1999年MBA联考英语试题

PARTⅠStructure and Vocabulary （20%）

Directions：There are 20 incomplete sentences in this part． For each sentence there are

four choices marked A，B，C, and D. Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence.

Then blacken the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a pencil.

1．The bad weather meant ___________ the football match for several days.

A. to delay B. delaying

C. delay D. having delayed

2．“Let's start our meeting immediately _______________ everyone has arrived．”the

chairman said.

A. although B. until

C. after D. now that

3．_____________ your role is， knowing who you are and what you're good at is critical

for success.

A. Whatever B. Whichever

C. Whoever D. Whomever

4．It is often more difficult to find trained men than ____________ for a research project.

A. get financial support B. to get financial support

C. getting financial support D. to getting financial support

5．If you had taken your umbrella with you when you went to work this morning， you

___________________ wet now.

A. will not be B. will not have been

C. would not be D. would not have been

6．___________， we decided to leave at once， as we didn't want to risk missing the last

bus.

A. It was pretty late B. It being pretty late

C. As it being pretty late D. It was being pretty late

7. Give it a second thought，_____________ you'll find it wise to accept the post.

A. to B. and

C. or D. then

8． _____________ he was an old customer， the boss allowed ten per cent discount off the

prices of the goods.

A. Give that B. Giving that

C．To give that D. Given that

9. _________ forceful were his arguments that even those who came to sneer becanme his firm

supporters.

A. Very B. Too

C. Such D. So

10. It was the training that he had as a young man ______________ made him such a good

engineer.

A. has B. later

C．which D. that

11．I remember seeing him years ago，but I cannot ____________ where it was.

A. remind B. recognize

C. recall D. memorize

12．China has been following the foreign policy to develop re1ations with other countries

on the ____________ of the five principles of peaceful co-existence.

A. basis B. bases

C. ground D. foundation

13． The first， second， and third prizes went to Jack， Tom， and Harry ___________.

A. equally B. differently

C. similarly D. respectively

14． He is in some ways ______________ and in some ways rather childish.

A. fashionable B. silly

C. emotional D. mature

15． They have got everything ready to make a ________________ across the Atlantic.

A. trip B. travel

C. voyage D. journey

16． From here， we can see the bridge ___________ construction.

A. under B. on

C. in D. during

17. You could always ___________ him to settle an argument， no matter what was being

discussed.

A. believe in B. call on

C. trust in D. count on

18． Very few experts could __________ completely new solutions to the world's economic

problems.

A. come to B. come up with

C. come round D. come through

19． There was something wrong with the traffic signal． Our bus was ___________ for nearly

half an hour.

A. held on B. held back

C. held out D. held up

20． Since the situation is changing， let's take some ___________ measures to deal with it.

A. available B. changeable

C. flexible D. considerable

PART Ⅱ Reading Comprehension （50％）

Section A

Directions ： There are 5 passages in this part． Each passage is followed by some

questions or unfinished statements． For each of them there are four choices marked A，B，

C，and D. You should decide on the best choice and blacken the corresponding letter on the

Answer Sheet with a pencil.

Questions 21 to 24 are based on the following passage：

Around the world more and more people are taking part in dangerous sports and activities.

Of course， there have always been people who have looked for adventure - those who have

climbed the highest mountains， explored unknown parts of the world or sailed in small

boats across the greatest oceans． Now， however， there are people who seek an immediate

excitement from a risky activity which may only last a few minutes or even seconds.

I would consider bungee jumping to be a good example of such an activity． You jump from

ahigh place （perhaps a bridge or a hot-air balloon） 200 meters above the ground with an

elastic rope tied to your ankles． You fall at up to l50 kilometers an hour until the rope

stops you from hitting the ground． It is estimated that two million people around the

world have now tried bungee jumping. Other activities which most people would say are as

risky as bungee jumping involve jumping from tall buildings and diving into the sea from

the top of high cliffs.

Why do people take part in such activities as these？ Some psychologists suggest that it

is because life in modern societies has become safe and boring． Not very long ago，

people's lives were constantly under threat． They had to go out and hunt for food，

diseases could not easily be cured，and life was a continuous battle for survival。

Nowadays， according to many people， life offers little excitement． They live and work

in comparatively safe environment；they buy food in shops； and there are doctors and

hospitals to look after them if they become ill． The answer for some of these people is

to seek danger in activities such as bungee jumping.

21． A suitable title for the passage is ______________.

