考研外語沖刺密卷14

一、UseofEnglish

1、Whatwouldhappenifconsumersdecidedtosimplifytheirlivesandspendlessonmaterialgoodsandservices?This(1)_____istakingonacertainurgencyasratesofeconomicgrowthcontinuetodeceleratethroughouttheindustrializedworld,and(2)_____millionsofconsumersappeartobe(3)_____formorefrugallifestyle.TheStanfordResearchInstitute,whichhasdonesomeofthemostextensiveworkonthefrugalityphenomenon,(4)_____thatnearlyfivemillionAmericanadultsnumber"(5)_____toandactonsomebutnotall"ofitsbasictenets.

Thefrugalityphenomenonfirstachievedprominenceasamiddle-class(6)_____heindustrialworldduringthe50'sand60's.IntheSilentRevolution,RonaldIngehartoftheUniversityofMichigan'sInstituteofSocialResearchexaminedthis(7)_____intheUnitedStatesand10WesternEuropeannations.Heconcludedthatachangehastakenplace"froman(8)_____emphasisonmaterialwell-beingandphysicalsecurity(9)_____greateremphasisonthequalityoflife",thatis,"a(10)_____frommaterialismtopost-materialism".

Ingehartcallsthe60sthe"fatyear".Amongtheirmorevisibletrappingsweretheraggedbluejeansfavoredbytheaffluentyoung.Mostofthem(11)_____frommaterialism;however,thiswas(12)_____.ComfortablyfixedAmericansweregoing(13)_____,(14)_____makingthingslastlonger,sharingthingswithothers,learningtodothingsforthemselvesandsoon.But(15)_____economicallysignificant,itwashardly(16)_____inaUSGrossNationalProductclimbingvigorouslytowardthe$2thousandbillionmark.

(17)_____,asthefrugalityphenomenonmatured—growingoutofthesoaring80sandintothesomber90s—itseemedtoundergoa(18)_____transformation.Americanconsumerscontinuedtolose(19)_____inmaterialismandwerebeingjoinedbynewconvertswhowere(20)_____frugalitybecauseofthedarkeningeconomicskiestheysawahead.

A.question

B.problem

C.issue

D.dilemma

2、(2)

A.though

B.as

C.muchas

D.eversince

3、(3)

A.answering

B.making

C.opting

D.planning

4、(4)

A.predicts

B.discovers

C.demonstrates

D.estimates

5、(5)

A.amount

B.attend

C.lead

D.adhere

6、(6)

A.rejection

B.denial

C.retention

D.defiance

7、(7)

A.adventure

B.maturity

C.experience

D.existence

8、(8)

A.overwhelming

B.imaginary

C.trivial

D.apparent

9、(9)

A.about

B.toward

C.with

D.for

10、(10)

A.relief

B.variation

C.range

D.shift

11、(11)

A.suffer

B.differ

C.diverge

D.retreat

12、(12)

A.sound

B.subtle

C.superficial

D.obscure

13、(13)

A.without

B.off

C.about

D.with

14、(14)

A.ingeneral

B.ineffect

C.forexample

D.inasense

15、(15)

A.when

B.whereas

C.while

D.once

16、(16)

A.decisive

B.discernible

C.incredible

D.negligible

17、(17)

A.Indeed

B.Moreover

C.Therefore

D.However

18、(18)

A.elementary

B.fundamental

C.comprehensive

D.primary

19、(19)

A.faith

B.doubt

C.patience

D.interest

20、(20)

A.accommodating

B.discarding

C.embracing

D.presenting

二、ReadingComprehension

1、PartA

Directions:Readthefollowingfourtexts.AnswerthequestionsbeloweachtextbychoosingA,B,CorD.(40points)

Whatoursocietysuffersfrommosttodayistheabsenceofconsensusaboutwhatitandlifeinitoughttobe;suchconsensuscannotbegainedfromsociety'spresentstage,orfromfantasiesaboutwhatitoughttobe.Forthatthepresentistoocloseandtoodiversified,andthefuturetoouncertain,tomakebelievableclaimsaboutit.Aconsensusinthepresenthencecanbeachievedonlythroughasharedunderstandingofthepast,asHomer'sepicsinformedthosewholivedcenturieslater,whatitmeanttobeGreek,andbywhatimagesandidealstheyweretolivetheirlivesandorganizetheirsocieties.

