1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 108 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 Recent analysis indicates the U.S. education system is adapting to changing workforce needs and demands. Signals from the marketplace, coming in the for
2、m of higher pay rates for certain occupations, are motivating students to enroll in educational programs congruent with the needs of those industries. This training is expanding and improving their skills in those areas, and, by extension, their own marketability. Furthermore, the entire system is u
3、ndergoing positive change including parents, educators and administrators. The changes are increasing choices and helping to mitigate equity issues, but there is still room for improvement.As the American economy becomes a more global one, the advantage of Americans in knowledge and skill-based indu
4、stries will only grow larger. Thus, the level of education of the worker will become an even greater factor in increasing productivity and spurring progress. To the individual worker, that means that his level of education will directly influence his salary. Similarly, fair income distribution will
5、greatly depend on equity of access and participation in educational resources. Given existing social disparities, intervention may be required to assist a substantial segment of Americans.Legislation has been passed mandating equal access to key educational and aid facilities, making it easier for t
6、hose most in need of those services to obtain them. Recent laws forbid employers and educators from discriminating against various applicants or employees based on their race, age, gender or physical appearance, among other factors. Furthermore, the American civil litigation system has been doing it
7、s part as well, hearing cases involving discrimination and unequal treatment and, more often than not, deciding in favor of equality. At almost all levels, progress has been made in equalizing the disparities that exist between various social and ethnic groups in the schools and in the workplace.How
8、ever, income and racial-ethnicity problems continue to dog the system. As the structure of the economy shifts to support a larger proportion of knowledge-intensive industries, these disparities will only become more intractable. To the extent that more equitable income distribution is desirable, add
9、itional government intervention may be required.1 The main point of the text is that_.（A）education is vital to the continued success（B） the government must intervene in education to ensure continued success（C） Americas educational system is well-positioned, but still needs work（D）the educational sys
10、tem in America is currently insufficient2 In paragraph 4, “. income and racial-ethnicity problems continue to dog the system“ means（A）income and racial-ethnicity problems are being fixed（B） income and racial-ethnicity problems have not yet been solved（C） income and racial ethnicity problems are the
11、key characteristics of the American educational system（D）income and racial-ethnicity problems are decreasing in the American educational system3 The author views the main weakness of the American educational system as_.（A）it is not sufficient to deal with todays needs（B） it is not adaptable to chang
12、ing circumstances（C） it is not equally accessible to all Americans（D）it does not directly affect income4 As time goes on, education will become_.（A）more important to personal income and national productivity（B） less of a factor in the international trade community（C） more determinative of racial equ
13、ality in the job market（D）less focused on global issues and interactions5 In paragraph 4, the word “dog“ is most similar in use to “_“.（A）be addressed by（B） trouble（C） be associated with（D）characterize5 The use of chemicals in almost all areas of life has become a commonplace phenomenon. There is gr
14、owing evidence, however, that chemicals in the environment, including pesticides, may contribute to some illnesses. While studies are still being conducted, preliminary conclusions point to the verdict that such chemicals are indeed negatively impacting those humans to whom they are exposed.Children
15、 are especially vulnerable to toxic substances. Pound for pound, they eat, drink and breathe more than adults, all of which exposes them more heavily to those chemicals to which most individuals encounter on a daily basis. Furthermore, their bodies are still in developing stages, exacerbating the ne
16、gative effects of those chemicals which negatively impact them.Of 50 types of pesticides commonly used in American schools, a study conducted by the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides found that many caused negative reactions in laboratory animals. Such negative effects included kid
17、ney and liver damage, cancer, and neurological and reproductive problems.These implications of these findings are far-reaching. Given the variety of harmful effects attributed to those pesticides tested, one must pause and consider whether it is wise to continue their use in the nations schools, whe
