1、考研英语-131 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、BSection Use o(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Stop worrying about recession. That is the message from Americas R-word index. For each quarter, weU (1) /Uhow many stones in the New York Times and the Washington Post include the word “recession“.U (2) /Ubells were setU (3) /Uby t
2、he sharp jump in the “R-count“ in the first quarter of this year. at a rate that in the past hasU (4) /Uthe start of a recession. In the second quarter.U (5) /U. the number of articlesU (6) /Uby more than one-third. A conspiracy theorist might suggest that newspaper editors,U (7) /Uabout dwindling a
3、dvertising revenues, haveU (8) /Uthe R-word.The Economist has found thatU (9) /Uthe past two decades, the R-word index has been good atU (10) /Umining-points in the American economy.U (11) /UGDP figures which appearU (12) /Uafter a lag, the numbers are instantly available. But how does the index per
4、form in Germany,U (13) /Uthere have also beenU (14) /Ufears of recession? Using our idea, Hypo Vereins bank hasU (15) /Uan R-word index for Germany, counting the number of times the word recessionU (16) /Uin Handelsblatt.Worryingly, Germanys R-count for the first quarter of 2001 showed the second-st
5、eepestU (17) /Uin the past two decades. But in the second quarter, the index dropped by one-third,U (18) /Uin AmericaU (19) /Uthe world economy has nothing to worry about, or journalists are more worded about aU (20) /Uthan a mere recession. A D-word index?（分数：10.00）A.countB.calculateC.accountD.reck
6、onA.WarningB.AlarmC.SirenD.dangerA.upB.outC.offD.aboutA.hint atB.gesturedC.signD.signaledA.butB.yetC.howeverD.althoughA.reducedB.fellC.dropD.descendedA.tormentedB.harassedC.torturedD.worriedA.prohibitedB.proscribedC.bannedD.interdictedA.overB.inC.throughD.byA.pointingB.settingC.placingD.spottingA.Un
7、likeB.LikeC.AsD.Not asA.generallyB.usuallyC.alwaysD.onlyA.whichB.whereC.whoD.what(14).A. grown B grow C. grew D. growing（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.A.coinedB.builtC.constructedD.createdA.appearingB.appearedC.appearanceD.appearsA.growthB.riseC.risingD.increaseA.asB.likeC.as ifD.as thatA.EitherB.WhicheverC.Neith
8、erD.WhateverA.depressionB.declineC.despairD.dejection二、BSection Readi(总题数：4，分数：40.00)BPart A/BBText 1/BEven to his contemporaries, Rochester was a legendary figure One of the youngest and most handsome courtiers of the restored Charles . he was the favorite of a king whose wit, lasciviousness and se
9、rious intellectual interests he shared. He was banished from court several times, but Charless pleasure in his conversation always resulted in his recall. His authentic adventures included the attempted abduction of an heiress (whom he later married), smashing a phallic-shaped sundial in the royal g
10、ardens during a drunken celebrity, and a violent quarrel with the watch at Epsom in which one of his companions was killed.Quite apart from his reputation as a poet. he was feted in the writings of his friends, notably in Sir George Ethereges comedy, “The Man of Mode“. Just before he died in 1680. a
11、t the age of 33. destroyed by alcoholism and syphilis. Rochesters legend took a surprising turn. After a series of conversations with an Anglican rationalist divine. Gilbert Burner, the skeptical libertine made a death- bed conversion which was celebrated in the devotional literature of the succeedi
12、ng century.Charming as it is. the Rochester legend has always been a distraction It has resulted in many apocryphal stories and uncertain attributions, and it can still divert attention from the poetry. It is Rochesters achievement as a poet which commands our interest and makes him something more t
13、han a luridly colorful period, figure. For all the brevity of his career, Rochester is a crucial figure in the development of English verse satire and file Horatian epistle, a student of his elder French contemporary Boileau. and an important exemplar for later poets as different as Alexander Pope a
14、nd Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea.Cephas Goldsworthys “The Satyr“ gives us the legend. Although there are no footnotes to sources, the book shows some acquaintance with modem Rochester scholarship and its rejection of spurious verse from his canonbut only intermittently. Anecdotes concerning Roc
15、hester and his crony George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. are retailed without any indication that they have, in fact. been discredited; poems no longer attributed to Rochester are cited as if they were authentic. Mr. Goldsworthy quotes liberally from the poetry, but repeatedly reads it as straightf
16、orward autobiography. For example, we are told that “My dear mistress has a heart“ is addressed to. Elizabeth Barry, an actress, which is incautious given the uncertain dating of this song, and indeed of most of Rochesters poems. More generally, while of course some of the satires include references
17、 to actual persons, as often as not in 17th-century love poetry the emotion is genuine but the addressee is fictitious.A less simplistic way to relate Rochesters poetry to his life would be to read the former as an exploiation of what it means to live according to libertine values. In his best satir
18、es and even some of the lyrics he articulated an anti-rational .Unihilistic/U vision scarcely found elsewhere in English verse. Such a task belongs to a critical biography. There is no mistaking Mr. Goldsworthys enthusiasm for his subject, but his book is essentially biography as entertainment.（分数：1
19、0.00）(1).Rochester was NOT_.（分数：2.00）A.a troublemakerB.a fictional legendary figureC.an excellent SolomonD.the favorite of Charles (2).Rochester didnt have a reputation of_.（分数：2.00）A.comedianB.legendC.libertineD.poet(3).The word “nihilistic“ (Line 3, Para. 5) means_.（分数：2.00）A.rationalB.practicalC.
