1、考研英语模拟试卷 154及答案与解析 一、 Section I Use of English Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D. (10 points) 1 Soft money is the huge, unlimited contributions from corporations, labor union and wealthy individuals that political parties raise
2、 and spend on campaign attack ads and other (1)_ designed to influence elections. The soft money system undermines campaign finance laws (2)_ limit contributions and (3)_ the sources of funds that can be spent on federal campaigns. It provides corporations, labor unions, and wealthy individuals a wa
3、y to circumvent federal election laws and (4)_ campaigns with tens of millions of special interest dollars, (5)_ corporations and unions have been (6)_ from contributing or spending their treasury finds to influence federal elections since 1907 and 1947, (7)_. Individuals can contribute to federal (
4、8)_ through parties and candidates, but only in (9)_ amounts. The Democratic and Republican parties (10)_ $262 million in (11)_ money for the 1996 elections. The parties raise soft money under the (12)_ that it will be used for general party building activities. (13)_, soft money pays for campaign a
5、ds in the way as issue discussion, political research, polling, fund raising, and get out the-vote efforts all of which affect the (14)_ of federal elections. Soft money was the source of the 1996 political fund-raising scandals, (15)_ the selling of the Lincoln bedroom, White House coffees and the
6、influx of foreign money into the (16)_ campaign. The McCain-Feingold bill (17)_ the soft money system by prohibiting candidates and national political parties from raising soft money, and by prohibiting state political parties from (18)_ soft money on activities which affect federal elections. In ot
7、her (19)_,the current practice of raising unlimited soft money contributions from corporations, unions and wealthy individuals, and then channeling this money into federal elections would end. The national parties would be (20)_ to raise all of their funds under the limits and restrictions in the la
8、w. （ A） activities （ B） affairs （ C） events （ D） accidents （ A） what （ B） that （ C） and （ D） it （ A） bind （ B） confine （ C） reduce （ D） restrict （ A） load （ B） feed （ C） flood （ D） stuff （ A） even though （ B） even so （ C） even now （ D） even as （ A） isolated （ B） forbidden （ C） released （ D） banned （
9、 A） respectively （ B） together （ C） totally （ D） regularly （ A） institutions （ B） campaigns （ C） bureaus （ D） unions （ A） considerable （ B） limitless （ C） limited （ D） considerate （ A） rise （ B） arise （ C） arouse （ D） raise （ A） cash （ B） soft （ C） easy （ D） ready （ A） guideline （ B） protection （ C）
10、 guise （ D） help （ A） In response （ B） In reality （ C） In particular （ D） In addition （ A） outcomes （ B） processes （ C） broadcasts （ D） candidates （ A） concerning （ B） excluding （ C） providing （ D） including （ A） presidential （ B） local （ C） advertising （ D） national （ A） supports （ B） ends （ C） deb
11、ates （ D） illustrates （ A） spending （ B） drawing （ C） collecting （ D） planning （ A） ways （ B） senses （ C） words （ D） respects （ A） required （ B） forbidden （ C） allowed （ D） financed Part A Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. (40 p
12、oints) 21 Mary Eberstadt writes in Home-Alone America that growing obesity, the high incidence of sexually transmitted disease among teenagers and an overdependence on drugs such as Ritalin for attention deficit disorder are often the fault of parents who “outsource“ their responsibilities. “We tend
13、 to think that the problems with juveniles are located at the bottom end of the social spectrum, but latchkey children are more common among the affluent,“ said Eberstadt, a mother of four who is a conservative writer and research fellow at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution. According to the m
14、ost recent figures from the US Census Bureau, 41% of children aged 12 to 14 regularly look after themselves at the end of the school day. The figures rise with prosperity. For children aged 5 to 14, “self-care increases from 11% of children in poverty to 22% of those with family incomes at least dou
15、ble the poverty line.“ Eberstadts book is dividing sociologists, critics and partisans in the “mommy wars“ between stay-at-home and working parents. A child clings to the ankles of his smartly dressed mother to stop her leaving for work on the front of the book; he does the same to his father on the
16、 back. P. J. ORourke, the conservative commentator and satirist, supports Eberstadts thesis. “If you dont think (her) arguments have merit, try treating your dog the way America treats its kids,“ he said. “Give the puppy her own set of house keys and put her in front of the television instead of tak
17、ing her for a walk. Let her eat anything she wants and house train herself. Send her to another master for visitation at the weekends. And when she comes into heat, turn her loose in the pound.“ James Q. Wilson, author of The Marriage Problem: How Our Culture Has Weakened Families is one of the inte
18、llectual forces behind zero tolerance policing. He praised the books “great, unarguable theme that parental care is of decisive importance in shaping the character of our children“. Feminist critics, in contrast, accuse Eberstadt of Taliban-style thinking. The Washington Post attacked her “seductive
19、“ but “nasty“ opinions and lack of “interest in how real people live or think about their lives“. Eberstadt insists that she is not ordering women back to the home. “The bottom line is a lot more nuanced,“ she said. “It doesnt have to be you there after school, but there are not enough protective, s
