1、考研英语-280 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)In 1999, the price of oil hovered around $16 a barrel. By 2008, it hadU (1) /Uthe $100 a barrel mark. The reasons for the surgeU (2) /Ufrom the dramatic growth of the economies of China and India to widespreadU (3) /Uin oil-producin
2、g regions, including Iraq and Nigerias delta region. Triple-digit oil prices haveU (4) /Uthe economic and political map of the world,U (5) /Usome old notions of power. Oil-rich nations are enjoying historic gains and opportunities,U (6) /Umajor importers including China and India, home to a third of
3、 the worlds population U (7) /Urising economic and social costs.Managing this new order is fast becoming a centralU (8) /Uof global politics. Countries that need oil are clawing at each other toU (9) /Uscarce supplies, and are willing to deal with any government,U (10) /Uhow unpleasant, to do it.In
4、many poor nations with oil, the profits are being, lost to corruption,U (11) /Uthese countries of their best hope for development. And oil is fueling enormous investment funds run by foreign governments,U (12) /Usome in the west see as a new threat.Countries like Russia, Venezuela and Iran are well
5、supplied with rising oilU (13) /U, a change reflected in newly aggressive foreign policies. But some unexpected countries are reaping benefits,U (14) /Ucosts, from higher prices. Consider Germany.U (15) /Uit imports virtually all its oil, it has prospered from extensive trade with a booming Russia a
6、nd the Middle East. German exports to RussiaU (16) /U128 percent from 2001 to 2006.In the United States, as already high gas prices roseU (17) /Uhigher in the spring of 2008, the issue cropped up in the presidential campaign, with Senators McCain and ObamaU (18) /Ufor a federal gas tax holiday durin
7、g the peak summer driving months. And driving habits began toU (19) /U, as sales of small cars jumped and mass transport systemsU (20) /Uthe country reported a sharp increase in riders.（分数：10.00）A.comeB.goneC.crossedD.arrivedA.coveredB.discoveredC.arrangedD.rangedA.intensityB.infinityC.insecurityD.i
8、nstabilityA.drawnB.redrawnC.retainedD.reviewedA.fightingB.strugglingC.challengingD.threateningA.andB.whileC.thusD.thoughA.confineB.conflictC.conformD.confrontA.problemB.questionC.matterD.eventA.look forB.lock upC.send outD.keep offA.no matterB.what ifC.only ifD.in spite ofA.abolishingB.deprivingC.de
9、stroyingD.eliminatingA.whatB.thatC.whichD.whomA.interestsB.taxesC.incomesD.revenuesA.as many asB.as good asC.as far asD.as well asA.AlthoughB.BecauseC.SinceD.AsA.advancedB.grewC.reducesD.multipliedA.evenB.stillC.ratherD.fairlyA.askingB.requestingC.callingD.demandingA.changeB.turnC.shiftD.transformA.
10、forB.fromC.acrossD.over二、BSection Readi(总题数：4，分数：40.00)BText 1/BIn the last ten years, the Internet has opened up incredible amounts of information to ordinary citizens. But using the Internet can he like walking into a library where the books are all lying on the floor in piles. While tools like Go
11、ogle allow some structured search, much of the data from such searches is outdated or of questionable value. Some web enthusiasts have taken up the task of organizing information through a democratic means that only the Internet allows: an encyclopedia of the people, by the people, and completely fr
12、ee to copy and distribute.This peoples encyclopedia of the Web a free site called Wikipedia has provided a unique solution by inviting individuals to participate in the process of rationalizing and updating web content. At the heart of this movement are wikis, web sites that allow users to directly
13、edit any web page with one click of the mouse.Wikipedia the largest example of these collaborative efforts is a functioning, user-contributed online encyclopedia that has become a popular and highly regarded reference in just three years of existence. The goal of Wikipedia was to create an encyclope
14、dia that could he shared and copied freely while encouraging people to change and improve the content. Each and every article has an “Edit this page” button, allowing anyone, even anonymous passersby, to add or delete any content on the page. It seems like a recipe for disaster and chaos, but it has
15、 produced surprisingly credible content that has been evaluated and revised by the thousands of international visitors to the site. For many, it finally realizes the original concept of World Wide Web creator Tim Berners-Lee an online environment where people not only browse content, but freely and
16、actively exchange information.The Wikipedia project was started by Jimmy Wales, head of Internet startup B, after his original project for a volunteer, hut strictly controlled, free encyclopedia ran out of money and resources after two years. Editors with PhD degrees were at the helm of the project
17、then, but it produced only a few hundred articles. Not wanting the content to languish, Wales placed the pages on a wiki website in January 2001 and invited any Internet visitors to edit or add to the collection.The site became a runaway success in the first year and gained a loyal following, genera
18、ting over 20,000 articles and spawning over a dozen language translations. After two years, it had 100,000 articles, and in April 2004, it exceeded 250,000 articles in English and 600,000 articles in 50 other languages. Over 2,000 new articles are added each day across all the various languages. And
19、 according to website rankings at A, it has become more popular than traditional online encyclopedias such as B and is one of the top 600 most heavily visited websites on the internet.（分数：10.00）(1).The author called Wikipedia peoples encyclopedia because（分数：2.00）A.it is accessible to all the passers
20、by.B.it can be edited by everyone.C.it is run by ordinary people.D.it is built to the taste of common citizens.(2).Whats the goal of Wikipedia according to the passage?（分数：2.00）A.To create a peoples encyclopedia that is free to share and copy.B.To produce a credible and authoritative reference tool.
