2014年考研英语试题及答案
2014年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语试题Text1In order to “change lives for the better” and reduce “dependency” George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, introduced the “upfront work search” scheme. Only if the jobless arrive at the job centre 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 the jobseeker’s allowance. “Those first few days should be spent looking for work, not looking to sign on.” he claimed. “We’re doing these things because we know they help people stay off benefits a nd help those on benefits get into work faster.” Help? Really? On first hearing, this was the socially concerned chancellor, trying to change lives for the better, complete with “reforms” to an obviously indulgent system that demands too little effort from the newly unemployed to find work, and subsidizes laziness. What motivated him, we were to understand, was his zeal for “fundamental fairness”—protecting the taxpayer, controlling spending and ensuring that only the most deserving claimants received their benefits.Losing a job is hurting: you don’t skip down to the jobcentre with a song in your heart, delighted at the prospect of doubling your incomefrom 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”is about redefining the unemployed as a “jobseeker” who had no fundamental 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.21.George Osborne’s scheme was intended to.[A]provide the unemployed with easier access to benefits[B]encourage jobseekers’ active engagement in job seeking[C]motivate the unemployed to report voluntarily[D]guarantee jobseekers’ legitimate right to benefits22.The phrase, “to sign on” (Line 3, Para.2) most probably means.[A]to check on the availability of jobs at the jobcentre[B]to accept the government’s restrictions on the allowance[C]to register for an allowance from the government[D]to attend a governmental job-training program23.What prompted the chancellor to develop his scheme?[A]A desire to secure a better life for all.[B]An eagerness to protect the unemployed.[C]An urge to be generous to the claimants.[D]A passion to ensure fairness for taxpayers.24.According to Paragraph 3, being unemployed makes one feel.[A]uneasy[B]enraged[C]insulted[D]guilty25.To which of the following would the author most probably agree?[A]The British welfare system indulges jobseekers’ laziness.[B]Osborne’s reforms will reduce the risk of unemployment.[C]The jobseekers’ allowance has met their actual needs.[D]Unemployment benefits should not be made conditional.Text 2All around the world, lawyers generate more hostility than the members of any other profession—with the possible exception of journalism. But there are few places where clients have more grounds for complaint than America.During the decade before the economic crisis, spending on legal services in America grew twice as fast as inflation. The best lawyers made skyscrapers-full of money, tempting ever more students to pile into law schools. But most law graduates never get a big-firm job. Many of them instead become the kind of nuisance-lawsuit filer that makes the tort system a costly nightmare.There are many reasons for this. One is the excessive costs of a legal education. There is just one path for a lawyer in most American states: a four-year undergraduate degree in some unrelated subject, then a three-year law degree at one of 200law schools authorized by the American Bar Association and an expensive preparation for the bar exam. This leaves today’s average law-school graduate with $100,000 of debt on top of undergraduate debts. Law-school debt means that many cannotafford to go into government or non-profit work, and that they have to work fearsomely hard.Reforming the system would help both lawyers and their customers. Sensible ideas have been around for a long time, but the state-level bodies that govern the profession have been too conservative to implement them. One idea is to allow people to study law as an undergraduate degree. Another is to let students sit for the bar after only two years of law school. If the bar exam is truly a stern enough test for a would-be lawyer, those who can sit it earlier should be allowed todo so. Students who do not need the extra training could cut their debt mountain by a third.The other reason why costs are so high is the restrictive guild-like ownership structure of the business. Except in the District of Columbia, non-lawyers may not own any share of a law firm. This keeps fees high and innovation slow. There is pressure for change from within the profession, but opponents of change among the regulators insist that keeping outsiders out of a law firm isolates lawyers from the pressure to make money rather than serve clients ethically.In fact, allowing non-lawyers to own shares in law firms would reduce costs and improve services to customers, by encouraging law firms to use technology and to employ professional managers to focus on improving firms’ efficiency. After all, other countries, such as Australia and Britain, have started liberalizing their legal professions. Americashould follow.26.A lot of students take up law as their profession due to.[A]the growing demand from clients[B]the increasing pressure of inflation[C]the prospect of working in big firms[D]the attraction of financial rewards27.Which of the following adds to the costs of legal education in most American states?[A]Higher tuition fees for undergraduate studies.[B]Admissions approval from the bar association.[C]Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in another major.[D]Receiving training by professional associations.28.Hindrance to the reform of the legal system originates from.[A]lawyers’ and clients’ strong resistance[B]the rigid bodies governing the profession[C]the stem exam for would-be lawyers[D]non-professionals’ sharp criticism29.The guild-like ownership structure is considered “restrictive”partly because it.[A]bans o utsiders’ involvement in the profession[B]keeps lawyers from holding law-firm shares[C]aggravates the ethical situation in the trade[D]prevents lawyers from gaining due profits30.In this text, the author mainly discusses.[A]flawed ownership of America’s law firms and its causes[B]the factors that help make a successful lawyer in America[C]a problem in America’s legal profession and solutions to it[D]the role of undergraduate studies in America’s legal educationText 3The US$3-million Fundamental physics prize is indeed an interesting experiment, as Alexander Polyakov said when he accepted this year’s award in March. And it is far from the only one of its type. As a News Feature article in Nature discusses, a string of lucrative awards for researchers have joined the Nobel Prizes in recent years. Many, like the Fundamental Physics Prize, are funded from the telephone-number-sized bank accounts of Internet entrepreneurs. These benefactors have succeeded in their chosen fields, they say, and they want to use their wealth to draw attention to those who have succeeded in science.What’s not to like? Quite a lot, according to a handful of scientists quoted in the News Feature. You cannot buy class, as the old saying goes, and these upstart entrepreneurs cannot buy their prizes the prestige of the Nobles, The new awards are an exercise in self-promotion for those behind them, say scientists. They could distort the achievement-based system of peer-review-led research. They could cement the status quo ofpeer-reviewed research. They do not fund peer-reviewed research. They perpetuate the myth of the lone genius.The goals of the prize-givers seem as scattered as the criticism. Some want to shock, others to draw people into science, or to better reward those who have made their careers in research.As Nature has pointed out before, there are some legitimate concerns about how science prizes—both new and old—are distributed. The Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, launched this year, takes an unrepresentative view of what the life sciences include. But the Nobel Foundation’s limit of three recipients per prize, each of whom must still be living, has long been outgrown by the collaborative nature of modern research—as will be demonstrated by the inevitable row over who is ignored when it comes to acknowledging the discovery of the Higgs boson. The Nobles were, of course, themselves set up by a very rich individual who had decided what he wanted to do with his own money. Time, rather than intention, has given them legitimacy.As much as some scientists may complain about the new awards, two things seem clear. First, most researchers would accept such a prize if they were offered one. Second, it is surely a good thing that the money and attention come to science rather than go elsewhere, It is fair to criticize and question the mechanism—that is the culture of research, after all—but it is the prize-givers’ money to do with as they please. It iswise to take such gifts with gratitude and grace.31.The Fundamental Physics Prize is seen as.