2014年09月18日——New Yorker——A Referendum on the Union Jack

1994年10月SECTION AThe Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1868, prohibits state governments from denying citizens the “equal protection of the laws.”Although precisely what the framers of the amendment meant by this equal protection clause remains unclear, all interpreters agree that the framers’ immediate objective was to provide a constitutional warrant for the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which guaranteed the citizenship of all persons born in the United States and subject to United States jurisdiction. This declaration, which was echoed in the text of the Fourteenth Amendment, was designed primarily to counter the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dred Scott v. Sandford that Black people in the United States could be denied citizenship. The act was vetoed by President Andrew Johnson, who argued that the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, did not provide Congress with the authority to extend citizenship and equal protection to the freed slaves. Although Congress promptly overrode Johnson’s veto, supporters of the act sought to ensure its constitutional foundations with the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment.The broad language of the amendment strongly suggests that its framers were proposing to write into the Constitution not a laundry list of specific civil rights but a principle of equal citizenship that forbids organized society from treating any individual as a member of an inferior class. Yet for the first eight decades of the amendment’s existence, the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the amendment betrayed this ideal of equality. In the Civil Rights Cases of 1883, for example, the Court invented the “state action” limitation, which asserts that “private” decisions by owners of public accommodations and other commercial businesses to segregate their facilities are insulated from the reach of the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.After the Second World War, a judicial climate more hospitable to equal protection claims culminated in the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that racially segregated schools violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Two doctrines embraced by the Supreme Court during this period extended the amendment’s reach. First, the Court required especially strict scrutiny of legislation that employed a “suspect classification,” meaning discrimination against a group on grounds that could be construed as racial. This doctrine has broadened the application of the Fourteenth Amendment to other, nonracial forms of discrimination, for while some justices have refused to find any legislative classification other than race to be constitutionally disfavored, most have been receptive to arguments that at least some nonracial discriminations, sexual discrimination in particular, are “suspect” and deserve this heightened scrutiny by the courts. Second, the Court relaxed the state action limitation on the Fourteenth Amendment, bringing new forms of private conduct within the amendment’s reach.17. Which of the following best describes the main idea of the passage?(A) By presenting a list of specific rights, framers of the Fourteenth Amendmentwere attempting to provide a constitutional basis for broad judicial protection ofthe principle of equal citizenship.(B) Only after the Supreme Court adopted the suspect classification approach toreviewing potentially discriminatory legislation was the applicability of theFourteenth Amendment extended to include sexual discrimination.(C) Not until after the Second World War did the Supreme Court begin to interpretthe Fourteenth Amendment in a manner consistent with the principle of equalcitizenship that it expresses.(D) Interpreters of the Fourteenth Amendment have yet to reach consensus withregard to what its framers meant by the equal protection clause.(E) Although the reluctance of judges to extend the reach of the FourteenthAmendment to nonracial discrimination has betrayed the principle of equalcitizenship, the Supreme Court’s use of the state action limitation to insulateprivate activity from the amendment’s reach has been more harmful.18. The passage suggests that the principal effect of the state action limitation was to(A) allow some discriminatory practices to continue unimpeded by the FourteenthAmendment(B) influence the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v, Board of Education(C) provide expanded guidelines describing prohibited actions(D) prohibit states from enacting laws that violated the intent of the Civil Rights Actof 1866(E) shift to state governments the responsibility for enforcement of laws prohibitingdiscriminatory practices19. The author’s position regarding the intent of the framers of the FourteenthAmendment would be most seriously undermined if which of the following were true?(A) The framers had anticipated state action limitations as they are described in thepassage.(B) The framers had merely sought to prevent discriminatory acts by federalofficials.(C) The framers were concerned that the Civil Rights Act of 1866 would beoverturned by the Supreme Court.(D) The framers were aware that the phrase “equal protection of the laws” hadbroad implications.(E) The framers believed that racial as well as non-racial forms of discriminationwere unacceptable.20. According to the passage, the original proponents of the Fourteenth Amendmentwere primarily concerned with(A) detailing the rights afforded by the principle of equal citizenship(B) providing support in the Constitution for equal protection for all citizens of theUnited States(C) closing a loophole that could be used to deny individuals the right to sue forenforcement of their civil rights(D) asserting that the civil rights protected by the Constitution included nonracialdiscrimination as well as racial discrimination(E) granting state governments broader discretion in interpreting the Civil RightsAct of 186621. The author implies that the Fourteenth Amendment might not have been enacted if(A) Congress’ authority with regard to legislating civil rights had not beenchallenged(B) the framers had anticipated the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board ofEducation(C) the framers had believed that it would be used in deciding cases ofdiscrimination involving non-racial groups(D) most state governments had been willing to protect citizens’ civil rights(E) its essential elements had not been implicit in the Thirteenth Amendment22. According to the passage, which of the following most accurately indicates thesequence of the events listed below?I. Civil Rights Act of 1866II. Dred Scott v. SandfordIII. Fourteenth AmendmentIV. Veto by President Johnson(A) I, II, III, IV(B) I, IV, II, III(C) I, IV, III, II(D) II, I, IV, III(E) III, II, I, IV23. Which of the following can be inferred about the second of the two doctrines referredto in lines 39-41 of the passage?(A) It caused some justices to rule that all types of discrimination are prohibited bythe Constitution.(B) It shifted the focus of the Supreme Court from racial to nonracial discrimination.(C) It narrowed the concern of the Supreme Court to legislation that employed asuspect classification.(D) It caused legislators who were writing new legislation to reject language thatcould be construed as permitting racial discrimination.(E) It made it more difficult for commercial businesses to practice racialdiscrimination.The Earth’s magnetic field is generated as the molten iron of the Earth’s outer core revolves around its solid inner core. When surges in the molten iron occur, magnetic tempests are created. At the Earth’s surface, these tempests can be detected by changes in the strength of the Earth’s magnetic field. For reasons not fully understood, the field itself reverses periodically every million years or so. During the past million years, for instance, the magnetic north pole has migrated between the Antarctic and the Arctic.Clearly, geophysicists who seek to explain and forecast changes in the field must understand what happens in the outer core. Unlike meteorologists, however, they cannot rely on observations made in their own lifetimes. Whereas atmospheric storms arise in a matter of hours and last for days, magnetic tempests develop over decades and persist for centuries. Fortunately scientists have been recording changes in the Earth’s magnetic field for more than 300 years.24. In the passage, the author is primarily concerned with(A) analyzing a complicated scientific phenomenon and its impact on the Earth’ssurface features(B) describing a natural phenomenon and the challenges its study presents toresearchers(C) discussing a scientific field of research and the gaps in researchers’methodological approaches to it(D) comparing two distinct fields of physical science and the different researchmethods employed in each(E) proposing an explanation for a geophysical phenomenon and an experiment thatcould help confirm that explanation25. The passage suggests which of the following about surges in the Earth’s outer core?(A) They occur cyclically every few decades.(B) They can be predicted by changes in the Earth’s inner core.(C) They are detected through indirect means.(D) They are linked to disturbances in the Earth’s atmosphere.(E) They last for periods of about 1 million years.26. It can be inferred from the passage that geophysicists seeking to explain magnetictempests ought to conduct research on the Earth’s outer core because the Earth’souter core(A) is more fully understood than the Earth’s magnetic field(B) is more easily observed than the Earth’s magnetic field(C) has been the subject of extensive scientific observation for 300 years(D) is involved in generating the Earth’s magnetic field(E) reflects changes in the inner core caused by magnetic tempests27. In the second paragraph, the author is primarily concerned with(A) stating a limitation that helps determine a research methodology(B) making a comparative analysis of two different research methodologies(C) assessing the amount of empirical data in the field of physical science(D) suggesting an optimistic way of viewing a widely feared phenomenon(E) describing a fundamental issue and discussing its future impact on societySECTION BThe defoliation of millions of acres of trees by massive infestations of gypsy moth caterpillars is a recurring phenomenon in the northeastern United States. In studying these outbreaks, scientists have discovered that affected trees fight back by releasing toxic chemicals, mainly phenols, into their foliage. These noxious substances limit caterpillars’growth and reduce the number of eggs that female moths lay. Phenols also make the eggs smaller, which reduces the growth of the following year’s caterpillars. Because the number of eggs a female moth produces is directly related to her size, and because her size is determined entirely by her feeding success as a caterpillar, the trees’ defensive mechanism has an impact on moth fecundity.The gypsy moth is also subject to attack by the nucleopolyhedrosis virus, or wilt disease, a particularly important killer of the caterpillars in outbreak years. Caterpillars contract wilt disease when they eat a leaf to which the virus, encased in a protein globule, has become attached. Once ingested by a caterpillar, the protein globule dissolves, releasing thousands of viruses, or virions, that after about two weeks multiply enough to fill the entire body cavity. When the caterpillar dies, the virions are released to the outside, encased in a new protein globule synthesized from the caterpillar’s tissues and ready to be picked up by other caterpillars.Knowing that phenols, including tannins, often act by associating with and altering the activity of proteins, researchers focused on the effects on caterpillars of ingesting the virus and leaves together. They found that on tannin-rich oak leaves, the virus is considerably less effective at killing caterpillars than when it is on aspen leaves, which are lower in phenols. In general, the more concentrated the phenols in tree leaves, the less deadly the virus. Thus, while highly concentrated phenols in tree leaves reduce the caterpillar population by limiting the size of caterpillars and, consequently, the size of the female’s egg cluster, these same chemicals also help caterpillars survive by disabling the wilt virus. Forest stands of red oaks, with their tannin-rich foliage, may even provide caterpillars with safe havens from disease. In stands dominated by trees such as aspen, however, incipient gypsy moth outbreaks are quickly suppressed by viral epidemics.Further research has shown that caterpillars become virtually immune to the wilt virus as the trees on which they feed respond to increasing defoliation. The trees’ own defenses raise the threshold of caterpillar vulnerability to the disease, allowing populations to grow denser without becoming more susceptible to infection. For these reasons, the benefits to the caterpillars of ingesting phenols appear to outweigh the costs. Given the presence of the virus, the trees’ defensive tactic apparently has backfired.17. Which of the following statements best expresses the main point of the passage?(A) Recurring outbreaks of infestation by gypsy moth caterpillars have had adevastating impact on trees in the northeastern United States.(B) A mechanism used by trees to combat the threat from gypsy moth caterpillarshas actually made some trees more vulnerable to that threat.(C) Although deadly to gypsy moth caterpillars, wilt disease has failed tosignificantly affect the population density of the caterpillars.(D) The tree species with the highest levels of phenols in their foliage are the mostsuccessful in defending themselves against gypsy moth caterpillars.(E) In their efforts to develop new methods for controlling gypsy moth caterpillars,researchers have focused on the effects of phenols in tree leaves on the insects’growth and reproduction.18. In lines 12-14, the phrase “the trees’ defensive mechanism has an impact on mothfecundity” refers to which of the following phenomena?(A) Female moths that ingest phenols are more susceptible to wilt virus, whichcauses them to lay smaller eggs.