21、C.To create an online environment where people freely exchange information.D.To create a volunteer, but strictly controlled, free encyclopedia.(3).The word “languish” (Line 4, Para. 4) is closest in meaning to（分数：2.00）A.wither.B.abort.C.lose vigor.D.lose appeal.(4).According to the text, Jimmy Wales
22、 initiated Wikipedia project in order to（分数：2.00）A.create a peoples encyclopedia,B.produce huge amounts of articles.C.make available resources useful again,D.promote a wiki website.(5).Which of the following is true about Wikipedia?（分数：2.00）A.It has once run into trouble.B.There existed disaster and
23、 chaos in the beginning.C.Many articles of it are outdated or of questionable value.D.It has been a great success from the beginning.BText 2/BWith 22 years on the job, Jackie Bracey could be considered a career employee of the Internal Revenue Service. But she defies any stereotype of an over-eager
24、agent running down a reluctant taxpayer. Instead, she spends her time defending people who owe the government money. Ms. Bracey, based in Greensboro N. C., is a taxpayer advocate, a created by Congress in 1998 as part of the kinder, gentler theme adopted by the tax collection agency. Bracey and advo
25、cates at 73 Other offices nationwide, backed by 2,100 field workers and staff, go to bat for taxpayers who are in financial straits because of something the agency has done or is about to do.Though it may seem contrary to the IRS, the advocate service not only helps taxpayers, but identifies procedu
26、ral problems. The main goal, though, is for the ombudsman to step into a dispute a taxpayer is having with the IRS when it appears that something the IRS is doing, or planning, would create an undue hardship on the taxpayer. This can range from speeding up resolution of a dispute that has dragged on
27、 too long, to demanding that the IRS halt a collection action that the taxpayer can show he or she “is suffering or is about to suffer a significant hardship.”Taxpayer ombudsmen have been around in one form or another since 1979, says Nina Olson, the national taxpayer advocate. But they were given m
28、uch more power in 1998 when Congress decided that the workers would no longer report to regional directors but to her office. While this gave them a great deal more authority, outside watchdogs say more can be done. “There is a long way to go to get an agency that feels independent and emboldened to
29、 work for taxpayers”, says Joe Seep, a vice president of the Washington-based tax-advocacy group.The taxpayers union also has complained that Congress and the Bush administration dont seem to be taking the advocates seriously enough. Each year, the IRS group reports to Congress on the top problems t
30、hat advocates see. Many of these are systemic problems that can gum up the works for both taxpayer and collector, such as a December notice from Ms. Olson that the IRS should have just one definition of a dependent child, rather than the three definitions currently used. While taxpayer advocates can
31、 help smooth things out in many cases, they cannot ignore laws.If taxpayers havent made legitimate claims for credits, theres nothing the advocate can do to reverse that course. And Olson says that while taxpayers are free to use her service, they should keep in mind that it does not replace the nor
32、mal appeals process and should be the last place a citizen calls upon for help, not the first. “Were really there for .when the processes fall down,” she says. Every state has at least one taxpayer-advocate service office.（分数：10.00）(1).According to the text, the main task of tax advocates is（分数：2.00
33、）A.to chase and collect tax from reluctant taxpayers.B.to cooperate with field workers and support staff.C.to help taxpayers and find problems in IRS work.D.to negotiate with National Taxpayers Union.(2).The advocate service “may seem contrary to the IRS” (Line 1, Para. 2) because（分数：2.00）A.it works
34、 for the National Taxpayers Union.B.it often finds faults with their own work.C.it speeds up a collection action.D.it always criticizes IRS on behalf of taxpayers.(3).According to Paragraph 3, which of the following is correct?（分数：2.00）A.Taxpayer ombudsmen have been around and given much power since
35、 1979.B.Taxpayers had to report to the regional directors before 1998.C.Taxpayers have no worries since 1998.D.More efforts are needed before an independent agency is established.(4).The phrase “gum up the works” (Line 3, Para. 4) probably mean（分数：2.00）A.to impair the benefits.B.to bring about solut
