1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 12 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 World the Weather Become Warm to Spark South Pole the Sea Level Ups?A new analysis halves longstanding projections of how much sea levels could rise if A
2、ntarcticas massive western ice sheets fully disintegrated as a result of global warming.The flow of ice into the sea would probably raise sea levels about 10 feet rather than 20 feet.The scientists also predicted that seas would rise unevenly, with an additional 1.5 foot increase in levels along the
3、 east and west coasts of North America. That is because the shift in a huge mass of ice away from the South Pole would subtly change the strength of gravity locally and the rotation of the Earth.Several Antarctic specialists familiar with the new study had mixed reactions to the projections. But the
4、y and the studys lead author, Jonathan L. Bamber, agreed that the odds of a disruptive rise in seas over the next century or so from the buildup of greenhouse gases remained serious enough to deserve the worlds attention.They also uniformly called for renewed investment in satellites measuring ice a
5、nd field missions that could within a few years substantially clarify the risk.There is strong consensus that warming waters around Antarctica, and Greenland in the Arctic will result in centuries of rising seas. But glaciologists and oceanographers still say there is uncertainty about the vital que
6、stion of how fast coasts will retreat in a warming world in the next century or two.The new study did not assess the pace or the likelihood of a rise in seas. The goal was to examine as precisely as possible how much ice could flow into the sea if warming seawater penetrated between the West Antarct
7、ic ice sheet and the bedrock beneath.For decades West Antarctic ice has been identified as particularly vulnerable to melting because, although piled more than one mile above sea level in many places, it also rests on bedrock a half mile to a mile beneath sea level in others. That topography means t
8、hat warm water could progressively melt spots where ice is stuck to the rock,allowing it to flow more freely.Erik I. Ivins.a scientist at NASA,described the new paper as “good solid science“. But added that the sea-level estimates could not be verified without renewed investment in satellite mission
9、s and other initiatives that were currently lagging.Robert Bindschadler, a specialist in polar ice, said the study provided only a low estimate of Antarcticas possible long-term contribution to rising seas because it did not deal with other mechanisms that could add water to the ocean.The prime ques
10、tion, he said, remains what will happen in the next 100 years or so, and other recent work implies that a lot of ice can be shed within that time.1 According to the passage, what is the fundamental cause of the rising sea level?（A）The breakup of ice sheets.（B） Global warming.（C） The flow of ice into
11、 the sea.（D）Environmental pollution.2 Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?（A）The scientists predicted recently that the sea level would rise by 20 feet.（B） The Antarctic experts had quite different reactions to the new predictions.（C） The shift of the huge mass of ice
12、would greatly change the gravity locally.（D）The sea levels along the east and west coasts of North American will be 1.5-feet higher than those along other coasts.3 The scientists agreed that _.（A）warming waters around Antarctica will lead to hundreds of years of rising sea levels（B） more money shoul
13、d be invested in satellites measuring ice and field missions（C） the sea level will definitely increase at a relatively high speed（D）the problem of rising sea levels caused by greenhouse effect would not be very serious4 What did the new study examine?（A）The possibility of a rise in sea levels.（B） Th
14、e speed at which the sea level increases.（C） The speed at which the ice sheets break up.（D）How much ice could flow into the sea.5 What did Mr. Ivins or Mr. Bindschadler say about the new study?（A）It underestimated the seriousness of rising sea levels.（B） It was inaccurate and inadequate.（C） It was r
15、eliable and trustworthy.（D）It should have considered more factors.5 American Incentive Student of University Economizes a CommissaryThe once-seen-everywhere cafeteria tray .with so many glasses of soda, juice and milk lined up across the fop, could soon join the typewriter as a campus relic. Scores
16、of colleges and universities across the country are shelving the trays in hopes of conserving water, cutting food waste and saving money. Some even believe trayless cafeterias could help avoid the dreaded “freshman 15“ the number of pounds supposedly gained in the first year on campus.The Sustainabl
17、e Endowments Institute, a research organization that tracks environmental practices at the 300 colleges and universities with the largest endowments, said that 126 of them had reduced use of trays, some of them getting rid of trays only in certain dining halls,and some introducing,for example, “tray
18、less Tuesdays“. Such moves are often part of a larger push to embrace environmental ism that includes hiring susta-inability coordinators, introducing solar panels, disposing dining-hall waste and encouraging students to turn off lights with attractive sayings.Joseph H. Spina, executive director of
