考研英语一真题（2010-2018）
英语一试题
2010年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语一试题
Section I Use of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each
numbered blank and nark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)
①In 1924 America's National
Research Council sent two engineers to supervise a series of experiments at a
telephone-parts factory called the Hawthorne Plant near Chicago. ②It hoped they would learn how shop-floor lighting 1 workers' productivity. ③Instead, the studies
ended 2 giving their name to the “Hawthorne
effect,” the extremely influential idea that the very 3 of being experimented upon changed
subjects' behavior.
①The idea arose because of the 4 behavior of the women in the plant. ②According to 5 of the experiments, their hourly output
rose when lighting was increased, but also when it was dimmed. ③It did not 6 what was done in the experiment; 7 something was changed, productivity rose.
④A (n) 8 that they were being experimented upon
seemed to be 9 to alter workers’ behavior 10 itself.
①After several decades, the same
data were 11 to econometric analysis. ②The Hawthorne
experiments had another surprise in store. 12 the descriptions on record, no systematic
13 was found that levels of productivity
were related to changes in lighting.
①It turns out that peculiar way of
conducting the experiments may have led to 14 interpretations of what happened. ② 15
, lighting was always changed on a Sunday. ③When work started
again on Monday, output 16 rose compared with the previous Saturday
and 17 to rise for the next couple of days. ④
18 , a comparison with
data for weeks when there was no experimentation showed that output always went
up on Mondays. ⑤Workers 19 to be diligent for the first few days of
the week in any case, before 20 a plateau and then slackening off. ⑥ This suggests that
the alleged “Hawthorne effect” is hard to pin down.
1. [A] affected [B]
achieved [C]
extracted [D]
restored
2. [A] at [B]
up [C]
with [D]
off
3. [A] truth
[B] sight [C]
act [D]
proof
4. [A] controversial [B] perplexing [C]
mischievous [D] ambiguous
5. [A] requirements [B] explanations [C]
accounts [D]
assessments
6. [A] conclude [B]
matter [C] indicate [D] work
7. [A] as far as [B]
for fear that [C] in case that [D]
so long as
8. [A] awareness [B] expectation [C]
sentiment [D] illusion
9. [A] suitable [B]
excessive [C] enough [D] abundant
10. [A] about [B]
for [C]
on [D] by
11. [A] compared [B] shown [C]
subjected [D] conveyed
12. [A] Contrary to [B]
Consistent with [C] Parallel with [D] Peculiar to
13. [A] evidence [B] guidance [C]
implication [D] source
14. [A] disputable [B] enlightening [C]
reliable [D]
misleading
15. [A] In contrast [B] For example [C]
In consequence [D] As usual
16. [A] duly [B]
accidentally [C] unpredictably [D]
suddenly
17. [A] failed [B]
ceased [C] started [D] continued
18. [A] Therefore [B] Furthermore [C]
However [D]
Meanwhile
19. [A] attempted [B] tended [C]
chose [D] intended
20. [A] breaking [B] climbing [C]
surpassing [D] hitting
Section Ⅱ
Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below
each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40
points)
Text
1
①Of all the changes that have taken place in
English-language newspapers during the past quarter-century, perhaps the most
far-reaching has been the inexorable decline in the scope and seriousness of
their arts coverage.
①It is difficult to the point of
impossibility for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine a time
when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big-city newspapers. ②Yet a considerable number of the most significant collections of
criticism published in the 20th century consisted in large part of newspaper
reviews. ③To read such books today is to marvel at the fact that
their learned contents were once deemed suitable for publication in
general-circulation dailies.
①We are even farther removed from the unfocused newspaper reviews
published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World
War II, at a time when newsprint was dirt-cheap and stylish arts criticism was
considered an ornament to the publications in which it appeared. ②In those far-off days, it was taken for granted that the critics of
major papers would write in detail and at length about the events they covered.
③Theirs was a serious business, and even those
reviewers who wore their learning lightly, like George Bernard Shaw and Ernest
Newman, could be trusted to know what they were about. ④These men believed in journalism as a calling, and were proud to be
published in the daily press. ⑤ “So few authors have brains enough
or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism,” Newman
wrote, “that I am tempted to define ‘journalism’ as ‘a
term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who
are’.”
①Unfortunately, these critics are virtually forgotten. ②Neville Cardus, who wrote for the Manchester Guardian from 1917
until shortly before his death in 1975, is now known solely as a writer of
essays on the game of cricket. ③During his lifetime, though, he was also
one of England’s foremost classical-music critics, and a stylist so
widely admired that his Autobiography (1947) became a best-seller. ④He was knighted in 1967, the first music critic to be so honored. ⑤Yet only one of his books is now in print, and his vast body of
writings on music is unknown save to specialists.
①Is there any chance that Cardus’s criticism will enjoy a revival?
②The prospect seems remote. ③Journalistic tastes had changed long before his death, and postmodern
readers have little use for the richly upholstered Vicwardian prose in which he
specialized. ④Moreover, the amateur tradition in music
criticism has been in headlong retreat.
21. It is
indicated in Paragraphs 1 and 2 that
[A] arts criticism has disappeared from
big-city newspapers
[B] English-language
newspapers used to carry more arts reviews
[C] high-quality newspapers retain a large
body of readers
[D] young readers doubt the suitability of
criticism on dailies
22. Newspaper
reviews in England before World War II were characterized by
[A] free themes
[B] casual style
[C] elaborate layout
[D] radical viewpoints
23. Which of the
following would Shaw and Newman most probably agree on?
[A] It is writers’ duty to fulfill journalistic
goals.
[B] It is contemptible for writers to be
journalists.
[C] Writers are likely to be tempted into
journalism.
[D] Not all writers
are capable of journalistic writing.
24. What can be
learned about Cardus according to the last two paragraphs?
[A] His music
criticism may not appeal to readers today.
[B] His reputation as a music critic has
long been in dispute.
[C] His style caters largely to modern
specialists.
[D] His writings fail to follow the amateur
tradition.
25. What would be
the best title for the text?
[A] Newspapers of the Good Old Days
[B] The Lost
Horizon in Newspapers
[C] Mournful Decline of Journalism
[D] Prominent Critics in Memory
Text
2
①Over the past decade, thousands of patents have been granted for what
are called business methods. ②Amazon.com received one for its
“one-click” online payment system. ③Merrill Lynch
got legal protection for an asset allocation strategy. ④One inventor patented a technique for lifting a box.
①Now the nation’s top patent court appears completely ready to
scale back on business-method patents, which have been controversial ever since
they were first authorized 10 years ago. ②In a move that
has intellectual-property lawyers abuzz, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Federal Circuit said it would use a particular case to conduct a broad review
of business-method patents. ③In re Bilski, as the case is known, is “a very big
deal,” says Dennis D. Crouch of the University of Missouri School of Law.
④It “has the potential to eliminate an entire
class of patents.”
①Curbs on business-method claims would be a dramatic about-face,
because it was the Federal Circuit itself that introduced such patents with its
1998 decision in the so-called State Street Bank case, approving a patent on a
way of pooling mutual-fund assets. ②That ruling
produced an explosion in business-method patent filings, initially by emerging
Internet companies trying to stake out exclusive rights to specific types of
online transactions. ③Later, more established companies raced to
add such patents to their files, if only as a defensive move against rivals
that might beat them to the punch. ④In 2005, IBM
noted in a court filing that it had been issued more than 300 business-method
patents, despite the fact that it questioned the legal basis for granting them.
⑤Similarly, some Wall Street investment firms armed
themselves with patents for financial products, even as they took positions in
court cases opposing the practice.
①The Bilski case involves a claimed patent on a method for hedging risk in
the energy market. ②The Federal Circuit issued an unusual order
stating that the case would be heard by all 12 of the court’s judges,
rather than a typical panel of three, and that one issue it wants to evaluate
is whether it should “reconsider” its State Street Bank ruling.
①The Federal Circuit’s action comes in the wake of a series of
recent decisions by the Supreme Court that has narrowed the scope of
protections for patent holders. ②Last April, for
example, the justices signaled that too many patents were being upheld for
“inventions” that are obvious. ③The judges on
the Federal Circuit are “reacting to the anti-patent trend at the Supreme
Court,” says Harold C. Wegner, a patent attorney and professor at George
Washington University Law School.
26. Business-method
patents have recently aroused concern because of
[A] their limited value to businesses.
[B] their connection with asset allocation.
[C] the possible restriction on their
granting.
[D] the controversy over their
authorization.
27. Which of the
following is true of the Bilski case?
[A] Its ruling complies with the court
decisions.
[B] It involves a very big business
transaction.
[C] It has been dismissed by the Federal
Circuit.
[D] It may change the legal practices in
the U.S.
28. The word
“about-face” (Para. 3) most probably means
[A] loss of goodwill.
[B] increase of hostility.
[C] change of attitude.
[D] enhancement of dignity.
29. We learn from
the last two paragraphs that business-method patents
[A] are immune to legal challenges.
[B] are often unnecessarily issued.
[C] lower the esteem for patent holders.
[D] increase the incidence of risks.
30. Which of the
following would be the subject of the text?
[A] A looming threat to business-method
patents.
[B] Protection for business-method patent
holders.
[C] A legal case regarding business-method
patents.
[D] A prevailing trend against
business-method patents.
Text
3
①In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell argues that
“social epidemics” are driven in large part by the actions of a
tiny minority of special individuals, often called influentials, who are
unusually informed, persuasive, or well connected. ②The idea is intuitively compelling, but it doesn’t explain how
ideas actually spread.
①The supposed importance of influentials derives from a
plausible-sounding but largely untested theory called the “two-step flow
of communication” : Information flows from the media to the influentials
and from them to everyone else. ②Marketers have
embraced the two-step flow because it suggests that if they can just find and
influence the influentials, those select people will do most of the work for
them. ③The theory also seems to explain the sudden and
unexpected popularity of certain looks, brands, or neighborhoods. ④In many such cases, a cursory search for causes finds that some small
group of people was wearing, promoting, or developing whatever it is before
anyone else paid attention. ⑤Anecdotal evidence of this kind fits nicely
with the idea that only certain special people can drive trends.
①In their recent work, however, some
researchers have come up with the finding that influentials have far less
impact on social epidemics than is generally supposed. ②In fact, they don’t seem to be required at all.
①The researchers’ argument stems from a simple observation about
social influence: With the exception of a few celebrities like Oprah
Winfrey—whose outsize presence is primarily a function of media, not
interpersonal, influence—even the most influential members of a
population simply don’t interact with that many others. ②Yet it is precisely these non-celebrity influentials who, according to
the two-step-flow theory, are supposed to drive social epidemics, by
influencing their friends and colleagues directly. ③For a social epidemic to occur, however, each person so affected must
then influence his or her own acquaintances, who must in turn influence theirs,
and so on; and just how many others pay attention to each of these
people has little to do with the initial influential. ④If people in the network just two degrees removed from the initial
influential prove resistant, for example, the cascade of change won’t
propagate very far or affect many people.
①Building on the basic truth about interpersonal influence, the
researchers studied the dynamics of social influence by conducting thousands of
computer simulations of populations, manipulating a number of variables
relating to people’s ability to influence others and their tendency to be
influenced. ②They found that the principal requirement for what is
called “global cascades” —the widespread propagation of
influence through networks—is the presence not of a few influentials but,
rather, of a critical mass of easily influenced people.
31. By citing the
book The Tipping Point, the author intends to
[A] analyze the consequences of social
epidemics.
[B] discuss influentials’ function in
spreading ideas.
[C] exemplify people’s intuitive
response to social epidemics.
[D] describe the essential characteristics
of influentials.
32. The author
suggests that the “two-step-flow theory”
[A] serves as a solution to marketing
problems.
[B] has helped explain certain prevalent
trends.
[C] has won support from influentials.
[D] requires solid evidence for its
validity.
33. What the
researchers have observed recently shows that
[A] the power of influence goes with social
interactions.
[B] interpersonal links can be enhanced
through the media.
[C] influentials have more channels to
reach the public.
[D] most celebrities enjoy wide media
attention.
34. The underlined
phrase “these people” in Paragraph 4 refers to the ones who
[A] stay outside the network of social
influence.
[B] have little contact with the source of
influence.
[C] are influenced and then influence
others.
[D] are influenced by the initial
influential.
35. What is the
essential element in the dynamics of social influence?
[A] The eagerness to be accepted.
[B] The impulse to influence others.
[C] The readiness to be influenced.
[D] The inclination to rely on others.
Text
4
①Bankers have been blaming themselves for their troubles in public. ②Behind the scenes, they have been taking aim at someone else the
accounting standard-setters. ③Their rules, moan the banks, have forced
them to report enormous losses, and it’s just not fair. ④These rules say they must value some assets at the price a third party
would pay, not the price managers and regulators would like them to fetch.
①Unfortunately, banks’ lobbying now seems to be working. ②The details may be unknowable, but the independence of
standard-setters, essential to the proper functioning of capital markets, is
being compromised. ③And, unless banks carry toxic assets at
prices that attract buyers, reviving the banking system will be difficult. ④After a bruising encounter with Congress, America’s Financial
Accounting Standards Board (FASB) rushed through rule changes. ⑤These gave banks more freedom to use models to value illiquid assets
and more flexibility in recognizing losses on long-term assets in their income
statements. ⑥Bob Herz, the FASB’s chairman, cried out against
those who question our motives. ⑦Yet bank shares
rose and the changes enhance what one lobby group politely calls the use of
judgment by management.
①European ministers instantly demanded that the International Accounting
Standards Board (IASB) do likewise. ②The IASB says
it does not want to act without overall planning, but the pressure to fold when
it completes it reconstruction of rules later this year is strong. ③Charlie McCreevy, a European commissioner, warned the IASB that it did
not live in a political vacuum but in the real world and the Europe could yet
develop different rules.
①It was banks that were on the wrong planet, with accounts that vastly
overvalued assets. ②Today they argue that market prices
overstate losses, because they largely reflect the temporary illiquidity of
markets, not the likely extent of bad debts. ③The truth will
not be known for years. ④But banks’ shares trade below their
book value, suggesting that investors are skeptical. ⑤And dead markets partly reflect the paralysis of banks which will not
sell assets for fear of booking losses, yet are reluctant to buy all those
supposed bargains.
①To get the system working again, losses must be recognized and dealt
with. ②America’s new plan to buy up toxic assets will
not work unless banks mark assets to levels which buyers find attractive. ③Successful markets require independent and even combative
standard-setters. ④The FASB and IASB have been exactly that, cleaning
up rules on stock options and pensions, for example, against hostility
interests. ⑤But by giving in to critics now they are inviting
pressure to make more concessions.
36. Bankers
complained that they were forced to
[A] follow unfavorable asset evaluation
rules.
[B] collect payments from third parties.
[C] cooperate with the price managers.
[D] re-evaluate some of their assets.
37. According to
the author, the rule changes of the FASB may result in
[A] the diminishing role of management.
[B] the revival of the banking system.
[C] the banks’ long-term asset
losses.
[D] the weakening of its independence.
38. According to
Paragraph 4, McCreevy objects to the IASB’s attempt to
[A] keep away from political influences.
[B] evade the pressure from their peers.
[C] act on their own in rule-setting.
[D] take gradual measures in reform.
39. The author
thinks the banks were “on the wrong planet” in that they
[A] misinterpreted market price indicators.
[B] exaggerated the real value of their
assets.
[C] neglected the likely existence of bad
debts.
[D] denied booking losses in their sale of
assets.
40. The
author’s attitude towards standard-setters is one of
[A] satisfaction.
[B] skepticism.
[C] objectiveness.
[D] sympathy.
Part B
Directions:
For questions
41-45, choose the most suitable paragraphs from the list A-G and fill them into
the numbered boxes to form a coherent text. Paragraph E has been correctly placed. There is one paragraph which
does not fit in with the text. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET1. (10 points)
[C] Will such variations bring about a change in the
overall structure of the food and drink market? Definitely not. The functioning
of the market is based on flexible trends dominated by potential buyers. In
other words, it is up to the buyer, rather than the seller, to decide what to
buy. At any rate, this change will ultimately be acclaimed by an ever-growing
number of both domestic and international consumers, regardless of how long the
current consumer pattern will take hold.
[E] Despite variations in detail, wholesale markets in
the countries that have been closely examined—France, Germany, Italy, and
Spain—are made out of the same building blocks. Demand comes mainly from
two sources: independent mom-and-pop grocery stores which, unlike large retail
chains, are too small to buy straight from producers, and food service operators
that cater to consumers when they don’t eat at home. Such food service
operators range from snack machines to large institutional catering ventures,
but most of these businesses are known in the trade as “horeca”:
hotels, restaurants, and cafés. Overall, Europe’s wholesale market
for food and drink is growing at the same sluggish pace as the retail market,
but the figures, when added together, mask two opposing trends.
41. →42. →43. →44. →E →45.
Part C
Directions:
Read the following text carefully and
then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be
written clearly on ANSWER SHEET 2.
(10 points)
One basic
weakness in a conservation system based wholly on economic motives is that most
members of the land community have no economic value. Yet these creatures are
members of the biotic community and, if its stability depends on its
integrity, they are entitled to continuance.
When one
of these noneconomic categories is threatened and, if we happen to love it, we
invent excuses to give it economic importance. At the beginning of the century
songbirds were supposed to be disappearing. (46) Scientists jumped to the
rescue with some distinctly shaky evidence to the effect that insects would eat
us up if birds failed to control them. The evidence had to be economic in
order to be valid.
It is
painful to read these roundabout accounts today. We have no land ethic yet, (47)
but we have at least drawn nearer the point of admitting that birds should
continue as a matter of intrinsic right, regardless of the presence or absence
of economic advantage to us.
A parallel
situation exists in respect of predatory mammals and fish-eating birds. (48)
Time was when biologists somewhat overworked the evidence that these
creatures preserve the health of game by killing the physically weak, or that
they prey only on “worthless” species. Here again,
the evidence had to be economic in order to be valid. It is only in recent
years that we hear the more honest argument that predators are members of the
community, and that no special interest has the right to exterminate them for
the sake of a benefit, real or fancied, to itself.
Some
species of trees have been “read out of the party” by
economics-minded foresters because they grow too slowly, or have too low a sale
value to pay as timber crops. (49) In Europe, where forestry is ecologically
more advanced, the noncommercial tree species are recognized as members of the native
forest community, to be preserved as such, within reason. Moreover, some
have been found to have a valuable function in building up soil fertility. The
interdependence of the forest and its constituent tree species, ground flora,
and fauna is taken for granted.
To sum up:
a system of conservation based solely on economic self-interest is hopelessly
lopsided. (50) It tends to ignore, and thus eventually to
eliminate, many elements in the land community that lack commercial value, but
that are essential to its healthy functioning. It assumes,
falsely, that the economic parts of the biotic clock will function without the
uneconomic parts.
Section
Ⅲ
Writing
Part A
51. Directions:
You are supposed
to write for the Postgraduates’ Association a notice to recruit
volunteers for an international conference on globalization. The notice should
include the basic qualifications for applicants and the other information which
you think is relevant.
You should write
about 100 words on ANSWER SHEET 2.
Do not sign your own name at the end of the notice.
Use “Postgraduates’ Association” instead. (10 points)
Part B
52. Directions:
Write an essay of
160-200 words based on the following drawing. In your essay, you should
1) describe the
drawing briefly,
2) explain its
intended meaning, and
3) give your
comments.
You should write
neatly on ANSHWER SHEET 2. (20 points)
2011年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语一试题
Section I Use of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the
best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.
(10 points)
①Ancient Greek philosopher
Aristotle viewed laughter as “a bodily exercise precious to
health.” ②But 1 some claims to the contrary, laughing
probably has little influence on physical fitness. ③Laughter does 2 short-term changes in the function of the
heart and its blood vessels, 3 heart rate and oxygen consumption. ④But because hard laughter
is difficult to 4 , a good laugh is unlikely to have 5 benefits the way, say, walking or jogging
does.
①
6 , instead of straining
muscles to build them, as exercise does, laughter apparently accomplishes the 7 .② Studies dating back
to the 1930s indicate that laughter 8 muscles, decreasing muscle tone for up to
45 minutes after the laugh dies down.
①Such bodily reaction
might conceivably help 9 the effects of psychological stress. ②Anyway, the act of
laughing probably does produce other types of 10 feedback that improve an individual's
emotional state. ③ 11
one classical theory of
emotion, our feelings are partially rooted 12 physical reactions. ④It was argued at the
end of the 19th century that humans do not cry 13 they are sad but that they become sad
when the tears begin to flow.
①Although sadness also 14 tears, evidence suggests that emotions
can flow 15 muscular responses. ②In an experiment
published in 1988, social psychologist Fritz Strack of the University of
Würzburg in Germany asked volunteers to 16 a pen either with their teeth—thereby creating an artificial
smile—or with their lips,
which would produce a(n) 17 expression. ③Those forced to
exercise their smiling muscles 18 more enthusiastically to funny cartoons
than did those whose mouths were contracted in a frown, 19 that expressions may influence emotions
rather than just the other way around. 20 , the physical act of laughter
could improve mood.
1. [A] among [B]
except [C] despite [D] like
2. [A] reflect [B]
demand [C]
indicate [D]
produce
3. [A] stabilizing [B] boosting [C]
impairing [D] determining
4. [A] transmit [B]
sustain [C]
evaluate [D]
observe
5. [A] measurable [B] manageable [C]
affordable [D]
renewable
6. [A] In turn [B]
In fact [C] In addition [D] In brief
7. [A] opposite [B] impossible [C] average [D] expected
8. [A] hardens [B]
weakens [C]
tightens [D]
relaxes
9. [A] aggravate [B] generate [C]
moderate [D] enhance
10. [A] physical [B] mental [C]
subconscious [D] internal
11. [A] Except for [B] According to [C]
Due to [D] As for
12. [A] with [B]
on [C]
in [D] at
13. [A] unless [B]
until [C]
if
[D]
because
14. [A] exhausts [B] follows [C]
precedes [D] suppresses
15. [A] into [B]
from [C]
towards [D]
beyond
16. [A] fetch [B]
bite [C]
pick [D] hold
17. [A] disappointed [B]
excited [C]
joyful [D]
indifferent
18. [A] adapted [B] catered [C]
turned [D]
reacted
19. [A] suggesting [B] requiring [C]
mentioning [D] supposing
20. [A] Eventually [B] Consequently [C] Similarly [D]
Conversely
Section
Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the
following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C
or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)
Text
1
①The decision of the New York Philharmonic to hire
Alan Gilbert as its next music director has been the talk of the
classical-music world ever since the sudden announcement of his appointment in
2009. ②For the most part, the response has been favorable, to say the
least. ③“Hooray! At last!” wrote Anthony Tommasini, a
sober-sided classical-music critic.
①One of the reasons why the appointment came as such a
surprise, however, is that Gilbert is comparatively little known. ②Even
Tommasini, who had advocated Gilbert’s appointment in the Times,
calls him “an unpretentious musician with no air of the formidable
conductor about him.” ③As a description of the next music director
of an orchestra that has hitherto been led by musicians like Gustav Mahler and
Pierre Boulez, that seems likely to have struck at least some Times
readers as faint praise.
①For my part, I have no idea whether Gilbert is a
great conductor or even a good one. ②To be sure, he performs an
impressive variety of interesting compositions, but it is not necessary for me
to visit Avery Fisher Hall, or anywhere else, to hear interesting orchestral
music. ③All I have to do is to go to my CD shelf, or boot up my computer
and download still more recorded music from iTunes.
①Devoted concertgoers who reply that recordings are no
substitute for live performance are missing the point. ②For the time,
attention, and money of the art-loving public, classical instrumentalists must
compete not only with opera houses, dance troupes, theater companies, and
museums, but also with the recorded performances of the great classical
musicians of the 20th century. ③These recordings are cheap, available
everywhere, and very often much higher in artistic quality than today’s
live performances; moreover, they can be “consumed” at a time and
place of the listener’s choosing. ④The widespread availability of
such recordings has thus brought about a crisis in the institution of the
traditional classical concert.
①One possible response is for classical performers to
program attractive new music that is not yet available on record.
②Gilbert’s own interest in new music has been widely noted: Alex
Ross, a classical-music critic, has described him as a man who is capable of
turning the Philharmonic into “a markedly different, more vibrant
organization.” ③But what will be the nature of that difference?
④Merely expanding the orchestra’s repertoire will not be enough.
⑤If Gilbert and the Philharmonic are to succeed, they must first change
the relationship between America’s oldest orchestra and the new audience
it hopes to attract.
21. We learn from Paragraph 1
that Gilbert’s appointment has
［A］ incurred
criticism.
［B］ raised
suspicion.
［C］ received
acclaim.
［D］ aroused
curiosity.
22. Tommasini regards Gilbert as
an artist who is
［A］
influential.
［B］ modest.
［C］ respectable.
［D］ talented.
23. The author believes that the
devoted concertgoers
［A］ ignore the
expenses of live performances.
［B］ reject most
kinds of recorded performances.
［C］ exaggerate
the variety of live performances.
［D］ overestimate
the value of live performances.
24. According to the text, which
of the following is true of recordings?
［A］ They are
often inferior to live concerts in quality.
［B］ They are
easily accessible to the general public.
［C］ They help
improve the quality of music.
［D］ They have
only covered masterpieces.
25. Regarding Gilbert’s
role in revitalizing the Philharmonic, the author feels
［A］ doubtful.
［B］
enthusiastic.
［C］ confident.
［D］ puzzled.
Text 2
①When Liam McGee departed as president of Bank of
America in August, his explanation was surprisingly straight up. ②Rather
than cloaking his exit in the usual vague excuses, he came right out and said
he was leaving “to pursue my goal of running a company.”
③Broadcasting his ambition was “very much my decision,” McGee
says. ④Within two weeks, he was talking for the first time with the board
of Hartford Financial Services Group, which named him CEO and chairman on
September 29.
①McGee says leaving without a position lined up gave
him time to reflect on what kind of company he wanted to run. ②It also
sent a clear message to the outside world about his aspirations. ③And
McGee isn’t alone. ④In recent weeks the No. 2 executives at Avon
and American Express quit with the explanation that they were looking for a CEO
post. ⑤As boards scrutinize succession plans in response to shareholder
pressure, executives who don’t get the nod also may wish to move on.
⑥A turbulent business environment also has senior managers cautious of
letting vague pronouncements cloud their reputations.
①As the first signs of recovery begin to take hold,
deputy chiefs may be more willing to make the jump without a net. ②In the
third quarter, CEO turnover was down 23% from a year ago as nervous boards
stuck with the leaders they had, according to Liberum Research. ③As the
economy picks up, opportunities will abound for aspiring leaders.
①The decision to quit a senior position to look for a
better one is unconventional. ②For years executives and headhunters have
adhered to the rule that the most attractive CEO candidates are the ones who
must be poached. ③Says Korn/Ferry senior partner Dennis Carey:
“I can’t think of a single search I’ve done where a board has
not instructed me to look at sitting CEOs first.”
①Those who jumped without a job haven’t always
landed in top positions quickly. ②Ellen Marram quit as chief of Tropicana
a decade ago, saying she wanted to be a CEO. ③It was a year before she
became head of a tiny Internet-based commodities exchange. ④Robert
Willumstad left Citigroup in 2005 with ambitions to be a CEO. ⑤He finally
took that post at a major financial institution three years later.
①Many recruiters say
the old disgrace is fading for top performers. ②The financial crisis has
made it more acceptable to be between jobs or to leave a bad one.
③“The traditional rule was it’s safer to stay where you are,
but that’s been fundamentally inverted,” says one headhunter.
④“The people who’ve been hurt the worst are those
who’ve stayed too long.”
26. When McGee announced his departure, his manner can best be
described as being
［A］ arrogant.
［B］ frank.
［C］ self-centered.
［D］ impulsive.
27. According to Paragraph 2, senior executives’ quitting may be
spurred by
［A］ their expectation of better
financial status.
［B］ their need to reflect on
their private life.
［C］ their strained relations
with the boards.
［D］ their pursuit of new career
goals.
28. The word “poached”（Paragraph 4）most probably means
［A］ approved of.
［B］ attended to.
［C］ hunted for.
［D］ guarded against.
29. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that
［A］ top performers used to cling
to their posts.
［B］ loyalty of top performers
is getting out-dated.
［C］ top performers care more
about reputations.
［D］ it’s safer to stick
to the traditional rules.
30. Which of the following is the best title for the text?
［A］ CEOs: Where to Go?
［B］ CEOs: All the Way Up?
［C］ Top Managers Jump without a
Net
［D］ The Only Way Out for Top
Performers
Text 3
①The rough guide to marketing success used to be that
you got what you paid for. ②No longer. ③While traditional
“paid” media—such as television commercials and print
advertisements—still play a major role, companies today can exploit many
alternative forms of media. ④Consumers passionate about a product may
create “earned” media by willingly promoting it to friends, and a
company may leverage “owned” media by sending e-mail alerts about
products and sales to customers registered with its Web site. ⑤The way
consumers now approach the process of making purchase decisions means that
marketing’s impact stems from a broad range of factors beyond
conventional paid media.
①Paid and owned media are controlled by marketers
promoting their own products. ②For earned media, such marketers act as
the initiator for users’ responses. ③But in some cases, one
marketer’s owned media become another marketer’s paid
media—for instance, when an e-commerce retailer sells ad space on its Web
site. ④We define such sold media as owned media whose traffic is so
strong that other organizations place their content or e-commerce engines
within that environment. ⑤This trend, which we believe is still in its
infancy, effectively began with retailers and travel providers such as airlines
and hotels and will no doubt go further. ⑥Johnson & Johnson, for
example, has created BabyCenter, a stand-alone media property that promotes complementary
and even competitive products. ⑦Besides generating income, the presence
of other marketers makes the site seem objective, gives companies opportunities
to learn valuable information about the appeal of other companies’
marketing, and may help expand user traffic for all companies concerned.
①The same dramatic technological changes that have
provided marketers with more (and more diverse) communications choices have
also increased the risk that passionate consumers will voice their opinions in
quicker, more visible, and much more damaging ways. ②Such hijacked media
are the opposite of earned media: an asset or campaign becomes hostage to
consumers, other stakeholders, or activists who make negative allegations about
a brand or product. ③Members of social networks, for instance, are
learning that they can hijack media to apply pressure on the businesses that
originally created them.
①If that happens, passionate consumers would try to
persuade others to boycott products, putting the reputation of the target
company at risk. ②In such a case, the company’s response may not be
sufficiently quick or thoughtful, and the learning curve has been steep.
③Toyota Motor, for example, alleviated some of the damage from its recall
crisis earlier this year with a relatively quick and well-orchestrated
social-media response campaign, which included efforts to engage with consumers
directly on sites such as Twitter and the social-news site Digg.
31. Consumers may create “earned” media when they are
［A］ obsessed with online
shopping at certain Web sites.
［B］ inspired by
product-promoting e-mails sent to them.
［C］ eager to help their friends
promote quality products.
［D］ enthusiastic about
recommending their favorite products.
32. According to Paragraph 2, sold media feature
［A］ a safe business
environment.
［B］ random competition.
［C］ strong user traffic.
［D］ flexibility in
organization.
33. The author indicates in Paragraph 3 that earned media
［A］ invite constant conflicts
with passionate consumers.
［B］ can be used to produce
negative effects in marketing.
［C］ may be responsible for
fiercer competition.
［D］ deserve all the negative
comments about them.
34. Toyota Motor’s experience is cited as an example of
［A］ responding effectively to
hijacked media.
［B］ persuading customers into
boycotting products.
［C］ cooperating with supportive
consumers.
［D］ taking advantage of
hijacked media.
35. Which of the following is the text mainly about?
［A］ Alternatives to
conventional paid media.
［B］ Conflict between hijacked
and earned media.
［C］ Dominance of hijacked
media.
［D］ Popularity of owned media.
Text 4
①It’s no surprise that Jennifer Senior’s
insightful, provocative magazine cover story, “I Love My Children, I Hate
My Life,” is arousing much chatter—nothing gets people talking like
the suggestion that child rearing is anything less than a completely fulfilling,
life-enriching experience. ②Rather than concluding that children make
parents either happy or miserable, Senior suggests we need to redefine
happiness: instead of thinking of it as something that can be measured by
moment-to-moment joy, we should consider being happy as a past-tense condition.
③Even though the day-to-day experience of raising kids can be
soul-crushingly hard, Senior writes that “the very things that in the
moment dampen our moods can later be sources of intense gratification and delight.”
①The magazine cover showing an attractive mother
holding a cute baby is hardly the only Madonna-and-child image on newsstands
this week. ②There are also stories about newly adoptive—and newly
single-mom Sandra Bullock, as well as the usual “Jennifer Aniston is
pregnant” news. ③Practically every week features at least one
celebrity mom, or mom-to-be, smiling on the newsstands.
①In a society that so persistently celebrates
procreation, is it any wonder that admitting you regret having children is
equivalent to admitting you support kitten-killing? ②It doesn’t
seem quite fair, then, to compare the regrets of parents to the regrets of the
childless. ③Unhappy parents rarely are provoked to wonder if they
shouldn’t have had kids, but unhappy childless folks are bothered with
the message that children are the single most important thing in the world:
obviously their misery must be a direct result of the gaping baby-size holes in
their lives.
①Of course, the image of parenthood that celebrity
magazines like Us Weekly and People present is hugely
unrealistic, especially when the parents are single mothers like Bullock.
②According to several studies concluding that parents are less happy than
childless couples, single parents are the least happy of all. ③No shock
there, considering how much work it is to raise a kid without a partner to lean
on; yet to hear Sandra and Britney tell it, raising a kid on their
“own” (read: with round-the-clock help) is a piece of cake.
①It’s hard to imagine that many people are dumb enough
to want children just because Reese and Angelina make it look so glamorous:
most adults understand that a baby is not a haircut. ②But it’s
interesting to wonder if the images we see every week of stress-free,
happiness-enhancing parenthood aren’t in some small, subconscious way
contributing to our own dissatisfactions with the actual experience, in the
same way that a small part of us hoped getting “the Rachel” might
make us look just a little bit like Jennifer Aniston.
36. Jennifer Senior suggests in her article that raising a child can
bring
［A］ temporary delight.
［B］ enjoyment in progress.
［C］ happiness in
retrospect.
［D］ lasting reward.
37. We learn from Paragraph 2 that
［A］ celebrity moms are a
permanent source for gossip.
［B］ single mothers with babies
deserve greater attention.
［C］ news about pregnant
celebrities is entertaining.
［D］ having children is highly
valued by the public.
38. It is suggested in Paragraph 3 that childless folks
［A］ are constantly exposed to
criticism.
［B］ are largely ignored by the
media.
［C］ fail to fulfill their
social responsibilities.
［D］ are less likely to be
satisfied with their life.
39. According to Paragraph 4, the message conveyed by celebrity
magazines is
［A］ soothing.
［B］ ambiguous.
［C］ compensatory.
［D］ misleading.
40. Which of the following can be inferred from the last paragraph?
［A］ Having children contributes
little to the glamour of celebrity moms.
［B］ Celebrity moms have
influenced our attitude towards child rearing.
［C］ Having children intensifies
our dissatisfaction with life.
［D］ We sometimes neglect the
happiness from child rearing.
Part B
Directions:
The following
paragraphs are given in a wrong order. For questions 41-45, you are required to
reorganize these paragraphs into a coherent text by choosing from the list A-G
and filling them into the numbered boxes. Paragraphs
E and G have been correctly placed. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.
(10 points)
[A]
No disciplines have seized on professionalism with as much enthusiasm as the
humanities. You can, Mr Menand points out, become a lawyer in three years and a
medical doctor in four. But the regular time it takes to get a doctoral degree
in the humanities is nine years. Not surprisingly, up to half of all doctoral
students in English drop out before getting their degrees.
[B] His concern is mainly with the humanities: literature, languages,
philosophy and so on. These are disciplines that are going out of style:
22% of American college graduates now major in business compared with only 2%
in history and 4% in English. However, many leading American universities want
their undergraduates to have a grounding in the basic canon of ideas that every
educated person should possess. But most find it difficult to agree on what a
“general education” should look like. At Harvard, Mr Menand notes, “the
great books are read because they have been read”—they form a sort
of social glue.
[C]
Equally unsurprisingly, only about half end up with professorships for which
they entered graduate school. There are simply too few posts. This is partly
because universities continue to produce ever more PhDs. But fewer students
want to study humanities subjects: English departments awarded more bachelor’s
degrees in 1970-71 than they did 20 years later. Fewer students require fewer
teachers. So, at the end of a decade of thesis-writing, many humanities
students leave the profession to do something for which they have not been
trained.
[D]
One reason why it is hard to design and teach such courses is that they cut
across the insistence by top American universities that liberal-arts education
and professional education should be kept separate, taught in different
schools. Many students experience both varieties. Although more than half of
Harvard undergraduates end up in law, medicine or business, future doctors and
lawyers must study a non-specialist liberal-arts degree before embarking on a
professional qualification.
[E]
Besides professionalising the professions by this separation, top American
universities have professionalised the professor. The growth in public money
for academic research has speeded the process: federal research grants rose
fourfold between 1960 and 1990, but faculty teaching hours fell by half as
research took its toll. Professionalism has turned the acquisition of a
doctoral degree into a prerequisite for a successful academic career: as late
as 1969 a third of American professors did not possess one. But the key idea
behind professionalisation, argues Mr Menand, is that “the knowledge and
skills needed for a particular specialisation are transmissible but not
transferable.” So disciplines acquire a monopoly not just over the
production of knowledge, but also over the production of the producers of
knowledge.
[F]
The key to reforming higher education, concludes Mr Menand, is to alter the way
in which “the producers of knowledge are produced”. Otherwise, academics
will continue to think dangerously alike, increasingly detached from the
societies which they study, investigate and criticise. “Academic inquiry,
at least in some fields, may need to become less exclusionary and more
holistic.” Yet quite how that happens, Mr Menand does not say.
G →41. _______ →42. _______ → E →43. _______ →44. _______→45. _______
Part C
Directions:
Read the
following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into
Chinese. Your translation should be written clearly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (10 points)
With its
theme that “Mind is the master weaver,” creating our inner
character and outer circumstances, the book As a Man Thinketh by James
Allen is an in-depth exploration of the central idea of self-help writing.
(46) Allen’s contribution was to
take an assumption we all share—that because we are not robots we
therefore control our thoughts—and reveal its erroneous nature.
Because most of us believe that mind is separate from matter, we think that
thoughts can be hidden and made powerless; this allows us to think one way and
act another. However, Allen believed that the unconscious mind generates as
much action as the conscious mind, and (47) while we may be able to sustain
the illusion of control through the conscious mind alone, in reality we are
continually faced with a question: “Why cannot I make myself do this or
achieve that? ”
Since desire and will are damaged by the
presence of thoughts that do not accord with desire, Allen concluded: “We
do not attract what we want, but what we are.” Achievement happens
because you as a person embody the external achievement; you don’t
“get” success but become it. There is no gap between mind and
matter.
Part of the fame of Allen’s book is
its contention that “Circumstances do not make a person, they reveal
him.” (48) This seems a justification for neglect of those in need,
and a rationalization of exploitation, of the superiority of those at the top
and the inferiority of those at the bottom.
This, however, would be a knee-jerk
reaction to a subtle argument. Each set of circumstances, however bad, offers a
unique opportunity for growth. If circumstances always determined the life and
prospects of people, then humanity would never have progressed. In fact, (49) circumstances
seem to be designed to bring out the best in us, and if we feel that we have
been “wronged” then we are unlikely to begin a conscious effort to
escape from our situation. Nevertheless, as any biographer knows, a
person’s early life and its conditions are often the greatest gift to an
individual.
The sobering aspect of Allen’s book
is that we have no one else to blame for our present condition except
ourselves. (50) The upside is the possibilities contained in knowing that
everything is up to us; where before we were experts in the array of
limitations, now we become authorities of what is possible.
Section
Ⅲ Writing
Part A
51. Directions:
Write a letter to
a friend of yours to
1) recommend one
of your favorite movies and
2) give reasons
for your recommendation.
You should write
about 100 words on ANSWER SHEET 2.
Do not sign your
own name at the end of the letter. Use “Li Ming” instead.
Do not write the address.
(10 points)
Part B
52. Directions:
Write an essay of
160-200 words based on the following drawing. In your essay, you should
1) describe the
drawing briefly,
2) explain its
intended meaning, and
3) give your
comments.
You should write
neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (20 points)
2012年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语（一）试题
Section I Use of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each
numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)
①The ethical judgments of the Supreme Court
justices have become an important issue recently. ②The court cannot 1 its legitimacy as guardian of the rule of
law 2 justices behave like politicians. ③Yet, in several instances, justices acted in ways that 3 the court’s reputation for being
independent and impartial.
①Justice Antonin Scalia, for example, appeared at
political events. ②That kind of activity makes it less likely that the court’s
decisions will be 4 as impartial judgments. ③Part of the problem is that the justices are not 5 by an ethics code. ④At the very least, the court should make itself 6 to the code of conduct that 7 to the rest of the federal
judiciary.
①This and other similar cases 8 the question of whether there
is still a 9 between the court and
politics.
①The framers of the Constitution envisioned law 10 having authority apart from politics. ②They gave justices permanent positions 11 they would be free to 12 those in power and have no
need to 13 political support. ③Our legal system was designed to set law apart from
politics precisely because they are so closely 14 .
①Constitutional law is political because it results
from choices rooted in fundamental social 15 like liberty and property. ②When the court deals with social policy decisions, the law it 16 is inescapably political—which is why decisions split along ideological lines are
so easily 17 as unjust.
①The justices must 18 doubts about the court’s legitimacy by making themselves
19 to the code of conduct. ②That would make their rulings more likely to be seen as separate from
politics and, 20 , convincing as law.
1. [A] emphasize [B]
maintain [C]
modify [D]
recognize
2. [A] when [B]
lest [C]
before [D] unless
3. [A] restored [B]
weakened [C]
established [D]
eliminated
4. [A] challenged [B]
compromised [C]
suspected [D]
accepted
5. [A] advanced [B]
caught [C]
bound [D] founded
6. [A] resistant [B]
subject [C]
immune [D]
prone
7. [A] resorts [B]
sticks [C]
leads [D]
applies
8. [A] evade [B]
raise [C]
deny [D]
settle
9. [A] line [B]
barrier [C]
similarity [D] conflict
10. [A] by [B]
as [C]
through [D] towards
11. [A] so [B]
since [C]
provided [D]
though
12. [A] serve [B]
satisfy [C]
upset [D]
replace
13. [A] confirm [B]
express [C]
cultivate [D]
offer
14. [A] guarded [B]
followed [C]
studied [D]
tied
15. [A] concepts [B]
theories [C]
divisions [D]
conventions
16. [A] excludes [B]
questions [C]
shapes [D] controls
17. [A] dismissed [B]
released [C]
ranked [D]
distorted
18. [A] suppress [B]
exploit [C]
address [D] ignore
19. [A] accessible [B]
amiable [C]
agreeable [D]
accountable
20. [A] by all means [B]
at all costs [C]
in a word [D]
as a result
Section
Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the
following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C
or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)
Text 1
①Come on—Everybody’s doing it. ②That
whispered message, half invitation and half forcing, is what most of us think
of when we hear the words peer pressure.
③It usually leads to no good—drinking, drugs and casual sex.
④But in her new book Join the Club,
Tina Rosenberg contends that peer pressure can also be a positive force through
what she calls the social cure, in which organizations and officials use the
power of group dynamics to help individuals improve their lives and possibly
the world.
①Rosenberg, the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, offers
a host of examples of the social cure in action: In South Carolina, a
state-sponsored antismoking program called Rage Against the Haze sets out to
make cigarettes uncool. ②In South Africa, an HIV-prevention initiative
known as LoveLife recruits young people to promote safe sex among their peers.
①The idea seems promising, and Rosenberg is a
perceptive observer. ②Her critique of the lameness of many public-health
campaigns is spot-on: they fail to mobilize peer pressure for healthy habits,
and they demonstrate a seriously flawed understanding of psychology.
③“Dare to be different, please don’t smoke!” pleads one
billboard campaign aimed at reducing smoking among teenagers—teenagers, who desire nothing more than
fitting in. ④Rosenberg argues convincingly that public-health advocates
ought to take a page from advertisers, so skilled at applying peer pressure.
