1、考研英语模拟试卷 309 及答案与解析一、Section I Use of EnglishDirections: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D. (10 points) 0 Weak dollar or no, $ 46,000-the price for a single year of undergraduate instruction amid the red brick of Harvard Yard-is【1】But nowa
2、days cost is【2】barrier to entry at many of Americas best universities. Formidable financial-assistance policies have【3】fees or slashed them deeply for needy students. And last month Harvard announced a new plan designed to【4】the sticker-shock for undergraduates from middle and even upper-income fami
3、lies too. Since then, other rich American universities have unveiled【5】initiatives. Yale, Harvards bitterest【6】, revealed its plans on January 14th. Students whose families make【7】than $60,000 a year will pay nothing at all. Families earning up to $ 200,000 a year will have to pay an average of 10%
4、of their incomes. The university will【8】its financial- assistance budget by 43%, to over $ 80m. Harvard will have a similar arrangement for families making up to $180,000. That makes the price of going to Harvard or Yale【9】to attending a state-run university for middle-and upper-income students. The
5、 universities will also not require any student to take out【10】to pay for their【11】, a policy introduced by Princeton in 2001 and by the University of Pennsylvania just after Harvards【12】. No applicant who gains admission, officials say, should feel【13】to go elsewhere because he or she cant afford t
6、he fees. None of that is quite as altruistic as it sounds. Harvard and Yale are, after all, now likely to lure more students away from previously【14】options, particularly state-run universities,【 15】their already impressive admissions figures and reputations. The schemes also provide a【16】for struct
7、uring university fees in which high prices for rich students help offset modest prices for poorer ones and families are less【17】on federal grants and government-backed loans. Less wealthy private colleges whose fees are high will not be able to【18】Harvard or Yale easily. But Americas state-run unive
8、rsities, which have traditionally kept their fees low and stable, might well try a differentiated【19】scheme as they raise cash to compete academically with their private【20】. Indeed, the University of California system has already started to implement a sliding-fee scale.（A）cheap（B） reasonable（C） hi
9、gh（D）expensive （A）still（B） no（C） becoming（D）certain （A）eliminated（B） increased（C） doubled（D）decreased （A）relieve（B） suspend（C） enhance（D）diminish （A）different（B） same（C） similar（D）encouraging （A）counterpart（B） coordinator（C） rival（D）cooperator （A）less（B） more（C） richer（D）poorer （A）enhance（B） expand（
10、C） increase（D）elevate （A）incomparable（B） comparable（C） distinguishable（D）identical （A）part-time job（B） work（C） loans（D）savings （A）charge（B） fare（C） payment（D）tuition （A）policy（B） implementation（C） adjustment（D）announcement （A）pressured（B） ashamed（C） insecure（D）unhappy （A）cheaper（B） more reasonable（C
11、） public（D）better （A）expanding（B） shrinking（C） enhancing（D）diminishing （A）chance（B） model（C） disposition（D）location （A）independent（B） thankful（C） detached（D）reliant （A）beat（B） win（C） copy（D）follow （A）pricing（B） tuition（C） scholarship（D）financial aiding （A）rivals（B） counterparts（C） coordinators（D）coo
12、perators Part ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. (40 points)20 That boys and girlsand men and womenare programmed by evolution to behave differently from one another is now widely accepted. But which of the differences between t
13、he sexes are “biological“, in the sense that they have been honed by evolution, and which are “cultural“ or “environmental“ and might more easily be altered by changed circumstances, is still fiercely debated. The sensitivity of the question was shown last year by an uproar at Harvard University. La
14、rry Summers, then Harvards president, caused a storm when he suggested that innate ability could be an important reason why there were so few women in the top positions in mathematics, engineering and the physical sciences. Even as a proposition for discussion, this is unacceptable to some. But biol
15、ogical explanations of human behavior are making a comeback. The success of neo-Darwinism has provided an intellectual foundation for discussion about why some differences between the sexes might be innate. And new scanning techniques have enabled researchers to examine the brains interior while it
16、is working, showing that male and female brains do, at one level, operate differently. The results, however, do not always support past clichs about what the differences in question actually are. Another behavioral difference that has borne a huge amount of scrutiny is in mathematics, particularly s
17、ince Dr Summerscomments. The problem with trying to argue that the male tendency to systemize might lead to greater mathematical ability is that, in fact, girls and boys are equally good at maths prior to teenage years. Until recently, it was believed that males outperformed females in mathematics a
