1、考研英语模拟试卷 159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 Productivity is the yardstick by which socioeconomic revolutions are measured. Plows initiated the agrarian revolution by greatly i
2、mproving the productivity of farmers. Engines, and (1)_ electricity, (2)_ the industrial revolutions by (3)_ improving the productivity of workers in manufacturing and transportation. If there is to be a true in formation revolution, then computers will have to (4)_ the pattern with information and
3、information work. Information technology has (5)_ begun to improve productivity, and it has even hurt it in some cases; it takes longer to wade (6)_ those endless automated phone answering menus (7)_ it does to talk to a human operator. (8)_, productivity will rise (9)_ computers and communications
4、are used in the Information Marketplace to relieve people of brain work (10)_ industrial machinery relieved us of physical work. The Information Marketplace will give (11)_ to two great new forces that will drive (12)_ in the twenty-first century. (13)_, most people and companies buy new computers b
5、ecause the hardware has faster processors or more storage capacity, or because it is fashionable to own a new model, (14)_ because competitors have bought them and “we cant afford to fall behind.“ Imagine the (15)_ of a company buying a new device be cause the motor turns at a higher (16)_, or becau
6、se its in vogue to do so, or because the competition just bought that model (17)_ of whether the machine can move any more earth in an hour! Lets explore how the Information marketplace might help us in the (18)_ quest to get more results for less (19)_. To do this, we will first examine a series of
7、 “faults“ ways in which computer technology is (20)_ today, because of either technological or human weaknesses. Correcting these faults will be the first step toward increasing our productivity. Making the Information Marketplace easier to use will be the second step. （ A） since （ B） then （ C） befo
8、re （ D） later （ A） summoned （ B） introduced （ C） triggered （ D） measured （ A） slightly （ B） considerably （ C） completely （ D） drastically （ A） repeat （ B） remold （ C） retrieve （ D） relate （ A） barely （ B） definitely （ C） particularly （ D） rarely （ A） into （ B） on （ C） through （ D） off （ A） that （ B）
9、 than （ C） as （ D） which （ A） In effect （ B） Consequently （ C） In a sense （ D） However （ A） until （ B） although （ C） once （ D） because （ A） as much as （ B） other than （ C） so long as （ D） rather than （ A） rise （ B） thought （ C） play （ D） priority （ A） quest （ B） fashion （ C） change （ D） pace （ A） Fo
10、r example （ B） Accordingly （ C） On the average （ D） Nevertheless （ A） but rather （ B） or （ C） or else （ D） but （ A） sensibility （ B） absurdity （ C） popularity （ D） peculiarity （ A） notice （ B） ratio （ C） speed （ D） random （ A） regardless （ B） suspicious （ C） tolerant （ D） observant （ A） desirable （
11、B） universal （ C） eternal （ D） faultless （ A） motion （ B） measure （ C） means （ D） labor （ A） disabled （ B） misused （ C） untapped （ D） ignored Part A Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. (40 points) 21 Yasuhisa Shizoki, a 51-year-ol
12、d MP from Japans ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), starts tapping his finger on the dismal economic chart on his coffee table. “Unless we change the decision-making process,“ he says bluntly, “we are not going to be able to solve this kind of problem.“ With the economy in such a mess, it may se
13、em a bit of a diversion to be trying to sort out Japans political structures as well as its economic problems. Since co-writing a report on political reform, which was released by an LDP panel last week, Mr. Shizoki has further upset the partys old guard. Its legionaries, flanked by columns of the b
14、ureaucracy, continue to hamper most attempts to overhaul the economy. Junichiro Koizumi was supposed to change all that, by going over their heads and appealing directly to the public. Yet nearly a year after becoming prime minister, Mr. Koizumi has precious little to show for his efforts. His popul
15、arity is now flagging and his determination is increasingly in doubt. As hopes of immediate economic reform fade, optimists are focusing on another potential benefit of Mr. Koizumis tenure. They hope that his highly personalized style of leadership will pave the way for a permanent change in Japanes
16、e politics: towards more united and authoritative cabinets that are held directly accountable for their policies. As that happens, the thinking goes, real economic reforms will be able to follow. Unfortunately, damage-limitation in the face of scandal too often substitutes for real reform. More ofte
17、n, the scandals serve merely as distractions. What is really needed is an overhaul of the rules themselves. A leading candidate for change is the 40-year-old system informal but religiously followed-through which the LDP machinery vets every bill before it ever gets to parliament. Most legislation s
