2014英语专题指导 之阅读理解8
2014考研英语真题阅读解析
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Part ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C, D. Mark your choice on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)Text 1In order to “change lives for the better” and reduce “dependency,” George Orbome, Chancellor of the Exchequer, introduced the “upfront work search” scheme. Only if the jobless arrive at the jobcentre with a CV register for online job search, and start looking for work will they be eligible for benefit-and then they should report weekly rather than fortnightly. What could be more reasonable?More apparent reasonableness followed. There will now be a seven-day wait for th e 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 say 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 subsides 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 thejobcentre 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 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 though 20 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” —invented in 1996 —is about redefining the unemployed as a “jobseeker” who had no mandatory right to a 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 £71.70 a week, one of the least generous in the EU.真题解析：文章概括：政府大臣Grorge Osbome提出了一个项目帮助失业的人找工作。
【高考专题辅导】安徽省2014版高考英语 专题检测卷阅读理解
阅读理解（建议用时：25分钟）A体裁说明文题材机器人的应用词数382 IMAGINE that your parents have bought you the most advanced robot.He looks like a real person. He talks to you and plays with you. Hecan even think for himself and figure out what you need.It may feel as if you have a considerate new brother who keeps youcompany all the time. But come to think of it, can you really trust him?Ever since the first robot was created decades ago, scientists have obsessed(迷恋)over the task of making robots more like humans. However, as they have gotten closer to that goal, doubts have grown. According to the BBC, Japanese robot designer Masahiro Mori argues that the more lifelike robots become, the more humans feel a connection to them. But once they become too similar to humans, people begin to feel uncomfortable.This theory is what led to the creation of a brand new robot in Switzerland earlier this month. Roboy, as the new machine is called, has various human-like abilities such as hand-shaking and bicycle-riding, but instead of a skin-like covering, Roboy is wrapped in shiny white armor that clearly indicates its robot status.“As long as people can clearly see that the robot is a machine, even if they project their feelings into it, then they feel comfortable, ”Rolf Pfeifer, the creator of Roboy from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, told the BBC.But the problem that people have with robots is not just with the way they look. It also has to do with the roles that they play in our lives.A survey last year of European Union countries showed that 88 percent of those interviewed agreed that robots are“necessary as they can do jobs that are too hard or dangerous for people”, such as space exploration and war fighting. But when it comes to taking care of children, 60 percent of respondents said that robots should not be allowed to participate, because as robots become more sophisticated(先进的), parents may be tempted to hand over too much responsibility to them.No matter what, robots will soon enter our homes, Pfeifer said. What is not yet clear is whether they will act more like servants who work for us or companions who live with us.1. What is the purpose of the text?A. To introduce the newly-invented robot, Roboy.B. To discuss problems related to designing robots.C. To explore the roles robots will play in our future lives.D. To argue what kinds of robots appeal to people more.2. Why did Pfeifer make Roboy look like a robot?A. To better protect it.B. To make it look cool and modern.C. To distinguish it clearly from a human.D. To keep its price down.3. According to the second-to-last paragraph, most of the people interviewed .A. welcome robots into their homesB. believe robots are useful for certain dangerous tasksC. think families with children s houldn’t use robots for houseworkD. are afraid that children will become less responsible if robots take care of them4. Which best describes the author’s tone in the article?A. Objective.B. Critical.C. Admiring.D. Anxious.B(2013·马鞍山模拟)体裁议论文题材孩子的教育词数312 When my son was just learning to talk, I carried him around thehouse in my arms and pointed out things to him. “Look, David, aclock. ”He’d smile and point as I did and say“clock”. David wasquick at connecting the shape of things to their words.When my son was about four years old, I walked with him to the backyard. I knew that there was an ant colony under one of the slate stones in the walkway near the shed, so I said to David, “Come on. I want to show you something. ”As I showed David the ants that were crawling around the slate stone, he crouched down on his legs and looked with great intensity at the ants.For days after that, David wanted to look under every rock in the garden, and we often found worms, ants and so on. I recognized that David loved to look at things closely and observe how things moved, and so I continued to point things out to him as he grew older: planes, cars, shells etc. . David was a keen observer, and I just gave him the suggestions as to where to look.Today David is a medical doctor at Columbia University Center. I did not know that David would someday be a doctor, someone who has to pay close attention to what he sees, and yet I felt compelled when he was a boy to encourage his enthusiasm for observation.That is what teachers and parents do: encourage a child’s enthusiasm for a particular interest: music, swimming, art, reading. And we provide tools for the children. If a child likes to draw, give him brushes, pens, and paper. If a girl likes to tap on the table top, give hera drum. If a child wants to sing, give him a microphone and a Frank Sinatra recording.5. The author wrote the passage to .A. recall the happy times he spent with his sonB. tell us that children are full of curiosityC. tell us how to let children love natureD. advise us to develop children’s interest or talent6. The author showed David the ants to .A. prevent him from becoming boredB. develop his enthusiasm for observationC. teach him some new wordsD. arouse his interest in creatures7. Which of the following can best describe the author’s viewpoint?A. Make children have their own hobbies.B. Teach children to be independent as soon as possible.C. Satisfy children’s interest by possible means.D. Hobbies can determine one’s future.8. The underlined word“intensity”in the third paragraph probably means“”.A. hatredB. fearC. curiosityD. doubtC体裁记叙文题材生活哲理词数252 At a physics conference dinner with my husband Alex, I sat nextto a man I’ll call Clayton. Clayton kept talking about himself allthrough the entire conversation: he had solved problems no one elsecould; only his views were right; other researchers’work wasinaccurate or unimportant. I could not put in a word. Extremely annoyed, I planned to avoid Clayton in the future. In fact, I decided never to have another conversation with him.A few days later I was in an education class. Our professor explained how one child could become the target of the other students’ ridicule(讥笑).“Usually it’s because the class sees their own weaknesses glaringly magnified(放大)in that student. They don’t want to admit they have the same weakness, so they ridicule and exclude the student. The behavior of both the class and the excluded student is caused by personal insecurity. ”As I took notes, suddenly I thought of Clayton. It struck me that I have many of the same faults. How easily I rule a conversation and leave others out. I, too, sometimes feel that only my opinion is right. My concerns or work easily seems most important. As my professor had described, I reacted negatively to someone in whom I experienced my own weakness.I changed my mind. Instead of avoiding Clayton, I’ll try to listen patiently with the same kindness and acceptance that I need.9. The writer was extremely annoyed with Clayton partly because .A. he said not all his views were rightB. he wouldn’t let her put in a wordC. he kept silent all through the dinnerD. he was too particular about the food10. Who said the words in Paragraph 3?A. Clayton.B. The writer’s husband.C. The writer.D. The writer’s professor.11. The fourth paragraph was written to show .A. why the writer changed her mindB. how the writer was annoyedC. when the writer had her educationD. what weakness the writer had12. We can infer from the last paragraph that .A. the writer will see other people more positivelyB. Clayton will not rule a conversation any longerC. the writer will try to avoid talking with ClaytonD. Clayton will find out he has his own weakness【拓展训练】1. 阅读A篇文章, 回答下列问题。
2014年英语专八考试题答案
