2014考研英语模拟测试题三
Section I Use of EnglishDirections:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on
ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)
Many foreigners who have not visited Britain call all the inhabitants English, for they are used to thinking of
the British Isles England. 1 , the British Isles contain a variety of peoples, and only the people of England
call themselves English. The others 2 to themselves as Welsh, Scottish, or Irish, 3 the case may be;
they are often slightly annoyed 4 being classified as “English”.
Even in England there are many 5 in regional character and speech. The chief 6 is between
southern England and northern England. South of a 7 going from Bristol to London, people speak the type
of English usually learnt by foreign students, 8 there are local variations.
Further north regional speech is usually “ 9 ” than that of southern Britain. Northerners are 10 to
claim that they work harder than Southerners, and are more 11 . They are open-hearted and hospitable;
foreigners often find that they make friends with them 12 . Northerners generally have hearty 13 : the
visitor to Lancashire or Yorkshire, for instance, may look forward to receiving generous 14 at meal times.
In accent and character the people of the Midlands 15 a gradual change from the southern to the
northern type of Englishman.
In Scotland the sound 16 by the letter “R” is generally a strong sound, and ”R” is often pronounced in
words in which it would be 17 in southern English. The Scots are said to be a serious, cautious, thrifty
people, 18 inventive and somewhat mystical. All the Celtic peoples of Britain (the Welsh, the Irish, the
Scots) are frequently 19 as being more “fiery” than the English. They are 20 a race that is quite
distinct from the English. (289 words)
Notes: fiery暴躁的，易怒的。
1. In consequence In brief In general In fact
2. confine attach refer add
3. as which for so
4. with by at for
5. similarities differences certainties features
6. factor virtue privilege division
7. line row border scale
8. who when though for
9. wider broader rarer scarcer
10. used apt possible probable
11. perfect notorious superior thorough
12. swiftly promptly immediately quickly
13. appetites tastes interests senses
14. helpings offerings fillings findings
15. designate demonstrate represent reckon
16. delivered denoted depicted defined
17. quiet obscure faint silent
18. rather still somehow even
19. rendered thought impressed described
20. with of among against
Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D.
Text 1
As every physics student learns, there are four known forces of nature: gravity, electromagnetism, a “strong
force” that binds atomic nuclei and a “weak force” that governs certain types of radioactive decay. Last week
researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory announced that they may have found the best evidence yet for
a hypothetical, elusive ”fifth force”. If confirmed, their findings could mean that Sir Issac Newton’s famous
inverse-square law of gravity is in danger of losing the dignified position it has held for three centuries. “It’s like
saying Mem and apple pie’s no good any more,” admits the leader of the gravity project, Geophysicist Mark
Ander. “You just don’t do that lightly.”
The physicists reached their conclusion as the result of an experiment conducted in Greenland last summer.
They lowered a supersensitive meter into a mile-deep hole bored in glacial ice-chosen because its density is more
uniform than that of rock-and monitored the gravity as the meter descended. What occurred was startling: the
expected increase in gravitational force predicted by Newton was there, but it got stronger, faster than expected.
Either something was enhancing the force of gravity or the researchers had come upon a heretofore unknown, far
more complex working of gravity itself. Or, just possibly, they had made a mistake.
The fifth force, if that is what it is, has been a source of debate among physicists since its existence was
suggested in 1981 by Australian mineshaft experiments. Five years later, Purdue University Physics Professor E.
Fischbach measured a weak force he called “hypercharge” and theorized that it caused objects of different
composition to fall at different rates. Since Fischbach’s finding, as many as 45 experiments have sprung up in
search of the mystery force, and so far each has served only to confuse rather than clarify the issue.
Jim Thomas, a physicist at the California Institute of Technology, praises the technical precision of Ander’s
experiment, but cautions that measuring gravity in holes is inexact at best. He points out, for example, that an
aberration (脱离正轨) in the earth’s crust might have caused the unusual measurements. “What we are talking
about is the possible modification of gravity, which is the fourth force,” adds Thomas. Even Ander stresses the
strict confirmation is needed before he accepts the results of his Greenland experiment. Says he: “Gee, I’ve gotta
be wrong---Newton certainly can’t be wrong!”
