1、考研英语-208 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)BDirections:/BRead tile following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C, and D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)The “standard of living“ of any country means the average persons share of the goods and s
2、ervices which the country produces. A countrys standard of living, U(1) /U, depends first andU (2) /Uon its capacity to produce wealth.“ Wealth“ in this sense is not money, for we do not live on moneyU (3) /Uon things that money can buy. “Goods“ such as food and clothing, and “services“ such as tran
3、sport and “U (4) /U“. A countrys capacity to produce wealth depends upon many factors, most ofU (5) /Uhave an effect on one another. Wealth dependsU (6) /Ua great extent upon a countrys natural resources. Some regions of the world are well supplied with coal and minerals, and have a fertile soil and
4、 aU (7) /Uclimate; other regions possess none of them.Next to natural resourcesU (8) /Uthe ability to turn them to use. China is perhaps as wellU (9) /Uas the USA in natural resources, but suffered for many years from civil andU (10) /Uwars, andU (11) /Uthis and other reasons wasU (12) /Uto develop
5、her resources. U(13) /Uand stable political conditions, andU (14) /Ufrom foreign invasion, enable a country to develop its natural resources peacefully and steadily, and to produce more wealth than another country equally wellU (15) /Uby nature but less well ordered.A countrys standard of living doe
6、s not only depend upon the wealth that is produced and consumedU (16) /Uits own borders, but also upon what is indirectly produced through international trade. U(17) /U, Britains wealth in foodstuffs and other agricultural products would be much less if she had to depend only onU (18) /Ugrown at hom
7、e. Trade makes it possible for her surplus manufactured goods to be traded abroad for the agricultural products that wouldU (19) /Ube lacking. A countrys wealth is, therefore, much influenced by its manufacturing capacity, U(20) /Uthat other countries can be found ready to accept its manufactures.（分
8、数：10.00）A.howeverB.thereforeC.neverthelessD.furthermoreA.primaryB.principalC.foremostD.uniquelyA.orB.norC.butD.exceptA.recreationB.enlightenmentC.refreshmentD.entertainmentA.itB.themC.whichD.thatA.withB.forC.toD.onA.neutralB.favorableC.virtuousD.marineA.comesB.comeC.comingD.cameA.offB.knownC.doneD.f
9、urnishedA.militaryB.externalC.conremporaryD.domesticA.forB.becauseC.because ofD.due toA.impossibleB.incapableC.unableD.proficientA.StrongB.SturdyC.SoundD.RobustA.libertyB.freedomC.preventionD.liberationA.assistedB.avengedC.rescuedD.servedA.withB.withinC.nearD.aroundA.In shortB.For exampleC.First of
10、allD.On one handA.thoseB.whatC.thatD.itA.likelyB.likewiseC.certainlyD.otherwiseA.providedB.dependedC.givenD.supposed二、BSection Readi(总题数：4，分数：40.00)BPart A/BBDirections:/BRead the following four texts. Answer tile questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET
11、1. (40 points)BText 1/BThe modern university is the ideal environment for the creation and transfer of knowledge that drives national competitiveness in an increasingly global era. Its most effective form is the American adaptation of the European model, in which teaching, leaning and research are i
12、ntegrated into a single institution. Indeed, the American university has proved capable of almost anything, from developing advanced economic theories to creating new life forms.Many national leaders understand that the university is the critical catalyst for Americas adaptability, economic robustne
13、ss and emergence as a great power. And they are moving aggressively to catch up. The universities created by emerging economies beginning in the 1990s and through 2020 will likely play a decisive role in reshaping the global balance of economic power.That is bad news for the United States. The past
14、two decades of American university development have been characterized largely by self-satisfaction arising from steady progress by the top 20 or so research universities. And America as a nation has 1Seen coasting. Since 2000, the United States has lost its edge in the graduation of engineers and t
15、echnologists. The country no longer dominates scientific discovery, innovation or exploration. Most important, the United States has not launched any effort to build new institutions to accommodate its increasingly diverse population of more than 300 million.The result is that Americas university sy
16、stem, despite its historical pre-eminence, has ceased to grow. Furthermore, Americas university system has failed to adapt to the dramatic demographic shifts occurring as a result of social mobility and immigration.America needs to realize that its universities face real competition from the rest of