①But on the general effectiveness of the social cure,
Rosenberg is less persuasive. ②Join
the Club is filled with too much irrelevant detail and not enough
exploration of the social and biological factors that make peer pressure so
powerful. ③The most glaring flaw of the social cure as it’s
presented here is that it doesn’t work very well for very long.
④Rage Against the Haze failed once state funding was cut. ⑤Evidence
that the LoveLife program produces lasting changes is limited and mixed.
①There’s no doubt that our peer groups exert
enormous influence on our behavior. ②An emerging body of research shows
that positive health habits—as well as negative ones—spread through
networks of friends via social communication. ③This is a subtle form of
peer pressure: we unconsciously imitate the behavior we see every day.
①Far less certain, however, is how successfully
experts and bureaucrats can select our peer groups and steer their activities
in virtuous directions. ②It’s like the teacher who breaks up the
troublemakers in the back row by pairing them with better-behaved classmates.
③The tactic never really works. ④And that’s the problem with
a social cure engineered from the outside: in the real world, as in school, we
insist on choosing our own friends.
21. According to the first
paragraph, peer pressure often emerges as
[A] a supplement to the social cure.
[B] a stimulus to group dynamics.
[C] an obstacle to social progress.
[D] a cause of undesirable
behaviors.
22. Rosenberg holds that
public-health advocates should
[A] recruit professional advertisers.
[B] learn from advertisers’
experience.
[C] stay away from commercial advertisers.
[D] recognize the limitations of advertisements.
23. In the author’s view,
Rosenberg’s book fails to
[A] adequately probe social and
biological factors.
[B] effectively evade the flaws of the social cure.
[C] illustrate the functions of state funding.
[D] produce a long-lasting social effect.
24. Paragraph 5 shows that our
imitation of behaviors
[A] is harmful to our networks of friends.
[B] will mislead behavioral studies.
[C] occurs without our realizing it.
[D] can produce negative health habits.
25. The author suggests in the
last paragraph that the effect of peer pressure is
[A] harmful.
[B] desirable.
[C] profound.
[D] questionable.
Text 2
①A deal is a deal—except, apparently, when
Entergy is involved. ②The company, a major energy supplier in New
England, provoked justified outrage in Vermont last week when it announced it
was reneging on a longstanding commitment to abide by the state’s
strict nuclear regulations.
①Instead, the company has done precisely what it had
long promised it would not: challenge the constitutionality of Vermont’s
rules in the federal court, as part of a desperate effort to keep its Vermont
Yankee nuclear power plant running. ②It’s a stunning move.
①The conflict has been surfacing since 2002, when the
corporation bought Vermont’s only nuclear power plant, an aging reactor
in Vernon. ②As a condition of receiving state approval for the sale, the
company agreed to seek permission from state regulators to operate past 2012.
③In 2006, the state went a step further, requiring that any extension of
the plant’s license be subject to the Vermont legislature’s
approval. ④Then, too, the company went along.
①Either Entergy never really intended to live by those
commitments, or it simply didn’t foresee what would happen next. ②A
string of accidents, including the partial collapse of a cooling tower in 2007
and the discovery of an underground pipe system leakage, raised serious questions
about both Vermont Yankee’s safety and Entergy’s
management—especially after the company made misleading statements about
the pipe. ③Enraged by Entergy’s behavior, the Vermont Senate voted
26 to 4 last year against allowing an extension.
①Now the company is suddenly claiming that the 2002
agreement is invalid because of the 2006 legislation, and that only the federal
government has regulatory power over nuclear issues. ②The legal issues in
the case are obscure: whereas the Supreme Court has ruled that states do have
some regulatory authority over nuclear power, legal scholars say the Vermont
case will offer a precedent-setting test of how far those powers extend.
③Certainly, there are valid concerns about the patchwork regulations that
could result if every state sets its own rules. ④But had Entergy kept its
word, that debate would be beside the point.
①The company seems to have concluded that its
reputation in Vermont is already so damaged that it has nothing left to lose by
going to war with the state. ②But there should be consequences.
③Permission to run a nuclear plant is a public trust. ④Entergy runs
11 other reactors in the United States, including Pilgrim Nuclear station in
Plymouth. ⑤Pledging to run Pilgrim safely, the company has applied for
federal permission to keep it open for another 20 years. ⑥But as the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews the company’s application, it
should keep in mind what promises from Entergy are worth.
26. The phrase “reneging
on” (Para. 1) is closest in meaning to
[A] condemning.
[B] reaffirming.
[C] dishonoring.
[D] securing.
27. By entering into the 2002
agreement, Entergy intended to
[A] obtain protection from Vermont regulators.
[B] seek favor from the federal legislature.
[C] acquire an extension of its business license.
[D] get permission to purchase a power plant.
28. According to Paragraph 4,
Entergy seems to have problems with its
[A] managerial practices.
[B] technical innovativeness.
[C] financial goals.
[D] business vision.
29. In the author’s view,
the Vermont case will test
[A] Entergy’s capacity to fulfill all its promises.
[B] the nature of states’ patchwork regulations.
[C] the federal authority over nuclear issues.
[D] the limits of states’ power over nuclear issues.
30. It can be inferred from the
last paragraph that
[A] Entergy’s business elsewhere might be affected.
[B] the authority of the NRC will be defied.
[C] Entergy will withdraw its Plymouth application.
[D] Vermont’s reputation might be damaged.
Text 3
①In the idealized version of how science is done,
facts about the world are waiting to be observed and collected by objective
researchers who use the scientific method to carry out their work. ②But
in the everyday practice of science, discovery frequently follows an ambiguous
and complicated route. ③We aim to be objective, but we cannot escape the
context of our unique life experiences. ④Prior knowledge and interests
influence what we experience, what we think our experiences mean, and the
subsequent actions we take. ⑤Opportunities for misinterpretation, error,
and self-deception abound.
①Consequently, discovery claims should be thought of
as protoscience. ②Similar to newly staked mining claims, they are full of
potential. ③But it takes collective scrutiny and acceptance to transform
a discovery claim into a mature discovery. ④This is the credibility
process, through which the individual researcher’s me, here, now becomes the community’s anyone, anywhere, anytime.
⑤Objective knowledge is the goal, not the starting point.
①Once a discovery claim becomes public, the discoverer
receives intellectual credit. ②But, unlike with mining claims, the
community takes control of what happens next. ③Within the complex social
structure of the scientific community, researchers make discoveries; editors
and reviewers act as gatekeepers by controlling the publication process; other
scientists use the new finding to suit their own purposes; and finally, the
public (including other scientists) receives the new discovery and possibly accompanying
technology. ④As a discovery claim works its way through the community,
the interaction and confrontation between shared and competing beliefs about
the science and the technology involved transforms an individual’s
discovery claim into the community’s credible discovery.
①Two paradoxes exist throughout this credibility
process. ②First, scientific work tends to focus on some aspect of
prevailing knowledge that is viewed as incomplete or incorrect. ③Little
reward accompanies duplication and confirmation of what is already known and
believed. ④The goal is new-search,
not re-search. ⑤Not
surprisingly, newly published discovery claims and credible discoveries that
appear to be important and convincing will always be open to challenge and
potential modification or refutation by future researchers. ⑥Second,
novelty itself frequently provokes disbelief. ⑦Nobel Laureate and
physiologist Albert Szent-Györgyi once described discovery as “seeing what
everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” ⑧But
thinking what nobody else has thought and telling others what they have missed
may not change their views. ⑨Sometimes years are required for truly novel
discovery claims to be accepted and appreciated.
①In the end, credibility “happens” to a
discovery claim—a process that corresponds to what philosopher Annette Baier
has described as the commons of the mind.
②“We reason together, challenge, revise, and complete each
other’s reasoning and each other’s conceptions of reason.”
31. According to the first paragraph,
the process of discovery is characterized by its
[A] uncertainty and complexity.
[B] misconception and deceptiveness.
[C] logicality and objectivity.
[D] systematicness and regularity.
32. It can be inferred from
Paragraph 2 that the credibility process requires
[A] strict inspection.
[B] shared efforts.
[C] individual wisdom.
[D] persistent innovation.
33. Paragraph 3 shows that a
discovery claim becomes credible after it
[A] has attracted the attention of the general public.
[B] has been examined by the scientific community.
[C] has received recognition from editors and reviewers.
[D] has been frequently quoted by peer scientists.
34. Albert Szent-Györgyi would
most likely agree that
[A] scientific claims will survive challenges.
[B] discoveries today inspire future research.
[C] efforts to make discoveries are justified.
[D] scientific work calls for a critical mind.
35. Which of the following would
be the best title of the text?
[A] Novelty as an Engine of Scientific Development.
[B] Collective Scrutiny in Scientific Discovery.
[C] Evolution of Credibility in Doing Science.
[D] Challenge to Credibility at the Gate to Science.
Text 4
①If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today,
he would probably represent civil servants. ②When Hoffa’s Teamsters
were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers
belonged to a union; now 36% do. ③In 2009 the number of unionists in
America’s public sector passed that of their fellow members in the
private sector. ④In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but
only about 15% of private-sector ones are unionized.
①There are three reasons for the public-sector
unions’ thriving. ②First, they can shut things down without
suffering much in the way of consequences. ③Second, they are mostly
bright and well-educated. ④A quarter of America’s public-sector
workers have a university degree. ⑤Third, they now dominate
left-of-centre politics. ⑥Some of their ties go back a long way.
⑦Britain’s Labor Party, as its name implies, has long been
associated with trade unionism. ⑧Its current leader, Ed Miliband, owes
his position to votes from public-sector unions.
①At the state level their influence can be even more
fearsome. ②Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California
points out that much of the state’s budget is patrolled by unions.
③The teachers’ unions keep an eye on schools, the CCPOA on prisons
and a variety of labor groups on health care.
①In many rich countries average wages in the state
sector are higher than in the private one. ②But the real gains come in
benefits and work practices. ③Politicians have repeatedly
“backloaded” public-sector pay deals, keeping the pay increases
modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already
generous.
①Reform has been vigorously opposed, perhaps most
notoriously in education, where charter schools, academies and merit pay all
faced drawn-out battles. ②Even though there is plenty of evidence that
the quality of the teachers is the most important variable, teachers’
unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones.
①As the cost to everyone else has become clearer,
politicians have begun to clamp down. ②In Wisconsin the unions have
rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline Republican
governor. ③But many within the public sector suffer under the current
system, too.
①John Donahue at Harvard’s Kennedy School points
out that the norms of culture in Western civil services suit those who want to
stay put but is bad for high achievers. ②The only American public-sector
workers who earn well above $250,000 a year are university sports coaches and
the president of the United States. ③Bankers’ fat pay packets have
attracted much criticism, but a public-sector system that does not reward high
achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.
36. It can be learned from the
first paragraph that
[A] Teamsters still have a large body of members.
[B] Jimmy Hoffa used to work as a civil servant.
[C] unions have enlarged their public-sector membership.
[D] the government has improved its relationship with
unionists.
37. Which of the following is
true of Paragraph 2?
[A] Public-sector unions are prudent in taking actions.
[B] Education is required for public-sector union membership.
[C] Labor Party has long been fighting against public-sector
unions.
[D] Public-sector unions seldom get in trouble for their
actions.
38. It can be learned from
Paragraph 4 that the income in the state sector is
[A] illegally secured.
[B] indirectly augmented.
[C] excessively increased.
[D] fairly adjusted.
39. The example of the unions in
Wisconsin shows that unions
[A] often run against the current political system.
[B] can change people’s political attitudes.
[C] may be a barrier to public-sector reforms.
[D] are dominant in the government.
40. John Donahue’s
attitude towards the public-sector system is one of
[A] disapproval.
[C] appreciation.
[B] tolerance.
[D] indifference.
Part B
Directions:
In the following
text, some sentences have been removed. For Questions 41-45, choose the most
suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There
are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers
on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)
Think of
those fleeting moments when you look out of an aeroplane window and realise
that you are flying, higher than a bird. Now think of your laptop, thinner than
a brown-paper envelope, or your cellphone in the palm of your hand. Take a
moment or two to wonder at those marvels. You are the lucky inheritor of a
dream come true.
The second half of the 20th century saw a collection of
geniuses, warriors, entrepreneurs and visionaries labour to create a fabulous
machine that could function as a typewriter and printing press, studio and
theatre, paintbrush and gallery, piano and radio, the mail as well as the mail
carrier. (41) ________
The networked computer is an amazing device, the first media
machine that serves as the mode of production, means of distribution, site of
reception, and place of praise and critique. The computer is the 21st
century’s culture machine.
But for all the reasons there are to celebrate the computer,
we must also act with caution. (42) ________ I call it a secret war for two
reasons. First, most people do not realise that there are strong commercial
agendas at work to keep them in passive consumption mode. Second, the majority
of people who use networked computers to upload are not even aware of the
significance of what they are doing.
All animals download, but only a few upload. Beavers build
dams and birds make nests. Yet for the most part, the animal kingdom moves
through the world downloading. Humans are unique in their capacity to not only
make tools but then turn around and use them to create superfluous material
goods—paintings, sculpture and architecture—and
superfluous experiences—music,
literature, religion and philosophy. (43) ________
For all the possibilities of our new culture machines, most
people are still stuck in download mode. Even after the advent of widespread
social media, a pyramid of production remains, with a small number of people
uploading material, a slightly larger group commenting on or modifying that
content, and a huge percentage remaining content to just consume. (44) ________
Television is a one-way tap flowing into our homes. The
hardest task that television asks of anyone is to turn the power off after he
has turned it on. (45) ________
What counts as meaningful uploading? My definition revolves
around the concept of “stickiness”—creations
and experiences to which others adhere.
[B] Applications like tumblr.com, which
allow users to combine pictures, words and other media in creative ways and
then share them, have the potential to add stickiness by amusing, entertaining
and enlightening others.
[D] This is
because the networked computer has sparked a secret war between downloading and
uploading—between
passive consumption and active creation—whose outcome
will shape our collective future in ways we can only begin to imagine.
[E] The challenge the computer mounts
to television thus bears little similarity to one format
being replaced by another in the manner of record players being replaced
by CD players.
[F] One reason
for the persistence of this pyramid of production is that for the past
half-century, much of the world’s media culture has been defined by a
single medium—television—and television is defined by downloading.
Part C
Directions:
Read the
following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into
Chinese. Your translation should be written clearly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (10
points)
Since the days of Aristotle, a search for
universal principles has characterized the scientific enterprise. In some ways,
this quest for commonalities defines science. Newton's laws of motion and
Darwinian evolution each bind a host of different phenomena into a single
explicatory framework.
(46) In physics, one approach takes this
impulse for unification to its extreme, and seeks a theory of
everything—a single generative equation for all we see. It is
becoming less clear, however, that such a theory would be a simplification,
given the dimensions and universes that it might entail. Nonetheless,
unification of sorts remains a major goal.
This tendency in the natural sciences has
long been evident in the social sciences too. (47) Here, Darwinism seems to
offer justification, for if all humans share common origins, it seems
reasonable to suppose that cultural diversity could also be traced to more
constrained beginnings. Just as the bewildering variety of human courtship
rituals might all be considered forms of sexual selection, perhaps the world's
languages, music, social and religious customs and even history are governed by
universal features. (48) To filter out what is unique from what is shared
might enable us to understand how complex cultural behavior arose and what
guides it in evolutionary or cognitive terms.
That, at least, is the hope. But a
comparative study of linguistic traits published online today supplies a
reality check. Russell Gray at the University of Auckland and his colleagues
consider the evolution of grammars in the light of two previous attempts to
find universality in language.
The most famous of these efforts was
initiated by Noam Chomsky, who suggested that humans are born with an innate
language-acquisition capacity that dictates a universal grammar. A few
generative rules are then sufficient to unfold the entire fundamental structure
of a language, which is why children can learn it so quickly.
(49) The second, by Joshua Greenberg,
takes a more empirical approach to universality, identifying traits
(particularly in word order) shared by many languages, which are considered to
represent biases that result from cognitive constraints.
Gray and his colleagues have put them to
the test by examining four family trees that between them represent more than
2,000 languages. (50) Chomsky’s grammar should show patterns of
language change that are independent of the family tree or the pathway tracked
through it, whereas Greenbergian universality predicts strong co-dependencies between
particular types of word-order relations. Neither of these patterns is
borne out by the analysis, suggesting that the structures of the languages are
lineage-specific and not governed by universals.
Section
III Writing
Part A
51. Directions:
Some international
students are coming to your university. Write them an email in the name of the
Students’ Union to
1) extend your
welcome and
2) provide some
suggestions for their campus life here.
You should write
about 100 words on ANSWER SHEET 2.
Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter.
Use “Li Ming” instead.
Do not write the address. (10 points)
Part B
52. Directions:
Write an essay of
160-200 words based on the following drawing. In your essay, you should
1) describe the
drawing briefly,
2) explain its
intended meaning, and
3) give your
comments
You should write
neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (20 points)
2013年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语一试题
Section I Use of English
Directions:
Read the
following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B,
C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
①People are, on the whole, poor at considering background
information when making individual decisions. ②At first glance this might seem like a strength that 1 the ability to make judgments which are
unbiased by 2 factors. ③But Dr Uri Simonsohn speculated that an inability to
consider the big 3 was leading decision-makers to be biased
by the daily samples of information they were working with. 4 , he theorised that a judge 5 of appearing too soft 6 crime might be more likely to
send someone to prison 7 he had already sentenced five
or six other defendants only to forced community service on that day.
①To 8 this idea, he turned to the
university-admissions process. ②In theory, the 9 of an applicant should not
depend on the few others 10 randomly for interview during the same
day, but Dr Simonsohn suspected the truth was 11 .
①He studied the results of 9,323 MBA interviews 12 by 31 admissions officers. ②The interviewers had 13 applicants on a scale of one
to five. ③This scale 14 numerous factors into
consideration. ④The scores were 15 used in conjunction with an applicant's
score on the Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT, a standardised exam
which is 16 out of 800 points, to make a decision on
whether to accept him or her.
①Dr Simonsohn found if the score of the previous candidate in a
daily series of interviewees was 0.75 points or more higher than that of the
one 17 that, then the score for the
next applicant would 18 by an average of 0.075 points.
②This might sound small, but to 19 the effects of such a decrease
a candidate would need 30 more GMAT points than would otherwise have been 20 .
1. [A] grants [B] submits [C]
transmits [D]
delivers
2. [A] minor [B]
external [C]
crucial [D]
objective
3. [A] issue [B]
vision [C]
picture [D]
moment
4. [A] Above all [B] On average [C] In principle [D]
For example
5. [A] fond [B]
fearful [C]
capable [D]
thoughtless
6. [A] in [B]
for [C]
to [D]
on
7. [A] if [B]
until [C]
though [D]
unless
8. [A] test [B] emphasize [C]
share [D] promote
9. [A] decision [B] quality [C] status [D] success
10. [A] found [B] studied [C] chosen [D]
identified
11. [A] otherwise [B] defensible [C] replaceable [D] exceptional
12. [A] inspired [B]
expressed [C]
conducted [D]
secured
13. [A] assigned [B] rated [C]
matched [D] arranged
14. [A] put [B]
got [C]
took [D]
gave
15. [A] instead [B] then [C]
ever [D]
rather
16. [A] selected [B]
passed [C]
marked [D]
introduced
17. [A] below [B] after [C]
above [D] before
18. [A] jump [B]
float [C]
fluctuate [D] drop
19. [A] achieve [B]
undo [C]
maintain [D] disregard
20. [A] necessary [B] possible [C]
promising [D]
helpful
Section II
Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the
following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C
or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
① In the 2006 film
version of The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl
Streep, scolds her unattractive assistant for imagining that high fashion doesn’t
affect her. ② Priestly
explains how the deep blue color of the assistant’s sweater descended
over the years from fashion shows to department stores and to the bargain bin
in which the poor girl doubtless found her garment.
① This top-down conception of
the fashion business couldn’t be more out of date or at odds with the
feverish world described in Overdressed, Elizabeth Cline’s
three-year indictment of “fast fashion”. ② In the last decade or so,
advances in technology have allowed mass-market labels such as Zara, H&M,
and Uniqlo to react to trends more quickly and anticipate demand more precisely.
③ Quicker turnarounds mean
less wasted inventory, more frequent releases, and more profit. ④ These labels encourage
style-conscious consumers to see clothes as disposable—meant to last only a wash or
two, although they don’t advertise that—and to renew
their wardrobe every few weeks. ⑤ By offering
on-trend items at dirt-cheap prices, Cline argues, these brands have hijacked
fashion cycles, shaking an industry long accustomed to a seasonal pace.
① The victims of this
revolution, of course, are not limited to designers. ② For H&M to offer a
$5.95 knit miniskirt in all its 2,300-plus stores around the world, it must
rely on low-wage overseas labor, order in volumes that strain natural
resources, and use massive amounts of harmful chemicals.
① Overdressed is the fashion world’s answer to consumer-activist bestsellers
like Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. ② “Mass-produced
clothing, like fast food, fills a hunger and need, yet is non-durable and
wasteful,” Cline argues. ③ Americans, she finds,
buy roughly 20 billion garments a year—about 64 items per
person—and no matter how much they give away, this excess leads to waste.
① Towards the end of Overdressed,
Cline introduced her ideal, a Brooklyn woman named Sarah Kate Beaumont, who
since 2008 has made all of her own clothes—and beautifully. ② But as Cline is the first
to note, it took Beaumont decades to perfect her craft; her example can’t
be knocked off.
① Though several fast-fashion
companies have made efforts to curb their impact on labor and the environment—including H&M, with its
green Conscious Collection line—Cline believes
lasting change can only be effected by the customer. ② She exhibits the idealism
common to many advocates of sustainability, be it in food or in energy. ③ Vanity is a constant;
people will only start shopping more sustainably when they can’t afford
not to.
21. Priestly criticizes her assistant for her
[A] lack of imagination.
[B] poor bargaining skill.
[C] obsession
with high fashion.
[D] insensitivity
to fashion.
22. According to Cline, mass-market labels urge consumers to
[A] combat
unnecessary waste.
[B] shop for
their garments more frequently.
[C] resist the
influence of advertisements.
[D] shut out the
feverish fashion world.
23. The word “indictment” (Para. 2) is closest in meaning
to
[A] accusation.
[B] enthusiasm.
[C] indifference.
[D] tolerance.
24. Which of the following can be inferred from the last paragraph?
[A] Vanity has
more often been found in idealists.
[B] The
fast-fashion industry ignores sustainability.
[C] Pricing is
vital to environment-friendly purchasing.
[D] People are
more interested in unaffordable garments.
25. What is the subject of the text?
[A] Satire on an
extravagant lifestyle.
[B] Challenge to
a high-fashion myth.
[C] Criticism of
the fast-fashion industry.
[D] Exposure of a
mass-market secret.
Text 2
① An old saying
has it that half of all advertising budgets are wasted—the trouble is, no one knows
which half. ② In the internet
age, at least in theory, this fraction can be much reduced. ③ By watching what people search for,
click on and say online, companies can aim “behavioural” ads at
those most likely to buy.
① In the past couple of weeks
a quarrel has illustrated the value to advertisers of such fine-grained
information: Should advertisers assume that people are happy to be tracked and
sent behavioural ads? Or should they have explicit permission?
① In December 2010 America’s
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed adding a “do not track”
(DNT) option to internet browsers, so that users could tell advertisers that
they did not want to be followed. ② Microsoft’s
Internet Explorer and Apple’s Safari both offer DNT; Google’s
Chrome is due to do so this year. ③ In February the
FTC and Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) agreed that the industry
would get cracking on responding to DNT requests.
① On May 31st Microsoft set
off the row. ② It said that
Internet Explorer 10, the version due to appear with Windows 8, would have DNT
as a default.
① Advertisers are horrified. ② Human nature being what it
is, most people stick with default settings. ③ Few switch DNT
on now, but if tracking is off it will stay off. ④ Bob Liodice, the
chief executive of the Association of National Advertisers, says consumers will
be worse off if the industry cannot collect information about their
preferences. ⑤ People will not
get fewer ads, he says. ⑥ “They’ll
get less meaningful, less targeted ads.”
① It is not yet clear how
advertisers will respond. ② Getting a DNT
signal does not oblige anyone to stop tracking, although some companies have
promised to do so. ③ Unable to tell
whether someone really objects to behavioural ads or whether they are sticking
with Microsoft’s default, some may ignore a DNT signal and press on anyway.
① Also unclear is why
Microsoft has gone it alone. ② After all, it
has an ad business too, which it says will comply with DNT requests, though it
is still working out how. ③ If it is trying
to upset Google, which relies almost wholly on advertising, it has chosen an
indirect method: There is no guarantee that DNT by default will become the
norm. ④ DNT does not
seem an obviously huge selling point for Windows 8—though the firm has compared
some of its other products favorably with Google’s on that count before. ⑤ Brendon Lynch, Microsoft’s
chief privacy officer, blogged: “We believe consumers should have more
control.” ⑥ Could it really
be that simple?
26. It is suggested in Paragraph 1 that “behavioural” ads
help advertisers to
[A] lower their
operational costs.
[B] ease
competition among themselves.
[C] avoid
complaints from consumers.
[D] provide
better online services.
27. “The industry” (Para.3) refers to
[A] online
advertisers.
[B] e-commerce
conductors.
[C] digital
information analysts.
[D] internet
browser developers.
28. Bob Liodice holds that setting DNT as a default
[A] goes against
human nature.
[B] fails to
affect the ad industry.
[C] will not
benefit consumers.
[D] may cut the
number of junk ads.
29. Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 6?
[A] Advertisers
are willing to implement DNT.
[B] DNT may not
serve its intended purpose.
[C] DNT is losing
its popularity among consumers.
[D] Advertisers
are obliged to offer behavioural ads.
30. The author’s attitude towards what Brendon Lynch said in his
blog is one of
[A] appreciation.
[B]
understanding.
[C] indulgence.
[D] skepticism.
Text 3
① Up until a few
decades ago, our visions of the future were largely—though by no means uniformly—glowingly positive. ② Science and technology
would cure all the ills of humanity, leading to lives of fulfillment and
opportunity for all.
① Now utopia has grown
unfashionable, as we have gained a deeper appreciation of the range of threats
facing us, from asteroid strike to epidemic flu and to climate change. ② You might even be tempted
to assume that humanity has little future to look forward to.
① But such gloominess is
misplaced. ② The fossil
record shows that many species have endured for millions of years—so why shouldn’t we? ③ Take a broader look at our
species’ place in the universe, and it becomes clear that we have an
excellent chance of surviving for tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of years.
④ Look up Homo sapiens
in the “Red List” of threatened species of the International Union
for the Conversation of Nature (IUCN) and you will read: “Listed as Least
Concern as the species is very widely distributed, adaptable, currently
increasing, and there are no major threats resulting in an overall population
decline.”
① So what does our deep
future hold? ② A growing number
of researchers and organisations are now thinking seriously about that
question. ③ For example, the
Long Now Foundation has as its flagship project a mechanical clock that is
designed to still be marking time thousands of years hence.
① Perhaps willfully, it may
be easier to think about such lengthy timescales than about the more immediate
future. ② The potential
evolution of today’s technology, and its social consequences, is
dazzlingly complicated, and it’s perhaps best left to science fiction
writers and futurologists to explore the many possibilities we can envisage. ③ That’s one reason why
we have launched Arc, a new publication dedicated to the near future.
① But take a longer view and
there is a surprising amount that we can say with considerable assurance. ② As so often, the past holds
the key to the future: we have now identified enough of the long-term patterns
shaping the history of the planet, and our species, to make evidence-based
forecasts about the situations in which our descendants will find themselves.
① This long perspective makes
the pessimistic view of our prospects seem more likely to be a passing fad. ② To be sure, the future is
not all rosy. ③ But we are now
knowledgeable enough to reduce many of the risks that threatened the existence
of earlier humans, and to improve the lot of those to come.
31. Our vision of the future used to be inspired by
[A] our desire
for lives of fulfillment.
[B] our faith in
science and technology.
[C] our awareness
of potential risks.
[D] our belief in
equal opportunity.
32. The IUCN’s “Red List” suggests that human beings
are
[A] a misplaced
race.
[B] a sustained
species.
[C] the world’s
dominant power.
[D] a threat to
the environment.
33. Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 5?
[A] The interest
in science fiction is on the rise.
[B] Arc helps
limit the scope of futurological studies.
[C] Technology
offers solutions to social problems.
[D] Our immediate
future is hard to conceive.
34. To ensure the future of mankind, it is crucial to
[A] draw on our
experience from the past.
[B] adopt an
optimistic view of the world.
[C] explore our
planet’s abundant resources.
[D] curb our
ambition to reshape history.
35. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
[A] Uncertainty
about Our Future
[B] Evolution of
the Human Species
[C] The
Ever-bright Prospects of Mankind
[D] Science,
Technology and Humanity
Text 4
①On a five to
three vote, the Supreme Court knocked out much of Arizona’s immigration
law Monday—a modest policy
victory for the Obama Administration. ②But on the more
important matter of the Constitution, the decision was an 8-0 defeat for the
Administration’s effort to upset the balance of power between the federal
government and the states.
①In Arizona v. United
States, the majority overturned three of the four contested provisions of
Arizona’s controversial plan to have state and local police enforce
federal immigration law. ②The
Constitutional principles that Washington alone has the power to “establish
a uniform Rule of Naturalization” and that federal laws precede state
laws are noncontroversial. ③ Arizona had
attempted to fashion state policies that ran parallel to the existing federal
ones.
①Justice Anthony Kennedy,
joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the Court’s liberals, ruled that
the state flew too close to the federal sun. ②On the overturned
provisions the majority held that Congress had deliberately “occupied the
field,” and Arizona had thus intruded on the federal’s privileged
powers.
①However, the Justices said
that Arizona police would be allowed to verify the legal status of people who
come in contact with law enforcement. ②That’s
because Congress has always envisioned joint federal-state immigration
enforcement and explicitly encourages state officers to share information and
cooperate with federal colleagues.
①Two of the three objecting
Justices—Samuel Alito and
Clarence Thomas—agreed with this
Constitutional logic but disagreed about which Arizona rules conflicted with
the federal statute. ②The only major
objection came from Justice Antonin Scalia, who offered an even more robust
defense of state privileges going back to the Alien and Sedition Acts.
①The 8-0 objection to
President Obama turns on what Justice Samuel Alito describes in his objection
as “a shocking assertion of federal executive power”. ②The White House argued that
Arizona’s laws conflicted with its enforcement priorities, even if state
laws complied with federal statutes to the letter. ③ In effect, the White House
claimed that it could invalidate any otherwise legitimate state law that it
disagrees with.
①Some powers do belong
exclusively to the federal government, and control of citizenship and the
borders is among them. ②But if Congress
wanted to prevent states from using their own resources to check immigration
status, it could. ③ It never did so.
④ The Administration was in
essence asserting that because it didn’t want to carry out Congress’s
immigration wishes, no state should be allowed to do so either. ⑤ Every Justice rightly
rejected this remarkable claim.
36. Three provisions of Arizona’s plan were overturned because
they
[A] overstepped
the authority of federal immigration law.
[B] disturbed the
power balance between different states.
[C] deprived the
federal police of Constitutional powers.
[D] contradicted
both the federal and state policies.
37. On which of the following did the Justices agree, according to
Paragraph 4?
[A] States’
independence from federal immigration law.
[B] Federal
officers’ duty to withhold immigrants’ information.
[C] States’
legitimate role in immigration enforcement.
[D] Congress’s
intervention in immigration enforcement.
38. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that the Alien and Sedition
Acts
[A] violated the
Constitution.
[B] stood in
favor of the states.
[C] supported the
federal statute.
[D] undermined
the states’ interests.
39. The White House claims that its power of enforcement
[A] outweighs
that held by the states.
[B] is
established by federal statutes.
[C] is dependent
on the states’ support.
[D] rarely goes
against state laws.
40. What can be learned from the last paragraph?
[A] Immigration
issues are usually decided by Congress.
[B] The
Administration is dominant over immigration issues.
[C] Justices
wanted to strengthen its coordination with Congress.
[D] Justices
intended to check the power of the Administration.
Part B
Directions:
In the following
text, some sentences have been removed. For Questions 41-45, choose the most
suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There
are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers
on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
The social sciences are flourishing. As of 2005, there
were almost half a million professional social scientists from all fields in
the world, working both inside and outside academia. According to the World Social Science Report 2010, the
number of social-science students worldwide has swollen by about 11% every year
since 2000.
Yet this enormous
resource is not contributing enough to today’s global challenges,
including climate change, security, sustainable development and health. (41)
________ Humanity has the necessary agro-technological tools to eradicate
hunger, from genetically engineered crops to artificial fertilizers. Here, too,
the problems are social: the organization and distribution of food, wealth and
prosperity.
(42) ________This
is a shame—the community should be grasping the opportunity to raise its
influence in the real world. To paraphrase the great social scientist Joseph
Schumpeter: there is no radical innovation without creative destruction.
Today, the social
sciences are largely focused on disciplinary problems and internal scholarly
debates, rather than on topics with external impact. Analyses reveal that the
number of papers including the keywords “environmental change” or
“climate change” have increased rapidly since 2004. (43) ________
When social
scientists do tackle practical issues, their scope is often local: Belgium is
interested mainly in the effects of poverty on Belgium, for example. And
whether the community’s work contributes much to an overall accumulation
of knowledge is doubtful.
The problem is
not necessarily the amount of available funding. (44) ________This is an
adequate amount so long as it is aimed in the right direction. Social
scientists who complain about a lack of funding should not expect more in today’s
economic climate.
The trick is to
direct these funds better. The European Union Framework funding programs have
long had a category specifically targeted at social scientists. This year, it
was proposed that the system be changed: Horizon 2020, a new program to be
enacted in 2014, would not have such a category. This has resulted in protests
from social scientists. But the intention is not to neglect social science;
rather, the complete opposite. (45) ________That should create more
collaborative endeavors and help to develop projects aimed directly at solving
global problems.
[A]
It could be that we are evolving two communities of social scientists: one that
is discipline-oriented and publishing in highly specialized journals, and one
that is problem-oriented and publishing elsewhere, such as policy briefs.
[D]
The solution is to change the mindset of the academic community, and what it
considers to be its main goal. Global challenges and social innovation ought to
receive much more attention from scientists, especially the young ones.
[G] During the late 1990s, national spending on social
sciences and the humanities as a percentage of all research and development
funds—including government, higher education, non-profit
and corporate—varied from around 4% to 25%; in most European
nations, it is about 15%.
Part C
Directions:
Read the
following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into
Chinese. Your translation should be written neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. (10
points)
It is speculated that gardens arise from a basic human
need in the individuals who made them: the need for creative expression. There
is no doubt that gardens evidence an irrepressible urge to create, express,
fashion, and beautify and that self-expression is a basic human urge; (46)yet
when one looks at the photographs of the gardens created by the homeless, it
strikes one that, for all their diversity of styles, these gardens speak of
various other fundamental urges, beyond that of decoration and creative
expression.
One of these urges has to do with creating
a state of peace in the midst of turbulence, a “still point of the
turning world,” to borrow a phrase from T. S. Eliot. (47) A sacred
place of peace, however crude it may be, is a distinctly human need, as opposed
to shelter, which is a distinctly animal need. This distinction is so much
so that where the latter is lacking, as it is for these unlikely gardeners, the
former becomes all the more urgent. Composure is a state of mind made possible
by the structuring of one’s relation to one’s environment. (48) The
gardens of the homeless, which are in effect homeless gardens, introduce form
into an urban environment where it either didn’t exist or was not
discernible as such. In so doing they give composure to a segment of the
inarticulate environment in which they take their stand.
Another urge or need that these gardens
appear to respond to, or to arise from, is so intrinsic that we are barely ever
conscious of its abiding claims on us. When we are deprived of green, of
plants, of trees, (49) most of us give in to a demoralization of spirit
which we usually blame on some psychological conditions, until one day we find
ourselves in a garden and feel the oppression vanish as if by magic. In
most of the homeless gardens of New York City the actual cultivation of plants
is unfeasible, yet even so the compositions often seem to represent attempts to
call forth the spirit of plant and animal life, if only symbolically, through a
clumplike arrangement of materials, an introduction of colors, small pools of
water, and a frequent presence of petals or leaves as well as of stuffed
animals. On display here are various fantasy elements whose reference, at some
basic level, seems to be the natural world. (50) It is this implicit or
explicit reference to nature that fully justifies the use of word garden,
though in a “liberated” sense, to describe these synthetic
constructions. In them we can see biophilia—a yearning for contact
with nonhuman life—assuming uncanny representational forms.
Section III Writing
Part A
51. Directions:
Write an e-mail of about 100 words to a foreign
teacher in your college, inviting him/her to be a judge for the upcoming
English speech contest.
You should include the details you think necessary.
You should write neatly on the ANSWER SHEET.
Do not sign your own name at the end of the e-mail.
Use “Li Ming” instead.
Do not write the address. (10 points)
Part B
52. Directions:
Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the
following drawing. In your essay, you should
1) describe the drawing briefly,
2) interpret its intended meaning, and
3) give your comments.
You should write neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. (20points)
2014年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语一试题
Section I Use of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the
best word(s) for each numbered blank and nark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET.
(10 points)
①As many people hit middle age,
they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what
they used to be. ②We suddenly
can’t remember 1 we put the keys just a moment ago, or an
old acquaintance’s name, or the name of an old band we used to love. ③As the brain 2 , we refer to these occurrences as
“senior moments.” ④ 3
seemingly innocent, this loss
of mental focus can potentially have a (n) 4 impact on our professional, social, and
personal 5 .
①Neuroscientists, experts who
study the nervous system, are increasingly showing that there’s actually
a lot that can be done. ②It 6 out that the brain needs exercise in much
the same way our muscles do, and the right mental 7 can significantly improve our basic
cognitive 8 . ③Thinking is
essentially a 9 of making connections in the brain. ④To a certain extent,
our ability to 10 in making the connections that drive
intelligence is inherited. ⑤ 11 , because these connections are
made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can
expand and fluctuate 12 mental effort.
①Now, a new Web-based company has
taken it a step 13 and developed the first “brain
training program” designed to actually help people improve and regain
their mental 14 .
①The Web-based program 15 you to systematically improve your memory
and attention skills. ②The program keeps 16
of your progress and
provides detailed feedback 17 your performance and improvement. ③Most importantly, it 18
modifies and enhances the
games you play to 19 on the strengths you are developing—much like a (n) 20 exercise routine requires you to increase
resistance and vary your muscle use.
1. [A] why [B] when [C]
that
[D] where
2. [A] improves [B] fades [C]
collapses [D] recovers
3. [A] While [B] Unless [C]
Once
[D] If
4. [A] uneven [B] limited [C]
damaging [D] obscure
5. [A] relationship [B] environment [C]
wellbeing [D] outlook
6. [A] turns [B] finds [C]
points [D] figures
7. [A] responses
[B] roundabouts [C] workouts [D] associations
8. [A] genre [B] criterion [C]
circumstances [D] functions
9. [A] channel [B] process [C]
sequence [D] condition
10. [A] excel [B] feature [C]
persist [D] believe
11. [A] However
[B] Moreover [C] Otherwise [D] Therefore
12. [A] instead of [B] regardless of [C]
apart from [D] according to
13. [A] back [B] further [C]
aside
[D] around
14. [A] framework [B] stability [C]
sharpness [D] flexibility
15. [A] hurries [B] reminds [C] forces [D] allows
16. [A] order [B] track [C]
hold
[D] pace
17. [A] to [B] on
[C] for
[D] with
18. [A] constantly [B] habitually [C]
irregularly [D] unusually
19. [A] carry [B] put
[C] build
[D] take
20. [A] risky [B]
familiar [C] idle
[D] effective
Section
Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer
the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the
ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text1
①In order to “change lives for the better”
and reduce “dependency,” George Osborne, Chancellor of the
Exchequer, introduced the “upfront work search” scheme. ②Only
if the jobless arrive at the jobcentre with a CV, register for online job
search, and start looking for work will they be eligible for benefit—and
then they should report weekly rather than fortnightly. ③What could be
more reasonable?
①More apparent reasonableness followed. ②There
will now be a seven-day wait for the jobseeker’s allowance.
③“Those first few days should be spent looking for work, not
looking to sign on,” he claimed. ④“We’re doing
these things because we know they help people stay off benefits and help those
on benefits get into work faster.” ⑤Help? ⑥Really? ⑦On
first hearing, this was the socially concerned chancellor, trying to change
lives for the better, complete with “reforms” to an obviously
indulgent system that demands too little effort from the newly unemployed to
find work, and subsidises laziness. ⑧What motivated him, we were to
understand, was his zeal for “fundamental fairness”—protecting
the taxpayer, controlling spending and ensuring that only the most deserving
claimants received their benefits.
①Losing a job is hurting: you don’t skip down to
the jobcentre with a song in your heart, delighted at the prospect of doubling
your income from the generous state. ②It is financially terrifying,
psychologically embarrassing and you know that support is minimal and
extraordinarily hard to get. ③You are now not wanted; you are now
excluded from the work environment that offers purpose and structure in your
life. ④Worse, the crucial income to feed yourself and your family and pay
the bills has disappeared. ⑤Ask anyone newly unemployed what they want
and the answer is always: a job.
①But in Osborneland, your first instinct is to fall
into dependency—permanent dependency if you can get it—supported
by a state only too ready to indulge your falsehood. ②It is as though 20
years of ever-tougher reforms of the job search and benefit administration
system never happened. ③The principle of British welfare is no longer
that you can insure yourself against the risk of unemployment and receive
unconditional payments if the disaster happens. ④Even the very phrase
“jobseeker’s allowance” is about redefining the unemployed as
a “jobseeker” who had no fundamental right to a benefit he or she
has earned through making national insurance contributions. ⑤Instead, the
claimant receives a time-limited “allowance,” conditional on
actively seeking a job; no entitlement and no insurance, at ￡71.70 a week, one of the least generous in the EU.
21. George Osborne’s scheme was intended to
[A] motivate the
unemployed to report voluntarily.
[B] provide the
unemployed with easier access to benefits.
[C] encourage
jobseekers’ active engagement in job seeking.
[D] guarantee
jobseekers’ legitimate right to benefits.
22. The phrase “to sign on” (Para. 2) most probably means
[A] to register
for an allowance from the government.
[B] to accept the
government’s restrictions on the allowance.
[C] to check on
the availability of jobs at the jobcentre.
[D] to attend a
governmental job-training program.
23. What promoted the chancellor to develop his scheme?
[A] A desire to
secure a better life for all.
[B] An eagerness
to protect the unemployed.
[C] An urge to be
generous to the claimants.
[D] A passion to
ensure fairness for taxpayers.
24. According to Paragraph 3, being unemployed makes one feel
[A] insulted.
[B] uneasy.
[C] enraged.
[D] guilty.
25. To which of the following would the author most probably agree?
[A] Unemployment
benefits should not be made conditional.
[B] The British
welfare system indulges jobseekers’ laziness.
[C] The
jobseekers’ allowance has met their actual needs.
[D] Osborne’s
reforms will reduce the risk of unemployment.
Text2
①All around the world, lawyers generate more hostility
than the members of any other profession—with
the possible exception of journalism. ②But there are few places where
clients have more grounds for complaint than America.
①During the decade before the economic crisis,
spending on legal services in America grew twice as fast as inflation.
②The best lawyers made skyscrapers-full of money, tempting ever more
students to pile into law schools. ③But most law graduates never get a
big-firm job. ④Many of them instead become the kind of nuisance-lawsuit
filer that makes the tort system a costly nightmare.
①There are many reasons for this. ②One is the
excessive costs of a legal education. ③There is just one path for a
lawyer in most American states: a four-year undergraduate degree in some unrelated
subject, then a three-year law degree at one of 200 law schools authorized by
the American Bar Association and an expensive preparation for the bar exam.
④This leaves today’s average law-school graduate with $100,000 of
debt on top of undergraduate debts. ⑤Law-school debt means that they have
to work fearsomely hard.
①Reforming the system would help both lawyers and
their customers. ②Sensible ideas have been around for a long time, but
the state-level bodies that govern the profession have been too conservative to
implement them. ③One idea is to allow people to study law as an
undergraduate degree. ④Another is to let students sit for the bar after
only two years of law school. ⑤If the bar exam is truly a stern enough
test for a would-be lawyer, those who can sit it earlier should be allowed to
do so. ⑥Students who do not need the extra training could cut their debt
mountain by a third.
