1、考研英语二（阅读）-试卷 2 及答案解析(总分：60.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：6，分数：60.00)1.Section II Reading Comprehension（分数：10.00）_2.Part ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D.（分数：10.00）_Now that the economy is at last growing again, the b
2、urning issue in Britain is the cost of living. Prices have exceeded wages for the past six years. But the thing that is really out of control is the cost of housing. In the past year wages have risen by 1% ; property prices are up by 8.4%. This is merely the latest in a long surge. If since 1971 the
3、 price of groceries had risen as steeply as the cost of housing, a chicken would cost 51($ 83). By subsidising mortgages, and thus boosting demand, the government is aggravating the problem. But that is not the main reason for rising prices. Driven by a baby-boom, immigration and longer lives, Brita
4、in“s population is growing by around 0. 8% per year, faster than in most rich countries. Foreign wealth, in the meantime, is pouring into London. If supply were rising fast too, increasing demand would not matter; but it is not. Though some 221,000 additional households are formed in England annuall
5、y, just 108,000 homes were built in the year to September 2013. The lack of housing is an economic drag. About three-quarters of English job growth last year was in London and its inland, but high prices make it hard for people to move there from less favoured spots. It also damages lives. New Briti
6、sh homes are smaller than those anywhere else in Europe, household size is rising in London and slums are spreading as immigrants squash into shared houses(and, sometimes, garden sheds). Inequality is growing, because the higher property prices are, the greater the advantage that belongs to those wh
7、ose parents own their homes. This is all the result of deliberate policymaking. Since the 1940s house-building in Britain has been regulated by a system designed to prevent urban sprawl, something it has achieved well. It is almost impossible to construct any new building anywhere without permission
8、 from the local council. In the places where people most want to livesuburbs at the edge of big citiescouncils tend not to give it.（分数：10.00）(1).We know from the first paragraph that_.（分数：2.00）A.At present, a chicken in Britain costs 51B.The urgent problem in Britain is the cost of housingC.Prices o
9、f goods have gone up by 8.4% in the past yearD.Housing prices grow much faster than people“s income(2).The population in Britain is growing because all EXCEPT_.（分数：2.00）A.more babies were born than any time in historyB.people live longer than before due to several reasonsC.a large number of foreigne
10、rs have swarmed into the countryD.the government encourages families to have more than one baby(3).What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?（分数：2.00）A.There will be fewer poor people in London.B.British houses are bigger than other places in Europe.C.Economy may be stagnant because of housing problem.D
11、.Employment rate has increased by 75% everywhere in Britain.(4).House-building in Britain is difficult because of_.（分数：2.00）A.government regulationB.limited spaceC.lack of fundD.urbanization(5).The best title of the text may be_.（分数：2.00）A.Economy Is Coming BackB.Housing Problem in BritainC.Housing
12、Price: High EverywhereD.Britain: An Expensive Place to Live inIn the old days parents followed a simple rule: spare the rod and spoil the child. These days less violent forms of discipline are favoured. Supernanny, a television toddler-tamer, recommends the “naughty step“ , to which ill-behaved naug
13、hty children are temporarily banished. Yet even this is too harsh, some psychologists say. But advocates of “positive discipline“ say “naughty step“ does nothing to encourage one to solve problems(and thus build character). Some even suggest it may be psychologically damaging. Positive discipline, w
14、hich is becoming a fad in America, aims to teach children self-control and empathy. Rather than screaming at them to pick up the toys they have thrown on the floor, parents or teachers ask them to suggest their own way of tackling the problem. Adults are encouraged to think harder about the causes o
15、f bad behaviour. Families meet regularly to discuss all of the above. The Ravenswood School in Chicago has embraced positive discipline. When children quarrel, they are allowed to pick an option from a “wheel of choice“ poster. These include “share and take turns“ , “balloon breath“ and a spell in t
16、he “calm-down corner“. In one classroom this has a tiny chair, some fairy lights and an inviting box of picture books. Positive discipline is not new; Jane Nelson, a family consultant and child-care guru , first published a book with that title in 1981. No reliable statistics show how many parents o
