1、考研英语-试卷 249 及答案解析(总分：142.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Use of English(总题数：2，分数：80.00)1.Section I Use of EnglishDirections: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D.（分数：40.00）_More and more residences, businesses, and even government agencies are using telephon
2、e answering machines to take messages or give information or instructions. Sometimes these machines give (1)_ instructions, or play messages that are difficult to understand. If you (2)_ telephone calls, you need to be ready to respond when you get a (3)_ The most common machine is the (4)_ used in
3、residence. If you call a home (5)_ there is a telephone answering machine (6)_ you will hear several rings and then a recorded message that (7)_ says something like this: “Hello. We can“t come to the (8)_ right now. If you want us to call you back, please leave your name and number after the beep.“
4、Then you will hear a “beep“, (9)_ is a brief, high-pitched (10)_. After the beep, you can say who you are, whom you want to speak to, and what number the person should call to (11)_ you, or you can leave a (12)_. Some telephone answering machines record for only 20 or 30 seconds after the beep, (13)
5、_ you must respond quickly. Some large businesses and government agencies are using telephone answering machines to provide information on (14)_ about which they receive a large volume of (15)_. Generally speaking, using these systems (16)_ you to have a touch-tone phone (a phone with buttons rather
6、 than a rotary dial). The voice on the machine will tell you to (17)_ a certain button on your telephone if you want information on Topic A, another button for Topic B, and so on. You listen (18)_ you hear the topic you want to learn about, and then you push the (19)_ button. Immediately after makin
7、g your (20)_, you will hear a recorded message on the topic.（分数：40.00）A.disturbingB.annoyingC.confusingD.surprisingA.takeB.makeC.answerD.receiveA.repairingB.recoveringC.retellingD.recordingA.typeB.kindC.sortD.characterA.whichB.whereC.thatD.whenA.in handB.in detailC.in operationD.in disputeA.impossib
8、lyB.hardlyC.alwaysD.usuallyA.placeB.phoneC.homeD.roomA.thatB.whoC.whatD.whichA.toneB.noiseC.voiceD.tuneA.catchB.tellC.reachD.meetA.noteB.recordC.messageD.speechA.soB.thereforeC.althoughD.thusA.topicsB.thingsC.argumentsD.concernsA.questionsB.inquiriesC.problemsD.complaintsA.commandsB.requiresC.asksD.
9、requestsA.pushB.pullC.dragD.tossA.whenB.afterC.untilD.beforeA.correctB.wrongC.randomD.appropriateA.selectionB.solutionC.experimentD.decision二、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：10，分数：58.00)2.Section II Reading Comprehension_3.Part ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each tex
10、t by choosing A, B, C or D._A tiny but powerful new lightweight drill has been developed by space scientists and engineers. It expands the fields in which drilling has been difficult in the past. The new drill could be used in the drilling required during surgical or diagnostic procedures involving
11、bones, or when extracting heart pacemaker leads. Future space missions could include drilling for rock and soil samples, using only lightweight landing vehicles with robotic arms. The color photo shows the new driller penetrating a sandstone while the drill is held only from its power cord. Relative
12、ly small vertical force is used in this applicationa factor that will be useful when the drill is used in future space missions and weight needs to be kept to a minimum. The drill is driven by piezoelectric devices, which have only two moving parts but no gears or motors. Piezoelectrics are material
13、s that change their shape under the application of an electrical field. The drill can be adapted easily to operations in a range of temperatures from extremely cold to very hot. Unlike conventional rotary drills, the drill can drill even the hardest rocks without significant weight on the drilling b
14、it. “The drill is a device that offers exciting new capabilities for space exploration in future NASA missions,“ said Dr. Yoseph Bar-Cohen, who leads NASA“s Jet Propulsion laboratory“s Nondestructive Evaluation and Advanced Actuator Technologies unit. “Besides the immediate benefits of the technolog
15、y to NASA, it is paving the way for other unique mechanisms that are being developed in our laboratory and elsewhere,“ he said. The demonstration unit pictured in the color photograph weighs about 0.7 kilograms, which is sufficient to drill 12 millimeter diameter holes in rocks using less than 10 wa
16、tts of power. Comparable rotary drills usually require the application of 20 to 30 times greater pushing force and more than three times the power. Other advantages to the drill are no drill noise and no drill movement across the surface on start-up. The drill body will not rotate, the speed does no
