1、考研英语(二)-8 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、BSection Use o(总题数：1，分数：10.00)BDirections:/BRead the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET.March 11th marks the second anniversary of the tsunami that killed 18,500 people in Japan. Good news i
2、s scant. Almost 315,000 evacuees still U U 1 /U /Uin cramped temporary housing, and need new U U 2 /U /U.A different kind of suffering weighs on about 20m people (a sixth of the U U 3 /U /U) at this time of year which, though less than anguish-filled, is not trivial. U U 4 /U /Ulate February until M
3、ay they U U 5 /U /Upollen allergies, mostly U U 6 /U /Uby Japanese cedar, or sugi, trees. Usually the affliction, entailing sneezing, eye irritation and huge medical bills, is shrugged offit cant be helped.U U 7 /U /Ua way could be found to ease the allergies that could also U U 8 /U /Urebuild homes
4、. It would involve thinning out the sugi and other conifer plantations that U U 9 /U /Uabout 40% of Japans forest, most of which are now U U 10 /U /Uas uneconomic. The timber could be used to restore and beautify lost villages.The sugi were planted across Japan after the war as material to U U 11 /U
5、 /Udestroyed cities and U U 12 /U /U. Sugi, straight and tall, are U U 13 /U /Ufor construction. But after taxes fell, imported wood put the sugi foresters out of business.The higher they grow, the more pollen the magnificent, abandoned trees emit. Officials say some owners, many now in their 70s, r
6、eject U U 14 /U /Uto plant new ones that emit less pollen U U 15 /U /Uthe payback is too long. As a result, U U 16 /U /UKevin Short, a columnist for the Daily Yomiuri, an English-language newspaper, “immense clouds of yellow-green sugi pollen dust U U 17 /U /Udown onto the urban areas, like some amo
7、rphous monster out of a science-fiction movie.“U U 18 /U /UKiyohito Onuma of the Forestry Agency says his sneezing wife and children often ask him to do more to U U 19 /U /Uthe problem, the public pressure is muted. Partly this is because the sugi have always U U 20 /U /Unear temples and shrines, an
8、d are part of national folklore.（分数：10.00）(1). A.stay B.keep C.live D.lead（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(2). A.homes B.shelters C.areas D.places（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(3). A.people B.person C.individual D.population（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(4). A.Between B.From C.To D.In（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(5). A.endure B.ensure C.enable D.entit
9、le（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(6). A.led B.taken C.caused D.eased（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(7). A.And B.But C.Or D.So（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(8). A.stop B.start C.cease D.help（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(9). A.cover B.recover C.include D.exclude（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(10). A.abstracted B.abandoned C.aborted D.abolished（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(11). A
10、.replace B.remain C.reward D.rebuild（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(12). A.countries B.houses C.towns D.soils（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(13). A.idle B.idol C.idea D.ideal（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(14). A.funds B.subsidies C.pensions D.money（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(15). A.because B.before C.therefore D.after（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(16). A.talks B
11、.expresses C.says D.puts（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(17). A.float B.flood C.flush D.flow（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(18). A.For B.Although C.Even D.Since（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(19). A.search B.find C.analyse D.ease（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(20). A.lived B.brought C.grown D.raised（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.二、BSection Readi(总题数：0，分数：0.00)三、BPart A
12、/B(总题数：0，分数：0.00)四、BText 1/B(总题数：1，分数：10.00)America has seen a drop in crime rates that in earlier years would have been universally viewed as impossible. The overall crime rate has plummeted by 45% since peaking in 1991 and by 13% just since 2007counter intuitively continuing to drop through the re
13、cession and sharp spike in unemployment.Since 1991, according to FBI data, the number of violent crimes has fallen 36% nationally and 64% in the nations largest cities. And in New York and Los Angeles, the nations two largest cities, it has fallen even further. Property crime has also become increas
14、ingly rare. Incredibly, in New York City, car thefts have plunged 94% in the past two decades.How is this possible? In the mid-1990s, few saw this decline coming, and many warned that crime would surge once again as teens of that era grew into young adults. Today, criminologists still differ on what
15、 has caused the nationwide turnaround in crime rates and why those dire predictions never came to pass. But crime-fighting technology, better policing, aging societies, growing urban populations and declining usage of hard drugs are widely cited. For many Americans, the drop in crime has resulted no
