990年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语试题Section I Structure and VocabularyIn each question, decide which of the four choices given will most suitably complete the sentence if inserted at the place marked. Put your choice in the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)EXAMPLE:I was caught _ the rain yesterday.A inB byC withD atANSWER: A1.Those two families have been quarrelling _ each other for many years.A toB betweenC against（D）D with2.There are many things whose misuse is dangerous, bur it is hard to think of anything that can be compared _ tobacco products.A inB withC among（B）D by3.“How often have you seen cases like this?” one surgeon asked another. “Oh, _ times, I guess,” was the reply.A hundred ofB hundredsC hundreds of（C）D hundred4.Give me your telephone number _ I need your help.A whetherB unlessC so that（D）D in case5.You sang well last night. We hope youll sing _.A more betterB still betterC nicely（B）D best6.Those people _ a general understanding of the present situation.A lack ofB are lacking ofC lack（C）D are in lack7.Alone in a desert house, he was so busy with his research work that he felt _ lonely.A nothing butB anything butC all but（B）D everything but8.Grace _ tears when she heard the sad news.A broke inB broke intoC broke off（B）D broke through9.She refused to _ the car keys to her husband until he had promised to wear his safety belt.A hand inB hand outC hand down（D）D down10.Michael found it difficult to get his British jokes _ to American audiences.A aroundB overC across（C）D down11.The book contained a large _ of information.A dealB amountC number（B）D sum12.Nowadays advertising costs are no longer in reasonable _ to the total cost of the product.A proportionB correlationC connection（A）D correspondence13.When she saw the clouds she went back to the house to _ her umbrella.A carryB fetchC bring（B）D reach14.We must _ that the experiment is controlled as rigidly as possible.A assureB secureC ensure（C）D issue15.He was knocked down by a car and badly _.A injuredB damagedC harmed（A）D ruinedSection II Reading ComprehensionEach of the three passages below is followed by some questions. For each question there are four answers. Read the passages carefully and choose the best answer to each of the questions. Put your choice in the ANSWER SHEET. (20 points)Text 1In May 1989, space shuttle “Atlantis” released in outer space the space probe “Megallan,” which is now on her 15-month and one-billion-kilometer flight to Venus. A new phase in space exploration has begun.The planet Venus is only slightly smaller than Earth; it is the only other object in the solar system, in fact, that even comes close to earths size. Venus has a similar density, so it is probably made of approximately the same stuff, and it has an atmosphere, complete with clouds. It is also the closest planet to earth, and thus the most similar in distance from the sun. In short, Venus seems to justify its long-held nickname of “earths twin.”The surface temperature of Venus reaches some 900F. Added to that is an atmospheric pressure about 90 times Earths: High overhead in the carbon dioxide (CO2) that passes for air is a layer of clouds, perhaps 10 to 20 miles thick, whose little drops consist mostly of sulfuric acid (H2SO4). Water is all but nonexistent.Born with so many fundamental similarities to earth, how did Venus get to be so radically different: It is not just an academic matter. For all its extremes, Venus is a valuable laboratory for researchers studying the weather and climate of earth. It has no earths oceans, so the heat transport and other mechanisms are greatly simplified. In addition, the planet Venus takes 243 earth-days to turn once on its axis, so incoming heat from the sun is added and distributed at a more leisurely, observable pace.16.Venus is similar to Earth in _.A size and densityB distance from the sunC having atmosphere（D）D all of the above17.The greatest value in studying Venus should be to _.A allow us to visit thereB understand Earth betterC find a new source of energy（B）D promote a new space program18.The main idea of this passage is about _.A problems of space travelB scientific methods in space explorationC the importance of Venus to Earth（C）D conditions on VenusText 2Tourists were surprised to see a woman driving a huge orange tractor down one of Romes main avenues. Italys political leaders and some of its male union chiefs are said to have been even more puzzled to see that the tractor was followed by about 200,000 women i