【考研类试卷】在职艺术硕士（MFA）全国联考英文阅读理解-试卷9及答案解析.doc

1、在职艺术硕士（MFA）全国联考英文阅读理解-试卷 9 及答案解析(总分：40.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、英文阅读理解题(总题数：4，分数：40.00)Some pessimistic experts feel that the automobile is bound to fall into disuse. They see a day in the not-too-distant future when all autos will be abandoned and allowed to rust. Other authorities, however, think the auto

2、is here to stay. They hold that the car will remain a leading means of urban travel in the foreseeable future. The motorcar will undoubtedly change significantly over the next 30 years. It should become smaller, safer, and more economical, and should not be powered by the gasoline engine. The car of

3、 the future should be far more pollution-free than present types. Regardless of its power source, the auto in the future will still be the main problem in urban traffic congestion (拥挤). One proposed solution to this problem is the automated highway system. When the auto enters the highway system, a

4、retractable (可伸缩的) arm will drop from the auto and make contact with a rail, which is similar to those powering subway trains electrically. Once attached to the rail, the car will become electrically powered from the system, and control of the vehicle will pass to a central computer. The computer wi

5、ll then monitor all of the car“s movements. The driver will use a telephone to dial instructions about his destination into the system. The computer will calculate the best route, and reserve space for the car all the way to the correct exit from the highway. The driver will then be free to relax an

6、d wait for the buzzer (蜂鸣器) that will warn him of his coming exit. It is estimated that an automated highway will be able to handle 10,000 vehicles per hour, compared with the 1, 500 to 2, 000 vehicles that can be carried by a present-day highway. (300 words)（分数：10.00）(1).One significant improvement

7、 in the future car will probably be_.（分数：2.00）A.its power sourceB.its driving systemC.its monitoring systemD.its seating capacity(2).What is the author“s main concern?（分数：2.00）A.How to render automobiles pollution-free.B.How to make smaller and safer automobiles.C.How to solve the problem of traffic

8、 jams.D.How to develop an automated subway system.(3).What provides autos with electric power in an automated highway system?（分数：2.00）A.A rail.B.An engine.C.A retractable arm.D.A computer controller.(4).In an automated highway system, all the driver needs to do is to_.（分数：2.00）A.keep in the right la

9、neB.wait to arrive at his destinationC.keep in constant touch with the computer centerD.inform the system of his destination by phone(5).What is the author“s attitude toward the future of autos?（分数：2.00）A.Enthusiastic.B.Pessimistic.C.Optimistic.D.Cautious.Most episodes of absent-mindednessforgetting

10、 where you left something or wondering why you just entered a roomare caused by a simple lack of attention, says Schacter. “You“re supposed to remember something, but you haven“t encoded it deeply. “ Encoding, Schacter explains, is a special way of paying attention to an event that has a major impac

11、t on recalling it later. Failure to encode properly can create annoying situations. If you put your mobile phone in a pocket, for example, and don“t pay attention to what you did because you“re involved in a conversation, you“ll probably forget that the phone is in the jacket now hanging in you ward

12、robe (衣柜). “Your memory itself isn“t failing you,“ says Schacter. “Rather, you didn“t give your memory system the information it needed. “ Lack of interest can also lead to absent-mindedness. “A man who can recite sports statistics from 30 years ago,“ says Zelinski, “may not remember to drop a lette

13、r in the mailbox. “ Women have slightly better memories than men, possibly because they pay more attention to their environment, and memory relies on just that. Visual cues can help prevent absent-mindedness, says Schacter. “But be sure the cue is clear and available,“ he cautions. If you want to re

14、member to take a medication (药物) with lunch, put the pill bottle on the kitchen tabledon“t leave it in the medicine chest and write yourself a note that you keep in a pocket. Another common episode of absent-mindedness; walking into a room and wondering why you“re there. Most likely, you were thinki

15、ng about something else. “Everyone does this from time to time,“ says Zelinski. The best thing to do is to return to where you were before entering the room, and you“ll likely remember. (295 words)（分数：10.00）(1).Why does the author think that encoding properly is very important?（分数：2.00）A.It helps us

16、 understand our memory system better.B.It enables us to recall something from our memory.C.It expands our memory capacity considerably.D.It slows down the process of losing our memory.(2).One possible reason why women have better memories than men is that_.（分数：2.00）A.they have a wider range of inter

17、estsB.they are more reliant on the environmentC.they have an unusual power of focusing their attentionD.they are more interested in what“s happening around them(3).A note in the pocket can hardly serve as a reminder because_.（分数：2.00）A.it will easily get lostB.it“s not clear enough for you to readC.