[A]a symbol of the entrepreneurs’ wealth[B]a possible replacement of the Nobel Prizes[C]an example of bankers’ investments[D]a handsome reward for researchers32.The critics think that the new awards will most benefit.[A]the profit-oriented scientists[B]the founders of the new awards[C]the achievement-based system[D]peer-review-led research33.The discovery of the Higgs boson is atypical case which involves.[A]controversies over the recipients’status[B]the joint effort of modern researchers[C]legitimate concerns over the new prizes[D]the demonstration of research findings34.According to Paragraph 4,which of the following is true of the Nobles?[A]Their endurance has done justice to them.[B]Their legitimacy has long been in dispute.[C]They are the most representative honor.[D]History has never cast doubt on them.35.The author believes that the now awards are.[A]acceptable despite the criticism[B]harmful to the culture of research[C]subject to undesirable changes[D]unworthy of public attentionText 4“The Heart of the Matter,” the just-released report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS), deserves praise for affirming the importance of the humanities and social sciences to the prosperity and security of liberal democracy in America. Regrettably, however, the report’s failure to address the true nature of the crisis facing liberal education may cause more harm than good.In 2010, leading congressional Democrats and Republicans sent letters to the AAAS asking that it identify actions that could be taken by“federal, state and local governments, universities, foundations, educators, individual benefactors and others” to “maintain national excellence inhumanities and social scientific scholarship and educ ation.” In response, the American Academy formed the Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences. Among the commission’s 51 members are top-tier-university presidents, scholars, lawyers, judges, and business executives, as well as prominent figures from diplomacy, filmmaking,music and journalism.The goals identified in the report are generally admirable. Because representative government presupposes an informed citizenry, the report supports full literacy; stresses the study of history and government, particularly American history and American government; and encourages the use of new digital technologies. To encourage innovation and competition, the report calls for increased investment in research, the crafting of coherent curricula that improve stu dents’ ability to solve problems and communicate effectively in the 21st century, increased funding for teachers and the encouragement of scholars to bring their learning to bear on the great challenges of the day. The report also advocates greater study of foreign languages, international affairs and the expansion of study abroad programs.Unfortunately, despite 2½ years in the making, “The Heart of the Matter” never gets to the heart of the matter: the illiberal nature of liberal education at our leading colleges and universities. The commission ignores that for several decades America's colleges and universities have produced graduates who don’t know the content and character of liberal education and are thus deprived of its benefits. Sadly, the spirit of inquiry once at home on campus has been replaced by the use of the humanities and social sciences as vehicles for publicizing “progressive,” or left-liberal propaganda.Today, professors routinely treat the progressive interpretation of history and progressive public policy as the proper subject of study while portraying conservative or classical liberal ideas—such as free markets and self-reliance—as falling outside the boundaries of routine, and sometimes legitimate, intellectual investigation.The AAAS displays great enthusiasm for liberal education. Yet its report may well set back reform by obscuring the depth and breadth of the challenge that Congress asked it to illuminate.36. According to Paragraph 1, what is the author’s attitude toward the AAAS’s report?[A] Critical[B] Appreciative[C] Contemptuous[D] Tolerant37. Influential figures in the Congress required that the AAAS report on how to.[A] retain people’s interest in liberal education[B] define the government’s role in education[C] keep a leading position in liberal education[D] safeguard individuals’ rights to education38. According to Paragraph 3, the report suggests.[A] an exclusive study of American history[B] a greater emphasis on theoretical subjects[C] the application of emerging technologies[D] funding for the study of foreign languages39. The author implies in Paragraph 5 that professors are.[A] supportive of free markets[B] cautious about intellectual investigation[C] conservative about public policy[D] biased against classical liberal ideas40. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?[A] Ways to Grasp “The Heart of the Matter”[B] Illiberal Education and “The Heart of the Matter”[C] The AAAS’s Contribution to Liberal Education[D] Progressive Policy vs. Liberal Education。
2014考研英语一真题及答案：阅读题
以下是为⼤家整理的《2014考研英语⼀真题及答案：阅读题》的⽂章，供⼤家参考阅读！ Section II Reading Comprehension Part A Directions: 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 1 In 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 the jobseeker’s allowance. “Those first few days should be spent looking for work, not looking to sign on.” he claimed. “We’re doing these things because we know they help people 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 the jobcentre 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。
2014年考研英语一真题完整版 答案解析
2014年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试 英语(一)试题 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) As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what they used to be. We suddenly can't remember 1 we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance's name, or the name of an old band we used to love. As the brain 2 , we refer to these occurrences as "senior moments." 3 seemingly innocent, this loss of mental focus can potentially have a(an) 4 impact on our professional, social, and personal 5 . Neuroscientists, experts who study the nervous system, are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done. It 6 out that the brain needs exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right mental 7 can significantly improve our basic cognitive 8 . Thinking is essentially a 9 of making connections in the brain. To a certain extent, our ability to 10 in making the connections that drive intelligence is inherited. 11 , because these connections are made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate 12 mental effort. Now, a new Web-based company has taken it a step 13 and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental 14 . The Web-based program 15 you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills. The program keeps 16 of your progress andprovides detailed feedback 17 your performance and improvement. Most importantly, it 18 modifies and enhances the games you play to 19 on the strengths you are developing--much like a(n) 20 exercise routine requires you to increase resistance and vary your muscle use. 1.[A]where [B]when [C]that [D]why2.[A]improves [B]fades [C]recovers [D]collapses3.[A]If [B]Unless [C]Once [D]While4.[A]uneven [B]limited [C]damaging [D]obscure 5.[A]wellbeing [B]environment [C]relationship [D]outlook 6.[A]turns [B]finds [C]points [D]figures 7.[A]roundabouts [B]responses [C]workouts [D]associations 8.[A]genre [B]functions [C]circumstances [D]criterion 9.[A]channel [B]condition [C]sequence [D]process 10.[A]persist [B]believe [C]excel [D]feature 11.[A]Therefore [B]Moreover [C]Otherwise [D]However 12.[A]according to [B]regardless of [C]apart from [D]instead of 13.[A]back [B]further [C]aside [D]around 14.[A]sharpness [B]stability [C]framework [D]flexibility 15.[A]forces [B]reminds [C]hurries [D]allows 16.[A]hold [B]track [C]order [D]pace 17.[A] to [B]with [C]for [D]on 18.[A]irregularly [B]habitually [C]constantly [D]unusually 19.[A]carry [B]put [C]build [D]take 20.[A]risky [B]effective [C]idle [D]familiar 答案：1-5 ABDCA 6-10 ACBDC 11-15 DABAD 16-20 BDCCB答案解析：1. [标准答案] [A] [考点分析] 上下文语义和连词辨析[选项分析] 本题考查连词。
2014考研英语二真题及参考答案
