《2008考研英語畢金獻(xiàn)沖刺試題解析》試題二

Section�、� Reading Comprehension

　　Part A

　　Directions:

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

　　Text1

　　In order to understand childhood today, one must explore its history, an odd notion in many who instinctively assume that childhood as we know it has always existed. In The Disappearance of Childhood, social critic Nell Postman constructs a socio-historical context by which to view childhood. He begins his analysis by differentiating the biological basis for the notion of childhood from the sociological. It is clear, he argues, that we can categorize as “children” those members of society below a certain age or level of physical maturity. But what is not so obvious is the notion that childhood can also be defined as a state of life in which the social development and intellectual awareness of society’s young is markedly different from that of the rest of the community. Based on this perspective, Postman argues that childhood can be viewed as a social construction, one that finds favor and prominence in some cultures and time periods, but not in others. In his analysis, Postman concludes that today, childhood is not merely evolving, but is in fact in danger of extinction.

　　According to Postman, medieval Europeans perceived no clear distinction between children and adults. Since the idea that secrets could or should be kept from children was unheard of, children inhabited the same social and intellectual environment as adults. Community life was an “open book”, so to speak, accessible not just to adults but to the youth of society as well. The invention of the printing press in the fifteenth century, Postman argues, made possible a new symbolic world accessible only to adults. Effectively excluded from adult matters by their inability to read, children formed a new sphere all their own as a new and strenuous educational process separated the pre�瞝iterate world of the child from the literate world of the adult. According to this new stratification (division), distinct childhood customs on one hand and realms of experience and knowledge accessible only to adults on the other came into being.

　　Postman asserts that this separation existed until roughly the middle of the twentieth century, when television began its assault on literary culture and, through ubiquitous (omnipresent) entertainment and news programs, started to bring the entire population back into the same symbolic domain. Postman contends that much like in the Middle Ages, children today are becoming “mini adults” in terms of dress, speech, food, activities, and general knowledge of the world. Moreover, this is not a one-0way process, but rather a convergence (junction) whereby the child becomes more adult-like and the adult becomes more child-like. Postman does not shy away from a major implication of his theory: that the disappearance of the child signifies the disappearance of the adult.

　　21. The author mentions “an odd notion” (Par. 1) primarily in order to

　　［A］ emphasize the unusual theme of Postman’s theory.

　�。跙］ discount in advance opposition to Postman’s theory.

　�。跜］ indicate the controversial subject of Postman’s theory.

　�。跠］ illustrate Postman’s theory in a socio-historic context.

　　22. It can be inferred from the text that medieval children

　　［A］ kept secrets from their parents.

　�。跙］ had the same social status as adults.

　�。跜］ were unsegregated from adult matters.

　�。跠］ were informed of all forms of mystery.

　　23. According to Postman, a true division of childhood and adult spheres features

　�。跘］ the dawn of the information time.

　　［B］ the period prior to the Middle Ages.

　�。跜］ the mid-twentieth century to the present.

　�。跠］ the fifteenth century to the mid-twentieth.

　　24. Postman primarily implies in his theory that

　�。跘］ children mature much earlier than before.

　�。跙］ adults are increasingly becoming childish.

　�。跜］ modern media spur children into fast growth.

　　［D］ adulthood and childhood vanish simultaneously.

　　25. The phrasal verb “shy away from” at the end of the text probably means

　�。跘］ discard. ［B］ evade.

　�。跜］ be nervous about. ［D］ be hesitant about.

　　Text2

　　Gross national product (GNP) was created to assess the national capacity of wartime production during World War Ⅱ. Since then its heir, gross domestic product (GDP), has become virtually synonymous with economic progress. However, some economists have recent argued that GDP was never intended to function as an indicator of societal well-being, and that an over�瞨eliance on this figure as a comprehensive measure of the country’s “prosperity” is both simplistic and misleading.

　　GDP critics assert that as a simple gross record of money spent, GDP does not distinguish between transactions that increase society’s health and those that diminish it. For example, a nationwide increase in heart disease causes money to flow into the medical industry, sending GDP higher in response to a decrease in social welfare. Even a downward spiral of societal detriments (harm) can boost GDP, often to the general applause of the economic establishment. Take, for example, the consequences of traffic. By itself traffic is a societal menace, yet it both results from and contributes to economic growth. The more traffic, the more gas is consumed, which causes GDP to increase. As traffic increases, so too does pollution, triggering environmental protection responses which also contribute to GDP. Increased pollution results in more people admitted to hospitals with respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis. Meanwhile, the increased traffic takes its toll on the roads, which causes additional damage to cars, resulting in even more money spent on road and car repairs.