①The other reason why costs are so high is the
restrictive guild-like ownership structure of the business. ②Except in
the District of Columbia, non-lawyers may not own any share of a law firm.
③This keeps fees high and innovation slow. ④There is pressure for
change from within the profession, but opponents of change among the regulators
insist that keeping outsiders out of a law firm isolates lawyers from the
pressure to make money rather than serve clients ethically.
①In fact, allowing non-lawyers to own shares in law
firms would reduce costs and improve services to customers, by encouraging law
firms to use technology and to employ professional managers to focus on
improving firms’ efficiency. ②After all, other countries, such as
Australia and Britain, have started liberalizing their legal professions.
③America should follow.
26. A lot of students take up law as their profession due to
[A] the growing
demand from clients.
[B] the
increasing pressure of inflation.
[C] the prospect
of working in big firms.
[D] the
attraction of financial rewards.
27. Which of the following adds to the costs of legal education in most
American states?
[A] Higher
tuition fees for undergraduate studies.
[B] Pursuing a
bachelor’s degree in another major.
[C] Admissions
approval from the bar association.
[D] Receiving
training by professional associations.
28. Hindrance to the reform of the legal system originates from
[A]
non-professionals’ sharp criticism.
[B] lawyers’
and clients’ strong resistance.
[C] the rigid
bodies governing the profession.
[D] the stern
exam for would-be lawyers.
29. The guild-like ownership structure is considered “restrictive”
partly because it
[A] prevents
lawyers from gaining due profits.
[B] keeps lawyers
from holding law-firm shares.
[C] aggravates
the ethical situation in the trade.
[D] bans
outsiders’ involvement in the profession.
30. In this text, the author mainly discusses
[A] flawed
ownership of America’s law firms and its causes.
[B] the factors
that help make a successful lawyer in America.
[C] a problem in
America’s legal profession and solutions to it.
[D] the role of
undergraduate studies in America’s legal education.
Text3
①The US $3-million Fundamental Physics Prize is indeed
an interesting experiment, as Alexander Polyakov said when he accepted this
year’s award in March. ②And it is far from the only one of its
type. ③As a News Feature article in Nature
discusses, a string of lucrative awards for researchers have joined the Nobel
Prizes in recent years. ④Many, like the Fundamental Physics Prize, are
funded from the telephone-number-sized bank accounts of Internet entrepreneurs.
⑤These benefactors have succeeded in their chosen fields, they say, and
they want to use their wealth to draw attention to those who have succeeded in
science.
①What’s not to like? ②Quite a lot,
according to a handful of scientists quoted in the News Feature. ③You
cannot buy class, as the old saying goes, and these upstart entrepreneurs
cannot buy their prizes the prestige of the Nobels. ④The new awards are
an exercise in self-promotion for those behind them, say scientists.
⑤They could distort the achievement-based system of peer-review-led research.
⑥They could cement the status quo of peer-reviewed research. ⑦They
do not fund peer-reviewed research. ⑧They perpetuate the myth of the lone
genius.
①The goals of the prize-givers seem as scattered as
the criticism. ②Some want to shock, others to draw people into science,
or to better reward those who have made their careers in research.
①As Nature has
pointed out before, there are some legitimate concerns about how science
prizes—both new and old—are distributed. ②The Breakthrough
Prize in Life Sciences, launched this year, takes an unrepresentative view of
what the life sciences include. ③But the Nobel Foundation’s limit
of three recipients per prize, each of whom must still be living, has long been
outgrown by the collaborative nature of modern research—as will be
demonstrated by the inevitable row over who is ignored when it comes to
acknowledging the discovery of the Higgs boson. ④The Nobels were, of
course, themselves set up by a very rich individual who had decided what he
wanted to do with his own money. ⑤Time, rather than intention, has given
them legitimacy.
①As much as some scientists may complain about the new
awards, two things seem clear. ②First, most researchers would accept such
a prize if they were offered one. ③Second, it is surely a good thing that
the money and attention come to science rather than go elsewhere. ④It is
fair to criticize and question the mechanism—that is the culture of
research, after all—but it is the prize-givers’ money to do with as
they please. ⑤It is wise to take such gifts with gratitude and grace.
31. The Fundamental Physics Prize is seen as
[A] a symbol of
the entrepreneurs’ wealth.
[B] a possible
replacement of the Nobel Prizes.
[C] a handsome
reward for researchers.
[D] an example of
bankers’ investments.
32. The critics think that the new awards will most benefit
[A] the
profit-oriented scientists.
[B] the founders
of the awards.
[C] the
achievement-based system.
[D]
peer-review-led research.
33. The discovery of the Higgs boson is a typical case which involves
[A] the joint
effort of modern researchers.
[B] controversies
over the recipients’ status.
[C] the
demonstration of research findings.
[D] legitimate
concerns over the new prizes.
34. According to Paragraph 4, which of the following is true of the
Nobels?
[A] History has
never cast doubt on them.
[B] They are the
most representative honor.
[C] Their
legitimacy has long been in dispute.
[D] Their
endurance has done justice to them.
35. The author believes that the new awards are
[A] harmful to
the culture of research.
[B] acceptable
despite the criticism.
[C] subject to
undesirable changes.
[D] unworthy of
public attention.
Text4
①“The
Heart of the Matter,” the just-released report by the American Academy of
Arts and Sciences (AAAS), deserves praise for affirming the importance of the
humanities and social sciences to the prosperity and security of liberal
democracy in America. ②Regrettably, however, the
report’s failure to address the true nature of the crisis facing liberal
education may cause more harm than good.
①In
2010, leading congressional Democrats and Republicans sent letters to the AAAS
asking that it identify actions that could be taken by “federal, state
and local governments, universities, foundations, educators, individual
benefactors and others” to “maintain national excellence in
humanities and social scientific scholarship and education.” ②In
response, the American Academy formed the Commission on the Humanities and
Social Sciences. ③Among
the commission’s 51 members are top-tier-university presidents, scholars,
lawyers, judges, and business executives, as well as prominent figures from
diplomacy, filmmaking, music and journalism.
①The
goals identified in the report are generally admirable. ②Because
representative government presupposes an informed citizenry, the report
supports full literacy; stresses the study of history and government,
particularly American history and American government; and encourages the use
of new digital technologies. ③To encourage innovation and
competition, the report calls for increased investment in research, the
crafting of coherent curricula that improve students’ ability to solve
problems and communicate effectively in the 21st century, increased funding for
teachers and the encouragement of scholars to bring their learning to bear on
the great challenges of the day. ④The report also advocates greater study
of foreign languages, international affairs and the expansion of study abroad
programs.
①Unfortunately,
despite 2½
years
in the making, “The Heart of the Matter” never gets to the heart of
the matter: the illiberal nature of liberal education at our leading colleges
and universities. ②The
commission ignores that for several decades America’s colleges and
universities have produced graduates who don’t know the content and
character of liberal education and are thus deprived of its benefits. ③Sadly,
the spirit of inquiry once at home on campus has been replaced by the use of
the humanities and social sciences as vehicles for publicizing
“progressive,” or left-liberal propaganda.
①Today,
professors routinely treat the progressive interpretation of history and
progressive public policy as the proper subject of study while portraying
conservative or classical liberal ideas —such as free markets and self-reliance—as falling outside the boundaries of
routine, and sometimes legitimate, intellectual investigation.
①The AAAS
displays great enthusiasm for liberal education. ②Yet its report
may well set back reform by obscuring the depth and breadth of the challenge
that Congress asked it to illuminate.
36. According to Paragraph 1, what is the author’s attitude
toward the AAAS’s report?
[A] Critical. [B]
Appreciative.
[C]
Contemptuous.
[D] Tolerant.
37. Influential figures in the Congress required that the AAAS report
on how to
[A] safeguard
individuals’ rights to education.
[B] define the
government’s role in education.
[C] retain people’s
interest in liberal education.
[D] keep a
leading position in liberal education.
38. According to Paragraph 3, the report suggests
[A] an exclusive
study of American history.
[B] a greater
emphasis on theoretical subjects.
[C] the application
of emerging technologies.
[D] funding for
the study of foreign languages.
39. The author implies in Paragraph 5 that professors are
[A] supportive of
free markets.
[B] biased
against classical liberal ideas.
[C] cautious
about intellectual investigation.
[D] conservative
about public policy.
40. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
[A] Illiberal
Education and “The Heart of the Matter”
[B] The AAAS’s
Contribution to Liberal Education
[C] Ways to Grasp
“The Heart of the Matter”
[D] Progressive
Policy vs. Liberal Education
Part B
Directions:
The
following paragraphs are given in a wrong order. For Questions 41-45, you are
required to reorganize these paragraphs into a coherent text by choosing from
the list A-G and filling them into the numbered boxes. Paragraphs A and E have been correctly placed. Mark your answers on
the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
[A]
Some archaeological sites have always been easily observable—for example, the Parthenon
in Athens, Greece; the pyramids of Giza in Egypt; and the megaliths of
Stonehenge in southern England. But these sites are exceptions to the norm.
Most archaeological sites have been located by means of careful searching,
while many others have been discovered by accident. Olduvai Gorge, an early hominid
site in Tanzania, was found by a butterfly hunter who literally fell into its
deep valley in 1911. Thousands of Aztec artifacts came to light during the
digging of the Mexico City subway in the 1970s.
[B]
In another case, American archaeologists René Million and
George Cowgill spent years systematically mapping the entire city of Teotihuacán in the Valley of Mexico near what is now
Mexico City. At its peak around AD 600, this city was one of the largest human
settlements in the world. The researchers mapped not only the city’s vast
and ornate ceremonial areas, but also hundreds of simpler apartment complexes
where common people lived.
[C]
How do archaeologists know where to find what they are looking for when there
is nothing visible on the surface of the ground? Typically, they survey and sample (make test excavations on) large
areas of terrain to determine where excavation will yield useful information.
Surveys and test samples have also become important for understanding the
larger landscapes that contain archaeological sites.
[D]
Surveys can cover a single large settlement or entire landscapes. In one case,
many researchers working around the ancient Maya city of Copán, Honduras, have located
hundreds of small rural villages and individual dwellings by using aerial
photographs and by making surveys on foot. The resulting settlement maps show
how the distribution and density of the rural population around the city
changed dramatically between AD 500 and 850, when Copán collapsed.
[E]
To find their sites, archaeologists today rely heavily on systematic survey
methods and a variety of high-technology tools and techniques. Airborne
technologies, such as different types of radar and photographic equipment
carried by airplanes or spacecraft, allow archaeologists to learn about what
lies beneath the ground without digging. Aerial surveys locate general areas of
interest or larger buried features, such as ancient buildings or fields.
[F]
Most archaeological sites, however, are discovered by archaeologists who have
set out to look for them. Such searches can take years. British archaeologist
Howard Carter knew that the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun existed
from information found in other sites. Carter sifted through rubble in the Valley
of the Kings for seven years before he located the tomb in 1922. In the late
1800s British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans combed antique dealers’
stores in Athens, Greece. He was searching for tiny engraved seals attributed
to the ancient Mycenaean culture that dominated Greece from the 1400s to 1200s
BC. Evans’s interpretations of these engravings eventually led him to
find the Minoan palace at Knossos (Knosós), on the island
of Crete, in 1900.
[G]
Ground surveys allow archaeologists to pinpoint the places where digs will be
successful. Most ground surveys involve a lot of walking, looking for surface
clues such as small fragments of pottery. They often include a certain amount
of digging to test for buried materials at selected points across a landscape.
Archaeologists also may locate buried remains by using such technologies as
ground radar, magnetic-field recording, and metal detectors. Archaeologists
commonly use computers to map sites and the landscapes around sites. Two- and
three-dimensional maps are helpful tools in planning excavations, illustrating
how sites look, and presenting the results of archaeological research.
41. _______ → A → 42. _______ → E → 43. _______ → 44. _______ →45. _______
Part C
Directions:
Read the
following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into
Chinese. Your translation should be written neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. (10
points)
Music means different things to different
people and sometimes even different things to the same person at different
moments of his life. It might be poetic, philosophical, sensual, or
mathematical, but in any case it must, in my view, have something to do with
the soul of the human being. Hence it is metaphysical; but the means of
expression is purely and exclusively physical: sound. I believe it is precisely
this permanent coexistence of metaphysical message through physical means that
is the strength of music. (46) It is also the reason why when we try to
describe music with words, all we can do is articulate our reactions to it, and
not grasp music itself.
Beethoven’s importance in music has
been principally defined by the revolutionary nature of his compositions. He
freed music from hitherto prevailing conventions of harmony and structure.
Sometimes I feel in his late works a will to break all signs of continuity. The
music is abrupt and seemingly disconnected, as in the last piano sonata. In
musical expression, he did not feel restrained by the weight of convention. (47)
By all accounts he was a freethinking person, and a courageous one, and I
find courage an essential quality for the understanding, let alone the
performance, of his works.
This courageous attitude in fact becomes a
requirement for the performers of Beethoven’s music. His compositions
demand the performer to show courage, for example in the use of dynamics. (48) Beethoven’s
habit of increasing the volume with an extreme intensity and then abruptly
following it with a sudden soft passage was only rarely used by composers
before him.
Beethoven was a deeply political man in the
broadest sense of the word. He was not interested in daily politics, but
concerned with questions of moral behavior and the larger questions of right
and wrong affecting the entire society. (49) Especially significant was his
view of freedom, which, for him, was associated with the rights and
responsibilities of the individual: he advocated freedom of thought and of
personal expression.
Beethoven’s music tends to move from
chaos to order as if order were an imperative of human existence. For him,
order does not result from forgetting or ignoring the disorders that plague our
existence; order is a necessary development, an improvement that may lead to
the Greek ideal of spiritual elevation. It is not by chance that the Funeral
March is not the last movement of the Eroica Symphony, but the second, so that
suffering does not have the last word. (50) One could interpret much of the
work of Beethoven by saying that suffering is inevitable, but the courage to
fight it renders life worth living.
Section Ⅲ Writing
Part B
51. Directions:
Write
a letter of about 100 words to the president of your university, suggesting how
to improve students’ physical condition.
You
should include the details you think necessary.
You
should write neatly on the ANSWER SHEET.
Do not sign your own name at the
end of the letter. Use "Li Ming" instead.
Do not write the address. (10
points)
Part B
52. Directions:
Write an essay of
160-200 words based on the following drawing. In your essay, you should
1) describe the
drawing briefly,
2) interpret its
intended meaning, and
3) give your
comments.
You should write
neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. (20 points)
2015年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语一试题
Section I Use of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the
best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET.
(10 points)
①Though not biologically related, friends are as
“related” as fourth cousins, sharing about 1% of genes. ②That is 1 a study, published from the University of
California and Yale University in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, has 2 .
①The study is a
genome-wide analysis conducted 3 1,932 unique
subjects which 4 pairs of
unrelated friends and unrelated strangers. ②The same
people were used in both 5 .
①While 1% may seem 6 , it is not so to a
geneticist. ②As James
Fowler, professor of medical genetics at UC San Diego, says, “Most people
do not even 7 their fourth cousins but somehow manage
to select as friends the people who 8 our kin.”
①The study 9 found that the genes for smell were
something shared in friends but not genes for immunity. ②Why this
similarity exists in smell genes is difficult to explain, for now. 10 , as the team
suggests, it draws us to similar environments but there is more 11 it. ③There
could be many mechanisms working together that 12 us in choosing genetically similar
friends 13 “functional kinship” of being
friends with 14 !
①One of the remarkable
findings of the study was that the similar genes seem to be evolving 15 than other genes. ②Studying
this could help 16 why human evolution picked pace in the
last 30,000 years, with social environment being a major 17 factor.
①The findings do not
simply explain people’s 18 to befriend those of similar 19 backgrounds, say the researchers. ②Though all
the subjects were drawn from a population of European extraction, care was
taken to 20 that all subjects, friends and strangers,
were taken from the same population.
1. [A] what [B]
why [C]
how [D] when
2. [A] defended [B]
concluded [C]
withdrawn [D]
advised
3. [A] for [B]
with [C]
by [D] on
4. [A] separated [B]
sought [C]
compared [D]
connected
5. [A] tests [B]
objects [C]
samples [D] examples
6. [A] insignificant [B] unexpected [C] unreliable [D]
incredible
7. [A] visit [B]
miss [C]
know [D] seek
8. [A] surpass [B] influence [C]
favor [D]
resemble
9. [A] again [B]
also [C]
instead [D] thus
10. [A] Meanwhile [B]
Furthermore [C]
Likewise [D]
Perhaps
11. [A] about [B]
to [C]
from [D]
like
12. [A] limit [B]
observe [C]
confuse [D]
drive
13. [A] according to [B]
rather than [C]
regardless of [D]
along with
14. [A] chances [B]
responses [C]
benefits [D]
missions
15. [A] faster [B]
slower [C]
later [D]
earlier
16. [A] forecast [B]
remember [C]
express [D]
understand
17. [A] unpredictable [B]
contributory [C]
controllable [D]
disruptive
18. [A] tendency [B]
decision [C]
arrangement [D]
endeavor
19. [A] political [B]
religious [C]
ethnic [D]
economic
20. [A] see [B]
show [C]
prove [D]
tell
Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer
the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on
the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text
1
①King
Juan Carlos of Spain once insisted “kings don’t abdicate, they die
in their sleep.” ②But embarrassing scandals and the popularity of
the republican left in the recent Euro-elections have forced him to eat his
words and stand down. ③So, does the Spanish crisis suggest that monarchy
is seeing its last days? ④Does that mean the writing is on the wall for
all European royals, with their magnificent uniforms and majestic lifestyles?
①The
Spanish case provides arguments both for and against monarchy. ②When
public opinion is particularly polarised, as it was following the end of the
Franco regime, monarchs can rise above “mere” politics and
“embody” a spirit of national unity.
①It
is this apparent transcendence of politics that explains monarchs’
continuing popularity as heads of state. ②And so, the Middle East
excepted, Europe is the most monarch-infested region in the world, with 10
kingdoms (not counting Vatican City and Andorra). ③But unlike their
absolutist counterparts in the Gulf and Asia, most royal families have survived
because they allow voters to avoid the difficult search for a non-controversial
but respected public figure.
①Even
so, kings and queens undoubtedly have a downside. ②Symbolic of national
unity as they claim to be, their very history—and sometimes the way they
behave today—embodies outdated and indefensible privileges and
inequalities. ③At a time when Thomas Piketty and other economists are
warning of rising inequality and the increasing power of inherited wealth, it
is bizarre that wealthy aristocratic families should still be the symbolic
heart of modern democratic states.
①The
most successful monarchies strive to abandon or hide their old aristocratic
ways. ②Princes and princesses have day-jobs and ride bicycles, not horses
(or helicopters). ③Even so, these are wealthy families who party with the
international 1%, and media intrusiveness makes it increasingly difficult to
maintain the right image.
①While
Europe’s monarchies will no doubt be smart enough to survive for some
time to come, it is the British royals who have most to fear from the Spanish
example.
①It
is only the Queen who has preserved the monarchy’s reputation with her
rather ordinary (if well-heeled) granny style. ②The danger will come with
Charles, who has both an expensive taste of lifestyle and a pretty hierarchical
view of the world. ③He has failed to understand that monarchies have
largely survived because they provide a service—as non-controversial and
non-political heads of state. ④Charles ought to know that as English
history shows, it is kings, not republicans, who are the monarchy’s worst
enemies.
21. According to the first two paragraphs, King Juan Carlos of Spain
［A］used to enjoy high public
support.
［B］was unpopular among European
royals.
［C］eased his relationship with
his rivals.
［D］ended his reign in embarrassment.
22. Monarchs are kept as heads of state in Europe mostly
［A］owing to their undoubted and
respectable status.
［B］to achieve a balance between
tradition and reality.
［C］to give voters more public
figures to look up to.
［D］due to their everlasting
political embodiment.
23. Which of the following is shown to be odd, according to Paragraph
4?
［A］Aristocrats’ excessive
reliance on inherited wealth.
［B］The role of the nobility in
modern democracies.
［C］The simple lifestyle of the
aristocratic families.
［D］The nobility’s
adherence to their privileges.
24. The British royals “have most to fear” because Charles
［A］takes a tough line on
political issues.
［B］fails to change his
lifestyle as advised.
［C］takes republicans as his
potential allies.
［D］fails to adapt himself to
his future role.
25. Which of the following is the best title of the text?
［A］Carlos, Glory and Disgrace
Combined
［B］Charles, Anxious to Succeed
to the Throne
［C］Carlos, a Lesson for All
European Monarchs
［D］Charles, Slow to React to
the Coming Threats
Text 2
①Just
how much does the Constitution protect your digital data? ②The Supreme
Court will now consider whether police can search the contents of a mobile
phone without a warrant if the phone is on or around a person during an arrest.
①California
has asked the justices to refrain from a sweeping ruling, particularly one that
upsets the old assumption that authorities may search through the possessions
of suspects at the time of their arrest. ②It is hard, the state argues, for
judges to assess the implications of new and rapidly changing technologies.
①The
court would be recklessly modest if it followed California’s advice.
②Enough of the implications are discernable, even obvious, so that the
justices can and should provide updated guidelines to police, lawyers and
defendants.
①They
should start by discarding California’s lame argument that exploring the
contents of a smartphone—a vast storehouse of digital
information—is similar to, say, going through a suspect’s purse.
②The court has ruled that police don’t violate the Fourth Amendment
when they go through the wallet or pocketbook of an arrestee without a warrant.
③But exploring one’s smartphone is more like entering his or her
home. ④A smartphone may contain an arrestee’s reading history,
financial history, medical history and comprehensive records of recent
correspondence. ⑤The development of “cloud computing,”
meanwhile, has made that exploration so much the easier.
①Americans
should take steps to protect their digital privacy. ②But keeping
sensitive information on these devices is increasingly a requirement of normal
life. ③Citizens still have a right to expect private documents to remain
private and protected by the Constitution’s prohibition on unreasonable
searches.
①As so often
is the case, stating that principle doesn’t ease the challenge of
line-drawing. ②In many cases, it would not be overly burdensome for
authorities to obtain a warrant to search through phone contents. ③They
could still invalidate Fourth Amendment protections when facing severe, urgent
circumstances, and they could take reasonable measures to ensure that phone
data are not erased or altered while waiting for a warrant. ④The court,
though, may want to allow room for police to cite situations where they are
entitled to more freedom.
①But
the justices should not swallow California’s argument whole. ②New,
disruptive technology sometimes demands novel applications of the
Constitution’s protections. ③Orin Kerr, a law professor, compares
the explosion and accessibility of digital information in the 21st century with
the establishment of automobile use as a virtual necessity of life in the 20th:
The justices had to specify novel rules for the new personal domain of the
passenger car then; they must sort out how the Fourth Amendment applies to
digital information now.
26. The Supreme Court will work out whether, during an arrest, it is
legitimate to
［A］search for suspects’
mobile phones without a warrant.
［B］check suspects’ phone
contents without being authorized.
［C］prevent suspects from
deleting their phone contents.
［D］prohibit suspects from using
their mobile phones.
27. The author’s attitude toward California’s argument is
one of
［A］tolerance.
［B］indifference.
［C］disapproval.
［D］cautiousness.
28. The author believes that exploring one’s phone contents is
comparable to
［A］getting into one’s
residence.
［B］handling one’s
historical records.
［C］scanning one’s
correspondences.
［D］going through one’s
wallet.
29. In Paragraphs 5 and 6, the author shows his concern that
［A］principles are hard to be
clearly expressed.
［B］the court is giving police
less room for action.
［C］phones are used to store
sensitive information.
［D］citizens’ privacy is
not effectively protected.
30. Orin Kerr’s comparison is quoted to indicate that
［A］the Constitution should be
implemented flexibly.
［B］new technology requires
reinterpretation of the Constitution.
［C］California’s argument
violates principles of the Constitution.
［D］principles of the
Constitution should never be altered.
Text 3
①The
journal Science is adding an extra
round of statistical checks to its peer-review process, editor-in-chief Marcia
McNutt announced today. ②The policy follows similar efforts from other
journals, after widespread concern that basic mistakes in data analysis are
contributing to the irreproducibility of many published research findings.
①“Readers
must have confidence in the conclusions published in our journal,” writes
McNutt in an editorial. ②Working with the American Statistical
Association, the journal has appointed seven experts to a statistics board of
reviewing editors (SBoRE). ③Manuscript will be flagged up for
additional scrutiny by the journal’s internal editors, or by its existing
Board of Reviewing Editors or by outside peer reviewers. ④The SBoRE panel
will then find external statisticians to review these manuscripts.
①Asked
whether any particular papers had impelled the change, McNutt said: “The
creation of the ‘statistics board’ was motivated by concerns
broadly with the application of statistics and data analysis in scientific
research and is part of Science’s
overall drive to increase reproducibility in the research we publish.”
①Giovanni
Parmigiani, a biostatistician at the Harvard School of Public Health, a member
of the SBoRE group, says he expects the board to “play primarily an
advisory role.” ②He agreed to join because he “found the
foresight behind the establishment of the SBoRE to be novel, unique and likely
to have a lasting impact. ③This impact will not only be through the
publications in Science itself, but
hopefully through a larger group of publishing places that may want to model
their approach after Science.”
①John
Ioannidis, a physician who studies research methodology, says that the policy
is “a most welcome step forward” and “long overdue.”
②“Most journals are weak in statistical review, and this damages
the quality of what they publish. ③I think that, for the majority of
scientific papers nowadays, statistical review is more essential than expert
review,” he says. ④But he noted that biomedical journals such as Annals of Internal Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association
and The Lancet pay strong attention
to statistical review.
①Professional
scientists are expected to know how to analyze data, but statistical errors are
alarmingly common in published research, according to David Vaux, a cell
biologist. ②Researchers should improve their standards, he wrote in 2012,
but journals should also take a tougher line, “engaging reviewers who are
statistically literate and editors who can verify the process.”
③Vaux says that Science’s
idea to pass some papers to statisticians “has some merit, but a weakness
is that it relies on the board of reviewing editors to identify ‘the
papers that need scrutiny’ in the first place.”
31. It can be learned from Paragraph 1 that
［A］Science intends to
simplify its peer-review process.
［B］journals are strengthening
their statistical checks.
［C］few journals are blamed for
mistakes in data analysis.
［D］lack of data analysis is
common in research projects.
32. The phrase “flagged up” (Para. 2) is the closest in
meaning to
［A］found.
［B］revised.
［C］marked.
［D］stored.
33. Giovanni Parmigiani believes that the establishment of the SBoRE
may
［A］pose a threat to all its
peers.
［B］meet with strong opposition.
［C］increase Science’s circulation.
［D］set an example for other
journals.
34. David Vaux holds that what Science
is doing now
［A］adds to researchers’
workload.
［B］diminishes the role of
reviewers.
［C］has room for further
improvement.
［D］is to fail in the
foreseeable future.
35. Which of the following is the best title of the text?
［A］Science Joins Push to
Screen Statistics in Papers.
［B］Professional Statisticians
Deserve More Respect.
［C］Data Analysis Finds Its Way
onto Editors’ Desks.
［D］Statisticians Are Coming
Back with Science
Text 4
①Two
years ago, Rupert Murdoch’s daughter, Elisabeth, spoke of the
“unsettling dearth of integrity across so many of our institutions.”
②Integrity had collapsed, she argued, because of a collective acceptance
that the only “sorting mechanism” in society should be profit and
the market. ③But “it’s us, human beings, we the people who
create the society we want, not profit.”
①Driving
her point home, she continued: “It’s increasingly apparent that the
absence of purpose, of a moral language within government, media or business
could become one of the most dangerous goals for capitalism and freedom.”
②This same absence of moral purpose was wounding companies such as News
International, she thought, making it more likely that it would lose its way as
it had with widespread illegal telephone hacking.
①As the
hacking trial concludes—finding guilty one ex-editor of the News of the World, Andy Coulson, for
conspiring to hack phones, and finding his predecessor, Rebekah Brooks,
innocent of the same charge—the wider issue of dearth of integrity still
stands. ②Journalists are known to have hacked the phones of up to 5,500
people. ③This is hacking on an industrial scale, as was acknowledged by
Glenn Mulcaire, the man hired by the News
of the World in 2001 to be the point person for phone hacking.
④Others await trial. ⑤This long story still unfolds.
①In many
respects, the dearth of moral purpose frames not only the fact of such
widespread phone hacking but the terms on which the trial took place.
②One of the astonishing revelations was how little Rebekah Brooks knew of
what went on in her newsroom, how little she thought to ask and the fact that
she never inquired how the stories arrived. ③The core of her successful
defence was that she knew nothing.
①In
today’s world, it has become normal that well-paid executives should not
be accountable for what happens in the organisations that they run.
②Perhaps we should not be so surprised. ③For a generation, the
collective doctrine has been that the sorting mechanism of society should be
profit. ④The words that have mattered are efficiency, flexibility,
shareholder value, business-friendly, wealth generation, sales, impact and, in
newspapers, circulation. ⑤Words degraded to the margin have been justice,
fairness, tolerance, proportionality and accountability.
①The
purpose of editing the News of the World
was not to promote reader understanding, to be fair in what was written or to
betray any common humanity. ②It was to ruin lives in the quest for
circulation and impact. ③Ms Brooks may or may not have had suspicions
about how her journalists got their stories, but she asked no questions, gave
no instructions—nor received traceable, recorded answers.
36. According to the first two paragraphs, Elisabeth was upset by
［A］the consequences of the
current sorting mechanism.
［B］companies’ financial
loss due to immoral practices.
［C］governmental ineffectiveness
on moral issues.
［D］the wide misuse of integrity
among institutions.
37. It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that
［A］Glenn Mulcaire may deny
phone hacking as a crime.
［B］phone hacking will be
accepted on certain occasions.
［C］Andy Coulson should be held
innocent of the charge.
［D］more journalists may be
found guilty of phone hacking.
38. The author believes that Rebekah Brooks’s defence
［A］revealed a cunning personality.
［B］centered on trivial issues.
［C］was hardly convincing. ［D］was part of a conspiracy.
39. The author holds that the current collective doctrine shows
［A］generally distorted values.
［B］unfair wealth distribution.
［C］a marginalized lifestyle.
［D］a rigid moral code.
40. Which of the following is suggested in the last paragraph?
［A］The quality of writings is
of primary importance.
［B］Moral awareness matters in
editing a newspaper.
［C］Common humanity is central to
news reporting.
［D］Journalists need stricter
industrial regulations.
Part B
Directions:
In
the following text, some sentences have been removed. For Questions 41-45,
choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered
blanks. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark
your answers on ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
How
does your reading proceed? Clearly you try to comprehend, in the sense of
identifying meanings for individual words and working out relationships between
them, drawing on your implicit knowledge of English grammar. (41) ________ You
begin to infer a context for the text, for instance, by making decisions about
what kind of speech event is involved: Who is making the utterance, to whom,
when and where.
The ways of reading indicated here are
without doubt kinds of comprehension. But they show comprehension to consist
not just of passive assimilation but of active engagement in inference and
problem-solving. You infer information you feel the writer has invited you to
grasp by presenting you with specific evidence and clues. (42) ________
Conceived in this way, comprehension will
not follow exactly the same track for each reader. What is in question is not
the retrieval of an absolute, fixed or “true” meaning that can be
read off and checked for accuracy, or some timeless relation of the text to the
world. (43) ________
Such background material inevitably
reflects who we are. (44) ________This doesn’t, however, make
interpretation merely relative or even pointless. Precisely because readers
from different historical periods, places and social experiences produce
different but overlapping readings of the same words on the
page—including for texts that engage with fundamental human
concerns—debates about texts can play an important role in social
discussion of beliefs and values.
How we read a given text also depends to
some extent on our particular interest in reading it. (45) ________ Such
dimensions of reading suggest—as others introduced later in the book will
also do—that we bring an implicit (often unacknowledged) agenda to any
act of reading. It doesn’t then necessarily follow that one kind of
reading is fuller, more advanced or more worthwhile than another. Ideally,
different kinds of reading inform each other, and act as useful reference
points for and counterbalances to one another. Together, they make up the
reading component of your overall literacy, or relationship to your surrounding
textual environment.
[C] If you are unfamiliar with words or idioms, you guess
at their meaning, using clues presented in the context. On the assumption that
they will become relevant later, you make a mental note of discourse entities
as well as possible links between them.
[D] In effect, you try to reconstruct the
likely meanings or effects that any given sentence, image or reference might
have had: These might be the ones the author intended.
[F] In plays, novels and narrative poems,
characters speak as constructs created by the author, not necessarily as
mouthpieces for the author’s own thoughts.
[G] Rather, we ascribe meanings to texts on the basis of
interaction between what we might call textual and contextual material: between
kinds of organization or patterning we perceive in a text’s formal
structures (so especially its language structures) and various kinds of
background, social knowledge, belief and attitude that we bring to the text.
Part C
Directions:
Read the following text carefully and then translate the
underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written neatly on
ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
Within the span of a hundred years, in the
seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, a tide of emigration—one of
the great folk wanderings of history—swept from Europe to America. (46) This
movement, driven by powerful and diverse motivations, built a nation out of a
wilderness and, by its nature, shaped the character and destiny of an uncharted
continent.
(47) The United States is the product of
two principal forces—the immigration of European peoples with their
varied ideas, customs, and national characteristics and the impact of a new
country which modified these traits. Of necessity, colonial America was a
projection of Europe. Across the Atlantic came successive groups of Englishmen,
Frenchmen, Germans, Scots, Irishmen, Dutchmen, Swedes, and many others who
attempted to transplant their habits and traditions to the new world. (48) But
the force of geographic conditions peculiar to America, the interplay of the
varied national groups upon one another, and the sheer difficulty of
maintaining old-world ways in a raw, new continent caused significant changes.
These changes were gradual and at first scarcely visible. But the result was a
new social pattern which, although it resembled European society in many ways,
had a character that was distinctly American.
(49) The first shiploads of immigrants
bound for the territory which is now the United States crossed the Atlantic
more than a hundred years after the 15th-and-16th-century explorations of North
America. In the meantime, thriving Spanish colonies had been established in
Mexico, the West Indies, and South America. These travelers to North America
came in small, unmercifully overcrowded craft. During their six- to twelve-week
voyage, they survived on barely enough food allotted to them. Many of the ships
were lost in storms, many passengers died of disease, and infants rarely
survived the journey. Sometimes storms blew the vessels far off their course,
and often calm brought unbearably long delay.
To the anxious travelers the sight of the
American shore brought almost inexpressible relief. Said one recorder of events,
"The air at twelve leagues' distance smelt as sweet as a new-blown
garden." The colonists' first glimpse of the new land was a sight of dense
woods. (50) The virgin forest with its richness and variety of trees was a
real treasure-house which extended from Maine all the way down to Georgia.
Here was abundant fuel and lumber. Here was the raw material of houses and
furniture, ships and potash, dyes and naval stores.
Section III Writing
Part A
51. Directions:
You
are going to host a club reading session. Write an email of about 100 words
recommending a book to the club members.
You should state
reasons for your recommendation.
You should write
neatly on the ANSWER SHEET.
Do not sign your own
name at the end of the letter. Use “Li Ming” instead.
Do not write the
address. (10 points)
Part B
52. Directions:
Write an essay of
160-200 words based on the following picture. In your essay, you should
1) describe the picture
briefly,
2) interpret its
intended meaning, and
3) give your
comments.
You should write
neatly on ANSWER SHEET. (20 points)
2016年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语一试题
Section
I Use of English
Directions:
Read the
following text. Choose the best word (s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B,
C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
①In Cambodia, the choice of a
spouse is a complex one for the young male. ②It may involve not only his parents and his friends, 1 those of the young woman, but also a
matchmaker. ③ A young man can 2 a likely spouse on his own and then ask
his parents to 3 the marriage negotiations, or the young
man's parents may make the choice of a spouse, giving the child little to say
in the selection. ④ 4 , a girl may veto the spouse her parents have chosen. ⑤ 5
a spouse has been selected, each family
investigates the other to make sure its child is marrying 6 a good family.
①The
traditional wedding is a long and colorful affair. Formerly it lasted three
days, 7 by the 1980s it more commonly lasted a
day and a half. ②Buddhist
priests offer a short sermon and 8 prayers of blessing. ③Parts of the
ceremony involve ritual hair cutting, 9 cotton threads soaked in holy water
around the bride’s and groom’s wrists, and 10 a candle around a circle of happily
married and respected couples to bless the 11 .
④Newlyweds
traditionally move in with the wife's parents and may 12 with them up to a year, 13 they can build a new house nearby.
①Divorce is legal and easy to 14 , but not common. Divorced persons are 15 with some disapproval. ②Each spouse retains 16 property he or she 17 into the marriage, and
jointly-acquired property is 18
equally. ③Divorced persons may remarry, but a gender prejudice 19 up: The divorced male doesn't
have a waiting period before he can remarry 20 the woman must wait ten
months.
1. [A] by way of [B]
as well as [C]
on behalf of [D]
with regard to
2. [A] adapt to [B]
provide for [C] compete
with [D]
decide on
3. [A] close [B] renew [C] arrange [D] postpone
4. [A] In theory [B]
Above all [C] In
time [D]
For example
5. [A] Although [B]
Lest [C]
After [D]
Unless
6. [A] into [B]
within [C]
from [D] through
7. [A] since [B] or [C]
but [D] so
8. [A] test [B]
copy [C]
recite [D] create
9. [A] folding [B]
piling [C]
wrapping [D] tying
10. [A] lighting [B]
passing [C] hiding [D] serving
11. [A] meeting [B]
association [C]
collection [D] union
12. [A] grow [B]
part [C]
deal [D] live
13. [A] whereas [B]
until [C]
for [D] if
14. [A] obtain [B]
follow [C]
challenge [D] avoid
15. [A] isolated [B]
persuaded [C] viewed [D]
exposed
16. [A] wherever [B]
however [C]
whenever [D]
whatever
17. [A] changed [B]
brought [C]
shaped [D]
pushed
18. [A] divided [B]
invested [C]
donated [D]
withdrawn
19. [A] clears [B]
warms [C]
shows [D]
breaks
20. [A] while [B]
so that [C]
once [D] in that
Section
II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the
following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C
or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
①France, which prides itself as the global innovator
of fashion, has decided its fashion industry has lost an absolute right to
define physical beauty for women. ②Its lawmakers gave preliminary
approval last week to a law that would make it a crime to employ ultra-thin
models on runways. ③The parliament also agreed to ban websites that
“incite excessive thinness” by promoting extreme dieting.
①Such measures have a couple of uplifting motives.
②They suggest beauty should not be defined by looks that end up impinging
on health. ③That’s a start. ④And the ban on ultra-thin
models seems to go beyond protecting models from starving themselves to
death—as some have done. ⑤It tells the fashion industry that it
must take responsibility for the signal it sends women, especially teenage
girls, about the social tape-measure they must use to determine their
individual worth.
①The bans, if fully enforced, would suggest to women
(and many men) that they should not let others be arbiters of their beauty.
②And perhaps faintly, they hint that people should look to intangible
qualities like character and intellect rather than dieting their way to size
zero or wasp-waist physiques.
①The French measures, however, rely too much on severe
punishment to change a culture that still regards beauty as skin-deep—and
bone-showing. ②Under the law, using a fashion model that does not meet a
government-defined index of body mass could result in a $85,000 fine and six
months in prison.
①The fashion industry knows it has an inherent problem
in focusing on material adornment and idealized body types. ②In Denmark,
the United States, and a few other countries, it is trying to set voluntary
standards for models and fashion images that rely more on peer pressure for
enforcement.
①In contrast to France’s actions,
Denmark’s fashion industry agreed last month on rules and sanctions
regarding the age, health, and other characteristics of models. ②The
newly revised Danish Fashion Ethical Charter clearly states: “We are
aware of and take responsibility for the impact the fashion industry has on
body ideals, especially on young people.” ③The charter’s main
tool of enforcement is to deny access for designers and modeling agencies to
Copenhagen Fashion Week (CFW), which is run by the Danish Fashion Institute.
④But in general it relies on a name-and-shame method of compliance.
①Relying on ethical persuasion rather than law to
address the misuse of body ideals may be the best step. ②Even better
would be to help elevate notions of beauty beyond the material standards of a
particular industry.
21. According to the first
paragraph, what would happen in France?
A. Physical beauty would be redefined.
B. New runways would be constructed.
C. Websites about dieting would thrive.
D. The fashion industry would decline.
22. The phrase “impinging
on” (Para. 2) is closest in meaning to
A. indicating the state of.
B. heightening the value of.
C. losing faith in.
D. doing harm to.
23. Which of the following is
true of the fashion industry?
A. The French measures have already failed.
B. New standards are being set in Denmark.
C. Models are no longer under peer pressure.
D. Its inherent problems are getting worse.
24. A designer is most likely to
be rejected by CFW for
A. pursuing perfect physical conditions.
B. caring too much about models’ character.
C. showing little concern for health factors.
D. setting a high age threshold for models.
25. Which of the following may
be the best title of the text?
A. A Challenge to the Fashion Industry’s Body Ideals
B. A Dilemma for the Starving Models in France
C. Just Another Round of Struggle for Beauty
D. The Great Threats to the Fashion Industry
Text 2
①For the first time in history more people live in
towns than in the country. ②In Britain this has had a curious result.
③While polls show Britons rate “the countryside” alongside
the royal family, Shakespeare and the National Health Service (NHS) as what
makes them proudest of their country, this has limited political support.
①A century ago Octavia Hill launched the National
Trust not to rescue stylish houses but to save “the beauty of natural
places for everyone forever.” ②It was specifically to provide city
dwellers with spaces for leisure where they could experience “a
refreshing air.” ③Hill’s pressure later led to the creation
of national parks and green belts. ④They don’t make countryside any
more, and every year concrete consumes more of it. ⑤It needs constant
guardianship.
①At the next election none of the big parties seem
likely to endorse this sentiment. ②The Conservatives’ planning
reform explicitly gives rural development priority over conservation, even
authorising “off-plan” building where local people might object.
③The concept of sustainable development has been defined as profitable.
④Labour likewise wants to discontinue local planning where councils
oppose development. ⑤The Liberal Democrats are silent. ⑥Only Ukip,
sensing its chance, has sided with those pleading for a more considered
approach to using green land. ⑦Its Campaign to Protect Rural England
struck terror into many local Conservative parties.
①The sensible place to build new houses, factories and
offices is where people are, in cities and towns where infrastructure is in
place. ②The London agents Stirling Ackroyd recently identified enough
sites for half a million houses in the Landon area alone, with no intrusion on
green belt. ③What is true of London is even truer of the provinces.
①The idea that “housing crisis” equals
“concreted meadows” is pure lobby talk. ②The issue is not the
need for more houses but, as always, where to put them. ③Under lobby
pressure, George Osborne favours rural new-build against urban renovation and
renewal. ④He favours out-of-town shopping sites against high streets.
⑤This is not a free market but a biased one. ⑥Rural towns and
villages have grown and will always grow. ⑦They do so best where building
sticks to their edges and respects their character. ⑧We do not ruin urban
conservation areas. ⑨Why ruin rural ones?
①Development should be planned, not let rip.
②After the Netherlands, Britain is Europe’s most crowded country.
③Half a century of town and country planning has enabled it to retain an
enviable rural coherence, while still permitting low-density urban living.
④There is no doubt of the alternative—the corrupted landscapes of
southern Portugal, Spain or Ireland. ⑤Avoiding this rather than promoting
it should unite the left and right of the political spectrum.
26. Britain’s public
sentiment about the countryside
A. has brought much benefit to the NHS.
B. didn’t start till the Shakespearean age.
C. is fully backed by the royal family.
D. is not well reflected in politics.
27. According to Paragraph 2,
the achievements of the National Trust are now being
A. gradually destroyed.
B. effectively reinforced.
C. properly protected.
D. largely overshadowed.
28. Which of the following can
be inferred from Paragraph 3?
A. Labour is under attack for opposing development.
B. The Conservatives may abandon “off-plan”
building.
