考研英语阅读精读真题精选
考研英语阅读理解精读80篇
第三部分：阅读理解（每小题 2 分，满分40 分）（A）Nine years ago, after Leo had died, people said to me, "I never knew he was your stepfather." You see, I never called him that. At first, he was no one special in my life. Then he became my friend. In time, I felt he was also my father.Leo married my mother when I was eleven. Two years later we moved into a house in a new suburban（郊区的）development, where we put down roots. At first our lawn （草坪） was just a pile of mud with wild grass, but Leo saw bright possibilities. "We'll plant trees there to give us shade as well as some flowers," he said. And just these little touches made our house different from all the others. More important, a real family was forming within this house, with its own special traditions. Leo was becoming a fulltime parent, and I was learning what it meant to have a father.Weekday mornings when the weather was bad, Leo often drove me to school. Having a father drop you off may have been something my classmates took for granted, but I always thought it was wonderful. Saturday mornings, we went to the hardware（五金）shop, then stepped into the five and ten, buying a sports magazine or something else. Some people might think that doing shopping together is nothing special, but I, who had ever before spent my childhood watching other families do their everyday activities, experienced them now with extreme delight. Looking back, I realized that Leo gave me what I needed most, the experience of doing ordinary things together as a family.Soon after we moved to the suburbs, one of our new neighbors introduced herself to me. She had already met my mother and Leo. "You know," she said, "you look just like your father." I knew she was just making conversation but even so... "Thank you", I said. Why tell her anything different?56. The writer's purpose in writing this passage is _____ .A. to share her unforgettable experiencesB. to show how interesting a person Leo wasC. to remind us of our parentsD. to explain why they moved to the suburbs57. Which of the following can be used in place of "put down roots"?A. Settled.B. Planted.C. Farmed.D. Worked.58. In the writer's opinion, _____ .A. it is not easy for stepfamilies to live togetherB. not all the stepfathers are as good as LeoC. the husband and wife must think more about their children before they divorce（离婚）D. in stepfamilies the love and friendship are extremely precious59. When he said "Why tell her anything different", the writer meant that ____ .A. he should have told her the truthB. he wouldn't tell her the truthC. he wanted to tell her something that had nothing to do with LeoD. he'd like to keep silence whenever he met the neighbors（B）The modern Olympic Games were founded with the intention of improving health and education, promoting world peace, and encouraging fair and equal competition. But over the years, the Olympic saying, "faster, higher, stronger", has pushed scientists as well as athletes to do everything possible to reach new levels.Doctors, engineers and coaches all use everything science has to offer to achieve that little bit extra in competition. The reason modern technology has become part of sport is very simple: winning is just as important as it was 2,500 years ago at the Olympics of ancient Greece. Developments in technology have often been reflected in the methods of training and performance at the Olympics through history. This technology falls into two main groups: improving an athlete's performance in competition, and allowing results to be measured more accurately.One of the creations that has drawn the most attention is the new high-tech swimsuit from Speedo, which was used by many US swimmers in Athens. Until Sydney 2000, it was thought that the smaller the swimsuit, the faster the swimmer would travel."However, the fact that at the Sydney Olympics, 28 of the 33 gold medalists were wearing the body covering Fastskin suit proved the theory was out of date," said Andy Thomas, vice-president of Speedo.The company's full body suit is supposed to make swimmers 3 to 4 percent faster, particularly when turning or diving into the water. It is believed that the suit creates less water resistance as it moves, behaving more like a shark skin than a human skin.The introduction of high-tech equipment means that athletes in all sports, from the 100-metre sprint to the pole vault, can now train more effectively.Meanwhile, scientific development also means performances can be measured and studied more accurately. Not only are winning times more accurately recorded, but cheating athletes are easier to catch out. Athens 2004 organizers promised to use only the very latest equipment to measure distance and speed.60. Which is not the first aims of the modern Olympic Games?A. Improving health and education.B. Promoting world peace.C. Encouraging fair and equal competition.D. Winning medals.61. The reason modern technology has become part of sport is that people ___ .A. make every effort to win medalsB. do their best to invent new sports equipmentC. try to test their abilitiesD. want to improve their condition of competition62. From the passage we know ___ .A. before the Sydney Olympics people thought the less the swimmers wore, the faster they swamB. at the Sydney Olympics among 33 swimming and diving gold medalists, 28 wore the full body suit made by SpeedoC. people think the body covering swimsuit is not popularD. it is believed that the new high-tech suit creates no water resistance as it moves63. In the passage it mentions that high technology is involved in ____ aspects.A. 1B. 2C. 3D. 4(C)"Life is speeding up. Everyone is getting unwell."This may sound like something someone would say today. But in fact, an unknown citizen who lived in Rome in AD 53 wrote it.We all love new inventions. They are exciting, amazing and can change our lives.But have all these developments really improved the quality of our lives?Picture this: You're rushing to finish your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings, a QQ message from your friend appears on the screen, the noise from the television is getting louder and louder. Suddenly the computer goes blank and you lose all your work. Now you have to stay up all night to get it done. How calm and happy do you feel?Inventions have speeded up our lives so much that they often leave us feeling stressed and tired. Why do you think people who live far away from noisy cities, who have no telephones, no cars, not even any electricity often seem to be happier? Perhaps because they lead simple lives.One family in the UK went "back in time" to see what life was like without all the inventions we have today. The grandparents, with their daughter, and grandsons Benjamin, 10 and Thomas, 7, spent nine weeks in a 1940s house. They had no washing machine, microwave, computer or mobile phones.The grandmother, Lyn, said: "It was hard physically. But not mentally." She believed life was less materialistic （物质的）. "The more things you have, the more difficult life becomes," she said. The boys said they fought less. Probably, they said, because there was less to fight over, such as their computer. Also Lyn changed from being a "fashionable, beer-drinking granny, to one who cooked things."Here are some simple ways to beat the stress often caused by our inventions!· Don't be available all the time. Turn off your mobile phone at certain times of the day. Don't check your emails every day.· Make sure you spend some time talking to your family. Set aside one evening a week when you don't turn on the television. Play cards and chat instead.· Get a low-tech hobby. Every day, do something in the old-fashioned way, such as walking to have a face-to-face meeting instead of using the email or telephone.· Don't worry too much about life -- laugh more!64. The passage is mainly about ______ .A. problems with technologyB. improvements of our life with technologyC. the important roles technology plays in our everyday lifeD. major changes which will be likely to happen to technology65. The writer uses the quote（引语） at the beginning of the story to ____ .A. share a truth about lifeB. tell us what life was like long time agoC. make us wonder what causes such a thing to happenD. point out that you experience some big problems and they may be the same66. Why did the family choose to spend some time in a 1940s house?A. Because they loved to live simple lives.B. Because they were curious about how people lived without modern inventions.C. Because they were troubled by modern inventions.D. Because living in a different time would be a lot of fun for them.67. What do you think the underlined word "available" in the 1st suggestion offered by the writer means?A. Busy on time.B. Free.C. Be able to.D. To be found by others.（D）It's great to go on vacation, but it's also nice to come home. Migrating （迁徙） birds seem to feel the same way. Birds such as black-tailed godwits, a migrating bird that can be found in Europe, Asia, North Africa and north Australia, fly south every winter. Then, they return home to spend the summer months with their life long partner.Now, scientists have found, pairs of godwits often return to their summer breeding （繁殖）grounds within three days of each other, even though they spend the entire winter apart. It's as if they arranged the date that they would meet up again.Researchers in England, put coloured leg bands on the birds. Then, they asked birdwatchers around Europe to report by email when and where they saw the birds during the winter.The simplest way for birds to return at the same time would be to spend the winter together. After all, if they're in different places, they can't call each other on the phone and talk about when they'll meet again. But, the survey found that couples usually spent their winters in different countries up to 1, 000 kilometres apart. One male, for example, spent the winter on the coast of Ireland while his mate was in France.These findings are important for protecting the birds, scientists say. Black-tailed godwits live for up to 25 years. They spend their summers in Iceland, where they mate, but they spread all over other parts of Europe in winter. Once a pair mates, there's a 90 per cent chance that they'll return to mate with each other again the next year. So, protection of their wide web of holiday destinations （目的地） is very important.How do the birds arrange their date of return? Unless scientists find their feathered cellphones, that question will remain a mystery.68. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?A. Migrating birds all fly south every winter.B. Migrating birds return home in summer.C. Godwits often fly south in couples every winter.D. Godwits often return home almost at the same time.69. ___________________________________ According to the passage we know that .A. the birds return at the same time because they arrange the date before they partB. the couples don't spend their winters together because they want to live apart for some timeC. the birds use their special feathered cellphones to arrange their dateD. once two birds become a couple they are likely to mate again the next year70. ________________________________ We can infer from the passage that .A. black-tailed godwits are loyal to their matesB. black-tailed godwits return home only to spend their summersC. we know how to find and feed black-tailed godwitsD. we know why couples of godwits usually spend their winters in different places71. Which is the best title?A. How Birds Spend Their WintersB. How Birds Spend Their SummersC. Birds Come Back Home for LoveD. Birds Are to Be Protected(E)Nowadays, more and more lovers are using email to communicate with each other. The result: a new culture of love-letter writing has evolved and is rewriting the rules of how we express our love.Make no mistake: in many cases email love letters significantly resemble their ancestors. The verbal imagery has hardly changed. Experts believe, in fact, that far more people now carry out sweet talk in cyberspace than in the time before email came along. When people use email, everything is more relaxed, and less curious. This helps the sweet words flow.Nicola Doering, a media researcher, emphasizes that for many people contact over email is simpler: "The language is different in traditional letters; people tend to write more like they speak." This means that