2014年英语专八考试题答案653390834一、阅读理解(共4题，合计20分)In this section there are four reading passages followed by a total of 20 multiple-choice questions. Read the passages.TEXT AWhenever we could, Joan and I took refuge in the streets of Gibraltar. The Englishman's home is his castle because he has not much choice. There is nowhere to sit in the streets of England, not even, after twilight, in the public gardens. The climate, very often, does not even permit him to walk outside. Naturally, he stays indoors and creates a cocoon of comfort. That was the way we lived in Leeds. These southern people, on the other hand, look outwards. The Gibraltarian home is, typically, a small and crowded apartment up several flights of dark and dirty stairs. In it, one, two or even three old people share a few ill-lit rooms with the young family. Once he has eaten, changed his clothes, embraced his wife, kissed his children and his parents, there is nothing to keep the southern man at home. He hurries out, taking even his breakfast coffee at his local bar. He comes home late for his afternoon meal after an appetitive hour at his ear6. He sleeps for an hour, dresses, goes out again and stays out until late at night. His wife does not miss him, for she is out, too — at the market in the morning and in the afternoon sitting with other mothers, baby-minding in the sun.The usual Gibraltarian home has no sitting-room, living-room or lounge. The parlour of our working-class houses would be an intolerable waste of space. Easy-chairs, sofas and such-like furniture are unknown. There are no bookshelves, because there are no books. Talking and drinking, as well as eating, are done on hard chairs round the dining-table, between a sideboard decorated with the best glasses and an inevitable display cabinet full of family treasures, photographs and souvenirs. The elaborate chandelier over this table proclaims it as the hub of the household and of the family. "Hearth and home" makes very little sense in Gibraltar. One's home is one's town or village, and one's hearth is the sunshine.Our northern towns are dormitories with cubicles, by comparison. When we congregate — in the churches it used to be, now in the cinema, say, impersonally, or at public meetings, formally — we are scarcely ever man to man. Only in our pubs can you find the truly gregarious and communal spirit surviving, and in England even the pubs are divided along class lines.Along this Mediterranean coast, home is only a refuge and a retreat. The people live together in the open air — in the street, market-place. Down here, there is a far stronger feeling of community than we had ever known. In crowded and circumscribed Gibraltar, with its complicated inter-marriages, its identity of interests, its surviving sense of siege, one can see and feel an integrated society.To live in a tiny town with all the organization of a state, with Viceroy (总督), Premier, Parliament, Press and Pentagon, all in miniature, all within arm's reach, is an intensive course in civics. In such an environment, nothing can be hidden, for better or for worse. One's successes are seen and recognized;one's failures are immediately exposed. Social consciousness is at its strongest, with the result that there is a constant and firm pressure towards good social behaviour, towards courtesy and kindness. Gibraltar, with all its faults, is the friendliest and most tolerant of places. Straight from the cynical anonymity of a big city, we luxuriated in its happy personalism. We look back on it, like all its exiled sons and daughters, with true affection.我要找茬1 Which of the following best explains the differences in ways of living between the English and the Gibraltarians?[A] The family structure. [B] Religious belief.[C] The climate. [D] Eating habit.选择答案：A B C D不确定答案我要找茬2The italicized part in the third paragraph implies that[A] English working class homes are similar to Gibraltarian ones.[B] English working-class homes have spacious sitting-rooms.[C] English working-class homes waste a lot of space.[D] the English working-class parlour is intolerable in Gibraltar.选择答案：A B C D不确定答案我要找茬3We learn from the description of the Gibraltarian home that it is[A] modern. [B] luxurious. [C] stark. [D] simple.选择答案：A B C D不确定答案我要找茬4There is a much stronger sense of ______ among the Gibraltarians.[A] togetherness [B] survival [C] identity [D] leisure选择答案：A B C D不确定答案我要找茬5According to the passage, people in Gibraltar tend to be well-behaved because of the following EXCEPT[A] the entirety of the state structure, [B] constant pressure from the state.[C] the small size of the town. [D] transparency of occurrences.选择答案：A B C D不确定答案TEXT BFor office innovators, the unrealized dream of the "paperless" office is a classic example of high-tech hubris (傲慢). Today's office drone is drowning in more paper than ever bef ore.But after decades of hype, American offices may finally be losing their paper obsession. T he de2014年专八考试答案653390834mand for paper used to outstrip the growth of the U. S. economy, but the past two or three years have seen a marked slowdown in sales — despite a healthy economic scene.Analysts attribute the decline to such factors as advances in digital databases and comm unication systems. Escaping our craving for paper, however, will be anything but an easy affair."Old habits are hard to break," says Merilyn Dunn, a communications supplies director. " There are some functions that paper serves where a screen display doesn't work. Those f unctions are both its strength and its weakness. "In the early to mid-'90s, a booming economy and improved desktop printers helped boos t paper sales by 6 to 7 percent each year. The convenience of desktop printing allowed o ffice workers to indulge in printing anything and everything at very little effort or cost. But now, the growth rate or paper sales in the United States is flattening by about half a percent each year. Between 2004 and 2005, Ms. Dunn says, plain white office paper will see less than a 4 percent growth rate, despite the strong overall economy. A primary rea son for the change, says Dunn, is that for the first time ever, some 47 percent of the wor kforce entered the job market after computers had already been introduced to offices. "We're finally seeing a reduction in the amount of paper being used per worker in the wo rkplace," says John Maine, vice president of a pulp and paper economic consulting firm. " More information is being transmitted electronically, and more and more people are comfortable with the information residing only in electronic form without printing multiple bac kups. "In addition, Mr. Maine points to the lackluster employment market for white-collar worke rs — the primary driver of office paper consumption — for the shift in paper usage. The real paradigm shift may be in the way paper is used. Since the advent of advanced a nd reliable office-network systems, data storage has moved away from paper archives. T he secretarial art of "filing" is disappearing from job descriptions. Much of today's data m ay never leave its original digital format.The changing attitudes toward paper have finally caught the attention of paper companie s, says Richard Harper, a researcher at Microsoft. "All of a sudden, the paper industry ha s started thinking, 'We need to learn more about the behavioural aspects of paper use, '" he says. "They had never asked, they'd just assumed that 70 million sheets would be bo ught per year as a literal function of economic growth. "To reduce paper use, some companies are working to combine digital and paper capabilit ies. For example, Xerox Corp. is developing electronic paper: thin digital displays that res pond to a stylus, like a pen on paper. Notations can be erased or saved digitally. Another idea, intelligent paper, comes from Anoto Group. It would allow notations made with a stylus on a page printed with a special magnetic ink to simultaneously appear on a computer screen.Even with such technological advances, the improved capabilities of digital storage contin ue to act against "paperlessness," argues Paul Saffo, a technology forecaster. In his prop hetic and metaphorical 1989 essay, "The Electronic Pinata (彩罐)," he suggests that the i ncreasing amounts of electronic data necessarily require more paper."The information industry today is like a huge electronic pinata, composed of a thin pape r crust surrounding an electronic core," Mr. Saffo wrote. The growing paper crust "is mos t noticeable, but the hidden electronic core that produces the crust is far larger — and gr owing more rapidly. The result is that we are becoming paperless, but we hardly notice a t all. "In the same way that digital innovations have increased paper consumption, Saffo says, so has video conferencing — with its promise of fewer in-person meetings — boosting bu siness travel."That's one of the great ironies of the information age ," Saffo says. "It's just common se nse that the more you talk to someone by phone or computer, it inevitably leads to a fac e-to-face meeting. The best thing for the aviation industry was the Internet. "TEXT CWhen George Orwell wrote in 1941 that England was "the