考研英语二真题及答案0.docx

考研英语二真题及答案0.docx

《考研英语二真题及答案0.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《考研英语二真题及答案0.docx（8页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

考研英语二真题及答案0

2011年硕士研究生入学考试英语二真题

SectionIUseofEnglish

Directions：

SectionIIReadingComprehension

PartA

Directions:

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

Text1

RuthSimmonsjoinedGoldmanSachs’sboardasanoutsidedirectorinJanuary2000:

ayearlatershebecamepresidentofBrownUniversity.Fortherestofthedecadesheapparentlymanagedbothroleswithoutattractingmucheroticism.Butbytheendof2009Ms.SimmonswasunderfireforhavingsatonGoldman’scompensationcommittee;howcouldshehaveletthoseenormousbonuspayoutspassunremarked?

ByFebruarythenextyearMs.Simmonshadlefttheboard.Thepositionwasjusttakinguptoomuchtime,shesaid.

Outsidedirectorsaresupposedtoserveashelpful,yetlessbiased,advisersonafirm’sboard.Havingmadetheirwealthandtheirreputationselsewhere,theypresumablyhaveenoughindependencetodisagreewiththechiefexecutive’sproposals.Ifthesky,andthesharepriceisfalling,outsidedirectorsshouldbeabletogiveadvicebasedonhavingweatheredtheirowncrises.

TheresearchersfromOhioUniversityusedadatabasehatcoveredmorethan10,000firmsandmorethan64,000differentdirectorsbetween1989and2004.Thentheysimplycheckedwhichdirectorsstayedfromoneproxystatementtothenext.Themostlikelyreasonfordepartingaboardwasage,sotheresearchersconcentratedonthose“surprise”disappearancesbydirectorsundertheageof70.Theyfountthatafterasurprisedeparture,theprobabilitythatthecompanywillsubsequentlyhavetorestateearningsincreasedbynearly20%.Thelikelihoodofbeingnamedinafederalclass-actionlawsuitalsoincreases,andthestockislikelytoperformworse.Theeffecttendedtobelargerforlargerfirms.Althoughacorrelationbetweenthemleavingandsubsequentbadperformanceatthefirmissuggestive,itdoesnotmeanthatsuchdirectorsarealwaysjumpingoffasinkingship.Oftenthey“tradeup.”Leavingriskier,smallerfirmsforlargerandmorestablefirms.

Buttheresearchersbelievethatoutsidedirectorshaveaneasiertimeofavoidingablowtotheirreputationsiftheyleaveafirmbeforebadnewsbreaks,evenifareviewofhistoryshowstheywereontheboardatthetimeanywrongdoingoccurred.Firmswhowanttokeeptheiroutsidedirectorsthroughtoughtimesmayhavetocreateincentives.OtherwiseoutsidedirectorswillfollowtheexampleofMs.Simmons,onceagainverypopularoncampus.

21.AccordingtoParagraph1,Ms.Simmonswascriticizedfor.

[A]gainingexcessiveprofits

[B]failingtofulfillherduty

[C]refusingtomakecompromises

[D]leavingtheboardintoughtimes

22.WelearnfromParagraph2thatoutsidedirectorsaresupposedtobe.

[A]generousinvestors

[B]unbiasedexecutives

[C]sharepriceforecasters

[D]independentadvisers

23.AccordingtotheresearchersfromOhioUniversityafteranoutsidedirector’ssurprisedeparture,thefirmislikelyto.

[A]becomemorestable

[B]reportincreasedearnings

[C]dolesswellinthestockmarket

[D]performworseinlawsuits

24.Itcanbeinferredfromthelastparagraphthatoutsidedirectors.

[A]maystayfortheattractiveoffersfromthefirm

[B]haveoftenhadrecordsofwrongdoingsinthefirm

[C]areaccustomedtostress-freeworkinthefirm

[D]willdeclineincentivesfromthefirm

25.Theauthor’sattitudetowardtheroleofoutsidedirectorsis.

[A]permissive

[B]positive

[C]scornful

[D]critical

Text2

Whateverhappenedtothedeathofnewspaper?

Ayearagotheendseemednear.Therecessionthreatenedtoremovetheadvertisingandreadersthathadnotalreadyfledtotheinternet.NewspapersliketheSanFranciscoChroniclewerechroniclingtheirowndoom.America’sFederalTradecommissionlaunchedaroundoftalksabouthowtosavenewspapers.Shouldtheybecomecharitablecorporations?

Shouldthestatesubsidizethem?

Itwillholdanothermeetingsoon.Butthediscussionsnowseemoutofdate.

Inmuchoftheworldthereisthesignofcrisis.GermanandBrazilianpapershaveshruggedofftherecession.EvenAmericannewspapers,whichinhabitthemosttroubledcomeoftheglobalindustry,havenotonlysurvivedbutoftenreturnedtoprofit.Notthe20%profitmarginsthatwereroutineafewyearsago,butprofitallthesame.

Ithasnotbeenmuchfun.Manypapersstayedafloatbypushingjournalistsoverboard.TheAmericanSocietyofNewsEditorsreckonsthat13,500newsroomjobshavegonesince2007.Readersarepayingmoreforslimmerproducts.Somepapersevenhadthenervetorefusedeliverytodistantsuburbs.Yetthesedesperatemeasureshaveprovedtherightonesand,sadlyformanyjournalists,theycanbepushedfurther.

