2013考研法硕最新试题之二英语阅读理解

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　　Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes, 40 points)
        　　Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each of the passages is followed by 5 questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center.
        　　Passage One
        　　I hear many parents complain that their teenage children are rebelling. I wish it were so. At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents. You should be learning to stand on your own feet. But take a good look at the present rebellion. It seems that teenagers are all taking the same way of showing that they disagree with their parents. Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are holding one another's hands for reassurance.
        　　They claim they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But they all end up listening to the same record. Their reason for thinking or acting in such a way is that the crowd is doing it. They have come out of their cocoon into a larger cocoon.
        　　It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her own way. Industry has firmly carved out a market for teenagers. These days every teenager can learn from the advertisements what a teenager should have and be. This is a great barrier for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.
        　　But the barrier is worth climbing over. The path is worth following. You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party. You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records. You may have some thoughts that you don't care to share at once with your classmates. Well, go to it. Find yourself. Be yourself. Popularity will come—with the people who respect you for who you are. That's the only kind of popularity that really counts.
        　　31. The author's purpose in writing this passage is to tell______.
        　　A. readers how to be popular with people around
        　　B. teenagers how to learn to make a decision for themselves
        　　C. parents how to control and guide their children
        　　D. people how to understand and respect each other
        　　32. According to the author, many teenagers think they are brave enough to act on their own, but in fact most of them ______.
        　　A. have much difficulty understanding each other
        　　B. lack confidence
        　　C. dare not cope with any problems alone
        　　D. are very much afraid of getting lost
        　　33. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
        　　A. There is no popularity that really counts.
        　　B. Many parents think that their children are challenging their authority.
        　　C. It is not necessarily bad for a teenager to disagree with his or her classmates.
        　　D. Most teenagers are actually doing the same.
        　　34. The author thinks of advertisements as ______ to teenagers.
        　　A. inevitable B. influential
        　　C. instructive D. attractive
        　　35. The main idea of the last paragraph is that a teenager should______.
        　　A. differ from others in as many ways as possible
        　　B. become popular with others
        　　C. find his real self
        　　D. rebel against his parents and the popularity wave
        　　Passage Two
        　　Much unfriendly feeling towards computers has been based on the fear of widespread unemployment resulting from their introduction. Computers are often used as part of automated production systems requiring a least possible number of operators, causing the loss of many jobs. This has happened, for example, in many steelworks.
        　　On the other hand, computers do create jobs. They are more skilled and better paid, though fewer in number than those they replace. Many activities could not continue in their present form without computers, no matter how many people are employed. Examples are the check clearing (交换) system of major banks and the weather forecasting system.
        　　When a firm introduces computers, a few people are usually employed in key posts (such as jobs of operations managers) while other staff are re-trained as operators, programmers, and data preparation staff. After the new system has settled down, people in non-computer jobs are not always replaced when they leave, resulting in a decrease in the number of employees. This decrease is sometimes balanced by a substantial increase in the activity of the firm, resulting from the introduction of computers.
        　　The attitudes of workers towards computers vary. There is fear of widespread unemployment and of the takeover of many jobs by computer-trained workers, making promotion for older workers not skilled in computers more difficult.
        　　On the other hand, many workers regard the trend toward wider use of computers inevitable. They realize that computers bring about greater efficiency and productivity, which will improve the condition of the whole economy, and lead to the creation of more jobs. This view was supported by the former British Prime Minister, James Callaghan in 1979, when he made the point that new technologies hold the key to increased productivity, which will benefit the economy in the long run.
        　　36. The unfriendly feeling towards computers is developed from ______.
        　　A. the possible widespread unemployment caused by their introduction
        　　B. their use as part of automated production systems
        　　C. the least possible number of operators
        　　D. the production system in steelworks
        　　37. The underlined word “They” (Line 1, Par. 2) refers to______.
        　　A. computers B. jobs C. activities D. systems
        　　38. According to Paragraph 2, without computers ______.
        　　A. human activities could not continue
        　　B. there could not be weather forecasting systems
        　　C. many activities would have to change their present form
        　　D. banks would not be able to go on with check clearing
        　　39. According to the passage, what results from the introduction of computers?
        　　A. After re-training, all employees in the firm get new jobs.
        　　B. A considerable proportion of people are employed in key posts.
        　　C. The firm keeps all of its original staff members.
        　　D. The decrease in staff members may be balanced by the increase of firm activities.
        　　40. James Callaghan's attitude towards computers can be best described as______.
        　　A. doubtful B. regretful C. unfriendly D. supportive

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        　　Passage Three
        　　Loneliness has been linked to depression and other health problems. Now, a study says it can also spread. A friend of a lonely person was 52% more likely to develop feelings of loneliness. And a friend of that friend was 25% more likely to do the same.
        　　Earlier findings showed that happiness, fatness and the ability to stop smoking can also grow like infections within social groups. The findings all come from a major health study in the American town of Framingham, Massachusetts.
