1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 67 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 Ifs a brave man who claims “genius in science has become extinct“. But thats exactly what psychologist Dean Keith Simonton declared in Nature magazine. B
2、y this, he meant that neither the creation of a totally new discipline nor a revolution in scientific thought was likely to be forthcoming as the result of the work of a future lone heroic genius. If such radical developments were to occur, they would emerge from the work of large teams, he argued.
3、Thus the world was unlikely to produce a further Newton, Einstein or Darwin and he saw this as a tragic failing.I tend to agree with his analysis of how future discoveries will be made, with the possible exception of purely theoretical challenges; think of Andrew Wiles and his proof of Fermafs last
4、theorem as one exception that proves the rule. But for experimental sciences, a lone researcher transforming the world is harder to imagine. No individual can sit down at a bench and nail down the existence of the Higgs boson; the Large Hadron Collider is needed with its concomitant community of res
5、earchers. The heroic genius was always something of a myth, convenient shorthand to make it easier to make a narrative out of the act of discovery; an exciting tale, but not a very accurate depiction of how science and scientists operate. Newton wrote; “If I have seen a little further it is by stand
6、ing on the shoulders of giants“, recognising that his discoveries did not come about in isolation. Why should discovery need to be the work of a single mind to make it exciting? It will be just as important whether it is the product of one brain or one thousand.Concentrating on the brilliance of an
7、individual is to falsify the nature of most scientific research and mislead the aspiring scientist as to how discoveries are usually made. Why should it be attractive to the young to believe they need to be solitary workersthe white-coated, wild-haired researcher of too many films -if they are to su
8、cceed? Some scientists might fit that picture, but far fewer than youd believe from their media portrayals and ifs an image likely to be off-putting to many.Science progresses because people become expert in what is already known and then debate, argue, try something out and then something else when
9、 the first doesnt fit. It progresses because people reject or refine hypotheses as they learn about colleagues and rivals work and because people both share ideas and compete. Out of such endeavours novel ideas emerge and new fields develop.Perhaps there will be more geniuses in the future, perhaps
10、not. Science will always attract people with astonishing minds. But these will never be as important as the broader social structures of science, let alone as important as they think they are. Fundamentally, what matters is that, as a society, we continue to push at the boundaries of scientific know
11、ledge in whatever way is appropriate for the challenge in hand.1 The rule“(Line 3, Para. 2)refers to the statement that_.（A）geniuses in theoretical sciences will continue to emerge（B） the creation of new disciplines will be extremely difficult（C） teamwork is becoming the driving force for scientific
12、 advance（D）geniuses in science are regarded as heroes of our society2 By citing Newton, the author intends to convey the idea that_.（A）heroic geniuses are usually quite modest（B） the act of discovery is complex and difficult to describe（C） the story of a single genius is often inspiring（D）discovery
13、is always the result of collective wisdom3 According to the author, the practice of heroi/ing scientists_.（A）exaggerates the importance of their discoveries（B） distorts the essence of scientific progress（C） conceals the goals of most scientific research（D）inspires young scientists to work alone dili
14、gently4 The author tends to think that the path to novel ideas lies in_.（A）critical thinking（B） cooperation with others（C） independent endeavor（D）ambitious goals5 The authors attitude to Simonlons regret at the extinction of scientific genius is one of_.（A）appreciation（B） disapproval（C） tolerance（D）
15、ambivalence5 Is it possible for a child to have three parents? A paper just published in Nature by Shoukhrat Mital-ipov and his colleagues seems answer “yes“, for this study paves the way for the birth of children who, genetically, have one father, but two mothers.The reason this is possible is that
16、 a mothers genetic contribution to her offspring comes in two separable pieces. By far the largest is packed into the 23 chromosomes in the nucleus of an unfertilized egg. Besides, the mother also contributes what is known as mitochondrial DNA. And it is that fact which has allowed doctors to concei
17、ve of the idea of people with two mothers; one providing the nuclear DNA and one the mitochondrial sort. The reason for doing this is that mutations in mitochondrial DNA can cause disease. Each particular mitochondrial disease is rare. But there are lots of them. Mitochondrial disease is thus not a