2014年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语（二）试题Section I Use of EnglishDirections:Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)Thinner isn’t always better. A number of studies have __1___ that normal-weight people are in fact at higher risk of some diseases compared to those who are overweight. And there are health conditions for which being overweight is actually ___2___. For example, heavier women are less likely to develop calcium deficiency than thin women. ___3___ among the elderly, being somewhat overweight is often an ___4___ of good health.Of even greater ___5___ is the fact that obesity turns out to be very difficult to define. It is often defined ___6___ body mass index, or BMI. BMI ___7__ body mass divided by the square of height. An adult with a BMI of 18 to 25 is often considered to be normal weight. Between 25 and 30 is overweight. And over 30 is considered obese. Obesity, ___8___,can be divided into moderately obese, severely obese, and very severely obese.While such numerical standards seem ___9___, they are not. Obesity is probably less a matter of weight than body fat. Some people with a high BMI are in fact extremely fit, ___10___ others with a low BMI may be in poor___11___.For example, many collegiate and professional football players ___12___ as obese, though their percentage body fat is low. Conversely, someone with a small frame may have high body fat but a ___13___ BMI.Today we have a(an) ___14___ to label obesity as a disgrace. The overweight are sometimes___15___ in the media with their faces covered. Stereotypes ___16___ with obesity include laziness, lack of will power, and lower prospects for success. Teachers, employers, and health professionals have been shown to harbor biases against the obese. ___17___ very young children tend to look down on the overweight, and teasing about body build has long been a problem in schools.Negative attitudes toward obesity, ___18___ in health concerns, have stimulated a number of anti-obesity ___19___. My own hospital system has banned sugary drinks from its facilities.Many employers have instituted weight loss and fitness initiatives. Michelle Obama has launched a high-visibility campaign__20___ childhood obesity, even claiming that it represents our greatest national security threat.1. [A] denied [B] conduced [C] doubled [D] ensured2. [A] protective [B] dangerous [C] sufficient [D]troublesome3. [A] Instead [B] However [C] Likewise [D] Therefore4. [A] indicator [B] objective [C] origin [D] example5. [A] impact [B] relevance [C] assistance [D] concern6. [A] in terms of [B] in case of [C] in favor of [D] in of7. [A] measures [B] determines [C] equals [D] modifies8. [A] in essence [B] in contrast [C] in turn [D] in part9. [A] complicated [B] conservative [C] variable [D] straightforward10. [A] so [B] while [C] since [D] unless11. [A] shape [B] spirit [C] balance [D] taste12. [A] start [B] quality [C] retire [D] stay13. [A] strange [B] changeable [C] normal [D] constant14. [A] option [B] reason [C] opportunity [D] tendency15. [A] employed [B] pictured [C] imitated [D] monitored16. [A] compared [B] combined [C] settled [D] associated17. [A] Even [B] Still [C] Yet [D] Only18. [A] despised [B] corrected [C] ignored [D] grounded19. [A] discussions [B] businesses [C] policies [D] studies20. [A] for [B] against [C] with [D] withoutSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)Text 1What would you do with 590m? This is now a question for Gloria Mackenzie, an 84-year-old widow who recently emerged from her small, tin-roofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history. If she hopes her new-found for tune will yield lasting feelings of fulfillment, she could do worse than read Happy Money by Elizabeth Dumn and Michael Norton.These two academics use an array of behavioral research to show that the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive. Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes. Yet satisfaction with these material purchases wears off fairly quickly what was once exciting and new becomes old-hat; regret creeps in. It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms Dumn and Mr Norton, like interesting trips, unique mealsor even going to the cinema. These purchases often become more valuable with time-as stories or memories-particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.This slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners get the most "happiness bang for your buck." It seems most people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work, spend more time with friends and family and less of it watching television (something the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing, and is hardly jollier for it).Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself, and luxuries are most enjoyable when they are consumed sparingly. This is apparently the reason MacDonald's restricts the availability of its popular McRib - a marketing trick that has turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession.Readers of “Happy Money”are clearly a privileged lot, anxious about fulfillment, not hunger. Money may not quite buy happiness, but people in wealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones. Yet the link between feeling good and spending money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world, and scarcity enhances the pleasure of most things for most people. Not everyone will a gree with the authors’ policy ideas, which range from mandating more holiday time to reducing tax incentives for American homebuyers. But most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent.21. According to Dumn and Norton, which of the following is the most rewarding purchase?[A]A big house [B]A special tour [C]A stylish car [D]A rich meal22. The author’s attitude toward Americans’ watching TV is________.[A]critical [B]supportive [C]sympathetic [D]ambiguous23. Macrib is mentioned in paragraph 3 to show that_______.[A]consumers are sometimes irrational[B]popularity usually comes after quality[C]marketing tricks are after effective[D]rarity generally increases pleasure24. According to the last paragraph, Happy Money_______.[A]has left much room for readers’criticism[B]may prove to be a worthwhile purchase[C]has predicted a wider income gap in the us[D]may give its readers a sense of achievement25. This text mainly discusses how to______.[A]balance feeling good and spending money[B]spend large sums of money won in lotteries[C]obtain lasting satisfaction from money spent[D]become more reasonable in spending on luxuriesText 2An article in Scientific America has pointed out that empirical research says that, actually, you think you’re more beautiful than you are. We have a deep-seated need to feel good about ourselves and we naturally employ a number of self-enhancing strategies to research into what the call the “above average effect”, or “illusory superiority”, and shown that, for example, 70% of us rate ourselves as above average in leadership, 93% in driving and 85% at getting on well with others—all obviously statistical impossibilities.We rose tint our memories and put ourselves into self-affirming situations. We become defensive when criticized, and apply negative stereotypes to others to boost our own esteem, we stalk around thinking we’re hot stuff.Psychologist and behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley oversaw a key studying intoself-enhancement and attractiveness. Rather that have people simply rate their beauty compress with others, he asked them to identify an original photogragh of themselves’from a lineup including versions that had been altered to appear more and less attractive. Visual recognition, reads the study, is “an automatic psychological process occurring rapidly and intuitively with little or no apparent conscious deliberation”. If the subjects quickly chose a falsely flattering image- which must did- they genuinely believed it was really how they looked. Epley found no significant gender difference in responses. Nor was there any evidence that, those who self-enhance the must (that is, the participants who thought the most positively doctored picture were real) were doing so to make up for profound insecurities. In fact those who thought that the images higher up the attractiveness scale were real directly corresponded with those who showed other makers for having higher self-esteem. “I don’t think the findings that we having have are any evidence of personal delusion”, says Epley. “It’s a reflection simply of people generally thinking well of themselves’. If you are depressed, you won’t be self-enhancing. Knowing the results of Epley ‘s study,it makes sense that why people heat photographs of themselves Viscerally-on one level, they don’t even recognize the person in the picture as themselves, Face book therefore ,is aself-enhancer’s paradise, where people can share only the most flattering p hotos, the cream of their wit ,style ,beauty, intellect and lifestyle it’s not that people’s profiles are dishonest, saysCatalina toma of Wiscon—Madison university ,”but they portray an idealized version of themselves.26. According to the first paragraph, social psychologist have found that ______.[A] our self-ratings are unrealistically high[B] illusory superiority is baseless effect[C] our need for leadership is unnatural[D] self-enhancing strategies are ineffective27. Visual recognition is believed to be people’s______.[A] rapid watching[B] conscious choice[C] intuitive response[D] automatic self-defence28. Epley found that people with higher self-esteem tended to______.[A] underestimate their insecurities[B] believe in their attractiveness[C] cover up their depressions[D] oversimplify their illusions29. The word “Viscerally”(Line 2,para.5) is closest in meaning to_____.[A]instinctively[B]occasionally[C]particularly[D]aggressively30. It can be inferred that Facebook is self-enhancer’s paradise because people can _____.