1、考研英语（阅读）-试卷 161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）_Human language is the subject of endless scientific
2、investigation, but the gestures that accompany speech are a surprisingly neglected area. It is sometimes jokingly said that the way to render an Italian speechless is to tie his wrists together, but almost everyone moves their hands in meaningful ways when they talk. Susan Goldin-Meadow of the Unive
3、rsity of Chicago, however, studies gestures carefullyand not out of idle curiosity. Introspection suggests that gesturing not only helps people communicate but also helps them to think. She set out to test this, and specifically to find out whether gestures might be used as an aid to children“s lear
4、ning. It turns out, as she told the American Association for the Advancement of Science(AAAS), that they can. The experiment she conducted involved balancing equations. Presented with an equation of the form 2+3+4=x+4, written on a blackboard, a child is asked to calculate the value of x. In the equ
5、ations Dr Goldin-Meadow always made the last number on the left the same as the last on the right; so x was the sum of the first two numbers. Commonly, however, children who are learning arithmetic will add all three of the numbers on the left to arrive at the value of x. In her previous work Dr Gol
6、din-Meadow had noted that children often use spontaneous gestures when explaining how they solve mathematical puzzles. So to see if these hand-movements actually help a child to think, or are merely descriptive, she divided a group of children into two and asked them to balance equations. One group
7、was asked to gesture while doing so. A second was asked not to. Both groups were then given a lesson in how to solve problems of this sort. As Dr Goldin-Meadow suspected, the first group learnt more from the lesson than the second. By observing their gestures she refined the experiment. Often, a chi
8、ld would touch or point to the first two numbers on the left with the first two fingers of one hand. Dr Goldin-Meadow therefore taught this gesture explicitly to another group of children. Or, rather, she taught a third of them, taught another third to point to the second and third numbers this way,
9、 and told the remainder to use no gestures. When all were given the same lesson it was found those gesturing “correctly“ learnt the most. But those gesturing “incorrectly“ still outperformed the non-gesturers. Gesturing, therefore, clearly does help thought. Indeed, it is so thought-provoking that e
10、ven the wrong gestures have some value. Perhaps this helps to explain why the arithmetic-intensive profession of banking was invented in Italy.（分数：10.00）(1).We can learn from the first paragraph that（分数：2.00）A.Italians cannot talk with others if they don“t move their hands in meaningful ways.B.gestu
11、ring going with speech is rarely chosen as the subject of the scientific investigation.C.human language is much more important than meaningful gestures.D.meaningful gestures are considered to be of help to children“s learning.(2).Dr. Goldin-Meadow found that when explaining how they solve mathematic
12、al problems, children use gestures（分数：2.00）A.purposefully.B.automatically.C.suddenly.D.naturally.(3).Dr. Goldin-Meadow conducted the experiment so as to（分数：2.00）A.help children to learn how to communicate with others effectively.B.prove that gestures might be used as an aid to children“s learning.C.
13、figure out that hand-movements of children are descriptive as well.D.prove that children doing wrong gestures learn less than non-gestures.(4).Which of the following is true according to the text?（分数：2.00）A.Most scholars study gestures because they are curious about them.B.Italians are good at arith
14、metic because they gesture in meaningful ways.C.Wrong gestures as well as correct ones can aid children“s learning.D.Correct gestures can help children to solve most mathematical problems.(5).What would be the best title for the text?（分数：2.00）A.Gesturing and Human LanguageB.A Handwaving Approach to
15、ArithmeticC.How to Solve Arithmetic Problems?D.Gesture: An Aid to CommunicationFor the past five years, Dr. Stephen Post has been funding research projects that test how altruism(selflessness), compassion, and giving affect people“s lives and well-being. As head of the Institute for Research on Unli
16、mited Love(IRUL), at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, he has sponsored more than 50 studies by scientists from 54 major universities. In a wide range of disciplinesfrom public health to human development to neuroscience, sociology, and evolutionary biologythe studies have demonstrated t
17、hat love and caring expressed in doing good for others lead people to have healthier, happier, and even longer lives. IRUL research is part of a significant shift under way within key scientific disciplines from focusing just on the deficit or disease model of human nature to studying the positive,