Mostsocietiesderiveconsensusfromalonghistory,alanguagealltheirown,acommonreligion,commonancestry.Themythsbywhichtheylivearebasedonallofthese.ButtheUnitedStatesisacountryofimmigrants,comingfromagreatvarietyofnations.Lately,ithasbeenemphasizedthatanasocial,narcissisticpersonalityhasbecomecharacteristicofAmericans,andthatitisthistypeofpersonalitythatmakesforthelackofwell-being,becauseitpreventsusfromachievingconsensusthatwouldcounteractatendencytowithdrawintoprivateworlds.Inthisstudyofnarcissism,ChristopherLashsaysthatmodernman,"torturedbyself-consciousness,turnstonewtherapiesnottofreehimselfofhispersonalworrieshuttofindmeaningandpurposeinlife,tofindsomethingtolivefor".Thereiswidespreaddistressbecausenationalmoralehasdeclined,andwehavelostanearliersenseofnationalvisionandpurpose.

Contrarytorigidreligionsorpoliticalbeliefs,asarefoundintotalitariansocieties,ourcultureisoneofthegreatindividualdifferences,atleastinprincipleandintheory;butthisleadstodisunity,evenchaos.Americansbelieveinthevalueofdiversity,butjustbecauseoursisasocietybasedonindividualdiversity,itneedsconsensusaboutsomedominatingideasmorethansocietiesbasedonuniform.originoftheircitizens.Hence,ifwearetohaveconsensus,itmustbebasedonamyth—avisionaboutacommonexperience,aconquestthatmadeusAmericans,asthemythabouttheconquestofTroyformedtheGreeks.Onlyacommonmythcanofferrelieffromthefearthatlifeiswithoutmeaningorpurpose.Mythspermitustoexamineourplaceintheworldbycomparingittoasharedidea.Mythsaresharedfantasiesthatform.thetiethatbindstheindividualtoothermembersofhisgroup.Suchmythshelptowardofffeelingsofisolations,guilt,anxiety,andpurposelessness—inshort,theycombatisolationandthebreakdownofsocialstandardsandvalues.

Thistextismainlyintendedto

A.explorecertainwaysofmakingforaconsensus.

B.spotlighttheroleofmythsinbindingacommunity.

C.interpretthemeaningandpurposeofmodernlife.

D.reversethedeclineofsocialstandardsandvalues.

2、

FromthetextwelearnthatChristopherLashismostprobably

A.areform.advocate.

B.asocialpsychologist.

C.areputedpoet.

D.ahistoricalspecialist.

3、

Americansmayfindthemselvesinasocietycharacterizedby

A.extremestress.

B.worryandsuffering.

C.sharedbeliefs.

D.voidandisolation.

4、

Homer'sepicsismentionedinParagraph1inorderto

A.exemplifythecontributionsmadebyancientpoets.

B.showanidealconceptofwhatlifeoughttobe.

C.illustratetheroleofsharedmythsinsociety.

D.makeknownmythsofwhatasocietyoughttobe.

5、

TheauthorconcludesthatonlysharedmythscanhelpAmericans

A.tobringabouttheuniformityoftheirculture.

B.toregaintheirconsensusaboutacommonexperience.

C.toperceivetheeffectsofconsensusaboutsociety.

D.tostayawayfromnegativefeelingsintheirlife.

6、Inthenextcenturywe'llbeabletoalterourDNAradically,encodingourvisionsandvanitieswhileconcoctingnewlife-forms.WhenDr.Frankensteinmadehismonster,hewrestledwiththemoralissueofwhetherheshouldallowittoreproduce,"HadItheright,formyownbenefit,toinflictthecurseuponeverlastinggenerations?"Willsuchquestionsrequireustodevelopnewmoralphilosophies?

