2017考研英语真题阅读5夜10篇精读直播课程内部讲义【文都网校】

目录

2017考研五夜十篇讲义 (1)

第一篇新闻道德 (1)

第二篇新闻传媒 (2)

第三篇科学研究 (4)

第四篇美国法律 (5)

第五篇英国经济 (9)

第六篇英国经济 (11)

第七篇美国文化 (12)

第八篇大众传播 (14)

第九篇科学研究 (15)

第十篇美国教育 (17)

2017考研五夜十篇讲义

第一篇新闻道德

Two years ago,Rupert Murdoch’s daughter,Elisabeth,spoke of the“unsettling dearth of integrity across so many of our institutions".Integrity had collapsed,she argued,because of a collective acceptance that the only“sorting mechanism”in society should be profit and the market. But"it's us,human beings,we the people who create the society we want,not profit.”

Driving 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.”This 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.

As 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.Journalists are known to have hacked the phones of up to5,500people.This is hacking on an industrial scale,as was acknowledged by Glenn Mulcaire,the man hired by the News of the World in2001to be the point person for phone hacking.Others await trial.This long story still unfolds.

In 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.One 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.The core of her successful defense was that she knew nothing.

In today’s world,it has become normal that well-paid executives should not be accountable for what happens in the organizations that they run.Perhaps we should not be so surprised.For a generation,the collective doctrine has been that the sorting mechanism of society should be profit. The words that have mattered are efficiency,flexibility,shareholder value,business-friendly, wealth generation,sales,impact and,in newspapers,circulation.Words degraded to the margin have been justice,fairness,tolerance,proportionality and accountability.

The 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.It was to ruin lives in the quest for circulation and impact.Ms 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 Paragraph3that____

［A］Glenn Mulcaire may deny phone hacking as a crime.

［B］more journalists may be found guilty of phone hacking.

［C］Andy Coulson should be held innocent of the charge.

［D］phone hacking will be accepted on certain occasions.

38.The author believes that Rebekah Brooks’sdefence____

［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］Common humanity is central to news reporting.

［C］Moral awareness matters in editing a newspaper.

［D］Journalists need stricter industrial regulations.

第二篇新闻传媒

The rough guide to marketing success used to be that you got what you paid for.No longer. While traditional“paid”media–such as television commercials and print advertisements–still play a major role,companies today can exploit many alternative forms of media.Consumers 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.In fact，the 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.

Paid and owned media are controlled by marketers promoting their own products.For earned media,such marketers act as the initiator for users’responses.But 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.We 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. This 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.Johnson&Johnson,for example, has created BabyCenter,a stand-alone media property that promotes complementary and even competitive products.Besides 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.

The 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.Such 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.Members of social networks,for instance,are learning that they can hijack media to apply pressure on the businesses that originally created them.

If that happens,passionate consumers would try to persuade others to boycott products, putting the reputation of the target company at risk.In such a case,the company’s response may not be sufficiently quick or thoughtful,and the learning curve has been steep.Toyota 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 Paragraph2,sold media feature____

［A］a safe business environment.

［B］random competition.

［C］strong user traffic.

［D］flexibility in organization.

33.The author indicates in Paragraph3that 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.

第三篇科学研究

In 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.But in the everyday practice of science,discovery frequently follows an ambiguous and complicated route.We aim to be objective,but we cannot escape the context of our unique life experience.Prior knowledge and interest influence what we experience,what we think our experiences mean,and the subsequent actions we take.Opportunities for misinterpretation,error, and self-deception abound.

Consequently,discovery claims should be thought of as protoscience.Similar to newly staked mining claims,they are full of potential.But it takes collective scrutiny and acceptance to transform a discovery claim into a mature discovery.This is the credibility process,through which the individual researcher’s me,here,now becomes the community’s anyone,anywhere,anytime. Objective knowledge is the goal,not the starting point.

Once a discovery claim becomes public,the discoverer receives intellectual credit.But, unlike with mining claims,the community takes control of what happens next.Within 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.As a discovery claim works it 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.

Two paradoxes exist throughout this credibility process.First,scientific work tends to focus on some aspect of prevailing knowledge that is viewed as incomplete or incorrect.Little reward accompanies duplication and confirmation of what is already known and believed.The goal is new-search,not re-search.Not 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.Second,novelty itself frequently provokes disbelief.Nobel Laureate and physiologist Albert Azent-Gyorgyi once described discovery as“seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.”But thinking what nobody else has thought and telling others

what they have missed may not change their views.Sometimes years are required for truly novel discovery claims to be accepted and appreciated.

