2012考研英语阅读真题：考研英语(一)第4篇_毙考题
2012考研英语一真题及答案详解
2012考研英语（一）真题及答案Section Ⅰ Use of EnglishDirections:Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark [A], [B], [C] or [D]on ANSWER SHEET 1. ( 10 points)The ethical judgments of the Supreme Court justices became an important issue recently. The court cannot_____ its legitimacy as guardian of the rule of law______ justices behave like politicians. Yet, in several instances, justices acted in ways that_____ the court’s reputation for being independent and impartial。
Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito Jr., for example, appeared at political events. That kind of activity makes it less likely that the court’s decisions will be____ as impartial judgments. Part of the problem is that the justices are not _____ by an ethics code. At the very least, the court should make itself_______ to the code of conduct that ______to the rest of the federal judiciary。
考研英语(一)真题答案及解析(2012年)
2012年考研英语（一）真题答案及解析1.【答案】B【解析】从空后信息可以看出，这句表达的是"_ _法官表现得像政治家"的情况下，法庭就不能保持其作为法律法规的合法卫士的形象，所以应该选C,maintain"维持，保持"，其他显然语义不通。
2.【答案】A【解析】从第三段可以看出，文章认为法院和政治之间应该是有界限的。
所以这里应该是当法官像政治家一样行事，模糊了二者之间的区别时，就失去了其作为法律卫士的合法性。
只有B，when表示这个意思。
3.【答案】B【解析】第二段给的具体事例说明，法官出现在政治活动中会使法官形象受损，影响他们独立、公正的名声。
只有B，weaken能表示这个意思。
4.【答案】D【解析】空前信息显示，法官出席政治活动会让法院的审判收到影响，人们就会认为其审判不公正，所以选D，be accepted as..."被认为是"。
5.【答案】C【解析】空所在的语境为：产生这样的问题，部分原因在于"法官没有_ _道德规范"。
后一句话说，至少法院应该遵守行为规范，这显然是进一步说明上一句话。
所以上一句是说法官没有受到道德规范的约束，选C，bound。
6.【答案】B【解析】根据解析5可以看出，这里应该是说遵守行为规范，subject与to 连用，表示"服从某物，受…支配"。
故本题选B。
7.【答案】D【解析】分析句子结构可知，这里是由that引导的定语从句修饰说明前面的行为规范，是说法院也应当遵守适用于其他联邦司法部的行为规范。
apply to "适用于"符合题意。
resort to "求助于";stick to "坚持(原则等)"语意不通。
8.【答案】B【解析】空所在的语境为，类似这样的案例提出了这样一个问题：法院和政。
英语一2012考研试题【4】
英语一2012考研试题【4】Text 3In the idealized version of how science is done, facts about the world are waiting to be observed and collected by objective researchers who use the scientific method to carry out their work. But in the everyday practice of science, discovery frequently follows an ambiguous and complicated route. We aim to be objective, but we cannot escape the context of our unique life experience. Prior knowledge and interest influence what we experience, what we think our experiences mean, and the subsequent actions we take. Opportunities for misinterpretation, error, and self-deception abound.Consequently, discovery claims should be thought of as protoscience. Similar to newly staked mining claims, they are full of potential. But it takes collective scrutiny and acceptance to transform a discovery claim into a mature discovery. This is the credibility process, through which the individual researcher’s me, here, now becomes the community’s anyone, anywhere, anytime. Objective knowledge is the goal, not the starting point.Once a discovery claim becomes public, the discoverer receives intellectual credit. But, unlike with mining claims, the community takes control of what happens next. Within the complex social structure of the scientific community, researchers make discoveries; editors and reviewers act as gatekeepers by controlling the publication process; other scientists use the new finding to suit their own purposes; and finally, the public (including other scientists) receives the new discovery and possibly accompanying technology. As a discovery claim works it through the community, the interaction and confrontationbetween shared and competing beliefs about the science and the technology involved transforms an individual’s discovery claim into the community’s credible discovery.Two paradoxes exist throughout this credibility process. First, scientific work tends to focus on some aspect of prevailing Knowledge that is viewed as incomplete or incorrect. Little reward accompanies duplication and confirmation of what is already known and believed. The goal is new-search, not re-search. Not surprisingly, newly published discovery claims and credible discoveries that appear to be important and convincing will always be open to challenge and potential modification or refutation by future researchers. Second, novelty itself frequently provokes disbelief. Nobel Laureate and physiologist Albert Azent-Gyorgyi once described discovery as “seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” But thinking what nobody else has thought and telling others what they have missed may not change their views. Sometimes years are required for truly novel discovery claims to be accepted and appreciated.In the end, credibility “happens” to a discovery claim – a process that corresponds to what philosopher Annette Baier has described as the commons of the mind. “We reason together, challenge, revise, and complete each other’s reasoning and each other’s conceptions of reason.”31. According to the first paragraph, the process of discovery is characterized by its[A] uncertainty and complexity.[B] misconception and deceptiveness.[C] logicality and objectivity.[D] systematicness and regularity.32. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that credibility process requires[A] strict inspection.[B]shared efforts.[C] individual wisdom.[D]persistent innovation.33.Paragraph 3 shows that a discovery claim becomes credible after it[A] has attracted the attention of the general public.[B]has been examined by the scientific community.[C] has received recognition from editors and reviewers.[D]has been frequently quoted by peer scientists.34. Albert Szent-Györgyi would most likely agree tha t[A] scientific claims will survive challenges.[B]discoveries today inspire future research.[C] efforts to make discoveries are justified.[D]scientific work calls for a critical mind.35.Which of the following would be the best title of the test?[A] Novelty as an Engine of Scientific Development.[B]Collective Scrutiny in Scientific Discovery.[C] Evolution of Credibility in Doing Science.[D]Challenge to Credibility at the Gate to Science.。
2012年考研英语一真题及答案完整解析
2012年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语(一)Section I Use of EnglishDirections:Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points) The ethical judgments of the Supreme Court justices have become an important issue recently. The court cannot _1_ its legitimacy as guardian of the rule of law _2_ justices behave like politicians. Yet, in several instances, justices acted in ways that _3_ the court ' s reputation for being independent and impartial.Justice Antonin Scalia, for example, appeared at political events. That kind of activity makes it less likely that the court ons will be _'4_s a dse icmispiartialjudgments. Part of the problem is that the justices are not _5_by an ethics code. At the very least, the court should make itself _6_tothe code of conduct that _7_to the rest of the federal judiciary.This and other similar cases _8_the question of whether there is still a _9_between the court and politics.The framers of the Constitution envisioned law _10_having authority apart from politics. They gave justices permanent positions _11_they would be free to _12_ those in power and have no need to_13_ political support. Our legal system was designed to set lawapart from politics precisely because they are so closely 14.Constitutional law is political because it results from choices rooted in fundamental social _15_ like liberty and property. When thecourt deals with social policy decisions, the law it _16_ is inescapably political-which is why decisions split along ideological lines are so easily _17_ as unjust.The justices must _18_ doubts about the court 's legiti ma kciyn gb y themselves _19_ to the code of conduct. That would make rulings more likely to be seen as separate from politics and, _20_, convincing as law.1.[A]emphasize[B]maintain[C]modify[D]recognize2. [A]when [B]lest [ C]before [D] unless3. [A]restored [B]weakened [C]established [D] eliminated4. [A]challenged [B]compromised [C]suspected [D] accepted5. [A]advanced [B]caught [C]bound [D]founded6. [A]resistant [B]subject [C]immune [D]prone7. [A]resorts [B]sticks [C]loads [D]applies8. [A]evade [B]raise [C]deny [D]settle9. [A]line [B]barrier [C]similarity [D]conflict10. [A]by [B]as [C]though [D]towards11. [A]so [B]since [C]provided [D]though12. [A]serve [B]satisfy [C]upset [D]replace13. [A]confirm [B]express [C]cultivate [D]offer14. [A]guarded [B]followed [C]studied [D]tied15. [A]concepts [B]theories [C]divisions [D]conceptions16. [A]excludes [B]questions [C]shapes [D]controls17. [A]dismissed [B]released [C]ranked [D]distorted18. [A]suppress [B]exploit [C]address [D]ignore19. [A]accessible [B]amiable [C]agreeable [D]accountable20. [A]by allmesns[B]atall costs [C]in a word [D]as a resultSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)Text 1Come on –Everybody 'doisn g it. That whispered message, half invitation and half forcing, is what most of us think of when we hear the words peer pressure. It usually leads tono good-drinking, drugs and casual sex. But in her new book Join the Club , Tina Rosenbergcontends that peer pressure can also be a positive force through what she calls the social cure, in which organizations and officials use the power of group dynamics to help individuals improve their lives and possibly the word.Rosenberg, the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, offers a host of example of the social cure in action: In South Carolina, a state-sponsored antismoking program called Rage Against the Haze setsout to make cigarettes uncool. In South Africa, an HIV-prevention initiative known as LoveLiferecruits young people to promote safe sex among their peers.The idea seems promising ，and Rosenberg is a perceptive observer. Her critique of the lameness of many pubic-health campaigns is spot-on: they fail to mobilize peer pressure for healthy habits, and they demonstrate a seriously flawed understanding of psychology. ” Dare to be different, please don ' t pleads one billboard campaign aimed at reducing smoking among teenagers-teenagers, who desire nothing more than fitting in. Rosenberg argues convincingly that public-health advocates ought to take a page from advertisers, so skilled at applying peer pressure.But on the general effectiveness of the social cure, Rosenberg is less persuasive. Join the Club is filled with too much irrelevant detail and not enough exploration of the social and biological factors that make peer pressure so powerful. The most glaring flaw of the social cure as it ' s presented here is tdoesn ' t work very well for very long. Rage Against the Haze failed once state funding was cut. Evidence that the LoveLife program produces lasting changes islimited and mixed.There ' s no doubt that our peer groups exert enormous influence on our behavior. An emerging body of research shows that positive health habits-as well as negative ones-spread through networksof friends via social communication. This is a subtle form of peer pressure: we unconsciously imitate the behavior we see every day.Far less certain, however, is how successfully experts and bureaucrats can select our peer groups and steer their activities in virtuous directions. It ho br'eask sli kuep t he teacher wthe troublemakers in the back row by pairing them with better-behaved classmates. The tactic never really works. And that ' s the problem with a social cure engineered from the outside: in the real world, as in school, we insist on choosing our own friends.21.According to the first paragraph, peer pressure often emerges as[A]a supplement to the social cure[B]a stimulus to group dynamics[C]an obstacle to school progress[D]a cause of undesirable behaviors22.Rosenberg holds that public advocates should[A]recruit professional advertisers[B]learn from advertisers ' experience[C]stay away from commercial advertisers[D]recognize the limitations of advertisements23.In the author ' s view, Rosenberg ' s book fails to[A]adequately probe social and biological factors[B]effectively evade the flaws of the social cure[C]illustrate the functions of state funding[D]produce a long-lasting social effect24.Paragraph 5shows that our imitation of behaviors[A]is harmful to our networks of friends[B]will mislead behavioral studies[C]occurs without our realizing it[D]can produce negative health habits25.The author suggests in the last paragraph that the effect of peer pressure is[A]harmful[B]desirable[C]profound[D]questionableText 2A deal is a deal-except, apparently ,when Entergy is involved. The company, a major energy supplier in New England, provoked justified outrage in Vermont last week when it announced it was reneging on a longstanding commitment to abide by the strict nuclear regulations.Instead, the company has done precisely what it had long promised it would not challenge the constitutionality of Vermont ' s rules in the federal court, as part of a desperateeffort to keep its Vermont Yankee nuclear powe r plant running. It ' s a stunning move.The conflict has been surfacing since 2002, when the corporation bought Vermont ' s only nuclear power plant, an aging reactor in Vernon. As a condition of receiving state approval for the sale, the company agreed to seek permission from state regulators to operate past 2012. In 2006, the state went a step further, requiring that any extension of the plant 'licse nse be subject to Vermontlegislature ap'prosv al. Then, too, the company went along.Either Entergy never real ly intended to live by those commitments, or it simply didn foresee what would happen next. A string of accidents, including the partial collapse of a cooling tower in 207 and the discovery of an underground pipe system leakage, raised serious questions about both Vermont Yankee ' s a fety and Entergy 'msa nagement –especially after the company made misleading statements about the pipe. Enraged by Entergy 'bse havior, the Vermont Senate voted 26 to 4 last year against allowing an extension.Now the company is suddenly claiming that the 2002 agreement is invalid because of the 2006 legislation, and that only the federal government has regulatory power over nuclear issues. The legal issues in the case are obscure: whereas the Supreme Court has ruled that states do have some regulatory authority over nuclear power, legal scholars say that Vermont case will offer a precedent-setting test of how far those powers extend. Certainly, there are valid concerns about the patchwork regulations that could result if every state sets its own rules. But had Entergy kept its word, that debate would be beside the point.The company seems to have concluded that its reputation in Vermont is already so damaged that it has noting left to lose by going to war with the state. But there should be consequences. Permission to run a nuclear plant is a poblic trust. Entergy runs 11 other reactors in the United States, including Pilgrim Nuclear station in Plymouth. Pledging to run Pilgrim safely, the company has applied for federal permission to keep it open for another 20 years. But as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews the company ' s application, it should keep it mind what promises from Entergy are worth.26.The phrase “ reneging on ” (Line 3.para.1) is closest in meaning to[A]condemning.[B]reaffirming.[C]dishonoring.[D]securing.27.By entering into the 2002 agreement, Entergy intended to[A]obtain protection from Vermont regulators.[B]seek favor from the federal legislature.[C]acquire an extension of its business license .[D]get permission to purchase a power plant.28.According to Paragraph 4, Entergy seems to have problems with its[A]managerial practices.[B]technical innovativeness.[C]financial goals.[D]business vision29.In the author ' se v Vieewrm, tohnt case will test[A]Entergy ' s capacity to fulfill all its promises.[B]the mature of states ' patchwork regulations.[C]the federal authority over nuclear issues .[D]the limits of states ' power over nuclear issues.30.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that[A]Entergy ' s business elsewhere might be affected.[B]the authority of the NRC will be defied.[C]Entergy will withdraw its Plymouth application.[D]Vermont ' s reputation might be damaged.Text 3In the idealized version of how science is done, facts about the world are waiting to be observed and collected by objective researchers who use the scientific method to carry out their work. But in the everyday practice of science, discovery frequently follows an ambiguous and complicated route. We aim to be objective, but we cannot escape the context of our unique life experience. Prior knowledge and interest influence what we experience, what we think our experiences mean, and the subsequent actions we take. Opportunities for misinterpretation, error, and self-deception abound.Consequently, discovery claims should be thought of as protoscience. Similar to newly staked mining claims, they are full of potential. But it takes collective scrutiny and acceptance to transform a discovery claim into a mature discovery. This is the credibility process, through which the individual researcher me, here, now' bse comes the community ' sanyone, anywhere, anytime . Objective knowledge is the goal, not the starting point.Once a discovery claim becomes public, the discoverer receives intellectual credit. But, unlike with mining claims, the community takes control of what happens next. Within the complex social structure of the scientific community, researchers make discoveries; editors and reviewers act as gatekeepers by controlling the publication process; other scientists use the new finding to suittheir own purposes; and finally, the public (including other scientists) receives the new discovery and possibly accompanying technology. As a discovery claim works it through the community, the interaction and confrontation between shared and competing beliefs about the science and the technology involved transforms an individual discovery claim into the community ' s credible discovery.Two paradoxes exist throughout this credibility process. First, scientific work tends to focus on some aspect of prevailing Knowledge that is viewed as incomplete or incorrect. Little reward accompanies duplication and confirmation of what is already known and believed. The goal is new-search, not re-search. Not surprisingly, newly published discovery claims and credible discoveries that appear to be important and convincing will always be open to challenge and potential modification or refutationby future researchers. Second, novelty itself frequently provokes disbelief. Nobel Laureate and physiologist Albert Azent- Gyorgyi once described discovery as “seeing what everybody has seen andthinking what nobody has thought. ” But thinking what nobody else has thought and telling others what they have missed may not change their views. Sometimes years are required for truly novel discovery claims to be accepted and appreciated.In the end, credibility “ happens ” to a discov ae rpyr occlaeisms that corres–ponds to what philosopher Annette Baier has described as the commons of the mind. “ Wer eason together, challenge, revise, and complete each other ' rse asoning and each other ' s conceptions of reason.”31.According to the first paragraph, the process of discovery is characterized by its[A]uncertainty and complexity.[B]misconception and deceptiveness.[C]logicality and objectivity.[D]systematicness and regularity.32.It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that credibility process requires[A]strict inspection.[B]shared efforts.[C]individual wisdom.[D]persistent innovation.33.Paragraph 3 shows that a discovery claim becomes credible after it[A]has attracted the attention of the general public.[B]has been examined by the scientific community.[C]has received recognition from editors and reviewers.[D]has been frequently quoted by peer scientists.34.Albert Szent-Gy? rgyi would most likely agree that[A]scientific claims will survive challenges.[B]discoveries today inspire future research.[C]efforts to make discoveries are justified.[D]scientific work calls for a critical mind.35.Which of the following would be the best title of the test?[A]Novelty as an Engine of Scientific Development.[B]Collective Scrutiny in Scientific Discovery.[C]Evolution of Credibility in Doing Science.[D]Challenge to Credibility at the Gate to Science.Text 4If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servant. When Hoffa ' s Teamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union; now 36% do. In 2009 the number of unionists in America ' s public sector passed that of theirfellow members in the private sector. In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15% of private-sector ones are unionized.There are three reasons for the public- sector unions ' thriving. First, they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences. Second, they are mostly bright and well- educated. A quarter of America -s'ectso rp ublic workers have a university degree. Third, they now dominate left-of-centre politics. Some of their ties go back a long way. Britain ' s Labor Party, as itsimplies, has long been associated with trade unionism. Its current leader, Ed Miliband, owes his position to votes from public-sector unions.At the state level their influence can be even more fearsome. Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California points out that much of the state ' s budget is patrolled by unions. The teachers ns keep an eye 'on unio schools, the CCPOA on prisons and a variety of labor groups on health care.In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one. But the real gains come in benefits and work practices. Politicians h ave repeatedly “ backloaded -s”ec topru bplaicy deals, keeping thepay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous.Reform has been vigorously opposed, perhaps most egregiously in education, where charter schools, academies and merit pay all faced drawn-outbattles. Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality of the teachers is the most important variable, teachers ' unions have fought against getting rid ofbad ones and promoting good ones.As the cost to everyone else has become clearer, politicians have begun to clamp down. In Wisconsin the unions have rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline Republican governor. But many within the public sector suffer under the current system, too.John Donahue at Harvard ' s Kennedy School points out that the norms ofculture in Western civil services suit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers. The only American public-sector workers who earn well above $250,000 ayear are university sports coaches and the president of the United States. Bankers ' fat pay packets have attracted much criticism, but apublic-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.36.It can be learned from the first paragraph that[A]Teamsters still have a large body of members.[B]Jimmy Hoffa used to work as a civil servant.[C]unions have enlarged their public-sector membership.[D]the government has improved its relationship with unionists.37.Which of the following is true of Paragraph 2?[A]Public-sector unions are prudent in taking actions.[B]Education is required for public-sector union membership.[C]Labor Party has long been fighting against public-sector unions.[D]Public-sector unions seldom get in trouble for their actions.38.It can be learned from Paragraph 4 that the income in the state sector is[A]illegally secured.[B]indirectly augmented.[C]excessively increased.[D]fairly adjusted.39.The example of the unions in Wisconsin shows that unions[A]often run against the current political system.[B]can change people ' s political attitudes.[C]may be a barrier to public-sector reforms.[D]are dominant in the government.40.John Donahue[A]disapproval.'s attitude towards the p-usbelcictor system is one of[B]appreciation.[C]tolerance.[D]indifference.Part BDirections:In the following text, some sentences have been removed. For Questions 41-45, choose the mostsuitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET1. ( 10 points ) Think of those fleeting moments when you look out of an aeroplane window and realise that you are flying, higher than a bird. Now think of your laptop, thinner than a brown-paper envelope, or your cellphone in the palm of your hand. Take a moment or two to wonder at those marvels. You are the lucky inheritor of a dream come true.The second half of the 20th century saw a collection of geniuses, warriors, entrepreneurs and visionaries labour to create a fabulous machine that could function as a typewriter and printing press, studio and theatre, paintbrush and gallery, piano and radio, the mail as well as the mail carrier. (41)The networked computer is an amazing device, the first media machine that serves as the mode of production, means of distribution, site of reception, and place of praise and critique. The computer is the 21st century's culture machine.But for all the reasons there are to celebrate the computer, we must also tread with caution. (42)I call it a secret war for two reasons. First, most people do not realise that there are strong commercial agendas at work to keep them in passive consumption mode. Second, the majority of people who use networked computers to upload are not even aware of the significance of what they are doing.All animals download, but only a few upload. Beavers build dams and birds make nests. Yet for the most part, the animal kingdom moves through the world downloading. Humans are unique in their capacity to not only make tools but then turn around and use them to create superfluous material goods - paintings, sculpture and architecture - and superfluous experiences - music, literature, religion and philosophy. (43)For all the possibilities of our new culture machines, most people are still stuck in download mode. Even after the advent of widespread social media, a pyramid of production remains, with a small number of people uploading material, a slightly larger group commenting on or modifying that content, and a huge percentage remaining content to just consume. (44)Television is a one-way tap flowing into our homes. The hardest task that televisionasks of anyone is to turn the power off after he has turned it on.(45)What counts as meaningful uploading? My definition revolves around the concept of "stickiness" -creations and experiences to which others adhere.[A]Of course, it is precisely these superfluous things that define human culture and ultimately what it is to be human. Downloading and consuming culture requires great skills, but failing to move beyond downloading is to strip oneself of a defining constituent of humanity.[B]Applications like , which allow users to combine pictures, words and other media in creative ways and then share them, have the potential to addstickiness by amusing, entertaining and enlightening others.[C]Not only did they develop such a device but by the turn of the millennium they had also managed to embed it in a worldwide system accessed by billions of people every day.[D]This is because the networked computer has sparked a secret war between downloading and uploading - between passive consumption and active creation - whose outcome will shape our collective future in ways we can only begin to imagine.[E]The challenge the computer mounts to television thus bears little similarity to one format being replaced by another in the manner of record players being replaced by CD players.[F]One reason for the persistence of this pyramid of production is that for the past half-century, much of the world's media culture has been defined by a single medium - television - and televisionis defined by downloading.[G]The networked computer offers the first chance in 50 years to reverse the flow, to encourage thoughtful downloading and, even more importantly, meaningful uploading.Part CDirections:Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written clearly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (10 points) Since the days of Aristotle, a search for universal principles has characterized the scientific enterprise. In some ways, this quest for commonalities defines science. Newton ' s laws of motion and Darwinian evolution each bind a host of different phenomena into a single explicatory frame work.(46) In physics, one approach takes this impulse for unification to its extreme, and seeks a theory of everything—a single generative equation for all we see.It is becoming less clear, however, that such a theory would be a simplification, given the dimensions and universes that it might entail, nonetheless, unification of sorts remains a major goal.This tendency in the natural sciences has long been evident in the social sciences too. (47) Here, Darwinism seems to offer justification for it all humans share common origins it seems reasonable to suppose that cultural diversity could also be traced to more constrained beginnings. Just as the bewildering variety of human courtship rituals might all be considered forms of sexual selection, perhaps the world ' s languages, musciica,l saond religious customs and even history are governed by universal features. ( 48) To filter out what is unique from what isshared might enable us to understand how complex cultural behavior arose and what guides it in evolutionary or cognitive terms.That, at least, is the hope. But a comparative study of linguistic traits published online today supplies a reality check. Russell Gray at the University of Auckland and his colleagues consider the evolution of grammars in the light of two previous attempts to find universality in language.The most famous of these efforts was initiated by Noam Chomsky, who suggested that humans are born with an innate language —acquisition capacity that dictatesa universal grammar. A few generative rules are then sufficient to unfold theentire fundamental structure of a language, which is why children can learn it so quickly.(49) The second, by Joshua Greenberg, takes a more empirical approach touniversality identifying traits (particularly in word order) shared by manylanguage which are considered to represent biases that result from cognitiveconstraintsGray and his colleagues have put them to the test by examining four family trees that between them represent more than 2,000 languages.( 50) Chomsky ' s grammar should show patterns of language change that are independent of the family tree or the pathway tracked through it. Whereas Greenbergian universality predicts strong co-dependencies between particular types of word-order relations. Neither of these patterns is borne out by the analysis, suggesting that the structures of the languages are lire age-specific and not governed by universalsSection III WritingPart A51. Directions:Some internationals students are coming to your university.Write them an email in the name of the Students ' Union to1) extend your welcome and2) provide some suggestions for their campus life here.You should write about 100 words on ANSWER SHEET2.Do not sign your name at the end of the letter. Use “ Li Ming ” instead.Do not write the address(10 points)Part B52. Directions: write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following drawing. In youressay you should1) describe the drawing briefly2) explain its intended meaning, and3) give your commentsYou should write neatly on ANSWER SHEET2. ( 20 points )1.【答案】 B【解析】从空后信息可以看出，这句表达的是“ _ _法官表现得像政治家”的情况下，法庭就不能保持其作为法律法规的合法卫士的形象，所以应该选C,maintain “维持，保持”，其他显然语义不通。
2012年考研英语(一)真题及参考答案
2012年考研英语(一)真题及答案Section Ⅰ Use of EnglishRead the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark [A], [B], [C] or [D]on ANSWER SHEET 1. ( 10 points)The ethical judgments of the Supreme Court justices became an important issue recently. The court cannot___1__ its legitimacy as guardian of the rule of law___2___ justices behave like politicians. Y et, in several instances, justices acted in ways that___3__ the court’s reputation for being independent and impartial。
Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito Jr., for example, appeared at political events. That kind of activity makes it less likely that the court’s decisions will be__4__ as impartial judgments. Part of the problem is that the justices are not __5___ by an ethics code. At the very least, the court should make itself____6___ to the code of conduct that ___7___to the rest of the federal judiciary。
2012年考研英语(一)阅读 text 4 精读精讲知乎
2012年考研英语(一)阅读text 4 精读精讲知乎全文共6篇示例，供读者参考篇1Text 4 From the 2012 English Exam Was Really Hard!Hi everyone! My name is Lily and I'm in 5th grade. I love reading, especially really challenging books and articles. My parents are both professors and they always give me hard stuff to read to get me ready for the super difficult tests in college one day.Recently, my dad had me read this weird passage called "Text 4" that was on some old graduate school entrance exam from 2012 in China. He said it would be great practice for me to analyze a college-level reading passage. I thought it was going to be soooo boring, but it actually turned out to be really interesting!The passage was about the history of public parks in cities. It talked about how parks used to just be private gardens for rich people back in the 1600s and 1700s. Only fancy folks could go in them to stroll around and relax. But then the passage explainedhow public parks for everyone started becoming popular in the 1800s, especially in Britain.One of the main people it talked about was this guy named John Claudius Loudon. He was a Scottish botanist and horticulturist who lived in the early 1800s. The passage said Loudon was one of the first people to really promote the idea of public parks in cities that everyone could use and enjoy, not just aristocrats with private gardens.Loudon came up with this concept he called the "respiratory plants for town trees." Isn't that such a funny name? It basically meant that trees could serve as the "lungs of towns" by providing fresh oxygen. So Loudon thought filling cities with green spaces and parks with lots of trees was really good for people's health. That was a new idea back then that people didn't really think about before.The passage also discussed this other guy named Joseph Paxton who was a big public parks guy too. He helped design one of the most famous parks in London called Birkenhead Park in 1847. A bunch of copycat parks modeled after Birkenhead started popping up all over Britain after that because it was so popular and pretty.But then public parks soon spread way beyond Britain to other countries too. The passage mentioned that Frederick Law Olmsted, known as the "father of American landscape architecture," was really inspired by public parks he saw in Britain. So in 1858, he designed one of the first big public parks in the United States called Central Park in New York City. Just like the British parks were a hit, Central Park also became a huge success that made people in other American cities want amazing public parks too.I thought it was really fascinating how the passage traced the evolution of public parks from their origins as private household gardens, to their spread across Britain, and finally to becoming super popular in other countries like the United States too. The key figures it highlighted like Loudon, Paxton, and Olmsted made a lot of good points about why public parks are so great for cities and people's health. It makes total sense that having green spaces with trees surrounded by tons of tall buildings and crowds is relaxing and good for you.So that's the main idea I got from this Text 4 reading - that public parks used to be a totally radical concept until the 1800s when some innovative thinkers pushed for creating urban parks that everyone could enjoy, not just rich owners of privategardens. And those early public parks were so amazingly designed and refreshing that they sparked a huge worldwide movement to build parks in cities all over. Pretty cool history, right?Analyzing the passage was definitely a challenge with all the names, dates, details and new vocabulary words to remember. But I'm really glad my dad had me read it because I learned so much! For example, I had no clue what "respiratory," "horticulturist" or "aristocrat" meant before. And I didn't really know the origin of Central Park or other major city parks.Some parts were still pretty confusing though. Like why were private gardens so segregated way back then where only wealthy people could access them? That seems so unfair and sad that beautiful green spaces were off-limits to most people. The passage also didn't really explain why trees are so healthy for cities beyond providing fresh oxygen from the "respiratory plants" thing. Don't they also help absorb pollution, lower temperatures with shade, and give homes for animals too? More details on the actual benefits would have been helpful.Overall though, I had fun reading this old exam passage and learning the interesting history behind public parks that I just took for granted before. My friends and I love going to the parkby my house to run around, have picnics, and feed the ducks. But now I have a whole new appreciation for how those parks came to exist in the first place after reading Text 4!Let me know if you've had experience analyzing difficult reading passages like this one too. I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially if you're a college student who has taken hard tests like this. Reading primary sources from history is pretty dry sometimes, but uncovering forgotten stories can be fascinating once you get into it. I'm going to ask my dad for more challenging passages to read - maybe I'll become an expert on random historical topics before I even get to college!篇2Text 4 From the 2012 English Postgrad Exam – A Kid's GuideHey there, friends! Today, we're going to talk about a really interesting reading passage from the 2012 English postgraduate entrance exam. It's called Text 4, and it's all about a super cool topic – animal communication! Isn't that exciting? Let's dive right in!The passage starts by telling us that animals communicate with each other in all sorts of different ways. Some use sounds, like the chirping of birds or the roaring of lions. Others usemovements, like the wagging of a dog's tail or the flapping of a butterfly's wings. Isn't that neat? It's like they have their own secret language!Then, the passage talks about a scientist named Thomas Sebeok. He was really interested in how animals communicate and even started a whole field of study called "zoosemiotics." That's a big word, but it just means the study of how animals send and understand signals. Pretty cool, right?Now, here's where things get really interesting. The passage explains that animals don't just communicate with their own kind but also with different species! Can you believe that? It's like they all speak a universal language or something.For example, did you know that some birds can understand the alarm calls of other animals? That's right! If a bird hears a squirrel's warning cry, it knows danger is nearby and flies away. Isn't that amazing? It's like they're all part of one big animal neighborhood watch!The passage also talks about how animals can sometimes even communicate with plants! Yup, you read that right – plants! Apparently, some plants release chemicals into the air when they're being eaten by insects. These chemicals act as a distress signal, and nearby plants can pick up on them and startproducing their own defensive chemicals. It's like they're sending out an "SOS" message to their plant buddies!But that's not all! The passage mentions something called the "talking tree hypothesis." According to this idea, trees in a forest can communicate with each other through their roots and fungi in the soil. They can share information about things like nutrient levels, pests, and even warn each other about dangers like fires or disease. Can you imagine if trees could really talk? That would be so cool!So, what do you think? Do you believe that animals and plants can really talk to each other? Or is it all just a bunch of silly ideas? Either way, it's definitely an interesting topic to think about!Well, that's all for Text 4, my friends! I hope you found it as fascinating as I did. Who knew the animal kingdom could be so chatty? Maybe next time you see a bird or a squirrel, you can try to listen in on their conversation. Just don't be too disappointed if they don't say hi back!篇3Text 4 Time Travel - A Totally Cosmic Idea!Hey kids! Today we're going to talk about something really cool - time travel! You've probably seen movies about it, like Back to the Future. Well, get ready to have your mind blown because time travel isn't just for the movies. Scientists have actually been thinking about it for a long time!So what is time travel anyway? It's the idea of moving between different points in time - the past, present and future. Sounds crazy, right? But some super smart scientists think it might actually be possible based on some wild physics theories. Let me break it down for you.You know how sometimes when you're really tired, time feels like it's going slower than usual? Or when you're having a ton of fun, it feels like time is flying by? Well, according to a famous scientist named Einstein, that's because time is actually relative. It can change based on how fast you're moving and stuff like gravity. Whoa, mind=blown, right?Einstein came up with these ideas over a hundred years ago with his Theory of Relativity. It's some pretty heavy duty science, but the basic idea is that time isn't just a constant, straight line like we usually think. Instead, time and space are all mixed up together in what Einstein called the "space-time continuum." It'skind of like a big stretchy blanket that can get warped and distorted.And get this - according to Einstein's math, it's possible for something to warp the space-time continuum so much that it creates a "wormhole" - kind of like a shortcut through space and time! These wormholes are what could theoretically allow for time travel to the past or future.But wormholes are just theoretical right now. We've never actually seen one in real life. Scientists think they might exist in certain extreme environments, like around black holes or during the Big Bang when the universe started. But don't try punching a hole in space-time at home, kids!So if wormholes aren't an option yet, what about building an actual time machine? Well, some scientists think that using enormous amounts of energy and exotic matter, we might be able to warp space-time enough to take a little trip through the fourth dimension - time itself!The idea is that you'd use this massive energy to create a "closed timelike curve" in space-time that would loop back on itself, letting you revisit the past or future. Kind of like drawing a circle on that stretchy space-time blanket we talked about earlier.Like, what if you went back in time and accidentally stepped on a butterfly, and that little thing completely changed the future? That's called the "butterfly effect" and it shows how even tiny things can spiral out into massive changes in time. Woah, talk about high stakes!Or how about the "grandfather paradox?" What if you went back in time and accidentally...I don't know, distracted your grandpa or something so that he never met your grandma? Then you'd never have been born to go back in time in the first place! Paradoxes like that seem to violate all kinds of laws of physics and logic.That's why some scientists think true time travel might be impossible, even in theory. Or even if it is possible, maybe there are rules in place that prevent paradoxes like that from happening. Like maybe you can't actually change the past, you'd just be visiting it as an observer or something.But other scientists are like "Hold up, who says paradoxes are impossible? Maybe our limited human brains just can't comprehend them yet!" After all, a lot of the crazy modern physics we take for granted today, like quantum mechanics, seemed paradoxical at first too.So while we're still working on the details, actually being able to hop through time seems at least hypothetically plausible based on our current understanding of physics and the universe. Isn't that insane?!But who knows what the brilliant scientists of the future might achieve? With more studying and experimenting, time travel could eventually go from science fiction to science fact! Maybe one day, kids like you could take a field trip to the age of the dinosaurs. Or zip ahead to see what the 25th century is like. How cool would that be?For now though, we'll have to settle for exploring this wild idea through movies, books and our imaginations. But keep studying and working hard, and maybe YOU could be one of the scientists that finally cracks the code on time travel someday. Imagine getting to travel through all of history and the future! I don't know about you, but I'd go back and pet a woolly mammoth in a heartbeat. Just don't step on any butterflies, ok?