(B) Highly concentrated phenols in tree leaves limit caterpillars’ food supply,thereby reducing the gypsy moth population.(C) Phenols attack the protein globule that protects moth egg clusters, making themvulnerable to wilt virus and lowering their survival rate.(D) Phenols in oak leaves drive gypsy moths into forest stands dominated by aspens,where they succumb to viral epidemics.(E) The consumption of phenols by caterpillars results in undersized female gypsymoths, which tend to produce small egg clusters.19. It can be inferred from the passage that wilt disease virions depend for their survivalon(A) protein synthesized from the tissues of a host caterpillar(B) aspen leaves with high concentrations of phenols(C) tannin-rich oak leaves(D) nutrients that they synthesize from gypsy moth egg clusters(E) a rising threshold of caterpillar vulnerability to wilt disease20. Which of the following, if true, would most clearly demonstrate the operation of thetrees’ defensive mechanism as it is described in the first paragraph of the passage?(A) Caterpillars feeding on red oaks that were more than 50 percent defoliated grewto be only two-thirds the size of those feeding on trees with relatively intactfoliage.(B) Oak leaves in areas unaffected by gypsy moths were found to have higher levelsof tannin on average than aspen leaves in areas infested with gypsy moths.(C) The survival rate of gypsy moth caterpillars exposed to the wilt virus was 40percent higher for those that fed on aspen leaves than for those that ate oakleaves.(D) Female gypsy moths produced an average of 25 percent fewer eggs in areaswhere the wilt virus flourished than did moths in areas that were free of thevirus.(E) Gypsy moth egg clusters deposited on oak trees were found to have relativelylarge individual eggs compared to those deposited on aspen trees.21. Which of the following best describes the function of the third paragraph of thepassage?(A) It resolves a contradiction between the ideas presented in the first and secondparagraphs.(B) It introduces research data to support the theory outlined in the secondparagraph.(C) It draws a conclusion from conflicting evidence presented in the first twoparagraphs.(D) It shows how phenomena described in the first and second paragraphs act incombination.(E) It elaborates on the thesis introduced in the first paragraph after a digression inthe second paragraph.22. It can be inferred from the passage that gypsy moth caterpillars become immune tothe wilt virus as a result of(A) consuming a wide range of nutrients from a variety of leaf types(B) feeding on leaves that contain high levels of phenols(C) producing fewer offspring, which favors the survival of the hardiest individuals(D) ingesting the virus together with leaves that do not contain tannin(E) growing population density, which outstrips the ability of the virus to multiplyand spread23. Which of the following statements about gypsy moth caterpillars is supported byinformation presented in the passage?(A) Wilt disease is more likely to strike small gypsy moth caterpillars than largeones.(B) The concentration of phenols in tree leaves increases as the gypsy mothcaterpillar population dies off.(C) Female gypsy moth caterpillars stop growing after they ingest leaves containingphenols.(D) Differing concentrations of phenols in leaves have differing effects on the abilityof the wilt virus to kill gypsy moth caterpillars.(E) The longer a gypsy moth population is exposed to wilt disease, the greater thelikelihood that the gypsy moth caterpillars will become immune to the virus.The sweep of narrative in A. N. Wilson’s biography of C. S. Lewis is impressive and there is much that is acute and well argued. But much in this work is careless and unworthyof its author. Wilson, a novelist and an accomplished biographer, has failed to do what any writer on such a subject as Lewis ought to do, namely work out a coherent view of how the various literary works by the subject are to be described and commented on. Decisions have to be made on what to look at in detail and what to pass by with just a mention. Wilson has not thought this problem out. For instance, Till We Have Faces, Lewis’treatment of the Eros and Psyche story and one of his best-executed and most moving works, is merely mentioned by Wilson, though it illuminates Lewis’ spiritual development, whereas Lewis’ minor work Pilgrim’s Regress is looked at in considerable detail.24. The author of the passage implies that Wilson’s examination of Pilgrim’s Regress(A) is not as coherent as his treatment of Till We Have Faces(B) would have been more appropriate in a separate treatise because of the scope ofPilgrim’s Regress(C) demonstrates how Wilson’s narrow focus ignores the general themes of Lewis’works(D) was more extensive than warranted because of the relative unimportance ofPilgrim’s Regress(E) was disproportionately long relative to the amount of effort Lewis devoted towriting Pilgrim’s Regress25. The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the followingstatements regarding Till We Have Faces?(A) It is an improvement over the Eros and Psyche story on which it is based.(B) It illustrated Lewis’ attempt to involve his readers emotionally in the story ofEros and Psyche.(C) It was more highly regarded by Wilson than by Lewis himself.(D) It is one of the outstanding literary achievements of Lewis’ career.(E) It is probably one of the most popular of Lewis’ works.26. Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?(A) An evaluation is made, and aspects of the evaluation are expanded on withsupporting evidence.(B) A theory is proposed, and supporting examples are provided.(C) A position is examined, analyzed, and rejected.(D) A contradiction is described, then the points of contention are evaluated andreconciled.(E) Opposing views are presented and evaluated, then modifications are advocated.27. Which of the following best describes the content of the passage?(A) A critique of A. N. Wilson as a biographer(B) An evaluation of the significance of several works by C. S. Lewis(C) An appraisal of a biography by A. N. Wilson(D) A ranking of the elements necessary for a well-structured biography(E) A proposal for evaluating the literary merits of the works of C. S. Lewis1995年04月SECTION AInfluenced by the view of some twentieth-century feminists that women’s position within the family is one of the central factors determining women’s social position, some historians have underestimated the significance of the woman suffrage movement. These historians contend that nineteenth-century suffragist was less radical and, hence, less important than, for example, the moral reform movement or domestic feminism—two nineteenth-century movements in which women struggled for more power and autonomy within the family. True, by emphasizing these struggles, such historians have broadened the conventional view of nineteenth-century feminism, but they do a historical disservice to suffragism. Nineteenth-century feminists and anti-feminist alike perceived the suffragists’demand for enfranchisement as the most radical element in women’s protest, in part because suffragists were demanding power that was not based on the institution of the family, women’s traditional sphere. When evaluating nineteenth-century feminism as a social force, contemporary historians should consider the perceptions of actual participants in the historical events.17. The author asserts that the historians discussed in the passage have(A) influenced feminist theorists who concentrate on the family(B) honored the perceptions of the women who participated in the women suffragemovement(C) treated feminism as a social force rather than as an intellectual tradition(D) paid little attention to feminist movements(E) expanded the conventional view of nineteenth-century feminism18. The author of the passage asserts that some twentieth-century feminists haveinfluenced some historians view of the(A) significance of the woman suffrage movement(B) importance to society of the family as an institution(C) degree to which feminism changed nineteenth-century society(D) philosophical traditions on which contemporary feminism is based(E) public response to domestic feminism in the nineteenth century19. The author of the passage suggests that which of the following was true ofnineteenth-century feminists?(A) Those who participated in the moral reform movement were motivatedprimarily by a desire to reconcile their private lives with their public positions.(B) Those who advocated domestic feminism, although less visible than thesuffragists, were in some ways the more radical of the two groups.(C) Those who participated in the woman suffrage movement sought social roles forwomen that were not defined by women’s familial roles.(D) Those who advocated domestic feminism regarded the gaining of moreautonomy within the family as a step toward more participation in public life.(E) Those who participated in the nineteenth-century moral reform movement stoodmidway between the positions of domestic feminism and suffragism.20. The author implies that which of the following is true of the historians discussed inthe passage?(A) They argue that nineteenth-century feminism was not as significant a social forceas twentieth-century feminism has been.(B) They rely too greatly on the perceptions of the actual participants in the eventsthey study.(C) Their assessment of the relative success of nineteenth-century domestic feminismdoes not adequately take into account the effects of antifeminist rhetoric.(D) Their assessment of the significance of nineteenth-century suffragism differsconsiderably from that of nineteenth-century feminists.(E) They devote too much attention to nineteenth-century suffragism at the expenseof more radical movements that emerged shortly after the turn of the century.Many objects in daily use have clearly been influenced by science, but their form and function, their dimensions and appearance, were determined by technologists, artisans, designers, inventors, and engineers—using non-scientific modes of thought. Many features and qualities of the objects that a technologist thinks about cannot be reduced to unambiguous verbal descriptions; they are dealt with in the mind by a visual, nonverbal process. In the development of Western technology, it has been non-verbal thinking, by and large, that has fixed the outlines and filled in the details of our material surroundings. Pyramids, cathedrals, and rockets exist not because of geometry or thermodynamics, but because they were first a picture in the minds of those who built them.The creative shaping process of a technologist’s mind can be seen in nearly every artifact that exists. For example, in designing a diesel engine, a technologist might impress individual ways of nonverbal thinking on the machine by continually using an intuitive sense of rightness and fitness. What would be the shape of the combustion chamber? Where should the valves be placed? Should it have a long or short piston? Such questions have a range of answers that are supplied by experience, by physical requirements, by limitations of available space, and not least by a sense of form. Some decisions, such as wall thickness and pin diameter, may depend on scientific calculations, but the nonscientific component of design remains primary.Design courses, then, should be an essential element in engineering curricula. Nonverbal thinking, a central mechanism in engineering design, involves perceptions, the stock-in-trade of the artist, not the scientist. Because perceptive processes are not assumed to entail “hard thinking,” nonverbal thought is sometimes seen as a primitive stage in the development of cognitive processes and inferior to verbal or mathematical thought. But it is paradoxical that when the staff of the Historic American EngineeringRecord wished to have drawings made of machines and isometric views of industrial processes for its historical record of American engineering, the only college students with the requisite abilities were not engineering students, but rather students attending architectural schools.If courses in design, which in a strongly analytical engineering curriculum provide the background required for practical problem-solving, are not provided, we can expect to encounter silly but costly errors occurring in advanced engineering systems. For example, early models of high-speed railroad cars loaded with sophisticated controls were unable to operate in a snowstorm because a fan sucked snow into the electrical system. Absurd random failures that plague automatic control systems are not merely trivial aberrations; they are a reflection of the chaos that results when design is assumed to be primarily a problem in mathematics.21. In the passage, the author is primarily concerned with(A) identifying the kinds of thinking that are used by technologists(B) stressing the importance of nonverbal thinking in engineering design(C) proposing a new role for nonscientific thinking in the development of technology(D) contrasting the goals of engineers with those of technologists(E) criticizing engineering schools for emphasizing science in engineering curricula22. It can be inferred that the author thinks engineering curricula are(A) strengthened when they include courses in design(B) weakened by the substitution of physical science courses for courses designed todevelop mathematical skills(C) strong because nonverbal thinking is still emphasized by most of the courses(D) strong despite the errors that graduates of such curricula have made in thedevelopment of automatic control systems(E) strong despite the absence of nonscientific modes of thinking23. Which of the following statements best illustrates the main point of lines 1-28 of thepassage?(A) When a machine like a rotary engine malfunctions, it is the technologist who isbest equipped to repair it.(B) Each component of an automobile—for example, the engine or the fuel tank—hasa shape that has been scientifically determined to be best suited to thatcomponent’s function.(C) A telephone is a complex instrument designed by technologists using onlynonverbal thought.(D) The designer of a new refrigerator should consider the designs of otherrefrigerators before deciding on its final form.(E) The distinctive features of a suspension bridge reflect its designer’sconceptualization as well as the physical requirements of its site.。

