1、考研英语（阅读）-试卷 34 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）_“I think paying kids for test scores really undercut
2、s the basics of what we preach in the classroom about why learning is an important thingwhy it“s important for its own sake,“ says Liam Julian. Julian, like many, is worried about New York“ s new plan to pay kids to learn. His idealism is understandable, but problematic in a city where about half of
3、 the black and Hispanic students don“t make it to graduation. If “learning for learning“s sake“ is what the schools are selling, a lot of kids aren“t buying. Harvard economist Ronald Fryer designed the pay-to-learn plan. Under his plan, kids can earn cash for performance on 10 standardized testsfive
4、 mathematics and five English exams. Each student will be paid a small amount for simply completing the test; additional money is added for high scores. The idea is not new. In cities like Washington, D. C. , and Atlanta, some kids are already profiting from academic improvement. But the New York pr
5、ogram has attracted its share of controversy. Barry Schwartz argues that the use of incentives could “make the learning problem worse in the long run unless we“re prepared to follow these children through life, giving them a pat on the head, or a check every time they learn something new“. Schwartz
6、and Julian argue that if students are paid for performance, their intrinsic love of learning will be corrupted. Both concede, however, that the students being targeted for this program already feel little or no love for school. Yet Ph. D. candidatesand professors of psychology, for that matterget pa
7、id to learn as a matter of course, and they seem to be doing just fine. To completely separate the idea of money from schools is in some ways noble and ideal, but doesn“t reflect reality. Schools spend thousands of dollars per year per student; school systems spend millions to renovate buildings; an
8、d considerable money is spent on sports programs and academic teams. More directly, the schools already provide free or reduced-price meals to many students so that growling stomachs won“t prevent them from focusing enough to learn. Paying the students directly to enhance that focus is not going to
9、warp the system or the students any more than free lunch and football already do. If anything, paying them will further prepare them for adulthood when they will be paid for their services, or- if they“re luckyreceive performance-based scholarships and stipends for college.（分数：10.00）(1).Julian belie
10、ves that _.（分数：2.00）A.learning is important for its own sakeB.it“s understandable to pay kids for test scoresC.paying kids to learn is what schools strive forD.pay-to-learn is against our notion about education(2).Barry Schwartz argues that _.（分数：2.00）A.pay-to-learn plan should target kids who feel
11、no love for learningB.children who get paid to learn should be followed through lifeC.paying kids to learn diminishes their interests in learningD.profiting isn“t what kids study for in schools(3).The author points out that _.（分数：2.00）A.many kids aren“t learning for learning“s sakeB.paying kids to l
12、earn is harmful in the long runC.pay-to-learn plan is defective, though understandableD.it“s corrosive to pay kids for their performance on tests(4).The example of Ph. D, candidates is used to show that _.（分数：2.00）A.all kids get paid to learn as a matter of factB.pay-to-learn plan is not necessarily
13、 harmfulC.many kids aren“t interested in learning at allD.pay-to-learn enhances one“s love of learning(5).The author thinks that the pay-to-learn plan is _.（分数：2.00）A.beneficialB.detrimentalC.controversialD.comprehensibleThe 20th century witnessed two profound changes in regions of the world where p
14、eople are well educated and science and technology flourish: Life expectancy nearly doubled, and fertility rates fell dramatically. As a result, individuals and populations are aging. Virtually all educated people are aware of the graying of the United States, yet relatively few are as aware of its
15、implications for science, technology, and human culture. Longer life is a remarkable achievement, but now we need to apply what we are learning in the natural and social sciences to redesign human culture to accommodate long lives. We need to find cures for Alzheimer“s disease and arthritis, develop
16、 technologies that render many age-related frailties such as poor balance invisible in the way eyeglasses now compensate for presbyopia, and begin seriously rethinking cultural norms, such as the timing of education and retirement. Longevity is the largely unexpected consequence of improvements in g
17、eneral living conditions. Genetically speaking, we are no smarter or heartier than our relatives were 10, 000 years ago. Nonetheless, in practical terms we are more biologically fit than our great-grandparents. Robert Fogel and his colleague Dora Costa coined the term “ technophysio evolution“ to re
