考研《英语二》真题阅读理解.docx

考研《英语二》真题阅读理解.docx

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考研《英语二》真题阅读理解

2014考研《英语二》真题：

阅读理解

SectionIIReadingComprehension

PartA

Directions:

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

Text1

Whatwouldyoudowith590m?

ThisisnowaquestionforGloriaMackenzie,an84-year-oldwidowwhorecentlyemergedfromhersmall,tin-roofedhouseinFloridatocollectthebiggestundividedlotteryjackpotinhistory.Ifshehopeshernew-foundfortunewillyieldlastingfeelingsoffulfillment,shecoulddoworsethanreadHappyMoneybyElizabethDumnandMichaelNorton.

Thesetwoacademicsuseanarrayofbehavioralresearchtoshowthatthemostrewardingwaystospendmoneycanbecounterintuitive.Fantasiesofgreatwealthofteninvolvevisionsoffancycarsandextravaganthomes.Yetsatisfactionwiththesematerialpurchaseswearsofffairlyquicklywhatwasonceexcitingandnewbecomesold-hat;regretcreepsin.Itisfarbettertospendmoneyonexperiences,sayMsDumnandMrNorton,likeinterestingtrips,uniquemealsorevengoingtothecinema.Thesepurchasesoftenbecomemorevaluablewithtime-asstoriesormemories-particularlyiftheyinvolvefeelingmoreconnectedtoothers.

Thisslimvolumeispackedwithtipstohelpwageslavesaswellaslotterywinnersgetthemost"happinessbangforyourbuck."Itseemsmostpeoplewouldbebetteroffiftheycouldshortentheircommutestowork,spendmoretimewithfriendsandfamilyandlessofitwatchingtelevision（somethingtheaverageAmericanspendsawhoppingtwomonthsayeardoing,andishardlyjollierforit）.Buyinggiftsorgivingtocharityisoftenmorepleasurablethanpurchasingthingsforoneself,andluxuriesaremostenjoyablewhentheyareconsumedsparingly.ThisisapparentlythereasonMacDonald'srestrictstheavailabilityofitspopularMcRib-amarketingtrickthathasturnedtheporksandwichintoanobjectofobsession.

Readersof“HappyMoney”areclearlyaprivilegedlot,anxiousaboutfulfillment,nothunger.Moneymaynotquitebuyhappiness,butpeopleinwealthiercountriesaregenerallyhappierthanthoseinpoorones.Yetthelinkbetweenfeelinggoodandspendingmoneyonotherscanbeseenamongrichandpoorpeoplearoundtheworld,andscarcityenhancesthepleasureofmostthingsformostpeople.Noteveryonewillagreewiththeauthors’policyideas,whichrangefrommandatingmoreholidaytimetoreducingtaxincentivesforAmericanhomebuyers.Butmostpeoplewillcomeawayfromthisbookbelievingitwasmoneywellspent.

21.AccordingtoDumnandNorton,whichofthefollowingisthemostrewardingpurchase?

[A]Abighouse

[B]Aspecialtour

[C]Astylishcar

[D]Arichmeal

22.Theauthor’sattitudetowardAmericans’watchingTVis

[A]critical

[B]supportive

[C]sympathetic

[D]ambiguous

23.Macribismentionedinparagraph3toshowthat

[A]consumersaresometimesirrational

[B]popularityusuallycomesafterquality

[C]marketingtricksareaftereffective

[D]raritygenerallyincreasespleasure

24.Accordingtothelastparagraph,HappyMoney

[A]hasleftmuchroomforreaders’criticism

[B]mayprovetobeaworthwhilepurchase

[C]haspredictedawiderincomegapintheus

[D]maygiveitsreadersasenseofachievement

25.Thistextmainlydiscusseshowto

[A]balancefeelinggoodandspendingmoney

[B]spendlargesumsofmoneywoninlotteries

[C]obtainlastingsatisfactionfrommoneyspent

[D]becomemorereasonableinspendingonluxuries

Text2

AnarticleinScientificAmericahaspointedoutthatempiricalresearchsaysthat,actually,youthinkyou’remorebeautifulthanyouare.Wehaveadeep-seatedneedtofeelgoodaboutourselvesandwenaturallyemployanumberofself-enhancingstrategiestoresearchintowhatthecallthe“aboveaverageeffect”,or“illusorysuperiority”,andshownthat,forexample,70%ofusrateourselvesasaboveaverageinleadership,93%indrivingand85%atgettingonwellwithothers—allobviouslystatisticalimpossibilities.

Werosetintourmemoriesandputourselvesintoself-affirmingsituations.Webecomedefensivewhencriticized,andapplynegativestereotypestootherstoboostourownesteem,westalkaroundthinkingwe’rehotstuff.

