1、考研英语-479 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Section Use of Eng(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Few scientific fields are as full of risk as that of research into human intelligence. The two questions that (1) over and over again are “is it a result of nature or nurture?“ and “does race make a difference?“ Making (2) comme
2、nts about the second question can be a (3) move, as James Watson, a co-discoverer of DNA structure, recently found. He suggested that he was “ (4) about the prospect of Africa“ (5) “all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours (white people) (6) all the t
3、esting says not really“. Such (7) are not merely (8) , they are scientifically weird. If the term race has any useful scientific meaning, then Africa, the continent where modern (9) began, is most racially diverse. The resulting (10) forced Dr Watson to leave his laboratory. (11) , the study of (12)
4、 between intelligence and genetics has some wiser practitioners. One of them, Terrie Moffitt, of Kings College, has just (13) a project (14) the relative importance of nature and nurture. Dr Moffitts team (15) the effect on intelligence of breastfeeding, but in a genetic context. Previous studies ha
5、ve shown that breastfed children are more intelligent, (16) about six IQ points, than those given baby formulas. The team, however, (17) the involvement of a gene called FADS2, which comes in two varieties, known as C and G. The researchers (18) if these two varieties (19) differently with breast mi
6、lk. (20) on data two groups of people, they found that the intelligence increase associated with breastfeeding only happened to people having inherited at least one copy of the C variety. The effect did not depend on the social classes or IQs of the parents.（分数：10.00）A.happenB.riseC.ariseD.arouseA.p
7、romptB.hastyC.generalD.stupidA.career-killingB.career-facilitatingC.time-consumingD.energy-savingA.gloomyB.optimisticC.concernedD.alarmedA.thereforeB.becauseC.soD.butA.howeverB.whereasC.sinceD.asA.policesB.testsC.remarksD.questionsA.offensiveB.confusingC.promisingD.objectiveA.civilizationB.cultureC.
8、societyD.humanityA.findingB.uproarC.complexityD.puzzlementA.FortunatelyB.ParticularlyC.FurthermoreD.IndeedA.relationshipsB.differencesC.linksD.contradictionsA.sponsoredB.recommendedC.criticizedD.supervisedA.concludingB.investigatingC.judgingD.emphasizingA.hadB.examinedC.discoveredD.suggestedA.withB.
9、atC.toD.byA.suspectedB.doubtedC.disapprovedD.challengedA.questionedB.wonderedC.notedD.foundA.combinedB.contradictedC.reactedD.interactedA.DecidingB.ActingC.DrawingD.Arriving二、Section Reading Co(总题数：0，分数：0.00)三、Part A(总题数：0，分数：0.00)四、Text 1(总题数：1，分数：10.00)That boys and girlsand men and womenare progr
10、ammed by evolution to behave differently from one another is now widely accepted. But which of the differences between the sexes are “biological“, in the sense that they have been honed by evolution, and which are “cultural“ or “environmental“ and might more easily be altered by changed circumstance
11、s, is still fiercely debated. The sensitivity of the question was shown last year by an uproar at Harvard University. Larry Summers, then Harvards president, caused a storm when he suggested that innate ability could be an important reason why there were so few women in the top positions in mathemat
12、ics, engineering and the physical sciences. Even as a proposition for discussion, this is unacceptable to some. But biological explanations of human behavior are making a comeback. The success of neo-Darwinism has provided an intellectual foundation for discussion about why some differences between
13、the sexes might be innate. And new scanning techniques have enabled researchers to examine the brains interior while it is working, showing that male and female brains do, at one level, operate differently. The results, however, do not always support past clichs about what the differences in questio
14、n actually are. Another behavioral difference that has borne a huge amount of scrutiny is in mathematics, particularly since Dr Summerscomments. The problem with trying to argue that the male tendency to systemize might lead to greater mathematical ability is that, in fact, girls and boys are equall
15、y good at maths prior to teenage years. Until recently, it was believed that males outperformed females in mathematics at all ages. Today, that picture has changed, and it appears that males and females of any age are equally good at computation and at understanding mathematical concepts. However, a
16、fter their mid-teens, men are better at problem solving than women are. The question raised by Dr Summers does not get to the heart of the matter. Over the past 50 years, women have made huge progress into academia and within it. Slowly, they have worked their way into the higher echelons of discipl
17、ine after discipline. But some parts of the ivory tower have proved harder to occupy than others. The question remains, to what degree is the absence of women in science, mathematics and engineering caused by innate, immutable ability? Innate it may well be. That does not mean it is immutable. A var
