1、全国自考（英语阅读一）模拟试卷 3 及答案与解析一、CAREFUL READING0 What better occasion than Valentines Day to ask for your sweethearts hand? In America,the answer is almost any other. Most love-stuck American men are unaware of the perils of proposal. Many will surprise girlfriends with a diamond engagement ring.Suitors (
2、求偶者)would do well to consider what might happen to that expensive rock if the engagement is broken off before the wedding day. Etiquette and common sense dictate that the ring should be returned to the man. In many states, that is what the law requires too.But not all. Brian Bix, a law professor at
3、Quinnipiac College in Connecticut, points out that in some parts of America it matters who is responsible for the break-up. In his state, if the man is to blame, legal precedent suggests that the woman keeps the ring. Things are not so clear in neighbouring New York.When the ring is given might matt
4、er too, for some states could let the finance keep the ring if she can convince a court that it was an “unconditional“ gift, rather than one given for possible marriage. Legal scholars say this is a very tricky point. But one thing is clear. A woman could strengthen the argument that the ring was gi
5、ven unconditionally if she had received it on a traditional gift-giving occasion, such as Valentines Day.Luckily for romance, De Beers brought to the market an undisputedly eternal option: the Millennium diamond, which comes with a serial number and an appropriately epochal logo etched (蚀刻) into the
6、 stone by lasers. Officials at the diamond cartel are confident that the limited edition of 20,000 gems will go fast.No doubt many men will rush to buy these diamonds, which De Beers vows not to issue again until 3,000. How could any fellow fail to win his girls heart with such a “once-in-a-millenni
7、um“ token (信 物)? Just to be safe, though, better not give it on her birthday?1 According to the passage, when do most American men propose? ( )（A）On Valentine s Day.（B） On the birthday of his sweetheart.（C） On any other day than Valentine s Day.（D）On the eve of the wedding day.2 The phrase “the peri
8、ls of proposal“ (Para. 1)refers to which of the following? ( )（A）The proposal may be turned down.（B） The diamond rings may be fake.（C） The diamond ring may not be returned if the engagement is broken off.（D）The sweetheart may be a tricky person.3 According to the author, men should propose_ . ( )（A）
9、on Valentines Day（B） on the sweethearts birthday（C） on New Years Day（D）on a workday4 The word “millennium“ (Para. 5) means_ . ( )（A）one thousand years（B） one hundred years（C） a generation（D）a lifetime5 The information contained in the passage is most useful to _. ( )（A）a man who is about to propose（
10、B） a woman who is about to marry（C） a newly-married couple（D）manufacturers of diamond rings5 Albert Einstein once attributed the creativity of a famous scientist to the fact that he never went to school, and therefore preserved the rare gift of thinking freely. There is undoubtedly a truth in Einste
11、ins observation;many artists and geniuses seem to view their schooling as a disadvantage. But such a truth is not a criticism of schools. It is the function of schools to civilize, not to train explorers. The explorer is always a lonely individual whether his or her pioneering be in art, music, scie
12、nce or technology. The creative explorer of unmapped lands shares with the genius what William James described as the “faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way. “ In so far as schools teach perceptual patterns they tend to destroy creativity and genius. But if school could somewhat exist solely to
13、 cultivate genius, then society would break down. For the social order demands unity and widespread agreement, both traits that are destructive to creativity. There will always be conflict between the demands of society and the impulses of creativity and genius.6 Albert Einstein once thought that sc
14、hools_. ( )（A）helped develop the creativity of a scientist（B） preserved a rare gift for scientists（C） prevented a scientist from thinking freely（D）contributed a lot to science and technology7 To the authors opinion, schooling meets the need of_ ( )（A）genius（B） social order（C） faculty of perceiving .
