1、考研英语(阅读)模拟试卷 57 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 holiday season poses a psychological conundrum. Its defining sentiment, of course, is joy yet the effort to be joyous seems to make many of us misera
2、ble. Its hard to be happy in overcrowded airport lounges or while youre trying to stay civil for days on end with relatives who stretch your patience.So to cope with the holidays, magazines and others are advising us to “think positive“ the same advice that Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power
3、of Positive Thinking, was dispensing six decades ago. Variations of Peales positive philosophy run deep in American culture, not just in how we handle holidays and other social situations but in business, politics and beyond. Yet studies suggest that affirmations designed to lift the users mood thro
4、ugh repetition and visualizing future success often achieve the opposite of their intended effect.Fortunately, both ancient philosophy and contemporary psychology point to an alternative: a counterintuitive approach that might be termed “the negative path to happiness. “ One pioneer of the “negative
5、 path“ was psychotherapist Albert Ellis. He rediscovered a key insight of the Stoic philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome: that sometimes the best way to address an uncertain future is to focus not on the best-case scenario but on the worst.Just thinking in sober detail about worst-case scenarios
6、can help to sap the future of its anxiety-producing power. The psychologist Julie Norem terms this strategy “defensive pessimism. “ Positive thinking, by contrast, is the effort to convince yourself that things will turn out fine, which can reinforce the belief that it would be absolutely terrible i
7、f they didnt.In American corporations, perhaps the most widely accepted doctrine of the “cult of positivity“ is the importance of setting big goals for an organization. Behind our fixation on goals is a deep unease with feelings of uncertainty. Research by Saras Sarasvathy, an associate professor of
8、 business administration suggests that learning to accommodate feelings of uncertainty is not just the key to a more balanced life but often leads to prosperity as well. For one project, she interviewed 45 successful entrepreneurs. Almost none embraced the idea of writing comprehensive business plan
9、s or conducting extensive market research. They practiced instead “effectuation. “ Rather than choosing a goal and then making a plan to a-chieve it, they took stock of the means and materials at their disposal, then imagined the possible ends. Effectuation also includes the “affordable loss princip
10、le. “ Instead of focusing on the possibility of spectacular rewards from a venture, ask how great the loss would be if it failed. If the potential loss seems tolerable, take the next step.The ultimate value of the “negative path“ may not be its role in facilitating upbeat emotions or even success. I
11、t is simply realism. The future really is uncertain, after all, and things really do go wrong as well as right. We are too often motivated by a craving to put an end to the inevitable surprises in our lives.1 By talking about troubles of the holiday season, the author intends to_.(A)exemplify the ps
12、ychological dilemmas in daily life(B) illustrate the profound influence of Peales work(C) introduce the prevailing thinking mode of Amercians(D)show the necessity of advocating positive thinking2 To which of the following proverbs would Albert Ellis agree?(A)We cannot predict the future, but we can
13、invent it.(B) He that hopes no good fears no ill.(C) The pessimist borrows trouble; the optimist lends encouragement.(D)Self-trust is the first secret to success.3 The experiences of 45 entrepreneurs are mentioned mainly to demonstrate_.(A)the change in the management philosophy of American corporat
14、ions(B) the necessity of setting big goals for an organization(C) the role of negative thinking in peoples success(D)the importance of “the affordable loss principle“ in business4 According to Paragraph 5, it is essential for managers to_.(A)establish challenging targets(B) conduct inclusive market
15、analysis(C) calculate potential revenues and rewards(D)consider possible risks and costs5 Paragraph 6 implies that the biggest value of negative thinking is helping people_.(A)avoid being overwhelmed by low moods(B) get a clear picture of the way ahead(C) succeed in eliminating the inevitable in lif
16、e(D)accept the uncertainty of life5 Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and accords greater respect to those with greater expertise. With one exception; climate science. Wh
17、en it comes to this academic discipline, it seems that if you are a specialist in public sector food-poisoning supervision or possess a zoology PhD on sexual selection in birds, editors will seek your contrarian views more eagerly than if you have qualifications in climate science and a lifetimes pr
18、ofessional expertise. The press is further littered with climate “heretics“ almost all of whom have academic backgrounds in history and literature with a diploma in media studies. One plant expert trying to argue that glaciers were advancing took his data(described as simply false by the World Glaci
19、er Monitoring Service)from a former architect.Contrary to the beliefs of some contrarians, academia welcomes the Galileos and encourages scepticism. It wants its hypotheses robustly tested precisely because it wants to pass those tests. Its stern system of peer review is sensible and conscientious.