20、opposed moral beliefsD.pro-government(4).Rochesters legend gave others a surprising turn when_.（分数：2.00）A.he was dyingB.he got syphilisC.he appeared in an anti-rational stateD.he changed his life-style(5).Rochester was NOT_.（分数：2.00）A.crucial in the development of English verse satireB.a comedy writ
21、erC.Boileaus studentD.an important model for later poetsBText 2/BWhere is the second centre of Hollywood film making in Europe. after London*. Paris. or perhaps Berlin? Try Prague. Last year, Hollywood spent over $200m on shooting movies, commercials and pop videos in the Czech capital. This year. a
22、ll the big studios will be in town. MGM has “Harts War“ starring Bruce Willis; Disney is shooting “Black Sheep“ with Anthony Hopkins; and Fox has just finished filming “From Hell“, a Jack the Ripper saga starring Johnny Depp.Praguers take Tinseltown in their stride. Old ladies looked only slightly c
23、onfused last month when the cobbled streets of Mala Strana, Pragues old quarter, were cleared of real snow and sprayed with a more cinematically pleasing chemical alternative for Universals “Bourne Identity“, a $50m thriller starring Matt Damon. The films producer, Pat Crowley, reckons a day filming
24、 in Prague costs him $100.000, against $250,000 in Paris. Czech crews, he says, are professional, English-speaking and numerous. They are also a bargain40% cheaper than similar crews in London or Los Angeles, points out Matthew Stillman. the British boss of Stillking, a Prague-based production firm.
25、Mr. Stillman founded Stillking in 1993 after arriving in Prague with $500 and a typewriter. Today, Hollywood producers come to the company for crews, catering, lights and much more. It claims to have about half of the local film-production business and this year hopes for revenues of over $50m.The b
26、iggest draw to Prague, however, is Barrandovone of the largest film studios in Europe, with 11 sound-stages, onsite photo labs and top-notch technicians. It was founded during Czechoslovakias pre-war first republic by Milos Havel, an uncle of the present Czech president, Vaclav Havel. The Nazis expa
27、nded it as a production centre for propaganda flicksthe sound-stages are courtesy of Joseph Goebbels. Then came the Communists with their own propaganda and, admittedly, a few impressive homegrown directors such as Milos Forman, who began Hollywoods march to Prague by filming “Amadeus“ there.But it
28、is partly thanks to Barrandov that Prague remains some way behind London as a film centre. The studio has suffered from doubtful management and is already stretched to capacity (“You cant even get an office there,“ moans one producer). Its present owner, a local steel company, is keen to sell but ta
29、lks with a Canadian institution have been thorny, not least because the Czech government holds a golden share. Should the Canadian deal fall through, Stillking says it would consider a bid of its own. （分数：10.00）(1).Which one is NOT true about Prague?（分数：2.00）A.Ifs a gathering place for big studios t
30、o make film-stars.B.Its the Czech capital.C.Its a very popular place for Hollywood film making.D.Its an attractive place for both film makers and the stars.(2).Pat Crowley has chosen Prague to be the place for his new film just because_.（分数：2.00）A.this place is covered with snow, which is What they
31、wareB.he takes costs into considerationC.Matt Damon loves the placeD.it has the cobbled streets(3).Czech Film workers are NOT_.（分数：2.00）A.skilledB.able to speak foreign languagesC.professionalD.good at bargaining(4).Stillking is a company_.（分数：2.00）A.providing instruments and workers for studiosB.pr
32、oviding actorsC.involved in film-makingD.gathering money from local film studios(5).Prague remains behind London because_.（分数：2.00）A.the studio leader grasped all the capitalsB.of the bad strategies of selling studiosC.Canadian consortium can not get the golden share from the governmentD.of ineffici
33、ent managementBText 3/BThe elephants of Thailand used never to be short of work hauling timber. But most of the countrys forests have been cut down, and logging is now banned to save the few that are left. The number of domesticated elephants left in the country is now only 2,500 or so. down from ab
34、out 100,000 a century ago. Though being the national animal of Thailand earns an elephant plenty of respect, this does not put grass on the table. Thai elephants these days take tourists on treks or perform in circuses, and are sometimes to be seen begging for bananas on the streets of Bangkok.Some
