首都师范大学硕士生英语考试题

36. Combining social commentary with rhythmic ________, heavy bass beats, and remixed or original melodies, rap is one of the most controversial of black musical forms. A. dance B. band C. music D. lyrics

37. He took out a court ________ against the newspaper demanding the return of the document.

A. injunction B. suspension C. bias D. sentence

38. They said on the wedding that they belonged ________ to each other---for life or for death.

A. by far B. on earth C. perpetually D. in all

39. It’s good news that the Governor and lawmakers are finally talking to each other, however ________. A. sullenly B. off-handedly C. hospitably D. slowly

40. We now are provided with several television commentators to explain the action to us, with the help of the ________ slow-motion instant replay. A. popular B. ubiquitous C. successful D. continuous

Part III. Reading Comprehension (40 points)

Directions: In this part, there are three short passages. Read each one carefully, and then do the questions that follow. Choose the best answer from the four choices given and mark the corresponding letter with a single bar across the square brackets on Answer Sheet 1.

Passage One

Moviegoers may think history is repeating itself this weekend. The summer's most anticipated film, Pearl Harbor, which has opened recently, painstakingly re-creates the Japanese attack that drew the United States into World War II. But that isn't the film's only reminder of the past. Harbor invites comparison to Titanic, the biggest hit of all time. Like Titanic, Harbor heaps romance and action around a major historical event. Like Titanic, Harbor attempts to create popular global entertainment from a deadly real-life tragedy. Like Titanic, Harbor costs a pretty penny and hopes to get in even more at the box office.

Both Titanic and Pearl Harbor unseal their tales of love and tragedy over more than three hours. Both stories center on young passion, triangles of tension with one woman and two men; In Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio and Billy Zane compete for the love of the same woman, a high-society type played by a British actress named Kate (Winslet). In Harbor, two pilots (Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett) fall for the same woman, a nurse played by a British actress named Kate (Beckinsale).

The scenes of peril also have similarities. Harbor has a shot in which soldiers cling for dear life as the battleship USS Oklahoma capsizes. The moment is recalled of the

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Titanic's climactic sinking scene in which DiCaprio and Winslet hang from the ocean liner as half of the ship vertically plunges into the water. In Harbor, one of its stars floats atop a piece of debris in the middle of the night, much like Winslet's character does in Titanic.

And the jaw-dropping action of Titanic is matched by Harbor's, 40-minute re-creation of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on the United States' Pacific Fleet. Both films spent heavily on special effects. Harbor director, Michael Bay, for example, says he kept salaries down so more could be spent on the visuals. Both movies even shot their ship-sinking scenes at the same location; Fox Studios Baja in Mexico.

Harbor's makers have even taken a Titantic-like approach to the soundtrack. The film includes one song. There You'll be, performed by country music superstar Faith Hill. Titanic, which is one of the best selling soundtracks of all time, also has only one pop song: Celine Dion's MY Heart Will Go On.

“If Harbor becomes a major moneymaker, filmmakers may comb history books searching for even more historical romance-action material.” says a critic.

41. What are the two things that the author of this article tries to compare? A. The attack on Pearl Harbor and the sinking of the Titanic. B. Historical fiction movies and successful box office hits. C. The movie Titanic and the on-show movie Pearl Harbor. D. Sinking boats and famous actors.

42. Pearl Harbor and Titanic are similar in all of the following aspects EXCEPT_____. A. both spent large amount of money on special effects B. both have soundtracks starring a major pop star C. both added made-up stories to historical events D. both are documentary movies of historical events 43. Who plays the leading female role in Pearl Harbor? A. Kate Beckinsale. B. Ben Affleck.

C. Kate Winslet. D. Faith Hill.

44. What does the phrase “cost a pretty penny” in the first paragraph mean? A. To be very attractive. B. To cost a lot.

C. To have big box office returns. D. To require a lot of effort to accomplish. 45. If Pearl Harbor is as successful as Titanic, which of the following movies might we see next?

