1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 394 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 US $ 3 -million Fundamental Physics Prize is indeed an interesting experiment, as Alexander Polyakov said when he accepted this year s award in Marc
2、h. And it is far from the only one of its type. As a News Feature article in Nature discusses, a string of lucrative awards for researchers have joined the Nobel Prizes in recent years. Many, like the Fundamental Physics Prize, are funded from the telephone-number -sized bank accounts of Internet en
3、trepreneurs. These benefactors have succeeded in their chosen fields, they say, and they want to use their wealth to draw attention to those who have succeeded in science.Whats not to like? Quite a lot, according to a handful of scientists quoted in the News Feature. You cannot buy class, as the old
4、 saying goes, and these upstart entrepreneurs cannot buy their prizes the prestige of the Nobels. The new awards are an exercise in self-promotion for those behind them, say scientists. They could distort the achievement-based system of peer-review-led research. They could cement the status quo of p
5、eer-reviewed research. They do not fund peer-reviewed research. They perpetuate the myth of the lone genius.The goals of the prize-givers seem as scattered as the criticism. Some want to shock, others to draw people into science, or to better reward those who have made their careers in research.As N
6、ature has pointed out before, there are some legitimate concerns about how science prizesboth new and oldare distributed. The Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, launched this year, takes an unrepresentative view of what the life sciences include. But the Nobel Foundation s limit of three recipient
7、s per prize, each of whom must still be living, has long been outgrown by the collaborative nature of modern researchas will be demonstrated by the inevitable row over who is ignored when it comes to acknowledging the discovery of the Higgs boson. The Nobels were, of course, themselves set up by a v
8、ery rich individual who had decided what he wanted to do with his own money. Time, rather than intention, has given them legitimacy.As much as some scientists may complain about the new awards, two things seem clear. First, most researchers would accept such a prize if they were offered one. Second,
9、 it is surely a good thing that the money and attention come to science rather than go elsewhere. It is fair to criticize and question the mechanismthat is the culture of research, after allbut it is the prize-givers money to do with as they please. It is wise to take such gifts with gratitude and g
10、race.1 The Fundamental Physics Prize is seen as（A）a symbol of the entrepreneurs wealth.（B） a possible replacement of the Nobel Prizes.（C） an example of bankers investments.（D）a handsome reward for researchers.2 The critics think that the new awards will most benefit（A）the profit-oriented scientists.
11、（B） the founders of the new awards.（C） the achievement-based system.（D）peer-review-led research.3 The discovery of the Higgs boson is a typical case which involves（A）controversies over the recipients status.（B） the joint effort of modern researchers.（C） legitimate concerns over the new prizes.（D）the
12、 demonstration of research findings.4 According to Paragraph 4, which of the following is true of the Nobels?（A）Their endurance has done justice to them.（B） Their legitimacy has long been in dispute.（C） They are the most representative honor.（D）History has never cast doubt on them.5 The author belie
13、ves that the new awards are（A）acceptable despite the criticism.（B） harmful to the culture of research.（C） subject to undesirable changes.（D）unworthy of public attention.5 The mythology of a culture can provide some vital insights into the beliefs and values of that culture. By using fantastic and so
14、metimes incredible stories to create an oral tradition by which to explain the wonders of the natural world and teach lessons to younger generations, a society exposes those ideas and concepts held most important. Just as important as the final lesson to be gathered from the stories, however, are th
15、e characters and the roles they play in conveying that message.Perhaps the epitome of mythology and its use as a tool to pass on cultural values can be found in Aesops Fables, told and retold during the era of the Greek Empire. Aesop, a slave who won the favor of the court through his imaginative an
16、d descriptive tales, almost exclusively used animals to fill the roles in his short stories. Humans, when at all present, almost always played the part of bumbling fools struggling to learn the lesson being presented. This choice of characterization allows us to see that the Greeks placed wisdom on
17、a level slightly beyond humans, implying that deep wisdom and understanding is a universal quality sought by, rather than stealing from, human beings.Aesops fables illustrated the central themes of humility and self-reliance, reflecting the importance of those traits in early Greek society. The foll