18、it“s out of your sightD.it might get mixed up with other things(4).What do we learn from the last paragraph?（分数：2.00）A.If we focus our attention on one thing, we might forget another.B.Memory depends to a certain extent on the environment.C.Repetition helps improve our memory.D.If we keep forgetting

19、 things, we“d better return to where we were.(5).What is the passage mainly about?（分数：2.00）A.The process of gradual memory loss.B.The causes of absent-mindedness.C.The impact of the environment on memory.D.A way of encoding and recalling.In the 1920s demand for American farm products fell, as Europe

20、an countries began to recover from World War I and instituted austerity (紧缩) programs to reduce their imports. The result was a sharp drop in farm prices. This period was more disastrous for farmers than earlier times had been, because farmers were no longer self-sufficient. They were paying for mac

21、hinery, seed, and fertilizer, and they were also buying consumer goods. The prices of the items fanners bought remained constant, while prices they received for their products fell. These developments were made worse by the Great Depression, which began in 1929 and extended throughout the 1930s. In

22、1929, under President Herbert Hoover, the Federal Farm Board was organized. It established the principle of direct interference with supply and demand, and it represented the first national commitment to provide greater economic stability for farmers. President Hoover“s successor attached even more

23、importance to this problem. One of the first measures proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he took office in 1933 was the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which was subsequently passed by Congress. This law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on the grounds that general taxes

24、were being collected to pay one special group of people. However, new laws were passed immediately that achieved the same result of resting soil and providing flood-control measures, but which were based on the principle of soil conservation. The Roosevelt Administration believed that rebuilding the

25、 nation“s soil was in the national interest and was not simply a plan to help farmers at the expense of other citizens. Later the government guaranteed loans to farmers so that they could buy farm machinery, hybrid (杂交) grain, and fertilizers. (287 words)（分数：10.00）(1).What brought about the decline

26、in the demand for American farm products?（分数：2.00）A.The impact of the Great Depression.B.The shrinking of overseas markets.C.The destruction caused by the First World War.D.The increased exports of European countries.(2).The chief concern of the American government in the area of agriculture in the

27、1920s was_.（分数：2.00）A.to increase farm productionB.to establish agricultural lawsC.to prevent farmers from going bankruptD.to promote the mechanization of agriculture(3).The Agricultural Adjustment Act encouraged American farmers to_.（分数：2.00）A.reduce their scale of productionB.make full use of thei

28、r landC.adjust the prices of their farm productsD.be self-sufficient in agricultural production(4).The Supreme Court rejected the Agricultural Adjustment Act because it believed that the Act_.（分数：2.00）A.might cause greater scarcity of farm productsB.didn“t give the Secretary of Agriculture enough po

29、werC.would benefit neither the government nor the farmersD.benefited one group of citizens at the expense of others(5).It was claimed that the new laws passed during the Roosevelt Administration were aimed at_.（分数：2.00）A.reducing the cost of farmingB.conserving soil in the long-term interest of the

30、nationC.lowering the burden of farmersD.helping farmers without shifting the burden onto other taxpayersThe decline in moral standardswhich has long concerned social analystshas at last captured the attention of average Americans. And Jean Bethke Elshtain, for one, is glad. The fact the ordinary cit

31、izens are now starting to think seriously about the nation“s moral climate, says this ethics (伦理学) professor at the University of Chicago, is reason to hope that new ideas will come forward to improve it. But the challenge is not to be underestimated. Materialism and individualism in American societ

32、y are the biggest obstacles. “The thought that “I“m in it for me“ has become deeply rooted in the national consciousness,“ Ms. Elshtain says. Some of this can be attributed to the disintegration of traditional communities, in which neighbors looked out for one another, she says. With today“s greater

33、 mobility and with so many couples working, those bonds have been weakened, replaced by a greater emphasis on self. In a 1996 poll of Americans, loss of morality topped the list of the biggest problems facing the U.S. and Elshtain says the public is correct to sense that; Data show that Americans ar

34、e struggling with problems unheard of in the 1950s, such as classroom violence and a high rate of births to unmarried mothers. The desire for a higher moral standard is not a lament (挽歌) for some nonexistent “golden age,“ Elshtain says, nor is it a wishful (一厢情愿的) longing for a time that denied oppo

35、rtunities to women and minorities. Most people, in fact, favor the lessening of prejudice. Moral decline will not be reversed until people find ways to counter the materialism in society, she says. “Slowly, you recognize that the things that matter are those that can“t be bought. “ (293 words)（分数：10