纽约时装周2014秋冬报道作者：蘑菇来源：《艺术与设计》2014年第03期为期8天的2014秋冬纽约时装周于2月6日开始，近八十余场大秀、百余位设计师的强大阵容为四大时装周打响了头炮。

除了设计师们的最新系列外，纽约时装周这次带给时尚界不少话题：由Jason Wu操刀的Hugo Boss女装系列将首度亮相，这位新上任的华裔设计师会为Hugo Boss塑造怎样的新风貌？离开LV的小马哥将品牌Marc by Marc Jacobs改名为MBMJ，专注于自己两个品牌的马哥会有什么大动作？有“世界最伟大鞋匠”之美誉的鞋履设计师Manolo Blahnik也将首次在纽约展出他的作品，更值得一提的是，Coach也将正式于纽约时装周抛头露脸。

这一次来自纽约时装周的品牌们像是卯足了劲证明自己在四大时装周的地位远不止“前菜”那么简单。

Queen B的台阶自第五大道向东、列克星敦大道向西是纽约最为寸土寸金的地方，在这片被誉为“黄金海岸”的地域里，居住着纽约最富有的人群。

曾红极一时的《绯闻女孩》里每一部片头都会提到它的名字——“上东区”。

曼哈顿上东富人区空气中弥漫着金钱的味道和保守的价值观，有着一种由资本和时间锤炼出来的老于世故的魅力，这里有着最为阶级化的奢华和最为世故的时髦。

老派名媛们身着Oscar de la Renta与Zac Posen礼服在顶楼公寓中举起鸡尾酒杯；背着Proenza Schouler最新包包的“Queen B”们坐在博物馆台阶上吃着酸奶；属于上东区的时装总是流淌着高贵精细的血统，那份不偏分毫、高贵淑女式的精致正是设计师们的良苦用心。

