考研英语冲刺试卷

考研英语冲刺试卷考试时间：180分钟 满分：100分Section I Use of EnglishDirections:Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)You probably have a long mental list of moments and facts you wish you could remember-but actually you cannot. The good news, 1 , is that while such memories may be currently 2 , they are not entirely gone, and could theoretically be 3 ,according to a new brain research.In the study, biologist Jeffrey Johnson 4 16 college participants through an FMRI machine (which 5 nervous activity via blood flow) to compare brain patterns 6 memory formation and recall. First, he showed the students various common words and had them 7 a few tasks: say the word backwards in your head, 8 its uses, and picture how an artist would 9 it. Then, 20 minutes later, after the students re-entered the FMRI machine, Johuson showed them the list of words and asked them to recall 10 they could from before. Finally, he compared brain activity from both 11 and what he found will surprise you.Using 12 is called “pattern analysis”, its possible to 13 a unique pattern of brain activity to every individual thing we do. This means that when a participant says the word “apple” backwords the 14 pattern of brain activity is different than when he pictures the fruit. 15 interestingly, there is close similarity between the pattern that emerges when we 16 an activity and when we later recall it. The stronger our memory, the 17 the pattern, but as Johnson found, even at a moment 18 we cannot remember anything, our nerve cells still fire in a way that 19 the activity of when we formed the memory. This 20 that sometime in the future we may be able to retrieve the memories we thought wed lost forever.1. Aalthough Brather Cthough Dtherefore2. Aforgetful Babsent Cfaultless Dunavailable3. Aretrieved Brecognized Cclaimed Daccumulated4. Alet Bput Cran Dgot5. Ameasures Bcalculates Cassesses Devaluates6. Abetween Bduring Cacross Dthroughout7. Aassign Bdisplay Cperform Dovertake8. Abring forward Bthink of Ccheck out Dcatch on9. Apredict Bmanifest Cdepict Dspecify10. Ahowever Bwhenever Cwhatever Dwhichever11. Aprocedures Bsessions Cprogresses Dsections12. Awhich Bthat Cas Dwhat13. Aattach Bsubject Csubmit Dstick14. Acontroversial Brelevant Cparticular Dassociated15. AEven BBut CSo DAs16. Aset about Bsit for Cengage in Dgo through17. Astronger Bcloser Cfurther Dweaker18. Awhen Bthat Cwhich Das19. Ahampers Bdistinguishes Cduplicates Dresembles20. Ahighlights Bimplies Centails DexclaimsSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)Text 1Communication has changed dramatically over the past half-century. The term “Global Village” was first used in the early 1960s to describe the ways in which the electronic age was reshaping the rapidity and pervasiveness with which information is disseminated across the world. Now, with the enormous growth of the Internet and other forms of digital communication, that idea is all the more applicable. New technology has changed the ways we receive information and the ways we collect and store it. If you look to past centuries, people have had to rely on word-of-mouth as a way of finding out news beyond their own towns. History itself was passed along through specialized individuals who memorized names and events from the previous centuries. The most well known form of history is myth, which comes from the Greek word for “a spoken or written story.” Many of these stories have been very influential and continue to be read and studied in our own times: the famous examples are the works of the Greek poet Homer. Many techniques are used to preserve a story, event, history, or myth from generation to generation. Symbols are used as devices to trigger a common connection in the listeners. Repetition of names and families throughout a single story are used as a way to keep important information fresh in the mind. The reliance on a common tradition or reference within a particular culture allows the storyteller to get more meaning across with the fewest words said. These are all memory aids that serve to allow both the teller and the listener to fully realize a story that may have its origins hundreds of years in the past. For instance, native peoples in North Americas Northwest Territory have passed down detailed methods for hunting and storing of reindeer and whale that include geographic information that still hold relevance today. The need for an oral tradition has diminished in practical value with the advent of the written text and the rapid growth of computers as a means of disseminating information. There are many harmful side effects to the loss of this practice. Younger generations can become alienated from their cultural identity and knowledge about customs, tradition, mores, the natural world and history will disappear. This is especially true in aboriginal cultures such as in Native American, Native Australian and South American peoples, where assimilation into the dominant culture can come at the cost of historical customs. Since the prevalence of the written word, and later inventions that have made passing along the printed word easier, the demands on our memory as a means of cataloging facts and historical data has been considerably reduced. However, the techniques used for hundreds of years by those whose job it was to keep these histories alive have a deeply ingrained influence on us today. Keeping that knowledge and those traditions alive is very important. Spend a moment recalling a memory of an oral tradition in your family history that has impacted your education. How has this oral tradition affected you?21. The term “Global Village” implies that_.A the electronic technology is developing rapidlyB the 1960s witnessed the birth of electronic rapidlyC modern IT has eliminated geographical barriersDdigital technique has found diverse application22. Centuries ago, information distribution was_.A carried out by mouth-to-mouth messagesB conducted more by speaking than by writingC confined in small and enclosed districtsDdependent on specialized individuals23. The text indicates that myth_.A is the true record of ancient historyB