18、t all ages. Today, that picture has changed, and it appears that males and females of any age are equally good at computation and at understanding mathematical concepts. However, after their mid-teens, men are better at problem solving than women are. The question raised by Dr Summers does not get t
19、o the heart of the matter. Over the past 50 years, women have made huge progress into academia and within it. Slowly, they have worked their way into the higher echelons of discipline after discipline. But some parts of the ivory tower have proved harder to occupy than others. The question remains,
20、to what degree is the absence of women in science, mathematics and engineering caused by innate, immutable ability? Innate it may well be. That does not mean it is immutable. A variety of abilities are amenable to training in both sexes. And such training works. Biology may predispose, but it is not
21、 necessarily destiny.21 What does the word “honed“ (Line 3, Paragraph 1) most probably mean?（A）Started.（B） Determined.（C） Created.（D）Sharpened.22 According to Larry Summers, women_.（A）had lower innate ability than men in certain areas（B） have limited capacity for everything（C） should not choose care
22、ers in maths, engineering, etc.（D）are facing discrimination in their careers23 Which of the following statements is true of the passage?（A）Neo-Darwinism offered biological evidence of the innate sex differences.（B） Female innate ability is not the only reason for their academic position.（C） Boys and
23、 girls performed equally well in problem solving in teenage years.（D）Dr. Summers ignored the fact that women have risen to the top of the ivory tower.24 The sentence “Biology may predispose, but it is not necessarily destiny. “ (Line 2, Para. 6) indicates that_.（A）biological factors determine ones c
24、apabilities（B） womens role is not decided by destiny（C） biological differences could be changed（D）abilities can be acquired regardless of the innate differences25 Which of the following would be the best title for the text?（A）Sex Difference: Who is Smarter?（B） Female Lag in Certain Fields: Gender Di
25、fference（C） Differences Between the Sexes: Mismeasure of Women（D）Gender Inequality: Female Inferiority Proved25 Sometimes the biggest changes in society are the hardest to spot precisely because they are hiding in plain sight. It could well be that way with wireless communications. Something that pe
26、ople think of as just another technology is beginning to show signs of changing lives, culture, politics, cities, jobs, even marriages dramatically. In particular, it will usher in a new version of a very old idea: nomadism. Futurology is a dangerous business, and it is true that most of the importa
27、nt arguments about mobile communications at the moment are to do with technology or regulationbandwidth, spectrum use and so on. Yet it is worth jumping ahead and wondering what the social effects will be, for two reasons. First, the broad technological future is pretty clear: there will be ever fas
28、ter cellular networks, and many more gadgets to connect to these networks. Second, the social changes are already visible: parents on beaches waving at their children while typing furtively on their BlackBerrys; entrepreneurs discovering they dont need offices after all. Everybody is doing more on t
29、he move. Wireless technology is surely not just an easier-to-use phone. The car divided cities into work and home areas; wireless technology may mix them up again, with more people working in suburbs or living in city centers. Traffic patterns are beginning to change again: the rush hours at 9am and
30、 5pm are giving way to more varied patterns, with people going backwards and forwards between the office, home and all sorts of other places throughout the day. Already, architects are redesigning offices and universities, more flexible spaces for meeting people, fewer private enclosures for sedenta
31、ry work. Will it be a better life? In some ways, yes. Digital nomadism will liberate ever more knowledge workers from the cubicle prisons as depicted in Mr. Dilberts cartoons. But the old tyranny of place could become a new tyranny of time, as nomads who are “always on“ all too often end up mentally
32、anywhere but here. As for friends and family, permanent mobile connectivity could have the same effect as nomadism: it might bring you much closer to family and friends, but it may make it harder to bring in outsiders. Sociologists fret about constant e-mailers and texters losing the everyday connec
33、tions to casual acquaintances or strangers sitting next to them in the cafe or on the Bus. The same tools have another dark side, turning everybody into a fully equipped paparazzo. Some fitness clubs have started banning mobile phones near the treadmills and showers lest exercising people find thems
