ENG2001

2001 年度英語読解力考査
This is NOT the actual test.

PART I

Text 1

Almost everyone has seen how, when the smooth surface of a pond or a quiet pool isstruck by a gust of wind, the surface immediately is transformed into a regular patternof ripples that travels across the water in the direction of the wind. The waves we watch
come rolling into shore on windy days are, in most cases, products of just such wind
5 pressure on the water far out at sea. There are other waves, of course, such as the waves
set in motion when a glacier breaks up and pushes icebergs out to sea, or the so-called
tidal waves, or tsunami, which have nothing to do with the tide but are caused bysudden movements of the ocean floor. Such waves, however, are not continually formed
as are wind-created waves.
10Oceanographers have several terms they apply to waves at sea. They speak of the"fetch," which is the distance a wave travels from the place it originates to where it
meets its first obstacle. This may be thousands of miles. The wave's "height" ismeasured from its lowest trough to its highest crest; its "length" is the distance from its
crest to that of the next wave. Up to a certain point waves grow in height according to

15 the strength of the wind that produces them, but when a wave becomes about
one-seventh as high from trough to crest as it is from crest to crest of the next wave, itwill topple and make what is called a "whitecap."
A wave fortunately is not a moving wall of water advancing across the ocean. If it
were, no ship could stand up against it, and very few coasts would be safe. Instead, the20 wave is an invisible force-like an electromagnetic field-which itself moves and simply
lifts the water as it passes along. Of course, the movement of the water is not straight

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up and down. Each drop of water in a wave travels in a circular or elliptical orbit, but it
ends up at almost the same place it started.
Today we know that the ease with which a ship rides the waves is largely
25 determined by the shape and length of the craft. Ocean-going freighters and cruise
ships are now constructed with flat bottoms rather than v-shaped bottoms so that theyroll less violently when caught in rough seas. Moreover, since they span several waves,such modern ocean-liners are extremely steady at sea. What is surprising, however, isthat small boats also fare well in heavy seas. This is because a little boat can ride up
30 and down the individual waves like a sea-bird bobbing on the tide. Such vessels may not
be as comfortable as the ocean-liners but they are nearly as stable. It is the mid-size
ships which are most prone to danger in heavy seas, since if they span exactly twowaves the unsupported middle of the ship may possibly break, sending it and its crew
and passengers to the ocean bottom.

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46. In the first paragraph, why does the writer mention the wind creating ripples on
the surface of the water?
a. To contrast waves on ponds with waves in the ocean.
b. To compare wind-generated waves with those caused by tides.
c. To illustrate the beauty that can be seen in waves.
d. To explain the basic dynamics of most wave creation.
47. What is the main purpose of the second paragraph?
a. To define specific vocabulary related to waves.
b. To introduce examples of different kinds of waves.
c. To describe the maximum size a wave can reach.
d. To indicate how far waves can actually travel.
48. In paragraph 2, the underlined word "topple" is closest in meaning to which of thefollowing?
a. fall overb. disappear
c. spread out
d. surge ahead
49. Which of the following is most similar to a wave?
a. an advancing wallb. an energy pulsec. a moving elevatord. a spring top
50. Which diagram best describes the movement of water in a wave as described in thepassage?
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51. The underlined word "craft" in the last paragraph could best be replaced with whichof the following?
a. sideb. vesselc. bottom
d. width
52. The underlined word "stable" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to which ofthe following?
a. strongb. popularc. fastd. balanced
53. Which conclusion is best supported by the last paragraph?
a. Small vessels sail smoothest in the mid-ocean.
b. Mid-sized ships may be the least safe in rough seas.
c. Flat-bottomed ships roll more than sharper-bottomed vessels.
d. The shape of a ship's bottom is more important than its length.

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Text 2The modern corporation came to life in the hands of nine men. In Santa ClaraCounty vs. Southern Pacific Railroad, an 1886 legal argument over a rail bed, the judgesof the US Supreme Court made an historic decision. They determined that, under theConstitution, a private corporation was a "natural person," entitled to all the rights and5 privileges of a human being. This single legal decision fundamentally changed America.
From that moment on, the country's citizens would have to think of corporations
differently. Every corporation-- though it was still technically only an idea-nonethelesshad its own "life" now, its own "ego." It could compete directly against real people anddemand equal treatment under the law. Moreover, because of their extensive financial
10 resources, corporations were now much more powerful than individuals. They coulddefend and use their rights and freedoms more vigorously than any person. The whole
intent of the American Constitution-that all citizens have one vote and exercise anequal voice in public debates-had been undermined.
The birth of the corporate "I" could not have been anticipated in 1600 when Queen
15 Elizabeth I of England chartered, or established, the first corporations of theAnglo-American tradition, essentially to exploit and colonize foreign lands--chief among
them, North America. As the New World was colonized, English corporations were there
every step of the way, although they were severely limited compared to contemporarycorporations. Most corporations during that period had a specified lifetime of 20 years to20 accomplish their goals. These early corporations were conceived as institutions actuallyserving the public interest. They were temporary structures given the right to operate
for specific period of time, with specific capital, to achieve specific goals.

