1、考研英语(二)分类真题 9及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：0，分数：0.00)二、Part A(总题数：0，分数：0.00)三、Text 1(总题数：1，分数：20.00)Genetics may determine to what extent you“re swayed by the alcohol consumption of people around you. A study published in a recent issue of Psychological Science found that peo
2、ple with a particular genetic profile are far more likely than others without the gene to drink more when they see someone else drinking heavily. The finding is quite meaningful and illustrates “how much genetics determines drinking patterns of individuals exposed to other drinkers,“ said psychiatri
3、st Dr. Marc Galanter of New York University Langone Medical Center. The study focused on different versions of a receptor for the neurotransmitter dopamine, which controls feelings of pleasure. Previous work had shown that one form of this receptor, which contains a series of seven repeats of the sa
4、me DNA sequence, is associated with increased alcohol cravings in a variety of situations. To see if this DNA influenced reactions to social drinking situations, Helle Larsen of Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, recruited young adult volunteersallegedly to watch and evaluate TV commerc
5、ials between 4 and 9 pm in a setting that resembled a typical Dutch pub. However, Larsen“s real objective was to see how many drinks each person consumed during the study“s break times. The researchers also collected DNA samples from each participant to see which version of the dopamine receptor the
6、y possessed. Larsen and her colleagues found that people with the seven-repeat version of the dopamine receptor were far more likely than those with a different version to drink heavily when they saw others doing so. The researchers suggest that individuals with this particular genetic background ar
7、e much more sensitive to others“ drinking behaviors. It“s not clear why this particular version of the dopamine receptor might trigger increased responsiveness to others“ drinking, although some researchers have speculated that people with this receptor are less sensitive to dopamine“s actions and s
8、o are likely to drink more to try to feel its pleasurable effects. The authors also noted that seeing others drink lightly didn“t boost the urge to drink more in those with the receptor; only witnessing heavy drinking triggered the desire. While emphasizing that the results are preliminary and need
9、replication, the authors said the study setup simulated a real-life situation, similar to that faced in a bar, restaurant or at a party. Individuals with this genetic propensity may have to avoid many social drinking situations if they wish to curb their own alcohol intake. Social psychologist Henry
10、 Wechsler, of the Harvard School of Public Health, cautioned that a couple of aspects of the experiment may have influenced the results, however. The drinks offered during the study were free, but “studies have shown that price has a significant effect on drinking behavior,“ he said. Also, it“s poss
11、ible that the participants“ behavior was altered because they thought of themselves as being under the watch of “responsible scientists,“ he said. “They may consider themselves protected from harms associated with heavy drinking.“（分数：20.00）(1).The new study shows that the response to social drinking
12、 situations _（分数：4.00）A.is triggered by specific DNA patternsB.is determined by complicated social factorsC.is caused by the neurotransmitter dopamineD.reflects a failure to control feelings of pleasure(2).It can be inferred from the text that Helle Larsen _（分数：4.00）A.let the subjects watch heavy dr
13、inking scenes on TVB.isolated several versions of a DNA sequenceC.had built her research on previous findingsD.ignored the age of the participants for the study(3).Some people are more sensitive to others“ drinking probably because _（分数：4.00）A.the sight of others drinking excited their pleasurable f
14、eelingsB.they have hidden their drinking behaviors beforeC.the DNA they possess makes the dopamine more activeD.they need to drink more to get feelings of pleasure(4).The word “propensity“ (Para. 5) probably means _（分数：4.00）A.structureB.informationC.inclinationD.behavior(5).According to Wechsler, th
15、e result of the study might be biased in that _（分数：4.00）A.the researchers made the situation too similar to the barB.the subjects knew that they were engaged in an experimentC.some students knew that they were tested for heavy drinkingD.the researchers only chose the subjects with a certain DNA type
16、四、Text 2(总题数：1，分数：20.00)One major reason for Germany“s high unemployment and the evident weakness of business investment is the nature of the tax system, which tends to discourage both individual effort and investment. Nominal corporate tax rates are, in fact, very high and it is these rates that po
17、tential investors primarily look at. However, the actual burden borne by companies is not as great as it might seem, because the tax base is fairly narrow. This combination in itself tends to encourage tax avoidance at both the personal and corporate levels. Moreover, by international standards, fir