34、elves pictured, flabby and sweaty, on some website. As in the desert, so in the city: nomadism promises the heaven of new freedom, but it also signals the hell of constant surveillance by the tribe. 26 We can infer from the first two paragraphs that_.（A）social changes are complex in nature（B） people
35、 may ignore wireless communications changes（C） nomadism is nothing new in society（D）everybody can work outside their offices27 Which of the following is true of the future wireless technology?（A）It is beginning solving the traffic problems.（B） It will change peoples way of working.（C） It will save p
36、eople a lot of time.（D）It will come true in offices and universities.28 According to the text, sociologists are anxious about digital nomadism in that_.（A）it will reduce peoples contacts with the outside society（B） it will give office workers too much time（C） it will destroy peoples friendship（D）it
37、will cause people to lose their interest in social activities29 The dark side of the digital products is that people may use them to_.（A）fully equip themselves（B） disturb others physical exercises（C） threaten other peoples life（D）reveal others privacy30 Which of the following best summarizes the tex
38、t?（A）A new trend of wireless communication.（B） Mobile communication improves peoples life.（C） Digital nomadism brings people convenience as well as trouble.（D）The future of mobile communication.30 The early retirement of experienced workers is seriously harming the U.S. economy, according to a new r
39、eport from the Hudson Institute, a public policy research organization. Currently, many older experienced workers retire at an early age. According to the recently issued statistics, 79 percent of qualified workers begin collecting retirement benefits at age 62; if that trend continues, there will b
40、e a labor shortage that will hinder the economic growth in the twenty-first century. Older Americans constitute an increasing proportion of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the population of those over age 65 will grow by 60% between 2001 and 2020. During the same period, the
41、 group aged 18 to 44 will increase by only 4%. Keeping older skilled workers employed, even part time, would increase U.S. economic output and strengthen the tax base; but without significant policy reforms, massive early retirement among baby boomers seems more likely. Retirement at age 62 is an ec
42、onomically rational decision today. Social Security and Medicaid earnings limits and tax penalties subject our most experienced workers to marginal tax rates as high as 67%. Social Security formulas encourage early retirement. Although incomes usually rise with additional years of work, any pay incr
43、eases after the 35-year mark result in higher social Security taxes but only small increases in benefits. Hudson Institute researchers believe that federal tax and benefit policies are at fault and reforms are urgently needed, but they disagree with the popular proposal that much older Americans wil
44、l have to work because Social Security will not support them and that baby boomers are not saving enough for retirement. According to the increase in 401 (k) and Keogh retirement plans, the ongoing stock market on Wall Street, and the likelihood of large inheritances, there is evidence that baby boo
45、mers will reach age 65 with greater financial assets than previous generations. The Hudson Institute advocates reforming government policies that now discourage work and savings, especially for older worker. Among the report s recommendations. Tax half of all Social Security benefits, regardless of
46、other income; provide 80% larger benefits for each year beyond 65; and permit workers nearing retirement to negotiate compensation packages that may include a lower salary but with greater healthcare benefits. However, it may take real and fruitful planning to find the right solution to the early re
47、tirement of older experienced workers; any measures taken must be allowed to prolong the serviceability of older experienced workers.31 According to Hudson Institute researchers, the effect of the early retirement of qualified workers in the U.S. economy is_.（A）constructive（B） significant（C） inconcl
48、usive（D）detrimental32 The older experienced workers in America tend to retire early because their prolonged service may_.（A）do harm to younger generations（B） end up with few or no benefits（C） give play to their potentials（D）shed light on social trends33 The second paragraph is written chiefly to sho
49、w that_.（A）there will be an acute labor shortage in the near future（B） baby-boomers contribute much to the U.S. economic output（C） government policies concerning older people are out-dated（D）older workers are enthusiastic about collecting social benefits34 When mentioning “the ongoing stock market on Wall Street“, the writer_.（A）is calling attention to the privileges to which baby-boomers are entitled（B） is calling for the government to take countermeasures against labor shortage（C） is refuting a notion about exper