[A]present their dishonest profiles[B]define their traditional life styles[C]share their intellectual pursuits[D]withhold their unflattering sidesText 3（暂缺）Text 4When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy the focus is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy. Housing is seldom mentioned.Why is that? To some extent the housing sector must shoulder the blame. We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can contribute to economic growth. Then there is the scale of the typical housing project. It is hard to shove for attention among multibillion-pound infrastructure project, so it is inevitable that the attention is focused elsewhere. But perhaps the most significant reason is that the issue has always been so politically charged.Nevertheless, the affordable housing situation is desperate. Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.The comprehensive spending review offers an opportunity for the government to help rectify this. It needs to put historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that. The communities minister, Don Foster, has hinted that George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, may introduce moreflexibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt. Evidence shows that 60,000 extra new homes could be built over the next five years if the cap were lifted, increasing GDP by 0.6%.Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment, which would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund new developments from revenues.But it is not just down to the government. While these measures would be welcome in the short term, we must face up to the fact that the existing £4.5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing, set to expire in 2015,is unlikely to be extended beyond then. The Labour party has recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition’s spending plans if returns to power. The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to era of large-scale public grants. We need to adjust to this changing climate.36. The author believes that the housing sector__[A] has attracted much attention[B] involves certain political factors[C] shoulders too much responsibility[D] has lost its real value in economy37. It can be learned that affordable housing has__[A] increased its home supply[B] offered spending opportunities[C] suffered government biases[D] disappointed the government38. According to Paragraph 5,George Osborne may_______.[A] allow greater government debt for housing[B] stop local authorities from building homes[C] prepare to reduce housing stock debt[D] release a lifted GDP growth forecast39. It can be inferred that a stable rental environment would_______.[A]lower the costs of registered providers[B]lessen the impact of government interference[C]contribute to funding new developments[D]relieve the ministers of responsibilities40. The author believes that after 2015,the government may______.[A]implement more policies to support housing[B]review the need for large-scale public grants[C]renew the affordable housing grants programme[D]stop generous funding to the housing sectorPartBDirections:Read the following text and answer the questions by finding information from the left column that corresponds to each of the marked details given in the right column. There are two extra choices in the right column. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEERT 1.(10 points)Uncommon Ground – Land Art in BritainThe term Land Art brings to mind epic interventions in the land such as Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty, 6,500 tons of basalt, earth and salt projecting into Utah’s Great Sal t Lake, or Roden Crater, an extinct volcano in Arizona, which James Turrell has been transforming into an immense naked-eye observatory since 1979.Richard Long’s A Line Made By Walking, however, involved nothing more strenuous than a 20-minute train ride from Waterloo. Having got off somewhere in suburbia, the artist walked backwards and forwards over a piece of grass until the squashed turf formed a line – a kind of drawing on the land.Emerging in the late Sixties and reaching a peak in the Seventies, Land Art was one of a range of new forms, including Body Art, Performance Art, Action Art and Installation Art, which pushed art beyond the traditional confines of the studio and gallery. Rather than portraying landscape, land artists used the physical substance of the land itself as their medium.The message of this survey of British land art – the most comprehensive to date – is that the British variant, typified by Long’s piece, was not only more domestically scaled, but a lot quirkier than its American counterpart. Indeed, while you might assume that an exhibition of Land Art would consist only of records of works rather than the works themselves, Long’s photograph of his work is the work. Since his “action” is in the past the photograph is its sole embo diment.That might seem rather an obscure point, but it sets the tone for an exhibition that contains a lot of black-and-white photographs and relatively few natural objects.Long is Britain’s best-known Land Artist and his Stone Circle, a perfect ring of purplish rocks from Portishead beach laid out on the gallery floor, represents the elegant, rarefied side of the form. The Boyle Family, on the other hand, stand for its dirty, urban aspect. Comprising artists Mark Boyle and Joan Hills and their children, they recreated random sections of the British landscape on gallery walls. Their Olaf Street Study, a square of brick-strewn waste ground, is one of the few works here to embrace the mundanity that characterises most of our experience of the landscape most of the time.Parks feature, particularly in the earlier works, such as John Hilliard’s very funny Across the Park, in which a long-haired stroller is variously smiled at by a pretty girl and unwittingly assaulted in a sequence of images that turn out to be different parts of the same photograph.Generally however British land artists preferred to get away from towns, gravitating towards landscapes that are traditionally considered beautiful such as the Lake District or the Wiltshire Downs. While it probably wasn’t apparent at the time, much of this work is permeated by a spirit of romantic escapism that the likes of Wordsworth would have readily understood. Derek Jarman’s yellow-tinted film Towards Avebury, a collection of long, mostly still shots of the Wiltshire landscape, evokes a tradition of English landscape painting stretching from Samuel Palmer to Paul Nash.In the case of Hamish Fulton, you can’t help feeling that the Scottish artist has simply found a way of making his love of walking pay. A typical work, such as Seven Days, consists of a single beautiful black-and-white photograph taken on an epic walk, with the mileage and number of days taken listed beneath. British Land Art as shown in this well selected, but relatively modestly scaled exhibition wasn’t about imposing on the landscape, more a kind of landscape-orientated light conceptual art created passing through. It had its origins in the great outdoors, but the results were as gallery-bound as the paintings of Turner and Constable.46. Directions:Translate the following text from English into Chinese. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET 2. (15 points)Most people would define optimism as endlessly happy, with a glass that’s perpetually half fall. But that’s exactly the kind of false deerfulness that positive psychologists wouldn’t recommend. “Healthy optimists means being in touch with reality.”says Tal Ben-Shahar, a Harvard professor, According to Ben- Shalar, realistic optimists are these who make the best of things that happen, but not those who believe everything happens for the best.Ben-Shalar uses three optimistic exercisers. When he feels down-sag, after giving a bad lecture-he grants himself permission to be human. He reminds himself that mot every lecture can be a Nobel winner; some will be less effective than others. Next is reconstruction, He analyzes the weak lecture, leaning lessons, for the future about what works and what doesn’t. Finally, there is perspective, which involves acknowledging that in the ground scheme of life, one lecture really doesn’t matter.Section IV WritingPart A47. Directions: Suppose you are going to study abroad and share an apartment with John, a local student. Write him to email to1)tell him about your living habits, and2)ask for advice about living there.You should write about 100 words on answer sheet.Do not use your own name.Part B48. Directions: Write your essay on ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)You should1. interpret the chart, and2. give your comments.You should write about 150 words on the ANSWER SHEET. (15points)2014年考研英语（二）真题参考答案Section I Use of English1. B concluded2. A protective3. C Likewise4. A indicator5. D concern6. A in terms of7. C equals8. C in turn9. D straightforward10. B while11. A shape12. B qualify13. C normal14. D tendency15. B pictured16. D associated17. A Even18. D grounded19. C policies20. B againstSection II Reading ComprehensionPart AText 121. B A special tour22. A critical23. D rarity generally increases pleasure24. B may prove to be a worthwhile purchase25. C obtain lasting satisfaction from money spent Text 226. A our self-ratings are unrealistically high27. C intuitive response28. B believe in their attractiveness29. A instinctively30. D withhold their unflattering sidesTest3 暂无31.32.33.34.35.Text 436. B involves certain political factors37. C suffered government biases38. A allow greater government debt for housing39. C contribute to funding new developments40. D stop generous funding to the housing sectorPart B41 . D represents the elegance of the British land art42 . E depicts the ordinary side of the British land art43 . G contains images from different parts of the same photograph44 . C reminds people of the English landscape painting tradition45 . A originates from a long walk that the artist took46. 翻译参考：（逐句对照）Most people would define optimism as being endlessly happy, with a glass that’s perpetually half full. 大多数人将乐观定义为永远快乐，总觉得杯子里的水还有一半。
