考研英语(二)模拟试卷

2010考研英语（二）模拟试卷

Section I Use of English

Directions:

Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)

Use of English

Directions:

Read the following text. Choose the best word（s）for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C, or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.（10 points）

Among the thousands of business schools now operating around the world you would be hard-pressed to find one that doesn't believe it can teach the skills of entrepreneurship. However, of the people who immediately 1 to mind when one thinks of entrepreneurs——Bill Gates, Richard Branson or Oprah Winfrey, for example—few have done more than 2 a speech at a business school. 3 , a recent study by King's College in London has suggested what many intuitively 4 : that entrepreneurship may actually be in the blood—more to do with genes than classroom experience. All of which

5 the question—does an entrepreneur really need a business-school education?

Not surprisingly some of the best-known schools in the field have a 6 answer to this: they don't actually profess to create entrepreneurs, 7 they nurture innate ability. Or as Timothy Faley of the entrepreneurial institute at Michigan's Ross School of Business 8 it: “A good idea is not enough. You need to know how to 9 a good idea into a good business.”

Schools do this in a number of ways. One is to 10 that faculty are a mix of classic academics and businesspeople with experience of 11 their own successful firms. They can also create “incubators” where students 12 ideas and rub shoulders on a day-to-day basis with the external business world, receiving both advice and hard cash in the form of investment.

Arguably such help is now more important than ever. The modern entrepreneur is faced with a more 13 world than when Richard Branson began by selling records out

of a phone box. According to Patrice Houdayer, head of one of Europe's best-known entrepreneurship schools, EMIYON in France, new businesses used to move through a 14 series of growth steps—what he terms garage, local, national and international. Now however, 15 the communications revolution, they can leapfrog these stages and go global more or less straightaway—encountering a whole new 16 of problems and challenges. In this 17 Professor Houdayer maintains that the increasingly 18 nature of MBA classes can help the nascent entrepreneur in three ways: by plugging them into an international network of contacts and advisors, by preparing them for the pitfalls and opportunities 19 with dealing across different cultures and by 20 them to the different ways that business is conducted around the globe.

1．［A］bring ［B］call ［C］spring ［D］apply

2．［A］report ［B］deliver ［C］prepare ［D］compose

3．［A］Indeed ［B］Likewise ［C］Therefore ［D］Furthermore

4．［A］conclude ［B］assume ［C］neglect ［D］suspect

5．［A］stirs ［B］arouses ［C］proves ［D］invites

6．［A］ready ［B］unique ［C］positive ［D］favorable

7．［A］yet ［B］rather ［C］nor ［D］nevertheless

8．［A］states ［B］makes ［C］puts ［D］interprets

9．［A］shift ［B］transfer ［C］modify ［D］transform

10．［A］ensure ［B］assure ［C］affirm ［D］enlighten

11．［A］carrying on ［B］setting up ［C］working out ［D］turning around

1 2. ［A］convey ［B］cherish ［C］nurture ［D］impart

13．［A］complex ［B］complicated ［C］complementary ［D］fantastic

14．［A］variable ［B］obvious ［C］imperative ［D］distinct

15．［A］thanks to ［B］but for ［C］for all ［D］next to

1 6. ［A］bulk ［B］host ［C］set ［D］magnitude

1 7. ［A］position ［B］context ［C］perspective ［D］dimension

18．［A］similar ［B］differential ［C］diverse ［D］versatile

1 9. ［A］interacted ［B］combined ［C］confronted ［D］associated

20．［A］entitling ［B］exposing ［C］leading ［D］committing Section II Reading Comprehension

Part A

Directions:

Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)

Text 1

What's a label worth? A lot, it seems. Michael Hiscox and Nicholas Smyth, two Harvard University researchers, conducted an experiment on two sets of towels in an upmarket New York shop. One lot carried a label with the logo “Fair and Square” and the following message: These towels have been made under fair labour conditions, in a safe and healthy working environment which is free of discrimination, and where management has committed to respecting the rights and dignity of workers.

