1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 105 及答案与解析Part ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. (40 points)0 The greatest devastation of old age is the loss of mental faculties, and with the near doubling of life expectancy in the past century has come the mixe
2、d blessing of living longer and losing more. A few great thinkers and artists remained productive in their later yearsGalileo, Monet, Shaw, Stravinsky, Tolstoybut even they were not what they had been in their primes. In science, the boom falls sooner still: “A person who has not made his great cont
3、ribution to science before the age of 30 will never do so,“ said Einstein.Imagine if we could transplant old brains into younger bodies: would our minds stay young, or would we be senile teenagers, scaling mountains and skateboarding at 120, but forgetting where we put the car keys? Is the brain uni
4、quely vulnerable to the ravages of time? Can anything be done?Incontrovertible evidence from many studies shows that a higher level of education and greater mental activity throughout life correlate with lower cognitive losses in old age. These benefits apply to all sorts of cognitive losses, includ
5、ing those associated with Alzheimers. Some researchers believe that mental application in early life produces complex neural connections that provide a reserve later on; others argue that education merely gives people the means to cope with and compensate for their losses.K. Warner Schaie, a profess
6、or of human development and psychology at Pennsylvania State University, has studied age-related change in more than 5,000 people, some for more than 40 years. Comparing earlier with later recruits, Mr. Schaie concludes that the rate of mental decline is slowing, a change he attributes to better edu
7、cation, healthier diet, lessened exposure to serious disease, and more mental activity. “Youve got to practice,“ Mr. Schaie says. “If you dont solve problems, you no longer can solve problems.“ Retirement can be particularly hard, he adds, because for many people, work is their most challenging acti
8、vity. “Retirement is good for people whove had routine jobsthey may find something more stimulating. But its disadvantageous for people in high-level jobs, who are less likely to find something as stimulating as the job they had.“K. Anders Ericsson, a psychology professor at Florida State University
9、, confirms Mr. Schaies emphasis on the virtue of practice. Initially interested in expert performers like musicians, he found that many ostensible geniuses arent really so different from everyone elsethey just practice harder and longer, benefiting from sheer labor, rather than from some special gif
10、t. Professional musicians who continue to practice assiduously as they age continue to play well, while amateurs who just play for pleasure show age-related declines.Mr. Ericssons studies failed to show significant generalized benefits from mental exercise. “If you play tennis, you improve your gene
11、ral fitness, but the greatest improvement is specific to tennis, not to other sports. Its the same with cognitive exercise. You have to look at your life and pick what you want to improve.“1 According to the text, most great thinkers and artists_.（A）were productive even in their later years（B） were
12、most successful before the age of 30（C） made contributions regardless of age（D）contributed the most before old age2 The third paragraph tells us that higher levels of education_.（A）can prevent Alzheimers（B） are related to greater mental awareness in youth（C） are related to lower levels of mental dec
13、line in old age（D）is only one of many factors that can slow the rate of mental decline3 In this text the authors main intent is to_.（A）underscore the difficulties related to aging（B） critique different theories of mental decline in old age（C） argue that old age need not be a barrier to great accompl
14、ishments（D）understand how people can counter the impacts of aging on mental faculties4 Retirement can be good for people who_.（A）have always had very busy work lives（B） can find more stimulating activities than they had through work（C） have had high-level jobs or very stimulating work experiences（D）
15、have previously had unsatisfying work experiences5 The last paragraph tells us that mental exercise_.（A）offers benefits specific to that kind of exercise（B） should be paired with physical exercise for maximum benefit（C） is comparable to physical activities in terms of its importance to overall healt
16、h（D）can counter age-related mental decline5 Graduating high school seniors looking to enter the workforce and other high school students searching for summer jobs are facing a tighter job market this year as the once red-hot U.S. economy continues to cool. Nationally, the jobless rate for 16- to 19-
17、year-olds continues to rise. The unemployment rate for teenagers hit 14.2 percent in April, compared with 12.8 percent last year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.“Its very obvious that its going to be a little harder this summer, because businesses are much more reserved and cautious,“ sai
