考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析

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考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2000年part2

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2000年part2Part TwoBeing a man has always been dangerous. There are about 105 males born for every 100 females, but this ratio drops to near balance at the age of maturity, and among 70-year-olds there are twice as many women as men. But the great universal of male mortality is being changed. Now, by babies survive almost as well as girls do. This means that, for the first time, there will be an excess of boys in those crucial years when they are searching for a mate. More important, another chance for natural selection has been removed. Fifty years ago, the chance of a baby （particularly a boy baby）surviving depended on its weight. A kilogram too light or too heavy meant almost certain death. Today it makes almost no difference. Since much of the variation is due to genes one more agent of evolution has gone.There is another way to commit evolutionary suicide: stay alive, but have fewer children. Few people are as fertile as in the past. Except in some religious communities, very few women has 15 children. Nowadays the number of births, like the age of death, has become average. Most of us have roughly the same number of offspring. Again, differences between people and the opportunity for natural selection to take advantage of it have diminished. India shows what is happening. The country offers wealth for a few in the great cities and poverty for the remaining tribal peoples. The grand mediocrity of today ---everyone being the same in survival and number of offspring---means that natural selection has lost 80% of its power in upper-middle-class India compared to the tribes.For us, this means that evolution is over; the biological Utopia has arrived. Strangely, it has involved little physical change No other species fills so manyplaces in nature. But in the pass 100,000 years--- even the past 100year ---our lives have been transformed but our bodies have not. We did not evolve, because machines and society did it for us. Darwin had a phrase to describe those ignorant of evolution: they "look at an organic being as a savage looks at a ship, as at something wholly beyond his comprehension." No doubt we will remember a 20th century way of life beyond comprehension for its ugliness. But however amazed our descendants may be at how far from Utopia we were, they will look just like us.5. What used to be the danger in being a man according to the first paragraph?［A］A lack of mates. ［B］A fierce competition.［C］A lower survival rate. ［D］A defective gene.6. What does the example of India illustrate?［A］Wealthy people tend to have fewer children than poor people.［B］Natural selection hardly works among the rich and the poor.［C］The middle class population is 80% smaller than that of the tribes.［D］India is one of the countries with a very high birth rate.7. The author argues that our bodies have stopped evolving because____ .［A］life has been improved by technological advance［B］the number of female babies has been declining［C］our species has reached the highest stage of evolution［D］the difference between wealth and poverty is disappearing8. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?［A］Sex Ration Changes in Human Evolution ［B］Ways of Continuing Man's Evolution［C］The Evolutionary Future of Nature ［D］Human Evolution Going NowhereUnit 7 （2000） Part2重点词汇：1.maturity （成熟）←matur（e）+ity，mature（成熟的v.成熟），-ity名词后缀。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2003年part2

Part Two To paraphrase 18th-century statesman Edmund Burke, "all that is needed for the triumph of a misguided cause is that good people do nothing." One such cause now seeks to end biomedical research because of the theory that animals have rights ruling out their use in research. Scientists need to respond forcefully to animal rights advocates, whose arguments are confusing the public and thereby threatening advances in health knowledge and care. Leaders of the animal rights movement target biomedical research because it depends on public funding, and few people understand the process of health care research. Hearing allegations of cruelty to animals in research settings, many are perplexed that anyone would deliberately harm an animal. For example, a grandmotherly woman staffing an animal rights booth at a recent street fair was distributing a brochure that encouraged readers not to use anything that comes from or is tested in animals-no meat, no fur, no medicines. Asked if she opposed immunizations, she wanted to know if vaccines come from animal research. When assured that they do, she replied, "Then I would have to say yes." Asked what will happen when epidemics return, she said, "Don't worry, scientists will find some way of using computers." Such well-meaning people just don't understand. Scientists must communicate their message to the public in a compassionate, understandable way-in human terms, not in the language of molecular biology. We need to make clear the connection between animal research and a grandmother's hip replacement, a father's bypass operation a baby's vaccinations, and even a pet's shots. To those who are unaware that animal research was needed to produce these treatments, as well as new treatments and vaccines, animal research seems wasteful at best and cruel at worst. Much can be done. Scientists could "adopt" middle school classes and present their own research. They should be quick to respond to letters to the editor, lest animal rights misinformation go unchallenged and acquire a deceptive appearance of truth. Research institutions could be opened to tours, to show that laboratory animals receive humane care. Finally, because the ultimate stakeholders are patients, the health research community should actively recruit to its cause not only well-known personalities such as Stephen Cooper, who has made courageous statements about the value of animal research, but all who receive medical treatment. If good people do nothing there is a real possibility that an uninformed citizenry will extinguish the precious embers of medical progress.6. The author begins his article with Edmund Burke's words to ________. [A] call on scientists to take some actions. [B] criticize the misguided cause of animal rights. [C] warn of the doom of biomedical research. [D] show the triumph of the animal rights movement.7. Misled people tend to think that using an animal in research is ________. [A] cruel but natural. [B] inhuman and unacceptable [C] inevitable but vicious. [D] pointless and wasteful.8. The example of the grandmotherly woman is used to show the public's ________. [A] discontent with animal research. [B] ignorance about medical science. [C] indifference to epidemics. [D] anxiety about animal rights.9. The author believes that, in face of the challenge from animal rights advocates, scientists should _____. [A] communicate more with the public. [B] employ hi-tech means in research. [C] feel no shame for their cause. [D] strive to develop new cures.10. From the text we learn that Stephen Cooper is ________. [A] a well-known humanist. [B] a medical practitioner. [C] an enthusiast in animal rights. [D] a supporter of animal research.Unit 10 （2003） Part 2重点词汇：1.　paraphrase（n.v.释意）即para+phrase，para-前缀表“在旁边、辅助”，phrase即“短语；⽤短语表达”，故“⽤短语辅助表达”→释意。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2004年part3

Part Three When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn't biting her nails just yet. But the 47-year-old manicurist isn't cutting, filling or polishing as many nails as she'd like to, either. Most of her clients spend $12 to $50 weekly, but last month two longtime customers suddenly stopped showing up. Spero blames the softening economy. "I'm a good economic indicator," she says. "I provide a service that people can do without when they're concerned about saving some dollars." So Spero is downscaling, shopping at middle-brow Dillard's department store near her suburban Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus. "I don't know if other clients are going to abandon me, too" she says. Even before Alan Greenspan's admission that America's red-hot economy is cooling, lots of working folks had already seen signs of the slowdown themselves. From car dealerships to Gap outlets, sales have been lagging for months as shoppers temper their spending. For retailers, who last year took in 24 percent of their revenue between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cautious approach is coming at a crucial time. Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7 percent from last year's pace. But don't sound any alarms just yet. Consumers seem only concerned, not panicked, and many say they remain optimistic about the economy's long-term prospects, even as they do some modest belt-tightening. Consumers say they're not in despair because, despite the dreadful headlines, their own fortunes still feel pretty good. Home prices are holding steady in most regions. In Manhattan, "there's a new gold rush happening in the $4 million to $10 million range, predominantly fed by Wall Street bonuses," says broker Barbara Corcoran. In San Francisco, prices are still rising even as frenzied overbidding quiets. "Instead of 20 to 30 offers, now maybe you only get two or three," says john Deadly, a Bay Area real-estate broker. And most folks still feel pretty comfortable about their ability to find and keep a job. Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. Potential home buyers would cheer for lower interest rates. Employers wouldn't mind a little fewer bubbles in the job market. Many consumers seem to have been influenced by stock-market swings, which investors now view as a necessary ingredient to a sustained boom. Diners might see an upside, too. Getting a table at Manhattan's hot new Alain Ducasse restaurant need to be impossible. Not anymore. For that, Greenspan & Co. may still be worth toasting.11. By "Ellen Spero isn't biting her nails just yet" （Line 1, Paragraph 1）, the author means ______. [A] Spero can hardly maintain her business. [B] Spero is too much engaged in her work. [C] Spero has grown out of her bad habit. [D] Spero is not in a desperate situation.12. How do the public feel about the current economic situation? [A] Optimistic. [B] Confused. [C] Carefree. [D] Panicked.13. When mentioning "the $4 million to $10 million range" （Lines 3 - 4, Paragraph 3）the author is talking about ________. [A] gold market. [B] real estate. [C] stock exchange. [D] venture investment.14. Why can many people see "silver linings" to the economic showdown?[A] They would benefit in certain ways. [B] The stock market shows signs of recovery.[C] Such a slowdown usually precedes a boom.[D] The purchasing power would be enhanced.15. To which of the following is the author likely to agree? [A] A now boom, on the horizon. [B] Tighten the belt, the single remedy. [C] Caution all right, panic not. [D] The more ventures, the more chances.Unit 11 （2004） Part 3重点词汇：1.　manicurist指甲修饰师2.　file （把...归档, 提出[申请等], 锉, 琢磨） a file of newspapers 报纸的合订本 a deep file ⽼*巨猾的家伙 nail file 指甲锉3.　downscale 缩减…规模4.　middle-brow　（中等⽂化素养的，平庸之辈 [尤作贬义]）Mozart is pleasing to highbrows,middlebrows and lowbrows alike.莫扎特的作品雅俗共赏5.　frenzied　（狂热的）　a frenzied attack 疯狂的进攻6.　overbid　出⾼价现象7.　real-estate broker 房地产经纪⼈8.　silver lining （[不幸中的] 希望，慰藉） every cloud has a silver lining乌云背后总有⼀线光芒9.　bubble　（泡沫,起泡；洋溢，充满） He blows bubbles with soap water. 他⽤肥皂⽔吹泡泡 She was bubbing with confidence. 她充满信⼼10.　swing　（摇摆） let it have its swing 听其⾃然 The ape swung along from branch to branch.那只猿猴从⼀根树枝荡到另⼀根树枝。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2023年part4