In 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.“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 Paragraph2that credibility process requires____

［A］strict inspection.

［B］shared efforts.

［C］individual wisdom.

［D］persistent innovation.

33.Paragraph3shows 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-Gy?rgyi 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 test?

［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.

第四篇美国法律

On 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.But on the more important matter of the Constitution,the decision was an8-0defeat for the Administration’s effort to upset the balance of power between the federal government and the states.

In Arizona vs.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.The Constitutional principles that Washington alone has the power to“establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization”and that federal laws precede state laws are noncontroversial.Arizona had attempted to fashion state policies that ran parallel to the existing federal ones.

Justice Anthony Kennedy,joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the Court’s liberals，ruled that the state flew too close to the federal sun.On the overturned provisions the majority held the congress had deliberately“occupied the field”and Arizona had thus intruded on the federal’s privileged powers.

However,the Justices said that Arizona police would be allowed to verify the legal status of people who come in contact with law enforcement.That’s because Congress has always envisioned joint federal-state immigration enforcement and explicitly encourages state officers to share information and cooperate with federal colleagues.

Two of the three objecting Justice—Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas—agreed with this Constitutional logic but disagreed about which Arizona rules conflicted with the federal statute. The 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.

The8-0objection to President Obama turns on what Justice Samuel Alito describes in his objection as“a shocking assertion of federal executive power”.The White House argued that Arizona's laws conflicted with its enforcement priorities，even if state Laws complied with federal statutes to the letter.In effect，the White House claimed that it could invalidate any otherwise legitimate state law that it disagrees with.

Some powers do belong exclusively to the federal government，and control of citizenship and the borders is among them.But if Congress wanted to prevent states from using their own resources to check immigration status，it could.It never did SO.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.Every Justice rightly rejected this remarkable claim.

36.Three provisions of Arizona’s plan were overturned because they____.

［A］deprived the federal police of Constitutional powers.

［B］disturbed the power balance between different states.

［C］overstepped the authority of federal immigration law.

［D］contradicted both the federal and state policies.

37.On which of the following did the Justices agree，according to Paragraph4?

［A］Federal officers’duty to withhold immigrants’information.

［B］States’independence from federal immigration law.

［C］States’legitimate role in immigration enforcement.

［D］Congress’s intervention in immigration enforcement.

38.It can be inferred from Paragraph5that the Alien and Sedition Acts____.

［A］violated the Constitution.

［B］undermined the states’interests

［C］supported the federal statute.

［D］stood in favor of the states.

39.The White House claims that its power of enforcement____.

［A］outweighs that held by the states.

［B］is dependent on the states’support.

［C］is established by federal statutes.

［D］rarely goes against state laws.

40.What can be learned from the last paragraph?

［A］Immigration issues are usually decided by Congress.

［B］Justices intended to check the power of the Administration.

［C］Justices wanted to strengthen its coordination with Congress.

［D］The Administration is dominant over immigration issues.

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A deal is a deal—except,apparently,when Entergy is involved.The 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 strict nuclear regulations.

Instead,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.It’s a stunning move.

The conflict has been surfacing since2002,when the corporation bought Vermont’s only nuclear power plant,an aging reactor in Vernon.As a condition of receiving state approval for the sale,the company agreed to seek permission from state regulators to operate past2012.In2006, the state went a step further,requiring that any extension of the plant’s license be subject to Vermont legislature’s approval.Then,too,the company went along.

Either Entergy never really intended to live by those commitments,or it simply didn’t foresee what would happen next.A string of accidents,including the partial collapse of a cooling tower in2007and 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.Enraged by Entergy’s behavior,the Vermont Senate voted26to4last year against allowing an extension.

Now the company is suddenly claiming that the2002agreement is invalid because of the 2006legislation,and that only the federal government has regulatory power over nuclear issues. The 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 that Vermont case will offer a precedent-setting test of how far those powers extend.Certainly,there are valid concerns about the patchwork regulations that could result if every state sets its own rules.But had Entergy kept its word,that debate would be beside the point.

The 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.But there should be consequences. Permission to run a nuclear plant is a public trust.Entergy runs11other reactors in the United States,including Pilgrim Nuclear station in Plymouth.Pledging to run Pilgrim safely,the company has applied for federal permission to keep it open for another20years.But as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission(NRC)reviews the company’s application,it should keep it mind what promises from Entergy are worth.

26.The phrase“reneging on”(Line3.para.1)is closest in meaning to____

［A］condemning.

［B］reaffirming.

［C］dishonoring.

