1、在职艺术硕士（MFA）全国联考英文阅读理解-试卷 16及答案解析(总分：40.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、英文阅读理解题(总题数：4，分数：40.00)According to a survey, which was based on the responses of over 188,000 students, today“s traditional-age college freshmen are “more materialistic and less altruistic (利他主义的 )“ than at any time in the 17 years of the poll.
2、 Not surprising in these hard times, the student“s major objective “is to be financially well off. Less important than ever is developing a meaningful philosophy of life. “ It follows then that today the most popular course is not literature or history but accounting. Interest in teaching, social se
3、rvice and the “altruistic“ fields is at a low. On the other hand, enrollment in business programs, engineering and computer science is way up. That“s no surprise either. A friend of mine (a sales representative for a chemical company) was making twice the salary of her college instructors her first
4、year on the jobeven before she completed her two-year associate degree. While it“s true that we all need a career, it is equally true that our civilization has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge in fields far removed from our own and that we are better for our understanding of these other
5、 contributionsbe they scientific or artistic. It is equally true that, in studying the diverse wisdom of others, we learn how to think. More important, perhaps, education teaches us to see the connections between things, as well as to see beyond our immediate needs. Weekly we read of unions who went
6、 on strike for higher wages, only to drive their employer out of business. No company; no job. How shortsighted in the long run! But the most important argument for a broad education is that in studying the accumulated wisdom of the ages, we improve our moral sense. I saw a cartoon recently which sh
7、ows a group of businessmen looking puzzled as they sit around a conference table； one of them is talking on the intercom (对讲机): “Miss Baxter,“ he says, “could you please send in someone who can distinguish right from wrong?“ From the long-term point of view, that“s what education really ought to be
8、about. (353 words)（分数：10.00）(1).According to the author“s observation, college students_.（分数：2.00）A.have never been so materialistic as todayB.have never been so interested in the artsC.have never been so financially well off as todayD.have never attached so much importance to moral sense(2).The stu
9、dents“ criteria for selecting majors today have much to do with_.（分数：2.00）A.the influences of their instructorsB.the financial goals they seek in lifeC.their own interpretations of the coursesD.their understanding of the contributions of others(3).By saying “While it“s true thatbe they scientific or
10、 artistic“ (Lines 1 4, Para. 5), the author means that_.（分数：2.00）A.business management should be included in educational programsB.human wisdom has accumulated at an extraordinarily high speedC.human intellectual development has reached new heightsD.the importance of a broad education should not be
11、overlooked(4).Studying the diverse wisdom of others can_.（分数：2.00）A.create varying artistic interestsB.help people see things in their right perspectivesC.help improve connections among peopleD.regulate the behavior of modern people(5).Which of the following statements is true according to the passa
12、ge?（分数：2.00）A.Businessmen absorbed in their career are narrow-minded.B.Managers often find it hard to tell, right from wrong.C.People engaged in technical jobs lead a more rewarding life,D.Career seekers should not focus on immediate interests only.Nearly all “speed reading“ courses have a “pacing“
13、elementsome timing device which lets the student know how many words a minute he is reading. You can do this simply by looking at your watch every 5 or 10 minutes and noting down the page number you have reached. Check the average number of words per page for the particular book you are reading. How
14、 do you know when 5 minutes has passed on your watch if you are busy reading the book? Well, this is difficult at first. A friend can help by timing you over a set period, or you can read within hearing distance of a public clock which strikes the quarter hours. Pace yourself every three or four day
15、s, always with the same kind of easy, general interest books. You should soon notice your accustomed w.p.m. rate creeping up. Obviously there is little point in increasing your w.p.m. rate if you do not understand what you are reading. When you are consciously trying to increase your reading speed,
16、stop after every chapter (if you are reading a novel) or every section or group of ten or twelve pages (if it is a textbook) and ask yourself a few questions about what you have been reading. If you find you have lost the thread of the story, or you cannot remember clearly the details of what was sa
17、id, reread the section or chapter. You can also try “lightning speed“ exercise from time to time. Take four or five pages of the general interest book you happen to be reading and read them as fast as you possibly can. Do not bother about whether you understand or not. Now go back and read them at w
18、hat you feel to be your “normal“ w.p.m. rate, the rate at which you can comfortably understand. After a lightning speed reading through you will usually find that your “normal“ speed has increasedperhaps by as much as 50-100 w.p.m. This is the technique sportsmen use when they usually run further in
19、 training than they will have to on the day of the big race. (341 words)（分数：10.00）(1).According to the passage, a “pacing“ device_.（分数：2.00）A.is used to time student“s reading speedB.is not used in most speed reading coursesC.is used as an aid to vocabulary learningD.should be used whenever we read
20、alone(2).In speed reading, looking at your watch every 5 or 10 minutes_.（分数：2.00）A.avoids the need for reading fasterB.is not the same as pacingC.may seem unworkable at firstD.helps you to remember your page number(3).When you are reading a novel, you should check your understanding of the content a
21、fter_.（分数：2.00）A.every chapterB.every sectionC.every four or five pagesD.every ten or twelve pages(4).The purpose of the “lightning speed“ exercise is to_.（分数：2.00）A.increase your speed by scanning the text firstB.test your maximum reading speedC.help you understand more of the content of the bookD.