17、 the world to attract the best and the brightest, to secure resources and to provide environments that educate and inspire. This is not to say that the best American universities are no longer the leaders in discovery and innovation. It is to say that the success of the higher-education system must
18、be measured by more than just innovations. Its long-term performance depends on its ability to provide learning to a broad cross sections of citizens, to advance national proficiency in math and science and to create an adaptable work force, as well as to develop a national appreciation for discover
19、y, entrepreneurship and the creative process.In China and elsewhere, these are the goals of the new universities being built. In the United States, we need to move from a national self-confidence based on past success to one built on the knowledge that we are advancing a system of higher education t
20、hat will meet our future needs. This will require that policymakers, business leaders and universities rededicate themselves to creating comprehensive learning and discovery environments; design entirely new models and methods for teaching, and then take action to implement them.（分数：10.00）(1).Accord
21、ing to the author, US modern universities _（分数：2.00）A.is a perfect system which can deal with everything.B.is a system which is developing rapidly.C.is a trinity of teaching, learning and research.D.is a place for innovation and creation.(2).New universities have been established among many other co
22、untries in order to _（分数：2.00）A.bring bad news to the US.B.make use of the power for development.C.be measured by innovation.D.force the US to build up more universities.(3).What is the problem that US universities have faced since 2000?（分数：2.00）A.Loss of the predominant position in artistic innovat
23、ions.B.Lack of the reestablishment of famed universities.C.Failure to attract the best brains throughout the world.D.Need of a comprehensive learning and studying environment.(4).Which of the following is the goal of China to build up new universities?（分数：2.00）A.Providing wider opportunities of educ
24、ation for oversea students.B.Elevating the science and technology level of the whole country.C.Focusing on the position of science and technology innovation leader.D.Creating a culture of appreciation of science and technology.(5).It can be inferred from the text that the most possible direction of
25、university reform in the US is _（分数：2.00）A.offering more attractive scholarships.B.developing advanced economic theories.C.finding a better system for learning and researching.D.spending more money for hardware improvement.BText 2/BNew graduates in America are used to facing an uncertain future whil
26、e saddled with heavy debts. Now Sallie Mae, the firm that provides many of them with the financial wherewithal to complete their education, will understand how they feel. On Monday April 16th it was announced that two private-equity firms along with two banks, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, had
27、 agreed to pay $25 billion for Americas leading student-loan provider.In the past decade the market for student loans has doubled to around $85 billion a year. Student numbers have swelled while incomes have failed to keep pace with the soaring cost of college education. Sallie Mae has over a quarte
28、r of the entire business in America. And though margins are wafer-thin the firm made a profit of $1.2 billion last year.This profitability has attracted the interest of both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, seeking ways to save money while making education more affordable. Particularly vulnerabl
29、e is the proportion doled out to big and profitable private companies like Sallie Mae to subsidise affordable government-backed loans. These now account for around 85% of its lending.Sallie Maes profits and healthy cash-flow are a draw for private equity. And the involvement of the two banks could p
30、rove useful for plugging any gap in financing, if the firms credit rating slips following the assumption of so much debt. It helps that Sallie Mae is also making money beyond its core business. The market for private loans, without government subsidies or guarantees, is growing fast as the cost of e
31、ducation grows while the size of federal loans that students can take out has remained flat. This sort of loan is nicely profitable because lenders can levy high interest rates. New graduates are also targets: Sallie Mae has built a big debt-collection arm for reluctant repayers and a college-fund b
32、usiness for fast breeders.Even the renewed interest from politicians could play into Sallie Maes hands. The lure of profits over the past decade has drawn more lenders into the business. Any future regulations or legislation that might shave profit margins further could deter new entrants or force s
33、maller lenders out of the business, and Sallie Mae may get more opportunities to offset the reduction. But despite all the safeguards, students are high risk borrowers who quickly amass big debts. Sallie Mae, like many of the students it serves, could wake up one day with a nasty hangover (拖欠) and l
