1、考研英语（二）-试卷 104 及答案解析(总分：136.00，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）_Older people must be given more chances to learn if they are to contribute to soci
2、ety rather than be a financial burden, according to a new study on population published recently. The current approach which【C1】_ on younger people and on skills for employment is not【C2】_ to meet the challenges of demographic (人口结构的) change, it says. Only 1 % of the education budget is【C3】_ spent o
3、n the oldest third of the population. The【C4】_ include the fact that most people can expect to spend a third of their lives in【C5】_ , that there are now more people over 59 than under 16 and that 11.3 million people are【C6】_ state pension age. 【C7】_ needs to continue throughout life. Our historic co
4、ncentration of policy attention and resources【C8】_ young people cannot meet the new【C9】_ ,“ says the reports author, Professor Stephen McNair. The major【C10】_ of our education budget is spent on people below the age of 25.【C11】_ people are changing their jobs,【C12】_ , partners and lifestyles more of
5、ten than【C13】_ , they need opportunities to learn at every age.【C14】_ , some people are starting new careers in their 50s and later. People need opportunities to make a “midlife review“ to【C15】_ to the later stages of employed life, and to plan for the transition【C16】_ retirement, which may now happ
6、en【C17】_ at any point from 50 to over 90, says McNair. And there should be more money【C18】_ to support people in establishing a【C19】_ of identity and finding constructive 20 for the “third age“ , the【C20】_ or more years they will spend in healthy retired life.（分数：40.00）(1).【C1】（分数：2.00）A.operatesB.f
7、ocusesC.countsD.depends(2).【C2】（分数：2.00）A.superiorB.regularC.essentialD.adequate(3).【C3】（分数：2.00）A.currentlyB.barelyC.anxiouslyD.heavily(4).【C4】（分数：2.00）A.regulationsB.obstaclesC.challengesD.guidelines(5).【C5】（分数：2.00）A.enjoymentB.retirementC.stabilityD.inability(6).【C6】（分数：2.00）A.overB.afterC.acros
8、sD.beside(7).【C7】（分数：2.00）A.IndentifyingB.LearningC.InstructingD.Practicing(8).【C8】（分数：2.00）A.atB.byC.inD.on(9).【C9】（分数：2.00）A.desiresB.realmsC.needsD.intentions(10).【C10】（分数：2.00）A.measureB.ratioC.areaD.portion(11).【C11】（分数：2.00）A.WhenB.UntilC.WhetherD.Before(12).【C12】（分数：2.00）A.neighborsB.moodsC.h
9、omesD.minds(13).【C13】（分数：2.00）A.agoB.everC.previouslyD.formerly(14).【C14】（分数：2.00）A.For exampleB.By contrastC.In particularD.On average(15).【C15】（分数：2.00）A.transformB.yieldC.adjustD.suit(16).【C16】（分数：2.00）A.withinB.fromC.beyondD.to(17).【C17】（分数：2.00）A.unfairlyB.unpredictablyC.instantlyD.indirectly(1
10、8).【C18】（分数：2.00）A.reliableB.considerableC.availableD.feasible(19).【C19】（分数：2.00）A.senseB.conscienceC.projectD.definition(20).【C20】（分数：2.00）A.ranksB.assetsC.idealsD.roles二、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：10，分数：52.00)2.Section II Reading Comprehension_3.Part ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answe
11、r the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D._The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it is trying to track down as many as 386 piglets that may have been genetically engineered and wrongfully sold into the U. S. food supply. The focus of the FDA investigation is pigs raised
12、 by researchers at the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. They engineered the animals with two genes: One is a cow gene that increases milk production in the sow. The other, a synthetic gene, makes the milk easier for piglets to digest. The goal was to raise bigger pigs faster. There has be
13、en no evidence that either genetically altered plants or animals actually trigger human illness, but critics warn that potential side effects remain unknown. University officials say their tests showed the piglets were not born with the altered genes, but FDA rules require even the offspring of gene
14、tically engineered animals to be destroyed so they dont get into the food supply. The FDA, in a quickly arranged news conference Wednesday prompted by inquiries by USA TODAY, said the University of Illinois will face possible sanctions and fines for selling the piglets to a livestock broker, who in
15、turn sells to processing plants. Both the FDA and the university say the pigs that entered the market do not pose a risk to consumers. But the investigation follows action by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in December to fine a Texas company that contaminated 500 000 bushels of soybeans with cor
16、n that had been genetically altered to produce a vaccine for pigs. Critics see such cases as evidence of the need for more government oversight of a burgeoning area of scientific research. “This is a small incident, but its incident like this that could destroy consumer confidence and export confide
17、nce,“ says Stephanie Childs of the Grocery Manufacturers of America. “We already have Europe shaky on biotech. The countries to whom we export are going to look at this. “ The University of Illinois says it tested the DNA of every piglet eight times to make sure that the animal hadnt inherited the g
18、enetic engineering of its mother. Those piglets that did were put back into the study. Those that didnt were sold to the pig broker. “Any pig whos tested negative for the genes since 1999 has been sent off to market, “says Charles Zukoski, vice chancellor for research. But FDA deputy commissioner Le
19、ster Crawford says that under the terms of the universitys agreement with the FDA, the researchers were forbidden to remove the piglets without FDA approval. “The University of Illinois failed to check with FDA to see whether or not the animals could be sold on the open market. And they were not to
20、be used under any circumstance for food.“ The FDA is responsible for regulating and overseeing transgenic animals because such genetic manipulation is considered an unapproved animal drug.（分数：10.00）(1).The 386 piglets wrongfully sold into food supply are from_.（分数：2.00）A.EuropeB.an American research
21、 organizationC.a meat processing plantD.an animal farm(2).The purpose of the transgenic engineering research is to_.（分数：2.00）A.get pigs of larger size in a shorter timeB.make sows produce more milkC.make cows produce more milkD.make pigs grow more lean meat(3).The 4th paragraph shows that the Univer