21. Mark Ander’s attitude towards the results of the Greenland experiment is that he .
A. is doubtful of the results of the experiment
B. is convinced of the accuracy of the experiment
C. is sure that Newton’s law of gravity is inexact
D. believes that the results of the experiment are wrong
22. Which of the following is NOT true of the Greenland experiment?
A. The purpose of it was to examine gravity.
B. The findings of it have not yet been confirmed.
C. It was not conducted with a gravity meter in an ice hole.
D. The results of it seemed to fall in with Newton’s theory.
23. It can be deduced from the third paragraph that .
A. Australians first suggested the fifth force in 1981
B. many experiments confirmed Fischbach’s view on the existence of the fifth force
C. a series of experiments has not yet justified Fischbach’s discovery
D. the debate on the fifth force has not so much confused as clarified the issue
24. It can be learned from the text that .
A. Jim Thomas believes that the results of the Greenland experiment are incredible
B. Professor E. Fischbach deems that his “hyper-charge” renders it possible for bodies of different
composition to descend at different speeds
C. The experiments in search of the mystery force have clarified the problem now
D. All the experiments in search of the mystery force seemed to be enhanced
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25. The best title for this text might be .
A. The Five Forces in Nature
B. The Fifth Force---Confirmed
C. The Greenland Experiment on a “Fifth” Force
D. Discovery of the existence of a Fifth Force
Text 2
The phrase “progressive education” is one, if not of protest, at least of contrast, of contrast with an
education which was predominantly static in subject-matter, authoritarian in methods, and mainly passive and
receptive from the side of the young. But the philosophy of education must go beyond any idea of education that
is formed way of contrast, reaction and protest. For it is an attempt to discover what education is and how it takes
place. Only when we identify education with schooling does it seem to be a simple thing to tell what education
actually is, and yet a clear idea of what it is gives us the only criterion for judging and directing what goes on in
schools.
It is sometimes supposed that it is the business of the philosophy of education to tell what education should
be. But the only way of deciding what education should be, at least, the only way which does not lead us into the
clouds, is discovery of what actually takes place when education really occurs. And before we can formulate a
philosophy of education we must know how human nature is constituted in the concrete; we must know about the
working of actual social forces; we must know about the operations through which basic raw materials are
modified into something of greater value.
The need for a philosophy of education is thus fundamentally the need for finding out what education really
is. We have to take those cases in which we find there is real development of desirable powers, and then find out
how the development took place. Then we can project what has taken place in these instances as a guide for
directing our other efforts. The need for this discovery and this projection is the need for a philosophy of
education.
What then is education when we find actual satisfactory specimens of it in existence? In the first place, it is a
process of development, of growth. And it is the process and not merely the result that is important. A truly
healthy person is not something fixed and completed. He is a person whose processes and activities go on in such
a way that he will continue to be healthy. Similarly, an educated person is the person who has the power to go on
and get more education.
In any case, development and growth involve change and modification, and modification in definite
directions. It is quite possible for a teacher, under the supposed sanction of the idea of cultivating individuality,
to fixate a pupil more or less at his existing level. Respect for individuality is primarily intellectual. It signifies
studying the individual to see what there is to work with. Having this sympathetic understanding, the practical
work then begins, for the practical work is one of modification, of changing, of reconstruction continued without
end. The change must at least be towards more effective techniques, towards greater self-reliance, towards a
more thoughtful and inquiring disposition, one more capable of persistent effort in meeting obstacles.