most class-ridden country under the sun", he was only partly right. Societies have always had their hierarchies, with so me group perched at the top. In the Indian state of Bihar the Ranveer Sena, an upper-ca ste private army, even killed to stay there.By that measure class in Britain hardly seems entrenched (根深蒂固的). But in another w ay Orwell was right, and continues to be. As a new YouGov poll shows, Britons are surpri singly alert to class 2014年英语专八考试答案653390834— both their own and that of ot hers. And they still think class is sticky. According to the poll, 48% of people aged 30 or over say they expect to end up better off than their parents. But only 28% expect to end up in a different class. More than two-thirds think neither they nor their children will leav e the class they were born into.What does this thing that people cannot escape consist of these days? And what do peop le look at when decoding which class someone belongs to? The most useful identifying m arkers, according to the poll, are occupation, address, accent and income, in that order. The fact that income comes fourth is revealing: though some of the habits and attitudes that class used to define are more widely spread than they were, class still indicates som ething less blunt than mere wealth.Occupation is the most trusted guide to class, but changes in the labour market have ma de that harder to read than when Orwell was writing. Manual workers have shrunk along with farming and heavy industry as a proportion of the workforce, while the number of p eople in white-collar jobs has surged. Despite this striking change, when they were asked to place themselves in a class, Brits in 2006 huddled in much the same categories as the y did when they were asked in 1949. So, jobs, which were once a fairly reliable guide to class, have become misleading.A survey conducted earlier this year by Expertian shows how this convergence on similar types of work has blurred class boundaries. Expertian asked people in a number of differ ent jobs to place themselves in the working class or the middle class. Secretaries, waiters and journalists were significantly more likely to think themselves middle-class than acco untants, computer programmers or civil servants. Many new white-collar jobs offer no m ore autonomy or better prospects than old blue-collar ones. Yet despite the muddle over what the markers of class are these days, 71% of those polled by YouGov still said they f ound it very or fairly easy to figure out which class others belong to.In addition to changes in the labour market, two other things have smudged the borders on the class map. First, since 1945 Britain has received large numbers of immigrants who do not fit easily into existing notions of class and may have their own pyramids to scram ble up. The flow of new arrivals has increased since the late 1990s, multiplying this effect. Second, barriers to fame have been lowered. Britain's fast-growing ranks of celebrities — like David Beckham and his wife Victoria — form a kind of parallel aristocracy open to tal ent, or at least to those who are uninhibited enough to meet the requests of television producers. This too has made definitions more complicated.But many Brits, given the choice, still prefer to identify with the class they were born into rather than that which their jobs or income would suggest. This often entails pretending to be more humble than is actually the case: 220% of white-collar workers told YouGov t hat they consider themselves working class. Likewise, the Expertian survey found that on e in ten adults who call themselves working class are among the richest asset-owners, an d that over half a million households which earn more than $191,000 a year say they are working class. Pretending to be grander than income and occupation suggest is rarer, th ough it happens too.If class no longer describes a clear social, economic or even political status, is it worth pa ying any attention to.9 Possibly, yes. It is still in most cases closely correlated with educa tional attainment and career expectations.TEXT DThe train was whirling onward with such dignity of motion that a glance from the window seemed simply to prove that plains of Texas were pouring eastward. Vast fiats of green grass, dull-hued spaces of mesquite and cactus, little groups of frame houses, woods of li ght and tender trees, all were sweeping into the east, sweeping over the horizon, a preci pice.A newly married pair had boarded this coach at San Antonio. The man's face was redden ed from many days in the wind and sun, and a direct result of his new black clothes was that his brick-coloured hands were constantly performing in a most conscious fashion. Fr om time to time he looked down respectfully at his attire. He sat with a hand on each kn ee, like a man waiting in a barber's shop. The glances he devoted to other passengers w ere furtive and shy.The bride was not pretty, nor was she very young. She wore a dress of blue cashmere, w ith small reservations of velvet here and there, and with steel buttons abounding. She co ntinually twisted her head to regard her puff sleeves, very stiff, and high. They embarras sed her. It was quite apparent that she had cooked, and that she expected to cook, dutif ully. The blushes caused by the careless scrutiny of some passengers as she had entered the car were strange to see upon this plain, under-class countenance, which was drawn in placid, almost emotionless lines.They were evidently very happy. "Ever been in a parlor-car before?" he asked, smiling wi th delight."No," she answered; "I never was. It's fine, ain't it?""Great! And then after a while we'll go forward to the dinner, and get a big lay-out. Fresh meal in the world. Charge a dollar. ""Oh, do they?" cried the bride. "Charge a dollar? Why, that's too much — for us — ain't it, Jack?""Nor this trip, anyhow," he answered bravely. "We're going to go the whole thing. " Later he explained to her about the trains. "You see, it's a thousand miles from one end of Texas to the other; and this runs right across it, and never stops but four times. " He had the pride of an owner. He pointed out to her the dazzling fittings of the coach; and i n truth her eyes opened wider and she contemplated the sea-green figured velvet, the s hining brass, silver, and glass, the wood that gleamed as darkly brilliant as the surface of a pool of oil. At one end a bronze figure sturdily held a support for a separated chamber, and at convenient places on the ceiling were frescos in olive and silver.To the minds of the pair, their surroundings reflected the glory of their marriage that mor ning in San Antonio: this was the environment of their new estate; and the man's face in particular beamed with an elation that made him appear ridiculous to the Negro porter. This individual at times surveyed them from afar with an amused and superior grin. On o ther occasions he bullied them with skill in ways that did not make it exactly plain to the m that they were being bullied. He subtly used all the manners of the most unconquerabl e kind of snobbery. He oppressed them. But of this oppression they had small knowledge, and they speedily forgot that infrequently a number of travelers covered them with stare s of derisive enjoyment. Historically there was supposed to be something infinitely humor ous in their situation."We are due in Yellow Sky at 3:42," he said, looking tenderly into her eyes."Oh, are we?" she said, as if she had not been aware of it. To evince (表现出) surprise at her husband's statement was part of her wifely amiability. She took from a pocket a littl e silver watch: and as she held it before her, and stared at it with a frown of attention, t he new husband's face shone."I bought it in San Anton' from a friend of mine," he told her gleefully."It's seventeen minutes past twelve," she said, looking up at him with a kind of shy and c lumsy coquetry (调情; 卖俏). A passenger, noting this play, grew excessively sardonic, an d winked at himself in one of the numerous mirrors.At last they went to the dining-car. Two rows of Negro waiters, in glowing white suits, su rveyed their entrance with the interest, and also the equanimity (平静), of men who had been forewarned. The pair fell to the lot of a waiter who happened to feel pleasure in ste ering them through their meal. He viewed them with the manner of a fatherly pilot, his c ountenance radiant with benevolence. The patronage, entwined with the ordinary defere nce, was not plain to them. And yet, as they returned to their coach, they showed in thei r faces a sense of escape.With social and economic development, our people have more time and money to visit famous sites of historical interest. Their visits, on the one hand,can enrich their own life and meanwhile bring the sites substantial incomes. On the other hand, too many visits, especially during peak travel peak when there are more visitors, have caused huge problems. One solution to this is to charge higher fees during peak travel