2004-2013历年全国考研英语真题阅读理解word打印版.doc

2004

Reading

Text 1

Hunting for a job late last year, lawyer Gant Redmon stumbled across CareerBuilder, a job

database on the Internet. He searched it with no success but was attracted by the site’s

lets visitors key in job criteria such as location, title,

search agent”. It’s an interactive feature that

and salary, then E-mails them when a matching position is posted in the database. Redmon chose

the keywords legal, intellectual property, and Washington, D.C. Three weeks later, he got his first

says Redmon, who E-mailed his resume to the

notification of an opening. “I s truck gold, ’　

employer and won a position as in-house counsel for a company.

With thousands of career-related sites on the Internet, finding promising openings can be

time-consuming and inefficient. Search agents reduce the need for repeated visits to the databases.

But although a search agent worked for Redmon, career experts see drawbacks. Narrowing your

n you eliminate a

criteria, for example, may work against you: “Every time you answer a questio

possibility.” says one expert.

For any job search, you should start with a narrow concept – what you think you want to do –

then broaden it. “None o f these programs do that, ”　s ays another expert. “There’s

no career

Instead, the best strategy is to use the agent as a kind of tip

counseling implicit in all of this.”　

service to keep abreast of jobs in a particular database; when you get E-mail, consider it a

hing that is

reminder to check the database again. “I would not rely on agents for finding everyt

-searching guide.

added to a database that might interest me, ” says the author of a job

Some sites design their agents to tempt job hunters to return. When CareerSite’s agent out messages to those who have signed up for its service, for example, it includes only three

potential jobs ——those it considers the best matches. There may be more matches in the

database; job hunters will have to visit the site again to find them ——and they do. “On the day

after we send our messages, we see a s h arp increase in our traffic, ” says Seth Peets, vice president

of marketing for CareerSite.

Even those who aren’t hunting for jobs may find search agents worthwhile. Some use them to

keep a close watch on the demand for their line of work or gather information on compensation to

arm themselves when negotiating for a raise. Although happily employed, Redmon maintains his

h e says. Working with a personal

agent at CareerBuilder. “You always keep your eyes open, ”　

search agent means having another set of eyes looking out for you.

41. How did Redmon find his job?

[A] By searching openings in a job database. [B] By posting a matching position in a database.

[C] By using a special service of a database. [D] By E-mailing his resume to a database.

42. Which of the following can be a disadvantage of search agents?

[A] Lack of counseling. [B] Limited number of visits.

[C] Lower efficiency. [D] Fewer successful matches.

________.

43. The expression “tip service” (Line 4, Paragraph 3) most probably means __

[A] advisory. [B] compensation. [C] interaction. [D] reminder.

44. Why does CareerSite’s agent offer each job hunter only three job options?

[A] To focus on better job matches. [B] To attract more returning visits.

[C] To reserve space for more messages. [D] To increase the rate of success.

45. Which of the following is true according to the text?

[A] Personal search agents are indispensable to job-hunters.

[B] Some sites keep E-mailing job seekers to trace their demands.

[C] Personal search agents are also helpful to those already employed.

[D] Some agents stop sending information to people once they are employed.

Text 2

Over the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination have been condemned or made illegal. But one insidious form continues to thrive: alphabetism. This, for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those whose surnames begin with

a letter in the lower half of the alphabet.

It has long been known that a taxi firm called AAAA cars has a big advantage over Zodiac

cars when customers thumb through their phone directories. Less well known is the advantage that

Adam Abbott has in life over Zoe Zysman. English names are fairly evenly spread between the

halves of the alphabet. Yet a suspiciously large number of top people have surnames beginning

with letters between A and K.

Thus the American president and vice-president have surnames starting with B and C

is father) had surnames in the first respectively; and 26 of George Bush’s predecessors (including h

half of the alphabet against just 16 in the second half. Even more striking, six of the seven heads

of government of the G7 rich countries are alphabetically advantaged (Berlusconi, Blair, Bush, tien and Koi zumi). The world’s three top central bankers (Greenspan, Duisenberg and Chirac, Chré

Hayami) are all close to the top of the alphabet, even if one of them really uses Japanese

. characters. As are the world’s five richest men (Gates, Buffett, Allen, Ellison and Albrecht) Can this merely be coincidence? One theory, dreamt up in all the spare time enjoyed by the alphabetically disadvantaged, is that the rot sets in early. At the start of the first year in infant school, teachers seat pupils alphabetically from the front, to make it easier to remember their names. So short-sighted Zysman junior gets stuck in the back row, and is rarely asked the improving questions posed by those insensitive teachers. At the time the alphabetically disadvantaged may think they have had a lucky escape. Yet the result may be worse qualifications, because they get less individual attention, as well as less confidence in speaking publicly.

The humiliation continues. At university graduation ceremonies, the ABCs proudly get their

awards first; by the time they reach the Zysmans most people are literally having a ZZZ. Shortlists

for job interviews, election ballot papers, lists of conference speakers and attendees: all tend to be

drawn up alphabetically, and their recipients lose interest as they plough through them.

46. What does the author intend to illustrate with AAA A cars and Zodiac cars?

[A] A kind of overlooked inequality. [B] A type of conspicuous bias.

[C] A type of personal prejudice. [D] A kind of brand discrimination.

47. What can we infer from the first three paragraphs?

[A] In both East and West, names are essential to success.

[B] The alphabet is to blame for the failure of Zo? Zysman.

[C] Customers often pay a lot of attention to companies’ names.

[D] Some form of discrimination is too subtle to recognize.

48. The 4th paragraph suggests that __________.

[A] questions are often put to the more intelligent students.

