2014年考研英语二命题人预测试卷（八）

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　　2014年考研英语二命题人预测试卷（八）答案解析
　　Section I Use of English
　　Directions:
　　Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) from each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)
　　The Treasury could pocket 20 million a year in extra fines once the country’s speed camera network is expanded. Motoring organizations warned that the ___1___ could become a poll tax on wheels, ___2___ huge number of drivers. There could be many more incidents of vandalism ___3___ cameras. The warnings came __­­_4___ a Daily Mail survey found almost all the 23 police forces in England and Wales were either ___5___ to expansion plans or considering ___6___.
　　Nationwide, the number of speeding tickets is expected to treble, ___7___ 90 million a year. __8___ the scheme, police keep some of the cash from fines to ___9___ the costs of fitting and maintaining extra cameras and___10___ that existing ones always have film in them. The rest will go to the Treasury. Both Ministers and police insist the scheme is aimed ___11___ at making roads safer. They point to trials in eight areas which cut collisions by a quarter and deaths and serious injuries by ___12___ a half.
　　But motoring organizations fear cameras will be sited on relatively safe ___13___ fast stretches to catch as many drivers as possible. Some forces are also expected to ___14___ the “threshold” speeds at which cameras are ___15___ to the absolute legal minimum-15 mph in a 10 mph limit, and 26 mph in a 20 mph zone. This could encourage drivers to stare at their speedometers instead of concentrating on the road, and ___16___ to more accidents. Sue Nicholson, head of campaigns at the RAC, said, “We don’t have a problem with speed cameras ___17___. But we do have concerns about ___18___they are sited. Police risk losing credibility___19____ motorists if cameras are seen as revenue-raising __20___ safety devices.”
　　1. A. promotions B. punishments C. penalties D. payments
　　2. A. isolating B. separating C. alienating D. detaching
　　3. A. towards B. against C. before D. over
　　4. A. so B. once C. as D. where
　　5. A. subjected B. engaged C. intended D. committed
　　6. A. taking part B. keeping silence
　　C. making exception D. paying respect
　　7. A. financing B. profiting C. funding D. netting
　　8. A. From B. Under C. On D. With
　　9. A. hide B. cover C. conceal D. veil
　　10. A. pledging B. assuring C. confirming D. ensuring
　　11. A. essentially B. strongly C. wholeheartedly D. purely
　　12. A. in all B. fewer than C. at most D. up to
　　13. A. but B. whereas C. though D. while
　　14. A. fit B. put C. set D. fix
　　15. A. levered B. geared C. handled D. triggered
　　16. A. lead B. add C. contribute D. resort
　　17. A. any less B. by itself C. after all D. as such
　　18. A. who B. when C. where D. which
　　19. A. in B. with C. against D. for
　　20. A. in spite of B. far from C. rather than D. by means of
　　SectionⅡ Reading Comprehension
　　Part A
　　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。(40points)
　　Text 1
　　Some of the concerns surrounding Turkey’s application to join the European Union, to be voted on by the EU’s Council of Ministers on December 17th, are economic-in particular, the country’s relative poverty. Its GDP per head is less than a third of the average for the 15 pre-2004 members of the EU. But it is not far off that of one of the ten new members which joined on May 1st 2004 (Latvia), and it is much the same as those of two countries, Bulgaria and Romania, which this week concluded accession talks with the EU that could make them full members on January 1st 2007.
　　Furthermore, the country’s recent economic progress has been, according to Donald Johnston, the secretary-general of the OECD, "stunning". GDP in the second quarter of the year was 13.4% higher than a year earlier, a rate of growth that no EU country comes close to matching. Turkey’s inflation rate has just fallen into single figures for the first time since 1972, and this week the country reached agreement with the IMF on a new three-year, $10 billion economic programme that will, according to the IMF’s managing director, Rodrigo Rato, "help Turkey... reduce inflation toward European levels, and enhance the economy’s resilience".
　　Resilience has not historically been the country’s economic strong point. As recently as 2001, GDP fell by over 7%. It fell by more than 5% in 1994, and by just under 5% in 1999. Indeed, throughout the 1990s growth oscillated like an electrocardiogram recording a violent heart attack. This irregularity has been one of the main reasons (along with red tape and corruption) why the country has failed dismally to attract much-needed foreign direct investment.
　　Its stock of such investment (as a percentage of GDP) is lower now than it was in the 1980s, and annual inflows have scarcely ever reached $1 billion (whereas Ireland attracted over $25 billion in 2003, as did Brazil in every year from 1998 to 2000).
