1、考研英语模拟试卷 95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 A scientist who does research in economic psychology and who wants to predict the way in which consumers will spend their money must
2、 study consumer behavior. He must obtain (1)_ both on resources of consumers and on the motives that (2)_ to encourage or discourage money spending. If an (3)_ were asked which of three groups borrow most people with rising incomes, (4)_ incomes, or declining incomes he would (5)_ answer: those with
3、 declining incomes. Actually, in the years 1997 2000, the answer was: people with rising incomes. People with declining incomes were next and people with stable incomes borrowed the (6)_. This shows us that traditional (7)_ about earning and spending are not always (8)_ Another traditional assumptio
4、n is that if people who have money expect prices to go up, they will (9)_ to buy. If they expect prices to go down, they will postpone buying. (10)_ research surveys have shown that this is not always (11)_ The expectations of price increases may not stimulate buying. One (12)_ attitude was ex-press
5、ed by the wife of a mechanic in an interview at a time of rising prices. Her family had been planning to buy a new car but they postponed this purchase. (13)_, the rise in prices that has al-ready taken place may be resented and buyers resistance may be evoked. The (14)_ mentioned above was carried
6、out in America. Investigations (15)_ at the same time in Great Britain, however, yielded results that were more (16)_ traditional assumptions about saving and spending patterns. The condition most contributive to spending (17)_ to be price stability. If prices have been stable and people consider th
7、at they are (18)_, they are likely to buy. Thus, it appears that the common (19)_ policy of maintaining stable prices is based on a correct understanding of (20)_ psychology. （ A） data （ B） materials （ C） money （ D） things （ A） attend （ B） intend （ C） tend （ D） pretend （ A） educator （ B） economist （
8、 C） artist （ D） editor （ A） similar （ B） sound （ C） stable （ D） equal （ A） especially （ B） particularly （ C） approximately （ D） probably （ A） most （ B） least （ C） fewest （ D） worst （ A） assumptions （ B） ideas （ C） thoughts （ D） concepts （ A） comprehensible （ B） understandable （ C） responsible （ D） r
9、eliable （ A） delay （ B） hesitate （ C） hasten （ D） hurry （ A） But （ B） However （ C） So （ D） Although （ A） real （ B） true （ C） actual （ D） genuine （ A） radical （ B） accidental （ C） typical （ D） superficial （ A） Nevertheless （ B） Furthermore （ C） Whereas （ D） Therefore （ A） examination （ B） research （
10、C） project （ D） investigation （ A） reduced （ B） conducted （ C） produced （ D） deducted （ A） in comparison with （ B） in combination with （ C） in agreement with （ D） in company with （ A） appears （ B） occurs （ C） happens （ D） expects （ A） available （ B） obtainable （ C） reasonable （ D） responsible （ A） b
11、ank （ B） trade （ C） industry （ D） business （ A） consumer （ B） client （ C） customer （ D） buyer Part A Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. (40 points) 21 The American economy, whether in government or private industry, has found ret
12、irement a convenient practice for managing the labor force. On the positive side, widespread retirement has meant an expansion of leisure and opportunities for self-fulfillment in later life. On the negative side, the practice of retirement entails large costs, both in funding required from pension
13、systems and in the loss of the accumulated skills and talents of older people. Critics of retirement as it exists today have pointed to the rigidity of retirement practices: for example, the fact that retirement is typically an all-or-nothing proposition. Would it not be better to have some form of
14、flexible or phased retirement, in which employees gradually reduce their work hours or take longer vacations? Such an approach might enable older workers to adjust better to retirement, while permitting employers to make gradual changes instead of coping with the abrupt departure of an employee. Ret
15、irement could be radically redefined in the future. Earlier criticism of retirement at a fixed age led to legal abolition of the practice, for the most part, in 1996. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act forbids older workers from being limited or treated in any way that would harm their employm
16、ent possibilities. Still, most observers admit that age discrimination in the workplace remains widespread. Sometimes such discrimination against older workers is based on mistaken ideas, such as the false belief that older workers are less productive. In fact, empirical studies have not shown older
17、 workers to be less dependable in their job performance, nor are their absenteeism rates higher. There is also much support for the idea of work life extension; that is, adaptations of retirement rules or employment practices to enable older people to become more productive. In favor of this idea is
