1、考研英语（阅读）-试卷 164 及答案解析(总分：70.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Reading Comprehensio(总题数：7，分数：70.00)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）_Familiar as it may seem, gravity remains a mystery
2、to modern physics. Despite several decades of trying, scientists have failed to fit Einstein“s general theory of relativity, which describes how gravity holds big objects together, with the quantum mechanics (an extension of statistical mechanics based on quantum theory) he pioneered, which describe
3、s the tiny fundamental particles of whichmatter consists and the forces by which they interact.Recent discoveries have highlighted further problems. Many physicists are therefore entertaining the idea that Einstein“s ideas about gravity must be wrong or at least incomplete. Showing exactly how and w
4、here the great man erred is the task of the scientists who gathered at the “Rethinking Gravity“ conference at the University of Arizona in Tucson this week. One way to test general relativity is to examine ever more closely the assumptions on which it rests, such as the equivalence principle: that g
5、ravity accelerates all objects at the same rate, regardless of their mass or composition. This principle was famously demonstrated by Galileo Galilei some 400 years ago when he simultaneously dropped cannon and musket balls, and balls made of gold, silver and wood, from the Tower of Pisa. Each appea
6、red to hit the ground at the same time. A more precise test requires a taller tower. In effect, researchers are sending balls all the way to the moon and back. Tom Murphy, of the University of California, San Diego, and his colleagues fire laser beams from the deserts of New Mexico at reflectors pla
7、ced on the moon by American and Russian spacecraft in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They use a telescope to capture the small fraction of the light that returns. Because the speed of light is known, they can calculate the distance between the Earth and the moon from the time taken for light to pas
8、s through it. According to general relativity, because the Earth and the moon orbit the sun, they should “fall“ towards it at the same rate, in the same way as Galileo“s balls fell to the ground. By repeatedly measuring the distance between them, scientists can calculate the orbits of the Earth and
9、the moon around the sun relative to each other. If the equivalence principle were violated, the moon“s orbit around the Earth would not appear straight, either towards or away from the sun So far, Dr Murphy told the conference, these experiments have merely confirmed the equivalence principle to one
10、 part in 10 trillion. Dr Murphy and his colleagues hope that even more precise measurements could ultimately show general relativity to be only approximately correct. This would usher in a new revolution in physics.（分数：10.00）(1).It is stated in Paragraph 1 that the theory of relativity（分数：2.00）A.is
11、beyond all the current scientists“ understanding.B.has failed Albert Einstein for years.C.seems at odds with the quantum mechanics.D.is useful in holding big things together.(2).Scientists present at the “Rethinking Gravity“ conference（分数：2.00）A.unanimously believe that Einstein“s general theory of
12、relativity is wrong.B.have found further problems about the general theory of relativity.C.question the assumptions of the general theory of relativity.D.are trying to find out the possible flaws of the gravity theory.(3).Galileo Galilei“s experiment at the Tower of Pisa around 400 years ago（分数：2.00
13、）A.was one way of testing Einstein“s general theory of gravity.B.illustrated the insignificance of mass and composition of an object.C.acted as a well-known example to testify the equivalence principle.D.showed that all objects on Earth were influenced by gravity.(4).Tom Murphy and his colleagues fi
14、re laser beams at reflectors on the moon with the aim to（分数：2.00）A.measure the distance between the moon and the Earth.B.calculate the speed of light.C.check how long it takes light to cross it.D.prove the equivalence principle more accurately.(5).What can we infer from the last paragraph?（分数：2.00）A
15、.General relativity is actually ungrounded at all.B.The calculation of the orbits shows that equivalence principle is violatedC.More should be done to prove the correctness of equivalence principle.D.A new revolution in physics has already arrived.Today, at the push of a button, you can download and
16、 print the whole of Dante“s Divine Comedy, using only a computer, an Internet connection, a paving stone of paper and a small bucket of ink. Technically, the service is free, although it would be easier and cheaper simply to buy the book, which could then be read in the bath, while saving on printer
17、 cartridges and trees. The new service is the latest step in the stated goal of Google, the Internet search engine, “to organize the world“s information and make it universally accessible and useful“ and, although few may be rushing to print out the Digitized Dante, it marks an important development
