1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 440 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 Dieting, according to an old joke, may not actually make you live longer, but it sure feels that way. Nevertheless, evidence has been accumulating since
2、 the 1930s that calorie restrictionreducing an animals energy intake below its energy expenditureextends lifespan and delays the onset of age-related diseases in rats, dogs, fish and monkeys. Such results have inspired thousands of people to put up with constant hunger in the hope of living longer,
3、healthier lives. They have also led to a search for drugs that mimic the effects of calorie restriction without the pain of going on an actual diet.Amid the hype(intensive publicity), it is easy to forget that no one has until now shown that calorie restriction works in humans. That omission, howeve
4、r, changed this month, with the publication of the initial results of the first systematic investigation into the matter. This study, known as CALERIE(Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy), was sponsored by Americas National Institutes of Health. It took 48 men
5、and women aged between 25 and 50 and assigned them randomly to either a control group or a calorie-restriction regime. Those in the second group were required to cut their calorie intake for six months to 75% of that needed to maintain their weight.The CALERIE study is a landmark in the history of t
6、he field, because its subjects were either of normal weight or only slightly overweight Previous projects have used individuals who were clinically obese, thus confusing the unquestionable benefits to health of reducing obesity with the possible advantages of calorie restriction to the otherwise hea
7、lthy.At a molecular level, CALERIE suggests these advantages are real. For example, those on restricted diets had lower insulin resistance and lower levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. They showed drops in body temperature and blood-insulin levelsboth phenomena that have been seen in long
8、-lived, calorie-restricted animals. They also suffered less oxidative damage to their DNAEric Ravussin, of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, who is one of the studys authors, says that such results provide support for the theory that calorie restriction produces a metabolic adaptation over
9、and above that which would be expected from weight loss alone. Nevertheless, such metabolic adaptation could be the reason why calorie restriction is associated with longer lifespans in other animalsand that is certainly the hope of those who, for the past 15 years, have been searching for ways of t
10、riggering that metabolic adaptation by means other than semi-starvation.1 The evidence since the 1930s has inspired people to（A）live longer and healthier.（B） invent a calorie-restricting drug.（C） believe in calorie restriction.（D）get rid of constant hunger.2 Which of the following is true about the
11、CALERIE study?（A）It proves that calorie restriction works in humans.（B） It has 24 male subjects and the same number of female ones.（C） It is the first investigation into the effects of calorie restriction.（D）It lasted for six months and had the final results published.3 What makes the CALERIE study
12、a significant one in the field?（A）It used the subjects of both genders and different ages.（B） It selected people of normal weight as the subjects.（C） It rectified the misconception of dieting.（D）It was systematic in research method and based on evidence.4 By saying “CALERIE suggests these advantages
13、 are real(Line 1, Paragraph 4)“, the author is dealing with the results of the study from a（A）general view.（B） subjective view.（C） macro view.（D）micro view.5 It can be inferred from the last paragraph that（A）the metabolic adaptation solely resulted from weight loss.（B） the metabolic adaptation can b
14、e achieved by dieting.（C） semi-starvation was seen as an effective means for weight loss.（D）people had no idea about the metabolic adaptation before CALERIE.5 Researchers in the field of artificial intelligence have long been intrigued by games, and not just as a way of avoiding work. Games provide
15、an ideal setting to explore important elements of the design of cleverer machines, such as pattern recognition, learning and planning. They also hold out the tantalizing possibility of fame and fortune should the program ever beat a human champion.Ever since the stunning victory of Deep Blue, a prog
16、ram running on an IBM supercomputer, over Gary Kasparov, then world chess champion, in 1997, it has been clear that computers would dominate that particular game. Today, though, they are pressing the attack on every front. There is one game, however, where humans still reign supreme Go. Yet here too
17、 their grip is beginning to loosen.Go was invented more than 2,500 years ago in China. It is a strategic contest in which two players take turns to place stones on the intersections of a grid with 19 lines on each side. Each player tries to stake out territory and surround his opponent. The rules ar