　　One deterrent to foreign investors is due to disappear on January 1st 2005. On that day, Turkey will take away the right of virtually every one of its citizens to call themselves a millionaire. Six noughts will be removed from the face value of the lira; one unit of the local currency will henceforth be worth what 1m are now- i.e., about €0.53 ($0.70). Goods will have to be priced in both the new and old lira for the whole of the year, but foreign bankers and investors can begin to look forward to a time in Turkey when they will no longer have to juggle mentally with indeterminate strings of zeros.
　　21. What is Turkey’s economic situation now?
　　[A] Its GDP per head is far lagging behind that of the EU members.
　　[B] Its inflation rate is still rising.
　　[C] Its economy grows faster than any EU member.
　　[D] Its economic resilience is very strong.
　　22. We can infer from the second paragraph that__________.
　　[A] Turkey will soon catch the average GDP level of the 15 pre-2004 EU members
　　[B] inflation rate in Turkey used to be very high
　　[C] Turkey’s economy will keep growing at present rate
　　[D] IMF’s economic program will help Turkey join the EU
　　23. The word “oscillated” (Line 3, Paragraph 3) most probably means_________.
　　[A] fell
　　[B] climbed
　　[C] developed
　　[D] swang
　　24. Speaking of Turkey’s foreign direct investment, the author implies that_________.
　　[A] it’s stock is far less than that of other countries
　　[B] it does not have much influence on Turkey’s economic progress
　　[C] steady GDP growth will help Turkey attract more foreign direct investment
　　[D] Turkey’s economic resilience relies on foreign direct investment
　　25. We can draw a conclusion from the text that__________.
　　[A] foreign investment environment in Turkey will become better
　　[B] Turkey’s citizens will suffer heavy loss due to the change of the face value of the lira
　　[C] the local currency will depreciate with the removal of six noughts from the face value
　　[D] prices of goods will go up
　　Text 2
　　The train was running late, but the 35 aboriginal children who had traveled for two hours through the South Australian desert to meet it did not seem to mind. It was, after all, Australia’s and one of the world’s most unusual train journeys. When the Indian Pacific passenger train finally ground to a halt at Watson, a siding on Australia’s transcontinental line, the children burst into a rendition of a Spanish Christmas song, "Feliz Navidad", as Father Christmas disembarked to distribute gifts.
　　Watson is a red desert moonscape on the Nullarbor Plain at the eastern end of the world’s longest stretch of straight rail track, 478km (297 miles). This is a mere one-tenth of the 4,352km, three-day journey the train was making between Sydney on Australia’s east coast and Perth on the west coast. The Indian Pacific and its predecessors, such as the Tea and Sugar Train that took provisions to isolated outback communities, were once symbols of Australia’s conquest of its vast distances. But by the 1990s, air travel and the neglect of Australia’s railways by their federal and state-government owners almost killed the last east-west passenger train.
　　After threatening to close the loss-making Indian Pacific, the federal government in Canberra sold it and the Ghan, another outback passenger train, to Great Southern Railway (GSR), a British-owned private consortium, in 1997. GSR has now turned a first-year loss of A$20m ($15m) into a small operating profit by restoring rolling stock, hiring young, multi-skilled, non-unionized crews and re-marketing the trains to locals and tourists alike. One innovation was to send the Indian Pacific on a whistle-stop Christmas run taking gifts and music to the outback. This year’s journey, the fifth, with impromptu concerts at remote sidings by Jimmy Barnes, an Australian rock star, drew the biggest crowds so far. Broken Hill, a town in western New South Wales struggling since its big silver, lead and zinc mine started winding down, now relies on the Indian Pacific’s tourist passengers for economic lifeblood.
　　The Ghan’s revival on the north-south transcontinental line has been even more remarkable. The 65,000-plus passengers it carried through the Northern Territory in 2004 were 60% more than in the previous year. Public interest grew after the opening of a new line between Alice Springs and Darwin, allowing people to make the two-day journey from Adelaide by rail for the first time. GSR plans to double the Ghan’s frequency in 2005.
　　The railway revival still has inefficiencies to overcome. The Indian Pacific competes for space on the single track with trains that carry 80% of the freight between Australia’s east and west coasts. Though most of the line is straight and flat, speed limitations mean this is not a journey for anyone in a hurry.
