考研英语4

考研英语模拟题模拟443
Section Ⅰ Use of English
Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET.
Culture itself must be transmitted, and the most effective way is through the family. Parents teach their children the ideas and traditions they (1) from their own parents. For this reason
the (2) became increasingly important; the practical applications of cultural tradition, such as hunting for food, (3) children and tending the sick, may have been the obvious methods to use when more than one family came together in a joint activity.
Families provide friends, people who can be trusted, and trust can be (4) through intermarriage. Thus the whole societies come to be formed, in which the relationships between kin act (5) guidelines for daily behavior and establish important social values. Sometimes traditional ways even become (6) into laws. The original reasons may be lost, but a process is (7) .The society survives where others fail (8) its members' behavior is controlled for the
benefit of all (9) laws, customs, and traditional beliefs.
Furthermore, in cultural traditions (10) from generation to generation, humans have a kind of cultural capital on which to draw. By (11) account of past wisdom we can look into the future and plan for events that are not always (12) . The fact that we
make (13) repeatedly to a standard pattern, and use them to make other tools, (14) us clearly from other animals. It indicates cultural factors at work (15) instinct. A sea otter may learn to break shellfish open with rocks, but it will not (16) to change an unsatisfactory stone. The difference (17) the power of the human brain not only to (18) the outside world, to see and react to it, but also to conceive of what it might be. That is-to (19) a world unseen and unknown, and to foresee possibilities within it. Imagination enables us to (20) our own world.
1、 A. obtained B.
learned C. procured D. acquired
2、 A. school B.
society C. parents D. family
3、 A. educating B.
rearing C. training D. bringing
4、 A. weakened B.
supposed C. reinforced D. increased
5、 A. as B. from C. with D. like
6、 A. civilized B.
formalized C. categorized D. centralized
7、 A. recorded B.
found C. established D. reversed
8、 A. but B.
so C. though D. because
9、 A. for B. by C. in D. from
10、 A. passed B. come C. moved D. delivered
11、 A. making B.
giving C. taking D. keeping
12、 A. convenient B.
possible C. available D. predictable
13、 A. tools B. fires C. food D. clothes
14、 A. tells B.
differs C. distinguishes D. identities
15、 A. but B.
besides C. than D. beyond
16、 A. attempt B.
experiment C. strive D. struggle
17、 A. holds up B. lies
in C. rests with D. contributes to
18、 A. perceive B.
recognize C. sense D. observe
19、 A. assume B.
dream C. imagine D. guess
20、 A. make B.
create C. invent D. design
Section Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C, or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
Text 1
In an ideal world, the nation's elite schools would enroll the most qualified students. But that's not how it works. Applicants whose parents are alumni get special treatment, as so athletes and rich kids. Underrepresented minorities are also given preference. Thirty years of affirmative action have changed the complexion of mostly white universities; now about 13 percent of all undergraduates are black or Latino. But most come from middle-and upper middle-class families. Poor kids of all ethnicities remain scarce. A recent study by the Century Foundation found that at the nation's 146 most competitive schools, 74 percent of students came from upper-middle-class and wealthy families, while only about 5 percent came from families with an annual income of roughly $ 35,000 or less.
Many schools say diversity—racial, economic and geographic—is key to maintaining intellectually vital campuses. But Richard Kahlenberg of the Century Foundation says that even though colleges claim they want poor kids, "they don't try very hard to find them."
As for rural students, many colleges don't try at all. "Unfortunately, we go where we can generate a sizable number of potential applicants, " says Tulane admissions chief Richard Whiteside, who recruits aggressively—and in person-from metropolitan areas. Kids in rural areas get a glossy brochure in the mail.
Even when poor rural students have the grades for top colleges, their high schools often don't know how to get them there. Admissions officers rely on guidance counselors to direct them to promising prospects. In affluent high schools guidance counselors often have personal relationships with both kids and admissions officers. In
rural areas, a teacher, a counselor or even an alumnus "can help put rural students on our radar screen," says Wesleyan admissions dean Nancy Meislahn. But poor rural schools rarely have college advisers with those connections; without them, admission " can be a crapshoot," says Carnegie Mellon's Steidel.