Probablynot.Instead,we'llreachagainforatime-testedmoralconcept;onesometimescalledtheGoldenRuleandwhichKant,themillennium'smostprudentmoralist,conjuredupintoacategoricalimperative,Dountoothersasyouwouldhavethemdountoyou;treateachpersonasanindividualratherthanasameanstosomeend.

Underthismoralpreceptweshouldrecoilathumancloning,becauseitinevitablyentailsusinghumansasmeanstootherhumans'endsandvaluingthemascopiesofotherswelovedorascollectionsofbodyparts,notasindividualsintheirownright.Weshouldalsodrawaline,howeverfuzzy,thatwouldpermitusinggeneticengineeringtocurediseasesanddisabilitiesbutnottochangethepersonalattributesthatmakesomeoneanindividual(IQ,physicalappearance,genderandsexuality).

Thebiotechagewillalsogiveusmorereasontoguardourpersonalprivacy.AldousHuxleyinBraveNewWorld,gotitwrong:ratherthancentralizingpowerinthehandsofthestate,DNAtechnologyhasempoweredindividualsandfamilies.Butthestatewillhaveanimportantrole,makingsurethatnoone,includinginsurancecompanies,canlookatourgeneticdatawithoutourpermissionoruseittodiscriminateagainstus.

Thenwecangetreadyforthebreakthroughsthatcouldcomeattheendofthenextcenturyandthetechnologyiscomparabletomappingourgenes:plottingthe10billionormoreneuronsofourbrain.Withthatinformationwemightsomedaybeabletocreateartificialintelligencesthatthinkandexperienceconsciousnessinwaysthatareindistinguishablefromahumanbrain.Eventuallywemightbeabletoreplicateourownmindsina"dry-ware"machine,sothatwecouldliveonwithoutthe"wet-ware"ofabiologicalbrainandbody.The20thcentury'srevolutionininfotechnologywilltherebymergewiththe21stcentury'srevolutioninbiotechnology.Butthisissciencefiction.Let'sturnthepagenowandgetbacktorealscience.

Dr.Frankenstein'sremarksarementionedinthetext

A.togiveanepisodeoftheDNAtechnologicalbreakthroughs.

B.tohighlighttheinevitabilityofameanstosomeevilends.

C.toshowhowhecreatedanewform.oflifeathousandyearsago.

D.tointroducethetopicofmoralphilosophiesconcerningbiotechnology.

7、

Itcanbeconcludedfromthetextthatthetechnologyofhumancloningshouldbeemployed

A.excessivelyandextravagantly.

B.sensiblyandcautiously.

C.aggressivelyandindiscriminately.

D.openlyandenthusiastically.

8、

Fromthetext,welearnthatAldousHuxleyisoftheopinionthat

A.thepowerofbiotechnologyistobedecentralized.

B.nooneisentitledtodiscriminateagainstothers.

C.biotechnologyisnothingmorethangene-mapping.

D.artificialintelligencecompetewithahumanbrain.

9、

Accordingtothelastparagraph,"dry-ware"isto"wet-ware"as

A.collectiveto"individual".

B.fictionalto"factual".

C.mechanicalto"biological".

D.illegalto"immoral".

10、

Judgedfromtheinformationinthelastparagraph,wecanpredictthattheauthorislikelytowritewhichofthefollowinginthenextsection?

A.Thereflectionuponbiotechnologicalmorality.

B.Theoffensiveinvasionofourpersonalprivacy.

C.TheinevitablechangeofIQsforourdescendants.

D.Thepresentstateofbiotechnologicalresearch.

11、Whenadiseaseofepidemicproportionsripsintothepopulace,scientistsimmediatelygettowork,tryingtolocatethesourceoftheafflictionandfindwaystocombatit.Oftentimes,successisachieved,asmedicalscienceisabletoisolatetheparasite,germorcellthatcausestheproblemandfindswaystoeffectivelykillorcontainit.Inthemostseriousofcases,inwhichtheentirepopulationofaregionorcountrymaybeatgraverisk,itisdeemednecessarytoprotecttheentirepopulationthroughvaccination,soastosafeguardlivesandensurethatthediseasewillnotspread.

