商务英语专业英语泛读试卷及答案

2＿and ＿＿＿,"二、Reading comprehension. Read the followingpassages and choose the correct answer to eachquestion.(60 points in total and 2.0 for each.) PASSAGE 1Scientists are racing to build the world’s first thinking robot．This is not science fiction：some say they will have made it by the year 2020 Carol Packer reports machines that walk，speak and feel are no longer science fiction．Kismet is the name of an android(机器人)which scientists have built at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(M IT)．Kismet is different from the traditional robot because it Can show human emotions．Its eyes，ears and lips move to show when it feels happy. sad or bored．Kismet is one of the first of a new generation of androids——robots that look like human beings——which Can imitate human feelings．Cog，another android invented by the M IT, imitates the action of a mother．However, scientists admit that So far Cog has the mental ability of a two—year—old．The optimists(乐观主义者)say that by the year 2020 we will have created humanoids(机器人)with brains similar to those of all adult human being．These robots will be designed to look like people to make them more attractive and easier to sell to the public．What kind of jobs will they do? In the future，robots like Robonaut，a humanoid invented by NASA，will be doing dangerous jobs，like repairing space stations．They will also be doing more and more of the household work for us. In Japan，scientists are designing androids that will entertain us by dancing and playing the piano．Some people worry about what the future holds：will robots become monsters(怪物)?Will people themselves become increasingly like robots? Experts predict that more and more people will be wearing micro—computers，connected to the Internet，in the future．People will have micro—chips in various parts of their body，which will connect them to a wide variety of gadgets (小装置)．Perhaps we should not exaggerate(夸大)the importance of technology，but one wonders whether，in years to come，we will still be falling in love，and whether we will still feel pain．Who knows?21 Kismet is different from traditional robots becauseA it thinks for itselfB It is not like science fictionC it can look after two—year-old．D it seems to have human feelings．22 What makes Cog special?A It looks like a mother．B It behaves like a child．C It can imitate the behavior of a mother．D It has a huge brain．23 In about 15 years’ time from now，robotsA will become space designers．B will look like monsters．C will behave like animals．ArrayD will think like humans．24 In the future robots will alsoA explore space．B entertain people．C move much faster．D do a11 of the housework．25 What is the writer’s attitude to robots in the future?A Critical．B Hostile．C Objective．D EnthusiasticPASSAGE 2A credit card that will not work unless it hears its owner’s voice could becomeimportant weapon in the fight against fraud(欺骗)．The card requires users to give a spoken password that it recognizes using aV oice-recognition chip．someone else’s credit card details to buy goods online．A model built by engineers at Beepcard in Santa Monica，California，attempt to pack a microphone。

a loudspeaker，standard sized credit card．They are not quite there yet：the card is the length and width of an ordinary credit card but it is still about three times as thick．The company now plans to make it thinner．The voice card is based on an earlier Beepcard technology designed to prevent online transactions This earlier card has no microphone，uses to“squawk”(发出叫声)a voice ID signal via a computer’s microphone to an server．By verifying(证实)that the signal matches the card details，user is not simply keying in a credit card number but actually has the card to hand．code changes each time the card is used in a pre—ordered sequence that only the knows．This prevents fraudsters recording the beeps，fraudulent use of stolen cards. The new one can.verified the legitimate(合法的)user’s spoken password. Thieves will be unable to use the card because even if they knew the password they would have to be able to copy the owner’s voice with a high degree of accuracyThe challenge for Beepcard has been to develop voice-recognition and audio circuitry that can be powered by a mini battery embedded(嵌入的)in a credit card．To maximize battery life，the electronics are only switched on when the card is being used．Pressing a button on the card’s surface prompts it to utter “Say your password ”in female voice .If the voice—recognition software proves that the password is authentic(真实的)，it sends its ID squawk which the server then identifies．allowing the transaction to proceed26 The voice credit card is an important invention becauseA it can be made cost-effectively．B it can leave voice messages，C it makes online shopping easyD it makes fraud difficult．27 What is the problem with the model card?A It is too large．’t be used in online transactionsdoesn’t have a loudspeaker．．’s spoken password．．’s spoken password．doesn’t need to work with an online server．．．PASSAGE 3The National Education Association claims，“The school bus is a mirror of thecommunity．”They further add that，unfortunately，what appears on the exterior does not always reflect the reality of a chosen community．They are right—sometimes it reflects more! Just ask Liesl Denson．Riding the school bus has been more than a ride to school for Liesl．Bruce Hardy, schoo1 bus driver for A1thouse Bus Company, has been Liesl’s bus driver since kindergarten，Last year when Liesl’s family moved to Parkesburg，knowing her bus went by her new residence，she requested to ride the same bus．This year Liesl is a senior and will enjoy her last year riding the bus．She says，“It’s been a great ride so far! My bus driver is so cool and has always been a good friend and a good listener. Sometimes when you’re a child , adults do not think that what you have to say is important.Hardy always listens to what you have to say and makes you feel important. Her friends Ashley Batista and Amanda Wolfe agree.Bruce Hardy has been making Octorara students feel special since 1975. This year he will celebrate 30 years working for Althouse Bus Company．