36、.00）(1).Professor Elshtain is pleased to see that Americans_.（分数：2.00）A.have adapted to a new set of moral standardsB.are longing for the return of the good old daysC.have realized the importance of material thingsD.are awakening to the lowering of their moral standards(2).The moral decline of Ameri

37、can society is caused mainly by_.（分数：2.00）A.its growing wealthB.the self-centeredness of individualsC.underestimating the impact of social changesD.the prejudice against women and minorities(3).Which of the following characterizes the traditional communities?（分数：2.00）A.Great mobility.B.Concern for o

38、ne“s neighbors.C.Emphasis on individual effort.D.Ever-weakening social bonds.(4).In the 1950s, classroom violence_.（分数：2.00）A.was something unheard ofB.was by no means a rare occurrenceC.attracted a lot of public attentionD.began to appear in analysts“ data(5).According to Elshtain, the current mora

39、l decline may be reversed_.（分数：2.00）A.if people can return to the “golden age“B.when women and men enjoy equal rightsC.when people rid themselves of prejudiceD.if less emphasis is laid on material things在职艺术硕士（MFA）全国联考英文阅读理解-试卷 9 答案解析(总分：40.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、英文阅读理解题(总题数：4，分数：40.00)Some pessimistic exp

40、erts feel that the automobile is bound to fall into disuse. They see a day in the not-too-distant future when all autos will be abandoned and allowed to rust. Other authorities, however, think the auto is here to stay. They hold that the car will remain a leading means of urban travel in the foresee

41、able future. The motorcar will undoubtedly change significantly over the next 30 years. It should become smaller, safer, and more economical, and should not be powered by the gasoline engine. The car of the future should be far more pollution-free than present types. Regardless of its power source,

42、the auto in the future will still be the main problem in urban traffic congestion (拥挤). One proposed solution to this problem is the automated highway system. When the auto enters the highway system, a retractable (可伸缩的) arm will drop from the auto and make contact with a rail, which is similar to t

43、hose powering subway trains electrically. Once attached to the rail, the car will become electrically powered from the system, and control of the vehicle will pass to a central computer. The computer will then monitor all of the car“s movements. The driver will use a telephone to dial instructions a

44、bout his destination into the system. The computer will calculate the best route, and reserve space for the car all the way to the correct exit from the highway. The driver will then be free to relax and wait for the buzzer (蜂鸣器) that will warn him of his coming exit. It is estimated that an automat

45、ed highway will be able to handle 10,000 vehicles per hour, compared with the 1, 500 to 2, 000 vehicles that can be carried by a present-day highway. (300 words)（分数：10.00）(1).One significant improvement in the future car will probably be_.（分数：2.00）A.its power source B.its driving systemC.its monitor

46、ing systemD.its seating capacity解析：解析：本题属于细节题。根据题干“improvement in the future”定位到第二段第二句话“and should not be powered by the gasoline engine”以及第三段开头“power source”，可得知需要改进汽车的能量来源，故 A 正确。B“驱动系统”、C“监控系统”和 D“座位数”在文章中未提及，均排除。(2).What is the author“s main concern?（分数：2.00）A.How to render automobiles pollution

47、-free.B.How to make smaller and safer automobiles.C.How to solve the problem of traffic jams. D.How to develop an automated subway system.解析：解析：本题属于观点判断题。纵观全文，根据文章大意(见短文大意)，我们知道文章的重点在如何解决拥挤的问题。文章最后两段都是对自动化高速公路系统这一解决方案的详细描述，所以文章重点在于C“如何解决交通拥挤的问题”。(3).What provides autos with electric power in an auto

48、mated highway system?（分数：2.00）A.A rail. B.An engine.C.A retractable arm.D.A computer controller.解析：解析：本题属于细节题。题干中“autos”=“the car”，“electric power”=“electrically powered”，定位到第四段第二句：“Once attached to the rail，the car will become electrically powered from the system”(一旦与轨道连接，汽车就会从高速公路系统中获得电力)，由此可知是A“铁

49、轨提供的驱动电源”。且该段第一句的非限定性定语从句中的“which”指的是 a rail，所以本题答案为 A。(4).In an automated highway system, all the driver needs to do is to_.（分数：2.00）A.keep in the right laneB.wait to arrive at his destinationC.keep in constant touch with the computer centerD.inform the system of his destination by phone 解析：解析：本题属于细节题。该细节定位到第五段第一句话：“The driver will use a telephone to dial instruction(=inform)about his destination into the system”(司机通过电话提供行车指令，而系统将管理剩下的一切。)由此可知答案为 D“通过电话告知系统将前往的目的地”。(5).What is the author“s attitude toward the f