［D］securing.

27.By entering into the2002agreement,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 Paragraph4,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 mature 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.

第五篇英国经济

In order to"change lives for the better"and reduce"dependency"，George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer,introduced the"upfront work search"scheme.Only if the jobless arrive at the job center with a CV,register for the online job search,and start looking for work will they be eligible for benefit-and then they should report weekly rather than fortnightly.What could be more reasonable?

More apparent reasonableness followed.There will now be a seven-day wait for the jobseeker's allowance."Those first few days should be spent looking for work,not looking to sign on."he claimed,"We're doing these things because we know they help people stay off benefits and help those on benefits get into work faster."Help?Really？On 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 subsidizes laziness.What 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.

Losing a job is hurting:you don’t skip down to the job center with a song in your heart, delighted at the prospect of doubling your income from the generous state.It is financially terrifying,psychologically embarrassing and you know that support is minimal and extraordinarily hard to get.You are now not wanted;you are now excluded from the work environment that offers purpose and structure in your life.Worse,the crucial income to feed yourself and your family and pay the bills has disappeared.Ask anyone newly unemployed what they want and the answer is always:a job.

But 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.It is as though20 years of ever—tougher reforms of the job search and benefit administration system never happened.The 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.Even the very phrase“jobseeker’s allowance”is about redefining the unemployed as a“jobseeker”who had no fundamental right to benefit he or she has earned through making national insurance contributions. Instead,the claimant receives a time-limited“allowance”，conditional on actively seeking a job: no entitlement and no insurance,at￡71.70a week,one of the least generous in the EU.

21.George Osborne’s scheme was intended to____

［A］provide the unemployed with easier access to benefits.

［B］encourage jobseeker’s active engagement in job seeking.

［C］motivate the unemployed to report voluntarily.

［D］guarantee jobseekers’legitimate right to benefit.

22.The phase“to sigh on”（Line3,Para.2）most probably means____

［A］to check on the availability of jobs at the job center.

［B］to accept the government’s restrictions on the allowance.

［C］to register for an allowance from the government.

［D］to attend a governmental job-training program.

23.What prompted 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 Paragraph3,being unemployed makes one feel____

［A］uneasy.

［B］enraged.

［C］insulted.

［D］guilty.

25.To which of the following would the author most probably agree？

［A］The British welfare system indulges jobseekers’laziness.

［B］Osborne’s reform will reduce the risk of unemployment.

［C］The jobseekers’allowance has met their actual needs.

［D］Unemployment benefits should not be made conditional.

第六篇英国经济

For the first time in history more people live in towns than in country.In Britain this has had a curious result.While 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.

A century ago Octavia Hill launched the National Trust not to rescue stylish houses but to save“the beauty of natural places for everyone forever.”It was specifically to provide city dwellers with spaces for leisure where they could experience“a refreshing air.”Hill’s pressure later led to the creation of national parks and green belts.They don’t make countryside any more，and every year concrete consumes more of it.It needs constant guardianship.

At the next election none of the big parties seem likely to endorse this sentiment.The Conservatives’planning reform explicitly gives rural development priority over conservation,even authorizing“off-plan”building where local people might object.The concept of sustainable development has been defined as https://www.sodocs.net/doc/f5717641.html,bour likewise wants to discontinue local planning where councils oppose development.The Liberal Democrats are silent.Only Ukip,sensing its Chance,has sided with those pleading for a more considered approach to using green land.Its Campaign to Protect Rule England struck terror into many local Conservative parties.

The sensible place to build new houses,factories and offices is where people are,in cities and towns where infrastructure is in place.The London agents Stirling Ackroyd recently identified enough sites for half a million houses in the London area alone,with no intrusion on green belt. What is true of London is even truer of the provinces.

The idea that“housing crisis”equals“concreted meadows”is pure lobby talk.The issue is not the need for more houses but,as always,where to put them.Under lobby pressure,George Osborne favors rural-build against urban renovation and renewal.He favors out-of-town shopping sites against high streets.This is not a free market but a biased one.Rural towns and villages have grown and will always grow.They do so best where building sticks to their edges and respects their character.We do not ruin urban conservation areas.Why ruin rural ones?

Development should be planned,not let rip.After the Netherlands,Britain is Europe’s most crowded country.Half a century of town and country planning has enabled it to retain an enviable rural coherence,while still permitting low-density urban living.There is no doubt of the alternative–the corrupted landscapes of southern Portugal,Spain or Ireland.Avoiding this rather than promoting it should unite the left and right of the political spectrum.