is handed down by means of various symbolsC saves key information for later generationsDcharacterizes a nations common tradition24. The author asserts that modern communication means can_.A result in the alienation of younger generationBdeprive the youth of their national identityC lead to the extinction of myth and customsDcause destruction of myth and customs25. The best title for the text may be_.A The Drastic Change in CommunicationB The Impact of Computer on Our LifeC The primary Value of Oral TraditionD The Function of Myth and HistoryText 2Technology is a two-edged sword. Rarely is this as clear as it is in the realm of health care. Technology allows doctors to test their patients for genetic defects-and then to turn around and spread the results throughout the world via the Internet. For someone in need of treatment, thats good news. But for someone in search of a job or an insurance policy, the tidings can be all bad. Last week President Bill Clinton proposed a corollary to the patients bill of rights now before Congress: a right to medical privacy. Beginning in , under rules set to become law in February, patients would be able to stipulate the conditions under which their personal medical data could be revealed. They would be able to examine their records and make corrections. They could learn who else had seen the information. Improper use of records by a caregiver or insurer could result in both civil and criminal penalties. The plan was, said Clinton, “an unprecedented step toward putting Americans back in control of their own medical records.”While the administration billed the rules as an attempt to strike a balance between the needs of consumers and those of the health-care industry, neither doctors nor insurance companies were happy. The doctors said the rules could actually erode privacy, pointing to a provision allowing managed-care plans to use personal information without consent if the purpose was “health-care operations.” That, physicians said, was a loophole through which HMOs and other insurers could pry into the doctor-patient relationship, in the name of assessing the quality of care. Meanwhile, the insurers protested that the rules would make them vulnerable to lawsuits. They were especially disturbed by a provision holding them liable for privacy breaches by “business partners” such as lawyers and accountants. Both groups agreed that privacy protections would drive up the cost of health care by at least an additional $3.8 billion, and maybe much more, over the next five years. They also complained about the increased level of federal scrutiny required by the new rules enforcement provisions. One aim of the rules is to reassure patients about confidentiality, thereby encouraging them to be open with their doctors. Today various cancers and sexually transmitted diseases can go untreated because patients are afraid of embarrassment or of losing insurance coverage. The fear is real: Clinton aides noted that a January poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates found that one in six U.S. adults had at some time done something unusual to conceal medical information, such as paying cash for services. 26.The author begins his article with “technology is a two-edged sword” to _. A warn of the harm patients are prone to sufferB call on peoples attention to the potential danger technology can bring to us C show that doctors improper use of technology can end up in bad results D show the advantages and disadvantages of technology27.According to the proposal made by President Clinton, patients will be able to do the following EXCEPT _. A enjoy more rights to their medical records B be open with their doctorsC decide how to use their medical informationD sue their insurers for improper use of their medical records28.Doctors tend to think that the rules _. A may ruin doctor-patient relationshipB can do more harm than good C will prevent doctors from doing medical researchD will end up in more health care cost and poorer medical service29.The example of the January poll by Princeton Survey Research Associates is used to show that _. A American patients concealment of their medical information has become a big concern B a large portion of patients would rather leave their diseases untreatedC concealing medical information is widespread in the U.S.D paying cash for medical service is a common practice among American patients30.From the article we can learn that _. A American government will tighten its control over the use of patients personal information. B doctors and insurers are both against the rules for the same reasons C patients are entitled to have complete control of their medical informationD the new rules put insurers in a very disadvantageous position Text 3A new malady is running rampantly in corporate America: management phobia. Many people dont want to be a manager, and many people who are managers are desired to jump off the management trackor have already. “I hated all the meetings,” says a 10-year award-winning manager, “And I found the more you did for people who worked for you, the more they expected. I was a counselor, motivator, financial adviser and psychologist. ” With technology changing in a wink, you can never slack off 4 these days if youre on the technical side. Its a rare person who can manage to keep up on the technical side and handle a management job, too. In addition, with Scott Adamss popular cartoon character as well as many television situation comedies routinely portraying managers as idiots or enemies, they just dont get much respect anymore. Supervising others was always a tough task, but in the past that stress was offset by hopes for career mobility and financial rewards. Along with a sizable pay raise, people chosen as managers would begin a nearly automatic climb up the career ladder to lucrative executive perks: stock options, company cars, club memberships, plus the key to the executive washroom. But in todays global, more competitive arena, a manager sits on an insecure perch. Restructuring have eliminated layer after layer of management as companies came to