1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 182 及答案与解析Part B (10 points) 0 The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an English order of chivalry with a history stretching back to medieval times; today it is Europes oldest national order of knighthood in continuous existence and the pinnacle of the British honors system.【C1】 _At any
2、rate, the Order was most probably not constituted before 1346.The original statutes required that each member admitted to the Order already be a knight(what would today be called a knight bachelor), and several initial members of the Order were first knighted in that year.【C2】 _The Order can also in
3、clude certain extra members, namely members of the British Royal Family and foreign monarchs, known as “Supernumerary“ Knights and Ladies. The Sovereign alone grants membership of the Order; the Prime Minister does not tender binding advice as to appointments, as he or she does for most other orders
4、.【C3】 _Whoever wears the Garter takes pride in the honor. The Garter is an actual accessory worn by the members of the Order during ceremonial occasions; it is also depicted on several insignia.Various legends have been set forth to explain the origin of the Order. The most popular one involves the
5、“Countess of Salisbury“. It may refer to Joan of Kent, the Kings future daughter-in-law, or to her then mother-in-law, whom Edward is known to have admired. Whilst she was dancing with the King, her garter is said to have slipped from her leg to the floor. When the surrounding courtiers snickered, t
6、he King picked it up and tied it to his own leg, exclaiming “Honi soit qui mal y pense“. The French may be loosely translated as “Shame on him who thinks evil of it“; it has become the motto of the Order.【C4】 _Most British orders of chivalry cover the entire kingdom, but the three most exalted ones
7、each pertain to one constituent nation only. The Order of the Garter, which pertains to England, is most senior in both age and precedence. Its equivalent in Scotland is The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle. Whilst the Order of the Thistle was certainly in existence by the sixteenth
8、century and possibly has medieval origins(or even, according to more fanciful legends, dates to the eighth century), the foundation of the institution in its modern form dates only to 1687.【C5】 _AThe Chapel of the Order is St. Georges Chapel, Windsor, located in the Lower Ward of Windsor Castle. It
9、was founded for the Order in 1475. The order once held frequent services at the Chapel, but they became rare in the eighteenth century. Discontinued after 1805, the ceremony was revived by George VI in 1948 and it has become an annual event.BIn 1783 an Irish equivalent, The Most Illustrious Order of
10、 St. Patrick, was founded, but since the independence of the greater part of Ireland the Order has fallen dormant. Its“ last surviving knight died in 1974.CThe honors system of the United Kingdom is a means of rewarding personal bravery, achievement or service to the country. The system is made up o
11、f three types of award: honors, decorations and medals.DIts membership is extremely limited, consisting of the Sovereign and not more than twenty-five full members, or Companions. Male members are known as Knights Companions, whilst female members are known as Ladies Companions, not Dames, as in mos
12、t other British chivalric orders.EThe Order was founded circa 1348 by Edward III as “a society, fellowship and college of knights“. Various more precise dates ranging from 1344 to 1351 have been proposed. The wardrobe account of Edward III first shows Garter habits issued in the autumn of 1348.FAs t
13、he name suggests, the Orders primary emblem is a garter bearing the motto “Honi soit qui mal y pense“, which means “shame on him who thinks evil of it“ in gold letters.GAccording to another myth, Richard I, whilst fighting in the Crusades, was inspired by St. George to tie garters around the legs of
14、 his knights; Edward III supposedly recalled the event, which led to victory, when he founded the Order.1 【C1 】2 【C2 】3 【C3 】4 【C4 】5 【C5 】5 We might marvel at the progress made in every field of study, but the methods of testing a persons knowledge and ability remain as primitive as ever they were.