A. The Battle of Waterloo. B. The Advents of Mr. Bean. C. Space Invaders. D. The Haunted House.

Passage Two

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A few weeks ago my mother called to say there was a warrant out for my arrest. I was mystified. I’d like to think myself dangerous but I’m a mild-mannered journalist. I don't have a criminal record, though the address on my driver’s license is my mother’s - thus the “raid.” I hadn’t robbed any convenience stores lately, nor fled the scene after backing a Jeep into a crowd of people.

But this is Mayor Giuliani s New York, where it doesn’t take much to draw the attention of cops. New Yorkers know all about Hizzonor’s banning homeless cleaning men from approaching drivers and offering to clean their windshields. H’s also cracked down on street vendors. Yuppie that 1 am. I’ve never given much thought to what it felt like to be on the other side of the law.

So when the cops came knocking, I thought there must be some mistake. Imagine my embarrassment upon discovering my crime. One Saturday night in March, I strolled out of apartment after dinner, a Coors Light beer in hand. Suddenly a police officer came up and wrote me a ticket. The charge: violating New York City’s open-container laws. Yeah. I probably should have paid it then and there. But instead I stuck the pink slip in my back pocket and forgot about it.

When I called to inquire about my case. I was told to “speak with Officer Kosenza.” But I didn’t get a chance. Kosenza called me that night while I was having dinner with my girlfriend. He wanted me to come to court, right then. But I was cautious. It seems New York’s police are in a bind. With crime falling to record lows, it's getting harder and harder for cops to “make the numbers” that show they’re doing a better and better job. What to do? The answer is to rifle through out-of-date tickets that haven’t been paid – anything they could turn into a “crime.” I finally decided to turn myself in. which is how 1 found myself, one August evening, handcuffed at the downtown Manhattan police station with an older officer telling us tales of his days in the 1980s. “Times sure have changed.” he said, shaking his head at us statistically useful nuisances. Eventually I was led into a courtroom. Very quickly, it was done. Handcuffs off, out the door. I wanted to complain but went quietly home, promising not to do whatever I was guilty of for another six months. I got off easy. But I also learned a lesson: Giuliani s clean streets come with a price. If only the mayor would neglect to pay a ticket.

46. According to the passage, the author is probably _____. A. an urban young professional B. a narrow-minded journalist C. a criminal wanted by the police D. a traffic offender

47. The author was arrested primarily because _____.

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A. he once stuck a piece of pink paper in his back pocket B. he used his mother's address on the driver's license C. he had robbed convenience shops before D. he drank some beer one night on the street

48. The word \ A. mild-mannered prisoners B. trouble makers C. new arrivals

D. hardened criminals

49. Through the passage, the author wants to convey the idea that _____. A. New York policemen are doing a good job cracking down on crimes B. not everyone agrees with the mayor's management of the city

C. the crime rate has been reduced at the expense of citizens' convenience D. everyone including the mayor should be punished if he is guilty of crime 50. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true? A. The author pleaded guilty and was set free.

B. Policemen were trying hard to please their superiors. C. Many so-called crimes were only trifle things.

D. It's no use complaining to cops when you are caught.

Passage Three

Ewen Cameron is long dead but his ghost appears to haunt Canada, where extraordinarily strict rules are being considered to protect the subjects of psychological research.

Cameron was a scientist straight from a horror movie. On the surface, he was a respectable academic. But after the end of the Second World War, he visited the Nuremberg trials, superficially to examine Rudolf Hess's psychological state. Many people believe that he also studied Nazi methods of mind control. Certainly, he never internalized the Nuremberg declaration that prohibits human experiments where risk outweighs “humanitarian importance.”

Throughout the 1950s, Cameron ran a CIA-funded laboratory at McGill University where patients were used as guinea pigs in brainwashing experiments. Some patients were given ECT “therapy” twice daily, others were drugged and kept unconscious for weeks or months, injected with huge amounts of drugs, and subjected to long-term sensory deprivation.

Compensation has been paid to most surviving patients. But suspicion of the psychological sciences has not entirely gone away. Nor has the need for patients’ rights to be guaranteed. Cameron, after all, ensured that every patient signed a consent form, even though many were not in position to understand what it meant.

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