18、tarts in the LDPs party committees, which mirror the parliamentary committee structure. Proposals then go through two higher LDP bodies, which hammer out political deals to smooth their passage. Only then does the prime ministers cabinet get fully involved in approving the policy. Most issues have b
19、een decided by the LDP mandarins long before they reach this point, let alone the floor of parliament, leaving even the prime minister limited influence, and allowing precious little room for public debate and even less for accountability. As a result, progress will probably remain slow. Since they
20、know that political reform leads to economic reform, and hence poses a threat to their interests, most of the LDP will resist any real changes. But at least a handful of insiders have now brought into one of Mr. Koizumis best slogans: “Change the LDP, change Japan.“ 21 The diversion Yasuhisa Shizoki
21、 enjoys is mentioned in the text to _. （ A） introduce the topic of economic reforms. （ B） honor his unique service to the LDP. （ C） highlight his ability to solve problems. （ D） show how he sort out his slogans. 22 The expression “the LDP mandarins“(Paragraph 4) most probably means _. （ A） cabinets
22、who are held liable for their policies. （ B） those who work in LDPs party committees. （ C） candidates for two higher LDP bodies. （ D） those who are strong in favor of reforms. 23 The basic problem of Japanese economy as pointed out by the writer lies in _. （ A） its prime ministers negligence. （ B） t
23、he inefficiency of its parliament. （ C） its defective political structures. （ D） the resistance to any changes. 24 In the eyes of the author, a political reform in Japan _. （ A） should precede an economic reform. （ B） cannot do without Koizumis popularity. （ C） should follow an overhaul of the rules
24、. （ D） is a now boom on the horizon. 25 It seems that the writer is very critical of _. （ A） LDP bodies accountability. （ B） the prime minister. （ C） advocates of economic reforms. （ D） the LDP machinery. 26 Shortly after September 11th, President Bushs father observed that just as Pearl Harbor awak
25、ened this country from the notion that we could somehow avoid the call of duty to defend freedom in Europe and Asia in World War , so, too, should this most recent surprise attack erase the concept in some quarters that America can somehow go it alone in the fight against terrorism or in anything el
26、se for that matter. But Americas allies have begun to wonder whether that is the lesson that has been learned or whether the Afghanistan campaigns apparent success shows that unilateralism works just fine. The United States, that argument goes, is so dominant that it can largely afford to go it alon
27、e. It is true that no nation since Rome has loomed so large above the others, but even Rome eventually collapsed. Only a decade ago, the conventional wisdom lamented an America in decline. Bestseller lists featured books that described Americas fall. Japan would soon become “Number One“. That view w
28、as wrong at the time, and when I wrote “Bound to Lead“ in 1989, I, like others, predicted the continuing rise of American power. But the new conventional wisdom that America is invincible is equally dangerous if it leads to a foreign policy that combines unilateralism, arrogance and parochialism. A
29、number of advocates of “realist“ international relations theory have also expressed concern about Americas staying power. Throughout history, coalitions of countries have arisen to balance dominant powers, and the search for traditional shifts in the balance of power and new state challengers is wel
30、l under way. Some see China as the new enemy; others envisage a Russia-China India coalition as the threat. But even if China maintains high growth rates of 6% while the United States achieves only 2%, it will not equal the United States in income per head until the last half of the century. Still o
31、thers see a uniting Europe as a potential federation that will challenge the United States for primacy. But this forecast depends on a high degree of European political unity, and a low state of transatlantic relations. Although realists raise an important point about the leveling of power in the in
32、ternational arena, their quest for new cold-war-style challengers is largely barking up the wrong tree. They are ignoring deeper changes in the distribution and nature of power in the contemporary world. The paradox of American power in the 21st century is that the largest power since Rome cannot ac
33、hieve its objectives unilaterally in a global information age. 26 The author begins his article with George Bushes fathers words _. （ A） to warm of the doom of a terrorist attack. （ B） to criticize Americans unilaterialism. （ C） to call on Americans to defend freedom. （ D） to show the primacy of US