26. In the author’s view, the philosophy of education .
A. is identical to the conception of progressive education
B. studies the essence of education and the way it occurs
C. conforms to any idea of education that is conservative and authoritarian
D. deals with the judgment and direction of school management
27. The philosophy of education is supposed .
A. to result from real understanding of occurrences in actual schooling
B. to be the only way leading to obscure understanding of education
C. to have taken place when education first came into existence
D. to be the basis on which decisions on practical education are formulated
28. The chief task of the philosophy of education is .
A. to analyze the constitution of human nature in great detail
B. to clarify the practical effects of social forces on education
C. to present how raw materials are made into valuable goods
D. to find out the way of how to bring out the best human faculties
29. The significance of desirable education lies .
A. more in its operation than in its modification
B. less in its modification than in its operation
C. not only in its result but also in its process
D. rather in its process than in its result
30. The author argues that .
A. the supposed approval of the idea of cultivating individuality is reasonable
B. modification refers to making a pupil develop in a fixed direction
C. to respect individuality means to discover whether an individual is worth modifying
D. true education should be based on cultivating a person according to his/her natural talent
Text 3
About thirty years ago, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned employment decisions that
discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. To avoid legal penalties, companies
created affirmative action programs. These programs became highly controversial, for they were seen by some as
a form of reverse discrimination. Both praised and condemned, affirmative action programs remain in effect.
Since the passage of Title VII, the United States has undergone a major demographic shift. California will
soon have a population of 50 percent Hispanic American and nonwhite. More than half of the nation’s work
force now consists of minorities, immigrants, and women; white, native-born males, though still dominant, has
become a statistical minority. In addition, about 80 percent of new workers are not white males.
Affirmative action relied heavily on assimilation, the process by which minorities are absorbed into the
dominant culture. Generally, assimilation involves abandoning distinctive cultural patterns of behavior in favor
of those of the dominant culture. Two, three, four generations ago, people who immigrated to this country
routinely changed their names to help them enter the mainstream as soon and as completely as possible.
In contrast, the huge successes of the women’s movement and civil rights activism have helped Americans
to appreciate their differences, even to celebrate them. This change is transforming the workplace, for people
who are comfortable and proud of being different are much less amenable to assimilation. “You don’t have to
aspire to be a white male or a member of the dominant group,” says Thomas, “People are willing to be part of
each, but they won’t jump into the melting pot anymore.”
Diversity in the workplace is much more than skin color. Diversity also refers to gender, age, religion, social
class, sexual orientation, and even to military experience.
Realizing that assimilation is probably not the way of the future, companies as diverse as IBM, Ford, and
3M have begun programs called ”Managing Diversity” or “Valuing Diversity.” The goals of these programs are
threefold: (1) to uncover and root out biases and prejudices about people’s differences, (2) to increase awareness
and appreciation of people’s differences, and (3) to teach people “skills”, especially communication and
negotiation skills, for working with diverse groups.
From a functionalist perspective, we would say that programs in managing diversity are an adjustment in the
economic system. They will help meet needs caused by changing demographics within the nation and new
international relations that require American corporations to be more competitive. From a symbolic interaction
perspective, we would say that these programs reflect a change in symbols---that they illustrate how being
different from the dominant group now has a different meaning than it used to. These programs not only reflect
that change, they also foster further change in the meaning of diversity. From a conflict perspective, we would
say that the key term in managing diversity programs is not diversity, but managing. No matter what they are
called, these programs are merely another way to exploit labor.
31. What is the goal of Title VII?
To ensure a smooth shift of population.
To do away with any kind of discrimination.
To help companies create the affirmative action programs.
To guard against reverse discrimination.
32. It can be inferred from the passage that a reverse discrimination is one
in which the minorities and women are discriminated against.
by which companies tackle their problems of gender and racial discrimination.
in which the white people suffer discrimination in employment.
that goes against the affirmative action programs.
33. By saying that the American people “won’t jump into the melting pot anymore,” (Para. 4) Thomas means
that they
are willing to keep their distinctive features.
are not so brave as the former generations.
do not appreciate the American culture at all.
no longer follow the civil rights activists so readily.
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34. Which of the following is NOT a goal of affirmative action programs initiated by companies?
To eliminate prejudices.
To avoid legal penalties.
To increase employment among the minorities.
To meet the needs of diverse kinds of customers.
