1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 240 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 Teachers are heroes, not villains, and its time to stop demonizing them.It has become fashionable to blame all of societys manifold sins and wickedness
2、on “teachers unions,“ as if it were possible to separate these supposedly evil organizations from the dedicated public servants who belong to them. Collective bargaining is not the problem, and taking that right away from teachers will not fix the schools.The fact is that teachers are being saddled
3、with absurdly high expectations. Some studies have shown a correlation between student performance and teacher “effectiveness,“ depending how this elusive quality is measured, but there is a whole body of academic literature proving the stronger correlation between student performance and a much mor
4、e important variable: family income. Yes, Im talking about poverty. Sorry to be so gauche, but when teachers point out the relationship between income and achievement, theyre not shirking responsibility. Theyre just stating an inconvenient truth.According to figures compiled by the College Board, st
5、udents from families making more than $200,000 score more than 300 points higher on the SAT, on average, than students from families making less than $20,000 a year. There is, in fact, a clear relationship all the way along the scale; Each increment in higher family income translates into points on
6、the test. Sean Rcardon of Stanford Universitys Center for Education Policy Analysis concluded in a recent study that the achievement gap between high-income and low-income students is actually widening. It is unclear why this might be happening; maybe it is due to increased income inequality, maybe
7、the relationship between income and achievement has somehow become stronger, maybe there is some other reason.Whatever the cause, our societys answer seems to be: Beat up the teachers. We tend to believe that most of the teachers in low-income, low-performing schools are incompetentand, by extension
8、, that most of the teachers in upper-crust schools, where students perform well, are paragons of pedagogical virtue. But some of the most dedicated and talented teachers Ive ever met were working in “failing“ inner-city schools. And yes, in award-winning schools where “all the children are above ave
9、rage“, Ive met some unimaginative hacks who should never be allowed near a classroom.It is reasonable to hold teachers accountable for their performance, but it is not reasonableor, in the end, productive to hold them accountable for factors that lie far beyond their control. It is fair to insist th
10、at teachers approach their jobs with the assumption that every single child, rich or poor, can succeed. It is not fair to expect teachers to correct all the imbalances and remedy all the pathologies that result from growing inequality in our society. Portraying teachers as villains doesnt help a sin
11、gle child. Ignoring the reasons for the education gap in this country is no way to close it. And theres a better way to learn about the crisis than going to the movies. Visit a school instead.1 The text is primarily concerned with_.（A）discussing teacher unions manifold sins and wickedness（B） explain
12、ing why teachers are heroes, not villains（C） arguing that it is wrong to blame teachers for all education problems（D）listing reasons beyond teachers control for education gap2 The underlined word “gauche“(Line 4, Paragraph 3)is closest in meaning to_.（A）humble（B） awkward（C） confident（D）arrogant3 Acc
13、ording to the text, which one of the following is strongly related with student performance?（A）Teacher effectiveness.（B） Parental involvement.（C） School ranking.（D）Family income.4 It can be inferred from the text that a student is more likely to get higher points in SAT if he/ she_.（A）comes from a r
14、ich family（B） studies 10 hours each day（C） makes less than 20,000 each year（D）has a teacher who excels in virtue5 With which of the following statements regarding education would the author most likely agree?（A）Most of the teachers in low-income, low-performing schools are incompetent.（B） Most of th
15、e teachers in upper-crust schools, where students perform well, are paragons of pedagogical virtue.（C） If all teachers are competent in one school has nothing to do with its overall student performance.（D）Teachers are accountable for achievement gap.5 The koala, cuddly symbol of a nation and one of
16、the most beloved animals on the planet, is in crisis. Before Europeans settled Australia more than two centuries ago, about ten million koalas lived in a 1, 500-mile-long swath of the east coast eucalyptus forests. Hunted for their luxurious fur, koalas were brought to the edge of extinction in the
17、southern half of their range. In the northern half, Queensland, a million were killed in 1919 alone. After the last open season in Queensland was held in 1927, only tens of thousands remained.Through the next half century their numbers slowly rebounded, in part due to efforts to relocate and recolon