26.Britain’s public sentiment about the countryside____

［A］didn’t start till the Shakespearean age.

［B］has brought much benefit to the NHS.

［C］is fully backed by the royal family.

［D］is not well reflected in politics.

27.According to Paragraph2,the achievements of the National Trust are now being___

［A］gradually destroyed.

［B］effectively reinforced.

［C］largely overshadowed.

［D］properly protected.

28.Which of the following can be inferred from Paragraph3?

［A］Labour is under attack for opposing development.

［B］The conservatives may abandon“off-plan”building.

［C］The Liberal Democrats are losing political influence.

［D］Ukip may gain from its support for rural conservation.

29.The author holds that George Osborne’s preference___

［A］highlights his firm stand against lobby pressure.

［B］shows his disregard for the character of rural areas.

［C］stresses the necessity of easing the housing crisis.

［D］reveals a strong prejudice against urban areas.

30.In the last paragraph,the author shows his appreciation of____

［A］the size of population in Britain.

［B］the political life in today’s Britain

［C］the enviable urban lifestyle in Britain.

［D］the town-and-country planning in Britain.

第七篇美国文化

The most thoroughly studied in the history of the new world are the ministers and political leaders of seventeenth-century NewEngland.According to the standard history of American philosophy, nowhere else in colonial America was"So much important attached to intellectual pursuits."According to many books and articles,New England's leaders established the basic themes and preoccupations of an unfolding,dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life.

To take this approach to the New Englanders normally means to start with the Puritans' theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the church—important subjects that we may not neglect.But in keeping with our examination of southern intellectual life,we may consider the original Puritans as carriers of European culture adjusting to New world circumstances.The New England colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely understood ideals of civility and virtuosity.

The early settlers of Massachusetts Bay included men of impressive education and influence in England.Besides the ninety or so learned ministers who came to Massachusetts church in the decade after1629,there were political leaders like John Winthrop,an educated gentleman,lawyer, and official of the Crown before he journeyed to Boston.These men wrote and published

extensively,reaching both New World and Old World audiences,and giving NewEngland an atmosphere of intellectual earnestness.

We should not forget,however,that most New Englanders were less well educated.While few crafts men or farmers,let alone dependents and servants,left literary compositions to be analyzed.Their thinking often had a traditional superstitions quality.A tailor named John Dane, who emigrated in the late1630s,left an account of his reasons for leaving England that is filled with signs.Sexual confusion,economic frustrations,and religious hope-all name together in a decisive moment when he opened the Bible,told his father the first line he saw would settle his fate,and read the magical words:"come out from among them,touch no unclean thing,and I will be your God and you shall be my people."One wonders what Dane thought of the careful sermons explaining the Bible that he heard in puritan churched.

Meanwhile,many settles had slighter religious commitments than Dane's,as one clergyman learned in confronting folk along the coast who mocked that they had not come to the New world for religion."Our main end was to catch fish."

36.The author notes that in the seventeenth-century New England_______.

［A］Puritan tradition dominated political life.

［B］intellectual interests were encouraged.

［C］Politics benefited much from intellectual endeavors.

［D］intellectual pursuits enjoyed a liberal environment.

37.It is suggested in paragraph2that New Englanders_______.

［A］experienced a comparatively peaceful early history.

［B］brought with them the culture of the Old World

［C］paid little attention to southern intellectual life

［D］were obsessed with religious innovations

38.The early ministers and political leaders in Massachusetts Bay______.

［A］were famous in the New World for their writings

［B］gained increasing importance in religious affairs

［C］abandoned high positions before coming to the New World

［D］created a new intellectual atmosphere in New England

39.The story of John Dane shows that less well-educated New Englanders were often_______.

［A］influenced by superstitions

［B］troubled with religious beliefs

［C］puzzled by church sermons

［D］frustrated with family earnings

40.The text suggests that early settlers in New England_______.

［A］were mostly engaged in political activities

［B］were motivated by an illusory prospect

［C］came from different backgrounds.

［D］left few formal records for later reference

第八篇大众传播

In his book The Tipping Point,Malcolm Gladwell argues that social epidemics are driven in large part by the acting of a tiny minority of special individuals,often called influentials,who are unusually informed,persuasive,or well-connected.The idea is intuitively compelling,but it doesn't explain how ideas actually spread.

The 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.Marketers have embraced the two-step flow because it suggests that if they can just find and influence the influentials,those selected people will do most of the work for them.The theory also seems to explain the sudden and unexpected popularity of certain looks,brands,or neighborhoods.In 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.Anecdotal evidence of this kind fits nicely with the idea that only certain special people can drive trends

In 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.In fact,they don't seem to be required of all.

