1、考研英语-548 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Section Use of Eng(总题数：1，分数：10.00)What“s your earliest childhood memory? Can you remember learning to walk? Or talk? The first time you heard thunder or watched a television program? Adults seldom 1 events much earlier than the year or so before entering school,
2、 2 children younger than three or four 3 retain any specific, personal experiences. A variety ofexplanations have been 4 by psychologists for this “childhood amnesia“, One argues that the luppocampus, the region ofthe brain which is 5 for forming memories, does not mature until about the age of two.
3、 But the most popular theory 6 that, since adults don“t think like children, they cannot 7 childhood memories. Adults thinkin words, and their life memories are like stories or 8 one event follows another as in a novel or film. 9 , when they search through their mental 10 for early childhood memorie
4、s to add to this verbal life story, they don“t find any that fit the 11 . It“s like trying to find a Chinese word in an English dictionary. Now psychologist Annette Simms of the New York State University offers a new 12 for childhood amnesia. She argues that there simply aren“t any early childhood m
5、emories to recall. According to Dr. Simms, children need to learn to use someone else“s spoken 13 oftheir personal 14 in order to turn their own short-term, quickly forgotten 15 of them into long-term memories. 16 , children have to talk about their 17 and hear others talk about themMother talking a
6、bout the afternoon 18 looking for seashells at the beach or Dad asking them about their day at Ocean Park. Without this 19 reinforcement, says Dr. Simms, children cannot form 20 memories oftheir personal experiences.（分数：10.00）A.figureB.interpretC.recallD.affirmA.sinceB.evenifC.asthoughD.justasA.larg
7、elyB.rarelyC.merelyD.reallyA.refutedB.defiedC.proposedD.witnessedA.responsibleB.suitableC.favorableD.availableA.declinesB.assessesC.estimatesD.maintainsA.reflectB.attainC.accessD.acquireA.narrativesB.forecastsC.communicationsD.descriptionsA.HenceB.HoweverC.ThusD.EvenA.depositsB.dreamsC.flashesD.file
8、sA.modelB.patternC.frameD.formulaA.emphasisB.assertionC.explanationD.assumptionA.descriptionB.manipulationC.regulationD.coordinationA.instinctsB.feelingsC.sensationsD.experiencesA.impressionsB.beliefsC.mindsD.insightsA.In all sensesB.In some casesC.In other wordsD.In all aspectsA.influenceB.maintena
9、nceC.existenceD.experiencesA.takenB.utilizedC.appliedD.spentA.habitualB.verbalC.uniqueD.particularA.permanentB.mentalC.spiritualD.conscious二、Section Reading Co(总题数：0，分数：0.00)三、Part A(总题数：0，分数：0.00)四、Text 1(总题数：1，分数：10.00)No two economic crises are identical. But the same questions recur. How did we
10、get into this mess? How can we get out ofit? How do we avoid another? Some answers repeat themselves too. You can be pretty sure that sooner or later someone, quite possibly an anguished economist, will declare that economics itself has gone astray. The wisdom of some past master, whether celebrated
11、 or neglected, has been forgotten, and the economy is paying the price. A new book, “Animal Spirits“ follows this rule to the letter. The authors seek to answer the first of those three old questions and thus to provide some pointers about the other two. They do indeed believe that economics has los
12、t its way. And their chosen economist is Keynes. So far, so familiar. But this book is rather more than the usual lament about the failings of economics. Its authors are two of the discipline“s leading lights. Mr. Akerlof won a Nobel prize in 2001, in part for a classic paper explaining how markets
13、may fail. Mr. Shiller sounded a warning about the “Inational Exuberance“ of the tech-boom stock market in a book of that nameand did the same for the housing market in a second edition. The lesson that Akerlof and Shiller draw from Keynes is not just the standard one, of the usefulness of deficit fi
14、nance in recessions. They borrow their title from “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money“. Most, probably, ofour decisions to do something positive, the full consequences of which will be drawn out over many days to come, can only be taken as a result of animal spiritsofa spontaneous
15、urge to action rather than inaction, and not as the outcome of the weighted average of quantitative benefits multiplied by quantitative probabilities. Too much economics, say Mr. Akerlof and Mr. Shiller, has been built on the premise that humans are rational calculators. That is not a new criticism,
16、 even from econonusts. Over the past couple of decades Homo Economicus has evolved into a being more like H. sapiens, as economics has drawn on psychology, biology and even neuroscience. “Behavioural“ econonucs has shaped public policyfor instance, in encouraging people to save or in shaping the cho
17、ice ofinvestments in their pension pots. Behavioural economists have eamed Nobel prizes. Mr. Akerlof and Mr. Shiller, however, complain that this evolution has been confined mainly to microeconomics. It is time for macroeconomics to catch up.（分数：10.00）(1).The expression “to the letter“ in Para.2 is
