1、考博英语（阅读理解）模拟试卷 86及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 In the early 1960s Wilt Chamberlain was one of only three players in the National Basketball Association(NBA)listed at over seven feet. If he had played last season, however, he would have been one of 42. The bodies playing major professional sports
2、 have changed dramatically over the years, and managers have been more than willing to adjust team uniforms to fit the growing numbers of bigger, longer frames. The trend in sports, though, may be obscuring an unrecognized reality: Americans have generally stopped growing. Though typically about two
3、 inches taller now than 140 years ago, todays people especially those born to families who have lived in the U. S. for many generations apparently reached their limit in the early 1960s. And they arent likely to get any taller. “In the general population today, at this genetic, environmental level,
4、weve pretty much gone as far as we can go,“ says anthropologist William Cameron Chumlea of Wright State University. In the case of NBA players, their increase in height appears to result from the increasingly common practice of recruiting players from all over the world. Growth, which rarely continu
5、es beyond the age of 20, demands calories and nutrients notably, protein to feed expanding tissues. At the start of the 20th century, under-nutrition and childhood infections got in the way. But as diet and health improved, children and adolescents have, on average, increased in height by about an i
6、nch and a half every 20 years, a pattern known as the secular trend in height. Yet according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, average height 59“ for men, 54“ for women hasnt really changed since 1960. Genetically speaking, there are advantages to avoiding substantial height. During
7、 childbirth, larger babies have more difficulty passing through the birth canal. Moreover, even though humans have been upright for millions of years, our feet and back continue to struggle with bipedal posture and cannot easily withstand repeated strain imposed by oversize limbs. “There are some re
8、al constraints that are set by the genetic architecture of the individual organism,“ says anthropologist William Leonard of Northwestern University. Genetic maximums can change, but dont expect this to happen soon. Claire C. Gordon, senior anthropologist at the Army Research Center in Natick, Mass.
9、, ensures that 90 percent of the uniforms and workstations fit recruits without alteration. She says that, unlike those for basketball, the length of military uniforms has not changed for some time. And if you need to predict human height in the near future to design a piece of equipment, Gordon say
10、s that by and large, “you could use todays data and feel fairly confident. “ 1 Wilt Chamberlain is cited as an example to_. （ A） illustrate the change of height of NBA players （ B） show the popularity of NBA players in the U. S. （ C） compare different generations of NBA players （ D） assess the achie
11、vements of famous NBA players 2 Which of the following plays a key role in body growth according to the text? （ A） Genetic modification. （ B） Natural environment. （ C） Living standards. （ D） Daily exercise. 3 On which of the following statements would the author most probably agree? （ A） Non-America
12、ns add to the average height of the nation. （ B） Human height is conditioned by the upright posture. （ C） Americans are the tallest on average in the world. （ D） Larger babies tend to become taller in adulthood. 4 The text intends to tell us that_. （ A） the change of human height follows a cyclic pa
13、ttern. （ B） human height is becoming even more predictable. （ C） Americans have reached their genetic growth limit. （ D） the genetic pattern of Americans has altered. 4 For the past several years, the Sunday newspaper supplement Parade has featured a column called “Ask Marilyn“. People are invited t
14、o query Marilyn vos Savant, who at age 10 had tested at a mental level of someone about 23 years old; that gave her an IQ of 228 the highest score ever recorded. IQ tests ask you to complete verbal and visual analogies, to envision paper after it has been folded and cut, and to deduce numerical sequ
15、ences, among other similar tasks. So it is a bit confusing when vos Savant fields such queries from the average Joe(whose IQ is 100)as, whats the difference between love and fondness? Or what is the nature of luck and coincidence? Its not obvious how the capacity to visualize objects and to figure o
16、ut numerical patterns suits one to answer questions that have eluded some of the best poets and philosophers. Clearly, intelligence encompasses more than a score on a test. Just what does it mean to be smart? How much of intelligence can be specified, and how much can we learn about it from neurolog
17、y, genetics, computer science and other fields? The defining term of intelligence in humans still seems to be the IQ score, even though IQ tests are not given as often as they used to be. The test comes primarily in two forms: the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale
18、s(both come in adult and childrens version). Generally costing several hundred dollars, they are usually given only by psychologists, although variations of them populate bookstores and the World Wide Web. Superhigh scores like vos Savants are no longer possible, because scoring is now based on a st
19、atistical population distribution among age peers, rather than simply dividing the mental age by the chronological age and multiplying by 100. Other standardized tests, such as the Scholastic Assessment Test(SAT)and the Graduate Record Exam(GRE), capture the main aspects of IQ tests. Such standardiz
20、ed tests may not assess all the important elements necessary to succeed in school and in life, argues Robert J. Sternberg. In his article “How Intelligent Is Intelligence Testing?“ , Sternberg notes that traditional test best assess analytical and verbal skills but fail to measure creativity and pra
21、ctical knowledge, components also critical to problem solving and life success. Moreover, IQ test do not necessarily predict so well once populations or situations change. Research has found that IQ predicted leadership skills when the tests were given under low-stress conditions, but under high-str
22、ess conditions, IQ was negatively correlated with leadership that is, it predicted the opposite. Anyone who has toiled through SAT will testify that test-taking skill also matters, whether its knowing when to guess or what questions to skip. 5 Which of the following may be required in an intelligent
23、 test? （ A） Answering philosophical questions. （ B） Folding or cutting paper into different shapes. （ C） Telling the difference between certain concepts. （ D） Choosing words or graphs similar to the given ones. 6 What can be inferred about intelligence testing from Paragraph 3? （ A） People no longer