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2023年part4Text 4Several massive leakages of customer and employee data this year – from organizations as diverse as Time Warner, the American defense contractor Science Applications International Corp and even the University of California, Berkeley –have left managers hurriedly peering into their intricate IT systems and business processes in search of potential vulnerabilities.16. The statement “It never rains but it pours” is used to introduce[C] the threat from news reports.[D] the severity of data leakage.17. According to Paragraph 2, some organizations check their systems to find out[A] whether there is any weak point.[B] what sort of data has been stolen.[C] who is responsible for the leakage.[D] how the potential spies can be located.18. In bringing up the concept of GASP the author is making the point that[A] shareholders’ interests should be properly attended to.[B] information protection should be given due attention.[C] businesses should enhance their level of accounting security.[D] the market value of customer data should be emphasized.19. According to Paragraph 4, what puzzles the author is that some bosses fail to[A] see the link between trust and data protection.[B] perceive the sensitive of personal data.[C] realize the high cost of data restoration. [D] appreciate the economic value of trust.20. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that[A] data leakage is more severe in Europe.[B] FTC’s decision is essential to data security.[C] California takes the lead in security legislation.[D] legal penalty is a major solution to data leakage.Unit 14（2023） Part 4试题解析：16. 【正确答案】【D】【解析】结构题，题干中的“is used to introduce”表明本题是结构题。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2002年part3

Part ThreeCould the bad old days of economic decline be about to return? Since OPEC agreed to supply-cuts in March, the price of crude oil has jumped to almost $26 a barrel, up from less than $10 last December. This near-tripling of oil prices calls up scary memories of the 1973 oil shock, when prices quadrupled, and 1979 - 1980, when they also almost tripled. Both previous shocks resulted in double-digit inflation and global economic decline. So where are the headlines warning of gloom and doom this time?The oil price was given another push up this week when Iraq suspended oil exports. Strengthening economic growth, at the same time as winter grips the northern hemisphere, could push the price higher still in the short term.Yet there are good reasons to expect the economic consequences now to be less severe than in the 1970s. In most countries the cost of crude oil now accounts for a smaller share of the price of petrol than it did in the 1970s. In Europe, taxes account for up to four-fifths of the retail price, so even quite big changes in the price of crude have a more muted effect on pump prices than in the past.Rich economies are also less dependent on oil than they were, and so less sensitive to swings in the oil price. Energy conservation, a shift to other fuels and a decline in the importance of heavy, energy-intensive industries have reduced oil consumption. Software, consultancy and mobile telephones use far less oil than steel or car production. For each dollar of GDP （in constant prices）rich economies now use nearly 50% less oil than in 1973. The OECD estimates in its latest Economic Outlook that, if oil prices averaged $22 a barrel for a full year, compared with $13 in 1998, this would increase the oil import bill in rich economies by only 0.25% - 0.5% of GDP. That is less than one-quarter of the income loss in 1974 or 1980. On the other hand, oil-importing emerging economies — to which heavy industry has shifted — have become more energy-intensive, and so could be more seriously squeezed.One more reason not to lose sleep over the rise in oil prices is that, unlike the rises in the 1970s, it has not occurred against the background of general commodity-price inflation and global excess demand. A sizable portion of the world is only just emerging from economic decline. The Economist's commodity price index is broadly unchanging from a year ago. In 1973 commodity prices jumped by 70%, and in 1979 by almost 30%.11. The main reason for the latest rise of oil price is ________. [A] global inflation. [B] reduction in supply. [C] fast growth in economy. [D] Iraq's suspension of exports.12. It can be inferred from the text that the retail price of petrol will go up dramatically if ______. [A] price of crude rises. [B] commodity prices rise. [C] consumption rises. [D] oil taxes rise.13. The estimates in Economic Outlook show that in rich countries ________. [A] heavy industry becomes more energy-intensive. [B] income loss mainly results from fluctuating crude oil prices. [C] manufacturing industry has been seriously squeezed. [D] oil price changes have no significant impact on GDP.14. We can draw a conclusion from the text that ________. [A] oil-price shocks are less shocking now. [B] inflation seems irrelevant to oil-price shocks. [C] energy conservation can keep down the oil prices. [D] the price rise of crude leads to the shrinking of heavy industry.15. From the text we can see that the writer seems ________. [A] optimistic. [B] sensitive. [C] gloomy [D] scared.Unit 9 （2002） Part 3重点词汇：1.　decline（n.v.下降；衰落v.谢绝）←de向下+cline倾斜；同根词：incline（v.倾斜；倾向于n.斜坡）←in（=to）+cline。

考研英语历年真题阅读长难句100句精析

考研英语历年真题阅读长难句100句精析1、While warnings are often appropriate and necessary —the dangers of drug interactions,for example—and many are required by state or federal regulations,it isn't clear that they actually protect the manufacturers and sellers from liability if a customer is injured、【译文】尽管警告常常就是适当而且必须得——比如对于药物相互作用得危险提出警告——许多警告还就是按州或联邦政府规定要求给出得，然而(我们) 并不清楚，如果顾客受到伤害时，这些警告就是不就是确实可以使得生产者与销售者豁免责任。

【分析】在这个主从复合句中，it isn't clear that they actually protect the manufacturers and sellers from liability if a customer is injured就是主句。

主句用了一个形式主语it，真正得主语就是that引导得从句，而that从句之后就是一个if引导得条件从句。

从句由两个部分组成，中间用and连接。

破折号之间得部分就是举例说明warnings得内容。

注意：many are required by state or federal regulations中得many就是指many warnings。

2、Additional social stresses may also occur because of the population explosion or problems arising from mass migration movements—themselves made relatively easy nowadays by modern means of transport 、【译文】由于人口猛增或大量人口流动(现代交通工具使大量人口流动变得相对容易) 所引起得各种问题也会对社会造成新得压力。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--1999年part3

[C] mastered through a life-long course
[D] equally emphasized by any school, vocational or otherwise
重点词汇：
1.radical （根本的；重要的；激进的）即 radi+cal ，radi 词根 " 根 " ，-cal 形容词后缀；副
for reasons radically different from why education is
universally required by law. It is not simply to raise everyone's job prospects that
all children are legally required to attend school into their teens. Rather, we have
outside of himself. But this was not always the case; before it was legally required
for all children to attend school until a certain age, it was widely accepted that
There are some good arguments for a technical education given the right kind of student. Many European schools introduce the concept of professional training early on in order

[实用参考]考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析.doc

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--20GG年PartOneInspiteof“endlesstalkofdifference,”Americansociet Pisanamazingmachi neforhomogenizingpeople.Thisis“thedemocratizinguniformit Pofdressa nddiscourse,andthecasualnessandabsenceofconsumption“launchedb Pt he19th–centurPdepartmentstores thatoffered‘vastarra Psofgoodsinanel egantatmosphere.Insteadofintimateshopscateringtoaknowledgeableelit e.”thesewerestores“an Ponecouldenter,regardlessofclassorbackground .Thisturnedshoppingintoapublicanddemocraticact.”Themassmedia,adv ertisingandsportsareotherforcesforhomogenization.ImmigrantsarequicklPfittingintothiscommonculture,whichmaPnotbealto getherelevatingbutishardlPpoisonous.WritingfortheNationalImmigratio nForum,GregorPRodriguezreportsthattodaP’simmigrationisneitheratu nprecedentedlevelnorresistanttoassimilation.In1998immigrantswere9.8p ercentofpopulation;in1900,13.6percent.Inthe10Pearspriorto1990,3.1imm igrantsarrivedforeverP1,000residents;inthe10Pearspriorto1890,9.2foreve rP1,000.Now,considerthreeindicesofassimilation------language,homeow nershipandintermarriage.The1990Census revealedthat“amajorit PofimmigrantsfromeachofthefifteenmostcommoncountriesoforiginspokeEnglish“well”or“ver P well”aft ertenP earsofresidence.”Thechildrenofimmigrantstendtobebilingualand proficientinEnglish.“B Pthethirdgeneration,theoriginallanguageislostint hemajoritP ofimmigrantfamilies.”HencethedescriptionofAmericaasagrav eP ard”forlanguage.B P1996foreign-bornimmigrantswhohadarrivebefor e1970hadahomeownershiprateof75.6percent,higherthanthe69.8percentr ateamongnative-bornAmericans.Foreign-bornAsiansandHispanics“haveh igherratesofintermarriagethan doU.S-bornwhitesandblacks.”B Pthethirdgeneration,onethirdofHispanic womenaremarriedtonon-Hispanics,and41percentofAsian-Americanwom enaremarriedtonon-Asians.Rodrigueznotthatchildreninremotevillagesaroundworldarefansofsuperst arslikeAmoldSchwarzeneggerandGarthBrooks,P et“someAmericansfeart hatimmigrantlivingwithintheUnitedStatesremainsomehowimmunetothe nation’sassimilativepower.”AretheredivisiveissuesandpocketsofseethinginAmerica?Indeed.Itisbigen oughtohaveabitofeverPthing.ButparticularlPwhenviewedagainstAmerica ’sturbulentpast,toda P’ssocialinducessuggestadarkanddeterioratingso cialenvironment.1.Theword“homogenizing”（Line2,Paragraph1）mostprobablPmeans___A.identifPingB.associatingC.assimilatingD.monopolizing2.Accordingtotheauthor,thedepartmentstoresofthe19thcenturP___A.plaPedaroleinthespreadofpopularculture.B.becameintimateshopsforcommonconsumers.C.satisfiedtheneedsofaknowledgeableelite.D.oweditsemergencetothecultureofconsumption.3.TheteGtsuggeststhatimmigrantsnowintheU.S.___A.areresistanttohomogenization.B.eGertagreatinfluenceonAmericanculture.C.arehardlPathreattothecommonculture.D.constitutethemajoritPofthepopulation.4.WhPareAmoldSchwarzeneggerandGarthBrooksmentionedinParagraph 5?A.ToprovetheirpopularitParoundtheworld.B.Torevealthepublic’sfearofimmigrants.C.TogiveeGamplesofsuccessfulimmigrants.D.ToshowthepowerfulinfluenceofAmericanculture.5.Intheauthor’sopinion,theabsorptionofimmigrantsintoAmericansoc iet PisA.rewardingB.SuccessfulC.fruitlessD.harmfulUnit13（20GG）Part1重点词汇：1. uniformitP n.一样，一致；统一性；（相关词）uniforma.相同的，统一标准的；beuniformwith与……同一形式或外貌2. casualness n.偶然，意外；草率行事；漫不经心；平心静气3. arraP ①n.排列；一批，大量；显眼的一系列②vt.排列，制定（计划等）：arraPoneself装扮，打扮自己、搭配vastarraPsof大批的，大量的4. knowledgeable a.有知识的，学识渊博的，有见识的5. amaze v.使（某人）惊异或惊奇6. intimate a.密切的，亲密的7. cater v.=providefoodandservice提供饮食及服务;搭配caterfor （或to）提供饮食及服务，迎合（某人）8. elite n. 精英，尖子9. elevate vt.提升，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）。

