2012年考研英语(二)真题Section II Reading Comprehension Part A
Section II Resdiong Comprehension Part A Directions: Read the following four texts. answer the question after each text by choosing A,B,C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.(40 points) Text 1 Homework has never been terribly popular with students and even many parents, but in recent years it has been particularly scorned. School districts across the country, most recently Los Angeles Unified, are revising their thinking on his educational ritual. Unfortunately, L.A. Unified has produced an inflexible policy which mandates that with the exception of some advanced courses, homework may no longer count for more than 10% of a student’s academic grade. This rule is meant to address the difficulty that students from impoverished or chaotic homes might have in completing their homework. But the policy is unclear and contradictory. Certainly, no homework should be assigned that students cannot do without expensive equipment. But if the district is essentially giving a pass to students who do not do their homework because of complicated family lives, it is going riskily close to the implication that standards need to be lowered for poor children. District administrators say that homework will still be a pat of schooling: teachers are allowed to assign as much of it as they want. But with homework counting for no more than 10% of their grades, students can easily skip half their homework and see vey little difference on their report cards. Some students might do well on state tests without completing their homework, but what about the students who performed well on the tests and did their homework? It is quite possible that the homework helped. Yet rather than empowering teachers to find what works best for their students, the policy imposes a flat, across-the-board rule. At the same time, the policy addresses none of the truly thorny questions about homework. If the district finds homework to be unimportant to its students’ academic achievement, it should move to reduce or eliminate the assignments, not make them count for almost nothing. Conversely, if homework does nothing to ensure that the homework students are not assigning more than they are willing to review and correct. The homework rules should be put on hold while the school board, which is responsible for setting educational policy, looks into the matter and conducts public hearings. It is not too late for L.A. Unified to do homework right. 21.It is implied in paragraph 1 that nowadays homework_____. [A] is receiving more criticism [B]is no longer an educational ritual [C]is not required for advanced courses [D]is gaining more preferences 22.L.A.Unified has made the rule about homework mainly because poor students_____. [A]tend to have moderate expectations for their education [B]have asked for a different educational standard [C]may have problems finishing their homework [D]have voiced their complaints about homework 23.According to Paragraph 3,one problem with the policy is that it may____. [A]discourage students from doing homework [B]result in students' indifference to their report cards [C]undermine the authority of state tests [D]restrict teachers' power in education 24. As mentioned in Paragraph 4, a key question unanswered about homework is whether______. [A] it should be eliminated [B]it counts much in schooling [C]it places extra burdens on teachers [D]it is important for grades 25.A suitable title for this text could be______. [A]Wrong Interpretation of an Educational Policy [B]A Welcomed Policy for Poor Students [C]Thorny Questions about Homework [D]A Faulty Approach to Homework Text2 Pretty in pink: adult women do not rememer being so obsessed with the colour, yet it is pervasive in our young girls’ lives. Tt is not that pink is intrinsically bad, but it is such a tiny slice of the rainbow and, though it may celebrate girlhood in one way, it also repeatedly and firmly fuses girls’ identity to appearance. Then it presents that connection, even among two-year-olds, between girls as not only innocent but as evidence of innocence. Looking around, I despaired at the singular lack of imagination about girls’ lives and interests. Girls’ attraction to pink may seem unavoidable, somehow encoded in their DNA, but according to Jo Paoletti, an associate professor of American Studies, it is not. Children were not colour-coded at all until the early 20th century: in the era before domestic washing machines all babies wore white as a practical matter, since the only way of getting clothes clean was to boil them. What’s more, both boys and girls wore what were thought of as gender-neutral dresses.When nursery colours were introduced, pink was actually considered the more masculine colour, a pastel version of red, which was associated with strength. Blue, with its intimations of the Virgin Mary, constancy and faithfulness, symbolised femininity. It was not until the mid-1980s, when amplifying age and sex differences became a dominant children’s marketing strategy, that pink fully came into its own, when it began to seem inherently attractive to girls, part of what