17、t decrease with time and the bit does not require sharpening. The bit can be guided by hand safely during operation. The drill can drill holes in different cross-sections, such as square and round. Said Dr. Yoseph Bar-Cohen, “Thanks to the development of technology associated with this drill, new de
18、vices can be made to be small and lightweight, to consume little power and to exhibit a high standard of reliability.“（分数：10.00）(1).At first, the new lightweight drill has been invented to（分数：2.00）A.be used in space missions.B.pull out the heart pacemaker leads.C.replace the conventional rotary dril
19、l.D.drill the bones during procedures of medical treatment.(2).A useful feature of the new drill for space mission is（分数：2.00）A.its applicability.B.its lightweight.C.its multifunction.D.its flexibility.(3).According to the passage, the new drill（分数：2.00）A.can“t drill holes in different cross-section
20、s.B.needs significant weight on the bit when drilling the hardest rocks.C.needs more watts of power though it is cheaper than rotary drill.D.can work well in a range of temperatures from extremely cold to very hot.(4).We can infer from the passage that the patent of the drill is held by（分数：2.00）A.NA
21、SA.B.Dr. Yoseph Bar-Cohen.C.NASA“s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.D.Cybersonics Incorporated in Erie, Philadelphia.(5).Dr. Yoseph Bar-Cohen seems to suggest that（分数：2.00）A.the new drill is a perfect device without any defect.B.it is good for the new drill to be energy-saving.C.the technological advanceme
22、nt allows us to invent new devices with marked features.D.with the further development of technology, the new drill can be made smaller and lighter.In cities all over the United States, workers spend several hours a day in cars crawling along in traffic to get to offices many miles from home. They e
23、xperience stress, waste time, and pay a lot for gas, car maintenance, and parking. Once they get to work, they make their way through a maze of cubicles, each with its computer, phone, and file cabinet. Nancy Alley, human resources manager at TBWA Chiat Day, doesn“t. She stays at home, talking with
24、managers over the phone and faxing in paperwork. Instead of walking down the hall to chat with coworkers, she E-mails them. Nancy is a telecommuter, someone who works some or all of the time at home. Since 1990, the number of U.S. telecommuters has grown from 4.2 million to 9.2 million. Highway cong
25、estion, the high cost of office space, federal clean-air laws, reduced work forces, and lifestyle needsall these factors contribute to the growth of telecommuting. What makes it possible is technology. Desktop and laptop personal computers, networking, videoconferencing, fax machines, E-mail, and mu
26、ltiple phone lines provide the fast and efficient communication required for telecommuting. The experiences of many companies suggest that telecommuting can increase workplace flexibility and enhance productivity. At Georgia Power Company, for example, a pilot telecommuting project was so successful
27、 that the company decided to triple its number of telecommuters. The company reduced the cost of leased office space by $100,000 a year, increased productivity among the telecommuting employees of its customer service center, and saved the workers a combined 750 commuter miles a day. Telecommuting,
28、however, is not without its obstacles. At one computer software firm, the information systems manager offered telecommuting as an option to her 100-person staff. After three months, the staff members reported that being away from the office was counterproductive to their work. Programmers missed bei
29、ng able to drop by analysts cubicles with questions, and everyone re-ported they were interrupted at home more often. As part of its cost-cutting initiative, Nestle required 140 sales employees to telecommute. Facing many technical problems with telephone lines and frustratingly slow computer networ
30、king, most of these telecommuters found it an annoying experience. Telecommuting also makes many employees feel isolated and out of touch, leading to decreased motivation and less, not more productivity. By blurring the barriers between work and family, telecommuting often leads to more work hours a
31、nd more interference with family life. Telecommuting is not universally applicable. Jobs and individuals must be suitable, and staff must be capable of managing telecommuters. In addition, technological improvements, such as high-speed modems, are crucial. Few people expect to conduct business regul
32、arly from a tropical island or mountain resort any time soon.（分数：10.00）(1).In the passage, the author introduces his topic by（分数：2.00）A.explaining a phenomenon.B.raising an argument.C.posing a contrast.D.using an example.(2).More people choose to telecommute because（分数：2.00）A.they don“t like their w
33、orking environment.B.the development of technology enables them to work at home.C.telecommuting can solve many social problems.D.telecommuting is a trend that most people like to follow.(3).The word “counterproductive“(Paragraph 4) probably means（分数：2.00）A.producing challenges.B.producing counters.C