篇4Text 4 is Super Hard but I Will Try to 'Splain ItHi friends! Today we are going to look at a very difficult reading passage from a big test in China. The test is called the2012 Engwish Test for Graduate 'Dmissions. That means it's a test that cowwege students have to take if they want to go to graduate school and get a master's degree or a doctowate. The reading passage is cawwed Text 4 and it's about marketing and business stuffs.The passage starts out by saying that marketing is about more than just adverrtising and sewwing things. It says marketing is awso about "developing, dewivering and communicating" vawue to customers. Vawue means making something that peopwe reawwy want and need. The passage tawks about the "marketing concept" which says that companies shouwd focus on meeting customers' needs instead of just trying to seww as much stuff as possibwe.Then it tawks about some changes that happened in marketing in the wast 60 years or so. It says that in the 1950s and 1960s, companies focused more on making wots of products instead of worrying about what custamers actuawwy wanted. This was cawwed the "production concept." Companies thought that if they made a wot of stuff, peopwe wouwd buy it aww.But then in the 1970s, there were too many products and not enough peopwe to buy them aww! So companies started using the "sewwing concept" instead. They tried reawwy reawwy hardto convince peopwe to buy aww their stuff with wots of ads and sawes tactics.After that didn't work very wewe, the passage says companies finawwy started using the "marketing concept" in the 1990s. Instead of just making a bunch of random stuff, they started asking customers what they actuawwy wanted and needed. Then they made products to meet those needs. So smart!The passage awso tawks about how marketers need to wook at the "Four Ps" - product, price, pwace and promotion. They need to make a good product that peopwe wiww buy at the right price. Then they need to put it in pwaces where customers can buy it easy, wike stores or onwine. And they need to teww peopwe about it with good ads and promotions.There's a whowe section about "rewationship marketing" too. This means companies shouwdn't just try to make one quick sawe. Instead, they shouwd buiwd good wong-term rewationships with their customers so they'ww keep buying from them over and over. Companies need to reawwy wisten to customers and give them good vawue.The passage says dat in today's gwobaw marketpwace, companies can't just seww the same owd junk anymore. Theyhave to come up with totawwy new and innovative products and business modews to stay ahead. Peopwe have wots of choices now from aww over the worwd, so companies have to work extra hard to keep deir customers happy and woyaw.There's a bit at the end about sustainabwe marketing too. It says companies need to be friendwy to de environment and society when dey make and seww stuff. They can't just powwute and expwoit peopwe to make money anymore. Sustainabwe companies are ones that are good for peopwe, pwanets and profits aww at de same time.Phew, dat was a reawwy tricky reading to understand! It used a bunch of compwicated marketing words wike "concept" and "sustainabwe" dat were pretty hard. But I worked reawwy hard and did my best to expwain aww the main ideas in pwain words dat are easy for wittwe kids wike me to get.Pwease wet me know if any part was too confusing or if you need me to 'spwain anyding better. I hope this hewped you understand Text 4 a wittwe bit more! Good wuck on your big test.篇5Title: Let Me Tell You All About This Crazy Reading Passage!Hey friends! Today I'm going to tell you all about this really wild reading passage I had to do for a big test. It was so confusing at first, but I think I finally figured it out. Get ready for an awesome story time!The passage is called "Text 4" which is a pretty boring name if you ask me. It's all about these tiny little creatures called "insects." Have you ever seen one of those? They're seriously small! Like smaller than your baby finger small. The passage says there are more species of insects than any other group of creatures on Earth. Whoa, that's a ton of bugs!Anyway, the reading talks about how insects have been around for over 400 million years. That's like...forever ago! It says they were the first creatures to grow wings and fly. Can you imagine a world with no birds or planes, just a bunch of giant bugs buzzing around? Crazy!So insects are super old and there are millions of types. The passage goes on to explain that even though they're small, insects are extremely important. It says they pollinate over 75% of the world's flowering plants! That's how we get fruits, veggies, and all sorts of yummy food. Who knew bugs played such a big role?But get this - the passage says insects are going extinct at a very fast rate. Scientists estimate that over 40% of all insect species could go extinct in the next few decades! That's so sad. The world needs those little guys.Why are all the bugs disappearing? Well, apparently humans are mostly to blame. We're destroying their homes and habitats by cutting down forests, growing cities, and using tons of chemicals and pesticides that poison insects. Oops, our bad!If all the insects die out, it would be an absolute disaster according to the reading. Food supplies would completely collapse since plants can't get pollinated properly. The passage warns it could trigger a "catastrophic collapse of nature's ecosystems." Yikes, that doesn't sound good at all!We definitely need to do something to protect insect species. The reading suggests some ideas like reducing pesticide use, preserving natural habitats, and creating insect-friendly environments. We should all build some cute little bug houses in our backyards!Okay,篇6Text 4 From the 2012 English Exam Was Really Hard!Hi friends! Today I want to tell you all about a really tough reading passage I had to do for a big test called the English entrance exam. It was called Text 4 and it was super long and had all these big words that made my brain hurt. But I tried my best to understand it, just like my teacher says I should always do. Let me break it down for you!The passage was all about these tiny little animals called seed bugs. I had never even heard of seed bugs before! It said they are only a few millimeters long and they live inside seeds from plants like orchids and bushes and trees. Can you imagine being that small and living inside a seed? I can't!Anyways, the passage said that even though seed bugs are really really tiny, they are actually super important. This is because they help spread the seeds from the plants they live in so new plants can grow in different places. Basically, the seed bugs eat the inside of the seed and then poop out the remains. Isn't that crazy? Their poop helps grow new plants!The passage talked a lot about how seed bugs do this spreading seeds thing. Apparently, after they're done eating the insides, they chew a hole and crawl out of the seed. Then they hitchhike on bigger bugs or animals and get carried far awaybefore jumping off somewhere new. That's when their seed poop comes out and can start growing into a plant if it lands somewhere good for that.There was also a lot of scientific words explaining the different types of seed bugs and plants they live in. Like there are "seed predators" that just eat and leave, versus "seed dispersers" that poop out the remains. And plants can be "self-dispersed" if they spread their own seeds through the air, or "dispersed" if animals like seed bugs help spread the seeds. It was a lot to remember!The hardest part was understanding all the different strategies the passage said seed bugs use. Some seed bugs are "gatekeepers" and only let certain seeds get spread based on if they're a good home for baby seed bugs. Others are "squatters" and just live in whatever seed until it falls apart. And some are "baby farmers" that leave part of the seed so their babies have a safe place to hatch! Wasn't that just mind-blowing?There were also sections explaining the life cycle of seed bugs, how they develop from eggs to larvae to adults over months or years depending on the species. And how their colors and patterns help camouflage them from predators trying to eat the seeds they live inside.Phew, I'm getting tired just thinking about all that crazy seed bug info again! The reading took me forever and I'm still not sure if I understood everything right. Like why would a plant even want an animal hanging out eating its seeds? Shouldn't it be trying to protect them instead? I guess that's just how nature works sometimes.Well, that's my extremely simplified summary of Text 4 and all its intense seed bug facts. Looking back, I can see why it was picked to stump us English students - it used lots of obscure scientific vocabulary in a really dense writing style. But now you know what I had to push my little brain through for that big important test. Do you feel smarter about seed bugs yet? I know I do! Thanks for listening to me ramble on and I'll talk to you all next time!。
2012年考研英语一真题-高清版含答案
2012年考研英语一真题-高清版含答案Section I Use of EnglishDirections:Read the following text.Choose the best word(s)for each numbered blank and mark A,B,C or D on ANSWER SHEET1.(10points)The ethical judgments of the Supreme Court justices have become an important issue recently.The court cannot1its legitimacy as guardian of the rule of law2justices behave like politicians.Yet,in several instances,justices acted in ways that3the court’s reputation for being independent and impartial.Justice Antonin Scalia,for example,appeared at political events.That kind of activity makes it less likely that the court’s decisions will be4as impartial judgments.Part of the problem is that the justices are not5by an ethics code. At the very least,the court should make itself6to the code of conduct that7to the rest of the federal judiciary.This and other similar cases8the question of whether there is still a9between the court and politics.The framers of the Constitution envisioned law10having authority apart from politics.They gave justices permanent positions11they would be free to12those in power and have no need to13political support.Our legal system was designed to set law apart from politics precisely because they are so closely14.Constitutional law is political because it results from choices rooted in fundamental social15like liberty and property.When the court deals with social policy decisions,the law it16is inescapably political–which is why decisions split along ideological lines are so easily17as unjust.The justices must18doubts about the court’s legitimacy by making themselves19to the code of conduct.That would make rulings more likely to be seen as separate from politics and,20,convincing as law.1.[A]emphasize[B]maintain[C]modify[D]recognize2.[A]when[B]lest[C]before[D]unless3.[A]restored[B]weakened[C]established[D]eliminated4.[A]challenged[B]compromised[C]suspected[D]accepted5.[A]advanced[B]caught[C]bound[D]founded6.[A]resistant[B]subject[C]immune[D]prone7.[A]resorts[B]sticks[C]leads[D]applies8.[A]evade[B]raise[C]deny[D]settle9.[A]line[B]barrier[C]similarity[D]conflict10.[A]by[B]as[C]through[D]towards11.[A]so[B]since[C]provided[D]though12.[A]serve[B]satisfy[C]upset[D]replace13.[A]confirm[B]express[C]cultivate[D]offer14.[A]guarded[B]followed[C]studied[D]tied15.[A]concepts[B]theories[C]divisions[D]conventions16.[A]excludes[B]questions[C]shapes[D]controls17.[A]dismissed[B]released[C]ranked[D]distorted18.[A]suppress[B]exploit[C]address[D]ignore19.[A]accessible[B]amiable[C]agreeable[D]accountable20.[A]by all means[B]at all costs[C]in a word[D]as a resultSectionⅡReading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts.Answer the questions below each text by choosing A,B,C or D.Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET1.(40points)Text1Come on–Everybody’s doing it.That whispered message,half invitation and half forcing,is what most of us think of when we hear the words peer pressure.It usually leads to no good–drinking,drugs and casual sex.But in her new book Join the Club,Tina Rosenberg contends that peer pressure can also be a positive force through what she calls the social cure,in which organizations and officials use the power of group dynamics to help individuals improve their lives and possibly the world.Rosenberg,the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize,offers a host of examples of the social cure in action:In South Carolina,a state-sponsored antismoking program called Rage Against the Haze sets out to make cigarettes uncool.In South Africa,an HIV-prevention initiative known as loveLife recruits young people to promote safe sex among their peers.The idea seems promising,and Rosenberg is a perceptive observer.Her critique of the lameness of many public-health campaigns is spot-on:they fail to mobilize peer pressure for healthy habits,and they demonstrate a seriously flawed understanding of psychology.“Dare to be different,please don’t smoke!”pleads one billboard campaign aimed at reducing smoking among teenagers–teenagers,who desire nothing more than fitting in.Rosenberg argues convincingly that public-health advocates ought to take a page from advertisers,so skilled at applying peer pressure.But on the general effectiveness of the social cure,Rosenberg is less persuasive. Join the Club is filled with too much irrelevant detail and not enough exploration of the social and biological factors that make peer pressure so powerful.The most glaring flaw of the social cure as it’s presented here is that it doesn’t work very well for very long.Rage Against the Haze failed once state funding was cut.Evidence that the loveLife program produces lasting changes is limited and mixed.There’s no doubt that our peer groups exert enormous influence on our behavior. An emerging body of research shows that positive health habits–as well as negative ones–spread through networks of friends via social communication.This is a subtle form of peer pressure:we unconsciously imitate the behavior we see every day.Far less certain,however,is how successfully experts and bureaucrats can select our peer groups and steer their activities in virtuous directions.It’s like the teacher who breaks up the troublemakers in the back row by pairing them with better-behaved classmates.The tactic never really works.And that’s the problem with a social cure engineered from the outside:in the real world,as in school,we insist on choosing our own friends.21.According to the first paragraph,peer pressure often emerges as[A]a supplement to the social cure.[B]a stimulus to group dynamics.[C]an obstacle to social progress.[D]a cause of undesirable behaviors.22.Rosenberg holds that public-health advocates should[A]recruit professional advertisers.[B]learn from advertisers’experience.[C]stay away from commercial advertisers.[D]recognize the limitations of advertisements.23.In the author’s view,Rosenberg’s book fails to[A]adequately probe social and biological factors.[B]effectively evade the flaws of the social cure.[C]illustrate the functions of state funding.[D]produce a long-lasting social effect.24.Paragraph5shows that our imitation of behaviors[A]is harmful to our networks of friends.[B]will mislead behavioral studies.[C]occurs without our realizing it.[D]can produce negative health habits.25.The author suggests in the last paragraph that the effect of peer pressure is[A]harmful.[B]desirable.[C]profound.[D]questionable.Text2A deal is a deal–except,apparently,when Entergy is involved.The company,a major energy supplier in New England,provoked justified outrage in Vermont last week when it announced it was reneging on a longstanding commitment to abide by the state’s strict nuclear regulations.Instead,the company has done precisely what it had long promised it would not: challenge the constitutionality of Vermont’s rules in the federal court,as part of a desperate effort to keep its Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant running.It’s a stunning move.The conflict has been surfacing since2002,when the corporation bought Vermont’s only nuclear power plant,an aging reactor in Vernon.As a condition of receiving state approval for the sale,the company agreed to seek permission from state regulators to operate past2012.In2006,the state went a step further,requiring that any extension of the plant’s license be subject to the Vermont legislature’s approval.Then,too,the company went along.Either Entergy never really intended to live by those commitments,or it simply didn’t foresee what would happen next.A string of accidents,including the partial collapse of a cooling tower in2007and the discovery of an underground pipe system leakage,raised serious questions about both Vermont Yankee’s safety and Entergy’s management–especially after the company made misleading statements about the pipe.Enraged by Entergy’s behavior,the Vermont Senate voted26to4last year against allowing an extension.Now the company is suddenly claiming that the2002agreement is invalid because of the2006legislation,and that only the federal government has regulatory power over nuclear issues.The legal issues in the case are obscure:whereas the Supreme Court has ruled that states do have some regulatory authority over nuclear power,legal scholars say that Vermont case will offer a precedent-setting test of how far those powers extend.Certainly,there are valid concerns about the patchwork regulations that could result if every state sets its own rules.But had Entergy kept its word,that debate would be beside the point.The company seems to have concluded that its reputation in Vermont is already so damaged that it has nothing left to lose by going to war with the state.But there should be consequences.Permission to run a nuclear plant is a public trust.Entergy runs11other reactors in the United States,including Pilgrim Nuclear station in Plymouth.Pledging to run Pilgrim safely,the company has applied for federal permission to keep it open for another20years.But as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission(NRC)reviews the company’s application,it should keep in mind what promises from Entergy are worth.26.The phrase“reneging on”(Line3,Para.1)is closest in meaning to[A]condemning.[B]reaffirming.[C]dishonoring.[D]securing.27.By entering into the2002agreement,Entergy intended to[A]obtain protection from Vermont regulators.[B]seek favor from the federal legislature.[C]acquire an extension of its business license.[D]get permission to purchase a power plant.28.According to Paragraph4,Entergy seems to have problems with its[A]managerial practices.[B]technical innovativeness.[C]financial goals.[D]business vision.29.In the author’s view,the Vermont case will test[A]Entergy’s capacity to fulfill all its promises.[B]the nature of states’patchwork regulations.[C]the federal authority over nuclear issues.[D]the limits of states’power over nuclear issues.30.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that[A]Entergy’s business elsewhere might be affected.[B]the authority of the NRC will be defied.[C]Entergy will withdraw its Plymouth application.[D]Vermont’s reputation might be damaged.Text3In the idealized version of how science is done,facts about the world are waiting to be observed and collected by objective researchers who use the scientific method to carry out their work.But in the everyday practice of science,discovery frequently follows an ambiguous and complicated route.We aim to be objective,but we cannot escape the context of our unique life experiences.Prior knowledge and interests influence what we experience,what we think our experiences mean,and the subsequent actions we take.Opportunities for misinterpretation,error,and self-deception abound.Consequently,discovery claims should be thought of as protoscience.Similar to newly staked mining claims,they are full of potential.But it takes collective scrutiny and acceptance to transform a discovery claim into a mature discovery.This is the credibility process,through which the individual researcher’s me,here,now becomes the community’s anyone,anywhere,anytime.Objective knowledge is the goal,not the starting point.Once a discovery claim becomes public,the discoverer receives intellectual credit.But,unlike with mining claims,the community takes control of what happens next.Within the complex social structure of the scientific community,researchers make discoveries;editors and reviewers act as gatekeepers by controlling the publication process;other scientists use the new finding to suit their own purposes; and finally,the public(including other scientists)receives the new discovery and possibly accompanying technology.As a discovery claim works its way through the community,the interaction and confrontation between shared and competing beliefs about the science and the technology involved transforms an individual’s discovery claim into the community’s credible discovery.Two paradoxes exist throughout this credibility process.First,scientific work tends to focus on some aspect of prevailing knowledge that is viewed as incomplete or incorrect.Little reward accompanies duplication and confirmation of what is already known and believed.The goal is new-search,not re-search.Not surprisingly, newly published discovery claims and credible discoveries that appear to be important and convincing will always be open to challenge and potential modification or refutation by future researchers.Second,novelty itself frequently provokes disbelief.Nobel Laureate and physiologist Albert Szent-Györgyi once described discovery as“seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.”But thinking what nobody else has thought and telling others what they have missed may not change their views.Sometimes years are required for truly novel discovery claims to be accepted and appreciated.In the end,credibility“happens”to a discovery claim–a process that corresponds to what philosopher Annette Baier has described as the commons of the mind.