1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 489 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）_Now that the economy is at last growing again, the
2、 burning issue in Britain is the cost of living. Prices have exceeded wages for the past six years. But the thing that is really out of control is the cost of housing. In the past year wages have risen by 1%; property prices are up by 8.4%. This is merely the latest in a long surge. If since 1971 th
3、e price of groceries had risen as steeply as the cost of housing, a chicken would cost 51 ($83). By subsidising mortgages, and thus boosting demand, the government is aggravating the problem. But that is not the main reason for rising prices. Driven by a baby-boom, immigration and longer lives, Brit
4、ains population is growing by around 0.8% per year, faster than in most rich countries. Foreign wealth, in the meantime, is pouring into London. If supply were rising fast too, increasing demand would not matter; but it is not. Though some 221,000 additional households are formed in England annually
5、, just 108,000 homes were built in the year to September 2013. The lack of housing is an economic drag. About three-quarters of English job growth last year was in London and its inland, but high prices make it hard for people to move there from less favoured spots. It also damages lives. New Britis
6、h homes are smaller than those anywhere else in Europe, household size is rising in London and slums are spreading as immigrants squash into shared houses (and, sometimes, garden sheds). Inequality is growing, because the higher property prices are, the greater the advantage that belongs to those wh
7、ose parents own their homes. This is all the result of deliberate policymaking. Since the 1940s house-building in Britain has been regulated by a system designed to prevent urban sprawl, something it has achieved well. It is almost impossible to construct any new building anywhere without permission
8、 from the local council. In the places where people most want to livesuburbs at the edge of big citiescouncils tend not to give it.（分数：10.00）(1).We know from the first paragraph that _.（分数：2.00）A.at present, a chicken in Britain costs 51B.the urgent problem in Britain is the cost of housingC.prices
9、of goods have gone up by 8.4% in the past yearD.housing prices grow much faster than peoples income(2).The population in Britain is growing because all EXCEPT _.（分数：2.00）A.more babies were born than any time in historyB.people live longer than before due to several reasonsC.a large number of foreign
10、ers have swarmed into the countryD.the government encourages families to have more than one baby(3).What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?（分数：2.00）A.There will be fewer poor people in London.B.British houses are bigger than other places in Europe.C.Economy may be stagnant because of housing problem.
11、D.Employment rate has increased by 75% everywhere in Britain.(4).Which of the following is true of Britains house-building policy?（分数：2.00）A.The policy has to some degree tackled the problem of rapid urbanization.B.The policymaking led to many social problems in Britain.C.The local councils are resp
12、onsible for building houses.D.Councils may give the permission to build houses in the suburban area.(5).The best title of the text may be _.（分数：2.00）A.Economy Is Coming BackB.Housing Problem in BritainC.Housing Price: High EverywhereD.Britain: An Expensive Place to Live inIn the old, days parents fo
13、llowed a simple rule: spare the rod and spoil the child. These days less violent forms of discipline are favoured. Supernanny, a television toddler-tamer, recommends the “naughty step“, to which ill-behaved naughty children are temporarily banished. Yet even this is too harsh, some psychologists say
14、. But advocates of “positive discipline“ say “naughty step“ does nothing to encourage one to solve problems (and thus build character). Some even suggest it may be psychologically damaging. Positive discipline, which is becoming a fad in America, aims to teach children self-control and empathy. Rath
15、er than screaming at them to pick up the toys they have thrown on the floor, parents or teachers ask them to suggest their own way of tackling the problem. Adults are encouraged to think harder about the causes of bad behaviour. Families meet regularly to discuss all of the above. The Ravenswood Sch
16、ool in Chicago has embraced positive discipline. When children quarrel, they are allowed to pick an option from a “wheel of choice“ poster. These include “share and take turns“, “balloon breath“ and a spell in the “calm-down corner“. In one classroom this has a tiny chair, some fairy lights and an i
17、nviting box of picture books. Positive discipline is not new; Jane Nelson, a family consultant and child-care guru , first published a book with that title in 1981. No reliable statistics show how many parents or schools use it, but the Positive Discipline Association, a non-profit that ran 18 train