　　While one major flaw of GDP is that it equates societal detriments with growth as long as money changes hands, there is another problem with this indicator: the numerous non�瞞onetary factors not included in GDP that should be represented by an indicator to reflect the nation’s economic status. For example, while by all accounts childrearing efforts are considered of vital importance to the current and future health of society, they are not factored into GDP unless performed in a paid service capacity. Conversely, the widening income gap, increasing debt, and the degradation of natural resources all negatively affect our economic reality, but are not recognized by GDP as costs.

　　In order to arrive at a more accurate picture of economic progress, some have proposed that GDP be replaced by a new measurement called the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI). GPI is influenced positively by household and volunteer work, and negatively by factors such as pollution, crime, illness and family breakdown. GDP not only ignores the costs of such detriments, it ultimately represents them as gains in the form of money spent on measures to combat them. Taking such variables into account, it is not surprising that GPI often tells a different story than does GDP. For example, in cases where GDP numbers have suggested a robust and growing economy, GPI figures from the same periods have often indicated dramatic decreases in social and environmental capital.

　　26. The text commences with the claim that GDP is

　�。跘］ the upgraded variety of GNP.

　　［B］ the direct descendant of GNP.

　�。跜］ the true indicator of economic growth.

　�。跠］ the sound judgment of national economy.

　　27. According to the critics, GDP

　　［A］ presents false prosperity.［B］ consists of unreal statistics.

　�。跜］ comprises fabricated information.［D］ fails to describe economic reality.

　　28. The phrase “takes its toll on” (at the end of Par. 2) probably means

　�。跘］ makes vehicles overfilled on.［B］ meets payment for the use of.

　　［C］ generates greater revenue for.［D］ results in a lot of damage.

　　29. The text is written primarily to

　�。跘］ profile a group critical of an economic statistic.

　�。跙］ analyze statistics to decide the economic health.

　�。跜］ describe an alternative to an economic indicator.

　�。跠］ present and evaluate economic trends since 1945.

　　30. The author mentions GDP and GPI figures in support of the claim that

　�。跘］ GPI is influenced positively by volunteer work.

　�。跙］ GDP comprises a general record of money spent.

　�。跜］ GPI is the most reasonable modification of GDP.

　　［D］ GDP is inferior to GPI in depicting economic reality.

　　Text3

　　We sometimes hear that essays are an old-fashioned form ,that so-and-o is the“l(fā)ast essayist”, but the facts of the marketplace argue quite otherwise. Essays of nearly any kind are so much easier than short stories for a writer to sell, so many more see print, it’s strange that though two fine anthologies(collections)remain that publish the year’s best stories, no comparable collection exists for essays. Such changes in the reading public’s taste aren’t always to the good, needless to say. The art of telling stories predated even cave painting, surely; and if we ever find ourselves living in caves again, it(with painting and drumming)will be the only art left, after movies, novels, photography, essays, biography, and all the rest have gone down the drain—the art to build from.

　　Essays, however, hang somewhere on a line between two sturdy poles: this is what I think, and this is what I am .Autobiographies which aren’t novels are generally extended essays, indeed. A personal essay is like the human voice talking, its order being the mind’s natural flow, instead of a systematized outline of ideas. Though more changeable or informal than an article or treatise, somewhere it contains a point which is its real center, even if the point couldn’t be uttered in fewer words than the essayist has used. Essays don’t usually boil down to a summary, as articles do, and the style of the writer has a “nap” to it, a combination of personality and originality and energetic loose ends that stand up like the nap(絨毛)on a piece of wool and can’t be brushed flat. Essays belong to the animal kingdom, with a surface that generates sparks, like a coat of fur, compared with the flat, conventional cotton of the magazine article writer, who works in the vegetable kingdom, I nstead. But, essays, on the other hand, may have fewer “l(fā)evels” than fiction, because we are not supposed to argue much about their meaning. In the old distinction between teaching and storytelling, the essayist, however cleverly he tries to conceal his intentions, is a bit of a teacher or reformer, and an essay is intended to convey the same point to each of us.

　　An essayist doesn’t have to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth; he can shape or shave his memories, as long as the purpose is served of explaining a truthful point. A personal essay frequently is not autobiographical at all, but what it does keep in common with autobiography is that, through its tone and tumbling progression, it conveys the quality of the author’s mind. Nothing gets in the way. Because essays are directly concerned with the mind and the mind’s peculiarity, the very freedom the mind possesses is conferred on this branch of literature that does honor to it, and the fascination of the mind is the fascination of the essay.

　　31. The author asserts that the changes in readers’taste

　�。跘］ contribute to the incompatibility of essays with stories.

　　［B］ often result in unfavorable effect, to say the least.

　�。跜］ sometimes come to something undesirable, of course.

　　［D］ usually bring about beneficial outcome, so to say.

