lines.
The high point in railroad building came with the construction of the first transcontinental system. In 1862 Congress authorized two western railroad companies to build lines from Nebraska westward and from California eastward to a meeting point, so as to complete a transcontinental crossing linking the Atlantic seaboard with the Pacific. The Government helped the railroads generously with money and land. Actual work on this project began four years later. The Central Pacific Company, starting from California, used Chinese labor, while the Union Pacific employed crews of Irish laborers. The two groups worked at remarkable speed, each trying to cover a greater distance than the other. In 1869 they met a place called Promontory in what is now the state of Utah. Many visitors came there for the great occasion. There were joyous celebrations all over the country, with parades and the ringing of church bells to honor the great achievement.
The railroad was very important in encouraging westward movement. It also helped build up industry and farming by moving raw materials and by distributing products rapidly to distant markets. In linking towns and people to one another it helped unify the United States.
41. The major problems with America's railroad system in the mid 19th century lay in _____.
A. poor quality rails and unreliable stopping systems B. lack of financial support for development C. limited railroad lines
D. lack of a transcontinental railroad
42. The building of the first transcontinental system _____.
A. brought about a rapid growth of industry and farming in the west B. attracted many visitors to the construction sites C. attracted laborers from Europe
D. encouraged people to travel all over the country 43. The best title for this passage would be ______.
A. Settlements Spread Westward
B. The Coast-to-Coast Railroad: A Vital Link C. American Railroad History
D. The Importance of Trains in the American Economy
44. The construction of the transcontinental railroad took ______.
A. 9 years B. 7 years C. 4 years D. 3 years 45. What most likely made people think about a transcontinental railroad?
A. The possibility of government support for such a task. B. The need to explore Utah.
C. The need to connect the east coast with the west. D. The need to develop the railroad industry in the west
Passage Three
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage:
Judging from recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an illness of sleepiness in the nation. \I can't think of a single study that hasn't found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to,\enough would probably be better off with more rest.
The beginning of our sleep-deficit crisis can be traced to the invention of the light bulb a
6
century ago. From diary entries and other personal accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries, sleep scientists have reached the conclusion that the average person used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night. \down on the farm, and it was dark.\dramatically, to between 7.5 and eight hours, and most people had to wake to an alarm clock. \think they're okay because they can get by on 6. 5 hours, when they really need 7. 5, eight or even more to feel ideally vigorous.\
Perhaps the most merciless robber of sleep, researchers say is the complexity of the day. Whenever pressures from work, family, friends and community mount, many people consider sleep the least expensive item on his programme. \our society, you're considered dynamic if you say you only need 5. 5 hours' sleep. If you're got to get 8.5 hours, people think you lack drive and ambition.\
To determine the consequences of sleep deficit, researchers have put subjects through a set of psychological and performance tests requiring them, for instance, to add columns of numbers or recall a passage read to them only minutes earlier. \found that if you're in sleep deficit, performance suffers, \decisions and to concentrate.\
46. People in the 18th and 19th centuries used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night because they had
______.
A. no drive and ambition B. no electric lighting C. the best sleep habits D. nothing to do in the evening 47. According to Dr. David, Americans _____.
A. are ideally vigorous even under the pressure of life B. often neglect the consequences of sleep deficit C. do not know how to relax themselves properly D. can get by on 6.5 hours of sleep 48. Many Americans believe that _____.
A. sleep is the first thing that can be sacrificed when one is busy
B. they need more sleep to cope with the complexities of everyday life C. to sleep is something one can do at any time of the day D. enough sleep promotes people's drive and ambition 49 The word \
A. the performance tests used in the study of sleep deficit B. special branches of knowledge that are being studied C. people whose behavior or reactions are being studied D. the psychological consequences of sleep deficit
50. It can be concluded from the passage that one should sleep as many hours as is necessary to
_____.
A. improve one's memory dramatically B. be considered dynamic by other people C. maintain one's daily schedule D. feel energetic and perform adequately
Passage Four
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage:
7
Japanese firms have achieved the highest levels of manufacturing efficiency in the world automobile industry. Some observers of Japan have assured that Japanese firms use the same manufacturing equipment and techniques as United States firms but have benefited from the unique Characteristics of Japanese culture. However, if this were true, then one would expect Japanese auto plants in the United States to perform no better than factories run by United States companies. This is not the case, in Japanese-run automobile plants located in the United States and staffed by local workers have demonstrated higher levels of productivity when compared with factories owned by United States companies. '
Other observers link high Japanese productivity to higher levels of capital investment per worker. But a historical perspective leads to a different conclusion. When the two top Japanese automobile makers matched and then doubled United States productivity levels in the mid-sixties, capital investment per employee was comparable to that of United States firms. Furthermore, by the late seventies, the amount of fixed assets required to produce one vehicle was roughly equivalent in Japan, it had to be other factors that led to higher productivity.