22、enable you to win reading races against your friends(5).The best title for this passage would be_.（分数：2.00）A.Hints for Successful ReadingB.Hints for Speed ReadingC.Effective ReadingD.Lightning Speed ExercisesFor centuries, explorers have risked their lives venturing into the unknown for reasons that
23、 were to varying degrees economic and nationalistic. Columbus went west to look for better trade routes to the Orient and to promote the greater glory of Spain. Lewis and Clark journeyed into the American wilderness to find out what the U.S. had acquired when it purchased Louisiana, and the Apollo a
24、stronauts rocketed to the moon in a dramatic show of technological muscle during the cold war. Although their missions blended commercial and political-military imperatives, the explorers involved all accomplished some significant science simply by going where no scientists had gone before. Today Ma
25、rs looms (隐约出现) as humanity“s next great terra incognita (未探明之地 ). And with doubtful prospects for a short-term financial return, with the cold war a rapidly fading memory and amid a growing emphasis on international cooperation in large space ventures, it is clear that imperatives other than profit
26、s or nationalism will have to compel human beings to leave their tracks on the planet“s reddish surface. Could it be that science, which has long played a minor role in exploration, is at last destined to take a leading role? The question naturally invites a couple of others: Are there experiments t
27、hat only humans could do on Mars? Could those experiments provide insights profound enough to justify the expense of sending people across interplanetary space? With Mars the scientific stakes are arguably higher than they have ever been. The issue of whether life ever existed on the planet, and whe
28、ther it persists to this day, has been highlighted by mounting evidence that the Red Planet once had abundant stable, liquid water and by the continuing controversy over suggestions that bacterial fossils rode to Earth on a meteorite (陨石) from Mars. A more conclusive answer about life on Mars, past
29、or present, would give researchers invaluable data about the range of conditions under which a planet can generate the complex chemistry that leads to life. If it could be established that life arose independently on Mars and Earth, the finding would provide the first concrete clues in one of the de
30、epest mysteries in all of science; the prevalence of life in the universe. (362 words)（分数：10.00）(1).According to the passage, the chief purpose of explorers in going to unknown places in the past was_.（分数：2.00）A.to display their country“s military mightB.to accomplish some significant scienceC.to fi
31、nd new areas for colonizationD.to pursue commercial and state interests(2).At present, a probable inducement for countries to initiate large-scale space ventures is_.（分数：2.00）A.international cooperationB.scientific researchC.nationalistic reasonsD.long-term profits(3).What is the main goal of sendin
32、g human missions to Mars?（分数：2.00）A.To find out if life ever existed there.B.To see if humans could survive there.C.To prove the feasibility of large-scale space ventures.D.To show the leading role of science in space exploration.(4).By saying “With Mars the scientific stakes are arguably higher tha
33、n they have ever been“ (Line 1, Para. 4), the author means that_.（分数：2.00）A.with Mars the risks involved are much greater than any previous space venturesB.in the case of Mars, the rewards of scientific exploration can be very highC.in the case of Mars, much more research funds are needed than ever
34、beforeD.with Mars, scientists argue, the fundamental interests of science are at issue(5).The passage tells us that proof of life on Mars would_.（分数：2.00）A.make clear the complex chemistry in the development of lifeB.confirm the suggestion that bacterial fossils traveled to Earth on a meteoriteC.rev
35、eal the kind of conditions under which life originatesD.provide an explanation why life is common in the universeYou must have been troubled by when to say “I love you“ because it is one of the greatest puzzles in our life. What if you say it first and your partner doesn“t love you back? Or if they
