2018年考研英语阅读材料之健身产业
考研2018英语(二)真题及答案

2018年全国硕士研究生招生考试英语二试题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 the ANSWER SHEET.(10points)①Why do people read negative Internet comments and do other things that will obviously be painful?②Because humans have an inherent need to1uncertainty,according to a recent study in Psychological Science.③The new research reveals that the need to know is so strong that people will2to satisfy their curiosity even when it is clear the answer will3.①In a series of four experiments,behavioral scientists at the University Of Chicago and the Wisconsin School of Business tested students’willingness to4themselves to unpleasant stimuli in an effrt to satisfy curiosity.②For one5,each participant was shown a pile of pens that the researcher claimed were from a previous experiment.③The twist?④Half of the pens would6an electric shock when clicked.①Twenty-seven students were told which pens were electrifid;another twenty-seven were told only that some were electrifid.②7left alone in the room,the students who did not know which ones would shock them clicked more pens and incurred more shocks than the students who knew what would8.③Subsequent experiments reproduced this effct with other stimuli,9the sound offigernails on a chalkboard and photographs of disgusting insects.①The drive to10is deeply rooted in humans,much the same as the basic drives for11 or shelter,says Christopher Hsee of the University of Chicago.②Curiosity is often considered a good instinct—it can12new scientifiadvances,for instance—but sometimes such13can backfie.③The insight that curiosity can drive you to do14things is a profound one.①Unhealthy curiosity is possible to15,however.②In afial experiment,participants who were encouraged to16how they would feel after viewing an unpleasant picture were less likely to17 to see such an image.③These results suggest that imagining the18of following through on one’s curiosity ahead of time can help determine19it is worth the endeavor.④“Thinking about long-term 20is key to reducing the possible negative effcts of curiosity,”Hsee says.⑤In other words,don’t read online comments.1.[A]ignore[B]protect[C]resolve[D]discuss2.[A]seek[B]refuse[C]wait[D]regret3.[A]rise[B]hurt[C]last[D]mislead4.[A]expose[B]alert[C]tie[D]treat5.[A]concept[B]message[C]review[D]trial6.[A]deliver[B]remove[C]weaken[D]interrupt7.[A]Unless[B]When[C]If[D]Though8.[A]change[B]continue[C]happen[D]disappear9.[A]owing to[B]rather than[C]regardless of[D]such as10.[A]disagree[B]discover[C]forgive[D]forget11.[A]food[B]pay[C]marriage[D]schooling12.[A]begin with[B]lead to[C]rest on[D]learn from13.[A]diligence[B]withdrawal[C]persistence[D]inquiry14.[A]self-deceptive[B]self-reliant[C]self-destructive[D]self-evident15.[A]trace[B]defie[C]resist[D]replace16.[A]conceal[B]overlook[C]predict[D]design17.[A]pretend[B]remember[C]promise[D]choose18.[A]outcome[B]relief[C]plan[D]duty19.[A]where[B]why[C]whether[D]how20.[A]limitations[B]consequences[C]investments[D]strategiesSectionⅡReading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts.Answer the questions after each text by choosing A,B,C or D.Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.(40points)Text1①It is curious that Stephen Koziatek feels almost as though he has to justify his effrts to give his studentsa better future.①Mr.Koziatek is part of something pioneering.②He is a teacher at a New Hampshire high school where learning is not something of books and tests and mechanical memorization,but practical.③When did it become accepted wisdom that students should be able to name the13th president of the United States but be utterly overwhelmed by a broken bike chain?①As Koziatek knows,there is learning in just about everything.②Nothing is necessarily gained by forcing students to learn geometry at a graffitied desk stuck with generations of discarded chewing gum.③They can also learn geometry by assembling a bicycle.①But he’s also found a kind of insidious prejudice.②Working with your hands is seen as almost a mark of inferiority.③Schools in the family of vocational education“have that stereotype...that it’s for kids who can’t make it academically,”he says.①On one hand,that viewpoint is a logical product of America’s evolution.②Manufacturing is not the economic engine that it once was.③The job security that the US economy once offred to high school graduates has largely evaporated.④More education is the new principle.⑤We want more for our kids,and rightfully so.①But the headlong push into bachelor’s degrees for all—and the subtle devaluing of anything less—misses an important point:That’s not the only thing the American economy needs.②Yes,a bachelor’s degree opens more doors.③But even now,54percent of the jobs in the country are middle-skill jobs,such as construction and high-skill manufacturing.④But only44percent of workers are adequately trained.①In other words,at a time when the working class has turned the country on its political head,frustrated that the opportunity that once defied America is vanishing,one obvious solution is staring us in the face.②There is a gap in working-class jobs,but the workers who need those jobs most aren’t equipped to do them.③Koziatek’s Manchester School of Technology High School is trying tofil that gap.①Koziatek’s school is a wake-up call.②When education becomes one-size-fis-all,it risks overlookinga nation’s diversity of gifts.21.A broken bike chain is mentioned to show students’lack of______.[A]practical ability[B]academic training[C]pioneering spirit[D]mechanical memorization22.There exists the prejudice that vocational education is for kids who______.[A]have a stereotyped mind[B]have no career motivation[C]are not academically successful[D]arefiancially disadvantaged23.We can infer from Paragraph5that high school graduates______.[A]used to have bigfiancial concerns[B]used to have more job opportunities[C]are reluctant to work in manufacturing[D]are entitled to more educational privileges24.The headlong push into bachelor’s degrees for all______.[A]helps create a lot of middle-skill jobs[B]may narrow the gap in working-class jobs[C]is expected to yield a better-trained workforce[D]indicates the overvaluing of higher education25.The author’s attitude toward Koziatek’s school can be described as______.[A]supportive[B]tolerant[C]disappointed[D]cautiousText2①While fossil fuels—coal,oil,gas—still generate roughly85percent of the world’s energy supply, it’s clearer than ever that the future belongs to renewable sources such as wind and solar.②The move to renewables is picking up momentum around the world:They now account for more than half of new power sources going on line.①Some growth stems from a commitment by governments and farsighted businesses to fund cleaner energy sources.②But increasingly the story is about the plummeting prices of renewables,especially wind and solar.③The cost of solar panels has dropped by80percent and the cost of wind turbines by close to one-third in the past eight years.①In many parts of the world renewable energy is already a principal energy source.②In Scotland,for example,wind turbines provide enough electricity to power95percent of homes.③While the rest of the world takes the lead,notably China and Europe,the United States is also seeing a remarkable shift.④In March,for thefist time,wind and solar power accounted for more than10percent of the power generated in the US, reported the US Energy Information Administration.①President Trump has underlined fossil fuels—especially coal—as the path to economic growth.②In a recent speech in Iowa,he dismissed wind power as an unreliable energy source.③But that message did not play well with many in Iowa,where wind turbines dot thefilds and provide36percent of the state’s electricity generation—and where tech giants like Microsoft are being attracted by the availability of clean energy to power their data centers.①The question“what happens when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine?”has provideda quick put-down for skeptics.②But a boost in the storage capacity of batteries is making their ability to keep powerflwing around the clock more likely.①The advance is driven in part by vehicle manufacturers,who are placing big bets on battery-powered electric vehicles.②Although electric cars are still a rarity on roads now,this massive investment could change the picture rapidly in coming years.①While there’s a long way to go,the trend lines for renewables are spiking.②The pace of change in energy sources appears to be speeding up—perhaps just in time to have a meaningful effect in slowing climate change.③What Washington does—or doesn’t do—to promote alternative energy may mean less and less ata time of a global shift in thought.26.The word“plummeting”(Para.2)is closest in meaning to______.[A]rising[B]falling[C]changing[D]stabilizing27.According to Paragraph3,the use of renewable energy in America_____.[A]is as extensive as in Europe[B]is progressing notably[C]has proved to be impractical[D]faces many challenges28.It can be learned that in Iowa,____.[A]wind energy has replaced fossil fuels[B]there is a shortage of clean energy supply[C]tech giants are investing in clean energy[D]wind is a widely used energy source29.Which of the following is true about clean energy according to Paragraphs5&6?[A]Its application has boosted battery storage.[B]It is commonly used in car manufacturing.[C]Its continuous supply is becoming a reality.[D]Its sustainable exploitation will remain diffiult.30.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that renewable energy____.[A]is not really encouraged by the US government[B]is not competitive enough with regard to its cost[C]will bring the US closer to other countries[D]will accelerate global environmental changeText3①The power and ambition of the giants of the digital economy is astonishing—Amazon has just announced the purchase of the upmarket grocery chain Whole Foods for$13.5bn,but two years ago Facebook paid even more than that to acquire the WhatsApp messaging service,which doesn’t have any physical product at all.②What WhatsApp offred Facebook was an intricate andfiely detailed web of its users’friendships and social lives.①Facebook promised the European commission then that it would not link phone numbers to Facebook identities,but it broke the promise almost as soon as the deal went through.②Even without knowing what was in the messages,the knowledge of who sent them and to whom was enormously revealing and still could be.③What political journalist,what party whip,would not want to know the makeup of the WhatsApp groups in which Theresa May’s enemies are currently plotting?④It may be that the value of Whole Foods to Amazon is not so much the460shops it owns,but the records of which customers have purchased what.①Competition law appears to be the only way to address these imbalances of power.But it is clumsy.②For one thing,it is very slow compared to the pace of change within the digital economy.③By the time a problem has been addressed and remedied it may have vanished in the marketplace,to be replaced by new abuses of power.④But there is a deeper conceptual problem,too.⑤Competition law as presently interpreted deals withfiancial disadvantage to consumers and this is not obvious when the users of these services don’t pay for them.⑥The users of their services are not their customers.⑦That would be the people who buy advertising from them—and Facebook and Google,the two virtual giants,dominate digital advertising to the disadvantage of all other media and entertainment companies.①The product they’re selling is data,and we,the users,convert our lives to data for the benefiof the digital giants.②Just as some ants farm the bugs called aphids for the honeydew they produce when they feed, so Google farms us for the data that our digital lives yield.Ants keep predatory insects away from where their aphids feed;Gmail keeps the spammers out of our inboxes.③It doesn’t feel like a human or democratic relationship,even if both sides benefi.31.According to Paragraph1,Facebook acquired WhatsApp for its______.[A]digital products[B]quality service[C]physical assets[D]user information32.Linking phone numbers to Facebook identities may______.[A]pose a risk to Facebook users[B]mislead the European commission[C]worsen political disputes[D]mess up customer records33.According to the author,competition law______.[A]should serve the new market powers[B]may worsen the economic imbalance[C]cannot keep pace with the changing market[D]should not provide just one legal solutionpetition law as presently interpreted can hardly protect Facebook users because______.[A]they are notfiancially reliable[B]they are not defied as customers[C]the services are generally digital[D]the services are paid for by advertisers35.The ants analogy is used to illustrate______.[A]a typical competition pattern among digital giants[B]a win-win business model between digital giants[C]the benefis provided for digital giants’customers[D]the relationship between digital giants and their usersText4①To combat the trap of putting a premium on being busy,Cal Newport,author of Deep Work:Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World,recommends building a habit of“deep work”—the ability to focus without distraction.①There are a number of approaches to mastering the art of deep work—be it lengthy retreats dedicated toa specific task;developing a daily ritual;or taking a“journalistic”approach to seizing moments of deep work when you can throughout the day.②Whichever approach,the key is to determine your length of focus time and stick to it.①Newport also recommends“deep scheduling”to combat constant interruptions and get more done in less time.②“At any given point,I should have deep work scheduled for roughly the next month.③Once on the calendar,I protect this time like I would a doctor’s appointment or important meeting,”he writes.①Another approach to getting more done in less time is to rethink how you prioritise your day—in particular how we craft our to-do lists.②Tim Harford,author of Messy:The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives,points to a study in the early1980s that divided undergraduates into two groups:some were advised to set out monthly goals and study activities;others were told to plan activities and golds in much more detail, day by day.①While the researchers assumed that the well-structured daily plans would be most effctive when it came to the execution of tasks,they were wrong:the detailed daily plans demotivated students.②Harford argues that inevitable distractions often render the daily to-do list ineffctive,while leaving room for improvisation in such a list can reap the best results.①In order to make the most of our focus and energy,we also need to embrace downtime,or as Newport suggests,“be lazy.”①“Idleness is not just a vacation,an indulgence or a vice;it is as indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the body…[idleness]is,paradoxically,necessary to getting any work done,”he argues.①Srini Pillay,an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School,believes this counterintuitive link between downtime and productivity may be due to the way our brains operate.②When our brains switch between being focused and unfocused on a task,they tend to be more effiient.①“What people don’t realise is that in order to complete these tasks they need to use both the focus and unfocus circuits in their brain,”says Pillay.36.The key to mastering the art of deep work is to____.[A]list your immediate tasks[B]make specifidaily plans[C]keep to your focus time[D]seize every minute to work37.The study in the early1980s cited by Harford shows that____.[A]daily schedules are indispensable to studying[B]students are hardly motivated by monthly goals[C]detailed plans may not be as fruitful as expected[D]distractions may actually increase effiiency38.According to Newport,idleness is____.