1、在职申硕同等学力英语（阅读）模拟试卷 26及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension Directions: There are 5 passages in this part. Each passage is followed by 5 questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark the corresponding letter with a single bar acr
2、oss the square brackets on your machine-scoring ANSWER SHEET. 0 The Solar Decathlon is under way, and teams of students from 14 colleges and universities are building solar-powered homes on the National Mall in Washington, D. C. in an effort to promote this alternative energy source. This week judge
3、s in this Department of Energy(DOE)sponsored event will evaluate these homes and declare one the winner. Unfortunately, for the participants, it rained on the Sept. 26th opening ceremonies, and the skies over the Washington have remained mostly overcast since. However, the conditions may have made f
4、or a more revealing demonstration of solar energy than was originally planned. Although the Solar Decathlons purpose is to advertise the benefits of electricity-generating solar panels and other residential solar gadgets, the bad weather has made it hard to ignore the limitations. As fate so amply d
5、emonstrated, not every day is a sunny day, and indeed DOEs “Solar Village on the National Mall“ has received very little of what it needs to run. Since solar is not an always available energy source, even a community consisting entirely of solar homes and businesses would still need to be connected
6、to a constantly-running power plant(most likely natural gas or coal fired)to provide reliable electricity. For this reason, the fossil fuel savings and environmental benefits of solar are considerably smaller than many proponents suggest. Washington, D. C. gets its share of sunny days as well, but e
7、ven so, solar equipment provides only a modest amount of energy in relation to its cost. In fact, a $ 5,000 rooftop photovoltaic system typically generates no more than $ 100 of electricity per year, providing a rate of return comparable to a passbook savings account. Nor do the costs end when the s
8、ystem is installed. Like anything exposed to the elements, solar equipment is subject to wear and storm damage, and may need ongoing maintenance and repairs. In addition, the materials that turn sunlight into electricity degrade over time. Thus, solar panels will eventually need to be replaced, most
9、 likely before the investment has fully paid itself off in the form of reduced utility bills. Solar energy has always had its share of true believers willing to pay extra to feel good about their homes and themselves. But for homeowners who view it as an investment, it is not a good one. The economi
10、c realities are rarely acknowledged by the government officials and solar equipment manufactures involved in the Solar Decathlon and similarly one-sided promotions. By failing to be objective, the pro-solar crowd does consumers a real disservice. 1 The Solar Decathlon is most probably the name of a_
11、. （ A） technology （ B） contest （ C） strategy （ D） machine 2 What does the author say about the weather? （ A） It is rare for Washington,D.C. to have such long rainy days. （ B） It has been raining since Sept. 26 th for the most of the time. （ C） It is favorable to the manufacturers to promote solar eq
12、uipment. （ D） It has helped see the disadvantages of solar energy. 3 What has happened to DOEs “Solar Village on the National Mall“? （ A） It has revealed a mechanical problem. （ B） It lacks the energy for operation. （ C） It needs substantial financial support. （ D） It has drawn criticism from the go
13、vernment. 4 The environmental benefits of solar power are small because_. （ A） solar power plants can hardly avoid polluting their surroundings （ B） most people prefer the relatively simple use of fossil fuel （ C） the uses of solar energy still cannot go without fossil fuel （ D） only several communi
14、ties entirely consist of solar energy homes 5 It can be inferred that “a passbook savings account“ _. （ A） brings little interest （ B） brings much interest （ C） is a deposit of at least $ 100 （ D） is a deposit of at least $ 5,000 6 It can be inferred that in promoting solar energy the US government_
15、. （ A） admits its limitation of being expensive （ B） rarely mentions its cost to homeowners （ C） stands on the side of the majority of consumers （ D） remains more objective than the solar equipment manufacturers 6 Every year, the American Lung Association(ALA)releases its annual report card on smog,
16、 and every year it gives an “F“ to over half the nations counties and cities. When ALAs “State of the Air 2002“ recently came out, dozens of credulous local journalists once again took the bait, ominously reporting that their corner of the nation received a failing grade. The national coverage was n
17、o better, repeating as fact ALAs statement that it is “gravely concerned“ about air quality, and neglecting to solicit the views of even one scientist with a differing view. Too bad, because this report card says a lot less about actual air quality than it does about the tactics and motives of the A