18、closest in meaning to _.（分数：2.00）A.completelyB.not at allC.alittleD.to some extent(2).What sets the new book “Animal Spirits“ apart from the others in the field ofeconomics?（分数：2.00）A.It follows the set rules to the letter.B.It tries to answer the same three questions.C.It holds the view that econom
19、ics haslostits way.D.It is rather more than the usual lament.(3).Mr. Shiller has done all the following EXCEPT _.（分数：2.00）A.arranging a research about the irrational exuberanceB.writing a book entitled “Irrational Exuberance“C.writing a book concerning tech-boom housing marketD.writing a book entitl
20、ed “Animal Spirits“ independently(4).Which ofthe following statements suits “Animal Spirits“ best?（分数：2.00）A.It“s originally put forward by Mr. Akerlof and Mr. Shiller.B.It“s a result of our decisions to do something positive.C.It“s self-generated urge to action rather than inaction.D.It“s one of th
21、e outcomes of the weighted average.(5).Which of the following criticisms is originally raised by Akerlof and Shiller?（分数：2.00）A.Much economics has been built on the premise that men are rational calculators.B.Economics has drawn on psychology, biology and even neuroscience.C.“Behavioral“ economics h
22、as shaped public policy in many ways.D.Evolution in macroeconomics needs to be sped up to catch up.五、Text 2(总题数：1，分数：10.00)A petition to save Arlington County“s David M. Brown Planetarium is 800 signatures strong and there are more than 3,000 fans on the related Facebook page, but the facility is st
23、ill cut from the proposed school“s budget. “There are a couple of weeks before the public school“s budget is final,“ said James Gartner, a member of the organization working to save the 40-year-old planetarium before the April 29 cutoff date. Patrick K. Murphy, Arlington school“s superintendent, sai
24、d during remarks updating his budget figures last week that school officials are “in a dialogue“ with planetarium supporters. “I would encourage us to continue to keep this dialogue open, evaluate positions.and think about a window of time ranging anywhere from 12 to 18 months to see whether the com
25、munity can raise enough money to keep the institution open,“ Murphy said. The planetarium“s $230,000 operating budget is cut from the proposed fiscal 2011 budget because the facility is outdated and requires about $500,000 in upgrades. School officials have said the money is needed elsewhere in the
26、system. Gartner said a core group of supporters is becoming a nonprofit, but he fears that without the School Board“s support, the planetarium could still be closed by July. “If we don“t get that other year, we believe any fundraising activities would be sabotaged if the planetarium is already close
27、d,“ he said. Last week, the School Board presented the Arlington County Board with a $439.8 million budget, $2.3 million less than what Murphy proposed in February, primarily because of less state funding. The new budget figures include several English as a second language specialists who were previ
28、ously cut, thanks to updated student enrollment numbers and adjustments made by the state to the required retirement accounts for school employees. “School-based substitutes, many transportation cuts and higher sports fees also were reinstated,“ Murphy said. Students and teachers from the Langston a
29、nd Arlington Mill continuing education programs spoke at the board“s meeting last week requesting no changes to the programs. “The system has proposed to reduce the continuing education teachers“ salaries by 17 percent, add days to their school year and cut instructional time so the program is more
30、consistent with high school schedules. The adjustments allowed all of the teachers to keep their jobs and put the program in a better position for future initiatives,“ said Betty E. Hobbs, assistant superintendent of personnel.（分数：10.00）(1).In Gartner“s opinion, there is _.（分数：2.00）A.hardly any hope
31、 for the Planetarium not being closedB.little chance for his organization to save the PlanetariumC.some chance for his organization to persuade the schoolD.still opportunity for the Planetarium not being closed(2).What is school officials“ opinion on the Planetarium?（分数：2.00）A.They haven“t made the
32、final decision to close it.B.They are waiting for rich people to save it.C.They are trying to collect money for it.D.They are resolute in closing the facility.(3).According to Gartner, the School Board _.（分数：2.00）A.is indifferent to the fate of the PlanetariumB.has the final decision on the fate of
33、the PlanetariumC.is against the budget on upgrading the PlanetariumD.is always the opponent of the Planetarium“s supporters(4).Why can the specialists benefit from the budget?（分数：2.00）A.Because they were once the victims of the budget cut.B.Because they will retire in the near future.C.Because they
