2020年考研英语二模拟题(三).pdf
12020年考研英语二模拟题(三)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 onthe ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)From childhood to old age, we all use language as a means of broadening our knowledge ofourselves and the world about us. When humans first 1_ , they were like newborn children, unable touse this 2_tool. Yet once language developed, the possibilities for human kinds future 3 _and culturalgrowth increased.Many linguists believe that evolution is 4 _for our ability to produce and use language. They5_that our highly evolved brain provides us 6 _an innate language ability not found in lower7_ .Proponents of this innateness theory say that our 8_ for language is inborn, but that language itselfdevelops gradually, 9_ a function of the growth of the brain during childhood. Therefore there arecritical 10_ times for language development.Current 11_ of innateness theory(天生论) are mixed, however, evidence supporting the existenceof some innate abilities is undeniable. 12_ , more and more schools are discovering that foreignlanguages are best taught in 13 _grades. Young children often can learn several languages by being 14_to them, while adults have a much harder time learning another language once the 15_ of their firstlanguage have become firmly fixed.16_ some aspects of language are undeniably innate, language does not develop automatically in avacuum. Children who have been 17_ from other human beings do not possess language. Thisdemonstrates that 18_ with other human beings is necessary for proper language development. Somelinguists believe that this is even more basic to human language 19 _than any innate capacities. Thesetheorists view language as imitative, learned behavior. 20_, children learn language from their parentsby imitating them. Parents gradually shape their childs language skills by positively reinforcing preciseimitations and negatively reinforcing imprecise ones.1.AgeneratedBevolvedCbornDoriginated2.AvaluableBappropriateCconvenientDfavorite3.AattainmentsBfeasibilityCentertainmentsDevolution4.AessentialBavailableCreliableDresponsible25.AconfirmBinformCclaimDconvince6.AforBfromCofDwith7.AorganizationsBorganismsChumansDchildren8.ApotentialBperformanceCpreferenceDpassion9.AasBjust asClikeDunlike10.AideologicalBbiologicalCsocialDpsychological11.AreviewsBreferenceCreactionDrecommendation12.AIn a wordBIn a senseCIndeedDIn other words13.AvariousBdifferentCthe higherDthe lower14.ArevealedBexposedCengagedDinvolved15.AregulationsBformationsCrulesDconstitutions16.AAlthoughBWhetherCSinceDWhen17.AdistinguishedBdifferentCprotectedDisolated18.AexpositionBcomparisonCcontrastDinteraction19.AacquisitionBappreciationCrequirementDalternative20.AAs a resultBAfter allCIn other wordsDAbove allSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer thequestions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D.Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)Text 1There is extraordinary exposure in the United States to the risks of injury and death from motorvehicle accidents. More than 80 percent of all households own passenger cars or light trucks and eachof these is driven a average of more than 11,000 miles each year. Almost one-half of fatally injureddrivers have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.1 percent or higher. For the average adult, overfive ounces of 80 proof spirits would have to be consumed over a short period of time to attain theselevels. A third of drivers who have been drinking, but fewer than 4 percent of all drivers, demonstratethese levels. Although less than 1 percent of drivers with BAC s of 0.1 percent or more are involved infatal crashes, the probability of their involvement is 27 times higher than for those without alcohol intheir blood.3There are a number of different approaches to reducing injuries in which intoxication plays a role.Based on the observation that excessive consumption correlates with the total alcohol consumption of acountrys population, it has been suggested that higher taxes on alcohol would reduce both. While theheaviest drinkers would be taxed the most, anyone who drinks at all would be penalized by thisapproach.To make drinking and driving a criminal offense is an approach directed only at intoxicateddrivers. In some states, the law empowers police to request breath tests of drivers cited for any trafficoffense and elevated BAC can be the basis for arrest. The National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration estimates, however, that even with increased attests, there are about 700 violations forevery arrest. At this level there is little evidence that laws serve as deterrents to drinking whileintoxicated. In Britain, motor vehicle fatalities fell 25 percent immediately following implementationof the Road Safety Act in 1967. As the British increasingly recognized that they could