C. Ukip may gain from its support for rural conservation.
D. The Liberal Democrats are losing political influence.
29. The author holds that George
Osborne’s preference
A. reveals a strong prejudice against urban areas.
B. shows his disregard for the character of rural areas.
C. stresses the necessity of easing the housing crisis.
D. highlights his firm stand against lobby pressure.
30. In the last paragraph, the
author shows his appreciation of
A. the size of population in Britain.
B. the enviable urban lifestyle in Britain.
C. the town-and-country planning in Britain.
D. the political life in today’s Britain.
Text 3
①“There is one and only one social
responsibility of business,” wrote Milton Friedman, a Nobel prize-winning
economist, “That is, to use its resources and engage in activities
designed to increase its profits.” ②But even if you accept
Friedman’s premise and regard corporate social responsibility (CSR)
policies as a waste of shareholders’ money, things may not be absolutely
clear-cut. ③New research suggests that CSR may create monetary value for
companies—at least when they are prosecuted for corruption.
①The largest firms in America and Britain together
spend more than $15 billion a year on CSR, according to an estimate by EPG, a
consulting firm. ②This could add value to their businesses in three ways.
③First, consumers may take CSR spending as a “signal” that a
company’s products are of high quality. ④Second, customers may be
willing to buy a company’s products as an indirect way to donate to the
good causes it helps. ⑤And third, through a more diffuse “halo
effect,” whereby its good deeds earn it greater consideration from
consumers and others.
①Previous studies on CSR have had trouble
differentiating these effects because consumers can be affected by all three.
②A recent study attempts to separate them by looking at bribery
prosecutions under America’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
③It argues that since prosecutors do not consume a company’s
products as part of their investigations, they could be influenced only by the
halo effect.
①The study found that, among prosecuted firms, those
with the most comprehensive CSR programmes tended to get more lenient
penalties. ②Their analysis ruled out the possibility that it was
firms’ political influence, rather than their CSR stand, that accounted
for the leniency: Companies that contributed more to political campaigns did
not receive lower fines.
①In all, the study concludes that whereas prosecutors
should only evaluate a case based on its merits, they do seem to be influenced
by a company’s record in CSR. ②“We estimate that either
eliminating a substantial labour-rights concern, such as child labour, or
increasing corporate giving by about 20% results in fines that generally are
40% lower than the typical punishment for bribing foreign officials,”
says one researcher.
①Researchers admit that their study does not answer
the question of how much businesses ought to spend on CSR. ②Nor does it
reveal how much companies are banking on the halo effect, rather than the other
possible benefits, when they decide their do-gooding policies. ③But at
least they have demonstrated that when companies get into trouble with the law,
evidence of good character can win them a less costly punishment.
31. The author views Milton
Friedman’s statement about CSR with
A. uncertainty.
B. skepticism.
C. approval.
D. tolerance.
32. According to Paragraph 2,
CSR helps a company by
A. guarding it against malpractices.
B. protecting it from being defamed.
C. winning trust from consumers.
D. raising the quality of its products.
33. The expression “more lenient”
(Para. 4) is closest in meaning to
A. less controversial.
B. more lasting.
C. more effective.
D. less severe.
34. When prosecutors evaluate a
case, a company’s CSR record
A. comes across as reliable evidence.
B. has an impact on their decision.
C. increases the chance of being penalized.
D. constitutes part of the investigation.
35. Which of the following is
true of CSR, according to the last paragraph?
A. The necessary amount of companies’ spending on it
is unknown.
B. Companies’ financial capacity for it has been
overestimated.
C. Its negative effects on businesses are often overlooked.
D. It has brought much benefit to the banking industry.
Text 4
①There will eventually come a day when The New York
Times ceases to publish stories on newsprint. ②Exactly when that day
will be is a matter of debate. ③“Sometime in the future,” the
paper’s publisher said back in 2010.
①Nostalgia for ink on paper and the rustle of pages
aside, there’s plenty of incentive to ditch print. ②The
infrastructure required to make a physical newspaper—printing presses,
delivery trucks —isn’t just expensive; it’s excessive at a
time when online-only competitors don’t have the same set of financial constraints.
③Readers are migrating away from print anyway. ④And though print ad
sales still dwarf their online and mobile counterparts, revenue from print is
still declining.
①Overhead may be high and circulation lower, but
rushing to eliminate its print edition would be a mistake, says BuzzFeed CEO
Jonah Peretti.
①Peretti says the Times shouldn’t waste
time getting out of the print business, but only if they go about doing it the
right way. ②“Figuring out a way to accelerate that transition would
make sense for them,” he said, “but if you discontinue it,
you’re going to have your most loyal customers really upset with
you.”
①Sometimes that’s worth making a change anyway.
②Peretti gives the example of Netflix discontinuing its DVD-mailing
service to focus on streaming. ③“It was seen as a blunder,”
he said. ④The move turned out to be foresighted. ⑤And if Peretti
were in charge at the Times? ⑥“I wouldn’t pick a year
to end print,” he said. “I would raise prices and make it into more
of a legacy product.”
①The most loyal customers would still get the product
they favor, the idea goes, and they’d feel like they were helping sustain
the quality of something they believe in. ②“So if you’re
overpaying for print, you could feel like you were helping,” Peretti
said.③ “Then increase it at a higher rate each year and essentially
try to generate additional revenue.” ④In other words, if
you’re going to make a print product, make it for the people who are
already obsessed with it. ⑤Which may be what the Times is doing
already. ⑥Getting the print edition seven days a week costs nearly $500 a
year—more than twice as much as a digital-only subscription.
①“It’s a really hard thing to do and
it’s a tremendous luxury that BuzzFeed doesn’t have a legacy
business,” Peretti remarked. ②“But we’re going to have questions
like that where we have things we’re doing that don’t make sense
when the market changes and the world changes. ③In those situations,
it’s better to be more aggressive than less aggressive.”
36. The New York Times is
considering ending its print edition partly due to
A. the increasing online ad sales.
B. the pressure from its investors.
C. the complaints from its readers.
D. the high cost of operation.
37. Peretti suggests that, in
face of the present situation, the Times should
A. make strategic adjustments.
B. end the print edition for good.
C. seek new sources of readership.
D. aim for efficient management.
38. It can be inferred from
Paragraphs 5 and 6 that a “legacy product”
A. helps restore the glory of former times.
B. is meant for the most loyal customers.
C. will have the cost of printing reduced.
D. expands the popularity of the paper.
39. Peretti believes that, in a
changing world,
A. traditional luxuries can stay unaffected.
B. cautiousness facilitates problem-solving.
C. aggressiveness better meets challenges.
D. legacy businesses are becoming outdated.
40. Which of the following would
be the best title of the text?
A. Shift to Online Newspapers All at Once
B. Cherish the Newspaper Still in Your Hand
C. Keep Your Newspapers Forever in Fashion
D. Make Your Print Newspaper a Luxury Good
Part B
Directions:
Read the following text and answer the questions by choosing
the most suitable subheading from the list A-G for each of the numbered
paragraphs (41-45). There are two extra subheadings. Mark your answers on the
ANSER SHEET. (10 points)
A. Create a new image of
yourself
B. Decide if the time is right
C. Have confidence in yourself
D. Understand the context
E. Work with professionals
F. Make it efficient
G. Know your goals
No matter how formal or informal the work environment, the
way you present yourself has an impact. This is especially true in the first
impressions. According to research from Princeton University, people assess
your competence, trustworthiness, and likeability in just a tenth of a second,
solely based on the way you look.
The difference between today’s workplace and the
“dress for success” era is that the range of options is so much
broader. Norms have evolved and fragmented. In some settings, red sneakers or
dress T-shirts can convey status; in others not so much. Plus, whatever image
we present is magnified by social-media services like LinkedIn. Chances are,
your headshots are seen much more often now than a decade or two ago. Millennials,
it seems, face the paradox of being the least formal generation yet the most
conscious of style and personal branding. It can be confusing.
So how do we navigate this? How do we know when to invest in
an upgrade? And what’s the best way to pull off one that enhances our
goals?
Here are some tips:
|
41. |
|
As an executive coach, I’ve seen image upgrades be
particularly helpful during transitions—when looking for a new job,
stepping into a new or more public role, or changing work environments. If
you’re in a period of change or just feeling stuck and in a rut, now may
be a good time. If you’re not sure, ask for honest feedback from trusted
friends, colleagues and professionals. Look for cues about how others perceive
you. Maybe there’s no need for an upgrade and that’s OK.
|
42. |
|
Get clear on what impact you’re hoping to have. Are
you looking to refresh your image or pivot it? For one person, the goal may be
to be taken more seriously and enhance their professional image. For another,
it may be to be perceived as more approachable, or more modern and stylish. For
someone moving from finance to advertising, maybe they want to look more
“SoHo.” (It’s OK to use characterizations like that.)
|
43. |
|
Look at your work environment like an anthropologist. What are
the norms of your environment? What conveys status? Who are your most important
audiences? How do the people you respect and look up to present themselves? The
better you understand the cultural context, the more control you can have over
your impact.
|
44. |
|
Enlist the support of professionals and share with them your
goals and context. Hire a personal stylist, or use the free styling service of
a store like J. Crew. Try a hair stylist instead of a barber. Work with a
professional photographer instead of your spouse or friend. It’s not as
expensive as you might think.
|
45. |
|
The point of a style upgrade isn’t to become more vain
or to spend more time fussing over what to wear. Instead, use it as an
opportunity to reduce decision fatigue. Pick a standard work uniform or a few
go-to options. Buy all your clothes at once with a stylist instead of shopping
alone, one article of clothing at a time.
Part C
Directions:
Read the
following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese.
Your translation should be written neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
Mental health is our birthright. (46) We
don’t have to learn how to be mentally healthy; it is built into us in
the same way that our bodies know how to heal a cut or mend a broken bone.
Mental health can’t be learned, only reawakened. It is like the immune
system of the body, which under stress or through lack of nutrition or exercise
can be weakened, but which never leaves us. When we don’t understand the
value of mental health and we don’t know how to gain access to it, mental
health will remain hidden from us. (47) Our mental health doesn’t really
go anywhere; like the sun behind a cloud, it can be temporarily hidden from
view, but it is fully capable of being restored in an instant.
Mental health is the seed that contains
self-esteem—confidence in ourselves and an ability to trust in our
common sense. It allows us to have perspective on our lives—the ability
to not take ourselves too seriously, to laugh at ourselves, to see the bigger
picture, and to see that things will work out. It’s a form of innate or
unlearned optimism. (48) Mental health allows us to view others with
sympathy if they are having troubles, with kindness if they are in pain, and
with unconditional love no matter who they are. Mental health is the source
of creativity for solving problems, resolving conflict, making our surroundings
more beautiful, managing our home life, or coming up with a creative business
idea or invention to make our lives easier. It gives us patience for ourselves
and toward others as well as patience while driving, catching a fish, working
on our car, or raising a child. It allows us to see the beauty that surrounds
us each moment in nature, in culture, in the flow of our daily lives.
(49) Although mental health is the
cure-all for living our lives, it is perfectly ordinary as you will see that it
has been there to direct you through all your difficult decisions. It has
been available even in the most mundane of life situations to show you right
from wrong, good from bad, friend from foe. Mental health has commonly been
called conscience, instinct, wisdom, common sense, or the inner voice. We think
of it simply as a healthy and helpful flow of intelligent thought. (50) As
you will come to see, knowing that mental health is always available and
knowing to trust it allow us to slow down to the moment and live life happily.
Section
III Writing
Part A
51. Directions:
Suppose you are a librarian in your university. Write a
notice of about 100 words, providing the newly-enrolled international students
with relevant information about the library.
You should write neatly on the ANSWER SHEET.
Do not sign your
own name at the end of the notice. Use “Li Ming” instead.
Do not write the
address. (10 points)
Part B
52. Directions:
Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following
pictures. In your essay, you should
1) describe the pictures briefly,
2) interpret the meaning, and
3) give your comments.
You should write neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. (20 points)
2017年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语（一）试题
Section Ⅰ Use of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each
numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
①Could a hug a day keep
the doctor away? ②The answer may be a
resounding “yes!” ③ 1
helping you feel close and 2 to people you care about, it turns
out that hugs can bring a 3 of health benefits to your body and mind.
④Believe it or not, a
warm embrace might even help you 4 getting sick this winter.
①In a recent study 5 over 400 healthy adults, researchers from
Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania examined the effects of perceived
social support and the receipt of hugs 6 the participants’ susceptibility to developing the common cold after being 7 to the virus. ②People who perceived
greater social support were less likely to come 8 with a cold, and the researchers 9 that the stress-reducing effects of
hugging 10 about 32 percent of that beneficial
effect. ③
11 among those who got a cold, the ones who
felt greater social support and received more frequent hugs had less severe 12 .
①“Hugging
protects people who are under stress from the 13 risk for colds that’s usually 14 with stress,” notes Sheldon Cohen,
a professor of psychology at Carnegie. ②Hugging “is a
marker of intimacy and helps 15 the feeling that others are there to help
16 difficulty.”
①Some experts 17 the stress-reducing, health-related
benefits of hugging to the release of oxytocin, often called “the bonding
hormone” 18 it promotes attachment in relationships,
including that between mothers and their newborn babies. ②Oxytocin is made
primarily in the central lower part of the brain, and some of it is released
into the bloodstream. ③But some of it
19 in the brain, where it 20 mood, behavior and physiology.
1. [A] Unlike [B] Besides [C]
Throughout [D]
Despite
2. [A] equal [B] restricted [C] connected [D]
inferior
3. [A] host [B]
view [C] lesson [D] choice
4. [A] recall [B] forget [C]
avoid [D] keep
5. [A] collecting [B] affecting [C]
guiding [D] involving
6. [A] on [B] in [C] at [D]
of
7. [A] devoted [B] exposed [C]
lost [D] attracted
8. [A] along [B]
across [C] down [D] out
9. [A] imagined [B] denied [C]
doubted [D] calculated
10. [A] served [B] explained [C] restored [D]
required
11. [A] Thus [B]
Still [C] Rather [D] Even
12. [A] defeats [B] symptoms [C] errors [D]
tests
13. [A] highlighted [B] minimized [C] controlled [D]
increased
14. [A] associated [B]
equipped [C] presented [D] compared
15. [A] assess [B]
moderate [C] generate [D]
record
16. [A] in the face of [B] in the form of [C] in the name of [D]
in the way of
17. [A] attribute [B]
commit [C] transfer [D] return
18. [A] unless [B] because [C] though [D] until
19. [A] vanishes [B] emerges [C] remains [D]
decreases
20. [A] experiences [B] combines [C]
justifies [D]
influences
Section Ⅱ Reading
Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the
following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C
or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
①First two hours,
now three hours—this is how far in advance authorities are recommending
people show up to catch a domestic flight, at least at some major U.S. airports
with increasingly massive security lines.
①Americans are
willing to tolerate time-consuming security procedures in return for increased
safety. ②The crash of
EgyptAir Flight 804, which terrorists may have downed over the Mediterranean
Sea, provides another tragic reminder of why. ③But demanding too
much of air travelers or providing too little security in return undermines
public support for the process. ④And it should:
Wasted time is a drag on Americans' economic and private lives, not to mention infuriating.
①Last year, the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) found in a secret check that
undercover investigators were able to sneak weapons—both fake and
real—past airport security nearly every time they tried. ②Enhanced security
measures since then, combined with a rise in airline travel due to the
improving economy and low oil prices, have resulted in long waits at major
airports such as Chicago’s O’Hare International. ③It is not yet
clear how much more effective airline security has become—but the lines
are obvious.
①Part of the issue
is that the government did not anticipate the steep increase in airline travel,
so the TSA is now rushing to get new screeners on the line. ②Part of the issue
is that airports have only so much room for screening lanes. ③Another factor
may be that more people are trying to overpack their carry-on bags to avoid
checked-baggage fees, though the airlines strongly dispute this.
①There is one step
the TSA could take that would not require remodeling airports or rushing to
hire: Enroll more people in the PreCheck program. ②PreCheck is
supposed to be a win-win for travelers and the TSA. ③Passengers who
pass a background check are eligible to use expedited screening lanes. ④This allows the
TSA to focus on travelers who are higher risk, saving time for everyone
involved. ⑤The TSA wants to enroll 25
million people in PreCheck.
①It has not gotten
anywhere close to that, and one big reason is sticker shock: Passengers must
pay $85 every five years to process their background checks. ②Since the
beginning, this price tag has been PreCheck's fatal flaw. ③Upcoming reforms
might bring the price to a more reasonable level. ④But Congress
should look into doing so directly, by helping to finance PreCheck enrollment
or to cut costs in other ways.
①The TSA cannot
continue diverting resources into underused PreCheck lanes while most of the
traveling public suffers in unnecessary lines. ②It is long past
time to make the program work.
21. The crash of EgyptAir
Flight 804 is mentioned to
[A] stress the urgency to
strengthen security worldwide.
[B] explain Americans’
tolerance of current security checks.
[C] highlight the necessity
of upgrading major U.S. airports.
[D] emphasize the importance
of privacy protection.
22. Which of the following contributes to long waits at major airports?
[A] New restrictions on carry-on bags.
[B] The declining efficiency of the TSA.
[C] An increase in the number of travelers.
[D] Frequent unexpected secret checks.
23. The word “expedited” (Para. 5) is closest in meaning to
[A] quieter.
[B] faster.
[C] wider.
[D] cheaper.
24. One problem with the PreCheck program is
[A] a dramatic reduction of its scale.
[B] its wrongly-directed implementation.
[C] the government’s reluctance to back it.
[D] an unreasonable price for enrollment.
25. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
[A] Getting Stuck in Security Lines
[B] PreCheck—a Belated
Solution
[C] Less Screening for More Safety
[D] Underused PreCheck Lanes
Text 2
①“The
ancient Hawaiians were astronomers,” wrote Queen Liliuokalani, Hawaii's
last reigning monarch, in 1897. ②Star watchers
were among the most esteemed members of Hawaiian society. ③Sadly, all is not
well with astronomy in Hawaii today. ④Protests have
erupted over construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), a giant
observatory that promises to revolutionize humanity’s view of the cosmos.
①At issue is the
TMT’s planned location on Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano worshiped by some
Hawaiians as the piko, that connects
the Hawaiian Islands to the heavens. ②But Mauna Kea is
also home to some of the world’s most powerful telescopes. ③Rested in the
Pacific Ocean, Mauna Kea’s peak rises above the bulk of our
planet’s dense atmosphere, where conditions allow telescopes to obtain
images of unsurpassed clarity.
①Opposition to
telescopes on Mauna Kea is nothing new. ②A small but vocal
group of Hawaiians and environmentalists have long viewed their presence as
disrespect for sacred land and a painful reminder of the occupation of what was
once a sovereign nation.
①Some blame for
the current controversy belongs to astronomers. ②In their
eagerness to build bigger telescopes, they forgot that science is not the only
way of understanding the world. ③They did not
always prioritize the protection of Mauna Kea’s fragile ecosystems or its
holiness to the islands’ inhabitants. ④Hawaiian culture
is not a relic of the past; it is a living culture undergoing a renaissance
today.
①Yet science has a
cultural history, too, with roots going back to the dawn of civilization. ②The same
curiosity to find what lies beyond the horizon that first brought early
Polynesians to Hawaii’s shores inspires astronomers today to explore the
heavens. ③Calls to
disassemble all telescopes on Mauna Kea or to ban future development there
ignore the reality that astronomy and Hawaiian culture both seek to answer big
questions about who we are, where we come from and where we are going. ④Perhaps that is
why we explore the starry skies, as if answering a primal calling to know
ourselves and our true ancestral homes.
①The astronomy
community is making compromises to change its use of Mauna Kea. ②The TMT site was
chosen to minimize the telescope’s visibility around the island and to
avoid archaeological and environmental impact. ③To limit the
number of telescopes on Mauna Kea, old ones will be removed at the end of their
lifetimes and their sites returned to a natural state. ④There is no
reason why everyone cannot be welcomed on Mauna Kea to embrace their cultural
heritage and to study the stars.
26. Queen Liliuokalani’s remark in Paragraph 1 indicates
[A] the importance
of astronomy in ancient Hawaiian society.
[B] her
conservative view on the historical role of astronomy.
[C] the
regrettable decline of astronomy in ancient times.
[D] her
appreciation of star watchers’ feats in her time.
27. Mauna Kea is deemed as an ideal astronomical site due to
[A] its religious
implications.
[B] its
protective surroundings.
[C] its
geographical features.
[D] its existing
infrastructure.
28. The construction of the TMT is opposed by some locals partly
because
[A] it may risk ruining
their intellectual life.
[B] they fear
losing control of Mauna Kea.
[C] their culture
will lose a chance of revival.
[D] it reminds
them of a humiliating history.
29. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that progress in today’s
astronomy
[A] is fulfilling
the dreams of ancient Hawaiians.
[B] helps spread
Hawaiian culture across the world.
[C] may uncover
the origin of Hawaiian culture.
[D] will
eventually soften Hawaiians’ hostility.
30. The author’s attitude toward choosing Mauna Kea as the TMT site
is one of
[A] severe
criticism.
[B] full
approval.
[C] passive
acceptance.
[D] slight
hesitancy.
Text 3
①Robert F. Kennedy
once said that a country’s GDP measures “everything except that
which makes life worthwhile.” ②With Britain
voting to leave the European Union, and GDP already predicted to slow as a
result, it is now a timely moment to assess what he was referring to.
①The question of
GDP and its usefulness has annoyed policymakers for over half a century. Many
argue that it is a flawed concept. ②It measures
things that do not matter and misses things that do. ③By most recent
measures, the UK’s GDP has been the envy of the Western world, with
record low unemployment and high growth figures. ④If everything was
going so well, then why did over 17 million people vote for Brexit, despite the
warnings about what it could do to their country’s economic prospects?
①A recent annual study
of countries and their ability to convert growth into well-being sheds some
light on that question. ②Across the 163
countries measured, the UK is one of the poorest performers in ensuring that
economic growth is translated into meaningful improvements for its citizens. ③Rather than just
focusing on GDP, over 40 different sets of criteria from health, education and
civil society engagement have been measured to get a more rounded assessment of
how countries are performing.
①While all of
these countries face their own challenges, there are a number of consistent
themes. ②Yes, there has
been a budding economic recovery since the 2008 global crash, but in key
indicators in areas such as health and education, major economies have
continued to decline. ③Yet this
isn’t the case with all countries. ④Some relatively
poor European countries have seen huge improvements across measures including
civil society, income equality and the environment.
①This is a lesson
that rich countries can learn: When GDP is no longer regarded as the sole
measure of a country’s success, the world looks very different.
①So, what Kennedy
was referring to was that while GDP has been the most common method for
measuring the economic activity of nations, as a measure, it is no longer
enough. ②It does not
include important factors such as environmental quality or education outcomes—all things that contribute
to a person’s sense of well-being.
①The sharp hit to
growth predicted around the world and in the UK could lead to a decline in the
everyday services we depend on for our well-being and for growth. ②But policymakers
who refocus efforts on improving well-being rather than simply worrying about
GDP figures could avoid the forecasted doom and may even see progress.
31. Robert F. Kennedy is cited because he
[A] praised the
UK for its GDP.
[B] identified
GDP with happiness.
[C]
misinterpreted the role of GDP.
[D] had a low
opinion of GDP.
32. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that
[A] GDP as the
measure of success is widely defied in the UK.
[B]
policymakers in the UK are paying less attention to GDP.
[C] the UK will
contribute less to the world economy.
[D] the UK is
reluctant to remold its economic pattern.
33. Which of the following is true about the recent annual study?
[A] It excludes
GDP as an indicator.
[B] It is
sponsored by 163 countries.
[C] Its criteria
are questionable.
[D] Its results
are enlightening.
34. In the last two paragraphs, the author suggests that
[A] the UK is
preparing for an economic boom.
[B] it is
essential to consider factors beyond GDP.
[C] high GDP
foreshadows an economic decline.
[D] it requires
caution to handle economic issues.
35. Which of the following is the best title for the text?
[A] Brexit, the
UK’s Gateway to Well-being
[B] Robert F.
Kennedy, a Terminator of GDP
[C] High GDP But
Inadequate Well-being, a UK Lesson
[D] GDP Figures,
a Window on Global Economic Health
Text 4
①In a rare
unanimous ruling, the US Supreme Court has overturned the corruption conviction
of a former Virginia governor, Robert McDonnell. ②But it did so
while holding its nose at the ethics of his conduct, which included accepting
gifts such as a Rolex watch and a Ferrari automobile from a company seeking
access to government.
①The high
court’s decision said the judge in Mr. McDonnell’s trial failed to
tell a jury that it must look only at his “official acts,” or the
former governor’s decisions on “specific” and
“unsettled” issues related to his duties.
①Merely helping a
gift-giver gain access to other officials, unless done with clear intent to
pressure those officials, is not corruption, the justices found.
①The court did
suggest that accepting favors in return for opening doors is
“distasteful” and “nasty.” ②But under
anti-bribery laws, proof must be made of concrete benefits, such as approval of
a contract or regulation. ③Simply arranging
a meeting, making a phone call, or hosting an event is not an “official
act.”
①The court’s
ruling is legally sound in defining a kind of favoritism that is not criminal. ②Elected leaders
must be allowed to help supporters deal with bureaucratic problems without fear
of prosecution of bribery. “The basic compact underlying representative
government,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts for the court,
“assumes that public officials will hear from their constituents and act
on their concerns.”
①But the ruling
reinforces the need for citizens and their elected representatives, not the
courts, to ensure equality of access to government. ②Officials must
not be allowed to play favorites in providing information or in arranging
meetings simply because an individual or group provides a campaign donation or
a personal gift. ③This type of
integrity requires well-enforced laws in government transparency, such as
records of official meetings, rules on lobbying, and information about each
elected leader’s source of wealth.
①Favoritism in
official access can fan public perceptions of corruption. ②But it is not
always corruption. ③Rather officials
must avoid double standards, or different types of access for average people
and the wealthy. ④If connections
can be bought, a basic premise of democratic society—that all are equal in
treatment by government—is undermined. ⑤Good governance
rests on an understanding of the inherent worth of each individual.
①The court’s
ruling is a step forward in the struggle against both corruption and official
favoritism.
36. The underlined sentence (Para. 1) most probably shows that the
court
[A] made no
compromise in convicting McDonnell.
[B] avoided
defining the extent of McDonnell’s duties.
[C] was
contemptuous of McDonnell’s conduct.
[D] refused to
comment on McDonnell’s ethics.
37. According to Paragraph 4, an official act is deemed corruptive only
if it involves
[A] concrete
returns for gift-givers.
[B] sizable gains
in the form of gifts.
[C] leaking
secrets intentionally.
[D] breaking
contracts officially.
38. The court’s ruling is based on the assumption that public
officials are
[A] allowed to
focus on the concerns of their supporters.
[B] qualified to
deal independently with bureaucratic issues.
[C] justified in
addressing the needs of their constituents.
[D] exempt from
conviction on the charge of favoritism.
39. Well-enforced laws in government transparency are needed to
[A] awaken the
conscience of officials.
[B] allow for
certain kinds of lobbying.
[C] guarantee
fair play in official access.
[D] inspire hopes
in average people.
40. The author’s attitude toward the court’s ruling is
[A] sarcastic.
[B] tolerant.
[C] skeptical.
[D] supportive.
Part B
Directions:
The following paragraphs are given in a wrong order. For
questions 41-45, you are required to reorganize these paragraphs into a
coherent text by choosing from the list A-G and filling them into the numbered
boxes. Paragraphs B and D have been
correctly placed. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
B. The runaway success of The Pickwick Papers, as it is generally
known today, secured Dickens’s fame. There were Pickwick coats and
Pickwick cigars, and the plump, spectacled hero, Samuel Pickwick, became a
national figure.
D. Charles Dickens is probably
the best-known and, to many people, the greatest English novelist of the 19th
century. A moralist, satirist, and social reformer, Dickens crafted complex
plots and striking characters that capture the panorama of English society.
D → 41. _______→ 42. ______ →
43. ______ → 44. ______ → B → 45. ______
Part C
Directions:
Read the
following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into
Chinese. Your translation should be written neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. (10
points)
The growth of the use of English as the
world’s primary language for international communication has obviously
been continuing for several decades. (46) But even as the number of English
speakers expands further there are signs that the global predominance of the
language may fade within the foreseeable future.
Complex international,
economic, technological and cultural changes could start to diminish the
leading position of English as the language of the world market, and UK
interests which enjoy advantage from the breadth of English usage would
consequently face new pressures. Those realistic possibilities are highlighted
in the study presented by David Graddol. (47) His analysis should therefore
end any self-contentedness among those who may believe that the global position
of English is so stable that the young generations of the United Kingdom do not
need additional language capabilities.
David Graddol concludes that
monoglot English graduates face a bleak economic future as qualified
multilingual youngsters from other countries are proving to have a competitive
advantage over their British counterparts in global companies and
organisations. Alongside that, (48) many countries are introducing English
into the primary-school curriculum but British schoolchildren and students do
not appear to be gaining greater encouragement to achieve fluency in other
languages.
If left to themselves, such trends will diminish the
relative strength of the English language in international education markets as
the demand for educational resources in languages, such as Spanish, Arabic or
Mandarin grows and international business process outsourcing in other
languages such as Japanese, French and German, spreads.
(49) The changes identified by David Graddol all
present clear and major challenges to the UK’s providers of English
language teaching to people of other countries and to broader education
business sectors. The
English language teaching sector directly earns nearly £1.3 billion for
the UK in invisible exports and our other education related exports earn up to
£10 billion a year more. As the international education market expands,
the recent slowdown in the numbers of international students studying in the
main English-speaking countries is likely to continue, especially if there are
no effective strategic policies to prevent such slippage.
The anticipation of possible shifts in demand provided
by this study is significant: (50) It gives a basis for all organisations
which seek to promote the learning and use of English, a basis for planning to
meet the possibilities of what could be a very different operating environment.
That is a necessary and practical approach. In this as in much else, those who
wish to influence the future must prepare for it.
Section III Writing
Part A
51. Directions:
You are to write
an email to James Cook, a newly-arrived Australian professor, recommending some
tourist attractions in your city. Please give reasons for your recommendation.
You should write
neatly on the ANSWER SHEET.
Do not sign your own name at the end of the email.
Use “Li Ming” instead.
Do not write the address. (10 points)
Part B
52. Directions:
Write an essay of
160—200 words based on the
following pictures. In your essay, you should
1) describe the pictures briefly,
2) interpret the meaning, and
3) give your comments.
You should write
neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. (20 points)
2018年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语一试题
Section I Use of
English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose
the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER
SHEET. (10 points)
①Trust
is a tricky business. ②On the
one hand, it's a necessary condition 1 many worthwhile things: child
care, friendships, etc. ③On the other hand, putting your 2 in the wrong place often
carries a high 3 .
① 4
, why do we trust at all? ②Well,
because it feels good.③ 5 people
place their trust in an individual or an institution, their brains release
oxytocin, a hormone that 6 pleasurable feelings and
triggers the herding instinct that prompts humans to 7 with one another. ④Scientists
have found that exposure 8 this hormone puts us in a
trusting 9 : In a Swiss study, researchers
sprayed oxytocin into the noses of half the subjects; those subjects were ready
to lend significantly higher amounts of money to strangers than were their 10 who inhaled something else.
① 11 for us, we also have a sixth sense for
dishonesty that may 12 us. ②A
Canadian study found that children as young as 14 months can differentiate 13 a credible person and a
dishonest one. Sixty toddlers were each 14 to an adult tester holding a
plastic container. ③The tester would ask, "What's in here?" before
looking into the container, smiling, and exclaiming, "Wow!" ④Each
subject was then invited to look
15 . ⑤Half
of them found a toy; the other half 16 the container was
empty—and realized the tester had 17
them.
①Among
the children who had not been tricked, the majority were 18 to cooperate with the tester in
learning a new skill, demonstrating that they trusted his leadership. ② 19 , only five of the 30 children paired
with the " 20 " tester participated in a follow-up
activity.
1. [A] from [B] for
[C] like [D]
on
2. [A] attention [B] concern [C]
faith
[D] interest
3. [A] benefit [B]
price
[C] debt [D] hope
4. [A] Again [B]
Instead [C]
Therefore [D] Then
5. [A] When [B] Unless [C]
Although [D]
Until
6. [A]
selects [B] applies [C] produces [D] maintains
7. [A] connect [B]
compete [C] consult [D] compare
8. [A] by [B]
to [C]of
[D] at
9. [A] context [B]
circle [C] period [D] mood
10.[A]
counterparts
[B] colleagues [C]
substitutes [D]
supporters
11.[A] Odd [B]
Funny [C]
Lucky [D] Ironic
12.[A] protect [B] delight [C] surprise [D] monitor
13.[A] over
[B] within [C]
toward [D]
between
14.[A] added [B]
transferred [C]
introduced [D] entrusted
15.[A] out
[B] inside [C] back [D] around
16.[A] proved [B]
remembered [C]
insisted [D] discovered
17.[A] fooled [B]
mocked [C] betrayed [D] wronged
18.[A] forced
[B] willing
[C] hesitant [D] entitled
19.[A] On the whole [B]
As a result [C] For
instance [D] In
contrast
20.[A] incapable [B] inflexible [C]
unreliable [D] unsuitable
Section II Reading
Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the questions after
each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40
points)
Text 1
①Among the annoying challenges facing the middle class
is one that will probably go unmentioned in the next presidential campaign:
What happens when the robots come for their jobs?
①Don't dismiss that possibility entirely. ②About
half of U.S. jobs are at high risk of being automated, according to a University
of Oxford study, with the middle class disproportionately squeezed.
③Lower-income jobs like gardening or day care don't appeal to robots.
④But many middle-class occupations—trucking, financial advice,
software engineering—have aroused their interest, or soon will.
⑤The rich own the robots, so they will be fine.
①This isn't to be alarmist. ②Optimists point out
that technological upheaval has benefited workers in the past. ③The
Industrial Revolution didn't go so well for Luddites whose jobs were displaced
by mechanized looms, but it eventually raised living standards and created more
jobs than it destroyed. ④Likewise, automation should eventually boost
productivity, stimulate demand by driving down prices, and free workers from
hard, boring work. ⑤But in the medium term, middle-class workers may need
a lot of help adjusting.
①The first step, as Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew
McAfee argue in The Second Machine Age, should be rethinking education
and job training. ②Curriculums—from grammar school to college—should
evolve to focus less on memorizing facts and more on creativity and complex
communication. ③Vocational schools should do a better job of fostering
problem-solving skills and helping students work alongside robots.
④Online education can supplement the traditional kind. ⑤It could
make extra training and instruction affordable. ⑥Professionals trying to
acquire new skills will be able to do so without going into debt.
①The challenge of coping with automation underlines
the need for the U.S. to revive its fading business dynamism: Starting new
companies must be made easier. ②In previous eras of drastic technological
change, entrepreneurs smoothed the transition by dreaming up ways to combine
labor and machines. ③The best uses of 3D printers and virtual reality
haven't been invented yet. ④The U.S. needs the new companies that will
invent them.
①Finally, because automation threatens to widen the
gap between capital income and labor income, taxes and the safety net will have
to be rethought. ②Taxes on low-wage labor need to be cut, and wage
subsidies such as the earned income tax credit should be expanded: This would
boost incomes, encourage work, reward companies for job creation, and reduce
inequality.
①Technology will improve society in ways big and small
over the next few years, yet this will be little comfort to those who find
their lives and careers upended by automation. ②Destroying the machines
that are coming for our jobs would be nuts. ③But policies to help workers
adapt will be indispensable.
21. Who will be most threatened
by automation?
[A] Leading politicians.
[B] Low-wage laborers.
[C] Robot owners.
[D] Middle-class workers.
22. Which of the following best
represents the author’s view?
[A] Worries about automation are in fact groundless.
[B] Optimists’ opinions on new tech find little
support.
[C] Issues arising from automation need to be tackled.
[D] Negative consequences of new tech can be avoided.
23. Education in the age of
automation should put more emphasis on
[A] creative potential.
[B] job-hunting skills.
[C] individual needs.
[D] cooperative spirit.
24. The author suggests that tax
policies be aimed at
[A] encouraging the development of automation.
[B] increasing the return on capital investment.
[C] easing the hostility between rich and poor.
[D] preventing the income gap from widening.
25. In this text, the author
presents a problem with
[A] opposing views on it.
[B] possible solutions to it.
[C] its alarming impacts.
[D] its major variations.
Text 2
①A new survey by Harvard University finds more than
two-thirds of young Americans disapprove of President Trump’s use of
Twitter. ②The implication is that Millennials prefer news from the White
House to be filtered through other sources, not a president’s social media
platform.
①Most Americans rely on social media to check daily
headlines. ②Yet as distrust has risen toward all media, people may be
starting to beef up their media literacy skills. ③Such a trend is
badly needed. ④During the 2016 presidential campaign, nearly a quarter of
web content shared by Twitter users in the politically critical state of
Michigan was fake news, according to the University of Oxford. ⑤And a
survey conducted for BuzzFeed News found 44 percent of Facebook users rarely or
never trust news from the media giant.
①Young people who are digital natives are indeed
becoming more skillful at separating fact from fiction in cyberspace. ②A
Knight Foundation focus-group survey of young people between ages 14 and 24
found they use “distributed trust” to verify stories. ③They
cross-check sources and prefer news from different
perspectives—especially those that are open about any bias.
④“Many young people assume a great deal of personal responsibility
for educating themselves and actively seeking out opposing viewpoints,” the
survey concluded.
①Such active research can have another effect.
②A 2014 survey conducted in Australia, Britain, and the United States by
the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that young people’s reliance on
social media led to greater political engagement.
①Social media allows users to experience news events
more intimately and immediately while also permitting them to re-share news as
a projection of their values and interests. ②This forces users to be more
conscious of their role in passing along information. ③A survey by Barna
research group found the top reason given by Americans for the fake news
phenomenon is “reader error,” more so than made-up stories or
factual mistakes in reporting. ④About a third say the problem of fake
news lies in “misinterpretation or exaggeration of actual news” via
social media. ⑤In other words, the choice to share news on social media
may be the heart of the issue. ⑥“This indicates there is a real
personal responsibility in counteracting this problem,” says Roxanne Stone,
editor in chief at Barna Group.
①So when young people are critical of an over-tweeting
president, they reveal a mental discipline in thinking skills—and in
their choices on when to share on social media.
26. According to Paragraphs 1
and 2, many young Americans cast doubt on
[A] the justification of the news-filtering practice.
[B] people's preference for social media platforms.
[C] the administration's ability to handle information.
[D] social media as a reliable source of news.
27. The phrase "beef up”
(Para. 2) is closest in meaning to
[A] boast.
[B] define.
[C] sharpen.
[D] share.
28. According to the Knight
Foundation survey, young people
[A] tend to voice their opinions in
cyberspace.
[B] verify news by referring to diverse sources.
[C] have a strong sense of social responsibility.
[D] like to exchange views on
"distributed trust".
29. The Barna survey found that
a main cause for the fake news problem is
[A] readers' misinterpretation.
[B] journalists' biased reporting.
[C] readers' outdated values.
[D] journalists' made-up stories.
30. Which of the following would
be the best title for the text?
[A] A Counteraction Against the Over-tweeting Trend
[B] A Rise in Critical Skills for Sharing News Online
[C] The Accumulation of Mutual Trust on Social Media
[D] The Platforms for Projection of Personal Interests
Text 3
①Any fair-minded assessment of the dangers of the deal
between Britain's National Health Service (NHS) and DeepMind must start by
acknowledging that both sides mean well. ②DeepMind is one of the leading
artificial intelligence (AI) companies in the world. ③The potential of
this work applied to healthcare is very great, but it could also lead to
further concentration of power in the tech giants. ④It is against that
background that the information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, has issued her
damning verdict against the Royal Free hospital trust under the NHS, which
handed over to DeepMind the records of 1.6 million patients in 2015 on the
basis of a vague agreement which took far too little account of the patients'
rights and their expectations of privacy.
①DeepMind has almost apologised. ②The NHS trust
has mended its ways. ③Further arrangements—and there may be
many—between the NHS and DeepMind will be carefully scrutinised to ensure
that all necessary permissions have been asked of patients and all unnecessary
data has been cleaned. ④There are lessons about informed patient consent
to learn. ⑤But privacy is not the only angle in this case and not even
the most important. ⑥Ms Denham chose to concentrate the blame on the NHS
trust, since under existing law it “controlled” the data and
DeepMind merely “processed” it. ⑦But this distinction misses
the point that it is processing and aggregation, not the mere possession of
bits, that gives the data value.
①The great question is who should benefit from the
analysis of all the data that our lives now generate. ②Privacy law builds
on the concept of damage to an individual from identifiable knowledge about
them. ③That misses the way the surveillance economy works. ④The
data of an individual there gains its value only when it is compared with the
data of countless millions more.
①The use of privacy law to curb the tech giants in
this instance feels slightly maladapted. ②This practice does not address
the real worry. ③It is not enough to say that the algorithms DeepMind
develops will benefit patients and save lives. ④What matters is that they
will belong to a private monopoly which developed them using public resources.
⑤If software promises to save lives on the scale that drugs now can, big
data may be expected to behave as big pharma has done. ⑥We are still at
the beginning of this revolution and small choices now may turn out to have
gigantic consequences later. ⑦A long struggle will be needed to avoid a
future of digital feudalism. ⑧Ms Denham’s report is a welcome
start.
31. What is true of the
agreement between the NHS and DeepMind?
[A] It fell short of the latter's expectations.
[B] It caused conflicts among tech giants.
[C] It failed to pay due attention to patients' rights.
[D] It put both sides into a dangerous situation.
32. The NHS trust responded to
Denham's verdict with
[A] empty promises.
[B] tough resistance.
[C] sincere apologies.
[D] necessary adjustments.
33. The author argues in
Paragraph 2 that
[A] privacy protection must be secured at all costs.
[B] the value of data comes from the processing of it.
[C] making profits from patients' data is illegal.
[D] leaking patients' data is worse than selling it.
34. According to the last
paragraph, the real worry arising from this deal is
[A] the monopoly of big data by tech giants.
[B] the vicious rivalry among big pharmas.
[C] the uncontrolled use of new software.
[D] the ineffective enforcement of privacy law.
35. The author's attitude toward
the application of AI to healthcare is
[A] ambiguous.
[B] appreciative.
[C] cautious.
[D] contemptuous.
Text 4
①The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to bleed red
ink. ②It reported a net loss of $5.6 billion for fiscal 2016, the 10th
straight year its expenses have exceeded revenue. ③Meanwhile, it has more
than $120 billion in unfunded liabilities, mostly for employee health and
retirement costs. ④There are many reasons this formerly stable federal
institution finds itself on the verge of bankruptcy. ⑤Fundamentally, the
USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently
decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, first-class mail, and a
regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its
operations to the new reality.
①And interest groups ranging from postal unions to
greeting-card makers exert self-interested pressure on the USPS’s
ultimate overseer—Congress—insisting that whatever else happens to
the Postal Service, aspects of the status quo they depend on get protected.
②This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation have failed in
recent years, leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by
deferring vital modernization.
①Now comes word that everyone involved—Democrats,
Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the system's heaviest
users—has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. ②Legislation
is moving through the House that would save USPS an estimated $28.6 billion
over five years, which could help pay for new vehicles, among other survival
measures. ③Most of the money would come from a penny-per-letter permanent
rate increase and from shifting postal retirees into Medicare. ④The
latter step would largely offset the financial burden of annually pre-funding
retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and
its unions.
①If it clears the House, this measure would still have
to get through the Senate—where someone is bound to point out that it
amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to keep the Postal Service afloat,
not comprehensive reform. ②There’s no change to collective
bargaining at the USPS, a major omission considering that personnel accounts
for 80 percent of the agency’s costs. ③Also missing is any
discussion of eliminating Saturday letter delivery. ④That common-sense
change enjoys wide public support and would save the USPS $2 billion per year.
⑤But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in
the House. ⑥The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that
legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term
collapse at the USPS. ⑦It is not, however, a sign that they’re
getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 21st
century.
36. The financial problem with
the USPS is caused partly by
[A] its unbalanced budget.
[B] its rigid management.
[C] the cost for technical upgrading.
[D] the withdrawal of bank support.
37. According to Paragraph 2,
the USPS fails to modernize itself due to
[A] the interference from interest groups.
[B] the inadequate funding from Congress.
