1、考研英语模拟试卷 170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 When lab rats sleep, their brains revisit the maze they navigated during the day, according to a new study (1)_ yesterday, offering
2、 some of the strongest evidence (2)_ that animals do indeed dream. Experiments with sleeping rats found that cells in the animals brains fire in a distinctive pat tern (3)_ the pattern that occurs when they are (4)_ and trying to learn their way around a maze. Based on the results, the researchers c
3、oncluded the rats were dreaming about the maze, (5)_ re viewing what they had learned while awake to (6)_ the memories. Researchers have long known that animals go (7)_ the same types of sleep phases that people do, including rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, which is when people dream. But (8)_ the o
4、ccasional twitching, growling or barking that any dog owner has (9)_ in his or her sleeping pet, theres been (10)_ direct evidence that animals (11)_. If animals dream, it suggests they might have more (12)_ mental functions than had been (13)_. “We have as humans felt that this (14)_ of memory our
5、ability to recall sequences of experiences was something that was (15)_ human,“ Wilson said. “The fact that we see this in rodents (16)_ suggest they can evaluate their experience in a significant way. Animals may be (17)_ about more than we had previously considered.“ The findings also provide new
6、support for a leading theory for (18)_ humans sleep to solidify new learning. “People are now really nailing down the fact that the brain during sleep is (19)_ its activity at least for the time immediately before sleep and almost undoubtedly using that review to (20)_ or integrate those memories in
7、to more usable forms,“ said an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. （ A） related （ B） retained （ C） released （ D） relieved （ A） as yet （ B） still （ C） however （ D） by then （ A） intersecting （ B） paralleling （ C） resembling （ D） differing （ A） sleeping （ B） dreaming （ C） awake
8、 （ D） aware （ A） in circles （ B） in accord （ C） in case （ D） in essence （ A） erase （ B） consolidate （ C） discipline （ D） improve （ A） for （ B） by （ C） through （ D） in （ A） instead of （ B） as well as （ C） apart from （ D） except for （ A） guaranteed （ B） encountered （ C） confirmed （ D） witnessed （ A） l
9、ittle （ B） some （ C） much （ D） enough （ A） cry （ B） memorize （ C） dream （ D） sleep （ A） complex （ B） confused （ C） vigorous （ D） instantaneous （ A） validated （ B） recognized （ C） calculated （ D） evaluated （ A） remainder （ B） acquisition （ C） property （ D） accuracy （ A） mainly （ B） uniquely （ C） appr
10、oximately （ D） respectively （ A） did （ B） does （ C） would （ D） will （ A） displaying （ B） thinking （ C） performing （ D） behaving （ A） why （ B） when （ C） how （ D） where （ A） reviewing （ B） analyzing （ C） decoding （ D） stressing （ A） consolidate （ B） transform （ C） reorganize （ D） renovate Part A Direc
11、tions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. (40 points) 21 Mark Twain once observed that giving up smoking is easy. He knew, because hed done it hundreds of times himself. Giving up for ever is a trifle more difficult, apparently, and it is we
12、ll known that it is much more difficult for some people than for others. Why is this so? Few doctors believe any longer that it is simply a question of will power. And for those people that continue to view addicts as merely “weak“, recent genetic research may force a rethink. A study conducted by J
13、acqueline Vink, of the Free University of Amsterdam, used a database called the Netherlands Twin Register to analyse the smoking habits of twins. Her results suggest that an individuals degree of nicotine dependence, and even the number of cigarettes he smokes per day, are strongly genetically influ
14、enced. The Netherlands Twin Register is a voluntary database that is prized by geneticists because they allow the comparison of identical twins (who share all their genes) with fraternal twins (who share half). In this case, however, Dr. Vink did not make use of that fact. For her, the database was
15、merely a convenient repository of information. Instead of comparing identical and fraternal twins, she concentrated on the adult fraternal twins, most of whom had completed questionnaires about their habits, including smoking, and 536 of whom had given DNA samples to the register. The human genome i
16、s huge. It consists of billions of DNA “letters“, some of which can be strung together to make sense (the genes), but many of which have either no function, or an unknown function. To follow what is going on, geneticists rely on markers they have identified within the genome. These are places where
17、the genetic letters may vary between individuals. If a particular variant is routinely associated with a particular physical feature or a behaviour pattern, it suggests that a particular version of a nearby gene is influencing that feature or behaviour. Dr. Vink hopes that finding genes responsible
18、for nicotine dependence will make it possible to identify the causes of such dependence. That will help to classify smokers better (some are social smokers while others are physically addicted) and thus enable “quitting“ programmes to be customised. Results such as Dr. Vinks must be interpreted with
19、 care. Association studies, as such projects are known, have a disturbing habit of disappearing, as it were, in a puff of smoke when someone tries to replicate them. But if Dr. Vink really has exposed a genetic link with addiction, then Mark Twains problem may eventually become a thing of the past.