drink and not bestopped, the effectiveness declined, although in the ensuing three years the fatality rate seldom reachedthat observed in the seven years prior to the Act.Whether penalties for driving with a high BAC or excessive taxation on consumption of alcoholicbeverages will deter the excessive drinker responsible tot most fatalities is unclear. In fact, the answerdepends on the extent to which those with high BAC involved in crashes are capable of controllingtheir intake in response to economic or penal threat. Therapeutic programs which range from individualand group counseling and psychotherapy to chemotherapy constitute another approach, but they havenot diminished the proportion of accidents in which alcohol was a factor. In the few controlled trialsthat have been reported, there is little evidence that rehabilitation programs for those repeatedlyarrested for drunken behavior have reduced either the recidivism or crash rates. Thus far, there is nofirm evidence that Alcohol Safety Action Project supported programs, in which rehabilitation measuresare requested by tile court, have decreased recidivism or crash involvement for clients exposed to them,although knowledge and attitudes have improved. One thing is clear, however, unless we deal withautomobile and highway safety and reduce accidents in which alcoholic intoxication plays a role, manywill continue to die.21. The author is mainly concerned with _.A. interpreting the results of surveys on traffic fatalitiesB. reviewing the effectiveness of attempts to curb drunk drivingC. suggesting reasons for the prevalence of drunk driving in the United States D. analyzing thecauses of the large number of annual traffic fatalities22. It can be inferred that the 1967 Road Safety Act in Britain _.A. required drivers convicted under the law to undergo rehabilitation therapy B. made it illegal todrive while intoxicatedC. increased the number of drunk driving arrestsD. placed a tax on the sale of alcoholic drinks23. The author implies that a BAC of 0.1 percent _.A. is unreasonably high as a definition of intoxication for purposes of drivingB. penalizes the moderate drinker while allowing the heavy drinker to consume without limit4C. is well below the BAC of must drivers who are involved in fatal collisionsD. proves that a driver has consumed five ounces of 80 proof spirits over a short time24. The author cites the British example in order to _.A. demonstrate the need to lower BAC levels in states that have laws against drunk drivingB. prove that stricter enforcement of laws against intoxicated drivers would reduce traffic deathsC. prove that a slight increase in the number of arrests of intoxicated drivers will not deter drunkdriving D. suggest that taxation of alcohol consumption may be more effective than criminal laws25. The authors tone of the end of the article can best be described as _.A. ironic B. indifferent C. admonitory D. indecisiveText 2No one can be a great thinker who does not realize that as a thinker it is his first duty to follow hisintellect to whatever conclusions it may lead. Truth gains more even by the errors of one who, with duestudy and preparation, thinks for himself, than by the true opinions of those who only hold thembecause they do not suffer themselves to think. Not that it is solely, or chiefly, to form great thinkersthat freedom of thinking is required. On the contrary, it is much or even more indispensable to enableaverage human beings to attain the mental stature, which they are capable of. There have been, andmay again be, great individual thinkers in a general atmosphere of mental slavery. But there never hasbeen, nor ever will be, in that atmosphere an intellectually active people. Where any people has made atemporary approach to such a character, it has been because the dread of heterodox speculation was fora time suspended. Where there is a tacit convention that principles are not to be disputed; where thediscussion of the greatest questions which can occupy humanity is considered to be closed, we cannothope to find that generally high scale of mental activity which has made some periods of history soremarkable. Never when controversy avoided the subjects which are large and important enough tokindle enthusiasm was the mind of people stirred up from its foundations and the impulse given whichraised even persons of the most ordinary intellect to something of the dignity of thinking beings.He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and noone may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the oppositeside; if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion. Therational position for him would be suspension of judgment and unless he contents himself with that, heis either led by authority, or adopts, like the generality of the world, the side to which he feels the mostinclination. Nor is it enough