18、 the fact that three-quarters of employed people over 65 are in white-collar occupations in service industries, which are less physically demanding than agriculture or manufacturing jobs. As a result, it is sometimes argued, older people can remain in productive jobs now longer than in the past. In
19、addition, some analysts point to declining numbers of young people entering the workforce, thus anticipating a labor shortage later. That development, if it occurred, might stimulate a need for older workers and a reversal of the trend toward early retirement. 21 Opponents of the retirement policy s
20、ay （ A） it gives more leisure to old people than they know how to use. （ B） it costs too much money in the form of retirement pensions. （ C） it is too rigid and flexibility should be integrated into it. （ D） retirement should be practiced only in the public sector. 22 What happened in 1996? （ A） Ret
21、irement stopped being practiced. （ B） Age limitation in retirement was abolished. （ C） Retired people were no longer entitled to pensions. （ D） Age discrimination was legally abolished. 23 Empirical studies indicate that old people （ A） are less productive than younger people. （ B） prefer working to
22、 retiring. （ C） are reliable workers. （ D） are less dependable. 24 Work life extension might be caused by （ A） retraining of old people in modern skills. （ B） the trend toward early retirement. （ C） the expansion of agriculture and manufacturing industry. （ D） the declining younger labor force. 25 W
23、hy is retirement found to be a convenient practice for managing the labor force? （ A） Because it is believed that to manage an older workforce is challenging. （ B） Because retirement expands opportunities for self-fulfillment in later life. （ C） Because older workers can adjust to retirement soon. （
24、 D） Because it is supported by both government and private industry. 26 Something big is happening to the human race something that could be called The Great Transformation. The Transformation consists of all the changes that are occurring in human life due to advancing technology. For thousands of
25、years such progress occurred slowly. Now, everything is changing so fast that you may find yourself wondering where all this progress is really leading. Fifty years ago, few people could even imagine things like computers and lasers. Today, a host of newly emerging technologies such as artificial in
26、telligence and genetic engineering are opening up all kinds of new paths for technologists. Like it or not, our advancing technology has made us masters of the earth. We not only dominate all the other animals, but are reshaping the worlds plant life and even its soil and rocks, its waters and surro
27、unding air. Mountains are being dug up to provide minerals and stone for buildings. The very ground under our feet is washing away as we chop down the forests, plow up the fields, and excavate foundations for our buildings. Human junk is cluttering up not only the land but even the bottom of the sea
28、. And so many chemicals are being released into the air by human activities that scientists worry that the entire globe may warm, causing the polar icecaps to melt and ocean waters to flood vast areas of the land. During the twentieth century, advancing technology has enabled man to reach thousands
29、of feet into the ocean depths and to climb the highest mountains. Mount Everest, the highest mountain of all, resisted all climbers until the 1950s. Now man is reaching beyond Earth to the moon, Mars, and the stars. No one knows what the Great Transformation means or where it will ultimately lead. B
30、ut one thing is sure: human life 50 years from now will be very different from what it is today. Its also worth noting that our amazing technology is posing an increasingly insistent question: When we can do so many things, how can we possibly decide what we really should do. When humans were relati
31、vely powerless, they didnt have to make the choices they have to make today. Technology gives us the power to build a magnificent new civilization if we can just agree on what we want it to be. But today, there is little global agreement on goals and how we should achieve them. So it remains to be s
32、een what will happen as a result of our technology. Pessimists worry that we will use the technology eventually to blow ourselves up. But they have been saying that for decades, and so far we have escaped. Whether we will continue to do so remains unknown but we can continue to hope. 26 The Great Tr
33、ansformation is caused by （ A） artificial intelligence and genetic engineering. （ B） the shortage of natural resources. （ C） the development of practical science. （ D） unknown reasons. 27 The more chemicals we send into the air, the less land we will possibly have because （ A） chemicals will wash aw