        　　The study began in 1948 to investigate the causes of heart disease. Since then, more tests have been added, including measures of loneliness and depression.
        　　The new findings involved more than 5,000 people in the second generation of the Framingham Heart Study. The researchers examined friendship histories and reports of loneliness. The results established a pattern that spread as people reported fewer close friends.
        　　For example, loneliness can affect relationships between next-door neighbors. The loneliness spreads as neighbors who were close friends now spend less time together. The study also found that loneliness spreads more easily among women than men.
        　　Researchers from the University of Chicago. Harvard and the University of California, San Diego, did the study. The findings appeared last month in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
        　　The average person is said to experience feelings of loneliness about 48 days a year. The study found that having a lonely friend can add about 17 days. But every additional friend can decrease loneliness by about 5%, or two and a half days.
        　　Lonely people become less and less trusting of others. This makes it more and more difficult for them to make friends---and likely that society will reject them.
        　　John Cacioppo at the University of Chicago led the study. He says it is important to recognize and deal with loneliness. He says people who have been pushed to the edges of society should receive help to repair their social networks.
        　　The aim should be to aggressively create what he calls a "protective barrier" against loneliness. This barrier, he says, can keep the whole network from coming apart.
        　　41. Besides loneliness, which of the following can also spread among people?
        　　A. Friendship B. Happiness C. Depression D. Smoking
        　　42. The Framingham Heart Study starting from 1948_________.
        　　A. expanded its research topics
        　　B. involved 5,000 patients of depression
        　　C. identified loneliness as one key factor for heart disease
        　　D. examined the relationship between loneliness and depression
        　　43. Which of the following is true about the spread of loneliness?
        　　A. It leads to a gradual loss of friends.
        　　B. It is a common phenomenon among women.
        　　C. It is often found in the neighborhood.
        　　D. It ruins the relationships between close friends.
        　　44. Having a lonely friend, you are more likely to ________.
        　　A. strengthen your friendship
        　　B. develop new friendship
        　　C. Increase the sense of loneliness
        　　D. reduce the sense of loneliness
        　　45. According to John Cacioppo at the University of Chicago, loneliness can_______.
        　　A. result in aggressiveness
        　　B. Cause people to be overprotective
        　　C. Infect social networks
        　　D. Push people to the verge of poverty
        　　Passage Four
        　　California has a new program called the Digital Textbook Initiative. "Starting this fall with high school math and science, we will be the first state in the nation to provide schools with a state-approved list of digital textbooks." That was Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in June. talking about his effort to get schools to use materials available free online. He listed reasons why he thinks digital textbooks make sense.
        　　California approves traditional textbooks in six-year cycles. Digital ones can offer the latest information. They lighten the load of school bags. They save paper and tress, and make learning more fun and interactive. And above all, he said they help schools with their finances.
        　　The state has had to make severe cuts in school spending because of deep financial problems. More than six million students attend California public schools.
        　　Earlier this year, California invited content developers to offer digital math and science materials for high schools. These had to meet at least 90% of the state's learning requirements. Specially trained teachers examined 16 textbooks and approved ten of them.
        　　Six of the ten were published by the CK12 Foundation, a nonprofit group that had been developing digital science and math books for about two years. The foundation paid teachers and other education professionals to write and edit them. The money came from a group financed by the Khosla Family.
        　　California cannot require schools to use the digital textbooks. Individual school districts will have to decide for themselves.
        　　Susan Martimo, a California Department of Education official, says she does not expect widespread use right away. He best guess is that some schools with a lot of technology will be the first to use them, but only in addition to their traditional books.
        　　School administrators point out that the texts may be free online, but students need a way to access them. Not everyone has a computer or electronic reader. Schools could print out copies, but that would not help the environment. Also, there is the cost to train teachers to use digital textbooks effectively.
        　　46. The Digital Textbook Initiative __________.
        　　A. will probably take effect in six years
        　　B. covers all the high school subjects
        　　C. has been approved by all states
        　　D. is advocated by California state governor
        　　47. The main reason for promoting digital textbooks is to ___________.
        　　A. help save money
        　　B. benefit the environment
        　　C. provide interesting materials
        　　D. reduce students' heavy burden
        　　48. The digital textbooks were approved by __________.
        　　A. trained teachers B. content developers
        　　C. Khosla Family D. Ck12 Foundation
        　　49. According to Susan Martimo, digital textbooks ____________.
        　　A. are not likely to have a widespread use
        　　B. will soon replace traditional ones
        　　C. will first be adopted by well-equipped schools
        　　D. are certain to be approved by school districts
        　　50. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that __________.
        　　A. schools are reluctant to print out copies
        　　B. the use of digital textbooks is not really free
        　　C. students need to pay for computers
        　　D. training teachers to use the textbooks is not efficient