18、iety of abilities are amenable to training in both sexes. And such training works. Biology may predispose, but it is not necessarily destiny.（分数：10.00）(1).What does the word “honed“ (Line 3, Paragraph 1) most probably mean?（分数：2.00）A.Started.B.Determined.C.Created.D.Sharpened.(2).According to Larry
19、Summers, women_.（分数：2.00）A.had lower innate ability than men in certain areasB.have limited capacity for everythingC.should not choose careers in maths, engineering, etc.D.are facing discrimination in their careers(3).Which of the following statements is true of the passage?（分数：2.00）A.Neo-Darwinism
20、offered biological evidence of the innate sex differences.B.Female innate ability is not the only reason for their academic position.C.Boys and girls performed equally well in problem solving in teenage years.D.Dr. Summers ignored the fact that women have risen to the top of the ivory tower.(4).The
21、sentence “Biology may predispose, but it is not necessarily destiny. “ (Line 2, Para. 6) indicates that_.（分数：2.00）A.biological factors determine ones capabilitiesB.womens role is not decided by destinyC.biological differences could be changedD.abilities can be acquired regardless of the innate diffe
22、rences(5).Which of the following would be the best title for the text?（分数：2.00）A.Sex Difference: Who is Smarter?B.Female Lag in Certain Fields: Gender DifferenceC.Differences Between the Sexes: Mismeasure of WomenD.Gender Inequality: Female Inferiority Proved五、Text 2(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Sometimes the big
23、gest changes in society are the hardest to spot precisely because they are hiding in plain sight. It could well be that way with wireless communications. Something that people think of as just another technology is beginning to show signs of changing lives, culture, politics, cities, jobs, even marr
24、iages dramatically. In particular, it will usher in a new version of a very old idea: nomadism. Futurology is a dangerous business, and it is true that most of the important arguments about mobile communications at the moment are to do with technology or regulationbandwidth, spectrum use and so on.
25、Yet it is worth jumping ahead and wondering what the social effects will be, for two reasons. First, the broad technological future is pretty clear: there will be ever faster cellular networks, and many more gadgets to connect to these networks. Second, the social changes are already visible: parent
26、s on beaches waving at their children while typing furtively on their BlackBerrys; entrepreneurs discovering they dont need offices after all. Everybody is doing more on the move. Wireless technology is surely not just an easier-to-use phone. The car divided cities into work and home areas; wireless
27、 technology may mix them up again, with more people working in suburbs or living in city centers. Traffic patterns are beginning to change again: the rush hours at 9am and 5pm are giving way to more varied patterns, with people going backwards and forwards between the office, home and all sorts of o
28、ther places throughout the day. Already, architects are redesigning offices and universities, more flexible spaces for meeting people, fewer private enclosures for sedentary work. Will it be a better life? In some ways, yes. Digital nomadism will liberate ever more knowledge workers from the cubicle
29、 prisons as depicted in Mr. Dilberts cartoons. But the old tyranny of place could become a new tyranny of time, as nomads who are “always on“ all too often end up mentallyanywhere but here. As for friends and family, permanent mobile connectivity could have the same effect as nomadism: it might brin
30、g you much closer to family and friends, but it may make it harder to bring in outsiders. Sociologists fret about constant e-mailers and texters losing the everyday connections to casual acquaintances or strangers sitting next to them in the cafe or on the Bus. The same tools have another dark side,
31、 turning everybody into a fully equipped paparazzo. Some fitness clubs have started banning mobile phones near the treadmills and showers lest exercising people find themselves pictured, flabby and sweaty, on some website. As in the desert, so in the city: nomadism promises the heaven of new freedom
32、, but it also signals the hell of constant surveillance by the tribe.（分数：10.00）(1).We can infer from the first two paragraphs that_.（分数：2.00）A.social changes are complex in natureB.people may ignore wireless communications changesC.nomadism is nothing new in societyD.everybody can work outside their
33、 offices(2).Which of the following is true of the future wireless technology?（分数：2.00）A.It is beginning solving the traffic problems.B.It will change peoples way of working.C.It will save people a lot of time.D.It will come true in offices and universities.(3).According to the text, sociologists are