考研英语历年真题阅读长难句句精析

考研英语历年真题阅读长难句句精析————————————————————————————————作者：————————————————————————————————日期:ﻩ考研英语历年真题阅读长难句10０句精析１.Ｗhｉｌe warningｓaｒe often apprｏｐrｉａte and necｅsｓary —tｈe ｄan ｇｅrs of drug intｅrａcｔions,fｏr example—aｎd many are requirｅｄby sｔａte or fedｅral rｅguｌations,it ｉsn't cleａr that tｈey acｔualｌｙproｔｅｃtｔhe manｕfactｕrｅrｓand sｅllers frｏmｌiabilｉtｙif a cusｔomer ｉｓｉnjurｅd.【译文】尽管警告常常是适当而且必须的——比如对于药物相互作用的危险提出警告——许多警告还是按州或联邦政府规定要求给出的,然而(我们）并不清楚，如果顾客受到伤害时,这些警告是不是确实可以使得生产者和销售者豁免责任。

【分析】在这个主从复合句中,ｉt isn'ｔcｌear that thｅyａctｕalｌyｐroｔeｃt tｈe ｍanufａcturerｓaｎd ｓｅllers from lｉabｉlity if a customer ｉs inｊured是主句。

主句用了一个形式主语ｉt,真正的主语是that引导的从句，而that从句之后是一个ｉf 引导的条件从句。

从句由两个部分组成,中间用and连接。

破折号之间的部分是举例说明warnings的内容。

注意：ｍａnｙaｒｅrｅquｉrｅｄby sｔaｔe ｏrｆederａl regulaｔions中的many是指mａny warnings。

２.Aｄdｉtioｎal social stｒesses may ａlso occｕr becａｕsｅoｆthe populａtion eｘpｌoｓion ｏｒproblems aｒiｓiｎｇfrom masｓmigｒaｔｉon mｏvｅｍent ｓ—ｔheｍsｅlves made relａtivｅlｙeasy noｗadａys bｙｍoｄｅｒn mｅans ｏf tr ａｎsporｔ.【译文】由于人口猛增或大量人口流动（现代交通工具使大量人口流动变得相对容易) 所引起的各种问题也会对社会造成新的压力。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2000年part1

Unit7Part OneA history of long and effortless success can be a dreadful handicap, but, if properly handled, it may become a driving force. When the United States entered just such a glowing period after the end of the Second World War, it had a market eight times larger than any competitor, giving its industries unparalleled economies of scale. Its scientists were the world's best, its workers the most skilled. America and Americans were prosperous beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians whose economies the war had destroyed.It was inevitable that this primacy should have narrowed as other countries grew richer. Just as inevitably, the retreat from predominance proved painful. By the mid 1980s Americans had found themselves at a loss over their fading industrial competitiveness. Some huge American industries, such as consumer electronics, had shrunk or vanished in the face of foreign competition. By 1987 there was only one American television maker left, Zenith. （Now there is none: Zenith was bought by South Korea's LG Electronics in July.）Foreign made cars and textiles were sweeping into the domestic market. America's machine tool industry was on the ropes. For a while it looked as though the making of semiconductors, which America had invented and which sat at the heart of the new computer age, was going to be the next casualty.All of this caused a crisis of confidence. Americans stopped taking prosperity for granted. They began to believe that their way of doing business was failing, and that their incomes would therefore shortly begin to fall as well. The mid 1980s brought one inquiry after another into the causes of America's industrial decline. Their sometimes sensational findings were filled with warnings about the growing competition from overseas.How things have changed! In 1995 the United States can look back on five years of solid growth while Japan has been struggling. Few Americans attribute this solely to such obvious causes as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle. Self-doubt has yielded to blind pride. "American industry has changed its structure, has gone on a diet, has learnt to be more quick-witted," according to Richard Cavanagh, executive dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "It makes me proud to be an American just to see how our businesses are improving their productivity," says Stephen Moore of the Cato Institute, a think-tank in Washington, DC. And William Sahlman of the Harvard Business School believes that people will look back on this period as "a golden age of business management in the United States."1. The U.S. achieved its predominance after World War II because ________.[A] it had made painstaking efforts towards this goal[B] its domestic market was eight times larger than before[C] the war had destroyed the economies of most potential competitors[D] the unparalleled size of its workforce had given an impetus to its economy2. The loss of U.S. predominance in the world economy in the 1980s is manifested in the fact that the American ________.[A] TV industry had withdrawn to its domestic market[B] semiconductor industry had been taken over by foreign enterprises[C] machine tool industry had collapsed after suicidal actions[D] auto industry had lost part of its domestic market3. What can be inferred from the passage?[A] It is human nature to shift between self-doubt and blind pride.[B] Intense competition may contribute to economic progress.[C] The revival of the economy depends on international cooperation.[D] A long history of success may pave the way for further development.4. The author seems to believe the revival of the U.S. economy in the 1990s can be attributed to the ____[A] turning of the business cycle [B] restructuring of industry[C] improved business management [D] success in educationUnit 7 （2000） Part1重点词汇：1．handicap （v.阻碍；使不利）←hand+i（n）+cap，据说源⾃古代⼀种赌博：将罚⾦置于帽⼦⾥，⼿进⼊帽⼦抽签，抽中者处不利地位。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--1998年part2

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--1998年part2Part TwoWell, no gain without pain, they say. But what about pain without gain? Everywhere you go in America, you hear tales of corporate revival. What is harder to establish is whether the productivity revolution that businessmen assume they are presiding over is for real.The official statistics are mildly discouraging. They show that, if you lump manufacturing and services together, productivity has grown on average by 1.2% since 1987. That is somewhat faster than the average during the previous decade. And since 1991, productivity has increased by about 2% a year, which is more than twice the 1978 87 average. The trouble is that part of the recent acceleration is due to the usual rebound that occurs at this point in a business cycle, and so is not conclusive evidence of a revival in the underlying trend. There is, as Robert Rubin, the treasury secretary, says, a "disjunction" between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics.Some of this can be easily explained. New ways of organizing the workplace all that re engineering and downsizing - are only one contribution to the overall productivity of an economy, which is driven by many other factors such as joint investment in equipment and machinery, new technology, and investment in education and training. Moreover, most of the changes that companies make are intended to keep them profitable, and this need not always mean increasing productivity: switching to new markets or improving quality can matter just as much.Two other explanations are more speculative. First, some of the business restructuring of recent years may have been ineptly done. Second, even if it was welldone, it may have spread much less widely than people suppose.Leonard Schlesinger, a Harvard academic and former chief executive of Au Bong Pain, a rapidly growing chain of bakery cafes, says that much "re engineering" has been crude. In many cases, he believes, the loss of revenue has been greater than the reductions in cost. His colleague, Michael Beer, says that far too many companies have applied re engineering in a mechanistic fashion, chopping out costs without giving sufficient thought to long term profitability. BBDO's Al Rosenshine is blunter. He dismisses a lot of the work of re engineering consultants as mere rubbish - "the worst sort of ambulance cashing."5. According to the author, the American economic situation is _____ .A）not as good as it seemsB）at its turning pointC）much better than it seems D）near to complete recovery6. The official statistics on productivity growth _____ .A）exclude the usual rebound in a business cycleB）fall short of businessmen's anticipationC）meet the expectation of business people D）fail to reflect the true state of economy7. The author raises the question "what about pain without gain?" because _____ .A）he questions the truth of "no gain without pain"B）he does not think the productivity revolution worksC）he wonders if the official statistics are misleadingD）he has conclusive evidence for the revival of businesses8. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage?A）Radical reforms are essential for the increase of productivity.B）New ways of organizing workplaces may help to increase productivity.C）The reduction of costs is not a sure way to gain long term profitability.D）The consultants are a bunch of good for nothings.Unit 5 （1998） Part2重点词汇：1.assume （v.假定；承担；呈现）。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--1999年part5

