1、在职艺术硕士（MFA）全国联考英文阅读理解-试卷 20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)Believe it or not, optical illusion (错觉) can cut highway crashes. Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent stripes, called chevron
2、s (人字形), painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down. Now the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D.C. is planning to repeat Japan“s success. Starting next year, the foundation will pain
3、t chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes. Excessive speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the foundation w
4、ill conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards are the greatestcurves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges. Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed
5、within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars. Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of tr
6、affic accidents. (227 words)（分数：10.00）(1).The passage mainly discusses_.（分数：2.00）A.a new way of highway speed controlB.a new pattern for painting highwaysC.a new approach to training driversD.a new type of optical illusion(2).On roads painted with chevrons, drivers tend to feel that_.（分数：2.00）A.they
7、 should avoid speed-related hazardsB.they are driving in the wrong laneC.they should slow down their speedD.they are approaching the speed limit(3).The advantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former（分数：2.00）A.can keep drivers awakeB.can cut road accidents in halfC.will have
8、a longer effect on driversD.will look more attractive(4).The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety plans to（分数：2.00）A.try out the Japanese method in certain areasB.change the road signs across the countryC.replace straight, horizontal bars with chevronsD.repeat the Japanese r
9、oad patterns(5).What does the author say about straight, horizontal bars painted across roads?（分数：2.00）A.They are falling out of use in the United States.B.They tend to be ignored by drivers in a short period of time.C.They are applicable only on broad roads.D.They cannot be applied successfully to
10、traffic circles.We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant coffee. When it was introduced, most people did not like it as well as “regular“ coffee, and it took several years to gain general acceptance (introduction stage). At one point, though, instant coff
11、ee grew rapidly in popularity, and many brands were introduced (stage of rapid growth). After a while, people became attached to one brand and sales leveled off (stage of maturity). Sales went into a slight decline (衰退) when freeze-dried coffees were introduced (stage of decline). The importance of
12、the product life cycle to marketers is this: Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not decline. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and mark
13、et sections. Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the military? Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-pos
14、ition the product to appeal to new market sections. Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality, features, or style to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way
15、to recapture world markets. Note, also, how auto manufacturers once changed styles dramatically from year to year to keep demand from falling. (262 words)（分数：10.00）(1).According to the passage, when people grow fond of one particular brand of a product, its sales will_.（分数：2.00）A.decrease graduallyB
16、.improve enormouslyC.become unstableD.remain at the same level(2).The first paragraph tells us that a new product is_.（分数：2.00）A.usually introduced to satisfy different tastesB.often inferior to old ones at firstC.often more expensive than old onesD.not easily accepted by the public(3).Marketers nee
17、d to know which of the four stages a product is in so as to_.（分数：2.00）A.work out marketing policiesB.promote its productionC.speed up its life cycleD.increase its popularity(4).The author mentions the example of “ backpacks“ (Line 5, Para. 2) to show the importance of_.（分数：2.00）A.pleasing the young
18、as well as the oldB.exploring new market sectionsC.increasing usage among studentsD.serving both military and civil needs(5).In order to recover their share of the world market, U.S. auto makers are（分数：2.00）A.improving product qualityB.increasing product featuresC.modernizing product styleD.re-posit
19、ioning their product in the marketIn 1993, New York State ordered stores to charge a deposit on beverage (饮料) containers. Within a year, consumers had returned millions of aluminum cans and glass and plastic bottles. Plenty of companies were eager to accept the aluminum and glass as raw materials fo
20、r new products. But because few could figure out what to do with the plastic, much of it wound up buried in landfills (垃圾填埋场). The problem was not limited to New York. Unfortunately, there were too few uses for second-hand plastic. Today, one out of five plastic soda bottles is recycled (回收利用) in th
21、e United States. The reason for the change is that now there are dozens of companies across the country buying discarded plastic soda bottles and turning them into fence posts, paint brushes, etc. As the New York experience shows, recycling involves more than simply separating valuable materials fro
22、m the rest of the rubbish. A discard remains a discard until somebody figures out how to give it a second lifeand until economic arrangements exist to give that second life value. Without adequate markets to absorb materials collected for recycling, throwaways actually depress prices for used materi
23、als. Shrinking landfill space, and rising costs for burying and burning rubbish are forcing local governments to look more closely at recycling. In many areas, the East Coast especially, recycling is already the least expensive wastemanagement option. For every ton of waste recycled, a city avoids p
24、aying for its disposal, which, in parts of New York, amounts to saving of more than $ 100 per ton. Recycling also stimulates the local economy by creating jobs and trims the pollution control and energy costs of industries that make recycled products by giving them a more refined raw material. (287
25、words)（分数：10.00）(1).What regulation was issued by New York State concerning beverage containers?（分数：2.00）A.Beverage companies should be responsible for collecting and reusing discarded plastic soda bottles.B.Throwaways should be collected by the state for recycling.C.Consumers had to pay for beverag