17、r schools use it, but the Positive Discipline Association, a non-profit that ran 18 training workshops in 2005, found itself running 51 in 2010. Doubters fear that positive really means permissive. Not so, says Maria Vannucci of the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago. The goal is to
18、connect with a child, rather than simply barking “ Shut up!“ or “ Go to your room!“ For example, a child who is getting underfoot in the kitchen may need to feel involved and be given something to do, such as rolling pastry or folding napkins. One who has given up on his homework may need to have th
19、e task broken down. A toddler who hits another may not know why he is angry; he may be removed or told: “ Use your gentle hands. “ Bribes are out: positive disciplinarians fear they may prevent a child from developing pride in a job well done.（分数：10.00）(1).According to Paragraph 1, which one of the
20、following is true?（分数：2.00）A.Positive discipline is absolutely superior to “naughty step“.B.Parents used to choose more violent ways to teach their children.C.Supernanny advises parents to use “naughty step“ and “positive discipline“.D.Some people suggest “naughty step“ is both physically and mental
21、ly damaging.(2).Which one of the behaviors may be “positive discipline“?（分数：2.00）A.Scream at children and then reason with them.B.Scold children and let them reflect upon themselves.C.Gently ask children to find way to solve the problem.D.Ask children to put their toys away and punish them.(3).The u
22、nderlined word “guru“(Para 4, Line 1)most probably means_.（分数：2.00）A.an expertB.a teacherC.a doctorD.a writer(4).Maria Vannucci suggests that_.（分数：2.00）A.positive discipline means permissiveB.positive discipline may do harm to childrenC.positive discipline will deprive children of confidenceD.the ai
23、m of positive discipline is to communicate with a child(5).What“s the author“s attitude towards “positive discipline“?（分数：2.00）A.Permissive.B.Supportive.C.Objective.D.Doubtful.In the Second World War a “blockbuster“ was a bomb that could eliminate whole streets. Today it is the kind of hit creation
24、that every media executive prays for. Popular films, books, music albums and sports teams that bring in huge audiencesand vast profitscan determine whether a year is profitable or loss-making, and break a boss“s career. The entertainment industry“s search for the golden release is the focus of “ Blo
25、ckbusters“ by Anita Elberse, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. Conventional corporate wisdom maintains that spreading resources across many smaller properties is sounder than pushing money into a few big, concentrated bets. Ms Elberse uses case studies from the film,
26、 television , music and sporting worlds to argue that, counterintuitively, “ the idea of smaller bets being “ safer“ is a myth. “ Nurturing a few choice works and helps firms create superstars and super products , and is the key to far higher profits. Ms Elberse cites Grand Central Publishing as one
27、 example: the top 10% of its titles account for 64% of the publisher“s costs, but 126% of its profits. The thesis that popular products earn more money might seem as obvious as the plot of the latest Hollywood film you saw. But it is not what business experts predicted would happen. In 2006 Chris An
28、derson, the editor of Wired and a former journalist at The Economist, wrote “The Long Tail; Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More“ , in which he argued that the internet would change the demand curve for entertainment products. With unlimited “ shelf“ space available online and more ref
29、ined search algorithms to direct people to songs and books they might be interested in, niche products would attract more attention and a greater share of spending. Ms Elberse originally disagreed on Mr Anderson“s work in a 2008 article for the Harvard Business Review, which is the basis for her boo
30、k. The tail has become longer, but the internet has helped bestsellers become even bigger, because people follow the recommendations of friends and casual consumers choose known quantities. In 2011 just 102 of the 8m digital musical tracks sold generated nearly a sixth of all sales. Blockbusters ten
31、d to be self-reinforcing, because firms spend more to promote products they think stand a better chance of becoming popular.（分数：10.00）(1).“ Blockbuster“ was mentioned in the first paragraph to_.（分数：2.00）A.introduce the topic of the textB.introduce the powerful weaponC.show linguistic differences of
32、modern wordsD.show various meanings of some English words(2).Traditional enterprises believe that_.（分数：2.00）A.Ms Elberse“s studies are ridiculousB.Ms Elberse“s theory is beyond doubtC.it“s better to concentrate fund on a few big betsD.it“s safer to put small amount of money into different areas(3).M
33、s Elberse holds the view that_.（分数：2.00）A.the idea of smaller bets being safer is undoubtedB.cultivating a few choices and putting money in is not a wise wayC.creating superstars and super products helps to acquire more profitsD.spreading resources across many smaller properties is definitely sounde