上东区的白天自然要走低调奢华的路线，这里的女人永远不吝惜，即使选择最简单基本的款式也要是全世界最好的布料。

由Olsen姐妹所创的The Row永远有着自己前进的步调。

2014秋冬系列中宽大披挂的系列令姐妹设计师的个人色彩越发强烈，运用极其简单的色彩并不用任何夸张的首饰衬托。

2014年考研英语（一）真题（完整版）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）As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what they used to be. We suddenly can’t remember ___1___ we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance’s name, or the name of an old band we used to love. As the brain ___2___, we refer to these occurrences as “senior moments.” ___3___ seemingly innocent, this loss of mental focus can potentially have a （n） ___4___ impact on our professional, social, and personal ___5___.Neuroscientists, experts who study the nervous system, are increasingly showing that there’s actually a lot that can be done. It ___6___ out that the brain needs exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right mental ___7___ can significantly improve our basic cognitive ___8___. Thinking is essentially a ___9___ of making connections in the brain. To a certain extent, our ability to ___10___ in making the connections that drive intelligence is inherited. ___11___, because these connections are made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate ___12___ mental effort.Now, a new Web-based company has taken it a step ___13___ and developed the first “brain training program” designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental ___14___.The Web-based program ___15___ you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills. The program keeps ___16___ of your progress and provides detailed feedback ___17___ your performance and improvement. Most importantly, it___18___modifies and enhances the games you play to ___19___ on the strengths you are developing—much like a（n） ___20___exercise routine requires you to increase resistance and vary your muscle use.1.[A]where[B]when[C]that[D]why2. [A]improves[B]fades[C]recovers[D]collapses3. [A]If[B]Unless[C]Once[D]While4. [A]uneven[B]limited[C]damaging[D]obscure5. [A]wellbeing[B]environment[C]relationship[D]outlook6. [A]turns[B]finds[C]points[D]figures7. [A]roundabouts [B]responses[C]workouts[D]associations8. [A]genre[B]functions[C]circumstances[D]criterion9. [A]channel[B]condition[C]sequence[D]process10. [A]persist[B]believe[C]excel[D]feature11. [A] Therefore[B] Moreover[C] Otherwise[D] However12. [A]according to[B]regardless of[C]apart from[D]instead of13. [A]back[B]further[C]aside[D]around14. [A]sharpness[B]stability[C]framework[D]flexibility15. [A]forces [B]reminds[C]hurries[D]allows16. [A]hold[B]track[C]order[D]pace17. [A]to[B]with[C]for[D]on18. [A]irregularly[B]habitually[C]constantly[D]unusually19. [A]carry[B]put[C]build[D]take20. [A]risky[B]effective[C]idle[D]familiarSection Ⅱ Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosingA, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. （40 points）Text 1In order to “change lives for the better” and reduce “dependency” George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, introduced the “upfront work search” scheme. Only if the jobless arrive at the jobcentre with a CV, register for online job search, and start looking for work will they be eligible for benefit and then they should report weekly rather than fortnightly. What could be more reasonable?More apparent reasonableness followed. There will now be a seven-day wait for the jobseeker’s allowance. “Those first few days should be spent looking for work, not looking to sign on.” he claimed. “We’re doing these things because we know they help people stay off benefits and help those on benefits get into work faster.” Help? Really? On first hearing, this was the socially concerned chancellor, trying to change lives for the better, complete with “reforms” to an obviously indulgent system that demands too little effort from the newly unemployed to find work, and subsidises laziness. What motivated him, we were to understand, was his zeal for “fundamental fairness”— protecting the taxpayer, controlling spending and ensuring that only the most deserving claimants received their benefits.Losing a job is hurting: you don’t skip down to the jobcentre with a song in your heart, delighted at the prospect of doubling your income from the generous state. It is financially terrifying, psychologically embarrassing and you know that support is minimal and extraordinarily hard to get. You are now not wanted; you support is minimal and extraordinarily hard to get. You are now not wanted; you are now excluded from the work environment that offers purpose and structure in your life. Worse, the crucial income to feed yourself and your family and pay the bills has disappeared. Ask anyone newly unemployed what they want and the answer is always: a job.But in Osborneland, your first instinct is to fall into dependency —permanent dependency if you can get it — supported by a state only too ready to indulge your falsehood. It is as though 20 years of ever-tougher reforms of the job search and benefit administration system never happened. The principle of British welfare is no longer that you can insure yourself against the risk of unemployment and receive unconditional payments if the disaster happens. Even the very phrase “jobseeker’s allowance” —invented in 1996 —is about redefining the unemployedas a “jobseeker” who had no mandatory right to a benefit he or she has earned through making national insurance contributions. Instead, the claimant receives a time-limited “allowance,” conditional on actively seeking a job; no entitlement and no insurance, at ?71.70 a week, one of the least generous in the EU.21. George Osborne’s scheme was intended to[A]provide the unemployed with easier access to benefits.[B]encourage jobseekers’ active engagement in job seeking.[C]motivate the unemployed to report voluntarily.[D]gua rantee jobseekers’ legitimate right to benefits.22. The phrase, “to sign on” （Line 3, Para. 2） most probably means[A]to check on the availability of jobs at the jobcentre.[B]to accept the government’s restrictions on the allowance.[C]to register for an allowance from the government.[D]to attend a governmental job-training program.23. What prompted the chancellor to develop his scheme?[A]A desire to secure a better life for all.[B]An eagerness to protect the unemployed.[C]An urge to be generous to the claimants.[D]A passion to ensure fairness for taxpayers.24. According to Paragraph 3, being unemployed makes one feel[A]uneasy[B]enraged.[C]insulted.[D]guilty.25. To which of the following would the author most probably agree?[A]The British welfare system indulges jobseekers’ laziness.[B]Osborne’s reforms will reduce the risk of unemployment.[C]The jobseekers’ allowance has met their actual needs.[D]Unemployment benefits should not be made conditional.Text 2All around the world, lawyers generate more hostility than the members of any other profession—with the possible exception of journalism. But there are few places where clients have more grounds for complaint than America.During the decade before the economic crisis, spending on legal services in America grew twice as fast as inflation. The best lawyers made skyscrapers-full of money, tempting ever more students to pile into law schools. But most law graduates never get a big-firm job. Many of them instead become the kind of nuisance-lawsuit filer that makes the tort system a costly nightmare.There are many reasons for this. One is the excessive costs of a legal education. There is just one path for a lawyer in most American states: a four-year undergraduate degree in some unrelated subject, then a three-year law degree at one of 200 law schools authorized by the American Bar Association and an expensive preparation for the bar exam. This leaves today’s average law-school graduate with $100,000 of debt on top of undergraduate debts. Law-school debt means that many cannot afford to go into government or non-profit work, and that they have to work fearsomely hard.Reforming the system would help both lawyers and their customers. Sensible ideas have been around for a long time, but the state-level bodies that govern the profession have been too conservative to implement them. One idea is to allow people to study law as an undergraduate degree. Another is to let students sit for the bar after only two years of law school. If the bar exam is truly a stern enough test for a would-be lawyer, those who can sit it earlier should be allowed todo so. Students who do not need the extra training could cut their debt mountain by a third.The other reason why costs are so high is the restrictive guild-like ownership structure of the business. Except in the District of Columbia, non-lawyers may not own any share of a law firm. This keeps fees high and innovation slow. There is pressure for change from within the profession, but opponents of change among the regulators insist that keeping outsiders out of a law firm isolates lawyers from the pressure to make money rather than serve clients ethically.In fact, allowing non-lawyers to own shares in law firms would reduce costs and improve services to customers, by encouraging law firms to use technology and to employ professional managers to focus on improving firms’ efficiency. After all, other countries, such as Australia and Britain, have started liberalizing their legal professions. America should follow.26.a lot of students take up law as their profession due to[A]the growing demand from clients.[B]the increasing pressure of inflation.[C]the prospect of working in big firms.[D]the attraction of financial rewards.27.Which of the following adds to the costs of legal education in most American states?[A]Higher tuition fees for undergraduate studies.[B]Admissions approval from the bar association.[C]Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in another major.[D]Receiving training by professional associations.28.Hindrance to the reform of the legal system originates from[A]lawyers’ and clients’ strong resistance.[B]the rigid bodies governing the profession.[C]the stem exam for would-be lawyers.[D]non-professionals’ sharp criticism.29.The guild-like ownership structure is considered “restrictive”partly because it[A]bans outsiders’ involvem ent in the profession.[B]keeps lawyers from holding law-firm shares.[C]aggravates the ethical situation in the trade.[D]prevents lawyers from gaining due profits.30.In this text, the author mainly discusses[A]flawed ownership of Am erica’s law firms and its causes.[B]the factors that help make a successful lawyer in America.[C]a problem in America’s legal profession and solutions to it.[D]the role of undergraduate studies in America’s legal education.Text 3The US$3-million Fundamental physics prize is indeed an interesting experiment, as Alexander Polyakov said when he accepted this year’s award in March. And it is far from the only one of its type. As a News Feature article in Nature discusses, a string of lucrative awards for researchers have joined the Nobel Prizes in recent years. Many, like the Fundamental Physics Prize, are funded from thetelephone-number-sized bank accounts of Internet entrepreneurs. These benefactors have succeeded in their chosen fields, they say, and they want to use their wealth to draw attention to those who have succeeded in science.What’s not to like? Quite a lot, according to a handful of scientists quoted in the News Feature. You cannot buy class, as the old saying goes, and these upstart entrepreneurs cannot buy their prizes the prestige of the Nobels, The new awards are an exercise in self-promotion for those behind them, say scientists. They could distort the achievement-based system of peer-review-led research. They couldcement the status quo of peer-reviewed research. They do not fund peer-reviewed research. They perpetuate the myth of the lone genius.The goals of the prize-givers seem as scattered as the criticism. Some want to shock, others to draw people into science, or to better reward those who have made their careers in research.As Nature has pointed out before, there are some legitimate concerns about how science prizes—both new and old—are distributed. The Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, launched this year, takes an unrepresentative view of what the life sciences include. But the Nobel Foundation’s limit of three recipients per prize, each of whom must still be living, has long been outgrown by the collaborative nature of modern research—as will be demonstrated by the inevitable row over who is ignored when it comes to acknowledging the discovery of the Higgs boson. The Nobels were, of course, themselves set up by a very rich individual who had decided what he wanted to do with his own money. Time, rather than intention, has given them legitimacy.As much as some scientists may complain about the new awards, two things seem clear. First, most researchers would accept such a prize if they were offered one. Second, it is surely a good thing that the money and attention come to science rather than go elsewhere, It is fair to criticize and question the mechanism—that is the culture of research, after all—but it is the prize-givers’ money to do with as they please. It is wise to take such gifts with gratitude and grace.31. The Fundamental Physics Prize is seen as[A]a symbol of the entrepreneurs’ wealth.