Theprocessofvaccinationallowsthepatient'sbodytodevelopimmunitytothevirusordiseasesothat,ifitisencountered,onecanfightitoffnaturally.Toaccomplishthis,asmallweakordeadstrainofthediseaseisactuallyinjectedintothepatientinacontrolledenvironment,sothathisbody'simmunesystemcanlearntofighttheinvaderproperly.Informationonhowtopenetratethedisease'sdefensesistransmittedtoallelementsofthepatient'simmunesysteminaprocessthatoccursnaturally,inwhichgeneticinformationispassedfromcelltocell.Thismakessurethat,shouldthepatientlatercomeintocontactwiththerealproblem,hisbodyiswellequippedandtrainedtodealwithit,havingalreadydonesobefore.

Therearedangersinherentintheprocess,however.Onoccasion,eventheweakenedversionofthediseasecontainedinthevaccineprovestoomuchforthebodytohandle,resultingintheimmunesystemsuccumbing,and,therefore,thepatient'sdeath.Suchisthecaseofthesmallpoxvaccine,designedtoeradicatethesmallpoxepidemicthatnearlywipedouttheentireNativeAmericanpopulationandkilledmassivenumbersofsettlers.Approximatelyonein10,000peoplewhoreceivesthevaccinecontractthesmallpoxdiseasefromthevaccineitselfanddiesfromit.Thus,iftheentirepopulationoftheUnitedStatesweretoreceivetheSmallpoxVaccinetoday,3000Americanswouldbeleftdead.

Fortunately,thesmallpoxviruswasconsiderederadicatedintheearly1970's,endingthemandatoryvaccinationofallbabiesinAmerica.Intheeventofare-introductionofthedisease,however,mandatoryvaccinationsmayresume,resultinginmoreunexpecteddeathsfromvaccination.Theprocess,whichistrulyablessing,mayindeedhidesomehiddencurses.

Howdovaccinesprotecthumansfromdiseasesaccordingtoparagraph2?

A.Bytrainingtheimmunesystemtofightweakerversionsofthedisease.

B.Bypassinginformationonhowtofightthediseasetotheimmunesystem.

C.Byweakeningthediseasesothattheimmunesystemcandefeatit.

D.Introducingthediseasetothebody,sothatsurvivorshavealreadyfoughtit.

12、

WhatdoestheexampleoftheSmallpoxVaccineillustrate?

A.Apossiblenegativeoutcomeofadministeringvaccines.

B.Thepracticaluseofavaccinetocontrolanepidemicdisease.

C.Amethodbywhichvaccinesareemployedagainstthedisease.

D.Theeffectivenessofvaccinesincuringcertaindisease.

13、

Thephrase"warditoffnaturally"(Paragraph2)mostprobablymeans

A.disposeofitnaturally.

B.combatagainstitreadily.

C.attendtoitreluctantly.

D.splititupproperly.

14、

Whichofthefollowingistrueaccordingtothetext?

A.Savingthemajoritywouldnecessarilyjustifythedeathoftheminority.

B.Theimmunesystemcanbetrainedtofightweakerversionsofadisease.

C.Mandatoryvaccinationsareindispensabletothesurvivalofthepopulace.

D.Theprocessofvaccinationremainsamysterytobefurtherresolved.

15、

Thepurposeoftheauthorinwritingthispassageis

A.tocommentandcriticize.

B.todemonstrateandargue.

C.tointerestandentertain.

D.toexplainandinform.

16、Euthanasiaisclearlyadeliberateandintentionalaspectofakilling.Takingahumanlife,evenwithsubtleritesandconsentofthepartyinvolvedisbarbaric.Noonecanjustlykillanotherhumanbeing.Justasitiswrongforaserialkillertomurder,itiswrongforaphysiciantodosoaswell,nomatterwhatthemotivefordoingsomaybe.

