考研英語第16套題

1、第十六套題Part ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)Text 1 07.6For more than two decades, U.S. courts have been limiting affirmative-action programs in universities and other areas. The le

2、gal rationale is that racial preferences are unconstitutional, even those intended to compensate for racism or intolerance. For many colleges, this means students can be admitted only on merit, not on their race or ethnicity. It has been a divisive issue across the U.S., as educators blame the prolo

3、nged reaction to affirmative-action for declines in minority admissions. Meanwhile, activists continue to battle race preferences in courts from Michigan to North Carolina.Now, chief executives of about two dozen companies have decided to plunge headfirst into this politically unsettled debate. They

4、, together with 36 universities and 7 nonprofitable organizations, formed a forum that set forth an action plan essentially designed to help colleges circumvent court-imposed restrictions on affirmative action. The CEOs motive: “Our audience is growing more diverse, so the communities we serve benef

5、it if our employees are racially and ethnically diverse as well”, says one CEO of a compang that owns nine television stations.Among the steps the forum is pushing: finding creative yet legal ways to boost minority enrollment through new admissions policies; promoting admissions decisions that look

6、at more than test scores; and encouraging universities to step up their minority outreach and financial aid. And to counter accusations by critics to challenge these tactics in court, the group says it will give legal assistance to colleges sued for trying them. “Diversity diminished by the court mu

7、st be made up for in other legitimate, legal ways,” says, a forum member.One of the more controversial methods advocated is the so-called 10% rule. The idea is for public universitieswhich educate three-quarters of all U.S. undergraduatesto admit students who are in the top 10% of their high school

8、graduating class. Doing so allows colleges to take minorities who excel in average urban schools, even if they wouldnt have made the cut under the current statewide ranking many universities use.335 words1. U.S. court restrictions on affirmative action signifies that.A minorities no longer hold the

9、once favored statusB the quality of American colleges has improvedC racial preferences has replaced racial prejudiceD the minority is on an equal footing with the majority2. What has been a divisive issue across the United States?A Whether affirmative action should continue to exist.B Whether this l

10、aw is helping minorities or the white majority.C Whether racism exists in American college admission.D Whether racial intolerance should be punished. 3. CEOs of big companies decided to help colleges enroll more minority students because they.A think it wrong to deprive the minorities of their right

11、s to receive educationB want to conserve the fine characteristics of American nationC want a workforce that reflects the diversity of their customersD think it their duty to help develop education of the country4. The major tactic the forum uses is to.A battle the racial preferences in courtB suppor

12、t colleges involved in lawsuits of racismC strive to settle this political debate nationwideD find legally viable ways to ensure minority admissions5. If the 10% rule is applied,.A the best white high school students can get into collegesB public universities can get excellent studentsC students fro

13、m poor rural families can go to collegesD good minority students can get into public universitiesText 2 07.8Aeroplanes will be too afraid to crash, yoghurts will wish you good morning before being eaten and human consciousness will be stored on supercomputers, promising immortality for all. These fa

14、ntastic claims are not made by a science fiction writer or a crystal ball-gazing lunatic. They are the deadly earnest predictions of Ian Pearson, head of the futurology unit at BT. “If you draw the timelines, realistically by 2050 we would expect to be able to download your mind into a machine, so w

15、hen you die its not a major career problem,” Pearson told The Observer. “If youre rich enough then by 2050 its feasible. If youre poor youll probably have to wait until 2075 or 2080 when its routine. We are very serious about it. Thats how fast this technology is moving: 45 years is a hell of a long

16、 time in IT.” The worlds fastest computer, IBMs BlueGene, can perform 70.72 trillion calculations per second and is accelerating all the time. But anyone who believes in the uniqueness of consciousness or the soul will find Pearsons next suggestion hard to swallow. “Were already looking at how you m

17、ight structure a computer that could possibly become conscious. There are quite a lot of us now who believe its entirely feasible.”In the shorter term, Pearson identifies the next phase of progress as “ambient intelligence”: chips with everything. He explained: “For example, if you have a pollen cou

18、nt sensor in your car you take some antihistamine before you get out. Chips will come small enough that you can start impregnating them into the skin. Were talking about video tattoos as very, very thin sheets of polymer that you just literally stick on to the skin and they stay there for several da

19、ys. You could even build in cellphones and connect it to the network, use it as a video phone and download videos or receive emails.” The next age, he predicts, will be that of “simplicity” in around 2013-2015. This is where the IT has actually become mature enough that people will be able to drive

20、it without having to go on a training course. “Forget this notion that you have to have one single chip in the computer which does everything. Why not just get a stack of little self-organising chips in a box and theyll hook up and do it themselves. It wont be able to get any viruses because most of