A more fruitful explanation may lie with Japanese production techniques Japanese automobile producers did not simply implement conventional processes more effectively: they made critical changes in the United States procedures. For instance, the mass production philosophy of the United States auto-makers encourages the production of huge lots of cars in order to utilize fully expensive, component-specific equipment and to occupy fully workers who have been trained o execute one operation efficiently. Japanese auto-makers chose to make small-lot production feasible by introducing several departures from United States practices, including the use of flexible equipment that could be altered easily to do several different production tasks and the training of workers in multiple jobs. Automakers could schedule the production of different components or models on single machines, thereby eliminating, the need to store the buffer (减震器) stocks of extra components that result when specialized equipment and workers are kept constantly active.
51. The primary purpose of the passage is to . A. present the major steps of a process B. clarify an ambiguity' C. chronicle a dispute D. correct misconceptions
52. Which of the following statements concerning the productivity levels of auto-makers can be inferred from the passage?
A. Prior to the 1960's, the productivity levels of the top Japanese automakers were exceeded by those of the United States automakers.
B. The culture of a country has a large effect on the productivity levels of its automakers. C. During the late I970's and early 1980's, productivity levels were comparable in Japan and the United States.
D. The greater the number of cars that are produced in a single lot. the higher a plant's productivity level.
53. Which of the following best describes the organization of the first paragraph'? A. A thesis is presented and supporting examples are provided. B. Opposing views are presented, classified, and then reconciled. C. A fact is stated, and an explanation is advanced and then refuted. D. A theory is proposed, considered, and then amended.
8
54. Which of the following is the problem associated with tile production of huge lots of cars that
can be inferred from the passage?
A. The need to manufacture flexible machinery` and equipment.
B. The need to store extra components not required for immediate use.
C. The need for expensive training programs for workers, which emphasize the development of facility in several production jobs.
D. The need to alter conventional mass production processes.
55. With which of the following predictive statement regarding Japanese automakers would, the
author most likely agree?
A. The efficiency levels of the Japanese automakers will decline if they become less flexible in their approach to production.
B. Japanese automakers productivity levels double during the late 1990's.
C. United States automakers will originate net production processes before Japanese automakers do.
D. Japanese automakers will hire fewer workers than will United State automakers because each worker is required to perform several jobs.
9
试卷二（Paper Two） 译写答题注意事项
一、本试卷（Paper II）答题一律写在主观答题纸（Answer Sheet II）上，草稿纸及试题册上 的答案内容一律不予计分。
二、中、英文尽可能做到字迹清晰，书写工整、疏密相间均匀，字体大小适当。 三、英文作文必须逐行书写，不得隔行或跳行。
Part IV TRANSLATION (30 minutes, 20 points) Section A (15 minutes, 10 points)
Directions: Put the following paragraph into Chinese. Write your Chinese version in the proper
space on Answer Sheet II.
56. A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries. In the United States, community colleges, sometimes called junior colleges, technical colleges, or city colleges, are primarily two-year public institutions providing higher education and lower-level tertiary education, granting certificates, diplomas, and associate's degrees. After graduating from a community college, some students transfer to a four-year liberal arts college or university for two three years to complete a bachelor's degree. In the United Kingdom, community college is a name given to, or added on to, a secondary school, usually offering extended services of some sort, for example by having achieved a status as a technology college or by providing adult education courses.
Section B (15 minutes, 10 points, 2 points for each sentence)
Directions: Put the following five sentences into English. Write your English version in the proper space on Answer Sheet II.
57. 这与其说是钱的问题，倒不如说是荣誉的问题。 58． 一想到自己这次考试失败， 小王就感到很羞。
59. 一旦做出决定，就很难再更改它。
60. 这台机器不工作了，一定是出了什么错。
61. 对于那些不同意这个计划的人来说，他们就得自己开车去那里了。
Part VI WRITING (25 minutes, 15 points)
62. Directions: In this part, you are asked to write a letter to introduce Xi'an to a group of
American university students who will come to visit the City in this summer vocation. Your introduction should include information of the City's geography, history, culture, tourism, weather and other interesting things you like them to know. Write your composition with a length of over 150 . The Title of your writing is Xi'an Welcomes You
---The End---
10
2013年6月非英语专业硕士研究生英语测试试卷A卷（附完整参考答案）
