1、考研英语（阅读）-试卷 106及答案解析(总分：60.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：6，分数：60.00)1.Section II Reading Comprehension（分数：10.00）_2.Part ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D.（分数：10.00）_Birth, growth, decline, death: it is the usual cycle
2、 for people, companies and industries. But the story of violin-making in Cremona in northern Italy, which flourished under such master craftsmen as Andrea Amati, Giuseppe Guarneri and Antonio Stradivari from the mid-16th century to the early 18th, suggests that, for industries at least, there may be
3、 life after death. Violin-making in Cremona struggled through the 19th century in the hands of a few carpenters who turned out low-quality instruments. By the 1950s it had died out, says Gio Batta Morassi, a 73-year-old maestro liutaio(master violin-maker). Yet today, in workshops overlooking the ci
4、ty“s cobbled streets, more than 100 craftsmen cut and plane maple and spruce to make string instrumentsmore than in any other European city. Cremona is once again the capital of hand-crafted instruments. A new school to train craftsmen in instrument-making opened in Cremona in 1938, though when Mr.
5、Morassi began his studies in 1950 there were just six students on the course, of whom only one other went on to make instruments. But this slight revival was sustained by a growing interest in Baroque music in northern Europe in the 1960s and 1970s, says Hildegard Dodel, a German who studied at the
6、school. It created new demand for instruments made in the traditional Cremonese style. Today Italians are a minority among the school“s 150 students; 30 are South Korean, 26 are Japanese, six are from China and three from Taiwan. Some will set up shop in the city: Ms Dodel worked for about ten years
7、 restoring and repairing instruments in Germany and the Netherlands before returning to open her own workshop in Cremona in 2003. Instrument-making is not an easy life. “I often thought of giving up,“ says Francesco Toto, who moved to Cremona 17 years ago and specializes in making cellos. Wood is ex
8、pensive, must be seasoned properly and is at risk from woodworm; the maple for a cello costs around 1,500, for example. Mr. Toto was able to raise his prices after winning a competition, but to maintain quality he makes just four instruments a year. Violin-makers can produce perhaps seven top-qualit
9、y instruments a year.(Cellos made by Cremona“s craftsmen typically cost 15,000-35,000, and violins 8,000-20,000.)Having come back from the dead, Cremona“s instrument-makers, like many others in Italian industries, hope that an emphasis on quality, tradition and craftsmanship will keep cheaper foreig
10、n rivals at bay.（分数：10.00）(1).The story of violin-making in Cremona implies the industry（分数：2.00）A.may undergo revival after a period of death.B.flourished because of the master craftsmen.C.may follow the same life cycle as people and companies.D.may experience a longer life than other industries.(2
11、).From the second paragraph, we can learn that Cremona（分数：2.00）A.has more instrument workers than any other city.B.had many carpenters to make violins in the past.C.declined because of its carpenters“ poor handcrafts.D.once was the capital of hand-crafted instruments.(3).Hildegard Dodel believed tha
12、t（分数：2.00）A.the revival of instrument-making was slight and sustainable.B.Baroque music stimulated the revival of the instrument-making.C.people in Europe were fond of traditional Cremonese style.D.Baroque music increased people“s interests in violins.(4).Which of the following is true according to
13、the passage?（分数：2.00）A.Italians are less educated but more skilled even today.B.Many students in the training school come from Eastern countries.C.Italians are less interested in training courses traditionally.D.Traditional Cremonese style is not popular today.(5).Many Italian industries today（分数：2.
