1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 196 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 When George Bush left the presidency on January 20th, many Americans were keen to turn the page. They have warmly welcomed a new cast of characters, fro
2、m Barack and Michelle down to Bo the Portuguese water dog. But some members of the Bush crew are much in the news. Karl Rove, an influential adviser, is penning weekly editorials and has been scrapping with JoeBiden, the vice president. Dick Cheney has been on television growling about Mr. Obamas ap
3、proach to national security. In Spain, a court is deciding whether Alberto Gonzales, the former attorney-general, and five other administration officials can be accused of torture.Mr. Bush himself has mostly kept a low profile since returning to Texas. He and Laura settled into their new house, in a
4、 select part of Dallas. He threw the first ball at a Texas Rangers baseball game and visited a hardware shop. He has been jogging and riding his bicycle. He has given one speech, in Canada, at which he declined to criticize the new president. “He deserves my silence,“ said Mr. Bush.But Mr. Bush will
5、 not be silent for ever. He has started to write his memoirs, which will skip the usual format and be organized around a series of 12 momentous decisions. The format makes sense, given Mr. Bushs view of history and his role in it.Im the decider,“ he said in 2006, defending his decision to keep Donal
6、d Rumsfeld as defense secretary. It was one of his least popular decisions, and Mr. Bushs many critics thought it was a bull-headed thing to say. But perhaps it was simply an existential comment. The president is the decider. There is no getting round that.The “decider“ idea will extend to the Georg
7、e W. Bush Presidential Centre, to be housed at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. The centre will include a policy institute as well as the usual library and museum. On April 14th Mr. Bush gathered about 20 of his old employees in Dallas, including the former secretary of state, Condoleezza Ri
8、ce, and a former speechwriter, Michael Gerson, to work out strategy.The policy institute will be unashamedly ideological. The museum, like the memoirs, will be organized around a series of decisions. The list has not been finalized, though some are obvious choices, such as the decisions to invade Ir
9、aq and Afghanistan. Mark Langdale, president of the George W. Bush Foundation, thinks that Mr. Bushs 2007 decision to pursue immigration reform should make the cut. The effort failed in the Senate, but failure is part of any human story. That goes for presidents, too. “Sometimes they succeed, and so
10、metimes they dont, but the journey continues,“ says Mr. Langdale.1 It can be inferred from the opening paragraph that（A）the Obama administration takes on some members of the Bush crew.（B） some members of the Bush crew are involved in negative publicity.（C） Obamas approach to national security is pro
11、ved by Cheney to be a failure.（D）George Bush is not popular with Americans as a president at all.2 Bushs life is described in the second paragraph to show that（A）Bush is still actively engaged in social and political activities.（B） Bush becomes more popular after his retirement from presidency.（C） B
12、ush is rather silent compared with his former colleagues.（D）Bush shows no interest in Obamas administration and policies.3 What does the phrase “bull-headed“ (Lone 5, Paragraph 3) most probably mean?（A）Stubborn.（B） Stupid.（C） Mad.（D）Unpopular.4 Mr. Bush gathered some of his former colleagues（A）to ex
13、tend the “decider“ idea to the George W. Bush Presidential Centre.（B） to discuss his house at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.（C） to formulate strategy with them.（D）to recapture the experience of the “decider“.5 What does Mark Langdale think of Bushs decision to pursue immigration reform?（A）
14、It brought negative influence to the Bush administration.（B） It should be one of the decisions included in the museum.（C） It should be regarded as part of the human history.（D）It was a failure like the decisions to invade Iraq and Afghanistan.5 How stupid does one need to be to get a job reading the
15、 television news? Is it actually beneficial for TV newsreaders to have, instead of a brain, a plate of lemon jelly? Last week the debate was raging once again about the controversial and important point as to whether the newsreaders write their own copy, read someone elses or simply make it up as th
16、ey go along. AngelaRippon reckoned that she had never heard of a newsreader writing stuff, but her modern counterpart, the beautiful Sophie Raworth, claims that they do the writing and adds that she has a postgraduate degree in journalism.This is the core of the issue: what on earth is there to lear
17、n about journalism at postgraduate level? The point and purpose of our lowly, occasionally useful, trade could be scribbled on the back of a postage stamp and would easily be comprehended by a 14-year-old boy with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Who has decided that it must be digni
18、fied with a doctoral thesis?Nor is reading the news even what one might call “journalism“. It is an even simpler business called “reading“. All that the BBC demands of its female newsreaders is an ability to read in an impartial way words like “Israel has murdered more Lebanese children again today“