[B] alphabetically disadvantaged students often escape form class.

[C] teachers should pay attention to all of their students.

[D] students should be seated according to their eyesight.

-3, Paragraph

49. What does the author mean by “most people are literally having a ZZZ” (Lines 2

5)?

[A] They are getting impatient. [B] They are noisily dozing off.

[C] They are feeling humiliated. [D] They are busy with word puzzles.

50. Which of the following is true according to the text?

[A] People with surnames beginning with N to Z are often ill-treated.

[B] VIPs in the Western world gain a great deal from alphabetism.

[C] The campaign to eliminate alphabetism still has a long way to go.

[D] Putting things alphabetically may lead to unintentional bias.

Text 3

When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn’t biting her nails just yet. But the

47-year-old manicurist isn’t cutting, filling or polishing as many nails as she’d like to, eith of her clients spend $12 to $50 weekly, but last month two longtime customers suddenly stopped

showing up. Spero blames the softening economy. “I’m a good economic indicator, ” she sa provide a service that people can do without when they’re concerned about saving some dollars.

So Spero is downscaling, shopping at middle-brow Dillard’s department store near her suburban

Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus. “I don’t know if other clients are going to abandon

me, too” she says.

-hot economy is cooling, lots of Even before Alan Greenspan’s admission that America’s red

working folks had already seen signs of the slowdown themselves. From car dealerships to Gap

outlets, sales have been lagging for months as shoppers temper their spending. For retailers, who

last year took in 24 percent of their revenue between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cautious

approach is coming at a crucial time. Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7 percent from last

year’s pace. But don’t sound any alarms just yet. Consumers seem only concerned, not panicked,

-term prospects, even as they do

and many say they remain optimistic about the economy’s long

some modest belt-tightening.

Consumers say they’re not in despair because, despite the dreadful headlines, their own

fortunes still feel pretty good. Home prices are holding steady in most regions. In Manhattan,

“there’s a new gold rush happening in the $4 million to $10 millio n range, predominantly fed by

Wall Street bonuses, ” says broker Barbara Corcoran. In San Francisco, prices are still rising even

as frenzied overbidding quiets. “Instead of 20 to 30 offers, now maybe you only get two or three,

says John Deadly, a Bay Area real-estate broker. And most folks still feel pretty comfortable about

their ability to find and keep a job.

Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. Potential home buyers would cheer for lower

er bubbles in the job market. Many consumers

interest rates. Employers wouldn’t mind a little few

seem to have been influenced by stock-market swings, which investors now view as a necessary

ingredient to a sustained boom. Diners might see an upside, too. Getting a table at Manhattan

new Alain Ducasse restaurant need to be impossible. Not anymore. For that, Greenspan & Co.

may still be worth toasting.

51. By “Ellen Spero isn’t biting her nails just yet”(Line 1, Paragraph 1), the author means _____.

[A] Spero can hardly maintain her business. [B] Spero is too much engaged in her work.

[C] Spero has grown out of her bad habit. [D] Spero is not in a desperate situation.

52. How do the public feel about the current economic situation?

[A] Optimistic. [B] Confused. [C] Carefree. [D] Panicked.

-4, Paragraph 3) the author is

53. When mentioning “the $4 million to $10 million range” (Lines 3

talking about __________.

[A] gold market. [B] real estate. [C] stock exchange. [D] venture investment.

54. Why can many people see “silver linings” to the economic showdown?

[A] They would benefit in certain ways. [B] The stock market shows signs of recovery.

[C] Such a slowdown usually precedes a boom. [D] The purchasing power would be enhanced.

55. To which of the following is the author likely to agree?

[A] A now boom, on the horizon. [B] Tighten the belt, the single remedy.

[C] Caution all right, panic not. [D] The more ventures, the more chances.

Text 4

Americans today don’t place a very high value on intellect. Our heroes are athletes,

entertainers, and entrepreneurs, not scholars. Even our schools are where we send our children to

get a practical education –not to pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Symptoms of

pervasive anti-intellectual ism in our schools aren’t difficult to find.

“Schools have always been in a society where practical is more important than intellectual,

says education writer Diane Ravitch. “Schools could be a counterbalance.” Razitch’s lates Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms, traces the roots of anti-intellectualism in our

schools, concluding they are anything but a counterbalance to the American distaste for

intellectual pursuits.

But they could and should be. Encouraging kids to reject the life of the mind leaves them

vulnerable to exploitation and control. Without the ability to think critically, to defend their ideas

and understand the ideas of others, they cannot fully participate in our democracy. Continuing

-rate country. We will have a

along this path, says writer Earl Shor ris, “We will become a second

less civil society.”

“Intellect is resented as a form of power or privilege, ” writes historian and professor Richa Hofstadter in Anti-Intellectualism in American life, a Pulitzer Prize winning book on the roots of

anti-intellectualism in US politics, religion, and education. From the beginning of our history, says

Hofstadter, our democratic and populist urges have driven us to reject anything that smells of

elitism. Practicality, common sense, and native intelligence have been considered more noble

qualities than anything you could learn from a book.

Ralph Waldo Emerson and other Transcendentalist philosophers thought schooling and

re shut up in schools and college

rigorous book learning put unnatural restraints on children: “We a

recitation rooms for 10 or 15 years and come out at last with a bellyful of words and do not know

a thing.”　

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn exemplified American anti-intellectualism. Its hero

avoids being civilized –going to school and learning to read –so he can preserve his innate

goodness.

Intellect, according to Hofstadter, is different from native intelligence, a quality we

reluctantly admire. Intellect is the critical, creative, and contemplative side of the mind.