22、sity of Illinois_.（分数：2.00）A.was criticized by the FDAB.is in great troubleC.is required by the FDA to call back the sold pigletsD.may have to pay the penalty(4).The FDA declares that the wrongfully sold piglets_.（分数：2.00）A.may have side effects on consumersB.may be harmful to consumersC.are safe to
23、 consumersD.may cause human illness(5).It can be inferred from this passage that_.（分数：2.00）A.all the offspring have their mothers genetic engineeringB.part of the offspring have their mothers genetic engineeringC.none of the offspring have their mothers genetic engineeringD.half of the offspring hav
24、e their mothers genetic engineeringFor more than two decades, U. S. courts have been limiting affirmative-action programs in universities and other areas. The legal rationale is that racial preferences are unconstitutional, even those intended to compensate for racism or intolerance. For many colleg
25、es, this means students can be admitted only on merit, not on their race or ethnicity. It has been a divisive issue across the U. S., as educators blame the prolonged reaction to affirmative-action for declines in minority admissions. Meanwhile, activists continue to battle race preferences in court
26、s from Michigan to North Carolina. Now, chief executives of about two dozen companies have decided to plunge headfirst into this politically unsettled debate. They, together with 36 universities and 7 non-profitable organizations, formed a forum that set forth an action plan essentially designed to
27、help colleges circumvent court-imposed restrictions on affirmative action. The CEOs motive: “Our audience is growing more diverse, so the communities we serve benefit if our employees are racially and ethnically diverse as well“ , says one CEO of a company that owns nine television stations.Among th
28、e steps the forum is pushing: finding creative yet legal ways to boost minority enrollment through new admissions policies; promoting admissions decisions that look at more than test scores; and encouraging universities to step up their minority outreach and financial aid. And to counter accusations
29、 by critics to challenge these tactics in court, the group says it will give legal assistance to colleges sued for trying them. “ Diversity diminished by the court must be made up for in other legitimate, legal ways, “ says, a forum member. One of the more controversial methods advocated is the so-c
30、alled 10% rule. The idea is for public universitieswhich educate three-quarters of all U. S. undergraduatesto admit students who are in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. Doing so allows colleges to take minorities who excel in average urban schools, even if they wouldnt have made th
31、e cut under the current statewide ranking many universities use.（分数：10.00）(1).U. S. court restrictions on affirmative action signifies that_.（分数：2.00）A.minorities no longer hold the once favored statusB.the quality of American colleges has improvedC.racial preferences has replaced racial prejudiceD.
32、the minority is on an equal footing with the majority(2).What has been a divisive issue across the United States?（分数：2.00）A.Whether affirmative action should continue to exist.B.Whether this law is helping minorities or the white majority.C.Whether racism exists in American college admission.D.Wheth
33、er racial intolerance should be punished.(3).CEOs of big companies decided to help colleges enroll more minority students because they_.（分数：2.00）A.think it wrong to deprive the minorities of their rights to receive educationB.want to conserve the fine characteristics of American nationC.want a workf
34、orce that reflects the diversity of their customersD.think it their duty to help develop education of the country(4).The major tactic the forum uses is to_.（分数：2.00）A.battle the racial preferences in courtB.support colleges involved in lawsuits of racismC.strive to settle this political debate natio
35、nwideD.find legally viable ways to ensure minority admissions(5).If the 10% rule is applied, _.（分数：2.00）A.the best white high school students can get into collegesB.public universities can get excellent studentsC.students from poor rural families can go to collegesD.good minority students can get in
36、to public universitiesThe 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. Currently, many older experienced workers retire at an early age. According to the recently issued sta
37、tistics, 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 century. Older Americans constitute an increasing proportion of the population, according to the U
38、 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 employed, even part time, would increase U. S. economic output and strengthen the tax base; but
39、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 limits and tax penalties subject our most experienced workers to marginal tax rates as high as 67%
40、 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 small increases in benefits. Hudson Institute researchers believe that federal tax and benefit
41、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 boomers are not saving enough for retirement. According to the increase in 401 (k) and Keogh reti
42、rement 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. The Hudson institute advocates reforming government policies that now discourage work and sa
43、vings, especially for older worker. Among the reports recommendations: Tax half of all Social Security benefits, regardless of other income; provide 8 % larger benefits for each year beyond 65 ; and permit workers nearing retirement to negotiate compensation packages that may include a lower salary
44、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 prolong the serviceability of older experienced workers.（分数：10.00）(1).According to Hudson Insti
45、tute 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 tend to retire early because their prolonged service may_.（分数：2.00）A.do harm to younger gener
46、ationsB.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 the near futureB.baby-boomers contribute much to the US economic outputC.government policies
47、 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 author_.（分数：2.00）A.is calling attention to the privileges to which baby-boomers are entitledB.is calling for the government to ta
48、ke 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 the author 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