Part FiveScience, in practice, depends far less on the experiments it prepares than on the preparedness of the minds of the men who watch the experiments. Sir Isaac Newton supposedly discovered gravity through the fall of an apple. Apples had been falling in many places for centuries and thousands of people had seen them fall. But Newton for years had been curious about the cause of the orbital motion of the moon and planets. What kept them in place? Why didn't they fall out of the sky? The fact that the apple fell down toward the earth and not up into the tree answered the question he had been asking himself about those larger fruits of the heavens, the moon and the planets.How many men would have considered the possibility of an apple falling up into the tree? Newton did because he was not trying to predict anything. He was just wondering. His mind was ready for the unpredictable. Unpredictability is part of the essential nature of research. If you don't have unpredictable things, you don't have research. Scientists tend to forget this when writing their cut and dried reports for the technical journals, but history is filled with examples of it.In talking to some scientists, particularly younger ones, you might gather the impression that they find the "scientific method"a substitute for imaginative thought. I've attended research conferences where a scientist has been asked what he thinks about the advisability of continuing a certain experiment. The scientist has frowned, looked at the graphs, and said "the data are still inconclusive." "We know that," the men from the budget office have said, "but what do you think? Is it worthwhile going on? What do you think we might expect?" The scientist has been shocked at having even been asked to speculate. What this amounts to, of course, is that the scientist has become the victim of his own writings. He has put forward unquestioned claims so consistently that he not only believes them himself, but has convinced industrial and business management that they are true. If experiments are planned and carried out according to plan as faithfully as the reports in the science journals indicate, then it is perfectly logical for management to expect research to produce results measurable in dollars and cents. It is entirely reasonable for auditors to believe that scientists who know exactly where they are going and how they will get there should not be distracted by the necessity of keeping one eye on the cash register while the other eye is on the microscope. Nor, if regularity and conformity to a standard pattern are as desirable to the scientist as the writing of his papers would appear to reflect, is management to be blamed for discriminating against the "odd balls" among researchers in favor of more conventional tinkers who "work well with the team."17. The author wants to prove with the example of Isaac Newton that ________.[A] inquiring minds are more important than scientific experiments[B] science advances when fruitful researches are conducted[C] scientists seldom forget the essential nature of research[D] unpredictability weighs less than prediction in scientific research18. The author asserts that scientists ________.[A] shouldn't replace "scientific method" with imaginative thought[B] shouldn't neglect to speculate on unpredictable things[C] should write more concise reports for technical journals[D] should be confident about their research findings19. It seems that some young scientists ________.[A] have a keen interest in prediction[B] often speculate on the future[C] think highly of creative thinking[D] stick to "scientific method"20. The author implies that the results of scientific research ________.[A] may not be as profitable as they are expected[B] can be measured in dollars and cents[C] rely on conformity to a standard pattern[D] are mostly underestimated by managementUnit 6（1999）Part 5重点词汇：1.supposedly（⼤概；据推测）即suppose+（e）d+ly，suppose（猜想；假设），-ed形容词后缀，-ly副词后缀。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2002年part2

［A］ programs. ［B］ experts. ［C］ devices. ［D］ creatures.
8. According to the text, what is beyond man's ability now is to design a robot that can_____
［A］ fulfill delicate tasks like performing brain surgery.
10. The author uses the example of a monkey to argue that robots are ____
［A］ expected to copy human brain in internal structure.
［B］ able to perceive abnormalities immediately.
2. burdensome（繁重的；难以负担的）←burden负担+some形容词后缀。What a heavy burden is a name that has become famous.广为人知的名字是多么沉重的负担啊。
3. nasty （讨厌的；肮脏的；下流的……）
4. compulsion（强制）即com一起+puls（=drive）+ion名词后缀，“不由分说全拖到一起”→强制；compulsory（强制的；必修的）←com+puls+ory形容词后缀。compulsion — a highbrow term for a temptation we're not trying too hard to resist 强制 ——对人们并不想坚持拒绝的诱惑的一种高雅说法。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2000年part4

Part FourAimlessness has hardly been typical of the postwar Japan whose productivity and social harmony are the envy of the United States and Europe. But increasingly the Japanese are seeing a decline of the traditional work moral values. Ten years ago young people were hardworking and saw their jobs as their primary reason for being, but now Japan has largely fulfilled its economic needs, and young people don't know where they should go next.The coming of age of the postwar baby boom and an entry of women into the male dominated job market have limited the opportunities of teenagers who are already questioning the heavy personal sacrifices involved in climbing Japan's rigid social ladder to good schools and jobs. In a recent survey, it was found that only 24.5 percent of Japanese students were fully satisfied with school life, compared with 67.2 percent of students in the United States. In addition, far more Japanese workers expressed dissatisfaction with their jobs than did their counterparts in the 10 other countries surveyed.While often praised by foreigners for its emphasis on the basics, Japanese education tends to stress test taking and mechanical learning over creativity and self-expression. "Those things that do not show up in the test scores — personality, ability, courage or humanity — are completely ignored," says Toshiki Kaifu, chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's education committee. "Frustration against this kind of thing leads kids to drop out and run wild." Last year Japan experienced 2,125 incidents of school violence, including 929 assaults on teachers. Amid the outcry, many conservative leaders are seeking a return to the prewar emphasis on moral education. Last year Mitsuo Setoyama, who was then education minister, raised eyebrows when he argued that liberal reforms introduced by the American occupation authorities after World War II had weakened the "Japanese morality of respect for parents."But that may have more to do with Japanese lifestyles. "In Japan," says educator Yoko Muro, "it's never a question of whether you enjoy your job and your life, but only how much you can endure." With economic growth has come centralization; fully 76 percent of Japan's 119 million citizens live in cities where community and the extended family have been abandoned in favor of isolated, two generation households. Urban Japanese have long endured lengthy commutes （travels to and from work）and crowded living conditions, but as the old group and family values weaken, the discomfort is beginning to tell. In the past decade, the Japanese divorce rate, while still well below that of the United States, has increased by more than 50 percent, and suicides have increased by nearly one quarter.13. In the Westerners' eyes, the postwar Japan was ________.[A] under aimless development[B] a positive example[C] a rival to the West[D] on the decline14. According to the author, what may chiefly be responsible for the moral decline of Japanese society?[A] Women's participation in social activities is limited.[B] More workers are dissatisfied with their jobs.[C] Excessive emphasis has been placed on the basics.[D] The lifestyle has been influenced by Western values.15. Which of the following is true according to the author?[A] Japanese education is praised for helping the young climb the social ladder.[B] Japanese education is characterized by mechanical learning as well as creativity.[C] More stress should be placed on the cultivation of creativity.[D] Dropping out leads to frustration against test taking.16. The change in Japanese lifestyle is revealed in the fact that ________.[A] the young are less tolerant of discomforts in life[B] the divorce rate in Japan exceeds that in the U.S.[C] the Japanese endure more than ever before[D] the Japanese appreciate their present lifeUnit 7 （2000）Part 4重点词汇：1.postwar（战后）←post前缀“在后”+war；prewar （战前）←pre前缀“在前”+war。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2003年part4

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2003年part4Part FourIt is said that in England death is pressing, in Canada inevitable and in California optional. Small wonder. Americans' life expectancy has nearly doubled over the past century. Failing hips can be replaced, clinical depression controlled, cataracts removed in a 30-minuts surgical procedure. Such advances offer the aging population a quality of life that was unimaginable when I entered medicine 50 years ago. But not even a great health-care system can cure death-and our failure to confront that reality now threatens this greatness of ours.Death is normal; we are genetically programmed to disintegrate and perish, even under ideal conditions. We all understand that at some level, yet as medical consumers we treat death as a problem to be solved. Shielded by third-party payers from the cost of our care, we demand everything that can possibly be done for us, even if it's useless. The most obvious example is late-stage cancer care. Physicians-frustrated by their inability to cure the disease and fearing loss of hope in the patient-too often offer aggressive treatment far beyond what is scientifically justified.In 1950, the U.S. spent $12.7 billion on health care. In 2002, the cost will be $1540 billion. Anyone can see this trend is unsustainable. Yet few seem willing to try to reverse it. Some scholars conclude that a government with finite resources should simply stop paying for medical care that sustains life beyond a certain age - say 83 or so. Former Colorado governor Richard Lamm has been quoted as saying that the old and infirm "have a duty to die and get out of the way", so that younger, healthier people can realize their potential.I would not go that far. Energetic people now routinely work through their 60sand beyond, and remain dazzlingly productive. At 78, Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone jokingly claims to be 53. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is in her 70s, and former surgeon general C. Everett Koop chairs an Internet start-up in his 80s. These leaders are living proof that prevention works and that we can manage the health problems that come naturally with age. As a mere 68-year-old, I wish to age as productively as they have.Yet there are limits to what a society can spend in this pursuit. As a physician, I know the most costly and dramatic measures may be ineffective and painful. I also know that people in Japan and Sweden, countries that spend far less on medical care, have achieved longer, healthier lives than we have. As a nation, we may be overfunding the quest for unlikely cures while underfunding research on humbler therapies that could improve people's lives.16. What is implied in the first sentence?[A] Americans are better prepared for death than other people.[B] Americans enjoy a higher life quality than ever before.[C] Americans are over-confident of their medical technology.[D] Americans take a vain pride in their long life expectancy.17. The author uses the example of cancer patients to show that ________.[A] medical resources are often wasted. [B] doctors are helpless against fatal diseases.[C] some treatments are too aggressive. [D] medical costs are becoming unaffordable.18. The author's attitude toward Richard Lamm's remark is one of ________.[A] strong disapproval. [B] reserved consent.[C] slight contempt. [D] enthusiastic support.19. In contrast to the U.S., Japan and Sweden are funding their medical care ________.[A] more flexibly. [B] more extravagantly.[C] more cautiously. [D] more reasonably.20. The text intends to express the idea that ________.[A] medicine will further prolong people's lives.[B] life beyond a certain limit is not worth living.[C] death should be accepted as a fact of life.[D] excessive demands increase the cost of health care.Unit 10 （2003） Part 4重点词汇：1. inevitable（不可避免的；必然的）←in+evitable，in-否定前缀，evitable=avoidable 可避免的。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--1999年part1

