考研英语(阅读)-试卷12.doc

考研英语（阅读）-试卷12(总分：60.00，做题时间：90分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：6，分数：60.00)1.Section II Reading Comprehension（分数：10.00）__________________________________________________________________________________________ 2.Part ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D.（分数：10.00）__________________________________________________________________________________________ Last weekend Kyle MacDonald in Montreal threw a party to celebrate the fact that he got his new home in exchange for a red paper clip. Starting a year ago, MacDonald bartered the clip for increasingly valuable stuff, including a camp stove and free rent in a Phoenix flat. Having announced his aim(the house)in advance, MacDonald likely got a boost from techies eager to see the Internet pass this daring test of its networking power. "My whole motto was " Start small, think big, and have fun"", says MacDonald , 26, "I really kept my effort on the creative side rather than the business side." Yet as odd as the MacDonald exchange was, barter is now big business on the Net. This year more than 400,000 companies worldwide will exchange some $10 billion worth of goods and services on a growing number of barter sites. These Web sites allow companies to trade products for a virtual currency, which they can use to buy goods from other members. In Iceland, garment-maker Kapusalan sells a third of its output on the booming Vidskiptanetid exchange, earning virtual money that it uses to buy machinery and pay part of employee salaries. The Troc-Services exchange in France offers more than 4,600 services, from math lessons to ironing. This is not a primitive barter system. By creating currencies, the Internet removes a major barrier — what Bob Meyer, publisher of Barter News, calls "the double coincidence of wants". That is, two parties once not only had to find each other, but also an exchange of goods that both desired. Now, they can price the deal in virtual currency. Barter also helps firms make use of idle capacity. For example, advertising is "hugely bartered" because many media, particularly on the Web, can supply new ad space at little cost. Moreover, Internet ads don"t register in industry-growth statistics, because many exchanges are arranged outside the formal exchanges. Like eBay, most barter sites allow members to "grade" trading partners for honesty, quality and so on. Barter exchanges can allow firms in countries with hyperinflation or nontradable currencies to enter global trades. Next year, a nonprofit exchange called Quick Lift Two(QL2)plans to open in Nairobi, offering barter deals to 38,000 Kenyan farmers in remote areas. Two small planes will deliver the goods. QL2 director Gacii Waciuma says the farmers are excited to be "liberated from corrupt middlemen." For them, barter evokes a bright future, not a precapitalist past.（分数：10.00）(1).The word "techies"(Para. 1)probably refers to those who are（分数：2.00）A.afraid of technology.B.skilled in technology.C.ignorant of technology.D.incompetent in technology.(2).Many people may have deliberately helped Kyle because they（分数：2.00）A.were impressed by his creativity.B.were eager to identify with his motto.C.liked his goal announced in advance.D.hoped to prove the power of the Internet.(3).The Internet barter system relies heavily on（分数：2.00）A.the size of barter sites.B.the use of virtual currency.C.the quality of goods or services.D.the location of trading companies.(4).It is implied that Internet advertisement can help（分数：2.00）panies make more profit.panies do formal exchanges.C.media register in statistics.D.media grade barter sites.(5).Which of the following is true of QL2 according to the author?（分数：2.00）A.It is criticized for doing business in a primitive way.B.It aims to deal with hyperinflation in some countries.C.It helps get rid of middlemen in trade and exchange.D.It is intended to evaluate the performance of trading partners.When Thomas Keller, one of America"s foremost chefs, announced that on Sept. 1 he would abolish the practice of tipping at Per Se, his luxury restaurant in New York City, and replace it with a European-style service charge, I knew three groups would be opposed: customers, servers and restaurant owners. These three groups are all committed to tipping—as they quickly made clear on Web sites. To oppose tipping, it seems, is to be anti-capitalist, and maybe even a little French. But Mr. Keller is right to move away from tipping—and it"s worth exploring why just about everyone else in the restaurant world is wrong to stick with the practice. Customers believe in tipping because they think it makes economic sense. "Waiters know that they won"t get paid if they don"t do a good job" is how most advocates of the system would put it. To be sure, this is a tempting, apparently rational statement about economic theory, but it appears to have little applicability to the real world of restaurants. Michael Lynn, an associate professor of consumer behavior and marketing at Cornell"s School of Hotel Administration, has conducted dozens of studies of tipping and has concluded that consumers" assessments of the quality of service correlate weakly to the amount they tip. Rather, customers are likely to tip more in response to servers touching them lightly and leaning forward next to the table to make conversation than to how often their water glass is refilled—in other words, customers tip more when they like the server, not when the service is good. Mr. Lynn"s studies also indicate that male customers increase their tips for female servers while female customers increase their tips for male servers. What" s more, consumers seem to forget that the tip increases as the bill increases. Thus, the tipping system is an open invitation to what restaurant professionals call " upwelling ": every bottle of imported water, every espresso and every cocktail is extra money in the server"s pocket. Aggressive upwelling for tips is often rewarded while low-key, quality service often goes unrecognized. In addition, the practice of tip pooling, which is the norm in fine-dining restaurants and is becoming more common in every kind of restaurant above the level of a greasy spoon, has ruined whatever effect voting with your tip might have had on an individual waiter. In an unreasonable outcome, you are punishing the good waiters in the restaurant by not tipping the bad one. Indeed, there appears to be little connection between tipping and good service.