考研英语一真题.docx

1、考研英语一真题Text 1First two hours, now three hours this is how far in advance authorities are recommending people show up to catch a domestic flight, at least at some major U.S. airports with increasingly massive security lines.Americans are willing to tolerate time-consuming security protocols in return

2、 for increased safety. The crash of Egypt Air Flight 804, which terrorists may have downed over the Mediterranean Sea, provides another tragic reminder of why. But demanding too much of air travelers or providing too little security in return undermines public support for the process. And it should:

3、 Wasted time is a drag on Americans economic and private lives, not to mention infuriating.Last year, the Transportation Security Administration(TSA) found in a secret check that undercover investigators were able to sneak weapons both fake and real past airport security nearly every time they tried

4、. Enhanced security measures since then, combined with a rise in airline travel due to the improving economy and low oil prices, have resulted in long waits at major airports such as Chicagos OHare International. It is not yet clear how much more effective airline security has become but the lines a

5、re obvious.Part of the issue is that the government did not anticipate the steep increase in airline travel, so the TSA is now rushing to get new screeners on the line. Part of the issue is that airports have only so much room for screening lanes. Another factor may be that more people are trying to

6、 overpack their carry-on bags to avoid checked-baggage fees, though the airlines strongly dispute this.There is one step the TSA could take that would not require remodeling airports or rushing to hire: Enroll more people in the PreCheck program. PreCheck is supposed to be a win-win for travelers an

7、d the TSA. Passengers who pass a background check are eligible to use expedited screening lanes. This allows the TSA to focus on travelers who are higher risk, saving time for everyone involved. TSA wants to enroll 25 million people in PreCheck.It has not gotten anywhere close to that, and one big r

8、eason is sticker shock: Passengers must pay $85 every five years to process their background checks. Since the beginning, this price tag has been PreChecks fatal flaw. Upcoming reforms might bring the price to a more reasonable level. But Congress should look into doing so directly, by helping to fi

9、nance PreCheck enrollment or to cut costs in other ways.The TSA cannot continue diverting resources into underused PreCheck lanes while most of the traveling public suffers in unnecessary lines. It is long past time to make the program work.21. The crash of Egypt Air Flight 804 is mentioned to_A exp

10、lain Americans tolerance of current security checks.B stress the urgency to strengthen security worldwide.C highlight the necessity of upgrading major U.S. airports.D emphasize the importance of privacy protection.22. Which of the following contributes to long waits at major airports?A New restricti

11、ons on carry-on bags.B The declining efficiency of the TSA.C An increase in the number of travellers.D Frequent unexpected secret checks.23. The word “expedited” (Liner 4, Para. 5) is closet in meaning to_A quieter.B cheaper.C wider.D faster.24. One problem with the PreCheck program is_A a dramatic

12、reduction of its scale.B its wrongly-directed implementation.C the governments reluctance to back it.D an unreasonable price for enrollment.25. Which of the following would be the best for the text?A Less Screening for More SafetyB PreCheck a Belated SolutionC Getting Stuck in Security LinesD Underu

13、sed PreCheck LanesText 2“The ancient Hawaiians were astronomers,” wrote Queen Liliuokalani, Hawaiis last reigning monarch, in 1897. Star watchers were among the most esteemed members of Hawaiian society. Sadly, all is not well with astronomy in Hawaii today. Protests have erupted over construction o

14、f the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), a giant observatory that promises to revolutionize humanitys view of the cosmos.At issue is the TMTs planned location on Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano worshiped by some Hawaiians as the piko, that connects the Hawaiian Islands to the heavens. But Mauna Kea is also

15、home to some of the worlds most powerful telescopes. Rested in the Pacific Ocean, Mauna Keas peak rises above the bulk of our planets dense atmosphere, where conditions allow telescopes to obtain images of unsurpassed clarity.Opposition to telescopes on Mauna Kea is nothing new. A small but vocal gr