A. Dangerous Sports： What and Why？

B. The Boredom of Modern Life

C. Bungee Jumping：Is It Really Dangerous？

D. The Need for Excitement

22．More and more people today ___________.

A. are trying activities such as bungee jumping

B. are climbing the highest mountains

C. are close to death in sports

D. are looking for adventures such as exploring unknown places

23． People probably take part in dangerous sports nowadays because

A. they have a lot of free time

B. they can go to hospital if they are injured

C. their lives lack excitement

D. hey no longer need to hunt for food

24. The writer of the passage has a（n） _______ attitude towards dangerous sports.

A. positive B. negative

C. objective D. subjective

Questions 25 to 28 are based on the following passage：

When they advise your kids to“get an education”if you want to raise your income， they

tell you only half the truth．What they really mean is to get just enough education to

provide man power for your society， but not too much that you prove an embarrassment to

your society.

Get a high school diploma，at least．Without that，you are occupationally dead， unless

your name happens to be George Bernard Shaw or Thomas Alva Edison and you can successfully

drop out in grade school.

Get a college degree， if possible. With a B. A.， you are on the launching pad（发射台）.

But now you have to start to put on the brakes. If you go for a master's degree， make

sure it is an M. B. A.， and only from a first-rate university． Beyond this， the famous

law of diminishing returns（报酬递减率）begins to take effect.

Do you know， for instance， that long-haul truck drivers earn more a year than full

professors？Yes， the average l977 salary for those truckers was $24，000， while the full

professors managed to average just $23，930.

A Ph．D. is the highest degree you can get， but except in a few specialized fields such

as physics or chemistry， where the degree can quickly be turned to industrial or commercial

purposes， you are facing a dim future. There are more Ph．D.s unemployed or underemployed

in this country than in any other part of the world by far.

If you become a doctor of philosophy in English or history or anthropology or political

science Or languages or-worst of all-in philosophy， you run the risk of becoming

overeducated for our national demands. Not for our needs， mind you， but for our demands.

Thousands of Ph.D.s are selling shoes， driving cabs， waiting on tables and filling out

fruitless applications month after month．And then maybe taking a job in some high school

or backwater college that pays much less than the janitor（看门人）earns.

You can equate the level of income with the level of education on1y so far． Far enough，

that is，to make you useful to the gross national product, but not so far that nobody can

turn much of a profit on you.

25． According to the writer， what the society expects of education it to turn out

people who ___________.

A. will not be a shame to the society

B. will become loyal citizens

C. can take care of themselves

D. can meet the demands as a source of manpower

26． Many Ph．D. s are out of job because ___________.

A. they are wrongly educated

B. they are of little commercial value to the society

C. there are fewer jobs in high schools

D. they prefer easy jobs with more money

27． The nation is only interested in people ____________ .

A. with diplomas

B. specialized in physics and chemistry

C. valuable to the gross national product

D. both A and C

28．Which of the following is NOT true？

A. Bernard Shaw didn't finish high school， nor did Edison.

B. One must think carefully before going for a master's degree.

C. The higher your educational level， the more money you wil1 earn.

D. If you are too well educated， you'll make things difficult for the society.

Questions 29 to 32 are based on the following passage：

I wonder if you realize just how many others share your problem. It is so common for

people to distort the truth about themselves. Sometimes it's just an invented excuse when

you're late for something or a pretence that you like someone you don't. These white lies

don't usually harm anyone and indeed often help smooth over difficult social situations.

They ceratinly are embarrassing if exposed but， on the whole， they're easily forgiven.

What you describe is a habit of lying that is more serious than this. I suspect that the

lies you tell are ways of defending an idea you have of your own worth． People who have

doubts about their own self-esteen often worry that others will judge them as harshly as

they feel they deserve because of a secret idea that they are pretty worthless. In other

words， they create a false picture of themselves，a picture of someone who meets all the

expectations they think others have of them，And as you say， that causes problems-since

they have to keep living up to that image. At the same time， they have to tell further

liee to cover the stories they have already told． According to some authorities， this is

particularly among women especially those who have few opportunities to develop an adequate

sense of self-worth.

I suggest you give yourself one day during which you stick solidly to the truth about

yourself. Give yourself a small treat at the end of the day if you have managed to keep it

up. Wait a week and then try it again. Once you have achieved three separate lie-free days，

see if you can cope with three days running, then extend it to a whole week． Don't make a

promise to yourself that you will never lie again because almost certainly you will-it's too

much to take on at once. Try to change things little by little， by setting yourself

manageable targets． After a while， you'll wonder why you ever had the problem at all.

