplusD.can’texplainthedeclineinproductivitygrowth3.WhatistrueabouttheITcompaniesinSiliconValley??A.Theyhaveonlyfocusedonthefunpartoflife.B.Theyhavemadeadifferenceintherealworld.C.Theyhavemorepersuasiveproductivity.D.Theyhaveonlyjustbeguntodevelop.4.HowcandriverlesscarsbenefitAmericanindustries?A.DriverlesscarshaverevivedtwolargeAmericanindustries.B.Thesaleofdriverlesscarscanreachhundredsofbilliondollars.C.Thankstothempeoplefreefromdrivingcandomorecreativework.D.DriverlesscarshavestimulatedthedevelopmentofUberandAirbnb.PassageTwoWinstonChurchillwasoneofthecentralstatesmenofthe20thcenturyand,almost50yearsafterhisdeath,remainsasubjectofenduringfascination.Partofthecurrentinterestinthisvenerablefigurecanbeattributedtotwosuperbbiographieswritteninthe1980sbyhistorianWilliamManchester:“TheLastLion:VisionsofGlory”and“TheLastLion:Alone.”Thesetwobooksexaminedthefirsttwo-thirdsofChurchill’slife.Unfortunately,aftercompletingthesecondvolume,Manchester’shealthdeclinedandtherestoftheprojectstalled.Sogreatwaspublicinterestinthelong-delayedfinalvolumethatitwasthesubjectofafrontpagestoryinTheNewYorkTimes.Eventually,in2003,ManchesteraskedhisfriendPaulReidtocompletethetrilogy.Now,nearlyadecadelater,ReidhaspublishedTheLastLion,thefinalpieceofthismonumentalundertaking.ReidstartswhenChurchillwasappointedprimeministerinMay1940and3followshimthroughhisdeathin1965.WhilemostofthisvolumeisappropriatelydevotedtoWorldWarII,italsoincludesthevastexpansionoftheBritishwelfarestatefollowingthewar,thestartoftheColdWarandtheenormousdangersitcarried,andthelossoftheBritishEmpire.Reidhaswrittenathoroughandcompleteanalysisoftheseyears,anditisaworthyfinaletothefirsttwovolumes.Exhaustivelyresearchedandcarefullywritten,itdrawsonafullrangeofprimaryandsecondarymaterials.Thisbookwillbeessentialreadingforthosewhoenjoyedthefirsttwovolumesandthosewithadeepinterestinunderstandingthisseminalfigureandhisplaceinhistory.ReiddoesawonderfuljobofcapturingChurchillinallhiscomplexity.HegivesChurchillgreatpraiseforhispersonalcourageandinspirationalleadershipduringthedarkdayswhenBritainstoodalone,butheisequallyclearaboutChurchill’spoorstrategicjudgments,suchastheeffortstodefendGreeceandCrete,theAlliedassaultonAnzio,andthedecisiontosendthebattleshipPrinceofWa