20、upporting, loving adults around.“ Neighbourhoods, she added, “are so emptied of adult presence that even the richest kids just go home, throw the deadbolt and get no exercise more strenuous than walking from the video game to the refrigerator.“ The result of being home alone is not just snacking and
21、 obesity but casual sex, leading to an explosion in venereal diseases that can lead to infertility and cervical cancer, Eberstadt said. 21 The word “outsource“(Paragraph 1) may be best replaced by （ A） abandon. （ B） renounce. （ C） transfer. （ D） submit. 22 James Q. Wilson supports Mary Eberstadts ne
22、w book because （ A） he thinks the most important factor in shaping the character of our children is parental care. （ B） he agrees that it is our culture that weakens families. （ C） the way America treats its kids is somewhat similar to the way one treats his dog. （ D） he is the author of The Marriag
23、e Problem: How our culture has weakened Families. 23 Mary Eberstadt would mostly agree （ A） the problems with juveniles are located at the bottem end of the social spectrum. （ B） women shall not go out to work but stay at home. （ C） children in rich families are lack of exercises. （ D） leaving child
24、ren alone will lead to many diseases. 24 The phrase “Taliban-style thinking“ (Line 1, Paragraph 8) most probably refers to （ A） the way that people of Taliban thinks. （ B） the guess that Mary Eberstadt may come from Taliban. （ C） the conservative way Mary Eberstadt shows in her new book. （ D） Mary E
25、berstadts same way of thinking as Taliban people. 25 The text is mainly about （ A） the introduction of the wonderful contents of Mary Eberstadts new book. （ B） the publishment of a new book and reactions from the society. （ C） the high incidence of many social problems resulting from the fault of pa
26、rents. （ D） the phenomenon that latchkey children are more common among the affluent. 26 Karen Page braved pre-dawn darkness and freezing temperatures yesterday to face down a scene of “organized chaos“. Hundreds of early-bird shoppers were waiting outside or in idling cars when Miss Page arrived fo
27、r her job as a store greeter at Toys R Us in Fair Oaks Shopping Center in Fairfax. Welcome to “Black Friday“, perhaps the biggest retail Sales day of the year as millions of shoppers across America are lured to stores with expanded hours and heavily discounted prices. “This is an organized chaos, wh
28、ich is a good thing,“ said Miss Page, who took up a position at the front of the store to greet and assist customers. She was quickly overwhelmed as crowds poured in and countless customers asked her to find a particular toy. On Black Friday shoppers hope to get the best stuff at the best prices for
29、 holiday gifts. Retailers hope to get a jump on the holiday sales season, which traditionally starts after Thanksgiving and runs through Christmas, said Ellen Tolley spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation, the largest trade association for retailers. The day after Thanksgiving is called “Bla
30、ck Friday“ because it is traditionally the day when retailers books shift from red to black. “Youll see more consumers buying things ahead of time,“ she said. Miss Page, who has been working at the Toys R Us since 1995, called the 300 to 400 people waiting outside before the store opening yesterday
31、“about average“. Retailers nationwide anticipate a 4.5 percent sales jump this holiday season, bringing total spending up to $219.9 billion, Miss Tolley said. That is less than last years holiday sales spike of 5.1 percent, but still solid, she said. “Its a sign that consumers are more settled than
32、they were a year ago and they feel comfortable financially and confident with the economy,“ Miss Tolley said. Americans will spend on average $730 on Christmas gifts, accounting for roughly a quarter of annual retail sales, down from last years $734 per person, according to Gallups annual holiday su
33、rvey. Luxury items like high-end electronics, furs and jewelry, along with toys are expected to lead sales this holiday season, Miss Tolley said. Additionally, consumers will spend an average $80.45 on gift cards, she said. Not all of those items will be bought at stores. Washington area shoppers wi
34、ll spend 58 percent of their budget online this year, according to America Online. Retailers in the District also are trying to attract shoppers with a sales tax holiday, which will run through Dec. 5. Washingtons 5.75 percent sales tax will be exempted from clothing, shoes and accessories that cost
35、 less than $100 each. There is no limit on the total value of the purchases. 26 Miss Pages attitude toward Black Friday is （ A） indifferent. （ B） favourable. （ C） negative. （ D） critical. 27 The “holiday season“(Paragraph 13) probably refers to （ A） the day after Thanksgiving. （ B） the day before Ch
36、ristmas. （ C） the day from Thanksgiving to Christmas. （ D） the day from Christmas to Thanksgiving. 28 The reason why Americans call the day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday“ is that （ A） from that day on, the retailers will reverse their revenue from deficit to surplus. （ B） it is a traditional sayi
37、ng that it is an unlucky day. （ C） from that day on, the retailers revenue will be deficit instead of surplus. （ D） it is a day for Americans to be early-bird shoppers for a bargain shopping. 29 In Washingtons sales tax holiday, a shirt marked $20, a pair of boots marked $80 and a pair of earrings m
38、arked $200 will save you （ A） $5.75. （ B） $17.25. （ C） $23. （ D） $0. 30 The best title of this text should be （ A） Crazy American Shoppers Rush into Shops on Black Friday. （ B） Miss Pages Working Day. （ C） Stores Lure Shoppers with Hours and Prices. （ D） American Retail Industry After Thanksgiving.