Larry Althouse，president of the company acknowledges Bruce Hardy’s outstanding record: “You do not come by employees like Bruce these days．He has never missed a day of work and has a perfect driving record．He was recognized in 2000 by the Pennsylvania School Bus Association for driving 350，000 accident free miles．Hardy’s reputation is made further evident through the relationships he has made with the students that ride his bus”Althouse further adds，“Althouse Bus Company was established 70 years ago and has been providing quality transportation ever since My grandfather started the business with one bus．Althouse Bus Company is delighted to have the opportunity to bring distinctive and safe service to our local school and community and looks forward to continuing to provide quality service for many more years to come.”Three generations of business is not all the company has enjoyed thanks to drivers like Bruce Hardy, they have been building relationships through generations．Liesl’s mother Carol also enjoys fond memories of riding Bruce Hardy’s bus to the Octorara School District．31 The word “mirror”in the first line could be best replaced byA “vehicle”．B “device”C “need”．D “reflection”．32 Bruce Hardy has been working with Althouse Bus CompanyA for 30 years．B for 70 yearsC since last year．D since 2000.33 Which of the following statements is NOT true of Bruce Hardy?A He is popular with his passengers．B He has never missed a day of work．C He is an impatient person．D He has driven 350.000 accident free miles．34 Althouse Bus Company was founded byA Larry Althouse．B Althouse’s grandfather．C Liels’s mother．D Ashley Batista．35 Althouse Bus Company pays much attention toA employing young driversB running quality schools．C providing free driving lessons．D building sound relationships．PASSAGE 4Death rates for cancer are falling for all Americans．but black Americans are still more likely to die of cancer than whites，the American Cancer Society said Monday. In a special report on cancer and blacks，the organization said blacks are usually diagnosed with cancer later than whites，and they are more likely to die of the disease．This could be because of unequal(不平等的)access to medical Care. Because blacks are more likely to have other diseases as well，and perhaps because of differences in the biology(生物学)of the can cancer itself, the report added．In general，black Americans have less hope of surviving five years after diagnosis than whites for all cancer sites and all stages of diagnosis．”the report said．“In describing cancer statistics for black Americans，this report recognizes that many of the differences associated with race may be caused by unfair social and economic differences and unequal access to medical care．’The cancer society said blacks should be encouraged to get check-ups(体格检查)earlier, When cancer is more treatable．and it said more research is needed to see if biological differences play a role．“The new statistics emphasize the continuing importance of wiping out thesesocial differences through public policy and education efforts”statement．But it also noted a drop in cancer death rates．“sites combined have dropped greatly among black Americans since 1992，asincidence rates(发生率),”said the report．’36 Black Americans arc more likely to die of cancer thanA people in other countries．B white Americans．C all other Americans．D their ancestors．37 Which may NOT be a reason for higher cancer death rates among US blacks?A Unequal access to medical Care．B Greater probability of having other diseases．．C Differences in the biology of the cancer．、D Early diagnosis．38 Cancer is more treatable if it is detectedA in an early stage．B in a late stage．C a11 of a sudden．D together with other diseases．39 Public policy and education efforts may help to do away withA death rates．B various cancers．C unfair social differences．D biological differences．40 Since 1992，cancer death rates among black Americans．．．．One day a friend asked my wife Jill if I wanted a hearing aid．“He certainly does．”repliedJill．After hearing about a remarkable new product．Jill finally got up the nerve to ask me if I’d ever thought about getting a hearing aid．“No way,”I said．“It would make me look 20 yearsolder．”“No. no.”she replied．”This is entirely different．It’s Crystal Ear!”Jill was right．Crystal Ear is different—not the old. Styled body worn over-the ear aid, but all advanced personal sound system so small that it’s like contacts(隐形眼镜)for your ears．And Crystal Ear is super-sensitive and powerful, too．You will hear sounds your ears have been missing for years. Crystal Ear will make speech 1ouder, and the sound is pure add natural．I couldn’t believe how tiny it is．It is smaller than the tip of my little finger and it’salmost invisible When worn．There are no wires, no behind—the ear device．Put it in your ear and itsready—to-wear mold(形状)fits comfortably．Since it’s not too loud or too tight，you may even forget that you’re wearing it! Use it at work or at play．And if your hearing problem is worse in certain situations, use Crystal Ear only when you need it．Hearing loss，which occurs typically prior to teenage years，progresses throughoutone’s lifetime．A1though hearing loss is now the world’s number one health problem，nearly 90 percent of people suffering hearing 1oss choose to leave the problem untreated．For many millions, treating hearing 1oss in a conventional way can involve numerous office visits，expensive testing and adjustments to fit your ear．Thanks to Crystal Ear，the“sound solution”is now convenient．Almost 90 percent of people with mild hearing loss，and millions more with just a little hearing drop-off(下降)，can be dramatically helped with Crystal Ear．More over, its superior design is energy-efficient，so batteries can last months．Crystal Ear is now available to help these people treat their hearing loss with a small hearing amplifier(放大器)．41 Initially the writer did not want to buy a hearing aid becauseA it would make him look old．