34、object the budget on the Planetarium.D.Because they have more students to teach.(5).According to Hobbs, the adjustment on the continuing education _.（分数：2.00）A.has already influenced its personnel and resources allocationB.meant to put it into an advantageous position for future developmentC.has pro
35、duced a serious consequence on both its students and teachersD.has been granted by the School Board to be implemented in July六、Text 3(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Current Group, a Germantown-based technology firm, has taken over an ordinary looking house in Bethesda and turned it into a laboratory for smart-grid
36、technology, the system the company believes will bring the nation“s electricity grids into the digital age. In the front yard stands a utility pole hooked up to a special transformer that connects the power lines to high-speed Intemet. Hundreds of sensors attached to the lines monitor how power flow
37、s through the home. That information is then sent back to the utility company. The process lets a utility more efficiently manage the distribution of electricity by allowing two-way communication between consumers and energy suppliers via the broadband network on the power lines. Based on data they
38、receive from hundreds of homes, utilities can monitor usage and adjust output and pricing in response to demand. Consumers can be rewarded with reduced rates by cutting back on consumption during peak periods. And computerized substations can talk to each other so overloaded circuits hand off electr
39、icity to those that have not fully loaded, helping to prevent blackouts. Some utility companies have launched initiatives to give consumers data about their energy consumption habits in an effort to lower energy bills. Smart-grid technology takes such programs further by automating electricity distr
40、ibution, which would make grids more reliable and efficient. By partnering with utilities, the company hopes to tap into $4.5 billion in stimulus grants intended to encourage smart-grid development. When he announced the funding, President Obama pointed to a project in Boulder, Colo., as an example
41、of a successful smart-grid experiment. Current is one of the companies working on the project. Current“s chief executive Tom Casey believes the technology will help utility companies better distribute electricity produced by renewable resources, such as solar panels or wind farms. “A smart grid“s sy
42、stem can be paired up with the renewable resources so that when the renewable source is varying, the overall load can be varied as well,“ Casey told the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “This will reduce or eliminate the need for backup coal or gas-based power genera
43、tion plants.“（分数：10.00）(1).For smart-grid technology to work, which of the following is a must?（分数：2.00）A.The front yard of a house with a tall wooden pole.B.A huge hook that can connect power lines together.C.High-speed Intemet access and Intemet services.D.Many monitors through which power flowing
44、 can be seen.(2).What benefit can the smart-grid technology bring?（分数：2.00）A.Substations can talk to each other through computers.B.The consumers and energy suppliers can have direct communication.C.Consumers can be rewarded for using less electricity.D.The electricity supply of a certain area can b
45、e adjusted accordingly.(3).Why is the system called “smart-grid“ technology?（分数：2.00）A.Because with all the sensors and transformers, the equipment looks very modem.B.Because with all the data, they can help the utilities make clever decisions.C.Because the technology is making good use of computer
46、intelligence.D.Because the consumers can have wise ideas on the usage of electricity.(4).What does the phrase “tap into“ (Line 1, Para.5) mean?（分数：2.00）A.To take advantage of the government money.B.To organize a smooth money flow.C.To spend money like water.D.To absorb the money from shareholders.(5
47、).What“s the passage mainly about?（分数：2.00）A.Computers and Internet bring utilities into digital age.B.A new technology is introduced into the nation“s electricity grids.C.The U.S. government will work with a private electricity company.D.Smart-grid technology will take the place of coal or gas base
48、d power plant.七、Text 4(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Brain Cohen was an unusual kid. While other first-graders were outside playing, he was writing computer code. By junior high, he could solve Rubik“s Cube in a few minutes. A college dropout, he went on to co-found a hacker“s convention in San Francisco. “I was a
49、lways really weird,“ he says. Yet it was only two years ago, at age 27, that he learned why. Cohen says he has trouble examining his thoughts and making eye contact but has learned to control his symptoms using behavioral psychology. Now he has a new task: warding off accusations by the Hollywood film industry that a breakthrough piece of sottware he wrote is threatening the movie business the way Napster menacedand subsequently revolutionizedthe music world. Cohen is the author of a free program called BitTorrent, which has been downloaded more than 20 mill