sometimes less thought goes into an email than a traditional love letter. Emails are more casual. This is obviously encouraging for many people.But for romantic emails, writers reach back to the language of poetry. "Your clear-blue eyes" is typical of the kind of phrase found in love letters. Moreover, at least one traditional symbol between lovers has made an outstanding comeback. Even in the love letters of the 19th century, one often found the letter X as a symbol of a kiss. Many paper love letters would have three X's at the bottom as closing. And this symbol is often used today between lovers in their email messages.In spite of all the technological advancement that email represents, classic love letters on paper still have a special meaning, the experts say. Ink on paper simply affects many people more strongly than lines on a computer screen. It appears more serious, more permanent, as if written for all time.Sometimes people want to have something to touch, a letter that you can hold in your hand is obviously better than an email.But Internet technology is ready to help even those with the courage to write a classic handwritten love letter. What stops many lovers from penning their most romantic thoughts is not a lack of good intentions but an inability to piece together a few sweet lines, says Thomas Neuss, the organizer of one Internet site devoted to romantic letters.72. The author strongly believes that _____ .A. email love letters are more significant than traditional onesB. email love letters are more convenient than traditional onesC. most email love letters copy sweet words from traditional onesD. most email love letters are quite similar to traditional ones73. In the second paragraph, the term "verbal imagery" refers to ___ .A. the oral workB. the sweet wordsC. the verb formD. their ancestor74. Which of the following is NOT the author's opinion on traditional love letters?A. They have a better effect.B. They aren't out of date.C. They are more reliable.D. They are more romantic.75. By showing that the letter X is popular in email love letters, the author intends to tell us .A. many people like using letters to express their loveB. traditional symbol between lovers has been popularC. the romantic expression is also employed in emailsD. the language in email love letters becomes simpler。
考研英语阅读理解精读训练题目及答案解析 UNIT 25
TEXT ONEAptera is certainly not the sort of name an old-school carmaker would give to its newest creation. Biologists will recognise it as the term for scuttling wingless insects—silverfish and suchlike. But Steve Fambro, the boss of the eponymous Californian company that plans to make and sell electric vehicles under this name, hopes they will soon be swarming over the state's highways.Unlike Tesla, another boutique electric-vehicle maker from the Golden State, Aptera is aiming for the bottom end of the market. A Tesla sports car will set you back $98,000 (or it would if you could get your hands on one: Tesla has delayed shipment of its first 50 cars until next year). An Aptera, by contrast, starts at $26,900, and should be available this time next year. And instead of a Ferrari knock-off, you get a space-age tricycle. But Aptera and Tesla have things in common. They are both small. They were both started by people with no experience in the motor industry. And they are both aiming to start by roping in the eco-fashionistas of California, and then work outwards to the mainstream.The name Aptera was chosen because the vehicle resembles a small, wingless aircraft. Its three-wheel design exempts it from onerous federal testing regulations. The outer shell is made of a carbon-fibre composite, rather than metal. The lines arewind-tunnel aerodynamic. And protuberances are kept to a minimum. Wing mirrors, for example, are replaced by a rear-facing camera with a 180° field of view and the exhaust valves are recessed to minimise turbulence. In the pure plug-in version, those valves are for waste heat from the electronics. There is also a petrol-electric hybrid, with a single-cylinder generator that extends the range from 200km to 1,130km. Top speed is 150kph.One reason for the emergence of firms such as Aptera is that designing a new vehicle has become as much an exercise in software simulation as in metal (or evencarbon-fibre) bashing. That enables the firm's engineers to do extensive development work—even things like crash-testing—on a computer. This is much cheaper than building endless prototypes and driving lots of them into walls. Another reason is the widespread availability of previously specialised components such as lithium-ion batteries. That means that an upstart such as Aptera can focus on the electronic brains of the vehicle and its final assembly, rather than having to make everything from scratch. It can thus, it believes, turn a profit without having to produce large volumes.Automotive history is littered with failed attempts to build electric cars, and sceptics might think the latest batch will be no different. That there is a fashion for such vehicles, though, is hard to deny. Besides Aptera and Tesla—which are, in their different ways, the most conspicuous examples—Venture Vehicles of Los Angeles is proposing an electric version of the Dutch Carver three-wheeled motorbike, while Phoenix Motorcars of Ontario, California, has produced a sports-utility truck.Meanwhile, REV A, an Indian firm, and Think Global, a Norwegian one, are making two-door hatchbacks. Indeed, according to the Venture Capital Journal, about $220m has been invested in such small firms over the past year and a half.1.Which one of the following statements is NOT true of the common characterists of Tesla and Aptera?[A] Both of them are envioroment-friendly.[B] Both of them are from small companies of California and then expand outwards.[C] Both of them are originated from the marginal status of the industry.[D] Both of them are created by green hands of automobile business.2. The petrol-electric hybrid version of Aptera is different from its other versions in that_____[A] Top speed of the hybrid is higher than than of the other versions.[B] The hybrid possesses a stronger capacity of long-distance drive with rapid speed.[C] The hybrid has a special generator that is characterized by a sole cylinder.[D] The hybrid generate more turbulence than the other versions.3.The word “protuberance” (Line 4, Paragraph 3) most probab ly means_____[A] protrusion.[B] accessory.[C] adjunct.[D] impetus.4. Firms such as Aptera are growing up because of the following reasons except_____[A] Technologies of metal bashing simulation are well developped.[B] The cost of making cars is greatly reduced.[C] Some specialized parts are available to them.[D] Large venture investment is devoted to such business.5. Towards to the future of the electric cars, the author’s attitude can be said to be _____[A] optimistic.[B] lukewarm.[C] wait-and-see.[D] enthusiastic.篇章剖析：这篇文章讲述了一些新型汽车的情况。
考研英语阅读精读真题精选
考研英语阅读精读真题精选考研英语成绩提高需要考生重点关注阅读部分，阅读部分所占分值较高，决定着考研的成败。
下面就是店铺给大家整理的考研英语阅读精读真题，希望对你有用!考研英语阅读原文"There is one and only one social responsibility of business" wrote Milton Friedman, a Nobel Prize-winning economist "That is, to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits."But even if you accept Friedman's premise and regard corporate social responsibility(CSR) policies as a waste of shareholders's money, things may not be absolutely clear-cut.New research suggests that CSR may create monetary value for companies at least when they are prosecuted for corruption.The largest firms in America and Britain together spend more than $15 billion a year on CSR, according to an estimate by EPG, a consulting firm.This could add value to their businesses in three ways.First, consumers may take CSR spending as a "signal" that a company's products are of high quality.Second, customers may be willing to buy a company's products as an indirect may to donate to the good causes it helps.And third, through a more diffuse "halo effect" whereby its good deeds earn it greater consideration from consumers and others.Previous studies on CSR have had trouble differentiating these effects because consumers can be affected by all three.A recent study attempts to separate them by looking at bribery prosecutions under American's Foreign Corrupt PracticesAct(FCPA).It argues that since prosecutors do not consume a company's products as part of their investigations, they could be influenced only by the halo effect.The study found that, among prosecuted firms, those with the most comprehensive CSR programmes tended to get more lenient penalties.Their analysis ruled out the possibility that it was firm's political influence, rather than their CSR stand, that accounted for the leniency: Companies that contributed more to political campaigns did not receive lower fines.In all, the study concludes that whereas prosecutors should only evaluate a case based on its merits, they do seem to be influenced by a company's record in CSR."We estimate that either eliminating a substantial labour-rights concern, such as child labour, or increasing corporate giving by about 20% result in fines that generally are 40% lower than the typical punishment for bribing foreign officials." says one researcher.Researchers admit that their study does not answer the question at how much businesses ought to spend on CSR.Nor does it reveal how much companies are banking on the halo effect, rather than the other possible benefits, when they decide their do-gooding policies.But at least they have demonstrated that when companies get into trouble with the law, evidence of good character can win them a less costly punishment.考研英语阅读翻译诺贝尔经济学奖得主、经济学家米尔顿·弗里德曼写道，企业社会责任有且仅有一种，“那就是，利用自身资源从事能让其获利的各种活动。
考研英语阅读理解精读训练题目及答案解析UNIT18
考研英语阅读理解精读训练题目及答案解析UNIT18TEXT ONEPier 17 in downtown Manhattan is not the most likely destination for theatre-goers. But here on the East River, among the wailing seagulls, frying fish and tourists, is an enchanting offer of entertainment. Spiegelworld is back in town for its second summer, with two spicy cabaret shows of dance, music, acrobatics and burlesque. Called “Absinthe” and “La Vie”, the shows are staged in the anachronistic opulence of a spiegeltent (Flemish for “tent of mirrors”).Nobody seems to know how many of these European pavilions are left but most people agree that there are fewer than 20. Built by hand without nails, spiegeltents are beautiful assemblies of teak, velvet, stained glass and bevelled mirrors, created originally in Belgium in the early 20th century as mobile dance halls. Only two families in Belgium and the Netherlands still know how to make them, producing one every five or ten years or so, says Vallejo Gantner, one of the show's producers and a long-time spiegeltent aficionado. “But you know it when you walk into an old one. They have a special boutique quality.”This one, which dates from the 1920s and has a painted art-nouveau fa?ade, lends continental glamour to the pier. It holds about 350 people on wooden chairs and banquettes around a modest, circular stage. And it is this intimacy, this proximity to the performers, that gives these shows their special feel. Erotic contortionists, balletic hand-balancers and bawdy jugglers emanate a sweaty, tangible humanity. Many of them, Mr Gantner explains, have left larger circus troupes, such as Cirque du Soleil, in order to make eye-contact with their audience. The simplicity of the staging gives their performancesa gritty authenticity.Once in a while, a family on a children's outing is fooled by Spiegelworld's festive red-and-blue tent spires. Make no mistake: the shows are for adults. “La Vie”, created by Les 7 Doigts de la Main, a Montreal-based troupe, laces an array of artfully sexy circus acts with the premise that everyone is dead and in pur gatory, travelling on “a flight to hell that never quite gets there”. Wearing what looks like a straitjacket, a contortionist moves in a highly unsettling way to a recording of “Crazy”, crooned by Patsy Cline. The show closes with a steamy pas de deux between the devilish master of ceremonies and the evening's lip-curling seductress.