18、LA. The very fact that 60 percent of counties were given an “F“ seems to be alarmist. This is particularly true given that smog levels have been trending downward for several decades. According to the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)statistics, ozone, the primary constituent of smog, has nearly
19、decreased 30% since 1970s. This progress will likely continue, even without the wave of new regulations ALA is now demanding. ALA is correct that some areas still occasionally exceed the federal standard for ozone, but such spikes are far less frequent than in the past. Even Los Angeles, the undispu
20、ted smog capital of America, has cleaned up its act considerably. Los Angeles, which exceeded federal smog standards for 154 days in 1989, has had 75 percent fewer such spikes in recent years. But an ALA-assigned “F“ misleadingly implies that air quality has not improved at all. Most of the nation i
21、s currently in attainment with the current smog standard, and much of the rest is getting close. Nonetheless, ALA chose to assign an “F“ to entire county based on just a few readings above a strict new EPA standard enacted in 1997 but not yet in force. In effect, ALA demanded a standard even more st
22、ringent than the federal governments, which allows some leeway for a few anomalously high readings in otherwise clean areas. ALA further exaggerated the public-health hazard by grossly overstating the risks of these relatively minor and sporadic increases above the standard. 7 The medias response to
23、 ALAs “State of the Air 2002“ can best be described as_. （ A） trusting （ B） suspicious （ C） critical （ D） hesitant 8 By citing figures from the EPA, the author seems to contend that_. （ A） the regulations about smog have proved effective （ B） new regulations are necessary to deal with smog （ C） smog
24、 problems have actually become less serious （ D） the federal smog standard has been rather low 9 In Paragraph 3, the word “spikes“(in boldface)probably refers to_. （ A） the increase above the smog standard （ B） the irregular readings about air quality in some areas （ C） the occurrences of smog in Lo
25、s Angeles （ D） the current standards demanded by ALA 10 The author draws on Los Angeles to prove that the ALA_. （ A） is right to assign an “F“ to that area （ B） often bases its report on the past events （ C） has a good reason to stress smog risks （ D） has overstated smog problems 11 The author agree
26、s with the ALA that_. （ A） present smog standards should be made stricter （ B） the standard established by the EPA is effective （ C） some areas fail to meet the federal standard at times （ D） poor air quality is a major problem nationwide 12 One of the problems with the ALA seems to be_. （ A） its la
27、ck of opinions from experts （ B） its focus on some irregular cases （ C） its attempt to make up the date （ D） its inconsistent smog standards 12 In her 26 years of teaching English, Shannon McGuire has seen countless misplaced commas, misspelled words and sentence fragments. But the instructor at USs
28、 Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge said her job is getting harder every day. “I kid you not, the number of errors that I ve seen in the past few years have multiplied five times,“ she said. Experts say email and instant messaging are at least partly to blame for an increasing indifference to
29、ward the roles of grammar, spelling and sentence structure. They say the problem is most noticeable in college students and recently graduates. “They used to at least feel guilty(about mistakes),“ said Naomi Baron, professor of linguistics at American University in Washington, D. C. “They didnt nece
30、ssarily write a little better, but at least they felt guilty. “ Ironically, Barons latest book, Alphabet to Email: How Written English Evolved and Where Its Heading, became a victim of sloppy proofreading. The books title is capitalized differently on the cover, spine and title page. “People used to
31、 lose their jobs over this,“ she said. “And now they just say whatever. “ “Whatever“ describes Jeanette Hendersons attitude toward writing. The sophomore at the University of Louisiana at Monroe admits that her reliance on spell check has hurt her grades in English class. “Computer has spoiled us,“
32、she said. But the family and consumer sciences major believes her future bosses wont mind the mistakes as much as her professor does. “Theyre not going to check semicolons, commas and stuff like that,“ Henderson said. LSUs McGuire said she teaches her students to use distinct writing styles that fit
33、 their purpose. She emphasizes that theres the informal language of an email to a friend, but theres also the well thought out and structured academic or professional style of writing. Its not just email and instant messaging that are contributing to slack writing habits. Society as a whole is becom
