1、在职艺术硕士（MFA）全国联考英文阅读理解-试卷 18及答案解析(总分：40.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、英文阅读理解题(总题数：4，分数：40.00)President Coolidge“s statement, “The business of America is business,“ still points to an important truth todaythat business institutions have more prestige (威望) in American society than any other kind of organization, inc
2、luding the government. Why do business institutions possess this great prestige? One reason is that Americans view business as being more firmly based on the ideal of competition than other institutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major source of progress and prosperity by most Amer
3、icans, competitive business institutions are respected. Competition is not only good in itself; it is the means by which other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected. Competition protects the freedom of the individual by ensuring that t
4、here is no monopoly (垄断) of power. In contrast to one all-powerful government, many businesses compete a-gainst each other for profits. Theoretically, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where man
5、y businesses compete for the customers“ dollar, they cannot afford to treat them like inferiors or slaves. A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which is a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freed
6、om than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders are not. Many Americans believe, then, that competition is as important, or even more important, than democracy in preserving freedom. Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the ideal of
7、 equality of opportunity. Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American alternative to social rank based on family background. Business is therefore viewed
8、as an expression of the idea of equality of opportunity rather than the aristocratic (贵族的) idea of inherited privilege. (337 words)（分数：10.00）(1).The statement “The business of America is business“ probably means “_“.（分数：2.00）A.The business institutions in America are concerned with commerceB.Busines
9、s problems are of great importance to the American governmentC.Business is of primary concern to AmericansD.America is a great power in world business(2).Americans believe that they can realize their personal values only_.（分数：2.00）A.when given equality of opportunityB.through doing businessC.by prot
10、ecting their individual freedomD.by way of competition(3).Who can benefit from business competition?（分数：2.00）A.Honest businessmen.B.Both businessmen and their customers.C.People with ideals of equality and freedom.D.Both business institutions and government.(4).Government is believed to differ strik
11、ingly from business in that government is characterized by_.（分数：2.00）A.its absolute control of powerB.its function in preserving personal freedomC.its role in protecting basic American valuesD.its democratic way of exercising leadership(5).It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes
12、_.（分数：2.00）A.Americans are more ambitious than people in other countriesB.in many countries success often depends on one“s social statusC.American businesses are more democratic than those in other countriesD.businesses in other countries are not as competitive as those in AmericaIn the 1960s, medic
13、al researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a checklist of stressful events. They appreciated the tricky point that any major change can be stressful. Negative events like “serious illness of a family member“ were high on the list, but so were some positive life-changing events, like mar
14、riage. When you take the Holmes-Rahe test you must remember that the score does not reflect how you deal with stressit only shows how much you have to deal with. And we now know that the way you handle these events dramatically affects your chances of staying healthy. By the early 1970s, hundreds of
15、 similar studies had followed Holmes and Rahe. And millions of Americans who work and live under stress worried over the reports. Somehow, the research got boiled down to a memorable message. Women“s magazines ran headlines like “Stress causes illness!“ If you want to stay physically and mentally he
16、althy, the articles said, avoid stressful events. But such simplistic advice is impossible to follow. Even if stressful events are dangerous, manylike the death of a loved oneare impossible to avoid. Moreover, any warning to avoid all stressful events is a prescription (处方) for staying away from opp
17、ortunities as well as trouble. Since any change can be stressful, a person who wanted to be completely free of stress would never marry, have a child, take a new job or move. The notion that all stress makes you sick also ignores a lot of what we know about people. It assumes we“re all vulnerable (脆
18、弱的) and passive in the face of adversity (逆境 ). But what about human initiative and creativity? Many come through periods of stress with more physical and mental vigor than they had before. We also know that a long time without change or challenge can lead to boredom, and physical and mental straia
19、(319 words)（分数：10.00）(1).The result of Holmes-Rahe“s medical research tells us_.（分数：2.00）A.the way you handle major events may cause stressB.what should be done to avoid stressC.what kind of event would cause stressD.how to cope with sudden changes in life(2).The studies on stress in the early 1970s
20、 led to_.（分数：2.00）A.widespread concern over its harmful effectsB.great panic over the mental disorder it could causeC.an intensive research into stress-related illnessesD.popular avoidance of stressful jobs(3).The score of the Holmes-Rahe test shows_.（分数：2.00）A.how much pressure you are underB.how p
21、ositive events can change your lifeC.how stressful a major event can beD.how you can deal with life-changing events(4).Why is “such simplistic advice“ (Line 1, Para. 3) impossible to follow?（分数：2.00）A.No one can stay on the same job for long.B.No prescription is effective in relieving stress.C.Peopl
22、e have to get married someday.D.You could be missing opportunities as well.(5).According to the passage people who have experienced ups and downs may become（分数：2.00）A.nervous when faced with difficultiesB.physically and mentally strainedC.more capable of coping with adversityD.indifferent toward wha
23、t happens to themIt“s no secret that many children would be healthier and happier with adoptive parents than with the parents that nature dealt them. That“s especially true of children who remain in abusive homes because the law blindly favors biological parents. It“s also true of children who suffe
24、r for years in foster homes (收养孩子的家庭) because of parents who can“t or won“t care for them but refuse to give up custody (监护) rights. Fourteen-year-old Kimberly Mays fits neither description, but her recent court victory could eventually help children who do. Kimberly has been the object of an angry