“Absinthe” is a more explicit grab-bag of stripping, cross-dressing and intrigue, without a unifying theme. The show's strongest moments come from the acrobats, all of whom carry a powerful sexual charge. Two women sway with suggestive grace on the trapeze. An aerialist in black trousers, his sculpted chest glistening, pulls and twists himself up two hanging straps to the lusty music of “Jealous Guy”, sung by a transvestite diva.Sexy but not tawdry. Despite colourful language and a brief moment of unnecessary male nudity in “La Vie”, the setting is too elegant and the talent too astonishing for that. It's a bit of risqué fun that has been warmly received by New Yorkers, many of whom have grown tired of thewholesome, tourist-friendly fare of Broadway. Last summer “Absinthe” ran for two months to sell-out crowds; this year's two-show programme is for three months until the end of September. 1．According to the passage, Spiegelworld is probably _____[A] a series shows of dance, music, acrobatics and burlesque with boutique quality [B] a mobile dance hall of long history as well asexquisite decoration [C] a troupe performing certain programmes for the public.[D] a traditional form of entertainment derived from some ancient European countries.2．By mentioning that “Pier 17 in downtown Manhattan is not the most likely destination for theatre-goers”, the author wants to _____[A] imply that theatre-goers are paying much attention to the environment of performance. [B] show that Pier 17 is not a place for a formal performance of the theatre. [C] prove that the shows in Spiegeltent are very attractive[D] tell us the status of the place where the shows of “Absinthe” and “La Vie” are presented. 3．The performances staged in the spiegeltents are different from the other ones mainly in that _____[A] they are on show in the pier rather than in the theatre.[B] the seats are arranged around the stage so that the audience can watch the performers closely. [C] they are of a sweaty, tangible humanity and a like of enticing simplicity. [D] it is much easier for their performers to make eye-contact with their audience.4．In the fourth paragraph, the author gives a detailed description of “La Vie” in order to _____ [A] imply that Spiegelworld is characterized by suggestive sexy scenes and is mainly oriented to the adults.[B] showcase the fact that the performance is sexually attractive, but far from tawdry. [C] demonstrate the profound meaning conveyed by the surface of the performance.[D] give a general impression of the specific performance and illustrate that people should not be deluded by the representation.5．Which one of the following statements is TRUE of the performances staged in spiegeltents?[A] Only two families in Belgium and the Netherlands know howto give such performances.[B] The performances are characteristic of erotic shows. [C] The performances are always given with an explicit motif. [D] The performances are mainly given to the mass rather than the elite.篇章剖析：这篇文章主要讲述了一种传统演出团队的表演。
考研英语阅读理解精读练习九十一
考研英语阅读理解精读练习In the cause of equal rights, feminists have had much to complain about. But one striking piece of inequality has been conveniently overlooked: lifespan. In this area, women have the upper hand. All round the world, they live longer than men. Why they should do so is not immediately obvious. But the same is true in many other species. From lions to antelope and from sea lions to deer, males, for some reason, simply can't go the distance. One theory is that males must compete for female attention. That means evolution is busy selecting for antlers, aggression and alloy wheels in males, at the expense of longevity. Females are not subject to such pressures. If this theory is correct, the effect will be especially noticeable in those species where males compete for the attention of lots of females. Conversely, it will be reduced or absent where they do not.To test that idea, Tim Clutton-Brock of Cambridge University and Kavita Isvaran of the Indian Institute of Science in Bengalooru decided to compare monogamous and polygynous species (in the latter, a male monopolises a number of females). They wanted to find out whether polygynous males had lower survival rates and aged faster than those of monogamous species. To do so, they collected the relevant data for 35 species of long-lived birds and mammals.As they report, the pattern was much as they expected. In 16 of the 19 polygynous species in their sample, males of all ages were much more likely to die during any given period than were females. Furthermore, the older they got, the bigger the mortality gap became. In other words, they aged faster. Males from monogamous species did not show these patterns. The point about polygyny is that if one male has exclusive access to, say, ten females, another nine males will be waiting to topple the harem master as soon as he shows the first sign of weakness. The intense competitive pressure means that individuals who succeed put all their efforts into one or two breeding seasons.That obviously takes its toll directly. But a more subtle effect may also be at work. Most students of ageing agree that an animal's maximum lifespan is set by how long it can reasonably expect to escape predation, disease, accident and damaging aggression by others of its kind. If it will be killed quickly anyway, there is not much reason for evolution to divert scarce resources into keeping the machine in tip-top condition. Those resources should, instead, be devoted to reproduction. And the more threatening the outside world is, the shorter the maximum lifespan should be.There is no reason why that logic should not work between the sexes as well as between species. The test is to identify a species that has made its environment so safe that most of its members die of old age, and see if the difference continues to exist. Fortunately, there is such a species: man. Dr Clutton-Brock reckons that the sex difference in both human rates of ageing and in the usual age of death is an indicator thatpolygyny was the rule in humanity's evolutionary past—as it still is, in some places. That may not please some feminists, but it could be the price women have paid for outliving their menfolk.1. The passage is mainly discussing about_____[A] difference in life span between males and females of different species.[B] difference in life span among species of different mating patterns.[C] the reason of why human females outlive their male counterparts.[D] natural selection among males and females during evolution.2. In the sentence “That means evolution is busy selecting for antlers, aggression and alloy wheels in males…”, “antlers, agression and alloy wheels” represent_____[A] the most excellent ones.[B] the most powerful ones.[C] the most attrative ones.[D] the most aggressive ones.3. Which one of the following statement is TRUE of points proved by the test of Tim Clutton-Brock and Kavita Isvaran?[A] Polygamous species have shorter life spans than molygynous species.[B] Polygamous species aged faster than than molygynous species.[C] Polygamous males decrease faster in number as they grow older.[D] Monogamous males live as long as their females.4. The logic behind the fact that the species living in the most dangerous environment have the shortest lifespan is that_____[A] resources should be devoted to reproduction rather than sustaining life.[B] resources should be used most efficiently.[C] species in the most dangerous environment should not waste the resources.[D] there is no need to divert scarce resources into keeping the machine in best condition.5. The test conducted by Tim Clutton-Brock and Kavita Isvaran demostrates that_____[A] Polygymy was the rule in humani ty’s evolutionary past.[B] The sex difference on life span is attributable to humans’ biological past which should not be denied by feminists.[C] The logic does not work between the sexes as well as between species.[D] It was polygymy that accounts for human females’ general longevity over males.篇章剖析：这篇文章讲述了雄性和雌性在寿命方面的差异。
考研英语阅读理解精读训练题目及答案解析 UNIT 17
TEXT ONEBritons’ most searing memories of their encounter with foot-and-mouth disease in 2001 are of the piles of animals slaughtered to try to stop its spread. Such a draconian policy might have been accepted had the disease been controlled quickly. But its ineffectiveness—more than 6m cows, sheep and pigs were culled before the disease was eradicated—led to widespread revulsion and a government rethink.Just as in 2001, if an animal is thought to be infected, its herd will be culled and a quarantine zone set up. But this time, unless the disease is stamped out quickly, animals nearby will also be vaccinated to create a “fire-break” across which it is unlikely to travel. Already 300,000 doses of vaccine have been ordered, so that if government vets decide that slaughter alone is unlikely to be effective, they can start vaccinating straight away.Humans almost never catch foot-and-mouth and it rarely kills the cloven-hooved beasts it affects. But animals produce less milk and meat, so its economic effects are severe. It is also highly contagious: infected livestock produce the virus that causes it in large quantities, and transmit it through saliva, mucus, milk, faeces and even droplets in their breath.Even so, only countries where foot-and-mouth is endemic, as in parts of Latin America, vaccinate all animals. One reason is cost: the disease is caused by a virus with seven main types and tens of sub-types, with a targeted vaccine needed for each strain and shots repeated, perhaps as often as twice a year. It is also because vaccinating damages exports. Places that are free from foot-and-mouth are unwilling to import vaccinated beasts, or fresh meat from them, because they may still carry the disease.The fear of being shut out of foreign markets led to the British government's disastrous foot-dragging over vaccination in 2001. But that same year an outbreak in the Netherlands involving 26 farms was brought under control in just one month by vaccinating 200,000 animals. Though healthy, these beasts then had to be culled so that farmers could return to exporting without restrictions as soon as possible.Not even eternal vigilance on imports can keep a country free of foot-and-mouth disease: the latest outbreak was apparently caused by a breach of bio-security at the Pirbright laboratory complex in Surrey, where government researchers keep the live virus for vaccine research and Merial, an American animal-health company, manufactures vaccine for export. Human action, accidental or deliberate, seems likely to have been involved.Ironically, one reason for eschewing vaccination is that although it provides the best hope of dealing with outbreaks, maintaining the capacity to produce vaccine is itself a risky business. Many earlier episodes of foot-and-mouth in countries normallyfree from the disease have been caused by laboratory escapes; in 1970 a leak from Pirbright's isolation facilities was fortunately contained.1. Which one of the following statements is not TRUE of the foot-and-mouth disease in Briton in 2001?[A] The disease had never been effectively controlled throughout the event.[B] The policy of slaughtering animals to stop the disease spread proved to be a failure.[C] The slaughtering policy was arousing discontent among the public in Britons.[D] The government failed to take immediate actions of creating fire-break around the infected livestock.2. The new policy is different from the policy in 2001 in the following aspects except_____[A] the piles of animals will not be slaughtered as in 2001.[B] animals near the infected herb will be injected with vaccine.[C] a belt of quarantine with vaccinated animals will be erected.[D] it is paying more attention to prevention of the outbreak of the epidemic.3．Only a few countries have all of their animals injected with vaccines because of the following reason except_____[A] it is unnecessary to vaccinate all the animals in counties in which there are little chances of infecting foot-and-mouth.[B] the cost of vaccines against all types of the virus causing the disease is very high.[C] vaccinated animals are less welcomed by importing countries.[D] the vaccine cost will be rising as types of virus causing the disease are increasing. 4．Though vaccinated animals were free from the foot-and-mouth in Britain and Netherlands in 2001, they were still slaughtered because_____[A] they may be more likely to infect the virus than the healthy ones.[B] the exporting restrictions were too strict to let these animals pass the custom.[C] the farmers were afraid of being deprived of the exporting right.[D] the government wanted to regain the former status of exporting animals.5．The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease may be a result of the following situations except_____[A] animals being wrongly or incompletely injected with vaccination.[B] importing animals from the countries with the foot-and-mouth-disease.[C] leak of the virus during the research experimentation.[D] malicious actions by some people with particular purpose.篇章剖析：这篇文章介绍了应对英国口蹄疫的一些情况。