In the past few years some schools have begun to open that door a little wider. At MIT it's something of a mission for Marilee Jones, the dean of admissions. Twenty years ago, 25 percent of each MIT
class was first-generation college goers from poor backgrounds who used the celebrated engineering school as a ticket out of the blue-collar world. Five years ago, when that number dipped below 10 percent, Jones began scouring the country for bright kids, and then paired the potential applicants with MIT faculty and students who could answer questions about college life. In four years Jones has doubled the number of poor first-generation students at MT.
21、 According to the passage, American schools ______.
A. favor the most competent students
B. enroll the children of their alumni
C. don't conform to some national law
D. discriminate against lower-class students
22、 Colleges go to cities to enroll students because ______.
A. they think students in urban areas have more intellectual potential
B. they don't want to travel far to search for applicants in rural areas
C. students in rural areas may have many economic problems
D. it is much easier to find enough prospective students in cities
23、 By saying "can be a crapshoot" (Line 6, Para.3), the author suggests ______.
A. rural students have an access to college
B. poor rural students can't afford admission fees
C. it is very hard for rural students to go to college
D. poor rural schools are not on good terms with colleges
24、 At MIT, many first-generation poor students ______.
A. were grateful to the college for their enrollment
B. regarded the college as an opportunity to change fate
C. were glad to get away from their poor families
D. got some help from MIT faculty and students
25、 Which of the following might Marilee Jones agree with?
A. Colleges should spare no efforts to look for brilliant poor students.
B. Renowned universities certainly attract brilliant poor students.
C. Colleges can benefit greatly from the enrollment of poor students.
D. Many colleges have realized the importance of enrolling poor students.
Text 2
Business travelers used to be the cash cows of the hotel business. Armed with corporate credit cards and expense accounts, they'd
happily lay down hundreds of dollars per night for the privilege of a Godiva chocolate on their pillow and a sunken whirlpool tub in their bathroom. But just as prolonged corporate belt tightening has forced road warriors to use budget airlines, more and more of them are now eschewing five-star lodging in favor of cheaper accommodations. Indeed, earlier this year the US-based National Business Travel Association released figures showing that 61 percent of corporate travel managers planned to book their people into lower-priced hotels in the coming year.
Here's the good news: penny-pinching is translating into better deals at cheap and up-market hotels alike. Services at middle-market hotels are rising to accommodate a new wave of more demanding corporate customers. And luxury hotels are working harder to keep business travelers coming, offering lower rates, special packages and extra services. Even though business-travel volume is set to rise by more than 4 percent in 2004 after three dismal years, hotels will continue to be under pressure—in large part because a weak dollar is forcing American business travelers to search for value.
Some of the best deals are coming from the big chains. In January Starwood Hotels announced it would upgrade its global middle-market brand, Four Points, by rolling out free high-speed wireless Internet access in all guest rooms. On the flip side, upscale brands like
Inter Continental and Ritz Carlton are selling empty rooms at
discount rates via online services. That has the effect of depressing luxury-room prices, because corporate travel managers can now demand that hotels match their own discount prices all the time. Inter Continental hotels in France and Germany have been hit so hard that they are actually repricing their rooms to reflect rates before the dollar began falling. Upscale hotels like Waldorf-Astoria, Sofitel are also trying to offer extra services.
But beware of new, hidden fees. In an effort to make up some of their fast revenue, hotels are starting to charge corporate travelers for things that used to be free—including breakfast, banquet or meeting rooms.
Aside from saving companies money, the trend in frugal business travel may give rise to a whole new market segment: the buy-to-let hotel room. Last week in London, British property developer Johnny Sandelson launched GuestInvest, a hotel in Notting Hill where users can purchase a room for ￡235,000, use it for a maximum of 52 nights a year themselves, then rent it out the rest of the time to make extra money. It seems an idea whose time has come: GuestInvest says it has already fielded hundreds of calls from business people interested in making a cheaper hotel their second home.
26、 According to the passage, business travelers used to ______.
A. take budget airlines
B. book lower-priced hotels
C. enjoy privileges in hotels
D. be customers of luxurious hotels
27、 How do hotels react to the penny-pinching policy?