29． This passage is a reply to someone who _____________ .

A. keeps a habit of lying for vain reasons

B. works hard to meet others' expectations

C. does not know the truth about himself and is too sure of himself

D. does not know how to make a realistic plan for himself

30． Which of the following statements is true according to the passage？

A. White lies often cause embarrassment in social situations.

B. It is important for women to have an adequate sense of self-worth.

C. It takes a little time to get rid of your habit.

D. Take exercise like running if you are free and keep it up.

31． The expression “living up to” in the second paragraph can best be replaced by

__________.

A. growing up with B. living with

C. seeking D. sticking to

32. In the last paragraph the writer implies that _____________ .

A. you will solve the problem with patience and a strong will

B. you must be hard on yourself to accomplish something

C. your problem lies in the fact that you hasten to make promises

D. you must set different targets at different stages of your life

Questions 33 to 36 are based on the following passage：

The London Stock Exchange has been famous as a place for men only， and women used to be

strict1y forbidden to enter. But the world is changing day by day， and even the Stock

Exchange，which seemed to be a men's castle， is gradually opening its doors to the other

sex. On l6th November l971， a great decision was taken. The Stock Exchange Council （the

body of men that administers the Stock Exchange） decided that women should be allowed onto

the new trading floor when it opened in l973． But the “castle” had not been completely

conquered． The first girls to work in “The House” were not brokers or jobbers. They were n

either allowed to become partners in stockbroking firms， nor to be authorized dealers in

stocks and shares. They were simply junior clerks and telephone operators.

Women have been trying to get into the Stock Exchange for many years. Several votes have

been taken in “The House” to see whether the members would be willing to allow women to

become members， but the answer has always been “No”. There have been three refusa1s of

this kind since l967． Now women are admitted， although in a very junior capacity. Two

forms of jobbers made an application to the Stock Exchange Council to be allowed to employ

girl clerks. Permission was finally given. A member of the Stock Exchange explained， after

this news had been given，“The new floor is going to be different from the old one. All

the jobbers will have their own stands， with space for a telephone and typewriters，

Therefore there will have to be typists and telephone operators. So women must be allowed

in.” This decision did not mean a very great victory in the war for equal rights for women

However， it was a step in the right direction. The Chairman of the new building will

eventually lead to women being allowed to have full membership of the Stock Exchange. It

is only a matter of time； it must happen.

33．The London Stock Exchange is famous _____________.

A. for its favorable location

B. for its policy of opening its doors to women

C. because it has been a place for men only

D. because women are now beginning to enter its doors to work

34． Several votes have been taken in “The House” _____________.

A. to see if women were willing to become members

B. to decide when women would be allowed into “The House”

C. to find out whether the members were willing to allow women to become members

D. to decide when to allow women onto the new trading floor

35． Which of the following is true？

A. Since l973 women have been allowed to work with the London Stock Exchange.

B. Women have always been refused participation in stock trading.

C. Women were never officially allowed to enter the Stock Exchange.

D. Men have been trying to get into the Stock Exchange.

36．What is this article about？

A. Women's place in society.

B. How the London Stock Exchange functioned in 1971.

C. How women have been struggling for full membership of the Stock Exchange.

D. How women were gradually allowed to work in the Stock Exchange.

Questions 37 to 40 are based on the following passage:

When we talk about intelligence， we do not mean the ability to get a good score on a

certain kind of test， or even the ability to do well in school． By intelligence we mean a

style of life， a life， a way of behaving in various situations. The true test of

intelligence is not how much we know how to do，but how we behave when we don't know what

to do.

The intelligent person， young or old， meeting a new situation or problem， opens himself

up to it． He tries to take in with mind and senses everything he can about it． He thinks

about it， instead of about himself or what it might cause to happen to him. He grapples

with it boldly， imaginatively， resourcefully， and if not confidently， at least

hopefully； if he fails to master it， he looks without fear or shame at his mistakes and

learns what he can from them. This is intelligence. Clearly its roots lie in a certain

feeling about life， and one's self with respect to life. Just as clearly, unintelligence

is not what most psychologists seem to suppose， the same thing as intelligence，only less

of it． It is an entirely different style of behavior， arising out of entirely different

set of attitudes.

Years of watching and comparing bright children with the not-bright， or less bright，

have shown that they are very different kinds of people. The bright child is curious about

life and reality， eager to get in touch with it， embrace it， unite himself with it．

There is no wall， no barrier，between himself and life. On the other hand， the dull child

is far less curious， far less interested in what goes on and what is real， more inclined

to live in a world of fantasy． The bright child likes to experiment， to try things out．

He lives by the maxim（格言）that there is more than one way to skin a cat． If he can't

do something one way， he'll try another. The dull child is usually afraid to try at all．

It takes a great deal of urging to get him to try even once； if that try fails， he is

through.