seasons, which I think is necessary and I am in complete favor of this decision.As we all know, today there is no entrance fee charged for many parks in our country while almost all famous sites of historical interest still need an entry fee. Some people can not accept this for they think that both parks and famous sites of historical interest are part of public services. They should have free access to them or at least shouldn’t pay too much for the visit since they have already paid taxes to the government. Then it is far impossible for those people to allow the sites to charge higher fees during peak travel seasons.On the surface, the arguments that people opposing to entry fees charged for famous sites of historical interest hold seem reasonable. But in fact, those people have ignored the unique features of famous sites of historical interest which normally imply ample historical and cultural values. Those sites differ from common parks. The relics in these sites are precious and fragile to destroy, and usually need special and professional preservation and administration, which turn out to be an expensive exercise that constantly demands resources. Entry fees must be charged. During peak travel seasons, there is no better measure than raising the entry fees to reduce the number of tourists. The purpose of charging higher fees is t o stop some people’ visits so as to better protect the valuable relics and at the same time ensure the safety of the tourists. It is obvious that some people will give up their visits considering the higher fees. Here economic means are applied to conserve precious things at the sites of historical interest in an appropriate and sustainable way.In a word, due to the unique features of relics and the need of the sustainable protection of sites of historical interest, we must control the number of visitors, especially during the peak travel seasons when there are too many tourists, to diminish the impact of human activities on these sites to its lowest level. And charging higher fees during the peak travel seasons, an effective economic means of regulation will be of great importance.Passage Four (Examinations Exert a Pernicious Influence on Education)We might marvel at the progress made in every field of study, but the methods of testing a person’s knowledge and ability remain as primitive as ever they were.It really is extraordinary that after all these years, educationists have still failed to device anything more efficient and reliable than examinations.For all the pious claim that examinations text what you know, it is common knowledge that they more often do the exact opposite.They may be a good means of testing memory, or the knack of working rapidly under extreme pressure, but they can tell you nothing about a person’s true ability and aptitude.As anxiety-makers, examinations are second to none.That is because so much depends on them.They are the mark of success of failure in our society.Your whole future may be decided in onefateful day.It doesn’t matter that you weren’t feeling very well, or that you2014年专八考试答案653390834r mother died.Little things like that don’t count：the exam goes on.No one can give of his best when he is in mortal terror, or after a sleepless night, yet this is precisely what the examination system expects him to do.The moment a child begins school, he enters a world of vicious competition where success and failure are clearly defined and measured.Can we wonder at the increasing number of ‘drop-outs’：young people who are written off as utter failures before they have even embarked on a career? Can we be surprised at the suicide rate among students?A good education should, among other things, train you to think for yourself.The examination system does anything but that.What hasto be learnt is rigidly laid down by a syllabus, so the student is encouraged to memorize.Examinations do not motivate a student to read widely, but to restrict his reading; they do not enable him to seek more and more knowledge, but induce cramming.They lower the standards of teaching, for they deprive the teacher of all freedoms.Teachers themselves are often judged by examination results and instead of teaching their subjects, they are reduced to training their students in exam techniques which they despise.The most successful candidates are not always the best educated; they are the best trained in the technique of working under duress.The results on which so much depends are often nothing more than a subjective assessment by some anonymous examiner.Examiners are onlyhuman.They get tired and hungry; they make mistakes.Yet they have to mark stacks of hastily scrawled scripts in a limited amount of time.They work under the same sort of pressure as the candidates.And their word carries weight.After a judge’s decision you have the right of appeal, but not after an examiner’s.There must surely be many sim pler and more effective ways of assessing a person’s true abilities.Is it cynical to suggest that examinations are merely a profitable business for the institutions that run them? This is what it boils down to in the last analysis.The best comment on the system is this illiterate message recently scrawled on a wall：‘I were a teenage drop-out and now I are a teenage millionaire.’The main idea of this passage is[A] examinations exert a pernicious influence on education.[B] examinations are ineffective.[C] examinations are profitable for institutions.[D] examinations are a burden on students.The author’s attitude toward examinations is[A]detest.[B] approval.[C] critical.[D] indifferent.The fate of students is decided by[A] education.[B] institutions.[C] examinations.[D] students themselves.According to the author, the most important of a good education is[A] to encourage students to read widely.[B] to train students to think on their own.[C] to teach students how to tackle exams.[D] to master his fate.Why does the author mention court?[A] Give an example.[B] For comparison.[C] It shows that teachers’ evolutions depend on the results of examinations.[D] It shows the results of court is more effectise.Vocabularypernicious 有害的，恶性的，破坏性的knack 窍门，诀窍embark 乘船，登记write off 勾销，注销。
2014高考英语阅读理解、完形填空及阅读类训练(答案及解析)
高考英语阅读理解、完形填空及阅读类训练（答案及解析）Words：322难度系数：★★建议用时：8分钟If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong.Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language? According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power.Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter.This is the area of the brain which processes information.It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles. The study also found the effect is greater, the younger people learn a second language.A team led by Dr.Andrea Mechelli，from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English.They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.Scans showed that grey matter density(密度)in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language.But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language，” said the scientists.It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales，has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills.“Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible，”he said.“You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of 2 and 34.Reading，writing, and comprehension were all tested.The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better.“Studying a language means you getan entrance to another world，” explained the scientists.5．The main subject talked about in this passage is________.A．science on learning a second languageB．man’s ability of learning a second languageC．language can help brain powerD．language learning and maths study解析：选C。
2014年高考英语试题阅读理解 天津卷解析