34、 anxious about digital nomadism in that_.（分数：2.00）A.it will reduce peoples contacts with the outside societyB.it will give office workers too much timeC.it will destroy peoples friendshipD.it will cause people to lose their interest in social activities(4).The dark side of the digital products is th
35、at people may use them to_.（分数：2.00）A.fully equip themselvesB.disturb others physical exercisesC.threaten other peoples lifeD.reveal others privacy(5).Which of the following best summarizes the text?（分数：2.00）A.A new trend of wireless communication.B.Mobile communication improves peoples life.C.Digit
36、al nomadism brings people convenience as well as trouble.D.The future of mobile communication.六、Text 3(总题数：1，分数：10.00)The early retirement of experienced workers is seriously harming the U.S. economy, according to a new report from the Hudson Institute, a public policy research organization. Current
37、ly, many older experienced workers retire at an early age. According to the recently issued statistics, 79 percent of qualified workers begin collecting retirement benefits at age 62; if that trend continues, there will be a labor shortage that will hinder the economic growth in the twenty-first cen
38、tury. Older Americans constitute an increasing proportion of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the population of those over age 65 will grow by 60% between 2001 and 2020. During the same period, the group aged 18 to 44 will increase by only 4%. Keeping older skilled workers em
39、ployed, even part time, would increase U.S. economic output and strengthen the tax base; but without significant policy reforms, massive early retirement among baby boomers seems more likely. Retirement at age 62 is an economically rational decision today. Social Security and Medicaid earnings limit
40、s and tax penalties subject our most experienced workers to marginal tax rates as high as 67%. Social Security formulas encourage early retirement. Although incomes usually rise with additional years of work, any pay increases after the 35-year mark result in higher social Security taxes but only sm
41、all increases in benefits. Hudson Institute researchers believe that federal tax and benefit policies are at fault and reforms are urgently needed, but they disagree with the popular proposal that much older Americans will have to work because Social Security will not support them and that baby boom
42、ers are not saving enough for retirement. According to the increase in 401 (k) and Keogh retirement plans, the ongoing stock market on Wall Street, and the likelihood of large inheritances, there is evidence that baby boomers will reach age 65 with greater financial assets than previous generations.
43、 The Hudson Institute advocates reforming government policies that now discourage work and savings, especially for older worker. Among the report s recommendations. Tax half of all Social Security benefits, regardless of other income; provide 80% larger benefits for each year beyond 65; and permit w
44、orkers nearing retirement to negotiate compensation packages that may include a lower salary but with greater healthcare benefits. However, it may take real and fruitful planning to find the right solution to the early retirement of older experienced workers; any measures taken must be allowed to pr
45、olong the serviceability of older experienced workers.（分数：10.00）(1).According to Hudson Institute researchers, the effect of the early retirement of qualified workers in the U.S. economy is_.（分数：2.00）A.constructiveB.significantC.inconclusiveD.detrimental(2).The older experienced workers in America t
46、end to retire early because their prolonged service may_.（分数：2.00）A.do harm to younger generationsB.end up with few or no benefitsC.give play to their potentialsD.shed light on social trends(3).The second paragraph is written chiefly to show that_.（分数：2.00）A.there will be an acute labor shortage in
47、the near futureB.baby-boomers contribute much to the U.S. economic outputC.government policies concerning older people are out-datedD.older workers are enthusiastic about collecting social benefits(4).When mentioning “the ongoing stock market on Wall Street“, the writer_.（分数：2.00）A.is calling attent
48、ion to the privileges to which baby-boomers are entitledB.is calling for the government to take countermeasures against labor shortageC.is refuting a notion about experienced workers early retirementD.is justifying the ineffectiveness of federal tax and benefit policies(5).Towards the issue, what th
49、e writer is most concerned about will be_.（分数：2.00）A.to advocate radically reforming government policiesB.to take into account the benefits upon retirementC.to put in practice what Hudson researchers believe inD.to prolong the practicability of older experienced employees七、Text 4(总题数：1，分数：10.00)In their everyday life, most Americans seem to agree with Henry Ford who once said, “History is more or less absurdity. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinkers damn is the history we make t
