北京师范大学2012年博士生入学考试英语真题.doc

Part II: prehension Directions: There are six passages in this part. Each of the passages is followed by five questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B,C and D. Choose the best one and mark your answer on the ANSER SHEET. Passage One In1900 the United States had only three cities with more than a million residents-New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. By 1930, it had ten giant metropolises. The newer ones experienced remarkable growth, which reflected basic changes in the economy. Line The population of Los Angeles (114,000 in1900) rose spectacularly in the early decades of the twentieth century, increasing a dramatic 1,400 percent from 1900 to1930. A number of circumstances contributed to the meteoric rise of Los Angeles. The agricultural potential of the area was enormous if water for irrigation could be found, and the city founders had the vision and dating to obtain itby constructing a 225-mile aqueduct, completed in1913, to tap the water of the Owens River. The city had a superb natural harbor, as well as excellent rail connections. The climate made it possible to shoot motion pictures year-round; hence Hollywood. Hollywood not only supplied jobs; it disseminated an image of the good life in Southern California on screens all across the nation. The most important single industry powering the growth of Los Angeles, however, was d