24、 use IQ scores as an indicator of intelligence. （ B） More versions of IQ tests are now available on the Internet. （ C） The test contents and formats for adults and children may be different. （ D） Scientists have defined the important elements of human intelligence. 7 People nowadays can no longer ac
25、hieve IQ scores as high as vos Savants because_. （ A） the scores are obtained through different computational procedures. （ B） creativity rather than analytical skills is emphasized now. （ C） vos Savants case is an extreme one that will not repeat. （ D） the defining characteristic of IQ tests has ch
26、anged. 8 What is the authors attitude towards IQ test? （ A） Supportive. （ B） Skeptical. （ C） Impartial. （ D） Biased. 8 During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risk
27、 and new realties. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months. In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all st
28、ripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Todays families have budgeted to the limits of theirs new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachuted they once had in times of financial setback a
29、back-up earner(usually Mom)who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This “ added-worker effect“ could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortune
30、s can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner. During the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must wor
31、ry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a saving-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments d
32、epending on investment returns. For younger families the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen and newly fashionable health-saving plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles a
33、nd a large new dose of investment risk for families future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance have jumped eightfold in just one generation. From the mi
34、ddle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout ha
35、s begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind. 9 Todays double-income families are at greater financial risk in that_. （ A） the safety net they used to enjoy has disappeared （ B） their chances of being laid off have greatly increased （ C） they are more vulnerable to changes in family econ
36、omics （ D） they are deprived of unemployment or disability insurance 10 As a result of President Bushs reform, retired people may have_. （ A） a higher sense of security （ B） less secured payments （ C） less chance to invest （ D） a guaranteed future 11 According to the author, health-savings plans wil
37、l_. （ A） help reduce the cost of healthcare （ B） popularize among the middle class （ C） compensate for the reduced pensions （ D） increase the families investment risk 12 It can be inferred from the last paragraph that_. （ A） financial risks tend to outweigh political risks （ B） the middle class may
38、face greater political challenges （ C） financial problems may bring about political problems （ D） financial responsibility is an indicator of political status 12 In spite of “ endless talk of difference“ , American society is an amazing machine for homogenizing people. There is “ the democratizing u
39、niformity of dress and discourse, and the casualness and absence of deference“ characteristic of popular culture. People are absorbed into “a culture of consumption“ launched by the 19th century department stores that offered “vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere. Instead of intimate shops
40、catering to a knowledgeable elite,“ these were stores “anyone could enter, regardless of class or background. This turned shopping into a public and democratic act. “ The mass media, advertising and sports are other forces for homogenization. Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture,
41、which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous. Writing for the National Immigration Forum, Gregory Rodriguez reports that todays immigration is neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to assimilation. In 1998 immigrants were 9. 8 percent of population; in 1900, 13. 6 percent .
42、In the 10 years prior to 1990, 3. 1 immigrants arrived for every 1, 000 residents; in the 10 years prior to 1890, 9. 2 for every 1, 000. Now, consider three indices of assimilation language, home ownership and intermarriage. The 1990 Census revealed that “ a majority of immigrants from each of the f
43、ifteen most common countries of origin spoke English “well“ or “very well“ after ten years of residence. “ The children of immigrants tend to be bilingual and proficient in English. “ By the third generation, the original language is lost in the majority of immigrant families. “ Hence the descriptio
44、n of America as a “graveyard“ for languages. By 1996 foreign-born immigrants who had arrived before 1970 had a homeownership rate of 75. 6 percent, higher than the 69. 8 percent rate among native-born Americans. Foreign-born Asians and Hispanics “ have higher rates of intermarriage than do U. S born
45、 whites and blacks. “ By the third generation, one third of Hispanic women are married to non-Hispanics, and 41 percent of Asian-American women are married to non-Asians. Rodriguez notes that children in remote villages around the world are fans of superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Bro
46、oks, yet “ some Americans fear that immigrant living within the United States remain somehow immune to the nations assimilative power. “ Are there divisive issues and pockets of seething anger in America? Indeed. It is big enough to have a bit of everything. But particularly when viewed against Amer
47、icas turbulent past, todays social induces hardly suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment. 13 The word “homogenizing“(Paragraph 1)most probably means_. （ A） identifying （ B） associating （ C） assimilating （ D） monopolizing 14 According to the author, the department stores of the 19th cent
48、ury_. （ A） played a role in the spread of popular culture （ B） became intimate shops for common consumers （ C） satisfied the needs of a knowledgeable elite （ D） owed its emergence to the culture of consumption 15 The text suggests that immigrants now in the U. S. _. （ A） are resistant to homogenizat
49、ion （ B） exert a great influence on American culture （ C） are hardly a threat to the common culture （ D） constitute the majority of the population 16 Why are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks mentioned in Paragraph 5? （ A） To prove their popularity around the world. （ B） To reveal the publics fear of immigrants. （ C） To give examples of successful immigrants. （ D） To show the powerful influence of American culture. 考博英语（阅读理解）模拟试卷 86答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 【知识模块】 阅读理解 1 【正确答