18、re children will be constantly exposed to them. Activists have lobbied for the elimination of such use with a degree of success, and recent findings, if supported by further analysis and confirmation, may help further the cause. A long term solution or alternative, however, remains elusive.In the sh
19、ort run, however, there may be some measures that can be taken to mitigate the harmful effects of dangerous pesticides. The American Medical Associations Council on Scientific Affairs concluded in a 1997 report that given the “particular uncertainty . regarding the long-term health effects of low-do
20、se pesticide exposures,“ it is “prudent“ for adults and children to limit their exposure and to “consider the use of the least toxic chemical pesticides or non-chemical alternatives.“6 The citing of dangerous effects of pesticides on laboratory animals in paragraph 3 is used to suggest that_.（A）scie
21、ntists are also concerned with the effects of pesticides on animals（B） cancer is the worst effect of the pesticides（C） most or all of the dangerous effects of pesticides are now known（D）the chemicals may also cause these effects in humans7 Children are more likely than adults to suffer the negative
22、effects of pesticides because _.（A）children absorb more pesticides than adults, proportionally（B） pesticides are used more in areas with children（C） the pesticides used in schools are more dangerous than other pesticides（D）adults know more about pesticides than children8 The main point of this text
23、is that_.（A）pesticides are dangerous and their uses need to be reevaluated（B） children suffer most from the effects of pesticides（C） schools are most responsible for pesticide-related illnesses（D）pesticides should be eliminated everywhere9 The author mentions the exaggerated effects of chemicals on
24、children in paragraph 2 to _.（A）prove that pesticides are dangerous to all humans（B） show that children are more susceptible to many kinds of dangers（C） suggest a solution to the problem of pesticides（D）identify one group that pesticides hurt in particular10 The author cites the American Medical Ass
25、ociations advice in paragraph 5 in order to（A）present more factual details to clarify the issue（B） present an alternative theory for consideration（C） present a recommendation from a reputable source（D）present a solution drawn from all the evidence considered10 October 24, 1929. Black Thursday. On th
26、is infamous day, the New York Stock Exchange was hit with chaos that quickly amounted to a 30% decline in the value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, a benchmark index often used as a proxy in measuring the health of the American economy. This loss marked the end of the Roaring Twenties, a period
27、 of time in which many believed that the only direction for the stock market and the entire economy was up. Soon the U.S. entered into its longest and deepest economic slump, the Great Depression, and it took 25 years for the Dow Jones Industrial Average to return to its previous high.Few have perso
28、nal memories of the 1929 crash, but the event still colors the play of cautious investors even today. In a matter of hours, thousands saw their fortunes sink,turning previous paper millionaires into destitute paupers. The illusion of easy money in the stock market for these people was shattered, rep
29、laced by a harsh reality that the fickle sentiments of the market determined the fate of their paper profits. As the value of shares in companies tumbled, so did consumer confidence, resulting in further irrational selling, causing prices to further plummet, creating a downward spiral of frenzied lo
30、sses and panic.There were a few useful outcomes, however. Before the crash, security regulations were either lacking or rarely enforced, and stock brokers regularly hyped dubious firms. In 1934, after Congressional hearings on the problems, the Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC)was established
31、to police Wall Street behavior and protect investors from fraud. Also, after 1929 many more economists and financial experts became interested in studying techniques for properly valuing stocks and giving advice on how to avoid financial panics. Their research has added to our knowledge about the ec
32、onomy and is at least partially responsible for the greater stability in many markets.11 In paragraph 2, “the event still colors the play of cautious investors“ means that_.（A）the event has been forgotten by all but the most cautious investors（B） the event has scared many people away from investing（
33、C） the event still hurts the market today（D）the event still influences the decisions of investors today12 The long-term useful outcomes of the crash include_.（A）increased consumer confidence in the marketplace（B） improved measures to protect investors from fraud（C） clearer knowledge of the future of