18、ize them. Then urbanization began to take its loll. Habitat was lost, and diseases spread. With urbanization came the threat of dogs and highways. Since 1990, when about 430,000 koalas inhabited Australia, their numbers have dropped sharply. Because surveys are difficult, current population estimate
19、s vary widely from a low of 44,000 by advocacy groups to a high of 300,000 by government agencies. More than a decade ago a survey of the Koala Coast, a 93,000-acre region in southeastern Queensland, estimated a koala population of 6,200; today there are believed to be around 2,000.“Koalas are getti
20、ng caught in fences and dying, being killed by dogs, struck by vehicles, even dying simply because a homeowner cut down several eucalyptus trees in his backyard,“ says Deidre de Villiers, one of the chief koala researchers at the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management. De Villi
21、ers insists that koalas and humans can coexist in urban environments, if developers get on board with koala-sensitive designs, such as lower speed limits for streets, green corridors for koala movement, and, most especially, preserving every precious eucalyptus tree. Unfortunately, koalas have anoth
22、er problem.“Disease is the other huge issue,“ says veterinarian Jon Hanger, 42, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Queensland. Hanger has discovered that as much as half of Queenslands koala population may be affected by the sexually transmitted disease chlamydiosis.
23、In some wild koala populations more than 50 percent of the sexually mature females are infertile. The genesis of the disease is unknown, but it manifests itself as urogenital and ocular disease and is transmitted through mating and birthing, as well as fighting among males. Unlike in humans, chlamyd
24、iosis in koalas is often fatal.“Koala populations that used to be vibrant and sustainable are becoming extinct,“ says Hanger, who puts the blame squarely on the provincial government. “Queensland has failed miserably to do anything meaningful about the decline. The federal government needs to get in
25、volved and do it properly, listing the koala as vulnerable to extinction. “ Such a designation might save the last remnants of critical koala habitat, he argues. Hanger is also part of a research team developing a chlamydia vaccine.A recent report presented to the Australian Senate made several reco
26、mmendations to save the koalas, including listing the animals as threatened and vulnerable, funding a program to monitor koala populations, mapping their habitat, and managing federal and private lands to protect the koalas. Until such measures are taken, the efforts of grassroots koala emergency sq
27、uads will continue to be essential.6 Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?（A）Koala populations have dropped sharply in the past century due to threat of dogs and highways, lost of habitat and spread of diseases.（B） Since disease is a huge issue that caus
28、es the extinction of Koalas, the research developing a chlamydia vaccine is urgent and critical.（C） The efforts to save Koala populations that are becoming extinct because of different reasons require involvement from both government and grassroots groups.（D）In order for koalas and humans to coexist
29、 in urban environments, developers should get on board with koala sensitive designs.7 According to the text which one of the followings is not a reason that has caused Koala numbers decrease?（A）Hunted for their luxurious fur（B） Lost of habitat（C） Spread of disease（D）Climate change8 Jon Hanger would
30、be most likely to agree with which one of the following recommendations to save the koalas?（A）Listing the animals as threatened and vulnerable（B） Funding a program to monitor koala populations（C） Mapping their habitat（D）Managing federal and private lands9 Based on the second paragraph, the reason Ko
31、ala numbers slowly rebounded through the next half century is that_.（A）Speed limits for streets was lowered.（B） Green corridors for koala movement were built.（C） People preserved every precious eucalyptus tree.（D）People relocated and recolonized them.10 Which one of the following most accurately ide
32、ntifies the attitude shown by Jon Hanger in the fifth paragraph toward governments role in saving Koalas?（A）Scholarly appreciation for its longstanding efforts（B） Strong rebuke that it has failed miserably to do anything meaningful about the decline（C） Mild disappointment that it did not list the ko
33、ala as vulnerable to extinction（D）Open approval of its resistance to get involved10 Every individual possesses a unique quality that differentiates him or her from other people. Whether it is a charming personality, brilliant intellect or any number of differing traits, each person is a contributing