21、 the operating system will be stored in hardware which the hackers cant write to. If your machine starts going wrong, you just push a button and its reset to the factory setting.”Pearsons third age is “virtual worlds” in around 2020. “We will spend a lot of time in virtual space, using high quality,

22、 3D, immersive, computer generated environments to socialise and do business in. When technology gives you a life-size 3D image and the links to your nervous system allow you to shake hands, its like being in the other persons office. Its impossible to believe that wont be the normal way of communic

23、ating. ”534 words6. In the opening paragraph, the author introduces his topic by .A refuting a claim B quoting a statementC proposing an assumptionD predicting a phenomenon 7. To which of the following would Pearson most likely agree?A Soon the wealthy will be able to download their consciousness in

24、to computers.B Next-generation technologies will adjust to communication and emotion.C Its possible that we could have computers smarter than human beings.D Ambient intelligence will be the first step in making conscious computers.8. By referring to BlueGene, the author intends to show .A human cons

25、ciousness is not uniqueB it is hard to believe Pearsons assumptionC computer technology is advancing rapidlyD intelligent machines will become very complex9. A rollable display which can be wrapped around the arm is likely to appear in the phase of .A ambient intelligenceB simplicityC virtual worlds

26、D conscious computers10. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?A Digital Immortality Is within Our Grasp.B High-tech Fantasies: Virtual Worlds.C An Extraordinary Vision of Artificial Intelligence.D The Merger of Information Technology and Biology.Text 3 06.8Were moving into

27、another era, as the toxic effects of the bubble and its grave consequences spread through the financial system. Just a couple of years ago investors dreamed of 20 percent returns forever. Now surveys show that theyre down to a “realistic”8 percent to 10 percent range.But what if the next few years t

28、urn out to be below normal expectations? Martin Barners of the Bank Credit Analyst in Montreal expects future stock returns to average just 4 percent to 6 percent. Sound impossible? After a much smaller bubble that burst in the mid-1960s Standard & Poors 5000 stock average returned 6.9 percent a yea

29、r (with dividends reinvested) for the following 17 years. Few investors are prepared for that.Right now denial seems to be the attitude of choice. Thats typical, says Lori Lucas of Hewitt, the consulting firm. You hate to look at your investments when theyre going down. Hewitt tracks 500,000 401 (k)

30、 accounts every day, and finds that savers are keeping their contributions up. But theyre much less inclined to switch their money around. “Its the slot-machine effect,” Lucas says. “People get more interested in playing when they think theyve got a hot machine”and nothings hot today. The average in

31、vestor feels overwhelmed.Against all common sense, many savers still shut their eyes to the dangers of owning too much company stock. In big companies last year, a surprising 29 percent of employees held at least three quarters of their 402 (k) in their own stock.Younger employees may have no choice

32、. You often have to wait until youre 50 or 55 before you can sell any company stock you get as a matching contribution.But instead of getting out when they can, old participants have been holding, too. One third of the people 60 and up chose company stock for three quarters of their plan, Hewitt rep

33、orts. Are they inattentive? Loyal to a fault? Sick? Its as if Lucent, Enron and Xerox never happened.No investor should give his or her total trust to any particular companys stock. And while youre at it, think how youd be if future stock returnsaveraging good years and badare as poor as Barnes pred

34、icts.If you ask me, diversified stocks remain good for the long run, with a backup in bonds. But I, too, am figuring on reduced returns. What a shame. Dear bubble, Ill never forget. Its the end of a grand affair.431 words11.The investors judgment of the present stock returns seems to be.A fancifulB

35、pessimisticC groundlessD realistic12.In face of the current stock market, most stock-holders.A stop injecting more money into the stock marketB react angrily to the devaluing stockC switch their money around in the marketD turn a deaf ear to the warning13.In the authors opinion, employees should.A i

36、nvest in company stock to show loyalty to their employerB get out of their own companys stockC wait for some time before disposing of their stockD give trust to a particular companys stock14.It can be inferred from the text that Lucent, Enron and Xerox are names of.A successful businessesB bankrupte

37、d companiesC stocksD huge corporations15.The authors attitude towards the long-term investors decision is.A positiveB suspiciousC negativeD ambiguousText 4 07.8A revolution is coming in the field of global education. Up to now, all leading universities have relied primarily on the deep Western pool

38、of wisdom to provide both the method and content of their educational systems. This made sense. Western education created the most successful societies humankind has ever seen. Asia benefited from Western education even under colonial rule. When the imperialist Lord Macaulay was put in charge of edu