[C] the shrinking demand for postal service.
[D] the incompetence of postal unions.
38. The long-standing complaint
by the USPS and its unions can be addressed by
[A] removing its burden of retiree health care.
[B] making more investment in new vehicles.
[C] adopting a new rate-increase mechanism.
[D] attracting more first-class mail users.
39. In the last paragraph, the
author seems to view legislators with
[A] respect.
[B] tolerance.
[C] discontent.
[D] gratitude.
40. Which of the following would
be the best title for the text?
[A] The USPS Starts to Miss Its Good Old Days
[B] The Postal Service: Keep Away from My Cheese
[C] The USPS: Chronic Illness Requires a Quick Cure
[D] The Postal Service Needs More than a Band-Aid
Part B
Directions:
The following paragraphs are given in a wrong order. For questions
41-45, you are required to reorganize these paragraphs into a coherent text by
choosing from the list A-G and filling them into the numbered boxes. Paragraphs C and F have been correctly
placed. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
A. In December of 1869, Congress
appointed a commission to select a site and prepare plans and cost estimates
for a new State Department Building. The commission was also to consider
possible arrangements for the War and Navy Departments. To the horror of some
who expected a Greek Revival twin of the Treasury Building to be erected on the
other side of the White House, the elaborate French Second Empire style design
by Alfred Mullett was selected, and construction of a building to house all
three departments began in June of 1871.
B. Completed in 1875, the State
Department's south wing was the first to be occupied, with its elegant
four-story library (completed in 1876), Diplomatic Reception Room, and
Secretary's office decorated with carved wood, Oriental rugs, and stenciled
wall patterns. The Navy Department moved into the east wing in 1879, where
elaborate wall and ceiling stenciling and marquetry floors decorated the office
of the Secretary.
C. The State, War, and Navy Building,
as it was originally known, housed the three Executive Branch Departments most
intimately associated with formulating and conducting the nation's foreign
policy in the last quarter of the nineteenth century and the first quarter of
the twentieth century—the period when the United States emerged as an
international power. The building has housed some of the nation's most
significant diplomats and politicians and has been the scene of many historic
events.
D. Many of the most celebrated national
figures have participated in historical events that have taken place within the
EEOB's granite walls. Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt, William Howard Taft,
Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush all
had offices in this building before becoming President. It has housed 16
Secretaries of the Navy, 21 Secretaries of War, and 24 Secretaries of State.
Winston Churchill once walked its corridors and Japanese emissaries met here
with Secretary of State Cordell Hull after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
E. The Eisenhower Executive Office
Building (EEOB) commands a unique position in both the national history and the
architectural heritage of the United States. Designed by Supervising Architect
of the Treasury, Alfred B. Mullett, it was built from 1871 to 1888 to house the
growing staffs of the State, War, and Navy Departments, and is considered one
of the best examples of French Second Empire architecture in the country.
F. Construction took 17 years as the
building slowly rose wing by wing. When the EEOB was finished, it was the
largest office building in Washington, with nearly 2 miles of black and white
tiled corridors. Almost all of the interior detail is of cast iron or plaster;
the use of wood was minimized to insure fire safety. Eight monumental curving
staircases of granite with over 4,000 individually cast bronze balusters are
capped by four skylight domes and two stained glass rotundas.
G. The history of the EEOB began long
before its foundations were laid. The first executive offices were constructed
between 1799 and 1820. A series of fires (including those set by the British in
1814) and overcrowded conditions led to the construction of the existing
Treasury Building. In 1866, the construction of the North Wing of the Treasury
Building necessitated the demolition of the State Department building.
41._______→ C → 42. _______ → 43. _______→ F → 44. _______→45. _______
Part C
Directions:
Read the following text carefully and then translate the
underlined segments into Chinese. Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10
points)
Shakespeare's
lifetime was coincident with a period of extraordinary activity and achievement
in the drama. (46) By the date of his birth Europe was witnessing the
passing of the religious drama, and the creation of new forms under the incentive
of classical tragedy and comedy. These new forms were at first mainly
written by scholars and performed by amateurs, but in England, as everywhere
else in western Europe, the growth of a class of professional actors was
threatening to make the drama popular, whether it should be new or old,
classical or medieval, literary or farcical. Court, school, organizations of
amateurs, and the traveling actors were all rivals in supplying a widespread
desire for dramatic entertainment; and (47) no boy who went to a grammar
school could be ignorant that the drama was a form of literature which gave
glory to Greece and Rome and might yet bring honor to England.
When Shakespeare was twelve years old the first public
playhouse was built in London. For a time literature showed no interest in this
public stage. Plays aiming at literary distinction were written for schools or
court, or for the choir boys of St. Paul's and the royal chapel, who, however,
gave plays in public as well as at court. (48) But the professional
companies prospered in their permanent theaters, and university men with
literary ambitions were quick to turn to these theaters as offering a means of
livelihood. By the time that Shakespeare was twenty-five, Lyly, Peele, and
Greene had made comedies that were at once popular and literary; Kyd had
written a tragedy that crowded the pit; and Marlowe had brought poetry and
genius to triumph on the common stage—where they had played no part since
the death of Euripides. (49) A native literary drama had been created, its
alliance with the public playhouses established, and at least some of its great
traditions had been begun.
The development of the Elizabethan drama for the next
twenty-five years is of exceptional interest to students of literary history,
for in this brief period we may trace the beginning, growth, blossoming, and
decay of many kinds of plays, and of many great careers. We are amazed today at
the mere number of plays produced, as well as by the number of dramatists
writing at the same time for this London of two hundred thousand inhabitants.
(50) To realize how great was the dramatic activity, we must remember
further that hosts of plays have been lost, and that probably there is no
author of note whose entire work has survived.
Section III Writing
Part A
51. Directions:
Write an
email to all international experts on campus, inviting them to attend the
graduation ceremony. In your email, you should include the time, place and
other relevant information about the ceremony.
You should write about 100 words on the ANSEWER SHEET
Do not use your own
name at the end of the email. Use “Li Ming” instead. (10 points)
Part B
52. Directions:
Write an
essay of 160-200 words based on the picture below. In your essay, you should
1) describe
the picture briefly,
2) interpret
the meaning, and
3) give your
comments.
Write your
answer on the ANSWER SHEET. (20 points)
英语二试题
2010年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语二试题
Section I Use of English
Direction:
Read the following text. Choose the best
word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET. (10
points)
①The
outbreak of swine flu that was first detected in Mexico was declared a global
epidemic on June 11, 2009. ②It is the
first worldwide epidemic 1 by the World Health Organization in 41
years.
①The
heightened alert 2 an emergency meeting with flu experts in
Geneva that assembled after a sharp rise in cases in Australia, and rising 3 in Britain, Japan, Chile and elsewhere.
①But the
epidemic is “
4 ” in
severity, according to Margaret Chan, the organization’s director general,
5 the overwhelming majority of patients
experiencing only mild symptoms and a full recovery, often in the 6 of any medical treatment.
①The
outbreak came to global 7 in late April 2009, when Mexican
authorities noted an unusually large number of hospitalizations and deaths 8 healthy adults. ②As much of
Mexico City shut down at the height of a panic, cases began to 9 in New York City, the southwestern United
States and around the world.
①In the
United States, new cases seemed to fade 10 warmer weather arrived. ② But in
late September 2009, officials reported there was 11 flu activity in almost every state and
that virtually all the 12 tested are the new swine flu, also known
as (A) H1N1, not seasonal flu. ③In the U.S., it has 13 more than one million people, and caused
more than 600 deaths and more than 6,000 hospitalizations.
①Federal health officials 14 Tamiflu
for children from the national stockpile and began 15
orders from the states
for the new swine flu vaccine. ②The new
vaccine, which is different from the annual flu vaccine, is 16 ahead of expectations. ③More than
three million doses were to be made available in early October 2009, though
most of those 17 doses were of the Flu Mist nasal spray
type, which is not 18 for pregnant women, people over 50 or
those with breathing difficulties, heart disease or several other 19 . ④But it was
still possible to vaccinate people in other high-risk group: health care workers,
people 20 infants and healthy young people.
1. [A]
criticized [B]
appointed [C] commented [D]
designated
2. [A]
proceeded [B]
activated [C] followed [D]
prompted
3. [A]
digits [B]
numbers [C] amounts [D] sums
4. [A]
moderate [B]
normal [C] unusual [D]
extreme
5. [A]
with [B]
in [C]
from [D] by
6. [A]
progress [B] absence [C] presence [D] favor
7. [A]
reality [B] phenomenon [C] concept [D]
notice
8. [A]
over [B]
for [C]
among [D] to
9. [A]
stay up [B] crop up [C] fill up [D] cover up
10. [A] as [B] if [C]
unless [D] until
11. [A] excessive [B]
enormous [C] significant [D] magnificent
12. [A] categories [B]
examples [C] patterns [D] samples
13. [A] imparted [B]
immerse [C] injected [D] infected
14. [A] released [B]
relayed [C] relieved [D] remained
15. [A] placing [B]
delivering [C] taking [D] giving
16. [A] feasible [B]
available [C] reliable [D] applicable
17. [A] prevalent [B]
principal [C] innovative [D] initial
18. [A] presented [B]
restricted [C] recommended [D]
introduced
19. [A] problems [B]
issues [C]
agonies [D] sufferings
20. [A] involved in [B]
caring for [C] concerned with [D]
warding off
Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the
questions blow each text by choosing A, B, C, or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER
SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
①The
longest bull run in a century of art-market history ended on a dramatic note
with a sale of 56 works by Damien Hirst, Beautiful
Inside My Head Forever, at Sotheby’s in London on September 15th
2008. ②All but two pieces sold, fetching more than ￡70 million, a
record for a sale by a single artist. ③It was a last victory. ④As
the auctioneer called out bids, in New York one of the oldest banks on Wall
Street, Lehman Brothers, filed for bankruptcy.
①The
world art market had already been losing momentum for a while after rising
bewilderingly since 2003. ②At its peak in 2007 it was worth some $65
billion, reckons Clare McAndrew, founder of Arts Economics, a research
firm—double the figure five years earlier. ③Since then it may have
come down to $50 billion. ④But the market generates interest far beyond
its size because it brings together great wealth, enormous egos, greed, passion
and controversy in a way matched by few other industries.
①In
the weeks and months that followed Mr. Hirst’s sale, spending of any
sort became deeply unfashionable. ②In the art world that meant
collectors stayed away from galleries and salerooms. ③Sales of
contemporary art fell by two-thirds, and in the most overheated sector, they
were down by nearly 90% in the year to November 2008. ④Within weeks the
world’s two biggest auction houses, Sotheby’s and Christie’s,
had to pay out nearly $200 million in guarantees to clients who had placed
works for sale with them.
①The
current downturn in the art market is the worst since the Japanese stopped
buying Impressionists at the end of 1989. ②This time experts reckon that
prices are about 40% down on their peak on average, though some have been far
more fluctuant. ③But Edward Dolman, Christie’s chief executive,
says: “I’m pretty confident we’re at the bottom.”
①What
makes this slump different from the last, he says, is that there are still
buyers in the market. ②Almost everyone who was interviewed for this
special report said that the biggest problem at the moment is not a lack of
demand but a lack of good work to sell. ③The three Ds—death, debt
and divorce—still deliver works of art to the market. ④But anyone
who does not have to sell is keeping away, waiting for confidence to return.
21. In the first
paragraph, Damien Hirst’s sale was referred to as “a last
victory” because_______.
［A］the art market had witnessed a succession
of victories
［B］the auctioneer finally got the two pieces
at the highest bids
［C］Beautiful
Inside My Head Forever won
over all masterpieces
［D］it was successfully made just before the
world financial crisis
22. By saying
“spending of any sort became deeply unfashionable” (Line 1~2, Para.
3), the author suggests that_______.
［A］collectors were no longer actively involved
in art-market auctions
［B］people stopped every kind of spending and
stayed away from galleries
［C］art collection as a fashion had lost its appeal
to a great extent
［D］works of art in general had gone out of
fashion so they were not worth buying
23. Which of the
following statements is NOT true?
［A］Sales of contemporary art fell dramatically
from 2007 to 2008.
［B］The art market surpassed many other
industries in momentum.
［C］The art market generally went downward in
various ways.
［D］Some art dealers were awaiting better
chances to come.
24. The three Ds
mentioned in the last paragraph are_______.
［A］auction houses’ favorites
［B］contemporary trends
［C］factors promoting artwork circulation ［D］styles representing Impressionists
25. The most
appropriate title for this text could be_______.
［A］Fluctuation of Art Prices
［B］Up-to-date Art Auctions
［C］Art Market in Decline
［D］Shifted Interest in Arts
Text
2
①I was addressing a small
gathering in a suburban Virginia living room—a women’s group that
had invited men to join them. ②Throughout the evening, one man had been
particularly talkative, frequently offering ideas and anecdotes, while his wife
sat silently beside him on the couch. ③Toward the end of the evening, I
commented that women frequently complain that their husbands don’t talk
to them. ④This man quickly nodded in agreement. ⑤He gestured toward
his wife and said, “She’s the talker in our family.”
⑥The room burst into laughter; the man looked puzzled and hurt.
⑦“It’s true,” he explained. ⑧“When I come
home from work I have nothing to say. ⑨If she didn’t keep the
conversation going, we’d spend the whole evening in silence.”
①This
episode crystallizes the irony that although American men tend to talk more
than women in public situations, they often talk less at home. ②And this
pattern is wreaking havoc with marriage.
①The
pattern was observed by political scientist Andrew Hacker in the late 1970s.
②Sociologist Catherine Kohler Riessman reports in her new book Divorce Talk that most of the women she
interviewed—but only a few of the men—gave lack of communication as
the reason for their divorces. ③Given the current divorce rate of nearly
50 percent, that amounts to millions of cases in the United States every
year—a virtual epidemic of failed conversation.
①In
my own research, complaints from women about their husbands most often focused
not on tangible inequities such as having given up the chance for a career to
accompany a husband to his, or doing far more than their share of daily
life-support work like cleaning, cooking, social arrangements. ②Instead,
they focused on communication: “He doesn’t listen to me,”
“He doesn’t talk to me.” ③I found, as Hacker observed
years before, that most wives want their husbands to be, first and foremost,
conversational partners, but few husbands share this expectation of their
wives.
①In
short, the image that best represents the current crisis is the stereotypical
cartoon scene of a man sitting at the breakfast table with a newspaper held up
in front of his face, while a woman glares at the back of it, wanting to talk.
26. What is most
wives’ main expectation of their husbands?
［A］Talking to them.
［B］Trusting them.
［C］Supporting their careers.
［D］Sharing housework.
27. Judging from
the context, the phrase “wreaking havoc” (Line 2, Para. 2) most probably
means_______.
［A］generating motivation
［B］exerting influence
［C］causing damage
［D］creating pressure
28. All of the
following are true EXCEPT_______.
［A］men tend to talk more in public than women
［B］nearly 50 percent of recent divorces are
caused by failed conversation
［C］women attach much importance to
communication between couples
［D］a female tends to be more talkative at home
than her spouse
29. Which of the
following can best summarize the main idea of this text?
［A］The moral decaying deserves more research
by sociologists.
［B］Marriage break-up stems from sex
inequalities.
［C］Husband and wife have different
expectations from their marriage.
［D］Conversational patterns between man and
wife are different.
30. In the
following part immediately after this text, the author will most probably focus
on _______.
［A］a vivid account of the new book Divorce Talk
［B］a detailed description of the stereotypical
cartoon
［C］other possible reasons for a high divorce
rate in the U.S.
［D］a brief introduction to the political
scientist Andrew Hacker
Text 3
①Over the past decade, many
companies had perfected the art of creating automatic
behaviors—habits—among consumers. ②These habits have helped
companies earn billions of dollars when customers eat snacks or wipe counters
almost without thinking, often in response to a carefully designed set of daily
cues.
①“There
are fundamental public health problems, like dirty hands instead of a soap habit,
that remain killers only because we can’t figure out how to change
people’s habits,” said Dr. Curtis, the director of the Hygiene
Center at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
②“We wanted to learn from private industry how to create new
behaviors that happen automatically.”
①The
companies that Dr. Curtis turned to—Procter & Gamble,
Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever—had invested hundreds of millions of
dollars finding the subtle cues in consumers’ lives that corporations
could use to introduce new routines.
①If
you look hard enough, you’ll find that many of the products we use every
day—chewing gums, skin moisturizers, disinfecting wipes, air fresheners,
water purifiers, health snacks, teeth whiteners, fabric softeners,
vitamins—are results of manufactured habits. ②A century ago, few
people regularly brushed their teeth multiple times a day. ③Today,
because of shrewd advertising and public health campaigns, many Americans
habitually give their pearly whites a cavity-preventing scrub twice a day,
often with Colgate, Crest or one of the other brands.
①A
few decades ago, many people didn’t drink water outside of a meal.
②Then beverage companies started bottling the production of far-off
springs, and now office workers unthinkingly sip bottled water all day long.
③Chewing gum, once bought primarily by adolescent boys, is now featured
in commercials as a breath freshener and teeth cleanser for use after a meal.
④Skin moisturizers are advertised as part of morning beauty rituals,
slipped in between hair brushing and putting on makeup.
①“Our
products succeed when they become part of daily or weekly patterns,” said
Carol Berning, a consumer psychologist who recently retired from Procter &
Gamble, the company that sold $76 billion of Tide, Crest and other products last
year. ②“Creating positive habits is a huge part of improving our
consumers’ lives, and it’s essential to making new products
commercially viable.”
①Through
experiments and observation, social scientists like Dr. Berning have learned
that there is power in tying certain behaviors to habitual cues through
ruthless advertising. ②As this new science of habit has emerged,
controversies have erupted when the tactics have been used to sell questionable
beauty creams or unhealthy foods.
31. According to
Dr. Curtis, habits like hand washing with soap_______.
［A］should be further cultivated
［B］should be changed gradually
［C］are deeply rooted in history
［D］are basically private concerns
32. Bottled water,
chewing gum and skin moisturizers are mentioned in Paragraph 5 so as to_______.
［A］reveal their impact on people’s
habits
［B］show the urgent need of daily necessities
［C］indicate their effect on people’s
buying power
［D］manifest the significant role of good
habits
33. Which of the
following does NOT belong to products that help create people’s habits?
［A］Tide.
［B］Crest. ［C］Colgate.
［D］Unilever.
34. From the text
we know that some of consumer’s habits are developed due to_______.
［A］perfected art of products
［B］automatic behavior creation
［C］commercial promotions
［D］scientific experiments
35. The
author’s attitude toward the influence of advertisement on people’s
habits is_______.
［A］indifferent ［B］negative
［C］positive
［D］biased
Text 4
①Many Americans regard the jury
system as a concrete expression of crucial democratic values, including the
principles that all citizens who meet minimal qualifications of age and
literacy are equally competent to serve on juries; that jurors should be
selected randomly from a representative cross section of the community; that no
citizen should be denied the right to serve on a jury on account of race,
religion, sex, or national origin; that defendants are entitled to trial by
their peers; and that verdicts should represent the conscience of the community
and not just the letter of the law. ②The jury is also said to be the best
surviving example of direct rather than representative orient. ③In a
direct democracy, citizens take turns governing themselves, rather than
electing representatives to govern for them.
①But
as recently as in 1968, jury selection procedures conflicted with these
democratic ideals. ②In some states, for example, jury duty was limited to
persons of supposedly superior intelligence, education, and moral character.
③Although the Supreme Court of the United States had prohibited
intentional racial discrimination in jury selection as early as the 1880 case
of Strauder v. West Virginia, the practice of selecting so-called elite or
blue-ribbon juries provided a convenient way around this and other anti-discrimination
laws.
①The
system also failed to regularly include women on juries until the mid-20th
century. ②Although women first served on state juries in Utah in 1898, it
was not until the 1940s that a majority of states made women eligible for jury
duty. ③Even then several states automatically exempted women from jury
duty unless they personally asked to have their names included on the jury
list. ④This practice was justified by the claim that women were needed at
home, and it kept juries unrepresentative of women through the 1960s.
①In
1968, the Congress of the United States passed the Jury Selection and Service
Act, ushering in a new era of democratic reforms for the jury. ②This law
abolished special educational requirements for federal jurors and required them
to be selected at random from a cross section of the entire community.
③In the landmark 1975 decision Taylor
v. Louisiana, the Supreme Court
extended the requirement that juries be representative of all parts of the
community to the state level. ④The Taylor decision also declared sex
discrimination in jury selection to be unconstitutional and ordered states to
use the same procedures for selecting male and female jurors.
36. From the
principles of the US jury system, we learn that_______.
［A］both literate and illiterate people can
serve on juries
［B］defendants are immune from trial by their
peers
［C］no age limit should be imposed for jury
service
［D］judgment should consider the opinion of the
public
37. The practice
of selecting so-called elite jurors prior to 1968 showed_______.
［A］the inadequacy of anti-discrimination laws
［B］the prevalent discrimination against
certain races
［C］the conflicting ideals in jury selection
procedures
［D］the arrogance common among the Supreme
Court judges
38. Even in the
1960s, women were seldom on the jury list in some states because_______.
［A］they were automatically banned by state
laws
［B］they fell far short of the required
qualifications
［C］they were supposed to perform domestic
duties
［D］they tended to evade public engagement
39. After the Jury
Selection and Service Act was passed, _______.
［A］sex discrimination in jury selection was unconstitutional
and had to be abolished
［B］educational requirements became less rigid
in the selection of federal jurors
［C］jurors at the state level ought to be
representative of the entire community
［D］states ought to conform to the federal
court in reforming the jury system
40. In discussing
the U.S. jury system, the text centers on_______.
［A］its nature and problems
［B］its characteristics and tradition
［C］its problems and their solutions
［D］its tradition and development
Part B
Read the following text and decide whether
each of the statements is true or false. Choose T if the statement is true or F
if the statement is not true. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
Copying Birds May Save Aircraft Fuel
Both Boeing and Airbus have trumpeted the efficiency of
their newest aircraft, the 787 and A350 respectively. Their clever designs and
lightweight composites certainly make a difference. But a group of researchers at Stanford University,
led by Ilan Kroo, has suggested that airlines could take a more naturalistic
approach to cutting jet-fuel use, and it would not require them to buy new
aircraft.
The answer, says Dr Kroo, lies with birds. Since 1914,
scientists have known that birds flying in formation—a
V-shape—expend less energy. The air flowing over a bird’s wings
curls upwards behind the wingtips, a phenomenon known as upwash. Other birds
flying in the upwash experience reduced drag, and spend less energy propelling
themselves. Peter Lissaman, an aeronautics expert who was formerly at Caltech
and the University of Southern California, has suggested that a formation of 25
birds might enjoy a range increase of 71%.
When applied to aircraft, the principles are not
substantially different. Dr Kroo and his team modeled what would happen if
three passenger jets departing from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas
were to assemble over Utah, assume an inverted V-formation, occasionally change
places so all could have a turn in the most favourable positions, and proceed to
London. They found that the aircraft consumed as much as 15% less fuel (coupled
with a reduction in carbon-dioxide output). Nitrogen-oxide emissions during the
cruising portions of the flight fell by around a quarter.
There are, of course, knots to be worked out. One
consideration is safety, or at least the perception of it. Would passengers
feel comfortable travelling in companion? Dr Kroo points out that the aircraft
could be separated by several nautical miles, and would not be in the intimate
groupings favoured by display teams like the Red Arrows. A passenger peering
out of the window might not even see the other planes. Whether the separation
distances involved would satisfy air-traffic-control regulations is another
matter, although a working group at the International Civil Aviation
Organisation has included the possibility of formation flying in a blueprint
for new operational guidelines.
It remains to be seen how weather conditions affect the
air flows that make formation flight more efficient. In zones of increased
turbulence, the planes’ wakes will decay more quickly and the effect will
diminish. Dr Kroo says this is one of the areas his team will investigate
further. It might also be hard for airlines to coordinate the departure times and
destinations of passenger aircraft in a way that would allow them to gain from
formation flight. Cargo aircraft, in contrast, might be easier to reschedule,
as might routine military flight.
As it happens, America’s armed forces are on the
case already. Earlier this year the country’s Defence Advanced Research
Projects Agency announced plans to pay Boeing to investigate formation flight,
though the programme has yet to begin. There are reports that some military
aircraft flew in formation when they were low on fuel during the Second World War,
but Dr Lissaman says they are unsubstantiated. “My father was an RAF
pilot and my cousin the skipper of a Lancaster lost over Berlin,” he
adds. So he should know.
41. Findings of the Stanford
University researchers will promote the sales of new Boeing and Airbus
aircraft.
42. The upwash
experience may save propelling energy as well as reducing resistance.
43. Formation
flight is more comfortable because passengers cannot see the other planes.
44. The role that
weather plays in formation flight has not yet been clearly defined.
45. It has been documented that
during World War II, America’s armed forces once tried formation flight
to save fuel.
Section
Ⅲ Translation
46. Directions:
Translate the following text from English
into Chinese. Write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)
"Sustainability" has become a
popular word these days, but to Ted Ning, the concept will
always have personal meaning. Having endured a painful period of
unsustainability in his own life made it clear to him that
sustainability-oriented values must be expressed through everyday action and
choice.
Ning recalls spending a confusing year in
the late 1990s selling insurance. He'd been through the dot-com boom and burst
and, desperate for a job, signed on with a Boulder agency.
It didn't go well. “It was a really
bad move because that's not my passion,” says Ning, whose dilemma about
the job translated, predictably, into a lack of sales. “I was miserable,
I had so much anxiety that I would wake up in the middle of the night and stare
at the ceiling. I had no money and needed the job. Everyone said, ‘Just
wait, you'll turn the corner, give it some time.’ ”
Section
IV Writing
Part A
47. Directions
You have just
come back from the U.S. as a member of a Sino-American cultural exchange
program. Write a letter to your American colleague to
1) express your
thanks for his/her warm reception;
2) welcome
him/her to visit China in due course.
You should write
about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.
Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter.
Use “Zhang Wei” instead.
Do not write your address. (10 points)
Part B
48. Directions
In this section,
you are asked to write an essay based on the following chart. In your writing,
you should
1) interpret the
chart and
2) give your
comments.
You should write
at least 150 words.
Write your essay
on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)
2011年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语二试题
Section I Use of English
Direction:
Read the following text. Choose
the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET
1. (10 points)
①The
Internet affords anonymity to its users, a blessing to privacy and freedom of
speech. ②But
that very anonymity is also behind the explosion of cyber-crime that has 1 across
the Web.
①Can privacy be preserved 2 bringing safety and security to a
world that seems increasingly 3 ?
①Last
month, Howard Schmidt, the nation’s cyber-czar, offered
the federal government a 4 to make the Web a safer place—a “voluntary trusted identity” system that would be the
high-tech 5 of a physical key, a fingerprint
and a photo ID card, all rolled 6 one. ②The system might use a
smart identity card, or a digital credential 7 to a specific computer, and would
authenticate users at a range of online services.
①The idea is to 8 a federation of private online
identity systems. ②Users could 9 which system to join, and only registered users whose identities have been
authenticated could navigate those systems. ③The approach contrasts with
one that would require an Internet driver’s license 10 by the government.
①Google and Microsoft are
among companies that already have these “single sign-on” systems that make it
possible for users to 11 just once but use many different
services.
① 12 , the approach would create
a “walled garden” in cyberspace, with safe
“neighborhoods” and bright “streetlights” to establish
a sense of a 13 community.
①Mr. Schmidt described it as
a “voluntary ecosystem” in which “individuals and
organizations can complete online transactions with 14 , trusting the
identities of each other and the identities of the infrastructure 15 which the transaction runs.”
①Still, the administration’s plan has 16 privacy rights activists. ②Some applaud the approach;
others are concerned. ③It seems clear that such a
scheme is an initiative push toward what would
17 be a compulsory Internet
“driver’s license” mentality.
①The plan has also been
greeted with 18 by some computer security experts,
who worry that the “voluntary
ecosystem” envisioned by Mr. Schmidt would still leave much of the
Internet 19
. ②They argue that all
Internet users should be 20 to register and identify
themselves, in the same way that drivers must be licensed to drive on public
roads.
1. [A]
swept [B]
skipped [C] walked [D] ridden
2. [A]
for [B]
within [C]
while [D] though
3. [A]
careless [B] lawless [C] pointless [D] helpless
4. [A]
reason [B]
reminder [C] compromise [D] proposal
5. [A]
information [B]
interference [C]
entertainment [D]
equivalent
6. [A]
by [B]
into [C]
from [D] over
7. [A]
linked [B] directed [C] chained [D] compared
8. [A]
dismiss [B] discover [C] create [D] improve
9. [A]
recall [B]
suggest [C] select [D] realize
10. [A]
released [B] issued [C]
distributed [D] delivered
11. [A]
carry on [B] linger on [C] set in [D] log in
12. [A]
In vain [B] In
effect [C] In return [D] In contrast
13. [A]
trusted [B]
modernized [C] thriving [D]
competing
14. [A]
caution [B]
delight [C]
confidence [D]
patience
15. [A]
on [B]
after [C]
beyond [D] across
16. [A]
divided [B] disappointed [C] protected [D] united
17. [A]
frequently [B] incidentally [C] occasionally [D] eventually
18. [A]
skepticism [B]
tolerance [C] indifference [D]
enthusiasm
19. [A]
manageable [B]
defendable [C]
vulnerable [D]
invisible
20. [A]
invited [B]
appointed [C] allowed [D] forced
Section Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts.
Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C, or D. Mark your
answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)
Text 1
①Ruth Simmons joined
Goldman Sachs’s board as an outside director in January 2000; a year
later she became president of Brown University. ②For the rest of the decade
she apparently managed both roles without attracting much criticism. ③But
by the end of 2009 Ms. Simmons was under fire for having sat on Goldman’s
compensation committee; how could she have let those enormous bonus payouts
pass unremarked? ④By February the next year Ms. Simmons had left the
board. ⑤The position was just taking up too much time, she said.
①Outside directors are
supposed to serve as helpful, yet less biased, advisers on a firm’s
board. ②Having made their wealth and their reputations elsewhere, they
presumably have enough independence to disagree with the chief
executive’s proposals. ③If the sky, and the share price, is
falling, outside directors should be able to give advice based on having
weathered their own crises.
①The researchers from Ohio
University used a database that covered more than 10,000 firms and more than
64,000 different directors between 1989 and 2004. ②Then they simply
checked which directors stayed from one proxy statement to the next. ③The
most likely reason for departing a board was age, so the researchers
concentrated on those “surprise” disappearances by directors under
the age of 70. ④They found that after a surprise departure, the
probability that the company will subsequently have to restate earnings
increases by nearly 20%. ⑤The likelihood of being named in a federal
class-action lawsuit also increases, and the stock is likely to perform worse.
⑥The effect tended to be larger for larger firms. ⑦Although a
correlation between them leaving and subsequent bad performance at the firm is
suggestive, it does not mean that such directors are always jumping off a
sinking ship. ⑧Often they “trade up,” leaving riskier,
smaller firms for larger and more stable firms.
①But the researchers
believe that outside directors have an easier time of avoiding a blow to their
reputations if they leave a firm before bad news breaks, even if a review of
history shows that they were on the board at the time any wrongdoing occurred.
②Firms who want to keep their outside directors through tough times may
have to create incentives. ③Otherwise outside directors will follow the
example of Ms. Simmons, once again very popular on campus.
21.
According to Paragraph 1, Ms. Simmons was criticized for .
[A] gaining excessive
profits
[B] failing to fulfill her
duty
[C] refusing to make
compromises [D]
leaving the board in tough times
22.
We learn from Paragraph 2 that outside directors are supposed to be .
[A] generous investors
[B] unbiased executives
[C] share price forecasters
[D] independent advisers
23.
According to the researchers from Ohio University, after an outside director’s
surprise departure, the firm is likely to .
[A] become more stable
[B] report increased earnings
[C] do less well in the stock
market [D]
perform worse in lawsuits
24.
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that outside directors .
[A] may stay for the attractive
offers from the firm
[B] have often had records of wrongdoings
in the firm
[C] are accustomed to
stress-free work in the firm
[D] will decline incentives from
the firm
25.
The author’s attitude toward the role of outside directors is .
[A]
permissive
[B] positive
[C] scornful
[D] critical
Text 2
①Whatever happened to the
death of newspapers? ②A year ago the end seemed near. ③ The
recession threatened to remove the advertising and readers that had not already
fled to the internet. ④Newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle
were chronicling their own doom. ⑤ America’s Federal Trade Commission
launched a round of talks about how to save newspapers. ⑥ Should they
become charitable corporations? ⑦Should the state subsidize them?
⑧It will hold another meeting soon. ⑨But the discussions now seem
out of date.
①In much of the world
there is little sign of crisis. ②German and Brazilian papers have
shrugged off the recession. ③Even American newspapers, which inhabit the
most troubled corner of the global industry, have not only survived but often returned
to profit. ④Not the 20% profit margins that were routine a few years ago,
but profit all the same.
①It has not been much fun.
②Many papers stayed afloat by pushing journalists overboard. ③The
American Society of News Editors reckons that 13,500 newsroom jobs have gone
since 2007. ④Readers are paying more for slimmer products. ⑤Some
papers even had the nerve to refuse delivery to distant suburbs. ⑥Yet
these desperate measures have proved the right ones and, sadly for many journalists,
they can be pushed further.
①Newspapers are becoming
more balanced businesses, with a healthier mix of revenues from readers and
advertisers. ②American papers have long been highly unusual in their
reliance on ads. ③Fully 87% of their revenues came from advertising in 2008,
according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development
(OECD). ④In Japan the proportion is 35%. ⑤Not surprisingly,
Japanese newspapers are much more stable.
①The whirlwind that swept
through newsrooms harmed everybody, but much of the damage has been
concentrated in areas where newspapers are least distinctive. ②Car and
film reviewers have gone. ③So have science and general business
reporters. ④Foreign bureaus have been savagely cut off. ⑤Newspapers
are less complete as a result. ⑥But completeness is no longer a virtue in
the newspaper business.
26. By
saying “Newspapers like...their own doom” (Para. 1), the author
indicates that newspapers .
[A] neglected the sign of crisis [B] failed to get state subsidies
[C] were not charitable
corporations
[D] were in a desperate situation
27.
Some newspapers refused delivery to distant suburbs probably because .
[A] readers threatened to pay
less
[B] newspapers wanted to reduce
costs
[C] journalists reported little
about these areas
[D] subscribers complained about
slimmer products
28.
Compared with their American counterparts, Japanese newspapers are much more
stable because they .
[A] have more sources of revenue
[B] have more
balanced newsrooms
[C] are less dependent on
advertising [D] are
less affected by readership
29.
What can be inferred from the last paragraph about the current newspaper
business?
[A] Distinctiveness is an
essential feature of newspapers.
[B] Completeness is to blame for
the failure of newspapers.
[C] Foreign bureaus play a
crucial role in the newspaper business.
[D] Readers have lost their
interest in car and film reviews.
30.
The most appropriate title for this text would be .
[A] American Newspapers:
Struggling for Survival
[B] American Newspapers: Gone
with the Wind
[C] American Newspapers: A
Thriving Business
[D] American Newspapers: A
Hopeless Story
Text 3
①We tend to think of the
decades immediately following World War II as a time of prosperity and growth,
with soldiers returning home by the millions, going off to college on the G. I.
Bill and lining up at the marriage bureaus.
①But when it came to their
houses, it was a time of common sense and a belief that less could truly be
more. ②During the Depression and the war, Americans had learned to live
with less, and that restraint, in combination with the postwar confidence in
the future, made small, efficient housing positively stylish.
①Economic condition was
only a stimulus for the trend toward efficient living. ②The phrase
“less is more” was actually first popularized by a German, the
architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who like other people associated with the
Bauhaus, a school of design, emigrated to the United States before World War II
and took up posts at American architecture schools. ③These designers came
to exert enormous influence on the course of American architecture, but none
more so than Mies.
①Mies’s signature
phrase means that less decoration, properly organized, has more impact than a
lot. ②Elegance, he believed, did not derive from abundance. ③Like
other modern architects, he employed metal, glass and laminated wood—materials
that we take for granted today but that in the 1940s symbolized the future.
④Mies’s sophisticated presentation masked the fact that the spaces
he designed were small and efficient, rather than big and often empty.
①The apartments in the
elegant towers Mies built on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive, for example,
were smaller—two-bedroom units under 1,000 square feet—than those
in their older neighbors along the city’s Gold Coast. ②But they
were popular because of their airy glass walls, the views they afforded and the
elegance of the buildings’ details and proportions, the architectural
equivalent of the abstract art so popular at the time.
①The trend toward
“less” was not entirely foreign. ②In the 1930s Frank Lloyd
Wright started building more modest and efficient houses—usually around
1,200 square feet—than the spreading two-story ones he had designed in
the 1890s and the early 20th century.
①The “Case Study
Houses” commissioned from talented modern architects by California Arts
& Architecture magazine between 1945 and 1962 were yet another homegrown
influence on the “less is more” trend. ②Aesthetic effect came
from the landscape, new materials and forthright detailing. ③In his Case
Study House, Ralph Rapson may have mispredicted just how the mechanical
revolution would impact everyday life—few American families acquired
helicopters, though most eventually got clothes dryers—but his belief
that self-sufficiency was both desirable and inevitable was widely shared.
31.
The postwar American housing style largely reflected the Americans’ .
[A] prosperity and growth [B]
efficiency and practicality
[C] restraint and confidence [D] pride
and faithfulness
32.
Which of the following can be inferred from Paragraph 3 about the Bauhaus?
[A] It was founded by Ludwig
Mies van der Rohe.
[B] Its designing concept was
affected by World War II.
[C] Most American architects
used to be associated with it.
[D] It had a great influence
upon American architecture.
33.
Mies held that elegance of architectural design .
[A] was related to large space
[B] was identified with
emptiness
[C] was not reliant on abundant
decoration
[D] was not associated with
efficiency
34.
What is true about the apartments Mies built on Chicago’s Lake Shore
Drive?
[A] They ignored details and
proportions.
[B] They were built with
materials popular at that time.
[C] They were more spacious than
neighboring buildings.
[D] They shared some
characteristics of abstract art.
35.
What can we learn about the design of the “Case Study Houses”?
[A] Mechanical devices were
widely used.
[B] Natural scenes were taken
into consideration.
[C] Details were sacrificed for
the overall effect.
[D] Eco-friendly materials were
employed.
Text 4
①Will the European Union
make it? ②The question would have sounded strange not long ago.
③Now even the project’s greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent
facing a “Bermuda triangle” of debt, population decline and lower
growth.
①As well as those chronic
problems, the EU faces an acute crisis in its economic core, the 16 countries
that use the single currency. ②Markets have lost faith that the euro
zone’s economies, weaker or stronger, will one day converge thanks to the
discipline of sharing a single currency, which denies uncompetitive members the
quick fix of devaluation.
①Yet the debate about how
to save Europe’s single currency from disintegration is stuck. ② It
is stuck because the euro zone’s dominant powers, France and Germany,
agree on the need for greater harmonisation within the euro zone, but disagree
about what to harmonise.
①Germany thinks the euro
must be saved by stricter rules on borrowing, spending and competitiveness,
backed by quasi-automatic sanctions for governments that do not obey. ②
These might include threats to freeze EU funds for poorer regions and EU
mega-projects, and even the suspension of a country’s voting rights in EU
ministerial councils. ③It insists that economic co-ordination should
involve all 27 members of the EU club, among whom there is a small majority for
free-market liberalism and economic rigour; in the inner core alone, Germany
fears, a small majority favour French interference.
①A “southern”
camp headed by France wants something different: “European economic
government” within an inner core of euro-zone members. ②Translated,
that means politicians intervening in monetary policy and a system of
redistribution from richer to poorer members, via cheaper borrowing for
governments through common Eurobonds or complete fiscal transfers. ③
Finally, figures close to the French government have murmured, euro-zone
members should agree to some fiscal and social harmonisation: e.g., curbing
competition in corporate-tax rates or labour costs.
①It is too soon to write
off the EU. ②It remains the world’s largest trading block.
③At its best, the European project is remarkably liberal: built around a
single market of 27 rich and poor countries, its internal borders are far more
open to goods, capital and labour than any comparable trading area. ④It
is an ambitious attempt to blunt the sharpest edges of globalisation, and make
capitalism benign.
36.
The EU is faced with so many problems that .
[A] it has more or less lost
faith in markets
[B] even its supporters begin to
feel concerned
[C] some of its member countries
plan to abandon euro
[D] it intends to deny the
possibility of devaluation
37.
The debate over the EU’s single currency is stuck because the dominant
powers .
[A] are competing for the
leading position
[B] are busy handling their own
crises
[C] fail to reach an agreement
on harmonisation
[D] disagree on the steps
towards disintegration
38.
To solve the euro problem, Germany proposed that .
[A] EU funds for poor regions be
increased
[B] stricter regulations be
imposed
[C] only core members be
involved in economic co-ordination
[D] voting rights of the EU
members be guaranteed
39.
The French proposal of handling the crisis implies that .
[A] poor countries are more
likely to get funds
[B] strict monetary policy will
be applied to poor countries
[C] loans will be readily
available to rich countries
[D] rich countries will
basically control Eurobonds
40.
Regarding the future of the EU, the author seems to feel .
[A] pessimistic [B]
desperate [C]
conceited [D] hopeful
Part B
Directions:
Read the following text and
answer the questions by finding information from the right column that
corresponds to each of the marked details given in the left column. There are
two extra choices in the right column. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10
points)
Leading doctors today weigh in on the debate over the
government’s role in promoting public health by demanding that
ministers impose “fat taxes” on unhealthy food and introduce
cigarette-style warnings to children about the dangers of a poor diet.
The demands follow comments made last week by the health
secretary, Andrew Lansley, who insisted the government could not force people
to make healthy choices and promised to free businesses from public health
regulations.
But senior medical figures want to stop fast-food outlets opening near schools, restrict advertising of
products high in fat, salt or sugar, and limit sponsorship of sports events by
fast-food producers such as McDonald’s.
They argue that government action is necessary to curb
Britain’s addiction to unhealthy food and help halt spiraling rates
of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Professor Terence Stephenson, president
of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said that the consumption
of unhealthy food should be seen to be just as damaging as smoking or excessive
drinking.
“Thirty years ago, it would have been inconceivable to
have imagined a ban on smoking in the workplace or in pubs, and yet that is
what we have now. Are we willing to be just as courageous in respect of obesity?
I would suggest that we should be,” said the leader of the UK’s children’s doctors.
Lansley has alarmed health campaigners by suggesting he
wants industry rather than government to take the lead. He said that
manufacturers of crisps and candies could play a central role in the
Change4Life campaign, the centrepiece of government efforts to boost healthy
eating and fitness. He has also criticised the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s high-profile attempt to improve school lunches in England
as an example of how “lecturing” people was not the best way to
change their behaviour.
Stephenson suggested potential restrictions could include
banning TV advertisements for foods high in fat, salt or sugar before 9 pm and
limiting them on billboards or in cinemas. “If we were really bold, we
might even begin to think of high-calorie fast food in the same way as cigarettes—by
setting strict limits on advertising, product placement and sponsorship of
sports events,” he said.
Such a move could affect firms such as McDonald’s, which sponsors the youth coaching scheme run by the
Football Association. Fast-food chains should also stop offering
“inducements” such as toys, cute animals and mobile phone credit to
lure young customers, Stephenson said.
Professor Dinesh Bhugra, president of the Royal College of
Psychiatrists, said: “If children are taught about the impact that food
has on their growth, and that some things can harm, at least information is
available up front.”
He also urged councils to impose “fast-food-free zones” around schools and hospitals—areas
within which takeaways cannot open.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We need to
create a new vision for public health where all of society works together to
get healthy and live longer. This includes creating a new ‘responsibility
deal’ with business, built on social responsibility, not state
regulation. Later this year, we will publish a white paper setting out exactly
how we will achieve this.”
The food industry will be alarmed that such senior doctors
back such radical moves, especially the call to use some of the tough tactics
that have been deployed against smoking over the last decade.
|
|
[A] “fat taxes” should be imposed on fast-food
producers such as McDonald’s. |
|
41.
Andrew Lansley held that |
[B] the government should ban fast-food
outlets in the neighborhood of schools. |
|
42.