Intelligence seeks to grasp, manipulate, re-order, and adjust, while intellect examines, ponders,

wonders, theorizes, criticizes and imagines.

School remains a place where intellect is mistrusted. Hofstadter says our country’s

educational system is in the gri ps of people who “joyfully and militantly proclaim their hostility to

intellect and their eagerness to identify with children who show the least intellectual promise.

56. What do American parents expect their children to acquire in school?

[A] The habit of thinking independently. [B] Profound knowledge of the world.

[C] Practical abilities for future career. [D] The confidence in intellectual pursuits.

57. We can learn from the text that Americans have a history of __________.

[A] undervaluing intellect. [B] favoring intellectualism.

[C] supporting school reform. [D] suppressing native intelligence.

58. The views of Ravish and Emerson on schooling are __________.

[A] identical. [B] similar. [C] complementary. [D] opposite.

59. Emerson, according to the text, is probably __________.

[A] a pioneer of education reform. [B] an opponent of intellectualism.

[C] a scholar in favor of intellect. [D] an advocate of regular schooling.

60. What does the author think of intellect?

[A] It is second to intelligence. [B] It evolves from common sense.

[C] It is to be pursued. [D] It underlies power.

2005

Reading

Text 1

Everybody loves a fat pay rise. Yet pleasure at your own can vanish if you learn that a

colleague has been given a bigger one. Indeed, if he has a reputation for slacking, you might even

be outraged. Such behaviour is regarded as “all too human”, with the underlying assumption that other animals would not be capable of this finely developed sense of grievance. But a study by

Sarah Brosnan and Frans de Waal of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, which has just been

published in Nature, suggests that it all too monkey, as well.

The researchers studied the behaviour of female brown capuchin monkeys. They look cute.

They are good-natured, co-operative creatures, and they share their food tardily. Above all, like

their female human counterparts, they tend to pay much closer attention to the va lue of “goods and

services” than males.

Such characteristics make them perfect candidates for Dr. Brosnan’s and Dr. de Waal’The researchers spent two years teaching their monkeys to exchange tokens for food. Normally,

the monkeys were happy enough to exchange pieces of rock for slices of cucumber. However,

when two monkeys were placed in separate but adjoining chambers, so that each could observe

what the other was getting in return for its rock, their became markedly different.

In the world of capuchins grapes are luxury goods (and much preferable to cucumbers) So

when one monkey was handed a grape in exchange for her token, the second was reluctant to hand

hers over for a mere piece of cucumber. And if one received a grape without having to provide her

token in exchange at all, the other either tossed her own token at the researcher or out of the

chamber, or refused to; accept the slice of cucumber Indeed, the mere presence of a grape in the

other chamber (without an actual monkey to eat it) was enough to reduce resentment in a female

capuchin.

The researches suggest that capuchin monkeys, like humans, are guided by social emotions,

in the wild, they are a co-operative, groupliving species, Such co-operation is likely to be stable

only when each animal feels it is not being cheated. Feelings of righteous indignation, it seems,

are not the preserve of people alone, Refusing a lesser reward completely makes these feelings

abundantly clear to other members of the group. However, whether such a sense of fairness

evolved independently in capuchins and humans, or whether it stems form the common ancestor

that the species had 35 million years ago, is, as yet, an unanswered question.

21. In the opening paragraph, the author introduces his topic by __________.

A. posing a contrast.

B. justifying an assumption.

C. making a comparison.

D. explaining a phenomenon.

22. The statement “it is all too monkey” (Last line, paragraph l) implies that __________.

A. monkeys are also outraged by slack rivals.

B. resenting unfairness is also monkeys’ nature.

C. monkeys, like humans, tend to be jealous of each other.

D. no animals other than monkeys can develop such emotions.

23. Female capuchin monkeys were chosen for the research most probably because they are ____.

A. more inclined to weigh what they get.

B. attentive to researchers’ instructions.

C. nice in both appearance and temperament.

D. more generous than their male companions

24. Dr. Brosnan and Dr. de Waal have eventually found in their study that the monkeys _______.

A. prefer grapes to cucumbers.

B. can be taught to exchange things.

C. will not be co-operative if feeling cheated.

D. are unhappy when separated from others.

25. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A. Monkeys can be trained to develop social emotions.

B. Human indignation evolved from an uncertain source.

C. Animals usually show their feelings openly as humans do.

D. Cooperation among monkeys remains stable only in the wild.

Text 2

Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the

doubters insisted that we didn’t know for sure? That the evidence was inconclusive, the science

uncertain? That the antismoking lobby was out to destroy our way of life and the government

should stay out of the way? Lots of Americans bought that nonsense, and over three decades, some

10 million smokers went to early graves.

There are upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one wave after another try to awaken us to

the growing threat of global warming. The latest was a panel from the National Academy of

Sciences, enlisted by the White House, to tell us that the Earth’s atmosphere is definitely warmi and that the problem is largely man-made. The clear message is that we should get moving to

protect ourselves. The president of the National Academy, Bruce Alberts, added this key point in

the preface to the panel’s report “Science never has all the answers But science does provide us

with the best available guide to the future, and it is critical that out nation and the world base

important policies on the best judgments that science can provide concerning the future

consequences of present actions.”

Just as on smoking voices now come from many quarters insisting that the science about

global warming is incomplete, that it’s Ok to keep pouring fumes into the air until we know for

sure. this is a dangerous game: by the 100 percent of the evidence is in, it may be too late. With

the risks obvious and growing, a prudent people would take out an insurance policy now.