that he should hear the arguments of adversaries from his own teachers,presented as they state them, and accompanied by what they offer as refutations. That is not the way todo justice to the arguments, or bring them into real contact with his own mind. He must be able to hearthem from persons who actually believe them; who defend them in earnest, and do their very utmostfor them. He must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form: he must feel the whole forceof the difficulty which the true view of the subject has to encounter and dispose of else he will neverreally possess himself of the portion of truth which meets and removes that difficulty. Ninety-nine in a5hundred of what are called educated men are in this condition, even of those who can argue fluently fortheir opinions. Their conclusion may be true, but it might be false for anything they know: they havenever thrown themselves into the mental position of those who think differently from and consideredwhat such persons may have to say, and consequently they do not, in any proper sense of the word,know the doctrines which they themselves profess. They do not know those parts of it which explainand justify the remainder: the considerations which show that a fact which seemingly conflicts withanother is reconcilable with it, or that, of two apparently strong reasons, one and not the other ought tobe preferred.26. According to the author, in a great period such as the Renaissance we may expect to find _.A. acceptance of truth B. enthusiasmC. controversy over principles D. a suspension of judgment27. Which of the following statements is true, according to the author?A. Most educated people study both sides of a question.B. Heterodox speculation will lead to many errors in thinking.C. The vast majority of people who argue fluently are acquainted with only one side of an issue.D. It is wise to get both sides of a debatable issue from ones teachers.28. As it is used in line 4 of the passage, the word “suffer“ most nearly means _.A. endure B. undergo C. permit D. support29. It can be inferred from the passage that a person who knows only his own side of an issue isregarded by theauthor as _.A. uniformed B. opinionated C. ignorant D. rational30. Which of the following statements do you think the author would be most likely to agree with?A. A truly great thinker makes no mistakes.B. Periods of intellectual achievement are of heterodox speculation.C. In a period of mental slavery, no true intellectual thought is possible.D. Excessive controversy prevents clear thinking.Text 3Large, multinational corporations may be the companies whose ups and downs seize headlines.greater extent than most Americans realize, the economys vitality depends on the fortunes of tinyshops and restaurants, neighborhood services and factories. Small businesses, defined as those withfewer than 100 workers, now employ nearly 60 percent of the work force and are expected to generatehalf of all new jobs between now and the year 2000. Some 1.2 million small firm have opened theirdoors over the past six years of economic growth, and 1989 will see an additional 200, 000entrepreneurs striking off on their own.Too many of these pioneers, however, will blaze ahead unprepared. Idealists will overestimate theclamor for their products or fall to factor in the competition. Nearly everyone will underestimate, oftenfatally, the capital that success requires, Mid-career executives, forced by a takeover or a restructuringto quit the corporation and find another way to support themselves, may savor the idea of being their6own boss but may forget that entrepreneurs must also, at least for a while, be bookkeeper andreceptionist, too. According to Small Business Administration data, 24 of every, 100 businessesstarting out today are likely to have disappeared in two years, and 27 more will have shut their doorsfour years from now. By 1995, more than 60 of those I00 start-ups will have folded. A new study of3,000 small businesses, sponsored by American Express and the National Federation of IndependentBusiness, suggests slightly better odds: Three years after start-up, 77 percent of the companiessurveyed were still alive, Most credited their success in large part to having picked a business theyalready were comfortable in. Eighty percent had worked with the same product or service in their lestjobs.Thinking through an enterprise before the launch is obviously critical. But many entrepreneursforget that a firms health in its pulse. In their zeal to expand, small-business owners often ignore earlywarning signs of a stagnant market or of decaying profitability. They hopefully pour more and moremoney into tile enterprise, preferring not to acknowledge eroding profit margins that mean the marketfor their ingenious service or product has evaporated, or that they must cut the payroll or vacate thei