The other set had no such label. Over five months, the researchers observed the impact of making various changes such as switching the label to the other set of towels and raising prices. The results were striking: not only did sales of towels increase when they carried the Fair and Square label, they carried on increasing each time the price was raised.

No wonder companies are keen to appeal to ethically （i.e. morally）minded consumers, whether on labour standards or green credentials. Timberland, a New Hampshire outdoor-gear company, is introducing detailed "Green Index” labels on its shoes. Tesco, M＆S and Wal-Mart have all launched initiatives that bet on the rise of the ethical consumer.

M＆S estimates that about three-quarters of British consumers are interested in the green theme in some way. But even the keenest ethical consumer faces complicated situations, and sometimes the apparently obvious ethical choice turns out to be the wrong one. Surely it must be greener for Britons to buy roses from the Netherlands than ones

air-freighted from Kenya? In fact, a study showed that related green house gas to the Dutch roses to be six times as large because they had to be grown in heated greenhouses.

Joel Makower, editor of https://www.360docs.net/doc/177088522.html,, says that, given a choice, most consumers will choose the greener product—provided it does not cost any more, comes from a trusted maker, requires no special effort to buy or use and is at least as good as the alternative. “That's almost an impossible barrier for any product,” he notes.

So shoppers will still flock to shops selling cheap products of decent quality, ignoring how these are made. They will often buy more if a product is attractively presented, never mind that the packaging may be wasteful. And when companies try to do the right thing, consumers will not always go along with them.

The lesson for companies is that selling green is hard work. And it is no good getting too far ahead of the customer. Half a step ahead is about right. Much more, and you won't sell. Any less, and you won't lead.

21．The experiment on the towels indicated that ______.

［A］consumers liked to purchase labeled products

［B］consumers would buy goods when prices rose

［C］consumption was influenced by green labels

［D］ethical concern may influence consumption

22．According to the text, consumers’ ethical choice ______.

［A］determines the production of commodities

［B］forces companies to sell green products only

［C］leads companies to modify business activities

［D］leads to higher labour and green standards

23．We may infer from the fourth paragraph that ______.

［A］green buying may be at higher environment cost

［B］green production is actually complicated business

［C］Dutch rose growth is greener than Kenya ones

［D］British consumers actually oppose green farming

24．According to Joel Makower, most consumers will ______.

［A］buy greener products when given a choice

［B］reject greener products for various reasons

［C］pay more attention to the price of a product

［D］refuse to follow the activities of companies

25．Companies may learn the lesson that ______.

［A］it is not worthwhile leading the customers

［B］the customers are not easily to be misled

［C］green policy is not effective for marketing

［D］companies need a balanced green policy

Text 2

There are various ways in which individual economic units can interact with one another. Three basic ways may be described as the market system, the administered system and the traditional system.

In a market system individual economic units are free to interact among each other in the marketplace. It is possible to buy commodities from other economic units or sell commodities to them. In a market, transactions may take place via barter or money exchange. In a barter economy, real goods such as automobiles, shorts, and pizzas are traded against each other. Obviously, finding somebody who wants to trade my old car in exchange for a sailboat may not always be an easy task. Hence the introduction of money as a medium of exchange eases transactions considerably. In the modern market economy, goods and services are bought or sold for money.

An alternative to the market system is administrative control by some agency over all transactions. This agency will issue edicts or commands as to how much of each good and service should be produced, exchanged, and consumed by each economic unit. Central planning may be one way of administering such an economy. The central plan, drawn up by the government, shows the amounts of each commodity produced by the various firms and allocated to different households for consumption. This is an example of complete planning of production consumption, and exchange for the whole economy.

In a traditional society, production and consumption patterns are governed by tradition: every person's place within the economic system is fixed by parentage, religion and custom. Transactions take place on the basis of tradition, too. People belonging to a certain group or caste may have an obligation to care for other persons, provide them with food and shelter, care for their health, and provide their education. Clearly, in a system where every decision made on the basis of tradition alone, progress may be difficult to achieve. A stagnant society may result.