[A]an essential factor in accomplishing any work.[B]an effctive way to save time and energy[C]a major contributor to physical health[D]a desirable mental state for busy people39.Pillay believes that our brains’shift between being focused and unfocused______.[A]can result in psychological well-being[B]can bring about greater effiiency[C]is aimed at better balance in work[D]is driven by task urgency40.This text is mainly about______.[A]the key to eliminating distractions[B]the cause of the lack of focus time[C]ways to relieve the tension of busy life[D]approaches to getting more done in less timePart BDirections:Read the following text and answer the questions by choosing the most suitable subheading from the list A-G for each of the numbered paragraphs(41-45).There are two extra subheadings which you do not need to use.Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.(10points)A.Just say itB.Be presentC.Skip the small talkD.Ask for an opinionE.Find the“me too”s,places,thingsG.Pay a unique complimentFive ways to make conversation with anyoneConversations are links,which means when you have a conversation with a new person a link gets formed and every conversation you have after that moment will strengthen the link.You meet new people every day:the grocery worker,the cab driver,new people at work or the security guard at the door.Simply starting a conversation with them will form a link.Here are five simple ways that you can make the first move and start a conversation with strangers.41.___________________Suppose you are in a room with someone you don’t know and something within you says“I want to talk with this person”—this is something that mostly happens with all of us.You wanted to say something—thefist word—but it just won’t come out,it feels like it is stuck somewhere.I know the feeling and here is my advice:just get it out.Just think:what is the worst that could happen?They won’t talk with you?Well,they are not talking with you now!I truly believe that once you get thatfist word out everything else will justflw.So keep it simple:“Hi”,“Hey”or“Hello”—do the best you can to gather all of the enthusiasm and energy you can,put on a big smile and say“Hi”.42.____________________It’s a problem all of us face;you have limited time with the person that you want to talk with and you want to make this talk memorable.Honestly,if we got stuck in the rut of“hi”,“hello”,“how are you?”and“what’s going on?”, you will fail to give the initial jolt to the conversation that can make it so memorable.So don’t be afraid to ask more personal questions.Trust me,you’ll be surprised to see how much people are willing to share if you just ask.43.____________________When you meet a person for thefist time,make an effrt tofid the things which you and that person have in common so that you can build the conversation from that point.When you start conversation from there and then move outwards,you’llfid all of a sudden that the conversation becomes a lot easier.44.____________________Imagine you are pouring your heart out to someone and they are just busy on their phone,and if you ask for their attention you get the response“I can multitask”.So when someone tries to communicate with you,just be in that communication wholeheartedly.Make eye contact.Trust me,eye contact is where all the magic happens.When you make eye contact,you can feel the conversation.45.____________________You all came into a conversation where youfist met the person,but after some time you may have met again and have forgotten their name.Isn’t that awkward!So,remember the little details of the people you met or you talked with;perhaps the places they have been to,the places they want to go,the things they like,the things they hate—whatever you talk about.When you remember such things you can automatically become investor in their wellbeing.So they feel a responsibility to you to keep that relationship going.That’s it.Five amazing ways that you can make conversation with almost anyone.Every person is a really good book to read,or to have a conversation with!SectionⅢTranslation46.Directions:Translate the following text into Chinese.Write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET.(15points)A fifth grader gets a homework assignment to select his future career path from a list of occupations.He ticks“astronaut”but quickly adds“scientist”to the list and selects it as well.The boy is convinced that if he reads enough,he can explore as many career paths as he likes.And so he reads—everything from encyclopedias to sciencefition novels.He reads so passionately that his parents have to institute a“no reading policy”at the dinner table.That boy was Bill Gates,and he hasn’t stopped reading yet—not even after becoming one of the most successful people on the planet.Nowadays,his reading material has changed from sciencefition and reference books:recently,he revealed that he reads at least50nonfition books a year.Gates chooses nonfition titles because they explain how the world works.“Each book opens up new avenues of knowledge,”Gates says.Section IV WritingPart A47.Directions:Suppose you have to cancel your travel plan and will not be able to visit Professor Smith.Write him an email to1)apologize and explain the situation,and2)suggest a future meeting.You should write about100words on the ANSWER SHEET.Do not use your own e“Li Ming”instead.Do not write your address.(10points)Part B48.Directions:Write an essay based on the chart below.In your writing,you should1)interpret the chart,and2)give your comments.You should write about150words on the ANSWER SHEET.(15points)2018年英语(二)试题参考答案Section I Use of English1.C.resolve2.A.seek3.B.hurt4.A.expose5.D.trial6.A.deliver7.B.When8.C.happen9.D.such as10.B.discover11.A.food12.B.lead to13.D.inquiry14. C. self-destructive15.C.resist16.C.predict17.D.choose18.A.outcome19.C.whether20. B. consequencesSectionⅡReading Comprehension Part AText121.A.practical ability22.C.are not academically successfuled to have more job opportunities24.D.indicates the overvaluing of higher education25.A.supportiveText226.B.falling27.B.is progressing notably28.D.wind is a widely used energy source29.C.Its continuous supply is becoming a reality.30.A.is not really encouraged by the US governmentText3er information32.A.pose a risk to Facebook users33.C.cannot keep pace with the changing market34.B.they are not defied as customers35.D.the relationship between digital giants and their usersText436.C.keep to your focus time37.C.detailed plans may not be as fruitful as expected38.A.an essential factor in accomplishing any work.39.B.can bring about greater effiiency40.D.approaches to getting more done in less timePart B41.A.Just say it42.C.Skip the small talk43.E.Find the“me too”s44.B.Be present,places,thingsSectionⅢTranslation46.一个五年级学生拿到一份家庭作业,要求从一份职业列表中选择将来的职业道路。
2018年考研英语阅读模拟题及答案【八篇】

【导语】想要考研阅读题多拿分,就需要多做练习。
以下是为⼤家整理的《2018年考研英语阅读模拟题及答案【⼋篇】》供您查阅。
【第⼀篇】At 18, Ashanthi DeSilva of suburban Cleveland is a living symbol of one of the great intellectual achievements of the 20th century. Born with an extremely rare and usually fatal disorder that left her without a functioning immune system (the “bubble-boy disease,” named after an earlier victim who was kept alive for years in a sterile plastic tent), she was treated beginning in 1990 with a revolutionary new therapy that sought to correct the defect at its very source, in the genes of her white blood cells. It worked. Although her last gene-therapy treatment was in 1992, she is completely healthy with normal immune function, according to one of the doctors who treated her, W. French Anderson of the University of Southern California. Researchers have long dreamed of treating diseases from hemophilia to cancer by replacing mutant genes with normal ones. And the dreaming may continue for decades more. “There will be a gene-based treatment for essentially every disease,” Anderson says, “within 50 years.” It's not entirely clear why medicine has been so slow to build on Anderson's early success. The National Institutes of Health budget office estimates it will spend $432 million on gene-therapy research in 2005, and there is no shortage of promising leads. The therapeutic genes are usually delivered through viruses that don't cause human disease. “The virus is sort of like a Trojan horse,” says Ronald Crystal of New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical College. “The cargo is the gene.” At the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center, immunologist Carl June recently treated HIV patients with a gene intended to help their cells resist the infection. At Cornell University, researchers are pursuing gene-based therapies for Parkinson's disease and a rare hereditary disorder that destroys children's brain cells. At Stanford University and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, researchers are trying to figure out how to help patients with hemophilia who today must inject themselves with expensive clotting drugs for life. Animal experiments have shown great promise. But somehow, things get lost in the translation from laboratory to patient. In human trials of the hemophilia treatment,patients show a response at first, but it fades over time. And the field has still not recovered from the setback it suffered in 1999, when Jesse Gelsinger, an 18-year-old with a rare metabolic disorder, died after receiving an experimental gene therapy at the University of Pennsylvania. Some experts worry that the field will be tarnished further if the next people to benefit are not patients but athletes seeking an edge. This summer, researchers at the Salk Institute in San Diego said they had created a “marathon mouse” by implanting a gene that enhances running ability; already, officials at the World Anti-Doping Agency are preparing to test athletes for signs of “gene doping.” But the principle is the same, whether you're trying to help a healthy runner run faster or allow a muscular-dystrophy patient to walk. “Everybody recognizes that gene therapy isa very good idea,” says Crystal. “And eventually it's going to work.” 1. The case of Ashanthi Desilva is mentioned in the text to ____________. [A] show the promise of gene-therapy [B] give an example of modern treatment for fatal diseases [C] introduce the achievement of Anderson and his team [D] explain how gene-based treatment works 2. Anderson‘s early success has ________________. [A] greatly speeded the development of medicine [B] brought no immediate progress in the research of gene-therapy [C] promised a cure to every disease [D] made him a national hero 3. Which of the following is true according to the text? [A] Ashanthi needs to receive gene-therapy treatment constantly. [B] Despite the huge funding, gene researches have shown few promises. [C] Therapeutic genes are carried by harmless viruses. [D] Gene-doping is encouraged by world agencies to help athletes get better scores. 4. The word “tarnish” (line 5, paragraph 4) most probably means ____________. [A] affect [B] warn [C] trouble [D] stain 5. From the text we can see that the author seems ___________. [A] optimistic [B] pessimistic [C] troubled [D] uncertain 答案:A B C D A【第⼆篇】According to psychologists(⼼理学家), an emotion is aroused when a man or animal views something as either bad or good. When a person feels like running away from something he thinks will hurt him, we call this emotion fear. if the person wants to remove the danger by attacking it, we call the emotion anger. The emotions of joy and love are aroused when we think something can help us. An emotion does not have to be created by something in the outside world. it can be created by a person's thoughts. Everyone has emotions. Many psychologists believe that infants are born without emotions. They believe children learn emotions just as they learn to read and write. A growing child not only learns his emotions but learns how to act in certain situations because of an emotion. Psychologists think that there are two types of emotion: positive and negative. Positive emotions include love, liking, joy, delight, and hope. They are aroused by something that appeals to a person. Negative emotions make a person unhappy or dissatisfied. They include anger, fear,despair, sadness, and disgust. in growing up, a person learns to cope with the negative emotions in order to be happy. Emotions may be weak or strong. Some strong emotions are so unpleasant that a person will try any means to escape from them. in order to feel happy, the person may choose unusual ways to avoid the emotion. Strong emotions can make it hard to think and to solve problems. They may prevent a person from learning or paying attention to what he is doing. For example, a student taking an examination may be so worried about failing that he cannot think properly. The worry drains valuable mental energy he needs for the examination. 56. We learn from the passage that an emotion is created by something___________. A)one thinks bad or good B)one feels in danger C)one faces in the outside world D)one tries to escape from real life 57. Which of the following is NOT true? A)Children learn emotions as they grow up. B)Babies are born with emotions. C)Emotions fall into two types in general. D)People can cope with the negative emotions in life. 58. The author's purpose of writing this passage is to___________. A) explain why people have emotions B) show how people avoid the negative emotions C) explain what people should do before emotions D) define and classify people's emotions 59. We can safely conclude that a student may fail in an exam if___________. A) he can not think properly B) he can't pay attention to it C) he can't pay attention to it D) he is not full of energy 60. As used in the last sentence, the word drains means___________. A) stops B) ties C) weakens D) flows gradually 答案1.A2.B3.D4.B5.C【第三篇】。
2018考研英语二真题及答案解析