考研英语精读阅读理解强化训练题
考研英语精读阅读理解强化训练题考研英语精读阅读理解强化训练题一Text 1Last weekend Kyle MacDonald in Montreal threw a party to celebrate the fact that he got his new home in exchange for a red paper clip. Starting a year ago, MacDonald bartered the clip for increasingly valuable stuff, including a camp stove and free rent in a Phoenix flat. Having announced his aim (the house) in advance, MacDonald likely got a boost from techies eager to see the Internet pass this daring test of its networking power. “My whole motto (座右铭) was ‘Sta rt small, think big, and have fun’, ” says MacDonald, 26, “I really kept my effort on the creative side rather than the business side. ”Yet as odd as the MacDonald exchange was, barter is now big business on the Net. This year more than 400,000 companies worldwidewill exchange some $10 billion worth of goods and services on a growing number of barter sites. These Web sites allow companies to trade products for a virtual currency, which they can use to buy goods from other members. In Iceland,garment-maker Kapusalan sells a third of its output on the booming Vidskiptanetid exchange, earning virtual money that it uses to buy machinery and pay part of employee salaries. The Troc-services exchange in France offers more than 4,600 services, from math lessons to ironing。
考研英语阅读理解精读100篇
阅读理解精选100篇---经济类考研英语阅读理解精读100篇unit1unit1Some of the concerns surrounding Turkey’s application to join the European Union, to be voted on by the EU’s Council of Minis ters on December 17th, are economic-in particular, the country’s relative poverty. Its G DP per head is less than a third of the average for the 15 pre-2004 members of the EU. But it is not far off that of one of the ten new members which joined on May 1st 2004 (Latvia), and it is much the same as those of two countries, Bulgaria and Romania, which this week concluded accession talks with the EU that could make them full members on January 1st 2007.Furthermore, the country’s recent economic progress has been, according to Donald Johnston, the secretary-general of the OECD, "stunning". GDP in the second quarter of the year was 13.4% higher than a year earlier, a rate of growth that no EU country comes close to matching. Turkey’s inflation rate has just fallen into single figures for the first time since 1972, and this week the countr y reached agreement with the IMF on a new three-year, $10 billion economic programme that will, according to the IMF’s managing director, Rodrigo Rato, "help Turkey... reduce inflation toward European levels, and enhance the economy’s resilience".Resilience has not historically been the country’s economic strong point. As recently as 2001, GDP fell by over 7%. It fell by more than 5% in 1994, and by just under 5% in 1999. Indeed, throughout the 1990s growth oscillated like an electrocardiogram recording a violent heart attack. This irregularity has been one of the main reasons (along with red tape and corruption) why the country has failed dismally to attract much-needed foreign direct investment. Its stock of such investment (as a percentage of GDP) is lower now than it was in the 1980s, and annual inflows have scarcely ever reached $1 billion (whereas Ireland attracted over $25 billion in 2003, as did Brazil in every year from 1998 to 2000).One deterrent to foreign investors is due to disappear on January 1st 2005. On that day, Turkey will take away the right of virtually every one of its citizens to call themselves a millionaire. Six noughts will be removed from the face value of the lira; one unit of the local currency will henceforth be worth what 1m are now-ie, about €0.53 ($0.70). Goods will have to be priced in both the new and old lira for the whole of the year, but foreign bankers and investors can begin to look forward to a time in Turkey when they will no longer have to juggle mentally with indeterminate strings of zeros.注（1）：本文选自Economist；12/18/2004, p115-115, 2/5p；注（2）：本文习题命题模仿2004年真题text 1第1题和第3题（1，3），2001年真题text 1第2题（2），1999年真题text 2第2题（4）和2002年真题text 3第4题（5）；1. What is Turkey’s economic situation now?[A] Its GDP per head is far lagging behind that of the EU members.[B] Its inflation rate is still rising.[C] Its economy grows faster than any EU member.[D] Its economic resilience is very strong.2. We can infer from the second paragraph that__________.[A] Turkey will soon catch the average GDP level of the 15 pre-2004 EU members[B] inflation rate in Turkey used to be very high[C] Turkey’s economy will keep growing at present rate[D] IMF’s economic program will help Turkey join the EU3. The word “oscillated” (Line 3, Para graph 3) most probably means_________.[A] fell[B] climbed[C] developed[D] swang4. Speaking of Turkey’s foreign direct investment, the author implies that_________.[A] it’s stock is far less than that of other countries[B] it does not have much influence on Turkey’s economic progress[C] steady GDP growth will help Turkey attract more foreign direct investment[D] Turkey’s economic resilience relies on foreign direct investment5.We can draw a conclusion from the text that__________.[A] foreign investment environment in Turkey will become better[B] Turkey’s citizens will suffer heavy loss due to the change of the face value of the lira[C] the local currency will depreciate with the removal of six noughts from the face value[D] prices of goods will go up答案：C B D C A篇章剖析本篇文章是一篇说明文，介绍了土耳其的经济状况。
2023年考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析
考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--Part OneIn spite of “endless talk of difference,” American society is an amazing machine for homogenizing people. This is “the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse, and the casualness and absence of consumption “launched by t he 19th –century department stores that offered ‘vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere. Instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite.” these were stores “anyone could enter, regardless of class or background. This turned shopping int o a public and democratic act.” The mass media, advertising and sports are other forces for homogenization.Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture, which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous. Writing for the National I mmigration Forum, Gregory Rodriguez reports that today’s immigration is neither at unprecedented level nor resistant to assimilation. In 1998 immigrants were 9.8 percent of population; in 1900, 13.6 percent. In the 10 years prior to 1990, 3.1 immigrants arrived for every 1,000 residents; in the 10 years prior to 1890, 9.2 for every 1,000. Now, consider three indices of assimilation------language, home ownership and intermarriage.The 1990 Census revealed that “a majority of immigrants from each of the fif teen most common countries of origin spoke English “well” or “very well” after ten years of residence.” The children of immigrantstend to be bilingual and proficient in English. “By the third generation, the original language is lost in the majority of im migrant families.” Hence the description of America as a graveyard” for language. By 1996 foreign-born immigrants who had arrive before 1970 had a home ownership rate of 75.6 percent, higher than the 69.8 percent rate among native-born Americans.Foreign-born Asians and Hispanics “have higher rates of intermarriage than do U.S-born whites and blacks.” By the third generation, one third of Hispanic women are married to non-Hispanics, and 41 percent of Asian-American women are married to non-Asians.Rodriguez not that children in remote villages around world are fans of superstars like Amold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks, yet “some Americans fear that immigrant living within the United States remain somehow immune to the nation’s assimilative power.”Are there divisive issues and pockets of seething in America? Indeed. It is big enough to have a bit of everything. But particularly when viewed against America’s turbulent past, today’s social induces suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment.1. The word “homogenizing” （Line 2, Paragraph 1）most probably means___A. identifyingB. associatingC. assimilatingD. monopolizing2. According to the author, the department stores of the 19th century___A. played a role in the spread of popular culture.B. became intimate shops for common consumers.C. satisfied the needs of a knowledgeable elite.D. owed its emergence to the culture of consumption.3. The text suggests that immigrants now in the U.S.___A. are resistant to homogenization.B. exert a great influence on American culture.C. are hardly a threat to the common culture.D.constitute the majority of the population.4. Why are Amold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks mentioned in Paragraph 5?A. To prove their popularity around the world.B. To reveal the public’s fear of immigrants.C. To give examples of successful immigrants.D. To show the powerful influence of American culture.5. In the author’s opinion, the absorption of immigrants into American society isA. rewardingB. SuccessfulC. fruitlessD. harmfulUnit 13（）Part 1重点词汇：1. uniformity n. 同样，一致；统一性；（有关词）uniform a.相似旳，统一原则旳；be uniform with与……同一形式或外貌2. casualness n. 偶尔，意外；草率行事；漫不经心；平心静气3. array ① n. 排列；一批，大量；显眼旳一系列② vt. 排列，制定（计划等）：array oneself 装扮，打扮自己、搭配vast arrays of 大批旳，大量旳4. knowledgeable a. 有知识旳，学识渊博旳，有见识旳5. amaze v. 使（某人）惊异或惊奇6. intimate a. 亲密旳，亲密旳7. cater v. = provide food and service 提供饮食及服务; 搭配cater for（或to）提供饮食及服务，迎合（某人）8. elite n. 精英，尖子9. elevate vt. 提高，抬起，振作精神；使（人）欢欣鼓舞；提高（思想、道德品质、文化素质等）。
考研英语真题阅读1997年Text 2逐句精读
1997年Text2【完整文章】①A report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is how friendly,courteous,and helpful most Americans were to them.②To be fair,this observation is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians,and should best be considered North American.③There are,of course, exceptions.④Small-minded officials,rude waiters,and ill-mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US.⑤Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment.①For a long period of time and in many parts of the country,a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence.②Dullness and loneliness were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another.③Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion,and brought news of the outside world.①The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality.②Someone traveling alone,if hungry,injured,or ill,often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement.③It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers.④It reflected the harshness of daily life:if you didn’t take in the stranger and take care of him,there was no one else who would.⑤And someday,remember,you might be in the same situation.①Today there are many charitable organizations which specialize in helping the weary traveler.②Yet,the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the US,especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails.③“I was just traveling through,got talking with this American,and pretty soon he invited me home for dinner—amazing.”④Such observations reported by visitors to the US are not uncommon,but are not always understood properly.⑤The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial,but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition.①As is true of any developed society,in America a complex set of cultural signals,assumptions, and conventions underlies all social interrelationships.②And,of course,speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone understands social and cultural patterns.③Visitors who fail to “translate”cultural meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions.④For example,when an American uses the word“friend”,the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitor’s language and culture.⑤It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual interest.⑥Yet,being friendly is a virtue that many Americans value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers.【逐句精读】【Para1】①A report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is how friendly,courteous,and helpful most Americans were to them.主句主干：report(主)is(系)[how…](表)非谓语：brought back by visitors to the US过去分词短语作后置定语，修饰report翻译：去过美国的人回来总是说大多数美国人对他们是多么友善、好客、乐于助人。