26．What is the main purpose of the passage?

［A］To outline contrasting types of economic.

［B］To explain the science of economic systems.

［C］To argue for the superiority of one economic system.

［D］To compare barter and money-exchange markets.

27．In the second paragraph, the word “real” in “real goods” could best be replaced by which of the following?

［A］High quality. ［B］Concrete.

［C］Utter. ［D］Authentic.

28．According to the passage, a barter economy can lead to ______.

［A］rapid speed of transactions

［B］misunderstandings

［C］inflation

［D］difficulties for the traders

29．According to the passage, who has the greatest degree of control in an administered system?

［A］Individual households. ［B］Small businesses.

［C］Major corporations. ［D］The government.

30．Which of the following is not mentioned by the author as a criterion for determining a person's place in a traditional society?

［A］Family background. ［B］Age.

［C］Religious beliefs. ［D］Custom.

Text 3

If sustainable competitive advantage depends on work-force skills, American firms have a problem. Human-resource management is considered an individual responsibility. Labour is simply another factor of production to be hired—rented at the lowest possible cost—much as one buys raw materials or equipment.

The lack of importance attached to human-resource management can be seen in the corporate hierarchy. In an American firm the chief financial officer is almost always second in command. The post of head of human-resource management is usually a specialized job, off at the edge of the corporate hierarchy. The executive who holds it is never consulted on major strategic decisions and has no chance to move up to Chief Executive Officer（CEO）. By way of contrast, in Japan the head of human-resources management is central—usually the second most important executive, after the CEO, in the firm's hierarchy.

While American firms often talk about the vast amounts spent on training their work forces, in fact they invest less in the skills of their employees than do either Japanese of German firms. The money they do invest is also more highly concentrated on professional and managerial employees. And the limited investments that are made in training workers are also much more narrowly focused on the specific skills necessary to do the next job rather than on the basic background skills that make it possible to absorb new technologies.

As a result, problems emerge when new breakthrough technologies arrive. If American workers, for example, take much longer to learn how to operate new flexible manufacturing stations than workers in Germany（as they do）, the effective cost of those stations is lower in Germany than it is in the United States. More time is required before equipment is up and running at capacity, and the need for extensive retraining generates costs and creates bottlenecks that limit the speed with which new equipment can be employed. The result is a slower pace of technological change. And in the end the skills of the population affect the wages of the top half. If the bottom half can't effectively staff the processes that have to be operated, the management and professional jobs that go with these processes will disappear.

31．Which of the following applies to the management of human resources in American companies?

［A］They hire people at the lowest cost regardless of their skills.

［B］They see the gaining of skills as their employees' own business.

［C］They attach more importance to workers than equipment.

［D］They only hire skilled workers because of keen competition.

32．What is the position of the head of human-resource management in an American firm?

［A］He is one of the most important executives in the firms.

［B］His post is likely to disappear when new technologies are introduced.

［C］He is directly under the chief financial executive.

［D］He has no say in making important decisions in the firm.

33．The money most American firms put in training mainly goes to ______.

［A］workers who can operate new equipment

［B］technological and managerial staff

［C］workers who lack basic background skills

［D］top executives

34．According to the passage, the decisive factor in maintaining a firm's competitive advantage is ______.

［A］the introduction of new technologies

［B］the improvement of worker's basic skills

［C］the rational composition of professional and managerial employees

［D］the attachment of importance to the bottom half of the employees

35．What is the main idea of the passage?

［A］American firms are different from Japanese and German firms in

human-resource management.

［B］Extensive retraining is indispensable to effective human-resource management.

［C］The head of human-resource management must be in the central position in a firm's hierarchy.

［D］The human-resource management strategies of American firms affect their competitive capacity.