Fortunately, the White House is starting to pay attention. But it’s obvious that a majority o the president’s advisers still don’t take global warming seriously. Instead of a plan of action, they continue to press for more research-a classic case of “paralysis by analysis”．

To serve as responsible stewards of the planet, we must press forward on deeper atmospheric

and oceanic research But research alone is inadequate. If the Administration won’t take the

legislative initiative, Congress should help to begin fashioning conservation measures A bill by

Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, which would offer financial incentives for

private industry is a promising start Many see that the country is getting ready to build lots of new

power plants to meet our energy needs. If we are ever going to protect the atmosphere, it is crucial

that those new plants be environmentally sound.

26. An argument made by supporters of smoking was that __________.

A. there was no scientific evidence of the correlation between smoking and death.

B. the number of early deaths of smokers in the past decades was insignificant.

C. people had the freedom to choose their own way of life.

D. antismoking people were usually talking nonsense.

27. According to Bruce Alberts, science can serve as __________.

A. a protector.

B. a judge.

C. a critic.

D. a guide.

28. What does the author mean by “paralysis by analysis” (Last line, paragraph 4)?

A. Endless studies kill action.

B. Careful investigation reveals truth.

C. prudent planning hinders.

D. Extensive research helps decision-making.

29. According to the author, what should the Administration do about __________?

A. Offer aid to build cleaner power plants.

B. Raise public awareness of conservation.

C. Press for further scientific research.

D. Take some legislative measures.

30. The author associates the issue of global warming with that of smoking because _________.

A. they both suffered from the government’s negligence.

B. a lesson from the latter is applicable to the former.

C. the outcome of the latter aggravates the former.

D. both of them have turned from bad to worse.

Text 3

Of all the components of a good night’s sleep, dreams seem to be least within our control. In dreams, a window opens into a world where logic is suspended and dead people speak. A century

ago, Freud formulated his revolutionary theory that dreams were the disguised shadows of our

unconscious desires and fears; by the late 1970s, neurologists had switched to thinking of them as

-repair work that goes on during sleep.

just “mental noise” the random byproducts of the neural

Now researchers suspect that dreams are part of the mind’s emotional thermostat, regulating

-line” And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful

moods while the brain is “off

mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control, to help us

sleep and feel better, “It’s your dream” says Rosalind Cartwright, chair of psychology at Chicago Medical Cente r. “If you don’t like it, change it.”

Evidence from brain imaging supports this view. The brain is as active during REM (rapid

eye movement) sleep-when most vivid dreams occur-as it is when fully awake, says Dr, Eric

Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh. But not all parts of the brain are equally involved; the

limbic system (the “emotional brain”) is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex (the center

d

of intellect and reasoning) is relatively quiet. “We wake up from dreams happy of depressed, an those feelings can stay with us all day” says Stanford sleep researcher Dr, William Dement.

And this process need not be left to the unconscious. Cartwright believes one can exercise

conscious control over recurring bad dreams. As soon as you awaken, identify what is upsetting

about the dream. Visualize how you would like it to end instead, the next time is occurs, try to

wake up just enough to control its course. With much practice people can learn to, literally, do it in

their sleep.

At the end of the d ay, there’s probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless

they keep us from sleeping of “we wake u in a panic, ”　C artwright says Terrorism, economic

se suffering

uncertainties and general feelings of insecurity have increased people’s anxiety. Tho

from persistent nightmares should seek help from a therapist For the rest of us, the brain has its

ways of working through bad feelings. Sleep-or rather dream-on it and you’ll feel better in the

morning.

31. Researchers have come to believe that dreams __________.

A. can be modified in their courses.

B. are susceptible to emotional changes.

C. reflect our innermost desires and fears.

D. are a random outcome of neural repairs.

32. By referring to the limbic system, the author intends to show __________.

A. its function in our dreams.

B. the mechanism of REM sleep.

C. the relation of dreams to emotions

D. its difference from the prefrontal cortex.

33. The negative feelings generated during the day tend to __________.

A. aggravate in our unconscious mind.

B. develop into happy dreams.

C. persist till the time we fall asleep.

D. show up in dreams early at night.

34. Cartwright seems to suggest that __________.

A. waking up in time is essential to the ridding of bad dreams.

B. visualizing bad dreams helps bring them under con troll.

C. dreams should be left to their natural progression.

D. dreaming may not entirely belong to the unconscious.

35. What advice might Cartwright give to those who sometimes have had dreams?

A. lead your life as usual.

B. Seek professional help.

C. Exercise conscious control.

D. Avoid anxiety in the daytime.

Text 4

American no longer expect public figures, whether in speech or in writing, to command the

English language with skill and gift. Nor do they aspire to such command themselves. In his latest

book, Doing Our Own Thing. The Degradation of language and Music and why we should like,

care, John McWhorter, a linguist and controversialist of mixed liberal and conservative views,

sees the triumph of 1960s counter-culture as responsible for the decline of formal English.

But the cult of the authentic and the personal, “doing our own thing”, has spelt the death formal speech, writing, poetry and music. While even the modestly educated sought an elevated

tone when they put pen to paper before the 1960s, even the most well regarded writing since then

has sought to capture spoken English on the page. Equally, in poetry, the highly personal,

performative genre is the only form that could claim real liveliness. In both oral and written

English, talking is triumphing over speaking, spontaneity over craft.

Illustrated with an entertaining array of examples from both high and low culture, the trend

that Mr. McWhorter documents is unmistakable. But it is less clear, to take the question of his

subtitle, why we should, like care. As a linguist, he acknowledges that all varieties of human

language, including non-standard ones like Black English, can be powerfully expressive-there

exists no language or dialect in the world that cannot convey complex ideas He is not arguing, as

many do, that we can no longer think straight because we do not talk proper.