18、virtuous, and thriving aspects. In the process, the research is broadening the understanding of what contributes to health and longevity. Even some in evolutionary biology, a field long known for proclaiming “the selfish gene,“ are on board. “A lot of my colleagues view it very positively,“ says Dav
19、id Sloan Wilson, a prominent evolutionary biologist famous for his work on “group selection.“ Dr. Wilson has studied how altruistic teenagers fare within differing social environmentssituations where they thrive and others where they are under great stressas well as group altruism. He praises the in
20、stitute for identifying and supporting “a neglected set of subjects“ for research. Research on people diagnosed with various illnesseswhether it be HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, or alcoholism-revealed that those patients involved in counseling or otherwise serving others show greater improvement in
21、their own health. Volunteerism studies have demonstrated such positive results that some people have called for doctors to prescribe volunteer activities. Post emphasizes, however, that it“s not just the activity itself, but the feelings behind the acts that benefit those taking part. Numerous studi
22、es on the brain have provided images that confirm the “helper“s high“ the warm glow that people feel from helping activities. But Post doesn“t conclude that it“s the selfish pursuit of that high that spurs people to be givers. “It“s not just from the chemicals. There is this neurological activity in
23、 the human body,“ he says, “but I think there is a spiritual presence that enlivens and elevates this kind of natural substrate.“ The institute will then turn very practical, Post says, taking all that has been learned about love and seeing “how it can be applied in interventions to make the world a
24、 better place.“（分数：10.00）(1).According to the first two paragraphs, we know that IRUL research（分数：2.00）A.has been conducted by Dr. Post and scientists from other 54 universities.B.aims to find out what contributes to healthier, happier, and longer lives.C.has shown altruistic love results in a healt
25、hier and happier life.D.studies how altruistic teenagers get along in various social environments.(2).In the eyes of Dr. Wilson, IRUL research（分数：2.00）A.initiates an important change.B.develops evolutionary biology.C.is positive and evolutionary.D.is praiseworthy for its efforts.(3).The examples of
26、the patients are cited in Paragraph 4 to show that（分数：2.00）A.people are helping others in order to improve their own health.B.volunteer work proves helpful to patients with various illnesses.C.altruistic acts and feelings are contributive to a healthier life.D.doctors should prescribe volunteer acti
27、vities to patients.(4).The phrase “helper“s high“(Line 1, Paragraph 5)most probably means（分数：2.00）A.the excitement of helping others.B.the pleasure of doing favors.C.the thrill of pursuing happiness.D.the passion of offering help.(5).We can learn from the last paragraph that Dr. Post believes（分数：2.0
28、0）A.altruistic activities are as important as altruistic feelings.B.people help others in order to experience the “helper“s high“.C.the “helper“s high“ mainly results from the chemicals in the body.D.the “helper“s high“ may be more spiritual.When George Bush left the presidency on January 20th, many
29、 Americans were keen to turn the page. They have warmly welcomed a new cast of characters, from Barack and Michelle down to Bo the Portuguese water dog. But some members of the Bush crew are much in the news. Karl Rove, an influential adviser, is penning weekly editorials and has been scrapping with
30、 Joe Biden, the vice president. Dick Cheney has been on television growling about Mr. Obama“s approach to national security. In Spain, a court is deciding whether Alberto Gonzales, the former attorney-general, and five other administration officials can be accused of torture. Mr. Bush himself has mo
31、stly kept a low profile since returning to Texas. He and Laura settled into their new house, in a select part of Dallas. He threw the first ball at a Texas Rangers baseball game and visited a hardware shop. He has been jogging and riding his bicycle. He has given one speech, in Canada, at which he d
32、eclined to criticize the new president. “He deserves my silence,“ said Mr. Bush. But Mr. Bush will not be silent for ever. He has started to write his memoirs, which will skip the usual format and be organized around a series of 12 momentous decisions. The format makes sense, given Mr. Bush“s view o
33、f history and his role in it. “I“m the decider,“ he said in 2006, defending his decision to keep Donald Rumsfeld as defense secretary. It was one of his least popular decisions, and Mr. Bush“s many critics thought it was a bull-headed thing to say. But perhaps it was simply an existential comment. T