Text 4

The public holiday on the last Monday of August marks, in most British minds, the unofficial end of summer. A vast migration takes place, as millions take advantage of the long weekend to visit seaside resorts or fly to Europe in a final sun-seeking cheer. Once the festivities are over, gloom descends: workers face four months of uninterrupted labor until Christmas Eve, their next official day off.

This depression often provokes calls for more public holidays, and this year the clamor has been louder than usual. David Cameron's new Conservatives have been forced to deny rumors that they would recommend three new public holidays. Earlier in the summer, two ministers suggested a worthy sounding “Britain Day”, intended to inspire civil pride. On August 27th the Institute for Public Policy Research, a worthy think-tank, called for a new day off to “celebrate community heroes”.

To the idlers, the case for more time off looks persuasive. By European standards at least, Britain is a nation of workaholics, with only the Austrians labouring as many hours per week. Workers are entitled to 20 working days of leave a year, the European Union's required minimum. Other countries are more generous. France and Denmark give at least 25 days in leave, and many Finns get 30. Britons celebrate a miserably eight national holidays a year; in Europe only the Romanians, with five, have fewer. Even significant national events are celebrated grudgingly. ：the British were given two days off to celebrate the queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002, but had to forfeit an existing public holiday to make up for it.

National holidays are illogical as well as scarce. The queen's official birthday（a moveable holiday unrelated to her date of birth）is seen as a good excuse for a holiday in

most of Britain's former colonies, but not in Her Majesty's homeland. Distribution is also badly distorted: seven of the eight holidays fall between December and May, leaving only August's to break up the rest of the year.

There are plenty of things that a new holiday might celebrate. Patriots suggest that England should honour St George（the patron saint of the place）, just as Scotland takes time off for St Andrew. The historically minded argue for a Magna Carta（The charter of liberties）day, whereas the politically correct suggest holidays celebrating “communities” and “volunteering”.

Sadly, not everyone is keen on increasing public holidays. The CBI, a business lobbying group, points out that legal leave is already planned to rise to 28 working days by 2009, and says that an extra public holiday would cost up to ￡6 billion（$ 12.1 billion）. In the face of such tough objections, concerns about leisure and the quality of life may seem vague and idealistic.

36．What is the passage mainly talking about?

［A］Different attitudes towards public holidays in Britain.

［B］The increase of national holidays in Britain.

［C］The problem of public holidays in Britain.

［D］The call for more public holidays in Britain.

37．The calls for more public holidays in Britain could be the results of ______.

［A］the economic depression

［B］the 4-month work without a rest

［C］the long wait for an official day off

［D］recommendation of two ministers

38．What does the word “workaholics” most probably mean（Line 2, Paragraph 3）?

［A］Compulsive workers.

［B］Idle workers.

［C］Lazy workers.

［D］Irrational workers.

39．According to the passage, the increase of British working days of leave ______.

［A］is supported by all British people

［B］is planned by CBI to be carried out by 2009

［C］is challenged by some opponents

［D］is likely to result in economic recession

40．Which of the following conclusions can we draw from the text?

［A］From June to December, there is only one British national holiday.

［B］British national holidays are unsatisfactory for the quantity and the allocation.

［C］The queen’s official birthday is celebrated in England.

［D］People suggest new holidays for their own convenience.

Part B

Directions:

Read the following text and answer questions by finding information from the right column that corresponds to each of the marked details given in the left column. There are two extra choices in the right column. Mark your answer on ANSWER SHEET 1.（10 points）

Most people may drink only two liters of water a day, but they consume about

3,000 liters a day if the water that goes into their food is taken into account. The rich gulp down far more, since they tend to eat more meat, which takes far more water to produce than grains. So as the world's population grows and incomes rise, farmers will need a great deal more water to keep everyone fed: 2,000 more cubic kilometers a year by 2030, according to the International Water Management Institute（IWMI）. Yet in many farming regions, water is scarce and likely to get scarcer as global warming worsens. The world is facing not so much a food crisis as a water crisis, argues Colin Chartres, IWMI's

director-general.