18、ms in Germany are still taxed quite heavily. A reform of corporate taxation, therefore, should start by reducing tax rates, cutting subsidies and broadening the taxable base. The resulting positive impact on growth would be reinforced if there were also a substantial easing of the net burden. How do
19、 the current plans for a reform of corporate taxation measure up to these goals? The overall tax burden on companies is to be brought down significantly, with the ceiling of 35% being set. To this end, a dramatic reduction in the corporate tax on retained earnings is planned. The related drop in rev
20、enues is to be offset by changes in the rules governing tax breaks. An approach incorporating these basic features would be a welcome step. If realized in its present form, it should ensure that the objective of making tax rates more attractive for businesses is achieved. At the same time, however,
21、it would be unfortunate if an excessive broadening of the taxable base made it impossible to attain the equally important goal of providing relief. Comprehensive tax reform is needed in Germany to spur investment and to create new jobs, thus putting the economy on a higher growth path. The drop in r
22、evenues caused by the tax relief granted to both companies and households would, in time, be at least partially offset by the larger volume of tax receipts produced by economic growth. The gaps that remained should primarily be closed through spending cuts. If measure of this sort proved inadequate,
23、 then, as a last resort, an increase in indirect taxes could perhaps be considered.（分数：20.00）(1).The writer of the passage mainly intends to _（分数：4.00）A.criticize Germany“s tax systemB.help companies ease their tax burdenC.examine the current corporate tax ratesD.propose ways to reform the tax syste
24、m(2).According to the author, the major problem with Germany“s tax system is _（分数：4.00）A.the tax rates are high but the tax base is narrowB.it encourages individuals or companies to evade taxationC.business investment is taxed too heavilyD.revenues in the form of taxes are not reinvested(3).The over
25、all corporate tax will be reduced by _（分数：4.00）A.inducing a drop in the company“s revenuesB.cutting back on subsidies and tax ratesC.broadening the taxable base and encouraging investmentD.taxing the company“s retained earnings less heavily(4).An inevitable result from providing relief is _（分数：4.00）
26、A.a decrease in revenuesB.high unemployment rateC.less business investmentD.less individual effort(5).Which of the following is not mentioned as a means to make up for the reduction in corporate tax rates?（分数：4.00）A.Broadening the taxable base.B.Cutting back on expenses.C.Providing relief to compani
27、es.D.Raising indirect taxes.五、Text 3(总题数：1，分数：20.00)This year two new surveys have thrown up a lot of fresh data on how the world really feels. And they have, so the pollsters say, cast some unexpected light on the link between wealth and happiness. Ever since social scientists at the University of
28、Pennsylvania found that mansion-dwelling American millionaires are barely happier than Masai warriors in huts, some economists have been downplaying the link between cash and contentment. In a 2005 book, Richard Layard, a British scholar, said family circumstances, employment and health all mattered
29、 more to a sense of well-being than income. Rich countries might be happier than poor ones, but beyond a threshold, the connection weakens, and more cash would not buy more happinessso the theory goes. The new polls cast some doubt on that school of thought. Gallup“s pollsters asked a standard quest
30、ion: how satisfied are you with your life, on a scale of nought to ten? In all the rich places, most people say they are happy. In all the poor ones, people say they are not. As Angus Deaton of Princeton University puts it, a map of the results looks like an income plot of the world. The pattern als
31、o seems to hold true within countries, as well as between them. The other new survey, by Ipsos, confirms the picture. The Ipsos poll is not strictly comparable to Gallup“s because (for the first time) it asks questions of what Ipsos calls “leaders and shapers of public opinion“, mostly business peop
32、le and politicians. This group has distinctive viewsit takes a loftier view than the general population. In poorer countries, top people“s attitudes are far more optimistic than those of the general population. In Europe and America, the attitudes of the elite are roughly in line withor slightly mor
33、e pessimistic thansociety as a whole. In fairness, the “new happiness“ economists, such as Mr. Layard, never claimed there was no connection at all between money and feeling good. What they have said is that once people climb out of poverty, the link is weak, and may not work at all above a certain