18、d Mark J. Gambill, the vice president of marketing at Manpower Inc., the nations largest temporary employment agency. The New York City-based company recently surveyed 16,000 public and private employers. It found manufacturing, light industry, and high-tech firms were least likely to be seeking emp
19、loyees.Temporary jobs typically are the first to suffer in a slowing economy, but other sectors that employ teenagers heavily have fallen on leaner times as well. For instance, the amusement, recreation, and hotel industries shed a combined 43000 jobs in March and April, said John F. Stinson Jr., an
20、 economist at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Ironically, the pinch comes as the nations overall jobless rate remains low. Statistics show that fewer teenagers have been jobless over the past few summers than at any time during the previous decade. “The jobless rates are still low by historical
21、standards,“ Mr. Stinson said. Ten years ago, for example, the unemployment rate for 16- to 19-year-old workers was 21.1 percent in June and 15.7 percent in July. Last year, the rate was 14.4 percent and 12.4 percent, respectively, federal figures show.Experts say teenagers looking for summer work st
22、ill can find jobs but not lots of pay. The continuing slump in the nations high-tech sector and lingering uncertainty over the general health of the economy have combined to limit teenagers job options to the type of work that American youths typically have thrived onthe retail and fast-food industr
23、ies.For the past several years, experts say, large numbers of teenagers found work with high-paying technology companies. But those heady days of $50000 starting salaries for those with computer skills and only a high school diploma have ended.Nationally, some 2.8 million students are expected to gr
24、aduate from public and private high schools this year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Lacking some sort of post secondary education or training virtually ensures those graduates will garner low wages. Ron Bird, the chief economist at the Employment Policy Foundation, a Washington-bas
25、ed nonprofit think tank, said economic projections show that wage growth for those with only a high school diploma will be the slowest among all groups.“There is a fundamental shift evident in the U. S. economy, tied primarily to technology, that will reward more professional, management, and techni
26、cal-type jobs as opposed to line operators,“ he said.6 According to the text, the current unemployment rate for teenagers is_.（A）lower than ever before（B） higher than in the previous decade（C） comparable to the nations overall unemployment rate（D）higher than it was last year7 Current job prospects f
27、or teenagers in the high-tech industry are_.（A）highly profitable（B） in decline（C） more promising than the retail industry（D）virtually non-existent8 Which of the following individuals is NOT directly quoted in this text?（A）The vice president of a temporary employment company.（B） Analysts of the high-
28、tech industry.（C） An economist at a non-profit think tank.（D）A government economist.9 Currently, most job opportunities for high school students and graduates are available in_.（A）the high-tech sector（B） temporary employment（C） retail stores（D）amusement parks10 This text is mainly about_.（A）the cool
29、ing of the U.S. economy（B） job competition between high school students and high school graduates（C） summer jobs prospects for teenagers（D）employment prospects for high school students and graduates10 The global economys most striking feature nowadays is the magnitude and interconnectedness of the m
30、acro risks that it faces. The post-crisis period has produced a multi-speed world, as the major advanced economieswith the notable exception of Germanystruggle with low growth and high unemployment, while the main emerging-market economies have restored growth to pre-crisis levels.This divergence is
31、 mirrored in public finances. Emerging economies debt-to-GDP ratios are trending down toward 40%, while those of advanced economies are trending up toward 100%, on average. Neither Europe nor the United States has put in place credible medium-term plans to stabilize their fiscal positions. The volat
32、ility of the euro-dollar exchange rate reflects the uncertainty about which side of the Atlantic faces higher risks.In Europe, this has led to several ratings downgrades of the sovereign debt of the most distressed countries, accompanied by bouts of contagion spilling over to the euro. More seem lik
33、ely.As for the US, Moodys recently issued a warning on the countrys sovereign debt in the face of uncertainty about Congresss willingness to raise the debt ceiling amid highly partisan debate about the deficit. Both issuesthe debt ceiling and a credible deficit-reduction planremain unresolved.Moreov