35. The last paragraph is mainly about
how companies exploit their workers through managing diversity.
what companies expect of their affirmative action programs.
the implications of the affirmative action programs.
the national and international action against the exploitation of workers.
Text 4
“Heaven is where the police are English, the cooks are French, the mechanics are German, the lovers are
Italian and everything is organized by the Swiss. Hell is where the police are German, the cooks are English, the
mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and everything is organized by the Italians.” Obviously the national
stereotypes in this old joke are generalizations, but such stereotypes are often said to “exist for a reason.” Is there
actually a sliver of truth in them? Not likely, an international research team now says. The study, which
compares “typical” personalities in many cultures with the personalities of real individuals from those cultures,
appears in Friday’s issue of the journal Science.
Generalizations about cultures or nationalities can be a source of identity, pride…and bad jokes. But they
can also cause a great deal of harm. Both history and current events are full of examples in which unfavorable
stereotypes contribute to prejudice, discrimination, persecution or even genocide. “National and cultural
stereotypes do play an important role in how people perceive themselves and others, and being aware that these
are not trustworthy is a useful thing,” said study author Robert McCrae of the National Institute on Aging.
In the study, McCrae’s team began with two groups of surveys they had previously collected in a wide
variety of countries. They averaged the profiles in each of the two sets, producing one profile that reflected how
volunteers rated their own personalities and another profile that reflected how they rated the personalities of
other individuals they knew. The researchers also conducted a third survey in about 50 countries, using questions
about the same 30 characteristics---but in this survey, they asked the volunteers to describe a typical person from
their culture. They averaged these results, so that they had a third personality profile for each country, reflecting
the national stereotype.
The authors found that in most of the countries, the two personality profiles that were based on information
from real people matched each other reasonably well. But they were significantly different from the stereotype
profile. “There was essentially no agreement between people’s perceptions of the typical personality (in their
culture) and what we actually measured,” McCrae said.
The one exception was Poland, where the ratings from volunteers provided a better-than-usual match
between typical and real personalities, suggesting the volunteers were better at seeing past stereotypes to
perceive people as they really are. Perhaps in heaven, the therapists are Polish.
36. The word “stereotype” in this passage probably refers to
a formulaic image of a people.
a traditional habit of a nationality.
a national characteristic.
discrimination held against a people.
37. The recently-published study shows that
stereotypes can be a source of identity and national pride.
discrimination based on national stereotypes is still rampant.
there is a scientific basis for national stereotypes.
real personalities don’t match national stereotypes.
38. It can be inferred from the text that one of the purposes of the study is to
show generalizations about nationalities are not jokes.
find out the area in which the nationality is the best.
identify the reasons behind national stereotypes.
make people aware of harms of stereotypes.
39. The main comparison made in the study is between the results of
the first survey and the second one.
the first survey and the third one.
the second survey and the third one.
the first two surveys and the third one.
40. The Polish people are found to
be better at identifying people.
impose stereotypes on people.
have an unpleasant national character.
be the best as therapists.
Part B
Directions:
You are going to read a list of headings and a text about forest fires. Choose the most suitable heading
from the list~for each numbered paragraph (41~45). The first and last paragraphs of the text are
not numbered. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use. Mark your answers on ANSWER
SHEET 1. (10 points)
Pervasive human influence.
Underlying factors.
Devastating to forests & humans.
Fires in a flux.
Fires good and bad.
Health hazards.
Each year, fires burn millions of hectares of forest worldwide. The resulting loss and degradation of
forested land is roughly equal to that caused by destructive logging and conversion to agriculture combined, and
has wide-reaching consequences on biodiversity, health and the economy, among others.
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41.
Fire is sometimes essential for forest regeneration, or provides tangible benefits for local communities. In
other cases it destroys forests and has dire social and economic consequences. Forest fires are a natural part of
ecosystems in many, but not all, forest types: in boreal and dry tropical forests, for example, they are a frequent
and expected feature, while in tropical moist forests they would naturally be absent or at least rare enough to play
a negligible role in ecology. Fires become a problem when they burn in the wrong places, or in the right places
but at the wrong frequency or the wrong temperatures. Fires in forests that burn under natural circumstances
become a problem when those forests are used for a particular purpose, such as settlement or timber production.