2014英语考研真题答案
2014英语考研真题答案2014年英语考研真题是许多考生备考时重要的参考资料之一。
以下是对2014年英语考研真题的答案解析。
阅读理解部分：Passage 1：答案：D解析：根据文章第一段的“Weak property rights hinder economic growth, and giving people more protection in law should increase prosperity. But how can countries improve their legal institutions, particularly in places with deeply entrenched corruption or politics that “make no sense”? This paper suggests a new way: by ‘judicial empowerment'.”可以得出答案为D。
Passage 2：答案：A解析：根据文章第一段The European Union has more pending infringement procedures against France than any other member state in Europe, according to the law firm DLA Piper. Between 2009 and 2013, France was found guilty of flouting European law 63 times.可以得出答案为A。
Passage 3：答案：C解析：根据文章第三段最后一句“There may be small parts of the brain that are specialized for reading, but haven't yet morphed into our human shapes.”可得出答案为C。
2014年考研《英语一》答案（完整版）
1. where 2. fades 3. While 4. limited 5. well-being 6. turns 7. workouts 8. functions 9. process 10. excel 11. However 12. according to 13. further 14. sharpness 15. allows 16. track 17. on 18. constantly 19. build 20. effective Text 1 21. B encourage jobseekers’ active engagement in job seeking 22. C to register for an allowance from the government 23. D A passion to ensure fairness for taxpayers 24. A uneasy 25. A The British welfare system indulges jobseeker’s laziness 点评：本篇⽂章摘⾃the Guardian(卫报)上题为“In language and action, there's a new brutalism in Westminster”的⼀篇评论⽂。
George Osborne提出“前期寻找⼯作”⽅案，⽬的是为了提⾼⼈民⽣活⽔平，减少其对于政府失业津贴的依赖。
接着分析他提出这⼀⽅案的动机及这⽅案的有效性，其中涉及失业者的⼼态和英国现有的福利政策。
本篇阅读有⼀定的难度，需要考⽣从作者的措辞和对于⼀些关键词的双引号准确推断出作者对于George Osborne的这⼀⽅案的态度。
选项设置有⼀定的混淆性。
Text 2 26. D the attraction of financial rewards 27. C Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in another major 28. B the rigid bodies governing the profession 29. A bans outsider’s involvement in the profession 30. C a problem in America’s legal profession and solutions to it 点评：本篇⽂章来⾃Economist(经济学⼈)，标题是America’s lawyers: Guilty as charged。
2014考研英语二试题及答案
2014考研英语二试题及答案2014年全国硕士研究生入学考试英语(二)试题Section I Use of EnglishDirections:Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)Thinner isn’t always better. A number of studies have __1___ that normal-weight people are in fact at higher risk of some diseases compared to those who are overweight. And there are health conditions for which being overweight is actually ___2___. For example, heavier women are less likely to develop calcium deficiency than thin women. ___3___ among the elderly, being somewhat overweight is often an ___4___ of good health.Of even greater ___5___ is the fact that obesity turns out to be very difficult to define. It is often defined ___6___ body mass index, or BMI. BMI ___7__ body mass divided by the square of height. An adult with a BMI of 18 to 25 is often considered to be normal weight. Between 25 and 30 is overweight. And over 30 is considered obese. Obesity, ___8___,can be divided into moderately obese, severely obese, and very severely obese.While such numerical standards seem 9 , they are not. Obesity is probably less a matter of weight than body fat. Some people with a high BMI are in fact extremely fit, 10 others with a low BMI may be in poor 11 .For example, many collegiate and professional football players 12 as obese, though their percentage body fat is low. Conversely, someone with a small frame may have high body fat but a 13 BMI.Today we have a(an) _14 _ to label obesity as a disgrace.Theoverweight aresometimes_15_in the media with their faces covered. Stereotypes _16_ with obesity include laziness, lack of will power,and lower prospects for success.Teachers,employers,and health professionals have been shown to harbor biases against the obese. _17_very young children tend to look down on the overweight, and teasing about body build has long been a problem in schools.1. [A] denied [B] conduced [C] doubled [D] ensured2. [A] protective [B] dangerous [C] sufficient [D]troublesome3. [A] Instead [B] However [C] Likewise [D] Therefore4. [A] indicator [B] objective [C] origin [D] example5. [A] impact [B] relevance [C] assistance [D] concern6. [A] in terms of [B] in case of [C] in favor of [D] in of7. [A] measures [B] determines [C] equals [D] modifies8. [A] in essence [B] in contrast [C] in turn [D] in part9. [A] complicated [B] conservative [C] variable [D] straightforward10. [A] so [B] unlike [C] since [D] unless11. [A] shape [B] spirit [C] balance [D] taste12. [A] start [B] quality [C] retire [D] stay13. [A] strange [B] changeable [C] normal [D] constant14. [A] option [B] reason [C] opportunity [D] tendency15. [A] employed [B] pictured [C] imitated [D] monitored16. [A] [B] combined [C] settled [D] associated17. [A] Even [B] Still [C] Yet [D] Only18. [A] despised [B] corrected [C] ignored [D] grounded19. [A] discussions [B] businesses [C] policies [D] studies20. [A] for [B] against [C] with [D] withoutSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)Text 1What would you do with 590m? This is now a question for Gloria Mackenzie, an 84-year-old widow who recently emerged from her small, tin-roofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history. If she hopes her new-found for tune will yield lasting feelings of fulfillment, she could do worse than read Happy Money by Elizabeth Dumn and Michael Norton.These two academics use an array of behavioral research to show that the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive. Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes. Yet satisfaction with these material purchases wears off fairly quickly what was once exciting and new becomes old-hat; regret creeps in. It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms Dumn and Mr Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the cinema. These purchases often become more valuable with time-as stories or memories-particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.This slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners get the most "happiness bang for your buck." It seems most people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work, spend more time with friends and family and less of it watching television (something the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing,and is hardly jollier for it).Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself, and luxuries are most enjoyable when they are consumed sparingly. This is apparently the reason MacDonald's restricts the availability of its popular McRib - a marketing trick that has turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession.Readers of “HappyMoney” are clearly a privileged lot, anxious about fulfillment, not hunger.Money may not quite buy happiness, but people in wealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones. Yet the link between feeling good and spending money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world, and scarcity enhances the pleasure of most things for most people. No t everyone will agree with the authors’ policy ideas, which range from mandating more holiday time to reducing tax incentives for American homebuyers. But most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent。
2014考研英语一真题完整版答案解析