Terence Stephenson agreed that |
[C] “lecturing” was an effective way to
improve school lunches in England. |
|
43. Jamie
Oliver seemed to believe that |
[D] cigarette-style
warnings should be introduced to children about the dangers of a poor diet. |
|
44.
Dinesh Bhugra suggested that |
[E] the producers of crisps and candies could
contribute significantly to the Change4Life campaign. |
|
45. A Department of Health spokesperson proposed that |
[F] parents should set good examples for their children
by keeping a healthy diet at home. |
|
|
[G] the government should strengthen the sense of responsibility
among businesses. |
Section Ⅲ Translation
46. Directions:
In this section there is a text
in English. Translate it into Chinese. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET
2. (15 points)
Who
would have thought that, globally, the IT industry produces about the same
volume of greenhouse gases as the world’s airlines do — roughly 2
percent of all CO₂
emissions?
Many
everyday tasks take a surprising toll on the environment. A Google search can
leak between 0.2 and 7.0 grams of CO₂,
depending on how many attempts are needed to get the “right”
answer. To deliver results to its users quickly, then, Google has to maintain
vast data centres around the world, packed with powerful computers. While
producing large quantities of CO₂,
these computers emit a great deal of heat, so the centres need to be well
air-conditioned, which uses even more energy.
However,
Google and other big tech providers monitor their efficiency closely and make
improvements. Monitoring is the first step on the road to reduction, but there
is much more to be done, and not just by big companies.
Section IV Writing
Part A
47. Directions
Suppose your cousin Li Ming has
just been admitted to a university. Write him/her a letter to
1) congratulate him/her, and
2) give him/her suggestions on
how to get prepared for university life.
You should write about 100 words
on ANSWER SHEET 2.
Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter. Use
“Zhang Wei” instead.
Do not write the address. (10 points)
Part B
48. Directions
Write an essay based on the
following chart. In your writing, you should
1) interpret the chart and
2) give your comments
You should write at least 150
words.
Write your essay on ANSWER SHEET
2. (15points)
2012年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语二试题
Section I Use of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each
numbered blank and mark A,B,C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)
①Millions of Americans and foreigners see G.I. Joe as a mindless war toy,
the symbol of American military adventurism, but
that’s not how it used to be. ②To the men and women who 1 in World War Ⅱ and the people
they liberated, the G.I. was the 2 man grown into hero, the poor farm kid
torn away from his home, the guy who 3 all the burdens of battle, who slept in cold foxholes, who went without the 4 of food and shelter, who stuck it out and
drove back the Nazi reign of murder. ③This was not a
volunteer soldier, not someone well paid,
5 an average guy, up 6 the best trained, best equipped,
fiercest, most brutal enemies seen in centuries.
①His name isn’t much. G.I.
is just a military abbreviation 7 Government Issue, and it was on all of the articles 8 to soldiers. ②And Joe? ③A
common name for a guy who never 9 it to the top. ④Joe Blow,
Joe Palooka, Joe Magrac... a working class name. ⑤The United
States has 10 had a president or vice-president or
secretary of state Joe.
①G.I. Joe
had a 11 career fighting German, Japanese, and
Korean troops. ②He appears
as a character, or a 12 of American personalities, in the 1945
movie The Story of G.I. Joe, based on the last days of war correspondent
Ernie Pyle. ③Some of the soldiers Pyle 13 portrayed themselves in the film. ④Pyle was
famous for covering the 14 side of the war, writing about the
dirt-snow-and-mud soldiers, not how many miles were 15 or what towns were captured or liberated.
⑤His
reports 16 the “Willie” cartoons of
famed Stars and Stripes artist Bill Maulden. ⑥Both men 17 the dirt and exhaustion of war, the 18 of civilization that the soldiers shared
with each other and the civilians: coffee, tobacco, whiskey, shelter, sleep. ⑦ 19 Egypt, France, and a dozen more
countries, G.I. Joe was any American soldier, 20 the most important person in their lives.
1. [A] served
[B]
performed [C] rebelled [D] betrayed
2. [A] actual
[B]
common [C] special
[D] normal
3. [A] loaded
[B]
eased [C] removed
[D] bore
4. [A] necessities [B]
facilities [C] commodities [D]
properties
5. [A] and
[B] nor [C]
but [D] hence
6. [A] for
[B] into [C]
from [D] against
7. [A] implying [B]
meaning [C] symbolizing [D]
claiming
8. [A] handed out [B]
turned over [C] brought back [D]
passed down
9. [A] pushed
[B]
got [C] made [D]
managed
10. [A]
ever [B] never [C]
either [D] neither
11. [A]
disguised [B]
disturbed [C] disputed
[D]
distinguished
12. [A]
company [B]
community [C] collection [D]
colony
13 [A]
employed [B]
appointed [C]
interviewed [D]
questioned
14. [A]
human [B] military [C] political [D]
ethical
15. [A]
ruined [B] commuted [C] patrolled [D]
gained
16. [A]
paralleled [B]
counteracted [C]
duplicated [D] contradicted
17. [A]
neglected [B]
emphasized [C]
avoided [D] admired
18. [A]
stages [B] illusions
[C] fragments [D]
advances
19. [A]
With [B] To
[C]
Among [D] Beyond
20. [A]
on the contrary [B]
by this means [C]
from the outset [D]
at that point
Section
Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer
the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on
ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)
Text 1
①Homework has never been terribly popular with students
and even many parents, but in recent years it has been particularly scorned.
②School districts across the country, most recently Los Angeles Unified,
are revising their thinking on this educational ritual. ③Unfortunately,
L.A. Unified has produced an inflexible policy which mandates that with the
exception of some advanced courses, homework may no longer count for more than
10% of a student’s academic grade.
①This rule is meant to address the difficulty that
students from impoverished or chaotic homes might have in completing their
homework. ②But the policy is unclear and contradictory. ③Certainly,
no homework should be assigned that students cannot complete on their own or
that they cannot do without expensive equipment. ④But if the district is
essentially giving a pass to students who do not do their homework because of
complicated family lives, it is going riskily close to the implication that
standards need to be lowered for poor children.
①District administrators say that homework will still
be a part of schooling; teachers are allowed to assign as much of it as they
want. ②But with homework counting for no more than 10% of their grades,
students can easily skip half their homework and see very little difference on
their report cards. ③Some students might do well on state tests without
completing their homework, but what about the students who performed well on
the tests and did their homework? ④It is quite possible that the homework
helped. ⑤Yet rather than empowering teachers to find what works best for
their students, the policy imposes a flat, across-the-board rule.
①At the same time, the policy addresses none of the
truly thorny questions about homework. ②If the district finds homework to
be unimportant to its students’ academic achievement, it should move to
reduce or eliminate the assignments, not make them count for almost nothing.
③Conversely, if homework matters, it should account for a significant
portion of the grade. ④Meanwhile, this policy does nothing to ensure that
the homework students receive is meaningful or appropriate to their age and the
subject, or that teachers are not assigning more than they are willing to
review and correct.
①The homework rules should be put on hold while the
school board, which is responsible for setting educational policy, looks into
the matter and conducts public hearings. ②It is not too late for L.A.
Unified to do homework right.
21. It is implied in Paragraph 1 that nowadays homework .
[A] is receiving
more criticism [B]
is gaining more preferences
[C] is no longer
an educational ritual [D]
is not required for advanced courses
22. L.A. Unified has made the rule about homework mainly because poor
students .
[A] tend to have
moderate expectations for their education
[B] have asked
for a different educational standard
[C] may have
problems finishing their homework
[D] have voiced
their complaints about homework
23. According to Paragraph 3, one problem with the policy is that it
may .
[A] result in
students’ indifference to their report cards
[B] undermine the
authority of state tests
[C] restrict
teachers’ power in education
[D] discourage
students from doing homework
24. As mentioned in Paragraph 4, a key question unanswered about
homework is whether .
[A] it should be eliminated [B]
it counts much in schooling
[C] it places
extra burdens on teachers [D]
it is important for grades
25. A suitable title for this text could be .
[A] A Faulty
Approach to Homework
[B] A Welcomed
Policy for Poor Students
[C] Thorny Questions
about Homework
[D] Wrong
Interpretations of an Educational Policy
Text 2
①Pretty in pink: adult women do not remember being so
obsessed with the colour, yet it is pervasive in our young girls’ lives.
②It is not that pink is intrinsically bad, but it is such a tiny slice
of the rainbow and, though it may celebrate girlhood in one way, it also
repeatedly and firmly fuses girls’ identity to appearance. ③Then it
presents that connection, even among two-year-olds, between girls as not only
innocent but as evidence of innocence. ④Looking around, I despaired at
the singular lack of imagination about girls’ lives and interests.
①Girls’ attraction to pink may seem unavoidable,
somehow encoded in their DNA, but according to Jo Paoletti, an associate
professor of American Studies, it is not. ②Children were not colour-coded
at all until the early 20th century: in the era before domestic washing
machines all babies wore white as a practical matter, since the only way of
getting clothes clean was to boil them. ③What’s more, both boys and
girls wore what were thought of as gender-neutral dresses. ④When nursery
colours were introduced, pink was actually considered the more masculine
colour, a pastel version of red, which was associated with strength.
⑤Blue, with its intimations of the Virgin Mary, constancy and
faithfulness, symbolised femininity. ⑥It
was not until the mid-1980s, when amplifying age and sex differences became a
dominant children’s marketing strategy, that pink fully came into its
own, when it began to seem inherently attractive to girls, part of what defined
them as female, at least for the first few critical years.
①I had not realised how profoundly marketing trends
dictated our perception of what is natural to kids, including our core beliefs
about their psychological development. ②Take the toddler. ③I
assumed that phase was something experts developed after years of research into
children’s behaviour: wrong. ④Turns out, according to Daniel Cook,
a historian of childhood consumerism, it was popularised as a marketing trick
by clothing manufacturers in the 1930s.
①Trade publications counselled department stores that,
in order to increase sales, they should create a “third stepping
stone” between infant wear and older kids’ clothes. ②It was
only after “toddler” became a common shoppers’ term that it
evolved into a broadly accepted developmental stage. ③Splitting kids, or
adults, into ever-tinier categories has proved a sure-fire way to boost
profits. ④And one of the easiest ways to segment a market is to magnify
gender differences—or invent them where they did not previously exist.
26. By saying “it is...the rainbow” (Para.1), the author
means pink .
[A] cannot
explain girls’ lack of imagination
[B] should not be
associated with girls’ innocence
[C] should not be
the sole representation of girlhood
[D] cannot
influence girls’ lives and interests
27. According to Paragraph 2, which of the following is true of
colours?
[A] Colours are
encoded in girls’ DNA.
[B] Blue used to
be regarded as the colour for girls.
[C] White is
preferred by babies.
[D] Pink used to
be a neutral colour in symbolising genders.
28. The author suggests that our perception of children’s
psychological development was much influenced by .
[A] the
observation of children’s nature
[B] the marketing
of products for children
[C] researches
into children’s behaviour
[D] studies of
childhood consumption
29. We may learn from Paragraph 4 that department stores were advised
to .
[A] classify
consumers into smaller groups
[B] attach equal
importance to different genders
[C] focus on
infant wear and older kids’ clothes
[D] create some
common shoppers’ terms
30. It can be concluded that girls’ attraction to pink seems to
be .
[A] fully
understood by clothing manufacturers
[B] clearly
explained by their inborn tendency
[C] mainly
imposed by profit-driven businessmen
[D] well
interpreted by psychological experts
Text 3
①In 2010, a federal judge shook America’s
biotech industry to its core. ②Companies had won patents for isolated DNA
for decades—by 2005 some 20% of human genes were patented. ③But in
March 2010 a judge ruled that genes were unpatentable. ④Executives were
violently agitated. ⑤The Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO), a
trade group, assured members that this was just a “preliminary
step” in a longer battle.
①On July 29th they were relieved, at least
temporarily. ②A federal appeals court overturned the prior decision,
ruling that Myriad Genetics could indeed hold patents to two genes that help
forecast a woman’s risk of breast cancer. ③The chief executive of Myriad,
a company in Utah, said the ruling was a blessing to firms and patients alike.
①Despite the appeals court’s decision, big
questions remain unanswered. ②For example, it is unclear whether the
sequencing of a whole genome violates the patents of individual genes within
it. ③The case may yet reach the Supreme Court.
①As the industry advances, however, other suits may
have an even greater impact. ②Companies are unlikely to file many more
patents for human DNA molecules—most are already patented or in the
public domain. ③Firms are now studying how genes interact, looking for
correlations that might be used to determine the causes of disease or predict a
drug’s efficacy. ④Companies are eager to win patents for
“connecting the dots”, explains Hans Sauer, a lawyer for the BIO.
①Their success may be determined by a suit related to
this issue, brought by the Mayo Clinic, which the Supreme Court will hear in
its next term. ②The BIO recently held a convention which included
sessions to coach lawyers on the shifting landscape for patents. ③Each
meeting was packed.
31. It can be learned from Paragraph 1 that the biotech companies would
like .
[A] genes to be
patentable [B]
the BIO to issue a warning
[C] their
executives to be active [D]
judges to rule out gene patenting
32. Those who are against gene patents believe that .
[A] genetic tests
are not reliable
[B] only man-made
products are patentable
[C] patents on
genes depend much on innovation
[D] courts should
restrict access to genetic tests
33. According to Hans Sauer, companies are eager to win patents for .
[A] discovering
gene interactions [B]
establishing disease correlations
[C] drawing
pictures of genes [D]
identifying human DNA
34. By saying “Each meeting was packed” (Para. 6), the
author means that .
[A] the supreme
court was authoritative
[B] the BIO was a
powerful organisation
[C] gene
patenting was a great concern
[D] lawyers were
keen to attend conventions
35. Generally speaking, the author’s attitude toward gene
patenting is .
[A] critical [B]
supportive
[C] scornful [D]
objective
Text 4
①The great recession may be over, but this era of high
joblessness is probably beginning. ②Before it ends, it will likely change
the life course and character of a generation of young adults. ③And
ultimately, it is likely to reshape our politics, our culture, and the
character of our society for years.
①No one tries harder than the jobless to find
silver linings in this national economic disaster. ②Many said that
unemployment, while extremely painful, had improved them in some ways: they had
become less materialistic and more financially prudent; they were more aware of
the struggles of others. ③In limited respects, perhaps the recession will
leave society better off. ④At the very least, it has awoken us from our
national fever dream of easy riches and bigger houses, and put a necessary end
to an era of reckless personal spending.
①But for the most part, these benefits seem thin,
uncertain, and far off. ②In The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth,
the economic historian Benjamin Friedman argues that both inside and outside
the U.S., lengthy periods of economic stagnation or decline have almost always
left society more mean-spirited and less inclusive, and have usually stopped or
reversed the advance of rights and freedoms. ③Anti-immigrant sentiment
typically increases, as does conflict between races and classes.
①Income inequality usually falls during a recession,
but it has not shrunk in this one. ②Indeed, this period of economic
weakness may reinforce class divides, and decrease opportunities to cross
them—especially for young people. ③The research of Till Von
Wachter, the economist at Columbia University, suggests that not all people
graduating into a recession see their life chances dimmed: those with degrees
from elite universities catch up fairly quickly to where they otherwise would
have been if they had graduated in better times; it is the masses beneath them
that are left behind.
①In the Internet age, it is particularly easy to see
the resentment that has always been hidden within American society. ②More
difficult, in the moment, is discerning precisely how these lean times are
affecting society’s character. ③In many respects, the U.S. was more
socially tolerant entering this recession than at any time in its history, and
a variety of national polls on social conflict since then have shown mixed
results. ④We will have to wait and see exactly how these hard times will
reshape our social fabric. ⑤But they certainly will reshape it, and all
the more so the longer they extend.
36. By saying “to find silver linings”（Para.2）the author suggests that the
jobless try to .
[A] seek
subsidies from the government
[B] make profits
from the troubled economy
[C] explore
reasons for the unemployment
[D] look on the
bright side of the recession
37. According to Paragraph 2, the recession has made people .
[A] struggle
against each other [B]
realize the national dream
[C] challenge
their prudence [D]
reconsider their lifestyle
38. Benjamin Friedman believes that economic recessions may .
[A] impose a
heavier burden on immigrants
[B] bring out
more evils of human nature
[C] promote the
advance of rights and freedoms
[D] ease
conflicts between races and classes
39.
The research of Till Von Wachter suggests that in the recession graduates from
elite universities tend to .
[A] lag behind
the others due to decreased opportunities
[B] catch up
quickly with experienced employees
[C] see their
life chances as dimmed as the others’
[D] recover more
quickly than the others
40. The author thinks that the influence of hard times on society is .
[A] trivial [B]
positive
[C] certain [D]
destructive
Part B
Directions:
Read the following text and answer the
questions by finding information from the left column that corresponds to each
of the marked details given in the right column. There are two extra choices in
the right column. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)
“Universal history, the history of what
man has accomplished in this world, is at bottom the History of the Great Men
who have worked here,” wrote the Victorian sage Thomas Carlyle. Well, not
any more it is not.
Suddenly, Britain
looks to have fallen out with its favourite historical form. This could be no
more than a passing literary craze, but it also points to a broader truth about
how we now approach the past: less concerned with learning from our forefathers
and more interested in feeling their pain. Today, we want empathy, not
inspiration.
From the earliest
days of the Renaissance, the writing of history meant recounting the exemplary
lives of great men. In 1337, Petrarch began work on his rambling writing De Viris Illustribus—On Famous Men, highlighting the virtus (or virtue) of classical heroes.
Petrarch celebrated their greatness in conquering fortune and rising to the
top. This was the biographical tradition which Niccolò Machiavelli turned on its
head. In The Prince, he championed
cunning, ruthlessness, and boldness, rather than virtue, mercy and justice, as
the skills of successful leaders.
Over time, the
attributes of greatness shifted. The Romantics commemorated the leading
painters and authors of their day, stressing the uniqueness of the
artist’s personal experience rather than public glory. By contrast, the
Victorian author Samuel Smiles wrote Self-Help
as a catalogue of the worthy lives of engineers, industrialists and explorers.
“The valuable examples which they furnish of the power of self-help, of
patient purpose, resolute working, and steadfast integrity, issuing in the
formation of truly noble and manly character, exhibit,” wrote Smiles, “what
it is in the power of each to accomplish for himself.” His biographies of
James Watt, Richard Arkwright and Josiah Wedgwood were held up as beacons to
guide the working man through his difficult life.
This was all a
bit bourgeois for Thomas Carlyle, who focused his biographies on the truly
heroic lives of Martin Luther, Oliver Cromwell and Napoleon Bonaparte. These
epochal figures represented lives hard to imitate, but to be acknowledged as
possessing higher authority than mere mortals.
Not everyone was
convinced by such bombast. “The history of all hitherto existing society
is the history of class struggles,” wrote Marx and Engels in The Communist Manifesto. For them,
history did nothing, it possessed no immense wealth nor waged battles:
“It is man, real, living man who does all that.” And history should
be the story of the masses and their record of struggle. As such, it needed to
appreciate the economic realities, the social contexts and power relations in
which each epoch stood. For: “Men make their own history, but they do not
make it just as they please; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by
themselves, but under circumstances directly found, given and transmitted from
the past.”
This was the
tradition which revolutionised our appreciation of the past. In place of Thomas
Carlyle, Britain nurtured Christopher Hill, EP Thompson and Eric Hobsbawm. History
from below stood alongside biographies of great men. Whole new realms of
understanding—from gender to race to cultural studies—were opened
up as scholars unpicked the multiplicity of lost societies. And it transformed
public history too: downstairs became just as fascinating as upstairs.
|
|
[A] emphasized
the virtue of classical heroes. |
|
41. Petrarch |
[B]
highlighted the public glory of the leading artists. |
|
42. Niccolò Machiavelli |
[C] focused on
epochal figures whose lives were hard to imitate. |
|
43. Samuel
Smiles |
[D] opened up
new realms of understanding the great men in history. |
|
44. Thomas
Carlyle |
[E] held that history should be the story of the masses and their record
of struggle. |
|
45. Marx and
Engels |
[F] dismissed
virtue as unnecessary for successful leaders. |
|
|
[G] depicted
the worthy lives of engineers, industrialists and explorers. |
Section
Ⅲ Translation
46. Directions:
Translate the
following text from English into Chinese. Write your translation on ANSWER
SHEET 2. (15 points)
When people
in developing countries worry about migration, they are usually concerned at
the prospect of their best and brightest departure to Silicon Valley or to
hospitals and universities in the developed world. These are the kind of
workers that countries like Britain, Canada and Australia try to attract by
using immigration rules that privilege college graduates.
Lots of
studies have found that well-educated people from developing countries are
particularly likely to emigrate. A big survey of Indian households in 2004
found that nearly 40% of emigrants had more than a high-school education,
compared with around 3.3% of all Indians over the age of 25. This “brain
drain” has long bothered policymakers in poor countries. They fear that
it hurts their economies, depriving them of much-needed skilled workers who
could have taught at their universities, worked in their hospitals and come up
with clever new products for their factories to make.
Section IV Writing
Part A
47. Directions
Suppose
you have found something wrong with the electronic dictionary that you bought
from an online store the other day. Write an email to the customer service
center to
1)
make a complaint, and
2)
demand a prompt solution.
You
should write about 100 words on ANSERE SHEET 2.
Do not sign your own
name at the end of the letter, Use “Zhang Wei” instead.
Do not write the
address. (10 points)
Part B
48. Directions
Write
an essay based on the following table. In your writing, you should
1)
describe the table, and
2)
give your comments.
You
should write at least 150 words.
Write
your essay on ANSERE SHEET 2. (15 points)
某公司员工工作满意度调查
|
年龄组 |
满意 |
不清楚 |
不满意 |
|
≤40岁 |
16.7% |
50.0% |
33.3% |
|
41~50岁 |
0.0% |
36.0% |
64.0% |
|
＞50岁 |
40.0% |
50.0% |
10.0% |
2013年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语（二）试题
Section
I Use of English
Directions:
Read the
following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B,
C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
①Given
the advantages of electronic money, you might think that we would move quickly
to the cashless society in which all payments are made electronically. ② 1 , a true cashless society is
probably not around the corner. ③Indeed, predictions have been 2 for two decades but have not yet come to
fruition. ④For example, Business Week predicted in 1975 that
electronic means of payment would soon “revolutionize the very 3 of money itself,” only to 4 itself several years later. ⑤Why has the movement to a cashless society been so 5 in coming?
①Although
electronic means of payment may be more efficient
than a payments system based on paper,
several factors work 6 the disappearance of the paper system. ②First, it is very 7 to set up the
computer, card reader, and telecommunications networks necessary to make
electronic money the 8 form of payment. ③Second, paper checks have the advantage that
they 9 receipts, something that many consumers
are unwilling to 10 . ④Third, the use of paper checks gives consumers several
days of “float”—it takes several days 11 a check is cashed and funds are 12 from the issuer’s account, which
means that the writer of the check can earn interest on the funds in the
meantime. ⑤ 13 electronic payments are immediate, they
eliminate the float for the consumer.
①Fourth,
electronic means of payment may 14 security and privacy concerns. ②We often hear media reports that an unauthorized hacker
has been able to access a computer database and to alter information 15 there. ③The fact that this is not an 16 occurrence means that dishonest persons
might be able to access bank accounts in electronic payments systems and 17 from someone else’s accounts. ④The 18 of this type of fraud is no easy task,
and a new field of computer science is developing to 19 security issues. ⑤A further concern is that the use of electronic means of
payment leaves an electronic 20 that contains a large amount of personal data.
⑥ There are concerns that government, employers, and
marketers might be able to access these data, thereby violating our privacy.
1. [A] Moreover [B]
However [C] Therefore [D]
Otherwise
2. [A] off [B]
back [C]
over [D]
around
3. [A] power [B]
concept [C] history [D] role
4. [A] reverse [B]
resist [C]
resume [D]
reward
5. [A] silent [B]
sudden [C] slow [D] steady
6. [A] for [B]
against [C] with [D] on
7. [A] expensive [B]
imaginative [C] sensitive [D] productive
8. [A] similar [B]
original [C] temporary [D]
dominant
9. [A] collect [B]
copy [C]
provide [D]
print
10. [A] give up [B]
take over [C] bring back [D]
pass down
11. [A] before [B]
after [C]
since [D]
when
12. [A] kept [B]
borrowed [C]
withdrawn [D]
released
13. [A] Unless [B]
Because [C] Until [D] Though
14. [A] hide [B]
express [C] ease [D]
raise
15. [A] analyzed [B]
shared [C] stored [D]
displayed
16. [A] unsafe [B]
unnatural [C] unclear [D]
uncommon
17. [A] steal [B]
choose [C] benefit [D] return
18. [A] consideration [B]
prevention [C] manipulation [D]
justification
19. [A] call for [B]
fight against [C] adapt to [D]
cope with
20. [A] chunk [B]
chip [C]
trail [D] path
Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the
following four texts. Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C
or [D] Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
①In
an essay entitled “Making It in America,” the author Adam Davidson
relates a joke from cotton country about just how much a modern textile mill
has been automated: The average mill has only two employees today, “a man
and a dog. ②The man is
there to feed the dog, and the dog is there to keep the man away from the
machines.”
①Davidson’s
article is one of a number of pieces that have recently appeared making the
point that the reason we have such stubbornly high unemployment and declining
middle-class incomes today is largely because of the big drop in demand because
of the Great Recession, but it is also because of the advances in both
globalization and the information technology revolution, which are more rapidly
than ever replacing labor with machines or foreign workers.
①In the past, workers with average skills, doing an average
job, could earn an average lifestyle. ②But,
today, average is officially over. ③Being
average just won’t earn you what it used to. ④It can’t when so many more employers have so much more
access to so much more above average cheap foreign labor, cheap robotics, cheap
software, cheap automation and cheap genius. ⑤Therefore,
everyone needs to find their extra—their
unique value contribution that makes them stand out in whatever is their field
of employment.
①Yes, new technology has been eating jobs forever, and always
will. ②But
there’s been an acceleration. ③As
Davidson notes, “In the 10 years ending in 2009, [U.S.] factories shed
workers so fast that they erased almost all the gains of the previous 70 years;
roughly one out of every three manufacturing jobs—about 6 million in
total—disappeared.”
①There will always be change—new jobs, new products,
new services. ②But the one
thing we know for sure is that with each advance in globalization and the I. T.
revolution, the best jobs will require workers to have more and better
education to make themselves above average.
①In a world where average is officially over, there are many
things we need to do to support employment, but nothing would be more important
than passing some kind of G. I. Bill for the 21st century that ensures that
every American has access to post-high school education.
21. The joke in Paragraph 1 is
used to illustrate .
[A] the impact of technological advances
[B] the alleviation of job pressure
[C] the shrinkage of textile mills
[D] the decline of middle-class incomes
22. According to Paragraph 3, to
be a successful employee, one has to .
[A] adopt an average lifestyle
[B] work on cheap software
[C] ask for a moderate salary
[D] contribute something unique
23. The quotation in Paragraph 4
explains that .
[A] gains of technology have been erased
[B] job opportunities are disappearing at a high speed
[C] factories are making much less money than before
[D] new jobs and services have been offered
24. According to the author, to
reduce unemployment, the most important is .
[A] to accelerate the I. T. revolution
[B] to advance economic globalization
[C] to ensure more education for people
[D] to pass more bills in the 21st century
25. Which of the following would
be the most appropriate title for the text?
[A] Technology Goes Cheap.
[B] New Law Takes Effect.
[C] Recession Is Bad.
[D] Average Is Over.
Text 2
①A century ago, the
immigrants from across the Atlantic included settlers and sojourners. ②Along with the many folks
looking to make a permanent home in the United States came those who had no
intention to stay, and who would make some money and then go home. ③Between 1908 and 1915, about
7 million people arrived while about 2 million departed. ④About a quarter of all
Italian immigrants, for example, eventually returned to Italy for good. ⑤They even had an
affectionate nickname, “uccelli di passaggio,” birds of passage.
①Today, we are much more
rigid about immigrants. ②We divide
newcomers into two categories: legal or illegal, good or bad. ③We hail them as Americans in
the making, or brand them as aliens to be kicked out. ④That framework has
contributed mightily to our broken immigration system and the long political
paralysis over how to fix it. ⑤We don’t
need more categories, but we need to change the way we think about categories. ⑥We need to look beyond
strict definitions of legal and illegal. ⑦To start, we can
recognize the new birds of passage, those living and thriving in the gray
areas. ⑧We might then
begin to solve our immigration challenges.
①Crop pickers, violinists,
construction workers, entrepreneurs, engineers, home health-care aides and
physicists are among today’s birds of passage. ②They are energetic
participants in a global economy driven by the flow of work, money and ideas. ③They prefer to come and go
as opportunity calls them. ④They can manage
to have a job in one place and a family in another.
①With or without permission,
they straddle laws, jurisdictions and identities with ease. ② We need them to imagine the
United States as a place where they can be productive for a while without
committing themselves to staying forever. ③We need them to feel
that home can be both here and there and that they can belong to two nations
honorably.
①Accommodating this new world
of people in motion will require new attitudes on both sides of the immigration
battle. ②Looking beyond
the culture war logic of right or wrong means opening up the middle ground and
understanding that managing immigration today requires multiple paths and
multiple outcomes, including some that are not easy to accomplish legally in
the existing system.
26. “Birds of passage” refers to those who .
[A] stay in a
foreign country temporarily
[B] leave their
home countries for good
[C] immigrate
across the Atlantic
[D] find
permanent jobs overseas
27. It is implied in Paragraph 2 that the current immigration system in
the US .
[A] needs new
immigrant categories
[B] has loosened
control over immigrants
[C] should be
adapted to meet challenges
[D] has been
fixed via political means
28. According to the author, today’s birds of passage want .
[A] financial
incentives
[B] a global
recognition
[C] the freedom
to stay and leave
[D] opportunities
to get regular jobs
29. The author suggests that the birds of passage today should be
treated .
[A] as faithful
partners
[B] with legal
tolerance
[C] with economic
favors
[D] as mighty
rivals
30. The most appropriate title for this text would be .
[A] Come and Go:
Big Mistake
[B] Living and
Thriving: Great Risk
[C] With or
Without: Great Risk
[D] Legal or
Illegal: Big mistake
Text 3
①Scientists have found that
although we are prone to snap overreactions, if we take a moment and think
about how we are likely to react, we can reduce or even eliminate the negative
effects of our quick, hard-wired responses.
①Snap decisions can be
important defense mechanisms; if we are judging whether someone is dangerous,
our brains and bodies are hard-wired to react very quickly, within milliseconds.
②But we need more time to
assess other factors. ③To accurately
tell whether someone is sociable, studies show, we need at least a minute,
preferably five. ④It takes a while
to judge complex aspects of personality, like neuroticism or open-mindedness.
①But snap decisions in
reaction to rapid stimuli aren’t exclusive to the interpersonal realm. ②Psychologists at the
University of Toronto found that viewing a fast-food logo for just a few
milliseconds primes us to read 20 percent faster, even though reading has
little to do with eating. ③We unconsciously
associate fast food with speed and impatience and carry those impulses into
whatever else we’re doing. ④Subjects exposed
to fast-food flashes also tend to think a musical piece lasts too long.
①Yet we can reverse such
influences. ②If we know we
will overreact to consumer products or housing options when we see a happy face
(one reason good sales representatives and real estate agents are always
smiling), we can take a moment before buying. ③If we know female
job screeners are more likely to reject attractive female applicants, we can
help screeners understand their biases—or hire outside screeners.
①John Gottman, the marriage
expert, explains that we quickly “thin slice” information reliably
only after we ground such snap reactions in “thick sliced”
long-term study. ②When Dr. Gottman
really wants to assess whether a couple will stay together, he invites them to
his island retreat for a much longer evaluation: two days, not two seconds.
①Our ability to mute our
hard-wired reactions by pausing is what differentiates us from animals: dogs
can think about the future only intermittently or for a few minutes. ②But historically we have
spent about 12 percent of our days contemplating the longer term. ③Although technology might
change the way we react, it hasn’t changed our nature. ④We still have the
imaginative capacity to rise above temptation and reverse the high-speed trend.
31. The time needed in making decisions may .
[A] predetermine
the accuracy of our judgment
[B] prove the
complexity of our brain reaction
[C] depend on the
importance of the assessment
[D] vary
according to the urgency of the situation
32. Our reaction to a
fast-food logo shows that snap decisions .
[A] can be associative
[B] are not
unconscious
[C] can be
dangerous
[D] are not
impulsive
33. To reverse the negative influences of snap decisions, we should .
[A] trust our
first impression
[B] think before
we act
[C] do as people
usually do
[D] ask for
expert advice
34. John Gottman says that reliable snap reactions are based on .
[A] critical
assessment
[B] “thin
sliced” study
[C] adequate
information
[D] sensible
explanation
35. The author’s attitude toward reversing the high-speed trend
is .
[A] tolerant
[B] optimistic
[C] uncertain
[D] doubtful
Text 4
①Europe is not a
gender-equality heaven. ②In particular,
the corporate workplace will never be completely family-friendly until women
are part of senior management decisions, and Europe’s top corporate-governance
positions remain overwhelmingly male. ③Indeed, women
hold only 14 per cent of positions on European corporate boards.
①The European Union is now
considering legislation to compel corporate boards to maintain a certain
proportion of women—up to 60 per cent. ②This proposed mandate was
born of frustration. ③Last year, European
Commission Vice President Viviane Reding issued a call to voluntary action. ④Reding invited corporations
to sign up for gender balance goals of 40 per cent female board membership. ⑤But her appeal was
considered a failure: only 24 companies took it up.
①Do we need quotas to ensure
that women can continue to climb the corporate ladder fairly as they balance
work and family?
①“Personally, I don’t
like quotas,” Reding said recently. ②“But I like
what the quotas do.” ③Quotas get
action: they “open the way to equality and they break through the glass
ceiling,” according to Reding, a result seen in France and other
countries with legally binding provisions on placing women in top business
positions.
①I understand Reding’s
reluctance—and her
frustration. ②I don’t
like quotas either; they run counter to my belief in meritocracy, governance by
the capable. ③But, when one
considers the obstacles to achieving the meritocratic ideal, it does look as if
a fairer world must be temporarily ordered.
①After all, four decades of
evidence has now shown that corporations in Europe as well as the US are
evading the meritocratic hiring and promotion of women to top positions—no matter how much “soft
pressure” is put upon them. ②When women do
break through to the summit of corporate power—as, for example, Sheryl
Sandberg recently did at Facebook—they attract massive attention
precisely because they remain the exception to the rule.
①If appropriate pubic
policies were in place to help all women—whether CEOs or
their children’s caregivers—and all families,
Sandberg would be no more newsworthy than any other highly capable person
living in a more just society.
36. In the European corporate workplace, generally .
[A] women take
the lead
[B] men have the
final say
[C] corporate
governance is overwhelmed
[D] senior
management is family-friendly
37. The European Union’s intended legislation is .
[A] a reflection
of gender balance
[B] a response to
Reding’s call
[C] a reluctant
choice
[D] a voluntary
action
38. According to Reding, quotas may help women .
[A] get top
business positions
[B] see through
the glass ceiling
[C] balance work
and family
[D] anticipate
legal results
39. The author’s attitude toward Reding’s appeal is one of .
[A] skepticism
[B] objectiveness
[C] indifference
[D] approval
40. Women entering top management become headlines due to the lack of .
[A] more social
justice
[B] massive media
attention
[C] suitable
public policies
[D] greater “soft
pressure”
Part B
Directions:
Read the
following text and answer the questions by choosing the most suitable subtitle
from the list A-G for each numbered paragraph (41-45). There are two extra
subtitles which you do not need to use. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
(10 points)
[A] Shopkeepers
are your friends
[B] Remember to
treat yourself
[C] Stick to what
you need
[D] Live like a
peasant
[E] Balance your
diet
[F] Planning is
everything
[G] Waste not,
want not
The hugely popular blog the Skint Foodie
chronicles how Tony balances his love of good food with living on benefits.
After bills, Tony has £60 a week to spend, £40 of which goes on
food, but 10 years ago he was earning £130, 000 a year working in
corporate communications and eating at London’s best restaurants at least twice a week.
Then his marriage failed, his career burned out and his drinking became
serious. “The community mental health team saved my life. And I felt like
that again, to a certain degree, when people responded to the blog so well. It
gave me the validation and confidence that I’d lost. But it’s still a day-by-day thing.” Now he’s living in a council flat and fielding
offers from literary agents. He’s feeling positive, but he’ll carry on blogging—not about eating as cheaply as you can—“there are so many people in a much worse state,
with barely any money to spend on food”—but eating well on a budget. Here’s
his advice for economical foodies.
41.
Impulsive spending isn’t an option, so plan your week’s menu in advance, making shopping lists
for your ingredients in their exact quantities. I have an Excel template for a
week of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Stop laughing: it’s not just cost effective but helps you
balance your diet. It’s also a good idea to shop daily instead of weekly,
because, being human, you’ll sometimes change your mind about what you fancy.
42.
This is where supermarkets and their
anonymity come in handy. With them, there’s not the same embarrassment as when buying
one carrot in a little greengrocer. And if you plan properly, you’ll know that you only need, say, 350g of
shin of beef and six rashers of bacon, not whatever weight is pre-packed in the supermarket chiller.
43.
You may proudly claim to only have frozen
peas in the freezer—that’s not good enough. Mine is filled with
leftovers, bread, stock, meat and fish. Planning ahead should eliminate
wastage, but if you have surplus vegetables you’ll do a vegetable soup, and all fruits
threatening to “go off” will be cooked or juiced.
44.
Everyone says this, but it really is a top
tip for frugal eaters. Shop at butchers, delis and fish-sellers regularly, even for small things,
and be super friendly. Soon you’ll feel comfortable asking if they’ve any knuckles of ham for soups and stews,
or beef bones, chicken carcasses and fish heads for stock which, more often than
not, they’ll let
you have for free.
45.
You won’t be eating out a lot, but save your pennies and once
every few months treat yourself to a set lunch at a good restaurant—£1.75 a week for three months gives you
£21—more than enough for a three-course lunch at Michelin-starred Arbutus.
It’s £16.95 there—or £12.99 for a large pizza from Domino’s: I know which I’d rather eat.
Section III Translation
46. Directions:
Translate the
following text into Chinese. Write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET. (15
points)
I can pick a date from the past 53 years and know
instantly where I was, what happened in the news and even the day of the week.
I’ve been able to do this since I was four.
I never feel overwhelmed with the amount of
information my brain absorbs. My mind seems to be able to cope and the
information is stored away neatly. When I think of a sad memory, I do what
everybody does—try to put it to one side. I don’t think
it’s harder for me just because my memory is clearer. Powerful memory
doesn’t make my emotions any more acute or vivid. I can recall the day my
grandfather died and the sadness I felt when we went to the hospital the day
before. I also remember that the musical play Hair opened on Broadway on the same day—they both just pop into my mind in the same
way.
Section IV Writing
Part A
47. Directions:
Suppose your
class is to hold a charity sale for kids in need of help. Write your classmates
an email to
1) inform them
about the details, and
2) encourage them
to participate.
You should write
about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.
Do not use your own name. Use “Li Ming”
instead.
Do not write your address. (10 points)
Part B
48. Directions:
Write an essay based on the following chart. In your writing, you
should
1) interpret the
chart, and
2) give your
comments.
You should write
about 150 words on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)
2014年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语（二）试题
Section I Use of English
Directions:
Read the following
text. Choose the best word (s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on
the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
①Thinner
isn’t always better. ②A number of studies have 1 that normal-weight people are in fact at
higher risk of some diseases compared to those who are overweight. ③And there are health conditions for which
being overweight is actually 2 . ④ For example, heavier women are less likely to develop
calcium deficiency than thin women. ⑤
3 , among the elderly, being somewhat
overweight is often an 4 of good health.
①Of
even greater 5 is the fact that obesity turns out to be
very difficult to define. ②It is often defined 6 body mass index, or BMI. ③BMI 7 body mass divided by the square of
height. ④An adult with a BMI of 18 to 25 is often
considered to be normal weight. ⑤Between 25 and 30 is overweight. ⑥And over 30 is considered obese. ⑦Obesity, 8 , can be divided into
moderately obese, severely obese, and very severely obese.
①While
such numerical standards seem 9 , they are not. ②Obesity is probably less a matter of weight than body
fat.
③Some people with a high BMI
are in fact extremely fit, 10 others with a low BMI may be in poor 11 . ④For example, many collegiate and professional football
players 12 as obese, though their percentage body
fat is low. ⑤Conversely, someone with a small frame may have high body
fat but a 13 BMI.
①Today we have a(n) 14 to label
obesity as a disgrace. ②The overweight are sometimes 15 in the media
with their faces covered. ③Stereotypes 16 with obesity include laziness, lack of
will power, and lower prospects for success. ④Teachers, employers, and health professionals have been
shown to harbor biases against the obese. ⑤ 17 very young children tend to look down on
the overweight, and teasing about body build has long been a problem in
schools.
①Negative
attitudes toward obesity, 18 in health concerns, have stimulated a
number of anti-obesity 19 . ②My own hospital system has banned sugary drinks from its
facilities. ③Many
employers have instituted weight loss and fitness initiatives. ④Michelle Obama has launched a high-visibility
campaign 20 childhood obesity, even claiming that it
represents our greatest national security threat.
1. [A] denied
[B]
concluded [C] doubted [D] ensured
2. [A] protective [B]
dangerous [C]
sufficient [D]
troublesome
3. [A] Instead
[B]
However [C] Likewise [D]
Therefore
4. [A] indicator
[B]
objective [C] origin [D]
example
5. [A] impact
[B]
relevance [C] assistance [D]
concern
6. [A] in terms of [B]
in case of [C] in favor of [D]
in respects of
7. [A] measures [B]
determines [C] equals [D]
modifies
8. [A] in essence [B]
in contrast [C] in turn
[D]
in part
9. [A] complicated [B]
conservative [C] variable [D]
straightforward
10. [A] so [B]
while [C]
since [D]
unless
11. [A] shape [B]
spirit [C]
balance [D]
taste
12. [A] start [B]
qualify [C] retire [D] stay
13. [A] strange [B]
changeable [C] normal [D]
constant
14. [A] option [B]
reason [C] opportunity [D] tendency
15. [A] employed [B]
pictured [C] imitated [D]
monitored
16. [A] compared [B]
combined [C] settled [D]
associated
17. [A] Even [B]
Still [C]
Yet [D]
Only
18. [A] despised [B]
corrected [C] ignored [D]
grounded
19. [A] discussions [B]
businesses [C] policies
[D]
studies
20. [A] for [B]
against [C] with [D] without
Section
Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the
following four texts. Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C
or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text
1
①What
would you do with $590m? ②This is now a question for Gloria MacKenzie, an
84-year-old widow who recently emerged from her small, tin-roofed house in
Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history. ③If
she hopes her new-found fortune will yield lasting feelings of fulfilment, she
could do worse than read Happy Money
by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton.
①These
two academics use an array of behavioral research to show that the most
rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive. ②Fantasies of
great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes.
③Yet satisfaction with these material purchases wears off fairly quickly.
④What was once exciting and new becomes old-hat; regret creeps in.
⑤It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms Dunn and Mr
Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the cinema.
⑥These purchases often become more valuable with time—as stories or
memories—particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.
①This
slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners
get the most “happiness bang for your buck.” ②It seems most
people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work, spend
more time with friends and family and less of it watching television (something
the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing, and is hardly
jollier for it). ③Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more
pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself, and luxuries are most enjoyable
when they are consumed sparingly. ④This is apparently the reason
McDonald’s restricts the availability of its popular McRib—a
marketing trick that has turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession.
①Readers
of Happy Money are clearly a
privileged lot, anxious about fulfilment, not hunger. ②Money may not
quite buy happiness, but people in wealthier countries are generally happier
than those in poor ones. ③Yet the link between feeling good and spending
money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world, and
scarcity enhances the pleasure of most things for most people. ④Not
everyone will agree with the authors’ policy ideas, which range from
mandating more holiday time to reducing tax incentives for American homebuyers.
⑤But most people will come away from this book believing it was money
well spent.
21. According to Dunn and Norton, which of the following is
the most rewarding purchase?
[A]
A big house. [B]
A special tour. [C]
A stylish car. [D]
A rich meal.
