考研英语阅读.docx

1、考研英语阅读2005Text 2Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the doubters insisted that we didnt know for sure? That the evidence was inconclusive, the science uncertain? That the antismoking lobby was out to destroy our way of life and the government should

2、stay out of the way? Lots of Americans bought that nonsense, and over three decades, some 10 million smokers went to early graves.There are upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one wave after another try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming. The latest was a panel from the Nat

3、ional Academy of Sciences, enlisted by the White House, to tell us that the Earths atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem is largely man-made. The clear message is that we should get moving to protect ourselves. The president of the National Academy, Bruce Alberts, added this key poin

4、t in the preface to the panels report: “Science never has all the answers. But science does provide us with the best available guide to the future, and it is critical that our nation and the world base important policies on the best judgments that science can provide concerning the future consequenc

5、es of present actions.”Just as on smoking, voices now come from many quarters insisting that the science about global warming is incomplete, that its OK to keep pouring fumes into the air until we know for sure. This is a dangerous game: by the time 100 percent of the evidence is in, it may be too l

6、ate. With the risks obvious and growing, a prudent people would take out an insurance policy now. Fortunately, the White House is starting to pay attention. But its obvious that a majority of the presidents advisers still dont take global warming seriously. Instead of a plan of action, they continue

7、 to press for more research a classic case of “paralysis by analysis.”To serve as responsible stewards of the planet, we must press forward on deeper atmospheric and oceanic research. But research alone is inadequate. If the Administration wont take the legislative initiative, Congress should help t

8、o begin fashioning conservation measures. A bill by Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, which would offer financial incentives for private industry, is a promising start. Many see that the country is getting ready to build lots of new power plants to meet our energy needs. If we are eve

9、r going to protect the atmosphere, it is crucial that those new plants be environmentally sound.26. An argument made by supporters of smoking was that _.A there was no scientific evidence of the correlation between smoking and deathB the number of early deaths of smokers in the past decades was insi

10、gnificantC people had the freedom to choose their own way of lifeD antismoking people were usually talking nonsense27. According to Bruce Alberts, science can serve as _.A a protector B a judge C a critic D a guide28. What does the author mean by “paralysis by analysis” (Last line, Paragraph 4)?A En

11、dless studies kill action. B Careful investigation reveals truth.C Prudent planning hinders progress. D Extensive research helps decision-making.29. According to the author, what should the Administration do about global warming?A Offer aid to build cleaner power plants. B Raise public awareness of

12、conservation.C Press for further scientific research.D Take some legislative measures.30. The author associates the issue of global warming with that of smoking because _.A they both suffered from the governments negligenceB a lesson from the latter is applicable to the formerC the outcome of the la

13、tter aggravates the formerD both of them have turned from bad to worseText 4Americans no longer expect public figures, whether in speech or in writing, to command the English language with skill and gift. Nor do they aspire to such command themselves. In his latest book, Doing Our Own Thing: The Deg

14、radation of Language and Music and Why We Should, Like, Care, John McWhorter, a linguist and controversialist of mixed liberal and conservative views, sees the triumph of 1960s counter-culture as responsible for the decline of formal English. Blaming the permissive 1960s is nothing new, but this is

15、not yet another criticism against the decline in education. Mr. McWhorters academic speciality is language history and change, and he sees the gradual disappearance of “whom,” for example, to be natural and no more regrettable than the loss of the case-endings of Old English.But the cult of the auth

16、entic and the personal, “doing our own thing,” has spelt the death of formal speech, writing, poetry and music. While even the modestly educated sought an elevated tone when they put pen to paper before the 1960s, even the most well regarded writing since then has sought to capture spoken English on

17、 the page. Equally, in poetry, the highly personal, performative genre is the only form that could claim real liveliness. In both oral and written English, talking is triumphing over speaking, spontaneity over craft.Illustrated with an entertaining array of examples from both high and low culture, t

18、he trend that Mr. McWhorter documents is unmistakable. But it is less clear, to take the question of his subtitle, why we should, like, care. As a linguist, he acknowledges that all varieties of human language, including non-standard ones like Black English, can be powerfully expressive there exists

19、 no language or dialect in the world that cannot convey complex ideas. He is not arguing, as many do, that we can no longer think straight because we do not talk proper.Russians have a deep love for their own language and carry large chunks of memorized poetry in their heads, while Italian politicia

20、ns tend to elaborate speech that would seem old-fashioned to most English-speakers. Mr. McWhorter acknowledges that formal language is not strictly necessary, and proposes no radical education reforms he is really grieving over the loss of something beautiful more than useful. We now take our Englis

21、h “on paper plates instead of china.” A shame, perhaps, but probably an inevitable one.36. According to McWhorter, the decline of formal English _.A is inevitable in radical education reformsB is but all too natural in language developmentC has caused the controversy over the counter-cultureD brough

22、t about changes in public attitudes in the 1960s37. The word “talking” (Line 6, Paragraph 3) denotes _.A modesty B personality C liveliness D informality38. To which of the following statements would McWhorter most likely agree?A Logical thinking is not necessarily related to the way we talk.B Black

23、 English can be more expressive than standard English.C Non-standard varieties of human language are just as entertaining.D Of all the varieties, standard English can best convey complex ideas.39. The description of Russians love of memorizing poetry shows the authors _.A interest in their language

24、B appreciation of their effortsC admiration for their memory D contempt for their old-fashionedness40. According to the last paragraph, “paper plates” is to “china” as _.A “temporary” is to “permanent” B “radical” is to “conservative”C “functional” is to “artistic” D “humble” is to “noble2006Text 1I

25、n spite of “endless talk of difference,” American society is an amazing machine for homogenizing people. There is “the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse, and the casualness and absence of deference” characteristic of popular culture. People are absorbed into “a culture of consumption”

26、launched by the 19thcentury department stores that offered “vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere. Instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite,” these were stores “anyone could enter, regardless of class or background. This turned shopping into a public and democratic act.” T

27、he mass media, advertising and sports are other forces for homogenization.Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture, which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous. Writing for the National Immigration Forum, Gregory Rodriguez reports that todays immigration is neither a

28、t unprecedented levels nor resistant to assimilation. In 1998 immigrants were 9.8 percent of population; in 1900, 13.6 percent. In the 10 years prior to 1990, 3.1 immigrants arrived for every 1,000 residents; in the 10 years prior to 1890, 9.2 for every 1,000. Now, consider three indices of assimila

29、tion language, home ownership and intermarriage.The 1990 Census revealed that “a majority of immigrants from each of the fifteen most common countries of origin spoke English well or very well after ten years of residence.” The children of immigrants tend to be bilingual and proficient in English. “

30、By the third generation, the original language is lost in the majority of immigrant families.” Hence the description of America as a “graveyard” for languages. By 1996 foreign-born immigrants who had arrived before 1970 had a home ownership rate of 75.6 percent, higher than the 69.8 percent rate amo

31、ng native-born Americans.Foreign-born Asians and Hispanics “have higher rates of intermarriage than do U.S.-born whites and blacks.” By the third generation, one third of Hispanic women are married to nonHispanics, and 41 percent of Asian-American women are married to non-Asians.Rodriguez notes that

32、 children in remote villages around the world are fans of superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks, yet “some Americans fear that immigrants living within the United States remain somehow immune to the nations assimilative power.”Are there divisive issues and pockets of seething anger in America? Indeed. It is big enough to have a bit of everything. But particularly when viewed against America