2014年普通高等学校招生全国统一考试 (天津卷)英语第二部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2.5分，满分50分）AA Guide to the UniversityFoodThe TWU Cafeteria is open 7am to 8 pm. It serves snacks(小吃), drinks, ice cream bars and meals. You can pay with cash or your ID cards. You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk. Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria, you can use the tables to eat your lunch, to have meetings and to study.If you are on campus in the evening or lat at night, you can buy snacks, fast food, and drinks in the Lower Cafélocated in the bottom level of the Douglas Centre. This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts, games or TV watching.RelaxationThe Globe, located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall, is available for relaxing, studying, cooking, and eating. Monthly activities are held here for all international students. Hours are 10 am to 10 pm, closed on Sundays.HealthLocated on the top floor of Douglas Hall, th e Wellness Centr e is committed t o physical, emotional and social health. A doctor and nurse is available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice. The cost of this is included in your medical insuranc e. Hours are Monday to Friday, 9 am to noon and 1;00 to 4;30 pm.Academic SupportAll student s have access to the Writing Centre on the upper floor of Douglas Hall. Here, qualified volunteer s will work with you on written work, grammar, vocabulary, and other academic skills. You can sign up for an appointme nt on the sign-up sheet outside the door two 30 –minute appointments per week maximum. This service is free.TransportationThe TWU Express is a shuttle(班车) service. The shuttle transports students between campus and the shopping centre, leaving from the Mattson Centre. Operation hours are between 9am and 3pm. Saturdays only. Round trip fare is $1.36. What can you do in the TWU Cafeteria?A. Do homework and watch TVB. Buy drinks and enjoy concertsC. have meals and meet with friendsD. Add money to your ID and play chess37. Where and when can you cook your own food?A. The Globe, FridayB. The Lower Café, SundayC. The TWU Cafeteria, FridayD. The McMillan Hall, Sunday.38. The Guide tells us that the Wellness Centre______.A. is open six days a weekB. offers services free of chargeC. trains students in medical careD. gives advice on mental health39. How can you seek help from the Writing Centre?A. By applying onlineB. By calling the centreC. By filling in a sign-up formD. By going to the centre directly40. What is the function of TWU Express?A. To carry students to the lecture halls.B. To provide students with campus toursC. To take students to the Mattson Centre.D. To transport students to and from the stores.【篇章导读】这是一篇广告。
2014高考英语阅读理解精品训练题(7)及答案(解析)
2014高考英语阅读理解精品训练题(7）及答案(解析)阅读理解When Joan gave birth to the first boy in her family in three generations，she and her husband were overjoyed。
So were her parents. Joan expected her elder sister，Sally, to be just as delighted as them. Joan had always admired Sally-—the beauty and the star of the family-—and felt happy about her achievements。
But since the baby’s arrival，the sisters have become distant。
Joan feels hurt for Sally seems completely uninterested in her baby。
Sally，who has no children, claims that her younger sister "acts as if no one ever had a beby before。
”Neither Sally nor Joan understands that the real cause of the current coldness is that their family roles have suddenly changed to the opposite。
Finally Joan seems to be better than her elder sister-—and Sally doesn’t like it! Their distance may be temporary, but it shows that childhood competition don't fade easily as ages grow. It can remain powerful in relationships throughout life.In a study of the University of Cincinnati，65 men and women between ages 25 and 93 were asked how they felt about their brothers and sisters. Nearly 75 percent admitted having hidden competitive feelings。
2014年英语专八阅读
2014年英语专八阅读+写作TEM-8 (2014)PART II READING COMPREHENSION (30 MIN)TEXT AMy class at Harvard Business School helps students understand what good management theory is and how it is built. In each session, we look at one company through the lenses of different theories, using them to explain how the company got into its situation and to examine what action will yield the needed results. On the last day of class, I asked my class to turn those theoretical lenses on themselves to find answers to two questions: First, How can I be sure I’ll be happy in my career? Second, How can I be sure my relationships with my spouse and my family will become an enduring source of happiness? Here are some management tools that can be used to help you lead a purposeful life.1. Use Your Resources Wisely. Your decisions about allocating your personal time, energy, and talent shape yo ur life’s strategy. I have a bunch of “businesses” that compete for these resources: I’m trying to have a rewarding relationship with my wife, raise great kids, contribute to my community, succeed in my career, and contribute to my church. And I have exactly the same problem that a corporation does. I have a limited amount of time, energy and talent. How much do I devote to each of these pursuits?Allocation choices can make your life turn out to very different from what you intended. Sometimes that’s good: opportunities that you have never planned for emerge. But if you don’t invest your resources wisely, the outcome can be bad. As I think about my former classmates who inadvertently invested in lives of hollow unhappiness, I can’t help believing that thei r troubles related right back to a short-term perspective.When people with a high need for achievement have an extra half hour of time or an extra ounce of energy, they’ll unconsciously allocate it to activities that yield the most tangible accomplishments. Our careers provide the most concrete evidence that we’re moving forward. You ship a product, finish a design, complete a presentation, close a sale teach a class, publish a paper, get paid, get promoted. In contrast, investing time and energy in your relationships with your spouse and children typically doesn’t offer the same immediate sense of achievement. Kids misbehave every day. It’s really not until 20 years down the road that you can say, “I raised a good son or a good daughter.” You can neglect your relationship with your spouse and on a daily basis it doesn’t seem as if thing are deteriorating. People who are driven to excel have this unconscious propensity to under invest in their families and overinvest in their careers, even though intimate and loving family relationships are the most powerful and enduring source of happiness.If you study the root causes of business disasters, over and over you’ll find this predisposition toward endeavors that offer immediate gratification. If you look at personal lives through that lens, you’ll see that same stunning and sobering pattern: people allocating fewer and fewer resources to the things they would have once said mattered most.2. Create A Family Culture.It’s one thing to see into the foggy future with a acuity and chart the course corrections a company must make. But it’s quite another to persuade employees to line up and work cooperatively to take the company in that new direction.When there is little agreement, you have to use “power tools” –coercion, threats, punishments and so on, to secure cooperation. But if employee’s ways of working togethersucceed over and over, consensus begins to form. Ultimately, people don’t even think about whether their way yields success. They embrace priorities and follow procedures by instinct and assumption rather than by explicit decision, which means that they’ve created a culture. Culture, in compelling but unspoken ways, dictates the proven, acceptable methods by which member s of a group address recurrent problems. And culture defines the priority given to different types of problems. It can be a powerful management tool.I use this model to address the question, How can I be my family becomes an enduring source of happiness? My students quickly see that the simplest way parents can elicit cooperation from children is to wield power tools. But there comes a point during the teen years when power tools no longer work. At that point, parents start wishing they had begun working with their children at a very young age to build a culture in which children instinctively behave respectfully toward one another, obey their parents, and choose the right thing to do. Families have cultures, just a companies do. Those cultures can be built consciously.If you want your kids to have strong self-esteem and the confidence that they can solve hard problems, those qualities won’t magically materialize in high school. You have to design them into family’s culture and you have think about this very early on. Like employees, c hildren build self-esteem by doing things that are hard and learning what works.11. According to the author, the key to successful allocation of resources in your life depends on whether youA. can manage your time wellB. have long-term planningC. are lucky enough to have new opportunitiesD. can solve both company and family problems12. What is the role of the statement “Our careers provide the most concrete evidence that we’re moving forward” with reference to the previous statement in the par agraph?A. To offer further explanationB. To provide a definitionC. To present a contrastD. To illustrate career development13. According to the author, a common cause of failure in business and family relationships isA. lack of planningB. short-sightednessC. shortage of resourcesD. decision by instinct14. According to the author, when does culture begin to emergeA. When people decide what and how to do by instinctB. When people realize the importance of consensusC. When people as a group decide how to succeedD. When people use “power tools” to reach agreement15. One of the similarities between company culture and family culture is thatA. problem-solving ability is essentialB. cooperation is the foundationC. respect and obedience are key elementsD. culture needs to be nurturedText BIt was nearly bed-time and when they awoke next morning land would be in sight. Dr. Macphail lit his pipe and, leaning over