34、point, as one British pundit put it, extra money “is now proved beyond doubt not to deliver greater happiness, nationally or individually“. The evidence for this comes from surveys in most rich countries, which show that happiness has been flat for decades, even though incomes have risen sharply. On
35、 the face of it, the new findings are a counter-point to the earlier data. If the richest countries report greater “happiness“ than moderately rich ones, that would suggest there is no quantifiable level of income at which extra cash fails to deliver extra contentment. Still, the latest findings don
36、“t invalidate the historic experience of particular countrieslike the United Stateswhich have surged to greater levels of wealth without experiencing any rise in general levels of reported happiness.（分数：20.00）(1).Richard Layard“s theory goes that _（分数：4.00）A.there is no connection before wealth and
37、happiness at allB.extra wealth does not make people even more contentedC.soldiers are found to be as happy as wealthy businesspeopleD.the richer a country is, the more contented its people are(2).The Gallup poll is different from the Ipsos poll in that _（分数：4.00）A.the Gallup poll attempts to overtur
38、n Layard“s theoryB.the Ipsos poll focuses on how the general population feelsC.the Ipsos poll was conducted both in Europe and AmericaD.different groups of respondents are polled in the two polls(3).Before the two new polls it has been found that in rich countries _（分数：4.00）A.rising income has not p
39、ushed up the level of contentmentB.people in poor countries have been shown to be happierC.people in rich countries have found a new kind of happinessD.people in rich countries have taken a pessimistic attitude to money(4).The rich people polled in the new surveys _（分数：4.00）A.say they are happierB.d
40、oubt that wealth delivers happinessC.say they are less happyD.report moderate happiness(5).In the last paragraph the author mentions the example of the United States _（分数：4.00）A.to give further support to the new findingsB.to illustrate how wealth is linked to happinessC.to show that the new finding
41、s are valid only in rich countriesD.to warn that care should be taken to interpret the new data六、Text 4(总题数：1，分数：20.00)In most people“s mind, growth is associated with prosperity. We judge how well the economy is doing by the size of the Gross National Product (GNP), a measure, supposedly, of growth
42、. Equally self-evident, however, is the notion that increased pressure on dwindling natural resources must inevitably lead to a decline in prosperity, especially when accompanied by a growth in population. So, which is correct? What growth advocates mean, primarily, when they say growth is necessary
43、 for prosperity is that growth is necessary for the smooth functioning of the economic system. In one arena the argument in favor of growth is particularly compelling and that is with regard to the Third World. To argue against growth, other than population growth, in light of Third World poverty an
44、d degradation, seems callous. But is it? Could it be that growth, especially the growth of the wealthier countries, has contributed to the impoverishment, not the advancement, of Third World countries? If not, how do we account for the desperate straits these countries find themselves in today after
45、 a century of dedication to growth? To see how this might be the case we must look at the impact of growth on Third World countriesthe reality, not the abstract stages-of-economic-growth theory advocated through rose-colored glasses by academicians of the developed world. What good is growth to the
46、people of the Third World if it means the conversion of peasant farms into mechanized agri-businesses producing commodities not for local consumption but for export, if it means the stripping of their land of its mineral and other natural treasures to the benefit of foreign investors and a handful o
47、f their local collaborators, if it means the assumption of a overwhelming foreign indebtedness, the earnings of which go not into the development of the country but into the purchase of expensive cars and the buying of luxurious residence in Miami? Admittedly, this is an oversimplification. But the
48、point, I believe, remains valid. that growth in underdeveloped countries cannot simply be judged in the abstract; it must be judged based on the true nature of growth in these societies, on who benefits and who is harmed, on where growth is leading these people and where it has left them. When consi
49、dered in this way, it just might be that in the present context growth is more detrimental to the well-being of the wretched of the earth than beneficial. So, do we need growth for prosperity? Only the adoption of zero growth can provide the answer. But that is a test not easily undertaken. Modern economies are incredibly complex phenomena, a tribute to man“s ability to organize and a challenge to his ability to understanding. Anything that affects their functioning, such as a policy of zero growth, should not be pro
