1、考研英语(二)-36 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：4，分数：100.00)Low-level slash-and-burn farming doesn“t harm rainforest. On the contrary, it helps farmers and improves forest soils. This is the unorthodox view of a German soil scientist who has shown that burnt clearings in the Amazon,
2、 dating back more than 1,000 years, helped create patches of rich, fertile soil that farmers still benefit from today. Most rainforest soils are thin and poor because they lack minerals and because the heat and heavy rainfall destroy most organic matter in the soils within four years of it reaching
3、the forest floor. This means topsoil contains few of the ingredients needed for long-term successful farming. But Bruno Glaser, a soil scientist of the University of Bayreuth, has studied unexpected patches of fertile soils in the central Amazon. These soils contain lots of organic matter. Glaser ha
4、s shown that most of this fertile organic matter comes from “black carbon“ the organic particles from camp fires and charred wood left over from thousands of years of slash-and-burn farming. “The soils, known as Terra Preta, contained up to 70 times more black carbon than the surrounding soil.“ says
5、 Glaser. Unburnt vegetation rots quickly, but black carbon persists in the soil for many centuries. Radiocarbon dating shows that the charred wood in Terra Preta soils is typically more than 1,000 years old. “Slash-and-burn farming can be good for soils provided it doesn“t completely burn all the ve
6、getation, and leaves behind charred wood,“ says Glaser. “It can be better than manure.“ Burning the forest just once can leave behind enough black carbon to keep the soil fertile for thousands of years. And rainforests easily regrow after small-scale clearing. Contrary to the conventional view that
7、human activities damage the environment, Glaser says: “Black carbon combined with human wastes is responsible for the richness of Terra Preta soils.“ Terra Preta soils turn up in large patches all over the Amazon, where they are highly prized by farmers. All the patches fall within 500 square kilome
8、ters in the central Amazon. Glaser says the widespread presence of pottery confirms the soil“s human origins. The findings add weight to the theory that large areas of the Amazon have recovered so well from past periods of agricultural use that the regrowth has been mistaken by generations of biolog
9、ists for“ virgin“ forest. During the past decade, researchers have discovered hundreds of large earth works deep in the jungle. They are up to 20 meters high and cover up to a square kilometer. Glaser claims that these earth works, built between AD 400 and 1400, were at the heart of urban civilizati
10、ons. Now it seems the richness of the Terra Preta soils may explain how such civilizations managed to feed themselves.（分数：25.00）(1).We learn from the passage that the traditional view of slash-and-burn farming is that _.（分数：5.00）A.it does no harm to the topsoil of the rainforestB.it destroys rainfor
11、est soilsC.it helps improve rainforest soilsD.it diminishes the organic matter in rainforest soils(2).Most rainforest soils are thin and poor because _.（分数：5.00）A.the composition of the topsoil is rather unstableB.black carbon is washed away by heavy rainsC.organic matter is quickly lost due to heat
12、 and rainD.long-term farming has exhausted the ingredients essential to plant growth(3).Glaser made his discovery by _.（分数：5.00）A.studying patches of fertile soils in the central AmazonB.examining pottery left over by ancient civilizationsC.test-burning patches of trees in the central AmazonD.radioc
13、arbon-dating ingredients contained in forest soils(4).What does Glaser say about the regrowth of rainforests?（分数：5.00）A.They take centuries to regrow after being burnt.B.They cannot recover unless the vegetation is burnt completely.C.Their regrowth will be hampered by human habitation.D.They can rec
14、over easily after slash-and-burn farming.(5).From the passage it can be inferred that _.（分数：5.00）A.human activities will do grave damage to rainforestsB.Amazon rainforest soils used to be the richest in the worldC.farming is responsible for the destruction of the Amazon rainforestsD.there once exist
15、ed an urban civilization in the Amazon rainforestsAs a wise man once said, we are all ultimately alone. But an increasing number of Europeans are choosing to be so at an ever earlier age. This isn“t the stuff of gloomy philosophical contemplations, hut a fact of Europe“s new economic landscape, embr
16、aced by sociologists, real-estate developers and ad executives alike. The shift away from family life to solo lifestyle, observes a French sociologist, is part of the“ irresistible momentum of individualism“ over the last century. The communications revolution, the shift from a business culture of s
17、tability to one of mobility and the mass entry of women into the workforce have greatly wreaked havoc on European“ private lives. Europe“s new economic climate has largely fostered the trend toward independence. The current generation of home-aloners came of age during Europe“s shift from social dem