Russians have a deep love for their own language and carry large chunks of memorized

poetry in their heads, while Italian politicians tend to elaborate speech that would seem

old-fashioned to most English-speakers. Mr. McWhorter acknowledges that formal language is not

strictly necessary, and proposes no radical education reforms-he is really grieving over the loss of

something beautiful more than useful. We now take our English “on paper plates instead of china A shame, perhaps, but probably an inevitable one.

36. According to Mc Whorter, the decline of formal English __________.

A. is inevitable in radical education reforms.

B. is but all too natural in language development.

C. has caused the controversy over the counter-culture.

D. brought about changes in public attitudes in the 1960s.

s __________.

37. The word “talking” (Linge6, paragraph3) denote

A. modesty.

B. personality.

C. liveliness.

D. informality.

38. To which of the following statements would Mc Whorter most likely agree?

A. Logical thinking is not necessarily related to the way we talk.

B. Black English can be more expressive than standard English.

C. Non-standard varieties of human language are just as entertaining.

D. Of all the varieties, standard English Can best convey complex ideas.

author’s __________.

39. The description of Russians’ love of memorizing poetry shows the

A. interest in their language.

B. appreciation of their efforts.

C. admiration for their memory.

D. contempt for their old-fashionedness.

___.

40. According to the last paragraph, “paper plates” is to “china” as _______

B. “radical” is to “conservative”．

A. “temporary” is to “permanent”.

D. “humble” is to “noble”．

C. “functional” is to “artistic”.

2006

Reading

Text 1

American society is an amazing machine for In spite of “endless talk of difference,”　

homogenizing people. There is “the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse, and the

casualness and absence of deference” characteristic of popular culture. People are absorbed into

-century department s tores that offered “vast arrays

culture of consumption” launched by the 19th

of goods in an elegant atmosphere. Instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite,

these were stores “anyone could enter, regardless of class or background. This turned shopping

into a public and democratic act.”　

The mass media, advertising and sports are other forces for homogenization.

Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture, which may not be altogether

elevating but is hardly poisonous. Writing for the National Immigration Forum, Gregory

immigration is neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to

Rodri guez reports that today’s

assimilation. In 1998 immigrants were 9.8 percent of population; in 1900, 13.6 percent. In the 10

years prior to 1990, 3.1 immigrants arrived for every 1,000 residents; in the 10 years prior to 1890,

9.2 for every 1,000. Now, consider three indices of assimilation -- language, home ownership and

intermarriage.

The 1990 Census revealed that “a majority of immigrants from each of the fifteen most

common countries of orig in spoke English ‘well’ or ‘very well’ after ten years of residence.

children of immigrants tend to be bilingual and proficient in English. “By the third generation original language is lost in the majority of immigrant families.” Hence the descr

iption of America

-born immigrants who had arrived before 1970

as a “graveyard” for languages. By 1996 foreign

had a home ownership rate of 75.6 percent, higher than the 69.8 percent rate among native-born

Americans.

Foreign-born Asians and Hispanics “have higher rates of intermarriage than do U.S.-born

By the third generation, one third of Hispanic women are married to

whites and blacks.”　

non-Hispanics, and 41 percent of Asian-American women are married to non-Asians.

Rodriguez notes that children in remote villages around the world are fans of superstars like

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks, yet “some Americans fear that immigrants living

within the United States remain somehow immune to the nation’s assimilative power.”

Are there divisive issues and pockets of seething anger in America? Indeed. It is big enough

to have a bit of everything. But particularly when viewed against America’s turbulent past, tod social indices hardly suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment.

21. The word “homogenizing” (Line 2, Paragraph 1) most probably means ________.

[A] identifying [B] associating

[C] assimilating[D] monopolizing

22. According to the author, the department stores of the 19th century ________.

[A] played a role in the spread of popular culture

[B] became intimate shops for common consumers

[C] satisfied the needs of a knowledgeable elite

[D] owed its emergence to the culture of consumption

23. The text suggests that immigrants now in the U.S. ________.

[A] are resistant to homogenization

[B] exert a great influence on American culture

[C] are hardly a threat to the common culture

[D] constitute the majority of the population

24. Why are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks mentioned in Paragraph 5?

[A] To prove their popularity around the world.

[B] To reveal the public’s fear of immigrants.

[C] To give examples of successful immigrants.

[D] To show the powerful influence of American culture.

25. In the author’s opinion, the absorption of immigrants in

to American society is ________.

[A] rewarding [B] successful

[C] fruitless[D] harmful

Text 2

Stratford-on-Avon, as we all know, has only one industry -- William Shakespeare -- but there

are two distinctly separate and increasingly hostile branches. There is the Royal Shakespeare

Company (RSC), which presents superb productions of the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial

Theatre on the Avon. And there are the townsfolk who largely live off the tourists who come, not

to see the plays, but to look at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s birthplace and the other sights.

The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue. They

sandals and noisiness.

frankly dislike the RSC’s actors, them with their long hair and beards and

It’s all deliciously ironic when you consider that Shakespeare, who earns their living, was himself

an actor (with a beard) and did his share of noise-making.

The tourist streams are not entirely separate. The sightseers who come by bus -- and often

take in Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace on the side -- don’t usually see the plays, and some

of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford. However, the playgoers do manage a little

sight-seeing along with their playgoing. It is the playgoers, the RSC contends, who bring in much

of the town’s revenue because they spend the night (some of them four or five nights) pouring

cash into the hotels and restaurants. The sightseers can take in everything and get out of town by

nightfall.