“We reason together,challenge,revise,and complete each other’s reasoning and each other’s conceptions of reason.”31.According to the first paragraph,the process of discovery is characterized by its[A]uncertainty and complexity.[B]misconception and deceptiveness.[C]logicality and objectivity.[D]systematicness and regularity.32.It can be inferred from Paragraph2that credibility process requires[A]strict inspection.[B]shared efforts.[C]individual wisdom.[D]persistent innovation.33.Paragraph3shows that a discovery claim becomes credible after it[A]has attracted the attention of the general public.[B]has been examined by the scientific community.[C]has received recognition from editors and reviewers.[D]has been frequently quoted by peer scientists.34.Albert Szent-Györgyi would most likely agree that[A]scientific claims will survive challenges.[B]discoveries today inspire future research.[C]efforts to make discoveries are justified.[D]scientific work calls for a critical mind.35.Which of the following would be the best title of the text?[A]Novelty as an Engine of Scientific Development.[B]Collective Scrutiny in Scientific Discovery.[C]Evolution of Credibility in Doing Science.[D]Challenge to Credibility at the Gate to Science.Text4If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today,he would probably represent civil servants.When Hoffa’s Teamsters were in their prime in1960,only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union;now36%do.In2009the number of unionists in America’s public sector passed that of their fellow members in the private sector.In Britain,more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15%of private-sector ones are unionized.There are three reasons for the public-sector unions’thriving.First,they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences.Second,they are mostly bright and well-educated.A quarter of America’s public-sector workers have a university degree.Third,they now dominate left-of-centre politics.Some of their ties go back a long way.Britain’s Labor Party,as its name implies,has long been associated with trade unionism.Its current leader,Ed Miliband,owes his position to votes from public-sector unions.At the state level their influence can be even more fearsome.Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California points out that much of the state’s budget is patrolled by unions.The teachers’unions keep an eye on schools,the CCPOA on prisons and a variety of labor groups on health care.In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one.But the real gains come in benefits and work practices.Politicians have repeatedly“backloaded”public-sector pay deals,keeping the pay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous.Reform has been vigorously opposed,perhaps most notoriously in education, where charter schools,academies and merit pay all faced drawn-out battles.Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality of the teachers is the most important variable,teachers’unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones.As the cost to everyone else has become clearer,politicians have begun to clamp down.In Wisconsin the unions have rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker,the hardline Republican governor.But many within the public sector suffer under the current system,too.John Donahue at Harvard’s Kennedy School points out that the norms of culture in Western civil services suit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers. The only American public-sector workers who earn well above$250,000a year are university sports coaches and the president of the United States.Bankers’fat pay packets have attracted much criticism,but a public-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.36.It can be learned from the first paragraph that[A]Teamsters still have a large body of members.[B]Jimmy Hoffa used to work as a civil servant.[C]unions have enlarged their public-sector membership.[D]the government has improved its relationship with unionists.37.Which of the following is true of Paragraph2?[A]Public-sector unions are prudent in taking actions.[B]Education is required for public-sector union membership.[C]Labor Party has long been fighting against public-sector unions.[D]Public-sector unions seldom get in trouble for their actions.38.It can be learned from Paragraph4that the income in the state sector is[A]illegally secured.[B]indirectly augmented.[C]excessively increased.[D]fairly adjusted.39.The example of the unions in Wisconsin shows that unions[A]often run against the current political system.[B]can change people’s political attitudes.[C]may be a barrier to public-sector reforms.[D]are dominant in the government.40.John Donahue’s attitude towards the public-sector system is one of[A]disapproval.[B]appreciation.[C]tolerance.[D]indifference.Part BDirections:In the following text,some sentences have been removed.For Questions41–45, choose the most suitable one from the list A–G to fit into each of the numbered blanks.There are two extra choices,which do not fit in any of the blanks.Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET1.(10points)Think of those fleeting moments when you look out of an aeroplane window and realise that you are flying,higher than a bird.Now think of your laptop,thinner than a brown-paper envelope,or your cellphone in the palm of your hand.Take a moment or two to wonder at those marvels.You are the lucky inheritor of a dream come true.The second half of the20th century saw a collection of geniuses,warriors, entrepreneurs and visionaries labour to create a fabulous machine that could function as a typewriter and printing press,studio and theatre,paintbrush and gallery,piano and radio,the mail as well as the mail carrier.(41)_______________________________ The networked computer is an amazing device,the first media machine that serves as the mode of production,means of distribution,site of reception,and place of praise and critique.The computer is the21st century’s culture machine.But for all the reasons there are to celebrate the computer,we must also act with caution.(42)_______________________________I call it a secret war for two reasons.First,most people do not realise that there are strong commercial agendas at work to keep them in passive consumption mode.Second,the majority of people who use networked computers to upload are not even aware of the significance of what they are doing.All animals download,but only a few upload.Beavers build dams and birds make nests.Yet for the most part,the animal kingdom moves through the world downloading.Humans are unique in their capacity to not only make tools but then turn around and use them to create superfluous material goods–paintings,sculpture and architecture–and superfluous experiences–music,literature,religion and philosopy.(43)_______________________________For all the possibilities of our new culture machines,most people are still stuck in download mode.Even after the advent of widespread social media,a pyramid of production remains,with a small number of people uploading material,a slightly larger group commenting on or modifying that content,and a huge percentage remaining content to just consume.(44)_______________________________ Television is a one-way tap flowing into our homes.The hardest task that television asks of anyone is to turn the power off after he has turned it on.(45)_______________________________What counts as meaningful uploading?My definition revolves around the concept of“stickiness”–creations and experiences to which others adhere.[A]Of course,it is precisely these superfluous things that define human culture andultimately what it is to be human.Downloading and consuming culture requires great skills,but failing to move beyond downloading is to strip oneself of a defining constituent of humanity.[B]Applications like ,which allow users to combine pictures,words andother media in creative ways and then share them,have the potential to add stickiness by amusing,entertaining and enlightening others.[C]Not only did they develop such a device but by the turn of the millenniumthey had also managed to embed it in a worldwide system accessed by billions of people every day.[D]This is because the networked computer has sparked a secret war betweendownloading and uploading–between passive consumption and active creation–whose outcome will shape our collective future in ways we can only begin to imagine.[E]The challenge the computer mounts to television thus bears little similarity toone format being replaced by another in the manner of record players being replaced by CD players.[F]One reason for the persistence of this pyramid of production is that for the pasthalf-century,much of the world’s media culture has been defined by a single medium–television–and television is defined by downloading.[G]The networked computer offers the first chance in50years to reverse theflow,to encourage thoughtful downloading and,even more importantly, meaningful uploading.Part CDirections:Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese.Your translation should be written clearly on ANSWER SHEET2.(10 points)Since the days of Aristotle,a search for universal principles has characterized the scientific enterprise.In some ways,this quest for commonalities defines science. Newton’s laws of motion and Darwinian evolution each bind a host of different phenomena into a single explicatory framework.(46)In physics,one approach takes this impulse for unification to its extreme, and seeks a theory of everything–a single generative equation for all we see.It is becoming less clear,however,that such a theory would be a simplification,given the dimensions and universes that it might entail.Nonetheless,unification of sorts remains a major goal.This tendency in the natural sciences has long been evident in the social sciences too.(47)Here,Darwinism seems to offer justification,for if all humans share common origins,it seems reasonable to suppose that cultural diversity could also be traced to more constrained beginnings.Just as the bewildering variety of human courtship rituals might all be considered forms of sexual selection,perhaps the world’s languages,music,social and religious customs and even history are governed by universal features.(48)To filter out what is unique from what is shared might enable us to understand how complex cultural behavior arose and what guides it in evolutionary or cognitive terms.That,at least,is the hope.But a comparative study of linguistic traits published online today supplies a reality check.Russell Gray at the University of Auckland and his colleagues consider the evolution of grammars in the light of two previous attempts to find universality in language.The most famous of these efforts was initiated by Noam Chomsky,who suggested that humans are born with an innate language-acquisition capacity that dictates a universal grammar.A few generative rules are then sufficient to unfold the entire fundamental structure of a language,which is why children can learn it so quickly.(49)The second,by Joshua Greenberg,takes a more empirical approach to universality,identifying traits(particularly in word order)shared by many languages, which are considered to represent biases that result from cognitive constraints.Gray and his colleagues have put them to the test by examining four family trees that between them represent more than2,000languages.(50)Chomsky’s grammar should show patterns of language change that are independent of the family tree or the pathway tracked through it,whereas Greenbergian universality predicts strong co-dependencies between particular types of word-order relations.Neither of these patterns is borne out by the analysis,suggesting that the structures of the languages are lineage-specific and not governed by universals.SectionⅢWritingPart A51.Directions:Some international students are coming to your university.Write them an email in the name of the Students’Union to1)extend your welcome and2)provide some suggestions for their campus life here.You should write about100words on ANSWER SHEET2.Do not sign your name at the end of the e“Li Ming”instead.Do not write the address.(10points)Part B52.Directions：Write an essay of160-200words based on the following drawing.In your essay you should1)describe the drawing briefly2)explain its intended meaning,and3)give your comments.You should write neatly on ANSWER SHEET2.(20points)2012年全真试题答案Section Ⅰ Use of English1.B2.A3.B4.D5.C6.B7.D8.B9.A 10.B11.A 12.C 13.C 14.D 15.A 16.C 17.A 18.C 19.D 20.D Section Ⅱ Reading ComprehensionPart AText 1 21.D 22.B 23.A 24.C 25.DText 2 26.C 27.D 28.A 29.D 30.AText 3 31.A 32.B 33.B 34.D 35.CText 4 36.C 37.D 38.B 39.C 40.APart B41.C 42.D 43.A 44.F 45.GPart C46.在物理学领域，一种做法把这种寻求大同理论的冲动推向极端，试图寻找包含一切的理论——一个涵括我们所看到的一切的生成性公式。
2012英语一阅读第4篇
2012英语一阅读第4篇In 2012, the English Language Arts (ELA) exam includeda reading passage as the fourth section. This reading passage was designed to test students' comprehension and analysis skills. The passage was likely a non-fiction text, such as an article or essay, and may have covered a topic related to history, science, or literature. Students were required to read the passage and answer a series of questions that tested their understanding of the text, as well as their ability to make inferences and draw conclusions.This type of reading comprehension test serves several important purposes. First, it helps to assess students' overall reading ability. By presenting students with a challenging and thought-provoking text, the test can gauge their proficiency in understanding complex written material. Additionally, the questions that accompany the passage are designed to assess students' critical thinking skills. By asking students to analyze the text, make inferences, anddraw conclusions, the test can provide valuable insightinto students' ability to think critically and engage with a given topic.From the perspective of educators and administrators, this type of reading comprehension test is an importanttool for assessing the effectiveness of the English Language Arts curriculum. By evaluating students' performance on a standardized reading comprehension test, educators can gain valuable information about the strengths and weaknesses of their instructional approach. This data can be used to make informed decisions about curriculum development, instructional strategies, and resource allocation.For students, the reading comprehension test can be a source of anxiety and stress. Many students find reading comprehension challenging, especially when faced with a complex and unfamiliar text. The pressure of performing well on a standardized test can exacerbate these feelings of anxiety, leading some students to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. However, with the right support andpreparation, students can develop the skills and confidence needed to succeed on the reading comprehension test.One potential way to alleviate students' anxiety and improve their performance on the reading comprehension test is to provide targeted instruction and practice opportunities. By incorporating reading comprehension activities into the curriculum and offering students regular opportunities to practice their skills, educators can help students build the confidence and proficiency needed to tackle the test with success. Additionally, providing students with strategies for approaching complex texts and answering comprehension questions can help them feel more prepared and empowered to demonstrate their understanding.Overall, the 2012 English Language Arts reading comprehension test served as an important assessment tool for students, educators, and administrators. By evaluating students' reading comprehension skills and criticalthinking abilities, the test provided valuable insightsinto the effectiveness of the English Language Artscurriculum and students' readiness for college and career. While the test may have been a source of anxiety for some students, with the right support and preparation, it also presented an opportunity for students to develop and showcase their reading comprehension skills.。
2012年考研英语一真题(附答案)
2012年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语（一）Section I Use of EnglishDirections:Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)The ethical judgments of the Supreme Court justices have become an important issue recently.The court cannot _1_ its legitimacy as guardian of the rule of law _2_ justices behave like politicians.Yet, in several instances, justices acted in ways that _3_ the court’s reputation for being independentand impartial.Justice Antonin Scalia, for example, appeared at political events. That kind of activity makes itless likely that the court’s decisi ons will be _4_ as impartial judgments. Part of the problem is thatthe justices are not _5_by an ethics code. At the very least, the court should make itself _6_to the codeof conduct that _7_to the rest of the federal judiciary.This and other similar cases _8_the question of whether there is still a _9_between the court andpolitics.The framers of the Constitution envisioned law _10_having authority apart from politics. Theygave justices permanent positions _11_they would be free to _12_ those in power and have no needto _13_ political support. Our legal system was designed to set law apart from politics preciselybecause they are so closely _14_.Constitutional law is political because it results from choices rooted in fundamental social _15_like liberty and property. When the court deals with social policy decisions, the law it _16_ isinescapably political-which is why decisions split along ideological lines are so easily _17_ as unjust.The justices must _18_ doubts about the court’s legitimacy by making themselves _19_ to thecode of conduct. That would make rulings more likely to be seen as separate from politics and, _20_,convincing as law.1. [A]emphasize [B]maintain [C]modify [D] recognize2. [A]when [B]lest [C]before [D] unless3. [A]restored [B]weakened [C]established [D] eliminated4. [A]challenged [B]compromised [C]suspected [D] accepted5. [A]advanced [B]caught [C]bound [D]founded6. [A]resistant [B]subject [C]immune [D]prone7. [A]resorts [B]sticks [C]loads [D]applies8. [A]evade [B]raise [C]deny [D]settle9. [A]line [B]barrier [C]similarity [D]conflict10. [A]by [B]as [C]though [D]towards11. [A]so [B]since [C]provided [D]though12. [A]serve [B]satisfy [C]upset [D]replace13. [A]confirm [B]express [C]cultivate [D]offer14. [A]guarded [B]followed [C]studied [D]tied15. [A]concepts [B]theories [C]divisions [D]conceptions16. [A]excludes [B]questions [C]shapes [D]controls17. [A]dismissed [B]released [C]ranked [D]distorted18. [A]suppress [B]exploit [C]address [D]ignore19. [A]accessible [B]amiable [C]agreeable [D]accountable20. [A]by all mesns [B]atall costs [C]in a word [D]as a resultSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)Text 1Come on –Everybody’s doing it. That whispered message, half invitation and half forcing, is w hat most of us think of when we hear the words peer pressure. It usually leads to no good-drinking, drugs and casual sex. But in her new book Join the Club, Tina Rosenberg contends that peer pressure can also be a positive force through what she calls the social cure, in which organizations and officials use the power of group dynamics to help individuals improve their lives and possibly the word.Rosenberg, the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, offers a host of example of the social cure in action: In South Carolina, a state-sponsored antismoking program called Rage Against the Haze sets out to make cigarettes uncool. In South Africa, an HIV-prevention initiative known as LoveLife recruits young people to promote safe sex among their peers.The idea seems promising，and Rosenberg is a perceptive observer. Her critique of the lameness of many pubic-health campaigns is spot-on: they fail to mobilize peer pressure for healthyhabits, and they demonstrate a seriously flawed understanding of psychology.” Dare to be d ifferent, please don’t smoke!” pleads one billboard campaign aimed at reducing smoking among teenagers-teenagers, who desire nothing more than fitting in. Rosenberg argues convincingly that public-health advocates ought to take a page from advertisers, so skilled at applying peer pressure.But on the general effectiveness of the social cure, Rosenberg is less persuasive. Join the Club is filled with too much irrelevant detail and not enough exploration of the social and biological factors that make peer pre ssure so powerful. The most glaring flaw of the social cure as it’s presented here is that it doesn’t work very well for very long. Rage Against the Haze failed once state funding was cut. Evidence that the LoveLife program produces lasting changes is limited and mixed.There’s no doubt that our peer groups exert enormous influence on our behavior. An emerging body of research shows that positive health habits-as well as negative ones-spread through networks of friends via social communication. This is a subtle form of peer pressure: we unconsciously imitate the behavior we see every day. Far less certain, however, is how successfully experts and bureaucrats can select our peer groups and steer their activities in virtuous directions. It’s like the teacher w ho breaks up the troublemakers in the back row by pairing them with better-behaved classmates. The tactic never really works. And that’s the problem with a social cure engineered from the outside: in the real world, as in school, we insist on choosing