26、e containers and could get their money back on returning them.D.A fee should be charged on used containers for recycling.(2).The returned plastic bottles in New York used to_.（分数：2.00）A.be separated from other rubbishB.be turned into raw materialsC.have a second-life valueD.end up somewhere undergro
27、und(3).The key problem in dealing with returned plastic beverage containers is_.（分数：2.00）A.to sell them at a profitable priceB.how to reduce their recycling costsC.how to turn them into useful thingsD.to lower the prices for used materials(4).Recycling has become the first choice for the disposal of
28、 rubbish because_.（分数：2.00）A.local governments find it easy to manageB.other methods are more expensiveC.recycling causes little pollutionD.recycling is a great appeal for the jobless(5).It can be concluded from the passage that_.（分数：2.00）A.recycling is to be recommended both economically and enviro
29、nmentallyB.local governments in the U. S. can expect big profits from recyclingC.rubbish is a potential remedy for the shortage of raw materialsD.landfills will still be widely used for waste disposalSince we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal r
30、elationships. One strength of the human condition is our tendency to give and receive support from one another under stressful circumstances. Social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better abl
31、e to cope with major life changes and daily hassles (困难). People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over a range of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, reveal that the presence of social support helps people fend off (挡开) illness
32、, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely. Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and coworkers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others despite our faults and difficulties. Secon
33、d, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Engaging in leisure-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same ti
34、me distracting (转移注意力) us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental supportfinancial aid, material resources, and needed services that reduces stress by helping us resolve and cope with our problems. (257 words)（分数：10.00）(1).Interpersonal relationships are importa
35、nt because_.（分数：2.00）A.they are indispensable to people“s social well-beingB.they awaken people“s desire to exchange resourcesC.they help people to cope with life in the information eraD.they can cure a range of illnesses such as heart disease, etc(2).Research shows that people“s physical and mental
36、 health_.（分数：2.00）A.relies on the social welfare systems which support themB.has much to do with the amount of support they get from othersC.depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troublesD.is closely related to their strength for coping with major changes in their lives(3).Which of
37、 the following is closest in meaning to the word “cushions“ (Line 1, Para. 2)?（分数：2.00）A.Adds up to.B.Does away with.C.Lessens the effect of.D.Lays the foundation for.(4).Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work is an example of_.（分数：2.00）A.instrumental supportB.informational supportC.social co
38、mpanionshipD.the strengthening of self-respect(5).Social companionship is beneficial in that_.（分数：2.00）A.it helps strengthen our ties with relativesB.it enables us to eliminate our faults and mistakesC.it makes our leisure-time activities more enjoyableD.it draws our attention away from our worries
39、and troubles在职艺术硕士（MFA）全国联考英文阅读理解-试卷 20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)Believe it or not, optical illusion (错觉) can cut highway crashes. Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent stripes, cal
40、led chevrons (人字形), painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down. Now the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D.C. is planning to repeat Japan“s success. Starting next year, the foundatio
41、n will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes. Excessive speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the f
42、oundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards are the greatestcurves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges. Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to
43、full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars. Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the n
44、umber of traffic accidents. (227 words)（分数：10.00）(1).The passage mainly discusses_.（分数：2.00）A.a new way of highway speed control B.a new pattern for painting highwaysC.a new approach to training driversD.a new type of optical illusion解析：解析：本题属于主旨大意题。第一段“cut highway crashes”(减少高速公路事故)，第二段最后一句话“driver
45、s slow down”(司机放慢速度)以及文章最后一句“reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents”(降低汽车在高速上的速度，减少车祸的次数)，都告诉我们这篇文章的主旨就是介绍一种控制车速的方法，因此答案为 A。(2).On roads painted with chevrons, drivers tend to feel that_.（分数：2.00）A.they should avoid speed-related hazardsB.they are driving in the wrong laneC.t
46、hey should slow down their speed D.they are approaching the speed limit解析：解析：本题属于细节判断题。线索在第二段最后一句中“make drivers think they are driving faster than they really are，and thus drivers slow down”。意思是“使司机觉得开得过快，于是放慢车速。”因此应该选 C。其他选项，选项 A“他们应该避免由速度带来的风险”；选项B“他们正行驶在错误的车道上”；选项 D“他们正在接近最高时速限制”都不符合文意。(3).The ad
47、vantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former（分数：2.00）A.can keep drivers awakeB.can cut road accidents in halfC.will have a longer effect on drivers D.will look more attractive解析：解析：本题属于细节判断题。根据题干中的关键词“chevrons”找到文章最后一句话“The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway spe
48、ed and the number of traffic accidents”(对于chevrons来说)，结果就是车速降低、车祸减少现象持续的时间要长一些。(4).The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety plans to（分数：2.00）A.try out the Japanese method in certain areas B.change the road signs across the countryC.replace straight, horizontal bars with chev
49、ronsD.repeat the Japanese road patterns解析：解析：本题属于细节判断题。线索除了第三段的“repeat Japans success”之外，还有“will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads to test”。其中chevrons是日本的，而“other patterns of stripes”不一定全是日本的，所以选项 D的说法错误。选项 A中“try out”的意思相当于“test”，故选项 A对。选项 B的说法太过笼统；选项 C“用人字形线条代替笔直的横线”太绝对，因为文章提到这个基金会要用“chevrons”和其他的图案来测试减少交通事故的效果，因此不正确。(5).What does the author say about straight, horizontal bars painted across roads?（分数：2.00）A.They are falling out of use in the United States.B.They tend t
