1、2012年湖北省考博英语真题试卷及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 Many mental institutions throughout the country have been turned into dumping grounds for thousands of oldsters who have no place else to go. Most of them arent really mentally ill. In the jargon of the hospital bureaucracy, they are classified as “i
2、nappropriate admissions.“ But since society has nothing better to offer, they are left to rot without hope, help, or dignity. The usual exit is death. Often through no fault of their own, understaffed and overcrowded mental hospitals handle their “geriatric cases“ little better than cattle. There is
3、 a recurrent pattern of elderly patients locked into wards to prevent them from wandering about, given steady doses of tranquilizers to keep them “manageable“, left day and night without a trace of human warmth or companionship. Some hospitals have wards full of elderly, tranquilized patients, bodie
4、s bloated from their inactive, meaningless existences, sitting listlessly on hard benches or sprawled asleep on the floor. There are women, silent as statues, occupying chairs and rockers in the corridors. While the weather may be beautiful outdoors, old men may indifferently shuffle about a geriatr
5、ic “cottage“ with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Yet many of the people could be restored to human dignity, not by complicated therapeutic procedures, but among other things, by providing good medical care and reaching out a hand of kindness towards them. It is estimated that one half the old peop
6、le in state mental hospitals today could leave if proper community resources, services and programs were available. But an indifferent society has not made them available. 1 The main idea of this passage is that_. （ A） most old people need family care （ B） good care for the elderly is costly （ C） ma
7、ny old people are living out their last years in mental institutions （ D） old people should be taken out of doors when the weather is pleasant 2 “Geriatric“ in paragraph 2 refers to people who are . （ A） old （ B） lonely （ C） mentally ill （ D） physically sick 3 We may infer that the author_. （ A） is
8、indifferent to the status quo of the hospitals （ B） is sympathetic to the situation of the elderly （ C） is optimistic towards the future of the elderly （ D） is hostile towards the mental hospital staff 4 The author believes that the real blame lies with_. （ A） the society （ B） the mental institution
9、s （ C） the elderly （ D） the hospital bureaucracy 4 In some ways they are a marketers dream. They have billions of dollars in income and spend most of it. Although their individual purchases are small, they buy regularly, often in response to peer pressure. They are heavily influenced by television a
10、dvertising. And, as a result of todays smaller families and the increase in the number of two-income households, they have more to say about family purchase decisions than ever before. “They“ are children, of course, a group whose spending habits are attracting the attention of more and more markete
11、rs. One recent study estimates that the thirty million U. S. children 4 to 12 years old receive about $4.7 billion annually from allowances, gifts, and odd jobs. Of that amount, they spend a total of $4.2 billion each year on a variety of goods. But childrens financial muscle does not end there. Res
12、earchers estimate that children directly influence more than $40 billion in adult purchases each year. Another study found that children are extremely aware of brands and have considerable input into their parents selections of apparel, cereal, snacks, cars, videocassette recorders, televisions, and
13、 personal computers. Many children are involved in actual household purchasing, especially food; in a recent Teenage Research study, half the teen girls surveyed reported shopping for groceries at least once a week. Recognizing this indirect purchasing power that children have, a growing number of m
14、arketers are approaching the youths directly. The National Dairy Board, for example, now airs milk commercials with youth appeal, and Procter now Hardees Food Systems, Inc, and Wendys International Inc. are doing the same. Intelligent marketers realize that children actually represent three markets:
15、 current consumers, influential consumers, and future buyers. Because children are steadily developing brand awareness and product preferences that someday will translate into purchasing decisions, even companies not selling youth products per se are beginning to pay attention to children. Marketers
16、 are overcoming their traditional reluctance to sell directly to children, realizing that, out there somewhere, tomorrows big-ticket customer is playing video games today. 5 The statement that children “have billions of dollars in income and spend most of it“ implies that children_. （ A） have no sen
17、se of value regarding money （ B） should not waste much of their money （ C） have the potential to buy more than ever before （ D） should not be given so much money by their parents 6 Which of the following is true regarding childrens buying behaviors? （ A） They are not influenced by advertising. （ B）