our own friends.21. According to the first paragraph, peer pressure often emerges as[A] a supplement to the social cure[B] a stimulus to group dynamics[C] an obstacle to school progress[D] a cause of undesirable behaviors22. Rosenberg holds that public advocates should[A] recruit professional advertisers[B] learn from advertisers’ experience[C] stay away from commercial advertisers[D] recognize the limitations of advertisements23. In the author’s view, Rosenberg’s book fails to[A] adequately probe social and biological factors[B] effectively evade the flaws of the social cure[C] illustrate the functions of state funding[D]produce a long-lasting social effect24. Paragraph 5shows that our imitation of behaviors[A] is harmful to our networks of friends[B] will mislead behavioral studies[C] occurs without our realizing it[D] can produce negative health habits25. The author suggests in the last paragraph that the effect of peer pressure is[A] harmful[B] desirable[C] profound[D] questionableText 2A deal is a deal-except, apparently ,when Entergy is involved. The company, a major energy supplier in New England, provoked justified outrage in Vermont last week when it announced it was reneging on a longstanding commitment to abide by the strict nuclear regulations.Instead, the company has done precisely what it had long promised it would not challenge the constitutionality of Vermont’s rules in the federal court, as part of a desperate effort to keep its Vermont Yankee nuclear powe r plant running. It’s a stunning move.The conflict has been surfacing since 2002, when the corporation bought Vermont’s only nuclear power plant, an aging reactor in Vernon. As a condition of receiving state approval for the sale, the company agreed to seek permission from state regulators to operate past 2012. In 2006, the state went a step further, requiring that any extension of the plant’s license be subject to Vermont legislature’s approval. Then, too, the company went along.Either Entergy never real ly intended to live by those commitments, or it simply didn’t foresee what would happen next. A string of accidents, including the partial collapse of a cooling tower in 207 and the discovery of an underground pipe system leakage, raised serious questions about both Vermont Yankee’s safety and Entergy’s management–especially after the company made misleading statements about the pipe. Enraged by Entergy’s behavior, the Vermont Senate voted 26 to 4 last year against allowing an extension.Now the company is suddenly claiming that the 2002 agreement is invalid because of the 2006 legislation, and that only the federal government has regulatory power over nuclear issues. The legal issues in the case are obscure: whereas the Supreme Court has ruled that states do have some regulatory authority over nuclear power, legal scholars say that Vermont case will offer a precedent-setting test of how far those powers extend. Certainly, there are valid concerns about the patchwork regulations that could result if every state sets its own rules. But had Entergy kept its word, that debate would be beside the point.The company seems to have concluded that its reputation in Vermont is already so damaged that it has noting left to lose by going to war with the state. But there should be consequences. Permission to run a nuclear plant is a poblic trust. Entergy runs 11 other reactors in the United States, including Pilgrim Nuclear station in Plymouth. Pledging to run Pilgrim safely, the company has applied for federal permission to keep it open for another 20 years. But as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews the company’s application, it should keep it mind what promises from Entergy are worth.26. The phrase “reneging on”(Line 3.para.1) is closest in meaning to[A] condemning.[B] reaffirming.[C] dishonoring.[D] securing.27. By entering into the 2002 agreement, Entergy intended to[A] obtain protection from Vermont regulators.[B] seek favor from the federal legislature.[C] acquire an extension of its business license .[D] get permission to purchase a power plant.28. According to Paragraph 4, Entergy seems to have problems with its[A] managerial practices.[B] technical innovativeness.[C] financial goals.[D] business vision29. In the author’s view, th e Vermont case will test[A] Entergy’s capacity to fulfill all its promises.[B] the mature of states’ patchwork regulations.[C] the federal authority over nuclear issues .[D] the limits of states’ power over nuclear issues.30. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that[A] Entergy’s business elsewhere might be affected.[B] the authority of the NRC will be defied.[C] Entergy will withdraw its Plymouth application.[D] Vermont’s reputation might be damaged.Text 3In the idealized version of how science is done, facts about the world are waiting to be observed and collected by objective researchers who use the scientific method to carry out their work. But in the everyday practice of science, discovery frequently follows an ambiguous and complicated route. We aim to be objective, but we cannot escape the context of our unique life experience. Prior knowledge and interest influence what we experience, what we think our experiences mean, and the subsequent actions we take. Opportunities for misinterpretation, error, and self-deception abound.Consequently, discovery claims should be thought of as protoscience. Similar to newly staked mining claims, they are full of potential. But it takes collective scrutiny and acceptance to transform a discovery claim into a mature discovery. This is the credibility process, through which the individual researcher’s me, here, now becomes the community’s anyone, anywhere, anytime. Objective knowledge is the goal, not the starting point.Once a discovery claim becomes public, the discoverer receives intellectual credit. But, unlike with mining claims, the community takes control of what happens next. Within the complex social structure of the scientific community, researchers make discoveries; editors and reviewers act as gatekeepers by controlling the publication process; other scientists use the new finding to suit their own purposes; and finally, the public (including other scientists) receives the new discovery and possibly accompanying technology. As a discovery claim works it through the community, the interaction and confrontation between shared and competing beliefs about thescience and the technology involved transforms an individual’s discovery claim into the community’s credible discovery.Two paradoxes exist throughout this credibility process. First, scientific work tends to focus on some aspect of prevailing Knowledge that is viewed as incomplete or incorrect. Little reward accompanies duplication and confirmation of what is already known and believed. The goal isnew-search, not re-search. Not surprisingly, newly published discovery claims and credible discoveries that appear to be important and convincing will always be open to challenge and potential modification or refutation by future researchers. Second, novelty itself frequently provokes disbelief. Nobel Laureate and physiologist Albert Azent-Gyorgyi once described discovery as “seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” But thinking what nobody else has thought and telling others what they have missed may not change their views. Sometimes years are required for truly novel discovery claims to be accepted and appreciated.In the end, credibility “happens” to a discovery claim –a process that corresponds to what philosopher Annette Baier has described as the commons of the mind. “We reason together, challenge, revise, and complete each other’s reasoning and each other’s conceptions of reason.”31. According to the first paragraph, the process of discovery is characterized by its[A] uncertainty and complexity.[B] misconception and deceptiveness.[C] logicality and objectivity.[D] systematicness and regularity.32. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that credibility process requires[A] strict inspection.[B]shared efforts.[C] individual wisdom.[D]persistent innovation.33.Paragraph 3 shows that a discovery claim becomes credible after it[A] has attracted the attention of the general public.[B]has been examined by the scientific community.[C] has received recognition from editors and reviewers.[D]has been frequently quoted by peer scientists.34. Albert Szent-Györgyi would most likely agree that[A] scientific claims will survive challenges.[B]discoveries today inspire future research.[C] efforts to make discoveries are justified.[D]scientific work calls for a critical mind.35.Which of the following would be the best title of the test?[A] Novelty as an Engine of Scientific Development.[B]Collective Scrutiny in Scientific Discovery.[C] Evolution of Credibility in Doing Science.[D]Challenge to Credibility at the Gate to Science.Text 4If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servant. When Hoffa’s Teamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union; now 36% do. In 2009 the number of unionists in America’s public sector passed that of their fellow members in the private sector. In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15% of private-sector ones are unionized.There are three reasons for the public-sector unions’ thriving. First, they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences. Second, they are mostly bright andwell-educated. A quarter of America’s public-sector workers have a university degree. Third, they now dominate left-of-centre politics. Some of their ties go back a long way. Britain’s Labor Party, as its name implies, has long been associated with trade unionism. Its current leader, Ed Miliband, owes his position to votes from public-sector unions.At the state level their influence can be even more fearsome. Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California points out that much of the state’s budget is patrolled by unions. The teachers’ unio ns keep an eye on schools, the CCPOA on prisons and a variety of labor groups on health care.In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one. But the real gains come in benefits and work practices. Politicians h ave repeatedly “backloaded”public-sector pay deals, keeping the pay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous.Reform has been vigorously opposed, perhaps most egregiously in education, where charter schools, academies and merit pay all faced drawn-out battles. Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality of the teachers is the most important variable, teachers’ unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones.As the cost to everyone else has become clearer, politicians have begun to clamp down. In Wisconsin the unions have rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline Republican governor. But many within the public sector suffer under the current system, too.John Donahue at Harvard’s Kennedy School points out that the norms of culture in Western civil services suit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers. The only American public-sector workers who earn well above $250,000 a year are university sports coaches and the president of the United States. Bankers’ fat pay packets have attracted much criticism, but apublic-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.36. It can be learned from the first paragraph that[A] Teamsters still have a large body of members.[B] Jimmy Hoffa used to work as a civil servant.[C] unions have enlarged their public-sector membership.[D]the government has improved its relationship with unionists.37. Which of the following is true of Paragraph 2?[A] Public-sector unions are prudent in taking actions.[B] Education is required for public-sector union membership.[C] Labor Party has long been fighting against public-sector unions.[D]Public-sector unions seldom get in trouble for their actions.38. It can be learned from Paragraph 4 that the income in the state sector is[A] illegally secured.[B] indirectly augmented.[C] excessively increased.[D]fairly adjusted.39. The example of the unions in Wisconsin shows that unions[A]often run against the current political system.[B]can change people’s political attitudes.[C]may be a barrier to public-sector reforms.[D]are dominant in the government.40. John Donahue’s attitude towards the public-sector system is one of[A]disapproval.[B]appreciation.[C]tolerance.[D]indifference.Part BDirections:In the following text, 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 blanks. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET1.（10 points）Think of those fleeting moments when you look out of an aeroplane window and realise that you are flying, higher than a bird. Now think of your laptop, thinner than a brown-paper envelope, or your cellphone in the palm of your hand. Take a moment or two to wonder at those marvels. You are the lucky inheritor of a dream come true.The second half of the 20th century saw a collection of geniuses, warriors, entrepreneurs and visionaries labour to create a fabulous machine that could function as a typewriter and printing press, studio and theatre, paintbrush and gallery, piano and radio, the mail as well as the mail carrier. (41)The networked computer is an amazing device, the first media machine that serves as the mode of production, means of distribution, site of reception, and place of praise and critique. The computer is the 21st century's culture machine.But for all the reasons there are to celebrate the computer, we must also tread with caution. (42)I call it a secret war for two reasons. First, most people do not realise that there are strong commercial agendas at work to keep them in passive consumption mode. Second, the majority of people who use networked computers to upload are not even aware of the significance of what they are doing.All animals download, but only a few upload. Beavers build dams and birds make nests. Yet for the most part, the animal kingdom moves through the world downloading. Humans are unique in their capacity to not only make tools but then turn around and use them to create superfluous material goods - paintings, sculpture and architecture - and superfluous experiences - music, literature, religion and philosophy. (43) For all the possibilities of our new culture machines, most people are still stuck in download mode. Even after the advent of widespread social media, a pyramid of production remains, with a small number of people uploading material, a slightly larger group commenting on or modifying that content, and a huge percentage remaining content to just consume. (44)Television is a one-way tap flowing into our homes. The hardest task that television asks of anyone is to turn the power off after he has turned it on.(45)What counts as meaningful uploading? My definition revolves around the concept of "stickiness" - creations and experiences to which others adhere.[A] Of course, it is precisely these superfluous things that define human culture and ultimately what it is to be human. Downloading and consuming culture requires great skills, but failing to move beyond downloading is to strip oneself of a defining constituent of humanity.[B] Applications like , which allow users to combine pictures, words and other media in creative ways and then share them, have the potential to add stickiness by amusing, entertaining and enlightening others.[C] Not only did they develop such a device but by the turn of the millennium they had also managed to embed it in a worldwide system accessed by billions of people every day.[D] This is because the networked computer has sparked a secret war between downloading and uploading - between passive consumption and active creation - whose outcome will shape our collective future in ways we can only begin to imagine.[E] The challenge the computer mounts to television thus bears little similarity to one format being replaced by another in the manner of record players being replaced by CD players.[F] One reason for the persistence of this pyramid of production is that for the past half-century, much of the world's media culture has been defined by a single medium - television - and television is defined by downloading.[G]The networked computer offers the first chance in 50 years to reverse the flow, to encourage thoughtful downloading and, even more importantly, meaningful uploading.Part CDirections:Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written clearly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (10 points)Since the days of Aristotle, a search for universal principles has characterized the scientific enterprise. In some ways, this quest for commonalities defines science. Newton’s laws of motion and Darwinian evolution each bind a host of different phenomena into a single explicatory frame work.(46)In physics, one approach takes this impulse for unification to its extreme, and seeks a theory ofeverything—a single generative equation for all we see.It is becoming less clear, however, that such a theory would be a simplification, given the dimensions and universes that it might entail, nonetheless, unification of sorts remains a major goal.This tendency in the natural sciences has long been evident in the social sciences too. (47)Here, Darwinism seems to offer justification for it all humans share common origins it seems reasonable to suppose that cultural diversity could also be traced to more constrained beginnings. Just as thebewildering variety of human courtship rituals might all be considered forms of sexual selection, perhaps the world’s languages, music, so cial and religious customs and even history are governed by universal features. (48)To filter out what is unique from what is shared might enable us tounderstand how complex cultural behavior arose and what guides it in evolutionary or cognitive terms.That, at least, is the hope. But a comparative study of linguistic traits published online today supplies a reality check. Russell Gray at the University of Auckland and his colleagues consider the evolution of grammars in the light of two previous attempts to find universality in language.The most famous of these efforts was initiated by Noam Chomsky, who suggested that humans are born with an innate language—acquisition capacity that dictates a universal grammar. A few generative rules are then sufficient to unfold the entire fundamental structure of a language, which is why children can learn it so quickly.(49)The second, by Joshua Greenberg, takes a more empirical approach to universalityidentifying traits (particularly in word order) shared by many language which are considered to represent biases that result from cognitive constraintsGray and his colleagues have put them to the test by examining four family trees that between them represent more than 2,000 languages.(50)Chomsky’s grammar should show p atterns oflanguage change that are independent of the family tree or the pathway tracked through it. Whereas Greenbergian universality predicts strong co-dependencies between particular types of word-order relations. Neither of these patterns is borne out by the analysis, suggesting that the structures of the languages are lire age-specific and not governed by universalsSection III WritingPart A51. Directions:Some internationals students are coming to your university. Write them an email in the name of the Students’ Union to1)extend your welcome and2)provide some suggestions for their campus life here.You should write about 100 words on ANSWER SHEET2.Do not sign your name at the end of the letter. Use “Li Ming” instead.Do not write the address(10 points)Part B52. Directions: write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following drawing. In your essay you should1) describe the drawing briefly2) explain its intended meaning, and3) give your commentsYou should write neatly on ANSWER SHEET2.（20 points）1.【答案】B【解析】从空后信息可以看出，这句表达的是“_ _法官表现得像政治家”的情况下，法庭就不能保持其作为法律法规的合法卫士的形象，所以应该选C,maintain“维持，保持”，其他显然语义不通。
2012 考研英语一 阅读