18、y of humans was used to contrast against the ultimate goal of attaining a higher level of understanding and awareness of truths about nature and humanity. For example, one notable fable features a fox repeatedly trying to reach a bunch of grapes on a very high vine. After failing at several attempts
19、, the fox gives up, making up its mind that the grapes were probably sour anyway. The fables lesson, that we often play down that which we cant achieve so as to make ourselves feel better, teaches the reader or listener in an entertaining way about one of the weaknesses of the human psyche.The mytho
20、logy of other cultures and societies reveal the underlying traits of their respective cultures just as Aesops fables did. The stories of Roman gods, Aztec ghosts and European elves all served to train ancient generations those lessons considered most important to their community, and today they offe
21、r a powerful looking glass by which to evaluate and consider the contextual environment in which those culture existed.6 The author appears to view fables as（A）the most interesting and valuable form of mythology.（B） entertaining yet serious subjects of study.（C） a remnant tool of past civilizations,
22、 but not often used in the modern age.（D）the primary method by which ancient values and ideas were transmitted between generations.7 The way that fables were used in the past is most similar to todays（A）fairy tales that entertain children at home.（B） stories in children s school textbooks that reinf
23、orce the lesson.（C） science documentaries that explain how nature works.（D）movies that depict animals as having human characteristics.8 The main purpose of Paragraph 3 is to（A）examine how one of Aesops fables sheds light on certain facets of Greek belief.（B） dissect one of Aesops fables in order to
24、study the elements that make up Greek mythology.（C） learn from the lesson Presented in one of Aesops most well-known fables.（D）illustrate a fable typical of Aesop s style, so as to examine how one goes about studying the meaning behind it.9 The author names the Roman, Aztec and European cultures in
25、order to（A）identify other cultures in which fables were the primary method by which to pass on traditions and values.（B） explicitly name the various types of characters in those cultures fables.（C） stress that mythology was used by cultures other than the Greeks to convey societal morals.（D）establis
26、h them, in addition to the Greeks, as the societies most notable for their mythology.10 The main point of this text is（A）Aesop s fables provide a valuable glimpse into early Greek thought and beliefs.（B） the most efficient and reliable way to study the values system of an ancient culture is through
27、study of its mythology.（C） without a thorough examination of a societys fables and other mythology, a cultural study on that society would be only partial.（D）through the study of a cultures mythological tradition, one can discern some of the underlying beliefs that shaped those stories.10 “The Heart
28、 of the Matter,“ the just-released report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS), deserves praise for affirming the importance of the humanities and social sciences to the prosperity and security of liberal democracy in America. Regrettably, however, the report s failure to address the
29、true nature of the crisis facing liberal education may cause more harm than good.In 2010, leading congressional Democrats and Republicans sent letters to the AAAS asking that it identify actions that could be taken by “federal, state and local governments, universities, foundations, educators, indiv
30、idual benefactors and others“ to “maintain national excellence in humanities and social scientific scholarship and education.“ In response, the American Academy formed the Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences. Among the commissions 51 members are top-tier-university presidents, scholars,
31、 lawyers, judges, and business executives, as well as prominent figures from diplomacy, filmmaking, music and journalism.The goals identified in the report are generally admirable. Because representative government presupposes an informed citizenry, the report supports full literacy; stresses the st
32、udy of history and government, particularly American history and American government; and encourages the use of new digital technologies. To encourage innovation and competition, the report calls for increased investment in research, the crafting of coherent curricula that improve students ability t
33、o solve problems and communicate effectively in the 21st century, increased funding for teachers and the encouragement of scholars to bring their learning to bear on the great challenges of the day. The report also advocates greater study of foreign languages, international affairs and the expansion