2014年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语(一)试题Section Ⅰ Use of EnglishDirections: 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) As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what they used to be. We suddenly can't remember 1 we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance's name, or the name of an old band we used to love. As the brain 2 , we refer to these occurrences as "senior moments." 3 seemingly innocent, this loss of mental focus can potentially have a(an) 4 impact on our professional, social, and personal 5 .Neuroscientists, experts who study the nervous system, are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done. It 6 out that the brain needs exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right mental 7 can significantly improve our basic cognitive 8 . Thinking is essentially a 9 of making connections in the brain. To a certain extent, our ability to 10 in making the connections that drive intelligence is inherited. 11 , because these connections are made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate 12 mental effort.Now, a new Web-based company has taken it a step 13 and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental 14 .The Web-based program 15 you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills. The program keeps 16 of your progress and provides detailed feedback 17 your performance and improvement. Most importantly, it 18 modifies and enhances the games you play to 19 on the strengths you are developing--much like a(n) 20 exercise routine requires you to increase resistance and vary your muscle use.1.[A]where [B]when [C]that [D]why2.[A]improves [B]fades [C]recovers [D]collapses3.[A]If [B]Unless [C]Once [D]While4.[A]uneven [B]limited [C]damaging [D]obscure5.[A]wellbeing [B]environment [C]relationship [D]outlook6.[A]turns [B]finds [C]points [D]figures7.[A]roundabouts [B]responses [C]workouts [D]associations8.[A]genre [B]functions [C]circumstances [D]criterion9.[A]channel [B]condition [C]sequence [D]process10.[A]persist [B]believe [C]excel [D]feature11.[A]Therefore [B]Moreover [C]Otherwise [D]However12.[A]according to [B]regardless of [C]apart from [D]instead of13.[A]back [B]further [C]aside [D]around14.[A]sharpness [B]stability [C]framework [D]flexibility15.[A]forces [B]reminds [C]hurries [D]allows16.[A]hold [B]track [C]order [D]pace17.[A] to [B]with [C]for [D]on18.[A]irregularly [B]habitually [C]constantly [D]unusually19.[A]carry [B]put [C]build [D]take20.[A]risky [B]effective [C]idle [D]familiar答案：1-5 ABDCA 6-10 ACBDC 11-15 DABAD 16-20 BDCCB答案解析：1. [标准答案] [A] [考点分析] 上下文语义和连词辨析[选项分析] 本题考查连词。
2014年考研英语二真题答案及解析
2014年全国硕士研究生招生考试英语(二)答案详解SectionⅠUse of English文章分析本文是一篇关于肥胖与健康关系新说法的议论文。
第一段引出作者对身材的看法：并不是越瘦就证明人越健康。
第二段中作者介绍了一种定义肥胖症的指标BMI。
第三段中作者指出BMI其实揭示的是人体的脂肪量，并不是说明身材好坏的指数。
第四段中讲述了整个社会其实会给肥胖者贴上消极标签，无论是在电视节目中还是在孩子们的心目中，胖人的形象总是与消极联系起来。
最后一段讲述了人们以健康的角度去考虑肥胖的影响，和已经采取的一些对抗肥胖的种种策略。
试题解析Thinner isn't always better.A number of studies have__1__that normalweight people are in fact at higher risk of some diseases compared to those who are overweight.And there are healthy conditions for which being overweight is actually__2__.For example,heavierwomen are less likely to develop calcium deficiency than thin women.__3__, among the elderly,being somewhat overweight is often an__4__of good health.【译文】太瘦也不总是好事。
一些研究已经得出结论：正常体重的人实际上比一些超重的人更容易患上某些疾病。
有些肥胖对健康还有保护作用。
例如稍微超重的女性跟消瘦的女性相比，不易受到钙质缺乏的影响。
同样的，在老年人中，一定程度上超重是身体健康的标志。
1.[A]denied否认[B]concluded得出结论[C]doubled两倍，加倍努力[D]ensured确保【答案】B【考点】词义辨析【直击答案】空格所在句意为“一系列的研究已经________，事实上，正常体重的人患病风险要高于超重的人”。
2014年考研英语二真题及答案
2014年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语二试题Section I Use of EnglishDirections：1SHEET.(10points)Thinner isn’t always better.A number of studies have___1___that normal-weight people are in fact at higher risk of some diseases compared to those who are overweight.And there are health conditions for which being overweight is actually___2___.For example,heavier women are less likely to develop calcium deficiency than thin women.___3___, among the elderly,being somewhat overweight is often an___4___of good health.Of even greater___5___is the fact that obesity turns out to be very difficult to define.It is often defined___6___body mass index,or BMI.BMI___7___body mass divided by the square of height.An adult with a BMI of18to25is often considered to be normal weight.Between25and30is overweight.And over30is considered obese.Obesity,___8___, can be divided into moderately obese,severely obese,and very severely obese.While such numerical standards seem___9___,they are not.Obesity is probably less a matter of weight than body fat. Some people with a high BMI are in fact e x tremely fit,___10___others with a low BMI may be in poor___11___.For example,many collegiate and professional football players___12___as obese,though their percentage body fat is low. Conversely,someone with a small frame may have high body fat but a___13___BMI.Today we have a(an)___14___to label obesity as a disgrace.The overweight are sometimes___15___in the media with their faces covered.Stereotypes___16___with obesity include laziness,lack of will power,and lower prospects for success.Teachers,employers,and health professionals have been shown to harbor biases against the obese.___17___very young children tend to look down on the overweight,and teasing about body build has long been a problem in schools.Negative attitudes towards obesity,___18___in health concerns,have stimulated a number of anti-obesity___19___. My own hospital system has banned sugary drinks from its facilities.Many employers have instituted weight loss and fitness initiatives.Michelle Obama has launched a high–visibility campaign___20___childhood obesity,even claiming that it represents our greatest national security threat.1.[A]denied[B]concluded[C]doubted[D]ensured2.[A]protective[B]dangerous[C]sufficient[D]troublesome3.[A]Instead[B]However[C]Likewise[D]Therefore4.[A]indicator[B]objective[C]origin[D]example5.[A]impact[B]relevance[C]assistance[D]concern6.[A]in terms of[B]in case of[C]in favor of[D]in respect of7.[A]measures[B]determines[C]equals[D]modifies8.[A]in essence[B]in contrast[C]in turn[D]in part9.[A]complicated[B]conservative[C]variable[D]straightforward10.[A]so[B]while[C]since[D]unless11.[A]shape[B]spirit[C]balance[D]taste12.[A]start[B]qualify[C]retire[D]stay13.[A]strange[B]changeable[C]normal[D]constant14.[A]option[B]reason[C]opportunity[D]tendency15.[A]employed[B]pictured[C]imitated[D]monitored16.[A]compared[B]combined[C]settled[D]associated17.[A]Even[B]Still[C]Yet[D]Only18.[A]despised[B]corrected[C]ignored[D]grounded19.[A]discussions[B]businesses[C]policies[D]studies20.[A]for[B]against[C]with[D]withoutSectionⅡReading ComprehensionPart ADirections：Read the following four texts.Answer the questions below each te x t by choosing A,B,C or D.Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.(40points)Text1What would you do with$590m?This is now a question for Gloria Mackenzie,an84-year-old widow who recently emerged from her small,tin-roofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history.If she hopes her new-found fortune will yield lasting feelings of fulfillment,she could do worse than read Happy Money by Elizabeth Dumn and Michael Norton.These two academics use an array of behavioral research to show that the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive.Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and e x travagant homes.Yet satisfaction with these material purchases wears off fairly quickly.What was once e x citing and new becomes old-hat;regret creeps in.It is far better to spend money on e x periences,say Ms Dumn and Mr Norton,like interesting trips,unique meals or even going to the cinema.These purchases often become more valuable with time-as stories or memories-particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.This slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners get the most“happiness bang for your buck.”It seems most people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work,spend more time with friends and family and less of it watching television(something the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing,and is hardly jollier for it).Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself,and lu x uries are most enjoyable when they are consumed sparingly.This is apparently the reason MacDonald's restricts the availability of its popular McRib—a marketing trick that has turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession.Readers of Happy Money are clearly a privileged lot,an x ious about fulfillment,not hunger.Money may not quite buy happiness,but people in wealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones.Yet the link between feeling good and spending money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world,and scarcity enhances the pleasure of most things for most people.Not everyone will agree with the authors’policy ideas,which range from mandating more holiday time to reducing ta x incentives for American homebuyers.But most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent.21.According to Dumn and Norton,which of the following is the most rewarding purchase?