18、ing workshops in 2005, found itself running 51 in 2010. Doubters fear that positive really means permissive. Not so, says Maria Vannucci of the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago. The goal is to connect with a child, rather than simply barking “Shut up!“ or “Go to your room!“ For exa
19、mple, a child who is getting underfoot in the kitchen may need to feel involved and be given something to do, such as rolling pastry or folding napkins. One who has given up on his homework may need to have the task broken down. A toddler who hits another may not know why he is angry; he may be remo
20、ved or told: “Use your gentle hands.“ Bribes are out: positive disciplinarians fear they may prevent a child from developing pride in a job well done.（分数：10.00）(1).According to Paragraph 1, which one of the following is true?（分数：2.00）A.Positive discipline is absolutely superior to “naughty step“.B.P
21、arents used to choose more violent ways to teach their children.C.Supernanny advises parents to use “naughty step“ and “positive discipline“.D.Some people suggest “naughty step“ is both physically and mentally damaging.(2).Which one of the behaviors may be “positive discipline“?（分数：2.00）A.Scream at
22、children and then reason with them.B.Scold children and let them reflect upon themselves.C.Gently ask children to find a way to solve the problem.D.Ask children to put their toys away and punish them.(3).The underlined word “guru“ (Para.4, Line 1) most probably means _.（分数：2.00）A.an expertB.a teache
23、rC.a doctorD.a writer(4).Maria Vannucci suggests that _.（分数：2.00）A.positive discipline means permissiveB.positive discipline may do harm to childrenC.positive discipline will deprive children of confidenceD.the aim of positive discipline is to communicate with a child(5).Whats the authors attitude t
24、owards “positive discipline“?（分数：2.00）A.Permissive.B.Supportive.C.Objective.D.Doubtful.In the Second World War a “blockbuster“ was a bomb that could eliminate whole streets. Today it is the kind of hit creation that every media executive prays for. Popular films, books, music albums and sports teams
25、 that bring in huge audiencesand vast profitscan determine whether a year is profitable or loss-making, and break a bosss career. The entertainment industrys search for the golden release is the focus of “Blockbusters“ by Anita Elberse, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business Scho
26、ol. Conventional corporate wisdom maintains that spreading resources across many smaller properties is sounder than pushing money into a few big, concentrated bets. Ms Elberse uses case studies from the film, television, music and sporting worlds to argue that, counterintuitively, “the idea of small
27、er bets being safer is a myth.“ Nurturing a few choice works and helps firms create superstars and super products, and is the key to far higher profits. Ms Elberse cites Grand Central Publishing as one example: the top 10% of its titles account for 64% of the publishers costs, but 126% of its profit
28、s.The thesis that popular products earn more money might seem as obvious as the plot of the latest Hollywood film you saw. But it is not what business experts predicted would happen. In 2006 Chris Anderson, the editor of Wired and a former journalist at The Economist, wrote “The Long Tail: Why the F
29、uture of Business is Selling Less of More“, in which he argued that the internet would change the demand curve for entertainment products. With unlimited “shelf“ space available online and more refined search algorithms to direct people to songs and books they might be interested in, niche products
30、would attract more attention and a greater share of spending. Ms Elberse originally disagreed on Mr. Andersons work in a 2008 article for the Harvard Business Review, which is the basis for her book. The tail has become longer, but the internet has helped bestsellers become even bigger, because peop
31、le follow the recommendations of friends and casual consumers choose known quantities. In 2011 just 102 of the 8m digital musical tracks sold generated nearly a sixth of all sales. Blockbusters tend to be self-reinforcing, because firms spend more to promote products they think stand a better chance
32、 of becoming popular.（分数：10.00）(1).“Blockbuster“ was mentioned in the first paragraph to _.（分数：2.00）A.introduce the topic of the textB.introduce the powerful weaponC.show linguistic differences of modern wordsD.show various meanings of some English words(2).Traditional enterprises believe that _.（分数
33、：2.00）A.Ms Elberses studies are ridiculousB.Ms Elberses theory is beyond doubtC.its better to concentrate fund on a few big betsD.its safer to put small amount of money into different areas(3).Ms Elberse holds the view that _.（分数：2.00）A.the idea of smaller bets being safer is undoubtedB.cultivating