35、of the 46 elephants living at the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre, a former government logging camp near Lampang, have found a new life in music. The Thai Elephant Orchestra is the creation of two Americans, Richard Lair, who has worked with Asian elephants for 23 years, and David Soldier, a music
36、ian and neuroscientist with a taste for the avant-garde. They provided six of the centers elephants, aged 7 to 18, with a variety of percussion and wind instruments. Those familiar with Thai instruments will recognize the slit drums, the gong, the bow bass, the xylophone-like rants, as well as the t
37、hunder sheet. The only difference is that the elephant versions are a bit stronger.The elephants are given a cue to start and then they prepare. They clearly have a strong sense of rhythm. They flap their ears to the beat, swish their tails and generally rock back and forth. Some add to the melody w
38、ith their own trumpeting. Elephant mood-music could have a commercial future, Mr. Soldier believes. He has even produced a CD on the Mulatta labelit is available at www.mulatta. orgwith 13 elephant tracks. It is real elephant music, he says, with only the human noises removed by sound engineers. But
39、 is it music? Bob Halliday, music critic of the Bangkok Post, says it is. He commends the elephants for being “so communicative“. Anyone not knowing that it was elephant music, he says, would assume that humans were playing.Some of the elephants in the band have also tried their hand at painting, te
40、nding to favor the abstract over the representational style. Their broad-stroke acrylic paintings last year helped raise some $25,000 at a charity auction at Christies in New York, and a London gallery has also taken some of their work. These art sales, together with profits from the CD, are helping
41、 to keep the centre going. A second CD is on the way. It will be less classical, more pop.（分数：10.00）(1).The elephants of Thailand now are short of the work they used to do because_.（分数：2.00）A.they are trained to take tourists on trekB.they are trained to play musicC.the forest-cutting is illegalD.th
42、ere is not enough timber for them to haul(2).The authors attitude towards these elephants is_.（分数：2.00）A.astonishedB.indescribableC.supportiveD.appreciative(3).The two American created the Orchestra in order to_.（分数：2.00）A.earn moneyB.protect elephantsC.enjoy themselvesD.none of the above(4).“Trumpe
43、t“ in the third paragraph refers to_.（分数：2.00）A.jumpB.growlC.moveD.shake(5).The elephants, do not make money from_.（分数：2.00）A.getting charity from visitorsB.selling their paintingsC.selling their own CDsD.all their entertainment workBText 4/BWomen, according to Chairman Mao, hold up half the skybut
44、Uin California some are better rewarded for this effort than others./U According to a new study from the Public Policy Institute of California, Asian women born in the United States outstrip all their sisters in terms of earning power.The average hourly wage for American-born Asian ladies in 2001 (t
45、he latest year with reliable figures) was $19.30, with American-born whites coming next. On the bottom rungs of the ladder came Latinas: if born abroad, they earned a mere $10.40 an hour (though this was comfortably above Californias then $6.25 minimum wage); if born in America, they managed $15.10
46、an hour.Education is the biggest reason for the ethnic disparities. Some 55% of Californias American-born Asian women have at least a bachelors degree, and an impressive 84% of them either have jobs or are looking for them. By contrast, only 14% of American-born Hispanic women have a bachelors degre
47、e and only 74% of them are in the labour market. Meanwhile, Latinas born abroad are often condemned to low-paying jobs by an even inefficient education or a poor knowledge of English. Much the same can be said of Asian women born in South-East Asia, a category that includes refugees from Laos, Vietn
48、am and Cambodia. The institute calculates that they earned an average of $15.80, almost $1 less than other foreign-born Asians.But education is not the only factor in play for Californias women. Larger families make it more difficult for Latinas to go out to work in the first place; blacks often live too far away to commute to well-paid jobs; and just as Asians may benefit from high expectations, so other groups may suffer from low ones.The institute makes an attempt, heroic or politically correct, to adjust for such factors, imagining, for example, that