2018年全国硕士研究生入学统考试英语(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 the ANSWER SHEET.(10points)Why do people read negative Internet comments and do other things that will obviously he painful?Because humans have an inherent need to1uncertainty,according to a recent study in Psychological Science.The new research reveals that the need to know is so strong that people will13.A.inquiry B.withdrawal C.persistence D.diligence14.A.self-deceptive B.self-reliant C.self-evident D.self-destructive15.A.trace B.define C.replace D.resist16.A.conceal B.overlook C.design D.predict17.A.choose B remember C.promise D.pretend18.A.relief B.outcome C.plan D.duty19.A.how B.why C.where D.whether20.A.limitations B.investments C.consequences D.strategiesSection 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 the ANSH ER SHEET.(40points)Text1It is curious that Stephen Koziatek feels almost as though he has to justify his efforts to give his students a better future.Mr.Koziatek is part of something pioneering.He is a teacher at a New Hampshire high school where learning is not something of books and tests and rote memorization,but practical, reports staff writer Stacy Teicher Khadaroo in this week's cover story.When did it become accepted wisdom that students should be able to name the13th president of the United States but be utterly bamboozled by a busted bike chain?As Koziatek knows,there is learning in just about everything.Nothing is necessarily gained by forcing students to learn geometry at a trafficked desk stuck.With generations of discarded chewing gum.They can also learn geometry by assembling a bicycle.But he's also found a kind of insidious prejudice.Working with your hands is seen as almost a mark of inferiority.Schools in the family of vocational education“have that stereotype...that it's for kids who can't make it academically,"he says.On one hand,that viewpoint is a logical product of America’s evolution.Manufacturing is not the economic engine that it once was.The job security that the US economy once offered to high school graduates has largely evaporated.More education is the new mantra.We want more for our kids,and rightfully so.But the headlong push into bachelor's degrees for all--and the subtle devaluing of anything less--misses an important point:That's not the only thing the American economy needs.Yes,a bachelor's degree opens more doors.But even now,54percent of the jobs in the country aremiddl2-skill job,such as construction and high-skill manufacturing.But only44percent of workers are adequately trained.In other words,at a time when the working class has numbered the country on its political head,frustrated that the opportunity that once defined America is vanishing,one obvious solution is staring us in the face.There is a gap in working-class jobs,but the workers who need those jobs most aren't equipped to do them Koziatek's Manchester School of Technology High School is trying to fill that gap.Kcziatek's school is wake-up call.When education becomes one-size-fits-all,it risksoverlooking a nation's diversity of gifts.21.A broken bike chain is mentioned to show student's lack of().A.Academic trainingB.practical abilityC.pioneering spiritD.mechanical memorization22.There exists the prejudice that vocational education is for kids who().A.have a stereotyped mindB.have no career motivationC.are financially disadvantagedD.are not academically successful23.We can infer from Paragraph5that high school graduates().ed to have more job opportunitiesed to have big financial concernsC.are entitled to more educational privilegesD.are reluctant to work in manufacturing24.The headlong push into bachelors degrees for all()A.helps create a lot of middle-class jobsB.may narrow the gap in working-class jobsC.indicates the overvaluing of higher educationD.is expected to yield a better-trained workforce25The author's attitude toward Koziatek's school can be described as().A.tolerantB.cautiousC.supportiveD.disappointedText2While fossil fuels--coal,oil,gas--still generate roughly85percent of the world's energy supply,it's clearer than ever that the future belongs to renewable sources such as wind and solar. The move to renewable is picking up momentum around the world:They now account for more than ha1f of new power sources going on line.Some growth stem from a commitment by governments and farsighted businesses to fund cleaner energy sources.But increasingly the story is about the plummeting prices of undesirables, especially wind and solar.The cost of solar panels has dropped by80percent and the cost of wind turbines by close one-third in the past eight years.In many parts of the world renewable energy is already a principal energy source.In Scotland, for example,wind turbines provide enough electricity to power95percent of homes.While the rest of the world lakes the lead,notably China and Europe,the United States is also seeing a remarkable shift.In March,for the first time,wind and solar power accounted for more than10 percent of the power generated in the Us,reported the US Energy Information Administration.President Trump has underlined fossil fuels--especially coal--as the path to economic growth.In a recent speech in Iowa,he dismissed wind power as an unreliable energy source.But that message did not play well with many in Iowa,where wind turbines dot the fields and provide36percent of the state's electricity generation--and where tech giants like Microsoft are being attracted by the availability of clean energy to power their data centers.The question“what happens when the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine?"has provided a quick put-down for skeptics.But a boost in the storage capacity of batteries is making their ability to keep power flowing around the clock more likely.The advance is driven in part by vehicle manufactures,who are placing big bets on battery--powered vehicles.Although electric cars are still a rarity on roads now,this massive investment could change the picture rapidly in coming years.While there's a long way to go,the trend lines for undesirables are spiking.The pace of change in energy sources appears to be speeding up--perhaps just in time to have a meaningful effect in showing climate change.What Washington docs-or doesn't do--to promote alternative energy may mean less and less at a time of a global shit in thought.26.The word“plummeting"(line3,Para.2)is closest in meaning to_____.A.stabilizingB.ChangingC.fallingD.rising27.According to Paragraph3,the use of renewable energy in America_____.A.is progressing notablyB.is as extensive as in EuropeC.faces many challengesD.has proved to be impractical28.It can be learned that in Iowa,_____.A.wind is a widely used energy source.B.wind energy has replaced fossil fuelsC.tech giant s are investing in clean energyD.there is a shortage of clean energy supply29.Which of the following is true about clean energy according to Paragraphs5&6?A.Its application has boosted battery storage.C.It is commonly used in car manufacturingC.Its continuous supply is becoming a reality.D.Its sustainable exploitation will remain difficult.30.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that renewable energy____.A.will bring the US closer to other countriesB.will accelerate global environmental changeC.is not really encouraged by the US governmentD.is mot competitive enough with regard to its costText3The power and ambition of the giants of the digital economy is astonishing-Amazon has just announced the purchase of the upmarket grocery chain Whole Foods for$13.5bn,but two years ago Facebook paid even more than that to acquire the Whats App messaging service.which doesn't have any physical product at all.what Whats App offered Facebook was an intricate and finely detailed web of its users'friendships and social lives.Facebook promised the European commission then that it would not link phone numbers to Facebook identifies,but it broke the promise almost as soon as the deal went through.Even without knowing what was in the messages,the knowledge of who sent them and to whom was enormously revealing and still could be.What Political journalist,what party whip,would not want to know the makeup of the Whats App groups in which Theresa May"s enemies are currently plotting?It may be that the value to Amazon is not so much the460shops it owns,but the records of which customers have purchased what.Competition law appears to be the only way to address these imbalances of power.But it is clumsy.For one thing,it is very slow compared to the pace of change within in the digital economy.By the time a problem has been addressed and remedied it may have vanished in the marketplace,to be replaced by new abuses of power.But there is a deeper conceptual problem,too. Competition law as presently interpreted deals with financial disadvantage to consumers and this is not obvious w hen the users of these services don't pay for them.The users of their services are not their customers.That would be the people who buy advertising from them-and Facebook and Google,the two virtual giants,dominate digital advertising to the disadvantage of all other media and entertainment companies.The product they're selling is data,and we,the users,convert our lives to data for the benefit of the digital giants.Just as some ants farm the bugs called aphids for the honeydew they produce when they feed,so Google farms us for the data that our digital lives yield.Ants keep predatory insects away from where their aphids feed:G-mail keeps the spammers out of our inboxes.It doesn't feel like a human or democratic relationship,even if both sides benefit.31.According to Paragraph1,Facebook acquired Whats App for its()digital productsA.digital productser informationC.physical assetsD.quality service32Linking phone numbers to Facebook identities may()A.worsen political disputesB.mess up customer recordsC.pose a risk to Facebook usersD.mislead the European commission33.According to the author,competition law()A.should serve the new market powersB.may worsen the economic imbalanceC.should not provide just one legal solutionD.cannot keep pace with the changing market34Competition1aw as presently interpreted can hardly protect Facebook us()becauseA.they are not defined as customersB.they are not financially reliableC.the services are generally digitalD.the services are paid for by advertisers35.The ants analogy is used to illustrate()A.win-win business model between digital giantsB.typical competition pattern among digital giantsC.the benefits provided for digital giants'customersD.the relationship between digital giants and their usersText4To combat the trap of putting a premium on being busy,Gal Newport,anther of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Districted world,recommends building a habit of“deep work",the ability to focus without distraction.There are a number of approaches to mastering the mastering the art of deep work-be it lengthy retreats,dedicated to a specific task;developing a daily ritual;or taking a “journalistic”approach to seizing moments of deep work when you can throughout the day.Whichever approach,the key is to determine your length of focus time and stick to it.Newport also recommends"deep scheduling"1o combat constant interruptions and get more down in less time.At any given point,I should has dep work scheduled for roughly the next month.Once on the calendar I protect this time like,I would a doctor's appointment or important meeting,he writes.Another approach to getting more down in less time is to rethink how you prioritize your day-in particular how we craft our to-do lists.Tim Harford,author of Messy.The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives,points to a study in the early1980s,that divided undergraduates into two groups:some were advised to set out monthly goals and study activities;others were told to plan activities and golds in much time detail day by day.While the researchers assumed that the well-structured daily plans would be most effective when it came to the execution of tasks they were wrong:the detailed daily plans demotivated students.Hartford argues that inevitable distractions often render the daily to-do list ineffective,while living room for improvisation in such a list can reap the be st results.In order to make the most of our focus and energy.We also need to embrace downtime,or as Newport suggest s,“be lazy.”“Idleness is not just a vacation,an indulgence or a vice;it is indispensable to be brain as Vitamin D is to the body..[idleness]is,paradoxically,necessary to getting any work done,"he argues.Sriri Pillaly an assistant of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School,believes this counter-intuitive link between downtime and productivity may be due lot he way cur brains operate.w hen our brains switch between being focused and unfocused on a task,they tend to be more efficient.“What don't realize is that in order to complete the set asks they need to use both the focus and unfocus circuits in their brain"says Pillay.36The key to mastering the art of deep work is toA.keep to your focus timeB.list your immediate tasksC.make specific daily plansD seize every minute to work37.The study in the early1980s cited by Harvard shows thatA.distractions may actually increase efficiencyB.daily schedules are indispensable to studyingC.students are hardly motivated by monthly goalsD.detailed plans many not be as fruitful as expected38.According to Newport,idleness isA.desirable mental state for busy peopleB.major contributor to physical healthC.an effective way to save time and energyD.an essential factor in accomplishing any work.39.Pillay believes that our brains'shift between being focused and unfocusedA.can result in Psychological will-beingB.can bring about greater efficiencyC.is aimed at a better balance in workD.is driven by task urgency40.This text is mainly aboutA.ways10relieve the tension of busy lifeB.approaches to getting more done in less timeC.the key to eliminating distractionsD.the cause of the lack of focus timePart BDirections:Read the following text and match each of the numbered items in the left column to its corresponding information in the right column.There are two extra choices in the right column.Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.(10points)A.Just say itB.Be presentC.Pay a unique compliment,places,thingsE.Find the“me too”sF.Skip the small talkG.Ask for an opinionFive Ways to Make Conversation with Any OneConversations arc links,which means when you have a conversation with a new person a link gets formed and conversation you have after that moment will strengthen the link.You meet new people every day:the grocery worker,the cab driver,new people at work or the security guard at the door.Simply starting a conversation with them will form a link.Here are five simple ways that you can make the first move and start a conversation with41.Suppose you are in a room with someone you don't know and something within you says“I want to talk with this person"this is something the mostly happens with all of us.You wanted to say something-the first word-but it just won't come out.It feels like it is stuck somewhere,I knowthe feelings and here is my advice just get it out.Just think:that is the worst that could happen?They won't talk with you?Well,they are not talking with you now!I truly believe that once you get that first word out everything else will just flow.So keep it simple:H","Hey”or“Hello”---do the best you can to gather all of the enthusiasm and energy you can,put and say"Hi”.42.It's a problem all of us face:you have limited time with the person that you want to talk with and you want to make this talk,memorable.a46.Translate the following text from English into Chinese.Write your translation on ANSWER SHET2.(15points)A fifth grader gets a homework assignment to select his future career path from a list of occupations.He ticks“astronaut”but quickly adds“scientist"to the list and selects it as well.The boy is convinced that if he reads enough,he can explore as many career paths as he likes.And so he reads---everything from encyclopaedias to science fiction novels.He reads so fervently that his parents have to institute a“no reading policy”at the dinner table.That boy was Bill Gates,and he hasn't stopped reading yet---not even after becoming one ofthe most successful people on the planet.Nowadays,his reading material has changed from science fiction and reference books:recently,he revealed that he reads at least50nonfiction books a year.Gates chooses nonfiction titles because they es plain how the world woks.“Each book opens up new avenues of knowledge to explore,"---Gates say.有一个五年级的学生,拿到了一门家庭作业,要他在一系列职业名单中选出自己未来的职业之路。
2018年考研英语一Text3及答案