42.
Globally, most forest fires are probably now directly or indirectly influenced by humans. But in many
areas that are hot and dry for part of each year, where frequent fires would be expected, human influence has
now become so pervasive that most fires are “unnatural”.
43.
Fires are usually signs of bigger, underlying problems. These underlying problems or factors include
inappropriate economic incentives (such as subsidies for plantation agriculture) that stimulate the use of fire as a
means of clearing forested land, inequitable or unclear land tenure leading to land and resource conflicts, failure
to recognize or respect customary law, and weak or under-resourced government institutions.
44.
The immediate impact of forest fires can be devastating to human communities and forest ecosystems alike.
Fires can alter the structure and composition of forests, opening up areas to invasion by fast-colonizing alien
species and threaten biological diversity. Buildings, crops and plantations are destroyed and lives can be lost. For
companies, fire can mean the destruction of assets; for communities, besides loss of an important resource base,
fire can also lead to environ-
Mental degradation through impacts on water cycles, soil fertility and biodiversity; and for farmers, fire may
mean the loss of crops or even livelihoods.
45.
Severe forest fires, such as those in Indonesia in 1997/1998 and in Australia in 2001/2002, bring
critical and in some cases life-threatening levels of pollutants. The health of as many as 75 million people may
have been adversely affected by the Indonesian fires, with some 40000 hospitalized for respiratory and other
pollution-related ailments such as asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia, as well as eye and skin problems. The total
cost of the fires was estimated at US$9.3 billion.
At the moment, action to combat forest fires only takes place when fires are burning, with rare attempts
made to address the underlying causes. Since government capacity is often lacking at local level, local
communities are becoming increasingly involved in forest management and conservation, to the extent that many
governments now expect communities to participate in managing fires.
Part C
Directions:
Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese.
There is a difference between science and technology. Science is a method of answering theoretical
questions; technology is a method of solving practical problems. (46) Science has to do with discovering the
facts and relationships between observable phenomena in nature and with establishing theories that serve to
organize these facts and relationships. Technology has to do with tools, techniques, and procedures for
implementing the findings of science.
Another distinction between science and technology has to do with the progress in each. Progress in science
excludes the human factor. (47) Scientists, who seek to comprehend the universe and know the truth with the
highest degree of accuracy and certainty, cannot pay attention to their own or other people’s likes or dislikes, or
to popular ideas about the fitness of things. What scientists discover may shock or anger people---as did Darvin’s
theory of evolution. But even an unpleasant truth is more than likely to be useful; besides, we have the option of
refusing to believe it! (48) But hardly so with technology; we do not have the option of refusing to hear the sonic
boom produced by a supersonic aircraft flying overhead; we do not have the option of refusing to breathe
polluted air. (49) The legitimate purpose of technology is to serve people---people in general, not merely some
people; and future generation, not merely those who presently wish to gain advantage for themselves.
We are all familiar with the abuses of technology. (50) Many people blame technology itself for widespread
pollution, and even social decay---so much so that the promise of technology is obscured. That promise is a
cleaner and healthier world. If wise applications of science and technology do not lead to a better world, what
else will?
Section III Writing
Part A
51. Directions:
You and your classmates have decided to have a dinner party before graduation. Please write an invitation
letter to your teachers including the following information:
1) the purpose of this dinner party,
2) the people who attend the party, and
3) time and place for it.
You should write about 100 words on Answer Sheet 2. Do not sign your name at the end of the letter. Use
“Li Ming” instead. You do not need to write the address.
Part B
52. Directions:
In this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition of no less than 150 words on The Increase in
the Number of Chinese Traveling Abroad. Study the following chart carefully and case your composition on the
information given in the chart.
1. State the changes in the number of Chinese traveling abroad in the past three years.
2. Give possible reasons for the changes.
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