The townsfolk don’t see it this way and local council does not contribute directly to the

subsidy of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Stratford cries poor traditionally. Nevertheless every

hotel in town seems to be adding a new wing or cocktail lounge. Hilton is building its own hotel

there, which you may be sure will be decorated with Hamlet Hamburger Bars, the Lear Lounge,

the Banquo Banqueting Room, and so forth, and will be very expensive.

Anyway, the townsfolk can’t understand why the Royal Shakespe are Company needs a

subsidy. (The theatre has broken attendance records for three years in a row. Last year its 1,431

seats were 94 percent occupied all year long and this year they’ll do better.) The reason, of cours is that costs have rocketed and ticket prices have stayed low.

It would be a shame to raise prices too much because it would drive away the young people

who are Stratford’s most attractive clientele. They come entirely for the plays, not the sights. They

all seem to look alike (though they come from all over) -- lean, pointed, dedicated faces, wearing

jeans and sandals, eating their buns and bedding down for the night on the flagstones outside the

theatre to buy the 20 seats and 80 standing-room tickets held for the sleepers and sold to them

when the box office opens at 10:30 a.m.

26. From the first two paragraphs, we learn that ________.

[A] the townsfolk deny the RSC’s contribution to the town’s revenue

[B] the actors of the RSC imitate Shakespeare on and off stage

[C] the two branches of the RSC are not on good terms

[D] the townsfolk earn little from tourism

27. It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that ________.

[A] the sightseers cannot visit the Castle and the Palace separately

[B] the playgoers spend more money than the sightseers

[C] the sightseers do more shopping than the playgoers

[D] the playgoers go to no other places in town than the theater

-3, Paragraph 4), the author implies that 28. By saying “Stratford cries poor traditionally” (Line 2

________.

[A] Stratford cannot afford the expansion projects

[B] Stratford has long been in financial difficulties

[C] the town is not really short of money

[D] the townsfolk used to be poorly paid

29. According to the townsfolk, the RSC deserves no subsidy because ________.

[A] ticket prices can be raised to cover the spending

[B] the company is financially ill-managed

[C] the behavior of the actors is not socially acceptable

[D] the theatre attendance is on the rise

30. From the text we can conclude that the author ________.

[A] is supportive of both sides [B] favors the townsfolk’s view

[C] takes a detached attitude[D] is sympathetic to the RSC

Text 3

When prehistoric man arrived in new parts of the world, something strange happened to the large animals. They suddenly became extinct. Smaller species survived. The large, slow-growing animals were easy game, and were quickly hunted to extinction. Now something similar could be happening in the oceans.

That the seas are being overfished has been known for years. What researchers such as Ransom Myers and Boris Worm have shown is just how fast things are changing. They have looked at half a century of data from fisheries around the world. Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass (the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular

parts of the ocean, but rather changes in that biomass over time. According to their latest paper published in Nature, the biomass of large predators (animals that kill and eat other animals) in a new fishery is reduced on average by 80% within 15 years of the start of exploitation. In some

long-fished areas, it has halved again since then.

Dr. Worm acknowledges that these figures are conservative. One reason for this is that fishing technology has improved. Today’s vessels can find their prey using satellites and sonar, which were not available 50 years ago. That means a higher proportion of what is in the sea is

being caught, so the real difference between present and past is likely to be worse than the one

recorded by changes in catch sizes. In the early days, too, longlines would have been more

saturated with fish. Some individuals would therefore not have been caught, since no baited hooks

would have been available to trap them, leading to an underestimate of fish stocks in the past.

Furthermore, in the early days of longline fishing, a lot of fish were lost to sharks after they had

been hooked. That is no longer a problem, because there are fewer sharks around now.

Dr. Myers and Dr. Worm argue that their work gives a correct baseline, which future

management efforts must take into account. They believe the data support an idea current among

marine biologists, that of the “shifting baseline.” The notion is that people have failed to detect the massive changes which have happened in the ocean because they have been looking back only a

relatively short time into the past. That matters because theory suggests that the maximum

sustainable yield that can be cropped from a fishery comes when the biomass of a target species is

about 50% of its original levels. Most fisheries are well below that, which is a bad way to do

business.

31. The extinction of large prehistoric animals is noted to suggest that ________.

[A] large animal were vulnerable to the changing environment

[B] small species survived as large animals disappeared

[C] large sea animals may face the same threat today

[D] slow-growing fish outlive fast-growing ones

32. We can infer from Dr. Myers and Dr. Worm’s paper that ________.

[A] the stock of large predators in some old fisheries has reduced by 90%

[B] there are only half as many fisheries as there were 15 years ago

[C] the catch sizes in new fisheries are only 20% of the original amount

[D] the number of larger predators dropped faster in new fisheries than in the old

33. By saying "these figures are conservative" (Line 1, paragraph 3), Dr. Worm means that

________.

[A] fishing technology has improved rapidly

[B] the catch-sizes are actually smaller than recorded

[C] the marine biomass has suffered a greater loss

[D] the data collected so far are out of date

34. Dr. Myers and other researchers hold that ________.

[A] people should look for a baseline that can work for a longer time

[B] fisheries should keep their yields below 50% of the biomass

[C] the ocean biomass should be restored to its original level

[D] people should adjust the fishing baseline to the changing situation

35. The author seems to be mainly concerned with most fisheries’ ________.

[A] management efficiency [B] biomass level

[C] catch-size limits[D] technological application

Text 4

Many things make people think artists are weird. But the weirdest may be this: artists

job is to explore emotions, and yet they choose to focus on the ones that feel bad.

This wasn’t always so. The earliest forms of art, like painting an d music, are those best suited

for expressing joy. But somewhere from the 19th century onward, more artists began seeing

happiness as meaningless, phony or, worst of all, boring, as we went from Wordsworth’s daf to Baudelaire’s flowers of evil.