defined them as female, at least for the first few critical years. I had not realised how profoundly marketing trends dictated our perception of what is natural to kins, including our core beliefs about their psychological development. Take the toddler. I assumed that phase was something experts developed after years of research into children’s behaviour: wrong. Turns out, acdording to Daniel Cook, a historian of childhood consumerism, it was popularised as a marketing trick by clothing manufacrurers in the 1930s. Trade publications counselled department stores that, in order to increase sales, they should create a “third stepping stone” between infant wear and older kids’ clothes. Tt was only after “toddler”became a common shoppers’ term that it evolved into a broadly accepted developmental stage. Splitting kids, or adults,into ever-tinier categories has proved a sure-fire way to boost profits. And one of the easiest ways to segment a market is to magnify gender differences – or invent them where they did not previously exist. 26.By saying "it is...the rainbow"(Line 3, Para.1),the author means pink______. [A]should not be the sole representation of girlhood [B]should not be associated with girls' innocence [C]cannot explain girls' lack of imagination [D]cannot influence girls' lives and interests 27.According to Paragraph 2, which of the following is true of colours? [A]Colours are encoded in girls' DNA. [B]Blue used to be regarded as the colour for girls. [C]Pink used to be a neutral colour in symbolising genders. [D]White is prefered by babies. 28.The author suggests that our perception of children's psychological development was much influenced by_____. [A]the marketing of products for children [B]the observation of children's nature [C]researches into children's behavior [D]studies of childhood consumption 29.We may learn from Paragraph 4 that department stores were advised to_____. [A]focus on infant wear and older kids' clothes [B]attach equal importance to different genders [C]classify consumers into smaller groups [D]create some common shoppers' terms 30.It can be concluded that girls' attraction to pink seems to be____. [A] clearly explained by their inborn tendency [B]fully understood by clothing manufacturers [C] mainly imposed by profit-driven businessmen [D]well interpreted by psychological experts Text3 In2010.afederaljudgeshookAmerica'sbiotechindustrytoitscore.CompanieshadwonpatentsforisolatedDNAfordecades-by2005some20%ofhumangeneswereparented.ButinMarch2010ajudgeruledthatgeneswereunpatentable.Executiveswereviolentlyagitated.TheBiotechnologyIndustryOrganisation(BIO),atradegroup,assuredmembersthatthiswasjusta“preliminarystep”inalongerbattle. OnJuly29ththeywererelieved,atleasttemporarily.Afederalappealscourtoverturnedthepriordecision,rulingthatMyriadGeneticscouldindeedholbpatentstotwogenssthathelpforecastawoman'sriskofbreastcancer.ThechiefexecutiveofMyriad,acompanyinUtah,saidtherulingwasablessingtofirmsandpatientsalike. Butascompaniescontinuetheirattemptsatpersonalisedmedicine,thecourtswillremainratherbusy.TheMyriadcaseitselfisprobablynotoverCriticsmakethreemainargumentsagainstgenepatents:ageneisaproductofnature,soitmaynotbepatented;genepatentssuppressinnovationratherthanrewardit;andpatents'monopoliesrestrictaccesstogenetictestssuchasMyriad's.Agrowingnumberseemtoagree.Lastyearafederaltask-forceurgedreformforpatentsrelatedtogenetictests.InOctobertheDepartmentofJusticefiledabriefintheMyriadcase,arguingthatanisolatedDNAmolecule“isnolessaproductofnature...thanarecottonfibresthathavebeenseparatedfromcottonseeds.” Despitetheappealscourt'sdecision,bigquestionsremainunanswered.Forexample,itisunclearwhetherthesequencingofawholegenomeviolatesthepatentsofindividualgeneswithinit.ThecasemayyetreachtheSupremeCourt. AS the industry advances ,however,other suits may have an even greater impact.companies are unlikely to file many more patents for human DNA molecules-most are already patented or in the public domain .firms are now studying how genes intcract,looking for correlations that might be used to determine the causes of disease or predict a drug’s efficacy,companies are eager to win patents for ‘connecting the dits’,expaains hans sauer,alawyer for the BIO. Their success may be determined by a suit related to this issue, brought by the Mayo Clinic, which the Supreme Court will hear in its next term. The BIO rtcently held a convention which included seddions to coach lawyers on the shifting landscape for patents. Each meeting was packed. 