考研英语阅读理解精读100篇（高分版）UNIT11
UNIT ELEVENTEXT ONE“WHANG—“WHANG—Boom Boom Boom——Boom Boom—cast delicacy to the winds.” Thus Ezra Pound in a letter to his —cast delicacy to the winds.” Thus Ezra Pound in a letter to his father, urging the old man to help promote his first published collection. It might have been the poet's manifesto.Pound is as divisive a figure today as he was in his own lifetime. For some he was the leading figure of the Modernist movement who redefined what poetry was and could be; and who, in his role as cultural impresario , gave vital impetus to the literary careers of T.S. Eliot, James Joyce and Wyndham Lewis, among others. But for many Pound remains a freak and an embarrassment, a clinical nutcase and vicious anti-Semite who churned out a lot of impenetrable tosh before losing the plot completely.During the second world war he broadcast pro-Fascist radio programmes from Italy and later avoided trial for treason at home only because he was declared insane. On his release from St Elizabeth's Hospital near Washington, DC, he returned to Italy (“America is a lunatic asylum ”), where he died in 1972 age ”), where he died in 1972 aged 87. d 87.David Moody David Moody, , emeritus professor of English at Y ork University University, , makes a strong case for Pound's “generous energy” and the “disruptive, regenerative force of his genius”. His approach (unlike Pound's) is uncontroversial. He follows the poet's progress chronologically from his childhood in Idaho progress chronologically from his childhood in Idaho——still, at the time of his birth in 1885, part of the wild west 1885, part of the wild west——to his conquest of literary London between 1908 and 1920. He marshals Pound's staggering output of poetry poetry, , prose and correspondence to excellent effect, and offers clear, perceptive commentary on it. He helps us to see poems, such as this famous, peculiarly haunting 19-syllable haiku, in a new light:The apparition of these faces in the crowd: Petals on a wet, black bough.That Mr Moody is constantly being upstaged by the subject of his study is not surprising. Pound was one of the most colourful artistic figures in a period full of them.According to Ford Madox Ford, who became a good friend of Pound's shortly after the bumptious young American arriv arrived ed in London: “Ezra would approach with the step of a dancer, making passes with a cane at an imaginary opponent. He would wear trousers made of green billiard cloth, a pink coat, a blue shirt, a tie hand-painted by a Japanese friend, an immense sombrero , a flaming beard cut to a point and a single large blue earring.” W.B. Y eats's simple assessment was that: “There is no younger generation of poets. E.P. is a solitary volcano.”A great merit of Mr Moody's approach is the space he gives to Pound's writings. It is love-it-or-hate-love-it-or-hate-it stuff, but, either way, undeniably fascinating. “All good art is realism of one kind it stuff, but, either way, undeniably fascinating. “All good art is realism of one kind or another,” Pound said. Reconciling that tidy statement with practically any of his poems is hard work but, as Mr Moody shows over and over again, hard work that offers huge rewards. His first volume ends in 1920, with Pound quitting London in a huff, finally fed up up——after more than adecade of doing everything in his power to rattle the intellectual establishment establishment—with —with “British insensitivity to, an insensitivity to, and irritation with, mental agility d irritation with, mental agility in any and every form”. His disgraceful radio programmes and the full blooming of his loopiness lie ahead. So, too, do most of his exquisite Cantos.1. Pound was a divisive figurebecause_____[A] he brought both positive andnegative effect to the development of the Modernist movement. [B] he was both a poet and a person withmental problem. [C] he was politically a racist while hewas also pro-Fascist. [D] he was a man of complex andunintelligible personality. 2. When Pound was released from hospital, he returned to Italy because_____[A] Italy was his hometown. [B] he was persecuted by Americans. [C] he disliked America. [D] he was out of his mind.3. Which one of the following statements is NOT true of David Moody‟s Moody‟s study on study on Pound?[A] His literary approach is unlike that of Pound‟s, being less contradictory . [B] [B] He He focuses on Pound‟s Pound‟s poetry poetry itselfinstead of his personality, attempting to keep objective[C] [C] He traces the poet‟s life in time order He traces the poet‟s life in time order to study Pound‟s ac to study Pound‟s achievement. hievement.[D] His study offers a fresh sight of Pound…s work4．From From Keats‟s simple assessment, it Keats‟s simple assessment, it can be inferred that_____[A] Pound was of exploding power in his literary creation.[B] Pound [B] Pound‟s achievement could hardly ‟s achievement could hardly be reached by later poets. [C] Pou [C] Pound‟s excellence was nd‟s excellence was unsurpassable in his time.[D] It would take a long time forPound‟s generation to fully understand him.5. The word 5. The word ““rattle rattle””(Line 6, Paragraph 7) most probably means _____ [A] set up. [B] destroy [B] destroy. . [C] struggle. [D] disturb.文章剖析：文章剖析：这篇文章主要介绍了Pound 的两个不同侧面。
考研英语阅读理解精读练习六十四
考研英语阅读理解精读练习The humble but industrious ant has long served as a metaphor for the economic virtues of simplicity, parsimony and diligence. But in the case of weaver ants in Africa, this description may be more than just a metaphor. According to Paul van Mele of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and his colleagues, African mango farmers could increase their harvests by as much as two-thirds with the help of these doughty insects.Mangoes in Africa, as elsewhere, often fall prey to fruit flies, which destroy about 40% of the continent's crop. In fact, fruit flies are so common in African mangoes that America has banned their import altogether, to protect its own orchards. African farmers, meanwhile, have few practical means to defend their fruit. Chemical pesticides are expensive. And even for those who can afford them they are not that effective since, by the time a farmer spots an infestation, it is too late to spray. Added to that, spraying tall trees is a much more complicated and unhealthy business than treating low-growing fruit and vegetables.Agricultural scientists have also looked at controlling fruit flies with parasitic wasps. But the most common ones kill off only about one fly in 20, leaving plenty of survivors to go on the rampage. Lethal traps baited with fly-attracting pheromones are another option. But they, too, are expensive. Moreover, all these methods require farmers to detect the presence of fruit flies, and to identify them as the main threat to their crop—no mean feat when most of the action is taking place in dense, leafy canopies ten metres off the ground. Instead, most farmers simply harvest their fruit early, when it is not yet fully ripe. This makes it less vulnerable to the flies, but also less valuable.Farmers whose trees are teeming with weaver ants, however, do not need to bother with any of this. In a survey of several orchards in Benin, Dr van Mele and his colleagues found an average of less than one fruit-fly pupa in each batch of 30 mangoes from trees where weaver ants were abundant, but an average of 77 pupae in batches from trees without weaver ants. The weaver ants, it turns out, are very thorough about hunting down and eating fruit flies, as well as a host of other pests. The only drawback is the ants' painful bite, which can be avoided by harvesting fruit with poles, rather than climbing trees.Weaver ants have been used for pest control in China and other Asian countries for centuries. The practice has also been adopted in Australia. But Dr van Mele argues that it is particularly suited to Africa since weaver ants are endemic to the mango-growing regions of the continent, and little training or capital is needed to put them to work. All you need do is locate a suitable nest and run string from it to the trees you wish to protect. The ants will then quickly find their way to the target. Teaching a group of farmers in Burkina Faso to use weaver ants in this way took just a day. Those farmers no longer use pesticides to control fruit flies, and so are able to market their mangoes as organic to eager European consumers, vastly increasingtheir income. The ants, so to speak, are on the march.1. For weaver ants in Africa, the description of the economic virtues of ant is more than just a metaphor because_____[A] the weaver ants could really bring out economic benefits for the fruit farmers.[B] the weaver ants are really economical and diligent in killing the fruit flies.[C] the weaver ants are in fact have the economic virtues.[D] the weaver ants are not a typical metaphor for the economic virtues.2．The word “an infestation” (Line 6, Paragraph 2) most probably means _____[A] a pest.[B] an infection.[C] an invasion.[D] an aggression.3. The method of using chemical pesticide is not practical to defend the African farmers’ fruit because of the following reasons except _____[A] the cost of using chemical pesticide is too high for most of the farmers in Africa.[B] the chemical pesticide is not so effective in killing the fruit pests.[C] it is hard to decide a best change of spraying the chemical pesticide with most efficiency.[D] it requires special technique to spray tall tress with chemical pesticide. 4．Reaping the fruit too early is not a good way to deal with the fruit flies because _____[A] the fruit will be less welcomed in the market given its lack of ripeness.[B] the fruit will be of wore taste and thus of much less value.[C] the fruit becomes less vulnerable to the fruit flies.[D] the fruit will still be affected by the flies even after they are harvested.5．Dr van Mele argues that weaver ants are particularly suited to Africa because of the following reasons except _____[A] weaver ants are prevalent in the mango-growing regions in Africa.[B] the cost of employing weaver ants is low.[C] it is easy to grasp the method of using the weaver ants.[D] it requires simple training to make the weaver ants work.篇章剖析：这篇文章主要讲述了织网蚂蚁是应对水果飞虫的最佳方法。
考研英语阅读理解精读练习八十九