19、the National Association of College and University Food Services, described trayless dining as “sort of the hot thing right now“, officials said their decision to go trayless was mainly about atmosphere, though they welcomed any ecological benefit. But while the environ-mental benefits are real, goi
20、ng trayless is not a cure-all. At Skidmore.the all-you-can-eat format and multiple food stations, featuring vegetables, Italian and classic comfort foods, encourage students to look around,taking a bit of this and a little of that. But this system also leads to overcrowded dining halls as diners ret
21、urn to the lines for seconds.As part of her senior honors thesis,Sarah Whateley, an environmental studies major, conducted a research project to demonstrate how much food was still wasted in the dining hall. She asked students to put their leftovers into plastic bins over two days, yielding 330 poun
22、ds of food on a Sunday and 403 pounds on a Monday. The food services staff then illustrated that quantity by stacking the equivalent weight in boxes of rice in the entrance of the dining hall.Dr. Spina, of the college food service association, cited another benefit: “ You eventually have to learn ho
23、w to hold your hors doeuvre and cocktail in one hand whilemaking conversation with the other. So its a life lesson.“6 What does the word “relic“ (Line 4, Para. 1) mean?（A）Belongings kept by others.（B） Traces left behind.（C） Popular and necessary items.（D）Symbols and special features.7 Why do college
24、s and universities decide to stop using trays?（A）Because it can help colleges and universities save money on the cost of food.（B） Because colleges and universities dont want their students to gain much weight.（C） Because it can make students have the habit of saving water, food and money.（D）Because
25、colleges and universities find it hard to have enough shelves for trays.8 What do the environmental practices at the 300 colleges and universities carry out?（A）They try measures to make trays less used.（B） They make experiment on solar panels.（C） They impose strict rules on turning off lights.（D）The
26、y hire people to deal with the dining-hall waste.9 What can we learn about Sarah Whateleys research project?（A）It is carried only among senior students in colleges.（B） People eat more and waste less on Sundays.（C） It turns out that food is still greatly wasted.（D）The food wasted is worth the same am
27、ount of rice.10 What can we infer form Dr. Spinas citation?（A）Party and conversation are part of life.（B） Without trays, people begin to learn to hold food in hand.（C） Getting rid of trays is a great step forward for college students.（D）Holding trays in hand may not look so graceful.10 Limited Scien
28、ce and Technologyical Advancement of AducationWhen it comes to using technology to foster education, the prevailing wisdom has been that more is better. Over the past decade, universities around the globe have invested heavily in the wired classroom, adding everything from external laptop connection
29、s to Blu-ray DVD players. But there is little evidence that these gadgets enhance learningand, critics argue, they might actually hinder it,making both students and teachers passive. What if classrooms were restored to the pre-Internet days of wooden tables and chalk?The Idea:Take technology out of
30、the classroom. Jose Bowen, dean of the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University in Texas, has done just that. He wants his faculty to “teach naked“, meaning without the aid of any machines. “ Just because you have a PowerPoint presentation doesnt mean you have a good lecture,“ he
31、argues. Classroom time should be reserved for discussions with the professor, aimed at teaching students to think critically, argue, and raise new questions. In light of the unpleasant economic climate at most universities,he says,avoiding new technology is also a sound way to save money.The Evidenc
32、e: Bowen, who teaches music, delivers content via podcasts, which students must listen to on their own time. He then quizzes them on the material before every class to make sure theyve done the work,and uses class time for discussions and research according to the recorded lessons. Hes been teaching
33、 the same material for 25 years, but since he implemented the new method,he says,his students have been more engaged and scored better on exams. College students asked by researchers to list what motivates them have consistently emphasized teacher enthusiasm, organization, and rapport, while naming
34、lack of active participation as a major disincentive. Last spring the British Educational Research Journal published a survey that found that 59 percent of students called at least half their lectures boring particularly those involving PowerPoint.The Conclusion: Technology has a place in education,
35、 but it should be used independently by students outside the classroom. That gives them more time to absorb lectures via podcast or video, and frees teachers to spend class time coaching students in how to apply the material rather than simply absorb it.11 What can we learn from the first paragraph?