15、 It really is extraordinary that after all these years, educationists have still failed to devise anything more efficient and reliable than examinations.【C1】 _As anxiety makers, examinations are second to none. That is because so much depends on them. They are the mark of success or failure in our s
16、ociety. Your whole future may be decided in one fateful day. It doesnt matter that you werent feeling very well, or that your mother died. Little things like that dont count: the exam goes on. No one can give of his best when he is in normal terror, or after a sleepless night, yet this is precisely
17、what the examination system expects him to do.【C2】 _Can we wonder at the increasing number of “dropouts“: young people who are written off as utter failures before they have even embarked on a career? Can we be surprised at the suicide rate among students?【C3】 _The examination system does anything b
18、ut that. What has to be learnt is rigidly laid down by a syllabus, so the student is encouraged to memorize. Examinations do not motivate a student to read widely, but to restrict his reading; they do not enable him to seek more and more knowledge, but induce cramming.Examinations lower the standard
19、s of teaching, for they deprive the teacher of all freedom.【C4】 _The results on which so much depends are often nothing more than a subjective assessment by some anonymous examiner. Examiners are only human.【C5】 _There must surely be many simpler and more effective ways of assessing a persons true a
20、bilities. Is it cynical to suggest that examinations are merely a profitable business for the institutions that run them? This is what it boils down to in the last analysis. The best comment on the system is this illiterate message recently scrawled on a wall: “I were a teenage dropout and now I are
21、 a teenage millionaire. “ATeachers never understand that we may get sick, oversleep, get hangovers, have family problems, have bad days, and break up with significant others. They are only concerned about the marks.BTeachers themselves are often judged by examination results and instead of teaching
22、their subjects, they are reduced to training their students in exam techniques which they despise.CThey get tired and hungry; they make mistakes. Yet they have to mark stacks of hastily scrawled scripts in a limited amount of time. They work under the same sort of pressure as the candidates. And the
23、ir word carries weight. After a judges decision you have the right of appeal, but not after an examiners.DIn some countries, the workload is excruciatingly heavy. The moment a child begins school, he enters a world of vicious competition where success and failure are clearly defined and measured.EAl
24、though many people complain about the harm incurred by exams. But can we make sure that the students can study well after we do away with exams? By no means, students are too young to realize the importance of learning. Exams should be reserved for students for they never fail to encourage them to m
25、ake further effort.FA good education should, among other things, train you to think for yourself.GFor all the pious claim that examinations test what you know, it is common knowledge that they more often do the exact opposite. They may be a good means of testing memory, but they can tell you nothing
26、 about a persons true ability and aptitude.6 【C1 】7 【C2 】8 【C3 】9 【C4 】10 【C5 】10 Acupuncture is a branch of traditional Chinese medicine that involves inserting fine needles at selected points on the skin to balance the bodys energy(Qi), thereby treating and preventing disease. It is used to treat
27、a wide range of common ailments, relieve pain and promote general health.Acupuncture has been used in China for more than 3, 000 years and for many centuries in Japan and Korea. Missionaries and doctors brought the treatment to Europe in the 17th century. It has grown in popularity since the 1970s a
28、nd is now widely taught and practiced in the West.The therapys roots lie in oriental philosophy, which states that all life is based on the interplay of two dynamic forces: Yin and Yang. In the body, these forces are regulated according to the flow of energy in 14 main channels, known as meridians.