The researchers’argument stems from a simple observation about social influence:With e 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.Yet 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.For 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.If 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.

Building on this basic truth about interpersonal influence,the researchers studied the dynamics of social influence by conducting thousands of computer stimulations of populations manipulating a number of variables relating to people's ability to influence others and their tendency to be influenced.They found that the principal requirement for what we call"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 paragraph4refers 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

第九篇科学研究

Text3

The US＄3-million Fundamental Physics Price is indeed an interesting experiment,as Alexander Polyakov said when he accepted this year’s award in March.And it is far from the only one of its type.As a New Feature article in Nature discusses,a string of lucrative awards for researchers have joined the Nobel Prizes in recent years.Many,like the Fundamental Physics Prize, are funded from the telephones-number-sized bank accounts of Internet entrepreneurs.These 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.

What’s not to like?Quite a lot,according to a handful of scientists quoted in the News Feature.You cannot buy class,as the old saying goes,and these upstart entrepreneurs cannot buy their prizes the prestige of the Nobels.The new awards are an exercise in self-promotion for those behind them,say scientists.They could distort the achievement-based system of peer-review-led

research.They could cement the status quo of peer-reviewed research.They do not fund peer-reviewed research.They perpetuate the myth of the lone genius.

The goals of the prize-givers seem as scattered as the criticism.Some want to shock,others to draw people into science,or to better reward those who have made their careers in research.

As Nature has pointed out before,there are some legitimate concerns about how science prize-both new and old–are distributed.The Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences,launched this year,takes an unrepresentative view of what the life science include.But 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.The Nobels were,of course,themselves set up by a very rich individual who had decided what he wanted to do with his own money.Time,rather than intention,has given them legitimacy.

As much as some scientists may complain about the new awards,two things seem clear.First, most researchers would accept such a prize if they were offered one.Second,it is surely a good thing that the money and attention come to science rather than go elsewhere.It 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.It 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 handsome reward for researchers.

［C］a possible replacement of the Nobel Prizes.

［D］an example of bankers’investments.

32.The critics think that the new awards will most benefit____

［A］the profit-oriented scientists.

［B］the achievement-based system.

［C］the founders of the new awards

［D］peer-review-led research.

33.The discovery of the Higgs boson is a typical case which involves____

［A］legitimate concerns over the new prizes.

［B］controversies over the recipients＇status.

［C］the joint effort of modern researchers.

［D］the demonstration of research finding.

34.According to Paragraph4,which of the following is true of the Nobels?

［A］History has never cast doubt on them.

［B］Their endurance has done justice to them.

［C］They are the most representative honor.

［D］Their legitimacy has long been in dispute.

35.The author believes that the new awards are____

［A］unworthy of public attention.

［B］subject to undesirable changes.

［C］harmful to the culture of research.

［D］acceptable despite the criticism.

第十篇美国教育

“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.Regrettably，however，the report’s failure to address the true nature of the crisis facing liberal education may cause more harm than good.

In2010，leading congressional Democrats and Republicans sent letters to the AAAS asking that it identify actions that could be taken by“federal，state and local government，universities，foundations，educators，individual benefactor and others”to“maintain national excellence in humanities and social scientific scholarship and education.”In response,the American Academy formed the Commission on the Humanities and Social Science.Among the commission’s51 members are top-tier-university presidents,scholars,lawyers,judges,and business executives as well as prominent figures from diplomacy,filmmaking,music and journalism.

The goals identified in the report are generally admirable.Because 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.To 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 the21st century,increased funding for teachers and the encouragement of scholars to bring their learning to bear on the great challenges of the day. The report also advocates greater study of foreign languages,international affairs and the expansion of study abroad programs.

Unfortunately,despite2.5years 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. The 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.Sadly,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.

Today,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.

The AAAS displays great enthusiasm for liberal education.Yet 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 Paragraph1,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］define the government’s role in education.

［B］safeguard individuals’rights to education.

［C］retain people’s interest in liberal education.

［D］keep a leading position in liberal education.

38.According to paragraph3,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 paragraph5that professors are____

［A］supportive of free markets

［B］conservative about public policy.

［C］biased against classical liberal ideas.

［D］cautious about intellectual investigation.

40.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

［A］Ways to Grasp“The Heart of the Matter”

［B］Illiberal Education and“The Heart of the Matter”

［C］The AAAS’s Contribution to Liberal Education

［D］Progressive Policy vs.Liberal Education