18、They are careful about spending on fast food. （ C） They are not influenced by milk commercials. （ D） They are very much influenced by their friends. 7 It can be inferred from the passage that marketers believe children who develop “brand awareness“ when they are young will_. （ A） stay practical when
19、 it comes to buying products （ B） be tired of the brands when they become adults （ C） get used to buying those brands into adulthood （ D） become interested in purchasing other products 8 Which of the following sums up the main idea of this passage? （ A） Children have great power as buyers and consum
20、ers. （ B） Children shoulder more household responsibilities. （ C） Children have more to say about family decisions. （ D） Children are important members of society. 8 Framing a problem in mythological terms can point toward solutions at deeper mythic levels. For centuries, the guiding myth of Western
21、 culture has been what might be called the “Grand Narrative of Progress.“ It is the story of movement toward a goal-achievement, improvement, and conquest. Modern science and technology have propelled this myth, extending the human life-span, harnessing natural resources and the power of the atom, c
22、arrying sounds through the atmospheres, and exploring outer space by defying gravity itself. Rational thought and the empirical scientific method became the chief instruments of the progress myth, and they promised to discern which economic system, which form of government, and which aesthetic desig
23、n would best lead humanity out Of confusion toward a Utopian future. As science tests hypotheses, those that fail to be verified are abandoned, allowing science to move forward in a self-correcting, progressive direction. Mythology was equated with superstition and falsehood: its most vital elements
24、 could not be subjected to empirical verification, and it emanated from the well of imagination rather than reason. Spiritual concerns, beliefs in the divine, and respect for the sacred were considered to be the “opium of the masses“ and, like any other addiction, a hindrance to progress. But as the
25、 Grand Narrative of Progress came to dominate other values and views, it cast a malignant shadow. The invention of the automobile was the quintessence of progress, but it left overcrowded highways, air pollution, and deforestation in its wake. Fertilizers increased crop production but also increased
26、 the growth of algae in lakes and canals. The discovery of powerful insecticides first greeted with enthusiasm and a Nobel Prize was followed by the unintentional poisoning of fish, birds, and animals. Nuclear power plants increased available energy but led to storage problems, life-threatening cont
27、amination, and at least one accident with worldwide repercussions. The waste products of technological living began to choke great cities and foul once-pristine lands. Although Western housing, clothing, and religion were brought to aboriginal people, and the rate of infectious disease went down, th
28、e rate of alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide, and spouse and children abuse went up. 9 By the first sentence of the passage the author means that_. （ A） myth is very important in the problem-solution relationship （ B） science and technology are helpful to solve the problems （ C） the Grand Narrative
29、 of Progress is powerful （ D） problem and solution are the twins 10 The Grand Narrative of Progress can be realized because_. （ A） it emanated from imagination rather than reason （ B） it is the story of a movement toward a goal （ C） it dominates other values and views （ D） it is with thought and met
30、hod 11 In the last paragraph, the word “malignant“ means_. （ A） fantastic （ B） dominant （ C） benign （ D） harmful 12 Which of the following can best describe the view of the author? （ A） Human progress has nothing to do with mythologies. （ B） The myth has helped little in shaping the human future. （
31、C） The Grand Narrative of Progress should be criticized. （ D） Science and technology can lead us to a Utopian future. 12 Wall Street in a conceptual sense represents financial and economic power. To Americans, it can sometimes represent elitism and power politics, and its role has been a source of c
32、ontroversy throughout the nations history, particularly beginning around the Gilded Age period in the late 19th century. Wall Street became the symbol of a country and economic system that many Americans saw as having developed through trade, capitalism, and innovation. Wall Street has become synony
33、mous with financial interests, often used negatively. During the mortgage mess from 2007-2010, Wall Street financing was blamed as one of the causes, although most commentators blame an interplay of factors. The U. S. government with the Troubled Asset Relief Program bailed out the banks and financi