Manythinkers,includingalmostallorthodoxCatholics,believethateuthanasiaisimmoral.Theyopposekillingpatientsinanycircumstanceswhatever.However,theythinkitisallright,insomespecialcircumstances,toallowpatientstodiebywithholdingtreatment.TheAmericanMedicalAssociation'spolicystatementonmercykillingsupportsthistraditionalview.Inmypaper"ActiveandPassiveEuthanasia"Iargue,againstthetraditionalview,thatthereisinfactnonormaldifferencebetweenkillingandlettingdie—ifoneispermissible,thensoistheother.

ProfessorSullivandoesnotdisputemyargument;insteadhedismissesitasirrelevant.Thetraditionaldoctrine,hesays,doesnotappealtoordependonthedistinctionbetweenkillingandlettingdie.Therefore,argumentsagainstthatdistinction"leavethetraditionalpositionuntouched".

Ismyargumentreallyirrelevant?Idon'tseehowitcanbe.AsSullivanhimselfpointsout,nearlyeveryoneholdsthatitissometimesmeaninglesstoprolongtheprocessofdyingandthatinthosecasesitismorallypermissibletoletapatientdieeventhoughafewmorehoursordayscouldbesavedbyproceduresthatwouldalsoincreasetheagoniesofthedying.Butifitisimpossibletodefendageneraldistinctionbetweenlettingpeopledieandactingtoterminatetheirlivesdirectly,thenitwouldseemthatactiveeuthanasiaalsomaybemorallypermissible.

ButtraditionalistslikeProfessorSullivanholdthatactiveeuthanasia—thedirectkillingofpatients—isnotmorallypermissible;so,ifmyargumentissound,theirviewmustbemistaken.Icannotagree,then,thatmyargument"leavethetraditionalpositionuntouched".

However,Ishallnotpressthispoint.InsteadIshallpresentsomefurtherargumentsagainstthetraditionalposition,concentratingonthoseelementsofthepositionwhichprofessorSullivanhimselfthinksmostimportant.Accordingtohim,whatisimportantis,first,thatweshouldneverintentionallyterminatethelifeofapatient,eitherbyactionoromission,andsecond,thatwemayceaseoromittreatmentofapatient,knowingthatthiswillresultindeath,onlyifthemeansoftreatmentinvolvedareextraordinary.

Theauthor'spurposeinwritingthispassageis

A.toairhisopinionsonSullivan'sarguments.

B.toattackthetraditionalviewoneuthanasia.

C.toexplainhowhisargumentismuchrelevant.

D.todrawalinebetweenkillingandlettingdie.

17、

Accordingtotheauthor,theviewsheldbytraditionalorthodoxCatholicsoneuthanasiais

A.ratherconfusing.

B.partiallyreasonable.

C.quiteconvincing.

D.totallygroundless.

18、

Whichofthefollowingbestdefinestheword"omission"(Paragraph6)?

A.Involvement.

B.Sympathy.

C.Suspension.

D.Dismissal.

19、

WhichofthefollowingisTRUEaccordingtothepassage?

A.Euthanasiaisatermwhosemeaningsaretoosubtletobedefinite.

B.Sullivancontendsthatthereisdifferencebetweenkillingandlettingdie.

C.Modernmedicinehasassistedterminallyillpatientsinpainlessrecovery.

D.Theauthordoesn'tagreethatheleftthetraditionalpositionuntouched.

20、

Itseemsthatthewriterismostconcernedabout

A.theinterpretationsofeuthanasia.

B.thesufferingsofthedying.

C.theeffectsofmedicaltreatments.

D.thetraditionalviewondeath.

21、PartB(10points)

YouaregoingtoreadatextaboutTheBigMelt,followedbyalistofexamples.ChoosethebestexamplefromthelistA—Fforeachnumberedsubheading(41—45).Thereisoneextraexamplewhichyoudonotneedtouse.