20、21 The author cites the example of Mark Twain to show that （ A） quitting smoking is no easy job. （ B） kicking the habit of smoking demands a strong will. （ C） some people are frustrated by failing to give up smoking. （ D） some people may be destined to fail quitting smoking. 22 What can be inferred
21、from the third paragraph? （ A） The fraternal twins are much more valued by researchers. （ B） Two kinds of twins are often been compared in research. （ C） Identical twins are more likely to be addicted to smoking. （ D） Fraternal twins are more genetically similar than identical twins. 23 The word “cu
22、stomized“(Paragraph 5) can best be substituted by （ A） diversified. （ B） tailored. （ C） simplified. （ D） justified. 24 Dr. Vinks results must be interpreted with care because （ A） it may have negative effects on related studies. （ B） it is unreliable so far. （ C） it may provide an excuse for nicotin
23、e addicts. （ D） it could undermine the anti-smoking movement. 25 The passage is mainly about （ A） an innovative way of quitting smoke. （ B） a possible link between genetics and smoking. （ C） an impressive study on fraternal twins. （ D） a famous persons experience quitting smoking. 26 When enthusiast
24、s talk of sustainable development, the eyes of most people glaze over. There is a whiff of sack-cloth and ashes about their arguments, which usually depend on people giving up the comforts of a modern economy to achieve some debatable greater good. Yet there is a serious point at issue. Modern indus
25、try pollutes, and it also seems to cause significant changes to the climate. What is needed is an industry that delivers the benefits without the costs. And the glimmerings of just such an industry can now be discerned. That industry is based on biotechnology. At the moment, biotechs main uses are i
26、n medicine and agriculture. But its biggest long-term impact may be industrial. Here, it will diminish demand for oil by taking the cheapest raw materials imaginable, carbon dioxide and water, and using them to make fuel and plastics. Plastics and fuels made in this way would have several advantages
27、. They could accurately be called “renewables“, since nothing is depleted to make them. They would be part of the natural carbon cycle, borrowing that element from the atmosphere for a few months, and returning it when they were burned or dumped. That means they could not possibly contribute to glob
28、al warming. And they would be environmentally friendly in other ways. Bioplastics are biodegradable, since bacteria understand their chemistry and can therefore digest them. Biofuels, while not quite “zero emission“ from the exhaust pipe (though a lot cleaner than petrol and diesel), would be cleane
29、r overall even than the fuel-cell technology now being touted as an alternative to the internal-combustion engine. That is because making the hydrogen that fuel cells use is not an environmentally friendly process, and never will be unless it, too, uses biotechnology. All this will, in the end, depe
30、nd on costs. But these do not look unfavourable. Already, the price of bioplastics overlaps the top end of the petroleum-based plastics market. Bulk production should bring prices down, particularly when the raw materials are free. Meanwhile, ethanol would be a lot easier to introduce than fuel cell
31、s. Existing engines will run on it with minor tweaking, so there is no need to change the way ears are made. And since, unlike hydrogen, it is a liquid, the fuel-distribution infrastructure would not need radical change. The future could be green in ways that traditional environmentalists had not ex
32、pected. Whether they will embrace that possibility, or stick to sack-cloth, remains to be seen. 26 According to the author, applying biotechnology to industry （ A） has brought about sustainable development. （ B） proves to be nothing but an imagination. （ C） will deprive most people of modern comfort
33、s. （ D） contributes to the environmentally sound development. 27 The word “depleted“(Paragraph 3) can be substituted by （ A） exhausted. （ B） discarded. （ C） abandoned. （ D） wasted. 28 One advantage of the biofuels is that （ A） they will not pollute the environment. （ B） they are degradable by bacter
34、ia. （ C） they are cheaper than hydrogen fuels. （ D） they are suitable for internal-combustion engine. 29 According to paragraph 4, _. （ A） the prospect of biotechnology industry depends on its marketing cost. （ B） fuel cells are easier to be utilized in auto industry than biofuels. （ C） biofuels wil