　　32. The author suggests that if the Stone Age should come up again

　�。跘］ the art of essay-writing would lose its foundation.

　�。跙］ the art and literature would most totally vanish.

　　［C］ the art of story-telling would remain in caves alone.

　�。跠］ the life of art would be thoroughly drained away.

　　33. Essays are characterized by all of the following EXCEPT

　�。跘］ careful arrangement and organization of chief ideas.

　　［B］ remarkable concision and meaningful presentation.

　�。跜］ improbable condensation to any shorter accounts.

　�。跠］ flashes of wit and enlightenment of argumentation.

　　34. What chiefly distinguishes essays from articles may be in

　　［A］ the different amount of words used in representation.

　�。跙］ the acute sensibility and keen insight of essayists.

　�。跜］ the distinction between animal and vegetable worlds.

　�。跠］ the variation of arguments about their meanings.

　　35. The essayists’main task seems to be

　�。跘］ the implied revelation and description of the truth.

　　［B］ the free depiction and modification of their memories.

　�。跜］ the frank confession of what is concealed in their mind.

　�。跠］ the communication of their striking thoughts to readers.

　　Text4

　　In a representative democracy, legislatures exist to represent the public and to ensure that public issues are efficiently addressed by a group representative of the population as a whole. It is often written that a legislator confronts a moral dilemma if, on a given issue upon which he must cast a vote, his view is decidedly different from that of the majority of his constituents. In such a circumstance, it is not clear whether voting citizens have chosen the legislator because of their faith in his personal judgment or whether they have elected him in order to give direct effect to their own views.

　　But this dilemma is more apparent than real. A truly identifiable conflict between the legislator’s opinion and that of his constituency is rare, because the legislator is usually better informed than the public on the issue in question and his opinion, therefore, cannot fairly be compared to theirs. Indeed, this fact underlines the legislator’s most important function: to gather broad-based information in order to make more considered decisions than each citizen could reach individually and thus to serve the public interest better than the public could do on its own.

　　Let us suppose that a legislator opposes a very popular proposed public works project because he has studied its financial consequences and believes, over the long run, it is financially unsound. If the legislator’s constituents eagerly support the project, not having studied the relevant financial data, it is entirely too simplistic to view the legislator as having to confront a moral dilemma. The truth is that the legislator does not know how his constituents would view the project if they truly understood its financial consequences, and thus, he cannot actually conclude that his view differs from that of his constituents.

　　The legislator’s job is first to study the short-range and long-range goals of the people he represents, without confusing these with his own. Then, using his knowledge and judgment, he is to promote the electorate’s goals as he understands them. Consider, for instance, a legislator whose constituents wish to maintain the rural character of their district. If the legislator himself dislikes rural living and he believes an industrial environment would offer greater benefit to the community than a rural environment, he must separate these viewpoints from his professional judgment. He is not to promote industrialization because he personally favors it.

　　However, if the legislator’s considered opinion is that his district needs to sponsor some industrial development in order to maintain its overall agricultural character, it is his duty to promote the industrial development, even if his constituents oppose it. So long as he honestly attempts to serve his electorate’s objectives, the legislator should stand firm against the expressed opinion of his own constituents.

　　36. The author’s purpose in the first paragraph is to

　　[A] explain the basic requirements for legislative issues.

　　[B] point out a possible moral dilemma facing a legislator.

　　[C] hint the clash between legislation and public concerns.

　　[D] show the disparity between legislators and constituents.

　　37. The second paragraph indicates that a legislator’s dilemma is

　　[A] more obvious than an actual one.

　　[B] more easily identified in reality.

　　[C] plainer than its real existence.

　　[D] hardly so factual as it seems.

　　38. The disagreement between a legislator and his constituents

　　[A] causes a moral problem merely in a democracy.

　　[B] usually reflects a debate about long-term goals.

　　[C] barely creates a moral dilemma in most cases.

　　[D] arises only when constituents are ill informed.

　　39. The author implies that a legislator should

　　[A] best serve his constituents anyhow.

　　[B] evaluate his electorate’s complaints.

　　[C] embody the public interests forever.

　　[D] follow his constituents’intentions.

　　40. The legislator who promotes industrialization of the rural district

　　[A] fails to understand the requirements of the region.

　　[B] advances his agenda at the cost of that of his voters.

　　[C] ignores the crucial issue of the community he represents.

　　[D] carries through the common views of his constituents.

　　Part B

　　Directions:

　　You are going to read a list of headings and a text about guidelines for establishing a roadblock. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A—F for each numbered paragraph (41～45). The first and last paragraphs of the text are not numbered. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.(10 points)

　�。跘］ How to provide police for the roadblock?

　�。跙］ Never hinder smooth traffic.