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kysix

　　26. What was the Indian Pacific like before its selling to GSR?
　　[A]It always posed a threat to the federal government.
　　[B]It was mainly used for carrying cargos.
　　[C]It almost broke down and collapsed.
　　[D]It helped Australia conquer its vast land.
　　27. Which of the following is not true about “the Indian Pacific”?
　　[A]It was not popular with passengers with its low speed.
　　[B]It used to be a symbol of Australia’s conquest of its vast distance.
　　[C]It almost disappeared because of the air travel and the neglect of Australia’s railway.
　　[D]Many ways have been adopted to revive it.
　　28. The main idea of paragraph 3 and paragraph 4 is that __________.
　　[A]what is the use of reviving the railway
　　[B]what effect the revival of the railway has brought about
　　[C]how to deal with the difficulties in the development of railway
　　[D]how the measures are adopted to revive the collapsing railways
　　29. What benefit can the revival of the railway bring to some remote and rural area?
　　[A]It can bring happiness to the children there.
　　[B]It can help develop the economy.
　　[C]It can lessen the burden of the government.
　　[D]It can bring a lot of job opportunities.
　　30. What difficulty is the Indian Pacific facing today?
　　[A]The train goes so slowly that many people will not take it.
　　[B] The frequency of using the single track line is low.
　　[C] The space for developing the Indian Pacific is not large enough.
　　[D]Carrying passengers is less profitable than carrying the freight.
　　Text 3
　　Here’s the scary thing about the identity-theft ring that the feds cracked last week: there was nothing any of its estimated 40,000 victims could have done to prevent it from happening. This was an inside job, according to court documents. A lowly help-desk worker at Tele-data Communications, a software firm that helps banks access credit reports online, allegedly stole passwords for those reports and sold them to a group of 20 thieves at $60 a pop. That allowed the gang to cherry-pick consumers with good credit and apply for all kinds of accounts in their names. Cost to the victims: $3 million and rising.
　　Even scarier is that this, the largest identity-theft bust to date, is just a drop in the bit bucket. More than 700,000 Americans have their credit hijacked every year. It's one of crime's biggest growth markets. A name, address and Social Security number--which can often be found on the Web--is all anybody needs to apply for a bogus line of credit. Credit companies make $1.3 trillion annually and lose less than 2% of that revenue to fraud, so there's little financial incentive for them to make the application process more secure. As it stands now, it's up to you to protect your identity.
　　The good news is that there are plenty of steps you can take. Most credit thieves are opportunists, not well-organized gangs. A lot of them go Dumpster diving for those millions of "pre-approved" credit-card mailings that go out every day. Others steal wallets and return them, taking only a Social Security number. Shredding your junk mail and leaving your Social Security card at home can save a lot of agony later.
　　But the most effective way to keep your identity clean is to check your credit reports once or twice a year. There are three major credit-report outfits: Equifax (at equifax.com), Trans-Union (www.transunion.com) and Experian (experian.com). All allow you to order reports online, which is a lot better than wading through voice-mail hell on their 800 lines. Of the three, I found Trans-Union's website to be the cheapest and most comprehensive--laying out state-by-state prices, rights and tips for consumers in easy-to-read fashion.
　　If you're lucky enough to live in Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey or Vermont, you are entitled to one free report a year by law. Otherwise it's going to cost $8 to $14 each time. Avoid services that offer to monitor your reports year-round for about $70; that's $10 more than the going rate among thieves. If you think you're a victim of identity theft, you can ask for fraud alerts to be put on file at each of the three credit-report companies. You can also download a theft-report form at www.consumer.gov/theft, which, along with a local police report, should help when irate creditors come knocking. Just don't expect justice. That audacious help-desk worker was one of the fewer than 2% of identity thieves who are ever caught.
　　31. What is the trend of credit-theft crime?
　　[A] Tightly suppressed.
　　[B] More frightening.
　　[C] Rapidly increasing.
　　[D] loosely controlled.
　　32. The expression “inside job”(Line 6, Paragraph 1) most probably means _________.
　　[A]a crime that is committed by a person working for the victim
　　[B]a crime that should be punished severely
　　[C]a crime that does great harm to the victim
　　[D]a crime that poses a great threat to the society
　　33. The creditors can protect their identity in the following way except _________.
　　[A]destroying your junk mail
　　[B]leaving your Social Security card at home
　　[C]visiting the credit-report website regularly
　　[D]obtaining the free report from the government
　　34. Why is it easy to have credit-theft?
　　[A]More people are using credit service.