29、Most of these meridians connect with a particular inner organ.【C1】 _Acupuncture is thought to trigger the release of endorphins in the brain. These chemicals affect various body systems, reduce pain and make you feel good.Traditionally, its believed that acupuncture removes blockages and promotes th
30、e flow of energy along the meridians, improving the functioning of the internal organs.【C2】 _Acupuncture has been shown to alleviate ailments including asthma, headaches, menstrual and digestive problems, high blood pressure and pain. Its also increasingly used in obstetrics and has been found to re
31、duce morning sickness and ease labor.【C3】 _A therapist will typically ask you to sit or lie on a treatment couch. You may remain fully clothed or be asked to remove outer garments. He or she will then feel 12 pulses including one for each internal organalong the radial artery on the outside of each
32、wrist. The abdomen and certain acupuncture points may also be checked for tenderness or pain.【C4】 _Acupuncture points will then be selected for treatment and needles inserted, either by hand or through a guide tube. This should be quick and painless. Some people feel a mild sensation as the needles
33、are inserted, but this usually passes quickly.The needles are small and fine. They are usually made of stainless steel, although occasionally theyre gold and silver. Theyre sterilized to prevent any risk of infection and most are disposable The needles used vary in length and thickness according to
34、the body part and the type of acupuncture performed.【C5】 _Other therapies such as moxa and cupping may be used alongside acupuncture. Moxa uses a burning, aromatic herb to warm the skin. Cupping involves placing metal or glass suction cups on cold or painful parts of the body to increase circulation
35、.AIn Chinese philosophy, Qi is an energy force that runs throughout the body. In addition, Qi is also prevalent throughout nature as well. Qi is comprised of two parts, Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are opposite forces, that when balanced, work together. Any upset in the balance will result in natural
36、calamities, in nature; and disease in humans.BSome researchers believe the resulting changes in energy can be measured with techniques such as Kirlian photography, which is said to take pictures of energy fields, but more proof is needed.CAnimal acupuncture has been used in China since 2000 B. C. ,
37、but only has become popular in the U. S. over the past 50 years.DAs few as one or two or more than 20 needles may be used in treatment and they are usually left in for 15 to 30 minutes. A course of ten treatments at weekly intervals is common.EIn total, the World Health Organization recognizes more
38、than 100 conditions that can be helped by acupuncture.FNext, the color, shape and coating of the tongue, face and skin are checked for signs indicating those internal organs that have problems. The sound of your voice, your breath and any body odors will be noted and questions asked to confirm the d
39、iagnosis.GThere are many acupoints along each meridian. Inserting needles at these points is said to help regulate the function of the related organ by helping the flow of energy. There are more than 300 acupoints on the body.11 【C1 】12 【C2 】13 【C3 】14 【C4 】15 【C5 】15 Biological diversityor biodiver
40、sityis the term given to total variety and complexity and interactions of all life on Earth. The biodiversity we see today is the result of billions of years of evolution, shaped by natural processes and, increasingly, by the influence of humans. It forms the web of life of which we are an integral
41、part and upon which we so fully depend.【C1】 _In the last 50 years we have lost 300,000 species. Species are disappearing between 100 and 1,000 times as fast as they were before humans arrived. One in four mammal species and one in eight bird species face a high risk of extinction in the near future
42、and the population of each species is expected to fall by at least a fifth in the next 10 years.【C2】 _There are a number of factors that threaten biodiversity and the vast majority of them are attributable to human activity.There is less and less wilderness in the world. An increasing human populati
43、on is taking up ever more land for agriculture and accommodation.After habitat loss, the biggest threat to biodiversity is invasion by non-native species. These non-native species have arrived mainly through trade and tourism.【C3】 _Another threat comes from the illegal trade in wild animals and plan
44、ts. According to some authoritative sources, the international illegal trade in wildlife is worth an estimated 5 billion a year. It is second only to the narcotics trade. According to their research, some 500 million animals and plants are traded across borders each year, a quarter of them illegally
45、.Given the fact that trade in wild animals and plants crosses borders between countries so international cooperation is needed to safeguard certain species from over-exploitation. CITES helps coordinate this effort.CITES or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna an
46、d Flora is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.【C4】 _Other threat to biodiversity include the pet trade. It is estimated that nine out of ten parrots imported for the pe
47、t trade come from the wild. In addition, disease, hunting, pest control, pollution, human eating and the keeping of domestic animals.The good news is that people have realized the serious consequences resulting from inappropriate human activity.【C5】 _AInvertebrates arent faring so badlyonly around 0
48、. 1 percent of the 1. 6 million known species are thought to be threatenedbut its possible that many undiscovered species will die out before we even know of their existence.BThe World Health Organization estimates that more than 60 percent of the worlds population relies on plants for primary healt
49、hcare. There are 3,000 plant species used in birth control alone. With great demand for medicine, many herbs, some of which are rare plants, have been killed out.CWorld leaders have agreed a comprehensive strategy for “sustainable development“, that is meeting our needs while ensuring that we leave a healthy and viable world for future generations. They have reached a consensus that the worlds ecological richne