14、00）A.have come back from the dead.B.are at risk because of the cheap foreign rivals.C.still focus on quality, tradition and craftsmanship.D.want to give up the difficult instrument-making.The battle to prevent or at least slow global warming has intensified in the past year as scientists have learne
15、d more about the magnitude of the problem. One of the leading climate experts, Inez Y. Fung, director of the Atmospheric Sciences Center at the University of California, Berkeley, recently showed that the earth may soon lose its ability to absorb much of the greenhouse gas that is raising temperatur
16、es. The oceans and continents currently soak up about half the carbon dioxide produced by the burning of fossil fuels. In the oceans, the gas combines with water to form carbonic acid; on land, plants take in more carbon dioxide and grow faster. But computer modeling done by Fung and her colleagues
17、indicates that these carbon sinks will become less effective as the earth continues to warm. For example, as the tropics become hotter and drier in the summer, plants will reduce their respiration of carbon dioxide to avoid water loss. Atmospheric measurements over the past decade have confirmed thi
18、s effect. If the oceans and land take in less carbon dioxide, more will remain in the atmosphere and global warming could accelerate catastrophically. Despite these warning signs, the government administration has opposed approval of the Kyoto Protocol, the international treaty mandating reductions
19、in greenhouse gas emissions. But nine states in the northeastern U.S. are attempting to sidestep the federal government“s opposition by taking action on their own. Last August the group reached a preliminary agreement to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 10 percent by 2020. The plan requires app
20、roval by the state legislatures, but environmentalists are already hoping that other regions of the U.S. will follow suit. If adopted nationwide, the proposal would lower greenhouse gas emissions by roughly as much as the Kyoto Protocol would have. Steve Howard, chief executive of the Climate Group,
21、 is tackling the global-warming problem from a different angle. Founded in 2004, the Climate Group is a coalition of corporations and local governments that have voluntarily committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Members include oil giant BP(British Petroleum Co. PLC), drug-maker John
22、son BP, for instance, slashed its energy bills by $650 million over 10 years. “We have seen important evidence about successful emission reduction scattered here and there in the most surprising places all over the globe,“ Howard says. “We are working to bring all of it together so that it forms a b
23、ody of evidence.“（分数：10.00）(1).Inez Y. Fung has found in the study that（分数：2.00）A.the problem of global warming has attracted great attention.B.the earth cannot accommodate the mounting greenhouse gas.C.the carbon dioxide is the main component of the greenhouse gas.D.the oceans and continents are ab
24、le to take in more gas.(2).What does “carbon sinks“(Line 1, Paragraph 2)mean?（分数：2.00）A.The process of producing greenhouse gas.B.The gradual process of land submersion.C.The absorbers of carbon dioxide.D.The process of forming carbonic compounds.(3).Which of the following is true of the reactions o
25、f authorities to the global warming?（分数：2.00）A.The government decides to rewrite the Kyoto Protocol.B.Parts of the U.S. will follow the federal government“s advice.C.The U.S. has approved the new plan of gas emissions.D.Nine states in the U.S. will paddle their own canoe.(4).It is suggested in the l
26、ast paragraph that（分数：2.00）A.the government profited from the Climate Group“s gas emission reduction.B.energy used more efficiently will bring benefits to economy as well as nature.C.energy bills should be slashed in order to maintain a low level of gas emission.D.the Climate Group is tackling the p
27、roblem through accumulating strong evidence.(5).Which of the following would be the best title for the text?（分数：2.00）A.The Climate Group“s CombatB.Less Fossil Fuels, More PlantsC.Clean Air and Blue SkyD.Protections for the ClimateIn theory, a government bailout should provide a short-term infusion o
28、f cash to give a struggling company the chance to right itself. But in its aggressive dealings with U.S. automakers, most recently General Motors, the Obama administration is coming dangerously close to engaging in financial engineering that ignores basic principles of fairness and economic realitie
29、s to achieve political goals. It is now clear that there is no real difference between the government and GM. For all intents and purposes, the government, which is set to assume a 50 percent equity stake in the company, is GM, and it has been calling the shots in negotiations with creditors. While
30、the Obama administration has been playing hardball with bondholders, it has been more than happy to play nice with the United Auto Workers(UAW). How else to explain why a retiree health-care fund controlled by the UAW is going to get a 39 percent equity stake in GM for its remaining $10 billion in c
31、laims while bondholders are being pressured to take a 10 percent stake for their $27 billion? It“s highly unlikely that the auto industry professionals at GM would have reached such a deal if the government had not been watching themor providing the money needed to keep the factory doors open. GM is
32、 widely expected to file for bankruptcy before the end of this month. If this were a typical bankruptcy, the company would be allowedg by law to tear up its UAW collective bargaining agreement and negotiate for drastically reduced wages and benefits. Surely, the government won“t let that happen. Sti
33、ll, the threat of a contract abolition probably played a role in the union“s agreement to cost-cutting measures last week. It“s never easy for unions to make concessions, but the sting of handing back money is being softened by the government“s desire to give the union a huge ownership stake in GM.