34、a few choices and putting money in them are not wiseC.creating superstars and super products helps to acquire more profitsD.spreading resources across many smaller properties is definitely sounder(4).Anderson argues that the Internet _.（分数：2.00）A.will bring benefits to popular productsB.may reshape
35、consumers demand for productsC.will direct people to the most popular books and songsD.will attract more attention and greater share of spending(5).What can be inferred from the last paragraph?（分数：2.00）A.Ms Elberse didnt agree on Mr. Andersons work.B.Ms Elberse changed her opinion on Mr. Andersons w
36、ork.C.People follow friends advice in that bestsellers become bigger.D.More investment in promotion increased sales dramatically.When people talk about a “north-south divide“ in Britain, they usually refer to house prices, employment and the ratio of private-sector to public-sector jobs. The south s
37、cores higher on all such measures. But new data from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), a research charity, implies the growth of another north-south dividethis time to the norths benefit. Every 20 years the BTO produces a detailed picture of bird life in Britain and Ireland. The 2007 to 2011
38、edition is cheery: more species are recorded than in previous pictures, and many birds are increasing in number. Compared with two decades ago, 45% of regular native species are ranging more widely while 32% are living in smaller areas; the rest have stayed put. But the most striking news comes from
39、 the north. The overall populations of woodland, farmland and migrant perching birds are up in northern England and Scotland but down in the south. The same is true of individual species such as the garden warbler, bullfinch and swallow. The number of cuckoos, a closely-watched species, declined by
40、63% in England between 1995 and 2010 but by only 5% in Scotland. Raptors are faring especially well in the south, but their numbers are rising in most parts of Britain. Partly this reflects climate change, suggests Simon Gillings of the BTO. Some birds are drawn to warmer winters in Scotland and nor
41、thern England; visiting migrants may stick around for longer. Hard though it may be to believe during a week of rain, the south is becoming drier, pushing snipe northward. More efficient farming has squeezed some farmland species. Some birds find it harder to make homes in the south, too. Pressure o
42、n housing means deserted buildings and barns, handy for nesting, have been converted into human dwellings. Between 2006 and 2012 the number of vacant dwellings fell by 17% in London and by 12% in Kent. Over the same period the number of empty houses increased by 16% in Derbyshire and by 10% in Lanca
43、shire. Northern mining villages once full of workers are now sparsely populated, points out Ian Bartlett, a birdwatcher in Hartlepool, in north-east England. They have become hot spots for birds and the people who watch them. Cultural difference also plays a part, thinks Mark Cocker, an expert on bi
44、rds. The “obsession with tidiness“ is stronger in the south, he says. Fewer people cultivate gardens; they prefer to cover them in decking and remove weeds from between concrete slabs. Village greens are mowed short. In contrast, Scotland and northern England have more trees, grassland and wind-swep
45、t moors. Less popular with humans, rugged parts of the countryside are filling up with a winged population instead.（分数：10.00）(1).Which of the following is true about the BTO?（分数：2.00）A.Its a non-profit organization that researches on birds in Britain.B.Its a charity which protects and offers shelter
46、s to birds in Britain.C.It implies birds prefer living in southern part to living in northern part in Britain.D.Every 20 years it draws a detailed picture of bird population in the world.(2).The number of species like garden warbler, bullfinch and swallow _.（分数：2.00）A.goes up in southern EnglandB.in
47、creases in most parts of BritainC.decreases dramatically in EnglandD.rises in the north and declines in the south(3).The following reasons may drive birds away EXCEPT _.（分数：2.00）A.warmer winterB.climate changeC.efficient farmingD.continuous rainfall(4).Some birds can hardly find shelters in the sout
48、h because _.（分数：2.00）A.it is so sparsely populated that few people can watch themB.the environment and ecosystem have been damaged in this areaC.places suitable for nesting have been occupied by human beingsD.deserted buildings and barns are not suitable for birds to make homes(5).What can be learne
49、d from the last paragraph?（分数：2.00）A.Culture elements are decisive according to experts on birds.B.The role played by different cultures is obvious according to Mark Cocker.C.Northerners care more about tidiness than southerners.D.Southerners care only about tidiness when it comes to housing style.考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 489 答案解析(总分：60.00，做题时