18、e simple but the play is extraordinarily complex. During a game, some stones will “die“, and some will appear to be dead but spring back to life at an ill-timed moment. It is often difficult to say who is winning right until the end.Deep Blue beat Mr. Kasparov using the “brute force“ technique. Rath
19、er than search for the best move in a given position, the computer considers all whites moves, and all blacks possible replies, and all whites replies to those replies, and so on for, say, a dozen turns. The resulting map of possible moves has millions of branches. The computer combs through the pos
20、sible outcomes and plays the one move that would give its opponent the fewest chances of winning. Unfortunately, brute force will not work in Go. First, the game has many more possible positions than chess does. Second, the number of possible moves from a typical position in Go is about 200, compare
21、d with about a dozen in chess. Finally, evaluating a Go position is fiendishly difficult. The fastest programs can assess just 50 positions a second, compared with 500,000 in chess.In the past two decades researchers have explored several alternative strategies with indifferent results. Now, however
22、, programmers are making impressive gains with a technique known as the Monte Carlo method. Given a position, a program using a Monte Carlo algorithm contemplates every move and plays a large number of random games to see what happens. If it wins in 80% of those games, the move is probably good. Oth
23、erwise, it keeps looking. The result is a new generation of fast programs that play particularly well on small versions of the Go board.6 According to Paragraph 1, computer games could（A）promote the researches of human intelligence.（B） help researchers avoid work.（C） serve to improve the program des
24、igning.（D）bring fame and fortune to the human champion.7 The victory of Deep Blue shows that（A）the chess game is too simple for computers to play.（B） the supercomputer is very good at calculation.（C） computers will dominate every front of games.（D）humans should prepare for the attack of computers.8
25、Which of the following statements is true according to Paragraph 3?（A）Go was a strategic contest invented in China long ago.（B） Stones of Go could be placed on everywhere of a grid.（C） The play of Go is too complex to win.（D）People often dont know who wins a play of Go.9 The word “fiendishly“(Line 8
26、, Paragraph 4)most probably means（A）astoundingly.（B） unexpectedly.（C） oddly.（D）extremely.10 It can be inferred from the text that（A）human beings dominant position in Go board starts to shake.（B） computer program will randomly choose a step to see what happens.（C） Monte Carlo method is much cleverer
27、than other programs.（D）computers could become great competitors to human beings.10 A few years back, many hospitals in America were embarrassed by revelations that some of their neediest patients, the uninsured, were being charged the most. These patients were getting slammed with the full list pric
28、e for health care while those with insurance got negotiated discounts. The outcry prompted congressional hearings and state inquiries. All not-for-profit hospitals in Illinois have adopted voluntary guidelines, set by the Illinois Hospital Association, to dole out free or discounted care.But Illinoi
29、s attorney general Lisa Madigan says thats not nearly enough. Madigan announced recently that most Illinois hospitals spend less than 1 percent on charitable care. She proposed that hospitals be required by law to spend at least 8 percent of their operating costs on charity: free health care, commun
30、ity clinics. This is a terrible idea. For startersamazing as this may soundMadigan hasnt calculated how much this law would cost hospitals. No overall cost, nor the cost to any single hospital in the state.The Illinois Hospital Association says her bill would require 133 hospitals to spend $739 mill
31、ion more a year on charity care. That, the IHA says, would push 45 of those hospitals into the red, and 28 hospitals that already operate at a loss would be pushed closer to bankruptcy. Madigan disputes those figures.How did Madigan settle on the magic 8 percent? She cites her offices investigation
32、of hospitals and a task force she convened. But the task force didnt issue a report and may never do so. She all but acknowledges that her claim that Illinois hospitals provide a miserly 1 percent in charitable care isnt the whole story. That figure excludes much of what hospitals absorb, including
33、the gap between what they spend on Medicaid patients and what they receive for that care. The IHA argues convincingly that mandating a high percentage of revenues to be spent on free care ignores the reality that many hospitals operate in the red. Draining more money would weaken hospitalsand encour