view their organizations as collections of competencies rather than hierarchies. There are far fewer rungs on the corporate ladder for managers to climb. In addition, managerial jobs demand more hours and headaches than ever before but offer slim, if any, financial paybacks and perks. In an age of entrepreneurship, when the most praised people in business are those launching something new, management seems like an invisible, thankless role. Employers are looking for people who can do things, not for people who make other people do things. Management layoffs have done much to erode interest in managerial jobs. With more people wary of joining management, are corporations being hurt or worrying about developing future leaders? Not many are. While employers have dismissed a lot of managers, they believe a surplus lingers on at many companies. Another reason companies arent short of managers, contends Robert Kelley, a Carnegie Mellon University business professor, “is that so many workers today are self-managed, either individually or via teams, you dont need a manager.”31. The 10-year award-winning manager suggests that_. A managerial jobs demand more hours and offer more headaches B managers should not do too much beyond the scope of his job C being a manager requires many other skills besides management D a person can get a lot of development in a management role.32. The word “perk”(Line3, Paragraph 3) probably means_. A privileges B status C mobility D rungs33. Which one of the following statements applies to todays managers?A Their stress can be reduced by the financial and emotional rewards. B They are beginning to neglect their development on the technical side. C They feel more insecure in their positions because of the reduction in company hierarchies. D They are not respected any more by the media despite their hard efforts.34. Which skill do employers value most in this age of entrepreneurship?A Management B Creativity C Cooperation D Diligence35. We can learn from the last paragraph that_.A the loss of interest in the managerial jobs would damage America corporate culture B more and more managers would be laid off in order to relieve the financial burden C those who are still lingering on managerial jobs are not foresighted. D many employees are to some extent a managers of themselvesText 4Thanks to slumping markets, investment banks are shedding many of their highly-paid traders. When markets recover, the banks might be tempted to replace them with rather cheaper talent. One alternative has been around for a while but has yet to catch on: autonomous trading agents-computers programmed to act like the human version without such pesky costs as holidays, lunch breaks or bonuses. Program trading has, of course, been done before; some blamed the 1987 stockmarket crash on computers instructed with simple decision-making rules. But robots can be smarter than that.Dave Cliff, a researcher at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories in Bristol, England, has been creating trading robots for seven years. In computer simulations he lets them evolve “genetically”, and so allows them to adapt and fit models of real-world financial markets. His experiments have suggested that a redesign of some markets could lead to greater efficiency. Last year, a research group at IBM showed that Mr. Cliffs artificial traders could consistently beat the human variety, in various kinds of market. Nearly all take the shape of an auction. One well-known type is the English auction, familiar to patrons of the salesrooms of Christies and Sothebys, where sellers keep mum on their offer price, and buyers increase their bids by stages until only one remains.At the other extreme is the Dutch auction, familiar to 17th-century tulip-traders in the Netherlands as well as to bidders for American Treasury bonds. Here, buyers remain silent, and a seller reduces his price until it is accepted. Most markets for shares, commodities, foreign exchange and derivatives are a hybrid of these two types: buyers and sellers can announce their bid or offer prices at any time, and deals are constantly being closed, a so-called “continuous double auction”.Mr. Cliffs novel idea was to apply his evolutionary computer programs to marketplaces themselves. Why not, he thought, try and see what types of auction would let traders converge most quickly towards an equilibrium price? The results were surprising. In his models, auctions that let buyers and sellers bid at any time like most of todays financial exchanges were less efficient than ones that required relatively more bids from either buyers or sellers. These “evolved auctions” also withstood big market shocks, such as crashes and panics, better than todays real-world versions. Mr. Cliffs most recent results, which will be presented in Sydney, Australia, on December 10th, show that the best type of auction for any market depends crucially on even slight differences in the number of buyers and sellers.Bank of America has been investigating these new auctions, along with robotic traders, for possible use in electronic exchanges. The hope is that todays financial auctions and online marketplaces might work better by becoming more like their English and Dutch forebears. But what to call such multi-ethnic hybrids? Heres introducing the “Cliffhanger”. 36.The passage is mainly_.A an introduction of trading robotsB a review of two kinds of auctionsC a survey of the trading marketD about trading alternatives37.Which of the following is true according to the text?A Davids robot traders have now been used in real-world markets. B Robot traders can evolve like creatures.C There is room for improvement in efficiency in trading markets.D The English auction is the most popular trading form.38.If you were trading American Treasury bonds, you would most likely take the trading form of_. A the English auctionB the continuous double auctionC the Dutch auctionD the evolved auction39.We can infer from the text that_.A existing auctions can not withstand market shocksB the Dutch auction is better than the continuous double auctionC its hard fo