2008年北京大学考博英语真题试卷(题后含答案及解析)

2008年北京大学考博英语真题试卷 (题后含答案及解析)

题型有：1. Structure and Vocabulary 2. Reading Comprehension 3. Cloze 4. Proofreading 5. Writing

Structure and Vocabulary

1． “What courses are you going to do next semester?” I don’t know. But it’s about time______on something.

A．I’d decide B．I decided C．I decide

D．I’m deciding

正确答案：B

解析：此题考查的是句型It is about time that的使用方法，这是一个虚拟语气句型，表示与现在的事实相反，因而that从句的谓语动词一般用一般过去时。如：It is about time that we went to school(现在是我们该去上学的时候了)。本题的句意是“你下学期要选什么课?”“我不知道，但是应该是做决定的时候了”。所以正确答案是B项。

2． ______a ticket for the match, he can now only watch it on TV at home. A．Obtaining not B．Not obtaining

C．Not having obtained D．Not obtained

正确答案：C 解析：此题考查的是现在分词的完成式。因为本题属于已发生的事情对后来的事情产生了影响，所以应该用现在完成时态。句首处省略了主语，所以应该用现在分词的完成式。如：Having succeeded in the last examination， she was more confident of another success in the coming one(因为成功地通过了上次的考试，因此她更有信心在即将到来的考试中再次取得成功)。本题的句意是，“由于没有买到比赛门票，他现在只能在家里看电视”。所以正确答案是C项。

3． How can I ever concentrate if you______continually______ me with silly questions?

A．have, interrupted B．had, interrupted C．are, interrupting D．were, interrupted

正确答案：C

解析：此题考查的是现在进行时。当句中带有always，constantly，forever等词时可用现在进行时，表示反复发生的动作或持续存在的状态，往往带有说话人的主观色彩。本题的句意是：“如果你不断地用这种无聊的问题打扰我，我怎么能集中精力呢?”所以正确答案是C项。

4． As it turned out to be a small house party, we______so formally. A．need not have dressed up B．must not have dressed up C．did not need to dress up D．must not dress up

正确答案：A

解析：此题考查的是虚拟语气。needn’t have done表示过去不必做某事，但事实上做了。如：John went to the station with the car to meet Mary，so she needn’t have walked back home(约翰开车去车站接玛丽，所以她本不必步行回家了)。本题的句意是，“早知道只是个小的家庭聚会，我们就没必要穿得这么正式”。所以正确答案是A项。

5． ______is often the case with a new idea, much preliminary activity and optimistic discussion produced no concrete proposals.

A．That B．It C．This D．As

正确答案：D

解析：此题考查的是as的用法。这里的as是关系代词，意为“正如……一样”。如：As is announced in today’s papers，the Shanghai Export Commodities Fair is also open on Sunday(正如今天报纸讲的那样，上海出口商品交易会也在星期天举行)。本题的句意是，“正如常常具有新思想的事情那样，许多初步的行动和积极的讨论都不会得出具体的建议”。因此D项正确。

6． It is not so much the language______the cultural background that makes the book difficult to understand.

A．but B．nor C．as D．like

正确答案：C

解析：此题考查的是固定用法，not so much．．．as…意为“与其说是……不如说是……”。如：It was not so much the many blows she receired as the lack of fighting spirit that led to her losing the game(与其说她输了比赛是因为多次被击中，不如说是因为自己缺乏斗志)。本题的句意是，“与其说是语言使本书难以理

解，不如说是其中的文化背景”。因此C项正确。

7． ______human problems that repeat themselves in______life repeat themselves in ______literature.

A．/, /, the B．/, the, / C．The, /, / D．The, the, the

正确答案：A

解析：此题考查的是定冠词the的用法。可数名词前已有作定语的物主代词时不用定冠词the；固定词组中不用定冠词the，如in life。本题的句意是，“在生活中不断重复的人类问题也不断地出现在文学里”。所以正确答案是A项。

8． He is not under arrest, ______any restriction on him. A．or the police have placed B．or have the police placed C．nor the police have placed D．nor have the police placed

正确答案：D

解析：此题考查的是倒装句的用法。此句前半句是个否定句，后半句根据句意也是个否定结构，用nor来引导，同时nor后面应该跟倒装结构。本题的句意是，“他没有被拘留，警察也已经不再限制他的自由”。所以正确答案是D项。

9． He was______to tell the truth even to his closest friend. A．too much of a coward B．too much the coward C．a coward enough D．enough of a coward