B it would make him nervous．C it was too expensive．D it was old-styled．42 Which of the following is NOT true of Crystal Ear?A It is highly sensitive．B It is powerful．C It is invisible．D It is wireless．43 One special feature of Crystal Ear is thatA you can control its volume．B you needn’t take it off everyday．C it is solar-powered．D it saves power．44 According to the passage，hearing loss isA only a minor health problem．B the world’s most common health problem．C merely a teenage disease．D an incurable disease．45 Many people leave their hearing problem untreated becauseA it is not serious．B Crystal Ear is not yet available．C it is not easy to have it treated．D they don’t want to look old．PASSAGE 6when it comes to translating basic research into industrial success，few nations can match Germany．Since the 1940s，the nation’s vast industrial base has been fed with a constant stream of new ideas and expertise from science．And though German prosperity(繁荣)has faltered(衰退)over the past decade because of the huge cost of unifying east and west as well as the global economic decline，it still has an enviable(令人羡慕的)record for turning ideas into profit．Much of the reason for that success is the Fraunhofer Society, a network of research institutes that exists solely to solve industrial problems and create thought. after technologies. But today the Fraunhofer institutes have competition．Universities are taking an ever larger role in technology transfer，and technology parks are springing up all over．These efforts are being complemented by the federal programmes for pumping money into start-up companies·Such a strategy may sound like a recipe for economic success，but it is not without its crisis, These people worry that favouring applied research will mean neglecting basic science，eventually starving industry of flesh ideas．If every scientist starts thinking like an entrepreneur (企业家)，the argument goes，then the traditional principles of university research being Curiosity-driven：free and widely available will suffer．Others claim that many of the programmes to promote technology transfer are a waste of money because half the small businesses that are promoted are bound to go bankrupt within a few years·While this debate continues，new ideas flow at a steady rate from Germany’s research networks，which bear famous names such as Helmholtz，Max Planck and Leibniz．Yet it is the fourth network，the Fraunhofer Society，that plays the greatest role in technology transfer．Founded in 1949, the Fraunhofer Society is now Europe’s largest organization for applie d technology，and has 59 institutes employing 1 2，000 people．It continues to grow．Last year, it swallowed up the Heinrich Hertz Institute for Communication Technology in Berlin．Today, there are even Fraunhofers in the US and Asia．A Technology transfer．．．．．”．三．and write the main idea for eachrespectively.The Supercomputer Network1 Recently, ten laboratories run by governments in different parts of the world have become linked. Their computers have been connected so they can“talk”to each other. This may not seem very dramatic news，but it is the beginning of a development that will increase the power of the Internet tremendously.2 The lnternet is an interconnected (互联)system of networks that connects computers round the world and facilitates the transmission and exchange of information. The way that you use the Intermit is by accessing this network. This depends on the power that your system allows you to use. The power of your computer is responsible for how fast you can download(下载)files，how much data you can store，etc. If your computer is old and slow，accessing the information can be very difficult.3 The new development in information technology has been called“the grid”(网格技术)，and it will be a network of computers that are linked together. The“grid”will work in a different way from the Internet, enabling you to get the power of the biggest computers in the world on your computer. Accessing the information will no longer depend on the power of your computer. The idea is that while you access information，you will also have ‘access to the power of the bigger computer stations.4 One advantage of this revolutionary idea is that geographical location will become irrelevant. The“grid”will decide which are the best parts of a worldwide network to do the job you want. This means that you may be accessing a computer In Japan to solve a problem in Alaska.5 The“grid”can be compared to having an efficient personal assistant. You can gave your assistant a task and“he”will do it for you. The assistant will do the preliminary research，collect the data，compare them and decide on the best course of action by accessing any of the computer centers in the “grid”that happen to have the relevant information. Ail you have to do is assign the task，sit back and wait.6 At present, possible applications of the“grid”in scientific research are being explored. While it has taken about fifteen years for Internet use to become widespread，experts believe that the “grid”could be us and running for private individuals far more quickly. Scientists working“grid’’projects are convinced that it will be as widely used as the web in the next ten years.51Paragraph 1____________________________________________________________52Paragraph 2____________________________________________________________53 Paragraph 3______________________________________________________________54Paragraph 4_______________________________________________________________55Paragraph 5_______________________________________________________________参考答案：一．1．firm 2. service 3. depend 4. account 5．wages6. aftershocks7. surface8. ply9. bright 10. photograph11 bull 12 prosperity 13. walks 14. understanding 15. bad16. professor 17. economist 18. enormous19. immediately 20. impact二．21-25 DCDBC 26-30 DBDAB31-35 DACBD 36-40 BDACD41-45 ACDBC 46-50 ABCDD三．51 The power of the Internet may increase tremendously.52 Limitations of present Internet use53 A new era for the Internet54 Distance is not a problem55 How does the “grid”work?。