34、ing more informal. Casual wear at work used to be reserved for Friday, for example, but is now commonplace at most offices. Theres also a greater emphasis on youth culture, and youth tend to use instant messaging more than adults do. English language has been neglected at different points in history
35、 but always rebounds. During Shakespearen times, for example, spelling wasnt considered important, and early publishers rarely proofread. There will likely be a social force that recognizes the need for clear writing and swings the pendulum back. 13 According to Shannon McGuire, what is making her j
36、ob harder than before? （ A） More and more students ask her to teach how to write instant messages. （ B） More and more structural errors are seen in her students writings. （ C） Students are becoming increasingly indifferent to learning English. （ D） Parents are more demanding as to the teaching conte
37、nt of the school. 14 We can infer from the passage that college students_. （ A） are the victims of the deteriorating education （ B） mostly have very bad handwriting （ C） dont think theyre writing bad English （ D） are ashamed of their poor writing skills 15 What happened to Barons latest book? （ A） I
38、t was poorly edited. （ B） It failed to come out. （ C） It was renamed “Whatever“. （ D） It caused her to lose her job. 16 The word “distinct“(in boldface)in the context means_. （ A） clear （ B） different （ C） elegant （ D） appropriate 17 Which is NOT mentioned as a cause of American students casual writ
39、ing? （ A） Emailing. （ B） Slack teaching. （ C） Elegant. （ D） Appropriate. 18 How does the author feel about the future of the English language? （ A） Confident. （ B） Gloomy. （ C） Worried. （ D） Uncertain. 18 States are considering major changes in prepaid college tuition programs raising prices, restri
40、cting participation or canceling them as they grapple, with financial woes. Nationwide, families will likely have to pay more to participate, or accept that they might not cover tuition when children go to college. Colorado has closed its prepaid plan to new investors and told existing ones that it
41、may not cover future tuition increases. Wisconsin stopped selling its plan on Dec. 20. Maryland and Illinois are among states hiking prices by 20% or more. Prepaid plans let parents lock in tuition by paying for it now, protecting them against rising costs. But the bear market has hurt investment re
42、turns, leaving the plans unable to keep up with big increases in tuition. So far, Colorado is the only state that has told participants their investments may not cover tuition, and no plan has missed a payment. Other states have said they will fulfill obligations, even if it requires a legislative b
43、ailout. Still, the financial problems have forced thousands to grapple with uncertainty something prepaid plans were designed to avoid. More than 1 million families have an estimated $ 8 billion invested in the plans, says SavingforCollege. com. Some states, including Colorado, may replace the prepa
44、id plan with a guaranteed investment contract, a CD-like investment thats backed by an insurance company. Investors get a minimum rate of return, but no guarantee that it will cover tuition. Wisconsins EdVest program is encouraging investment in a stable value fund, which is similar to a guaranteed
45、investment contract, in its investment plan. Wisconsins prepaid plan never guaranteed to cover tuition inflation. It also never got a lot of investors, possibly because it lacked that guarantee. In Florida, a task force is considering limiting the states prepaid program to low-income families. Ohio
46、officials are also looking at limiting participation, but its a measure they hope to avoid. “Program administrators are looking for alternatives, “ says Andrea Feirstein, a state-plan consultant. Maryland recently boosted its prices by up to 30%; Illinois by up to 23%. The increases have made some p
47、repaid plans uneconomical for parents of older children. In Ohio, the price of one years tuition for a child over 12 months old is $ 8,000, more than 40% above current tuition at Ohio State. So it may not be a good deal for children starting college in three or four years because tuition may not jum
48、p that much that fast. 19 Prepaid college tuition is generally designed on the principle that_. （ A） it is easy to pay at the present time （ B） it is economical in the long run （ C） it saves pains to pass the entrance exam （ D） it ensures the admission to the college 20 Many states plan to modify th
49、eir prepaid college tuition programs_. （ A） under the mounting financial pressures （ B） because of deficient college facilities （ C） to ease overcrowding problems in college （ D） to limit the participation of low-income families 21 The word “investors “(in boldface in Paragraph 2)most exactly refers to those who_. （ A） serve as the main source of finance to the state （ B） invest money in developing local colleges （ C） sponsor colleges and their educational programs （ D）