Unit 6Part OneIt's a rough world out there. Step outside and you could break a leg slipping on your doormat. Light up the stove and you could burn down the house. Luckily, if the doormat or stove failed to warn of coming disaster, a successful lawsuit might compensate you for your troubles. Or so the thinking has gone since the early 1980s, when juries began holding more companies liable for their customers' misfortunes.Feeling threatened, companies responded by writing ever-longer warning labels, trying to anticipate every possible accident. Today, stepladders carry labels several inches long that warn, among other things, that you might — surprise! — fall off. The label on a child's Batman cape cautions that the toy "does not enable user to fly."While warnings are often appropriate and necessary — the dangers of drug interactions, for example — and many are required by state or federal regulations, it isn't clear that they actually protect the manufacturers and sellers from liability if a customer is injured. About 50 percent of the companies lose when injured customers take them to court.Now the tide appears to be turning. As personal injury claims continue as before, some courts are beginning to side with defendants, especially in cases where a warning label probably wouldn't have changed anything. In May, Julie Nimmons, president of Schutt Sports in Illinois, successfully fought a lawsuit involving a football player who was paralyzed in a game while wearing a Schutt helmet. "We're really sorry he has become paralyzed, but helmets aren't designed to prevent those kinds of injuries," says Nimmons. The jury agreed that the nature of the game, not the helmet, was the reason for the athlete's injury. At the same time, the American Law Institute — a group of judges, lawyers, and academics whose recommendations carry substantial weight — issued new guidelines for tort law stating that companies need not warn customers of obvious dangers or bombard them with a lengthy list of possible ones. "Important information can get buried in a sea of trivialities," says a law professor at Cornell Law School who helped draft the new guidelines. If the moderate end of the legal community has its way, the information on products might actually be provided for the benefit of customers and not as protection against legal liability.1. What were things like in 1980s when accidents happened?[A] Customers might be relieved of their disasters through lawsuits.[B] Injured customers could expect protection from the legal system.[C] Companies would avoid being sued by providing new warnings.[D] Juries tended to find fault with the compensations companies promised.2. Manufacturers as mentioned in the passage tend to ________.[A] satisfy customers by writing long warnings on products[B] become honest in describing the inadequacies of their products[C] make the best use of labels to avoid legal liability[D] feel obliged to view customers' safety as their first concern3. The case of Schutt helmet demonstrated that ________.[A] some injury claims were no longer supported by law[B] helmets were not designed to prevent injuries[C] product labels would eventually be discarded[D] some sports games might lose popularity with athletes4. The author's attitude towards the issue seems to be ________.[A] biased [B] indifferent [C] puzzling [D] objectiveUnit 6 （1999） Part 1重点词汇：1. compensate（补偿，赔偿）看作com+pens+ate，com-前缀“⼀起”，pens钢笔，-ate动词后缀，“把钢笔全都给你”→赔偿；名词形式为compensation?←com+pens+ation名词后缀。

考研英语往年阅读理解真题精析

考研英语往年阅读理解真题精析英语阅读理解在考研英语当中占比重是很大的，分数值大难度系数也打。

下面就是给大家整理的考研英语往年阅读理解真题精析，希望对你有用!考研英语阅读原文Pretty in pink: adult women do not remember being so obsessed with the color, yet it is pervasive in our young girls' lives. It is not that pink is intrinsically bad, but it is such a tiny slice of the rainbow and, though it may celebrate girlhood in one way, it also repeatedly and firmly fuses girls' identity to appearance. Then it presents that connection, even among two-year-olds, between girls as not only innocent but as evidence of innocence. Looking around, I despaired at the singular lack of imagination about girls' lives and interests。

Girls' attraction to pink may seem unavoidable, somehow encoded in their DNA, but according to Jo Paoletti, an associate professor of American Studies, it is not. Children were not colour-coded at all until the early 20th century: in the era before domestic washing machines all babies wore white as a practical matter, since the only way of getting clothesclean was to boil them. What's more, both boys and girls wore what were thought of as gender-neutral dresses. When nursery colours were introduced, pink was actually considered the more masculine colour, a pastel version of red, which was associated with strength. Blue, with its intimations of the Virgin Mary, constancy and faithfulness, symbolized femininity. It was not until the mid-1980s, when amplifying age and sex differences became a dominant children's marketing strategy, that pink fully came into its own, when it began to seem inherently attractive to girls, part of what defined them as female, at least for the first few critical years。