34、er, economic growth in the US is modest, and appears to come mainly from segments of the tradable sector that are exposed to and benefit from emerging-market demand. The non-tradable sector, which created virtually all of the new employment in the two decades prior to the crisis, is stagnating, owin
35、g to a shortfall in domestic demand and seriously constrained government budgets. The result is persistent unemployment. Meanwhile, the tradable side is not large enough in competitive terms to take up the slack in growth and employment.By contrast, emerging markets rapid growth and urbanization are
36、 delivering a global investment boom, documented in a recent McKinsey Global Institute study. A likely consequence is that the cost of capital will rise in the next few years, putting pressure on highly leveraged entities, including governments that have grown accustomed to a low interest-rate envir
37、onment and may not see this shift coming.Countries with persistent structural current-account deficits will incur additional external-financing costs, and eventually will reach the limits of leverage. At that point, the weak productivity and competitiveness of their tradable sectors will become clea
38、r.Adjustments will need to be made. The options are higher investment levels financed by domestic savings, productivity growth, and increased competitiveness, or stagnant real incomes as rebalancing occurs through the exchange-rate mechanism.Many of these structural problems were hidden from view be
39、fore the crisis, thereby delaying both market and policy responses. In the US, excess domestic consumption, based on a debt-fueled asset bubble, helped to sustain employment and growth, though the current account held worrying signs. In several European countries, governments, aided by low interest
40、rates, filled in the gap created by lagging productivity.11 It is indicated in the first two paragraphs that_.（A）the debt proportion in GDP of emerging economies is much higher than that of advanced economies（B） all advanced economies are facing low growth and high unemployment caused by the financi
41、al crisis（C） public finances are a reflection of the difference in growth rate between emerging and advanced economies（D）economic crisis is less severe and interrelated now than before12 The underlined word “volatility“ in Paragraph 2 refers to_.（A）stability（B） fluctuation（C） surging（D）filling13 Acc
42、ording to the author, which is true about tradable sector?（A）It causes the increase in deficit of the United States.（B） It is totally exposed to and gains profit from emerging-market demand.（C） The stagnancy of it results in less domestic demand and limited budget.（D）It accounts for hardly no employ
43、ment before the financial crisis.14 Which of the following the rapid growth and urbanization of emerging economies may NOT directly or indirectly lead to ?（A）The growing expense of some countries on financing through exterior channel.（B） The opportunity to increase incomes through exchange-rate mech
44、anism.（C） The overwhelming pressure on entities and countries relying on debt.（D）The manifest of the lack of productive forces and competitive strength.15 Which of the following would the author LEAST probably agree?（A）More European countries may suffer from downgrades of the sovereign debt.（B） The
45、employment and growth of the U.S. before the crisis was actually surface flourishing.（C） Governments should make effective efforts to improve the gloomy situation.（D）The problems had been discovered before the crisis, but not been well dealt with.15 In the days and weeks after 9/11 a number of write
46、rs asked what the future of fiction could be after such a rupture. The comments echoed philosopher Theodor Adornos comment: “Writing poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric.“Ten years on it is abundantly clear that fiction does, of course, have a future. Some novelists have tackled the events of that Sep
47、tember day head on; others have used the episode as a spur to look at the Western world shaken out of its complacency. The quality of the output, as in all areas of fiction, is highly variable.Jay Mclnerneys “The Good Life“ was a rather crass before-and-after view of a couple forced to re-examine th
48、eir relationship following the events of 9/11; Don Delillos “Falling Man“ was a strange sort of novel which lacked the density of his other work, but it did capture some of the most chilling elements of the events: “By the time the second plane appears,“ Keith comments as he and Lianne watch the end
49、lessly cycling video of the attacks, “were all a little older and wiser.“There are three important reasons why it is hard to write a good 9/11 novel. The first is that the attack on the World Trade Centre was such a huge and overpowering event that it often overshadows and dominates the fictional elements of a novel: literary novelists normally shy away from choosing such a big and unbelievable event as the backdrop to a story. Mr Mclnerneys book is the poorer, I think, because his characters s