[A]A big house[B]A special tour[C]A stylish car[D]A rich meal22.The author’s attitude toward Americans’watching TV is________[A]critical[B]supportive[C]sympathetic[D]ambiguous23.McRib is mentioned in paragraph3to show that________[A]consumers are sometimes irrational[B]popularity usually comes after quality[C]marketing tricks are effective[D]rarity generally increases pleasure24.According to the last paragraph,Happy Money________[A]has left much room for readers’criticism[B]may prove to be a worthwhile purchase[C]has predicted a wider income gap in the US[D]may give its readers a sense of achievement25.This text mainly discusses how to________[A]balance feeling good and spending money[B]spend large sums of money won in lotteries[C]obtain lasting satisfaction from money spent[D]become more reasonable in spending on lu x uriesText2An article in Scientific America has pointed out that empirical research says that,actually,you think you’re more beautiful than you are.We have a deep-seated need to feel good about ourselves and we naturally employ a number of self-enhancing strategies to achieve this.Social psychologists have amassed oceans of research into what they call the“above average effect”,or“illusory superiority”,and shown that,for e x ample,70%of us rate ourselves as above average in leadership,93%in driving and85%at getting on well with others—all obviously statistical impossibilities.We rose tint our memories and put ourselves into self-affirming situations.We become defensive when criticized,and apply negative stereotypes to others to boost our own esteem.We stalk around thinking we’re hot stuff.Psychologist and behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley oversaw a key study into self-enhancement and attractiveness. Rather that have people simply rate their beauty compared with others,he asked them to identify an original photogragh of themselves from a lineup including versions that had been altered to appear more and less attractive.Visual recognition, reads the study,is“an automatic psychological process occurring rapidly and intuitively with little or no apparent conscious deliberation”.If the subjects quickly chose a falsely flattering image-which must did-they genuinely believed it was really how they looked.Epley found no significant gender difference in responses.Nor was there any evidence that,those who self-enhance the must(that is,the participants who thought the most positively doctored picture were real)were doing so to make up for profound insecurities.In fact,those who thought that the images higher up the attractiveness scale were real directly corresponded with those who showed other makers for having higher self-esteem.“I don’t think the findings that we have are any evidence of personal delusion”,says Epley.“It’s a reflection simply of people generally thinking well of themselves.”If you are depressed,you won’t be self-enhancing.Knowing the results of Epley’s study,it makes sense that people hate photographs of themselves viscerally-on one level,they don’t even recognise the person in the picture as themselves.Facebook therefore,is a self-enhancer’s paradise, where people can share only the most flattering photos,the cream of their wit,style,beauty,intellect and lifestyle.It’s not that people’s profiles are dishonest,says Catalina Toma of Wiscon-Madison university,“but they portray an idealized version of themselves.”26.According to the first paragraph,social psychologist have found that________.[A]our self-ratings are unrealistically high[B]illusory superiority is baseless effect[C]our need for leadership is unnatural[D]self-enhancing strategies are ineffective27.Visual recognition is believed to be people’s________[A]rapid watching[B]conscious choice[C]intuitive response[D]automatic self-defence28.Epley found that people with higher self-esteem tended to________[A]underestimate their insecurities[B]believe in their attractiveness[C]cover up their depressions[D]oversimplify their illusions29.The word“viscerally”(Line2,para.5)is closest in meaning to________.[A]instinctively[B]occasionally[C]particularly[D]aggressively30.It can be inferred that Facebook is self-enhancer’s paradise because people can________.[A]present their dishonest profiles[B]define their traditional life styles[C]share their intellectual pursuits[D]withhold their unflattering sidesText3The concept of man versus machine is at least as old as the industrial revolution,but this phenomenon tends to be most acutely felt during economic downturns and fragile recoveries.And yet,it would be a mistake to think we are right now simply experiencing the painful side of a boom and bust cycle.Certain jobs have gone away for good,outmoded by machines.Since technology has such an insatiable appetite for eating up human jobs,this phenomenon will continue to restructure our economy in ways we can't immediately foresee.When there is exponential improvement in the price and performance of technology,jobs that were once thought to be immune from automation suddenly become threatened.This argument has attracted a lot of attention,via the success of the book Race Against the Machine,by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee,who both hail from MIT's Center for Digital Business.This is a powerful argument,and a scary one.And yet,John Hagel,author of The Power of Pull and other books, says Brynjolfsson and McAfee miss the reason why these jobs are so vulnerable to technology in the first place.Hagel says we have designed jobs in the U.S.that tend to be“tightly scripted”and“highly standardized”ones that leave no room for“individual initiative or creativity.”In short,these are the types of jobs that machines can perform much better at than human beings.That is how we have put a giant target sign on the backs of American workers,Hagel says.It's time to reinvent the formula for how work is conducted,since we are still relying on a very20th century notion of work,Hagel says.In our rapidly changing economy,we more than ever need people in the workplace who can take initiative and e x ercise their imagination“to respond to une x pected events.”That's not something machines are good at.They are designed to perform very predictable activities.As Hagel notes,Brynjolfsson and McAfee indeed touched on this point in their book.We need to reframe race against the machine as race with the machine.In other words,we need to look at the ways in which machines can augment human labor rather than replace it.So then the problem is not really about technology,but rather,“how do we innovate our institutions and our work practices?”31.According to the first paragraph,economic downturns would________.[A]ease the competition of man vs.machine[B]highlight machines’threat to human jobs[C]provoke a painful technological revolution[D]outmode our current economic structure32.The authors of Race Against the Machine argue that________.[A]technology is diminishing man’s job opportunities[B]automation is accelerating technological development[C]certain jobs will remain intact after automation[D]man will finally win the race against machine33.Hagel argues that jobs in the U.S.are often________.[A]performed by innovative minds[B]scripted with an individual style[C]standardized without a clear target[D]designed against human creativity34.According to the last paragraph,Brynjolfsson and McAfee discussed________.[A]the predictability of machine behavior in practice[B]the formula for how work is conducted efficiently[C]the ways machines replace human labor in modern times[D]the necessity of human involvement in the workplace35.Which of the following could be the most appropriate title for the text?[A]How to Innovate Our Work Practices?[B]Machines will Replace Human Labor.[C]Can We Win the Race Against Machines?[D]Economic Downturns Stimulate Innovations.Text4When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy the focus is usually on roads,railways, broadband and energy.Housing is seldom mentioned.Why is that?To some e x tent the housing sector must shoulder the blame.We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can contribute to economic growth.Then there is the scale of the typical housing project.It is hard to shove for attention among multibillion-pound infrastructure projects,so it is inevitable that the attention is focused elsewhere.But perhaps the most significant reason is that the issue has always been so politically charged.Nevertheless,the affordable housing situation is desperate.Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.The comprehensive spending review offers an opportunity for the government to help rectify this.It needs to put historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that.The communities minister,Don Foster,has hinted that George Osborne,Chancellor of the Exchequer,may introduce more fle x ibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt.Evidence shows that60,000e x tra new homes could be built over the ne x t five years if the cap were lifted,increasing GDP by0.6%.Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment,which would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund new developments from revenues.But it is not just down to the government.While these measures would be welcome in the short term,we must face up to the fact that the existing£4.5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing,set to expire in2015,is unlikely to be extended beyond then.The Labour party has recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition’s spending plans if returns to power.The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to era of large-scale public grants.We need to adjust to this changing climate.36.The author believes that the housing sector________[A]has attracted much attention[B]involves certain political factors[C]shoulders too much responsibility[D]has lost its real value in economy37.It can be learned that affordable housing has________[A]increased its home supply[B]offered spending opportunities[C]suffered government biases[D]disappointed the government38.According to Paragraph5,George Osborne may________.