　�。跜］ The way to check the suspects.

　�。跠］ Keep roadblocks producing intended results.

　�。跡］ Questioning is compulsory for all drivers.

　　［F］Rules for roadblock positioning.

　　The Advisory Committee of the State Police has issued the following guidelines for establishing a roadblock in order to identify and arrest drunk drivers.

　　41.

　　The roadblock must be established in a location that affords motorists a clear view of the stop. It cannot be established, for example, just over a hill or around a curve. Motorists must be able to see that a roadblock is ahead and that cars are being stopped.

　　42.

　　A roadblock must display visible signs of police authority. Therefore, uniformed officers in marked petrol cars should primarily staff the roadblock. Plain-clothes officers may supplement the staff at a roadblock, but the initial stop and questioning motorists should be conducted by uniformed officers. In addition to the officers conducting the motorist stops, officers should be present to conduct field sobriety tests on suspect drivers. A command observation officer must also be present to coordinate the roadblock.

　　43.

　　All cars passing through the roadblock must be stopped. It should not appear to an approaching motorist that cars are being singled out for some reason while others are not stopped, as this will generate unnecessary fear on the part of the motorist. The observation vehicle which is present at the roadblock will be able to pursue any motorists that refuse to stop.

　　44.

　　Each motorist stopped by the roadblock should be questioned only briefly. In most cases, an officer should ask directly if the driver has been drinking. In suspicious cases, an officer may engage in some further questioning to allow her or him to evaluate the driver’s sobriety. A driver who appears to have been drinking should be directed to the side of the road, out of the line of traffic, where other officers may conduct a field sobriety test. Each non-suspicious driver should be stopped only briefly, for approximately a minute or less.

　　45.

　　No drunk-driving roadblock should be in operation for more than two hours. Roadblocks in place for longer periods lose their effectiveness as word spreads as to the location of the roadblock, and motorists who have been drinking will avoid the area. In addition, on average only about one percent of all the drivers who pass through a roadblock will be arrested for drunk-driving, and, after a short period of time, officers can used more efficiently elsewhere.

　　A roadblock may only be established for a single purpose—in this case, detecting drunk drivers—and should not be seen as an opportunity to check for a variety of motorist offenses. However, officers are not required to ignore what is plainly obvious. For example, motorists and passengers who are not wearing seat belts should be verbally warned that failure to do so is against the law. Detaining and ticketing such drivers is not the purpose of the roadblock and would unduly slow down the stops of other cars. An officer who spots a situation that presents a clear and present danger should follow through by directing the motorist to the side of the road where the officers are conducting field sobriety tests. These officers can then follow through on investigating the driver for crimes other than drunk-driving.

　　Part C

　　Directions:

　　Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation must be written neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (10 points)

　　Our world of the mid-1990s faces potentially bursting change. The question is in what direction will it take us?46)Will the change come from worldwide initiatives that reverse the degradation of the planet and restore hope for the future, or will it come from continuing environmental deterioration that leads to economic decline and social instability?

　　There is no precedent for the rapid substantial change we need to make.47)Building an environmentally sustainable future depends on restructuring the global economy, major shifts in human reproductive behavior, and dramatic changes in values and lifestyles. Doing all this quickly adds up to a revolution that is driven and defined by the need to restore the earth’s environmental systems. If this Environmental Revolution succeeds, it will rank with the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions as one of the great economic and social transformations in human history.

　　Like the Agricultural Revolution, it will dramatically alter population trends.48)While the former set the stage for enormous increases in human numbers, this revolution will succeed only if it stabilizes human population size, reestablishing a balance between people and natural system on which they depend. In contrast to the Industrial Revolution, which was based on a shift to fossil fuels, this new transformation will be based on a shift away from fossil fuels.

　　49)The two earlier revolutions were driven by technological advances—the first by the discovery of farming and the second by the invention of the steam engine, which converted the energy in coal into mechanical power. The Environmental Revolution, while it will obviously need new technologies, will be driven primarily by the restructuring of the global economy so that it does not destroy its natural support system.

　　The pace of the Environmental Revolution needs to be far faster than that of its predecessors. The Agricultural Revolution began some 10,000 years ago, and the Industrial Revolution has been under way for about two centuries. But if the Environmental Revolution is to succeed, it must be compressed into a few decades. Progress in the Agricultural Revolution was measured almost exclusively in the growth in food output that eventually enabled farmers to produce a surplus that could feed city dwellers. Similarly, industrial progress was gained by success in expanding the output of raw materials and manufactured goods.50)The Environmental Revolution will be judged by whether it can shift the world economy into an environmentally sustainable development path, one that leads to greater economic security, healthier lifestyles, and a worldwide improvement in the human condition.