19、 from the teleprompter without belching or lisping. It helps if they have the eminently presentable manner of a girl guide leader from Esher. They are forbidden to express an opinion. They are not required to go undercover, analyze the news or add witty asides. They are required to be that which the
20、y are known as in the trade“a gob on a stick“. A penetrating intelligence is not merely unnecessary, it is counterproductive.Newsreaders who are too intelligent soon stop being newsreaders, much as John Humphrys did, stifled by the commonplace of their duties. Or they give the game away by doing wha
21、t that German newsreader did and end the programme, shaking their heads sadly, muttering, “its all lies, all lies“.Which is not to say BBC newsreaders are bad at their jobs: quite the reverse. But we should not confuse competence with intelligence. Newsreaders believe that because they are reading o
22、ut serious stuff and everybody is listening to them, they must therefore be creatures possessed of a high IQ. They are confusing the message with the medium.6 The author holds in the first two paragraphs that a postgraduate degree in journalism（A）is quite unnecessary for newsreaders.（B） is vital for
23、 a newsreader to write stuff.（C） matters quite a lot for a newsreader.（D）involves no learning about journalism.7 The author cites the example of BBC in Paragraph 3 to show that（A）it is concerned about international affairs and widely reports them.（B） reading the news mainly involves required reading
24、 capability.（C） it has laid down a lot of dos and donts for its newsreaders.（D）reading the news is an easy job that most people are qualified for.8 What does the author mean by saying “a gob on a stick“ (Line 7, Paragraph 3)?（A）A newsreader is like a magician with a magic stick.（B） A newsreader only
25、 says what he/she is directed to say.（C） A newsreader possesses penetrating intelligence.（D）A newsreader does not usually express his/her opinion.9 If the newsreaders are too intelligent, they are likely to（A）be fired by the TV stations and start all over again.（B） keep telling lies until they shut
26、the programs.（C） be cynical about life and discontent with work.（D）suffer from a sense of guilt and dissatisfaction.10 It can be inferred from the last paragraph that（A）sometimes competence and intelligence are unrelated.（B） some newsreaders are at a loss as to how they should perform better.（C） new
27、sreaders have to possess a high IQ to handle difficult stuff.（D）mass media have imposed great pressure on newsreaders.10 More than any other industry, Americas multi-billion-dollar entertainment business is caught in the crossfire of the countrys culture war. Media firms have always had to walk a fi
28、ne line between giving adults realistic shows and shielding children from sex and bad language. But thanks to the current political influence of social conservatives, TV and radio firms are under moreattack than ever for allegedly corrupting Americas youth.Congress is threatening to increase sharply
29、 fines for airing indecent material. Over 80% of American homes subscribe either to cable or satellite TV, but only broadcast television, which is technically free, is subject to indecency regulation. The media industry fears that new rules could damage its business model.The Federal Communications
30、Commission (FCC), the media industrys regulator, defines indecency as language or material that describes sexual actions or organs and which is considered “offensive by contemporary community standards.“ Solely for the sake of children (present in one-third of American homes), indecency is forbidden
31、 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on broadcast TV and radio. In contrast to “obscenity“illegal all the timeindecency mostly consists of swearing, partial nudity and sexuality.Americas current battles over indecency began in 2003 when Bono, a rock star, said “this is really, really fucking brilliant“ at a live
32、 awards show. The FCC decided to do nothing. Then came a glimpse of Janet Jacksons breast in Super Bowl, outraging some viewers. Pressed by Congress, the FCC reversed its decision on Bono and said it would get tough on indecency. In 2004 it fined media firms nearly $8m, five times what it had levied
33、 in the previous ten years combined.For these firms such fines are puny. Yet fearing what future measures might be deployed against them, they have increasingly censored themselves. Last year several TV stations declined to air “Saving Private Ryan“, a war movie with lots of swearing. The media indu
34、stry faces a powerful bipartisan coalition of politicians who see votes in cleansing the airwaves. Republicans are leading the effort, but some Democrats are joining innot surprisingly, as many parents do seem worried.One defensive strategy for the media industry is to play the moralizing wing of th
35、e Republican Party off against its substantial libertarian wing, which is opposed to giving the government more power to censor. News Corporation and General Electrics NBC have together enlisted the support of the American Conservative Union, Americans for Tax Reform and the US Chamber of Commerce.