考研英语阅读理解精读练习If you found yourself in a cocktail bar with a Neanderthal man, what would he say? A good conversation is one of the great joys of being human, but it is not clear just how far back in the hominid lineage the ability to use language stretches. The question of when grunts and yelps turned into words and phrases is a tricky one. One way of trying to answer it is to look in the fossil record for evidence about what modern humanity's closest relatives could do.Svante Pääbo, of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, and his colleagues have done just that. Dr Pääbo is an expert in extracting and interpreting the DNA of fossils. As he reports in the latest issue of Current Biology, he and his team have worked their magic on a gene called FOXP2 found in Neanderthal remains from northern Spain. The reason for picking this particular gene is that it is the only one known so far to have a direct connection with speech. In 1990, a family with an inherited speech disorder known as verbal dyspraxia drew the attention of genetics researchers. Those researchers identified a mutation in FOXP2 as the cause of the dyspraxia.Since then FOXP2 has been the subject of intensive study. It has been linked to the production of birdsong and the ultrasonic musings of mice. It is a conservative type, not changing much from species to species. But it has undergone two changes since humans split from chimpanzees 6m years ago, and some researchers believe these changes played a crucial role in the development of speech and language.If these changes are common to modern humans and Neanderthals, they must predate the separation of the line leading to Homo sapiens from the one leading to Homo neanderthalensis. Dr Pääbo's research suggests precisely that: the FOXP2 genes from modern humans and Neanderthals are essentially the same. To the extent that the gene enables language, it enables it in both species.There has been much speculation about Neanderthals' ability to speak. They were endowed with a hyoid bone, which anchors the tongue and allows a wide variety of movements of the larynx. Neanderthal skulls also show evidence of a large hypoglossal canal. This is the route taken by the nerves that supply the tongue. As such, it is a requisite for the exquisitely complex movements of speech. Moreover, the inner-ear structure of Homo heidelbergensis, an ancestor of Neanderthals, shows that this species was highly sensitive to the frequencies of sound that are associated with speech.That Neanderthals also shared with moderns the single known genetic component of speech is another clue that they possessed the necessary apparatus for having a good natter. But suggestive as that is, the question remains open. FOXP2 is almost certainly not “the language gene”. Without doubt, it is involved in the control and regulation of the motions of speech, but whether it plays a role in the cognitive processes that mustprecede talking remains unclear—jokes about engaging brain before putting mouth in gear notwithstanding. The idea that the forebears of modern humans could talk would scupper the notion that language was the force that created modern human culture—otherwise, why would they not have built civilisations? But it would make that chat with a Neanderthal much more interesting.1. Which one of the following statements is NOT true of Neanderthal men?[A] they are derived from a branch of early Neanderthals called Homo heidelbergensis.[B] they are existent descendant of Homo neanderthalensis.[C] they are Homo sapiens’s closest relatives.[D] they are officially named Homo neanderthalensis in the academic circle.2. Svante Pääbo and his team carried out a study on FOXP2 in order to_____[A] trace the appearance and evolution of the speech ability.[B] find out how far back in the hominid lineage the ability to use language stretches.[C] find evidence proving the gene which controls the motion of speech.[D] identify the crucial changes that had taken place on this gene and the consequent influence.3. The gene of FOXP2 is regarded as a gene with a direct connection with speech because_____[A] it was found in Neanderthal remains from northern Spain.[B] it was found that sudden change of FOXP2 may lead to speech disorder.[C] it was linked to the production of birdsong and the ultrasonic musings of mice.[D] it does not change much from species to species.4.T he word “scupper” (Line 8, Paragraph 6) most probably means _____[A] deny.[B] defeat.[C] demolish.[D] destory.5. From the findings of Dr Pääbo's research it may be inferred that_____[A] FOXP2 is the gene that enables the speech ability in both humans and Neanderthals.[B] the fork seprating the line leading to Homo sapiens from that to Homo neanderthalensis is wrong.[C] more important genes should be identified which control speech ability and cognitive pcrocess.[D] the establishment of human civilization as a result of language ability might be false.篇章剖析：这篇文章讲述科学家对于人类语言能力问题的新研究。
考研英语阅读理解精读100篇(高分版) UNIT 1
UNIT ONETEXT ONETesco is preparing a legal battle to clear its name of involvement in the dairy price-fixing scandal that has cost consumers £270 million. Failure to prove that it had no part in collusion with other supermarkets and dairy processors may land it with a fine of at least £80 million. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said yesterday that Asda, Sainsbury’s and the former Safeway, plus the dairy companies Wiseman, Dairy Crest and Cheese Company, had admitted being in a cartel to fix prices for milk, butter and cheese. They were fined a total of just over £116 million as part of a leniency deal offered by the watchdog to companies that owned up quickly to anti-competitive behaviour.Officials at the OFT admitted privately that they did not think they would ever discover which company or individual had initiated the pricing formula. But the watchdog recognises that at the time supermarkets were under pressure from politicians and farmers to raise the cost of milk to save dairy farming, though it is not certain that money found its way to farmers. The OFT claimed in September that it had found evidence that the retail chains had passed future milk prices to dairy companies, which then reached a fixed price among themselves.The average cost to each household is thought to be £11.25 over 2002 and 2003. Prices went up an extra 3p on a pint of milk, 15p on a quarter of a pound of butter and 15p on a half pound of cheese. There is no direct recompense for consumers, however, and the money will go to the Treasury. The National Consumer Council gave warning that the admissions would dent consumer confidence in leading high street names and that people would become sceptical of their claims. Farmers For Action, the group of farmers that has led protests over low milk prices since 2000, is seeking legal advice on whether it can now bring a claim for compensation.The OFT investigation is continuing, however, in relation to Tesco, Morrisons and the dairy group Lactalis McLelland, and any legal action is expected to be delayed until that is completed.Tesco was defiant and said that it was preparing a robust defence of its actions. Lucy Neville-Rolfe, its executive director, said: “As we have always said, we acted independently and we did not collude with anyone. Our position is different from our competitors and we are defending our own case vigorously. Our philosophy is to give a good deal to customers.”Morrisons has supported the OFT in inquiries into the former Safeway business that it took over, but in a statement said that it was still making “strong representations”in its defence. A spokeswoman for Lactalis McLelland said that the company was “co-operating” with the OFT. Industry insiders suggested that the three companies were deliberately stalling the OFT investigation.Sainsbury’s admitted yesterday that it had agreed to pay £26 million in fines, but denied that it had sought to profiteer. Justin King, the chief executive, said he was disappointed that the company had been penalised for actions meant to help farmers but recognised the benefit of a speedy settlement. Asda declined to say how much it would pay in fines and also said that its intention had been to help farmers under severe financial pressure.1. From the first paragraph, we may infer that _____[A] Tesco is the most resolute among all the retailers to defend its reputation.[B] it is already proved that Tesco has colluded with Asda, Wiseman, Dairy Crest and Cheese Company in fixing the dairy price. [C] Tesco is offered a leniency deal of £80 million because of its quick response to the anti-competitive behaviors[D] Tesco is trying its best to prove its innocence of the scandal.2. Who is most probably the initiator of the pricing formula?[A] Retail chains.[B] Farmers.[C] Dairy companies.[D] Politicians3. The word “defiant”(Line 1, Paragraph 5) most probably means _____.[A] resisiting[B] angry [C] deficient[D] confident4. We may infer from Morrisons’statement that _____[A] Morrisons turn out to be the most defentive when dealing with OFT.[B] Morrisons is reluctant to support the inquiries into the former Safeway business. [C] industry insiders suggest that Morrisons was trying to delay the OFT investigation with non-cooperation.[D] Morrisons indeed refuses to admit its involvement in the scandal.5. The writer’s attitude to Tesco can be said to be _____[A] biased.[B] objective.[C] sympathetic.[D] optimistic.篇章剖析：本文介绍了目前奶制品公司因内部设定价格而面临受到的调查和处罚的状况。
考研英语阅读理解精读练习十一
考研英语阅读理解精读练习In a world where sight and sound seem to reign supreme, all it takes is a cursory glance at the size of the perfume industry to realise that smell matters quite a lot, too. Odours are known to regulate moods, thoughts and even dating decisions, which is why any serious romantic will throw on the eau de toilette before going out for a night on the town. Yet in all these cases, those affected are aware of what they are smelling. Unlike the media of sight and sound, in which subliminal messages have been studied carefully, the potential power of subliminal smells has been neglected.Wen Li and her colleagues at Northwestern University in Chicago are now changing that. In particular, they are investigating smells so faint that people say they cannot detect them. The idea is to see whether such smells can nevertheless change the way that people behave towards others.Dr Li's experiment, the results of which have just been published in Psychological Science, employed 31 volunteers. These people were exposed to three different odours at low concentration. One was the fresh lemon scent of citral. The second was the neutral ethereal perfume of anisole. The third was the foul sweaty smell of valeric acid. And the concentrations really were low. In the case of valeric acid, for example, that concentration was seven parts per trillion—a level only just detectable by bloodhounds. As a control, Dr Li used a mineral oil that has no detectable smell at any concentration.The participants were asked to sniff a jar containing either one of the three odours or the scentless oil, and then press a button to indicate whether they thought the jar smelled of anything. Immediately after that, a picture of a face would appear on a screen in front of them for just over a second. Each participant was asked to rate the face's “likeability”.Dr Li found that the odours helped shape people's judgments about the faces when their responses indicated that they had not smelled anything. When someone had been exposed to valeric acid, for example, he tended to react negatively to a face. Exposure to citral, by contrast, made that face seem, on average, more friendly. (Obviously, the same face was not shown to any given participant more than once.) Even more intriguing, however, was that when participants did consciously perceive a smell, its effect on face-perception disappeared.What is going on is unclear. If smells can carry useful information about personality (which is possible), then the effect would be expected to be the same whether or not the chemical in question is detected subliminally. If they do not carry such information, then it is hard to see what use the subliminal reaction is. Nevertheless, it is there.The findings do, however, demonstrate what might be a powerful method of manipulation. Indeed, Dr Li considers the potential uses to be vast. Business meetings might be made more pleasant by releasing appropriate fragrances into the air in unsmellable amounts. Conversely, fights might be started by putting people in thepresence of a faint foul odour. Advertising hoardings might benefit from a little olfactory tweaking and cinema audiences could be reduced to floods of tears at the appropriate moment. The sweet smell of success might, in other words, actually be undetectable.1. Dr. Li is carrying out such an investigation in order to _____[A] find out how smells regulate moods in a subtle and nuanced way.[B] prove that smell plays an equally important role in daily life as that of sight and sound.[C] find out if people are sensitive to faint smells.[D] find out if faint smells could influence people’s judgement of others.2.The mineral oil is used in Dr. Li’s experiment to _____[A] control the concentration of odours in a slightly detectable degree.[B] act as a group of comparison with that of the other smells.[C] regulate the participants’ moods by decreasing the smell’s concentration.[D] protect the participants from losing sense of smell.3. The word “likeability” (Line 4, Paragraph 4) most probably means_____[A] similarity.[B] likeness.[C] loveliness.[D] likelihood.4. When the participants conciously smelt the valeric acid, they tended to_____ [A] make negative judgement to a face.[B] make positive judgement to a face.[C] make biased judgement to a face.[D] make fair judgement to a face.5. From Dr. Li’s experiment, it can be infered that_____[A] one’s reaction to subliminal smells reflect useful information about his or her personality.[B] subliminal smells can influence people’s interaction with each other.[C] subliminal smells have no effect on people’s conscious face-perception.[D] subliminal smells turn out to be a means of powerful manipulation in terms of business success.文章剖析：这篇文章介绍了细微气味对人们的影响。