16、oup of Hawaiians and environmentalists have long viewed their presence as disrespect far sacred land and a painful reminder of the occupation of what was once a sovereign nation.Some blame for the current controversy belongs to astronomers. In their eagerness to build bigger telescopes, they forgot

17、that science is not the only way of understanding the world. They did not always prioritize the protection of Mauna Keas fragile ecosystems or its holiness to the islands inhabitants. Hawaiian culture is not a relic of the past； it is a living culture undergoing a renaissance today.Yet science has a

18、 cultural history, too, with roots going back to the dawn of civilization. The same curiosity to find what lies beyond the horizon that first brought early Polynesians to Hawaiis shores inspires astronomers today to explore the heavens. Calls to disassemble all telescopes on Mauna Kea or to ban futu

19、re development there ignore the reality that astronomy and Hawaiian culture both seek to answer big questions about who we are, where we come from and where we are going. Perhaps that is why we explore the starry skies, as if answering a primal calling to know ourselves and our true ancestral homes.

20、The astronomy community is making compromises to change its use of Mauna Kea. The TMT site was chosen to minimize the telescopes visibility around the island and to avoid archaeological and environmental impact. To limit the number of telescopes on Mauna Kea, old ones will be removed at the end of t

21、heir lifetimes and their sites returned to a natural state. There is no reason why everyone cannot be welcomed on Mauna Kea to embrace their cultural heritage and to study the stars.26. Queen Liliuokalanis remark in Paragraph 1 indicates_A her conservative view on the historical role of astronomy.B

22、the importance of astronomy in ancient Hawaiian society.Cthe regrettable decline of astronomy in ancient times.D her appreciation of star watchers feats in her time. 27. Mauna Kea is deemed as an ideal astronomical site due to_ A its geographical features.B its protective surroundings. C its religio

23、us implications. D its existing infrastructure.28. The construction of the TMT is opposed by some locals partly because_A it may risk ruining their intellectual life.B it reminds them of a humiliating history.C their culture will lose a chance of revival.D they fear losing control of Mauna Kea.29. I

24、t can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that progress in todays astronomy_A is fulfilling the dreams of ancient Hawaiians.B helps spread Hawaiian culture across the world.C may uncover the origin of Hawaiian culture.D will eventually soften Hawaiians hostility.30. The authors attitude toward choosing Mau

25、na Kea as the TMT site is one of_A severe criticism.B passive acceptance.C slight hesitancy.D full approval.Text 3Robert F. Kennedy once said that a countrys GDP measures “everything except that which makes life worthwhile.” With Britain voting to leave the European Union, and GDP already predicted

26、to slow as a result, it is now a timely moment to assess what he was referring to.The question of GDP and its usefulness has annoyed policymakers for over half a century. Many argue that it is a flawed concept. It measures things that do not matter and miss things that do. By most recent measures, t

27、he UKs GDP has been the envy of the Western World, with record low unemployment and high growth figures. If everything was going so so well, then why did over 17million people vote for Brexit, despite the warnings about what it could do to their countrys economic prospects?A recent annual study of c

28、ountries and their ability to convert growth into well-being sheds some light on that question. Across the 163 countries measured, the UK is one of the poorest performers in ensuring that economic growth is translated into meaningful improvement for its citizens. Rather than just focusing on GDR ove

29、r 40 different sets of criteria from health, education and civil society engagement have been measured to get a more rounded assessment of how countries are performing.While all of these countries face their own challenges, there are a number of consistent themes. Yes, there has been a budding econo

30、mic recovery since the 2008 global crash, but in key indicators in areas such as health and education, major economies have continued to decline. Yet this isnt the case with all countries. Some relatively poor European countries have seen huge improvements across measures including civil society; in

31、come equality and the environment.This is a lesson that rich countries can learn: When GDP is no longer regarded as the sole measure of a countrys success, the world looks very different.So what Kennedy was referring to was that while GDP has been the most common method for measuring the economic activity of nations, as a measure, it is no longer enough. It does not include important factors such as environmental equality or education outcomes - all things that contribute to a persons sense of well-being.The sharp hit t