25、custody baffle between the man who raised her and her biological parents, with whom she has never lived. A Florida judge ruled that the teenager can remain with the only father she“s ever known and that her biological parents have “no legal claim“ on her. The ruling, though it may yet be reversed, s
26、ets aside the principle that biology is the primary determinant of parentage. That“s an important development, one that“s long overdue. Shortly after birth in December 1978, Kimberly Mays and another infant were mistakenly switched and sent home with the wrong parents. Kimberly“s biological parents,
27、 Ernest and Regina Twigg, received a child who died of a heart disease in 1988. Medical tests showed that the child wasn“t the Twiggs“ own daughter, but Kimberly was, thus sparking a custody battle with Robert Mays. In 1989, the two families agreed that Mr. Mays would maintain custody with the Twigg
28、s getting visiting rights. Those rights were ended when Mr. Mays decided that Kimberly was being harmed. The decision to leave Kimberly with Mr. Mays rendered her suit debated. But the judge made clear that Kimberly did have standing to sue (起诉) on her own behalf. Thus he made clear that she was mor
29、e than just property to be handled as adults saw fit. Certainly, the biological link between parent and child is fundamental. But biological parents aren“t always preferable to adoptive ones, and biological parentage does not convey an absolute ownership that cancels all the rights of children. (357
30、 words)（分数：10.00）(1).What was the primary consideration in the Florida judge“s ruling?（分数：2.00）A.The biological link.B.The child“s benefits.C.The traditional practice.D.The parents“ feelings.(2).We can learn from the Kimberly case that_.（分数：2.00）A.children are more than just personal possessions of
31、their parentsB.the biological link between parent and child should be emphasizedC.foster homes bring children more pain and suffering than careD.biological parents shouldn“t claim custody rights after their child is adopted(3).The Twiggs claimed custody rights to Kimberly because_.（分数：2.00）A.they fo
32、und her unhappy in Mr. Mays“ custodyB.they regarded her as their propertyC.they were her biological parentsD.they felt guilty about their past mistake(4).Kimberly had been given to Mr. Mays_.（分数：2.00）A.by sheer accidentB.out of charityC.at his requestD.for better care(5).The author“s attitude toward
33、s the judge“s ruling could be described as_.（分数：2.00）A.doubtfulB.criticalC.cautiousD.supportiveI“m usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these statements m
34、ight be true, they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still, I was struck by a report which concluded that today“s children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children ages 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today t
35、han children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago. Why are America“s kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolationbrought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, among other thingsand a growing perception that the world is a more da
36、ngerous place. Given that we can“t turn the clock back, adults can still do plenty to help the next generation cope. At the top of the list is nurturing (培育) a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect ind
37、ividuals against stress. To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later. They will have more time for face-to-face relationships, and they will get more sleep. Limit the amount of virtual (虚拟的) violence your children
38、are exposed to. It“s not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news. Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale. Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your
39、 own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesn“t have to ruin your life. (314 words)（分数：10.00）(1).The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about people“s state of mind are_.（分数：2.00）A.surprisingB.confusingC.illogicalD.questionable(
40、2).What does the author mean when he says, “we can“t turn the clock back“ (Line 1, Para. 3)?（分数：2.00）A.It“s impossible to slow down the pace of change.B.The social reality children are facing cannot be changed.C.Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten.D.It“s impossible to forget the pa
41、st.(3).According to an analysis, compared with normal children today, children treated as mentally ill 50 years ago_.（分数：2.00）A.were less isolated physicallyB.were probably less self-centeredC.probably suffered less from anxietyD.were considered less individualistic(4).The first and most important t
42、hing parents should do to help their children is（分数：2.00）A.to provide them with a safer environmentB.to lower their expectations for themC.to get them more involved sociallyD.to set a good model for them to follow(5).What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?（分数：2.00）A.Anxiety, though unavoidabl
43、e, can be coped with.B.Children“s anxiety has been enormously exaggerated.C.Children“s anxiety can be eliminated with more parental care.D.Anxiety, if properly controlled, may help children become mature.在职艺术硕士（MFA）全国联考英文阅读理解-试卷 18答案解析(总分：40.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、英文阅读理解题(总题数：4，分数：40.00)President Coolidge“
44、s statement, “The business of America is business,“ still points to an important truth todaythat business institutions have more prestige (威望) in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government. Why do business institutions possess this great prestige? One reason is th
45、at Americans view business as being more firmly based on the ideal of competition than other institutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major source of progress and prosperity by most Americans, competitive business institutions are respected. Competition is not only good in itself; i
46、t is the means by which other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected. Competition protects the freedom of the individual by ensuring that there is no monopoly (垄断) of power. In contrast to one all-powerful government, many businesses co
47、mpete a-gainst each other for profits. Theoretically, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where many businesses compete for the customers“ dollar, they cannot afford to treat them like inferiors o
48、r slaves. A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which is a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders
49、 are not. Many Americans believe, then, that competition is as important, or even more important, than democracy in preserving freedom. Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the ideal of equality of opportunity. Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American alternative to social rank based on family background. Business is therefore viewed as an expression of the i