You could argue that art became more skeptical of happiness because modern times have

seen so much misery. But it’s not as if earlier times didn’t know perpetual war, disaster and the massacre of innocents. The reason, in fact, may be just the opposite: there is too much damn

happiness in the world today.

After all, what is the one modern form of expression almost completely dedicated to

depicting happiness? Advertising. The rise of anti-happy art almost exactly tracks the emergence

of mass media, and with it, a commercial culture in which happiness is not just an ideal but an

ideology.

People in earlier eras were surrounded by reminders of misery. They worked until exhausted,

lived with few protections and died young. In the West, before mass communication and literacy,

the most powerful mass medium was the church, which reminded worshippers that their souls

were in danger and that they would someday be meat for worms. Given all this, they did not

exactly need their art to be a bummer too.

Today the messages the average Westerner is surrounded with are not religious but

commercial, and forever happy. Fast-food eaters, news anchors, text messengers, all smiling,

smiling, smiling. Our magazines feature beaming celebrities and happy families in perfect homes.

And since these messages have an agenda -- to lure us to open our wallets -- they make the very

idea of happiness seem unreliable. “Celebrate!” commanded the ads for the arthritis drug Celebrex, before we found out it could increase the risk of heart attacks.

But what we forget -- what our economy depends on us forgetting -- is that happiness is more

than pleasure without pain. The things that bring the greatest joy carry the greatest potential for

loss and disappointment. Today, surrounded by promises of easy happiness, we need art to tell us,

as religion once did, Memento mori: remember that you will die, that everything ends, and that

happiness comes not in denying this but in living with it. It’s a message even more bitter than a clove cigarette, yet, somehow, a breath of fresh air.

36. By citing the examples of poets Wordsworth and Baudelaire, the author intends to show that

________.

[A] poetry is not as expressive of joy as painting or music

[B] art grows out of both positive and negative feelings

[C] poets today are less skeptical of happiness

[D] artists have changed their focus of interest

37. The word “bummer” (Line 5, paragraph 5) most probably means something ________.

[A] religious [B] unpleasant [C] entertaining[D] commercial

______.

38. In the author’s opinion, advertising __

[A] emerges in the wake of the anti-happy art

[B] is a cause of disappointment for the general public

[C] replaces the church as a major source of information

[D] creates an illusion of happiness rather than happiness itself

39. We can learn from the last paragraph that the author believes ________.

[A] happiness more often than not ends in sadness

[B] the anti-happy art is distasteful but refreshing

[C] misery should be enjoyed rather than denied

[D] the anti-happy art flourishes when economy booms

40. Which of the following is true of the text?

[A] Religion once functioned as a reminder of misery.

[B] Art provides a balance between expectation and reality.

[C] People feel disappointed at the realities of modern society.

[D] Mass media are inclined to cover disasters and deaths.

2007

Reading

Text 1

If you were to examine the birth certificates of every soccer player in 2006’s World Cup tournament, you would most likely find a noteworthy quirk: elite soccer players are more likely to have been born in the earlier months of the year than in the later months. If you then examined the European national youth teams that feed the World Cup and professional ranks, you would find

this strange phenomenon to be even more pronounced.

What might account for this strange phenomenon? Here are a few guesses: a) certain astrological signs confer superior soccer skills; b) winter-born babies tend to have higher oxygen capacity, which increases soccer stamina; c) soccer-mad parents are more likely to conceive children in springtime, at the annual peak of soccer mania; d) none of the above.

Anders Ericsson, a 58-year-old psychology professor at Florida State University, says he believes strongly in “none of the above.”　

Ericsson grew up in Sweden, and studied nuclear engineering until he realized he would have more opportunity to conduct his own research if he switched to psychology. His first experiment, nearly 30 years ago, involved memory: training a

person to hear and then repeat a random series of numbers. “Wi

th the first subject, after about 20

hours of training, his digit span had risen from 7 to 20,” Ericsson recalls. “He kept impr after about 200 hours of training he had risen to over 80 numbers.”

This success, coupled with later research showing that memory itself is not genetically

determined, led Ericsson to conclude that the act of memorizing is more of a cognitive exercise

than an intuitive one. In other words, whatever inborn differences two people may exhibit in their

the

abilities to memorize, those differences are swamped by how well each person “encodes”　

information. And the best way to learn how to encode information meaningfully, Ericsson

determined, was a process known as deliberate practice. Deliberate practice entails more than

simply repeating a task. Rather, it involves setting specific goals, obtaining immediate feedback

and concentrating as much on technique as on outcome.

Ericsson and his colleagues have thus taken to studying expert performers in a wide range of

pursuits, including soccer. They gather all the data they can, not just performance statistics and

biographical details but also the results of their own laboratory experiments with high achievers.

Their work makes a rather startling assertion: the trait we commonly call talent is highly overrated.

Or, put another way, expert performers –whether in memory or surgery, ballet or computer

programming – are nearly always made, not born.

21. The birthday phenomenon found among soccer players is mentioned to

[A] stress the importance of professional training.

[B] spotlight the soccer superstars in the World Cup.

[C] introduce the topic of what makes expert performance.

[D] explain why some soccer teams play better than others.

22. The word “mania” (Line 4, Paragraph 2) most probably means

[A] fun. [B] craze. [C] hysteria.[D] excitement.

23. According to Ericsson, good memory

[A] depends on meaningful processing of information.

[B] results from intuitive rather than cognitive exercises.

[C] is determined by genetic rather than psychological factors.

[D] requires immediate feedback and a high degree of concentration.

24. Ericsson and his colleagues believe that

[A] talent is a dominating factor for professional success.