2012 考研英语一阅读In the 2012 Graduate Entrance Examination for English Major, the Reading Comprehension section proved to be a challenging part for many test takers. This section consisted of four passages, each followed by a set of questions. In order to successfully navigate through this section, candidates needed to possess a strong grasp of English language skills and proficiency in reading comprehension strategies. In this article, we will analyze the reading materials from the 2012 exam and discuss effective strategies for answering the corresponding questions.Passage 1: "The Role of Emotion in Decision-making"This passage focused on the relationship between emotion and decision-making. It argued that emotions play a crucial role in decision-making processes, as they not only influence our perceptions but also impact our judgment. The passage emphasized that emotions should be considered as valuable cues when making decisions, rather than being dismissed as irrelevant factors. This viewpoint was supported by several psychological studies and real-life examples. By considering the emotional aspect of decision-making, individuals can make more informed and balanced choices.Passage 2: "The Impact of Climate Change on Wildlife"Passage 2 explored the repercussions of climate change on wildlife populations. It discussed how rising temperatures and environmental changes have severely affected various species. The passage provided evidence of specific adaptations and behaviors that animals have undergone due to climate change. It also highlighted the detrimental consequences ofthese changes, such as loss of habitat, decreased biodiversity, and disrupted ecosystems. The passage shed light on the urgency of addressing climate change issues and the importance of conservation efforts to protect wildlife.Passage 3: "The Rise of Social Media"Passage 3 delved into the phenomenon of social media and its transformative effect on society. It chronicled the development of social media platforms and illustrated their profound impacts on communication, personal relationships, and even political activism. The passage explored the advantages and disadvantages of social media, emphasizing the power of widespread connectivity and the potential for social change. It also cautioned against the negative effects, such as privacy concerns and the spread of misinformation. Overall, the passage highlighted the increasing role of social media in shaping our lives.Passage 4: "The Benefits of Bilingualism"The final passage advocated for the benefits of bilingualism. It discussed how being bilingual enhances cognitive abilities, promotes cultural understanding, and provides numerous career advantages. The passage presented evidence from various studies that showcased the positive impact of bilingualism on brain function, problem-solving skills, and cultural appreciation. It also acknowledged the societal value of bilingual individuals, who bridge gaps between different cultures and facilitate global communication. The passage concluded that bilingualism is a valuable asset in today's interconnected world.Strategies for Answering Reading Comprehension Questions:1. Skim the passage: Before diving into the questions, take a quick glance over the passage to identify the main idea and get a general sense of the content.2. Read carefully: Pay close attention to the details while reading the passage, ensuring a thorough understanding of the author's arguments, examples, and evidence.3. Take notes: Underline or write down key points, supporting details, and any relevant information that may help answer the questions later on.4. Analyze question types: Different question types require different approaches. Identify whether the question is asking for the main idea, supporting details, inference, or author's tone.5. Eliminate incorrect options: When uncertain about an answer, eliminate the obviously incorrect choices, and focus on narrowing down the possibilities.6. Refer back to the passage: When in doubt, refer back to the specific section of the passage that relates to the question. Avoid making assumptions or relying solely on prior knowledge.7. Manage time effectively: Pace yourself and allocate time to each passage accordingly. Prioritize answering questions that seem easier or that you feel more confident about.By employing these strategies, test takers can enhance their performance in the Reading Comprehension section of the 2012 Graduate Entrance Examination for English Major. Developing strong reading skills and familiarity with various question types is crucial for success in this part ofthe exam. Practicing with similar reading materials and actively engaging with the text will further improve comprehension and overall test scores.In conclusion, the 2012 exam's Reading Comprehension section covered a diverse range of topics, testing candidates' ability to understand and analyze written texts. By employing effective reading strategies and practicing regularly, test takers can conquer this challenging section and achieve their desired results.。
2012年考研英语一真题及答案完整解析
2012年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语（一）Section I Use of EnglishDirections:Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)The ethical judgments of the Supreme Court justices have become an important issue recently. The court cannot _1_ its legitimacy as guardian of the rule of law _2_ justices behave like politicians. Yet, in several instances, justices acted in ways that _3_ the court’s reputation for being independent and impartial.Justice Antonin Scalia, for example, appeared at political events. That kind of activity makes it less likely that the court’s decisi ons will be _4_ as impartial judgments. Part of the problem is that the justices are not _5_by an ethics code. At the very least, the court should make itself _6_to the code of conduct that _7_to the rest of the federal judiciary.This and other similar cases _8_the question of whether there is still a _9_between the court and politics.The framers of the Constitution envisioned law _10_having authority apart from politics. They gave justices permanent positions _11_they would be free to _12_ those in power and have no need to _13_ political support. Our legal system was designed to set law apart from politics precisely because they are so closely _14_.Constitutional law is political because it results from choices rooted in fundamental social _15_ like liberty and property. When the court deals with social policy decisions, the law it _16_ is inescapably political-which is why decisions split along ideological lines are so easily _17_ as unjust.The justices must _18_ doubts about the court’s legitimacy by making themselves _19_ to the code of conduct. That would make rulings more likely to be seen as separate from politics and, _20_, convincing as law.1. [A]emphasize [B]maintain [C]modify [D] recognize2. [A]when [B]lest [C]before [D] unless3. [A]restored [B]weakened [C]established [D] eliminated4. [A]challenged [B]compromised [C]suspected [D] accepted5. [A]advanced [B]caught [C]bound [D]founded6. [A]resistant [B]subject [C]immune [D]prone7. [A]resorts [B]sticks [C]loads [D]applies8. [A]evade [B]raise [C]deny [D]settle9. [A]line [B]barrier [C]similarity [D]conflict10. [A]by [B]as [C]though [D]towards11. [A]so [B]since [C]provided [D]though12. [A]serve [B]satisfy [C]upset [D]replace13. [A]confirm [B]express [C]cultivate [D]offer14. [A]guarded [B]followed [C]studied [D]tied15. [A]concepts [B]theories [C]divisions [D]conceptions16. [A]excludes [B]questions [C]shapes [D]controls17. [A]dismissed [B]released [C]ranked [D]distorted18. [A]suppress [B]exploit [C]address [D]ignore19. [A]accessible [B]amiable [C]agreeable [D]accountable20. [A]by all mesns [B]atall costs [C]in a word [D]as a resultSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)Text 1Come on –Everybody’s doing it. That whispered message, half invitation and half forcing, is w hat most of us think of when we hear the words peer pressure. It usually leads to no good-drinking, drugs and casual sex. But in her new book Join the Club, Tina Rosenberg contends that peer pressure can also be a positive force through what she calls the social cure, in which organizations and officials use the power of group dynamics to help individuals improve their lives and possibly the word.Rosenberg, the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, offers a host of example of the social cure in action: In South Carolina, a state-sponsored antismoking program called Rage Against the Haze sets out to make cigarettes uncool. In South Africa, an HIV-prevention initiative known as LoveLife recruits young people to promote safe sex among their peers.The idea seems promising，and Rosenberg is a perceptive observer. Her critique of the lameness of many pubic-health campaigns is spot-on: they fail to mobilize peer pressure for healthy habits, and they demonstrate a seriously flawed understanding of psychology.” Dare to be different, please don’t smoke!” pleads one billboard campaign aimed at reducing smoking among teenagers-teenagers, who desire nothing more than fitting in. Rosenberg argues convincingly that public-health advocates ought to take a page from advertisers, so skilled at applying peer pressure.But on the general effectiveness of the social cure, Rosenberg is less persuasive. Join the Club is filled with too much irrelevant detail and not enough exploration of the social and biological factors that make peer pre ssure so powerful. The most glaring flaw of the social cure as it’s presented here is that it doesn’t work very well for very long. Rage Against the Haze failed once state funding was cut. Evidence that the LoveLife program produces lasting changes is limited and mixed.There’s no doubt that our peer groups exert enormous influence on our behavior. An emerging body of research shows that positive health habits-as well as negative ones-spread through networks of friends via social communication. This is a subtle form of peer pressure: we unconsciously imitate the behavior we see every day.Far less certain, however, is how successfully experts and bureaucrats can select our peer groups and steer their activities in virtuous directions. It’s like the teacher w ho breaks up the troublemakers in the back row by pairing them with better-behaved classmates. The tactic never really works. And that’s the problem with a social cure engineered from the outside: in the real world, as in school, we insist on choosing our own friends.21. According to the first paragraph, peer pressure often emerges as[A] a supplement to the social cure[B] a stimulus to group dynamics[C] an obstacle to school progress[D] a cause of undesirable behaviors22. Rosenberg holds that public advocates should[A] recruit professional advertisers[B] learn from advertisers’ experience[C] stay away from commercial advertisers[D] recognize the limitations of advertisements23. In the author’s view, Rosenberg’s book fails to[A] adequately probe social and biological factors[B] effectively evade the flaws of the social cure[C] illustrate the functions of state funding[D]produce a long-lasting social effect24. Paragraph 5shows that our imitation of behaviors[A] is harmful to our networks of friends[B] will mislead behavioral studies[C] occurs without our realizing it[D] can produce negative health habits25. The author suggests in the last paragraph that the effect of peer pressure is[A] harmful[B] desirable[C] profound[D] questionableText 2A deal is a deal-except, apparently ,when Entergy is involved. The company, a major energy supplier in New England, provoked justified outrage in Vermont last week when it announced it was reneging on a longstanding commitment to abide by the strict nuclear regulations.Instead, the company has done precisely what it had long promised it would not challenge the constitutionality of Vermont’s rules in the federal court, as part of a desperate effort to keep its Vermont Yankee nuclear powe r plant running. It’s a stunning move.The conflict has been surfacing since 2002, when the corporation bought Vermont’s only nuclear power plant, an aging reactor in Vernon. As a condition of receiving state approval for the sale, the company agreed to seek permission from state regulators to operate past 2012. In 2006, the state went a step further, requiring that any extension of the plant’s license be subject to Vermont legislature’s approval. Then, too, the company went along.Either Entergy never real ly intended to live by those commitments, or it simply didn’t foresee what would happen next. A string of accidents, including the partial collapse of a cooling tower in 207 and the discovery of an underground pipe system leakage, raised serious questions about both Vermont Yankee’s safety and Entergy’s management– especially after the company made misleading statements about the pipe. Enraged by Entergy’s behavior, the Vermont Senate voted 26 to 4 last year against allowing an extension.Now the company is suddenly claiming that the 2002 agreement is invalid because of the 2006 legislation, and that only the federal government has regulatory power over nuclear issues. The legal issues in the case are obscure: whereas the Supreme Court has ruled that states do have some regulatory authority over nuclear power, legal scholars say that Vermont case will offer a precedent-setting test of how far those powers extend. Certainly, there are valid concerns about the patchwork regulations that could result if every state sets its own rules. But had Entergy kept its word, that debate would be beside the point.The company seems to have concluded that its reputation in Vermont is already so damaged that it has noting left to lose by going to war with the state. But there should be consequences. Permission to run a nuclear plant is a poblic trust. Entergy runs 11 other reactors in the United States, including Pilgrim Nuclear station in Plymouth. Pledging to run Pilgrim safely, the company has applied for federal permission to keepit open for another 20 years. But as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews the company’s application, it should keep it mind what promises from Entergy are worth.26. The phrase “reneging on”(Line 3.para.1) is closest in meaning to[A] condemning.[B] reaffirming.[C] dishonoring.[D] securing.27. By entering into the 2002 agreement, Entergy intended to[A] obtain protection from Vermont regulators.[B] seek favor from the federal legislature.[C] acquire an extension of its business license .[D] get permission to purchase a power plant.28. According to Paragraph 4, Entergy seems to have problems with its[A] managerial practices.[B] technical innovativeness.[C] financial goals.[D] business vision29. In the author’s view, th e Vermont case will test[A] Entergy’s capacity to fulfill all its promises.[B] the mature of states’ patchwork regulations.[C] the federal authority over nuclear issues .[D] the limits of states’ power over nuclear issues.30. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that[A] Entergy’s business elsewhere might be affected.[B] the authority of the NRC will be defied.[C] Entergy will withdraw its Plymouth application.[D] Vermont’s reputation might be damaged.Text 3In the idealized version of how science is done, facts about the world are waiting to be observed and collected by objective researchers who use the scientific method to carry out their work. But in the everyday practice of science, discovery frequently follows an ambiguous and complicated route. We aim to be objective, but we cannot escape the context of our unique life experience. Prior knowledge and interest influence what we experience, what we think our experiences mean, and the subsequent actions we take. Opportunities for misinterpretation, error, and self-deception abound.Consequently, discovery claims should be thought of as protoscience. Similar to newly staked mining claims, they are full of potential. But it takes collective scrutiny and acceptance to transform a discovery c laim into a mature discovery. This is the credibility process, through which the individual researcher’s me, here, now becomes the community’s anyone, anywhere, anytime. Objective knowledge is the goal, not the starting point.Once a discovery claim becomes public, the discoverer receives intellectual credit. But, unlike with mining claims, the community takes control of what happens next. Within the complex social structure of the scientific community, researchers make discoveries; editors and reviewers act as gatekeepers by controlling the publication process; other scientists use the new finding to suit their own purposes; andfinally, the public (including other scientists) receives the new discovery and possibly accompanying technology. As a discovery claim works it through the community, the interaction and confrontation between shared and competing beliefs about the science and the technology involved transforms an individual’s discovery claim into the community’s credible discovery.Two paradoxes exist throughout this credibility process. First, scientific work tends to focus on some aspect of prevailing Knowledge that is viewed as incomplete or incorrect. Little reward accompanies duplication and confirmation of what is already known and believed. The goal is new-search, not re-search. Not surprisingly, newly published discovery claims and credible discoveries that appear to be important and convincing will always be open to challenge and potential modification or refutation by future researchers. Second, novelty itself frequently provokes disbelief. Nobel Laureate and physiologist Albert Azent-Gyorgyi once described discovery as “seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” But thinking what nobody else has thought and telling others what they have missed may not change their views. Sometimes years are required for truly novel discovery claims to be accepted and appreciated.In the end, credibility “happens” to a discovery claim –a process that corresponds to what philosopher Annette Baier has described as the commons of the mind. “We reason together, challenge, revise, and complete each other’s reasoning and each other’s conceptions of reason.”31. According to the first paragraph, the process of discovery is characterized by its[A] uncertainty and complexity.[B] misconception and deceptiveness.[C] logicality and objectivity.[D] systematicness and regularity.32. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that credibility process requires[A] strict inspection.[B]shared efforts.[C] individual wisdom.[D]persistent innovation.33.Paragraph 3 shows that a discovery claim becomes credible after it[A] has attracted the attention of the general public.[B]has been examined by the scientific community.[C] has received recognition from editors and reviewers.[D]has been frequently quoted by peer scientists.34. Albert Szent-Györgyi would most likely agree that[A] scientific claims will survive challenges.[B]discoveries today inspire future research.[C] efforts to make discoveries are justified.[D]scientific work calls for a critical mind.35.Which of the following would be the best title of the test?[A] Novelty as an Engine of Scientific Development.[B]Collective Scrutiny in Scientific Discovery.[C] Evolution of Credibility in Doing Science.[D]Challenge to Credibility at the Gate to Science.Text 4If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servant. When Hoffa’s Teamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union; now 36% do. In 2009 the number of unionists in America’s public sector passed that of their fellow members in the private sector. In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15% of private-sector ones are unionized.There are three reasons for the public-sector unions’ thriving. First, they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences. Second, they are mostly bright and well-educated. A quarter of America’s public-sector workers have a university degree. Third, they now dominateleft-of-centre politics. Some of their ties go back a long way. Britain’s Labor Party, as its name implies, has long been associated with trade unionism. Its current leader, Ed Miliband, owes his position to votes from public-sector unions.At the state level their influence can be even more fearsome. Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California points out that much of the state’s budget is patrolled by unions. The teachers’ unio ns keep an eye on schools, the CCPOA on prisons and a variety of labor groups on health care.In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one. But the real gains come in benefits and work practices. Politicians h ave repeatedly “backloaded” public-sector pay deals, keeping the pay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous.Reform has been vigorously opposed, perhaps most egregiously in education, where charter schools, academies and merit pay all faced drawn-out battles. Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality of the teachers is the most important variable, teachers’ unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones.As the cost to everyone else has become clearer, politicians have begun to clamp down. In Wisconsin the unions have rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline Republican governor. But many within the public sector suffer under the current system, too.John Donahue at Harvard’s Kennedy School points out that the norms of culture in Western civil services suit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers. The only American public-sector workers who earn well above $250,000 a year are university sports coaches and the president of the United States. Bankers’ fat pay packets have attracted much criticism, but a public-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.36. It can be learned from the first paragraph that[A] Teamsters still have a large body of members.[B] Jimmy Hoffa used to work as a civil servant.[C] unions have enlarged their public-sector membership.[D]the government has improved its relationship with unionists.37. Which of the following is true of Paragraph 2?[A] Public-sector unions are prudent in taking actions.[B] Education is required for public-sector union membership.[C] Labor Party has long been fighting against public-sector unions.[D]Public-sector unions seldom get in trouble for their actions.38. It can be learned from Paragraph 4 that the income in the state sector is[A] illegally secured.[B] indirectly augmented.[C] excessively increased.[D]fairly adjusted.39. The example of the unions in Wisconsin shows that unions[A]often run against the current political system.[B]can change people’s political attitudes.[C]may be a barrier to public-sector reforms.[D]are dominant in the government.40. John Donahue’s attitude towards the public-sector system is one of[A]disapproval.[B]appreciation.[C]tolerance.[D]indifference.Part BDirections:In the following text, 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 blanks. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET1.（10 points）Think of those fleeting moments when you look out of an aeroplane window and realise that you are flying, higher than a bird. Now think of your laptop, thinner than a brown-paper envelope, or your cellphone in the palm of your hand. Take a moment or two to wonder at those marvels. You are the lucky inheritor of a dream come true.The second half of the 20th century saw a collection of geniuses, warriors, entrepreneurs and visionaries labour to create a fabulous machine that could function as a typewriter and printing press, studio and theatre, paintbrush and gallery, piano and radio, the mail as well as the mail carrier. (41) The networked computer is an amazing device, the first media machine that serves as the mode of production, means of distribution, site of reception, and place of praise and critique. The computer is the21st century's culture machine.But for all the reasons there are to celebrate the computer, we must also tread with caution. (42)I call it a secret war for two reasons. First, most people do not realise that there are strong commercial agendas at work to keep them in passive consumption mode. Second, the majority of people who use networked computers to upload are not even aware of the significance of what they are doing.All animals download, but only a few upload. Beavers build dams and birds make nests. Yet for the most part, the animal kingdom moves through the world downloading. Humans are unique in their capacity to not only make tools but then turn around and use them to create superfluous material goods - paintings, sculpture and architecture - and superfluous experiences - music, literature, religion and philosophy. (43)For all the possibilities of our new culture machines, most people are still stuck in download mode. Even after the advent of widespread social media, a pyramid of production remains, with a small number of people uploading material, a slightly larger group commenting on or modifying that content, and a huge percentage remaining content to just consume. (44)Television is a one-way tap flowing into our homes. The hardest task that television asks of anyone is to turn the power off after he has turned it on.