34、ay fields. （ B） water levels will go up. （ C） more and more land will be covered by ice. （ D） land is turned into water deliberately. 28 Advancing technology could possibly make us （ A） decisive. （ B） powerless. （ C） hesitant. （ D） mysterious. 29 Why is it impossible for people to build a remarkable
35、 new civilization today? （ A） Because nobody is optimistic about the future. （ B） Because human beings are unable to do so. （ C） Because people disagree with each other in many ways. （ D） Because people are not interested in it. 30 According to the passage, pessimists believe that （ A） the future of
36、 the world will be better and better. （ B） technological advances will destroy the human race at last. （ C） human technological advances are useless in peoples life. （ D） there is no need to develop technology. 31 With its common interest in lawbreaking but its immense range of subject-matter and wi
37、dely-varying method of treatment, the crime novel could make a legitimate claim to be regarded as a separate branch of the traditional novel. The detective story is probably the most respectful (at any in the narrow sense of word) of the crime species. Its creation is often the relaxation of Univers
38、ity dons, literary economists, scientists or even poets. Fatalities may occur more frequently and mysteriously than might be expected in polite society, which is familiar to us, if not from our own experience, at least in the newspaper or the lives of friends. The characters, though normally realize
39、d superficially, are as recognizable human and consistent as our less intimate associates. As story set in a more remote environment, African jungle or Australian bush, ancient China or gas-lit London, appeals to our interest in geography or history, most detective story writers are conscientious in
40、 providing a reasonably authentic back-ground. The elaborate, carefully-assembled plot, despised by the modern intellectual critics and creators of significant novels, has found refuge in the murder mystery, with its sprinkling of clues, its spicing with apparent impossibilities, all with appropriat
41、e solutions and explanations at the end. With the guilt of escapism from Real Life nagging gently, we secretly delight in the unmasking of evil by a vaguely super-human detective, who sees through and dispels the cloud of suspicion which has hovered so unjustly over the innocent. Though its villain
42、also receives his rightful deserts, the thriller presents a less comfortable and credible world. The sequence of fist fights, revolver duels, car crashes and escaped from gas-filled cellars exhausts the reader far more than the hero, who, suffering from at least two broken ribs, one black eye, uncou
43、ntable bruises and a hangover, can still chase and overpower an armed villain with the physique of a wrestler. He moves dangerously through a world of merciless gangs, brutality, a vicious lust for power and money and, in contrast to the detective tale, with a great criminal whose defeat seems almos
44、t accidental. Perhaps we miss in the thriller the security of being safely led by our calm investigator past a score of red herrings and blind avenues to a final gathering of suspects when an unchallengeable explanation of all that has bewildered us is given justice and goodness prevail. All that we
45、 vainly hope for from life is granted vicariously. 31 The crime novel may be regarded as （ A） a not quite respectable form of the conventional novel. （ B） not a tree novel at all. （ C） related in some ways to the historical novel. （ D） an independent development of the novel. 32 The passage suggests
46、 that intellectuals write detective stories because （ A） the stories are often in fact very instructive. （ B） they enjoy writing these stories. （ C） the creation of these stories demands considerable intelligence. （ D） detective stories are an accepted branch of literature. 33 What is mentioned in t
47、he passage as one of the similarities between the detective story and the thriller? （ A） Both have involved plots. （ B） Both are condemned by modem critics. （ C） Both are forms of escapist fiction. （ D） Both demonstrate the triumph of right over wrong. 34 In what way are the detective story and the
48、thriller unlike? （ A） In introducing violence. （ B） In providing excitement and suspense. （ C） In appealing to the intellectual curiosity of the readers. （ D） In ensuring that everything comes tight in the end. 35 The author presents the passage by （ A） giving a definition and explaining it in detai
49、l. （ B） countering an argument and making an assumption. （ C） introducing a general topic and comparing two of its subcategories. （ D） discussing a problem and arguing in favor of one solution. 36 A recent history of the Chicago meat-packing industry and its workers examines how the industry grew from its appearance in the 1830s through the early 1890s. Meat-packers, the author argues, had good wages, working conditions, and prospects from advancement within the packinghouses and did not co