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Colonial settlers feared these chartered entities of the Crown and recognized thatthey were used as a means to maintain control over the affairs of the colonies. The 1776
25 Declaration of Independence freed Americans not only from Britain but also from thecontrol of British corporations, and for 100 years after the document's signing
Americans remained deeply suspicious of corporate power. The 200 or so corporations
operating in the US by the year 1800 were kept on a short leash. They weren't allowed
to participate in the political process m, and if one of them acted improperly, the30 consequences were severe. In 1832, President Andrew Jackson refused to extend thecharter of the corrupt Second Bank of the United States, and was widely applauded fordoing so. The people--not corporations--were in control.
By the middle of the 19th century, however, the nation's commercial engine washumming, and corporations were becoming an indispensable part of business life. They
35 pushed for and gained extended rights and freedoms in their charters. The final strokecame with the Supreme Court's 1886 Santa Clara ruling which gave corporations theultimate boost they needed--the "natural person" status under the law. It was one of thegreatest mistakes in legal history, and it triggered the corporations' hundred-yearmarch to global power.

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54. What is the writer's opinion of the Supreme Court's decision in the Santa ClaraCounty vs. Southern Pacific Railroad case?
a. It was illegal.
b. It was overdue.
c. It was unwise.
d. It was premature.
55. What function does the second paragraph serve in this passage?
a. It explains why governments needed to protect corporate investors.
b. It argues that the corporate "I" was originally conceived in England.
c. It shows why Americans have always distrusted corporate power.
d. It provides historical background for the rise of the corporation.
56. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a characteristic of an early English
corporation?
a. It provided large returns for financial investors.
b. It was chartered for a particular period of time.
c. It had specifically defined objectives.
d. It was supposed to serve the public good.
57. According to the passage, why did Queen Elizabeth I first create corporations?
a. To raise the standard of living in England.
b. To encourage rapid domestic industrialization.
c. To extend England's power overseas.
d. To promote trade among the English colonies.
58. What does the example of President Andrew Jackson's action toward the Second
Bank of the United States illustrate?
a. The inevitable tendency of corporations to exploit their power.
b. The unrestricted emergence of the corporation in America.
c. The restrictions placed on corporations in the early 19th century.
d. The close cooperation of government and business in early America.

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59. What was the American public's response to Jackson's actions against the Second
Bank of the United States?
a. It supported the president's actions.
b. It believed the president acted improperly.
c. It resented the financial consequences of the action.
d. It was surprised that the corporation was dissolved.
60. Which of the following statements about corporations would the writer most likely
agree with?
a. They have played a positive role in modern history.
b. They are like people--they have good and bad qualities.
c. They have been granted too many rights and have too much power.
d. They are needed to balance the power of a strong government.
61. The underlined word "they" in the first sentence of paragraph 3 refers to which of
the following?
a. Colonial settlers
b. chartered entitiesc. round-about meansd. affairs of the colonies
62. The underlined phrase "kept on a short leash" in paragraph 3 could best be replacedby which of the following?
a. treated like dogs
b. unfairly punishedc. difficult to control
d. tightly restricted
63. The underlined word "triggered" in the last paragraph could best be replaced withwhich of the following?
a. acceptedb. limitedc. started
d. fired

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64. What would be the best title for this passage?
a. Santa Clara vs. Southern Pacific Railroad
b. Birth of the Corporate "I"c. British Corporations and The Colonization of America
d. Power Corrupts: Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

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PART II

Our visions of the future usually contain an interesting contradiction. In the novels,movies or essays _(65)_ how we will live a few hundred years _(66)_ thetechnology_(67)_ to be very sophisticated and advanced Spaceships hop from galaxy togalaxy _(68)_ the speed of light, cities float in the air or _(69)_ in bubbles under the sea.
5 _(70)_ part, the technological dimension of these _(71)_ tend to be utopian, for it is_(72)_ that the material conditions of life will become easier and more efficient. _(73)_the vision of the human dimension in these glimpses into the _(74)_ has generally beenless bright. _(75)_ it either projects the quality of personal life and the quality ofrelationships between individuals_(76)_ being the same as today, or it portrays them as
10 deteriorating. It seems that it is easier for us to _(77)_ ourselves living among better
appliances than among better human beings.
Why might this be? Some _(78)_ that human relationships were better, family ties
stronger, and people happier before the _(79)_ explosion of the 20th century. It might
follow from this that _(80)_ technology is advancing, the quality of life is moving in the
15 _(81)_ direction. _(82)_ into the future, this trend would lead to darker images of thehuman dimension of life. Yet we ought not surrender to the cliche that the quality of life
has been much better _(83)_ the past, and is just recently growing worse. One need but
read the depressing accounts of how people lived in London and other large Britishcities early in the 20th century to be grateful that the "good old days" are past. If one
20 keeps this historical reality in mind, it shouldn't _(84)_ too much imagination to picture"good new days" ahead .

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65. a. predict

66. a. after

67. a. exacts

b. predicted

b. beyondb. expects

c. predicting

c. from now

c. finds

d. predictions

d. futured. tends

69. a. are resting

70. a. For the most

68. a. atb. by

b. restb. In the largec. inc. restedc. On the wholed. on

d. restingd. With the main

71. a. buildings

72. a. assume

73. a. At the same timeb. imaginations

b. assumed

b. In the same way

c. movies

c. assuringc. In this regard

d. visions

d. assumption

d. On the one hand

74. a. future

75. a. By the way

b. prior

b. Even sob. by

c. temporalc. In other words

c. ford. utopia

d. On the other handd. were77. a. imagine

78. a. arguing

76. a. as

79. a. technicality

b. improveb. had argued

b. technician

c. inspectc. will be arguingc. techniqued. integrate

d. would argue

d. technological

80. a. after

81. a. different

82. a. Imaging

b. beforeb. larger

b. Projectingc. duringc. opposite

c. Shaping

d. whiled. stronger

d. Trending

83. a. for

84. a. giveb. in

b. lack

c. of

c. maked. to

d. take

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