2012年厦门大学翻译硕士211真题翻译硕士(MTI)备考系列厦门大学2012年招收攻读硕士学位研究生(专业学位)入学考试试题科目代码:211科目名称:翻译硕士英语招生类别:翻译硕士考生须知:答题必须使用黑(蓝)色墨水(圆珠)笔;不得直接在试卷(试题纸)或草稿纸上作答:凡未按上述规定作答均不予评阅、判分,责任考生自负。
Part Ⅰ.vocabulary & Grammar(共30题,每小题1分,共30分)A. Complete each of the following sentences with the best choice.1. Have you ever been in a situation _________ you know the other person is right yet you cannot agree with him?A. by which B that C. in where D. where2. He has many pen-friends. No week passes _________ he receives several letters.A. thatB. whichC. thanD. but3. That trumpet player was certainly loud. But I wasn’t bothered by his loudness _________by his lack of talentA. so much asB. rather thanC. asD. than4. The physicist has made a discovery, _________ of great importance to the progress of science and technology.A. I think which isB. that I think isC. which I think isD. which I think it is5. Things, _________ is often the case, will turn out to be contrary to one’s wishes.A. asB. whichC. thatD. it6. There ought to be less anxiety over the perceived risk of mountain climbing than _________ in the public mind today.A. existB. existsC. existingD. to exist7. _________ for the timely investment from the general public, our company would not be so thriving as it is.A. Had it not beenB. Were it notC. Be it notD. Should it not be8. People thinking about the origin of language for the first time usually arrive at the conclusion that it developed gradually as a system of grants, hisses and cries and _________ a very simple affair in the beginning.A. must beB. must have been C, ought to be D, should be9. It was as a physician that he represented himself, and _________ he was warmly received.A. as thatB. such asC. as suchD. so that10. China has hundreds of islands, _________ is Taiwan Island.A, among them the largest B. and the largest of whichC. and the largest of themD. but among which the largest11. If the weather is fine, we will go. If _________ , _________ .A. not, noB. no, noC. not, notD. no, not12. To define love is very difficult, for the same reason that words cannot fully describe the flavor of an orange. You have to taste the fruit to know its flavor. So it is _________ love.A. toB. inC. tooD. with13. Susan doesn’t even know that angles of less than 90 degrees are called _________angles.A. convergingB. focalC. acuteD. obtuse14. Those battered old trousers of his are a _________ joke to all his friends.A. steadyB. standingC. stableD. persisting15. He tries to _________ his lessons by telling an interesting anecdote about the president.A. cheer upB. inspireC. stimulateD. liven up16. The soldiers in the platoon shined their bayonets in _________ of the inspection by the general.A. contemplationB. anticipation C, preconception D. meditation17. The early white settlers in America maltreated the Indians in two ways: first, they appropriated the Indians’ property and treated them with contempt; secondly, the writers of that period deprecated the character of the Indians and justified _________ .A. those who persecuted themB. those who supported themC. their claims to the landD. their rights as individuals18. American cities, with few exceptions, resemble each other greatly. It is true that some of them may be constructed chiefly of wood, while others are chiefly brick, but in every other respect they are markedly _________ .A. uniformB. advancedC. beautifulD. unique19. A hundred times a day we laugh at ourselves when we laugh at our neighbors, and we detest in others the faults that in ourselves are _________ .A. much more glaringB. totally absentC. seldom to be foundD. positive virtues20. Before making a decision, we should seek out both sides of a question and form the habit of having suspended judgment and an open mind receptive to _________ .A. changeB. good authorityC. radio reportsD. new evidencePart Ⅱ.Reading Comprehension(共20题,每小题2分,共40分)In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of 20 questions. Read the passages and then mark or write down the best answer to each question on your answer sheet.TEXT ACampaigning on the Indian frontier is an experience by itself. Neither the landscape nor the people find their counterparts in any other portion of the globe. Valley walls rise steeply five or six thousand feet on every side. The columns crawl through a maze of giant corridors down which fierce snow-fed torrents foam under skies of brass. Amid these scenes of savage brilliancy there dwells a race whose qualities seem to harmonize with their environment. Except at harvest time, whenself-preservation requires a temporary truce, the Pathan tribes are always engaged in private or public war. Every man is a warrior, a politician and a theologian. Every large house is a real feudal fortress made, it is true, only of sun-baked clay, but with battlements, turrets, loopholes, drawbridges, etc. complete. Every village has its defence. Every family cultivates its vendetta; every clan, its feud. The numerous tribes and combinations of tribes all have their accounts to settle with one another. Nothing is ever forgotten, and very few debts are left unpaid. For the purposes of social life, in addition to the convention about harvest-time, a most elaborate code of honour has been established and is on the whole faithfully observed. A man who knew it and observed it faultlessly might pass unarmed from one end of the frontier to another. The slightest technical slip would, however, be fatal. The life of the Pathan is thus full of interest; and his valleys, nourished alike by endless sunshine and abundant water, are fertile enough to yield with little labour the modest material requirements of a sparse population.Into this happy world the