2018年考研英语一Text 3Any fair-minded assessment of the dangers of the deal between Britain's National Health Service (NHS) and DeepMind must start by acknowledging that both sides mean well. DeepMind is one of the leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies in the world. The potential of this work applied to healthcare is very great, but it could also lead to further concentration of power in the tech giants. It Is against that background that the information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, has issued her damning verdict against the Royal Free hospital trust under the NHS, which handed over to DeepMind the records of 1.6 million patients In 2015 on the basis of a vague agreement which took far too little account of the patients' rights and their expectations of privacy.DeepMind has almost apologized. The NHS trust has mended its ways. Further arrangements- and there may be many-between the NHS and DeepMind will be carefully scrutinised to ensure that all necessary permissions have been asked of patients and all unnecessary data has been cleaned. There are lessons about informed patient consent to learn. But privacy is not the only angle in this case and not even the most important. Ms Denham chose to concentrate the blame on the NHS trust, since unde r existing law it “controlled” the data and DeepMind merely “processed" it. But this distinction misses the point that it is processing and aggregation, not the mere possession of bits, that gives the data value.The great question is who should benefit from the analysis of all the data that our lives now generate. Privacy law builds on the concept of damage to an individual from identifiable knowledge about them. That misses the way the surveillance economy works. The data of an individual there gains its value only when it is compared with the data of countless millions more.The use of privacy law to curb the tech giants in this instance feels slightly maladapted. This practice does not address the real worry. It is not enough to say that the algorithms DeepMind develops will benefit patients and save lives. What matters is that they will belong to a private monopoly which developed themusing public resources. If software promises to save lives on the scale that dugs now can, big data may be expected to behave as a big pharm has done. We are still at the beginning of this revolution and small choices now may turn out to have gigantic consequences later. A long struggle will be needed to avoid a future of digital feudalism. Ms Denham's report is a welcome start.31.What is true of the agreement between the NHS and DeepMind ?[A] It caused conflicts among tech giants.[B] It failed to pay due attention to patient’s rights.[C] It fell short of the latter's expectations[D] It put both sides into a dangerous situation.32. The NHS trust responded to Denham's verdict with[A] empty promises. [B] tough resistance.[C] necessary adjustments. [D] sincere apologies.33.The author argues in Paragraph 2 that[A] privacy protection must be secured at all costs.[B] leaking patients' data is worse than selling it.[C] making profits from patients' data is illegal.[D] the value of data comes from the processing of it34.According to the last paragraph, the real worry arising from this deal is[A] the vicious rivalry among big pharmas.[B] the ineffective enforcement of privacy law.[C] the uncontrolled use of new software.[D] the monopoly of big data by tech giants.35.The author's attitude toward the application of AI to healthcare is[A] ambiguous.[B] cautious.[C] appreciative.[D] contemptuous.Key: BCDDB。
2018考研英语(一)真题及参考答案(完整版)

2018考研英语(一)真题及参考答案(完整版)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 the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)Trust is a tricky business. On the one hand, it's a necessary condition 1 many worthwhile things: child care, friendships, etc. On the other hand, putting your 2 , in the wrong place often carries a high 3.4, why do we trust at all? Well, because it feels good. 5 people place their trust in an individual or an institution, their brains release oxytocin, a hormone that 6 pleasurable feelings and triggers the herding instruct that prompts humans to 7 with one another. Scientists have found that exposure 8 this hormone puts us in a trusting 9: In a Swiss study, researchers sprayed oxytocin into the noses of half the subjects; those subjects were ready to lend significantly higher amounts of money to strangers than were their 10 who inhaled something else.11 for us, we also have a sixth sense for dishonesty that may 12 us.A Canadian study found that children as young as 14 months can differentiate 13 a credible person and a dishonest one. Sixty toddlers were each 14 to an adult tester holding a plastic container. The tester would ask, “What’s in here?” before looking into the container, smiling, and exclaiming, “Wow!” Each subject was then invited to look 15. Half of them found a toy; the other half 16 the container was empty-and realized the tester had 17 them.Among the children who had not been tricked, the majority were 18 to cooperate with the tester in learning a new skill, demonstrating that they trusted his leadership. 19, only five of the 30 children paired with the “20”tester participated in a follow-up activity.Section 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 the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)Text 1Among the annoying challenges facing the middle class is one that will probably go unmentioned in the next presidential campaign: What happens when the robots come for their jobs?Don't dismiss that possibility entirely. About half of U.S. jobs are at high risk of being automated, according to a University of Oxford study, with the middle class disproportionately squeezed. Lower-income jobs like gardening or day care don't appeal to robots. But many middle-class occupations-trucking, financial advice, software engineering — have aroused their interest, or soon will. The rich own the robots, so they will be fine.This isn't to be alarmist. Optimists point out that technological upheaval has benefited workers in the past. The Industrial Revolution didn't go so well for Luddites whose jobs were displaced by mechanized looms, but it eventually raised living standards and created more jobs than it destroyed. Likewise, automation should eventually boost productivity, stimulate demand by driving down prices, and free workers from hard, boring work. But in the medium term, middle-class workers may need a lot of help adjusting.The first step, as Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee argue in The Second Machine Age, should be rethinking education and job training. Curriculums —from grammar school to college- should evolve to focus less on memorizing facts and more on creativity and complex communication. Vocational schools should do a better job of fostering problem-solving skills and helping students work alongside robots. Online education can supplement the traditional kind. It could make extra training and instruction affordable. Professionals trying to acquire new skills will be able to do so without going into debt.The challenge of coping with automation underlines the need for the U.S. to revive its fading business dynamism: Starting new companies must be made easier. In previous eras of drastic technological change, entrepreneurs smoothed the transition by dreaming up ways to combine labor and machines. The best uses of 3D printers and virtual reality haven't been invented yet. The U.S. needs the new companies that will invent them.Finally, because automation threatens to widen the gap between capital income and labor income, taxes and the safety net will have to be rethought. Taxes on low-wage labor need to be cut, and wage subsidies such as the earned income tax credit should be expanded: This would boost incomes, encourage work, reward companies for job creation, and reduce inequality.Technology will improve society in ways big and small over the next few years, yet this will be little comfort to those who find their lives and careers upended by automation.Destroying the machines that are coming for our jobs would be nuts. But policies to help workers adapt will be indispensable.Text 2A new survey by Harvard University finds more than two-thirds of young Americans disapprove of President Trump’s use of Twitter. The implication is that Millennials prefer news from the White House to be filtered through other source, Not a president’s social media platform.Most Americans rely on social media to check daily headlines. Yet as distrust has risen toward all media, people may be starting to beef up their media literacy skills. Such a trend is badly needed. During the 2016 presidential campaign, nearly a quarter of web content shared by Twitter users in the politically critical state of Michigan was fake news, according to the University of Oxford. And a survey conducted for BuzzFeed News found 44 percent of Facebook users rarely or never trust news from the media giant.Young people who are digital natives are indeed becoming more skillfulat separating fact from fiction in cyberspace. A Knight Foundation focus-group survey of young people between ages 14and24 found they use “distributed trust” to verify stories. They cross-check sources and prefer news from different perspectives—especially those that are open about any bias. “Many young people assume a great deal of personal responsibility for educating themselves and actively seeking out opposing viewpoints,” the survey concluded.Such active research can have another effect. A 2014 survey conducted in Australia, Britain, and the United States by the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that young people’s reliance on social media led to greater political engagement.Social media allows users to experience news events more intimately and immediately while also permitting them to re-share news as a projection of their values and interests. This forces users to be more conscious of their role in passing along information. A survey by Barna research group found the top reason given by Americans for the fake news phenomenon is “reader error,” more so than made-up stories or factual mistakes in reporting. About a third say the problem of fake news lies in “misinterpretation or exaggeration of actual news” via social media. In other words, the choice to share news on social media may be the heart of the issue. “This indicates there is a real personal responsibility in counteracting this problem,” says Roxanne Stone, editor in chief at Barna Group.So when young people are critical of an over-tweeting president, they reveal a mental discipline in thinking skills – and in their choices on when to share on social media.Text 3Any fair-minded assessment of the dangers of the deal between Britain's National Health Service (NHS) and DeepMind must start by acknowledging that both sides mean well. DeepMind is one of the leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies in the world. The potential of this work applied to healthcare is very great, but it could also lead to further concentration of power in the tech giants. It Is against that background that the information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, has issued her damning verdict against the Royal Free hospital trust under the NHS, which handed over to DeepMind the records of 1.6 million patients In 2015 on the basis of a vague agreement which took far too little account of the patients' rights and their expectations of privacy.DeepMind has almost apologized. The NHS trust has mended its ways. Further arrangements- and there may be many-between the NHS and DeepMindwill be carefully scrutinised to ensure that all necessary permissions have been asked of patients and all unnecessary data has been cleaned. There are lessons about informed patient consent to learn. But privacy is not the only angle in this case and not even the most important. Ms Denham chose to concentrate the blame on the NHS trust, since under existing law it “controlled” the data and DeepMind merely “processed" it. But this distinction misses the point that it is processing and aggregation, not the mere possession of bits, that gives the data value.The great question is who should benefit from the analysis of all the data that our lives now generate. Privacy law builds on the concept of damage to an individual from identifiable knowledge about them. That misses the way the surveillance economy works. The data of an individual there gains its value only when it is compared with the data of countless millions more.The use of privacy law to curb the tech giants in this instance feels slightly maladapted. This practice does not address the real worry. It is not enough to say that the algorithms DeepMind develops will benefit patients and save lives. What matters is that they will belong to a private monopoly which developed them using public resources. If software promises to save lives on the scale that dugs now can, big data may be expected to behave as a big pharm has done. We are still at the beginning of this revolution and small choices now may turn out to have gigantic consequences later. A long struggle will be needed to avoid a future of digital feudalism. Ms Denham's report is a welcome start.Text 4The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to bleed red ink. It reported a net loss of $5.6 billion for fiscal 2016, the 10th straight year its expenses have exceeded revenue. Meanwhile, it has more than $120 billion in unfunded liabilities, mostly for employee health and retirement costs. There are many bankruptcies. Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, first-class mail, and a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new realityAnd interest groups ranging from postal unions to greeting-card makers exert self-interested pressure on the USPS’s ultimate overseer-Congress-insisting that whatever else happens to the Postal Service, aspects of the status quo they depend on get protected. This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation have failed in recent years,leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by deferring vital modernization.Now comes word that everyone involved---Democrats, Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the system's heaviest users—has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. Legislation is moving through the House that would save USPS an estimated $28.6 billion over five years, which could help pay for new vehicles, among other survival measures. Most of the money would come from a penny-per-letter permanent rate increase and from shifting postal retirees into Medicare. The latter step would largely offset the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and its union.If it clears the House, this measure would still have to get through the Senate – where someone is bound to point out that it amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to keep the Postal Service afloat, not comprehensive reform. There’s no change to collective bargaining at the USPS, a major omission considering that personnel accounts for 80 percent of the agency’s costs. Also missing is any discussion of eliminating Saturday letter delivery. That common-sense change enjoys wide public support and would save the USPS $2 billion per year. But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in the House. The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they’re getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 21st century.Part BDirections:The following paragraphs are given in a wrong order. For Questions 41-45, you are required to reorganize these paragraphs into a coherent article by choosing from the list A-G and filling them into the numbered boxes. Paragraphs C and F have been correctly placed. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)A. In December of 1869, Congress appointed a commission to select a site and prepare plans and cost estimates for a new State Department Building. The commission was also to consider possible arrangements for the War and Navy Departments. To the horror of some who expected a Greek Revival twin of the Treasury Building to be erected on the other side ofthe White House, the elaborate French Second Empire style design by Alfred Mullett was selected, and construction of a building to house all three departments began in June of 1871.B. Completed in 1875, the State Department's south wing was the first to be occupied, with its elegant four-story library (completed in 1876), Diplomatic Reception Room, and Secretary's office decorated with carved wood, Oriental rugs, and stenciled wall patterns. The Navy Department moved into the east wing in 1879, where elaborate wall and ceiling stenciling and marquetry floors decorated the office of the Secretary.C. The State, War, and Navy Building, as it was originally known, housed the three Executive Branch Departments most intimately associated with formulating and conducting the nation's foreign policy in the last quarter of the nineteenth century and the first quarter of the twentieth century-the period when the United States emerged as an international power. The building has housed some of the nation's most significant diplomats and politicians and has been the scene of many historic events.D. Many of the most celebrated national figures have participated in historical events that have taken place within the EEOB's granite walls. Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush all had offices in this building before becoming president. It has housed 16 Secretaries of the Navy, 21 Secretaries of War, and 24 Secretaries of State. Winston Churchill once walked its corridors and Japanese emissaries met here with Secretary of State Cordell Hull after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.E. The Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) commands a unique position in both the national history and the architectural heritage of the United States. Designed by Supervising Architect of the Treasury, Alfred B. Mullett, it was built from 1871 to 1888 to house the growing staffs of the State, War, and Navy Departments, and is considered one of the best examples of French Second Empire architecture in the country.F. Construction took 17 years as the building slowly rose wing by wing. When the EEOB was finished, it was the largest office building in Washington, with nearly 2 miles of black and white tiled corridors. Almost all of the interior detail is of cast iron or plaster; the use of wood was minimized to insure fire safety. Eight monumental curving staircases of granite with over 4,000 individually cast bronze balusters are capped by four skylight domes and two stained glass rotundas.G. The history of the EEOB began long before its foundations were laid.The first executive offices were constructed between 1799 and 1820. A series of fires (including those set by the British in 1814) and overcrowded conditions led to the construction of the existing Treasury Building. In 1866, the construction of the North Wing of the Treasury Building necessitated the demolition of the State Department building.【答案】41. (E)→C →42. (G) →43. (A)→F→44. (B)→45. (D)Part CDirections:Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)Shakespeare’s life time was coincident with a period of extraordinary activity and achievement in the drama.(46) By the date of his birth Europe was witnessing the passing of the religious drama, and the creation of new forms under the incentive of classical tragedy and comedy. These new forms were at first mainly written by scholars and performed by amateurs, but in England, as everywhere else in western Europe, the growth of a class of professional actors was threatening to make the drama popular, whether it should be new or old, classical or medieval, literary or farcical. Court, school organizations of amateurs, and the traveling actors were all rivals in supplying a widespread desire for dramatic entertainment; and (47) no boy who went a grammar school could be ignorant that the drama was a form of literature which gave glory to Greece and Rome and might yet bring honor to England.When Shakespeare was twelve years old, the first public playhouse was built in London. For a time literature showed no interest in this public stage. Plays aiming at literary distinction were written for school or court, or for the choir boys of St. Paul’s and the royal chapel, who, however, gave plays in public as well as at court.(48) but the professional companies prospered in their permanent theaters, and university men with literature ambitions were quick to turn to these theaters as offering a means of livelihood. By the time Shakespeare was twenty-five, Lyly, Peele, and Greene had made comedies that were at once popular and literary; Kyd had written a tragedy that crowded the pit; and Marlowe had brought poetry and genius to triumph on the common stage - where they had played no part since the death of Euripides. (49) A native literary drama had been created, its alliance with the public playhouses established, and at least some of its great traditions had been begun.The development of the Elizabethan drama for the next twenty-five years is of exceptional interest to students of literary history, for in this brief period we may trace the beginning, growth, blossoming, and decay of many kinds of plays, and of many great careers. We are amazed today at the mere number of plays produced, as well as by the number of dramatists writing at the same time for this London of two hundred thousand inhabitants. (50)To realize how great was the dramatic activity, we must remember further that hosts of plays have been lost, and that probably there is no author of note whose entire work has survived.【参考译文】46.到莎士比亚出生的年代,欧洲经历了宗教戏剧的消亡,以及在古典悲剧和喜剧的影响下新的戏剧形式的产生。
2018考研英语真题完整版

2018考研英语(二)真题(完整版)来源:文都教育SectionⅠ Use of EnglishDirections:Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark [A],[B], [C] or [D] on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)Why do people read negative Internet comments and do other things that will obviously be painful? Because humans have an inherent need to 1 uncertainty, according to a recent study in Psychological Science. The new research reveals that the need to know is strong that people will 2 to satisfy their curiosity even when it is clear the answer will 3 .In a series of experiments, behavioral scientists at the University of Chicago and the Wisconsin school of Business tested students’ willingness to 4 themselves to unpleasant stimuli in an effort to satisfy curiosity. For one 5 , each participant was shown a pile of pens that the researcher claimed were from a previous experiment. The twist? Half of the pens would 6 an electric shock when clicked.Twenty-seven students were told with pens were electrified; another twenty-seven were told only that some were electrified. 7 left alone in the room. The students who did not know which ones would shock them clicked more pens and incurred more shocks than the students who knew that would 8 . Subsequent experiments reproduced this effect with other stimuli, 9 the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard and photographs of disgusting insects.The drive to 10 is deeply rooted in humans, much the same as the basic drives for 11 or shelter, says Christopher Hsee of the University of Chicago. Curiosity is often considered a good instinct—it can 12 new scientific advances, for instance—but sometimes such 13 can backfire. The insight that curiosity can drive you to do 14 things is a profound one.Unhealthycuriosity is possible to 15 , however. In a final experiment, participants who were encouraged to 16 how they would feel after viewing an unpleasant picture were lesslikely to 17 to see such an image. These results suggest that imagining the 18 of following through on one’s curiosity ahead of time can help determine 19 it is worth the endeavor. Thinking about long-term 20 is key to reducing the possible negative effects of curiosity,”Hsee says. In other words, don’t read online comments.1.A.ignore B.protect C.discuss D.resolve2.A.refuse B.seek C.wait D.regret3.A.rise st C.hurt D.mislead4.A.alert B.expose C.tie D.treat5.A.trial B.message C.review D.concept6.A.remove B.deliver C.weaken D.interrupt7.A.Unless B.If C.When D.Though8.A.change B.continue C.disappear D.happen9.A.such as B.rather than C.regardless of D.owing to10.A.disagree B.forgive C.discover D.forget11.A.pay B.food C.marriage D.schooling12.A.begin with B.rest on C.lead to D.learn from13.A.inquiry B.withdrawal C.persistence D.diligence14.A.self-deceptive B.self-reliant C.self-evident D.self-destructive15.A.trace B.define C.replace D.resist16.A.conceal B.overlook C.design D.predict17.A.choose B.remember C.promise D.pretend18.A.relief B.outcome C.plan D.duty19.A.how B.why C.where D.whether20.A.limitations B.investments C.consequences D.strategiesSection IIReading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing [A],[B], [C] or [D]. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)Text 1It is curious that Stephen Koziatek feels almost as though he has to justify his efforts to give his students a better future.Mr. Koziatek is part of something pioneering. He is a teacher at a New Hampshire high school where learning is not something of books and tests and mechanical memorization, but practical. When did it become accepted wisdom that students should be able to name the 13th president of the United States but be utterly overwhelmed by a broken bike Chain?As Koziatek know, there is learning in just about everything. Nothing is necessarily gained by forcing students to learn geometry at a graffitied desk stuck with generations of discarded chewing gum. They can also learn geometry by assembling a bicycle.But he’s also found a kind of insidious prejudice. Working with your hands is seen as almost a mark of inferiority. School in the family of vocational education “have that stereotype...that it’s for kids who can’t make it academically,” he says.On one hand,that viewpoint is a logical product of America’s evolution.Manufacturing is not the economic engine that it once was.The job security that the US economy once offered to high school graduates has largely evaporated. More education is the new principle.We want more for our kids,and rightfully so.But the headlong push into bachelor’s degrees for all—and the subtle devaluing of anything less—misses an important point:That’s not the only thing the American economy needs.Yes,a bachelor’s degree opens moredoors.Buteven now,54 percent of the jobs in the country are middle-skill jobs,such as construction and high-skill manufacturing.But only 44 percent of workers are adequately trained.In other words,at a time when the working class has turned the country on its political head,frustrated that the opportunity that once defined America is vanishing,one obvious solution is staring us in the face.There is a gap in working-class jobs, but the workers who need those jobs most aren’t equipped to do them.Koziatek’s Manchester School of Technology High School is trying to fill that gap.Koziatek’s school is a wake-up call. When education becomes one-size-fits-all,it risks overlooking a nation’s diversity of gifts.21.A broken bike chain is mentioned to show students’ lack of.A.academic trainingB.practical abilityC.pioneering spiritD.mechanical memorization22.There exists the prejudice that vocational education is for kids who.A.have a stereotyped mindB.have no career motivationC.are financially disadvantagedD.are not academically successful23.we can infer from Paragraph 5 that high school graduates.ed to have more job opportunitiesed to have big financial concernsC.are entitled to more educational privilegesD.are reluctant to work in manufacturing24.The headlong push into bachelors degrees for all.A.helps create a lot of middle-skill jobsB.may narrow the gap in working-class jobsC.indicates the overvaluing of higher educationD.is expected to yield a better-trained workforce25.The author’s attitude toward Koziatek’s school can be described as.A.tolerantB.cautiousC.supportiveD.disappointedText 2While fossil fuels—coal,oil,gas—still generate roughly 85 percent of the world’s energy supply, it's clearer than ever that the future belongs to renewable sources such as wind and solar.The move to renewables is picking up momentum around the world:They now account for more than half of new power sources going on line.Some growth stems from a commitment by governments and farsighted businesses to fund cleaner energy sources. But increasingly the story is about the plummetingprices of renewables,especially wind and solar.The cost of solar panels has dropped by 80 percent and the cost of wind turbines by close to one-third in the past eight years.In many parts of the world renewable energy is already a principal energy source.In Scotland,for example,wind turbines provide enough electricity to power 95 percent of homes.While the rest of the world takes the lead,notably China and Europe,the United States is also seeing a remarkable shift.In March,for the first time,wind and solar power accounted for more than 10 percent of the power generated in the US,reported the US Energy Information Administration.President Trump has underlined fossil fuels—especially coal—as the path to economic growth.In a recent speech in Iowa,he dismissed wind power as an unreliable energy source.But that message did not play well with many in Iowa,where wind turbines dot the fields and provide 36 percent of the state’s electricity generation—and where tech giants like Microsoft are being attracted by the availability of clean energy to power their data centers.The question“what happens when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine?”has provided a quick put-down for skeptics.But a boost in the storage capacity of batteries is making their ability to keep power flowing around the clock more likely.The advance is driven in part by vehicle manufacturers,who are placing big bets on battery-powered electric vehicles.Although electric cars are still a rarity on roads now,this massive investment could change the picture rapidly in coming years.While there’s a long way to go,the trend lines for renewables are spiking.The pace of change in energy sources appears to be speeding up—perhaps just in time to have a meaningful effect in slowing climate change.What Washington does—or doesn’t do—to promote alternative energy may mean less and less at a time of a global shift in thought.26.The word“plummeting”(Line 3,Para.2)is closest in meaning to.A.stabilizingB.changingC.fallingD.rising27.According to Paragraph 3,the use of renewable energy in America.A.is progressing notablyB.is as extensive as in EuropeC.faces many challengesD.has proved to be impractical28.It can be learned that in Iowa, .A.wind is a widely used energy sourceB.wind energy has replaced fossil fuelsC.tech giants are investing in clean energyD.there is a shortage of clean energy supply29.Which ofthe following is true about clean energy according to Paragraphs 5&6?A.Its application has boosted battery storage.B.It is commonly used in car manufacturing.C.Its continuous supply is becoming a reality.D.Its sustainable exploitation will remain difficult.30.