四川大学2015年博士研究生入学考试英语试题I.ReadingComprehension(30%;onemarkeach)Directions:Readthefollowingsixpassages.AnswerthequestionsbeloweachpassagebyChoosing[A],[B],[C],or[D].WriteyouranswersontheAnswerSheet.PassageOneSpeechissofamiliarafeatureofdailylifethatwerarelypausetodefineit.Itseemsasnaturaltomanaswalking,andonlylesssothanbreathing.Yetitneedsbutamoment'sreflectiontoconvinceusthatthisnaturalnessofspeechisbutanillusoryfeeling.Theprocessofacquiringspeechis,insoberfact,anutterlydifferentsortofthingfromtheprocessoflearningtowalk.Inthecaseofthelatterfunction,culture,inotherwords,thetraditionalbodyofsocialusage,isnotseriouslybroughtintoplay.Thechildisindividuallyequipped,bythecomplexsetoffactorsthatwetermbiologicalheredity,tomakealltheneededmuscularandnervousadjustmentsthatresultinwalking.Indeed,theveryconformationofthesemusclesandoftheappropriatepartsofthenervoussystemmaybesaidtobeprimarilyadaptedtothemovementsmadeinwalkingandinsimilaractivities.Inaveryrealsense,thenormalhumanbeingispredestinedtowalk,notbecausehiselderswillassisthimtolearntheart,butbecausehisorganismispreparedfrombirthtotakeonallthosemuscularadaptationsthatresultinwalking.Toputitconcisely,walkingisaninherent,biologicalfunctionofman.Notsolanguage.Itisofcoursetruethatinacertainsensetheindividualispredestinedtotalk,butthatisdueentirelytothecircumstancethatheisborninthelapofasocietythatiscertaintoleadhimtoitstraditions.Eliminatesocietyandthereiseveryreasontobelievethathewilllearntowalk,if,indeed,hesurvivesatall.Butitisjustascertainthathewillneverlearntotalk,thatis,tocommunicateideasaccordingtothetraditionalsystemofaparticularsociety.Or,again,removethenew-bornindividualfromthesocialenvironmentintowhichhehascomeandtransplanthimtoanutterlyforeignone.Hewilldeveloptheartofwalkinginhisnewenvironmentverymuchashewouldhavedevelopeditintheold.Buthisspeechwillbecompletelyatvariancewiththespeechofhisnativeenvironment.Walkingthenisageneralhumanactivitythatvariesonlywithinarestrictedlimitaswepassfromindividualtoindividual.Itsvariabilityispurposeless.Speechisahumanactivitythatvarieswithoutassignablelimitaswepassfromsocialgrouptosocialgroup,theproductoflong-continuedsocialusage.Itvariesasallcreativeeffortvaries...notasconsciously,perhaps,butnonethelessastrulyasdothereligions,thebeliefs,thecustoms,andtheartsofdifferentpeoples.Walkingisanorganic,aninstinctive,function;speechisanon-instinctive,acquired,“cultural”function.1.ThefirstsentenceofParagraphTwo,"Notsolanguage",istheclosestinmeaningto（）[A]Thisisnotthecasewithlanguage[B]Soislanguageandnetanythingelse[C]Nosuchathingexistsinlanguage[D]Notsomuchwithlanguage2.Therealdifferencebetweentheabilitytowalkandtheabilitytotalkisthat（）.[A]theformerislikebreathingwhilethelatterisnot[B]theformerdoesnotrequiresocialinteractionwhilethelatterdoes[C]theformerrequiresmuscularmovementwhilethelatterdoesnot[D]theformerispredestinedwhilethelatterisnot3.WhichofthefollowingisNOTanideaoftheauthor?（）[A]Languageisbiologicallyprogrammedbuthastobeacquiredlateron.[B]Onlywhenachildgrowsupinacommunitycanhelearntotalk.[C]Languageinteractionisawaytoimpartculture.[D]Formaleducationisnecessaryforthelearningoflanguage.4.Whentheauthorsaysthevariabilityofwalking"ispurposeless",hemeansthat（）.[A]anypersonwhowalkswouldnothaveapurpose[BIinallculturespeoplewalkaimlessly[C]culturedoesaffectthewayspeo...