nineteenth century brought two new facts: the rifle and the British Government. The first was an enormous luxury and blessing; the second, an unmitigated nuisance. The convenience of the rifle was nowhere more appreciated than in the Indian highlands. A weapon which would kill with accuracy at fifteen hundred yards opened a whole new vista of delights to every family or clan which could acquire it. One could actually remain in one’s own house and fire at one’s neighbour nearly a mile away. One could lie in wait on some high crag, and at hitherto unheard of ranges hit a horseman far below. Even villages could fire at each other without the trouble of going far from home. Fabulous prices were therefore offered for these glorious products of science.Rifle-thieves scoured all India to reinforce the efforts of the honest smuggler. A steady flow of the coveted weapons spread its genial influence throughout the frontier, and the respect which the Pathan tribesmen entertained for Christian civilization was vastly enhanced.The action of the British Government on the other hand was entirely unsatisfactory. The great organizing, advancing, absorbing power to the southward seemed to be little better than a monstrous spoil-sport. If the Pathan made forays into the plains, not only were they driven back (which after all was no more than fair), but a whole series of subsequent interferences took place, followed at intervals by expeditions which toiled laboriously through the valleys, scolding the tribesmen and exacting fines for any damage which they had done. No one would have minded these expeditions if they had simply come, had a fight and then gone away again. In many cases this was their practice under what was called the "butcher and bolt policy" to which the Government of India long adhered. But towards the end of the nineteenth century these intruders began to make roads through many of the valleys, and in particular the great road to Chitral. They sought to ensure the safety of these roads by threats, by forts and by subsidies. There was no objection to the last method so far as it went. But the whole of this tendency to road-making was regarded by the Pathans with profound distaste. All along the road people were expected to keep quiet, not to shoot one another, and above all not to shoot at travellers along the road. It was too much to ask, and a whole series of quarrels took their origin from this source.1. The word "debts" in "very few debts are left unpaid" in the first paragraph means _________ .[A] loans[B] accounts[C] killings[D] bargains2. Which of the following is NOT one of the geographical facts about the Indian frontier?[A] Melting snows.[B] Large population.[C] Steep hillsides.[D] Fertile valleys.3. According to the passage, the Pathans welcomed _________ .[A] the introduction of the rifle[B] the spread of British rule[C] the extension of luxuries[D] the spread of trade4. Building roads by the British _________ .[A] put an end to a whole series of quarrels[B] prevented the Pathans from carrying on feuds[C] lessened the subsidies paid to the Pathans[D] gave the Pathans a much quieter life5. What would be a suitable title for the passage?TEXT BA bus took him to the West End, where, among the crazy coloured fountains of illumination,shattering the blue dusk with green and crimson fire, he found the card of his choice, a tea-shop that had gone mad and turned Babylonian, a white palace with ten thousand lights. It towered above the other building like a citadel, which indeed it was, the outpost of a new age, perhaps a new civilization, perhaps a new barbarism; and behind the thin marble front were concrete and steel, just as behind the careless profusion of luxury were millions of pence, balanced to the last halfpenny, Somewhere in the background, hidden away, behind the ten thousand lights and acres of white napery and bewildering glittering rows of teapots, behind the thousand waitresses and cash-box girls and black-coated floor managers and temperamental long-haired violinists, behind the mounds of cauldrons of stewed steak, the vanloads of ices, were a few men who went to work juggling with fractions of a farming, who knew how many units of electricity it took to finish a steak-and-kidney pudding and how many minutes and seconds a waitress (five feet four in height and in average health) would need to carry a tray of given weight from the kitchen life to the table in the far comer. In short, there was a warm, sensuous, vulgar life flowering in the upper storeys, and a cold science working in the basement. Such was the gigantic tea-shop into which Turgis marched, in search not of mere refreshment but of all the enchantment of unfamiliar luxury. Perhaps he knew in his heart that men have conquered half the known world, looted whole kingdoms, and never arrived in such luxury. The place was built for him.It was built for a great many other people too, and, as usual, they were all there. It steamed with humanity. The marble entrance hall, piled dizzily with bonbons and cakes, was as crowded and bustling as a railway station. The gloom and grime of the streets, the raw air, all November, were at once left behind, forgotten: the atmosphere inside was golden, tropical, belonging to some highmid-summer of confectionery. Disdaining the lifts, Turgis, once more excited by the sight, sound, and smell of it all, climbed the wide staircase until he reached his favourite floor, where an orchestra, led by a young Jewish violinist with wandering lustrous eyes and a passion for tremolo effects, acted as a magnet to a thousand girls, scented air, the sensuous clamour of the strings; and, as he stood hesitating a moment, half dazed, there came, bowing, s sleek grave man, older than he was and far more distinguished than he could ever hope to be, who murmured deferentially: "For one, sir? This way, please, " Shyly, yet proudly, Turgis followed him.6. That "behind the thin marble front were concrete and steel" suggests that _________ .