[B]a possible replacement of the Nobel Prizes.[C]an example of bankers’ investments.[D]a handsome reward for researchers.32. The critics think that the new awards will most benefit[A]the profit-oriented scientists.[B]the founders of the new awards.[C]the achievement-based system.[D]peer-review-led research.33. The discovery of the Higgs boson is a typical case which involves[A]controversies over the recipients’ status.[B]the joint effort of modern researchers.[C]legitimate concerns over the new prizes.[D]the demonstration of research findings.34. According to Paragraph 4,which of the following is true of the Nobels?[A]Their endurance has done justice to them.[B]Their legitimacy has long been in dispute.[C]They are the most representative honor.[D]History has never cast doubt on them.35.The author believes that the now awards are[A]acceptable despite the criticism.[B]harmful to the culture of research.[C]subject to undesirable changes.[D]unworthy of public attention.Text 4“The Heart of the Matter,” the just-released report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences （AAAS）, deserves praise for affirming the importance of the humanities and social sciences to the prosperity and security of liberal democracy in America. Regrettably, however, the report’s failure to address the true nature of the crisis facing liberal education may cause more harm than good.In 2010, leading congressional Democrats and Republicans sent letters to the AAAS asking that it identify actions that could be taken by “federal, state and local governments, universities, foundations, educators, individual benefactors and others” to “maintain national excellence in humanities and social scientific scholarship and education.” In response, the American Academy formed the Commission on the Humanities and Soc ial Sciences. Among the commission’s 51 members are top-tier-university presidents, scholars, lawyers, judges, and business executives, as well as prominent figures from diplomacy, filmmaking, music and journalism.The goals identified in the report are generally admirable. Because representative government presupposes an informed citizenry, the report supports full literacy; stresses the study of history and government, particularly American history and American government; and encourages the use of new digital technologies. To encourage innovation and competition, the report calls for increased investment in research, the crafting of coherent curricula that improve students’ ability to solve problems and communicate effectively in the 21st century, increased funding for teachers and the encouragement of scholars to bring their learning to bear on the great challenges of the day. The report also advocates greater study of foreign languages, international affairs and the expansion of study abroad programs.Unfortunately, despite 2? years in the making, "The Heart of the Matter" never gets to the heart of the matter: the illiberal nature of liberal education at our leading colleges and universities. The commission ignores that for several decades Americ a's colleges and universities have produced graduates who don’t know the content and character of liberal education and are thus deprived of its benefits. Sadly, the spirit of inquiry once at home on campus has been replaced by the use of the humanities an d social sciences as vehicles for publicizing “progressive,” or left-liberal propaganda.Today, professors routinely treat the progressive interpretation of history and progressive public policy as the proper subject of study while portraying conservative or classical liberal ideas—such as free markets and self-reliance—as falling outside the boundaries of routine, and sometimes legitimate, intellectual investigation.The AAAS displays great enthusiasm for liberal education. Yet its report may well set back reform by obscuring the depth and breadth of the challenge that Congress asked it to illuminate.36. According to Paragraph 1, what is the author’s attitude toward the AAAS’s report?[A] Critical[B] Appreciative[C] Contemptuous[D] Tolerant37. Influential figures in the Congress required that the AAAS report on how to[A] retain people’s interest in liberal education[B] define the government’s?role in education[C] keep a leading position in liberal education[D] safeguard individuals’ rights to education38. According to Paragraph 3, the report suggests[A] an exclusive study of American history[B] a greater emphasis on theoretical subjects[C] the application of emerging technologies[D] funding for the study of foreign languages39. The author implies in Paragraph 5 that professors are[A] supportive of free markets[B] cautious about intellectual investigation[C] conservative about public policy[D] biased against classical liberal ideas40. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?[A] Ways to Grasp “The Heart of the Matter”[B] Illiberal Education and “The Heart of the Matter”[C] The AAAS’s Contribution to Liberal Education[D] Progressive Policy vs. Liberal EducationPart BDirections:The following paragraphs are given in a wrong order. For Questions 41-45, you are required to reorganize these paragraphs into a coherent text by choosing from the list A-G and filling them into the numbered boxes. Paragraphs A and E have been correctly placed Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET （10 points）[A] Some archaeological sites have always been easily observable—for example, the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, the pyramids of Giza in Egypt; and the megaliths of Stonehenge in southern England. But these sites are exceptions to the norm. Most archaeological sites have been located by means of careful searching, while many others have been discovered by accident. Olduvai Gorge, an early hominid site in Tanzania, was found by a butterfly hunter who literally fell into its deep valley in 1911. Thousands of Aztec artifacts came to light during the digging of the Mexico City subway in the 1970s.[B]In another case, American archaeologists Rene Million and George Cowgill spent years systematically mapping the entire city of Teotihuacan in the Valley of Mexico near what is now Mexico City. At its peak around AD 600, this city was one of the largest human settlements in the world. The researchers mapped not only the city’s vast and ornate ceremonial areas, but also hundreds of simpler apartment complexes where common people lived.[C] How do archaeologists know where to find what they are looking for when there is nothing visible on the surface of the ground? Typically, they survey and sample （make test excavations on） large areas of terrain to determine where excavation will yield useful information. Surveys and test samples have also become important for understanding the larger landscapes that contain archaeological sites.[D] Surveys can cover a single large settlement or entire landscapes. In one case, many researchers working around the ancient Maya city of Copan, Honduras, have located hundreds of small rural villages and individual dwellings by using aerial photographs and by making surveys on foot. The resulting settlement maps show how the distribution and density of the rural population around the city changed dramatically between AD 500 and 850, when Copan collapsed.[E] To find their sites, archaeologists today rely heavily on systematic survey methods and a variety of high-technology tools and techniques. Airborne technologies, such as different types of radar and photographic equipment carried by airplanes or spacecraft, allow archaeologists to learn about what lies beneath the ground without digging. Aerial surveys locate general areas of interest or larger buried features, such as ancient buildings or fields.[F] Most archaeological sites, however, are discovered by archaeologists who have set out to look for them. Such searches can take years. British archaeologist Howard Carter knew that the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun existed from information found in other sites. Carter sifted through rubble in the Valley of the Kings for seven years before he located the tomb in 1922. In the late 1800s British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evan combed antique dealers’ stores in Athens, Greece. He was searching for tiny engraved seals attributed to the ancient Mycenaean culture that dominated Greece from the 1400s to 1200s BC. Evans’s interpretations of these engravings eventually led him to find the Minoan palace at Knossos （Knossós）on the island of Crete, in 1900.[G] Ground surveys allow archaeologists to pinpoint the places where digs will be successful. Most ground surveys involve a lot of walking, looking for surface clues such as small fragments of pottery. They often include a certain amount of digging to test for buried materials at selected points across a landscape. Archaeologists also may locate buried remains by using such technologies as ground radar, magnetic-field recording, and metal detectors. Archaeologists commonly use computers to map sites and the landscapes around sites. Two and three-dimensional maps are helpful tools in planning excavations, illustrating how sites look, and presenting the results of archaeological research.41. → A →42. → E →43. → 44. →45.Part CDirections:Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. （10 points）Music means different things to different people and sometimes even different things to the same person at different moments of his life. It might be poetic, philosophical, sensual, or mathematical, but in any case it must, in my view, have something to do with the soul of the human being. Hence it is metaphysical; but the means of expression is purely and exclusively physical: sound. I believe it is precisely this permanent coexistence of metaphysical message through physical means that is the strength of music. （46）It is also the reason why when we try to describe music with words, all we can do is articulate our reactions to it, and not grasp music itself.Beethoven’s importance in music has been principally defined by the revolutionary nature of his compositions. He freed music from hitherto prevailing conventions of harmony and structure. Sometimes I feel in his late works a will to break all signs of continuity. The music is abrupt and seemingly disconnected, as in the last piano sonata. In musical expression, he did not feel restrained by the weight of convention. （47）By all accounts he was a freethinking person, and a courageous one, and I find courage an essential quality for the understanding, let alone the performance, of his works.This courageous attitude in fact becomes a requirement for the performers of Beethoven’s music. His compositions demand the perfo rmer to show courage, for example in the use of dynamics. （48）Beethoven’s habit of increasing the volume with an intense crescendo and then abruptly following it with a sudden soft passage was only rarely used by composers before him.Beethoven was a deeply political man in the broadest sense of the word. He was not interested in daily politics, but concerned with questions of moral behavior and the larger questions of right and wrong affecting the entire society. （49）Especially significant was his view of freedom, which, for him, was associated with the rights and responsibilities of the individual: he advocated freedom of thought and of personal expression.Beethoven’s music tends to move from chaos to order as if order were an imperative of human existence. For him, order does not result from forgetting or ignoring the disorders that plague our existence; order is a necessary development,an improvement that may lead to the Greek ideal of spiritual elevation. It is not by chance that the Funeral March is not the last movement of the Eroica Symphony, but the second, so that suffering does not have the last word. （50）One could interpret much of the work of Beethoven by saying that suffering is inevitable, but the courage to fight it renders life worth living.Section Ⅲ WritingPart A51. Directions:Write a letter of about 100 words to the president of your university, suggesting how to improve students’ physicalcondition.You should include the details you think necessary.You should write neatly on the ANSWER SHEET.Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter. Use “Li Ming” instead.Do not write the address. （10 points）Part B52. Directions:Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following drawing. In your essay, you should1） describe the drawing briefly,2） interpret its intended meaning, and3） give your comments.You should write neatly on the ANSWER SHEET（20 points）。