正确答案：A

解析：此题考查的是固定用法too．．．to，意为“太……以至于不能……”。本题的句意是，“他是个十足的懦夫，即使对他最亲密的朋友也不敢说真话”。因此A项正确。

10． I couldn’t sleep because the tap in the bathroom was______. A．draining B．dropping C．spilling D．dripping

正确答案：D

解析：此题考查的是词义的辨析。四个选项中，drain意为“排水，流干”；

drop意为“落下”；spill意为“溢出，溅出”；drip作为名词时意为“水滴”，用作动词时意为“使滴下”。本题的句意是，“浴室的水龙头一直在滴水，使我无法入睡”。因此D项正确。

11． We have been hearing______accounts of your work. A．favored B．favorable C．favorite D．favoring

正确答案：B

解析：此题考查的是词义的辨析。四个选项中，favored意为“有利的，受惠的”；favorable意为“赞成的，称许的”；favorite意为“喜欢的，中意的”；favoring意为“顺利的，有帮助的”。句意是，“我们一直在听赞扬你工作的报道”。因此B项正确。

12． Please put your empty cigarette packets and paper bags in the______bins provided.

A．junk B．litter C．scrap D．deposit

正确答案：B

解析：此题考查的是词义的辨析。四个选项中，junk意为“废旧的杂物，旧货”；litter意为“垃圾”，litter bin意为“废物箱”；scrap意为“废料”；deposit意为“堆积物，沉淀物”。本题的句意是，“请把你的空烟盒和纸袋扔到指定的垃圾箱里”。因此B项正确。

13． At first, the company refused to purchase the equipment, but this decision was ______revised.

A．subsequently B．successively C．predominantly D．preliminarily

正确答案：A

解析：此题考查的是词义的辨析。四个选项中，subsequently意为“后来，随后”；successively意为“接连着，继续地”；predominantly意为“占优势地；显著地”；preliminarily意为“初步地”。本题的句意是“起初公司不愿意购进这个设备，但后来还是改变了决定”。因此A项正确。

14． Once a picture is proved to be a forgery, it becomes quite______. A．invaluable

B．priceless C．unworthy D．worthless

正确答案：D

解析：此题考查的是词义的辨析。四个选项中，invaluable意为“无价的”；priceless意为“无价的”；unworthy意为“不值得的”；worthless意为“无价值的”。本题的句意是，“一幅画一旦证明是伪造的，就会变得一文不值”。因此D项正确。

15． The local authorities realized the need to make______for elderly people in their housing programs.

A．preparation B．requirement C．specification D．provision

正确答案：D

解析：此题考查的是词义的辨析。四个选项中，preparation意为“准备”；requirement意为“要求”；specification意为“规范”；provision意为“预备，防备”，make provision for意为“为……预先采取措施”。本题的句意是，“当局认为需要对老年人住房计划预先采取措施”。因此D项正确。

16． Most people can’t get______the day without at least one cup of tea or coffee.

A．on

B．through C．over D．by

正确答案：B

解析：此题考查的是固定短语。四个选项中，get on意为“进展，(使)前进”；get through意为“度过，通过”；get over意为“爬过，克服，原谅”；get by意为“通过，混过”。本题的句意是，“如果一杯茶或咖啡都不喝的话，大多数人都不能度过一天”。因此B项正确。

17． As the director can’t come to the reception, I’m representing the company A．on his account B．on his behalf C．for his part D．in his interest

正确答案：B

解析：此题考查的是固定短语。on one’s account意为“为了某人”；on one’s

behalf意为“为……的利益，代表”；for one’s part意为“对某人来说”。本题的句意是，“因为总监不能参加招待会，我代表他出席”。因此B项正确。

18． The award ceremony will be the______of the inaugural Singapore International Water Week that is held from 23 to 27 June 200

A．twilight B．insight C．highlight D．highland

正确答案：C

解析：此题考查的是词义的辨析。四个选项中，twilight意为“黎明，微光”；insight意为“洞察力，见识”；highlight意为“最突出的部分，最精彩的部分”；highland意为“高地，丘陵地带”。本题的句意是，新加坡国际水资源周于2008年6月23至27日举办，颁奖仪式将会成为开幕式上的亮点。因此C项正确。

19． There is a conspicuous lack of public debate about how this insular country should ______the reality that more immigrants are coming and that those already here are changing Japan.