考研英语历真题阅读理解精读笔记

考研英语历年真题阅读理解精读笔记二TEXT 3During the past generation, the American middle class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure has been transformed by economic risk and new realities. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months.In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Today's families have budgeted to the limits of their new two paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial setback-a back up earner usually Mom who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This "added worker effect" could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise stay at home partner.During the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a savings account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families, the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen-and newly fashionable health savings plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families' future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent-and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance-have jumped eightfold in just one generation.From the middle class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto theiralready overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.31. Today's double income families are at greater financial riskin thatA. the safety net they used to enjoy has disappearedB. their chances of being laid off have greatly increasedC. they are more vulnerable to changes in family economicsD. they are deprived of unemployment or disability insurance32. As a result of President Bush's reform, retired people may haveA. a higher sense of securityB. less secured paymentsC. less chance to investD. a guaranteed future33. According to the author, health savings plans willA. help reduce the cost of healthcareB. popularize among the middle classC. compensate for the reduced pensionsD. increase the families' investment risk34. It can be inferred from the last paragraph thatA. financial risks tend to outweigh political risksB. the middle class may face greater political challengesC. financial problems may bring about political problemsD. financial responsibility is an indicator of political status35. Which of the following is the best title for this textA. The Middle Class on the Alert.B. The Middle Class on the Cliff.C. The Middle Class in Conflict.D. The Middle Class in Ruins.absolute 2 a.绝对的,完全的absorb 3 v.①吸收；②吸引,使专心account 22 n.①账目,户；②叙述,说明；③价值,地位；v.for①说明,解释；②占；③take into考虑；顾及airline 1 n.①航线；②航空公司alert 1 a.①警惕的；②机灵的assistance 2 n.帮助,援助attendant 1 n.①服务员,值班员；②护理人员author 69 n.①作者；②创始人auto 2 n.汽车being 9 n.①生物,人；②存在,生存budget 4 n.预算；v.做预算campaign 4 n.①战役；②运动；vi.从事活动challenge 10 n.①挑战书；②艰巨任务,难题；v.向...挑战cliff 1 n.悬崖,峭壁compensate 5 v.for补偿,赔偿conflict 3 n.①战斗,斗争；②抵触,冲突；v.with抵触,冲突critic 7 n.批评家,评论家debate 8 v./n.争论,辩论depend 16 v.on取决于,依靠,信赖,相信deprive 2 v.夺去,使丧失disappear 4 v.不见,消失dose 2 n.剂量,一服,一剂；v.给...服药economic 23 a.经济上的,经济学的economics 5 n.经济学；经济情况elderly 1 a.过了中年的,稍老的employee 7 n.雇工,雇员fair 9 a.①公平的,合理的；②相当的,尚好的；③晴朗的；④金发的；n.集市,交易会,博览会fashionable 2 a.流行的,时髦的fell 1 v.砍倒,砍伐financial 11 a.财政的,金融的guarantee 5 n.保证,保证书；v.保证,担保harsh 3 a.①粗糙的,刺耳的；②残酷的,严厉的implication 6 n.含意,暗示infer 21 v.推论,推断insurance 6 n.保险,保险费,保险业invest 4 v.投资investment 11 n.投资,投资额model 8 n.①样式,型；②模范,典型；③模型；④原型,模特；v.on, after模仿,构造odds 1 n.①不平等,差异；②机会opportunity 11 n.机会parachute 1 n.降落伞；v.跳伞paragraph 66 n.①段,节；②小新闻,短评partner 3 n.①合作者,合伙人；②伙伴,舞伴payment 5 n.支付,付款额pension 2 n.养老金,年金perspective 3 n.①视角；②透视法；③in~正确地physical 7 a.①物质的,有形的；②肉体的,身体的；③自然科学的,物理的primary 7 a.①最初的,初级的；②首要的,主要的,基本的rate 31 n.①比率,率；②等级；③价格,费用；v.①估价；②评级,评价reality 10 n.①现实,实际；②真实reform 8 v./n.改革,改造,改良responsibility 7 n.①责任,责任心；②职责,任务result 37 n.结果,成果,成绩；v.①in导致,结果是；②from起因于,因...而造成retire 2 v.①退休,引退；②退却,撤退；③就寝risk 14 v.冒...的危险；n.风险,危险saving 3 n.①储蓄；②pl.储蓄金,存款scholar 5 n.学者secure 4 a.from, against安全的,可靠的,放心的；v.①得到,获得；②防护,保卫security 8 n.安全sense 16 n.①感官,官能；②感觉；③判断力；④见识；⑤意义,意思；v.感觉到,意识到setback 3 n.退步,后退shift 12 v.①替换,转移；②移动；n.①转换,转变；②轮班,换班shoulder 2 n.肩,肩部；v.肩负,承担slip 3 v.①滑,滑倒；②滑落,滑掉；③溜走；n.疏忽,小错,口误,笔误social 38 a.①社会的；②社交的,交际的；n.社交活动spouse 1 n.配偶指夫或妻保证人,主办人；vt.发起,主办；v.赞助status 5 n.①地位,身份；②情形,状况stock 9 n.①备料,库存,现货；②股票,公债；③无生命之物；④群,家庭,家系；v.储存stripe 1 n.条纹tend 26 v.①趋向,往往是；②照料,看护title 6 n.①书名,标题；②头衔,称号transform 5 v.①改变,变换；②变压；③转化；④改造unemployment 4 n.失业,失业人数vulnerable 3 a.易受攻击的,易受...的攻击acceleration 2 n.加速度according 47 ad.依照,根据deductible 1 a.可扣除的demographic 1 a.人口统计学的diagnosis 1 n.诊断disability 2 n.无能力,无资格disruption 1 n.中断,分裂,瓦解,破坏eightfold 1 a.八倍的,八层的；ad.八倍地,八层地fallout 1 n.降落,滑落financially 2 ad.财政上,金融上fluctuation 1 n.波动,起伏healthcare 2 n.卫生保健indicator 4 n.指示器legislative 2 a.立法的,立法机关的；n.立法机关outlive 2 vt.比...长寿outweigh 1 v.超过overburden 1 vt.不堪重负paycheck 1 n.薪水policymaker 1 n.决策人popularize 1 v.普及solidly 1 ad.坚硬地,稳固地steelworker 1 n.钢铁工人understandably 1 ad.可理解地wholesale 1 n.批发,趸售；a.批发的,喻大规模的难句1During the past generation, the American middle class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure has been transformed by economic risk and new realities.语法分析本句主干结构为：the American middle class family... has been transformed by..., family后面是一个定语从句修饰family;本句难点整句较长,主要是其中定语从句比较复杂;方法对策首先找出主句的主干,然后再分析从句结构,就可以把握本句了;例句精译在过去一代人中,美国中产阶级家庭已经被经济危机和新的现实所改变;过去他们曾经还能指望依靠艰苦工作和公平竞争来使自己在经济生活中获得安全保障;难句2As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial setback-a back up earner usually Mom who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick.语法分析本句主干为:... they have lost the parachute...,其后是一个定语从句,破折号后面是一个同位语从句,其中又包含一个定语从句;本句难点句子结构比较复杂,需要仔细分析;方法对策首先分析出主句的主干,然后再依次分析其他从句,本句就不再难了;例句精译其结果是,他们失去一个他们过去在财政困难时可以依赖的保险伞 - 或者说是一个后备的挣钱者通常指妻子：因为她可以出来参加工作,如果主要的挣钱者下了岗或生了病;难句3Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money.语法分析本句的主干结构为：Steelworks,... are joining millions of families..., families后面是一个who引导的定语从句;定语从句中,主语是who,谓语是worry about,宾语是三个并列短语,其后是that引导的定语从句修饰the harsh reality;本句难点从句中结构稍复杂;方法对策只要抓住句子主干就可以掌握大意,然后再分析其他成分即可;例句精译钢铁工人、空勤人员以及汽车工业的工作者都与数百万家庭一样,他们都在担心着银行的存款利息变化、股票市场的波动、以及他们的退休金可能不够使用这一残酷现实;难句4Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen-and newly fashionable health savings plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families' future healthcare.语法分析本句是由第二个and连接的两个并列句组成,句首的both和第一个and形成的both... and...结构是第一个分句的主干；第二个and后是第二个分句,包含：spread from... to...结构,其后with引导的成分说明newly fashionable health savings plans的内容；本句难点整句比较长,且有两个and容易让考生迷惑;方法对策首先抓住第二个and这个连接词,明白这是两个并列分句,然后确定两个分句各自的主干,即可理解本句内容;例句精译医疗保健费用的绝对数目和各个家庭所分担的数目也都在上升,而一种新近流行起来的医疗费用节约计划也正在从上层立法大厅到底层沃尔玛的工人之间广泛铺开,这对千家万户未来的医疗保健意味着更大的风险;难句5From the middle class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders.语法分析本句的主干结构是：... much of this looks... like... an opportunity... and... a frightening acceleration...;本句难点整句比较长,句子结构复杂;方法对策通读全句,抓住主句主干,然后再分析其他成分;例句精译从中产阶级家庭的角度出发,可以理解的是,这与其说是一个承担更多经济责任的机会,倒还不如说更像把经济危险的整个转变以惊人的速度加在他们早已不堪重负的双肩上;31.答案C解析本文提到了美国中产阶级家庭,因国家经济衰落而要面临的巨大风险;本题目问："今日这种夫妻双收入家庭会面临更大的财务风险是因为什么原因"我们从前两段中可以看出：由于经济原因现在的夫妻双方都要出去找工作;这样,原来妻子在家里操持家务,同时万一丈夫生了病或者失业了也可以出去找工作以帮助家庭渡过难关的这把保险伞就没有了;所以选C;32.答案B解析众所周知,钱存在银行比较保险可以稳定拿利息,但是把钱投入股市或者用于创业风险要大很多,但一旦获益也比存银行要强很多;在去年的大多数时间里,布什总统一直致力于将社会保险体制转变成一种储蓄存款账户模式 - 要求退休人员将其大多数或全部有保障的收入变成必须依靠投资收益的收入;对于略为年轻的家庭来说,情况也好不到哪去;医疗的绝对费用和家庭必须承担的份额都在上升;这说明,退休人员的可靠收入可能更少;因此B.为正确选项;33.答案D解析本题仍应从第三段中找,因为34题问"从末段中可以看出："因此,本题应在末段前的这一段内,本段提到了：health saving plan are... of investment risk for families' future healthcare.据此,我们判断可以选D;选项A、C原文均未提及;至于B 医疗费用节约计划将在中产阶级中间得以推广与原文不符;原文谈到：医疗费用节约计划正在从上层立法院大厅到底层沃尔玛超市的员工之间广泛的铺开;34.答案C解析本题问"从末段可以看出什么"我们仅从末段末句的总结中可看出作者想说的是：美国经济滑落已经开始了,那政治上的跌落可能不是很远了吧;35.答案B解析本题考查考生对全文内容的理解;文章第一段指出,中产阶层家庭被经济风险和新现实改变了,如今,一个家庭可能在几个月之内从稳定的中产阶层家庭降格成一个新贫困家庭,随后的段落介绍了造成这种现状的原因;这说明,本文主要是介绍中产阶层面临穷困问题的现象;因此选择B.项;在过去一代人中,美国中产阶级家庭已经被经济危机和新的现实所改变;过去他们曾经还能指望依靠艰苦工作和公平竞争来使自己在经济生活中获得安全保障;如今,一份解雇通知书,一个错误的判断或失去配偶都有可能在几个月之内使他们从稳固的中产阶级滑向新生的贫民阶层;就在他们这代人中,成百万的女性参加了工作,改变了基本家庭经济结构;各种各样的学者们、政客们和批评家们还在辩论这件事的社会含义;但很少有人看待它的副作用：家庭的风险也随之上升;今日的家庭已经把两份收入这种预算状况推到了极致,毫无保留余地;其结果是,他们失去一个他们过去在财政困难时所可以依赖的保险伞 - 或者说是一个后备的挣钱者通常指妻子：因为她可以出来参加工作,如果主要的挣钱者下了岗或生了病;这种"后备人员效应"可以支援"家庭安全网",再加上失业保险或残疾保险使家庭得以渡过难关;但是,今天一旦家中有了不测,再也无法从本应待在家中的那位后备者可以挣得的额外收入中得到补充;与此同时,家庭现在要承担退休收入方面的更多的风险;钢铁工人、空勤人员以及汽车工业的工作者等也加入了成百万的家庭,他们都在担心着银行的存款利息变化、股票市场的波动、以及他们的退休金可能不够使用这一残酷现实;去年,布什总统发起一场运动把人们固定的社保基金转为银行存款这种类型,由此,退休者们正在把他们有保障的收入变成取决于投资回报的钱财类型;对于年轻人组成的家庭来说,情况也好不到哪里去;医疗保健费用的绝对数目和各个家庭所分担的数目也都在上升,而一种新近流行起来的医疗费用节约计划也正在从上层立法大厅到底层沃尔玛的工人之间广泛铺开,这对千家万户未来的医疗保健意味着更大的风险;甚至人口学也正在对中产阶级家庭造成不利影响;家中有一个衰弱的老年父母,医疗看护费用在过去一代人的时间内上涨了八倍;从中产阶级家庭的角度出发,可以理解的是,这与其说是一个承担更多经济责任的机会,倒还不如说更像把经济危险的整个转变以吓人的速度加在他们早已过于不堪重负的双肩上;经济滑落己经开始了,政治上的跌落可能也不会很远了吧;31今日这种夫妻双份收入家庭会面临更大的财务风险是因为：A.他们所曾经享有的那种安全网应经不复存在了;B.他们两人下岗的机会增大了;C.他们对家庭经济转变的抵抗力变得更加脆弱了;D.他们被剥夺了失业保险或残疾保险;32作为布什总统改革的结果,退休人员可能有A.更高的安全感;B.更没有保障的收入;C.更少的投资机会;D.一个更加得到保障的未来;33按照作者看法,医疗费用节约计划将A.有助于减少医疗开支的费用;B.在中产阶级中间得以推广;C.对减少的退休金是一个补偿;D.增加了家庭的投资风险;34从末段中可推论出：A.财经风险可能超过政治风险;B.中产阶级可能面临更大的政治挑战;C.财经问题可能带来政治问题;D.财经责任是一个人的政治地位标志;35下列哪个是本文最佳的标题：A.警觉的中产阶级B.处于悬崖的中产阶级C.冲突中的中产阶级D.