1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 112 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 sweet confection known as chocolate is consumed to the delight of millions worldwide every day. Few of those sweet-toothed nibblers fully appreciate
2、 the long process by which chocolate is brought to their mouths, however. With an illustrious history, the story of chocolate is a fascinating one, almost rivaling its taste for the attention of its fans.The dark treats life begins in the form of the dark, pulpy seeds of the cocoa tree, known as cho
3、colate beans. The Mayans of Southern Mexico harvested these beans to produce a bitter drink, marking them as the first to consume chocolate. The first westerner to encounter chocolate, however, was none other than Christopher Columbus, who discovered an abandoned canoe in the American containing var
4、ious trading goods, including the aforementioned chocolate beans, on August 15, 1502.After Hernando Cortez encountered the Mayans and their curious drink, chocolate quickly became popular among the nobility in Europe, who sweetened it with sugar. In 1882, chocolate pioneer Conrad J. Von Houten earne
5、d the distinction of being the inventor of solid chocolate when he pulverized the beans to create a powder, which could then be mixed to create a solid form. Von Houtens innovation made chocolate even more popular, allowing it to spread to the masses, particular in England, which was more egalitaria
6、n than most other European nations. Solid chocolate took off, never looking back, and has yet to slow down at all.The health implications of eating chocolate are varied, depending on which reports one chooses to read. In general, most of the negative press that chocolate has received over the years
7、has been refuted. The claim that consuming chocolate produces acne has been disproved in recent years, and it has even been concluded in some studies that eating chocolate can contribute to preventing heart disease.As to why chocolate lovers seem so happy, science has provided some insight into that
8、 question as well. It has been determined that chocolate contains certain elements such as caffeine that increase the production of anandamides, the chemical produced by the body that makes us feel good. Further, other chemicals contained in chocolate have been proven to inhibit the breakdown of tho
9、se anandamides, making the good feeling last longer.1 The main purpose of this text is to_.（A）convince the reader of the beneficial effects of consuming chocolate（B） educate the reader on the history of chocolate（C） inform the reader on the development of chocolate and its continued study today（D）sc
10、ientifically examine the implications of chocolate consumption in the past and at present2 The health effects of eating chocolate are discussed in paragraph 4 so as to_.（A）persuade the reader that eating chocolate is not harmful（B） inform the reader of the current status of the study of chocolates h
11、ealth effects（C） refute claims that chocolate consumption is bad for ones health（D）advocate the position that chocolate is beneficial to health3 It can be inferred from the text that_.（A）as studies continue, more positive health effects related to consuming chocolate will be discovered（B） in the pas
12、t, consuming chocolate was considered bad for ones health（C） the history of chocolate extends even further than what is presently known（D）eating chocolate constantly will result in sustained, long-term happiness4 Von Houtens contribution to the development of chocolate is important because it_.（A）pr
13、oduced chocolate in a form never seen before（B） increased the marketability of chocolate as a consumer good（C） improved the taste of chocolate（D）made chocolate available to more people, speeding its growth5 All of the following were asserted by the author to be positive characteristics of chocolate
14、except_.（A）an illustrious history（B） inarguably positive health benefits（C） delicious taste（D）positive effects on happiness5 The free market economy is no doubt the primary stimulus that has led to the United States dominance in the world economic community. By naturally rewarding those producers th
15、at excel, excellence is actively encouraged and those that inefficiently produce goods or services not valued are eliminated. Thus, the economy becomes a self-sustaining and self-maintaining machine, consistently and constantly achieving the best possible result.The free market economy is entirely b
16、ased on the principle of supply and demand. Under this concept, consumers decide for themselves which companies will stay in business, voting with their dollars by spending on those businesses they consider most worthy. By doing so, those companies that are best liked, or most in demand, are granted
17、 the privilege of supplying the goods and services that consumers pay for. In that sense, efficiency is achieved. Those companies that best perform to the expectations of consumers are left prosperous in the market, while their less efficient counterparts simply die out of the market, starved of the
18、 dollars of consumers who simply prefer not to buy their products.With such a system in place, American businesses are literally forced to be efficient to the highest degree. As a rule, whats efficient in one place will be efficient in most other places, thus American businesses are fierce competito
19、rs no matter where they choose to sell their product, having been formed in a competitive environment that breeds optimality.When the opposition is made up of businesses overly protected or directed by their respective governments, the tough American businesses usually make short work of them. It ha
20、s been proven that the free market system more efficiently allocates capital and resources than any central planner could, and America has seized on that concept. With such an edge at a basic level, its no wonder that the United States is on top of the financial world. The cycle is a self-perpetuati
21、ng one. As more money is pumped into the system by efficient businesses, more leverage is attained, allowing America to dictate the rules of the game, to its own advantage, of course.Other countries are beginning to adopt the competitive nature of the American economic system, producing companies th
22、at are giving their American counterparts a good run for their money. It can be arguably stated that within a few decades, the United States will have to deal with competition just as well equipped as its own. For the time being, however, the game is stacked in favor of America.6 It is argued that t
23、he relative efficiency of American businesses_.（A）will decrease in time as other nations imitate the methods of the American economy（B） results in American dominance in all financial markets（C） may not last indefinitely, as competition is no longer a trait characteristic only of the American economy
24、（D）is a result solely of the competitive environment in which those businesses are developed7 Paragraph 4 asserts that_.（A）American businesses hold the upper hand wherever they compete（B） the edge developed by constant competition serves American businesses well in almost all international markets（C
25、） government control over business processes invariably results in inferior companies（D）over time, the advantage enjoyed by American businesses will only grow in magnitude, fueled by continued growth, dominance and infusion of resources8 The best title for this text would be_.（A）America as the Proto