15、（D）the impulses of creativity8 There will always be contradiction between_. ( )（A）the demands of society and schooling（B） cultivation of creativity and faculty of perceiving（C） social unity and schooling（D）creativity and widespread social agreement9 Einstein s observation is in accord with_. ( )（A）t
16、he schoolmaster s（B） the authors（C） that of many artists（D）both B and C10 Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage? ( )（A）Einstein and artists have said schools limit creativity and genius.（B） Schools should be designed to encourage creativity and social order.（C） Explorers and ge
17、niuses look at the world differently from the way most people do.（D）Schools can never satisfy the needs of both genius and society as a whole.10 Gopher Prairie, in which the action of Sinclair Lewis Main Street (1920) takes place, is a town of 3,000 inhabitants, smug, dull people whose one idea is t
18、o get on materially. They have no use for anyone who wishes something better for them; they oppose civic reform, cultural and educational projects. The most honored citizens are bankers. Carol, who has been to college and held a position as a librarian, comes to Gopher Prairie to live with her docto
19、r husband. Appalled by the stagnant life of the town,and failing to become adjusted to it,she tries a number of cultural ideas. Her efforts to establish a little theater meet with no encouragement. Indeed, the people merely think she is putting on airs. Her affection for her husband wanes, and she t
20、akes up with Erik Valborg, in whom she sees a spirit akin to her own. She leaves the little town for Washington D. C. , where she works as a government clerk. Later she returns to Gopher Prairie, better equipped than before to understand the forces which shape Main Street.At the time of its first ap
21、pearance,Main Street provoked a storm of protest on the ground that the novelist libeled good Americans. Today, no one thinks of repeating this charge. Indeed, as Lewis Gannett points out, Main Street has in no way changed except externally: it is the same Main Street; yet doubtless it reads Sinclai
22、r Lewis, novels as eagerly as the rest of the nation. At the time when Main Street was published Lewis was accused of hating dull people. The novelist retorted that he did not hate them. He loved them. The truth is, the world of 1920 could not stand criticism. The Pulitzer Prize Committee refused to
23、 award Main Street a prize. The novelist was to have his revenge six years later, when he rejected the same award for Arrowsmith.11 Which of the following is the central preoccupation of the people of Gopher Prairie? ( )（A）Progressive.（B） Material possessions.（C） Cultural activity.（D）Civic reform.12
24、 According to the passage, why is Carol unhappy in Gopher Prairie? ( )（A）She regrets that her husband is a doctor and not a banker.（B） She dislikes being a housewife and wants to live in Washington D.C.（C） She cannot find a job as a librarian or a theater director.（D）She finds the town residents dul
25、l and unreceptive to her ideas.13 According to the passage, why was there such adverse reaction to Main Street in 1920? ( )（A）People were reluctant to admit their faults.（B） Sinclair Lewis did not like honorable citizens.（C） Gopher Prairie was portrayed inaccurately.（D）The main character led an unco
26、nventional life.14 According to Lewis Gannett, how does Main Street today compare to Main Street of 1920? ( )（A）Its fame has led to a tourist boom.（B） Its people today would take Sinclair Lewis to court.（C） Its external appearance has altered.（D）Its residents today are quite different.15 According t
27、o the passage, which of the following statements best explains why Sinclair Lewis rejected the Pulitzer Prize for Arrowsmith? ( )（A）He thought Arrowsmith was not worthy of the honor.（B） He disapproved of the composition of the Pulitzer Prize Committee.（C） He claimed that the Pulitzer had no status.（
28、D）He felt the committee had unjustly overlooked his previous work.15 If you know exactly what you want,the best route to a job is to get specialized training. A recent survey shows that companies like the graduates in such fields as business and health care who can go to work immediately with very l
29、ittle on-the-job training.Thats especially true of booming fields that are challenging for workers. At Cornells School of Hotel Administration, for example, bachelor s degree graduates get an average of four or five job offers with salaries ranging from the high teens to the low 20s and plenty of ch
30、ances for rapid advancement. Large companies, especially, like a background of formal education coupled with work experience.But in the long run, too much specialization doesnt pay off. Business, which has been flooded with MBAs, no longer considers the degree an automatic stamp of approval. The MBA
31、 may open I doors and command a higher salary initially, but the impact of a degree washes out after five years.As further evidence of the erosion of corporate faith in specialized degrees, Michigan States Scheetz cites a pattern in corporate hiring practices. Although companies tend to take on spec
32、ialists as new hires, they often seek out generalists for middle and upper-level management. “ They want someone who isnt constrained by nuts and bolts to look at the big picture,“ says Scheetz.This sounds suspiciously like a formal statement that you approve of the liberal-arts graduate. Time and a