　　[B]The application program is not safe enough.
　　[C]Creditors usually disclose their identity.
　　[D]Creditors are not careful about their identity.
　　35. What is the best title of the text?
　　[A]The danger of credit-theft
　　[B]The loss of the creditors
　　[C]How to protect your good name
　　[D]Why the creditors lose their identity
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　　Text 4
　　The government is desperate to sell the most troubled of South Korea's big companies to foreigners. This, ministers believe, is the best way to accelerate the corporate restructuring begun in the wake of the Asian financial crisis in 1997, and to clear the way for more sustainable economic growth. This week, after months of on-off talks with foreign suitors, the government's plans moved a big step forward, and then an equally big step back.
　　On April 30th General Motors (GM) signed a contract to buy the bankrupt Daewoo Motor. But on the same day, the board of Hynix, a cash-strapped memory-chip giant, shocked the markets by rejecting a proposed takeover by Micron Technology, an American competitor. Micron had offered to pay about $3.4 billion for Hynix's core memory business, and to take a minority stake in the non-memory arm. Analysts predict that the government will put pressure on creditors to rescue a deal with Micron or seek a new buyer, as liquidation is too risky to contemplate in an election year.
　　GM's deal with Daewoo Motor marks the end of an even longer and more painful process. Ford almost bought the car maker two years ago, but pulled out after deciding that Daewoo would be too hard to turn round. GM had been talking with Daewoo for over a year. It has agreed to buy two of the company's four domestic car plants, a factory in Vietnam, a parts unit in the Netherlands and nine overseassales arms (all in Europe except one, in Puerto Rico of all places). Between them, the two domestic factories can churn out a combined 530,000 cars and 30,000 commercial vehicles a year.
　　GM has struck a good deal. Together with various undisclosed partners, it will hold a 67% stake in a new company, tentatively named GM-Daewoo. The American car maker will pay $251m for its own stake of 42%, but it will also assume $573m of Daewoo Motor's debts. The acquisition is a key part of GM's global expansion. The company has been trying to strengthen its foothold in Asia for some time. Buying a presence in South Korea was seen as particularly urgent, since imports account for only 3% of the 1.5m cars sold in the country each year. GM hopes to use Daewoo's production lines to make budget cars that will be sold under the Daewoo brand in most markets.
　　But GM has much work to do to rebuild Daewoo's damaged brand image and domestic market share, which hovers around 10% after reaching a high of 37% in 1998. GM has to fill holes in product lines by introducing sport-utility and multi-purpose vehicles, says Nick Reilly, former chief executive of Vauxhall, GM's British subsidiary, and chief-executive-designate of GM-Daewoo now that he has sealed the deal. His management team can expect trouble from South Korea's aggressive unions along the way. In a sign of things to come, the signing ceremony was moved to a secret location after a group of union activists occupied the hotel where it was due to take place.
　　36. Why does South Korea’s government want to sell its companies to foreigners?
　　[A]The companies cannot survive the Asian financial crisis.
　　[B]The companies can never be rescued.
　　[C]It can do much good to the development of the economy.
　　[D]It is troublesome to run the big companies.
　　37. Which of the following can be the main advantage of the buying of Daewoo Motor by GM?
　　[A]It is a big step toward GM’s global expansion.
　　[B]It satisfies the need of the domestic markets.
　　[C]It holds the majority shares of Daewoo Motor.
　　[D]It can control the Asian market.
　　38. What kind of action will the government possibly take for Hynix’s refusal?
　　[A]timely
　　[B]indignant
　　[C]indifferent
　　[D]positive
　　39. Why did Ford give up the acquisition of Daewoo Motor?
　　[A]It is difficult to be handed over to Ford.
　　[B]It is difficult to be changed for better.
　　[C]It is difficult to ask for agreement.
　　[D]It is difficult to realize the tricky terms.
　　40. Which of the following is not true according to the last paragraph?
　　[A]The image of Daewoo Motor has been greatly damaged.
　　[B]There is no progress in the domestic market share of Daewoo since 1998.
　　[C]The acquisition is quite popular with the Koreans.
　　[D]The Korean reaction is within the management team’s expectation.