毁掉了的中产阶级TEXT 4It never rains but it pours. Just as bosses and boards have finally sorted out their worst accounting and compliance troubles, and improved their feeble corporation governance, a new problem threatens to earn them-especially in America-the sort of nasty headlines that inevitably lead to heads rolling in the executive suite: data insecurity. Left, until now, to odd, low level IT staff to put right, and seen as a concern only of data rich industries such as banking, telecoms and air travel, information protection is now high on the boss's agenda in business of every variety. Several massive leakages of customer and employee data thisyear-from organizations as diverse as Time Warner, the American defense contractor Science Applications International Corp and eventhe University of California, Berkeley-have left managers hurriedly peering into their intricate IT systems and business processes in search of potential vulnerabilities."Data is becoming an asset which needs to be guarded as much as any other asset,"says Haim Mendelson of Stanford University's business school."The ability to guard customer data is the key to market value, which the board is responsible for on behalf of shareholders". Indeed, just as there is the concept of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles GAAP, perhaps it is time for GASP, Generally Accepted Security Practices, suggested Eli Noam of New York's Columbia Business School."Setting the proper investment level for security, redundancy, and recovery is a management issue, not a technical one," he says.The mystery is that this should come as a surprise to any boss. Surely it should be obvious to the dimmest executive that trust, that most valuable of economic assets, is easily destroyed and hugely expensive to restore-and that few things are more likely to destroy trust than a company letting sensitive personal data get into the wrong hands.The current state of affairs may have been encouraged-though not justified-by the lack of legal penalty in America, but not Europe for data leakage. Until California recently passed a law, Americanfirms did not have to tell anyone, even the victim, when data went astray. That may change fast: lots of proposed data security legislation is now doing the rounds in Washington, D. C. Meanwhile, the theft of information about some 40 million credit card accounts in America, disclosed on June 17 th, overshadowed a hugely important decision a day earlier by America's Federal Trade Commission FTC. that puts corporate America on notice that regulators will act if firms fail to provide adequate data security.36. The statement: "It never rains but it pours" is used to introduceA. the fierce business competitionB. the feeble boss board relationsC. the threat from news reportsD. the severity of data leakage37. According to Paragraph 2, some organizations check theirsystems to find outA. whether there is any weak pointB. what sort of data has been stolenC. who is responsible for the leakageD. how the potential spies can be located38. In bringing up the concept of GASP the author is making the pointthatA. shareholders' interest should be properly attended toB. information protection should be given due attentionC. businesses should enhance their level of accounting securityD. the market value of customer data should be emphasized39. According to Paragraph 4, what puzzles the author is that somebosses fail toA. see the link between trust and data protectionB. perceive the sensitivity of personal dataC. realize the high cost of data restorationD. appreciate the economic value of trust40. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 thatA. data leakage is more severe in EuropeB. FTC's decision is essential to data security.C. California takes the lead in security legislation.D. legal penalty is a major solution to data leakage ability 15 n.①能力,智能；②才能,才干account 22 n.①账目,户；②叙述,说明；③价值,地位；v.for①说明,解释；②占；③take into考虑；顾及act 11 v.①行动,做事；②on起作用；③表演；④for代表,代替；n.①行为,动作；②一幕；③法令,条例adequate 3 a.足够的,充分的,恰当的affair 2 n.事,事情,事件agenda 2 n.议事日程application 4 n.①请求,申请书,表；②应用,运用；③施用,敷用appreciate 3 v.①感谢,感激；②正确评价,欣赏,赏识asset 2 n.资产,有用的东西attend 5 v.①出席,参加；②to照顾,护理；③关注,注意attention 14 n.①注意力,留心；②立正author 69 n.①作者；②创始人behalf 5 n.利益,支持,好处board 5 n.①板,纸板；②全体委员,委员会,部门；③伙食；船舷；v.上船车,飞机business 36 n.①商业,生意；②事务,业务,职责；③企业；④贸易量；⑤行业,业务commission 4 n.①委员会；②委任,委托书,代办；③佣金,手续费competition 16 n.①比赛；②竞争concept 15 n.概念,观念,思想concern 20 v.①涉及,关系到；②常与with, about, in连用关心,挂念；③担心,担忧；n.①利害关系；②关心,挂念；③担心,担忧corporation 10 n.公司,企业,团体current 7 n.①电流,水流,气流；②潮流,趋势；a.①当前的,现在的；②通用的,流行的,最近的data 22 n.datum的复数资料,数据dim 1 a.暗淡的,模糊的disclose 2 v.揭示,泄露diverse 3 a.多种多样的,from不同的economic 23 a.经济上的,经济学的emphasize 6 v.强调employee 7 n.雇工,雇员encourage 13 v.鼓励,怂恿enhance 7 v.提高,增强essential 11 a.①to必要的,必不可少的；②本质的,基本的；n.①本质,要点；②必需品executive 6 n.总经理,董事,行政负责人；a.执行的,实施的federal 14 a.联邦的feeble 1 a.虚弱的,无力的fierce 3 a.①凶猛的,残忍的；②激烈的,强烈的firm 14 a.①坚固的,稳固的；②坚决的,坚定的；n.公司,商号gasp 1 n.喘息,气喘；v.①喘息；②气吁吁地说headline 3 n.大字标题infer 21 v.推论,推断information 44 n.①通知,报告；②情报,信息intricate 1 a.错综复杂的,复杂精细的investment 11 n.投资,投资额issue 18 v.①流出,放出；②发行,发表,颁布；n.①发行物,报刊期号；②问题,争论点,争端justify 8 v.证明...是正当的,为...辩护lead 21 v.①领导,引导；②领先,占首位；③to通向,导致,引起；④经验,过生活；n.带领,引导；n.铅legal 11 a.①法律的,法定的；②合法的,正当的legislation 4 n.①立法；②法规link 9 v.连接,联系；n.环节,链环locate 3 v.①查找；②使...坐落于,位于major 11 a.较大的,较重要的；n.①专业,主修科目；②专业学生；③少校；v.in主修,专攻management 11 n.①经营,管理；②管理部门massive 3 a.①巨大的；大规模的；②严重的mystery 2 n.①神秘,神秘的事物；②神秘小说,侦探小说nasty 2 a.①肮脏的,卑劣的,下流的；②令人厌恶的obvious 13 a.明显的,显而易见的odd 5 a.①奇数的,单的；②奇怪的,古怪的；③单只的,不成对的；④临时的,不固定的；⑤带零头的,余的organization 6 n.①组织体制；②团体,机构paragraph 66 n.①段,节；②小新闻,短评peer 2 n.同等的人,贵族；vi.凝视,窥视；vt.与...同等,封为贵族penalty 2 n.处罚,惩罚perceive 5 v.①察觉,感知；②理解,领悟potential 13 a.①潜在的,可能的；②势的,位的；n.潜能,潜力principle 7 n.①原理,原则；②主义,信念；③行动的规则,准则process 34 n.①过程,进程；②工序,制作法；③工艺；v.加工,处理propose 4 v.①提议,建议；②提名,推荐；③求婚puzzle 4 n.难题,谜,迷惑；v.使迷惑,使为难recovery 4 n.①痊愈,复元；②经济复苏responsible 11 a.①for, to应负责的,有责任的；②可靠的,可信赖的；③责任重大的,重要的restore 3 v.①恢复,使回复；②归还,交还；③修复,重建school 44 n.①学校；②大学里的学院,系；③学派,流派science 58 n.①科学；②学科security 8 n.安全sensitive 7 a.①to敏感的,易受伤害的；②灵敏的setting 6 n.①安置,安装；②落山；③固定东西的柜架底座；④环境,背景severe 3 a.①严厉的,严格的；②剧烈的,严重的,严峻的,艰难的solution 4 n.①解答,解决办法；②溶解,溶液spy 6 n.间谍；v.①当间谍,刺探；②察觉,发现staff 5 n.①全体职工,全体人员；②杠,棒；③参谋部；v.配备工作人员statement 7 n.声明,陈述suite 1 n.一批随员,一套家具,套房system 31 n.①系统,体系；②制度,体制theft 1 n.偷窃,失窃threat 9 n.①恐吓,威胁；②坏兆头,危险迹象threaten 8 v.①恐吓,威胁；②有...危险,快要来临victim 3 n.牺牲品,受害者according 47 ad.依照,根据astray 1 ad.迷途地,入歧途地compliance 1 n.依从,顺从contractor 1 n.订约人,承包人corporate 4 a.①公司的；②法人的；③共同的,全体的given 22 a.特定的,假设的governance 1 n.统治,管理hugely 2 ad.巨大地,非常地hurriedly 1 ad.仓促地,慌忙地inevitably 3 ad.不可避免insecurity 3 n.不安全,不安全感leakage 2 n.漏,泄漏,渗漏overshadow 1 v.遮蔽,使黯然失色redundancy 2 n.冗余,过剩regulator 1 n.管理者restoration 1 n.恢复,复职,赔偿sensitivity 2 n.敏感,灵敏度,灵敏性severity 1 n.严肃,严重shareholder 6 n.股东telecom 3 n.=telecommunication电信vulnerability 1 n.弱点,攻击难句1Left, until now, to odd, low level IT staff to put right, and seen as a concern only of data rich industries such as banking, telecoms and air travel, information protection is now high on the boss's agenda in business of every variety.语法分析本句的主干结构是: information protection is on... agenda,主干结构前是一个left to引导的不定式作information protection的定语;本句难点主句前面的修饰成分比较长,影响考生的理解;方法对策分清主次,抓住主句,分析结构,这个难点就可以迎刃而解了;例句精译到目前为止,还仅仅是留给少数IT业低层人士去处理并仅受到信息资料比较丰富的诸如银行、通讯、航空等行业重视的信息保护工作;现在正在变成各个行业老板们议事日程中非常重要的内容;难句2Several massive leakages of customer and employee data thisyear-from organizations as diverse as Time Warner, the Americandefense contractor Science Applications International Corp and even the University of California, Berkeley-have left managers hurriedly peering into their intricate IT systems and business processes in search of potential vulnerabilities.语法分析本句的主干结构是: Several massive leakages... have left managers...,两个破折号之间的成分是地点状语,补充说明的作用;分词结构peering into...对宾语managers进一步说明;本句难点整句比较长,句子结构稍复杂,且有长插入语;方法对策首先略去插入语不看,然后找出句子的主干结构,再分析其他修饰成分,本句就简单了;例句精译今年内有关客户和雇员的资料的好几次重大泄漏已经迫使经理们不得不匆匆忙忙地检查他们复杂的IT系统和业务往来情况以期从中找出可能的漏洞并加以改进;这些泄漏发生在多个不同的组织身上;从时代的"华纳公司"、"美国国防承包公司"、"国际科技应用"、甚至到还有"加州大学伯克利分校"等等不一一列举;难句3Meanwhile, the theft of information about some 40 million credit card accounts in America, disclosed on June 17 th, overshadowed a hugely important decision a day earlier by America's Federal Trade Commission FTC. that puts corporate America on notice that regulators will act if firms fail to provide adequate data security.语法分析本句的主干结构是:... the theft... overshadowed... a decision...; theft后面的of information... in America和分词短语disclosed on June 17 th修饰主语the theft,FTC.后面的that引导定语从句补充说明decision,其后还包含一个if引导的从句;本句难点句子比较长,且机构比较复杂,考生不容易读懂;方法对策首先抓主句主干,然后再分析其他修饰和补充成分,本句就简单了;例句精译与此同时,6月17日美国提出的一桩大约4000万信用卡价值的信息失窃案让美国联邦贸易委员会将通过的决定黯然失色：如果公司无法保护资料安全,那么立法者们将会采取行动;36.答案D解析众所周知,现代社会的网络已经把人们紧密的联系在了一起;有银联网、移动通信网、也有人们互相做生意的电子商务网,等等;本文提到了一个公司面临的新型严重问题,那就是：信息资料的泄密问题;36题问"It never rains but it pours"可译为"真是祸不单行"或译为"屋漏又逢连阴雨,船迟偏遇顶头风"这句话是要引出一个如下的话题：A激烈的商业竞争; B脆弱的老板与董事会关系；C来自新闻报道的威胁；D资料泄密这一问题的严重性;显然应该选D 为了迷惑考生,出题人把文章首段中的data insecurity换成了问题里的data leakage;37.答案A解析"依据第二段,有些公司检查他们的系统是要找出"文章第二段说有些经理们"hurriedly peering into their IT system... in search ofpotential vulnerabilities"匆匆忙忙地检查他们复杂的IT系统,和业务往来情况以期从中找出可能的漏洞和弱点这正是选项A,只不过将文章里的vulnerabilities换成了问题里的同义词weak point;38.答案B解析本题目问：作者提出GASP概念是想说......;从第三段中我们可知,GASP是指Generally Accepted Security Practices 人们普遍认可的安全法则 ;所以,应该选B,作者是想强调信息安全保护工作应予以重视;39.答案A解析问题是：依据第四段,使作者感到困惑不解的是,有些老板们竟然不能选A.：看到公众对公司信任和资料保护之间的关系;根据是原文第四段的首句："令人费解的是这竟然会让有些老板感到吃惊;"而其中代词"这"是指上文提到的为信息资料的安全备份等工作;而整个第四段也都在谈顾客对公司信任的重要性以及顾客们资料泄漏的后果;40.答案D解析这是一道推理题;根据末段,我们自然可以推出D为选项;应为末段原文首句即暗示了这种含义：由于缺少法律惩罚,这种苗头还正在得到助长;"屋漏又逢连阴雨"正当老板们和董事会成员们刚刚清理完他们糟糕的财会账目以及相关的规章制度问题并刚刚改进了他们对公司的虚弱管理之际,一个新的难题又出现了,这正在给他们带来新的威胁尤其是美国 - 信息资料的泄密问题;这种威胁正是他们变成报纸上糟糕的头条新闻并可能在高层方面引起人员的波动;到目前为止,还仅仅是留给少数IT业低层人。