the rail, searched the heavens for the Southern Cross. After two years at the front and a wound that had taken longer to heal than it should, he was glad to settle down quietly at Apia (阿皮亚，西萨摩亚首都) for twelve months at least, and he felt already better for the journey. Since some of the passengers were leaving the ship next day at Pago-Pago they had had a little dance that evening and in his ears hammered still the harsh notesof the mechanical piano. But the deck was quiet at last. A little way off he saw his wife in a long chair talking with the Davidsons, and he strolled over to her. When he sat down under the light and took off his hat you saw that he had very red hair, with a bald patch on the crown, and the red, freckled skin which accompanies red hair; he was a man of forty, thin, with a pinched face, precise and rather pedantic; and he spoke with a Scots accent in a very low, quiet voice.Between the Macphails and the Davidsons, who were missionaries, there had arisen the intimacy of shipboard, which is due to propinquity rather than to any community of taste. Their chief tie was the disapproval they shared of the men who spent their days and nights in the smoking-room playing poker or bridge and drinking. Mrs. Macphail was not a little flattered to think that she and her husband were the only people on board with whom the Davidsons were willing to associate, and even the doctor, shy but no fool, half unconsciously acknowledged the compliment. It was only because he was of an argumentative mind that in their cabin at night he permitted himself to carp (唠叨).‘Mrs. Davidson was saying she didn’t know how they’d have got through the journey if it hadn’t been for us,’ said Mrs. Macphail, as she neatly brushed out her transformation (假发). ‘She said we were really the only people on the ship they cared to know.’‘I shouldn’t have thought a missionary was such a big bug (要人、名士) that he could afford to put on frills (摆架子).’‘It’s not frills. I quite understand what she means. It wouldn’t have been very nice for the Davidsons to have to mix with all that rough lot in the smoking-room.’‘The founder of their religion wasn’t so exclusive,’ said Dr. Macphail with a chuckle.‘I’ve asked you over and over again not to joke about religion,’ answered his wife. ‘I shouldn’t like to have a nature like yours, Alec. You never look for the best in people.’He gave her a sidelong glance with his pale, blue eyes, but did not reply. After many years of married life he had learned that it was more conducive to peace to leave his wife with the last word. He was undressed before she was, and climbing into the upper bunk he settled down to read himself to sleep.When he came on deck next morning they were close to land. He looked at it with greedy eyes. There was a thin strip of silver beach rising quickly to hills covered to the top with luxuriant ve getation. The coconut trees, thick and green, came nearly to the water’s edge, and among them you saw the grass houses of the Samoaris (萨摩亚人); and here and there, gleaming white, a little church. Mrs. Davidson came and stood beside him. She was dressed in black, and wore round her neck a gold chain, from which dangled a small cross. She was a little woman, with brown, dull hair very elaborately arranged, and she had prominent blue eyes behind invisible pince-nez (夹鼻眼镜). Her face was long, like a sheep’s, bu t she gave no impression of foolishness, rather of extreme alertness; she had the quick movements of a bird. The most remarkable thing about her was her voice, high, metallic, and without inflection; it fell on the ear with a hard monotony, irritating to the nerves like the pitiless clamour of the pneumatic drill.‘This must seem like home to you,’ said Dr. Macphail, with his thin, difficult smile.‘Ours are low islands, you know, not like these. Coral. These are volcanic. We’ve got another ten days'' journ ey to reach them.’‘In these parts that’s almost like being in the next street at home,’ said Dr. Macphail facetiously.‘Well, that’s rather an exaggerated way of putting it, but one does look at distances differently in the J South Seas. So far you’re right.’Dr. Macphail sighed faintly.16. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that Dr. MacphailA. preferred quietness to noiseB. enjoyed the sound of the mechanical pianoC. was going back to his hometownD. wanted to befriend the Davidsons17. The Macphails and the Davidsons were in each other’e company because theyA. had similar experienceB. liked each otherC. shared dislike for some passengersD. had similar religious belief18. Which of the following statements best DESCRIBES Mrs. Macphail?A. She was good at making friendsB. She was prone to quarrelling with her husbandC. She was skillful in dealing with strangersD. She was easy to get along with.19. All the following adjectives can be used to depict Mrs. Davidson EXCEPTA. arrogantB. unapproachableC. unpleasantD. irritable20. Which of the following statements about Dr. Macphail is INCORRECT?A. He was sociable.B. He was intelligent.C. He was afraid of his wife.D. He was fun of the Davidsons.Text CToday we make room for a remarkably narrow range of personality styles. We're told that to be great is to be bold, to be happy is to be sociable. We see ourselves as a nation of extroverts—which means that we've lost sight of who we really are. One-third to one-half of Americans are introverts—in the other words, one out of every two or three people you know. If you're not an introvert yourself, you are surely raising, managing, married to, or coupled with one.If these statistics surprise you, that's probably because so many people pretend to be extroverts. Closet introverts pass undetected on playgrounds, in high school locker rooms, and in the corridors of corporate America. Some fool even themselves, until some life event---a layoff, an empty nest, an inheritance that frees them to spend time as they like---jolts them into taking stock of their true natures. You have only to raise this subject with your friends and acquaintances to find that the most unlikely people consider themselves introverts.It makes sense that so many introverts hide even from themselves. We live with a value system that I call the Extrovert Ideal—the omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight. The archetypal extrovert prefers action to contemplation, risk-taking to heed-taking, certainty to doubt. He favors quick decisions, even at the risk of being wrong. She works well in teams and socializes in groups. We like to think that we value individuality, but all too often we admire one type of individual—— the kind who's comfortable "putting himself out there." Sure, we allow technologically gifted loners who launch companies in garages to have any personality they please, but they are the exceptions, not the rule, and our tolerance extends mainly to those who get fabulously wealthy or hold the promise of doing so.Introversion---along with its cousins sensitivity, seriousness, and shyness---is now a second-class personality trait, somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology. Introverts living under the Extrovert Ideal are like women in a man's world, discounted because of a trait thatgoes to the core of who they are. Extroversion is an enormously appealing personality style, but we've turned it into an oppressive standard to which most of us feel we must conform.The Extrovert Ideal has been documented in many studies, though this research has never been grouped under a single name. Talkative people, for example, are rated as smarter, better-looking, more interesting, and more desirable as friends. Velocity of speech counts as well as volume: we rank fast talkers as more competent and likable than slow ones. Even the word introvert is stigmatized---one informal study, by psychologist Laurie Helgoe, found that introverts described their own physical appearance in vivid language, but when asked to describe generic introverts they drew a bland and distasteful picture.But we make a grave mistake to embrace the Extrovert Ideal so unthinkingly. Some of our greatest ideas, art, and inventions---from the theory of evolution to van Gogh's sunflowers to the personal computer---came from quiet and cerebral people who knew how to tune in to their inner worlds and the treasures to be found there.21. According to the author, there exists, as far as personality styles are concerned, a discrepancy betweenA. what people say they can do and what they actually canB. what society values and what people pretend to beC. what people profess and what statistics showD. what people profess and what they hide from others22. The ideal extrovert is described as being all the following EXCEPTA. doubtfulB. sociableC. determinedD. bold23. According to the author, our society only permits ___ to have whatever personality they like.A. the youngB. the ordinaryC. the artisticD. the rich24. According to the passage, which of the following statements BEST reflects the author’s opinion?A. Introversion