18、fer to improvements in biological functioning that are a consequence of technological advances. They point out that technologies developed mostly in the past century vastly improved the quality and sustainability of the food supply. Subsequent improvements in nutrition were so dramatic that average
19、body size increased by 50% and life expectancy doubled. The working capacity of vital organs greatly improved. Breakthroughs in manufacturing, transportation, energy production, and communications contributed further to improvements in biological functioning. Medical technology now enables full reco
20、very from accidents or illnesses that were previously fatal or disabling. Remember, however, that advances of the 20th century did not aim to increase longevity or alleviate the disabling conditions of later life. Longer life was the byproduct of better conditions for the young. The challenge today
21、is to build a world that is just as responsive to the needs of very old people as to the very young. The solutions must come from science and technology. Unlike evolution by natural selection, which operates across millennia, improvements in functioning due to technological advances can occur in a m
22、atter of years. In fact, given that the first of the 77 million Baby Boomers turned 60 in 2006, there is no time to waste. To the extent that we effectively use science and technology to compensate for human frailties at advanced ages, the conversation under way in the nation changes from one about
23、old age to one about long life, and this is a far more interesting and more productive conversation to have.（分数：10.00）(1).One of the radical changes in developed nations in the 20th century was that_.（分数：2.00）A.populations grew unexpectedlyB.the majority were well educatedC.life expectancy increased
24、 sharplyD.science and technology advanced(2).Facing the rapid increase of the aging population, we should_.（分数：2.00）A.manage to adapt our culture to itB.redesign our educational systemsC.find cures for age-related diseasesD.develop technologies for old people(3).According to Robert Fogel and Dora Co
25、sta, improved biological functioning is_.（分数：2.00）A.largely beyond our expectationsB.attributed to various technological advancesC.due to the improved quality of the food supplyD.inevitable with the improvement of living conditions(4).In the author“s opinion, the world we have built is_.（分数：2.00）A.t
26、o accommodate to the needs of young peopleB.to improve living conditions for all the peopleC.to increase the life expectancy of the majorityD.to attune to the needs of both old and young(5).The author proposes that we should_.（分数：2.00）A.spare no efforts to increase life expectancyB.be aware of the r
27、apid graying of our societyC.apply science and technology in everyday lifeD.try our best to improve the lives of old peopleHeroes are people that have aehieved something that we admire. It could be a character in a book or a movie. Everybody loves a hero. People often have their own personal heroes
28、that represent the values to which they aspire. Many select their hero from the public domain. The hero may be an actor, a musician, a politician or a celebrity. Sometimes it is a person that has committed a heroic act, showing great courage in the face of danger. We admire what they stand for. But
29、back at home in their private(and sometimes not so private)life, heroes are normal people. Normal people are subject to temptation and are faced with the stresses of everyday life. Few people are perfect, and when the spotlight falls upon their private lives the result is often disappointing. A youn
30、g golfer captured the imagination of the world. His achievements were immense, and he became a hero to many young golfers and others. He had a beautiful wife and young children and seemed like a role model for many. Suddenly, news emerged about countless affairs and infidelity. No longer the hero, t
31、he young golfer is in disgrace. Success brings about a whole new range of temptations. Our hero was human and didn“t know how to resist. Does this negate everything that he had achieved? Does it mean that his character is now bad? There must be many discarded heroes in the worldpoliticians and activ
32、ists of high integrity that have fallen prey to the temptation of corruption, sports heroes that have used steroids, and celebrities that have become involved in drug and alcohol abuse and infidelity. These are common mistakes or errors of judgment that we are all subject to. Even when we stray away
33、 from the straight and narrow we may return. So we are disappointed by our hero who behaved badly. Is it right to discard this hero and find another? Being human means making mistakes. There are none that are perfect and do only good. Each of us has our faults and imperfections. We will all be disap
34、pointed by our heroes from time to time. Sometimes the damage is too great to allow for forgiveness and it is time to find a new hero. But doing something wrong does not take away the achievements that have been achieved. It does not negate the courage or bravery that was required to become a hero.