18、ocracy to the sharper, more individualistic climate of American-style capitalism. Raised in an era of privatization and increased consumer choice, today“s tech-savvy workers have embraced a free market in love as well as economics. Modern Europeans are rich enough to afford to live alone, and temper
19、amentally independent enough to want to do so. Once upon a time, people who lived alone tended to be those on either side of marriagetwenty something professionals or widowed senior citizens. While pensioners, particularly elderly women, make up a large proportion of those living alone, the newest c
20、rop of singles are high earners in their 30s and 40s who increasingly view living alone as a lifestyle choice. Living alone was conceived to be negativedark and cold, while being together suggested warmth and light. But then came along the idea of singles. They were young, beautiful, strong! Now, yo
21、ung people want to live alone. The booming economy means people are working harder than ever. And that doesn“t leave much room for relationships. Pimpi Arroyo, a 35-year-old composer who lives alone in a house in Paris, says he hasn“t got time to get lonely because he has too much work. “I have dead
22、lines which would make life with someone else fairly difficult.“ Only an Ideal Woman would make him change his lifestyle, he says. Kaufmann, author of a recent book called “The Single Woman and Prince Charming“, thinks this fierce new individualism means that people expect more and more of mates, so
23、 relationships don“t last longif they start at all. Eppendorf, a blond Berliner with a deep tan, teaches grade school in the mornings. In the afternoon she sunbathes or sleeps, resting up for going dancing. Just shy of 50, she says she“d never have wanted to do what her mother didgive up a career to
24、 raise a family. Instead, “I“ve always done what I wanted to do: live a self-determined life.“（分数：25.00）(1).More and more young Europeans remain single because _.（分数：5.00）A.they are driven by an overwhelming sense of individualismB.they have entered the workforce at a much earlier ageC.they have emb
25、raced a business culture of stabilityD.they are pessimistic about their economic future(2).What is said about European society in the passage?（分数：5.00）A.It has fostered the trend towards small families.B.It is getting closer to American-style capitalism.C.It has limited consumer choice despite a fre
26、e market.D.It is being threatened by irresistible privatization.(3).According to Paragraph 3, the newest group of singles are _.（分数：5.00）A.warm and lightheartedB.on either side of marriageC.negative and gloomyD.healthy and wealthy(4).The author quotes Eppendorf to show that _.（分数：5.00）A.some modern
27、women prefer a life of individual freedomB.the family is no longer the basic unit of society in present-day EuropeC.some professional people have too much work to do to feel lonelyD.most Europeans conceive living a single life as unacceptable(5).What is the author“s purpose in writing the passage?（分
28、数：5.00）A.To review the impact of women becoming high earners.B.To contemplate the philosophy underlying individualism.C.To examine the trend of young people living alone.D.To stress the rebuilding of personal relationships.Supporters of the biotech industry have accused an American scientist of misc
29、onduct after she testified to the New Zealand government that a genetically modified (GM) bacterium could cause serious damage if released. The New Zealand Life Sciences Network, an association of pro-GM scientists and organizations, says the view expressed by Elaine Ingham, a soil biologist at Oreg
30、on State University in Corvallis, was exaggerated and irresponsible. It has asked her university to discipline her. But Ingham stands by her comments and says the complaints are an attempt to silence her. “They“re trying to cause trouble with my university and get me fired,“ Ingham told New Scientis
31、t . The controversy began on 1 February, when Ingham testified before New Zealand“s Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, which will determine how to regulate GM organisms. Ingham claimed that a GM version of a common soil bacterium could spread and destroy plants if released into the wild. Othe
32、r researchers had previously modified the bacterium to produce alcohol from organic waste. But Ingham says that when she put it in soil with wheat plants, all of the plants died within a week. “We would lose terrestrial plants. this is an organism that is potentially deadly to the continued survival
33、 of human beings,“ she told the commission. She added that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) canceled its approval for field tests using the organism once she had told them about her research in 1999. But last week the New Zealand Life Sciences Network accused Ingham of “presenting inac