36、ions.C.to lead to trouble.D.to improve the relations.(5).When Olson say “Were really there for when the processes fall down” (Line 4, Para. 5), she means that（分数：2.00）A.they will provide help whenever taxpayers make claims.B.they will get involved in the normal appeals process.C.they will offer coun
37、seling when citizen calls.D.they will give help when procedural problems occur.BText 3/BThat Louise Nevelson is believed by many critics to be the greatest twentieth-century sculptor is all the more remarkable because the greatest resistance to women artists has been, until recently, in the field of
38、 sculpture. Since Neolithic times, sculpture has been considered the prerogative of men, partly, perhaps, for purely physical reasons: it was erroneously assumed that women were not suited for the hard manual labor required in sculpting stone, carving wood, or working in metal. It has been only duri
39、ng the twentieth century that women sculptors have been recognized as major artists, and it has been in the United States, especially since the decades of the fifties and sixties, that women sculptors have shown the greatest originality and creative power. Their rise to prominence parallels the deve
40、lopment of sculpture itself in the United States: while there had been a few talented sculptors in the United States before the 1940s, it was only after 1945 when New York was rapidly becoming the art capital of the world that major sculpture was produced in the United States. Some of the best was t
41、he work of women.By far the most outstanding of these women is Louise Nevelson, who in the eyes of many critics is the most original female artist alive today. One famous and influential critic, Hilton Kramer, said of her work, “For myself, I think Ms. Nevelson succeeds where the painters often fail
42、.”Her works have been compared to the Cubist constructions of Picasso, the Surrealistic objects of Miro, and the Merzbau of Schwitters. Nevelson would be the first to admit that she has been influenced by all of these, as well as by African sculpture, and by Native American and pre-Columbian art, bu
43、t she has absorbed all these influences and still created a distinctive art that expresses the urban landscape and the aesthetic sensibility of the twentieth century. Nevelson says, “I have always wanted to show the world that art is everywhere, except that it has to pass through a creative mind.”Us
44、ing mostly discarded wooden objects like packing crates, broken pieces of furniture, and abandoned architectural ornaments, all of which she has hoarded for years, she assembles architectural constructions of great beauty and power. Creating very freely with no sketches, she glues and nails objects
45、together, paints them black, or more rarely white or gold, and places them in boxes. These assemblages, walls, even entire environments create a mysterious, almost awe-inspiring atmosphere. Although she has denied any symbolic or religious intent in her works, their three-dimensional grandeur and ev
46、en their titles, such as Sky Cathedral and Night Cathedral, suggest such connotations. In some ways, her most ambitious works are closer to architecture than to traditional sculpture, but then neither Louise Nevelson nor her art fits into any neat category.（分数：10.00）(1).The writer implies in the fir
47、st paragraph that（分数：2.00）A.Louise Nevelson was known before 1940s.B.until the 1950s and the 1960s, there was no major sculpture made by women artists.C.Ameirican sculpture developed with the appearance of women sculptors.D.New York became the art capital because of the contributions made by women s
48、culptors.(2).The author quotes Hilton Kramer in the second paragraph most probably to illustrate（分数：2.00）A.realism in Nevelson work.B.the unique qualities of Nevelson work.C.the extent of critical approval of Nevelson work.D.a distinction between sculpture and painting.(3).The word “assemblages” (Li
49、ne 4, Para, 4) is closest in meaning to（分数：2.00）A.assignments.B.assumptions.C.connotations.D.collections.(4).Which of the following is a major theme of Nevelson art?（分数：2.00）A.Architectural construction.B.Landscape.C.Modern city.D.Religion.(5).Which of the following statement about Nevelson sculpture can be inferred from the passage?（