A. They have to raise their rates.
B. They charge more on extra services.
C. They offer better deals for travelers.
D. They are suffering successive dismal.
28、 Travelers can now demand hotels to match their own prices because ______.
A. travelers only have limited budget
B. hotels are trying hard to keep good business
C. hotels are trying to depress their prices
D. travelers demand far extra services
29、 Compared with traditional hotels, the buy-to-let hotel ______.
A. provides better room and service
B. attracts more attentions from travelers
C. costs less and can be profitable
D. make travelers feel more at home
30、 What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Traditional hotels will suffer more pressure than they used to.
B. GuestInvest has made a great success.
C. Business travelers will spend less time in hotels.
D. Traditional hotels will lose many customers.
Text 3
Harvard University plans to spend at least $ 50 million over the next decade to create a more diverse academic community in all disciplines, including throughout the sciences. President Lawrence Summers announced the outlay this week after receiving two reports commissioned in February following his comments about the ability of women to do science, which triggered a national debate.
The initiative will tackle all aspects of gender and minority issues, from the safety of women working late at night at research labs to the need for a high-level advocate within the Harvard administration. Such a comprehensive strategy is essential, say the chairs of the two task forces that reported to Summers. "Women need to see careers in science as desirable and realistic life choices," says Barbara Grosz, a computer scientist who led one of the task forces that focused on science and engineering. A second task force, led by science historian Evelynn Hammonds, examined challenges facing all women faculty.
Outside researchers are impressed with the breadth of the recommendations." This is very encouraging," says Donna Nelson, a chemist at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, who tracks the status of women and minority academic scientists. "If they can implement this, they can take a leadership role."
Harvard has long been criticized by its lack of diversity of science faculty in several disciplines, a situation made worse by Harvard's decentralized structure and its policy not to grant tenure to junior faculty, task force members said. Last year, for example, 4 women and 28 men in the school of arts and sciences received tenure offers. But the long-simmering issue did not come to a head until Summers's comments at a January workshop on women in science became public. The resulting outcry triggered a faculty vote of no confidence in Summers, who apologized repeatedly.
Hammonds's committee called for a senior provost for diversity and faculty development to work with Harvard deans to promote gender and ethnic equity. Harvard Provost Steven Hyman hopes to name that
person-who likely would come from within Harvard—by September. The panel also proposed two funds, one to provide partial salary support
for hiring scholars who increase diversity, the second to fund their labs. It said Harvard should begin to gather systematic data on
faculty hiring, retention, and other measures and make the academic culture more family-friendly, through enhanced maternity leave practices, child-care support, and adjustments to the tenure clock. Grosz's panel urged the university to set up summer research programs for undergraduates, expand mentoring for all students, and provide research money for faculty jugglingfamily and career.
Funding will not be a problem, Summers assured reporters,
referring to the likelihood of "more resources allotted down the road." The biggest challenge Harvard faces, he said, is to overcome "issues of culture" within a university created "by men for men." Harvard is accepting comments on the report through the end of June, and academics around the country will be watching closely to see how well Harvard succeeds in transforming that culture.
31、 What measure will probably be taken in the Harvard initiative?
A. Renovating the old buildings in Harvard.
B. Pressing for an enhance in Harvard's administration.
C. Providing better working conditions for women faculty.
D. Offering more social and financial aid for overseas students.
32、 From the fourth paragraph we can infer that ______.
A. it is rather difficult for young teachers to seek employment in Harvard.
B. there are many kinds of courses offered in Harvard's science disciplines.
C. teachers are dissatisfied with Harvard's policies only recently.
D. Summers has been enjoying a high devotion of the faculty.
33、 The word "juggling" (Line 8, Para.5) most probably means ______.
A.
joking. B. balancing.
C.
struggling. D. fighting.
34、 According to Summers, the biggest challenge that Harvard faces
is that ______.
A. it is difficult to revise some people's opinion in male-dominated Harvard.
B. resources are scanty for allocation in the future.
C. there is not enough money available for the project.
D. cultural differences may cause many social issues in the university.
35、 Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Cultural
Differences. B. Safety of Women.
C. University
Administration. D. Academic Equity.