（分数：10.00）(1).It may be inferred that a European-style service（分数：2.00）A.is tipping-free.B.charges little tip.C.is the author" s initiative.D.is offered at Per Se.(2).Which of the following is NOT true according to the author?（分数：2.00）A.Tipping is a common practice in the restaurant world.B.Waiters don"t care about tipping.C.Customers generally believe in tipping.D.Tipping has little connection with the quality of service.(3).According to Michael Lynn" s studies, waiters will likely get more tips if they（分数：2.00）A.have performed good service.B.frequently refill customers" water glass.C.win customers" favor.D.serve customers of the same sex.(4).We may infer from the context that "upwelling"(Para. 6)probably means（分数：2.00）A.selling something up.B.selling something fancy.C.selling something unnecessary.D.selling something more expensive.(5).This passage is mainly about（分数：2.00）A.reasons to abolish the practice of tipping.B.economic sense of tipping.C.consumers" attitudes towards tipping.D.tipping for good service.Cyberspace, data superhighways, multi media—for those who have seen the future, the linking of computers, television and telephones will change our lives forever. Yet for all the talk of a forthcoming technological Utopia, little attention has been given to the implications of these developments for the poor. As with all new high technology, while the West concerns itself with the "how", the question of "for whom" is put aside once again. Economists are only now realizing the full extent to which the communications revolution has affected the world economy. Information technology allows the extension of trade across geographical and industrial boundaries, and transnational corporations take full advantage of it. Terms of trade, exchange and interest rates and money movements are more important than the production of goods. The electronic economy made possible by information technology allows the haves to increase their control on global markets —with destructive impact on the have-nots. For them the result is instability. Developing countries which rely on the production of a small range of goods for export are made to feel like small parts in the international economic machine. As "futures" are traded on computer screens, developing countries simply have less and less control of their destinies. So what are the options for regaining control? One alternative is for developing countries to buy in the latest computers and telecommunications themselves—so-called "development communications" modernization. Yet this leads to long-term dependency and perhaps permanent constraints on developing countries" economies. Communications technology is generally exported from the U.S., Europe or Japan; the patents, skills and ability to manufacture remain in the hands of a few industrialized countries. It is also expensive, and imported products and services must therefore be bought on credit —credit usually provided by the very countries whose companies stand to gain. Furthermore, when new technology is introduced there is often too low a level of expertise to exploit it for native development. This means that while local elites, foreign communities and subsidiaries of transnational corporations may benefit, those whose lives depend on access to the information are denied it.（分数：10.00）(1).From the passage, we know that the development ofhigh technology is in the interests of （分数：2.00）A.the rich countries.B.scientific development.C.the elite.D.the world economy.(2).It can be inferred from the passage that（分数：2.00）A.international trade should be expanded.B.the interests of the poor countries have not been given enough consideration.C.the exports of the poor countries should be increased.munications technology in the developing countries should be modernized.(3).Why does the author say that the electronic economy may have a destructive impact on developing countries?（分数：2.00）A.Because it enables the developed countries to control the international market.B.Because it destroys the economic balance of the poor countries.C.Because it violates the national boundaries of the poor countries.D.Because it inhibits the industrial growth of developing countries.(4).The development of modern communications technology in developing countries may（分数：2.00）A.hinder their industrial production.B.cause them to lose control of their trade.C.force them to reduce their share of exports.D.cost them their economic independence.(5).The author"s attitude toward the communications revolution is（分数：2.00）A.positive.B.critical.C.indifferent.D.tolerant.Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives. To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient. Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safe and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to diminishing biodiversity. What" s more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050. Yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions. All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require radical thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be "zero impact". The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity. What is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.（分数：10.00）(1).How do people often measure progress in agriculture?（分数：2.00）A.By its productivity.B.By its sustainability.C.By its impact on the environment.D.By its contribution to economic growth.(2).Specialization and the effort to increase yields have resulted in（分数：2.00）A.localized pollution.B.the shrinking of farmland.petition from overseas.D.the decrease of biodiversity.(3).What does the author think of traditional farming practices?（分数：2.00）A.They have remained the same over the centuries.B.They have not kept pace with population growth.C.They are not necessarily sustainable.D.They are environmentally friendly.(4).What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?（分数：2.00）A.It will go through radical changes.B.It will supply more animal products.C.It will abandon traditional farming practices.D.It will cause zero damage to the environment.(5).What is the author" s purpose in writing this passage ?（分数：2.00）A.To remind people of the need of sustainable development.B.To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production.C.To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress.D.To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is.。