35、Recognize your hero for what he or she has achieved and remember that no-one is perfect.（分数：10.00）(1).From the first two paragraphs, we learn that_.（分数：2.00）A.heroes are usually public figuresB.fictional heroes are no less admiredC.everyone has his own private heroesD.heroes are admired for their he
36、roic acts(2).By saying “heroes are normal people“ in paragraph 3, the author means that heroes_.（分数：2.00）A.can hardly avoid making mistakes in lifeB.live a life no more brilliant than most of usC.are admired in public rather than in privateD.are faced with more stresses than most people(3).The examp
37、le of a young golfer is given to show that heroes may_.（分数：2.00）A.have a good and perfect familyB.be exposed to various temptationsC.let us down with their bad behaviorD.serve as role models for most people(4).The author argues that our hero_.（分数：2.00）A.is subject to the temptation of corruptionB.is
38、 likely to degenerate under temptationsC.is superior to temptation with high integrityD.has nothing to do with drug or alcohol abuse(5).The author suggests that we should_.（分数：2.00）A.find a new hero once we lose oneB.maintain our admiration for a heroC.forgive the imperfections of a heroD.behave lik
39、e a hero in whatever we doFor the average American living in the United States is like having more than half a million dollars in wealth. So says a new study from the World Bank, Where is the Wealth of Nations?: Measuring Capital for the 21st Century, which makes estimates of the contribution of nat
40、ural, produced, and intangible capital to the aggregate wealth of 120 countries. Why are Americans so well off? It“s not just because of America“s fruited plains and its alabaster cities. In fact, it turns out that such natural and man-made resources comprise a relatively small percentage of our wea
41、lth. The World Bank study begins by defining natural capital as the sum of nonrenewable resources(including oil, natural gas, coal, and mineral resources), cropland, pastureland, forested areas, and protected areas. Produced capital is what many of us think of when we think of capital. It is the sum
42、 of machinery, equipment, and structures(including infrastructure)and urban land. The Bank then identifies intangible capital as the difference between total wealth and all produced and natural capital. Intangible capital encompasses raw labor; human capital, which includes the sum of the knowledge,
43、 skills, and know-how possessed by population; as well as the level of trust in a society and the quality of its formal and informal social institutions. Once the analytical framework is set up, what the researchers at the World Bank find is fascinating. “The most striking aspect of the wealth estim
44、ates is the high values for intangible capital. Nearly 85 percent of the countries in our sample have an intangible capital share of total wealth greater than 50 percent,“ write the researchers. They further note that years of schooling and a rule-of-law index can account for 90 percent of the varia
45、tion in intangible capital. In other words, the more highly educated a country“s people are and the more honest and fair its legal system is, the wealthier it is. Let“s consider a few cases. The country with the highest per capita wealth is Switzerland at $ 648,000. The United States is fourth at $
46、513,000. So if every American has $ 513,000 in capital, where is it? The vast majority of it is amassed in our political and economic institutions and our educations. The natural wealth in rich countries like the U. S. is a tiny proportion of their overall wealthtypically 1 to 3 percentyet they have
47、 higher amounts of natural capital than poor countries. Cropland, pastures and forests are more valuable in rich countries because they can be combined with other capital like machinery and strong property rights to produce more value. Machinery, buildings, roads, and so forth account for 17 percent
48、 of the rich countries“ total wealth. And 80 percent of the wealth of rich countries consists of intangible capital. “Rich countries are largely rich because of the skills of their populations and the quality of the institutions supporting economic activity,“ argues the World Bank study.（分数：10.00）(1
49、).Americans are rich because_.（分数：2.00）A.each American has more than half a million dollars in wealthB.they are the most creative and productive people in the worldC.what the capital contributes to the wealth in America is tremendousD.natural resources comprise a small percentage of the wealth in America(2).According to the World Ba