18、 in world literature. For some, making books available online for free download represents a paradise found; others, including a number of worried publishers and writers, fear it may point the way to the ninth circle of hell. Google“s Book Search service is just one part of the Library Project, in w
19、hich the Internet engine has teamed up with libraries around the world, including the Bodleian in Oxford, to digitize collections and make millions of books available and searchable online. At first sight, the notion of a limitless digital library seems irresistible, a single, free repository access
20、ible from every corner of the globe. Partners in the Library Project say the system will enable users to access not just the classics, but also much more obscure works: forgotten novels, scientific accounts, illustrations and neglected poetry. Moribund books may be brought back to life. Librarians a
21、re often frustrated at the unseen gems in their collections gathering dust. Now the whole lot can be digitally stacked on an endless virtual shelf, to be browsed by anyone with a computer mouse. The problem lies not with digitalizing dead or undead books, but the potential danger to those that still
22、 have commercial life in them in the form of copyright. Google is quick to point out that the books available for download through Book Search are all out of copyright. Indeed, while European law allows copyright to expire 70 years after an author“s death, the new service does not offer anything pub
23、lished later than the mid-19th century. Some publishers, however, see the availability of free books for digital download as the thin end of a very large wedge that could split literature by undermining copyright itself. Last year the Association of American Publishers filed suit against Google clai
24、ming that by scanning 100 per cent of a book (to make it searchable by word) the company is infringing copyright, even if only a small excerpt is then available for free. Silence is golden in a library; but the law of copyright is beyond price.（分数：10.00）(1).Dante“s Divine Comedy is mentioned in Para
25、graph 1 to illustrate（分数：2.00）A.the easy accessibility of online digital books.B.the convenience of downloading and printing digital books.C.that books downloaded and printed are cheaper than ordinary books.D.that it is environmentally friendlier to download digital books.(2).It can be inferred from
26、 the second paragraph that（分数：2.00）A.Google“s new service is going to be a smashing success.B.people are helplessly obsessed with the Digitalized Dante.C.opinions vary towards free downloading of online books.D.people embrace the idea of making books online for free download.(3).We know from the tex
27、t that the author perceives the concept of “a limitless digital library“ (Line 1, Paragraph 3) as（分数：2.00）A.irresistible.B.convenient.C.disastrous.D.problematic.(4).What does “the thin end of a very large wedge“ (Line 6, Paragraph 4) most probably imply?（分数：2.00）A.Google“s new service will gradually
28、 infringe on copyright and eventually ruin literature.B.Books should not be digitalized and downloaded for the sake of copyright and literature.C.Google“s new service has caused huge damages to copyright and split literature.D.Google“s new service will divide literature into online literature and of
29、fline literature.(5).Which of the following is the best title for this text?（分数：2.00）A.Google“s Book Search ServiceB.Bingo! Digitalization of BooksC.Digitalization: Pros and ConsD.Silence! Author under ThreatWhen recruiting at British universities, PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the Big Four auditin
30、g firms with its headquarters in the New York City, presents candidates with an unusual exercise. They are asked to build a tall and sturdy tower using the smallest possible number of snap-together Lego bricks. Similarly, at Google Games, a recruiting event first staged by the search-enginegiant in
31、April, candidates are invited to build Lego bridgesthe stronger the better. In each case, the company is trying to convey the idea that it offers a creative, fun working environment. “It was as much advertising as a way of trying to get recruits,“ says Brett Daniel, a student at the University of Il
32、linois at Urbana-Champaign who built the Google Games“ weakest bridge. A Danish firm, based in Billund, Denmark, has embraced the corporate use of its colored plastic bricks. As part of a scheme called “Serious Play“ it is certifying a growing number of professional Lego consultants, now present in
33、25 countries. They coach managers by getting them to build “metaphorical abstractions“ of such things as corporate strategy, says Lego“s Jesper Jensen, who runs the scheme. Hisham El-Gamal of Quest, a management consultancy based in Cairo that offers Serious Play workshops, says demand for the two-d