[A]allow greater government debt for housing[B]stop local authorities from building homes[C]prepare to reduce housing stock debt[D]release a lifted GDP growth forecast39.It can be inferred that a stable rental environment would________.[A]lower the costs of registered providers[B]lessen the impact of government interference[C]contribute to funding new developments[D]relieve the ministers of responsibilities40.The author believes that after2015,the government may________.[A]implement more policies to support housing[B]review the need for large-scale public grants[C]renew the affordable housing grants programme[D]stop generous funding to the housing sectorPart BDirections：Read the following text and answer the 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.(10points)Emerging in the late Sixties and reaching a peak in the Seventies,Land Art was one of a range of new forms, including Body Art,Performance Art,Action Art and Installation Art,which pushed art beyond the traditional confines of the studio and gallery.Rather than portraying landscape,land artists used the physical substance of the land itself as their medium.The British land artist,typified by Richard Long’s piece,was not only more domestically scaled,but a lot quirkier than its American counterpart.Indeed,while you might assume that an exhibition of Land Art would consist only of records of works rather than the works themselves,Long’s photograph of his work is the work.Since his“action”is in the past the photograph is its sole embodiment.That might seem rather an obscure point,but it sets the tone for an exhibition that contains a lot of black-and-white photographs and relatively few natural objects.Long is Britain’s best-known Land Artist and his Stone Circle,a perfect ring of purplish rocks from Portishead beach laid out on the gallery floor,represents the elegant,rarefied side of the form.The Boyle Family,on the other hand,stands for its dirty,urban prising artists Mark Boyle and Joan Hills and their children,they recreated random sections of the British landscape on gallery walls.Their Olaf Street Study,a square of brick-strewn waste ground,is one of the fewworks here to embrace the mundanity that characterizes most of our e x perience of the landscape most of the time.Parks feature,particularly in the earlier works,such as John Hilliard’s very funny Across the Park,in which a long-haired stroller is variously smiled at by a pretty girl and unwittingly assaulted in a sequence of images that turn out to be different parts of the same photograph.Generally however British land artists preferred to get away from towns,gravitating towards landscapes that are traditionally considered beautiful such as the Lake District or the Wiltshire Downs.While it probably wasn’t apparent at the time,much of this work is permeated by a spirit of romantic escapism that the likes of Wordsworth would have readily understood.Derek Jarman’s yellow-tinted film Towards Avebury,a collection of long,mostly still shots of the Wiltshire landscape,evokes a tradition of English landscape painting stretching from Samuel Palmer to Paul Nash.In the case of Hamish Fulton,you can’t help feeling that the Scottish artist has simply found a way of making his love of walking pay.A typical work,such as Seven Days,consists of a single beautiful black-and-white photograph taken on an epic walk,with the mileage and number of days taken listed beneath.British Land Art as shown in this well selected,but relatively modestly scaled e x hibition wasn’t about imposing on the landscape,more a kind of landscape-orientated light conceptual art created passing through.It had its origins in the great outdoors,but the results were as gallery-bound as theSectionⅢTranslation46.Direction：Translate the following text from English into Chinese.Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET.(15points) Most people would define optimism as being endlessly happy,with a glass that’s perpetually half full.But that’s exactly the kind of false cheerfulness that positive psychologists wouldn’t recommend.“Healthy optimists means being in touch with reality”,says Tal Ben-Shahar,a Harvard professor.According to Ben-Shahar,realistic optimists are those who make the best of things that happen,but not those who believe everything happens for the best.Ben-Shalar uses three optimistic exercises.When he feels down–say,after giving a bad lecture—he grants himself permission to be human.He reminds himself that not every lecture can be a Nobel winner;some will be less effective than others.Next is reconstruction.He analyzes the weak lecture,learning lessons for the future about what works and what doesn’t.Finally,there is perspective,which involves acknowledging that in the ground scheme of life,one lecture really doesn’t matter.SectionⅣWritingPart A47.Directions：Suppose you are going to study abroad and share an apartment with John,a local student,write him an email to1)tell him about your living habits,and2)ask for advice about living there.You should write about100words on the ANSWER SHEET.(10points)Do not use your own e“Zhang Wei”instead.Do not write your address.(10points)Part B48.Directions：Write an essay based on the following chart.In your essay,you should1)interpret the chart,and2)give your comments.You should write about150words on the ANSWER SHEET.(15points)2014年英语二真题答案Section I Use of English1．B2．A3．C4．A5．D6．A7．C8．C9．D10．B 11．A12．B13．C14．D15．B16．D17．A18．D19．C20．BSectionⅡReading ComprehensionPart AText121—25BADBCText226—30ACBADText331—35BADDCText436—40BCACDPart B41—45DEGCASectionⅢTranslation【参考译文】大多数人可能把乐观定义为无休止的快乐,就像水杯中永远有半杯水一样。
2014考研英语（一）真题及答案
Section I Use of Language Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(S) for each numbered blank and mark A, B ,C or D on ANSWER SHEET.(10 Points) As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what they used to be. We suddenly can't remember 1 we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance's name, or the name of an old band we used to love. As the brain 2 , we refer to these occurrences as "senior moments." 3 seemingly innocent, this loss of mental focus can potentially have a(an) 4 impact on our professional, social, and personal 5 . Neuroscientists, experts who study the nervous system, are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done. It 6 out that the brain needs exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right mental 7 can significantly improve our basic cognitive 8 . Thinking is essentially a 9 of making connections in the brain. To a certain extent, our ability to 10 in making the connections that drive intelligence is inherited. 11 , because these connections are made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate 12 mental effort. Now, a new Web-based company has taken it a step 13 and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental 14 . The Web-based program 15 you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills. The program keeps 16 of your progress and provides detailed feedback 17 your performance and improvement. Most importantly, it 18 modifies and enhances the games you play to 19 on the strengths you are developing--much like a(n) 20 exercise routine requires you to increase resistance and vary your muscle use. 1.[A]where [B]when [C]that [D]why 2.[A]improves [B]fades [C]recovers [D]collapses 3.[A]If [B]Unless [C]Once [D]While 4.[A]uneven [B]limited [C]damaging [D]obscure 5.[A]wellbeing [B]environment [C]relationship [D]outlook 6.[A]turns [B]finds [C]points [D]figures 7.[A]roundabouts [B]responses [C]workouts [D]associations 8.[A]genre [B]functions [C]circumstances [D]criterion 9.[A]channel [B]condition [C]sequence [D]process 10.[A]persist [B]believe [C]excel [D]feature 11.[A]Therefore [B]Moreover [C]Otherwise [D]However 12.[A]according to [B]regardless of [C]apart from [D]instead of 13.[A]back [B]further [C]aside [D]around 14.[A]sharpness [B]stability [C]framework [D]flexibility 15.[A]forces [B]reminds [C]hurries [D]allows 16.[A]hold [B]track [C]order [D]pace 17.[A] to [B]with [C]for [D]on 18.[A]irregularly [B]habitually [C]constantly [D]unusually 19.[A]carry [B]put [C]build [D]take 20.[A]risky [B]effective [C]idle [D]familiar 答案：1-5 ABDCA 6-10 ACBDC 11-15 DABAD 16-20 BDCCB Section II Reading Comprehension Part A Directions: 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 1 In 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 the jobseeker’s allowance. “Those first few days should be spent looking for work, not looking to sign on.” he claimed. “We’re doing these things because we know they help people 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 the jobcentre 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。