35、l replace the fuel cells in the near future. （ D） the price of bioplastics shows a downward trend. 30 The best title for the passage might be （ A） A World Clean Yet in Comfort. （ B） Conserving Before Its Too Late. （ C） There Is Only One Earth. （ D） The Fuel-Hungry Planet. 31 Quite apart from any awk
36、wardness in the way he handled the hostile bid by rival Oracle for the firm he was running, Craig Conway seems to have been an unpopular CEO of PeopleSoft, a large enterprise-software company. Three managers who reported directly to him were apparently close to resigning in frustration, and the boar
37、d was unhappy about “misstatements“ he made to analysts. So even though there was no “smoking gun“, as the board put it, Mr. Conway was fired on October 1st and replaced by the firms founder, David Duffield. Mr. Duffields brief is now to address Mr. Conways perceived shortcomings and his obsession w
38、ith fending off the $7.7 billion takeover bid from Oracle. At the same time, says Paul Hamerman of Forrester, a research firm, Mr. Conway offered no compelling technological vision for PeopleSoft, and seemed deaf to “quite a noise level of customer complaints“. Mr. Conways firing prompted much specu
39、lation that PeopleSoft might now be more prepared to negotiate with Oracle rather than fight it. But PeopleSoft insists that both Mr. Duffield and the board focus on a long-term strategy for the company, not a quick sale. On the same day that Mr. Conway was fired, however, Oracle scored another vict
40、ory when Americas Justice Department said that it would not appeal against a judges decision to allow the takeover on antitrust grounds. So, this week, the battle moved to another courtroom, in Delaware, where both companies are registered. In this suit, Oracle is claiming that People. Soft is not p
41、roperly looking after the interests of its shareholders by using a “poison pill“ and a “customer assurance programme“ to keep Oracle at bay. The poison pill is a very common provision, and one that PeopleSoft has had for almost a decade. It floods the market with new shares if a predator buys more t
42、han 20% of PeopleSofts equity, thus making an acquisition very difficult. The customer-rebate programme, by contrast, was put in place last June. It guarantees that any PeopleSoft client can get a refund for between two and five times its software-licence fee if support for that software is ever cut
43、 off. To Oracle, this represents another dirty tactic, since it amounts to a potential liability of more than $2 billion. To PeopleSoft, however, it was not only fair but necessary to retain customers, since Oracle said at the time of its bid that it planned to kill PeopleSofts products and switch c
44、lients to its own. The two companies lawyers are likely to be at it for another few weeks, which could yet see a higher bid from Oracle. 31 According to the passage, Craig Conway （ A） tactfully handled oracles hostile bid. （ B） induced the resign of his three managers. （ C） ignored customers grievan
45、ces. （ D） is technologically illiterate. 32 The phrase “smoking gun“ in the first paragraph probably means （ A） conclusive evidence. （ B） unconvincing excuse. （ C） fundamental conflict. （ D） irresistible cause. 33 PeopleSoft claims that the oracles takeover of PeopleSoft （ A） is hard to resist. （ B）
46、 is not given first priority. （ C） depends on its validity. （ D） is irrational. 34 oracles current difficulty to take over PeopleSoft is that （ A） this kind of trade is now illegal. （ B） PeopleSoft has adopted anti-takeover strategy. （ C） PeopleSoft demands a high price. （ D） Mr. Conway rejects the
47、takeover. 35 The best title for this passage might be （ A） Acquisition of PeopleSoft. （ B） Can the New Boss Save PeopleSoft? （ C） New Boss, New strategy. （ D） Who Is the Winner, PeopleSoft or Oracle? 36 A friend of mine had a grandfather who supervised the payroll at a large company long ago. People
48、 who knew him say this man was a paragon of virtue when it came to making sure the employees were treated fair and square on every payday. But he also believed that once wages were disbursed, workers should take full responsibility for their financial security. In his view, honest labor and thrifty
49、habits were basic elements of the free-enterprise system. Nobody should expect any money unless they earned it. He opposed company pension plans, and was thoroughly dismayed by the fiscal structure and benefits of Social Security. I wonder how many people hold the same views now. The debate about changing Social Security is part of a larger question: What obligation, if any, do Americans feel toward fellow citizens who need help? Note, I didnt say “less fortunate,“ “disa