考研英语阅读理解精读100篇：UNIT 2
考研英语阅读理解精读100篇（高分版）：UNIT TWOTEXT ONEThe bride and groom, a guitar-wielding rock vixen and a muscle-rippling dragon-slayer, make an odd couple—so it is hardly surprising that nobody expected their marriage. But on December 2nd the video-game companies behind “Guitar Hero” and “World of Warcraft”, Activision and Vivendi Games respectively, announced plans for an elaborate merger. Vivendi, a French media group, will pool its games unit, plus $1.7 billion in cash, with Activision; the combined entity will then offer to buy back shares from Activision shareholders, raising Vivendi's stake in the resulting firm to as much as 68%.Activision's boss, Bobby Kotick, will remain at the helm of the new company, to be known as Activision Blizzard in recognition of Vivendi's main gaming asset: its subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment, the firm behind “World of Warcraft”, an online swords-and-sorcery game with 9.3m subscribers. The deal was unexpected, but makes excellent strategic sense, says Piers Harding-Rolls of Screen Digest, a consultancy. Activision has long coveted “World of Warcraft”, and Vivendi gets a bigger games division and Activision's talented management team to run it. As well as making sense for both parties, the $18.9 billion deal—the biggest ever in the video-games industry—says a lot about the trends now shaping the business.The first is a push into new markets, especially online multiplayer games, which are particularly popular in Asia, and “casual” games that appeal to people who do not regard themselves as gamers. “World of Warcraft” is the world's most popular online subscription-based game and is hugely lucrative. Blizzard will have revenues of $1.1 billion this year and operating profits of $520m. “World of Warcraft” is really “a social network with many entertainment components,” says Mr Kotick.Similarly, he argues, “Guitar Hero” and other games that use new kinds of controller, rather than the usual buttons and joysticks, are broadening the appeal of gaming by emphasising its social aspects, since they are easy to pick up and can be played with friends. Social gaming, says Mr Kotick,is “the most powerful trend” build ing new audiences for the industry. He is clearly excited at the prospect of using Blizzard's expertise to launch an online version of “Guitar Hero” for Asian markets. Online music games such as “Audition Online”, which started in South Korea, are “massive in Asia,” says Mr Harding-Rolls.A second trend is media groups' increasing interest in gaming. Vivendi owns Universal Music, one of the “big four” record labels. As the record industry's sales decline, it makes sense to move into gaming, a younger, faster-growing medium with plenty of cross-marketing opportunities. (Activision might raid Universal's back catalogue for material for its music games, for example, which might in turn boost music sales.) Other media groups are going the same way. Last year Viacom, an American media giant, acquired Harmonix, the company that originally created “Guitar Hero”. It has been promoting its new game, “Rock Band”, using its MTV music channel. Viacom has also created online virtual worlds that tie in with several of its television programmes, such as “Laguna Beach” and “Pimp My Ride”. Disney bought Club Penguin, a virtual world for children, in August. And Time Warner is involved in gaming via its Warner Bros Home Entertainment division, which publishes its own titles and last month bought TT Games, the British firm behind the “Lego Star Wars” games.1. The merger of these two companies are out of expection because_____[A] they aim to design marriage games which sound really weird.[B] it is difficult for big companies of two different nations to end up in successful cooperation.[C] their games are by no means similar to each other in terms of their styles.[D] it would be illegal for them to buy back the shares.2. Why Piers Harding-Rolls thinks this marriage has strategic sense?[A] Activision has been longing to cooperate with “World of Warcraft”. [B] Vivendi could get bigger portion and better management resources from Activision.[C] This deal is beneficial to both sides for they can combine their talents to make various games.[D] This deal make them become decisive factor of this industry’s trend in the future.3. The word “lucrative” (Line 3, Paragraph 3) most probablymeans_____[A] profitable.[B] luxurious.[C] entertaining.[D] populous.4. The first trend shaping the industry is _____[A] pushing people online to develop their own games. [B] building new audiences for the new network of games.[C] promoting games with new kinds of controller.[D] expanding the reign of traditional games and creating new market.5.From the two trends we can infer that_____[A] this merger is a great success because it goes along with both trends. [B] this deal can strengthen both parties to surpass the other media giants.[C] this allied group is powerful enough to shape the industry’s trends.[D] it is indeed of strategic sense to have initiate and carry out the merger.篇章剖析：本篇文章讲述了两个游戏公司Activision和Vivendi的“联姻”。
考研英语阅读理解精读练习七十六
考研英语阅读理解精读练习It's normal for your muscles to lose tone when you sleep—that's why people in meetings nod off so amusingly. But in as many as 10 percent of middle-aged and older adults, the throat muscles relax so much that the airway repeatedly closes up, a condition that can be deadly, as it turns out. According to a study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, obstructive sleep apnea sharply increases the risk of stroke or death.People with sleep apnea often don't realize they have it, since they don't remember waking up again and again, gasping for breath. Often, it's a bed partner who hears the choking and "industrial-strength snoring," says Klar Yaggi, a sleep specialist at Yale who led the study. He and his colleagues followed two groups of patients who were tested for sleep apnea (defined as stopping breathing five or more times per hour). Some had the condition; some didn't. During the 3½ years or so that they were studied, the people with sleep apnea were about twice as likely to have a stroke or die.No one really knows why, although the explanation could have to do with the spikes of adrenaline that course through the body when breathing stops, increasing blood pressure, or with repeated plunges in the level of oxygen in the blood. This study didn't look at whether treatment—sleeping with a contraption that continuously blows air into the mouth—lowers risk. But losing weight will improve sleep apnea. And patients who use the machine get much more rest, Yaggi says, which should help them avoid one of the other major dangers of sleep apnea: car accidents.Another study in the same issue of the New England Journal looked at how well the continuous air treatment works for people with central sleep apnea, a different disorder altogether. In both forms of sleep apnea, you stop breathing periodically. But in central sleep apnea, the problem is not an obstructed airway but that the brain fails to send out the command to breathe. The disorder is usually caused by congestive heart failure, in which the heart doesn't pump as well as it should and fluid collects in the chest. Researchers think that providing a continuous air flow during sleep might help drive water out of the lungs and make breathing more regular.The treatment did help people with central sleep apnea in some ways: Their hearts worked better, they didn't stop breathing as often, they didn't have adrenaline surges, and they were able to exercise more. "That's the good news," says Douglas Bradley, a pulmonologist at the University of Toronto and author of the article. "The bad news is that we didn't improve survival."The treated patients weren't any less likely to die in the follow-up period than those who were not given the treatment. While Bradley suspects a larger study would prove a lower risk of dying, he says the benefitsshown in this study aren't significant enough to recommend using the treatment routinely in people with central sleep apnea.1.The air contraption should help patients avoid car accidents because_____[A] it could improve sleep quality of patients.[B] it could increase the level of oxygen in the patients’ blood.[C] it could lower the risk of the occurrence of sleep apnea.[D] it could both help the patient to get more sleep and lost weight2. Which one of the following statements is NOT true of Yaggi’s study?[A] The study proves that the machine could help the patients avoid car accidents.[B] The study verifies that losing weight could lowers risk of sleep apnea.[C] The study did not provide a definite answer to the cause of sleep apnea.[D] The study argues that people with sleep apnea have more risks of death.3 Which one of the following is the common characteristic sleep apnea and central sleep apnea have in common?[A] Both of them belong to the category of periodical disorder in breathing.[B] Both of them are still hard for patients to survive from.[C] Both of them share the same cause that is rooted in the brain system.[D] Both of them could be effectively dealt with by the new treatment4. The study conducted by Douglas Bradley proves the following except_____[A] The air treatment works positively in improving.[B] The central apnea is caused by congestive heart failure.[C] The air treatment could help the brain to work better.[D] The death risk is strongly suppressed by the application of air treatment.5 Bradley thinks the treatment could not be used routinely in people with central sleep apnea because_____[A] The study they have carried out is not authoritative enough.[B] The air treatment proves to have no improvement on survival.[C] The study they have carried out is not large enough.[D] The treatment needs further verification.篇章剖析：这篇文章讲述了睡觉时呼吸突然暂停这种疾病的有关情况。
考研英语真题阅读1997年Text4逐句精读
1997年Text 4【完整文章】①No company likes to be told it is contributing to the moral decline of a nation. ②“Is this what you intended to accomplish with your careers?” ③Senator Robert Dole asked Time Warner executives last week. ④“You have sold your souls, but must you corrupt our nation and threaten our children as well?” ⑤At Time Warner, however, such questions are simply the latest manifestation of the soul-searching that has involved the company ever since the company was born in 1990. ⑥It’s a self-examination that has, at various times, involved issues of responsibility, creative freedom and the corporate bottom line.①At the core of this debate is chairman Gerald Levin, 56, who took over for the late Steve Ross in 1992. ②On the financial front, Levin is under pressure to raise the stock price and reduce the company’s mountainous debt, which will increase to $ 17.3 billion after two new cable deals close.③He has promised to sell off some of the property and restructure the company, but investors are waiting impatiently.①The flap over rap is not making life any easier for him. ②Levin has consistently defended the company’s rap music on the grounds of expression. ③In 1992, when Time Warner was under fire for releasing Ice-T’s violent rap song Cop Killer, Levin described rap as a lawful expression of street culture, which deserves an outlet. ④“The test of any democratic society, ”he wrote in a Wall Street Journal column, “lies not in how well it can control expression but in whether it gives freedom of thought and expression the widest possible latitude, however disputable or irritating the results may sometimes be. We won’t retreat in the face of any threats.”①Levin would not comment on the debate last week, but there were signs that the chairman was backing off his hard-line stand, at least to some extent. ②During the discussion of rock singing verses at last month’s stockholders’ meeting, Levin asserted that “music is not the cause of society’s ills” and even cited his son, a teacher in the Bronx, New York, wh o uses rap to communicate with students. ③But he talked as well about the “balanced struggle” between creative freedom and social responsibility, and he announced that the company would launch a drive to develop standards for distribution and labeling of potentially objectionable music.①The 15-member Time Warner board is generally supportive of Levin and his corporate strategy. ②But insiders say several of them have shown their concerns in this matter. ③“Some of us have known for many, many years that the freedoms under the First Amendment are not totally unlimited, ” says Luce. “I think it is perhaps the case that some people associated with the company have only recently come to realize this.”【逐句精读】【Para 1】①No company likes to be told it is contributing to the moral decline of a nation.主句主干：company(主) likes(谓) to be told...(宾)从句主干：it(主) is contributing to(谓) decline(宾) that省略在told后→宾语从句翻译：没有一家公司乐意听到别人说自己引起了社会的道德败坏。