34、 the market（D）improvement in the management of global businesses13 The author mentions the prosperity of the “Roaring Twenties“ to_.（A）stress the unexpected nature of the crash（B） explain the reasons for the crash（C） suggest a way to avoid future crashes（D）display an ideal situation14 The main point
35、 of the text is_.（A）the stock market crash of 1929 was an entirely positive event（B） the crash of the stock market was a foreseeable, and thus avoidable event（C） the stock market crash of 1929 resulted in short-term losses but long-term useful effects（D）the stock market crash of 1929 was the definin
36、g event of the twentieth century economics15 In paragraph 2, the author states that few have personal memories of the 1929 crash before citing the present attitude of investors in order to_.（A）testify to the memory of investors（B） show that investors act the same way throughout time periods（C） stres
37、s the lasting impact of the crash（D）criticize the present attitude of investors15 In the course of a long weekend in 1991, the Philippines Mount Pinatubo volcano injected enough sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere to temporarily reduce the sunlight reaching the earths surface by about 10%. As a res
38、ult, global temperatures dropped by an average of 0.5 degrees C over the next 18 months. Turns out the lesson nature taught us that weekend has not been wasted; it may help us combat global warming.The late climate scientist Stephen Schneider used to compare the modern worlds dependence on fossil fu
39、els to a drug addicts need for heroin. The habit is dangerous and unhealthy, yet almost impossible to break. Certainly, thats the lesson to be drawn from the inability of the worlds governments to reduce carbon emissions over the past 20 years. So what are we to do? The solution for addiction often
40、involves palliatives like methadone for a heroin junkie, and so it may be for our addiction to fossil fuels. Our planetary methadone, Schneider said, may be geoengineeringor the attempt to replicate the effect Mount Pinatubo had on the climate in 1991.Geoengineering, the deliberate modification of t
41、he environment to suit human needs, has long been regarded as the height of hubris by many people and most environmentalists. We are a long way from fully understanding how the climate system works. Whos to say that in our efforts to tinker with it we wont make things worse? These are valid concerns
42、. But it is increasingly hard to see how we are going to solve global warming without some reliance on it. Indeed, after a lengthy study(in which I participated)the U.S. Government Accountability Office just issued a report about geoengineering that makes this very point.Can geoengineering really do
43、 the job? The evidence is all around us. Modern global warming is itself evidence of inadvertent geoengineering, the result of all that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases weve been pumping into the atmosphere for a century or so. But it was the Pinatubo eruption that provided a modern-day exa
44、mple of geoengineerings potential. Scientists studying the eruption wondered if they could do the same thing deliberately. The eventual result was an ingenious technology known as stratospheric aerosol injection, or SAI, which today is on the verge of providing us with a potentially powerful tool to
45、 cool the planet.Under a plan currently being developed by Nathan Myhrvolds Intellectual Ventures, sulfur dioxide would be pumped up a 25-km-long pipe suspended by high-altitude balloons, then sprayed out into the stratosphere. Myhrvold, formerly Microsofts chief technology officer, says just one su
46、ch pipe less than a foot in diameter could do the job for the entire northern hemisphereat a cost of less than $1 billion. More research is needed, however, to establish the technologys ramifications, including its effects on ozone levels.16 What is NOT true in the case of Mount Pinatubo?（A）It was a
47、n active volcano which exploded in 1991.（B） It has reduced the sunlight reaching the earth by around 10%.（C） It inspired scientists study on geoengineering.（D）Its eruption gave us a contemporarily potential example of geoengineering.17 According to the text, what can be learned about geoengineering?
48、（A）Its inspiration comes from the effect of methadone on a heroin addict.（B） People hold divided views about this immature technology.（C） Its feasibility lacks sufficient evidence nowadays.（D）It has a disadvantageous effect on our ozone level.18 In paragraph 3, the author discusses that_.（A）none rep
49、resent any kind of permanent solution to climate change（B） global warming may approach a point beyond which there would be no going back（C） geoengineering is not a long-term solution but a way to keep the earth from overheating（D）despite there are uncertainties about the geoengineering, its still a potential subjec19 The underlined word “inadvertent“ in paragraph 4 most probably means_.（A）unintended（B） adamant（C） impotent（D）omnipresent20 The authors attitude towards geoengineering is one