2014年秋季中级口译笔试真题阅读部分解析来源：昂立老师博客发布时间：2014-09-17热门推荐：·2015年上海基础、中高级口译考试培训正在招生查看详细课程阅读部分是英语中级口译笔试重要部分之一，考生在备考的时候应该练习过很多阅读试题，对大家来说关键是词汇量和理解能力问题。

2014年9月上海中级口译考试已于前两天结束，考生都希望在第一时间了解自己的考试成绩。

小编为各位考生整理了2014年秋季中级口译真题阅读部分，内容丰富，并且有针对性，供大家参考学习使用。

Question 1-51. Wild claims on labels of worthless medicines are much less frequent than there were years ago. But some over-the-counter drugs are still being promoted by tall stories, sometimes told in booklets or through advertising rather than on the label. //2. One tall story is that every American today suffers from a vitamin or mineral deficiency and needs vitamin supplements. This isn’t so. Vitamins and minerals are plentiful in our food supply. Eating a variety of foods makes it almost certain that you will get a full amount of these nutrients.3. Infants, pregnant women, the sick or convalescent and those who are dieting may need special supplements. But the family physician is the best authority on what vitamin supplements are needed.4. If your doctor does recommend supplements, take the suggested does —no more. Some people take or give vitamins on the principle that if a little is good, twice as much is better. Excessive doses of certain vitamins are known to be toxic.5. If you are overweight, don’t fall for a formula that promises you a slim, trim figure without dieting or calorie counting. To reduce, you must consume fewer calories than you use up in daily living. If calories are not used in producing heat or energy, they are stored to build fat. If you need to lose only a few pounds, you can probably work out your own diet. But if you need to lose many pounds, have your doctor plan a diet for you. Crash diets can break down your health, not your weight.6. Beware of cosmetics that make exaggerated claims or promises. There are no quick or easy cures for acne. Acne is a complex disease caused by a combination of factors. No cream that comes from a drugstore can cure it.7. Don’t trust any cream or gadget that promises to give you curves where you want them, or take them from where they are not wanted. Any cream that could do this would not be safe to use and there are no gadgets that are effective for spot reducing. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act protects the consumer by prohibiting any statements on labels or packages that are false or misleading.1. What would be the best title for the passage?A. Nutrient DeficiencyB. Exaggerated ClaimsC. Food SupplementsD. Calorie Consumption2. Vitamin supplements may be recorded by____A. the elderlyB. the handicappedC. teenagersD. people on diets3. The phrase “fall for”(para 5) is closest in meaning to_____A. count onB. settle forC. turn downD. work out4. The author warns in the passage that acne______A. is the disease caused by a vitamin deficiencyB. is incurable by any cream from a drugstoreC. will break down health if left untreatedD. will not respond to any known treatment5. According to the passage, overstatements about products_____A. are prohibited by lawB. are made through advertisingC. are printed on parcels and packagesD. are currently few and far between文章难度：★★☆☆☆字数：370点评：本篇是关于健康类的文章，题目类型多样，但总体难度不大。

高中英语真题:埃及可能将于2014年1月举行全民公投A referendum on Egypt's amended constitution is likely to take place in January, the interim PM has said.埃及宪法修正案中规定的全民公投可能将于明年一月份举行。

Hazem Beblawi said the referendum would take place in the "se cond half of January" - later than expected.It is a key first step in the political transition after Islamist President Mohammed Morsi was ousted in July.A committee of 50 members, few of whom are Islamists, began work inSeptember on amending the constitution that was pushed through by Mr Morsi.Parliamentary and presidential elections are expected to follow after the constitution is passed.The army had given the committee a 60-day deadline to finish the draft.Mr Beblawi called the referendum the "most critical moment" for Egypt.Supporters of Mr Morsi have been protesting against the inte rim authorities and demanding his reinstatement.They refuse to recognise the current government and are expec ted to campaign against the referendum.埃及可能将于2014年1月举行全民公投A referendum on Egypt's amended constitution is likely to take place in January, the interim PM has said.埃及宪法修正案中规定的全民公投可能将于明年一月份举行。

2014年考研英语真题之阅读理解答案与分析(2All around the world,lawyers generate more hostility than the members of any other profession---with the possible exception of journalism.But there are few places where clients have more grounds for complaint than America.During the decade before the economic crisis,spending on legal services in America grew twice as fast as inflation.The best lawyers made skyscrapers-full of money,tempting ever more students to pile into law schools.But most law graduates never get a big-firm job.Many of them instead become the kind of nuisance-lawsuit filer that makes the tort system a costly nightmare.There are many reasons for this.One is the excessive costs of a legal education.There is just one path for a lawyer in most American states:a four-year undergraduate degree at one of200 law schools authorized by the American Bar Association and an expensive preparation for the bar exam.This leaves today’s average law-school graduatewith$100,000of debt on top of undergraduate w-school debt means that they have to work fearsomely hard.Reforming the system would help both lawyers and their customers.Sensible ideas have been around for a long time,but the state-level bodies that govern the profession have been too conservative to implement them.One idea is to allow people to study law as an undergraduate degree.Another is to let students sit for the bar after only two years of law school.If the bar exam is truly a stern enough test for a would-be lawyer,those who can sit it earlier should be allowed to do so.Students who do not need the extra training could cut their debt mountain by a third.The other reason why costs are so high is the restrictive guild-like ownership structure of the business. Except in the District of Columbia,non-lawyers may not own any share of a law firm.This keeps fees high and innovation slow.There is pressure for change from within the profession,but opponents ofchange among the regulators insist that keeping outsiders out of a law firm isolates lawyers from the pressure to make money rather than serve clients ethically.In fact,allowing non-lawyers to own shares in law firms would reduce costs and improve services to customers,by encouraging law firms to use technology and to employ professional managers to focus on impro ving firms’efficiency.After all,other countries,such as Australia and Britain,have started liberalizing their legal professions.America should follow.26.a lot of students take up law as their profession due to[A]the growing demand from clients.[B]the increasing pressure of inflation.[C]the prospect of working in big firms.[D]the attraction of financial rewards.答案:D。

亦爱亦恨话纽约托马斯格里非斯那些赞美“大苹果”的广告活动，还有那些印着带有“我爱纽约”字样的心形图案的T恤衫，只不过是它们在绝望中发出悲哀的迹象，只不过是纽约这个非凡的城市日趋衰落的象征。