Text 4
In the 90's, people went crazy about wireless. Electronic communications once thought bound permanently to the world of cables and hard-wired connections suddenly were sprung free, and the possibilities seemed endless. Entrenched monopolies would fall, and a new uncabled era would usher in a level of intimate contact that would not only transform business but change human behavior. Such was the view by the end of that groundbreaking decade-the 1890s.
To be sure, the wild publicity of those days wasn't all hot air. Marconi's "magic box" and its contemporaneous inventions kicked off an era of profound changes, not the least of which was the advent of broadcasting. So it does seem strange that a century later, the debate once more is about how wireless will change everything. And once again, the noisy confusion is justified. Changes are on the way that are arguably as earth shattering as the world's first wireless transformation.
Certainly a huge part of this revolution comes from introducing the most powerful communication tools of our time. Between our mobile phones, our BlackBerries and Treos, and our Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) computers, we're always on and always connected-and soon our cars and our appliances will be, too. While there has been considerable planning for how people will use these tools and how they'll pay for them, the wonderful reality is that, as with the Internet, much of the action in the wireless world will ultimately emerge from the imaginative twists and turns that are possible when digital technology trumps the analog mindset of telecom companies and government regulators.
Wi-Fi is itself a shining example of how wireless innovation can shed the tethers of conventional wisdom. At one point, it was assumed that when people wanted to use wireless devices for things other than conversation, they'd have to rely on the painstakingly drawn, investment-heavy standards adopted by the giant corporations that earn a lot through your monthly phone bill. But then some researchers
came up with a new communications standard exploiting an unlicensed part of the spectrum. It was called 802.11, and only later sexed up with the name Wi-Fi.
Though the range of signal was only some dozens of meters, Wi-Fi turned out to be a great way to wirelessly extend an Internet connection in the home or office. A new class of activist was born: the bandwidth liberator, with a goal of extending free wireless internet to anyone venturing within the range of a free hotspot. Meanwhile, Apple Computer seized on the idea as a consumer solution, others followed and now Wi-Fi is as common as the modem once was.
36、 Wireless technology is introduced as ______.
A. an important fruit in daily life
B. the opening of a new uncabled era
C. a supplement to cable communications
D. a new type of monopoly
37、 The assumption of the future is not all hot air because ______.
A. Marconi made a profound change in the past
B. the wireless technology will change everything
C. the possibility of wireless technology is justified
D. the wireless technology is already sophisticated
38、 By mentioning Internet, the author means that ______.
A. the wireless technology will be popularized as the Internet
B. we are always online and always connected
C. the Internet will be wireless soon
D. the wireless technology will become a monopoly
39、 According to the passage, the Wi-Fi standard ______.
A. is based on the conventional wisdom
B. adopted an unlicensed part of the spectrum
C. relies on the standards by the giant corporations
D. is created solely by some geeks
40、From the author's point of view, the Wi-Fi technology will ______.
A. be replaced soon
B. be controlled by giant corporations like Apple
C. extend to every home and office
D. become a necessity as a mode
Part B
Directions:
In the following article, some sentences have been removed. For
Questions 41-45, choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to
fit into each of the numbered blank. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the gaps. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
In this latest facet of the ongoing information revolution,
millions of personal computers are connected by the Internet and
other computer networks and have started a global revolution in business and interpersonal communications. The personal computer
today functions as a combination of personal printing press, radio, telephone, post office, and television set. (41) ______
The stunning possibilities of the Internet for journalism and the news business are somewhat obvious. Publishers, broadcasters and journalists are aware of this explosive information revolution and believe they should be involved. (42) ______
A newspaper is, of course, a business operation. At a time when some publishers are downsizing staffs and trimming costs to increase profitability, other papers are investing heavily in the new
electronic or interactive journalism. (43) ______
In early 1996 , the National Newspaper Association listed 162 newspapers that had electronic pages on the Web, triple the number in 1994.By early 1997, the number of online newspapers rose to 700.These numbers keep going up to date and include such heavy hitters as The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and The Wall Street Journal.
For newspapers, two basic uncertainties currently exist about interactive journalism: first, will the public pay for electronic news on a medium where information, after a basic user's fee, is free? Second, will advertising displayed on web pages "sell" on a medium
that so far lacks both an effective way to count the number of people who eyeball web pages or to ascertain the demographics of those views?