A．abide by B．account for C．act on D．adjust to

正确答案：B

解析：此题考查的是固定短语。四个选项中，abide by意为“坚持，容忍”；account for意为“解释”；act on意为“作用于”；adjust to意为“适应，调节”。本题的句意是，“更多的移民涌人岛国日本，而已经定居的移民正在改变着日本，如何解释这些问题明显还没有引起公众的关注”。因此B项正确。

20． Nobody knows what triggered the event, which______ a million cubic meters of water per second, obliterating the barrier between Britain and France.

A．released B．relieved C．restored D．retained

正确答案：A

解析：此题考查的是词义的辨析。四个选项中，release意为“释放，排放”；relieve意为“减轻，缓解”；restore意为“恢复，使回复，归还”；retain意为“保持”。本题的句意是，没有人知道是什么引发了这场洪灾，每秒钟排放100万立方米的水，淹没了英国和法国之间的屏障。因此A项正确。

Reading Comprehension

The 19th-century British Aristocracy The British aristocracy had always been involved in industrialization, especially in the development of mining, canals, and railways. It now shrewdly associated itself with the new wave of commercial expansion: most banks and insurance companies had a lord to add tone to the managerial board. It also shored up its fortunes by astute marriages, notably with the new aristocracy of wealth in the United States; the best-known example was the marriage of the duke of Marlborough to Consuelo Vanderbilt. By these means, many of the great aristocratic estates were preserved despite agricultural decline. But they were playthings as well as engines of wealth, and came to be treated as such. The aristocracy came to be known to the urban population chiefly through their representation in the popular press and magazines as men and women of leisure; racing, hunting, shooting, and fishing in the country, gambling and attending the season in London. In a population for which leisure was becoming increasingly important, this did not make the aristocracy unpopular.

21． In the second sentence of this passage, “had a lord to add tone to the managerial board” means that______.

A．the banks and insurance companies would hire a lord on the board to give advice to their management

B．having lords involved in the management gave the banks or companies a very good public image

C．lords worked for the banks and insurance companies to bring in more profits D．it had become a fashion to have a lord on the managerial board of a bank or a company

正确答案：B

解析：理解题。通读全文可知，贵族既是受人摆布的人，又是制造财富的工具。让贵族进入商界只是为了有一个良好的公众形象。所以正确答案是B项。

22． The “astute marriages” in the passage refers to marriages between______. A．British aristocracy and rich American entrepreneurs

B．old British aristocratic families and newly knighted aristocracy of wealth C．aristocratic families and new business families of money and enterprises D．big landlord families in the British countryside and rich American tycoons of industry

正确答案：C

解析：细节题。从文中内容可知，贵族涉足商业的一种方式是大多数的银行和保险公司都会有位贵族在董事会的管理层中任职。另一方面就是通过婚姻，特别是通过在美国和财富新贵结婚来维持自己的财富，也就是贵族家庭和新兴商业家庭的联姻。所以正确答案是C选项。

23． Judging from the content of the passage, Consuelo Vanderbilt was______. A．male, and from a rich business family in the United Sates B．female, and from a British wealthy family of industry C．male, and from a rich industrial family of Britain D．female, and from an entrepreneur family in America

正确答案：D

解析：推理题。文章第三句前半句说的是贵族也会通过精明的婚姻，特别是通过在美国和财富新贵结婚来维持自己的财富。后半句是在此基础上举了一个典型的例子，即最知名的例子就是马尔伯罗公爵和康斯薇洛·范德比尔特的婚姻。所以正确答案是D。

24． Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The 19th-century British aristocrats were treated as decorations in public life and were used to make money by press.

B．The 19th-century British aristocrats were toys of the rich capitalists and were made to earn profits for them.

C．The 19th-century British aristocrats acted as playmates of people in pleasure-seeking such as hunting, fishing, and shooting.

D．The 19th-century British aristocrats were popular figures in advertisements because they lived a leisurely life.