[B] biographical data provide the key to excellent performance.

[C] the role of talent tends to be overlooked.

[D] high achievers owe their success mostly to nurture.

25. Which of the following proverbs is closest to the message the text tries to convey?

[A] “Faith will move mountains.”　

[B] “One reaps what one sows.”

[C] “Practice makes perfect.”[D] “Like father, like son.”

Text 2

For the past several years, the Sunday newspaper supplement Parade has featured a column

called “Ask Marilyn.” People are invited to query Marilyn vos Savant, who at age 10 had tested at

a mental level of someone about 23 years old; that gave her an IQ of 228 – the highest score ever recorded. IQ tests ask you to complete verbal and visual analogies, to envision paper after it has

been folded and cut, and to deduce numerical sequences, among other similar tasks. So it is a bit

confusing when vos Savant fields such queries from the avera ge Joe (whose IQ is 100) as, What’s the difference between love and fondness? Or what is the nature of luck and coincidence? It

obvious how the capacity to visualize objects and to figure out numerical patterns suits one to

answer questions that have eluded some of the best poets and philosophers.

Clearly, intelligence encompasses more than a score on a test. Just what does it mean to be

smart? How much of intelligence can be specified, and how much can we learn about it from neurology, genetics, computer science and other fields?

The defining term of intelligence in humans still seems to be the IQ score, even though IQ

tests are not given as often as they used to be. The test comes primarily in two forms: the

Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the Wechsler Intelligence Scales (both come in adult and version). Generally costing several hundred dollars, they are usually given only by

children’s

psychologists, although variations of them populate bookstores and the World Wide Web. Superhigh scores like vos Savant’s

are no longer possible, because scoring is now based on a

statistical population distribution among age peers, rather than simply dividing the mental age by

the chronological age and multiplying by 100. Other standardized tests, such as the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), capture the main aspects of IQ

tests.

Such standardized tests may not assess all the important elements necessary to succeed in

school and in life, argues Robert J. Sternberg. In his article “How I ntelligent Is Intelligence Testing?”, Sternberg notes that traditional test best assess analytical and verbal skills but fail to

measure creativity and practical knowledge, components also critical to problem solving and life

success. Moreover, IQ tests do not necessarily predict so well once populations or situations

change. Research has found that IQ predicted leadership skills when the tests were given under

low-stress conditions, but under high-stress conditions, IQ was negatively correlated with leadership – that is, it predicted the opposite. Anyone who has toiled through SAT will testify that

test-taking skill also matters, whether it’s knowing when to guess or what questions to skip.

26. Which of the following may be required in an intelligence test?

[A] Answering philosophical questions.

[B] Folding or cutting paper into different shapes.

[C] Telling the differences between certain concepts.

[D] Choosing words or graphs similar to the given ones.

27. What can be inferred about intelligence testing from Paragraph 3?

[A] People no longer use IQ scores as an indicator of intelligence.

[B] More versions of IQ tests are now available on the Internet.

[C] The test contents and formats for adults and children may be different.

[D] Scientists have defined the important elements of human intelligence.

28. People nowadays can no longer achieve IQ scores as high as vos Savant’s because

[A] the scores are obtained through different computational procedures.

[B] creativity rather than analytical skills is emphasized now.

[C] vos Savant’s case is an extreme one that will not repeat.

[D] the defining characteristic of IQ tests has changed.

29. We can conclude from the last paragraph that

[A] test scores may not be reliable indicators of one’s ability.

[B] IQ scores and SAT results are highly correlated.

[C] testing involves a lot of guesswork.

[D] traditional test are out of date.

30. What is the author’s attitude towards IQ tests?

[A] Supportive. [B] Skeptical. [C] Impartial. [D] Biased.

Text 3

During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard

work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risk and

new realities. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from

solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months.

In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications

of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Today’s families have budgeted to the limits of their new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost

the parachute they once had in times of financial setback – a back-up earner (usually Mom) who

could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This “added-worker

effect” could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to

help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made

up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.

During the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining

millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh

reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a saving-account model, with retirees trading much or all

of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families,

the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by

families have risen –and newly fashionable health-savings plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk

for families’ future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent – and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance – have jumped eightfold in just one generation.

From the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.

31. Today’s double-income families are at greater financial risk in that

[A] the safety net they used to enjoy has disappeared.

[B] their chances of being laid off have greatly increased.

[C] they are more vulnerable to changes in family economics.

[D] they are deprived of unemployment or disability insurance.

32. As a result of President Bush’s reform, retired people may have

[A] a higher sense of security. [B] less secured payments.

[C] less chance to invest.[D] a guaranteed future.

33. According to the author, health-savings plans will

[A] help reduce the cost of healthcare.[B] popularize among the middle class.

[C] compensate for the reduced pensions.

[D] increase the families’ investment risk.

34. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that

[A] financial risks tend to outweigh political risks.

[B] the middle class may face greater political challenges.

[C] financial problems may bring about political problems.

[D] financial responsibility is an indicator of political status.

35. Which of the following is the best title for this text?

[A] The Middle Class on the Alert [B] The Middle Class on the Cliff

[C] The Middle Class in Conflict[D] The Middle Class in Ruins

Text 4

It never rains but it pours. Just as bosses and boards have finally sorted out their worst accounting and compliance troubles, and improved their feeble corporation governance, a new problem threatens to earn them – especially in America – the sort of nasty headlines that inevitably lead to heads rolling in the executive suite: data insecurity. Left, until now, to odd, low-level IT

staff to put right, and seen as a concern only of data-rich industries such as banking, telecoms and

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2015考研英语阅读理解精读P18—医学

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