　　Part B
　　Directions:
　　You are going to read a list of headings and a text. Choose a heading from the list A—G that best fits the meaning of each numbered part of the text (41—45).The first and last paragraphs of the text are not numbered. There are two extra headings that you do not need to use. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)
　　[A] Think like your employer
　　[B] Know when to go
　　[C] Take the opportunity to ask questions about the entire work
　　[D] Don’t treat the job like a chore
　　[E] Behave professionally
　　[F] Keep a positive mental outlook
　　[G] Be willing to ask for help, but be able to take charge
　　I asked five managers I’ve known over the years and my favorite workplace expert what behaviors and attitudes in their eyes mark a new recruit as promising and promotion-worthy. The following attributes will help you succeed:
　　41
　　Employers like employees to ask questions. It’s better to admit you need help than to fumble blindly. But once you’ve been pointed in the right direction, take charge. And if you know what you’re doing, be proactive. “One of the biggest mistakes new recruits can make…is to assume that when they have nothing to do that there is nothing to do.”
　　Cultivate good relationships
　　You can be the best at what you do, but if you’ve a jerk, you’re not going to get the promotions. Be easy-going. Be respectful. Be well-educated. Don’t get involved in office politics.
　　42
　　Most of the career advice I’ve read says the same thing: stay in a position until you’ve got as much from it as you can. Then make a shift to something new, either in the same company or with a new one. It’s important to continue to grow. When that’s no longer possible, it’s time to move on.
　　43
　　Many young people in their first real jobs act as if they’re in an adversarial relationship with their employer. This is counterproductive. An “us vs. them” mentality helps nobody. Think “win-win”. If you’re in a shitty job where the corporate culture fosters adversity, then get out. That’s not a career. That’s a life in purgatory.
　　44
　　If you were in his place, what would you value in an employee? An excellent way to do this is to skim material he may be reading. You might, for example, read a list of seven characteristics of highly effective employees written for managers looking to make hires, instead of this list of nine skills for employees looking to get hired.
　　45
　　Don’t bad-mouth your company to clients. Don’t tell off-color stories. Don’t engage in behavior that’s embarrassing the company. This is common-sense stuff, but you’d be surprised at how many young people damage their careers by behaving in an unprofessional manner.
　　Be flexible---adapt to the demands of the job. There’s nothing more frustrating than employee who grouses, “That’s not my job.” Especially in a small business, your job is whatever you boss asks you to do. Sometimes you’ll need to do tasks that fall outside your job description. Adapt to the situation. Be willing to think outside the box. Employers love this.
　　Furthermore, if you have stay a little late to meet a deadline or pull some hours on a weekend without being asked, it shows your commitment. If you go the extra mile, you’ll be noticed. Your career is one of your most valuable assets---it’s a regular, reliable source of money. Handle it with care.
　　Section III Translation
　　46. Directions:
　　Translate the following text from English into Chinese. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET 2. (15 points)
　　There are different types of Business-to-Business (B2B) e-commerce sites that work in various ways and are broken into two major groups: the verticals and horizontals. Verticals are Business-to-Business (B2B) sites designed specifically to meet the needs of a particular industry, such as retail. Vertical sites are the most likely to contain community features like industry news, articles, and discussion groups. Horizontals provide products, goods, materials, or services that are not specific to a particular industry or company. Horizontals that retailers could use might provide travel, transportation services, office equipment, or maintenance and operating supplies.
　　Horizontals and verticals can connect buyers and sellers together directly or act as intermediaries who facilitate transactions. There isn’t one model that appears everywhere for Business-to –Business e-commerce. Business-to-Business (B2B) sites vary from those providing simple lead generation, to complex marketplaces serving a variety of buyers and sellers, to private extranets. Auctions allow multiple buyers to bid competitively for products from individual suppliers. Auctions can be used to get rid of surplus inventory by item or lot, or excess fixed assets like display fixtures.
　　Section IV Writing
　　Part A
　　47. Directions:
　　Supposed you are “Zhang Wei”, write a letter to the president of your university, making suggestions for improving the canteen’s service.
　　You should write about 100 words on ANSWER SHEET 2.
　　Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter. Use “Zhang Wei” instead.(10 points)
　　Part B
　　48. Directions:
　　The graph shows the number of meals eaten in fast food restaurants and sit-down restaurants.
　　1) Describe the graph below.
　　2) Give reasons for the changes and make the prediction in the following years.
　　You should write at least 150 words.
　　Write your essay on ANSWER SHEET 2. (15 points)
跨考独家推荐：2014考研冲刺专题
跨考教育考后首发2014考研试题及答案解析