18、huge problem, but it is not negligible, either.However, turning the experiment of mitochondrial transplantation into a medical procedure would be a long road, and not just scientifically. Dr Mitalipov has little doubt that his zygotes could be brought to term if they were transplanted into a womans
19、womb. That experiment, though, is illegal. But the fact that it now looks possible will surely stimulate debate about whether the law should be changed.Two kinds of questions arise. One kind is practical: would the process usually work and, if it did, would it always lead to a healthy baby who would
20、 have a normal chance of growing into a healthy adult? The second kind of question is moral, for what is being proposed is, in essence, genetic engineering. Not, perhaps, as classically conceived because no DNA is artificially modified. But it is engineering nevertheless, which might worry some peop
21、le.On the first kind of question, the signs are good. When Dr Mitalipov tested his zygotes, he could find no trace of mutated mitochondrial DNA. It is on the moral questions that things may stumble. Some people oppose such genetic modification in principle. Some worry about the consequences of a thi
22、rd adult being involved in the traditionally two-person process of parenthood though the mitochondrial contribution is restricted to genes for energy-processing proteins and is unlikely to have wider influences on family resemblance. Some worry that three-parented individuals may themselves be worri
23、ed by knowledge of their origin.In the end, whether three-parent children are permitted will probably depend on the public “uggh!“ factor. There was once opposition to in vitro fertilisation, with scornful terms like “test-tube baby“ being spread about. Now, IVF is routine, and it is routine because
24、 it is successful. What will probably happen to mitochondrial transplants is that one country permits the procedure, and the world will then see the consequences. If they are good, you will never find anyone who will admit to having opposed the transplants in the first place. If they are bad, the ph
25、rase “I told you so“ will ring aloud.6 Scientists interest in three-parent children conies from the desire of eliminating_.（A）a rare and life-threatening inherited disease（B） a huge number of rarely-occurring inherited diseases（C） the genetic influence from unhealthy parents（D）mutations in the nucle
26、ar DNA7 Which of the following statements about mitochondrial transplantation is true?（A）It has been adopted as a medical procedure.（B） It has been proved scientifically feasible.（C） It is currently regarded as an illegal act.（D）It involves artificial DNA modification.8 The application of mitochondr
27、ial transplantation might occur when_.（A）medical technology becomes highly developed（B） it can be tested to lead to a healthy baby（C） it is proven that family resemblance will not be affected（D）genetic engineering is socially accepted9 What is the authors attitude towards the public “uggh!“ factor?（
28、A）Ironic.（B） Understanding.（C） Appreciative.（D）Ambivalent.10 The last paragraph implies that mitochondrial transplantation_.（A）is controversial but worth pursuing（B） is technically feasible but morally unacceptable（C） is a technique with little bad consequences（D）is a long-awaited answer to mitochon
29、drial diseases10 The claims of vegetarians to the most environmentally responsible diets now appear to be validated by a report from leading scientists warning that catastrophic food shortages can only be avoided if the world switches to a mainly vegetarian diet in the next 40 years. With many regio
30、ns like the Sahel in Africa already facing near-famine conditions, 2 billion people already malnourished, and an estimated 2 billion increase in the world population by 2050, a global plant-based diet seems not just desirable but inevitable. The Stockholm International Water Institutes report notes
31、that one third of the worlds cultivated cropland produces grain to feed livestock rather than people.While there are strong environmental and health reasons to reduce our dependence on animal farming and for the better-off to drastically cut meat consumption, we must resist the temptation to abstrac
32、tly denote a universal vegetarian lifestyle as the sole or simple answer. At stake are also serious problems of overconsumption and the inequitable commandeering of global resources, neither of which will be solved merely by passing the braised tofu.In the name of “growth“, that capitalist holy cow,
33、 a smaller number of people consume far more than their share of essential resources. Wealth concentration generates different purchasing power that allows richer nations as well as the better-off in every nation to consumeand wastea disproportionate share of food, fuel, water and other resources. C