is seen as an inferior trait because of its association with sensitivity.B. Extroversion is arbitrary forced by society as a norm upon people.C. Introverts are generally regarded as either unsuccessful or as deficient.D. Extroversion and introversion have similar personality trait profiles.25. The author winds up the passage with a____ note.A. cautiousB. warningC. positiveD. humorous Text DSpeaking two languages rather than just one has obvious practical benefits in an increasingly globalized world. But in recent years, scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. Being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter. It can have a profound effect on your brain, improving cognitive skills not related to language and even shielding against dementia in old age.This view of bilingualism is remarkably different from the understanding of bilingualism through much of the 20th century. Researchers, educators and policy makers long considered a second language to be an interference, cogni tively speaking, that hindered a child’s academic and intellectual development.They were not wrong about the interference: there is ample evidence that in a bilingual’s brain both language systems are active even when he is using only one language, thus creating situations in which one system obstructs the other. But this interference, researchers are findingout, isn’t so much a handicap as a blessing in disguise. It forces the brain to resolve internal conflict, giving the mind a workout that strengthens its cognitive muscles.The collective evidence from a number of such studies suggests that the bilingual experience improves the brain’s so-called executive function ? a command system that directs the attention processes that we use for planning, solving problems and performing various other mentally demanding tasks. These processes include ignoring distractions to stay focused, switching attention willfully from one thing to another and holding information in mind ? like remembering a sequence of directions while driving.Why does the tussle between two simultaneously active language systems improve these aspects of cognition? Until recently, researchers thought the bilingual advantage stemmed primarily from an ability for inhibition that was honed by the exercise of suppressing one language system: this suppression, it was thought, would help train the bilingual mind to ignore distractions in other contexts. But that explanation increasingly appears to be inadequate, since studies have shown that bilinguals perform better than monolinguals even at tasks that do not require inhibition, like threading a line through an ascending series of numbers scattered randomly on a page.The key difference between bilinguals and monolinguals may be more basic: a heightened ability to monitor the environment. “Bilinguals have to switch languages quite often ? you may talk to your father in one language and to your mother in another language,” says Albert Costa, a researcher at the University of Pompeu Fabra in Spain. “It requires keeping track of changes around you in the same way that we monitor our surroundings when driving.” In a study comparing German-Italian bilinguals with Italian monolinguals on monitoring tasks, Mr. Costa and his colleagues found that the bilingual subjects not only performed better, but they also did so with less activity in parts of the brain involved in monitoring, indicating that they were more efficient at it.The bilingual experience appears to influence the brain from infancy to old age (and there is reason to believe that it may also apply to those who learn a second language later in life).26. According to the passage, the more recent and old views of bilingualism differ mainly inA. its practical advantagesB. its role in cognitionC. perceived language fluencyD. its role in medicine27. The fact that interference is now seen as a blessing in disguise means thatA. it has led to unexpectedly favourable resultsB. its potential benefits have remained undiscoveredC. its effects on cognitive development have been minimalD. only a few researchers have realized its advantages28. What is the role of Paragraph Four in relation to Paragraph Three?A. It provides counter evidence to Paragraph Three.B. It offers another example of the role of interference.C. It serves as a transitional paragraph in the passage.D. It further illustrates the point in Paragraph Three.29. Which of the following can account for better performance of bilinguals in doing non-inhibition tasks?A. An ability to monitor surroundings.B. An ability to ignore distractions.C. An ability to perform with less effort.D. An ability to exercise suppression.30. What is the main theme of the passage?A. Features of bilinguals and monolinguals.B. Interference and suppression.C. Bilinguals and monitoring tasks.D. Reasons why bilinguals are smarter. PART VI WRITING (45 MIN)Nowadays some companies have work-from-home or remote working policies, which means that their employees do not have to commute to work every day. Some people think that this can save a lot of time travelling to and from work, thus raising employees’ produ ctivity. However, others argue that in the workplace, people can communicate face to face, which vastly increases the efficiency of coordination and cooperation. What is your opinion?Write an essay of about 400 words on the following topic: My Views on Working from HomePART II-III READING COMPREHENSION & GENERAL KNOWLEDGE。
2014考研英语：精品阅读及详情解析(八)
2014考研英语：精品阅读及详情解析(八)States offer to pick up the tab for unpaid leave When Gina Garro and Brian Duplisea adopted 4-month-old Andres from Colombia last month, they were determined to take time off from work to care for him. Six years ago, after their daughter, 太奇考研2016年早起计划咨询热线：4000-855-866 在线咨询 YY： 86489962 States offer to pick up the tab for unpaid leaveWhen Gina Garro and Brian Duplisea adopted 4-month-old Andres from Colombia last month, they were determined to take time off from work to care for him. Six years ago, after their daughter, Melina, was born, the family scraped by on Duplisea's $36,000 salary as a construction worker so Garro, a special-education teacher, could stay home. Now, since Garro's job furnishes the family health insurance, she'll head back to work this fall while Duplisea juggles diapers and baby bottles. His boss agreed to the time off--but he will have to forgo his $18-an-hour pay. It won't be easy. Though Garro's $40,000 salary will cover their mortgage, the couple will have to freeze their retirement accounts, scale back on Melina's after-school activities--and pray that nothing goes wrong with the car. "It takes away from your cushion and your security," says Garro. "Things will be tight."The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act was supposed to help families like Garro's, offering a safety net to employees who want to take time off to nurture newborns, tend to their own major illnesses or care for sick relatives. But while the law guarantees that workers won't lose their jobs, it doesn't cover their paychecks. One survey last year showed that while 24 million Americans had taken leaves since 1999, 2.7 million more wanted to, but couldn't afford it. That may change soon. In response to increasing demands from voters, at least 25 states are now exploring new ways to offer paid leave. One possibility: tapping state disability funds. A handful of states--New York, New Jersey, California, Rhode Island and Hawaii--already dip into disability money to offer partial pay for women on maternity leave. But that doesn't help dads or people caring for elderly parents. New Jersey and New York may soon expand disability programs to cover leave for fathers and other caretakers. Thirteen states, including Arizona, Illinois and Florida, have proposed using unemployment funds to pay for leave.Massachusetts has been especially creative. When the state's acting governor, Jane Swift, gave birth to twin daughters in May, she drew attention to the issue with her own "working maternity leave": she telecommuted part-time but earned her usual full-time salary. Even before Swift returned to work last week,the state Senate unanimously passed a pilot plan that would use surplus funds from a health-insurance program for the unemployed to give new parents 12 weeks off at half pay. Another plan, proposed in the House, would require employers to kick in $20 per worker to set up a "New Families Trust Fund." Businesses would get tax credits in return. This week Swift is expected to announce her own paid-leave plan for lower-income mothers and fathers. Polls show widespread public support--another reason Swift and other politicians across the country have embraced the issue.Still, not everyone's wild about the idea. People without children question why new parents--the first group to get paid leave under many of the proposed plans--should get more government perks than they do. Business groups are resistant to proposals that would raid unemployment funds; several have already filed suit to block them. As the economy slows, many companies say they can't afford to contribute to proposed new benefit funds either. Business lobbyists say too many employees already abuse existing federal family-leave laws by taking time off for dubious reasons or in tiny time increments. The proposed laws, they say, would only make matters worse.For Garro and Duplisea, though, the new laws could make all the difference. As Melina fixes a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, Duplisea hugs a snoozing Andres against his T shirt. "We're trying to do the right thing by two kids, and we have to sacrifice," Duplisea says. In Massachusetts and plenty of other states, help may be on the way.Newsweek; 8/27/2001, Vol. 138 Issue 9, p46, 1p, 1c注(1) 本文选自Newsweek;8/27/2001, Vol. 138 Issue 9, p46, 1p, 1c注(2) 本文习题命题模仿对象是1997年真题text 1(1，2，3，5题)，第4题模仿1997年真题text 3 的第2题。