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that renewable energy.A.will bring the US closer to other countriesB.will accelerate global environmental changeC.is not really encouraged by the US governmentD.is not competitive enough with regard to its costText 3The power and ambition of the giants of the digital economy is astonishing—Amazon has justannounced the purchase of the upmarket grocery chain Whole Foods for$13.5bn,but two years ago Facebook paid even more than that to acquire the WhatsApp messaging service,which doesn’t have any physical product at all. What WhatsApp offered Facebook was an intricate and finely detailed web of its users’friendships and social lives.Facebook promised the European commission then that it would not link phone numbers to Facebook identities,but it broke the promise almost as soon as the deal went through.Even without knowing what was in the messages,the knowledge of who sent them and to whom was enormously revealing and still could be.What political journalist,what party whip,would not want to know the makeup of the WhatsApp groups in which Theresa May’s enemies are currentlyplotting?It may be that the value of Whole Foods to Amazon is not so much the 460 shops it owns, but the records of which customers have purchased what.Competition law appears to be the only way to address these imbalances of power.But it is clumsy. For one thing, it is very slow compared to the pace of change within the digital economy. By the time a problem has been addressed and remedied it may have vanished in the marketplace, to be replaced by new abuses of power.But there is a deeper conceptual problem, too. Competition law as presently interpreted deals with financial disadvantage to consumers and this is not obvious when the users of these services don’t pay for them.The users of their services are not their customers.That would be the people who buy advertising from them—and Facebook and Google,the two virtual giants,dominate digital advertising to the disadvantage of all other media and entertainment companies.The product they’re selling is data,and we,the users,convert our lives to data for the benefit of the digital giants. Just as some ants farm the bugs called aphidsfor the honeydew they produce when they feed, so Google farms us for the data that our digital lives yield.Ants keep predatory insects away from where their aphids feed; Gmail keeps the spammers out of our inboxes.It doesn’t feel like a human or democratic relationship,even if both sides benefit.31. According to Paragraph 1, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for its.A.digital productser informationC.physical assetsD.quality service32.Linking phone numbers to Facebook identities may.A.worsen political disputesB.mess up customer recordsC.pose a risk to Facebook usersD.mislead the European commission33.According to the author,competition law.A.should serve the new market powersB.may worsen the economic imbalanceC.should not provide just one legal solutionD.cannot keep pace with the changing marketpetition law as presently interpreted can hardly protect Facebook users because.A.they are not defined as customersB.they are not financially reliableC.the services are generally digitalD.the services are paid for by advertisers35.The ants analogy is used to illustrate.A.a win-win business model between digital giantsB.a typical competition pattern among digital giantsC.the benefits provided for digital giants’customersD.the relationship between digital giants and their usersText 4To combat the trap of putting a premium on being busy,Cal Newport,author of Deep work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted world,recommends building a habit of “deep work”—the ability to focus without distraction.There are a number of approaches to mastering the art of deep work—be it lengthy retreats dedicated to a specific task;developing a daily ritual;or taking a “journalistic” approach to seizing moments of deep work when you can throughout the day. Whichever approach,the key is to determine your length of focus time and stick to it.Newport also recommends “deepscheduling” to combat constant interruptions and get more done in less time.“At any given point,Ishould have deep work scheduled for roughly the next month.Once on the calendar I protect this time like Iwould a doctor’s appointment or important meeting”,he writes.Another approach to getting more done in less time is to rethink how you prioritize your day—in particular how we craft our to-do lists.Tim Harford, author of Messy:The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives,points to a study in the early 1980s that divided undergraduates into two groups:some were advised to set out monthly goals and study activities;others were told to plan activities and goals in much more detail,day by day.While the researchers assumed that the well-structured daily plans would be most effective when it came to the execution of tasks,they were wrong:the detailed daily plans demotivated students.Harford argues that inevitable distractions often render the daily to-do list ineffective,while leaving room for improvisation in such a list can reap the best results.In order to make the most of our focus and energy. We also need to embrace downtime,or as Newport suggests,“be lazy.”“Idleness is not just a vacation,an indulgence or a vice;it is as indispensable to be brain as Vitamin D is to the body...[idleness]is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done,”he argues.Srini Pillay,an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School,believes this counter-intuitive link between downtime and productivity may be due to the way our brains operate When our brains switch between being focused and unfocused on a task,they tend to be more efficient.“What people don’t realise is that in order to complete these tasks they need to use both the focus and unfocus circuits in their brain”. says Pillay.36. The key to mastering the art of deep work is to ________.A.keep to your focus timeB.list your immediate tasksC.make specific daily plansD.seize every minute to work37. The study in the early 1980s cited by Harford shows that ________.A.distractions may actually increase efficiencyB.daily schedules are indispensable to studyingC.students are hardly motivated by monthly goalsD.detailed plans many not be as fruitful as expected38. According to Newport, idleness is ________.A.a desirable mental state for busy peopleB.a major contributor to physical healthC.an effective way to save time and energyD.an essential factor in accomplishing any work39. Pillay believes that our brains’ shift between being focused and unfocused _______.A.can result in psychological well-beingB.canbring about greater efficiencyC.is aimed at better balance in workD.is driven by task urgency40. This text is mainly about _______.A.ways to relieve the tension of busy lifeB.approaches to getting more done in less timeC.the key to eliminating distractionsD.the cause of the lack of focus timePart BDirections:Read the following text and match each of the numbered items in the left column to its corresponding information in the right column. There are two extra choices in the right column. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)A. Just say itB. Be presentC. Pay a unique complimentD. Name, places, thingsE. Find the “me too”sF. Skip the small talkG. Ask for an opinionFive ways to make conversation with anyoneConversations are links, which means when you have a conversation with a new person a link gets formed and every conversation you have after that moment will strengthen the link.You meet new people every day: the grocery worker, the cab driver, new people at work or the security guard at the door. Simply starting a conversation with them will form a link.Here are five simple ways that you can make the first move and start a conversation with strangers.41.____________Suppose you are in a room with someone you don’t know and something within you says“I want to talk with this person”—this is something the mostly happens with all of us. You wanted to say something—the first word—but it just won’t come out. It feels like itis stuck somewhere, I know the feeling and here is my advice just get it out.Just think: that is the worst that could happen? They won’t talk with you? Well, they are not talking with you now!I truly believe that once you get that first word out everything else will just flow. So keep it simple: “Hi”,“Hey”or“Hello”—do the best you can to gather all of the enthusiasm and energy you can, put on a big smile and say“Hi”.42.____________It’s a problem all of us face: you have limited time with the person that you want to talk with and you want to make this talk memorable.Honestly, if we got stuck in the rut of“hi”,“hello”, “how are you?”and“what’s going on?”you will fail to give the initial jolt to the conversation that’s can make it so memorable.So don’t be afraid to ask more personal questions. Trust me, you’ll be surprised to see how much people are willing to share if you just ask.43.____________When you meet a person for the first time, make an effort to find the things which you and that person have in common so that you can build the conversation from that point. When you startconversation from there and then move outwards, you’ll find all of a sudden that the conversation becomes a lot easier.44.____________Imagine you are pouring your heart out to someone and they are just busy on their phone, and if you ask for their attention you get the response “I can multitask”.So when someone tries to communicate with you, just be in that communication wholeheartedly. Make eye contact, you can feel the conversation.45.____________You all came into a conversation where you first met the person, but after some time you may have met again and have forgotten their name. Isn’t that awkward!So remember the little details of the people you met or you talked with; perhaps the places they have been to the place they want to go, the things they like, the thing the hate—whatever you talk about.When you remember such thing you can automatically become investor in their wellbeing. So the feel a responsibility to you to keep that relationship going.That’s it. Five amazing ways that you can make conversation with almost anyone. Every person is a really good book to read, or to have a conversation with!Section Ⅲ Translation46.Directions:Translate the following text into Chinese. Your translation should be written on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)A fifth garder gets a homework assignment to select his future career path from a list of occupations. He ticks “astronaut” but quickly adds “scientist” to the list and selects it as well. The boy is convinced that if he reads enough. He can explore as many career paths as he likes. And so he reads—everything from encyclopedias to science fiction novels. He reads so passionately that his parents have to institute a “no reading policy”at the dinner table.That boy was Bill Gates,and he hasn’t stopped reading yet—not even after becoming one of the most science fiction and reference books; recently, he revealed that he reads at least so nonfiction books a year. Gates chooses nonfiction title because they explain how the world works.“Each book opens up new avenues of knowledge,”Gates says.Section ⅣWritingPart A47. Directions:Suppose you have to cancel your travel plan and will not be able to visit Professor Smith. Write him an email to1)apologize and explain the situation, and2)suggest a future meeting.You should write about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.Do not use your own name. Use“Li Ming” instead.Do not write your address.(10 points)Part B48. Directions:Write an essay based on the chart below. In your writing you should1)interpret the chart and2)give your commentsYou should write about 150 words on the ANSWER SHEET.(15 points)。
2018年考研英语真题答案及解析
2018年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语(一)试题答案详解Section I Use of English全文翻译:你的大脑与信任:为什么我们天生信任别人信任是一件棘手的事,一方面,(1)对很多重要的事情来说,这是一个必要条件:托儿、友情等,另一方面,把你的(2)信任放在错误的地方通常伴有高昂的(3)代价。
(4)那么,我们究竟为什么要相信别人呢?嗯,因为这样感觉很好。
(5)当人们相信一个人或一个机构时,他们的大脑会释放催产素,这是一种会(6)制造愉悦情感和激发群体集本能的激素,这种本能促使人们彼此(7)联系。
科学家发现,接触(8)到这种激素让我们处于信任的(9)情绪中:在一项瑞士的研究中,研究人员将催产素喷洒进半数受试者的鼻子里;这些人准备借给陌生人的钱的数额比吸入了其他物品的(10)对应受试者高得多。
对我们来说(11)幸运的是,我们还有识别不诚实的第六感,这可以(12)保护我们。
一项加拿大的研究发现,仅14个月大的孩子就能够将可靠的人和不诚实的人区分开来。
60个刚学步的小孩每人都被(14)介绍给一个拿着塑料容器的成人测试人员。
测试人员在看向容器里之前会问:“这里面有什么呢?”然后笑着惊叹:“哇哦!”然后邀请每一个受试者看向容器(15)里面。
一半的小孩发现有玩具;另一半(16)发现容器里是空的——然后意识到测试人员(17)欺骗了他们.在没有被戏弄的孩子中,大部分都(18)愿意同测试人员合作学习一项新技能,说明他们相信他的领导地位,(19)相比之下,同(20)“不可靠的”测试人员被配对的30个孩子中,只有5个参与了后续活动。
1、【答案】[C]for【解析】此处考察介词的用法。
it’s a necessary condition____many worthwhile things(信任是一个必要条件_____许多重要事情)此处应该是说,信任对许多重要事情来说是一个必要条件。
C选项for(对...来说)符合语义,故为正确答案;D选项from(来自于),B选项like(像...),A选项on(关于)语义不恰当,故排除。
2018考研英语阅读理解模拟练习题含答案
2018考研英语阅读理解模拟练习题含答案2018考研英语阅读理解模拟练习题含答案2018考研英语阅读理解题的备考需要考生多花时间去做模拟练习题,熟悉题型,提高做题的准确率。
今天,店铺准备了2018考研英语阅读理解模拟练习题,以供考生练习。
2018考研英语阅读理解模拟练习题:【原文】Shortages of flu vaccine are nothing new in America, but this year's is a whopper. Until last week, it appeared that 100 million Americans would have access to flu shots this fall. Then British authorities,concerned about quality-control problems at a production plant in Liverpool, barred all further shipments by the Chiron Corp. Overnight, the U.S. vaccine supply dwindled by nearly half——and federal health officials found themselves making an unusual plea. Instead of beseeching us all to get vaccinated, they're now urging most healthy people between the ages of 2 and 64 not to. “This re-emphasizes the fragility of our vaccine supply,” says Dr. Martin Myers of the National Network for Immunization Information,“and the lack of redundancy in our system.”Why is such a basic health service so easily knocked out? Mainly because private companies have had little incentive to pursue it. T o create a single dose of flu vaccine, a manufacturer has to grow live virus in a 2-week-old fertilized chicken egg,then crack the egg, harvest the virus and extract the proteins used to provoke an immune response. Profit margins are narrow,demand is fickle and, because each year's flu virus is different,any leftover vaccine goes to waste. As a result, the United States now has only two major suppliers (Chiron and Aventis Pasteur)——and when one of them runs into trouble, there isn't much theother can do about it. “A vaccine maker can't just call up and order 40 million more fertilized eggs,” says Manon Cox, of Connecticut-based Protein Sciences Corp. “There's a whole industry that's scheduled to produce a certain number of eggs at a certain time.”Sleeker technologies are now in the works, and experts are hoping that this year's fiasco will speed the pace of innovation. The main challenge is to shift production from eggs into cell cultures——a medium already used to make most other vaccines. Flu vaccines are harder than most to produce this way,but several biotech companies are now pursuing this strategy, and one culture-based product (Solvay Pharmaceuticals' Invivac) has been cleared for marketing in Europe.For America, the immediate challenge is to make the most of a limited supply. The government estimates that 95 million people still qualify for shots under the voluntary restrictions announced last week. That's nearly twice the number of doses that clinics will have on hand,but only 60 million Americans seek out shots in a normal year. In fact, many experts are hoping the shortage will serve as an awareness campaign——encouraging the people who really need a flu shot to get one.注(1):本文选自Newsweek; 10/18/2004,p57-57,2/3p,1c;注(2):本文习题命题模仿对象1—4题模仿1997年真题text 3,第5题模仿1997年真题text 4的第四小题;2018考研英语阅读理解模拟练习题:【题目】1. Shortages of flue vaccine show that ____.[A] America relies too much on foreign suppliers[B] the demand of flue vaccines is high this year[C] quality problem is a serious problem in flu vaccineproduction[D] the supply of flu vaccines is rather weak and America has no back-up measures to make it up2. The word “cleared” (Line 5, Paragraph 3) might mean ____.[A]permitted[B]removed[C]proved[D]produced3. Private companies have little interest in producing flu vaccines because of ____.[A]complicated process, high cost, low profit and high risk[B]shortages of fertilized chicken eggs[C]difficulty in growing live virus[D]fast changing of flu virus4. From the last paragraph we can infer that ____.[A] the government hopes to solve the problem by way of volunteer restrictions[B] more than 47 million Americans who are qualified to get flu vaccine shots can not get them this year[C] America has to deal with a limited supply of flu vaccines this year[D] normally only a small percentage of American population gets flu vaccine shots each year5. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?[A] All Americans are persuaded not to get vaccinated this year.[B] The big problem in innovating flu vaccine producing technique is how to grow virus in a new way.[C] More flu vaccines can not be produced in a short timebecause private companies refuse to produce more.[D] Flu vaccines are easier than most vaccines to produce through cell cultures.2018考研英语阅读理解模拟练习题:【答案】D A A B B。
