1、考研英语-978 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)Chronic insomnia is a major public health problem. And too many people are using (1) therapies, even while there are a few treatments that do work. Millions of Americans (2) awake at night counting sheep or have a stiff drink or
2、 (3) an pill, hoping it will make them sleepy. (4) experts agree all that self-medicating is a bad idea, and the causes of chronic insomnia remain (5) .Almost a third of adults have trouble sleeping, and about 10 percent have (6) of daytime impairment that signal true insomnia. But (7) the complaint
3、s, scientists know surprisingly little about what causes chronic insomnia, its health consequences and how best to treat it, a panel of specialists (8) together by the National Institutes of Health concluded Wednesday. The panel called (9) a broad range of research into insomnia, (10) that if scient
4、ists understood its (11) causes, they could develop better treatments.Most, but not all, insomnia is thought to (12) other health problems, from arthritis and depression to cardiovascular disease. The question often is whether the insomnia came first or was a result of the other diseases and how tro
5、uble sleeping in (13) complicates those other problems. Other diseases (14) , the risk of insomnia seems to increase with age and to be more (15) among women, especially after their 50s. Smoking, caffeine and numerous (16) drugs also affect sleep.The NIH is spending about $200 million this year on s
6、leep-related research, some (17) to specific disorders and others (18) the underlying scientific laws that control the nervous system of sleep. The agency was (19) the panes review before deciding what additional work should be (20) at insomnia.（分数：10.00）(1).A. unproven B. unknownC. improper D. impe
7、rative（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(2).A. fall B. lieC. seem D. become（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(3).A. prescribe B. popC. abuse D. experiment（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(4).A. And B. ThoughC. Thus D. But（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(5).A. peculiar B. anonymousC. mysterious D. unexpected（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(6).A. signals B. symptomsC. signs D. sy
8、mbols（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(7).A. in addition to B. except forC. owing to D. for all（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(8).A. pulled B. collectedC. brought D. drawn（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(9).A. on B. forC. up D. in（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(10).A. noting B. notifyingC. nosing D. nominating（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(11).A. undertaking B. underlin
9、ingC. underlying D. undermining（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(12).A. cause B. accompanyC. follow D. attend（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(13).A. short B. caseC. essence D. turn（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(14).A. inside B. outsideC. aside D. besides（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(15).A. common B. popularC. frequent D. regular（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(16).A. c
10、onscription B. descriptionC. subscription D. prescription（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(17).A. aimed B. targetedC. designated D. designed（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(18).A. examining B. inspectingC. verifying D. assessing（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(19).A. conducting B. awaitingC. receiving D. considering（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.(20).A. assi
11、gned B. chargedC. directed D. attended（分数：0.50）A.B.C.D.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)Up until a few decades ago, our visions of the future were largelythough by no means uniformly glowingly positive. Science and technology would cure all the ills o
12、f humanity, leading to lives of fulfillment and opportunity for all.Now utopia has grown unfashionable, as we have gained a deeper appreciation of the range of threats facing us, from asteroid strike to epidemic flu to climate change. You might even be tempted to assume that humanity has little futu
13、re to look forward to.But such gloominess is misplaced. The fossil record shows that many species have endured for millions of yearsso why shouldnt we? Take a broader look at our species place in the universe, and it becomes clear that we have an excellent chance of surviving for tens, if not hundre
14、ds, of thousands of years. Look up Homo sapiens in the “Red List“ of threatened species of the International Union for the Conversation of Nature (IUCN) and you will read: “Listed as Least Concern as the species is very widely distributed, adaptable, currently increasing, and there are no major thre
15、ats resulting in an overall population decline.“So what does our deep future hold? A growing number of researchers and organizations are now thinking seriously about that question. For example, the Long Now Foundation has its flagship project a mechanical clock that is designed to still be marking t
16、ime thousands of years hence.Perhaps willfully, it may be easier to think about such lengthy timescales than about the more immediate future. The potential evolution of todays technology, and its social consequences, is dazzlingly complicated, and its perhaps best left to science fiction writers and
17、 futurologists to explore the many possibilities we can envisage. Thats one reason why we have launched Arc, a new publication dedicated to the near future.But take a longer view and there is a surprising amount that we can say with considerable assurance. As so often, the past holds the key to the
18、future: we have now identified enough of the long-term patterns shaping the history of the planet, and our species, to make evidence-based forecasts about the situations in which our descendants will find themselves.This long perspective makes the pessimistic view of our prospects seem more likely t
19、o be a passing fad. To be sure, the future is not all rosy. But we are now knowledgeable enough to reduce many of the risks that threatened the existence of earlier humans, and to improve the lot of those to come.（分数：10.00）(1).Our vision of the future used to be inspired byA. our desire for lives of
20、 fulfillment.B. our faith in science and technology.C. our awareness of potential risks.D. our belief in equal opportunity.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(2).The IUCNs “Red List“ suggest that human beings areA. a sustained species.B. the worlds dominant power.C. a threat to the environment.D. a misplaced race.（分数
21、：2.00）A.B.C.D.(3).Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 5?A. Arc helps limit the scope of futurological studies.B. Technology offers solutions to social problem.C. The interest in science fiction is on the rise.D. Our immediate future is hard to conceive.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(4).To ensur
22、e the future of mankind, it is crucial toA. explore our planets abundant resources.B. adopt an optimistic view of the world.C. draw on our experience from the past.D. curb our ambition to reshape history.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(5).Which of the following would be the best title for the text?A. Uncertainty
23、about Our FutureB. Evolution of the Human SpeciesC. The Ever-bright Prospects of MankindD. Science, Technology and Humanity（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.五、Text 2(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has becom
24、e difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.To start wit
25、h, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal ef
26、fect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and i
27、ncrease yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safe and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to diminishing biodiversity.Whats more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million
28、 tons of grain a year by 2050. Yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require radical thinking. For examp
29、le, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact“. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to m
30、aintain production without increasing damage.Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, ca
31、rbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.What
32、is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.（分数：10.00）(1).How do people often measure progress in agriculture?A. By its productivity.B. By its sustainability.C. By its impact on the environment.D. By its contribution to economic growth.（分数：2.0
33、0）A.B.C.D.(2).Specialization and the effort to increase yields have resulted inA. localized pollution.B. the shrinking of farmland.C. competition from overseas.D. the decrease of biodiversity.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(3).What does the author think of traditional farming practices?A. They have remained the s
34、ame over the centuries.B. They have not kept pace with population growth.C. They are not necessarily sustainable.D. They are environmentally friendly.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(4).What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?A. It will go through radical changes.B. It will supply more animal products.C.