26、type for Future World Business（B） The American Edge: Competition（C） A Study of Current American Business Structure（D）A Historical Analysis of Americas Competitive Advantage9 The author would most likely agree with the assertion that_.（A）American businesses are superior to their foreign counterparts
27、in all aspects due to their competitive nature（B） in the future, American businesses will have to change and adapt in order to meet the new competition presented by foreign companies emulating their ways（C） with its free-market nature, American businesses could easily compete against its foreign cou
28、nterparts（D）the free-market economic system is superior to all other market systems currently known10 The author is most critical of_.（A）Americas ability to maintain its competitive advantage in the future（B） the possibility that non-American companies will be able to compete for much longer, given
29、their disadvantages（C） the likelihood of success for any company that does not adopt the free-market method（D）government intervention in a nations economic system10 “History is written by the victors.“ This famous phrase reverberates throughout the halls of history, constantly reminding us to take a
30、ll that we learn with a grain of salt, knowing that the information provided for our dissemination was provided, shaped and influenced by those left to hold the pen that recorded it. In that respect, one of the worst crimes against history is the revision of it, the altering of the record of the pas
31、t so as to reflect the viewpoint of a biased group who stand to benefit from the altered version.By revising the lens by which history is judged, valuable information is lost, to the detriment of both students of the field as well as the awareness that comes from experience. Without an accurately re
32、corded account to serve as a guiding light, nations and societies are left to stumble their way about their affairs, ignorant of what has and hasnt worked before, and unaware of what past events shaped and determined their present situation. Such dismal situations emerge from simple pride, as well a
33、s the desire of the revisionists to depict themselves in a better light to posterity or to cover up an embarrassing legacy, no matter the cost to the future.Recent attempts by nations involved in the Second World War to minimize or erase altogether certain shameful incidents from their history textb
34、ooks has been met with international outrage and protest, and rightly so. By allowing future generations to forget or never even learn about how their ancestors stumbled on the path to progress, the experiences of those who suffered as a result of those mistakes are trivialized and made to be in vai
35、n. Also, a false sense of national identity emerges, inconsistent and inaccurate in its formation. Both are heinous results for both nationals of that particular nation as well as those of the international community, whose stories intertwine to form the larger picture.When a single string in the ta
36、pestry of world history is unraveled by revision, the entire piece becomes a weaker one, subject to additional modification at the whim of those who would like to use history as a tool for their own purposes, even if it means fundamentally changing it. This outcome must be avoided at all costs, firs
37、tly by not allowing a precedent to be established that makes it acceptable, even in a single case, to commit the revision. Otherwise, humans as a race will fall prey to yet another oft-quoted phrase: “History, if forgotten, is doomed to be repeated.“11 The first line of the text implies that_.（A）his
38、torical accounts are invariably colored by the views and stances of those who emerged victorious（B） those who have the power to do so will often influence recording of events to favor themselves（C） those who are defeated have little or no say in the documentation of their struggle, resulting in a bi
39、ased account（D）the winners in a struggle have the moral obligation to accurately record events12 The author views the revision of history as_.（A）indisputably negative in all situations（B） generally harmful when done so to favor one sides stance（C） always motivated by the desire to portray the revise
40、r in a better light（D）rendering the revised history useless for the purpose of analysis and learning13 In paragraph 3, the author argues against historical revision with the assertion that_.（A）revision of World War II events has proven that such actions have a negative impact（B） such revision result
41、s in an undeserved sense of national pride（C） revising history has far-reaching effects beyond the borders of any one country（D）history is one of the primary concerns dealt with in the education system, and should thus be pure14 In paragraph 4, “When a single string in the tapestry of world history
42、is unraveled by revision, the entire piece becomes a weaker one. “ means that_.（A）history is an intertwined series of events coming together to form a larger picture（B） a loss of reliability in any single segment of history makes the entire historical record suspect（C） once one piece of history is r
43、evised, others soon follow（D）as soon as the integrity of the historical record is breached, it can never be fully recovered15 The main point of the text is that_.（A）revising history must be avoided in all situations at all costs（B） the revision of history leads to a flawed perception resulting in lo
44、ss of vital lessons（C） if revision of history goes on, the meaning behind the revised events will lose meaning（D）historical revision is an international problem affecting all nations and peoples15 When a medical procedure or technology first comes onto the scene, it is almost invariably met with con
45、troversy from all sides regarding the way it can, and should, be applied. The ongoing debate over abortion is certainly no exception, a contentious issue that has captured the attention of laymen and medical practitioners alike for decades. With the introduction of the French “abortion pill“ RU-486,
46、 the situation has become an even more urgent one to proponents on both sides of the issue. Those in favor of a womans right to choose abortion argue that the pill indicates that, whether we like it or not, the means to accomplish the goal is out there, and we must respond or be left behind. Anti-ab
47、ortion activists, however, see the pill as representing the greatest threat to their cause to date, and thus a development that urges all to mobilize for the fight against abortion.The RU-486 “abortion pill“ has already been used in over 200,000 recorded instances in France, claiming a 95.5% effecti
48、veness rate when used in the first 7 weeks of pregnancy. In France, it is seen as a more economical and safer alternative to surgery, which was the method by which abortions were performed prior to the development of the pill. Recent studies have discovered that the pill may have beneficial side eff
49、ects as well, including use as a promising treatment for breast and ovarian cancer, glaucoma, adrenal cancer, and a host of other illnesses.Although generally considered safe for use, the use of the pill has not been without complications, most notably exemplified in the case of one French woman who died of a heart attack after ingesting the proper dosage of the medicine. Further, due to its relatively short history, the long-term effects of the RU-486 drug have yet to be conclusively examined. Th