2018年考研英语真题及答案
2018年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语(一)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 the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)Trust is a tricky business. On the one hand, it's a necessary condition 1 many worthwhile things: child care, friendships, etc. On the other hand, putting your 2, in the wrong place often carries a high 3.4, why do we trust at all? Well, because it feels good. 5 people place their trust in an individual or an institution, their brains release oxytocin, a hormone that 6 pleasurable feelings and triggers the herding instruct that prompts humans to 7 with one another. Scientists have found that exposure 8 this hormone puts us in a trusting 9: In a Swiss study, researchers sprayed oxytocin into the noses of half the subjects; those subjects were ready to lend significantly higher amounts of money to strangers than were their 10 who inhaled something else.11 for us, we also have a sixth sense for dishonesty that may 12 us. A Canadian study found that children as young as 14 months can differentiate 13 a credible person and a dishonest one. Sixty toddlers were each 14 to an adult tester holding a plasticc ontainer. The tester would ask, “What’s in here?” before looking into the container, smiling, and exclaiming, “Wow!” Each subject was then invited to look 15. Half of them found a toy; the other half 16 the container was empty-and realized the tester had 17 them.Among the children who had not been tricked, the majority were 18 to cooperate with the tester in learning a new skill, demonstrating that they trusted his leadership. 19, only five of the 30 children paired with the “20”tester participated in a follow-up activity.1. [A] on [B] like [C] for [D] from2. [A] faith [B] concern [C] attention [D] interest3. [A] benefit [B] debt [C] hope [D] price4. [A] Therefore [B] Then [C] Instead [D] Again5. [A]Until [B] Unless [C] Although [D] When6. [A] selects [B] produces [C] applies [D] maintains7. [A] consult [B] compete [C] connect [D] compare8. [A] at [B] by [C]of [D]to9. [A] context [B] mood [C] period [D] circle10.[A] counterparts [B] substitutes [C] colleagues [D]supporters11.[A] Funny [B] Lucky [C] Odd [D] Ironic12.[A] monitor [B] protect [C] surprise [D] delight13.[A] between [B] within [C] toward [D] over14.[A] transferred [B] added [C] introduced [D] entrusted15.[A] out [B] back [C] around [D] inside16.[A] discovered [B] proved [C] insisted [D] .remembered17.[A] betrayed [B]wronged [C] fooled [D] mocked18.[A] forced [B] willing [C] hesitant [D] entitled19.[A] In contrast [B] As a result [C] On the whole [D] For instance20.[A] inflexible [B] incapable [C] unreliable [D] unsuitableSection 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 the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)Text 1Among the annoying challenges facing the middle class is one that will probably go unmentioned in the next presidential campaign: What happens when the robots come for their jobs?Don't dismiss that possibility entirely. About half of U.S. jobs are at high risk of being automated, according to a University of Oxford study, with the middle class disproportionately squeezed. Lower-income jobs like gardening or day care don't appeal to robots. But many middle-class occupations-trucking, financial advice, software engineering — have aroused their interest, or soon will. The rich own the robots, so they will be fine.This isn't to be alarmist. Optimists point out that technological upheaval has benefited workers in the past. The Industrial Revolution didn't go so well for Luddites whose jobs were displaced by mechanized looms, but it eventually raised living standards and created more jobs than it destroyed. Likewise, automation should eventually boost productivity, stimulate demand by driving down prices, and free workers from hard, boring work. But in the medium term, middle-class workers may need a lot of help adjusting.The first step, as Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee argue in The Second Machine Age, should be rethinking education and job training. Curriculums —from grammar school to college- should evolve to focus less on memorizing facts and more on creativity and complex communication. Vocational schools should do a better job of fostering problem-solving skills and helping students work alongside robots. Online education can supplement the traditional kind. It could make extra training and instruction affordable. Professionals trying to acquire new skills will be able to do so without going into debt.The challenge of coping with automation underlines the need for the U.S. to revive its fading business dynamism: Starting new companies must be made easier. In previous eras of drastic technological change, entrepreneurs smoothed the transition by dreaming up ways to combine labor and machines. The best uses of 3D printers and virtual reality haven't been invented yet. The U.S. needs the new companies that will invent them.Finally, because automation threatens to widen the gap between capital income and labor income, taxes and the safety net will have to be rethought. Taxes on low-wage labor need to be cut, and wage subsidies such as the earned income tax credit should be expanded: This would boost incomes, encourage work, reward companies for job creation, and reduce inequality.Technology will improve society in ways big and small over the next few years, yet this will be little comfort to those who find their lives and careers upended by automation. Destroying the machines that are coming for our jobs would be nuts. But policies to help workers adapt will be indispensable.21.Who will be most threatened by automation?[A] Leading politicians.[B]Low-wage laborers.[C]Robot owners.[D]Middle-class workers.22 .Which of the following best represent the author’s view?[A] Worries about automation are in fact groundless.[B]Optimists' opinions on new tech find little support.[C]Issues arising from automation need to be tackled[D]Negative consequences of new tech can be avoidedcation in the age of automation should put more emphasis on[A] creative potential.[B]job-hunting skills.[C]individual needs.[D]cooperative spirit.24.The author suggests that tax policies be aimed at[A] encouraging the development of automation.[B]increasing the return on capital investment.[C]easing the hostility between rich and poor.[D]preventing the income gap from widening.25.In this text, the author presents a problem with[A] opposing views on it.[B]possible solutions to it.[C]its alarming impacts.[D]its major variations.Text 2A new survey by Harvard University finds more than two-thirds of young Americans disapprove of President Trump’s use of Twitter. The implication is that Millennials prefer news from the White House to be filtered through other source, Not a president’s social media platform.Most Americans rely on social media to check daily headlines. Yet as distrust has risen toward all media, people may be starting to beef up their media literacy skills. Such a trend is badly needed. During the 2016 presidential campaign, nearly a quarter of web content shared by Twitter users in the politically critical state of Michigan was fake news, according to the University of Oxford. And a survey conducted for BuzzFeed News found 44 percent of Facebook users rarely or never trust news from the media giant.Young people who are digital natives are indeed becoming more skillful at separating fact from fiction in cyberspace. A Knight Foundation focus-group survey of young people between ages 14and24 found they use “distributed trust” to verify stories. Theycross-check sources and prefer news from different perspectives—especially those that are open about any bias. “Many young people assume a great deal of personal responsibility for educating themselves and actively seeking out opposing viewpoints,” the survey concluded.Such active research can have another effect. A 2014 survey conducted in Australia, Britain, and the United States by the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that young people’s reliance on social media led to greater political engagement.Social media allows users to experience news events more intimately and immediately while also permitting them to re-share news as a projection of their values and interests. This forces users to be more conscious of their role in passing along information. A survey by Barna research group found the top reason given by Americans for the fake news phenomenon is “reader error,” more so than made-up stories or factual mistakes in reporting. About a third say the problem of fake news lies in “misinterpretation or exagger ation of actual news” via social media. In other words, the choice to share news on social media may be the heart of the issue. “This indicates there is a real personal responsibility in counteracting this problem,” says Roxanne Stone, editor in chief at B arna Group.So when young people are critical of an over-tweeting president, they reveal a mental discipline in thinking skills – and in their choices on when to share on social media.26. According to the Paragraphs 1 and 2, many young Americans cast doubts on[A] the justification of the news-filtering practice.[B] people’s preference for social media platforms.[C] the administrations ability to handle information.[D] social media was a reliable source of news.27. The phrase “beer up”(Li ne 2, Para. 2) is closest in meaning to[A] sharpen[B] define[C] boast[D] share28. According to the knight foundation survey, young people[A] tend to voice their opinions in cyberspace.[B] verify news by referring to diverse resources.[C] have s strong sense of responsibility.[D] like to exchange views on “distributed trust”29. The Barna survey found that a main cause for the fake news problem is[A] readers outdated values.[B] journalists’ biased reporting[C] readers’ m isinterpretation[D] journalists’ made-up stories.30. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?[A] A Rise in Critical Skills for Sharing News Online[B] A Counteraction Against the Over-tweeting Trend[C] The Accumulation of Mutual Trust on Social Media.[D] The Platforms for Projection of Personal Interests.Text 3Any fair-minded assessment of the dangers of the deal between Britain's National Health Service (NHS) and DeepMind must start by acknowledging that both sides mean well. DeepMind is one of the leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies in the world. Thepotential of this work applied to healthcare is very great, but it could also lead to further concentration of power in the tech giants. It Is against that background that the information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, has issued her damning verdict against the Royal Free hospital trust under the NHS, which handed over to DeepMind the records of 1.6 million patients In 2015 on the basis of a vague agreement which took far too little account of the patients' rights and their expectations of privacy.DeepMind has almost apologized. The NHS trust has mended its ways. Further arrangements- and there may be many-between the NHS and DeepMind will be carefully scrutinised to ensure that all necessary permissions have been asked of patients and all unnecessary data has been cleaned. There are lessons about informed patient consent to learn. But privacy is not the only angle in this case and not even the most important. Ms Denham chose to concentrate the blame on the NHS trust, since under existing law it “controlled” the data and DeepMind merely “processed" it. But this distinction misses the point that it is processing and aggregation, not the mere possession of bits, that gives the data value.The great question is who should benefit from the analysis of all the data that our lives now generate. Privacy law builds on the concept of damage to an individual from identifiable knowledge about them. That misses the way the surveillance economy works. The data of an individual there gains its value only when it is compared with the data of countless millions more.The use of privacy law to curb the tech giants in this instance feels slightly maladapted. This practice does not address the real worry. It is not enough to say that the algorithms DeepMind develops will benefit patients and save lives. What matters is that they will belong to a private monopoly which developed them using public resources. If software promises to save lives on the scale that dugs now can, big data may be expected to behave as a big pharm has done. We are still at the beginning of this revolution and small choices now may turn out to have gigantic consequences later. A long struggle will be needed to avoid a future of digital feudalism. Ms Denham's report is a welcome start.31.Wha is true of the agreement between the NHS and DeepMind ?[A] It caused conflicts among tech giants.[B] It failed to pay due attention to patient’s rights.[C] It fell short of the latter's expectations[D] It put both sides into a dangerous situation.32. The NHS trust responded to Denham's verdict with[A] empty promises.[B] tough resistance.[C] necessary adjustments.[D] sincere apologies.33.The author argues in Paragraph 2 that[A] privacy protection must be secured at all costs.[B] leaking patients' data is worse than selling it.[C] making profits from patients' data is illegal.[D] the value of data comes from the processing of it34.According to the last paragraph, the real worry arising from this deal is[A] the vicious rivalry among big pharmas.[B] the ineffective enforcement of privacy law.[C] the uncontrolled use of new software.[D] the monopoly of big data by tech giants.35.The author's attitude toward the application of AI to healthcare is[A] ambiguous.[B] cautious.[C] appreciative.[D] contemptuous.Text 4The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to bleed red ink. It reported a net loss of $5.6 billion for fiscal 2016, the 10th straight year its expenses have exceeded revenue. Meanwhile, it has more than $120 billion in unfunded liabilities, mostly for employee health and retirement costs. There are many bankruptcies. Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, first-class mail, and a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new realityAnd interest groups ranging from postal unions to greeting-card makers exertself-interested pressure on the USPS’s ultimate overseer-Congress-insisting that whatever else happens to the Postal Service, aspects of the status quo they depend on get protected. This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation have failed in recent years, leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by deferring vital modernization.Now comes word that everyone involved---Democrats, Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the system's heaviest users—has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. Legislation is moving through the House that would save USPS an estimated $28.6 billion over five years, which could help pay for new vehicles, among other survival measures. Most of the money would come from a penny-per-letter permanent rate increase and from shifting postal retirees into Medicare. The latter step would largely offset the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and its union.If it clears the House, this measure would still have to get through the Senate – where someone is bound to point out that it amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to keep the Postal Servi ce afloat, not comprehensive reform. There’s no change to collective bargaining at the USPS, a major omission considering that personnel accounts for 80 percent of the agency’s costs. Also missing is any discussion of eliminating Saturday letter delivery. That common-sense change enjoys wide public support and would save the USPS $2 billion per year. But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in the House. The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they’re getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 21st century.36.The financial problem with the USPS is caused partly by[A]. its unbalanced budget.