34、ittle recollection about how it came about.（分数：10.00）(1).The example of Sallie Mae Company is used by the author to _（分数：2.00）A.express the current situation of student-loan.B.describe the banking industry of the U.S.C.show problems in politics.D.talk about the environment of education in the U.S(2)
35、.The profit of Sallie Mae is considerable although the margins are wafer-thin because _（分数：2.00）A.the company has used illegal methods to raise money.B.the cost of college education has increased faster than the average income.C.the government has issued policies to increase the profit in the indust
36、ry.D.students are safe borrowers who can repay the loan immediately.(3).According to the text, the goal of the US government on education cost is _（分数：2.00）A.to earn more money.B.to enable more students to study in college at a lower government cost.C.to reduce the interest rate of student-loan.D.to
37、 establish more colleges.(4).If a student is reluctant to pay back the loan, Sallie Mae most probably _（分数：2.00）A.have no idea to deal with the case.B.ask the army to solve the problem.C.use its strong system to urge for return.D.no longer lend money to students.(5).From the last two paragraphs, we
38、learn that _（分数：2.00）A.If the margin of profit in student-loan is lessened, no company will be involved in the industry.B.If the margin of profit in student-loan is lessened, Sallie Mae will be bankrupt.C.If the margin of profit in student-loan is lessened, Sallie Mae can get more opportunities.D.If
39、 the margin of profit in student-loan is lessened, the industry will be definitely safe.BText 3/BWhen stars like our Sun die, they bloat to become red giants and then eject gigantic clouds of gas and dust into space. Increasingly, however, scientists found themselves at a profound loss to explain ho
40、w exactly dying stars could blow away these clouds. Now astrophysicists propose that unexpected chemical reactions during the formation of stardust could help solve this mystery.Stars smaller than the Sun and up to eight times as massive die by swelling up into red giants before shedding most of the
41、ir mass to shrink into very compact, dying embers (灰烬) called white dwarfs. Two kinds of red giants exist-those with lots of carbon, and others richer in oxygen than in carbon. Carbon-rich stars release carbon particles during their death throes. Scientists proposed these pitch-black grains absorb r
42、ays from the dying star and get shot into space by starlight, a theory that fit both the observations and computer models.Increasingly, however, researchers could not explain how oxygen-rich stars like our own Sun could propel their clouds away during the final stages of mass loss. Oxygen-rich stars
43、 create large quantities of water vapor and silicates, such as quartz (石英砂) or sand. These are transparent, meaning starlight should go right through them.Possible solutions have been contemplated by scientists. They first pondered whether the silicates might have iron in them, which would render th
44、em opaque instead of transparent. But calculations showed the dust grains would have evaporated if they had iron in them. They next wondered if enough molecules surrounded the core of a dying oxygen-rich star to block out its light and thus create a wind that blew the stars outermost layer into spac
45、e. But their models suggested these molecules could not block off enough light and create strong enough Rinds.The scientists then suggested that pulsations occurred when stars die could perhaps force a stars matter out, but this idea did not match with astronomers observations. But inspiration then
46、dawned upon them. Perhaps some of the carbon in the oxygen-rich stars could help force the outer layers of the stars into space. They believe shock waves from the pulsations of dying stars could make carbon in oxygen-rich stars form pitch-black dust.“The theory fits with all our subsequent model cal
47、culations, and it matches observations from dying oxygen-rich red giants“. Moreover,“ this mechanism strongly favors the presence of magnesium silicates over iron silicates in the interstellar medium,“ in agreement with recent findings from NASAs comet-sampling Stardust space probe. If proven correc
48、t, the beauty of the new scenario is that it suggests a common driving mechanism for many dying stars shedding their mass via dusty winds,“ with possible long-reaching consequences for the origin of chemical elements relevant for life.“（分数：10.00）(1).By introducing the theory of red giant, the author
49、 intends to _（分数：2.00）A.explain-the possible way of death of our Sun.B.show the two types of red giants.C.discuss on the way of red giants to become white dwarfs.D.explore the origin of life.(2).Which of the following is true of the text?（分数：2.00）A.There are more than two types of red giants.B.Carbon-rich star relea
