考研英语第20套题.docx

考研英语第20套题.docx

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考研英语第20套题

第二十套题

PartA

Directions:

Readthefollowingfourtexts.AnswerthequestionsbeloweachtextbychoosingA,B,CorD.MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1.（40points）

Text107.8

InBirmingham,Alabama,onFriday,afederaljudgeorderedadeadlockedjurytocontinueweighingevidenceagainstRichardScrushy,theformerchiefexecutiveofHealthSouth,accusedoforchestratinga$2.7billionaccountingfraud.Butthatcourtroomdecision,regardlessoftheoutcome,willhavescanteffectonacompanythathasavoidedthedownwardspiralthatengulfedAndersenandEnron.Inthecorporatescandalsofthepastfouryears,thestrikingfactisthattheclosingchaptersmoreoftenhavefollowedthescriptatHealthSouthandnotatAndersen.

Thespectrumofbusinessmisconducthasincludedseeminglyeveryflavoroffraud,self-dealing,improperaccountingandconflictofinterest.ThepunishmentshaverangedfromtherecentconvictionofBernardEbbers,theformerchiefofWorldCom,forguidingan$11billionfraud,tothefinespaidin2002byagroupofWallStreetfirmstosettlechargesthatstockanalystswroterosyreportsoncompaniestohelpbringininvestmentbankingbusiness.

Yetthegoalofgovernmentpolicy,prosecutionstrategyandbusinesspracticehasnearlyalwaysbeentorehabilitatethedisobedientcompaniesratherthanliquidatethem.Thereareexceptions.Enronprovedtobeafinancialhouseofcards,asnoonewaswillingtotradewithatraderthatwasbankrupt.Enron’sphysicalassets,likeitsnationalgaspipelines,wereauctioned.Andersenwasgivenadeathsentence—justifiedornot—whenitwasindicted,anditscorporateauditingclientsfledwithinweeks.

TheJusticeDepartment’scorporateindictmentofAndersenwascontroversialandunlikelytobereplicatedinothercases.SinceAndersen,federalandstateprosecutorshaveadoptedthelessdrasticapproachoftargetingtheresponsibleexecutivesandreachingsettlementswiththecompaniesthatincludefinesandchangesincorporatebehavior.“Youdon’twanttobeswingingameataxwhenascalpelisappropriate,”saidEliotSpitzer,theNewYorkStateattorneygeneral.“Youwanttogetridoftheindividualswhodidthewrongdoingandgetthecompanybackonanevenkeel.”Thathasbeenthepatternfollowedinpursuingmisconductatothermajorcompanies,includingTyco,WorldCom,Adelphia,Marsh&McLennanandAmericanInternationalGroup.

Therehavebeenspectacularfinancialfailures,likethebankruptciesofWorldComandAdelphia.ButtheAmericansystemofbankruptcyallowscompaniestoseektemporaryshelterfromcreditorsandtimetorecastthemselvesforcorporatesurvivalorlatersaleonbetterterms.InApril,TimeWarnerandComcastpurchasedAdelphiafor$17.6billionandwillsplitupitscabletelevisionoperations.AndWorldCom,renamedMCIsinceemergingfrombankruptcy,agreedlastmonthtobesoldtoVerizonCommunicationsfor$8.5billion.［442words］

1.Thelastsentenceofthefirstparagraphmeansthat.

［A］morecoverageisgiventoHealthSouthratherthanAndersonandEnron

［B］HealthSouthhaswonalegalvictorybutAndersonandEnronhaven’t

［C］alightpunishmentisgiventomostcompaniesinvolvedinthescandals

［D］moreandmorecompaniesarepunishedforaccountingfraud

2.Whichofthefollowingbestdefinestheword“liquidate”（line2,paragraph3）?

［A］Toputanendto.［B］Tosettletheaffairsof.

［C］Topayoffthedebtsof.［D］Torestoretogoodcondition.

3.Accordingtothefourthparagraph,“ameatax”isto“ascalpel”as.

［A］“extravagant”isto“restrained”［B］“radical”isto“conservative”

［C］“powerful”isto“delicate”［D］“ambiguous”isto“straightforward”

4.WorldComandAdelphiaserveasgoodexamplesof.

［A］thesituationofascandal-taintedcompany［B］thewaytosurviveacorporatescandal

［C］therecipeforrestoringacompany’sfame［D］theefficiencyofbankruptcy-lawprotection

5.Whichofthefollowingistrueaccordingtothetext?

［A］SeveralWallStreetfirmsusedimproperaccountingin2002.

［B］Enronisacompanythatissuesitsowncreditcards.

［C］Adelphia’sresponsibleexecutivesareontrialforfraud.

［D］WorldComhasrestartedbuildingitsownbusiness.

Text207.8

Ourfranticattemptstoavoidboredomupholdalucrativecorneroftheentertainmentindustry,whilethevarietyofbooks,websites,TVprogramsandvideosaimedatchildrenandcalled“BoredomBusters”suggeststhatennuihasnoagerestriction.Thisisnonewdevelopment—obsessivetextingishardlyonalevelwithwatchinglionsripgladiatorstoshredsforentertainment,and,astheBritishpublicseemtobemovingontoastagewherefox-huntingisnolongerseenasajustifiable,fundiversion,wemustbedoingsomethingright.However,somepunditshaverecentlypointedoutthatobsessiveavoidanceofboredom（apartfrombeingquitedullinitself—haveyouevertriedtohaveadecentconversationwithanextremesportsenthusiast?