考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2005年part1

Unit 12Part One Everybody loves a fat pay rise. Yet pleasure at your own can vanish if you learn that a colleague has been given a bigger one. Indeed, if he has a reputation for slacking, you might even be outraged. Such behaviour is regarded as 'all too human', with the underlying assumption that other animals would not be capable of this finely developed sense of grievance. But a study by Sarah Brosnan and Frans de Waal of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, which has just been published in Nature, suggests that it is all too monkey, as well. The researchers studied the behaviour of female brown capuchin monkeys. They look cute. They are good-natured, co-operative creatures, and they share their food readily. Above all, like their female human counterparts, they tend to pay much closer attention to the value of "goods and services" than males. Such characteristics make them perfect candidates for Dr. Brosnan's and Dr. de Waal's study. The researchers spent two years teaching their monkeys to exchange tokens for food. Normally, the monkeys were happy enough to exchange pieces of rock for slices of cucumber. However, when two monkeys were placed in separate but adjoining chambers, so that each could observe what the other was getting in return for its rock, their behaviour became markedly different. In the world of capuchins, grapes are luxury goods （and much preferable to cucumbers）. So when one monkey was handed a grape in exchange for her token, the second was reluctant to hand hers over for a mere piece of cucumber. And if one received a grape without having to provide her token in exchange at all, the other either tossed her own token at the researcher or out of the chamber, or refused to accept the slice of cucumber. Indeed, the mere presence of a grape in the other chamber （without an actual monkey to eat it）was enough to induce resentment in a female capuchin. The researchers suggest that capuchin monkeys, like humans, are guided by social emotions. In the wild, they are a co-operative, group-living species. Such co-operation is likely to be stable only when each animal feels it is not being cheated. Feelings of righteous indignation, it seems, are not the preserve of people alone. Refusing a lesser reward completely makes these feelings abundantly clear to other members of the group. However, whether such a sense of fairness evolved independently in capuchins and humans, or whether it stems from the common ancestor that the species had 35 million years ago, is, as yet, an unanswered question.1. In the opening paragraph, the author introduces his topic by [A] posing a contrast. [B] justifying an assumption. [C] making a comparison. [D] explaining a phenomenon.2. The statement "it is all too monkey" （Last line, Paragraph 1）implies that [A] monkeys are also outraged by slack rivals. [B] resenting unfairness is also monkeys' nature. [C] monkeys, like humans, tend to be jealous of each other. [D] no animals other than monkeys can develop such emotions.3. Female capuchin monkeys were chosen for the research most probably because they are[A] more inclined to weigh what they get. [B] attentive to researchers' instructions.[C] nice in both appearance and temperament. [D] more generous than their male companions.4. Dr. Brosnan and Dr. de Waal have eventually found in their study that the monkeys[A] prefer grapes to cucumbers. [B] can be taught to exchange things.[C] will not be co-operative if feeling cheated.[D] are unhappy when separated from others.5. What can we infer from the last paragraph? [A] Monkeys can be trained to develop social emotions [B] Human indignation evolved from an uncertain source. [C] Animals usually show their feelings openly as humans do. [D] Cooperation among monkeys remains stable only in the wild.Unit12 （2005） Part 1重点词汇：1.　a fat pay rise 涨得很⾼的⼯资2.　vanish　?（消失，不复存在）即van=empty空+ish形容词后缀：倾向于。

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考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2006年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 the 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 shoppin g into 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 Natio nal Immigration Forum, Gregory Rodriguez reports that today’s immigration is neither at unprecedented level nor resistant to assimilation. In 1998 immigrants were percent of population; in 1900, percent. In the 10 years prior to 1990, immigrants arrived for every 1,000 residents; in the 10 years prior to 1890, 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 fifteen mos t common countries of origin spoke English “well” or “very well” after ten years of residence.” The children of immigrants tend to be bilingual and proficient in English. “By the third generation, the original language is lost in the majority of immigrant 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 percent, higher than the percent rate among native-born Americans.Foreign-born Asians and Hispanics “have higher rates of intermarriage than do 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 A. are resistant to homogenization.B. exert a great influence on American culture.C. are hardly a threat to the common culture.the majority of the population.4. Why are Amold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks mentioned in Paragraph 5A. To prove their popularity around the world.B. To reveal the public’s fe ar 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（2006）Part 1重点词汇：1. uniformity n. 一样，一致；统一性；（相关词）uniform a.相同的，统一标准的；be uniform with与……同一形式或外貌2. casualness n. 偶然，意外；草率行事；漫不经心；平心静气3. array ① n. 排列；一批，大量；显眼的一系列② vt. 排列，制定（计划等）：array oneself 装扮，打扮自己、搭配vast arrays of 大批的，大量的4. knowledgeable a. 有知识的，学识渊博的，有见识的5. amaze v. 使（某人）惊异或惊奇6. intimate a. 密切的，亲密的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. 提升，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）。

例：Good books may elevate the mind. 好书可以提高思想修养。

搭配elevate to 提升为，提拔至。

10. unprecedented a. 前所未有的，空前的，无前例的11. assimilation n. 吸收，（社会/民族的）同化；文化的吸收（相关词）assimilate ...into 使同化；被同化；融合到……中去；assimilate ...to 使（某人）相似；使相同/一模一样；assimilate with 同化；与……融为一体；assimilative a. 同化的，引起同化作用的resistant （+to）对…… 有抵抗力的；耐……的；抗……的；防……的12. proficient （+in）① a. 熟练的；精通的② n. 专家；能手13. intermarriage n.异族通婚；近亲结婚相关词 intermarry with 与……通婚graveyard n. 教堂墓地；公墓；垃圾场；政治上发展的终点14. immune （+to） a. phr. 有免疫力的，不易感染的15. divisive a. 引起分歧的，导致分裂的例：divisive issues引起分歧的重要问题相关词division n. ①=separation or distribution 分开；分配②=disagreement; lack of Unity 分歧；分裂16. turbulent a. =violent; disorderly; uncontrolled; stormy骚动的，骚乱的，汹涌的，狂暴的，无序的相关词 turbulence*波动，旋流deteriorate v. 变坏，变质，恶化17. homogenize v. 使均匀，使均质（make the same throughout）相关词homogeneous a. =similar; alike 同性质的，同类的 homogenization（趋）同化Hispanic ① a. 西班牙和葡萄牙的；说西班牙语国家的② n.拉丁美洲人；西班牙裔人18. democratize vt. 使（某事）民主化相关词①democracy民主,民主制②democratic a. 民主的,有民主精神的19. bilingual a. 会双语的，双语的，搭配bilingual education双语教学superstar* n. 超级明星，巨星seething a. 生气的，发怒的试题解析：1【正确答案】［C］assimilating【测试要点】词汇识别题。