16、t only in a much higher quality of life but in a reduced economic burden as well. Safer cities generally mean stronger urban economies.In the same category of big surprises, teen-pregnancy rates have fallen to their lowest level in more than 30 years, according to the widely respected Guttmacher Ins
17、titute. They have declined 51% from their 1990 peak, based on the latest available data, and the teenage birthrate is down 43% from that years level. Today, fewer teens are becoming pregnant and becoming mothers than at any point since reliable data has been collected by the National Center for Heal
18、th Statistics. This is also true for women in the 20-to-24 age group. To put it mildly, there were very few predictions to this effect a generation ago.In addition, overall birth rates in the U.S. have turned up for the first time since 2007including for children born to women in a college education
19、to just shy of 4 million.（分数：10.00）(1).What can we learn from the first paragraph? A.The crime rates in America remained 13% since 2007. B.The crime rates have declined in America and other countries. C.The crime rates in America reached its highest level in the year 1991. D.During the recession and
20、 the top level of unemployment crime rates rose.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(2).We can conclude from the second paragraph that _. A.property crime has also been increasing like violent crime B.the number of violent crimes has fallen 36% in the biggest cities C.in New York City, car thefts have dropped to 94% i
21、n the past two decades D.the violent crimes have become fewer in America, especially in big cities（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(3).According to Paragraph 2, which form of crime is not mentioned in the text? A.Robbery. B.Car theft. C.Violent crime. D.Property crime.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(4).Which one is NOT the possi
22、ble reason of the dropping crime rates? A.Better policing. B.Better education. C.Aging societies. D.Declining use of drugs.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(5).What can we infer from the last two paragraphs? A.Birth rates, including for children born to college girls, are slipping all the time. B.Few people have pr
23、edicted the drop of teen-pregnancy rates a generation ago. C.Based on the latest available data, teen-pregnancy rates have dropped 43%. D.Fewer women above 24 become pregnant than a generation ago.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.五、BText 2/B(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Surveys find entrenched (根深蒂固的) pessimism over the countrys
24、 economic outlook and overall trajectory (轨道). In the latest Wall Street Journal poll, 63% of the respondents said the U.S. is on the wrong track. Its not difficult to see why. Set aside the gridlock in Washington for a moment and appreciate the weakness of the economic recovery: Households whose fi
25、nances were too weak to spend. Large numbers of unemployed workers who couldnt do so either. Younger Americans who couldnt afford their own homes. Banks that were too broken to lend. Yet nearly a year ago, I wrote an essay for Time suggesting that the economy could surprise on the upside. That hypot
26、hesis looks even more valid today.Despite the pessimistic mood, America is experiencing a profound comeback. Yes, too many Americans are out of work and have been for far too long. And yes, there is a huge amount of slack to make up. In fact, if the 2008 collapse had not happened, the U.S. GDP would
27、 be $1 trillion or more than 5%higher than it is today.But in terms of the growth outlook, the news is good. Goldman Sachs and many private-sector forecasters project a 3.3% growth rate for the remainder of 2014. The first half of 2014 saw the best job-creation rate in 15 years. Total household weal
28、th and private employment surpassed 2008 levels last year. Bank loans to businesses exceeded previous highs this year. And income growth will soon improve too. America is finally returning to where it was seven years ago.As halting as the U.S. recovery has been, the economy is now leaner and more ca
29、pable of healthy, sustained growth through 2016 and beyond. The U.S. outlook shines compared with that of the rest of the industrialized world, as Europe and Japan are stagnant. The 2008 economic crisis and Great Recession forced widespread restructuring throughout the U.S. economynot unlike a compa
30、ny gritting its teeth through a lifesaving bankruptcy. Manufacturing costs are down. The banking system has been recapitalized. The excess and abuse that defined the housing market are gone. And its all being turbocharged by an energy boom nobody saw coming.（分数：10.00）(1).Most respondents of the Wall
31、 Street Journal poll _. A.are pessimistic about Americas general track B.are optimistic about the countrys outlook C.appreciate Americas economic recovery D.feel that they couldnt afford a house（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(2).According to the second paragraph, which one is true? A.The U.S. GDP has reached $1 t
