1、考博英语（阅读理解）模拟试卷 47及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 When a Scottish research team startled the world by revealing 3 months ago that it had cloned an adult sheep, President Clinton moved swiftly.Declaring that he was opposed to using this unusual animal husbandry technique to clone humans, he ordered
2、that federal funds not be used for such an experiment although no one had proposed to do so and asked an independent panel of experts chaired by Princeton President Harold Shapiro to report back to the White House in 90 days with recommendations for a national policy on human cloning.That group-the
3、National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC)-has been working feverishly to put its wisdom on paper, and at a meeting on 17 May, members agreed on a near-final draft of their recommendations. NBAC will ask that Clintons 90-day ban on federal funds for human cloning be extended indefinitely, and pos
4、sibly that it be made law.But NBAC members are planning to word the recommendation narrowly to avoid new restrictions on research that involves the cloning of human DNA or cells-routine in molecular biology.The panel has not yet reached agreement on a crucial question, however, whether to recommend
5、legislation that would make it a crime for private funding to be used for human cloning.In a draft preface to the recommendations, discussed at the 17 May meeting, Shapiro suggested that the panel had found a broad consensus that it would be “morally unacceptable to attempt to create a human child b
6、y adult nuclear cloning.“ Shapiro explained during the meeting that the moral doubt stems mainly from fears about the risk to the health of the child.The panel then informally accepted several general conclusions , although some details have not been settled. NBAC plans to call for a continued ban o
7、n federal government funding for any attempt to clone body cell nuclei to create a child because current federal law already forbids the use of federal funds to create embryos (the earliest stage of human offspring before birth) for research or to knowingly endanger an embryos life, NBAC will remain
8、 silent on embryo research. NBAC members also indicated that they will appeal to privately funded researchers and clinics not to try to clone humans by body cell nuclear transfer.But they were divided on whether to go further by calling for a federal law that would impose a complete ban on human clo
9、ning.Shapiro and most members favored an appeal for such legislation , but in a phone interview, he said this issue was still “up in the air“. 1 We can learn from the first paragraph that_. （ A） federal funds have been used in a project to clone humans （ B） the White House responded strongly to the
10、news of cloning （ C） NBAC was authorized to control the misuse of cloning technique （ D） the White House has got the panels recommendations on cloning 2 The panel agreed on all of the following except that_. （ A） the ban on federal funds for human cloning should be made a law （ B） the cloning of hum
11、an DNA is not to be put under more control （ C） it is criminal to use private funding for human cloning （ D） it would be against ethical values to clone a human being 3 NBAC will leave the issue of embryo research undiscussed because_. （ A） embryo research is just a current development of cloning （
12、B） the health of the child is not the main concern of embryo research （ C） an embryos life will not be endangered in embryo research （ D） the issue is explicitly stated and settled in the law 4 It can be inferred from the last paragraph that_. （ A） some NBAC members hesitate to ban human cloning com
13、pletely （ B） a law banning human cloning is to be passed in no time （ C） privately funded researchers will respond positively to NBACs appeal （ D） the issue of human cloning will soon be settled 4 Science, in practice, depends far less on the experiments it prepares than on the preparedness of the m
14、inds of the men who watch the experiments.Sir Isaac Newton supposedly discovered gravity through the fall of an apple.Apples had been falling in many places for centuries and thousands of people had seen them fall.But Newton for years had been curious about the cause of the orbital motion of the moo
15、n and planets.What kept them in place? Why didnt they fall out of the sky? The fact that the apple fell down toward the earth and not up into the tree answered the question he had been asking himself about those larger fruits of the heavens, the moon and the planets. How many men would have consider
16、ed the possibility of an apple falling up into the tree? Newton did because he was not trying to predict anything.He was just wondering.His mind was ready for the unpredictable.Unpredictability is part of the essential nature of research.If you dont have unpredictable things, you dont have research.