22. The author’s attitude toward Americans’
watching TV is_____.
[A]
critical [B]
supportive [C]
sympathetic [D]
ambiguous
23. McRib is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to show that_____.
[A]
consumers are sometimes irrational
[B]
popularity usually comes after quality
[C]
marketing tricks are often effective
[D]
rarity generally increases pleasure
24. According to the last paragraph, Happy Money_____.
[A]
has left much room for readers’ criticism
[B]
may prove to be a worthwhile purchase
[C]
has predicted a wider income gap in the US
[D]
may give its readers a sense of achievement
25. This text mainly discusses how to____.
[A]
balance feeling good and spending money
[B]
spend large sums of money won in lotteries
[C]
obtain lasting satisfaction from money spent
[D]
become more reasonable in spending on luxuries
Text 2
①An
article in Scientific America has
pointed out that empirical research says that, actually, you think you’re
more beautiful than you are. ②We have a deep-seated need to feel good
about ourselves and we naturally employ a number of self-enhancing strategies
to achieve this. ③Social psychologists have amassed oceans of research
into what they call the “above average effect,” or “illusory
superiority,” and shown that, for example, 70% of us rate ourselves as
above average in leadership, 93% in driving and 85% at getting on well with
others—all obviously statistical impossibilities.
①We
rose-tint our memories and put ourselves into self-affirming situations.
②We become defensive when criticised, and apply negative stereotypes to
others to boost our own esteem. ③We stalk around thinking we’re hot
stuff.
①Psychologist
and behavioural scientist Nicholas Epley oversaw a key study into
self-enhancement and attractiveness. ②Rather than have people simply rate
their beauty compared with others, he asked them to identify an original
photograph of themselves from a lineup including versions that had been altered
to appear more and less attractive. ③Visual recognition, reads the study,
is “an automatic psychological process, occurring rapidly and intuitively
with little or no apparent conscious deliberation.” ④If the
subjects quickly chose a falsely flattering image—which most
did—they genuinely believed it was really how they looked.
①Epley
found no significant gender difference in responses. ②Nor was there any
evidence that those who self-enhanced the most (that is, the participants who
thought the most positively doctored pictures were real) were doing so to make
up for profound insecurities. ③In fact, those who thought that the images
higher up the attractiveness scale were real directly corresponded with those
who showed other markers for having higher self-esteem. ④“I
don’t think the findings that we have are any evidence of personal
delusion,” says Epley. “It’s a reflection simply of people
generally thinking well of themselves.” ⑤If you are depressed, you
won’t be self-enhancing.
①Knowing
the results of Epley’s study, it makes sense that many people hate
photographs of themselves viscerally—on one level, they
don’t even recognise the person in the picture as themselves.
②Facebook, therefore, is a self-enhancer’s paradise, where people
can share only the most flattering photos, the cream of their wit, style,
beauty, intellect and lifestyles. ③It’s not that people’s
profiles are dishonest, says Catalina Toma of Wisconsin-Madison University,
“but they portray an idealised version of themselves. ”
26. According to the first paragraph, social psychologists
have found that ____.
[A]
our self-ratings are unrealistically high
[B]
illusory superiority is a baseless effect
[C] our
need for leadership is unnatural
[D]
self-enhancing strategies are ineffective
27. Visual recognition is believed to be
people’s_____.
[A]
rapid matching [B]
conscious choice
[C]
intuitive response [D]
automatic self-defence
28. Epley found that people with higher self-esteem tended
to_____.
[A]
underestimate their insecurities [B]
believe in their attractiveness
[C]
cover up their depressions [D]
oversimplify their illusions
29. The word “viscerally” (Para. 5) is closest
in meaning to_____.
[A]
instinctively [B] occasionally [C] particularly [D] aggressively
30. It can be inferred that Facebook is a
self-enhancer’s paradise because people can_____.
[A]
present their dishonest profiles [B]
define their traditional lifestyles
[C]
share their intellectual pursuits [D]
withhold their unflattering sides
Text 3
①The
concept of man versus machine is at
least as old as the industrial revolution, but this phenomenon tends to be most
acutely felt during economic downturns and fragile recoveries. ②And yet,
it would be a mistake to think we are right now simply experiencing the painful
side of a boom and bust cycle. ③Certain jobs have gone away for good,
outmoded by machines. ④Since technology has such an insatiable appetite for
eating up human jobs, this phenomenon will continue to restructure our economy
in ways we cannot immediately foresee.
①When
there is rapid improvement in the price and performance of technology, jobs
that were once thought to be immune from automation suddenly become threatened.
②This argument has attracted a lot of attention, via the success of the
book Race Against the Machine, by
Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, who both hail from MIT’s Center for
Digital Business.
①This
is a powerful argument, and a scary one. ②And yet, John Hagel, author of The Power of Pull and other books, says
Brynjolfsson and McAfee miss the reason why these jobs are so vulnerable to
technology in the first place.
①Hagel
says we have designed jobs in the U.S. that tend to be “tightly scripted”
and “highly standardized” ones that leave no room for
“individual initiative or creativity.” ②In short, these are
the types of jobs that machines can perform much better at than human beings.
③That is how we have put a giant target sign on the backs of American
workers, Hagel says.
①It’s
time to reinvent the formula for how work is conducted, since we are still
relying on a very 20th century notion of work, Hagel says. ②In our
rapidly changing economy, we more than ever need people in the workplace who
can take initiative and exercise their imagination “to respond to
unexpected events.” ③That is not something machines are good at.
④They are designed to perform very predictable activities.
①As
Hagel notes, Brynjolfsson and McAfee indeed touched on this point in their
book. ②We need to reframe race
against the machine as race with the machine. ③In other words, we
need to look at the ways in which machines can augment human labor rather than
replace it. ④So then the problem is not really about technology, but
rather, “how do we innovate our institutions and our work
practices?”
31. According to the first paragraph, economic downturns
would_____.
[A]
ease the competition of man vs. machine
[B]
highlight machines’ threat to human jobs
[C]
provoke a painful technological revolution
[D]
outmode our current economic structure
32. The authors of Race
Against the Machine argue that_____.
[A]
technology is diminishing man’s job opportunities
[B]
automation is accelerating technological development
[C]
certain jobs will remain intact after automation
[D]
man will finally win the race against machine
33. Hagel argues that jobs in the U.S. are often_____.
[A]
performed by innovative minds
[B]
scripted with an individual style
[C]
standardized without a clear target
[D]
designed against human creativity
34. According to the last paragraph, Brynjolfsson and McAfee
discussed_____.
[A]
the predictability of machine behavior in practice
[B]
the formula for how work is conducted efficiently
[C]
the ways machines replace human labor in modern times
[D]
the necessity of human involvement in the workplace
35. Which of the following could be the most appropriate
title for the text?
[A]
How to Innovate Our Work Practices?
[B]
Machines Will Replace Human Labor
[C]
Can We Win the Race Against Machines?
[D]
Economic Downturns Stimulate Innovations
Text 4
①When
the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy the focus
is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy. ②Housing is seldom
mentioned.
①Why
is that? ②To some extent the housing sector must shoulder the blame.
③We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can
contribute to economic growth. ④Then there is the scale of the typical
housing project. ⑤It is hard to shove for attention among
multibillion-pound infrastructure projects, so it is inevitable that the
attention is focused elsewhere. ⑥But perhaps the most significant reason
is that the issue has always been so politically charged.
①Nevertheless,
the affordable housing situation is desperate. ②Waiting lists increase
all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.
①The comprehensive spending review offers an
opportunity for the government to help rectify this. ②It needs to put
historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent
housing need.
①There
are some indications that it is preparing to do just that. ②The
communities minister, Don Foster, has hinted that George Osborne, Chancellor of
the Exchequer, may introduce more flexibility to the current cap on the amount
that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt.
③Evidence shows that 60,000 extra new homes could be built over the next
five years if the cap were lifted, increasing GDP by 0.6%.
①Ministers
should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment, which
would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund
new developments from revenues.
①But
it is not just down to the government. ②While these measures would be
welcome in the short term, we must face up to the fact that the existing
£4.5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing, set to expire
in 2015, is unlikely to be extended beyond then. ③The Labour party has
recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition’s
spending plans if it returns to power. ④The housing sector needs to
accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to the era of large-scale
public grants. ⑤We need to adjust to this changing climate.
①While
the government’s commitment to long-term funding may have changed, the
very pressing need for more affordable housing is real and is not going away.
36. The author believes that the housing sector_____.
[A]
has attracted much attention
[B]
has lost its real value in economy
[C]
shoulders too much responsibility
[D]
involves certain political factors
37. It can be learned that affordable housing has_____.
[A]
suffered government biases
[B]
increased its home supply
[C]
offered spending opportunities
[D]
disappointed the government
38. According to Paragraph 5, George Osborne may_____.
[A]
prepare to reduce housing stock debt
[B]
release a lifted GDP growth forecast
[C]
allow greater government debt for housing
[D]
stop local authorities from building homes
39. It can be inferred that a stable rental environment
would_____.
[A]
lower the costs of registered providers
[B]
relieve the ministers of responsibilities
[C]
contribute to funding new developments
[D]
lessen the impact of government interference
40. The author believes that after 2015, the government
may_____.
[A]
implement more policies to support housing
[B]
stop generous funding to the housing sector
[C]
renew the affordable housing grants programme
[D]
review the need for large-scale public grants
Part B
Directions:
Read the
following text and match each of the numbered items in the left column to its
corresponding information in the right column. There are two extra choices in
the right column, Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
Emerging in the late Sixties and reaching a
peak in the Seventies, Land Art was one of a range of new forms, including Body
Art, Performance Art, Action Art and Installation Art, which pushed art beyond the
traditional confines of the studio and gallery. Rather than portraying
landscape, land artists used the physical substance of the land itself as their
medium.
The British land art, typified by Richard Long’s piece, was not only more domestically
scaled, but a lot quirkier than its American counterpart. Indeed, while you
might assume that an exhibition of Land Art would consist only of records of
works rather than the works themselves, Long’s photograph of his work is the work. Since
his “action” is in the past, the photograph is its sole embodiment.
That might seem rather an obscure point,
but it sets the tone for an exhibition that contains a lot of black-and-white photographs and relatively few
natural objects.
Long is Britain’s best-known Land Artist and his Stone Circle, a
perfect ring of purplish rocks from Portishead beach laid out on the gallery
floor, represents the elegant, rarefied side of the form. The Boyle Family, on
the other hand, stand for its dirty, urban aspect. Comprising artists Mark Boyle
and Joan Hills and their children, they recreated random sections of the
British landscape on gallery walls. Their Olaf Street Study, a square of brick-strewn waste ground, is one of the few
works here to embrace the commonplaceness that characterises most of our
experience of the landscape most of the time.
Parks feature, particularly in the earlier
works, such as John Hilliard’s very funny Across the Park, in which a long-haired stroller is variously smiled at by a
pretty girl and unwittingly assaulted in a sequence of images that turn out to
be different parts of the same photograph.
Generally however British land artists
preferred to get away from towns, gravitating towards landscapes that are
traditionally considered beautiful such as the Lake District or the Wiltshire
Downs. While it probably wasn’t apparent at the time, much of this work is permeated
by a spirit of romantic escapism that the likes of Wordsworth would have
readily understood. Derek Jarman’s yellow-tinted film Towards Avebury, a collection of long,
mostly still shots of the Wiltshire landscape, evokes a tradition of English
landscape painting stretching from Samuel Palmer to Paul Nash.
In the case of Hamish Fulton, you can’t help feeling that the Scottish artist has
simply found a way of making his love of walking pay. A typical work, such as
Seven Days, consists of a single beautiful black-and-white photograph taken on an epic walk,
with the mileage and number of days taken listed beneath. British Land Art as
shown in this well selected, but relatively modestly scaled exhibition wasn’t about imposing on the landscape, more a
kind of landscape-orientated
light conceptual art created passing through. It had its origins in the great
outdoors, but the results were as gallery-bound as the paintings of Turner and
Constable.
|
|
[A] originates
from a long walk that the artist took. |
|
41. Stone
Circle |
[B]
illustrates a kind of landscape-orientated
light conceptual art. |
|
42. Olaf
Street Study |
[C] reminds
people of the English landscape painting tradition. |
|
43. Across the
Park |
[D] represents
the elegance of the British land art. |
|
44. Towards
Avebury |
[E] depicts
the ordinary side of the British land art. |
|
45. Seven days |
[F] embodies a
romantic escape into the Scottish outdoors. |
|
|
[G] contains
images from different parts of the same photograph. |
46. Directions:
Translate the
following text into Chinese. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET . (15
points)
Ben-Shahar uses three optimistic exercises.
When he feels down—say, after giving a bad lecture—he grants
himself permission to be human. He reminds himself that not every lecture can
be a Nobel winner; some will be less effective than others. Next is
reconstruction. He analyzes the weak lecture, learning lessons for the future
about what works and what doesn’t. Finally, there is perspective, which
involves acknowledging that in the grand scheme of life, one lecture really
doesn’t matter.
Part A
47. Directions:
Suppose you are going to study abroad and share an
apartment with John, a local student. Write him an email to
1) tell him about your living habits, and
2) ask for advice about living there.
You should write about 100 words on the ANSWER
SHEET.
Do not use your own name. Use “Li Ming”
instead.
Do not write your address. (10 points)
Part B
48.Directions:
Write an essay
based on the following chart. In your writing, you should
1) interpret the
chart, and
2) give your
comments.
You should write
about 150 words on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)
2015年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语(二)试题
Section Ⅰ
Use of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the
best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER
SHEET.(10 points)
①In
our contemporary culture, the prospect of communicating with—or even
looking at—a stranger is virtually unbearable. ②Everyone
around us seems to agree by the way they cling to their phones, even without a 1 on a subway.
①It’s
a sad reality—our desire to avoid
interacting with other human beings—because there’s 2 to be gained from talking to the
stranger standing by you. ② But you wouldn’t
know it, 3 into your phone. ③This universal
protection sends the 4 :
“Please don’t approach me.”
①What is it that makes us feel we need to hide 5 our screens?
①One
answer is fear, according to Jon Wortmann, an executive mental coach. ② We
fear rejection, or that our innocent social advances will be 6 as “weird.” ③We fear we’ll be 7 .
④We fear we’ll be disruptive.
①Strangers are inherently 8 to us, so we are more likely to feel 9 when communicating with them compared with our friends
and acquaintances. ② To
avoid this uneasiness, we 10 to our phones. ③“Phones become our
security blanket,” Wortmann says. ④“They are our happy
glasses that protect us from what we perceive is going to be more 11 .”
①But
once we rip off the band-aid, tuck our smartphones in our pockets and look up,
it doesn’t 12
so
bad. ② In
one 2011 experiment, behavioral scientists Nicholas Epley and Juliana Schroeder
asked commuters to do the unthinkable: Start a 13 . ③They had Chicago train
commuters talk to their fellow 14 .
④“ When Dr. Epley and Ms. Schroeder asked other people
in the same train station to 15 how
they would feel after talking to a
stranger, the commuters thought their 16 would
be more pleasant if they sat on their own,” The New York Times
summarizes. ⑤Though
the participants didn’t expect a positive experience, after they 17 with the experiment,
“not a single person reported having been embarrassed.”
① 18 , these commutes were reportedly more enjoyable
compared with those without communication, which makes absolute sense, 19 human beings thrive off of social connections. ②It’s
that 20 :
Talking to strangers can make you feel connected.
1. [A] signal [B]
permit
[C] ticket
[D]
record
2. [A] nothing [B]
little
[C] another
[D] much
3. [A] beaten [B]
plugged [C] guided
[D]
brought
4. [A] message [B]
code
[C] notice
[D] sign
5. [A] under [B]
beyond
[C] behind
[D] from
6. [A] misapplied [B]
misinterpreted [C] misadjusted [D]
mismatched
7. [A] judged [B]
fired
[C] replaced
[D]
delayed
8. [A] unreasonable [B]
ungrateful [C] unconventional [D]
unfamiliar
9. [A] comfortable [B]
confident [C] anxious
[D]
angry
10. [A]
attend [B] turn
[C] take [D]
point
11. [A]
dangerous [B]
mysterious [C]
violent
[D] boring
12. [A]
bend [B]
resist
[C] hurt
[D] decay
13. [A]
lecture [B]
debate [C] conversation [D]
negotiation
14. [A]
trainees [B]
employees [C] researchers [D]
passengers
15. [A]
reveal [B] choose
[C] predict
[D]
design
16. [A]
voyage [B]
flight
[C] walk
[D] ride
17. [A]
went through [B]
did away
[C] caught up [D] put up
18. [A]
In turn [B]
In fact [C] In particular [D] In consequence
19. [A]
unless [B]
whereas
[C] if
[D] since
20. [A]
funny [B]
simple
[C] logical
[D]
rare
Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the
following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C
or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text
1
①A new study suggests that contrary to most surveys,
people are actually more stressed at home than at work. ②Researchers
measured people’s cortisol, which is stress marker, while they were at
work and while they were at home and found it higher at what is supposed to be
a place of refuge.
①“Further contradicting conventional wisdom, we
found that women as well as men have lower levels of stress at work than at
home,” writes one of the researchers, Sarah Damaske. ②In fact women
even say they feel better at work, she notes, “It is men, not women, who report
being happier at home than at work.” ③Another surprise is that the
findings hold true for both those with children and without, but more so for
nonparents. ④This is
why people who work outside the home have better health.
①What the study doesn’t measure is whether
people are still doing work when they’re at home, whether it is household
work or work brought home from the office. ②For many men, the end of the
workday is a time to kick back. ③For women who stay home, they never get
to leave the office. ④And for women who work outside the home, they often
are playing catch-up-with-household tasks. ⑤With the blurring of roles, and the fact that the home front
lags well behind the workplace in making adjustments for working women,
it’s not surprising that women are more stressed at home.
①But it’s not just a gender thing. ②At
work, people pretty much know what they’re supposed to be doing: working,
making money, doing the tasks they have to do in order to draw an income.
③The bargain is very pure: Employee puts in hours of physical or mental
labor and employee draws out life-sustaining moola.
①On the home front, however, people have no such
clarity. ②Rare is the household in which the division of labor is so
clinically and methodically laid out. ③There are a lot of tasks to be
done, there are inadequate rewards for most of them. ④Your home
colleagues—your family—have no clear rewards for their labor; they
need to be talked into it, or if they’re teenagers, threatened with
complete removal of all electronic devices. ⑤Plus, they’re your family. ⑥You cannot fire your family. ⑦You never really get to
go home from home.
①So it’s not surprising that people are more
stressed at home. ②Not only are the tasks apparently infinite, the
co-workers are much harder to motivate.
21. According to Paragraph 1,
most previous surveys found that home .
[A] offered greater relaxation
than the workplace.
[B] was an ideal place for
stress measurement.
[C] generated more stress than
the workplace.
[D] was an unrealistic place for
relaxation.
22. According to Damaske, who
are likely to be the happiest at home?
[A] Working mothers.
[B] Childless husbands.
[C] Working fathers.
[D] Childless wives.
23. The blurring of working women’s
roles refers to the fact that
.
[A] their home is also a place
for kicking back
[B] they are both bread winners
and housewives
[C] there is often much
housework left behind
[D] it is difficult for them to
leave their office
24. The word “moola” (Para. 4) most probably means
.
[A]skills
[B]energy
[C]earnings
[D]nutrition
25. The home front differs from
the workplace in that
.
[A]family labor is often
adequately rewarded
[B]home is hardly a cozier
working environment
[C]household tasks are generally
more motivating
[D]division of labor at home is
seldom clear-cut
Text
2
①For
years, studies have found that first-generation college students—those
who do not have a parent with a college degree—lag other students on a
range of education achievement factors. ②Their grades are lower and their
dropout rates are higher. ③But since such students are most likely to
advance economically if they succeed in higher education, colleges and
universities have pushed for decades to recruit more of them. ④This has
created “a paradox” in that recruiting first-generation students,
but then watching many of them fail, means that higher education has
“continued to reproduce and widen, rather than close” an
achievement gap based on social class, according to the depressing beginning of
a paper forthcoming in the journal Psychological
Science.
①But
the article is actually quite optimistic, as it outlines a potential solution
to this problem, suggesting that an approach (which involves a one-hour,
next-to-no-cost program) can close 63 percent of the achievement gap (measured
by such factors as grades) between first-generation and other students.
①The
authors of the paper are from different universities, and their findings are
based on a study involving 147 students (who completed the project) at an
unnamed private university. ②First generation was defined as not having a
parent with a four-year college degree. ③Most of the first-generation
students (59.1 percent) were recipients of Pell Grants, a federal grant for
undergraduates with financial need, while this was true only for 8.6 percent of
the students with at least one parent with a four-year degree.
①Their
thesis—that a relatively modest intervention could have a big
impact—was based on the view that first-generation students may be most
lacking not in potential but in practical knowledge about how to deal with the
issues that face most college students. ②They cite past research by
several authors to show that this is the gap that must be narrowed to close the
achievement gap.
①Many
first-generation students “struggle to navigate the middle-class culture
of higher education, learn the ‘rules of the game,’ and take
advantage of college resources,” they write. ②And this becomes more
of a problem when colleges don’t talk about the class advantages and
disadvantages of different groups of students. ③”Because US
colleges and universities seldom acknowledge how social class can affect
students’ educational experiences, many first-generation students lack
insight about why they are struggling and do not understand how students
‘like them’ can improve.”
26. Recruiting more
first-generation students has .
[A] reduced their dropout
rates
[B] narrowed the achievement gap
[C] missed its original
purpose
[D] depressed college students
27. The authors of the research
article are optimistic because .
[A] their findings appeal to
students
[B] the recruiting rate has increased
[C] the problem is solvable
[D] their approach is costless
28. The study suggests that most
first-generation students .
[A] are from single-parent
families [B] study
at private universities
[C] are in need of financial
support [D] have
failed their collage
29. The authors of the paper
believe that first-generation students .
[A] may lack opportunities to
apply for research projects
[B] are inexperienced in
handling their issues at college
[C] can have a potential
influence on other students
[D] are actually indifferent to
the achievement gap
30. We may infer from the last
paragraph that .
[A] universities often reject
the culture of the middle-class
[B] students are usually to
blame for their lack of resources
[C] social class greatly helps enrich
educational experiences
[D] colleges are partly
responsible for the problem in question
Text
3
①Even in traditional offices, “the lingua franca of corporate America has gotten much more emotional
and much more right-brained than it was 20 years ago,” said Harvard
Business School professor Nancy Koehn. ②She started spinning off examples. ③“If you and I parachuted back to Fortune 500 companies
in 1990, we would see much less frequent use of terms like journey, mission, passion. ④There were goals, there were strategies, there were
objectives, but we didn’t talk about energy;
we didn’t talk about passion.”
①Koehn pointed out that this new era of corporate
vocabulary is very “team”-
oriented—and not by coincidence. ②“Let’s not forget sports—in male-dominated
corporate America, it’s still a big deal. ③ It’s not explicitly conscious; it’s the idea
that I’m a coach, and you’re my team, and we’re in this
together. ④There are lots and lots of CEOs
in very different companies, but most think of themselves as coaches and this
is their team and they want to win.”
①These terms are also intended to infuse work with
meaning—and, as Rakesh Khurana, another professor, points out, increase
allegiance to the firm. ②“You have the importation of terminology
that historically used to be associated with non-profit organizations and
religious organizations: terms like vision, values, passion,
and purpose,” said Khurana.
①This new focus on personal fulfillment can help keep
employees motivated amid increasingly loud debates over work-life balance. ②The “mommy wars” of the 1990s are still going on
today, prompting arguments about why women still can’t have it all and
books like Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean
In, whose title has become a buzzword in its own right. ③Terms like unplug,
offline, life-hack, bandwidth, and capacity
are all about setting boundaries between the office and the home. ④But if your work is your “passion”, you’ll
be more likely to devote yourself to it, even if that means going home for
dinner and then working long after the kids are in bed.
①But this seems to be the irony of office speak: Everyone
makes fun of it, but managers love it, companies depend on it, and regular
people willingly absorb it. ②As a linguist once said, “You can get people to think
it’s nonsense at the same time that you buy into it.” ③ In a workplace that’s fundamentally indifferent to
your life and its meaning, office speak can help you figure out how you relate
to your work—and how your work defines who you are.
31.
According to Nancy Koehn, office language has become .
[A]
less strategic [B] less
energetic
[C]
more objective [D] more
emotional
32.
“Team”-oriented corporate vocabulary is closely related to .
[A]
sports culture [B] gender
difference
[C]
historical incidents [D] athletic
executives
33.
Khurana believes that the importation of terminology aims to .
[A]
revive historical terms
[B] promote company image
[C]
foster corporate cooperation[D] strengthen employee loyalty
34.
It can be inferred that Lean In .
[A]
voices for working women
[B]
appeals to passionate workaholics
[C]
triggers debates among mommies
[D]
praises motivated employees
35.
Which of the following statements is true about office speak?
[A]
Linguists believe it to be nonsense.
[B]
Regular people mock it but accept it.
[C]
Companies find it to be fundamental.
[D]
Managers admire it but avoid it.
Text
4
①Many people talked of the
288,000 new jobs the Labor Department reported for June, along with the drop in
the unemployment rate to 6.1 percent, as good news. And they were right.
②For now it appears the economy is creating jobs at a decent pace.
③We still have a long way to go to get back to full employment, but at
least we are now finally moving forward at a faster pace.
①However, there is another important
part of the jobs picture that was largely overlooked. ②There was a big
jump in the number of people who report voluntarily working part-time.
③This figure is now 830,000 (4.4 percent) above its year ago level.
①Before explaining the connection
to the Obamacare, it is worth making an important distinction. ②Many
people who work part-time jobs actually want full-time jobs. ③They take
part-time work because this is all they can get. ④An increase in involuntary
part-time work is evidence of weakness in the labor market and it means that
many people will be having a very hard time making ends meet.
①There was an increase in
involuntary part-time in June, but the general direction has been down.
②Involuntary part-time employment is still far higher than before the
recession, but it is down by 640,000 (7.9 percent) from its year ago level.
①We know the difference between
voluntary and involuntary part-time employment because people tell us.
②The survey used by the Labor Department asks people if they worked less
than 35 hours in the reference week. ③If the answer is “yes,”
they are classified as working part-time. ④The survey then asks whether
they worked less than 35 hours in that week because they wanted to work less
than full time or because they had no choice. ⑤They are only classified
as voluntary part-time workers if they tell the survey taker they chose to work
less than 35 hours a week.
①The issue of voluntary
part-time relates to Obamacare because one of the main purposes was to allow
people to get insurance outside of employment. ②For many people,
especially those with serious health conditions or family members with serious
health conditions, before Obamacare the only way to get insurance was through a
job that provided health insurance.
①However, Obamacare has
allowed more than 12 million people to either get insurance through Medicaid or
the exchanges. ②These are people who may previously have felt the need to
get a full-time job that provided insurance in order to cover themselves and
their families. ③With Obamacare there is no longer a link between
employment and insurance.
36.
Which part of the jobs picture was neglected?
[A] The prospect of a thriving
job market.
[B] The increase of voluntary
part-time jobs.
[C] The possibility of full employment.
[D] The acceleration of job
creation.
37.
Many people work part-time because they .
[A] prefer part-time jobs to
full-time jobs
[B] feel that is enough to make
ends meet
[C] cannot get their hands on
full-time jobs
[D] haven’t seen the weakness
of the market
38.
Involuntary part-time employment in the US .
[A] shows a general tendency of
decline
[B] is harder to acquire than
one year ago
[C] satisfies the real need of
the jobless
[D] is lower than before the
recession
39.
It can be learned that with Obamacare, .
[A] it is no longer easy for
part-timers to get insurance
[B] full-time employment is
still essential for insurance
[C] it is still challenging to
get insurance for family members
[D] employment is no longer a
precondition to get insurance
40.
The text mainly discusses .
[A] employment in the US [B]
part-timer classification
[C] insurance through
Medicaid [D]
Obamacare’s trouble
Part B
Directions:
Read the following text and
answer the questions by choosing the most suitable subheading from the list A-G
for each numbered paragraph (41-45). There are two extra subheadings which you
do not need to use. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
［A］You are not alone
［B］Experience helps you grow
［C］Pave your own unique path
［D］Most of your fears are unreal
［E］Think about the present moment
［F］Don’t fear responsibility for
your life
［G］There are many things to be grateful
for
Some
Old Truths to Help You Overcome Tough Times
Unfortunately, life is not a bed of roses. We are going
through life facing sad experiences. Moreover, we are grieving various kinds of
loss: a friendship, a romantic relationship or a house. Hard times may hold you
down at what usually seems like the most inopportune time, but you should
remember that they won’t last forever.
When our time of mourning is over, we press forward,
stronger with a greater understanding and respect for life. Furthermore, these
losses make us mature and eventually move us toward future opportunities for
growth and happiness. I want to share these old truths I’ve
learned along the way.
41.
Fear is both useful and harmful. This normal human reaction
is used to protect us by signaling danger and preparing us to deal with it.
Unfortunately, people create inner barriers with a help of exaggerating fears.
My favorite actor Will Smith once said, “Fear is not real. It is a
product of thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real.
But fear is a choice. ” I do completely agree that fears are just the
product of our luxuriant imagination.
42.
If you are surrounded by problems and cannot stop thinking
about the past, try to focus on the present moment. Many of us are weighed down
by the past or anxious about the future. You may feel guilt over your past, but
you are poisoning the present with the things and circumstances you cannot
change. Value the present moment and remember how fortunate you are to be
alive. Enjoy the beauty of the world around and keep the eyes open to see the
possibilities before you. Happiness is not a point of future and not a moment
from the past, but a mindset that can be designed into the present.
43.
Sometimes it is easy to feel bad because you are going
through tough times. You can be easily caught up by life problems that you
forget to pause and appreciate the things you have. Only strong people prefer
to smile and value their life instead of crying and complaining about
something.
44.
No matter how isolated you might feel and how serious the
situation is, you should always remember that you are not alone. Try to keep in
mind that almost everyone respects and wants to help you if you are trying to
make a good change in your life, especially your dearest and nearest people.
You may have a circle of friends who provide constant good humor, help and
companionship. If you have no friends or relatives, try to participate in
several online communities, full of people who are always willing to share
advice and encouragement.
45.
Today
many people find it difficult to trust their own opinion and seek balance by
gaining objectivity from external sources. This way you devalue your opinion
and show that you are incapable of managing your own life. When you are
struggling to achieve something important you should believe in yourself and be
sure that your decision is the best. You live in your skin, think your own
thoughts, have your own values and make your own choices.
46. Directions:
Translate the following text
into Chinese. Write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)
Think about driving a route that’s very familiar. It
could be your commute to work, a trip into town or the way home. Whichever it
is, you know every twist and turn like the back of your hand. On these sorts of
trips it’s easy to lose concentration on the driving and pay little
attention to the passing scenery. The consequence is that you perceive that the
trip has taken less time than it actually has.
This is the well-travelled road effect: People tend to
underestimate the time it takes to travel a familiar route.
The effect is caused by the way we allocate our attention.
When we travel down a well-known route, because we don’t have to
concentrate much, time seems to flow more quickly. And afterwards, when we come
to think back on it, we can’t remember the journey well because we
didn’t pay much attention to it. So we assume it was shorter.
Section IV Writing
Part A
47. Directions:
Suppose your
university is going to host a summer camp for high school students. Write a
notice to
1) briefly introduce the camp
activities, and
2) call for volunteers.
You should write
about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.
Do not use your own name. Use “Li Ming”
instead.
Do not write your address. (10 points)
Part B
48. Directions:
Write an essay
based on the following chart. In your writing, your should
1) interpret the chart, and
2) give your comments.
You should write
about 150 words on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)
2016年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语（二）试题
Section I Use of English
Directions:
Read the
following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B,
C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
①Happy people work differently. They’re more productive, more creative, and willing to take
greater risks. ②And new research suggests that happiness might influence 1 firms work, too.
①Companies located in places with happier people invest
more, according to a recent research paper. 2 , firms in happy places spend more on R&D (research and development). ②That’s because happiness is linked to the kind of
longer-term thinking 3 for making investments for the
future.
①The researchers wanted to know if the 4 and inclination for
risk-taking that come with happiness would 5 the way companies invested. ② So they compared U.S. cities’ average
happiness 6
by Gallup
polling with the investment activity of publicly traded firms in those areas.
① 7 enough, firms’
investment and R&D intensity were correlated with the happiness of the area
in which they were 8 . ②But is it really happiness that’s linked to
investment, or could something else about happier cities 9 why firms there spend more on
R&D? ③To find out, the
researchers controlled for various 10 that might make firms more
likely to invest—like size, industry,
and sales—and for indicators that
a place was 11 to live in, like growth in
wages or population. ④The link between
happiness and investment generally 12 even after accounting for
these things.
①The correlation between happiness and investment was
particularly strong for younger firms, which the authors 13 to “less codified
decision making process” and the possible presence of “younger and
less 14 managers who are more likely
to be influenced by sentiment.” ②The relationship was 15 stronger in places where
happiness was spread more 16 . ③Firms seem to invest
more in places where most people are relatively happy, rather than in places
with happiness inequality.
① 17 this doesn’t prove that
happiness causes firms to invest more or to take a longer-term view, the
authors believe it at least 18 at that possibility. ②It’s not hard to imagine that local culture and
sentiment would help 19 how executives think about the
future. ③“It surely seems
plausible that happy people would be more forward-thinking and creative and 20 R&D more than the
average,” said one researcher.
1. [A]
why [B] how [C]
where [D] when
2. [A]
In return [B]
In particular [C] In contrast [D]
In conclusion
3. [A]
necessary [B]
famous [C] perfect
[D]
sufficient
4. [A]
individualism [B] realism [C] optimism [D]
modernism
5. [A]
miss [B] echo [C]
spoil [D] change
6. [A]
imagined [B]
measured [C] assumed
[D]
invented
7. [A]
Sure [B] Odd
[C]
Unfortunate [D]
Often
8. [A]
divided [B] advertised [C]
overtaxed [D] headquartered
9. [A]
summarize [B]
overstate [C] explain
[D]
emphasize
10. [A] factors [B]
stages [C] levels [D] methods
11. [A]
desirable [B]
sociable [C] reliable [D] reputable
12. [A] resumed [B]
emerged [C] held [D]
broke
13. [A] assign [B]
attribute [C] transfer [D] compare
14. [A] serious [B]
civilized [C] ambitious [D] experienced
15. [A] instead [B]
thus [C] also [D]
never
16. [A] rapidly [B]
directly [C] regularly [D] equally
17. [A] While [B]
Until [C] After
[D] Since
18. [A] arrives [B]
jumps [C] hints [D] strikes
19. [A] share [B]
rediscover [C] simplify [D] shape
20. [A]
pray for [B] lean towards [C]
send out [D]
give away
Section
Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the
following four texts. Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C or
D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
①It’s true that high-school coding
classes aren’t essential for learning computer science in college. ②Students without experience can catch
up after a few introductory courses, said Tom Cortina, the assistant dean at
Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science.
①However, Cortina said, early exposure
is beneficial. ②When younger
kids learn computer science, they learn that it’s not just a confusing,
endless string of letters and numbers—but
a tool to build apps, or create artwork, or test hypotheses. ③It’s not as hard for them to
transform their thought processes as it is for older students. ④Breaking
down problems into bite-sized chunks and using code to solve them becomes
normal. ⑤Giving more children this training could increase the number
of people interested in the field and help fill the jobs gap, Cortina said.
①Students also benefit from learning
something about coding before they get to college, where introductory
computer-science classes are packed to the brim, which can drive the
less-experienced or -determined students away.
①The Flatiron School, where people pay
to learn programming, started as one of the many coding bootcamps that’s
become popular for adults looking for a career change. ①The high-schoolers get the same
curriculum, but “we try to gear lessons toward things they’re
interested in,” said Victoria Friedman, an instructor. ③For instance, one of the apps the
students are developing suggests movies based on your mood.
①The students in the Flatiron class
probably won’t drop out of high school and build the next Facebook. ②Programming languages have a quick
turnover, so the “Ruby on Rails” language they learned may not even
be relevant by the time they enter the job market. ③But the skills they learn—how to think logically through a
problem and organize the results—apply
to any coding language, said Deborah Seehorn, an education consultant for the
state of North Carolina.
①Indeed, the Flatiron students might not
go into IT at all. ②But creating a
future army of coders is not the sole purpose of the classes. ③These kids are going to be surrounded
by computers—in their
pockets, in their offices, in their homes—for the rest of their lives. ④The
younger they learn how computers think, how to coax the machine into
producing what they want—the
earlier they learn that they have the power to do that—the better.
21. Cortina holds that early
exposure to computer science makes it easier to____.
A. complete future job training
B. remodel the way of thinking
C. formulate logical hypotheses
D. perfect artwork production
22. In delivering lessons for
high-schoolers, Flatiron has considered their____.
A. experience
B. interest
C. career prospects
D. academic backgrounds
23. Deborah Seehorn believes
that the skills learned at Flatiron will____.
A. help students learn other computer languages
B. have to be upgraded when new technologies come
C. need improving when students look for jobs
D. enable students to make big quick money
24. According to the last
paragraph, Flatiron students are expected to____.
A. bring forth innovative computer technologies
B. stay longer in the information technology industry
C. become better prepared for the digitalized world
D. compete with a future army of programmers
25. The word “coax” (Para.6)
is closest in meaning to____.
A. persuade
B. frighten
C. misguide
D. challenge
Text 2
①Biologists estimate that as many as 2
million lesser prairie chickens—a
kind of bird living on stretching grasslands—once lent red to the often
grey landscape of the midwestern and southwestern United States. ②But just some 22,000 birds remain
today, occupying about 16% of the species’ historic range.
①The crash was a major reason the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) decided to formally list the bird as threatened.
②“The
lesser prairie chicken is in a desperate situation,” said USFWS Director
Daniel Ashe. ③Some
environmentalists, however, were disappointed. ④They
had pushed the agency to designate the bird as “endangered,” a
status that gives federal officials greater regulatory power to crack down on
threats. ⑤But Ashe and others argued that the “threatened”
tag gave the federal government flexibility to try out new, potentially less
confrontational conservation approaches. ⑥In
particular, they called for forging closer collaborations with western state
governments, which are often uneasy with federal action, and with the private
landowners who control an estimated 95% of the prairie chicken’s habitat.
①Under the plan, for example, the agency
said it would not prosecute landowners or businesses that unintentionally kill,
harm, or disturb the bird, as long as they had signed a range-wide management
plan to restore prairie chicken habitat. ②Negotiated by USFWS and the states, the
plan requires individuals and businesses that damage habitat as part of their
operations to pay into a fund to replace every acre destroyed with 2 new acres
of suitable habitat. ③The
fund will also be used to compensate landowners who set aside habitat. ④USFWS
also set an interim goal of restoring prairie chicken populations to an annual
average of 67,000 birds over the next 10 years. ⑤And
it gives the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), a
coalition of state agencies, the job of monitoring progress. ⑥Overall,
the idea is to let “states” remain in the driver’s seat for
managing the species,” Ashe said.
①Not everyone buys the win-win rhetoric.
②Some Congress
members are trying to block the plan, and at least a dozen industry groups, four
states, and three environmental groups are challenging it in federal court. ③Not surprisingly, industry groups and
states generally argue it goes too far; environmentalists say it doesn’t
go far enough “The federal government is giving responsibility for
managing the bird to the same industries that are pushing it to
extinction,” says biologist Jay Lininger.
26. The major reason for listing
the lesser prairie chicken as threatened is____.
A. its drastically decreased population
B. the underestimate of the grassland acreage
C. a desperate appeal from some biologists
D. the insistence of private landowners
27. The “threatened”
tag disappointed some environmentalists in that it_____.
A. was a give-in to governmental pressure
B. would involve fewer agencies in action
C. granted less federal regulatory power
D. went against conservation policies
28. It can be learned from Paragraph 3
that unintentional harm-doers will not be prosecuted if they_____.
A. agree to pay a sum for compensation
B. volunteer to set up an equally big habitat
C. offer to support the WAFWA monitoring job
D. promise to raise funds for USFWS operations
29. According to Ashe, the
leading role in managing the species is______.
A. the federal government
B. the wildlife agencies
C. the landowners
D. the states
30. Jay Lininger would most
likely support_______.
A. industry groups
B. the win-win rhetoric
C. environmental groups
D. the plan under challenge
Text 3
①That everyone’s too busy these
days is a cliché. ②But
one specific complaint is made especially mournfully: There’s never any
time to read.
①What makes the problem thornier is that
the usual time-management techniques don’t seem sufficient. ②The web’s full of articles
offering tips on making time to read: “Give up TV” or “Carry
a book with you at all times.” ③But
in my experience, using such methods to free up the odd 30 minutes
doesn’t work. ④Sit down to read and the flywheel of work-related thoughts
keeps spinning—or else
you’re so exhausted that a challenging book’s the last thing you
need. ⑤The modern mind, Tim Parks, a novelist and critic, writes,
“is overwhelmingly inclined toward communication… ⑥It
is not simply that one is interrupted; it is that one is actually inclined
to interruption.” ⑦Deep reading
requires not just time, but a special kind of time which can’t be
obtained merely by becoming more efficient.
①In fact, “becoming more
efficient” is part of the problem. ②Thinking of time as a resource to be
maximised means you approach it instrumentally, judging any given moment as
well spent only in so far as it advances progress toward some goal. ③Immersive reading, by contrast, depends
on being willing to risk inefficiency, goallessness, even time-wasting. ④Try
to slot it in as a to-do list item and you’ll manage only goal-focused
reading—useful,
sometimes, but not the most fulfilling kind. ⑤“The
future comes at us like empty bottles along an unstoppable and nearly infinite
conveyor belt,” writes Gary Eberle in his book Sacred Time, and
“we feel a pressure to fill these different-sized bottles (days, hours,
minutes)as they pass, for if they get by without being filled, we will have
wasted them.” ⑥No mind-set could be worse for losing yourself in a book.
①So what does work? ②Perhaps surprisingly, scheduling
regular times for reading. ③You’d
think this might fuel the efficiency mind-set, but in fact, Eberle notes, such
ritualistic behaviour helps us “step outside time’s flow”
into “soul time.” ④You could limit
distractions by reading only physical books, or on single-purpose e-readers. ⑤“Carry
a book with you at all times” can actually work, too—providing you dip in often enough, so
that reading becomes the default state from which you temporarily surface to
take care of business, before dropping back down. ⑥On a
really good day, it no longer feels as if you’re “making time to
read,” but just reading, and making time for everything else.
31. The usual time-management
techniques don’t work because ___.
A. what they can offer does not ease the modern mind
B. what challenging books demand is repetitive reading
C. what people often forget is carrying a book with them
D. what deep reading requires cannot be guaranteed
32. The “empty
bottles” metaphor illustrates that people feel a pressure to ___.
A. update their to-do lists
B. make passing time fulfilling
C. carry their plans through
D. pursue carefree reading
33. Eberle would agree that
scheduling regular times for reading helps ___.
A. encourage the efficiency mind-set
B. develop online reading habits
C. promote ritualistic reading
D. achieve immersive reading
34. “Carry a book with you
at all times” can work if ___.
A. reading becomes your primary business of the day
B. all the daily business has been promptly dealt with
C. you are able to drop back to business after reading
D. time can be evenly split for reading and business
35. The best title for this text
could be ___.
A. How to Enjoy Easy Reading
B. How to Find Time to Read
C. How to Set Reading Goals
D. How to Read Extensively
Text 4
①Against a backdrop of drastic changes
in economy and population structure, younger Americans are drawing a new
21st-century road map to success, a latest poll has found.
①Across generational lines, Americans
continue to prize many of the same traditional milestones of a successful life,
including getting married, having children, owning a home, and retiring in
their sixties. ②But while young
and old mostly agree on what constitutes the finish line of a fulfilling life,
they offer strikingly different paths for reaching it.
①Young people who are still getting
started in life were more likely than older adults to prioritize personal
fulfillment in their work, to believe they will advance their careers most by regularly
changing jobs, to favor communities with more public services and a faster pace
of life, to agree that couples should be financially secure before getting
married or having children, and to maintain that children are best served by
two parents working outside the home, the survey found.