纽约过去从不自我炫耀，而只让别的城市去这样做，因为自我炫耀显得“小家子气”。

纽约既然是独一无二的、最大的而且是最好的城市，也就没有必要宣称自己是如何与众不同了。

然而，今日的纽约再不是头号城市了。

至少，在开创时尚、领导潮流方面，纽约是再也配不上这个称号了。

今日的纽约非但常常跟不上美国政治前进的步伐，而且往往也合不上美国人生活情趣变化的节拍。

过去有一个时期，它曾是全国流行服装款式方面无可争议的权威，但由于长期抵制越来越流行的休闲服装款式而丧失了其垄断地位。

纽约已不再是众望所归、纷起仿效的对象了，如今它甚至以成为风行美国的时装潮流的抵制者，以成为摆脱全国清一色的单调局面的一隅逃遁之地而自鸣得意。

纽约无力保持排头兵的地位这一点已是越来越明显了。

有十多座其它城市都已经有了一些在建筑艺术上很富有创造性的建筑物，而纽约最近二十年来所造的任何一幢建筑物都不能与之相比。

曾是托斯卡尼尼全国广播公司交响乐团演出场所的巨人般的曼哈顿电视演播厅，现在经常是空无一人，而好莱坞大量生产出的情景喜剧和约翰尼·卡森节目的实况转播却占满了加利福尼亚的广播电视发送频道。

美国流行歌曲创作发行中心从纽约的廷潘胡同转移到了纳什维尔和好莱坞。

拉斯韦加斯的赌场经常出高薪聘请曼哈顿没有哪一家夜总会请得起的歌手和艺员。

而体育运动方面，那些规模较大的体育馆、比较激动人心的球队以及热情最高的球迷们，往往都出现在纽约以外的地方。

纽约从来都不是召集会议的好场所——因为那儿少友情．不安全，人口拥挤，消费高昂——但现在它似乎正在一定程度上争回其作为旅游胜地的地位。

即便如此，大多数美国人对新奥尔良、旧金山、华盛顿或迪斯尼乐园等地的评价可能还是高于纽约。

人们普遍认为，还有十几座其它城市，包括我的家乡西雅图，都比纽约更适于居住。

20140912
Mr. Obama announced his plan late Wednesday in a nationally televised speech and urged Congress to support the mission against the group, which had previously been known as ISIL or ISIS. Republican Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told VOA he and many other Republicans believe the president waited too long to take action. "The unfortunate thing is that in waiting for the last seven months, ISIL has been able to get their hands not only the weapons, but also on the cash, taken from the Central Bank in Mosul, by robbing a lot of other banks along the way," Royce said. "So they have become a bigger challenge, a bigger threat.” New York Democrat Eliot Engel told VOA President Obama gave a "very compelling" argument for going after the Islamic State.

2014高考英语阅读理解抓分训练题(45）及答案阅读理解Few laws are so effective that you can see results just days after they take effect. But in the nine days since the federal cigarette tax more than doubled—to ＄1.01 per pack—smokers have jammed telephone “quit lines” across th e country seeking to kick the habit.This is not a surprise to public health advocates. They've studied the effect of state tax increases for years，finding that smokers，especially teens，are price sensitive。

Nor is it a shock to the industry，which fiercely fights every tax increase.The only wonder is that so many states insist on closing their ears to the message。

Tobacco taxes improve public health，they raise money and most particularly, the deter people from taking up the habit as teens, which is when nearly all smokers are addicted。

Yet the rate of taxation varies widely。

奥巴马2014年10月18日演讲译文Today, I want to take a few minutes to speak with you-directly and clearly-about Ebola: what we're doing about it, and what you need to know. Because meeting a public health challenge like this isn't just a job for government. All of us-citizens, leaders, the media-have a responsibility and a role to play. This is a serious disease, but we can't give in to hysteria or fear-because that only makes it harder to get people the accurate information they need. We have to be guided by the science. We have to remember the basic facts.First, what we're seeing now is not an "outbreak" or an "epidemic" of Ebola in America. We're a nation of more than 300 million people. To date, we've seen three cases of Ebola diagnosed here-the man who contracted the disease in Liberia, came here and sadly died; the two courageous nurses who were infected while they were treating him. Our thoughts and our prayers are with them, and we're doing everything we can to give them the best care possible. Now, even one infection is too many. At the same time, we have to keep this in perspective. As our public health experts point out, every year thousands of Americans die from the flu.今天，我想花几分钟与各位—直言不讳、清晰明了--地谈谈埃博拉：我们正在如何应对它，你们需要知道什么。

2014年普通高等学校招生全国统一考试（全国Ⅰ卷）A剑桥科学节创意挑战赛有胆就来参加吧！剑桥科学节很高兴通知您有关第六届“创意挑战赛”的事宜。

该挑战赛邀请、甚至挑战5到14岁的在校学生进行艺术创作或写作，以彰显他们的好奇心，并展示好奇心如何启发他们探索自己的世界。

敢于接受挑战的参加者须画一幅画，或写一篇文章，或拍一张照，或写一首诗，来展示他们所好奇的事物。

所有的参赛艺术品和文学作品都必须于2月8日星期五之前，送往麻省理工博物馆剑桥科学节现场以参加本次竞赛，该博物馆位于剑桥市马萨诸塞大道265号，邮编02139。

参加“创意挑战赛”并获胜的学生将会在4月21日星期日的剑桥科学节期间的特别典礼上进行表彰。

同时特邀发言人还会给这些学生颁奖。

获奖作品将会出版成书。

学生的参赛作品将会被展出并且也有奖励。

参赛者的家属亦会被邀请参加庆祝会及享用由举办方供应的早午餐。

在3月10日至15日期间，将发给每位获奖者有关闭幕式及“创意挑战赛”庆典的详细资料。

项目指南及其他相关信息详见.。

B旅鸽曾飞过美国大部分地区，数量令人难以置信。

18世纪和19世纪的书面记载的旅鸽群如此之大，以至于使天空变暗了数小时。

经计算，在旅鸽数量最多时，其数量超过了30亿只，这一数字相当于美国鸟类总数的24%到40%，使其成为了世界上数量也许最多的鸟类。

甚至到了1870年年底，它们的数量已经变得较少时，人们还是在辛辛那提附近看到了旅鸽群，其覆盖面积宽达1英里，长达320英里（约515公里）。

可悲地是，旅鸽的庞大数量可能导致了它们的毁灭。

在旅鸽数量多的地方，人们认为会有源源不断的鸟供给，因而成千上万地捕杀。

以盈利为目的的猎人先用谷物将它们引至林间的小空地，等到旅鸽飞下来觅食，然后再用大网将它们网住，这样一次能捕几百只旅鸽。

这些旅鸽被运送到大城市，卖给餐馆。

在19世纪的最后几十年，旅鸽筑巢的硬木树林随着美国人对木材的需求而被毁坏，这使得成群的旅鸽被驱散，并且迫使它们向更北的地方迁徙，而北部的低温和春季的风暴导致了旅鸽数量的减少。

2014高考英语阅读理解抓分训练(60)及答案（201*·湖北卷，C）In today's throw­away society,dealing with the city’s growing mountain of waste is an increasing challenge for the city council（市议会)．Recently, Edinburgh is faced with the problem of disposing of（处理）about 250，000 million tons of waste a year。

Despite different ways to dispose of much of it in a green manner-largely through encouraging recycling—its aging facilities such as the Powderhall landfill do not have the ability to deal with it.The European Union（EU) has issued a new policy,regulating how such mountains of waste are to be disposed of.The five councils （Edinburgh,East Lothian，West Lothian，Midlothian and Borders) face fines around ￡18 million a year from 2013 if they don't increase recycling levels and rely less on landfill。

With this in mind，the councils got together with the idea of building a large incinerator plant （垃圾焚烧厂）to burn half of the waste produced in their districts。