Nobody starts off stupid． Hardly an adult in a thousand， or ten thousand could in any

three years of his life learn as much， grow as much in his understanding of the world

around him，as every infant learns and grows in his first three years. But what happens，

as we grow older， to this extraordinary capacity for learning and intellectual growth？

What happens is that it is destroyed，and more than by any other one thing， it is destroyed

by the process that we misname education-a process that goes on in most homes and schools.

37．The writer believes that intelligence is _____________.

A. doing well in school

B. doing well on some examinations

C. a certain type of behavior

D. good scores on tests

38． The writer believes that “unintelligence” is ___________.

A. similar to intelligence

B. less than intelligence

C. the common belief of most psychologists

D. a particular way of looking at the world

39． Why does the writer say that education is misnamed？

A. Because it takes place more in homes than in school.

B. Because it discourages intellectual growth.

C. Because it helps dull children with their problems.

D. Because it helps children understand the world around them.

40. In the paragraphs which follow the above passage， the writer probably discusses ______.

A. how education destroys the development of intelligence

B. how bright children differ from dull children

C. how intelligence is inherited

D. how the child's intellectual capacity grows at home and school

Section B

Directions： Read the following passage and then give short answers to the five questions.

Write your answers on the Answer Sheet.

The British Museum in London is probably the classic example of an institution which is

too rich by more than half． There， no doubt， because they have so much， they are

unable to assess exactly what they have and what proportion they are able to show.

One measure of how important are the treasures they have was given in Parliament last

month when Jennie Lee， the Arts Minister said：“The museum authorities consider that the

total cost of displaying everything in the museum might be more than $50,000,000．”

The Fitzwilliam has one of the best collections of coins in the world， but lack of space

means that less than one percent of the collection can be shown. Paintings and drawings are

rotated，partly to give the public a chance to see them all， partly to avoid too much

exposure to light． But even under this policy some painters still don't get shown. Mr．

David Piper， the director， said that some impressionist paintings by Boudin were not on

show and that most of the big pottery collection had to be kept in a reserve gallery to

which members of the public are admitted if they are particularly interested.

It is a different story at Bradford's City Art Gallery. There they can show all the works

of art they have， and would be glad to show more and finer works if they were available.

The Arts Council owns one of the finest collections of modern British paintings and

sculpture in existence， and is fortunate in that it does not have a permanent site for its

works. The collection is split into a series of traveling exhibitions which are put on

show at art galleries， museums，colleges and even libraries throughout the country，

giving taxpayers a chance to see what they have brought.

41. What is the main ides of this article?

42."Paintings and drawings are rotated." What does the sentence mean?

43.In the Fitzwilliam museum, one can never see those objects that are kept hidden, can he?

44． Why does the writer say that the Arts Council is fortunate ？

45． How many museums are mentioned in this article？

PART Ⅲ English-Chinese Translation（15％）

Directions ： Read the following passage carefully. Then translate it into Chinese.

Write your translation on the Answer Sheet.

Banks are closely concerned with the flow of money into and out of the economy. They

often co-operate with governments in efforts to stabilize economies and to prevent inflation.

They are specialists in the business of providing capital， and in allocating funds on

credit． Banks originated as places to which people took their valuables for safe-keeping，

but today the great banks of the world have many functions in addition to acting as

guardians of valuable private possessions.

We can say that the primary function of a bank today is to act as an intermediary

between depositors who wish to make interest on their savings， and borrowers who wish

to obtain capital. The bank is a reservoir of loanable money， with streams of money flowing in and out．

For this reason， economists and financiers often talk of money being“liquid”， or of the“liquidity” of money.

PART Ⅳ Writing（15％）

Directions ： Write a letter according to the information given in the following outline in

Chinese. Your composition should be about l20 words． Remember to write clearly. You should write this composition

on the Answer Sheet.

你们公司准备向美国IBM公司订购一批新一代的计算机，请你写一封订购信，其内容应包括以下几点：

1.你们获得IBM公司新产品信息的来源。

2．向IBM公司订购计算机的原因（公司信誉、产品质量等等）及订购数量。 3．要求对方详细介绍新产品的性能及售后服务。

4．询问价格及付款方式。

5．提出交货的时间和地点。