Saygoodbyetotheworld'stropicalglaciersandicecaps.Manywillvanishwithin20years.WhenLonnieThompsonvisitedPeru'sQuelccayaicecapin1977,hecouldn'thelpnoticingaschool-bus-sizeboulderthatwasupendedbyicepushingagainstit.Thompsonreturnedtothesamespotlastyear,andtheboulderwasstillthere,butitwaslyingonitsside.Theicethatoncesupportedthemassiverockhadretreatedfarintothedistance,leavingbehindagiantlakeasitmeltedaway.

FoeThompson,ageologistwithOhioStateUniversity'sByrdPolarResearchCenter,therolled-backrockwasanobvioussignofclimatechangeintheAndesMountains."Observingthatover25yearspersonallyreallybringsithome",hesays."Youdon'thavetobeabelieveringlobalwarmingtoseewhat'shappening".

(41)Thawedicecapsinthetropics.

Quelccayaisthelargesticecapinthetropics,butitisn'ttheonlyonethatismelting,accordingtodecadesofresearchbyThompson'steam.Notropicalglaciersarecurrentlyknowntobeadvancing,andThompsonpredictsthatmanymountaintopswillbecompletelymeltedwithinthenext20years.

(42)Situationinareasotherthanthetropics.

Thephenomenonisn'tconfinedtothetropics.GlaciersinEurope,Russia,NewZealand,theUnitedStates,andelsewherearealsomelting.

(43)Theworseningeffectsofglobalwarming.

Formanyscientists,thewidespreadmelt-downisaclearsignthathumansareaffectingglobalclimate,primarilybyraisingthelevelsofcarbondioxideandothergreenhousegasesintheatmosphere.

(44)Recedingicecaps.

That'snottosaythatglaciers,currentlyfoundoneverycontinentexceptAustralia,haven'tmeltedinthepastasaresultofnaturalvariability.Theseriversoficeexistinadelicatebalancebetweeninputs(accumulatingsnowandice)andoutputs(meltingand"calving"oflargechunksofice).Overtime,thebalancecantiltineitherdirection,causingglacierstoadvanceorretreat.What'sdifferentnowisthespeedatwhichthescaleshavetipped."We'vebeensurprisedathowrapidtherateofretreathasbeen",saysThompson.HisteambeganmappingoneofthemainglaciersflowingoutoftheQuelccayaicecapin1978,usingsatelliteimagesandgroundsurveys.

(45)Thinningicecores.

Andits'notjustthemarginoftheicecapthatismelting.AtQuelccayaandMountKilimanjaro,theresearchershavefoundthattheicefieldsarethinningaswell.Besidesmappingicecapsandglaciers,ThompsonandhiscolleagueshavetakencoresamplesfromQuelccayasince1976,whentheiceatthedrillinglocationwas154metersthick.

ThompsonandhiscolleagueshavealsodrilledicecoresfromotherlocationsinSouthAmerica,Africa,andChina.Trappedwithineachofthesecoresisaclimaterecordspanningmorethan8,000years.Itshowsthatthepast50yearsarethewarmestinhistory.

The4-inch-thickicecoresarenowstoredinfreezersatOhioState.Onthefuture,saysThompson,thatmaybetheonlyplacetoseewhat'sleftoftheglaciersofAfricaandPeru.

A.ThelatestreportfromtheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange,preparedbyhundredsofscientistsandapprovedbygovernmentdelegatesfrommorethan100nations,states."Thereisnewandstrongerevidencethatmostofthewarmingobservedoverthelast50yearsisattributabletohumanactivities".Thereport,releasedinJanuary,saysthattheplanet'saveragesurfacetemperatureincreasedbyabout0.6℃durin

22、(42)

23、(43)

24、(44)

25、(45)

26、PartC

Directions:ReadthefollowingtextcarefullyandthentranslatetheunderlinedsegmentsintoChinese.(10points)

Theoldadageofthetitlehasaparallelinthescientificworld"allresearchleadstob