厦门大学2003年阅读及英美文学、语言学考研真题

　　Passage 6

　　With the show Rodeo, Agnes de Mille had been an innovator in the world of ballet. But with theshow Oklahoma!, she revolutionized the Broadway stage – brought to an end the dance lineroutine of high kicks and mechanized movement, and gave in its place dance and plotsmoothly integrated, choreography reinforcing the action. Twenty-five years later, in March, 1968, a New York Times article by the theater critic Walter Kerr, headed “In the Beginning WasOklahoma!”, stated, “Oklahoma! had a plot. It had to do with whether a boy would succeed intaking emotional implications had to be danced out at great length in what remains the mostexhilarating dancing … ever devised for the United States musical comedy stage.”

　　The impact of Oklahoma! was instantaneous. The song “Beautiful Morning” sounded out viaradios, in restaurants, from cars passing on the highways, in shoeshine parlors. Full skirts ofgingham patterns, street shoes made to look like ballet slippers, the ponytail hairdo, were therage. The play ran for five years and nine weeks in New York City. A traveling road companyplayed it for nine and a half years. It also toured abroad for several years. In 1955 it became amovie. A newly assembled all-star company was sent abroad by the State Department asrepresentative of a part of United States culture.

　　As for Agnes de Mille, her days of giving recitals and losing $300 to $1,000 each time were over.She became the most sought-after choreographer on Broadway.

　　22. What is the author’s main purpose in the passage?

　　(A) To explain the background of the song “Beautiful Morning”

　　(B) To compare Rodeo and Oklahoma!

　　(C) To describe Agnes de Mille’s success with Oklahoma!

　　(D) To discuss the fashions made popular by Oklahoma!

　　23. The author cites Walter Kerr because he was ______

　　(A) the composer of the music for Oklahoma!

　　(B) a dancer who performed with Agnes de Mille

　　(C) a critic who praised Agnes de Mille’s choreography

　　(D) the owner of The New York Times

　　24. In the second paragraph, the expression “were the rage” could best be replaced by ______

　　(A)created chaos

　　(B)made people crazed

　　(C) made people angry

　　(D)were very popular

　　25. According to the passage, Oklahoma! was selected by the State Department to beperformed abroad because it was ______

　　(A)considered rather revolutionary

　　(B)representative of an aspect of American life

　　(C) poorly received in New York City

　　(D)an inspiring love story

　　26. The passage implies that prior to Oklahoma! Agnes de Mille had given recitals that were______

　　(A)popular comedy routines

　　(B)financially unsuccessful

　　(C) performed at picnics

　　(D)broadcast over the radio

　　Passage 7

　　Lichens are a unique group of complex, flowerless plants growing on rocks and trees. Thereare thousands kinds of lichens, which come in a wide variety of colors. They are composed ofalgae and fungi, which unite to satisfy the needs the lichens.

　　The autotrophic green algae produce all their own food through a process calledphotosynthesis and provide the lichen with nutritional elements. On the other hand, theheterotrophic fungus, which on other elements to provide its food, not only absorbs andstores water for the plant, but also helps protect it. This union by which two dissimilarorganisms live together is called "symbiosis".

　　This sharing enables lichens to resist the most adverse environmental conditions found onearth. They can be found in some very unlikely places such as polar ice caps as well as intropical zones, in dry areas as well in wet ones, on mountain peaks and along coastal areas.

　　The lichen's strong resistance to its hostile environment and its ability to live in harmonywith such environments is one example that humanity should consider in trying solve theirown problems.

　　27. Which of the following is NOT true?

　　(A) Lichens are not simple plants

　　(B) The lichen habitat is limited to the polar ice caps

　　(C) Lichens can resist a hostile environment.

　　(D) Heterotrophic plants depend on their elements to supply their food.

　　28. What can be said about autotrophic plants and heterotrophic plants?

　　(A) They produce their food in the same manner.

　　(B) They produce their food in the same manner.

　　(C) Autotrophic plants need other elements to supply their food.

　　(D) Their methods of food production are completely different.

　　29. What of the following conclusions could be made about lichens?

　　(A) They are found worldwide and are complex plants made up of algae and fungi.

　　(B) They are found worldwide and are simple plants, symbiotic in nature.

　　(C) They are found worldwide and are compound plants made up entirely of algae.

　　(D) Although found worldwide, lichens are found mostly as a simple form in the tropics.

　　30. Which of the following directly relates to algae?

　　(A) It offers protection to lichens.

　　(B) It supplies water for lichens.

　　(C) It supplies its own food.

　　(D) It is depended on other plants for its food supply.

　　Passage 8

　　Why save endangered species? For the general public, endangered species appear to be littlemore than biological oddities. A very different perception is gained from considering the issueof extinction in a wider context. The important pint is that many major social advances havebeen made on the basis of life forms whose worth would never have been perceived in advance.Consider the impact of rubber-producing plants on contemporary life and industry:approximately two-thirds of the world’s rubber supply comes from rubber-producing plantsand is made into objects as diverse as rubber washers and rubber boots.

　　31. The author’s point is made chiefly by _______

　　(A) acknowledging the validity of two opposing points of view

　　(B) appealing to the emotions of the audience rather than to their intellects

　　(C) suggesting a useful perspective for viewing the question raised at the beginning of thepassage

　　(D) trying to discredit the view of an opponent without presenting an alternative hypothesis

　　32. All of the following facts could be used for as illustrative examples in addition to theexample of rubber-producing plants except _________

　　(A) The discovery of the vaccine for smallpox resulted from observing the effect of the cowpoxvirus on the hands of dairy workers

　　(B) The major source of our pharmaceutical supplies is plants, some of them commonlythought of as weeds.

　　(C) Certain antibiotics were originally derived from mold growing on cantaloupe

　　(D) Plastic is a unique product derived from petroleum and petroleum by products

　　Passage 9

　　According to a recent historical study, capital punishment deters murder only during weekswhen well-publicized executions take place. During such weeks, homicides fail to a level belowaverage. The yearly murder rate, however, is not affected by the number of well-publicizedexecutions.

　　33. If the above passage is true, which of the following statements must also be true?

　　(A) In the period studied, the number of well-publicized executions remained virtually the samefrom year to year.

　　(B) For at least one week during any years in which there were well-publicized executions,murder rates were above average.

　　(C) During some weeks of each year of the study, an extraordinary number of publicexecution took place.

　　(D) In the past, newspapers considered capital punishment important news and devotedextensive coverage to all executions.

　　Passage 10

　　Jet fighters have recently been equipped with electronics improvements enabling the pilot toshoot down an enemy plane while still out of sight. There is, however, the following problem:there is no sure way of determining whether a plane that is out of sight is friend or foe.

　　34. Which of the following products suffers from a drawback that, in its logical features, ismost like the problem described above?

　　(A) A fire alarm system with such a high heat and smoke threshold that it is likely to react toolate to a developing fire

　　(B) An improved electronic ignition system whose superiority is limited to those rate timeswhen it is perfectly adusted.

　　(C) A product marketed as a weedkiller that kills all plants to which it is applied before theresume active growth in the spring.

　　(D) A cold medicine that relieves most symptoms of the common cold but also causes spells ofdizziness.