34、.producing results.D.producing problems.(4).Telecommuting may affect a telecommuters family life because（分数：2.00）A.telecommuters are required to do more work.B.the routine of their family life is disturbed.C.telecommuters“ family don“t like them working at home.D.there is no distinction between work
35、 and family life.(5).What can we infer from the last paragraph?（分数：2.00）A.The application of telecommuting is influenced by many factors.B.Only those who are highly-motivated can be telecommuters.C.Although telecommuting brings benefits, it also causes problems.D.People don“t like doing business in
36、a remote area.The costs associated with natural disasters are increasing rapidly. As a result, officials in government and industry have focused more attention on disasters and their effects. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has estimated that disasters cost the country, about
37、 1 billion per week. Hurricane Andrew, the Midwest flood of 1993, and the Hanshin earthquake have shown that individual disasters can cost tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars. This increasing cost has resulted in greater funding from government and industry for the development of technologie
38、s related to disaster prediction, and has led to more research into the effective use of predictive information. The insurance industry has long been aware of the dangers of natural disasters; the 1906 earth-quake in San Francisco, California, bankrupted scores of insurance companies. But the indust
39、ry has focused particular attention on disaster prediction in recent years, as spiraling costs revealed that many companies had underestimated their financial exposure. For instance, prior to Hurricane An-drew in 1992, many insurance experts thought that the worst hurricane possible would do no more
40、 than 8 billion in damages Io the industry. The damages caused by Hurricane Andrew, estimated at about 17 billion, shattered these beliefs. Today, estimates of worst-case disaster scenarios approach 100 billion. The insurance industry has therefore increased its support for research into disaster pr
41、ediction. One such effort involves a number of companies that have joined together to support the Bermuda-based Risk Prediction Initiative, which funds disaster research. The expectation is that the resulting information will place the industry on a more solid foundation to make decisions about the
42、risk of future disasters. The industry has also lobbied for the government to bear some of the financial burden of disaster insurance. Such a program already exists for flood insurance, set up in the late 1960s by the federal government to insure flood-prone areas. These types of programs, effective
43、ly implemented, could be increasingly necessary in the future to make insurance available in areas prone to disasters. Because the stakes are so high, the science of disaster prediction has a bright future. The various projects and programs illustrate that disaster prediction is a topic of concern t
44、o scientists and policy-makers alike. Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes all show that the effective use of disaster predictions not only requires advanced technology but also requires that society consider the entire process of predictionforecasts, communication, an
45、d use of information. Because they cannot predict the future with certainty, and because much remains to be learned, scientists warn that society must understand the limits of scientific predictions and be prepared to employ alternatives. Wisely used, however, disaster prediction has the potential t
46、o reduce society“s vulnerability to natural disasters.（分数：10.00）(1).The result of the increasing costs in natural disasters is（分数：2.00）A.great loss suffered by commercial companies.B.organizations increased attention on disasters.C.individual awareness to natural disasters.D.more funds to support th
47、e prediction research.(2).The difference between the actual loss caused by Hurricane Andrew and the loss estimated by insurance companies before the hurricane is（分数：2.00）A.1 billion dollars.B.8 billion dollars.C.9 billion dollars.D.17 billion dollars.(3).The purpose of insurance companies to support
48、 disaster prediction research is that（分数：2.00）A.companies want to make more money from the insured places.B.companies may thus have a better idea of the future risks.C.companies can get more sympathies from the government.D.companies intend to make use of people“s trust in the industry.(4).The key factor to reduce societys vulnerability to natural disasters is（分数：2.00）A.insurance companies should be wise enough in their estimates of losses.B.the government should bear some of the financial risks of disaster insurance.C.the general public sho