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2014步步升教育暑假班英语专题指导之阅读理解8Make Up Your Mind to Succeed 难度值：较难推荐度：五星Kindhearted parents have unknowingly left their children defenseless against failure. The generation born between 1980 and 2001 grew up playing sports where scores and performance we re played down because ―everyone’s winter.‖ And their report cards sounded more positive (正面的) than ever before. As a result, Stanford University professor Carol Dweck, PhD, calls them ―the over-praised generation.‖Dweck has been studying how people deal with failure for 40 years. Her research has led her to find out two clearly different mind-sets that have a great effect on how we react to it. Here’s how they work:A fixed mind-set is grounded in the belief that talent (才能) is genetic –you’re a born ar tist, point guard, or numbers person. The fixed mind-set believes it’s sure to succeed without much effort and regards failure as personal shame. When things get difficult, it’s quick to blame, lie, and even stay away from future difficulties.On the other hand, a growth mind-set believes that no talent is entirely heaven-sent and that effort and learning make everything possible. Because the ego (自尊) isn’t on the line as much, the growth mind-set sees failure as a chance rather than shame. When faced with a difficulty, it’s quick to rethink, change and try again. In fact, it enjoys this experience.We are all born with growth mind-sets. (Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to live in the world.) But parents, teachers, and instructors often push us into fixed mind-sets by encouraging certain actions and misdirecting praise. Dweck’s book, Mind-set: The New Psychology of Success, and online instructional program explain this in depth. But she says there are many little things you can start doing today to make sure that your children, grandchildren and even you are never defeated by failure.57. What does the author think about the present generation?A. They don’t do well at school.B. They are often misunderstood.C. They are eager to win in sports.D. They are given too much praise.58. A fixed mind-set person is probably one who ___ .A. doesn’t want to work hardB. cares a lot about personal safetyC. cannot share his ideas with othersD. can succeed with the help of teachers59. What does the growth mind-set believe?A. Admitting failure is shameful.B. Talent comes with one’s birth.C. Scores should be highly valued.D. Getting over difficulties is enjoyable.60. What should parents do for their children based on Dweck’s study?A. Encourage them to learn from failures.B. Prevent them from making mistakes.C. Guide them in doing little things.D. Help them grow with praise.【文章大意】2012全国卷2(E)本文是一篇科学调查报告。
斯坦福大学教授Dweck经过40年的调查研究认为人们对待失败有两种不同的思维模式，这两种思维模式对我们如何对待失败有很大的影响。
第一种是有固定思维模式的人，他们认为才能是天生的，成功不需要努力而失败是耻辱。
他们逃避未来的困难。
第二种是具有成长思维模式的人，他们认为才能不是天生的，努力和学习使一切成为可能。
向失败学习并把它看作成长的经历。
57.【解析】根据第一段中的―professor Carol Dweck, PhD, calls them―the overpraised generation.‖‖可知：他们被表扬的太多了。
【考点定位】考查作者观点和看法。
58.【解析】根据文章第三段中的―The fixed mind-set believes it’s sure to succeed without much effort and regards failure aspersonal shame.‖可知：他相信成功但不想付出努力。
【考点定位】考查判断推理。
59.【解析】根据文章第四段中的―the growth mind-set sees failure as a chance rather than shame. When faced with a difficulty,it’s quick to rethink, change and try again. In fact, it enjoys this experience。
【考点定位】考查判断推理。
60.【解析】根据文章的最后一句―But she says there are many little things you can start doing today to ma ke sure that your children, grandchildren and even you are never defeated by failure.‖。
【考点定位】考查判断推理。
2013浙江卷CThe baby monkey is much more developed at birth than the human baby. Almost from the moment it is born, the baby monkey can move around and hold tightly to its mother. During the first few days of its life the baby will approach and hold onto almost any large, warm, and soft object in its environment, particularly if that object also gives it milk. After a week or so, however, the baby mon key begins to avoid newcomers and focuses its attentions on ―mother‖ —the real mother or the mother-substitute(母亲替代物).During the first two weeks of its life warmth is perhaps the most important psychological(心理的)thing that a monkey mother has to give to its baby. The Harlows, a couple who are both psychologists, discovered this fact by offering baby monkeys a choice of two types of mother- substitutes—one covered with cloth and one made of bare wire. If the two artificial mothers were both the same temperature, the little monkeys always preferred the cloth mother. However, if the wire model was heated, while the cloth model was cool, for the first two weeks after birth the baby monkeys picked the warm wire mother- substitutes as their favorites. Thereafter they switched and spent most of their time on the more comfortable cloth mother.Why is cloth preferable to bare wire? Something that the Harlows called contact (接触)comfort seems to be the answer, and a most powerful influence it is. Baby monkeys spend much of their time rubbing against their mothers’skins, putting themselves in as close contact with the parent as they can. Whenever the young animal is frightened, disturbed, or annoyed, it typically rushes to its mother and rubs itself against her body. Wire doesn’t ―rub‖ as well as does soft cloth. Prolong(长时间的)―contact comfort‖ with a cloth mother appears to give the babies confidence and is much more rewarding to them than is either warmth or milk.According to the Harlows, the basic quality of a baby’s love for its mother is trust. If the baby is put into an unfamiliar playroom without its mother, the baby ignores the toys no matter how interesting they might be. It screams in terror and curls up into a furry little ball. If its cloth mother is now introduced into the playroom, the baby rushes to it and holds onto it for dear life. After a few minutes of contact comfort, it obviously begins to feel more secure. It then climbs down from the mother- substitute and begins to explore the toys, but often rushes back for a deep embrace (拥抱) as if to make sure that its mother is still there and that all is well. Bit by bit its fears of the new environment are gone and it spends more and more time playing with the toys and less and less time holding onto its ―mother.‖50. Psychologically, what does the baby monkey desire most during the first two weeks of its life?A. WarmthB. MilkC. ContactD. Trust51. After the first two weeks of their life, baby monkeys prefer the cloth mother to the wire mother because the former is_______.A. larger in sizeB. closer to themC. less frightening and less disturbingD. more comfortable to rub against52. What does the baby monkey probably gain from prolonged ―contact comfort‖?A. AttentionB. softnessC. ConfidenceD. Interest53. It can be inferred that when the baby monkey feels secure, ___________.A. it frequently rushes back for a deep embrace when exploring the toysB. it spends more time screaming to get rewardsC. it is less attracted to the toys though they are interestingD. it cares less about whether its mother is still around54. The main purpose of the passage is to _______.A. give the reasons for the experimentB. present the findings of the experimentC. introduce the method of the experimentD. describe the process of the experiment2013浙江卷C50 第二段During the first two weeks of its life warmth is perhaps the most important psychological(心理的)thing that a monkey mother has to give to its baby，细节题51第二段Thereafter they switched and spent most of their time on the more comfortable cloth mother.Why is cloth preferable to bare wire? 第三段Prolong(长时间的)―contact comfort‖ with a cloth mother appears to give the babies confidence and is much more rewarding to them than is either warmth or milk.细节题52.第三段Prolong(长时间的)―contact comfort‖ with a cloth mother appears to give the babies confide nce and is much more rewarding to them than is either warmth or milk，细节题53第最后一段If its cloth mother is now introduced into the playroom, the baby rushes to it and holds onto it for dear life. After a few minutes of contact comfort, it obviously begins to feel more secure，推断题.5科普说明文做完前面题目自然就选主旨大意推断题。