考研英语阅读理解精读练习题
考研英语阅读理解精读练习题TEXT ONEOnce upon a time—when the U.S. dollar was king—American students blithely flocked overseas to nibble on affordable scones and croissants between classes. How times have changed.As the dollar dips to all-time lows, college students are feeling the pinch. Especially in the United Kingdom and countries that use the euro—which currently is at 68 cents to the dollar—the cost of living has skyrocketed. "Years ago we could say studying abroad was the same price as staying on campus," says Daeya Malboeuf, an associate director at Syracuse University. "There's no way we can say that anymore."Yet this unfavorable economic environment hasn't stopped students from scrambling overseas. According to the Institute of International Education, study-abroad programs have grown 144 percent in the past decade and continue to increase around 8 percent each year. Considering the rising costs, "it's surprising how little the students haven't been deterred," says Natalie Bartush, who handles the study-abroad program at the University of Texas.Where the real change appears to be happening as a result of rising prices is in the length and location of students' foreign study choices. The number of participants in short-term summer programs has swelled, as has the interest in courses at more exotic locales. For Middlebury College students, for example, a year in Florence costs around $37,000; at Santiago, Chile, it's $27,000. Such price differences have contributed to modest or flat growth at traditionally popular programs in western Europe and Australia, whereas schools in Chile, Argentina, South Africa,and China (particularly Hong Kong) are aggressively expanding to meet rising demand.Program directors are quick to point out that the shift is not just about money. "You can't understand the United States today without understanding what's going on outside our borders, and that's not just Europe anymore," says Rebecca Hovey, dean of the study-abroad program at the School for International Training. Interest in nontraditional locales spiked even before the dollar began dropping, and foreign countries are marketing themselves to American students. A surge of support from education nonprofits and the State Department also has fueled the trend.Study-abroad costs also vary wildly based on the way colleges structure their programs. Schools that effectively swap students with a foreign college are less affected by the falling dollar, but American schools that operate their own student centers often end up paying more for rent, utilities, and faculty salaries as the U.S. currency falters. The dollar's slide also means that trying to set student fees in advance is a tiresome guessing game for college officials. Most of these educators' energy, however, is spent scrounging up extra financial aid for needy travelers. Students already getting help can usually transfer their aid to tuition and fees abroad, but basics like housing and food are often at the mercy of the fluctuating dollar. Airfare, which can exceed $1,000 round trip, is not generally included in school fees, and whirlwind trips across continents are rarely cheap.The emphasis on student financial responsibility is especially evident at private schools like Syracuse, which charges the same pricey tuition abroad as at home. Even at more affordable public universities and private colleges like Middlebury—which charges U.S. students the often cheaper tuition of the international hostschools—counselors are quick to peddle the virtue of thrift, a lesson no longer lost between those on safety and culture shock.1. The fact that American students blithely flocked overseas to nibble on affordable sconesa and croissants implies that_____[A] studying abroad cost almost the same as staying in U.S. for higher education.[B] American students were encouraged to study overseas to enrich their experience.[C] the cost of living at abroad was moderate for American students.[D] the U.S. dollar was the strongest currency in the world.2. The changes of study-abroad caused by the dollar’s depreciation are the following ones except_____[A] students’ enthusiasm of studying abroad in short period does not disappear but vice versa.[B] students become hesitant when considering long-term overseas programs.[C] programmes in western Europe and Australia suffer declining popularity.[D] students who chose to study at certain continents are ata rapid growth.3. Rebecca Hover’s statement implies that_____[A] the United States are now more readily influenced by the other countries than before.[B] shift in the mainland may also be caused by factors outside of America.[C] Europe can no longer influnece the United States as before.[D] the United States are extending its influence beyond its boraders.4. Who are probably most affected by the dollar’s dip?[A] The international exchange students.[B] The students who have got scholarships.[C] The students at costly private schools.[D] The students at public universities.5. The best title for this passage is_____[A] Impact of the Dollar’s Devaluation.[B] American Students at Abroad.[C] Study-abroad Costs for American Students.[D] Shift of American Students’ Foreign Study.。
考研英语真题阅读理解精读
考研英语真题阅读理解精读 英语阅读理解是考研英语中较为重要的⼀部分内容，是考研必考的公共课之⼀。
下⾯就是店铺给⼤家整理的考研英语真题阅读理解，希望对你有⽤! 考研英语阅读原⽂ On a five to three vote, the Supreme Court knocked out much of Arizona's immigration law Monday--a modest policy victory for the Obama Administration. But on the more important matter of the Constitution, the decision was an 8-0 defeat for the Administration's effort to upset the balance of power between the federal government and the states. In Arizona v. United States, the majority overturned three of the four contested provisions of Arizona's controversial plan to have state and local police enforce federal immigration law. The Constitutional principles that Washington alone has the power to "establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization "and that federal laws precede state laws are noncontroversial. Arizona had attempted to fashion state policies that ran parallel to the existing federal ones. Justice Anthony Kennedy, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the Court's liberals, ruled that the state flew too close to the federal sun. On the overturned provisions the majority held the congress had deliberately "occupied the field" and Arizona had thus intruded on the federal's privileged powers. However, the Justices said that Arizona police would be allowed to verify the legal status of people who come in contact with law enforcement. That's because Congress has always envisioned joint federal-state immigration enforcement and explicitly encourages state officers to share information and cooperate with federal colleagues. Two of the three objecting Justice--Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas--agreed with this Constitutional logic but disagreed about which Arizona rules conflicted with the federal statute. The only major objection came from Justice Antonin Scalia, who offered an even more robust defense of state privileges going back to the Alien and Sedition Acts. The 8-0 objection to President Obama turns on what Justice Samuel Alito describes in his objection as "a shocking assertion of federal executive power".The White House argued that Arizona's laws conflicted with its enforcement priorities, even if state laws complied with federal statutes to the letter. In effect, the White House claimed that it could invalidate any otherwise legitimate state law that it disagrees with . Some powers do belong exclusively to the federal government, and control of citizenship and the borders is among them. But if Congress wanted to prevent states from using their own resources to check immigration status, it could. It never did so. The administration was in essence asserting that because it didn't want to carry out Congress's immigration wishes, no state should be allowed to do so either. Every Justice rightly rejected this remarkable claim. 考研英语阅读翻译 周⼀，最⾼法院以五对三的投票否决了亚利桑那州移民法案的⼤部分条款，这对于奥巴马政府来说是个不⼤不⼩的胜利。
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考研英语阅读精读真题精选
"Thereisoneandonlyonesocialresponsibilityofbusiness"wrot eMiltonFriedman,aNobelPrize-winningeconomist
"Thatis,touseitsresourcesandengageinactivitiesdesignedto increaseitsprofits."
ButevenifyouacceptFriedman'spremiseandregardcorporatesoc ialresponsibility(CSR)policiesasawasteofshareholders'smoney ,thingsmaynotbeabsolutelyclear-cut.
NewresearchsuggeststhatCSRmaycreatemonetaryvalueforcompa niesatleastwhentheyareprosecutedforcorruption.
ThelargestfirmsinAmericaandBritaintogetherspendmorethan$ 15billionayearonCSR,accordingtoanestimatebyEPG,aconsultingf irm.
Thiscouldaddvaluetotheirbusinessesinthreeways.
First,consumersmaytakeCSRspendingasa"signal"thatacompany 'sproductsareofhighquality.
Second,customersmaybewillingtobuyacompany'sproductsasani ndirectmaytodonatetothegoodcausesithelps.
Andthird,throughamorediffuse"haloeffect"wherebyitsgoodde edsearnitgreaterconsiderationfromconsumersandothers.
PreviousstudiesonCSRhavehadtroubledifferentiatingtheseef fectsbecauseconsumerscanbeaffectedbyallthree.
Arecentstudyattemptstoseparatethembylookingatbriberypros ecutionsunderAmerican'sForeignCorruptPracticesAct(FCPA).
Itarguesthatsinceprosecutorsdonotconsumeacompany'sproduc tsaspartoftheirinvestigations,theycouldbeinfluencedonlybyth ehaloeffect.
Thestudyfoundthat,amongprosecutedfirms,thosewiththemostc omprehensiveCSRprogrammestendedtogetmorelenientpenalties.
Theiranalysisruledoutthepossibilitythatitwasfirm'spoliti calinfluence,ratherthantheirCSRstand,thataccountedforthelen iency:Companiesthatcontributedmoretopoliticalcampaignsdidno treceivelowerfines.
Inall,thestudyconcludesthatwhereasprosecutorsshouldonlye valuateacasebasedonitsmerits,theydoseemtobeinfluencedbyacom pany'srecordinCSR.
"Weestimatethateithereliminatingasubstantiallabour-rightsconcern,suchaschildlabour,orincreasingcorporategiving byabout20%resultinfinesthatgenerallyare40%lowerthanthetypic alpunishmentforbribingforeignofficials."saysoneresearcher.
Researchersadmitthattheirstudydoesnotanswerthequestionat howmuchbusinessesoughttospendonCSR.
Nordoesitrevealhowmuchcompaniesarebankingonthehaloeffect ,ratherthantheotherpossiblebenefits,whentheydecidetheirdo-goodingpolicies.
Butatleasttheyhavedemonstratedthatwhencompaniesgetintotr oublewiththelaw,evidenceofgoodcharactercanwinthemalesscostl ypunishment.
诺贝尔经济学奖得主、经济学家米尔顿·弗里德曼写道，企业社会责任有且仅有一种，
“那就是，利用自身资源从事能让其获利的各种活动。
”
但是即使你同意弗里德曼的这种假设性的观点，并且认为企业社会责任政策是浪费股东的金钱，事情却并非完全如此清晰。
新的研究表明，至少企业因腐败而被起诉的时候，企业社会责任或许能为企业创造经济价值。
据咨询公司“EPG”估算，英美两国的大公司每年合计在企业社
会责任上的花费超过150亿美元。
这能从三个方面给他们的企业增加价值。
第一，消费者可能会把企业的企业社会责任开销当做是一个“信号”，即这一公司的产品质量上乘。
第二，消费者可能愿意购买这一公司的产品，算是间接地为该公司所支持的事业贡献力量。
第三，通过更广泛的“光环效应”，这一公司的善行能让消费者和其他人有购买需求时能更多地考虑该公司。
因为消费者可能是受到了以上三个方式的影响，所以先前对企业社会责任的研究难以区分这三种方式的影响。
最近的一项研究试图区分这三种方式的影响，它所用的方法就是研究因违反《美国反海外腐败法》而遭到行贿起诉的案例。
研究认为，由于检察官并不购买那些作为其调查部分的公司产品，因此他们只能受到“光环效应”的影响。
这项研究发现，在被起诉的公司当中，那些拥有最全面的企业社会责任项目的企业往往会从轻处罚。
他们的分析排除了这样的可能性，即：是当事公司的政治影响力，而非他们的企业社会责任立场才让它获得了较轻的处罚，因为那些
支持政治运动更多的公司并没有得到更低的罚金。
总之，这个研究的结论是：虽然检察官在评估一个案件时，应该基于其功绩，实际上还是受到了公司企业社会责任记录的影响。
其中的一位研究者说：“我们估计，要么消除一个实质性的劳工权益问题，例如童工问题，要么增加20%的企业捐赠，都会促成罚
金减少，一般要比因贿赂外国官员而造成的典型罚款低40%。
”
研究者们承认他们的研究没有解决的问题是：针对企业社会责任各大企业到底该支出多少费用。
也没有揭露当企业做慈善方面的决策时，会有多看重“光环效应”，而非其他潜在收益。
但至少他们证明了一点，当企业遇到法律问题时，自身良好品质的证据将让企业付出更少的罚金。
leniency['li:njənsi]n.宽大，不严厉，仁慈
previous['pri:vjəs]adj.在...之前，先，前，以前的
social['səuʃəl]adj.社会的，社交的n.社交聚会
affected[ə'fektid]adj.受影响的，受感动的，受疾病侵袭的adj.做联想记忆
corrupt[kə'rʌpt]adj.腐败的，堕落的vt.使...联想记忆
engage[in'geidʒ]v.答应，预定，使忙碌，雇佣，订婚
consideration[kənsidə'reiʃən]n.考虑，体贴，考虑因素，敬重，意见
typical['tipikəl]adj.典型的，有代表性的，特有的，独特的
quality['kwɔliti]n.品质，特质，才能adj.高品质的
analysis[ə'næləsis]n.分析，解析
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