33、gain labor-market analysts mention a need for talents that liberal-arts majors are assumed to have: writing and communication skills, organizational skills, open-mindedness and adaptability, and the ability to analyze and solve problems. David Birch claims he does not hire anybody with an MBA or an
34、engineering degree. I hire only liberal-arts people because they have a less-than-canned way of doing things, says Birch. Liberal-arts means an academically thorough and strict program that includes literature,history, mathematics, economics, science, human behavior plus a computer course or two. Wi
35、th that under your belt, you can feel free to specialize. “A liberal-arts degree coupled with an MBA or some other technical training is a very good combination in the market place,“says Scheetz.16 What kinds of people are in high demand on the job market? ( )（A）Students with a bachelor s degree in
36、humanities.（B） People with an MBA degree from top universities.（C） People with formal schooling plus work experience.（D）People with special training in engineering.17 By saying “. . . but the impact of a degree washes out after five years“ (Line 4,Para. 3), the author means _. ( )（A）most MBA program
37、s fail to provide students with a solid foundation（B） an MBA degree does not help promotion to managerial positions（C） MBA programs will not be as popular in five years time as they are now（D）in five years people will forget about the degree the MBA graduates have got18 According to Scheetzs stateme
38、nt (Line 5-6, Para. 4), companies prefer_. ( )（A）people who have a strategic mind（B） people who are talented in fine arts（C） people who are ambitious and aggressive（D）people who have received training in mechanics19 David Birch claims that he only hires liberal-arts people because . ( )（A）they are m
39、ore capable of handling changing situations（B） they can stick to established ways of solving problems（C） they are thoroughly trained in a variety of specialized fields（D）they have attended special programs in management20 Which of the following statements does the author support? ( )（A）Specialists a
40、re more expensive to hire than generalists.（B） Formal schooling is less important than job training.（C） On-the-job training is, in the long run, less costly.（D）Generalists will outdo specialists in management.二、SPEED READING20 In the eighteenth-century, one of the first modern economists, Adam Smith
41、, thought that the“whole annual produce of the land and labour of every country“provided revenue to“three different orders of people: those who live by rent, those who live by wages, and those who live by profit“. Each successive stage of the industrial revolution, however, made the social structure
42、 more complicated.Many intermediate groups grew up during the nineteenth century between the upper middle class and the working class. There were small-scale industrialists as well as large ones, small shopkeepers and tradesmen, official and salaried employees, skilled and unskilled workers, and pro
43、fessional men such as doctors and teachers. Farmers and peasants continued in all countries as independent groups.During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the possession of wealth inevitably affected a persons social position. Intelligent industrialists with initiative made fortunes by th
44、eir wits which lifted them into an economic group far higher than that of their working class parents. But they lacked the social training of the upper class, who despised them as the“ new rich“.They often sent their sons and daughters to special schools to acquire social training. Here their childr
45、en, mixed with the children of the upper classes, were accepted by them, and very often found marriage partners from among them. In the same way, a thrifty, hardworking labourer, though not clever himself, might save for his son enough to pay for an extended secondary school education in the hope th
46、at he would move in a “white-collar“occupation, carrying with it a higher salary and a move up in the social scale.In the twentieth century the increased taxation of higher incomes, the growth of the social services, and the wider development of educational opportunity have considerably altered the
47、social outlook. The upper classes no longer are the sole, or even the main possessors of wealth, power and education, though inherited social position still carries considerable prestige.21 What criterion did Adam Smith seem to go by in his classification of social groups? ( )（A）The amount of wealth
48、.（B） The amount of money.（C） The social status.（D）The way of getting money.22 If you compare the first and second paragraphs, what groups of people did Adam Smith leave out in his classification? ( )（A）Officials and employees.（B） Peasants and farmers.（C） Doctors and teachers.（D）Tradesmen and landlor
49、ds.23 Who were the “new rich“ during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries? ( )（A）The upper class people.（B） Owners of large factories.（C） Intelligent industrialists.（D）Skilled workers who made their fortune.24 According to the passage, what did labourers do if they intended to make their children move up in the social ladder? ( )（A）They saved a lot of money for their children to receive higher education.（B） They tried to find marriage partners from the children of the upper class.（C） They made greater fortu