正确答案：A

解析：细节题。从文中的内容可知，贵族既是受人摆布的人，又是制造财富的工具，并且也受到如此的待遇。贵族主要是通过供人娱乐消遣的流行报刊和杂志的表述而为城里的人们所知。所以正确答案是A项。

How to Do Fewer, Better Animal Experiments For a nation of pet lovers, Britain conducts a surprising number of experiments on animals some 3 m a year. America appears to use fewer animals—just Lima year, according to official statistics—but that is an illusion. Unlike Britain’s government, America’s does not think rats and mice worth counting. Japan and China have even less comprehensive data than America, and animals used in research in those two countries are not protected to the same extent that they are in the West. Even so, academic centers supporting alternatives to animal testing have emerged in both places in recent years. In July China issued its first set of guidelines governing the use of animals in research. In an ideal world, there would be no animal testing. It is expensive and can be of dubious scientific value, since different species often react differently to the same procedure. That is why many researchers are working on ways of reducing the number of animal experiments needed and of making those that still happen more effective. However, the transition is proving easier for some types of experiment than for others, as a group of researchers in the field discussed at the sixth World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, held last week in Tokyo. The most important message from the congress was that things are going in the right

direction. The number of animals used in experiments has fallen by half in the past 30 years, at least in those countries that record such things. There has also been a shift in the sort of animal used. Most of those employed today are rodents rather than dogs, cats, rabbits and monkeys. (That public opinion generally welcomes this is, however, a good example of “cutist” prejudice for one species over another; there is no reason to believe that rodents suffer less than other mammals. ) Also, of the experiments that are still conducted, the majority are now concerned with developing and testing medicine rather than, say, checking how toxic cosmetics are. Of the 11 m animals involved each year in experiments that have to be reported to the European Commission, about 45% are used for medical and veterinary purposes and another 35% for basic biomedical research.

25． Which of the following is “an illusion”?

A．Britain protects animals used in research better than Japan and China. B．China has issued guidelines governing the use of animals in research. C．Japan has less comprehensive data on animal testing than America. D．America conducts fewer experiments on animals than Britain.

正确答案：D 解析：理解题。根据文中第一段的“America appears to use fewer animals—just 1．1m a year，according to official statistics--but that is an illusion．”可知，在美国用动物做的实验似乎少一些——根据美国官方的统计每年只有110万，但这个数字并不十分准确。因此D项正确。

26． Many researchers are currently trying to______. A．use animals involved in research more effectively B．slow down the transition for some experiments C．challenge the scientific value of animal testing D．raise the cost of using any animals in research

正确答案：A

解析：细节题。根据文中第二段的“That is why many researchers are working on ways of reducing the number of animal experiments needed and of making those that still happen more effective．”可知，这说明了为什么很多研究人员正采取措施来减少需要用动物做的实验的数量，并使那些仍在做的动物实验更有成效。因此A项正确。

27． The cutist prejudice probably refers to the fact that______. A．pet animals are thought to suffer more in experiments B．rodents are believed to react in the same way with humans

C．testing medicine is supposed to do more harm than testing cosmetics D．what sort of animals to use is reckoned more crucial than whether to use them

正确答案：A

解析：细节题。根据第三段的内容可知，现在用于实验的大多数类动物是啮齿类动物，而非狗、猫、兔子和猴子(公众普遍接受这种做法，然而这个例子正表明了对不同物种间所持的偏见——我们没有理由认为啮齿类动物要比其他哺乳动物遭受的痛苦少。)因此A项正确。

Thanks in no small part to Al Gore and his film producers, the American public is waking up to the seriousness of global warming. What is not so widely appreciated is that unless the US government acts urgently and decisively, this problem could very quickly get very much worse. For reasons both economic and political coal is poised to be the fuel of choice in the coming decades as the US weans itself off foreign oil. Coal combustion generates half the US’s electricity and releases about 1. 5 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year. If present trends continue, these figures will more than double by 2050, much to the detriment of the world’s climate. Without an alternative fuel, the only solution is to capture and store carbon dioxide from burning coal. Overcoming the engineering obstacles in the way of large-scale sequestration of carbon dioxide will be hard enough, but the bigger challenge is one of political will. US companies as yet have no incentive to capture carbon emissions. While moves at state and congressional levels are pushing in the right direction, the ambiguity in the administration’s policy is counterproductive. It is time for the US government to put a price on carbon emissions so utilities that invest in technologies to reduce carbon emissions will see their efforts rewarded. Such a move would not only reduce the risks associated with global warming, but also go a long way to restoring America’s green credentials.

28． According to the author, what adds to the seriousness of global warming? A．The American public was ignorant of the problem.

B．The American government is doing nothing to deal with the problem.

C．The US will choose coal as the major fuel which will have large carbon emissions.

D．There is no alternative fuel other than foreign oil which has large carbon emissions.