34、 of study abroad programs.Unfortunately, despite 2% years in the making, “The Heart of the Matter“ never gets to the heart of the matter: the illiberal nature of liberal education at our leading colleges and universities. The commission ignores that for several decades Americas colleges and universi
35、ties have produced graduates who dont know the content and character of liberal education and are thus deprived of its benefits. Sadly, the spirit of inquiry once at home on campus has been replaced by the use of the humanities and social sciences as vehicles for publicizing “progressive,“ or left-l
36、iberal propaganda.Today, professors routinely treat the progressive interpretation of history and progressive public policy as the proper subject of study while portraying conservative or classical liberal ideassuch as free markets, self-relianceas falling outside the boundaries of routine, and some
37、times legitimate, intellectual investigation.The AAAS displays great enthusiasm for liberal education. Yet its report may well set back reform by obscuring the depth and breadth of the challenge that Congress asked it to illuminate.11 According to Paragraph 1, what is the authors attitude toward the
38、 AAAS s report?（A）Critical.（B） Appreciative.（C） Contemptuous.（D）Tolerant.12 Influential figures in the Congress required that the AAAS report on how to（A）retain people s interest in liberal education.（B） define the governments role in education.（C） keep a leading position in liberal education.（D）saf
39、eguard individuals rights to education.13 According to Paragraph 3, the report suggests（A）an exclusive study of American history.（B） a greater emphasis on theoretical subjects.（C） the application of emerging technologies.（D）funding for the study of foreign languages.14 The author implies in Paragrap
40、h 5 that professors are（A）supportive of free markets.（B） cautious about intellectual investigation.（C） conservative about public policy.（D）biased against classical liberal ideas.15 Which of the following would be the best title for the text?（A）Ways to Grasp “The Heart of the Matter“（B） Illiberal Edu
41、cation and “The Heart of the Matter“（C） The AAAS s Contribution to Liberal Education（D）Progressive Policy vs. Liberal Education15 Ask just about any high school senior or junior in Americaor their parentsand theyll tell you that getting into a selective college is harder than it used to be. Theyre r
42、ight about that. But the reasons for the newfound difficulty are not well understood.Population growth plays a role, but the number of teenagers is not too much higher than it was 30 years ago, when the youngest baby boomers were still applying to college. And while many more Americans attend colleg
43、e than in the past, most of the growth has occurred at colleges with relatively few resources and high dropout rates, which bear little resemblance to the elites.So what else is going on? One overlooked factor is that top colleges are admitting fewer American students than they did a generation ago.
44、 Colleges have globalized over that time, deliberately increasing the share of their student bodies that come from overseas and leaving fewer slots for applicants from the United States.For American teenagers, it really is harder to get into Harvardor Yale, Stanford, Brown, Boston College or many ot
45、her elite collegesthan it was when todays 40-year-olds or 50-year-olds were applying. The number of spots filled by American students at Harvard, after adjusting for the size of the teenage population nationwide, has dropped 27 percent since 1994. At Yale and Dartmouth, the decline has been 24 perce
46、nt. At Carleton, its 22 percent. At Notre Dame and Princeton, it is 14 percent.This globalization obviously brings some big benefits. It has exposed American students to perspectives that our proudly parochial country often does not provide in childhood.Yet the way in which American colleges have gl
47、obalized comes with costs, too. For one thing, the rise in foreign students has complicated the colleges stated efforts to make their classes more economically diverse. Foreign students often receive insufficient financial aid and tend to be from well-off families. For another thing, the countrys mo
48、st selective colleges have effectively shrunk as far as American students are concerned, during the same span that many students and their parents are spending more time obsessing over getting into one.Either way, the research emphasizes a problem with the way colleges have globalized. With only a h
49、andful of exceptions (including Harvard, Amherst, M.I.T. and Yale), colleges have not tried hard to recruit an economically diverse group of foreign students. The students instead have become a revenue source.16 It is suggested in Paragraph 2 that in America（A）the first baby boomers make it greatly hard to get into a college.（B） it is easy for students to attend selective colleges today.（C） more students have access to common colleges than before.（D）colleges today suffer from higher dropout rates.17 The word “slots“ (Para. 3) is closest