32、rillion in 2008. B.The 2008 GDP in the U.S. is higher than it is today. C.America is recovering despite its peoples pessimism. D.So many Americans are out of work that its economy collapsed.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(3).Which one is NOT the good news mentioned in the text? A.Bank loans. B.Housing price. C.In
33、come growth. D.Private employment.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(4).We learn from the last paragraph that _. A.nobody has predicted the energy boom before B.Europe and Japans outlook is better than America C.the 2008 economic crisis has destroyed U.S. Economy D.the American economy has been stagnant since 2008（分
34、数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(5).What is the authors attitude towards Americas outlook? A.Skeptical. B.Indifferent. C.Pessimistic. D.Optimistic.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.六、BText 3/B(总题数：1，分数：10.00)The countrys biggest challenge now is the plight of lower-income Americans, who are under severe and sustained economic pressu
35、re. Today, America resembles a tale of two cities. Those who own homes or stocks have benefited from the recovery in these asset classes and are moving up again. But 40% of working-age families earn $40,000 a year or less. Generally they live within 250% of the official poverty level, which is the e
36、ligibility threshold for food stamps. Indeed, judging from current trends, half of todays 20-year-olds will receive food stamps during their adult lives. More broadly, median household income is still 8% below the precrisis level, and those who have not completed college are seeing declines in antic
37、ipated lifetime earnings compared with their peers with college degrees.This is the primary economic challenge. If a third of the population has little purchasing power, it will be hard to achieve the desired rate of long-term growth. The U.S. needs to improve the work skills of this group, strength
38、en the social safety net and increase the number of young Americans receiving a full college education.Although doing more to relieve the financial burdens of working Americans is good economics, it is also, and perhaps more important, a matter of values. For much of the 20th century Americans strov
39、e, with much success, to build a fairer and more inclusive society. But today, too many working families are Uliving paycheck to paycheck/U or even in outright poverty, while the toeholds (客服困难的方法) to economic stability become fewer and farther between.With the economys near and medium term economic
40、 outlook strong, now is the time to remove the barriers that are keeping hardworking Americans walking a far too thin financial line.（分数：10.00）(1).The biggest challenge that America faces is _. A.financial crisis B.high divorce rate C.economic pressure D.lower-income group（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(2).We kno
41、w from the opening paragraph that _. A.half of Americans receive food stamps during their adult lives B.most Americans are under severe and sustained economic pressure C.those who havent finished their college earn more than their peers D.before the economic crisis, median family income is higher th
42、an todays（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(3).In order to achieve long-term growth, the U.S. needs to do all except _. A.bettering its peoples work skills B.strengthening the social safety net C.providing more work opportunities D.encouraging more students to finish their college（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(4).The last two pa
43、ragraphs tell us that _. A.A great number of working families in America are poor today. B.Americas economy situation has been sustained and stable so far. C.America has a fairer and more inclusive society than other countries. D.Many Americans are living under poverty line and the economic outlook
44、is bad.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(5).The underlined phrase “living paycheck to paycheck“ (Para. 3) probably means _. A.leading a well-off life B.living under great economic pressures C.getting too much paycheck D.living far better than poverty line（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.七、BText 4/B(总题数：1，分数：10.00)One reason why sh
45、areholder activism has been increasing is that regulators have encouraged it, especially on pay. For a decade Britain has required firms to give shareholders a non-binding annual vote on executive pay. The colossal Dodd-Frank act of 2010 gave shareholders in American companies a “say on pay“, too.No
46、w comes two new moves. On March 3rd the Swiss voted to oblige firms to hold a binding annual vote on directors pay: in the small print, the referendum also banned golden handshakes and severance packages for board members, and bonuses that encourage the buying or selling of firms. Then on March 5th
47、E.U. finance ministers (with only Britain objecting) agreed to cap bankers bonuses to 100% of their basic salary, or 200% if shareholders vote for it.If the Swiss had merely given shareholders an annual vote on pay, it would have been a good thing; but the accompanying bans are not. There are times when a golden handshake to a talented manager can be in shareholders interests: far better to let the owners vote on it than restrict the firm from trying it.The E.U.s proposal