20、One more thing is required of academia; to play its role right at the heart of democracy. Being adequately informed is a democratic duty, just as the vote is a democratic right. A misinformed electorate, voting without knowledge, is not a true democracy. Society needs the expertise of academics in t
21、he most important issues; climate science above all.A democracy then needs the press to disperse academias knowledge and to do so with integrity. But the medias ambition to be entertaining and provocative too often overrules its respect for intellectual rigour. Journalists cannot hold degrees in eve
22、ry subject they report on, but their job is not to claim they know the science better than the experts, or to practise that skilled deception of pretending there is controversy when the consensus is overwhelming. But a controversy is more fun, and the mediafleeing towards infotainment is losing sigh
23、t of the core purpose of its activity: to be a truthful messenger, in this case between the world of academia and the public.I would propose a system of certification for media articles in which there is a clear issue of social responsibilitya kitemark of quality assurance. It would be awarded by te
24、ams of academics, and be given to the article, not the journalist, recognising the facts, not the sometimes deceptive credibility of being a “personality“. It would be awarded when the article is accurate, using reliable sources and peer reviewed studies.The certification should be voluntary. Im not
25、 against entertainment; if someone wants to read nonsense, let them, but I resent the appearance of parity between two articles on an issue as serious as climate change when one article is actually gibberish masked in pseudoscience and the other is well informed and accurate. Just because Galileo wa
26、s a heretic doesnt make every heretic a Galileo.6 When it comes to climate science, editors tend to_.(A)welcome amateur criticism(B) favor contrarian views(C) value expert advices(D)deny skeptical opinions7 “One more thing“(Line 3, Para 2)refers to “_“.(A)to have hypotheses tested(B) to encourage sk
27、epticism(C) to get comprehensive information(D)to vote in major social issues8 It is indicated in paragraph 3 that journalists often_.(A)doubt the credibility of expert consensus(B) feel overconfident about their learning(C) deceive readers with invented information(D)sacrifice truth for entertainme
28、nt9 The proposed system of certification is intended to award_.(A)responsible teams of academics(B) respectable scientific media(C) honest media articles(D)ambitious journalists10 What is the best title for this text?(A)The Media should stop giving Climate Change Heretics an Easy Ride(B) Democracy C
29、alls for a Valid System of Quality Certification(C) Climate Science Should Welcome the Galileos.(D)Academia Need to Consolidate Its Social Responsibility10 Artists routinely mock businesspeople as money-obsessed bores. Or worse. Many business people, for their part, assume that artists are a bunch o
30、f pretentious wasters. Bosses may stick a few modernist paintings on their boardroom walls. But they seldom take the arts seriously as a source of inspiration.The bias starts at business school, where “hard“ things such as numbers and case studies rule. It is reinforced by everyday experience. Bosse
31、s constantly remind their underlings that if you cant count it, it doesnt count. Managers reading habits often reflect this no nonsense attitude. Few read deeply about art. The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump does not count; nor does Sun Tzus The Art of War. Some popular business books rejoice in th
32、eir vulgarism: consider Wess Roberts Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun.But lately there are welcome signs of a thaw on the business side of the great cultural divide. Business presses are publishing a series of books such as The Fine Art of Success, by Jamie Anderson. Business schools such as the
33、 Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto are trying to learn from the arts.Mr Anderson points out that many artists have also been superb entrepreneurs. Damien Hirst was e-ven more enterprising. He not only realised that nouveau-riche collectors would pay extraordinary sums for dead
34、 cows and jewel-encrusted skulls. He upturned the art world by selling his work directly through Sothebys, an auction house. Whatever they think of his work, businesspeople cannot help admiring a man who parted art-lovers from 70. 5m on the day that Lehman Brothers collapsed.Studying the arts can he