(45)What counts as meaningful uploading? My definition revolves around the concept of "stickiness" - creations and experiences to which others adhere.[A] Of course, it is precisely these superfluous things that define human culture and ultimately what it is to be human. Downloading and consuming culture requires great skills, but failing to move beyond downloading is to strip oneself of a defining constituent of humanity.[B] Applications like , which allow users to combine pictures, words and other media in creative ways and then share them, have the potential to add stickiness by amusing, entertaining and enlightening others.[C] Not only did they develop such a device but by the turn of the millennium they had also managed to embed it in a worldwide system accessed by billions of people every day.[D] This is because the networked computer has sparked a secret war between downloading and uploading - between passive consumption and active creation - whose outcome will shape our collective future in ways we can only begin to imagine.[E] The challenge the computer mounts to television thus bears little similarity to one format being replaced by another in the manner of record players being replaced by CD players.[F] One reason for the persistence of this pyramid of production is that for the past half-century, much of the world's media culture has been defined by a single medium - television - and television is defined by downloading.[G]The networked computer offers the first chance in 50 years to reverse the flow, to encourage thoughtful downloading and, even more importantly, meaningful uploading.Part CDirections:Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written clearly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (10 points)Since the days of Aristotle, a search for universal principles has characterized the scientific enterprise. In some ways, this quest for commonalities defines science. Newton’s laws of motion and Dar winian evolution each bind a host of different phenomena into a single explicatory frame work.(46)In physics, one approach takes this impulse for unification to its extreme, and seeks a theory of everything—a single generative equation for all we see.It is becoming less clear, however, that such a theory would be a simplification, given the dimensions and universes that it might entail, nonetheless, unification of sorts remains a major goal.This tendency in the natural sciences has long been evident in the social sciences too. (47)Here, Darwinism seems to offer justification for it all humans share common origins it seems reasonable to suppose that cultural diversity could also be traced to more constrained beginnings. Just as the bewildering variety of human courtship rituals might all be considered forms of sexual selection, perhaps the world’s languages, music, social and religious customs and even history are governed by universal features. (48)To filter out whatis unique from what is shared might enable us to understand how complex cultural behavior arose and what guides it in evolutionary or cognitive terms.That, at least, is the hope. But a comparative study of linguistic traits published online today supplies a reality check. Russell Gray at the University of Auckland and his colleagues consider the evolution of grammars in the light of two previous attempts to find universality in language.The most famous of these efforts was initiated by Noam Chomsky, who suggested that humans are born with an innate language—acquisition capacity that dictates a universal grammar. A few generative rules are then sufficient to unfold the entire fundamental structure of a language, which is why children can learn it so quickly.(49)The second, by Joshua Greenberg, takes a more empirical approach to universality identifying traits(particularly in word order) shared by many language which are considered to represent biases that result from cognitive constraintsGray and his colleagues have put them to the test by examining four family trees that between them represent more than 2,000 languages.(50)Chomsky’s grammar should show patterns of language change that are independent of the family tree or the pathway tracked through it. Whereas Greenbergian universality predicts strong co-dependencies between particular types of word-order relations. Neither of these patterns is borne out by the analysis, suggesting that the structures of the languages are lire age-specific and not governed by universalsSection III WritingPart A51. Directions:Some internationals students are coming to your university. Write them an email in the name of the Students’ Union to1) extend your welcome and2) provide some suggestions for their campus life here.You should write about 100 words on ANSWER SHEET2.Do not sign your name at the end of the letter. Use “Li Ming” instead.Do not write the address(10 points)Part B52. Directions: write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following drawing. In your essay you should1) describe the drawing briefly2) explain its intended meaning, and3) give your commentsYou should write neatly on ANSWER SHEET2.（20 points）1.【答案】B【解析】从空后信息可以看出，这句表达的是“_ _法官表现得像政治家”的情况下，法庭就不能保持其作为法律法规的合法卫士的形象，所以应该选C,maintain“维持，保持”，其他显然语义不通。
2012考研英语(一)真题及答案
2012考研英语（一）真题参考答案Section Ⅰ Use of EnglishDirections:Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark [A], [B], [C] or [D]on ANSWER SHEET 1. ( 10 points)The ethical judgments of the Supreme Court justices became an important issue recently. The court cannot_____ its legitimacy as guardian of the rule of law______ justices behave like politicians. Yet, in several instances, justices acted in ways that_____ the court’s reputation for being independent and impartial。
Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito Jr., for example, appeared at political events. That kind of activity makes it less likely that the court’s decisions will be____ as impartial judgments. Part of the problem is that the justices are not _____ by an ethics code. At the very least, the court should make itself_______ to the code of conduct that ______to the rest of the federal judiciary。
2012考研真题
2012考研真题2012年考研真题一、2012年考研英语一阅读理解真题及答案Text 1An analyst asked the other day why anyone bothers to buy first-class tickets on short airplane flightsin the U.S. In fact, why does anyone buy a first-class ticket on a long flight either? For many years, the airlines have been blurring, or at least lowering, what passengers can expect in first class, so that while the name may carry prestige, the reality is much less impressive.So why do people keep paying for it? The best reason is simply that they are either spending someone else's money or such a small part of their total income that they consider it an acceptable luxury. On short flights, many of the people in first class are on free tickets -- businessmen and women who fly so often that they have accumulated thousands of miles, enough for a free ticket, given as a bonus by the airlines itself or by the credit card company that has given them a special flying credit card. They choose first class not because it is so good, but because it is free.Some short flights may attract wealthy touristson vacation, people who might be flying for the sheer fun of it and who have a large enough vacation budget not to be concerned about the cost of the ticket. But most vacationers are just as interested in getting the best deal and a cheap airfare, as anyone else.The same reasoning applies to long-haul flights. There are plenty of wealthy people and entrepreneursfor whom the cost of a first-class ticket is no object. But there are not enough of them to keep all the airline’s first class cabins full.So the airlines have been pulling the plug onwhat they offer in first class. They have reduced the number of flights on which first class is available.They have changed the rules to make it harder to accumulate frequent flyer miles. This means that even frequent flyer "won't be getting as many free flights as they used to, leaving fewer first-class seats for those who are willing to pay for them and for those who have been lucky enough to be given a free ticketby their company. Many airlines have also made it cheaper for business or first class passengers to buya discounted economy class ticket and upgrade to business or first class. Fewer people are as willingas once they were to pay the full price for first.People have various reasons for paying more and some of us are just hooked on the ego-gratification ofturning left at the top of the aircraft's stairs instead of right. But many people who fly first class with any regularity simply do so to be comfortable -- more comfortable, certainly, then they would be in the seat in the back of the plane. Most of us are not rich, but most of us care a great deal about how we get to the places that we fly to, and we are willing to pay a bit more.21. The primary reason that people fly firstclass is that_____.A) the cost is an acceptable luxury to themB) they are reimbursed for the difference in fareC) it is more comfortable than flying in economyD) it is the only way they can accumulate miles for free flight22. The phrase "pull the plug" (Line 1, Paragraph4) most probably means "______".A) lower the fare ofB) cancel the flights toC) increase the attraction ofD) discontinue the service of23. The airlines have reduced the availability of first class seats in order to_____.A) boost the sales of business class and economy class ticketsB) attract more wealthy people and touristsC) discourage mileage accumulation among frequentflyersD) cut down the cost of providing first class services24. According to the last paragraph, one reason why people fly first class is that they_____.A) want to satisfy their egoB) want to enjoy special servicesC) have the money to afford the fareD) care about the places they fly to21. 【答案】A) the cost is an acceptable luxuryto them【解析】细节理解题。
2012考研英语阅读真题：考研英语(一)第4篇-毙考题
2012考研英语阅读真题：考研英语(一)第4篇-毙考题2012考研英语阅读真题：考研英语（一）第4篇If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servant.When Hoffa’s Teamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union; now 36% do.In 2009 the number of unionists in America’s public sector passed that of their fellow members in the private sector.In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15% of private-sector ones are unionized.There are three reasons for the public-sector unions’ thriving.First, they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences.Second, they are mostly bright and well-educated.A quarter of America’s public-sector workers have a university degree.Third, they now dominate left-of-centre politics.Some of their ties go back a long way.In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one.But the real gains come in benefits and work practices.Politicians have repeatedly “backloaded” public-sector pay deals,keeping the pay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous.Reform has been vigorously opposed, perhaps most egregiously in education,where charter schools, academies and meritpay all faced drawn-out battles.Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality of the teachers is the most important variable,teachers’ unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones.As the cost to everyone else has become clearer, politicians have begun to clamp down.In Wisconsin the unions have rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline Republican governor.But many within the public sector sufferunder the current system, too.John Donahue at Harvard’s Kennedy School points out that the norms of culture in Western civil servicessuit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers.The only American public-sector workers who earn well above $250,000 a year are university sports coaches and the president of the United States.Bankers’ fat pay packets have attracted much criticism,but a public-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.如果工会会员Jimmy Hoffa今天还活着，他也许会是公务员的代表。
2012年考研英语一真题及答案完整解析
2012年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语（一）Section I Use of EnglishDirections:Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)The ethical judgments of the Supreme Court justices have become an important issue recently. The court cannot _1_ its legitimacy as guardian of the rule of law _2_ justices behave like politicians. Yet, in several instances, justices acted in ways that _3_ the court’s reputation for being independent and impartial.Justice Antonin Scalia, for example, appeared at political events. That kind of activity makes it less likely that the court’s decisions will be _4_ as impartial judgments. Part of the problem is that the justices are not _5_by an ethics code. At the very least, the court should make itself _6_to the code of conduct that _7_to the rest of the federal judiciary.This and other similar cases _8_the question of whether there is still a _9_between the court and politics.The framers of the Constitution envisioned law _10_having authority apart from politics. They gave justices permanent positions _11_they would be free to _12_ those in power and have no need to _13_ political support. Our legal system was designed to set law apart from politics precisely because they are so closely _14_.Constitutional law is political because it results from choices rooted in fundamental social _15_ like liberty and property. When the court deals with social policy decisions, the law it _16_ is inescapably political-which is why decisions split along ideological lines are so easily _17_ as unjust.The justices must _18_ doubts about the court’s legitimacy by making themselves _19_ to the code of conduct. That would make rulings more likely to be seen as separate from politics and, _20_, convincing as law.1. [A]emphasize [B]maintain [C]modify [D] recognize2. [A]when [B]lest [C]before [D] unless3. [A]restored [B]weakened [C]established [D] eliminated4. [A]challenged [B]compromised [C]suspected [D] accepted5. [A]advanced [B]caught [C]bound [D]founded6. [A]resistant [B]subject [C]immune [D]prone7. [A]resorts [B]sticks [C]loads [D]applies8. [A]evade [B]raise [C]deny [D]settle9. [A]line [B]barrier [C]similarity [D]conflict10. [A]by [B]as [C]though [D]towards11. [A]so [B]since [C]provided [D]though12. [A]serve [B]satisfy [C]upset [D]replace13. [A]confirm [B]express [C]cultivate [D]offer14. [A]guarded [B]followed [C]studied [D]tied15. [A]concepts [B]theories [C]divisions [D]conceptions16. [A]excludes [B]questions [C]shapes [D]controls17. [A]dismissed [B]released [C]ranked [D]distorted18. [A]suppress [B]exploit [C]address [D]ignore19. [A]accessible [B]amiable [C]agreeable [D]accountable20. [A]by all mesns [B]atall costs [C]in a word [D]as a resultSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)Text 1Come on –Everybody’s doing it. That whis pered message, half invitation and half forcing, is what most of us think of when we hear the words peer pressure. It usually leads to no good-drinking, drugs and casual sex. But in her new book Join the Club, Tina Rosenberg contends that peer pressure can also be a positive force through what she calls the social cure, in which organizations and officials use the power of group dynamics to help individuals improve their lives and possibly the word.Rosenberg, the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, offers a host of example of the social cure in action: In South Carolina, a state-sponsored antismoking program called Rage Against the Haze sets out to make cigarettes uncool. In South Africa, an HIV-prevention initiative known as LoveLife recruits young people to promote safe sex among their peers.The idea seems promising，and Rosenberg is a perceptive observer. Her critique of the lameness of many pubic-health campaigns is spot-on: they fail to mobilize peer pressure for healthy habits, and they demonstrate a seriously flawed understanding of psychology.” Dare to be differ ent, please don’t smoke!” pleads one billboard campaign aimed at reducing smoking among teenagers-teenagers, who desire nothing more than fitting in. Rosenberg argues convincingly that public-health advocates ought to take a page from advertisers, so skilled at applying peer pressure.But on the general effectiveness of the social cure, Rosenberg is less persuasive. Join the Club is filled with too much irrelevant detail and not enough exploration of the social and biological factors that make peer pressure so powerful. The most glaring flaw of the social cure as it’s presented here is that it doesn’t work very well for very long. Rage Against the Haze failed once state funding was cut. Evidence that the LoveLife program produces lasting changes is limited and mixed.There’s no doubt that our peer groups exert enormous influence on our behavior. An emerging body of research shows that positive health habits-as well as negative ones-spread through networks of friends via social communication. This is a subtle form of peer pressure: we unconsciously imitate the behavior we see every day.Far less certain, however, is how successfully experts and bureaucrats can select our peer groups and steer their activities in virtuous directions. It’s like the teacher who br eaks up the troublemakers in the back row by pairing them with better-behaved classmates. The tactic never really works. And that’s the problem with a social cure engineered from the outside: in the real world, as in school, we insist on choosing our own friends.21. According to the first paragraph, peer pressure often emerges as[A] a supplement to the social cure[B] a stimulus to group dynamics[C] an obstacle to school progress[D] a cause of undesirable behaviors22. Rosenberg holds that public advocates should[A] recruit professional advertisers*B+ learn from advertisers’ experience[C] stay away from commercial advertisers[D] recognize the limitations of advertisements23. In the author’s view, Rosenberg’s book fails to[A] adequately probe social and biological factors[B] effectively evade the flaws of the social cure[C] illustrate the functions of state funding[D]produce a long-lasting social effect24. Paragraph 5shows that our imitation of behaviors[A] is harmful to our networks of friends[B] will mislead behavioral studies[C] occurs without our realizing it[D] can produce negative health habits25. The author suggests in the last paragraph that the effect of peer pressure is[A] harmful[B] desirable[C] profound[D] questionableText 2A deal is a deal-except, apparently ,when Entergy is involved. The company, a major energy supplier in New England, provoked justified outrage in Vermont last week when it announced it was reneging on a longstanding commitment to abide by the strict nuclear regulations.Instead, the company has done precisely what it had long promised it would not challenge the constitutionality of Vermont’s rules in the federal court, as part of a desperate effort to keep its Vermont Yankee nuclear power pla nt running. It’s a stunning move.The conflict has been surfacing since 2002, when the corporation bought Vermont’s only nuclear power plant, an aging reactor in Vernon. As a condition of receiving state approval for thesale, the company agreed to seek permission from state regulators to operate past 2012. In 2006, the state went a step further, requiring that any extension of the plant’s license be subject to Vermont legislature’s approval. Then, too, the company went along.Either Entergy never really in tended to live by those commitments, or it simply didn’t foresee what would happen next. A string of accidents, including the partial collapse of a cooling tower in 207 and the discovery of an underground pipe system leakage, raised serious questions about both Vermont Yankee’s safety and Entergy’s management– especially after the company made misleading statements about the pipe. Enraged by Entergy’s behavior, the Vermont Senate voted 26 to 4 last year against allowing an extension.Now the company is suddenly claiming that the 2002 agreement is invalid because of the 2006 legislation, and that only the federal government has regulatory power over nuclear issues. The legal issues in the case are obscure: whereas the Supreme Court has ruled that states do have some regulatory authority over nuclear power, legal scholars say that Vermont case will offer a precedent-setting test of how far those powers extend. Certainly, there are valid concerns about the patchwork regulations that could result if every state sets its own rules. But had Entergy kept its word, that debate would be beside the point.The company seems to have concluded that its reputation in Vermont is already so damaged that it has noting left to lose by going to war with the state. But there should be consequences. Permission to run a nuclear plant is a poblic trust. Entergy runs 11 other reactors in the United States, including Pilgrim Nuclear station in Plymouth. Pledging to run Pilgrim safely, the company has applied for federal permission to keep it open for another 20 years. But as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews the company’s application, it should keep it mind what promises from Entergy are worth.26. The phrase “reneging on”(Line 3.para.1) is closest in meaning to[A] condemning.