）deniesaccesstothecertainkindofmentalspacewhichboredombringsandindoingsoleavesuscreativelyandspirituallymalnourished.Inotherwords,boredomisbecoming“alostartform”.

StevenWinnoftheSanFranciscoChronicleputsitinarecentarticle:

“Asmoreandmorepeopleseemtorecognize,theuniversalexperienceofbeingbored—unengaged,detached,afloatinsomeprivatetorpor—maybefarmoreprecious,fruitfulandevenprofoundthanasurfaceapprehensionmightsuggest.Asordinaryasgreyskiesandequallypervasive,boredomdeservesitsownsun-splashedattentionandcelebration.”

Thisisaveryparticularunderstandingofwhatboredomis,andperhapsthisveryproblemofdefinitioniswhatliesattherootofthesupposeddebate.Ontheonehand,boredomcanbedefinedasastateoflistlessness,alackofinterestinthatwhichsurroundsusandageneralsenseofennui.Ofthisparticulardefinition,SaulSteinbergwrote,“Thelifeofthecreativemanisled,directedandcontrolledbyboredom.Avoidingboredomisoneofourmostimportantpurposes.”Sointhiscase,boredomissomethingwefleefrominhorror.

Anotherconceptionofboredomisofablank,privatementalspace,invaluableforrelaxingandforthefermentationofcreativejuices.Itisthistypeofboredomwhichisconsideredbysometobealostartform.Informationaloverloadfromallquartersmeansthattherecanoftenbeverylittletimeforpersonalthought,reflection,orevenjust“zoningout”.Withamobilethatisconstantlyswitchedonandaplethoraofentertainmentsavailabletodistractthenakedeye,itisunderstandablethatsomepeoplefinditdifficulttoactuallygetboredinthatparticularfidgety,introspectivekindofway.［427words］

6．Theword“ennui”（Line3,Para.1）mostprobablymeans.

\[A\]theeffortsatavoidingboredom\[B\]alackofcreativity

\[C\]theabsenceofprivacy\[D\]thefeelingofhavingnothingtodo

7．Boredomisbecoming“alostartform”becausepeople.

\[A\]aredeprivedofdeepthought\[B\]lostinterestinold-fashionedamusement

\[C\]indulgeinentertainment\[D\]havenoprivatespace

8．AccordingtoStevenWinn,whichofthefollowingistrueaboutboredom?

\[A\]Itisauniversalprobleminhumanbeings.\[B\]Itisalwaysfearedbycreativemen.

\[C\]Itisimportanttorecognizeitssignificance.\[D\]Itismorevaluablethanentertainment.

9．Fromthepassage,wecaninferthatboredom.

\[A\]isonlylimitedtochildren\[B\]wasalsoavoidedbyancientpeople

\[C\]canleadtoartcreation\[D\]hasbothstrongandweakpoints

10．Asuitabletitleforthepassagemightbe.

\[A\]LifewithoutBoredom\[B\]TheInfluenceofModernEntertainment

\[C\]TwoTypesofBoredom\[D\]TheSignificanceofBoredom

Text307.8

Anothersummerofrecord-breakingtemperaturesbroughtpowerfailures,heatwaves,droughtsandtropicalstormsthroughouttheU.S.,EuropeandAsia.Onlyoneplaceseemedtoremaincool:

theair-conditionedofficesoftheeditorialboardoftheWallStreetJournal.Theysatcomfortable,hurlingeditorialsofstunningmisdirectionattheirreaders,continuingtheirirresponsibledrumbeatthatglobalwarmingisjunkscience.

NowIhavenothingagainsttheWallStreetJournal.Itisanexcellentpaper,whosesciencecolumnandnewsreportinghaveaccuratelyandcarefullycarriedthestoryofglobalclimatechange.EventhecorporateadvertisementsthatsurroundtheeditorialpagetellofBP’scommitmentstorenewableenergyandGeneralElectric’scommitmentstoenvironmentallysoundtechnologies.Theeditorialpagesitsinitsowndefensiveposition,separatedfromthereportersandfromthetruth.

Onerecenteditorial,“HockeyStickHokum”（publishedJuly14,2006）,epitomizestheeditorialapproachofrecentyears.Theclimatechange“hockeystick”isagraphfirstpublishedin1998byMichaelMannetal.thatattemptedtoreconstructthemeansurfacetemperatureontheplanetduringtheperiodA.D.900tothepresent,usingmultipleproxies,suchastreerings,tomeasuretemperaturesbeforeformalinstrumentationwasinuse.Theconclusionofthatstudywasthatwearenowinthatinterval’swarmestrangeoftemperatures,thereforeaddingsupporttotheoverwhelmingevidencefromothersourcesandmodelsthatman-madeclimatechangeisalreadywellunderway.

TheWallStreetJournaleditorialpagehasforyearsrailedagainstthesescientificfindingsonclimatechange,evenastheglobalconsensushasreachednearly100percentofthescientificcommunity,includingthereportscommissionedbytheskepticalBushWhiteHouse.Thus,thehockeystickbecamethebêtenoireoftheeditorialpageaswellasofthedwindling“climateskeptic”community,andright-wingCongressionalofficialssuchasRepresentativeJoeBartonofTexas,chairmanoftheHouse