35、lp businesspeople communicate more eloquently. Most bosses spend a huge amount of time “messaging“ and “reaching out“, yet few are much good at it. Their prose is larded with cliches and garbled with gobbledegook. Half an hour with George Orwells Why I Write would work wonders.Studying the arts can
36、also help companies learn how to manage bright people. Rob Goffee of the London Business School points out that todays most productive companies are dominated by what they call “clevers“, who are the devil to manage. They hate being told what to do by managers, whom they regard as dullards. They ref
37、use to submit to performance reviews. In short, they are prima donnas. The arts world has centuries of experience in managing such difficult people. Publishers coax books out of authors. Directors persuade actresses to cooperate with actors they hate. Their tips might be worth hearing.Studying the a
38、rt world might even hold out the biggest prize of all-helping business become more innovative. Companies are scouring the world for new ideas. In their quest for creativity, they surely have something to learn from the creative industries. Look at how modern artists adapted to the arrival of photogr
39、aphy, a technology that could have made them redundant, or how J. K. Rowling(the creator of Harry Potter)kept trying even when publishers rejected her novel.11 Artists and husinesspeople routinely_.(A)despise each other(B) compete fiercely against each other(C) cooperate with each other(D)steal idea
40、s from each other12 Damien Hirst is mentioned as_.(A)a businessman who benefits greatly from learning from the arts(B) a businessman who is good at dealing with art works(C) an artist who is good at doing business(D)an artist whose works changed the art world13 Which hook might be thought by the aut
41、hor as having the least value?(A)The Art of War.(B) Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun.(C) The Fine Art of Success.(D)Why I Write.14 “prima donna“(Line 4, Para 6)is most likely to refer to a person who is_.(A)bright(B) arrogant(C) hateful(D)dull15 By learning from the art world, businesses can_.(A
42、)endow their products with artistic characteristics(B) master an efficient message-collecting method(C) train the difficult people to be more obedient(D)improve their adaptability and perseverance15 One can dredge up ancient instances of “so“ as a sentence starter. In his 14th-century poem “Troilus
43、and Criseyde,“ Chaucer launched a verse with, “So on a day he . “ But for most of its life, “so“ has principally been a conjunction, an intensifier and an adverb, hiding in the middle of sentences. What is new is its status as the favored introduction to thoughts, its encroachment on the territory o
44、f “well,“ “oh,“ “urn“ and so on.So it is widely believed that the recent ascendancy of “so“ began in Silicon Valley. In immigrant-filled technology firms, it democratized talk by replacing a world of possible transitions with a catchall. And “so“ suggested a kind of thinking that appealed to problem
45、-solving software types: conversation as a logical, unidirectional process if this, then that.This logical hint to “so“ has followed it out of software. Compared to “well“ and “urn,“ starting a sentence with “so“ uses the whiff of logic to relay authority. Whereas “well“ vacillates, “so“ declaims. T
46、o answer a question with “so“ better suits the age, perhaps: an age in which Facebook and Twitter encourage ordinary people to stay on message; in which we are moving toward declamatory blogs and away from down-the-middle reporting.“So“ also echoes the creeping influence of science- and data-driven
47、culture. It would have been unimaginable a few decades ago that ordinary people would quantify daily activities like eating and sleeping. But in the algorithmic times that have come, “so“ conveys an algorithmic certitude. It suggests that there is a right answer, which the evidence dictates and whic
48、h must not be contradicted. Among its synonyms, after all, are “consequently,“ “thus“ and “therefore. “And yet Galina Bolden, a linguistics scholar believes that “so“ is also about the culture of empathy that is gaining steam as the world embraces the increasing complexity of human backgrounds and g
49、eographies. To begin a sentence with “oh,“ is to focus on what you have just remembered and your own concerns. To begin with “so,“ she said, is to signal that ones coming words are chosen for their relevance to the listener. The ascendancy of “so,“ Dr. Bolden said, “suggests that we are concerned with displaying interest for others and downplaying our interest in our own affairs. “So“ seems also to reflect our tight relationship with time. Today we live in fragments. In such a world, “so“ defragmen