34、ultivated land itself is put towards profit through speculation, mining and logging, rather than feeding people. The predictable argument that overpopulation is the main problem remains a red herring. When one person can consume or waste between two and five peoples share at a time when per-capita f
35、ood production has increased, inequity, not human numbers, and the richer, not the poorer, are still the problem.Overconsumption and the corporatisation of food supply chains also underwrite the factory farming responsible for shocking levels of animal suffering and the exhaustion of marine ecosyste
36、ms. When they can afford to do so at all, the poor have eaten meat sustainably and relatively humanely through small numbers of livestock or by fishing in limited quantities. The irony of vegetarianism or veganism as a lifestyle choice in wealthier countries is that it correlates with the relative a
37、ffluence of being able to choose to spend your food budget on good-quality fruits, vegetables and grains. The less affluent remain condemned to buying whatever is cheapest, whether stale vegetables, processed foods or factory-farmed chicken.A serious discussion about food security and natural resour
38、ce usage must emphasise redistributive social justice and not just lifestyle choices in the abstract. The excessive consumption of animal products clearly poses an imminent danger to both planet and human existence. But addressing this cannot take the form of a forced plant-diet moralism. We need a
39、comprehensive reordering of the global economy and our priorities as human beings to end the limitless scandal that is widespread hunger.11 Leading scientists advocate vegetarian diet mainly to_.（A）protect the environment（B） solve the food crisis（C） save animals（D）preserve farmland12 “A red herring(
40、Line 6,Para. 3)“ might refer to something that_.（A）averts your attention from the main subject（B） wins enthusiastic support from the public（C） is true but not widely accepted（D）seems convincing but is hard to prove13 According to the author, the prime cause of food shortage is_.（A）sharp increase in
41、world population（B） inadequate food production（C） unbalanced wealth distribution（D）irrational utilization of cropland resources14 The author opposes a universal vegetarianism in that_.（A）it is unaffordable for the poor（B） it is detrimental to our health（C） it violates the custom of certain areas（D）i
42、t exerts great pressure on food supply chains15 The author suggests that the discussion about food security should stress_.（A）promoting a healthy and humane lifestyle（B） reducing the consumption of animal products（C） advancing the globalization of economy（D）redefining our priorities and pursuing goa
43、ls15 Amazon is under fire again, this time for profiling from ebooks on terror, hate and violence. The Muslim Council of Britain has called on Amazon to take “proper responsibility“ for the content of books on its site, with one e-book on sale reportedly including images of the Quran being burned an
44、d a woman being hanged.All booksellers make money out of books featuring terror or violence whether its Homers Iliad or JG Ballards Crash but virtual booksellers appear to present a new threat to public morality. Once upon a time, we could rely on traditional publishers to make sound editorial decis
45、ions to publish obscenity and bloodshed, now anyone can do it.The last time Amazon faced an outcry, over a book on paedophilia, it initially defended its actions with some guts, stating that it was censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message was objectionab
46、le and that it supported the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions. Ultimately, however, the book was withdrawn. A month later, Amazon was reported as having removed some erotica from its Kindle store. This was the same period in which it censored WikiLeaks, arguing that t
47、he website was in breach of its terms of service and was putting human rights workers at risk.Amazons inconsistency has made it more vulnerable to pressure. Its own guidelines on offensive material state that “what we deem offensive is probably about what you would expect“, which is almost as helpfu
48、l as the famous US supreme court judgment nearly 50 years ago on hardcore pornography, “I know it when I see it“. While such vagueness may give a wide latitude for freedom of expression, it also means that when theres enough moral outrage, it may be difficult for Amazon to resist caving in.Clearer g
49、uidelines are needed to protect free speech online and that should include material that causes offence. Expecting virtual booksellers and publishers to operate as taste and decency police would introduce unaccountable censorship based on subjective criteria.The famous obscenity trials of the 60s and 70s were only in rare cases about protecting great literatureit was the right to freedom of expression that was at stake, whatever the quality of the content. Shortly before he died, the great writer a