34、The administration argues that it could not risk alienating the union for fear of triggering a strike that could permanently cripple GM. It also assumes that it had to agree to protect suppliers and fund warranties in order to preserve jobs and reassure potential buyers that their cars would be serv
35、iced. These are legitimate concerns. But it“s too bad that the Obama administration has not thought more deeply about how its bullying of bondholders could convince future investors that the last thing they want to do is put money into any company that the government hasor couldbecome involved in.（分
36、数：10.00）(1).In its dealings with U.S. automakers, the Obama administration has（分数：2.00）A.been hard on shareholders and auto industry labor force.B.helped struggling automakers to right themselves with a short-term cash-infusion.C.narrowly avoided ignorance of basic principles of fairness and economi
37、c realities.D.successfully saved the automaker-giants while striving for political goals.(2).The statement “call the shots“(Line 3, Paragraph 2)is closest in meaning to（分数：2.00）A.implement strategies.B.have the final say.C.seek compromises.D.make concessions.(3).If it had not been watched by the gov
38、ernment, GM would probably have（分数：2.00）A.imposed no pressure on bondholders to take the 10% equity stake.B.cut the percentage of equity stake controlled by the UAW.C.torn up its UAW collective bargaining agreement in an illegal way.D.launched staff-downsizing and reduced workers“ wages and benefits
39、.(4).It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that the UAW gives top priority to（分数：2.00）A.taking its ownership stake in GM.B.enlarging the retiree health-care fund.C.raising workers“ wages and benefits.D.validating the contract with GM.(5).To which of the following statements would the author most likel
40、y agree?（分数：2.00）A.The UAW should be fully satisfied in order to avoid a strike.B.The administration has given more than enough sympathy to the workers.C.The unfair treatment can make future investors lose trust in the government.D.Legitimate concerns are only tools of the government to achieve poli
41、tical goals.Biographies can be wearisome contrivances, often too long and too detailed for their own good. Biographers make the mistake of spending too much time worshipping their subjects. Think of the authoritative three-volume life of Robert Frost by Lawrence Thompson, for example, and how the bi
42、ographer passed, over the many years of its making, from hero worship to intense dislike of the poet he shadowed for almost a quarter of a century. Yes, too long and intense an acquaintance can lead to sourness. As the bicentenary of Charles Darwin“s birth on February 12th approaches, it is good to
43、welcome a biography which is relatively small, but in no way superficial or meager. Ruth Padel has achieved this feat by writing her great-great-grandfather“s life in a sequence of often quite short poems. Through her verses she seeks to capture the “voice“ of Darwin. Ms Padel embeds many of Darwin“
44、s own words from his books or his lettersin her poems, and the results tend to give the sense of being jointly authored. Sometimes she shapes entire pieces of quotation into her own poetic passages. If this seems to be a bit of sly plagiarism, it doesn“t feel like it. It feels more like a skillful a
45、ct of collaboration between the living and the dead, one melding easily with the other. Why does this book work so well? How does it manage to say so much in so few words? Ms Padel seems to have caught the essence of the man“s character, as if in a butterfly net. She enters into his cast of mind, br
46、inging across his hyper-sensitivity, his sense of fragility, his lifelong boldness, and the poems are a sequence of snapshotsoften small, intermittent and delicately imagisticof particularly crucial incidents in his life; of moments of intellectual illumination. It is not easy to describe a whole li
47、fe in relatively few words. You need to find some way of filling in the background. Ms Padel has overcome this problem by having paragraphs of notes run, in a single column, beside the texts of the poems so that they can be read side by side. And why are poems a good way of illuminating a life such
48、as Darwin“s? The best lyric poems think of Keats or Shelley, for exampleare moments of sudden insight. And Darwin, throughout, was in the grip of something very similar: a terrible, destabilizing sense of wonder. He sensed hints of the marvelous everywhere he looked. All the sadder thenand this is s
49、omething that Ms Padel does not explainthat, later in life, the man who carried with him on the Beagle Channel a copy of Milton“s “Paradise Lost“ found that he could no longer enjoy poetry.（分数：10.00）(1).According to the author, biographies can become boring because they are too（分数：2.00）A.short.B.detailed.C.authoritative.D.superficial.(2).The example of Lawrence Thompson is to show that（分数：2.00）A.it“s mos
