2021年招收攻读硕士学位研究生入学考试试题(A卷)*招生专业与代码：050205日语语言文学、050203法语语言文学考试科目名称及代码：241 基础英语考生注意：所有答案必须写在答题纸（卷）上，写在本试题上一律不给分。 Part I Cloze (10 points) Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage and write the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet. From childhood to old age, we all use language as a means of broadening our knowledge of ourselves and the world about us. When humans first _1_, they were like newborn children, unable to use this _2_ tool. Yet once language developed, the possibilities for humankinds future _3_ and cultural growth increased.Many linguists believe that evolution is _4_ for our ability to produce and use language. They _5_ that our highly evolved brain provides us _6_ an innate language ability not found in lower _7_. Proponents of this innateness theory say that our _8_ for language is inborn, but that language itself develops gradually, _9_ a function of the growth of the brain during childhood. Therefore there are critical _10_ times for language development.Current _11_ of innateness theory are mixed, however, evidence supporting the existence of some innate abilities is undeniable. _12_, more and more schools are discovering that foreign languages are best taught in _13_ grades. Young children often can learn several languages by being _14_ to them, while adults have a much harder time learning another language once the _15_ of their first language have become firmly fixed. _16_ some aspects of language are undeniably innate, language does not develop automatically in a vacuum. Children who have been _17_ from other human beings do not possess language. This demonstrates that _18_ with other human beings is necessary for proper language development. Some linguists believe that this is even more basic to human language _19_ than any innate capacities. These theorists view language as imitative, learned behavior. _20_, children learn language from their parents by imitating them. Parents gradually shape their childs language skills by positively reinforcing precise imitations and negatively reinforcing imprecise ones. 1. A.generated B.evolved C.born D.originated2. A.valuableB.appropriateC.convenient D.favorite3. A.attainmentsB.feasibilityC.entertainmentsD.evolution4. A.essentialB.availableC.reliable D.responsible5. A.confirmB.informC.claim D.convince6. A.forB.fromC.of D.with7. A.organizationsB.organismsC.humansD.children8. A.potentialB.performance C.preferenceD.passion9. A.as B.just as C.likeD.unlike10. A.ideologicalB.biologicalC.social D.psychological11. A.reviewsB.referenceC.reactionD.recommendation12. A.In a word B.In a senseC.Indeed D.In other words13. A.variousB.different C.the higherD.the lower14. A.revealedB.exposedC.engaged.D.involved15. A.regulationsB.formations C.rules D.constitutions16. A.AlthoughB.WhetherC.SinceD.When17. A.distinguished.B.differentC.protected D.isolated18. A.expositionB.comparisonC.contrast D.interaction19. A.acquisitionB.appreciationC.requirementD.alternative20. A.As a resultB.After allC.In other wordsD.Above allPart II Reading Comprehension Section A (40 points)Directions: There are 4 passages in this section. 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 write the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.Ive been attempting to learn French for a while now, and its a slow process. Its all much harder this time around than it was to learn English, my first language. All this effort made me wonder if there were some tricks to learning a foreign language that Id been missing. It turns out that its just a tricky thing to do once youre an adult. Learning language is something were born to do. Its an instinct we have, which is proven, as one research paper says. To believe that special biological adaptations are a requirement, it is enough to notice that all the children but none of the dogs and cats in the house acquire language. As children, we learn to think, learn to communicate and intuitively pick up an understanding of grammar rules in our mother tongue, or native language. From then on, we learn all new languages in relation to the one we first knew the one that we used to understand the world around us for the first time ever.When it comes to learning a second language, adults are at a disadvantage. One theory of why learning a foreign language is so hard for adults focuses on the process we go through to do so. Robert Bley-Vroman explains in Linguistic Perspectives on Second Language Acquisition that adults approach learning a new language with an adult problem-solving process, rather than in the same way a child develops language for the first time.Although this means adults generally progress through the early stages of learning a language faster than children, people who are exposed to a foreign language first during childhood usually achieve a higher proficiency than those who start out as adults.Theres still hope, though. A study of secondary language pronunciation found that some learners who started as adults scored as well as native speakers. Its also been shown that motivation to learn can improve proficiency, so if you really want to learn a language, its not necessarily too late.21. What did the author realize from his experience of learning French?A. Learning French is difficult for an adult.B. French is as difficult as English for him.C. He has missed the tips on learning French.D. It demands great efforts to learn a language. 22. How are we influenced by the way we learned our mother tongue?A. We prefer to learn by understanding the grammar rules first.B. We tend to attach more importance to listening and speaking.C. We are inclined to learn all other new languages in relation to it.D. We may unconsciously think it is the best way to learn languages.23. According to Robert Bley-Vroman, how do adults approach a new language?A. They tend to choose a problem-solving process.B. They try to be exposed to a foreign environment.C. They follow the way a child learns a language.D. They start by taking language proficiency practices.24. According to the passage, what is the good news for adult learners?A. They can achieve a higher proficiency than most children.B. They can speak the language as good as the native speakers.C. They can master a foreign language once they are motivated.D. They can improve proficiency by imitating the way kids learn.25. What is the passage mainly about?A. The differences between child learners and adult learners.B. The possible difficulties language learners may come across.C. The common ways people choose to learn a foreign language.D. The disadvantages of and hopes for an adult language learner.Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.Some pessimistic experts feel that the automobile is bound to fall into disuse. They see a day in the not-too-distant future when all autos will be abandoned and allowed to rust. Other authorities, however, think the auto is here to stay. They hold that the car will remain a leading means of urban travel in the foreseeable future.The motorcar will undoubtedly change significantly over the next 30 years. It should become smaller, safer, and more economical, and should not be powered by the gasoline engine. The car of the future should be far more pollution-free than present types.Regardless of its power source, the auto in the future will still be the main problem in urban traffic congestion. One proposed solution to this problem is the automated highway system.When the auto enters the highway system, a retractable (可伸缩的) arm will drop from the auto and make contact with a rail, which is similar to those powering subway trains electrically. Once attached to the rail, the car will become electrically powered from the system, and control of the vehicle will pass to a central computer. The computer will then monitor all of the cars movements.The driver will use a telephone to dial instructions about his destination into the system. The computer will calculate the best route, and reserve space for the car all the way to the correct exit from the highway. The driver will then be free to relax and wait for the buzzer (蜂鸣器) that will warn him of his coming exit. It is estimated that an automated highway will be able to handle 10,000 vehicles per hour, compared with the 1,500 to 2,000 vehicles that can be carried by a present-day highway.26. One significant improvement in the future car will probably be _.A. its driving systemB. its power sourceC. its monitoring systemD. its seating capacity27. What is the authors main concern?A. How to render automobiles pollution-free.B. How to make smaller and safer automobiles.C. How to develop an automated subway system.D. How to solve the problem of traffic jams.28. What provides autos with electric power in an automated highway system?A. A rail.B. An engine.C. A retractable arm.D. A computer controller.29. In an automated highway system, all the driver needs to do is _.A. keep in the right laneB. wait to arrive at his destinationC. keep in constant touch with the computer centerD. inform the system of his destination by phone30. What is the authors attitude toward the future of autos?A. Enthusiastic.B. Optimistic.C. Pessimistic.D. Cautious.Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.We all know that DNA has the ability to identify individuals but, because it is inherited, there are also regions of the DNA strand which can relate an individual to his or her family (immediate and extended), tribal group and even an entire population. Molecular Genealogy (宗谱学) can use this unique identification provided by the genetic markers to link people together into family trees. Pedigrees(家谱) based on such genetic markers can mean a breakthrough for family trees where information is incomplete or missing due to adoption, illegitimacy or lack of records. There are many communities and populations which have lost precious records due to tragic events such as the fire in the Irish courts during Civil War in 1921 or American slaves for whom many records were never kept in the first place. The main objective of the Molecular Genealogy Research Group is to build a database containing over 100,000 DNA samples from individuals all over the word. These individuals will have provided a pedigree chart of at least four generations and a small blood sample. Once the database has enough samples to represent the world genetic make-up, it will eventually help in solving may issues regarding genealogies that could not be done by relying only on traditional written records. Theoretically, any individual will someday be able to trace his or her family origins through this database.In the meantime, as the database is being created, molecular genealogy can already verify possible or suspected relationships between individuals. “For example, if two men sharing the same last name believe that they are related, but no written record proves this relationship, we can verify this possibility by collecting a sample of DNA from both and looking for common markers( in this case we can look primarily at the Y chromosome(染色体) ,” explains Ugo Perego, a member of the BYU Molecular Genealogy research team. 31. If two men suspected for some reason they have a common ancestor,_.A. we can decide according to their family treeB. we can find the truth from their genetic markersC. we can compare the differences in their Y chromosomeD. we can look for written records to prove their relationship32. People in a large area may possess the same DNA thread because_.A. DNA is characteristic of a regionB. they are beyond doubt of common ancestryC. DNA strand has the ability to identify individualsD. their unique identification can be provided via DNA33. Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the passage?A. We are a walking, living, breathing record of our ancestors.B. Many American slaves did not know who their ancestors were.C. An adopted child generally lacks enough information to prove his identity.D. Molecular Genealogy can be used to prove a relationship between individuals.34. The Molecular Genealogy Research Group is building a database for the purpose of_.A. offering assistance in working out genealogy-related problemsB. solving many issues without relying on traditional written recordsC. providing a pedigree chart of at least four generations in the worldD. confirming the assumption that all individuals are of the same origin35. The possible research of family trees is based on the fact that_.A. genetics has achieved a breakthroughB. genetic information contained in DNA can be revealed nowC. each individual carries a unique record of who he is and how he is related to othersD. we can use DNA to prove how distant an individual is to a family, a group or a populationQuestions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage. Stone tools, animal bones and an incised mammoth tusk found in Russias frigid far north have provided what archaeologists say is the first evidence that modern humans or Neanderthals lived in the Arctic more than 30,000 years ago, at least 15,000 years earlier than previously thought.A team of Russian and Norwegian archaeologists, describing the discovery in todays issue of the journal Nature, said the campsite, at Mamontovaya Kurya, on the Ura River at the Arctic Circle, was the “oldest documented evidence for human resence at this high latitude.” Digging in the bed of an old river channel close to the Ural Mountains, the team uncovered 123 mammal bones, including horse, reindeer and wolf. “The most important find,” they said, was a four-foot mammoth tusk with grooves made by chopping with a sharp stone edge, “unequivocally the work of humans.” The tusk was carbon-dated at about 36,600 years old. Plant remains found among the artifacts were dated at 30,000 to 31,000 years.Other archaeologists said the analysis appeared to be sound. But they cautioned that it was difficult, when dealing with riverbed deposits, to be sure that artifacts had not become jumbled out of their true place, a