34、 component to the world in which we live. We are all pieces of a grand puzzle, each piece vital to the completion and creativity of a vivid masterpiece. Intertwined in the cycle of life, we all strive to be the best, persistent upon being noticed or recognized amidst vast diversity. In doing so, som
35、e forget the influences that helped to mold them into the person that they became and fall centered in a world of their own. Others grow so self-involved that they are no longer conscious of their surroundings and are unaware that evolution is shared and not isolated to one s self. Hence, the narcis
36、sist is born.With influences from the news and other media, we are constantly steered in the direction of those who are most glamorous and famous. Its not often we see a tycoon that publicly worries about his image. Why would he? The thought is that once youve reached a certain stature, nothing else
37、 matters. Our children arc striving for this “liquid“ status. “It wont matter what anyone thinks if Im rich and famous. “This growing trend of narcissism is decaying our humanity. We are raised to accept ourselves, but some take this self-acceptance to over indulgent lengths, placing self atop pedes
38、tals above everyone else. The narcissist becomes desensitized to the feelings of other people, treating them as if they were but another obstacle. This type of person is intolerant of the flaws and sometimes, the very existence of other people. Sadly, the narcissist is often consumed by anger and ha
39、tred and breeds such hatred throughout the world. As with a virus, this anger and impatience is spread from person to person, a contagious domino effect of negativity. Our society will surely fall to its demise if this wicked mentality is not changed. If one only thinks of self, there will no longer
40、 be charity or good will. Misfortunate children will go hungry and unclothed. Our elders will not be cared for and communities will not be able to rebuild if stricken by tragedy.It seems that over time, many have forgotten humility and the ability to be bumble. It has become a “dog-eat-dog“ world, e
41、very man for himself. This kind of mentality must be changed if we intend for our children to lead productive lives. It is the unity of mankind that will improve the world and make it a better place for our future generations.11 We learn from paragraph 1 that every individual _.（A）is somewhat glamor
42、ous no matter who he is（B） contributes to the creation of a grand puzzle（C） is different from other people in intelligence（D）plays a part in improving the world we live in12 The author suggests that a narcissist is someone who _.（A）loves and admires himself excessively（B） is characterized by apathy
43、and isolation（C） is interested in nothing but being noticed（D）strives to be the best through thick and thin13 The example of tycoon is given in paragraph 3 to show that_.（A）people are eager to become glamorous and famous（B） wealthy people are indifferent to their appearances（C） more and more people
44、are pursuing self-centered life（D）rich people are extremely worried about their images14 With the trend of narcissism growing, the society might be dominated by _.（A）aversion, rage, and hatred（B） impatience and intolerance（C） egotism, vanity, and conceit（D）deleterious human mentality15 The text is w
45、ritten to _.（A）prove the great value of charity and good will（B） urge people to overcome the negative mentality（C） explain the harmfulness of narcissism to society（D）encourage people to unite in changing the world15 The idea of hunting down and shooting an animal for sport strikes many people as bar
46、baric. That is doubly true of trophy hunting, where the goal is not food but a handsome head or set of antlers for the wall. Sad it may be, but the balance of evidence is that trophy hunting can help conserve threatened species and their habitats, so for people who care about the fate of wildlife th
47、e real question is not whether to allow hunting, but how to manage it. Done properly, trophy hunting can provide a source of jobs and income, and thus give local communities a reason to protect wildlife and habitats that might otherwise be sacrificed to rural villagers need to put meat on the table.
48、 Countries that can attract jeep loads of camera-toting tourists can get along without trophy hunting: Kenya does not need it, for example. But it comes into its own in marginal habitats that lack lush diversity, such as the arid scrubland of Botswana, and in countries with the uncertain political c
49、limates of Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Done wrongly, of course, trophy hunting provides none of these benefits, as foreign operators fly in, shoot, and fly out again with wallets full of cash, leaving little or no benefit to the local economy. Finding a balance between profit for the hunt operator and benefits to conservation is one of the biggest challenges facing the regulators of hunting.Another challenge is emerging that needs to be kept under close attention; while there is little chance these days of species being d