39、cation in British India, he called for English to be the language of instruction. He promised that Indians minds would begin to open when they read those English texts. The magic that Macaulay predicted did indeed happen: Western schooling opened Indian minds. The new, confident India of today owes

40、its success at least in part to the influence of Western literature and learning.Now a second Asian cultural awakening is upon us. There is a growing realization that the world can learn a lot from, say, Chinese and Indian civilizations, in everything from poetry and philosophy to traditional medici

41、ne and strategic thinking. Paradoxically, leading Western institutions are ahead of their Asian counterparts in grasping this. Yale University, for example, has signed student-exchange agreements with several leading Asian universities, including Peking University and the National University of Sing

42、apore (NUS). Cooperation between Asian and American universities in scientific research is also growing.Sadly, most Asian educators have not fully understood how much the world is changing. They are comfortable with the old paradigm of copying the West. But as Asian economies reach the same level as

43、 Western ones, this will no longer work. Asian universities will have to reinvent themselves, bringing together the best of Western and Asian learning.The degree of adaptation will vary from discipline to discipline. The Asian faculties of science, mathematics and engineering will teach the same cur

44、ricula as Western universities. But to achieve the same level of excellence, Asian universities will have to stop viewing themselves merely as brain factories churning out scientists and engineers only for economic growth. Creativity and innovation will become more important. The explosive success o

45、f American universities stems at least in part from the fact that they are treated not merely as economic units but as the guardians of the souls of their people.In the field of social science, the challenges may be even greater. The prevailing assumption in the West is that all social-science theor

46、ieseven those drawn entirely from American and European experiencesare universally applicable. Hence, there is no need to study other cultures, religions or peoples. In a monocivilizational world dominated by the West, this approach seemed to work. In the multicivilizational world of the future, the

47、se assumptions will appear both quaint and irrelevant.In advocating an open attitude to all cultures, the new Asian scholars may only be reviving an old Western ideal which declared that educated minds understood both their own cultures and the world. To succeed, Asian universities will have to cult

48、ivate equally strong traditions of freedom of spirit and inquiry that have been the hallmark of great universities throughout the ages, from Nalanda to Harvard. If they can do that, they may even surpass their Western counterparts.527 words16. The author uses the example of India to show.A the educa

49、tional backwardness of a colonial countryB the merging of East and West in the historyC the western prejudice against Asian cultureD the powerful influence of western civilization17. A second Asian cultural awakening is characterized by .A contempt for western cultureB the foresight of Asian educati

50、onal institutionsC the academic exchange between the east and west D the growth of Asian universities18. We can infer that, in the authors eyes, Asian college education .A still lags behind its western counterpartB has cultivated excellent scholars and talentsC ignores the importance of social scien

51、ce D is no longer based on the western theories19. According to the author, Asian universities should .A carry forward their own traditionsB be better informed about world events C take the lead in the knowledge society D learn from the west in a new way20. The best title for the text may be.A Share

52、d WisdomB West or East -Whose Century?C Learn From AsiaD Revolution in EducationPart B 07.8Directions:You are going to read a text about the tips on helping the children learn from their failures followed by a list of examples. Choose the best example from the list A-F for each numbered subheading (

53、21-25). There is one extra example which you do not need to use. Mark your answers on ANSER SHEET 1. (10 points)Think back on all youve experienced over the years. What event taught you the most? Which was your greatest challenge? What were the most difficult lessons? Now what advice would you give

54、the children in your life to help them achieve their dreams?If I could pass one skill on to the children in my life to equip them and help them achieve their dreams, it would be to learn from their failures and keep moving forward despite adversity. I believe several abilities are key to becoming a

55、person who “fails forward”. Likewise, there are specific ways you can apply them to a childs life by using the knowledge youre gained from your own experience.Help the Children in Your Life. 21. To Reject RejectionIn order for a child to have a healthy self-image, its important that his thinking be

56、on the right track with regard to failure. 22. Keep Expectations Realistic Overcoming setbacks takes time, effort and perseverance. Model for children how to approach every pursuit with realistic expectations and not to give up at the first sign of adversityan especially tough concept for kids in ou

57、r instant-gratification society. 23. Focus on StrengthsChildren will begin to grasp the idea of failing forward when you help them focus on their strengths. Zig Ziglar has always said that being successful in life is “maximizing the ability God has given you.”24. Vary Approaches to Achievement If yo

58、uve watched the Summer Olympics, you have probably seen athletes compete in the high jump. But did you know that during the 1960s the sport went through a major change in technique that allowed athletes to break the old records and pushed them up to new level?Children can reach their goals the same way. 25. Bounce BackPsychologist Simone Caruthers says, “Life is a series of outcomes. If the outco