31.it canbe learned from paragraph I that the biotech companies would like----- A.their executives to be active B.judges to rule out gene patenting C.genes to be patcntablc D.the BIO to issue a warning 32.those who are against gene patents believe that---- A.genetic tests are not reliable B.only man-made products are patentable C.patents on genes depend much on innovatiaon D.courts should restrict access to gene tic tests 33.according to hans sauer ,companies are eager to win patents for---- A.establishing disease comelations B.discovering gene interactions C.drawing pictures of genes D.identifying human DNA 34.By saying “each meeting was packed”(line4,para6)the author means that ----- A.the supreme court was authoritative B.the BIO was a powerful organization C.gene patenting was a great concern D.lawyers were keen to attend conventiongs 35.generally speaking ,the author’s attitude toward gene patenting is---- A.critical B.supportive C.scornful D.objective Text 4 The great recession may be over, but this era of high joblessness is probably beginning. Before it ends, it will likely change the life course and character of a generation of young adults. And ultimately, it is likely to reshape our politics,our culture, and the character of our society for years. No one tries harder than the jobless to find silver linings in this national economic disaster. Many said that unemployment, while extremely painful, had improved them in some ways; they had become less materialistic and more financially prudent; they were more aware of the struggles of others. In limited respects, perhaps the recession will leave society better off. At the very least, it has awoken us from our national fever dream of easy riches and bigger houses, and put a necessary end to an era of reckless personal spending. But for the most part, these benefits seem thin, uncertain, and far off. In The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth, the economic historian Benjamin Friedman argues that both inside and outside the U.S. ,lengthy periods of economic stagnation or decline have almost always left society more mean-spirited and less inclusive, and have usually stopped or reversed the advance of rights and freedoms. Anti-immigrant sentiment typically increases, as does conflict between races and classes. Income inequality usually falls during a recession, but it has not shrunk in this one,. Indeed, this period of economic weakness may reinforce class divides, and decrease opportunities to cross them--- especially for young people. The research of Till Von Wachter, the economist in Columbia University, suggests that not all people graduating into a recession see their life chances dimmed: those with degrees from elite universities catch up fairly quickly to where they otherwise would have been if they had graduated in better times; it is the masses beneath them that are left behind. In the internet age, it is particularly easy to see the resentment that has always been hidden winthin American society. More difficult, in the moment , is discerning precisely how these lean times are affecting society’s character. In many respects, the U.S. was more socially tolerant entering this resession than at any time in its history, and a variety of national polls on social conflict since then have shown mixed results. We will have to wait and see exactly how these hard times will reshape our social fabric. But they certainly it, and all the more so the longer they extend. 36.By saying “to find silver linings”(Line 1,Para.2)the author suggest that the jobless try to___. [A]seek subsidies from the govemment [B]explore reasons for the unermployment [C]make profits from the troubled economy [D]look on the bright side of the recession 37.According to Paragraph 2,the recession has made people_____. [A]realize the national dream [B]struggle against each other [C]challenge their lifestyle [D]reconsider their lifestyle 38.Benjamin Friedman believe that economic recessions may_____. [A]impose a heavier burden on immigrants [B]bring out more evils of human nature [C]Promote the advance of rights and freedoms [D]ease conflicts between races and classes 39.The research of Till Von Wachther suggests that in recession graduates from elite universities tend to _____. [A]lag behind the others due to decreased opportunities [B]catch up quickly with experienced employees [C]see their life chances as dimmed as the others’ [D]recover more quickly than the others 40.The author thinks that the influence of hard times on society is____. [A]certain [B]positive [C]trivial [D]destructive
2012年考研英语(二)真题Section II Reading Comprehension Part A的延伸阅读— —2014考研十一黄金周备考“黄金课表”
一场秋雨一场凉，天气在秋雨中变得更像秋天了。夏日的酷暑已经消失，严冬还未到来，阴雨过后，秋高气爽，正是读书好时节。也许这几天校园里多了几分活跃，大家都在准备十一黄金周的出游、玩乐，而你作为一名考研人，是否还有那份兴致呢。其实十一黄金周是一个短小精悍的自由时光，加之前阵子新大纲刚刚发布，正是调整思路的关键时期。为了帮助广大考生最大限度的提高十一学习效率，特为大家制作了这份“黄金课程表”帮助大家安排假期时间。 十一，普国同庆，热闹非凡!但，热闹是他们的。 反观我们考研人，这7天，是否甚至可以说“成也7天，败也7天”呢?为何如此说： 1、9.13新大纲刚刚发布，正好利用这几天静下心来好好调整思路; 2、别人出游你备考，相当于比别人多了一周的复习时间; 3、这段时间不用为抢座占座发愁，不为学习环境发愁，全身心备考; 4、目前正是网报的高峰期，新东方在线全国研究生入学考试中心在此提醒各位考研的小伙伴儿们，“网报有风险，选校须谨慎”。 为了帮助广大考生最大限度的提高十一学习效率，我们为大家制作了这份“黄金课程表”帮助大家安排假期时间。 假期前五天： 上午 6：30—7：30 起床，吃完早饭，进入学习状态 7：30—8：20 背诵英语考研阅读真题材料、写作范文或者其他英语材料 8： 30—9：30 背诵政治马哲原理、形势政策或最后押题30道 9： 40—12: 20 重点攻克数学知识点或做数学模拟题(不考数学的将数学时间用于专业课的一科) 下午 12：30—13：30 午餐、午休 13：30—16：00 做英语阅读或英语专题，以精读为主，复习后期侧重英语作文 16：00—18：00 做数学或专业课 18：00—18：40 吃晚饭，休息或与同学交流 晚上 18：50—19：30 背诵政治或英语单词(以理解为主，不刻意记忆);晚餐19：40—22：30 重点攻克数学或专业课(可以按照科目或日期单双数调 整) 22：40—23：00 洗漱、上网 23：30 睡前回顾白天复习的内容(躺下默默回忆)，遇到遗忘的第二天早上及时温习记忆 当然，小伙伴儿的考研备考方法如同八仙过海，各有奇招，这份课表是就大多数考研学子的备考情况准备的，大家可以根据自己的复习情况具体调整，一切皆以高效学习为目的。 假期第六天： 第六天为总结日，可以将前五天的学习结果进行简单的总结，尤其是针对各个网络强化课程、大纲增补课程、真题精讲课程的学习，可以在前期复习的基础上进行收尾、整理。通过总结整理前期复习，对十一过后的学习做出一份精准的安排。 假期第七天： 考研伤神伤闹，劳逸结合最重要，抓住假期的最后一天，三五研友，可以一起出行游玩，缓解备考压力，收拾心情，为假期后的学习做好充分准备。 |