34、he president is the decider. There is no getting round that. The “decider“ idea will extend to the George W. Bush Presidential Centre, to be housed at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. The centre will include a policy institute as well as the usual library and museum. On April 14th Mr. Bush g
35、athered about 20 of his old employees in Dallas, including the former secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and a former speechwriter, Michael Gerson, to work out strategy. The policy institute will be unashamedly ideological. The museum, like the memoirs, will be organized around a series of decisi
36、ons. The list has not been finalized, though some are obvious choices, such as the decisions to invade Iraq and Afghanistan. Mark Langdale, president of the George W. Bush Foundation, thinks that Mr. Bush“s 2007 decision to pursue immigration reform should make the cut. The effort failed in the Sena
37、te, but failure is part of any human story. That goes for presidents, too. “Sometimes they succeed, and sometimes they don“t, but the journey continues,“ says Mr. Langdale.（分数：10.00）(1).It can be inferred from the opening paragraph that（分数：2.00）A.the Obama administration takes on some members of the
38、 Bush crew.B.some members of the Bush crew are involved in negative publicity.C.Obama“s approach to national security is proved by Cheney to be a failure.D.George Bush is not popular with Americans as a president at all.(2).Bush“s life is described in the second paragraph to show that（分数：2.00）A.Bush
39、 is still actively engaged in social and political activities.B.Bush becomes more popular after his retirement from presidency.C.Bush is rather silent compared with his former colleagues.D.Bush shows no interest in Obama“s administration and policies.(3).What does the phrase “bull-headed“(Line 5, Pa
40、ragraph 3)most probably mean?（分数：2.00）A.Stubborn.B.Stupid.C.Mad.D.Unpopular.(4).Mr. Bush gathered some of his former colleagues（分数：2.00）A.to extend the “decider“ idea to the George W. Bush Presidential Centre.B.to discuss his house at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.C.to formulate strategy w
41、ith them.D.to recapture the experience of the “decider“.(5).What does Mark Langdale think of Bush“s decision to pursue immigration reform?（分数：2.00）A.It brought negative influence to the Bush administration.B.It should be one of the decisions included in the museum.C.It should be regarded as part of
42、the human history.D.It was a failure like the decisions to invade Iraq and Afghanistan.How stupid does one need to be to get a job reading the television news? Is it actually beneficial for TV newsreaders to have, instead of a brain, a plate of lemon jelly? Last week the debate was raging once again
43、 about the controversial and important point as to whether the newsreaders write their own copy, read someone else“s or simply make it up as they go along. Angela Rippon reckoned that she had never heard of a newsreader writing stuff, but her modern counterpart, the beautiful Sophie Raworth, claims
44、that they do the writing and adds that she has a postgraduate degree in journalism. This is the core of the issue: what on earth is there to learn about journalism at postgraduate level? The point and purpose of our lowly, occasionally useful, trade could be scribbled on the back of a postage stamp
45、and would easily be comprehended by a 14-year-old boy with ADHD(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Who has decided that it must be dignified with a doctoral thesis? Nor is reading the news even what one might call “journalism“. It is an even simpler business called “reading“. All that the BB
46、C demands of its female newsreaders is an ability to read in an impartial way words like “Israel has murdered more Lebanese children again today“ from the teleprompter without belching or lisping. It helps if they have the eminently presentable manner of a girl guide leader from Esher. They are forb
47、idden to express an opinion. They are not required to go undercover, analyze the news or add witty asides. They are required to be that which they are known as in the trade “a gob on a stick“ . A penetrating intelligence is not merely unnecessary, it is counterproductive. Newsreaders who are too int
48、elligent soon stop being newsreaders, much as John Humphrys did, stifled by the commonplace of their duties. Or they give the game away by doing what that German newsreader did and end the programme, shaking their heads sadly, muttering, “it“s all lies, all lies“. Which is not to say BBC newsreaders
49、 are bad at their jobs: quite the reverse. But we should not confuse competence with intelligence. Newsreaders believe that because they are reading out serious stuff and everybody is listening to them, they must therefore be creatures possessed of a high IQ. They are confusing the message with the medium.（分数：10.00）(1).The author holds in the first two paragraphs that a postgraduate degree in journalism（分数：2.00