①From career to community and family,
these contrasts suggest that in the aftermath of the searing Great Recession,
those just starting out in life are defining priorities and expectations that
will increasingly spread through virtually all aspects of American life, from
consumer preferences to housing patterns to politics.
①Young and old converge on one key
point: Overwhelming majorities of both groups said they believe it is harder
for young people today to get started in life than it was for earlier
generations. ②While younger
people are somewhat more optimistic than their elders about the prospects for
those starting out today, big majorities in both groups believe those
“just getting started in life” face a tougher climb than earlier
generations in reaching such signpost achievements as securing a good-paying
job, starting a family, managing debt, and finding affordable housing.
①Pete Schneider considers the climb
tougher today. ②Schneider, a
27-year-old auto technician from the Chicago suburbs, says he struggled to find
a job after graduating from college. ③Even
now that he is working steadily, he said, “I can’t afford to pay my
monthly mortgage payments on my own, so I have to rent rooms out to people to
make that happen.” ④Looking back,
he is struck that his parents could provide a comfortable life for their
children even though neither had completed college when he was young. ⑤“I
still grew up in an upper middle-class home with parents who didn’t have
college degrees,” Schneider said. “I don’t think people are
capable of that anymore.”
36. One cross-generation mark of
a successful life is_____.
A. trying out different lifestyles
B. having a family with children
C. working beyond retirement age
D. setting up a profitable business
37. It can be learned from
Paragraph 3 that young people tend to ____.
A. favor a slower life pace
B. hold an occupation longer
C. attach importance to pre-marital finance
D. give priority to childcare outside the home
38. The priorities and
expectations defined by the young will ____.
A. become increasingly clear
B. focus on materialistic issues
C. depend largely on political preferences
D. reach almost all aspects of American life
39. Both young and old agree
that ____.
A. good-paying jobs are less available
B. the old made more life achievements
C. housing loans today are easy to obtain
D. getting established is harder for the young
40. Which of the following is
true about Schneider？
A. He found a dream job after graduating from college.
B. His parents believe working steadily is a must for
success.
C. His parents’ good life has little to do with a
college degree.
D. He thinks his job as a technician quite challenging.
Part B
Directions:
Read the
following text and answer the questions by choosing the most suitable
subheading from the list A-G for each of the numbered paragraphs(41-45).There
are two extra subheadings which you do not need to use. Mark your answers on
the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
[A] Be silly
[B] Have fun
[C] Ask for help
[D] Express your emotions
[E] Don’t overthink
it
[F] Be easily pleased
[G] Notice things
Act Your Shoe Size, Not Your Age
As
adults, it seems that we are constantly pursuing happiness, often with mixed
results. Yet children appear to have it down to an art—and for the most
part they don't need self-help books or therapy. Instead, they look after their
wellbeing instinctively, and usually more effectively than we do as grownups.
Perhaps it's time to learn a few lessons from them.
41.______________
What
does a child do when he's sad? He cries. When he's angry? He shouts. Scared?
Probably a bit of both. As we grow up, we learn to control our emotions so they
are manageable and don't dictate our behaviours, which is in many ways a good
thing. But too often we take this process too far and end up suppressing
emotions, especially negative ones. That's about as effective as brushing dirt
under a carpet and can even make us ill. What we need to do is find a way to
acknowledge and express what we feel appropriately, and then—again, like
children—move on.
42.____________
A
couple of Christmases ago, my youngest stepdaughter, who was nine years old at
the time, got a Superman T-shirt for Christmas. It cost less than a fiver but
she was overjoyed, and couldn't stop talking about it. Too often we believe
that a new job, bigger house or better car will be the magic silver bullet that
will allow us to finally be content, but the reality is these things have very
little lasting impact on our happiness levels. Instead, being grateful for
small things every day is a much better way to improve wellbeing.
43.______________________
Have
you ever noticed how much children laugh? If we adults could indulge in a bit
of silliness and giggling, we would reduce the stress hormones in our bodies,
increase good hormones like endorphins, improve blood flow to our hearts and
even have a greater chance of fighting off infection. All of which would, of
course, have a positive effect on our happiness levels.
44.__________________
The
problem with being a grownup is that there's an awful lot of serious stuff to
deal with—work, mortgage payments, figuring out what to cook for dinner.
But as adults we also have the luxury of being able to control our own diaries
and it's important that we schedule in time to enjoy the things we love. Those
things might be social, sporting, creative or completely random (dancing around
the living room, anyone?)—it doesn't matter, so long as they're
enjoyable, and not likely to have negative side effects, such as drinking too
much alcohol or going on a wild spending spree if you're on a tight budget.
45.___________________
Having
said all of the above, it's important to add that we shouldn't try too hard to
be happy. Scientists tell us this can backfire and actually have a negative
impact on our wellbeing. As the Chinese philosopher Chuang Tzu is reported to
have said: “Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.”
And in that, once more, we need to look to the example of our children, to whom
happiness is not a goal but a natural byproduct of the way they live.
Section III Translation
46. Directions:
Translate the
following text into Chinese. Write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET. (15
points)
The
supermarket is designed to lure customers into spending as much time as
possible within its doors. The reason for this is simple: The longer you
stay in the store, the more stuff you’ll see, and the more stuff you see,
the more you’ll buy. And supermarkets contain a lot of stuff. The average
supermarket, according to the Food Marketing Institute, carries some 44,000
different items, and many carry tens of thousands more. The sheer volume of
available choice is enough to send shoppers into a state of information
overload. According to brain-scan experiments, the demands of so much
decision-making quickly become too much for us. After about 40 minutes of
shopping, most people stop struggling to be rationally selective, and instead
begin shopping emotionally—which is the point at which we accumulate the 50 percent of stuff in our cart that we never
intended buying.
Section IV Writing
Part A
47. Directions:
Suppose you won a
translation contest and your friend, Jack, wrote an email to congratulate you
and ask for advice on translation. Write him a reply to
1) thank him, and
2) give your
advice.
You should write
about 100 words on the ANWSER SHEET.
Do not use you own name. Use “Li Ming”
instead.
Do not write your address. (10 point)
Part B
48.Directions:
Write an essay
based on the chart below. In your writing, you should
1) interpret the
chart, and
2) give your
comments.
You should write
about 150 words on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points).
2017年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语二试题
Section Ⅰ Use
of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each
numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
①People have
speculated for centuries about a future without work. ②Today is no
different, with academics, writers, and activists once again 1 that technology is replacing human
workers. ③Some imagine that the coming work-free world will be
defined by 2 : ④A few wealthy people will own
all the capital, and the masses will struggle in an impoverished wasteland.
①A different and
not mutually exclusive 3 holds that the future will be a wasteland
of a different sort, one 4 by purposelessness：Without jobs to give their
lives 5 , people will simply become
lazy and depressed. ② 6 , today’s unemployed
don’t seem to be having a great time. ③One Gallup poll
found that 20 percent of Americans who have been unemployed for at least a year
report having depression, double the rate for 7 Americans. ④Also, some
research suggests that the 8 for rising rates of mortality,
mental-health problems, and addiction 9 poorly-educated, middle-aged people is a shortage
of well-paid jobs. ⑤Perhaps this is
why many 10 the agonizing dullness of a jobless
future.
①But it
doesn’t 11 follow from findings like these that a world
without work would be filled with unease. ②Such visions are
based on the 12 of being unemployed in a society built on
the concept of employment. ③In the 13 of work, a society designed with other
ends in mind could 14 strikingly different circumstances for
the future of labor and leisure. ④Today, the 15 of work may be a bit overblown. ⑤ “Many jobs
are boring, degrading, unhealthy, and a waste of human potential,” says
John Danaher, a lecturer at the National University of Ireland in Galway.
①These days,
because leisure time is relatively 16 for most workers, people use their free
time to counterbalance the intellectual and emotional 17 of their jobs. ② “When I
come home from a hard day’s work, I often feel 18 ,” Danaher says,
adding, “In a world in which I don’t have to work, I might feel
rather different”—perhaps different enough to throw himself 19 a hobby or a passion project with the
intensity usually reserved for 20 matters.
1. [A] boasting
[B] denying [C]
warning [D]
ensuring
2. [A]
inequality [B] instability [C] unreliability [D]
uncertainty
3. [A] policy
[B]guideline
[C]
resolution [D]
prediction
4. [A] characterized [B]divided
[C] balanced [D]measured
5. [A] wisdom
[B]
meaning [C] glory
[D]
freedom
6. [A] Instead
[B] Indeed
[C]
Thus [D] Nevertheless
7. [A]
rich
[B]
urban
[C]working [D] educated
8. [A]
explanation [B] requirement [C]
compensation [D]
substitute
9. [A] under
[B] beyond [C] alongside
[D] among
10. [A] leave
behind [B]
make up [C] worry
about [D] set aside
11. [A]
statistically [B]
occasionally [C]
necessarily [D]
economically
12. [A]
chances [B] downsides [C]
benefits [D]
principles
13. [A] absence
[B] height [C]
face [D] course
14. [A] disturb
[B] restore
[C] exclude
[D] yield
15. [A]
model
[B]
practice [C]
virtue [D] hardship
16. [A] tricky
[B]
lengthy [C]
mysterious [D] scarce
17. [A] demands
[B]
standards [C]
qualities [D] threats
18. [A]
ignored [B] tired [C]
confused [D] starved
19. [A]
off [B]
against [C]
behind [D] into
20. [A]
technological [B] professional [C] educational
[D] interpersonal
Section Ⅱ Reading
Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following
four texts. Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark
your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
①Every Saturday morning, at 9 am, more than 50,000
runners set off to run 5km around their local park. ②The Parkrun
phenomenon began with a dozen friends and has inspired 400 events in the UK and
more abroad. ③Events are free, staffed by thousands of volunteers.
④Runners range from four years old to grandparents; their times range
from Andrew Baddeley’s world record 13 minutes 48 seconds up to an hour.
①Parkrun is succeeding where London’s Olympic
“legacy” is failing. ②Ten years ago on Monday, it was
announced that the Games of the 30th Olympiad would be in London.
③Planning documents pledged that the great legacy of the Games would be
to lever a nation of sport lovers away from their couches. ④The
population would be fitter, healthier and produce more winners. ⑤It has
not happened. ⑥The number of adults doing weekly sport did rise, by
nearly 2 million in the run-up to 2012—but the general population was
growing faster. ⑦Worse, the numbers are now falling at an accelerating
rate. ⑧The opposition claims primary school pupils doing at least two
hours of sport a week have nearly halved. ⑨Obesity has risen among adults
and children. ⑩Official retrospections continue as to why London 2012
failed to “inspire a generation.” ⑪The success of Parkrun
offers answers.
①Parkrun is not a race but a time trial: Your only
competitor is the clock. ②The ethos welcomes anybody. ③There is as
much joy over a puffed-out first-timer being clapped over the line as there is
about top talent shining. ④The Olympic bidders, by contrast, wanted to
get more people doing sport and to produce more elite athletes. ⑤The dual
aim was mixed up: The stress on success over taking part was intimidating for
newcomers.
①Indeed, there is something a little absurd in the
state getting involved in the planning of such a fundamentally
“grassroots” concept as community sports associations. ②If
there is a role for government, it should really be getting involved in
providing common goods—making sure there is space for playing fields and
the money to pave tennis and netball courts, and encouraging the provision of
all these activities in schools. ③But successive governments have
presided over selling green spaces, squeezing money from local authorities and
declining attention on sport in education. ④Instead of wordy, worthy
strategies, future governments need to do more to provide the conditions for
sport to thrive. ⑤Or at least not make them worse.
21. According to Paragraph1, Parkrun has__________.
[A] created many
jobs
[B] gained great
popularity
[C] become an official
festival
[D] strengthened community
ties
22. The author believes that London's Olympic "legacy" has
failed to_________.
[A] boost
population growth
[B] improve the
city's image
[C] increase sport hours
in schools
[D] promote sport
participation
23. Parkrun is different from Olympic games in that it_______.
[A] aims at
discovering talents
[B] focuses on
mass competition
[C] does not
emphasize elitism
[D] does not
attract first-timers
24. With regard to mass sports, the author holds that governments
should_______.
[A] increase
funds for sports clubs
[B] invest in
public sports facilities
[C] organize
"grassroots" sports events
[D] supervise
local sports associations
25. The author's attitude to what UK governments have done for sports
is_______.
[A] critical
[B] tolerant
[C] uncertain
[D] sympathetic
Text 2
①With so much focus
on children’s use of screens, it’s easy for parents to forget about
their own screen use. ②“Tech is designed to really suck
you in,” says Jenny Radesky in her study of digital play, “and
digital products are there to promote maximal engagement. ③It makes
it hard to disengage, and leads to a lot of bleed-over into the family
routine.”
①Radesky
has studied the use of mobile phones and tablets at mealtimes by giving
mother–child pairs a food-testing exercise. ②She found that
mothers who used devices during the exercise started 20 per cent fewer verbal
and 39 per cent fewer nonverbal interactions with their
children. ③During a separate observation, she saw that phones became
a source of tension in the family. ④Parents would be looking at
their emails while the children would be making excited bids for their
attention.
①Infants
are wired to look at parents’ faces to try to understand their world, and
if those faces are blank and unresponsive—as they often are when absorbed
in a device—it can be extremely disconcerting for the
children. ②Radesky cites the “still face experiment”
devised by developmental psychologist Ed Tronick in the 1970s. ③In
it, a mother is asked to interact with her child in a normal way before putting
on a blank expression and not giving them any visual social feedback: The child
becomes increasingly distressed as she tries to capture her mother’s
attention. ④“Parents don’t have to be exquisitely
present at all times, but there needs to be a balance and parents need to
be responsive and sensitive to a child’s verbal or nonverbal expressions
of an emotional need,” says Radesky.
①On the other hand,
Tronick himself is concerned that the worries about kids’ use of screens
are born out of an “oppressive ideology that demands that parents should
always be interacting” with their children: “It’s based on a
somewhat fantasised, very white, very upper-middle-class ideology that
says if you’re failing to expose your child to 30,000 words you are
neglecting them.” ②Tronick believes that just because a child
isn’t learning from the screen doesn’t mean there’s no value
to it—particularly if it gives parents time to have a shower, do
housework or simply have a break from their child. ③Parents, he
says, can get a lot out of using their devices to speak to a friend or get some
work out of the way. ④This can make them feel happier, which lets
them be more available to their child the rest of the time.
26. According to Jenny Radesky, digital products are designed
to_______.
[A] absorb user attention
[B] increase work
efficiency
[C] simplify routine
matters
[D] better interpersonal
relations
27. Radesky’s food-testing exercise shows that
mothers’ use of devices_______.
[A] takes away
babies’ appetite
[B] distracts
children’s attention
[C] slows down
babies’ verbal development
[D] reduces mother-child
communication
28. Radesky cites the “still face experiment” to show
that_______.
[A] it is easy for children
to get used to blank expressions
[B] verbal expressions are
unnecessary for emotional exchange
[C] parents need to respond
to children’s emotional needs
[D] children are
insensitive to changes in their parents’
mood
29. The oppressive ideology mentioned by Tronick requires parents
to_______.
[A] protect kids from
exposure to wild fantasies
[B] teach their kids at
least 30,000 words a year
[C] remain concerned about
kids’ use of screens
[D] ensure constant interaction with their
children
30. According to Tronick, kids’ use of screens may_______.
[A] make their parents more
creative
[B] give their parents some
free time
[C] help them with their
homework
[D] help them become more
attentive
Text 3
①Today, widespread social pressure to immediately go
to college in conjunction with increasingly high expectations in a fast-moving
world often causes students to completely overlook the possibility of taking a
gap year. ②After all, if everyone you know is going to college in the
fall, it seems silly to stay back a year, doesn’t it? ③And after
going to school for 12 years, it doesn’t feel natural to spend a year
doing something that isn’t academic.
①But while this may be true, it’s not a good
enough reason to condemn gap years. ②There’s always a constant fear
of falling behind everyone else on the socially perpetuated “race to the
finish line,” whether that be toward graduate school, medical school or a
lucrative career. ③But despite common misconceptions, a gap year does not
hinder the success of academic pursuits—in fact, it probably enhances it.
①Studies from the United States and Australia show that
students who take a gap year are generally better prepared for and perform
better in college than those who do not. ②Rather than pulling students
back, a gap year pushes them ahead by preparing them for independence, new
responsibilities and environmental changes—all things that first-year
students often struggle with the most. ③Gap year experiences can lessen
the blow when it comes to adjusting to college and being thrown into a brand
new environment, making it easier to focus on academics and activities rather
than acclimation blunders.
①If you’re not convinced of the inherent value
in taking a year off to explore interests, then consider its financial impact
on future academic choices. ②According to the National Center for
Education Statistics, nearly 80 percent of college students end up changing
their majors at least once. ③This isn’t surprising, considering the
basic mandatory high school curriculum leaves students with a poor
understanding of the vast academic possibilities that await them in college.
④Many students find themselves listing one major on their college
applications, but switching to another after taking college classes.
⑤It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but depending on the school, it
can be costly to make up credits after switching too late in the game.
⑥At Boston College, for example, you would have to complete an extra year
were you to switch to the nursing school from another department. ⑦Taking
a gap year to figure things out initially can help prevent stress and save
money later on.
31. One of the reasons for high-school graduates not taking a gap year
is that_______.
[A] they think it
academically misleading
[B] they have a
lot of fun to expect in college
[C] it feels
strange to do differently from others
[D] it seems
worthless to take off-campus courses
32. Studies from the US and Australia imply that taking a gap year
helps_______.
[A] relieve
freshmen of pressures
[B] lower risks
in choosing careers
[C] ease
freshmen's financial burdens
[D] keep students
from being unrealistic
33. The word “acclimation” (Para. 3) is closest in meaning
to _______.
[A] motivation
[B] application
[C] competition
[D] adaptation
34. A gap year may save money for students by helping them_______.
[A] switch to
another college
[B] decide on the
right major
[C] avoid
academic failures
[D] establish
long-term goals
35. The most suitable title for this text would be_______.
[A] In Favor of
the Gap Year
[B] The ABCs of
the Gap Year
[C] The Gap Year
Comes Back
[D] The Gap Year:
A Dilemma
Text 4
①Though often viewed as a problem for western states,
the growing frequency of wildfires is a national concern because of its impact
on federal tax dollars, says Professor Max Moritz, a specialist in fire ecology
and management.
①In 2015, the US Forest Service for the first time
spent more than half of its $5.5 billion annual budget fighting
fires—nearly double the percentage it spent on such efforts 20 years ago.
②In effect, fewer federal funds today are going towards the
agency’s other work—such as forest conservation, watershed and
cultural resources management, and infrastructure upkeep—that affect the
lives of all Americans.
①Another nationwide concern is whether public funds
from other agencies are going into construction in fire-prone districts.
②As Moritz puts it, how often are federal dollars building homes that are
likely to be lost to a wildfire?
①“It’s already a huge problem from a
public expenditure perspective for the whole country,” he says.
②“We need to take a magnifying glass to that. ③Like, ‘Wait
a minute, is this OK?’ ④Do we want instead to redirect those funds
to concentrate on lower-hazard parts of the landscape?”
①Such a view would require a corresponding shift in
the way US society today views fire, researchers say.
①For one thing, conversations about wildfires need to
be more inclusive. ②Over the past decade, the focus has been on climate
change—how the warming of the Earth from greenhouse gases is leading to
conditions that worsen fires.
①While climate is a key element, Moritz says, it shouldn’t
come at the expense of the rest of the equation.
①“The human systems and the landscapes we live
on are linked, and the interactions go both ways,” he says. ②Failing
to recognize that, he notes, leads to “an overly simplified view of what
the solutions might be. ③Our perception of the problem and of what the
solution is becomes very limited.”
①At the same time, people continue to treat fire as an
event that needs to be wholly controlled and unleashed only out of necessity,
says Professor Balch at the University of Colorado. ②But acknowledging
fire’s inevitable presence in human life is an attitude crucial to
developing the laws, policies, and practices that make it as safe as possible,
she says.
①“We’ve disconnected ourselves from living
with fire,” Balch says. ②“It is really important to
understand and try and tease out what is the human connection with fire
today.”
36. More frequent wildfires have become a national concern because in
2015 they_______.
[A] consumed a
record-high percentage of budget
[B] severely
damaged the ecology of western states
[C] caused a huge
rise of infrastructure expenditure
[D] exhausted
unprecedented management efforts
37. Moritz calls for the use of "a magnifying glass"
to_______.
[A] avoid the
redirection of federal money
[B] find
wildfire-free parts of the landscape
[C] raise more
funds for fire-prone areas
[D] guarantee
safer spending of public funds
38. While admitting that climate is a key element, Moritz notes
that_______.
[A] public debates have
not settled yet
[B] a shift in
the view of fire has taken place
[C] other factors
should not be overlooked
[D] fire-fighting
conditions are improving
39. The overly simplified view Moritz mentions is a result of failing
to_______.
[A] discover the
fundamental makeup of nature
[B] explore the
mechanism of the human systems
[C] understand
the interrelations of man and nature
[D] maximize the
role of landscape in human life
40. Professor Balch points out that fire is something man should_______.
[A] do away with
[B] come to terms
with
[C] pay a price
for
[D] keep away
from
Part B
Directions:
Read the
following text and match each of the numbered items in the left column to its
corresponding information in the right column. There are two extra choices in
the right column. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
The decline
in American manufacturing is a common refrain, particularly from Donald Trump.
“We don’t make anything anymore,” he told Fox News, while
defending his own made-in-Mexico clothing line.
Without
question, manufacturing has taken a significant hit during recent decades, and
further trade deals raise questions about whether new shocks could hit
manufacturing.
But there is
also a different way to look at the data.
Across the
country, factory owners are now grappling with a new challenge: Instead of
having too many workers, they may end up with too few. Despite trade
competition and outsourcing, American manufacturing still needs to replace tens
of thousands of retiring boomers every year. Millennials may not be that
interested in taking their place. Other industries are recruiting them with
similar or better pay.
For factory
owners, it all adds up to stiff competition for workers – and upward
pressure on wages. “They’re harder to find and they have job
offers,” says Jay Dunwell, president of Wolverine Coil Spring, a
family-owned firm. “They may be coming [into the workforce], but
they’ve been plucked by other industries that are also doing as well as
manufacturing,” Mr. Dunwell has begun bringing high school juniors to the
factory so they can get exposed to its culture.
At RoMan
Manufacturing, a maker of electrical transformers and welding equipment that
his father cofounded in 1980, Robert Roth keeps a close eye on the age of his
nearly 200 workers. Five are retiring this year. Mr. Roth has three
community-college students enrolled in a work-placement program, with a
starting wage of $13 an hour that rises to $17 after two years.
At a
worktable inside the transformer plant, young Jason Stenquist looks flustered
by the copper coils he’s trying to assemble and the arrival of two
visitors. It’s his first week on the job. Asked about his choice of
career, he says at high school he considered medical school before switching to
electrical engineering. “I love working with tools. I love
creating,” he says.
But to win
over these young workers, manufacturers have to clear another major hurdle:
parents, who lived through the worst US economic downturn since the Great
Depression, telling them to avoid the factory. Millennials “remember
their father and mother both were laid off. They blame it on the manufacturing
recession,” says Birgit Klohs, chief executive of The Right Place, a
business development agency for western Michigan.
These
concerns aren’t misplaced: Employment in manufacturing has fallen from 17
million in 1970 to 12 million in 2015. When the recovery began, worker
shortages first appeared in the high-skilled trades. Now shortages are
appearing at the mid-skill levels.
“The
gap is between the jobs that take no skills and those that require a lot of
skill,” says Rob Spohr, a business professor at Montcalm Community
College. “There’re enough people to fill the jobs at McDonalds and
other places where you don’t need to have much skill. It’s that gap
in between, and that’s where the problem is.”
Julie Parks
of Grand Rapids Community College points to another key to luring Millennials
into manufacturing: a work/life balance. While their parents were content to
work long hours, young people value flexibility. “Overtime is not
attractive to this generation. They really want to live their lives,” she
says.
|
|
[A]
says that he switched to electrical engineering because he loves working with
tools. |
|
41.
Jay Dunwell |
[B]
points out that there are enough people to fill the jobs that don’t
need much skill. |
|
42.
Jason Stenquist |
[C]
points out that the US doesn’t manufacture anything anymore. |
|
43.
Birgit Klohs |
[D]
believes that it is important to keep a close eye on the age of his workers. |
|
44.
Rob Spohr |
[E]
says that for factory owners, workers are harder to find because of stiff
competition. |
|
45.
Julie Parks |
[F]
points out that a work / life balance can attract young people into
manufacturing. |
|
|
[G]
says that the manufacturing recession is to blame for the lay-off of the
young people’s parents. |
Section
III Translation
46. Directions:
Translate the following text into Chinese. Write
your translation on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)
My dream has always been to work somewhere in an area
between fashion and publishing. Two years before graduating from secondary
school, I took a sewing and design course thinking that I would move on to a
fashion design course. However, during that course I realised I was not good
enough in this area to compete with other creative personalities in the future,
so I decided that it was not the right path for me. Before applying for
university I told everyone that I would study journalism, because writing was,
and still is, one of my favourite activities. But, to be honest, I said it,
because I thought that fashion and me together was just a dream—I knew
that no one could imagine me in the fashion industry at all! So I decided to
look for some fashion-related courses that included writing. This is when I
noticed the course “Fashion Media & Promotion.”
Section IV
Writing
Part A
47. Directions:
Suppose you are
invited by Professor Williams to give a presentation about Chinese culture to a
group of international students. Write a reply to
1) accept the invitation, and
2) introduce the key points of your presentation.
You should write about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.
Do not use your own
name. Use “Li Ming” instead.
Do not write your
address. (10 points)
Part B
48. Directions:
Write an essay based on the chart below. In your
writing, you should
1) interpret
the chart, and
2) give
your comments.
You should write about 150 words on the ANSWER
SHEET. (15 points)
2018年全国硕士研究生招生考试
英语二试题
Section I Use of English
Directions:
Read the
following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B,
C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
①Why
do people read negative Internet comments and do other things that will
obviously be painful? ②Because humans have an inherent need to 1 uncertainty, according to a recent study
in Psychological Science. ③The new research reveals that the need to
know is so strong that people will 2 to satisfy
their curiosity even when it is clear the answer will 3 .
①In a series of four experiments, behavioral
scientists at the University Of Chicago and the Wisconsin School of Business
tested students’ willingness to 4 themselves
to unpleasant stimuli in an effort to satisfy curiosity. ②For one 5 , each participant was shown a pile of pens that the
researcher claimed were from a previous experiment. ③The twist? ④Half of the pens would 6 an
electric shock when clicked.
①Twenty-seven
students were told which pens were electrified; another twenty-seven were told
only that some were electrified. ② 7 left alone
in the room, the students who did not know which ones would shock them clicked
more pens and incurred more shocks than the students who knew what would 8 . ③Subsequent experiments reproduced this effect with
other stimuli, 9 the sound
of fingernails on a chalkboard and photographs of disgusting insects.
①The
drive to 10 is deeply rooted
in humans, much the same as the basic drives for 11 or
shelter, says Christopher Hsee of the University of Chicago.②Curiosity is often considered a good
instinct—it can 12 new
scientific advances, for instance—but sometimes such 13 can
backfire. ③The
insight that curiosity can drive you to do 14 things is
a profound one.
①Unhealthy
curiosity is possible to 15 , however. ②In a final experiment, participants who
were encouraged to 16 how they
would feel after viewing an unpleasant picture were less likely to 17 to see
such an image. ③These results suggest that imagining the 18 of
following through on one's curiosity ahead of time can help determine 19 it is
worth the endeavor. ④“Thinking about long-term 20 is key to reducing
the possible negative effects of curiosity,” Hsee says. ⑤ In other words, don't read online
comments.
1. [A] ignore [B]
protect [C]
resolve [D]
discuss
2. [A] seek [B]
refuse [C]
wait [D]
regret
3. [A] rise [B]
hurt [C]
last [D]
mislead
4. [A] expose [B]
alert [C] tie [D]
treat
5. [A] concept [B]
message [C]
review [D] trial
6. [A] deliver [B]
remove [C] weaken [D]
interrupt
7. [A] Unless [B]
When [C]
If [D] Though
8. [A] change [B]
continue [C]
happen [D] disappear
9. [A] owing to [B]
rather than [C] regardless of [D]
such as
10. [A] disagree [B]
discover [C]
forgive [D] forget
11. [A] food [B]
pay [C]
marriage [D] schooling
12. [A] begin with [B] lead to [C] rest on [D] learn from
13. [A] diligence [B] withdrawal [C] persistence [D] inquiry
14. [A] self-deceptive [B] self-reliant [C] self-destructive [D] self-evident
15. [A] trace [B]
define [C]
resist [D] replace
16. [A] conceal [B]
overlook [C]
predict [D] design
17. [A] pretend [B]
remember [C]
promise [D] choose
18. [A] outcome [B]
relief [C] plan [D] duty
19. [A] where [B]
why [C]
whether [D] how
20. [A] limitations [B] consequences [C] investments [D]
strategies
Section
Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the
following four texts. Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C
or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
①It is curious that Stephen Koziatek feels almost as
though he has to justify his efforts to give his students a better future.
①Mr. Koziatek is part of something pioneering.
②He is a teacher at a New Hampshire high school where learning is not
something of books and tests and mechanical memorization, but practical.
③When did it become accepted wisdom that students should be able to name
the 13th president of the United States but be utterly overwhelmed by a broken
bike chain?
①As Koziatek knows, there is learning in just about everything.
②Nothing is necessarily gained by forcing students to learn geometry at a
graffitied desk stuck with generations of discarded chewing gum. ③They
can also learn geometry by assembling a bicycle.
①But he’s also found a kind of insidious
prejudice. ②Working with your hands is seen as almost a mark of
inferiority. ③Schools in the family of vocational education “have
that stereotype ... that it’s for kids who can’t make it
academically,” he says.
①On one hand, that viewpoint is a logical product of America’s
evolution. ②Manufacturing is not the economic engine that it once was.
③The job security that the US economy once offered to high school
graduates has largely evaporated. ④More education is the new principle.
⑤We want more for our kids, and rightfully so.
①But the headlong push into bachelor’s degrees
for all—and the subtle devaluing of anything less—misses an
important point: That’s not the only thing the American economy needs.
②Yes, a bachelor's degree opens more doors. ③But even now, 54
percent of the jobs in the country are middle-skill jobs, such as construction
and high-skill manufacturing. ④But only 44 percent of workers are
adequately trained.
①In other words, at a time when the working class has
turned the country on its political head, frustrated that the opportunity that
once defined America is vanishing, one obvious solution is staring us in the
face. ②There is a gap in working-class jobs, but the workers who need
those jobs most aren't equipped to do them. ③Koziatek’s Manchester
School of Technology High School is trying to fill that gap.
①Koziatek's school is a wake-up call. ②When
education becomes one-size-fits-all, it risks overlooking a nation's diversity
of gifts.
21. A broken bike chain is mentioned to show students’ lack
of______.
[A] practical
ability
[B] academic
training
[C] pioneering
spirit
[D] mechanical
memorization
22. There exists the prejudice that vocational education is for kids
who______.
[A] have a
stereotyped mind
[B] have no career
motivation
[C] are not
academically successful
[D] are
financially disadvantaged
23. We can infer from Paragraph 5 that high school graduates______.
[A] used to have
big financial concerns
[B] used to have
more job opportunities
[C] are reluctant
to work in manufacturing
[D] are entitled
to more educational privileges
24. The headlong push into bachelor’s degrees for all______.
[A] helps create a
lot of middle-skill jobs
[B] may narrow the
gap in working-class jobs
[C] is expected to
yield a better-trained workforce
[D] indicates the
overvaluing of higher education
25. The author’s attitude toward Koziatek’s school can be
described as______.
[A] supportive
[B] tolerant
[C] disappointed
[D] cautious
Text 2
①While fossil fuels—coal, oil, gas—still
generate roughly 85 percent of the world’s energy supply, it’s
clearer than ever that the future belongs to renewable sources such as wind and
solar. ②The move to renewables is picking up momentum around the world:
They now account for more than half of new power sources going on line.
①Some growth stems from a commitment by governments
and farsighted businesses to fund cleaner energy sources. ②But
increasingly the story is about the plummeting prices of renewables,
especially wind and solar. ③The cost of solar panels has dropped by 80
percent and the cost of wind turbines by close to one-third in the past eight
years.
①In many parts of the world renewable energy is
already a principal energy source. ②In Scotland, for example, wind
turbines provide enough electricity to power 95 percent of homes. ③While
the rest of the world takes the lead, notably China and Europe, the United
States is also seeing a remarkable shift. ④In March, for the first time,
wind and solar power accounted for more than 10 percent of the power generated
in the US, reported the US Energy Information Administration.
①President Trump has underlined fossil
fuels—especially coal—as the path to economic growth. ②In a
recent speech in Iowa, he dismissed wind power as an unreliable energy source.
③But that message did not play well with many in Iowa, where wind
turbines dot the fields and provide 36 percent of the state’s electricity
generation—and where tech giants like Microsoft are being attracted by
the availability of clean energy to power their data centers.
①The question “what happens when the wind
doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine?” has provided a quick
put-down for skeptics. ②But a boost in the storage capacity of batteries
is making their ability to keep power flowing around the clock more likely.
①The advance is driven in part by vehicle
manufacturers, who are placing big bets on battery-powered electric vehicles.
②Although electric cars are still a rarity on roads now, this massive
investment could change the picture rapidly in coming years.
①While there’s a long way to go, the trend lines
for renewables are spiking. ②The pace of change in energy sources appears
to be speeding up—perhaps just in time to have a meaningful effect in
slowing climate change. ③What Washington does—or doesn’t
do—to promote alternative energy may mean less and less at a time of a
global shift in thought.
26. The word “plummeting” (Para.2) is closest in meaning
to______.
[A] rising
[B] falling
[C] changing
[D] stabilizing
27. According to Paragraph 3, the use of renewable energy in
America_____.
[A] is as
extensive as in Europe
[B] is progressing
notably
[C] has proved to
be impractical
[D] faces many
challenges
28. It can be learned that in Iowa, ____.
[A] wind energy
has replaced fossil fuels
[B] there is a
shortage of clean energy supply
[C] tech giants
are investing in clean energy
[D] wind is a
widely used energy source
29. Which of the following is true about clean energy according to
Paragraphs 5 & 6?
[A] Its application
has boosted battery storage.
[B] It is commonly
used in car manufacturing.
[C] Its continuous
supply is becoming a reality.
[D] Its
sustainable exploitation will remain difficult.
30. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that renewable
energy____.
[A] is not really
encouraged by the US government
[B] is not
competitive enough with regard to its cost
[C] will bring the
US closer to other countries
[D] will
accelerate global environmental change
Text 3
①The power and ambition of
the giants of the digital economy is astonishing—Amazon has just
announced the purchase of the upmarket grocery chain Whole Foods for $13.5bn,
but two years ago Facebook paid even more than that to acquire the WhatsApp
messaging service, which doesn’t have any physical product at all.
②What WhatsApp offered Facebook was an intricate and finely detailed web
of its users’ friendships and social lives.
①Facebook promised the
European commission then that it would not link phone numbers to Facebook
identities, but it broke the promise almost as soon as the deal went through.
②Even without knowing what was in the messages, the knowledge of who sent
them and to whom was enormously revealing and still could be. ③What
political journalist, what party whip, would not want to know the makeup of the
WhatsApp groups in which Theresa May’s enemies are currently plotting?
④It may be that the value of Whole Foods to Amazon is not so much the 460
shops it owns, but the records of which customers have purchased what.
①Competition law appears to
be the only way to address these imbalances of power. But it is clumsy.
②For one thing, it is very slow compared to the pace of change within the
digital economy. ③By the time a problem has been addressed and remedied
it may have vanished in the marketplace, to be replaced by new abuses of power.
④But there is a deeper conceptual problem, too. ⑤Competition law as
presently interpreted deals with financial disadvantage to consumers and this
is not obvious when the users of these services don’t pay for them.
⑥The users of their services are not their customers. ⑦That would
be the people who buy advertising from them—and Facebook and Google, the
two virtual giants, dominate digital advertising to the disadvantage of all
other media and entertainment companies.
①The product they’re
selling is data, and we, the users, convert our lives to data for the benefit
of the digital giants. ②Just as some ants farm the bugs called aphids for
the honeydew they produce when they feed, so Google farms us for the data that
our digital lives yield. Ants keep predatory insects away from where their
aphids feed; Gmail keeps the spammers out of our inboxes. ③It
doesn’t feel like a human or democratic relationship, even if both sides
benefit.
31. According to Paragraph1, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for its______.
[A] digital
products
[B] quality
service
[C] physical
assets
[D] user
information
32. Linking phone numbers to Facebook identities may ______.
[A] pose a risk to
Facebook users
[B] mislead the
European commission
[C] worsen
political disputes
[D] mess up
customer records
33. According to the author, competition law ______.
[A] should serve
the new market powers
[B] may worsen the
economic imbalance
[C] cannot keep
pace with the changing market
[D] should not
provide just one legal solution
34. Competition law as presently interpreted can hardly protect
Facebook users because ______.
[A] they are not
financially reliable
[B] they are not
defined as customers
[C] the services
are generally digital
[D] the services
are paid for by advertisers
35. The ants analogy is used to illustrate ______.
[A] a typical
competition pattern among digital giants
[B] a win-win
business model between digital giants
[C] the benefits
provided for digital giants’ customers
[D] the
relationship between digital giants and their users
Text 4
①To combat the trap of putting a premium on being
busy, Cal Newport, author of Deep Work:
Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, recommends building a
habit of “deep work”—the ability to focus without
distraction.
①There are a number of approaches to mastering the art
of deep work—be it lengthy retreats dedicated to a specific task;
developing a daily ritual; or taking a “journalistic” approach to
seizing moments of deep work when you can throughout the day. ②Whichever
approach, the key is to determine your length of focus time and stick to it.
①Newport also recommends “deep scheduling”
to combat constant interruptions and get more done in less time.
②“At any given point, I should have deep work scheduled for roughly
the next month. ③Once on the calendar, I protect this time like I would a
doctor’s appointment or important meeting,” he writes.
①Another approach to getting more done in less time is
to rethink how you prioritise your day—in particular how we craft our
to-do lists. ②Tim Harford, author of Messy: The Power of
Disorder to Transform Our Lives, points to a study in the early 1980s that
divided undergraduates into two groups: some were advised to set out monthly
goals and study activities; others were told to plan activities and golds in
much more detail, day by day.
①While the researchers assumed that the
well-structured daily plans would be most effective when it came to the
execution of tasks, they were wrong: the detailed daily plans demotivated
students. ②Harford argues that inevitable distractions often render the
daily to-do list ineffective, while leaving room for improvisation in such a
list can reap the best results.
①In order to make the most of our focus and energy, we
also need to embrace downtime, or as Newport suggests, “be lazy.”
①“Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence
or a vice; it is as indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the
body… [ idleness] is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done,
” he argues.
①Srini Pillay, an assistant professor of psychiatry at
Harvard Medical School, believes this counterintuitive link between downtime
and productivity may be due to the way our brains operate. ②When our
brains switch between being focused and unfocused on a task, they tend to be
more efficient.
①“What people don’t realise is that in
order to complete these tasks they need to use both the focus and unfocus
circuits in their brain,” says Pillay.
36. The key to mastering the art of deep work is to____.
[A] list your
immediate tasks
[B] make specific
daily plans
[C] keep to your
focus time
[D] seize every
minute to work
37. The study in the early 1980s cited by Harford shows that____.
[A] daily
schedules are indispensable to studying
[B] students are
hardly motivated by monthly goals
[C] detailed plans
may not be as fruitful as expected
[D] distractions
may actually increase efficiency
38. According to Newport, idleness is ____.
[A] an essential
factor in accomplishing any work.
[B] an effective
way to save time and energy
[C] a major
contributor to physical health
[D] a desirable
mental state for busy people
39. Pillay believes that our brains’ shift between being focused
and unfocused______.
[A] can result in
psychological well-being
[B] can bring
about greater efficiency
[C] is aimed at
better balance in work
[D] is driven by
task urgency
40. This text is mainly about______.
[A] the key to
eliminating distractions
[B] the cause of
the lack of focus time
[C] ways to
relieve the tension of busy life
[D] approaches to getting more done in less
time
Part B
Directions:
Read the
following text and answer the questions by choosing the most suitable
subheading from the list A-G for each of the numbered paragraphs (41-45). There
are two extra subheadings which you do not need to use. Mark your answers on
the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
C. Skip the small talk
D. Ask for an opinion
E. Find the “me too” s
F. Name, places, things
G. Pay a unique compliment
Five ways to make conversation with anyone
Conversations are links,
which means when you have a conversation with a new person a link gets formed
and every conversation you have after that moment will strengthen the link.
You meet new people every
day: the grocery worker, the cab driver, new people at work or the security
guard at the door. Simply starting a conversation with them will form a link.
Here are five simple ways
that you can make the first move and start a conversation with strangers.
41.___________________
Suppose you are in a room
with someone you don't know and something within you says “I want to talk
with this person”—this is something
that mostly happens with all of us. You wanted to say something—the first word—but it just won't come out,
it feels like it is stuck somewhere. I know the feeling and here is my advice:
just get it out.
Just think: what
is the worst that could happen? They won't talk with you? Well, they are not
talking with you now!
I truly believe
that once you get that first word out everything else will just flow. So keep
it simple: “Hi”, “Hey” or “Hello”—do the best you can to
gather all of the enthusiasm and energy you can, put on a big smile and say
“Hi”.
42.____________________
It’s a
problem all of us face; you have limited time with the person that you want to
talk with and you want to make this talk memorable.
Honestly, if we
got stuck in the rut of “hi”, “hello”, “how are
you?” and “what's going on?”, you will fail to give the
initial jolt to the conversation that can make it so memorable.
So don't be
afraid to ask more personal questions. Trust me, you’ll be surprised to
see how much people are willing to share if you just ask.
43.____________________
When you meet a
person for the first time, make an effort to find the things which you and that
person have in common so that you can build the conversation from that point.
When you start conversation from there and then move outwards, you’ll
find all of a sudden that the conversation becomes a lot easier.
44.____________________
Imagine you are
pouring your heart out to someone and they are just busy on their phone, and if
you ask for their attention you get the response “I can multitask”.
So when someone
tries to communicate with you, just be in that communication wholeheartedly.
Make eye contact. Trust me, eye contact is where all the magic happens. When
you make eye contact, you can feel the conversation.
45.____________________
You all came into
a conversation where you first met the person, but after some time you may have
met again and have forgotten their name. Isn't that awkward!
So, remember the
little details of the people you met or you talked with; perhaps the places
they have been to, the places they want to go, the things they like, the things
they hate—whatever you talk
about.
When you remember
such things you can automatically become investor in their wellbeing. So they
feel a responsibility to you to keep that relationship going.
That's it. Five
amazing ways that you can make conversation with almost anyone. Every person is
a really good book to read, or to have a conversation with!
Section
Ⅲ Translation
46. Directions:
Translate the
following text into Chinese. Write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET. (15
points)
A fifth grader gets a homework assignment to select
his future career path from a list of occupations. He ticks
“astronaut” but quickly adds “scientist” to the list
and selects it as well. The boy is convinced that if he reads enough, he can
explore as many career paths as he likes. And so he reads—everything
from encyclopedias to science fiction novels. He reads so passionately that his
parents have to institute a “no reading policy” at the dinner
table.
That boy was Bill Gates, and he hasn’t stopped
reading yet—not even after becoming one of the most successful people on
the planet. Nowadays, his reading material has changed from science fiction and
reference books: recently, he revealed that he reads at least 50 nonfiction
books a year. Gates chooses nonfiction titles because they explain how the
world works. “Each book opens up new avenues of knowledge,” Gates says.
Section IV Writing
Part A
47. Directions:
Suppose you have
to cancel your travel plan and will not be able to visit Professor Smith. Write
him an email to
1) apologize and
explain the situation, and
2) suggest a
future meeting.
You should write
about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.
Do not use your own name. Use “Li Ming” instead.
Do not write your address. (10 points)
48. Directions:
Write an essay
based on the chart below. In your writing, you should
1) interpret the
chart, and
2) give your
comments.
You should write about
150 words on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)
Back to home
Subscribe | Register | Login | N