36、Advances in technology, these groups argue, mean that the government no longer needs to police the airwaves for indecency. Many parents now have V-chips in their TV sets to block out pornographic material. Set-top boxes for cable and satellite TV also give parents control.11 The phrase “walk a fine
37、line“ (Line 3, Paragraph 1) most probably indicates（A）alternate.（B） balance.（C） transfer.（D）distinguish.12 Which of the following is true according to the text?（A）TV and radio firms are corrupting the young people in America.（B） Broadcast television other than satellite TV is under indecency regulat
38、ion.（C） Americas battles over indecency have lasted for as long as a decade.（D）A fine of 8 million US dollars is such a huge one for media firms.13 A major difference between indecency and obscenity is that（A）obscenity involves more swearing, nudity and sexuality.（B） obscenity is forbidden on all ch
39、annels all the time.（C） indecency inflicts more harm on children and young adults.（D）indecency is more offensive by contemporary standards.14 The refusal to broadcast “Saving Private Ryan“ by several TV stations shows that（A）the movie features lots of swearing.（B） media firms have intensified censor
40、ing.（C） media firms were afraid of huge fines.（D）the film was defined as indecent.15 What strategy has the media industry adopted to defend itself?（A）Creating bitter quarrels between Republicans two wings.（B） Protesting the governments power over censorship.（C） Allying with such groups as the Americ
41、an Conservative Union.（D）Arguing that the material is actually under the control of parents.15 Hows this for a coincidence? Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born in the same year, on the same day: Feb. 12, 1809. Although people hardly think of them in tandem, yet instinctively, we want to say
42、 that they belong together. Its not just because they were both great men, and not because they happen to be exact contemporaries. Rather, its because the scientist and thepolitician each touched off a revolution that changed the world.They were both revolutionaries in the sense that both men upende
43、d realities that prevailed when they were born. They seemand soundmodern to us, because the world they left behind them is more or less the one we still live in. So, considering the joint greatness of their contributionsand the coincidence of their conjoined birthdaysit is hard not to wonder who was
44、 the greater man? Its an apples-and-orangesor Superman-vs.-Santacomparison. But if you limit the question to influence, very quickly the balance tips in Lincolns favor.As great as his book on evolution is, it does no harm to remember that Darwin hurried to publish The Origin of Species because he th
45、ought he was about to be scooped by his fellow naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. In other words, there was a certain inevitability to Darwins theory. Ideas about evolution surfaced throughout the first part of the 19th century, and while none of them was as convincing as Darwinsuntil Wallace came al
46、ongit was not as though he was the only man who had the idea.Lincoln, in contrast, is unique. Take him out of the picture, and there is no telling what might have happened to the country. True, his election to the presidency did provoke secession and, in turn, the war itself, but that war seems inev
47、itablenot a question of if but when. Once in office, he becomes the indispensable man. Certainly we know what happened once he was assassinated: Reconstruction was administered punitively and then abandoned, leaving the issue of racial equality to dangle for another century.If Darwin were not so irr
48、eplaceable as Lincoln, that should not negate his accomplishment. No one could have formulated his theory any more elegantly. Their identical birthdays afford us a superb opportunity to observe these men in the shared context of their timehow each was shaped by his circumstances, how each reacted to
49、 the beliefs that steered the world into which he was born and ultimately how each reshaped his corner of that world and left it irrevocably changed.16 Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln belong together in that（A）they were born on the same day.（B） they lived in the same period of time.（C） they brought up revolutions to the world.（D）they were born to be successful men.17 What does the author mean by “an apples-and-orangesor Superman-vs.-Santacomparison“ (Lines 4-5, Paragraph 2)?（A）It is hard to tell which one is greater as they are both outs