35、 It will abandon traditional farming practices.D. It will cause zero damage to the environment.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(5).What is the authors purpose in writing this passage?A. To remind people of the need of sustainable development.B. To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production.C. To advance
36、new criteria for measuring farming progress.D. To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.六、Text 3(总题数：1，分数：10.00)The mythology of a culture can provide some vital insights into the beliefs and values of that culture. By using fantastic and sometimes incredible storie
37、s to create an oral tradition by which to explain the wonders of the natural world and teach lessons to younger generations, a society exposes those ideas and concepts held most important. Just as important as the final lesson to be gathered from the stories, however, are the characters and the role
38、s they play in conveying that message.Perhaps the epitome of mythology and its use as a tool to pass on cultural values can be found in Aesops Fables, told and retold during the era of the Greek Empire. Aesop, a slave who won the favor of the court through his imaginative and descriptive tales, almo
39、st exclusively used animals to fill the roles in his short stories. Humans, when at all present, almost always played the part of bumbling fools struggling to learn the lesson being presented. This choice of characterization allows us to see that the Greeks placed wisdom on a level slightly beyond h
40、umans, implying that deep wisdom and understanding is a universal quality sought by, rather than steanning from, human beings.Aesops fables illustrated the central themes of humility and self-reliance, reflecting the importance of those traits in early Greek society. The folly of humans was used to
41、contrast against the ultimate goal of attaining a higher level of understanding and awareness of truths about nature and humanity. For example, one notable fable features a fox repeatedly trying to reach a bunch of grapes on a very high vine. After failing at several attempts, the fox gives up, maki
42、ng up its mind that the grapes were probably sour anyway. The fables lesson, that we often play down that which we cant achieve so as to make ourselves feel better, teaches the reader or listener in an entertaining way about one of the weaknesses of the human psyche.The mythology of other cultures a
43、nd societies reveal the underlying traits of their respective cultures just as Aesops fables did. The stories of Roman gods, Aztec ghosts and European elves all served to train ancient generations those lessons considered most important to their community, and today they offer a powerful looking gla
44、ss by which to evaluate and consider the contextual environment in which those culture existed.（分数：10.00）(1).The author appears to view fables asA. the most interesting and valuable form of mythology.B. entertaining yet serious subjects of study.C. a remnant tool of past civilizations, but not often
45、 used in the modern age.D. the primary method by which ancient values and ideas were transmitted between generations.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(2).The way that fables were used in the past is most similar to todaysA. fairy tales that entertain children at home.B. stories in childrens school textbooks that re
46、inforce the lesson.C. science documentaries that explain how nature works.D. movies that depict animals as having human characteristics.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(3).The main purpose of Paragraph 3 is toA. examine how one of Aesops fables sheds light on certain facets of Greek belief.B. dissect one of Aesops
47、 fables in order to study the elements that make up Greek mythology.C. learn from the lesson Presented in one of Aesops most well-known fables.D. illustrate a fable typical of Aesops style, so as to examine how one goes about studying the meaning behind it.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(4).The author names the R
48、oman, Aztec and European cultures in order toA. identify other cultures in which fables were the primary method by which to pass on traditions and values.B. explicitly name the various types of characters in those cultures fables.C. stress that mythology was used by cultures other than the Greeks to
49、 convey societal morals.D. establish them, in addition to the Greeks, as the societies most notable for their mythology.（分数：2.00）A.B.C.D.(5).The main point of this text isA. Aesops fables provide a valuable glimpse into early Greek thought and beliefs.B. the most efficient and reliable way to study the values system of an ancient culture is through study of its mythology.C. without a thorough examination of a societys fables and other mythology, a cultural study on that society would be only partial.D. through the study of a cultures mythological tradition, one