39、31 Last week, Utah federal Judge Paul G. Cassell handed a 22-year sentence to a man who beat an elderly woman to death with a log. A few hours later, Judge Cassell sentenced a 25-year-old first-time drug offender to 55 years. If you think Judge Cassell liked sentencing a small-change drug dealer to
40、more time than a violent killer, guess again. The judge had no choice. Federal law demanded the sentence, despite Judge Cassells pointed questioning if there was a “rational basis“ for sentencing Weldon H. Angelos, the father of two young children, to more time than he could sentence a hijacker, mur
41、der or rapist. Blame federal mandatory minimum sentencing rules. A jury found Angelos guilty on three separate charges of possessing a firearm while he sold a half-pound of marijuana for $350. The first charge of possessing a gun during a drug transaction brought a five-year sentence the second two
42、charges brought 25 years each. That adds up to 55 years, so even if Angelos were found guilty of selling $1,050 of drugs, Judge Cassell had to follow the rules and sentence him to 55 years on the gun charges. (The judge did use a recent federal ruling in reducing the sentence for the drug-selling cr
43、imes to one day.) Judge Cassell was right to impose the draconian sentence. If he ignored federal law, he would place himself above it. Instead, Judge Cassell sentenced Angelus as the law directed, even as he righteously hectored Congress to rewrite federal drug laws so first-time offenders dont ser
44、ve more time than dangerous career criminals. The judge also urged Angelus attorney, Jerome H. Mooney, to appeal the sentence and, if appeals fail, seek a presidential commutation. While civil-rights advocates across America protested the sentence, the Utah US Attorneys office defended the system. T
45、o prosecutors, Angelus is no Buy Scout. Officials found some 26 empty duffel hags with marijuana residue. Local feds believed Angelus was a big drug dealer, Assistant US Attorney Robert Lund told me, and associated with a violent street gang. Let me say this: Angelus never was a good poster boy for
46、the movement to humanize draconian federal drug laws. Angelus turned down a plea-bargain sentence of 16 years. He is considered a first-time offender only because a juvenile gun conviction was expunged from his record. And even if Angelos didnt wave his gun in peoples faces, he nonetheless brought a
47、 gun with him during the transactions. But Angelos has become a national cause celebre because of Judge Cassell. There are more egregious examples of first-time offenders sentenced to decades for petty dealing, but they didnt come before a judge vocally opposed to the heavy handed nature of federal
48、drug sentencing. That said, it simply doesnt make sense that federal sentences often are tougher on small-time drug offenders than on violent criminals. But it happens all the time. 31 The word “draconian“(Line 1, Paragraph 4) may probably mean （ A） federal. （ B） separate. （ C） tough. （ D） guilty. 3
49、2 We can learn from the text that Judge Cassell （ A） ignored the federal law. （ B） sentenced Angelos according to the federal law he wrote. （ C） was a friend of Jerome H. Mooney. （ D） thought his sentence was tough. 33 By saying that “Angelos has Become a national cause celebre“ (Line 1, Paragraph 8), the author implies that （ A） Angelos was the first one who turned down a plea-bargain. （ B） Angelos was the first one sentenced to decades for petty dealings. （ C） Angelos was