[B] reaffirming.[C] dishonoring.[D] securing.27. By entering into the 2002 agreement, Entergy intended to[A] obtain protection from Vermont regulators.[B] seek favor from the federal legislature.[C] acquire an extension of its business license .[D] get permission to purchase a power plant.28. According to Paragraph 4, Entergy seems to have problems with its[A] managerial practices.[B] technical innovativeness.[C] financial goals.[D] business vision29. In the author’s view, the Ver mont case will test*A+ Entergy’s capacity to fulfill all its promises.*B+ the mature of states’ patchwork regulations.[C] the federal authority over nuclear issues .*D+ the limits of states’ power over nuclear issues.30. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that*A+ Entergy’s business elsewhere might be affected.[B] the authority of the NRC will be defied.[C] Entergy will withdraw its Plymouth application.*D+ Vermont’s reputation might be damaged.Text 3In the idealized version of how science is done, facts about the world are waiting to be observed and collected by objective researchers who use the scientific method to carry out their work. But in the everyday practice of science, discovery frequently follows an ambiguous and complicated route. We aim to be objective, but we cannot escape the context of our unique life experience. Prior knowledge and interest influence what we experience, what we think our experiences mean, and the subsequent actions we take. Opportunities for misinterpretation, error, and self-deception abound.Consequently, discovery claims should be thought of as protoscience. Similar to newly staked mining claims, they are full of potential. But it takes collective scrutiny and acceptance to transform a discovery claim into a mature discovery. This is the credibility process, through which the individual researcher’s me, here, now becomes the community’s anyone, anywhere, anytime. Objective knowledge is the goal, not the starting point.Once a discovery claim becomes public, the discoverer receives intellectual credit. But, unlike with mining claims, the community takes control of what happens next. Within the complex social structure of the scientific community, researchers make discoveries; editors and reviewers act as gatekeepers by controlling the publication process; other scientists use the new finding to suit their own purposes; and finally, the public (including other scientists) receives the new discovery and possibly accompanying technology. As a discovery claim works it through the community, the interaction and confrontation between shared and competing beliefs about the science and the technology involved transforms an individual’s discovery claim into the community’s credible discovery.Two paradoxes exist throughout this credibility process. First, scientific work tends to focus on some aspect of prevailing Knowledge that is viewed as incomplete or incorrect. Little reward accompanies duplication and confirmation of what is already known and believed. The goal is new-search, not re-search. Not surprisingly, newly published discovery claims and credible discoveries that appear to be important and convincing will always be open to challenge and potential modification or refutation by future researchers. Second, novelty itself frequently provokes disbelief. Nobel Laureate and physiologist Albert Azent-Gyorgyi once described discovery as “seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” But thinking what nobody else has thought and telling others what they have missed may not change their views. Sometimes years are required for truly novel discovery claims to be accepted and appreciated.In the end, credibility “happens” to a discovery claim – a process that corresponds to what philosopher Annet te Baier has described as the commons of the mind. “We reason together,challenge, revise, and complete each other’s reasoning and each other’s conceptions of reason.”31. According to the first paragraph, the process of discovery is characterized by its[A] uncertainty and complexity.[B] misconception and deceptiveness.[C] logicality and objectivity.[D] systematicness and regularity.32. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that credibility process requires[A] strict inspection.[B]shared efforts.[C] individual wisdom.[D]persistent innovation.33.Paragraph 3 shows that a discovery claim becomes credible after it[A] has attracted the attention of the general public.[B]has been examined by the scientific community.[C] has received recognition from editors and reviewers.[D]has been frequently quoted by peer scientists.34. Albert Szent-Györgyi would most likely agree that[A] scientific claims will survive challenges.[B]discoveries today inspire future research.[C] efforts to make discoveries are justified.[D]scientific work calls for a critical mind.35.Which of the following would be the best title of the test?[A] Novelty as an Engine of Scientific Development.[B]Collective Scrutiny in Scientific Discovery.[C] Evolution of Credibility in Doing Science.[D]Challenge to Credibility at the Gate to Science.Text 4If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servant. When Hoffa’s Teamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American gover nment workers belonged to a union; now 36% do. In 2009 the number of unionists in America’s public sector passed that of their fellow members in the private sector. In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15% of private-sector ones are unionized.There are three reasons for the public-sector unions’ thriving. First, they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences. Second, they are mostly bright and well-educated. A quarter of America’s public-sector workers have a university degree. Third, they now dominate left-of-centre politics. Some of their ties go back a long way. Britain’s Labor Party, as its name implies, has long been associated with trade unionism. Its current leader, Ed Miliband, owes his position to votes from public-sector unions.At the state level their influence can be even more fearsome. Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California points out that much of the state’s budget is patrolled by unions. The teachers’ unions ke ep an eye on schools, the CCPOA on prisons and a variety of labor groups on health care.In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one. But the real gains come in benefits and work practices. Politicians have r epeatedly “backloaded” public-sector pay deals, keeping the pay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous.Reform has been vigorously opposed, perhaps most egregiously in education, where charter schools, academies and merit pay all faced drawn-out battles. Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality of the teachers is the most important variable, teachers’ unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones.As the cost to everyone else has become clearer, politicians have begun to clamp down. In Wisconsin the unions have rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline Republican governor. But many within the public sector suffer under the current system, too.John Donahue at Harvard’s Kennedy School points out that the norms of culture in Western civil services suit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers. The only American public-sector workers who earn well above $250,000 a year are university sports coaches and the president of the United States. Bankers’ fat pay packets have attracted much criticism, but a public-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.36. It can be learned from the first paragraph that[A] Teamsters still have a large body of members.[B] Jimmy Hoffa used to work as a civil servant.[C] unions have enlarged their public-sector membership.[D]the government has improved its relationship with unionists.37. Which of the following is true of Paragraph 2?[A] Public-sector unions are prudent in taking actions.[B] Education is required for public-sector union membership.[C] Labor Party has long been fighting against public-sector unions.[D]Public-sector unions seldom get in trouble for their actions.38. It can be learned from Paragraph 4 that the income in the state sector is[A] illegally secured.[B] indirectly augmented.[C] excessively increased.[D]fairly adjusted.39. The example of the unions in Wisconsin shows that unions[A]often run against the current political system.*B+can change people’s political attitudes.[C]may be a barrier to public-sector reforms.[D]are dominant in the government.40. John Donahue’s attitude towards the public-sector system is one of[A]disapproval.[B]appreciation.[C]tolerance.[D]indifference.Part BDirections:In the following text, 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 blanks. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET1.（10 points）Think of those fleeting moments when you look out of an aeroplane window and realise that you are flying, higher than a bird. Now think of your laptop, thinner than a brown-paper envelope, or your cellphone in the palm of your hand. Take a moment or two to wonder at those marvels. You are the lucky inheritor of a dream come true.The second half of the 20th century saw a collection of geniuses, warriors, entrepreneurs and visionaries labour to create a fabulous machine that could function as a typewriter and printing press, studio and theatre, paintbrush and gallery, piano and radio, the mail as well as the mail carrier. (41)The networked computer is an amazing device, the first media machine that serves as the mode of production, means of distribution, site of reception, and place of praise and critique. The computer is the 21st century's culture machine.But for all the reasons there are to celebrate the computer, we must also tread with caution.(42)I call it a secret war for two reasons. First, most people do not realise that there are strong commercial agendas at work to keep them in passive consumption mode. Second, the majority of people who use networked computers to upload are not even aware of the significance of what they are doing.All animals download, but only a few upload. Beavers build dams and birds make nests. Yet for the most part, the animal kingdom moves through the world downloading. Humans are unique in their capacity to not only make tools but then turn around and use them to create superfluous material goods - paintings, sculpture and architecture - and superfluous experiences - music, literature, religion and philosophy. (43)For all the possibilities of our new culture machines, most people are still stuck in download mode. Even after the advent of widespread social media, a pyramid of production remains, with a small number of people uploading material, a slightly larger group commenting on or modifying that content, and a huge percentage remaining content to just consume. (44)Television is a one-way tap flowing into our homes. The hardest task that television asks of anyone is to turn the power off after he has turned it on.(45)What counts as meaningful uploading? My definition revolves around the concept of"stickiness" - creations and experiences to which others adhere.[A] Of course, it is precisely these superfluous things that define human culture and ultimately what it is to be human. Downloading and consuming culture requires great skills, but failing to move beyond downloading is to strip oneself of a defining constituent of humanity.[B] Applications like , which allow users to combine pictures, words and other media in creative ways and then share them, have the potential to add stickiness by amusing, entertaining and enlightening others.[C] Not only did they develop such a device but by the turn of the millennium they had also managed to embed it in a worldwide system accessed by billions of people every day.[D] This is because the networked computer has sparked a secret war between downloading and uploading - between passive consumption and active creation - whose outcome will shape our collective future in ways we can only begin to imagine.[E] The challenge the computer mounts to television thus bears little similarity to one format being replaced by another in the manner of record players being replaced by CD players.[F] One reason for the persistence of this pyramid of production is that for the past half-century, much of the world's media culture has been defined by a single medium - television - and television is defined by downloading.[G]The networked computer offers the first chance in 50 years to reverse the flow, to encourage thoughtful downloading and, even more importantly, meaningful uploading.Part CDirections:Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written clearly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (10 points)Since the days of Aristotle, a search for universal principles has characterized the scientific enterprise. In some ways, this quest for commonalities defines science. Newton’s laws of motion and Darwinian evolution each bind a host of different phenomena into a single explicatory frame work.(46)In physics, one approach takes this impulse for unification to its extreme, and seeks a theory of everything—a single generative equation for all we see.It is becoming less clear, however, that such a theory would be a simplification, given the dimensions and universes that it might entail, nonetheless, unification of sorts remains a major goal.This tendency in the natural sciences has long been evident in the social sciences too. (47)Here, Darwinism seems to offer justification for it all humans share common origins it seems reasonable to suppose that cultural diversity could also be traced to more constrained beginnings. Just as the bewildering variety of human courtship rituals might all be considered forms of sexual selection, perhaps the world’s languages, music, so cial and religious customs and even history are governed by universal features. (48)To filter out what is unique from what isshared might enable us to understand how complex cultural behavior arose and what guides it in evolutionary or cognitive terms.That, at least, is the hope. But a comparative study of linguistic traits published online today supplies a reality check. Russell Gray at the University of Auckland and his colleagues consider the evolution of grammars in the light of two previous attempts to find universality in language.The most famous of these efforts was initiated by Noam Chomsky, who suggested that humans are born with an innate language—acquisition capacity that dictates a universal grammar. A few generative rules are then sufficient to unfold the entire fundamental structure of a language, which is why children can learn it so quickly.(49)The second, by Joshua Greenberg, takes a more empirical approach to universality identifying traits (particularly in word order) shared by many language which are considered to represent biases that result from cognitive constraintsGray and his colleagues have put them to the test by examining four family trees that between them represent more than 2,000 languages.(50)Chomsky’s grammar should show patterns of language change that are independent of the family tree or the pathway tracked through it. Whereas Greenbergian universality predicts strong co-dependencies between particular types of word-order relations. Neither of these patterns is borne out by the analysis, suggesting that the structures of the languages are lire age-specific and not governed by universals。
考研英语阅读真题考研英语(一)4篇毙考题
2012考研英语阅读真题：考研英语（一）第4篇If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servant.When Hoffa’s Teamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union。
now 36% do.In 2009 the number of unionists in America’s public sector passed that of their fellow members in the private sector.In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15% of private-sector ones are unionized.There are three reasons for the public-sector unions’ thriving.First, they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences.Second, they are mostly bright and well-educated.A quarter of America’s public-sector workers have a university degree.Third, they now dominate left-of-centre politics.Some of their ties go back a long way.Britain’s Labor Party, as its name implies, has long been associated with trade unionism.Its current leader, Ed Miliband, owes his position to votes from public-sector unions.At the state level their influence can be even more fearsome.Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California points out that much of the state’sbudget is patrolled by unions.The teache rs’ unions keep an eye on schools, the CCPOA on prisons and a variety of labor groups on health care.In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one.But the real gains come in benefits and work practices.Politicians have repeatedly “backloaded” public-sector pay deals,keeping the pay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous.Reform has been vigorously opposed, perhaps most egregiously in education,where charter schools, academies and merit pay all faced drawn-out battles.Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality of the teachers is the most important variable,teachers’ unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones.As the cost to everyone else has become clearer, politicians have begun to clamp down.In Wisconsin the unions have rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline Republican governor.But many within the public sector suffer under the current system, too.John Donahue at Harvard’s Kennedy School points out that the norms of culture in Westerncivil servicessuit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers.The only American public-sector workers who earn well above $250,000 a year are university sports coaches and the president of the United States.Bankers’ fat pay packets have attracted much criticism,but a public-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.如果工会会员Jimmy Hoffa今天还活着，他也许会是公务员的代表。
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2012考研英语阅读真题：考研英语（一）第4篇
If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servant.
When Hoffa’s Teamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union; now 36% do.
In 2009 the number of unionists in America’s public sector passed that of their fellow members in the private sector.
In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15% of private-sector ones are unionized.
There are three reasons for the public-sector unions’ thriving.
First, they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences.
Second, they are mostly bright and well-educated.
A quarter of America’s public-sector workers have a university degree.
Third, they now dominate left-of-centre politics.
Some of their ties go back a long way.
Britain’s Labor Party, as its name implies, has long been associated with trade unionism.
Its current leader, Ed Miliband, owes his position to votes from public-sector unions.
At the state level their influence can be even more fearsome.
Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California points out that much of the state’s
budget is patrolled by unions.
The teache rs’ unions keep an eye on schools, the CCPOA on prisons and a variety of labor groups on health care.
In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one.
But the real gains come in benefits and work practices.
Politicians have repeatedly “backloaded” public-sector pay deals,
keeping the pay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous.
Reform has been vigorously opposed, perhaps most egregiously in education,
where charter schools, academies and merit pay all faced drawn-out battles.
Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality of the teachers is the most important variable,
teachers’ unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones.
As the cost to everyone else has become clearer, politicians have begun to clamp down.
In Wisconsin the unions have rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline Republican governor.
But many within the public sector suffer under the current system, too.
John Donahue at Harvard’s Kennedy School points out that the norms of culture in Western
civil services
suit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers.
The only American public-sector workers who earn well above $250,000 a year are university sports coaches and the president of the United States.
Bankers’ fat pay packets have attracted much criticism,
but a public-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.
如果工会会员Jimmy Hoffa今天还活着，他也许会是公务员的代表。
1960年Hoffa的组织Teamsters处于全盛时期，美国政府工作人员中只有十分之一的人属于某一个公会;现在这个比率是36%。
2009年任职于美国公共部门的工会会员人数超过了任职于私营部门的工会会员人数。
在英国，在公共部门的工作人员中半数以上参加了工会，而私营部门的工作人员只有大约15%的人参加了工会组织。
公共部门工会如此盛行的原因有三个。
第一，他们能够脱身，而不用承担太多后果。
第二，他们中间大部分人聪明，受过良好教育。
美国公共部门的工作人员中四分之一的人有大学学位。
第三，他们现在在政治中的左翼力量中占主导地位。
其中有些关系有很长的历史。
正如其名，英国工党和工会组织的关系由来已久。
其现任领导Miliband把自己得到的位置归功于来自公共部门工会组织的投票。
从州范围来看，他们的影响更为吓人。
加利福尼亚州公共政策研究院的Mark Baldassare指出，本州大部分预算都由工会来检查。
教师工会关注学校，加利福尼亚感化治安官协会关心监狱，各型各色的劳工团体关注卫生保健。
在很多富裕国家，公共部门的平均工资要高于私营部门的平均工资。
但是真正的收入来源于利润和工作表现。
政客已不停地加强公共部门的工资待遇，
工资涨幅不大，但却加长本来就不少的假期，特别是增加本来就很多的养老保险金。
对于变革的反对一直都很强烈，在教育方面最为惊人。
在教育方面，契约学校、专科学校、绩效奖都面临着持久战。
尽管有大量证据表明教师的质量是最重要的变量，
但教师工会反对解雇不好的教师，提升好教师。
对其他每个人的支出变得更为清晰，政客开始强制执行。
在威斯康辛州，工会集结了成千上万的支持者，反对走强硬路线的州长，即共和党人Scott Walker。
但很多任职于公共部门的工作人员也在目前的体制下受罪。
哈佛肯尼迪学院的John Donahue指出，西方公务员系统的文化准则
适合这些想留在原地过安逸生活的人们，但并不适合那些表现好的人们。
任职于美国公共部门的工作人员中，只有大学体育教练和美国总统每年的收入远远高于250，000美元。
银行的高收入招致了很多批评，
但对于美国来讲，在公共部门体制中，没有给表现好的工作人员足够的回报可能会成为更为严重的问题。
重点单词
thriving[‘θriaiviŋ]adj. 旺盛的;蒸蒸日上的;繁荣的v. 兴旺
budget[‘bʌdʒit]n. 预算vt. 编预算，为... 做预算
modest[‘mɔdist]adj. 谦虚的，适度的，端庄的
fearsome[‘fiəsəm]adj. 可怕的;害怕的;极大的
vigorouslyadv. 精神旺盛地，活泼地
prime[praim]adj. 最初的，首要的，最好的，典型的
charter[‘tʃɑ:tə]n. 宪章，特许，(船、机、车等的)租赁generous[‘dʒenərəs]adj. 慷慨的，宽宏大量的，丰盛的，味浓的current[‘kʌrənt]n. (水、气、电)流，趋势
adj. 流通的
opposed[ə’pəuzd]adj. 反对的，敌对的v. 和... 起冲突，反抗。