17、Scientists tend to forget this when writing their cut and dried reports for the technical journals, but history is filled with examples of it. In talking to some scientists, particularly younger ones, you might gather the impression that they find the “scientific method“-a substitute for imaginative
18、 thought.Ive attended research conferences where a scientist has been asked what he thinks about the advisability of continuing a certain experiment.The scientist has frowned, looked at the graphs, and said “the data are still inconclusive.“ “We know that,“ the men from the budget office have said,
19、“but what do you think? Is it worthwhile going on? What do you think we might expect?“ The scientist has been shocked at having even been asked to speculate. What this amounts to, of course, is that the scientist has become the victim of his own writings.He has put forward unquestioned claims so con
20、sistently that he not only believes them himself, but has convinced industrial and business management that they are true.If experiments are planned and carried out according to plan as faithfully as the reports in the science journals indicate, then it is perfectly logical for management to expect
21、research to produce results measurable in dollars and cents.It is entirely reasonable for auditors to believe that scientists who know exactly where they are going and how they will get there should not be distracted by the necessity of keeping one eye on the cash register while the other eye is on
22、the microscope.Nor, if regularity and conformity to a standard pattern are as desirable to the scientist as the writing of his papers would appear to reflect, is management to be blamed for discriminating against the “odd balls“ among researchers in favor of more conventional thinkers who “work well
23、 with the team“. 5 The author wants to prove with the example of Isaac Newton that_. （ A） inquiring minds are more important than scientific experiments （ B） science advances when fruitful researches are conducted （ C） scientists seldom forget the essential nature of research （ D） unpredictability w
24、eighs less than prediction in scientific research 6 The author asserts that scientists_. （ A） shouldnt replace “scientific method“ with imaginative thought （ B） shouldnt neglect to speculate on unpredictable things （ C） should write more concise reports for technical journals （ D） should be confiden
25、t about their research findings 7 It seems that some young scientists_. （ A） have a keen interest in prediction （ B） often speculate on the future （ C） think highly of creative thinking （ D） stick to “scientific method“ 8 The author implies that the results of scientific research_. （ A） may not be a
26、s profitable as they are expected （ B） can be measured in dollars and cents （ C） rely on conformity to a standard pattern （ D） are mostly underestimated by management 8 Few creations of big technology capture the imagination like giant dams.Perhaps it is humankinds long suffering at the mercy of flo
27、od and drought that makes the ideal of forcing the waters to do our bidding so fascination.But to be fascinated is also, sometimes, to be blind Several giant dam projects threaten to do more harm than good. The lesson from dams is that big is not always beautiful.It doesnt help that building a big,
28、powerful dam has become a symbol of achievement for nations and people striving to assert themselves.Egypts leadership in the Arab world was cemented by the Aswan High Dam.Turkeys bid for First World status includes the giant Ataturk Dam. But big dams tend not to work as intended.The Aswan Dam, for
29、example stopped the Nile flooding but deprived Egypt of the fertile silt that floods left all in return for a giant reservoir of disease which is now so full of silt that it barely generates electricity. And yet, the myth of controlling the waters persists.This week, in the heart of civilized Europe
30、, Slovaks and Hungarians stopped just short of sending in the troops in their contention over a dam on the Danube.The huge complex will probably have all the usual problems of big dams.But Slovakia is bidding for independence from the Czechs, and now needs a dam to prove itself. Meanwhile, in India,
31、 the World Bank has given the go ahead to the even more wrong headed Narmada Dam.And the bank has done this even though its advisors say the dam will cause hardship for the powerless and environmental destruction.The benefits are for the powerful, but they are far from guaranteed. Proper scientific
32、study of the impacts of dams and of the cost and benefits of controlling water can help to resolve these conflicts.Hydroelectric power and flood control and irrigation are possible without building monster dams.But when you are dealing with myths, it is hard to be either proper, or scientific.It is
33、time that the world learned the lessons of Aswan.You dont need a dam to be saved. 9 The third sentence of paragraph 1 implies that_. （ A） people would be happy if they shut their eyes to reality （ B） the blind could be happier than the sighted （ C） over-excited people tend to neglect vital things （