正确答案：C

解析：细节题。根据文中第二段的内容可知，由于经济和政治方面的原因，美国在未来的几十年中不再依赖国外石油，而是选择煤炭作为燃料。燃烧煤炭可为美国提供一半的电力，每年约排放15亿吨的二氧化碳。如果目前的趋势持续下去的话，到2050年这个数字会增加一倍多，对世界气候产生很大的破坏。因此C项正确。

29． Which of the following is true about the obstacles for effectively capturing carbon emissions?

A．The existing technology is only able to deal with large-scale carbon

emissions.

B．The companies are not highly motivated in adopting new technologies. C．The government policy for using coal and oil is counterproductive. D．The companies feel reluctant to be involved in political issues.

正确答案：C

解析：细节题。根据文中第三段的内容可知，是政府政策上的模糊性使对二氧化碳排放的控制达不到预期的目标。因此C项正确。

30． What does the author suggest as a solution to the problem?

A．The government should charge carbon emissions so as to encourage companies to adopt new technology.

B．The government should reward utilities that invest in technologies to reduce carbon emission.

C．The government should make long-time efforts to encourage people to plant more trees.

D．The government should pay for large-scale carbon emissions.

正确答案：B

解析：细节题。根据文中最后一段“It is time for the US government，to put a price on carbon emissions so utilities that invest in technologies to redtice carbon emissions will see their efforts rewarded．”可知，美国政府是时候为碳排放进行定价了，而投资开发用于减少二氧化碳排放的科技的努力将会得到回报。因此B项正确。

Dealing with Depression (51) Contrary to what many people think depression is not a normal part of growing older. Nor is it harder to treat in older people. But it is often harder to recognize and harder to get patients to accept and continue with treatment. “Most people think sadness is a hallmark of depression,” Bruce said. “But more often in older people it’s anhedonia—they’re not enjoying life. They’re irritable and cranky. “ (52) She added: “Many older people despair over the quality of their lives at the end of life. If they have a functional disability or serious medical illness, it may make it harder to notice depression in older people. “ Family members, friends and medical personnel must take it seriously when an older person says “Life is not worth living,” “I don’t see any point in living,” “I’d be better off dead” or “My family would be better off if I died,” the experts emphasized. “Listen carefully, empathize and help the person get evaluated for treatment or into treatment,” Brown urged. (53) He warned that “depressed older adults tend to have fewer symptoms” than younger adults who are depressed. The ideal approach, of course, is to prevent depression in the first place (54) Brown recommended that older adults structure their days by maintaining a regular cycle and planning activities that “give them pleasure, purpose and a reason for living. “ He suggested “social activities of any type—joining a book club or bowling league, going to a senior center or gym, taking courses at a local college, hanging out at the coffee shop. “ Bruce

suggests taking up a new interest like painting or needlework or volunteering at a place of worship, school or museum. (55) Brown notes that any activity the person is capable of doing can help to ward off depression and suicidal thinking. And he urges older people to talk to others about their problems.

31．

正确答案：Many people think depression is natural in the process of getting older, but this idea is wrong.

32．

正确答案：She added: “Many older people lose their hopes for the quality of lives at the end of life. If their certain body function is not available or they get sick badly, we can hardly find depression in older people. “

33．

正确答案：He reminded that “Symptoms on depressed older adults is fewer than those on de-pressed younger adults. “

34．

正确答案：Brown advised that older adults should arrange their daily life by keeping a regular cycle and planning activities that make them happy, which offer them purpose and motive for living.

35．

正确答案：Brown indicates that any activity the person is able to do can help him or her avoid depression and thought of suicide. He also suggests that older people should share the problems with others.

Cloze

Dad Can’t Handle These Toys Any parent with a child【C1】______the ages of 3 and 11 can tell you【C2】______technology has crept into nearly【C3】______aspects of playtime and nearly every type of toy. The Hyper Dash, introduced recently from Wild Planet, is a【C4】______in point. “It’s the perfect blend of technology, learning and exercise,” says an educational psychologist. Wild Planet has【C5】______ unveiled a younger version of Hyper Dash, for kids 3 to 5, 【C6】______Animal Scramble, which is due【C7】______stores in September. In【C8】______, the firm will soon release Hyper Jump. “Play and technology are【C9】

______,”says Claire Green of the nonprofit Parents’ Choice Foundation. “There’s【C10】______ putting the genie back in the bottle. “