The solution, Mr Chartres and others contend, is more efficient use of water or, as the sloganeers put it, “more crop per drop”. Some 1.2 billion people live in places that are short of water. Farming accounts for roughly 70% of human water consumption. So when water starts to run out, farming tends to offer the best potential for thrift. But governments rarely charge farmers a market price for water. So they are usually more wasteful than other consumers—even though the value they create from the water is often less than households or industry would be willing to pay for it.

The pressing need is to make water go further. Antoine Frérot, the head of the water division of Veolia Environment, promotes recycling of city wastewater to be used in industry or agriculture. This costs less and cuts pollution.

Yet as Mr Frérot himself concedes, there are many even cheaper ways to save water. As much as 70% of water used by farmers never gets to crops, perhaps lost through leaky irrigation channels or by draining into rivers or groundwater. Investment in drip irrigation, or simply repairing the worst leaks, could bring huge savings.

Farmers in poor countries can usually afford such things only if they are growing cash crops, says David Molden of IWMI. Even basic kit such as small rainwater tanks can be lacking. Ethiopia, for example, has only 38 cubic meters of storage capacity per inhabitant, compared to almost 5,000 in Australia. Yet modest water storage can hugely improve yields in rain-fed agriculture, by smoothing over short dry spells. Likewise, pumping water into natural aquifers for seasonal storage tends to be much cheaper than building a big dam, and prevents the great waste of water through evaporation.

Agronomists are beginning to devise tools to help monitor the efficiency of water use. Some have designed algorithms that use satellite data on surface temperatures to calculate the rate at which plants are absorbing and transpiring water. That allows governments and development agencies to concentrate their efforts on the most prodigal areas.

Raising yields does not always involve greater water consumption, especially when farms are inefficient. It would take little extra water to double cereal output in many parts of Africa, Mr Molden argues. IWMI reckons that some three-quarters of the extra food the world needs could be provided simply by bringing yields in poor countries closer to those of rich ones. That is more realistic than the absolute alternative: giving up meat and other thirsty products altogether.

［A］cultivating cash

crops

41．The world is meeting with challenges more from ［B］leaking irrigation

system 42．Farmers waste more water due to ［C］expenses and

efficiency

43．Farmers in poor countries can pay for irrigation improvement by

［D］surface temperature data

44．Building big dams is less effective for their ［E］low water price 45．The water use rate of plants is computed with ［F］water shortage

［G］food crisis

Part C

Directions:

In this section there is a text in English. Translate the text into Chinese. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET 2.（15 points ）

The objective of any advertisement is to convince people that it is in their best interests to take the action the advertiser is recommending. The action may be to purchase a product or use a service.

Advertising as a business developed most rapidly in the United States, the country that uses it to the greatest extent. In 1980 advertising expenditure in the U.S. exceeded 55 billion dollars, or approximately 2 percent of the gross national product.

While advertising brings the economics of mass selling to the manufacturer, it produces benefits for the consumer as well. Some of those economies are passed along to the purchaser so that the cost of a product sold primarily through advertising is usually far less than one sold through personal sales people. Advertising brings people immediate news about products that have just come on the market. Finally, advertising pays for the programs on commercial television and radio and for about two thirds of the cost of publishing magazines and newspapers.

Section III Writing

Part A

47

Write a letter to invite your best friend Jane to take part in your mother's 60-year-old birthday and inform her of your arrangement.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Jane,

You should write about 100 words on ANSWER SHEET 2. Do not sign your own name, using "Li Ming" instead. Do not write the address. (10 points)

Part B

48. Directions:

In this section, you are asked to write an essay based on the following table. In your essay, you should

1）describe the table and,

2）state your opinions drawn from it.

You should write at least 150 words.

You should write neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2.（15 points）

Financial Sources of College Students

Financial Sources American students Chinese students Parents 50％90％

Part-time jobs 35％5％

Scholarship 15％5％