34、al backers with billions of taxpayer dollars, but the bailout was often criticized as politically motivated, and was criticized by journalists as well as the public. One writer in the Huffington Post looked at FBI statistics on robbery, fraud, and crime and concluded that Wall Street was the “most d
35、angerous neighborhood in the United States“ if one factored in the $50 billion fraud perpetrated by Bernie Madoff. Many complained that the resulting Sarbanes-Oxley legislation dampened the business climate. Interest groups seeking favor with Washington lawmakers, such as car dealers, have often sou
36、ght to portray their interests as allied with Main Street rather the Wall Street. When the United States Treasury bailed out large financial firms, to ostensibly halt a downward spiral in the nations economy, there was tremendous negative political fallout, particularly when reports came out that mo
37、nies supposed to be used to ease credit restrictions were being used to pay bonuses to highly-paid employees. Analyst William Cohan argued that it was “obscene(肮脏的 )“ how Wall Street reaped “massive profits and bonuses in 2009“ after being saved by “trillions of dollars of American taxpayers treasur
38、e“ despite Wall Streets “greed and irresponsible risk-taking“. Washington Post reporter Suzanne McGee called for Wall Street to make a sort of public apology to the nation, and expressed dismay that people such as Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein hadnt expressed contrition(悔悟 )despite b
39、eing sued by the SEC(Securities and Exchange Commission)in 2009. McGee wrote that “Bankers arent the sole culprits, but their denials of responsibility and the occasional vague and waffling expression of regret dont go far enough to deflect anger“. But chief banking analyst at Goldman Sachs, Richard
40、 Ramsden, is “unapologetic“ and sees “banks as the dynamos(发电机 )that power the rest of the economy“. Ramsden believes “risk-taking is vital“. Others in the financial industry believe theyve been unfairly criticized by the public and by politicians. Images of Wall Street and its figures have loomed l
41、arge. The 1987 Oliver Stone film Wall Street created the iconic figure of Gordon Gekk who used the phrase “greed is good“, which had an unexpected cultural influence, not causing them to turn away from corporate greed, but causing many young people to choose Wall Street carets. 13 Which of the follo
42、wing would be the best title for the passage? （ A） Physical Layout of Wall Street （ B） Wall Street in the Publics Eyes （ C） Influences of the Film Wall Street （ D） Wall Street as a Financial Center 14 All of the following statements are true EXCEPT_. （ A） Wall Street has aroused considerable public
43、interest （ B） the bailout program plays a negative role in American politics （ C） Wall Street is the only offender behind the global economic crisis （ D） the part Wall Street has played in the American economy is under attack 15 It can be inferred from the passage that the real root of the financial
44、 crisis is_. （ A） US governments existing legislation on business climate （ B） US governments politically-motivated bailout plan （ C） Wall Streets favorable treatment to interest groups （ D） Wall Streets lack of responsibility and humanity 16 In the film Wall Street, Gordon Gekko could best be descr
45、ibed as a(n)_. （ A） idiot （ B） idol （ C） idealist （ D） gossip 16 The worsening crisis at the Fukushima Power Station in Japan has led to inevitable comparisons with the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster that killed workers at the plant instantly, caused cancers in the surrounding population and spread
46、 radioactive contamination so far that livestock restrictions are still in place at some farms around the Ukraine. The situation at Fukushima is certainly grave and immediately dangerous for those at the site who are fighting to make the crippled reactors and fuel storage ponds safe. But whatever wa
47、rnings are now being issued by foreign governments to their citizens in Japan, there are significant differences that set this apart from the catastrophe in Ukraine. At Chernobyl the nuclear reactor exploded after a surge in power that blew the top off the power plant and sent how fuel high into the
48、 upper atmospheres, where it floated across national borders. A fire that broke out in the graphite core forced more radioactive material into the air, helping it spread further. The reactor had no containment facility to even slow the release of radiation from the plant. The Fukushima boiling water
49、 reactor is a 40-year-old power plant and it has some glaring design flaws, but the reactors have been switched off for five days, so there is less fresh radioactive material around, and each core is contained within a 20cm-thick steel container, which is then protected by a steel-lined reinforced concrete outer structure. Even in the case of a meltdown, these measures should at least limit the amount of radiation released. But what of the population beyond? The risk from radiation falls off substantia