[A] modem realistic commercialism existed behind the luxurious appearance[B] there was a fundamental falseness in the style and the appeal of the card[C] the architect had made a sensible blend of old and new building materials[D] the caré was based on physical foundations and real economic strength7. The following words or phrases are somewhat critical of the tea-shop EXCEPT _________ .[A] ". . . turned Babylonian"[B] "perhaps a new barbarism"[C] "acres of white napery"[D] "balanced to the last halfpenny"8. In its context, the statement that "the place was built for him" means that the café was intended to _________ .[A] please simple people in a simple way[B] exploit gullible people like him[C] satisfy a demand that already existed[D] provide relaxation for tired young men9. Which of the following statements about the second paragraph is NOT true?[A] The café appealed to most senses simultaneously.[B] The café was both full of people and full of warmth.[C] The inside of the café was contrasted with the weather outside.[D] It stressed the commercial determination of the café owners.I0. What comparisons are made by the author in the second paragraph?TEXT CFor office innovators, the unrealized dream of the "paperless" office is a classic example ofhigh-tech hubris (傲慢). Today’s office drone is drowning in more paper than ever before.But after decades of hype, American offices may finally be losing their paper obsession. The demand for paper used to outstrip the growth of the US economy, but the past two or three years have seen a marked slowdown in sales — despite a healthy economic scene.Analysts attribute the decline to such factors as advances in digital databases and communication systems. Escaping our craving for paper, however, will be anything but an easy affair."Old habits are hard to break, " says Merilyn Dunn, a communications supplies director. "There are some functions that paper serves where a screen display doesn’t work. Those functions are both its strength and its weakness. "In the early to mid-1990s, a booming economy and improved desktop printers helped boost paper sales by 6 to 7 percent each year. The convenience of desktop printing allowed office workers to indulge in printing anything and everything at very little effort or cost.But now, the growth rate of paper sales in the United States is flattening by about half a percent each year. Between 2004 and 2005, Ms. Dunn says, plain white office paper will see less than a 4 percent growth rate, despite the strong overall economy. A primary reason for the change, says Dunn, is that for the first time ever, some 47percent of the workforce entered the job market after computers had already been introduced to offices."We’re finally seeing a reduction in the amount of paper being used per worker in the workplace, " says John Maine, vice president of a pulp and paper economic consulting firm. "More information is being transmitted electronically, and more and more people are comfortable with the information residing only in electronic form without printing multiple backups. "In addition, Mr. Maine points to the lackluster employment market for white-collar workers —the primary driver of office paper consumption for the shift in paper usage.The real paradigm shift may be in the way paper is used. Since the advent of advanced and reliable office-network systems, data storage has moved away from paper archives. The secretarial art of "filing" is disappearing from job descriptions. Much of today’s data may never leave its original digital format.The changing attitudes toward paper have finally caught the attention of paper companies, says Richard Harper, a researcher at Microsoft. "All of a sudden, the paper industry has started thinking, ’We need to learn more about the behavioural aspects of paper use, ’" he says. "They had never asked, they’d just assumed that 70million sheets would be bought per year as a literal functionof economic growth. "To reduce paper use, some companies are working to combine digital and paper capabilities. For example, Xerox Corp. is developing electronic paper: thin digital displays that respond to a stylus, like a pen on paper. Notations can be erased or saved digitally.Another idea, intelligent paper, comes from Anoto Group. It would allow notations made with a stylus on a page printed with a special magnetic ink to simultaneously appear on a computer screen.Even with such technological advances, the improved capabilities of digital storage continue to act against "paperlessness. " argues Paul Saffo, a technology forecaster. In his prophetic and metaphorical 1989 essay, "The Electronic Piñata (彩罐), " he suggests that the increasing amounts of electronic data necessarily require more paper.The information industry today "is like a huge electronic piñata, composed of a thin paper crust surrounding an electronic core, " Mr. Saffo wrote. The growing paper crust "is most noticeable, but the hidden electronic core that produces the crust is far larger — and growing more rapidly. The result is that we are becoming paperless, but we hardly notice at all. "In the same way that digital innovations have increased paper consumption, Saffo says, so has video conferencing — with its promise of fewer in-person meetings — boosted business travel."That’s one of the great ironies of the information age, " Saffo says. "It’s just common sense that the more you talk to someone by phone or computer, it inevitably leads to a face-to-face meeting. The best thing for the aviation industry was the Internet. "11. What function does the second sentence in the first paragraph serve?