36． 【C1】

正确答案：between 解析：本题空格处是说年龄在3到11岁之间的孩子，因此应填介词between。

37． 【C2】

正确答案：that

解析：空格处的后面的句子是谓语tell所要讲的内容，因此这里应是由that引导的宾语从句。

38． 【C3】

正确答案：all 解析：本题空格处是说科技几乎涉及娱乐时间的所有方面，因此空格处应填all。

39． 【C4】

正确答案：case 解析：本题空格处前面说科技几乎涉及所有类型的玩具，因而这里应该是举出一个例子，即the Hyper Dash就是一个恰当的例子。a case in point意为“恰当的例子”，因此应填case。

40． 【C5】

正确答案：already

解析：本题空格处是说Wild Planet已经公布了一种为年龄更小的孩子所设计的版本。

41． 【C6】

正确答案：called

解析：本题空格处是说“供年龄更小的孩子使用的被称为Animal Scramble的版本”。因此应填called。

42． 【C7】

正确答案：in

解析：本题空格处是说新版本九月份在商场销售。因此这里应填介词in。

43． 【C8】

正确答案：addition

解析：本题空格处是说“此外，该公司将很快发布Hyper Jump”。in addition意为“另外”，因此应填addition。

44． 【C9】

正确答案：merging

解析：本题空格处是说游戏和科技正在融为一体。

45． 【C10】

正确答案：no

解析：本题空格处是说这种情形没有受到控制。因此此处应填no。

Proofreading

(66) A longtime aide to President Bush who wrote occasional guest columns for his hometown newspaper resigned on Friday evening after admitted that he had repeatedly plagiarized from other writers. (67) The White House called his actions unaccepted. (68) The aide, Tim Goeglein, worked for Mr. Bush since 2001, as a liaison to social and religious conservatives, an important component of the president’s political base. (69) Mr. Goeglein was influential in decisions on a range of question important to that constituency, including stem cell research, abortion and faith-based initiatives. A blogger in Mr. Goeglein’s hometown, Fort Wayne, Ind. , found the plagiarism. (70) “This is not acceptable, and we are being disappointed in Tim’s actions,” a White House spokeswoman, Emily Lawrimore, said Friday morning, hours before Mr. Goeglein resigned. (71) “He is offered no excuses, and he agrees it was wrong. “ (72) Mr. Goeglein, 44, is small known outside Washington. (73) He is a familiar figure to conservatives and evangelical Christians, who knew him as a spokesman for Gary L. Bauer, the conservative who ran as president in 2000. (74) When Mr. Bauer dropped out the race, Mr. Goeglein signed on with Mr. Bush, eventually becoming a top aide to Karl Rove, the chief political strategist. (75) He was the eyes and ears of the White House in the world of religion conservatives and an emissary to that world for Mr. Rove and the president.

46．

正确答案：admitted应改为admitting。

47．

正确答案：unaccepted应改为unacceptable。

48．

正确答案：worked应改为had worked。

49．

正确答案：question应改为questions。

50．

正确答案：being disappointed应改为disappointed。

51．

正确答案：is offered应改为is offering。

52．

正确答案：small应改为little。

53．

正确答案：ran as应改为ran for。

54．

正确答案：dropped out应改为dropped out of。

55．

正确答案：religion应改为religious。

Writing

56． Read the following paragraph and then “write a response paper of about 250 to 300 words. Write it neatly on ANSWER SHEET(2). Quite a few teachers complain about students reading fewer books than before. In fact, students nowadays spend more time surfing on the internet and watching movies on DVD’s. Naturally they spend less time reading books. Do you think that students today are less knowledgeable because they read fewer books?

正确答案： Are the students today less knowledgeable? Nowadays, many teachers complain that students read fewer books than before because they spend more time surfing on the Internet and watching movies on DVD’s. So some people draw the conclusion that students today are less knowledgeable than before. In my opinion, students today are still knowledgeable although they read fewer books. First of all, with the development of science and technology, computer and DVD are available in common family and therefore large quantities of message can be accessed by students, which extremely boosts their knowledge level. Resources on the Internet is so abundant that students can search for everything they need. Without teachers’ help, the students today can also solve many problems on their study by using internet. Besides, materials that are relative to the books they learn can be downloaded at any time. Secondly, it is not enough for students to merely learn from books because the society develops rather rapidly. The information on the Internet is timely and up to date, which ensures that the students not only acquire the knowledge they have learnt in the school but also know what has happened in the world. Last but not least, the internet exhibits multi-cultural background of the world, to understand it will facilitate students’ participation in global competition in the future. In a word, students today get much more knowledge than they did in the past in virtue of the Internet.