34、r(4).Anderson argues that the Internet_.（分数：2.00）A.will bring benefits to popular productsB.may reshape consumers“ demand for productsC.will direct people to the most popular books and songsD.will attract more attention and greater share of spending(5).The Internet will make bestsellers become more
35、popular because_.（分数：2.00）A.casual consumers choose the products they likeB.most consumers follow friends“ recommendationsC.companies spend more money to promote productsD.most people follow the recommendation of the InternetWhen people talk about a “north-south divide“ in Britain, they usually refe
36、r to house prices, employment and the ratio of private-sector to public-sector jobs. The south scores higher on all such measures. But new data from the British Trust for Ornithology(BTO), a research charity, implies the growth of another north-south dividethis time to the north“s benefit. Every 20
37、years the BTO produces a detailed picture of bird life in Britain and Ireland. The 2007 to 2011 edition is cheery: more species are recorded than in previous pictures, and many birds are increasing in number. Compared with two decades ago, 45% of regular native species are ranging more widely while
38、32% are living in smaller areas; the rest have stayed put. But the most striking news comes from the north. The overall populations of woodland, farmland and migrant perching birds are up in northern England and Scotland but down in the south. The same is true of individual species such as the garde
39、n warbler, bullfinch and swallow. The number of cuckoos, a closely-watched species, declined by 63% in England between 1995 and 2010 but by only 5% in Scotland. Raptors are faring especially well in the south, but their numbers are rising in most parts of Britain. Partly this reflects climate change
40、, suggests Simon Gillings of the BTO. Some birds are drawn to warmer winters in Scotland and northern England; visiting migrants may stick around for longer. Hard though it may be to believe during a week of rain, the south is becoming drier, pushing snipe northward. More efficient farming has squee
41、zed some farmland species. Some birds find it harder to make homes in the south, too. Pressure on housing means deserted buildings and barns, handy for nesting, have been converted into human dwellings. Between 2006 and 2012 the number of vacant dwellings fell by 17% in London and by 12% in Kent. Ov
42、er the same period the number of empty houses increased by 16% in Derbyshire and by 10% in Lancashire. Northern mining villages once full of workers are now sparsely populated, points out Ian Bart-lett, a birdwatcher in Hartlepool, in north-east England. They have become hot spots for birds and the
43、people who watch them. Cultural difference also plays a part, thinks Mark Cocker, an expert on birds. The “obsession with tidiness“ is stronger in the south, he says. Fewer people cultivate gardens; they prefer to cover them in decking and remove weeds from between concrete slabs. Village greens are
44、 mowed short. In contrast, Scotland and northern England have more trees, grassland and wind-swept moors. Less popular with humans, rugged parts of the countryside are filling up with a winged population instead.（分数：10.00）(1).Which of the following is true about the BTO?（分数：2.00）A.It“s a non-profit
45、organization that researches on birds in Britain.B.It“s a charity which protects and offers shelters to birds in Britain.C.It implies birds prefer living in southern part to northern part in Britain.D.Every 20 years it draws a detailed picture of bird population in the world.(2).The number of specie
46、s like garden warbler, bullfinch and swallow_.（分数：2.00）A.goes up in southern EnglandB.increases in most parts of BritainC.decreases dramatically in EnglandD.rises in the north and declines in the south(3).The following reasons may drive birds away EXCEPT_.（分数：2.00）A.warmer winterB.climate changeC.ef
47、ficient farmingD.continuous rainfall(4).Some birds can hardly find shelters in the south because_.（分数：2.00）A.it is so sparsely populated that few people can watch themB.the environment and ecosystem have been damaged in this areaC.places suitable for nesting have been occupied by human beingsD.deser
48、ted buildings and barns are not suitable for birds to make homes(5).We know from the last paragraph that_.（分数：2.00）A.people in the north are more obsessed with tidinessB.where there are less human beings, there are more birdsC.cultural difference is not clear from south to north in EnglandD.people in the south enjoy decorating their gardens with green plants考研英语二（阅读）-试卷 2 答案解析(总分：60.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：6，分数：60.00)1.Section II Reading Comprehension（分数：10.00）_解析：2.Part ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the q