34、D） fascination makes people lose their eyesight 10 In Paragraph 5, “the powerless“ probably refers to_. （ A） areas short of electricity （ B） dams without power stations （ C） poor countries around India （ D） common people in the Narmada Dam area 11 What is the myth concerning giant dams? （ A） They br
35、ing in more fertile soil. （ B） They help defend the country. （ C） They strengthen international ties. （ D） They have universal control of the waters. 12 What the author tries to suggest may best be interpreted as “_“. （ A） Its no use crying over spilt milk （ B） More haste, less speed （ C） Look befor
36、e you leap （ D） He who laughs last laughs best 12 Well, no gain without pain, they say.But what about pain without gain? Everywhere you go in America, you hear tales of corporate revival.What is harder to establish is whether the productivity revolution that businessmen assume they are presiding ove
37、r is for real. The official statistics are mildly discouraging.They show that, if you lump manufacturing and services together, productivity has grown on average by 1.2% since 1987. That is somewhat faster than the average during the previous decade.And since 1991, productivity has increased by abou
38、t 2% a year, which is more than twice the 1978-1987 average.The trouble is that part of the recent acceleration is due to the usual rebound that occurs at this point in a business cycle, and so is not conclusive evidence of a revival in the underlying trend.There is, as Robert Rubin, the treasury se
39、cretary, says, a “disjunction“ between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics. Some of this can be easily explained.New ways of organizing the workplace all that reengineering and downsizing-are only one contribution to the ove
40、rall productivity of an economy, which is driven by many other factors such as joint investment in equipment and machinery, new technology, and investment in education and training.Moreover, most of the changes that companies make are intended to keep them profitable, and this need not always mean i
41、ncreasing productivity: switching to new markets or improving quality can matter just as much. Two other explanations are more speculative.First, some of the business restructuring of recent years may have been ineptly done.Second, even if it was well done, it may have spread much less widely than p
42、eople suppose. Leonard Schlesinger, a Harvard academic and former chief executive of Au Bong Pain, a rapidly growing chain of bakery cafes, says that much “reengineering“ has been crude.In many cases, he believes, the loss of revenue has been greater than the reductions in cost.His colleague, Michae
43、l Beer, says that far too many companies have applied reengineering in a mechanistic fashion, chopping out costs without giving sufficient thought to long term profitability.BBDOs Al Rosenshine is blunter.He dismisses a lot of the work of reengineering consultants as mere rubbish “the worst sort of
44、ambulance cashing“. 13 According to the author, the American economic situation is_. （ A） not as good as it seems （ B） at its turning point （ C） much better than it seems （ D） near to complete recovery 14 The official statistics on productivity growth_. （ A） exclude the usual rebound in a business c
45、ycle （ B） fall short of businessmens anticipation （ C） meet the expectation of business people （ D） fail to reflect the true state of economy 15 The author raises the question “what about pain without gain?“ because_. （ A） he questions the truth of “no gain without pain“ （ B） he does not think the p
46、roductivity revolution works （ C） he wonders if the official statistics are misleading （ D） he has conclusive evidence for the revival of businesses 16 Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage? （ A） Radical reforms are essential for the increase of productivity. （ B） New way
47、s of organizing workplaces may help to increase productivity. （ C） The reduction of costs is not a sure way to gain long term profitability. （ D） The consultants are a bunch of good for nothings. 16 Science has long had an uneasy relationship with other aspects of culture.Think of Gallileos 17th cen
48、tury trial for his rebelling belief before the Catholic Church or poet William Blakes harsh remarks against the mechanistic worldview of Isaac Newton.The schism between science and the humanities has, if anything, deepened in this century. Until recently, the scientific community was so powerful tha
49、t it could afford to ignore its critics but no longer.As funding for science has declined, scientists have attacked “antiscience“ in several books, notably Higher Superstition, by Paul R.Gross, a biologist at the University of Verginia, and Norman Levitt, a mathematician at Rutgers University; and The Demon Haunted World, by Carl Sagan of Cornell University.Defenders of science have also voiced their concerns at meetings such as “The Flight from Science and Reason,“ held in New York City