[B] .its rigid management.[C] .the cost for technical upgrading.[D]. the withdrawal of bank support.37. According to Paragraph 2, the USPS fails to modernize itself due to[A]. the interference from interest groups.[B] .the inadequate funding from Congress.[C] .the shrinking demand for postal service.[D] .the incompetence of postal unions.38.The long-standing complaint by the USPS and its unions can be addressed by[A] .removing its burden of retiree health care.[B] .making more investment in new vehicles.[C] .adopting a new rate-increase mechanism.[D]. attracting more first-class mail users.39.In the last paragraph, the author seems to view legislators with[A] respect.[B] tolerance.[C] discontent.[D] gratitude.40.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?[A] .The USPS Starts to Miss Its Good Old Days[B] .The Postal Service: Keep Away from My Cheese[C] .The USPS: Chronic Illness Requires a Quick Cure[D] .The Postal Service Needs More than a Band-AidPart BDirections:The following paragraphs are given in a wrong order. For Questions 41-45, you are required to reorganize these paragraphs into a coherent article by choosing from the list A-G and filling them into the numbered boxes. Paragraphs C and F have been correctly placed. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)A. In December of 1869, Congress appointed a commission to select a site and prepare plans and cost estimates for a new State Department Building. The commission was also to consider possible arrangements for the War and Navy Departments. To the horror of some who expected a Greek Revival twin of the Treasury Building to be erected on the other side of the White House, the elaborate French Second Empire style design by Alfred Mullett was selected, and construction of a building to house all three departments began in June of 1871.B. Completed in 1875, the State Department's south wing was the first to be occupied, with its elegant four-story library (completed in 1876), Diplomatic Reception Room, and Secretary's office decorated with carved wood, Oriental rugs, and stenciled wall patterns. The Navy Department moved into the east wing in 1879, where elaborate wall and ceiling stenciling and marquetry floors decorated the office of the Secretary.C. The State, War, and Navy Building, as it was originally known, housed the three Executive Branch Departments most intimately associated with formulating and conducting the nation's foreign policy in the last quarter of the nineteenth century and thefirst quarter of the twentieth century-the period when the United States emerged as an international power. The building has housed some of the nation's most significant diplomats and politicians and has been the scene of many historic events.D. Many of the most celebrated national figures have participated in historical events that have taken place within the EEOB's granite walls. Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush all had offices in this building before becoming president. It has housed 16 Secretaries of the Navy, 21 Secretaries of War, and 24 Secretaries of State. Winston Churchill once walked its corridors and Japanese emissaries met here with Secretary of State Cordell Hull after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.E. The Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) commands a unique position in both the national history and the architectural heritage of the United States. Designed by Supervising Architect of the Treasury, Alfred B. Mullett, it was built from 1871 to 1888 to house the growing staffs of the State, War, and Navy Departments, and is considered one of the best examples of French Second Empire architecture in the country.F. Construction took 17 years as the building slowly rose wing by wing. When the EEOB was finished, it was the largest office building in Washington, with nearly 2 miles of black and white tiled corridors. Almost all of the interior detail is of cast iron or plaster; the use of wood was minimized to insure fire safety. Eight monumental curving staircases of granite with over 4,000 individually cast bronze balusters are capped by four skylight domes and two stained glass rotundas.G. The history of the EEOB began long before its foundations were laid. The first executive offices were constructed between 1799 and 1820. A series of fires (including those set by the British in 1814) and overcrowded conditions led to the construction of the existing Treasury Building. In 1866, the construction of the North Wing of the Treasury Building necessitated the demolition of the State Department building.41. à Cà42. à 43. à F à 44 à 45.Part CDirections:Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points) Sha kespeare’s life time was coincident with a period of extraordinary activity and achievement in the drama. By the date of his birth Europe was witnessing the passing of the religious drama, and the creation of new forms under the incentive of classical tragedy and comedy. These new forms were at first mainly written by scholars and performed by amateurs, but in England, as everywhere else in western Europe, the growth of a class of professional actors was threatening to make the drama popular, whether it should be new or old, classical or medieval, literary or farcical. Court, school organizations of amateurs, and the traveling actors were all rivals in supplying a widespread desire for dramatic entertainment; and (47) no boy who went a grammar school could be ignorant that the drama was a form of literature which gave glory to Greece and Rome and might yet bring honor to England.When Shakespeare was twelve years old, the first public playhouse was built in London. For a time literature showed no interest in this public stage. Plays aiming atliterary distinction were written for school or court, or for the choir boys of St. Paul’s and the royal chapel, who, however, gave plays in public as well as at court.(48)but the professional companies prospered in their permanent theaters, and university men with literature ambitions were quick to turn to these theaters as offering a means of livelihood. By the time Shakespeare was twenty-five, Lyly, Peele, and Greene had made comedies that were at once popular and literary; Kyd had written a tragedy that crowded the pit; and Marlowe had brought poetry and genius to triumph on the common stage - where they had played no part since the death of Euripides. (49)A native literary drama had been created, its alliance with the public playhouses established, and at least some of its great traditions had been begun.The development of the Elizabethan drama for the next twenty-five years is of exceptional interest to students of literary history, for in this brief period we may trace the beginning, growth, blossoming, and decay of many kinds of plays, and of many great careers. We are amazed today at the mere number of plays produced, as well as by the number of dramatists writing at the same time for this London of two hundred thousand inhabitants. (50)To realize how great was the dramatic activity, we must remember further that hosts of plays have been lost, and that probably there is no author of note whose entire work has survived.Section III WritingPart A51. Directions:Write an email to all international experts on campus inviting them to attend the graduation ceremony. In your email you should include time, place and other relevant information about the ceremony.You should write about 100 words neatly on the ANSEWER SHEETDo not use your own name at the end of the email. Use “Li Ming” instead. (10 points) Part B52. Directions:Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the picture below. In your essay, you should write neatly on the ANWSER SHEET.Do not sign you own name at the end of the letter, use “Li Ming ” instead.Do not write the address .(10 points)2018年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语(一)试题答案详解注意:英语试卷为花卷,以答案内容进行核对Section I Use of English1、【答案】[B] for【解析】此处考察介词的用法。
2018年可锐考研英语阅读真题解析
2018年可锐考研英语阅读真题解析(三)五、胚胎研究BBC ‘s Casualty programme on Saturday evening gave viewers a vote as to which of two patients should benefit from a donation. But it failed to tell us that we would not need to make so many life-and-death decisions if we got to grip with the chronic organ shortage. Being pussyfooting around in its approach to dead bodies, the Government is giving a kicking to some of the most vulnerable in our society. One depressing consequence of this is that a significant number of those on the waiting list take off to foreign countries to purchase an organ from a living third-world donor, something that is forbidden in the United Kingdom. The poor have no option but to wait in vain.The Human Tissue Authority’s position on the retention of body parts for medical research after a post-mortem examination is equally flawed. The new consent forms could have been drafted by some evil person seeking to stop the precious flow of human tissue into the pathological laboratory. The forms are so lengthy that doctors rarely have time to complete them and, even if they try, the wording is so graphic that relatives tend to leg it before signing. In consequence, the number of post mortems has fallen quickly.The wider worry is that the moral shortsightedness evident in the Human Tissue Act seems to infect every facet of the contemporary debate on medical ethics. Take the timid approach to embryonic stem cell research. The United States, for example, refuses government funding to scientists who wish to carry out potentially ground-breaking research on the surplus embryos created by IVF treatment.Senators profess to be worried that embryonic research fails to respect the dignity of “potential persons”. Rarely can such a vacuous concept have found its way into a debate claming to provide enlightenment. When is this “potential”supposed to kick in? In case you were wondering, these supposedly precious embryos are at the same stage of development as those that are routinely terminated by the Pill without anyone crying. Thankfully, the British Government has refused the position of the United States and operates one of the most liberal regimes in Europe, in which licences have been awarded to researchers to create embryos for medical research. It is possible that, in years to come, scientists will be able to grow organs in the lab and find cures for a range of debilitating diseases.The fundamental problem with our approach to ethics is our inability to separate emotion from policy. The only factor that should enter our moral and legal deliberations is that of welfare, a concept that is meaningless when applied to entities that lack self-consciousness. Never forget that the research that we are so reluctant to conduct upon embryos and dead bodies is routinely carried out on living, pain-sensitive animals.1. What has caused the chronic organ shortage?[A] a decrease in donation rates. [B] inefficient governmental policy.[C] illegal trade in human organs. [D] news media’s indifference.2. The expression “pussyfooting around”might mean______.[A] unfair [B] hesitant [C] secret [D] strict3. The moral shortsightedness is revealed in the fact that _____.[A] the government has stopped the experiment on human tissue[B] the donation consent forms are difficult to understand[C] the Human Tissues Act is an obstacle to important medical research[D] embryonic research shows disregard for human life4. To which of the following is the author most likely to agree?[A] the rich and the poor are equal in the face of death. [B] more scientists are needed for the medical advancement.[C] there is a double standard in medical ethics. [D] the dead deserve the same attention as the living.5. The author is most critical of_____.[A] the media [B] doctors [C] U. S. Legislators [D] the British government答案:1.B 2.B 3.C 4.C 5.C核心词汇和超纲词汇get to grips with认真处理chronic慢性的,长期的,延续很长的pussyfoot谨慎的,顾虑重重的approach 方式、方法、态度,如The school has decided to adopt a different ~ to discipline vulnerable易受攻击的,脆弱的,敏感的retention保留,保持;retainleg it逃跑purport自称,标榜;主要意思,大意,主旨kick in开始生效regime统治方式,统治制度,政权,政体;组织方法,管理体制deliberation熟思,考虑,商议全文翻译英国广播公司的“急诊服务处”节目于周六晚上让电视观众投票,决定两个病人之中哪一个应该受益于器官捐赠。
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2018年考研英语阅读材料之健身产业
The fitness industry
健身产业
It works out cheaper
降低成本运作
Cut-price gyms are seizing a growing share of a stagnant market
减价的健身房在萧条的市场中的份额日益增加
Bulk discount
批量折扣
GETTING out of a pricey monthly gym membership has traditionally been as hard as squeezing into lycra after the Christmas break.
摆脱昂贵的月制健身房会员身份从传统意义上来说就如圣诞节假期后挤入莱卡那样难But at Fitness4Less, a low-cost gym in east London, membership is more flexible. Customers pay 15.99a month and can leave at any point. Like cut-price airlines and supermarkets, budget gyms are muscling in on the market.
但是在伦敦东部的一个低成本健身房Fitness4Less 里,会员制度更为灵活。
客户只需每月缴纳15.99 英镑,并且可以在任何时候终止会员关系。
就像廉价航空和打折超市那样,廉价健身房也打算在市场中分得一杯羹。
Their rise reflects the recent shakiness of Britain’s economy. Although budget chains constitute only 8% of the revenue, they now account for 21% of all fitness-club members. Low-cost gyms boast around 5,000 members per club compared with an industry average of about 1,900, according to Mintel, a consultancy. Such high numbers help keep membership cheap. Many accommodate such large numbers by opening 24 hours a day. That is appealing to the growing numbers of Britons doing shift work.
廉价健身房的崛起反应了英国经济近期的局势动荡。
虽然廉价连锁店的收入只占了8%,但是它们占到健身俱乐部会员人数的21%。
与咨询公司Mintel 作出1900 名会员的平均水平相比,低成本的健身房宣称其每间俱乐部都有大约5000 名会员。
如此高的数字有助于会员制价格保持低廉。
如此庞大的会员量要依靠24 小时营业来分流。
这也就吸引越来越多的英国人来做轮班。
Membership turnover is high, too, but two-thirds of those who leave Fitness4Less come back, says Emma Edwards, one of its owners. Budget gyms are growing faster than any other part of the sector; roughly 200% since 2011. Pure Gym, a low-cost chain, has opened 75 clubs since 2009.Fitness First, a mid-range chain where monthly membership can cost 70, only has 75 clubs now,down from 150 in 2007.
会员制下的人员流动率也很高,但是有三分之二的顾客在离开Fitness4Less 之后,都会再次回归它的怀抱,健身房老板之一艾玛·爱德华兹如是说。
廉价健身房的数量的增长速度要完爆业界其他部分好几条大街:自2011 年以来,差不多增长了200%。
Pure Gym,一个低成本的连锁健身房,自2009 年以来已经开了75 家。
而会员费为70 英镑的Fitness First,
一家中等规模的连锁健身房,从2007 年的150 家连锁跌至目前仅剩的75 家。
Budget-gym bunnies scan their fingerprints or use personal ID numbers to gain access. That cuts spending on costly membership cards and receptionists. There are few frills, such as saunas and cafes. Up to 70% of the machines at The Gym, another fast-growing chain, use no electricity,reducing overheads. No contracts mean no salaries or commissions for salespeople.
廉价健身房的会员通过扫描指纹或者使用个人ID 号进入健身房。
此举削减了昂贵的会员卡与接待员开支,例如桑拿浴室和咖啡厅等多余装饰,在健身房内很少见到。
健身房内70%的空间都是健身的机器。
而另一项急速增长的产业链就是不使用电能,这样可以减少开支。
没有合同就意味着没有付给销售人员的佣金或者工资。
Other cheap ways to keep fit are thriving too, from online classes to low-cost mobile fitness apps. Fancy gyms—where single classes can cost more than a monthly budget gym membership–are also flourishing. It is just the flabby middle that is being squeezed.
从网上课程到低成本的移动健身应用程序,使用其他廉价方式来保持身材的方法现在也十分流行。
花哨的健身房-----在那里一个单独的课程的花费可以超过廉价健身房每月的会员费---生意也同样蒸蒸日上。
这种单独课程的花费只不过是健身零碎花费的集中体现。