34、economy. 27 The advocates of realist international relations tend to think that _. （ A） potential federation will pose a challenge to US primacy. （ B） Japan is a positive example for the US to follow. （ C） US will maintain its staying power in information age. （ D） America can go it alone in the fig
35、ht against terrorism. 28 The attitude of those who are “barking up the wrong tree“ towards the primacy of US in the 21st century seems to be _. （ A） indifferent. （ B） optimistic. （ C） indignant. （ D） apprehensive. 29 The example of a Russia-China-India coalition is used to show _. （ A） a sign of arr
36、ogance. （ B） an example of empires. （ C） a potential federation. （ D） an advocate of challengers. 30 What does the author think of unilateralism? （ A） It underlies power. （ B） It is to be pursued enthusiastically. （ C） It is second to terrorism. （ D） It is to be dealt with cautiously. 31 Europe is d
37、esperate to succeed in business. Two years ago, the European Unions Lisbon summit set a goal of becoming the worlds leading economy by 2010. But success, as any new-age executive coach might tell you, requires confronting the fear of failure. That is why Europes approach to bankruptcy urgently needs
38、 reform. In Europe, as in the United States, many heavily indebted companies are shutting up shop just as the economy begins to recover. Ironically, the upturn is often the moment when weak firms finally fail. But Americas failures have a big advantage over Europes weaklings: their countrys more rel
39、axed approach to bankruptcy. In the United States the Chapter 11 law makes going bust an orderly and even routine process. Firms in trouble simply apply for breathing space from creditors. Managers submit a plan of reorganization to a judge, and creditors decide whether to give it a go or to come up
40、 with one of their own. Creditors have a say in whether to keep the firm running, or to liquidate it. If they keep it running, they often end up with a big chunk of equity, if not outright control. But shutting a bust European company is harder in two other ways. First, with no equivalent of Chapter
41、 11, bankruptcy forces companies to stop trading abruptly. That dam ages the value of the creditors potential assets, and may also cause havoc for customers. Second, a company that trades across the European Union will find that it has to abide by different bankruptcy laws in the 15 member states, w
42、hose courts and administrators may make conflicting and sometimes incompatible stipulations. The absence of provision for negotiations between companies and creditors increases the temptation for government to step in. When governments do not come to the rescue, the lack of clear rules can lead to c
43、haos. As a result of all this, Europes teetering firms miss the chance to become more competitive by selling assets to others who might manage them more efficiently. Their sickly American rivals survive, transformed, to sweep the field. An opportunity now exists to think again about Europes approach
44、 to bankruptcy. The European Union is expected to issue a new directive on the subject in May. Germany has begun to update its insolvency law. And last year Britain produced a white paper saying that a rigid approach to bankruptcy could stifle the growth needed to meet Lisbons goals. 31 One of goals
45、 set by the European Unions Lisbon summit is _. （ A） to strive for the lead in the worlds economy. （ B） to subject more companies to bankruptcy. （ C） to revise an approach to bankrupt stipulations. （ D） to have advantage over American firms. 32 The word “weaklings“(Paragraph 2) most probably means _
46、. （ A） irrational creditors. （ B） competitive rivals. （ C） efficient negotiators. （ D） indebted firms. 33 According to what is beyond the ability of Europes firms now is _. （ A） to have access to more relaxed approach to bankruptcy. （ B） to submit a plan of reorganization to a judge on request. （ C）
47、 to negotiate with their creditors when going bankrupt. （ D） to sell assets to others who might manage them efficiently. 34 Besides applying for breathing space from creditors, managers in American firms can also _. （ A） take advantage of legal procedures. （ B） ask for the governments interventions.
48、 （ C） damage the creditors potential assets. （ D） talk with their stern debtors abroad. 35 Which of the following is TRUE according to the text? （ A） The achievement of Lisbons goals would precede the elimination of chaos. （ B） The best way to help European firms may be to make it easier for them to
49、 fail. （ C） It is high time that the rigid bankruptcy laws in the U.S. were radically changed. （ D） Shutting a weak American company means ending up with a big chunk of assets. 36 For Tony Blair, home is a messy sort of place, where the prime ministers job is not to uphold eternal values but to force through some unpopular changes that may make the country work a bit better. The area where this is