Newspapersarebecomingmorebalancedbusinesses,withahealthiermixofrevenuesfromreadersandadvertisers.Americanpapershavelongbeenhighlyunusualintheirrelianceonads.Fully87%oftheirrevenuescamefromadvertisingin2008,accordingtotheOrganizationforEconomicCooperation&Development（OECD）.InJapantheproportionis35%.Notsurprisingly,Japanesenewspapersaremuchmorestable.

Thewhirlwindthatsweptthroughnewsroomsharmedeverybody,butmuchofthedamagehasbeenconcentratedinareaswherenewspaperareleastdistinctive.Carandfilmreviewershavegone.Sohavescienceandgeneralbusinessreporters.Foreignbureaushavebeensavagelycutoff.Newspapersarelesscompleteasaresult.Butcompletenessisnolongeravirtueinthenewspaperbusiness.

26.Bysaying“Newspaperslike…theirowndoom”（Lines3-4,Para.1）,theauthorindicatesthatnewspaper.

[A]neglectedthesignofcrisis

[B]failedtogetstatesubsidies

[C]werenotcharitablecorporations

[D]wereinadesperatesituation

27.Somenewspapersrefuseddeliverytodistantsuburbsprobablybecause.

[A]readersthreatenedtopayless

[B]newspaperswantedtoreducecosts

[C]journalistsreportedlittleabouttheseareas

[D]subscriberscomplainedaboutslimmerproducts

28.ComparedwiththeirAmericancounterparts,Japanesenewspapersaremuchmorestablebecausethey.

[A]havemoresourcesofrevenue

[B]havemorebalancednewsrooms

[C]arelessdependentonadvertising

[D]arelessaffectedbyreadership

29.Whatcanbeinferredfromthelastparagraphaboutthecurrentnewspaperbusiness?

[A]Distinctivenessisanessentialfeatureofnewspapers.

[B]Completenessistoblameforthefailureofnewspaper.

[C]Foreignbureausplayacrucialroleinthenewspaperbusiness.

[D]Readershavelosttheirinterestincarandfilmreviews.

30.Themostappropriatetitleforthistextwouldbe.

[A]AmericanNewspapers:

StrugglingforSurvival

[B]AmericanNewspapers:

GonewiththeWind

[C]AmericanNewspapers:

AThrivingBusiness

[D]AmericanNewspapers:

AHopelessStory

Text3

WetendtothinkofthedecadesimmediatelyfollowingWorldWarIIasatimeofprosperityandgrowth,withsoldiersreturninghomebythemillions,goingofftocollegeontheG.I.Billandliningupatthemarriagebureaus.

Butwhenitcametotheirhouses,itwasatimeofcommonsenseandabeliefthatlesscouldtrulybemore.DuringtheDepressionandthewar,Americanshadlearnedtolivewithless,andthatrestraint,incombinationwiththepostwarconfidenceinthefuture,madesmall,efficienthousingpositivelystylish.

Economicconditionwasonlyastimulusforthetrendtowardefficientliving.Thephrase“lessismore”wasactuallyfirstpopularizedbyaGerman,thearchitectLudwigMiesvanderRohe,wholikeotherpeopleassociatedwiththeBauhaus,aschoolofdesign,emigratedtotheUnitedStatesbeforeWorldWarII

andtookuppostsatAmericanarchitectureschools.ThesedesignerscametoexertenormousinfluenceonthecourseofAmericanarchitecture,butnonemoresothatMies.

Mies’ssignaturephrasemeansthatlessdecoration,properlyorganized,hasmoreimpactthatalot.Elegance,hebelieved,didnotderivefromabundance.Likeothermodernarchitects,heemployedmetal,glassandlaminatedwood-materialsthatwetakeforgrantedtodaybuythatinthe1940ssymbolizedthefuture.Mies’ssophisticatedpresentationmaskedthefactthatthespaceshedesignedweresmallandefficient,ratherthanbigandoftenempty.

TheapartmentsintheeleganttowersMiesbuiltonChicago’sLakeShoreDrive,forexample,weresmaller-two-bedroomunitsunder1,000squarefeet-thanthoseintheirolderneighborsalongthecity’sGoldCoast.Buttheywerepopularbecauseoftheirairyglasswalls,theviewstheyaffordedandtheeleganceofthebuildings’detailsandproportions,thearchitecturalequivalentoftheabstractartsopopularatthetime.

Thetrendtoward“less”wasnotentirelyforeign.Inthe1930sFrankLloydWrightstartedbuildingmoremodestandefficienthouses-usuallyaround1,200squarefeet-thanthespreadingtwo-storyoneshehaddesignedinthe1890sandtheearly20thcentury.

The“CaseStudyHouses”commissionedfromtalentedmodernarchitectsbyCaliforniaArts&Architecturemagazinebetween1945and1962wereyetanotherhomegrowninfluenceonthe“lessismore”trend.Aestheticeffectcamefromthelandscape,newmaterialsandforthrightdetailing.InhisCaseStudyHouse,Ralpheverydaylife–fewAmericanfamiliesacquiredhelicopters,thoughmosteventuallygotclothesdryers–buthisbeliefthatself-sufficiencywasbothdesirableandinevitablewaswidelyshared.

31.ThepostwarAmericanhousingstylelargelyreflectedtheAmericans’.

[A]prosperityandgrowth

[B]efficiencyandpracticality

[C]restraintandconfidence

[D]prideandfaithfulness

32.WhichofthefollowingcanbeinferredfromParagraph3aboutBauhaus?

[A]ItwasfoundedbyLudwigMiesvand