(44) ______ The fear comes from the threat to the newspapers' advertising base, especially classified advertisements, from the computer's point-and-click technology and the ease of getting answers quickly, complete with pictures and sounds.
(45) ______
So far, the numbers of potential users of interactive newspapers are still small compared with total newspaper readership but the numbers are growing fast. The only certainty, promoters of electronic publishing say, is that the breakthrough to make the Internet economically viable for the newspaper business will come someday.
A. A website can be simply a screen or two of information, or it can be an extensive and complex number of offerings, with news items plus advertisements, illustrations, documents, and background stories not included in a printed daily.
B. Hence, the press's rush to online services is seen as driven by
both fear and greed.
C. Although no one seems to know whether they will ever make money on the WWW, the Internet multi-media information retrieval system is on the verge of becoming a mass medium itself.
D. However, neither they, nor anyone else, seem to know where this brave new world of communications headed. No consensus exists as to when and how journalism as we know it will get involved and be changed by the Internet, but no one doubts that change is coming-and fast.
E. While someone argue that the computer may not replace any of these media, which are, or course, heavily involved in journalism, still the Internet has the potential to transcend them all, providing not just one-to-one communications, or one to many, but the creation of whole new communities of people sharing ideas and interests regardless of where they live.
F. The access for this fledgling news source is established, but so far the number of news readers is small and no one in making much money out of providing the news. Online news users tend to be young male adults who log on from office computers.
G. Greed is stimulated by the possibility of large sums to be made if a system is developed that counts and categorizes every visitor to a web site. If this happens, Internet publishing could be a
profitable marriage of newspapers' advertising bases with franchise strengths. Publishers also hope to attract the younger users who no longer read newspapers.
Part C
Directions:
Read the following passage carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation must be written clearly on the ANSWER SHEET.
The value which society places on work has traditionally been closely associated with the value of individualism and as a result it has had negative effects on the development of social security. (46)It has meant that in the first place the amount of benefits must be small lest people's willingness to work and support themselves suffers. Even today with flat rate and earnings-related benefits, the total amount of the benefit must always be smaller than the person's wages for fear of malingering. "The purpose of social security," said Huntford referring to Sweden's comparatively generous benefits, "is to dispel need without crossing the threshold of prosperity." Second, social security benefits are granted under conditions designed to reduce the likelihood of even the boldest of spirits attempting to live on the State rather than work. Many of the rules surrounding the
payment of unemployment or supplementary benefit are for this purpose. Third, the value placed on work is manifested in a more positive way as in the case of disability. (47)People suffering from accidents incurred at work or from occupation diseases receive preferential treatment by the social security service compared with those
suffering from civil accidents and ordinary illnesses.
Yet, the stranglehold which work has had on the social security service has been increasingly loosened over the years. The provision
of family allowances, family income supplements, the slight liberalization of the wages stop are some of the manifestations of
this trend. (48)Similarly, the preferential treatment given to occupational disability by the social security service has been increasingly questioned with the demands for the upgrading of
benefits for the other types of disability. It is felt that in contemporary industrial societies the distinction between
occupational and non-occupational disability is artificial for many non-occupational forms of disability have an industrial origin even
if they do not occur directly in the workplace. (49)Three is also the additional reason which we mentioned in the argument for one benefit for all one-parent families, that a modern social security service must concentrate on meeting needs irrespective of the cause behind such needs.
The relationship between social security and work is not all a
one-way affair. (50)It is true that until very recently the general view was that social security "represented a type of luxury and was essentially anti-economic." It was seen as merely government expenditure for the needy. As we saw, however, redundancy payments
and earnings-related unemployment benefits have been used with some success by employers and the government to reduce workers' opposition towards loss of their jobs.
Section Ⅲ Writing
Part A
51、Directions:
You received a letter from your teacher Mr. Smith, who wanted to know your recent life in college. Please write a private letter to
1) apologize for your delayed response,
2) tell him your current conditions, and
3) express your thanks and best wishes to him.
You should write about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET. Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter. Use "Li Ming" instead. You
do not need to write the address.。