34、curate, careless and exaggerated information“ and “generating speculative doomsday scenarios that are not scientifically supportable“. They say that her study doesn“t even show that the bacteria would survive in the wild, much less kill massive numbers of plants. What“s more, the network says that c
35、ontrary to Ingham“s claims, the EPA was never asked to consider the organism for field trials. The EPA has not commented on the dispute. But an e-mail to the network from Janet Anderson, director of the EPA“s bio-pesticides division, says “there is no record of a review and/or clearance to field tes
36、t“ the organism. Ingham says EPA officials had told her that the organism was approved for field tests, but says she has few details. It“s also not clear whether the organism, first engineered by a German institute for biotechnology, is still in use. Whether Ingham is right or wrong, her supporters
37、say opponents are trying unfairly to silence her. “I think her concerns should be taken seriously, she shouldn“t be harassed in this way,“ says Ann Clarke, a plant biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada who also testified before the commission. “It“s an attempt to silence the opposition.“（分
38、数：25.00）(1).The passage centers on the controversy _.（分数：5.00）A.between American and New Zealand biologists over genetic modificationB.as to whether the study of genetic modification should be continuedC.over the possible adverse effect of a GM bacterium on plantsD.about whether Elaine Ingham should
39、 be fired by her university(2).Ingham insists that her testimony is based on _.（分数：5.00）A.evidence provided by the EPA of the United StatesB.the results of an experiment she conducted herselfC.evidence from her collaborative research with German biologistsD.the results of extensive field tests in Co
40、rvallis, Oregon(3).According to Janet Anderson, the EPA _.（分数：5.00）A.has cancelled its approval for field tests of the GM organismB.hasn“t reviewed the findings of Ingham“s researchC.has approved field tests using the GM organismD.hasn“t given permission to field test the GM organism(4).According to
41、 Ann Clarke, the New Zealand Life Sciences Network _.（分数：5.00）A.should gather evidence to discredit Ingham“s claimsB.should require that the research by their biologists be regulatedC.shouldn“t demand that Ingham be disciplined for voicing her viewsD.shouldn“t appease the opposition in such a quiet
42、way(5).Which of the following statements about Ingham is TRUE?（分数：5.00）A.Her testimony hasn“t been supported by the EPA.B.Her credibility as a scientist hasn“t been undermined.C.She is firmly supported by her university.D.She has made great contributions to the study of GM bacteria.Every fall, like
43、clockwork, Linda Krentz of Beaverton, Oregon, felt her brain go on strike. “I just couldn“t get going in the morning,“ she says. “I“d get depressed and gain 10 pounds every winter and lose them again in the spring.“ Then she read about seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that occurs in
44、 fall and winter, and she saw the lightliterally. Every morning now she turns on a specially constructed light box for half an hour and sits in front of it to trick her brain into thinking it“s still enjoying those long summer days. It seems to work. Krentz is not alone. Scientists estimate that 10
45、million Americans suffer from seasonal depression and 25 million more develop milder versions. But there“s never been definitive proof that treatment with very bright lights makes a difference. After all, it“s hard to do a double-blind test when the subjects can see for themselves whether or not the
46、 light is on. That“s why nobody has ever separated the real effects of light therapy from placebo effects. Until now, in three separate studies published last month, researchers report not only that light therapy works better than a placebo but that treatment is usually more effective in the early m
47、orning than in the evening. In two of the groups, the placebo problem was resolved by telling patients they were comparing light boxes to a new anti-depressant device that emits negatively charged ions. The third used the timing of light therapy as the control. Why does light therapy work? No one re
48、ally knows. “Our research suggests it has something to do with shifting the body“s internal clock,“ says psychiatrist Dr. Lewey. The body is programmed to start the day with sunrise, he explains, and this gets later as the days get shorter. But why such subtle shifts make some people depressed and n
49、ot others is a mystery. That hasn“t stopped thousands of winter depressives from trying to heal themselves. Light boxes for that purpose are available without a doctor“s prescription. That bothers psychologist Michael Terman of Columbia University. He is worried that the boxes may be tried by patients who suffer from mental illness that can“t be treated with light. Terman has developed a questionnaire to help determine whether expert care is needed. In any event, you should choose a reputable manufacturer. Whatever product you use sh