[A] It further explains high-tech hubris.[B] It confirms the effect of high-tech hubris.[C] It offers a cause for high-tech hubris.[D] It offers a contrast to high-tech hubris.12. Which of the following is NOT a reason for the slowdown in paper sales?[A] Workforce with better computer skills.[B] Slow growth of the US economy.[C] Changing patterns in paper use.[D] Changing employment trends.13. The two innovations by Xerox Corp. and Anoto Group feature _________ .[A] integrated use of paper and digital form[B] a shift from paper to digital form[C] the use of computer screen[D] a new style of writing14. What is the author’s attitude towards "paperlessness"?[A] He reviews the situation from different perspectives.[B] He agrees with some of the people quoted in the passage.[C] He has a preference for digital innovations.[D] He thinks airlines benefit most from the digital age.15. What does the author mean by "irony of the information age"?TEXT DStratford-on-Avon, as we all know, has only one industry—William Shakespeare—but there are two distinctly separate and increasingly hostile branches. There is the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), which presents superb productions of the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre on the Avon. And there are the townsfolk who largely live off the tourists who come, not to see the plays, but to look at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s birthplace and the other sights.The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue. They frankly dislike the RSC’s actors, them with their long hair and beards and sandals and noisiness. It’s all deliciously ironic when you consider that Shakespeare, who earns their living, was himself an actor (with a beard) and did his share of noise-making.The tourist streams are not entirely separate. The sightseers who come by bus -and often take in Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace on the side - don’t usually see the plays, and some of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford. However, the playgoers do manage a little sight-seeing along with their play going. It is the playgoers, the RSC contends, who bring in much of the town’s revenue because they spend the night (some of them four or five nights) pouring cash into the hotels and restaurants. The sightseers can take in everything and get out of town by nightfall.The townsfolk don’t see it this way and local council does not contribute directly to the subsidy of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Stratford cries poor traditionally. Nevertheless every hotel in town seems to be adding a new wing or cocktail lounge. Hilton is building its own hotel there, which you may be sure will be decorated with Hamlet Hamburger Bars, the Lear Lounge, the Banquo Banqueting Room, and so forth, and will be very expensive.Anyway, the townsfolk can’t understand why the Royal Shakespeare Company needs a subsidy. (The theatre has broken attendance records for three years in a row. Last year its 1, 431 seats were 94 per cent occupied all year long and this year they’ll do better. ) The reason, of course, is that costs have rocketed and ticket prices have stayed low.It would be a shame to raise prices too much because it would drive away the young people who are Stratford’s most attractive clientele. They come entirely for the plays, not the sights. They all seem to look alike (though they come from all over) -lean, pointed, dedicated faces, wearing jeans and sandals, eating their buns and bedding down for the night on the flagstones outside the theatre to buy the 20 seats and 80 standing-room tickets held for the sleepers and sold to them when the box office opens at 10:30 a. m.16. From the first two paragraphs, we learn that _________ .[A] the townsfolk deny the RSC’s contribution to the town’s revenue[B] the actors of the RSC imitate Shakespeare on and off stage[C] the two branches of the RSC are not on good terms[D] the townsfolk earn little from tourism17. It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that _________ .[A] the sightseers cannot visit the Castle and the Palace separately[B] the playgoers spend more money than the sightseers[C] the sightseers do more shopping than the playgoers[D] the playgoers go to no other places in town than the theater18. By saying "Stratford cries poor traditionally" (Line 2-3, Paragraph 4), the author implies that_________ .[A] Stratford cannot afford the expansion projects[B] Stratford has long been in financial difficulties[C] the town is not really short of money[D] the townsfolk used to be poorly paid19. From the text we can conclude that the author _________ .[A] is supportive of both sides[B] favors the townsfolk’s view[C] takes a detached attitude[D] is sympathetic to the RSC20. According to the townsfolk, what is the reason that the RSC deserves no subsidy?Part Ⅲ.Writing(共1题,每题30分,共30分)The global economic crisis has made a significant impact on the lives of many around the world. Cuts in social services, rising unemployment, insurmountable debts have resulted in protests across Europe and in the Americas. Compose an essay of about 400 words describing your understanding about some of the primary causes of this crisis and discussing in what ways this crisis has affected you and/or your friends and family and what steps should be taken to avoid a similar situation in the future.。