34、ay, $7,000 courses is booming. Firms in crisis, such as those corrupted by scandal or in the pains of a takeover, tend to be most receptive to the idea of Lego workshops, says Francois de Boissezon of Imagics, a consultancy based in Brussels. The results can be embarrassing, particularly for senior
35、managers. Tsai Yu-Chen of UGene Mentor, a Serious Play consultancy based in Taipei, says a common exercise is modeling, but not naming, “the people you hate most“. One chief executive was modeled as a figure so fat that he blocked a hallway, suggesting he was clogging up the company. Lego workshops
36、are effective because child-like play is a form of instinctive behavior not regulated by conscious thought, says Lucio Margulis of Juego Serio, a consultancy in Buenos Aires. This produces “Eureka“ moments: a perfectionist who realizes the absurdity of frustration over an imperfect Lego construction
37、; the owner of a firm with dismal customer relations who models headquarters as a fort under siege; or an arrogant boss who depicts his staff as soldiers headed into battle. Even in the office, it seems, Lego has a part to play.（分数：10.00）(1).In the opening paragraph, the author introduces his topic
38、by（分数：2.00）A.posing a contrast.B.making a comparison.C.stating a phenomenon.D.illustrating a hypothesis.(2).PricewaterhouseCoopers and Google Games incorporate Lego workshops into their recruitments mainly to（分数：2.00）A.check whether the candidates get the required operation skills.B.test whether the
39、 candidates are innovative and funny.C.advertise themselves as well as get the most talented recruits.D.attract the candidates with their creative and easy working atmosphere.(3).Which of the following is closest in meaning to “clogging up“ (Line 6, Paragraph 4)?（分数：2.00）A.corrupting.B.obstructing.C
40、.ruining.D.betraying.(4).According to Lucio Margulis, a person“s behavior in Lego workshops is characterized by being（分数：2.00）A.effective.B.childish.C.natural.D.conscious.(5).What can we know from the last paragraph about the “Eureka“ moments?（分数：2.00）A.They are effective but unconscious.B.They are
41、the sudden realizations and discoveries in our life.C.They are the frustrated and depressed moments in our life.D.They are common and unsurprising in work places.Venture capitalists have found it difficult to make investments in wind power for the fact that most wind power demands quite large-scale
42、wind farms to produce electricity. New technology could change that Earlier this month, Southwest Windpower(SWWP) raised $8 million to launch a small generator that could bring wind power to individual homes and businesses. “It will unlock an extraor-dinary market“ says Hap Ellis, a general partner
43、at RockPort Capital Partners, which led the round. It“s easy to see why Mr.Ellis is excited. Global wind markets grew 47 percent to $11.8 billion in 2005, and are expected to reach $48.5 billion in 2015, according to Clean Edge, a market research firm. With this deal, RockPort and its partner compan
44、ies may have found a way to harness a wind storm that was once the sole domain of big utilities. While SWWP already makes small wind turbines for “off-grid“ customersthat is, customers too isolated to be connected to the electric networkit has only sold some 95,000 in the last seven years. The grid-
45、connected market is potentially far larger, as Mr.Greco estimates 13 million homes could use the grid-connected technology in the United States alone. But wind power hasn“t been widely used in grid-connected homes and businesses because the technology requires a number of inverters and controllers,
46、and installation is complicated, he says. SWWP“s new turbine is much easier to use. It includes all the inverters, controllers, and other parts needed to connect to the grid. They are all contained within the body of the generator, lowering the production and installation costs, says Mr.Greco, who e
47、xpects a retail price of around $5,500. At that price, the average cost per kilowatt hour would be $0.08not including subsidies available in many states, he says. That means wind can beat the cost of regular electricity, which in the U.S. averages $0.09 per kilowatt hour, he says. The turbine also p
48、roduces electricity at lower wind speeds and the blades top out at only 300 rotations per minute to reduce noise, he says.SWWP estimates the potential grid-connected market is worth about $1 billion. The company made revenues of “just under“ $10 million in 2005, and expects a 70 percent growth rate
49、this year because of the new product, Mr. Greco says. “We will be extremely profitable this year,“ he says. Let“s hope that Mr. Greco“s prediction turns out to be more than just a lot of wind.（分数：10.00）(1).Why have venture capitalists found it difficult to invest in wind power?（分数：2.00）A.Investment in the wind power market is highly risky.B.Development of wind power calls for new technologies.C.Wind power industry