34、age cost-cutting in nursing care, equipment or other essentials.Why are we talking about charitable giving by hospitals, as opposed to muffler shops, fast-food restaurants or beauty salons? Because most hospitals are tax-exempt by law: They dont pay any federal, state or local taxes. In return, they
35、re required to provide services to the needy. But the law doesnt say exactly how much.So they do have a charitable obligation. And some hospitalseven some not-for-profit hospitals have hefty revenues. Its useful to see how much theyre giving back to their communities. But the hospitals also have an
36、obligation to stay solvent. No one profits when a hospital closes its doors. Madigans proposed mandate carries too much risk.11 Many American hospitals were troubled by the exposure of the fact that（A）some of their neediest patients were uninsured.（B） the patients were interfering with their daily o
37、peration.（C） the IHA forced them to dole out free or discounted health care.（D）the uninsured patients had to pay much more than the insured.12 The IHA cited several figures to indicate that（A）Madigans bill was asking for too much from the hospitals in Illinois.（B） the hospitals in Illinois were in b
38、ad financial situation.（C） the hospitals in Illinois had already done well in charitable care.（D）Madigans bill was not welcomed by the hospitals in Illinois.13 When mentioning “She all but acknowledges. isnt the whole story.“(Lines 2-4, Paragraph 4), the author means that（A）Illinois hospitals were r
39、ather miserly in providing medical care.（B） Madigan did not tell the whole story about Illinois hospitals.（C） Illinois hospitals would have to spend more on free medical service.（D）Madigan thought the hospitals spent less than 1 percent on Medicaid patients.14 IHA objected to Madigans proposal based
40、 on the argument that（A）hospitals didnt make as much profit as Madigan claimed.（B） the quality of medical services in hospitals would decline.（C） Madigans task force didnt and wouldnt issue a report.（D）many hospitals were operated in a dangerous situation.15 What can be inferred from the last paragr
41、aph?（A）The author supports Madigans argument and the 8 percent mandate.（B） Hospitals are obligatory to spend 1 percent of revenues on charitable service.（C） Balance is important between hospitals proper daily operation and charitable service.（D）Under no circumstances should hospitals not fulfill the
42、ir charitable obligations.15 Move over, organic, fair trade and free rangethe latest in enlightened edibles is here: food with “embedded“ positive intentions. While the idea isnt newcultures like the Navajo have been doing it for centuriesfor-profit companies in the U.S. and Canada are catching on,
43、infusing products with good vibes through meditation, prayer and even music. Since 2006, California company H20m has sold water infused with wishes for “love,“ “joy“ and “perfect health“ via the words, symbols and colors on the label(which “create a specific vibratory frequency,“ according to co-fou
44、nder Sandy Fox)and the restorative music played at their bottling warehouse. At Creo Mundi, a Canadian maker of protein powder, employees gather around each shipment and state aloud the benefits they hope to infuse it with for their consumersincreased performance, balance and vitality. Intentional C
45、hocolate, founded in 2007 by chocolatier Jim Walsh, uses a special recording device to capture the electromagnetic brain waves of meditating Tibetan monks; Walsh then exposes his desserts to the recording for five days per batch.We hear your eyes rolling. But some claim theres actually something to
46、the idea that humans can alter the physical world with their minds, and they offer research to prove it. Dean Radin, a senior scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences in Petaluma, Calif., conducted a test in which, he says, subjects who ate Intentional Chocolate improved their mood 67% compared
47、 with people who ate regular chocolate. “If the Pope blessed water, everyone wants that water. But does it actually do something?“ Radin asks. “The answer is yes, to a small extent.“James Fallon, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the University of California at Irvine School of Medicin
48、e, is skeptical. “So I take a rutabaga, a round yellow root vegetable with a brown or purple skin, and put it close to my head, and it somehow changes the food and improves the mood of the person who ate it?“ he asks. “Nah.“Trick or not, in this economy any product that promises a spiritual pick-me-
49、up could be in high demand. Since the recession, says Phil Lempert, editor of health-food site S “everyone is ready to jump off a bridge.“ With the right marketing, he says, embedded foods “could be huge.“Still, not everyone is keen on the idea of packaging spirituality. Once the profit motive comes into play, “its difficult to keep things pure,“ says George Churinoff, a monk at Deer Park Buddhist Center in Oregon, Wis., who was involved with Intentional Chocolate in its early stages. “Then the product may not be blessed in