PsychologistandbehavioralscientistNicholasEpleyoversawakeystudyingintoself-enhancementandattractiveness.Ratherthathavepeoplesimplyratetheirbeautycompresswithothers,heaskedthemtoidentifyanoriginalphotograghofthemselves’fromalineupincludingversionsthathadbeenalteredtoappearmoreandlessattractive.Visualrecognition,readsthestudy,is“anautomaticpsychologicalprocessoccurringrapidlyandintuitivelywithlittleornoapparentconsciousdeliberation”.Ifthesubjectsquicklychoseafalselyflatteringimage-whichmustdid-theygenuinelybelieveditwasreallyhowtheylooked.Epleyfoundnosignificantgenderdifferenceinresponses.Norwasthereanyevidencethat,thosewhoself-enhancethemust（thatis,theparticipantswhothoughtthemostpositivelydoctoredpicturewerereal）weredoingsotomakeupforprofoundinsecurities.Infactthosewhothoughtthattheimageshigheruptheattractivenessscalewererealdirectlycorrespondedwiththosewhoshowedothermakersforhavinghigherself-esteem.“Idon’tthinkthefindingsthatwehavinghaveareanyevidenceofpersonaldelusion”,saysEpley.“It’sareflectionsimplyofpeoplegenerallythinkingwellofthemselves’.Ifyouaredepressed,youwon’tbeself-enhancing.KnowingtheresultsofEpley‘sstudy,itmakessensethatwhypeopleheatphotographsofthemselvesViscerally-ononelevel,theydon’tevenrecognisethepersoninthepictureasthemselves,Facebooktherefore,isaself-enhancer’sparadise,wherepeoplecanshareonlythemostflatteringphotos,thecreamoftheirwit,style,beauty,intellectandlifestyleit’snotthatpeople’sprofilesaredishonest,sayscatalinatomaofWiscon—Madisonuniversity,”buttheyportrayanidealizedversionofthemselves.

26.Accordingtothefirstparagraph,socialpsychologisthavefoundthat______.

[A]ourself-ratingsareunrealisticallyhigh

[B]illusorysuperiorityisbaselesseffect

[C]ourneedforleadershipisunnatural

[D]self-enhancingstrategiesareineffective

27.Visualrecognitionisbelievedtobepeople’s______

[A]rapidwatching

[B]consciouschoice

[C]intuitiveresponse

[D]automaticself-defence

28.Epleyfoundthatpeoplewithhigherself-esteemtendedto______

[A]underestimatetheirinsecurities

[B]believeintheirattractiveness

[C]coveruptheirdepressions

[D]oversimplifytheirillusions

29.Theword“Viscerally”（Line2,para.5）isclosestinmeaningto_____.

[A]instinctively

[B]occasionally

[C]particularly

[D]aggressively

30.ItcanbeinferredthatFacebookisself-enhancer’sparadisebecausepeoplecan_____.

[A]presenttheirdishonestprofiles

[B]definetheirtraditionallifestyles

[C]sharetheirintellectualpursuits

[D]withholdtheirunflatteringsides

Text3

暂缺

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　　Text4

Whenthegovernmenttalksaboutinfrastructurecontributingtotheeconomythefocusisusuallyonroads,railways,broadbandandenergy.Housingisseldommentioned.

Whyisthat?

Tosomeextentthehousingsectormustshouldertheblame.Wehavenotbeengoodatcommunicatingtherealvaluethathousingcancontributetoeconomicgrowth.Thenthereisthescaleofthetypicalhousingproject.Itishardtoshoveforattentionamongmultibillion-poundinfrastructureproject,soitisinevitablethattheattentionisfocusedelsewhere.Butperhapsthemostsignificantreasonisthattheissuehasalwaysbeensopoliticallycharged.

Nevertheless,theaffordablehousingsituationisdesperate.Waitinglistsincreaseallthetimeandwearesimplynotbuildingenoughnewhomes.

Thecomprehensivespendingreviewoffersanopportunityforthegovernmenttohelprectifythis.Itneedstoputhistoricalprejudicestoonesideandtakesomestepstoaddressoururgenthousingneed.

Therearesomeindicationsthatitispreparingtodojustthat.Thecommunitiesminister,DonFoster,hashintedthatGeorgeOsborne,ChancelloroftheExchequer,mayintroducemoreflexibilitytothecurrentcapontheamountthatlocalauthoritiescanborrowagainsttheirhousingstockdebt.Evidenceshowsthat60,000extranewhomescouldbebuiltoverthenextfiveyearsifthecapwerelifted,increasingGDPby0.6%.

Ministersshouldalsolookatcreatinggreatercertaintyintherentalenvironment,whichwouldhaveasignificantimpactontheabilityofregisteredproviderstofundnewdevelopmentsfromrevenues.

Butitisnotjustdowntothegovernment.Whilethesemeasureswouldbewelcomeintheshortterm,wemustfaceuptothefactthattheexisting￡4.5bnprogrammeofgrantstofundnewaffordablehousing,settoexpirein2015,isunlikelytobeextendedbeyondthen.TheLabourpartyhasrecentlyannouncedthatitwillretainalargepartofthecoalition’sspendingplansifreturnstopower.Thehousingsectorneedstoacceptthatweareveryunlikelytoeverreturntoeraoflarge-scalepublicgrants.Weneedtoadjusttothischangingclimate.

36.Theauthorbelievesthatthehousingsector__

[A]hasattractedmuchattention

[B]involvescertainpoliticalfactors

[C]shoulderstoomuchresponsibility

[D]haslostitsrealvalueineconomy

37.Itcanbelearnedthataffordablehousinghas__

[A]increaseditshomesupply

[B]offeredspendingopportunities

[C]sufferedgovernmentbiases

[D]disappointedthegovernment

38.AccordingtoParagraph5,GeorgeOsbornemay_______.

[A]allowgreatergovernmentd