36、do say it, but you don“t feel they mean it? Being the first to declare your love can be ever racking (紧 张) and risky and can leave you feeling as vulnerable as a turtle (海龟) with no shell. But is the person who says it first really in a position of weakness? Doesn“t it pay to hold back, play it cool
37、 and wait until the other half has shown their hand first? “A really good relationship should be about being fair and being equal,“ says psychologist Sidney Crown. “But love is seldom equal. “ All relationships go through power struggles but, he says, if a love imbalance continues for years, the rot
38、 will set in. “That feeling of “I“ve always loved you more“ may be subverted (颠覆，破坏) for a time, but it never goes away completely and it often emerges in squabbling (大声争吵). “ In love, at least, the silent, withholding type is not always the most powerful. “The strongest one in a relationship is oft
39、en the person who feels confident enough to talk about their feelings,“ says educational psychologist Ingrid Collins. Psychosexual therapist Paula Hall agrees. “The one with the upper hand is often the person who takes the initiative. In fact, the person who says “I love you“ first may also be the o
40、ne who says “I“m bored with you“ first. “ Hall believes that much depends on how “I love you“ is said and the motivation of the person saying it. “Is it said when they“re drunk? Is it said before their partner files off on holiday, and what it really means is “Please don“t be unfaithful to me“? By s
41、aying “I love you“, they are really saying “Do you love me?“ If so, wouldn“t it just be more honest to say that?“ Collins agrees that intention is everything. “It“s not what is said, but how it“s said What it comes down to is the sincerity of the speaker. “ (354 words)（分数：10.00）(1).What is the main
42、idea of this passage?（分数：2.00）A.The importance of “I love you“.B.The meaning of “I love you“.C.The time of saying “I love you“.D.The place of saying “I love you“.(2).In the first sentence the author means that_.（分数：2.00）A.it is easy to say “I love you“B.it is hard to say “I love you“C.we have many t
43、roubles in our lifeD.people usually do not know when to say “I love you“(3).According to the expert, a good relationship should be_.（分数：2.00）A.fair and equalB.fair and kindC.powerful and equalD.confident and fair(4).In the third paragraph, the phrase “with the upper hand“ means_.（分数：2.00）A.being low
44、 in spiritB.having only one handC.being activeD.being passive(5).What is the most important for you to consider when somebody say “I love you“ to you?（分数：2.00）A.The intention.B.The place.C.The time.D.The determination.在职艺术硕士（MFA）全国联考英文阅读理解-试卷 16答案解析(总分：40.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、英文阅读理解题(总题数：4，分数：40.00)Accor
45、ding to a survey, which was based on the responses of over 188,000 students, today“s traditional-age college freshmen are “more materialistic and less altruistic (利他主义的 )“ than at any time in the 17 years of the poll. Not surprising in these hard times, the student“s major objective “is to be financ
46、ially well off. Less important than ever is developing a meaningful philosophy of life. “ It follows then that today the most popular course is not literature or history but accounting. Interest in teaching, social service and the “altruistic“ fields is at a low. On the other hand, enrollment in bus
47、iness programs, engineering and computer science is way up. That“s no surprise either. A friend of mine (a sales representative for a chemical company) was making twice the salary of her college instructors her first year on the jobeven before she completed her two-year associate degree. While it“s
48、true that we all need a career, it is equally true that our civilization has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge in fields far removed from our own and that we are better for our understanding of these other contributionsbe they scientific or artistic. It is equally true that, in studying
49、the diverse wisdom of others, we learn how to think. More important, perhaps, education teaches us to see the connections between things, as well as to see beyond our immediate needs. Weekly we read of unions who went on strike for higher wages, only to drive their employer out of business. No company; no job. How shortsighted in the long run! But the most important argument for a broad education is that in studying the accumulated wisdom of the ages, we improve our moral sense. I saw a cartoon recently wh