36、（A）More and more technologies are used to develop education.（B） All universities use laptop connections and Blu-ray DVD players.（C） Evidence shows that modern technology greatly improves learning.（D）Critics have proved these new devices are useless and prevent learning.12 Why has Bowen taken technol
37、ogy out of classroom?（A）Teachers will have a better performance without using PowerPoint in classroom.（B） Classroom time should be used to discuss with students and cultivate their critical thinking.（C） Faced with the depressing economy, the Meadows School of the Arts wants to save money.（D）Its diff
38、icult for the teachers in Meadows School of the Arts to use modern technologies.13 Which of the following is NOT a feature of Bowens class?（A）He delivers the learning material via podcasts.（B） He quizzes his students on the material before classes.（C） He cultivates his students comprehensive ability
39、 in class.（D）He never uses modern technology in his class.14 Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the third paragraph?（A）The enthusiasm of teacher plays an important role in teaching process.（B） College students emphasize good relationship among students.（C） Students who participat
40、e actively tend to focus on podcast.（D）Most students regard lecture boring because of the use of PPT.15 Whats the authors attitude towards technology in education?（A）Completely negative.（B） Objective.（C） Prejudiced.（D）Ambiguous.15 Not Energy Efficient RefrigeratorsEach year millions of Americans wit
41、h old, inefficient refrigerators in their kitchens buy new, energy saving ones. That may sound like an efficiency boon, but whats vexing efficiency advocates is that an increasing number of consumers dont actually get rid of the old fridge. Instead, they move it to another area of the house and keep
42、 using it increasing their energy usage over all.Americas secondary-fridge trend is highlighted in “Energy Vision 2010:Towards a More Energy Efficient World“, a new report by the World Economic Forum and HIS Cambridge Energy Research Associates. The report notes that while the average refrigerator i
43、n the United States uses three-quarters less energy than in 1975, despite being 20 percent larger, “the number of U. S. households with two or more refrigerators has increased, and the secondary refrigerators are typically older and less efficient than the primary models“. Every year about 10 percen
44、t of households that purchase new refriger- ators keep their old units,a practice that is adding as many as one million secondary units to homes annually.Jennifer Thome Amann, buildings program director at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, explained that secondary units are often
45、 kept for convenience in larger homes and that owners arent always aware of how much a “beer and deer“ fridge as theyre called in parts of the country where hunting is popular, can cost them. “ Youre not saving any money on efficiency if youre keeping that old one plugged in,“ she said.Unplugging th
46、e 29. 6 million secondary units nationwide that are candidates for retirement would save 25 million megawatt hours of electricity,or about $ 2.8 billion,the energy department study noted. Individual owners could save from $ 420 to $ 750 in energy costs over the lifetime of an older unit by retiring
47、it, depending on the age of the unit. Some utilities and state agencies have launched programs that offer financial incentives and free pick-up services to entice customers to give up secondary fridges. And some will not issue rebates to purchasers of new energy efficient refrigerators unless they p
48、rovide proof that their old one was recycled.“This doesnt mean the efficiency efforts have been in vain or were not worth undertaking,“ she added, “it means that we should continue improving efficiency and undertake a series of parallel efforts to recycle old units, discourage upsizing and measure t
49、he right things if we want to turn absolute consumption downward.“16 What does the author try to indicate in the first paragraph?（A）In American people prefer new energy saving refrigerators to old ones.（B） More and more consumers in America dont actually get rid of their old fridges.（C） American people like to put inefficient refrigerators in their kitchens after buying new ones.（D）Keeping inefficient refrigerators leads to more energy usage rather than saving it.17 What can we learn from the report mentioned in the second paragraph?（A）