需要指出的是，因译者疏忽，该报告上半部分“我们的简短建议”中的几处“主编”（the masthead），更准确的译法应该是“报社高层”，特向广大读者致歉。

另外，为节省篇幅并方便读者阅读，我们在该报告上半部分的正文中未注明人名的原文，只注明机构原名。

今天刊出的下半部分依旧如此处理。

一如既往，我们期待业内贤达和广大读者提出指正意见。

第二章：加强我们的编辑部门导言很难相信，仅仅是在七年前，《纽约时报》才将其数字和印刷业务分设于不同建筑中。

从那时起，编辑部门经历了缓慢而稳步的演进。

每一年，我们的传统记者和数字记者彼此都更加融合无间，更加步调一致。

每一年，我们的领导层都在向数字业务投入更多资源。

每一年，我们都生产出了更有突破性的数字新闻产品。

尽管有这种协调一致的努力，我们还是没有走得足够远或足够迅捷。

我们的数字化意愿中存在分裂，在目前千变万化的媒体环境中，这种分裂正使我们的发展壮大愈加困难。

读者每天读到的数字新闻产品都是非常优质的：我们的图表、设计和交互新闻部的运作业已引领行业，这些部门也容纳了我们一些最有才华的从业人员。

但是我们在读者看不见的领域进步太小。

这些是我们通常认为妨碍我们每日工作、需要小心对待的程序和结构性问题：发布系统、工作流程、组织结构、员工录用工作和战略。

如同一位时报数字部门负责人注意到的那样，《纽约时报》能为新闻业设定金牌标准，不仅是因为我们雇用了世界级的记者，还因为我们为他们配备了世界级的支持系统。

但是我们还没有改进那一支持系统以适应数字新闻产品的需要。

时报另一位数字部门负责人表示：“雄心赶在了我们的技术、模板和工作流程前面。

”我们必须立即采取行动。

我们的竞争对手不久前大多还是在数字化方面远远落后于我们的报纸，如今它们数量增加，越发老练成熟，进步不小。

对我们的挑战是，新的战场并不在我们最强的领域——新闻业本身，而是在这一还没进入我们大多数人视野的第二竞技场。

因为我们在数字领域的竞争对手能更快适应不断改变的技术和趋势，他们有所欠缺的新闻业务经常比我们更加优质的新闻操作收获更多认可。

2014全国高考汇编阅读之新闻报告类类一（2014大纲卷）BSince the first Earth Day in 1970, Americans have gotten a lot “greener” toward the environment（环境）. “We didn’t know at that time there even was an environment, let alone that there was a problem with it,” says Bruce Anders on, president of Earth Day USA.But what began as nothing important in public affairs has grown into a social movement. Business people, political leaders, university professors, and especially millions of grass-roots Americans are taking part in the movem ent. “The understanding has increased many, many times,” says Gaylord Nelson, the former governor from Wisconsin, who thought up the first Earth Day.According to US government reports, emissions（排放）from cars and trucks have dropped from million tons a year to tons .The number of cities producing CO beyond the standard has been reduced from 40 to 9 .Although serious problems still remain and need to be dealt with , the world is a safer and healthier place .A kind of “Green thinking ” has become part of p ractices .Great improvement has been achieved .In 1988 there were only 600 recycling（回收利用）programs; today in 1995 there are about 6,600 .Advanced lights ,motors , and building designs have helped save a lot of energy and therefore prevented pollution . Twenty –five years ago , there were hardly any education programs for environment .Today , it’s hard to find a public school , university , or law school that does not have such a kind of program .” Until we do that, nothing else will change! ” say Bruce And erson.60. According to Anderson, before 1970, Americans had little idea about ___A. the social movementB. recycling techniquesC. environmental problemsD. the importance of Earth Day61. Where does the support for environmental protection mainly come from?A. The grass –roots levelB. The business circleC. Government officialsD. University professors62.. What have Americans achieved in environmental protection?A. They have cut car emissions to the lowestB. They have settled their environmental problemsC. They have lowered their CO levels in forty cities.D. They have reduced pollution through effective measures.63. What is especially important for environmental protection according to the last paragraph?A. EducationB. PlanningC. Green livingD. CO reduction【考点】考察新闻报道类阅读【文章大意】作者在本文中把现在的美国环境问题和以前的环境问题进行了比较，尤其是几项数据的对比。

2014年5月CATTI二笔真题完整版+解析翻译爱好者联盟提供本次考试中，英译汉的两个语篇均来自《纽约时报》：一篇是关于乔布斯夫人的介绍，另一篇是关于人文学科衰败的报道。

从词汇角度来看，这两篇文章属于中规中矩，不需要考生在考场上频繁查阅词典。

正如我们在三级笔译试题点评中所言，《纽约时报》的文章句子结构并不复杂，语句的表达更具有口语化的倾向。

从翻译技巧角度分析，第一篇根本上属于记叙文体，第二篇属于论说文体。

第一篇在翻译过程中需要考生适当注意在汉语选词及表达方式上的色彩性，第二篇那么需要考生在选词及表达方式上更侧重严谨性。

这两篇文章在语句理解方面不存在多少难度。

因此，我们在此只将文章给出译文，就不做进一步的讲解了。

英译汉第一篇〔出自2013年5月17日《纽约时报》关于乔布斯夫人的介绍〕Marlene Castro knew the tall blonde woman only as Laurene, her mentor. They met every few weeks in a rough Silicon Valley neighborhood the year that Ms. Castro was applying to college, and they ed often, bonding over conversations about Ms. Castro’s difficult childhood. Without Laurene’s help, Ms. Castro said, she might not have become the first person in her family to graduate from college.马勒尼·卡斯特罗当初只知道那位高挑身材，金发碧眼的女士名叫劳伦，是她的导师。

卡斯特罗女士准备申请大学那年，每隔几个星期，她们就会在硅谷附近的一个简陋的社区里见面，也会经常互通，常聊起卡斯特罗女士艰辛童年的话题。

newyorktimes考研⽂章W ASHINGTON — The Obama administration奥巴马政府is discussing whether to reduce American forces美国军队in Afghanistan by at least an additional额外的附加的20,000 troops n. 阿富汗Afghanistanism阿富汗主义，舍近求远的作风，远视作风(新闻⼯作者等集中报道世界遥远地区的问题⽽忽视引起争论的本地区问题的作风Afghanistani n. 阿富汗⼈by 2013, reflecting a growing belief within the White House that the mission n任务使命代表团there has now reached the point of diminishing收益递减returns.Accelerating加速的促进的the withdrawal撤退收回取消of United States forces has been under consideration for weeks by senior White House officials, but those⽽那些discussions are now taking place in the context of在背景下two major setbacks to American efforts in Afghanistan —the killings on Sunday of Afghan civilians attributed to a United States Army staff sergeant美国军队⼈员中⼠and the violence touched off by burning of Korans last month by American troops. Administration officials cautioned v警告on Monday that no decisions on additional troop cuts have been made, and in a radio interview President Obama reaffirmed vt重申his commitment to恪守承诺the Afghan mission in spite of the recent setbacks, warning against “a rush for the exits” amid questions about the American war strategy.策略“It’s important for us to make sure that we get out in a responsible way, so thatwe don’t end up having to go back in,” Mr. Obama said in an interview with KDKA in Pittsburgh.Any accelerated withdrawal would from, who want to the remaining American troops in Afghanistan until the end of 2014, whenthe NATO mission in Afghanistan 该end. Theirputs Mr. Obama in a 为难, as he balances how to hasten what is increasingly becoming a messywithdrawal while still success for NATO allies and the American people.The United States now has just under 90,000 troops in Afghanistan, with 22,000 of them due home by September. There has been no schedule setfor the withdrawal of the 剩下的68,000 American troops,although Mr. Obama said last year that the 减少wouldcontinue “at a steady pace”步速security to the Afghan forces in 2014.At least three options are now under consideration, according to officials国国务院. One plan, Thomas E. Donilon, the national security adviser, would be to announce that at least 10,000 more troops would come home by the end of December, and then 10,000 to 20,000 more by June 2013.副总统Joseph R. Biden Jr. has been pushing for a bigger withdrawal that would reduce the bulk of the troops around the same time the mission shifts to a support role, leaving behind Special Operations teams to conduct targeted raids. Mr. Biden has long said that the United States mission in Afghanistan is too broad and should focus primarily ona 反恐怖主义mission分⼦seeking to attack the United States.Mr. Obama’s military commanders, meanwhile, want to maintain troops in Afghanistan as long as possible. If cuts have to be made, the commanders favor making them at the end of 2013, after the fighting season is largely finished. Any troop cuts made midyear would mean thatduring the main fighting逃避spring to early fall.“We’ve come up with several options, but they’re back-of-the-envelope options,” said a senior military official, who said the internal discussions were just now beginning to focus on the costs, logistics and security risks of each plan.Additional troop reductions 与⼀致a shift in mission that Mr. Obama plans to announce at a meeting of NATO members in Chicago in May. Under this plan, American troops would step away from the lead combat role to a supporting mission focused队. Mr. Obama will not announce the next troop reduction at the NATOmeeting, aides said on Monday, but the size of the reduction will从产⽣the NATO decision on when to shift the mission in Afghanistan from combat to support.In his news conference last week, Mr. Obama called the goal for the不是and steps that are take n along the way.”Benjamin J. Rhodes, one of the president’s seniorsaid in an interview on Monday that “the迹we’ve set here is one of transition and Afghan.” He added, “We have a goal here of hav ing the断紧缩开⽀.”Once the United States and its allies agree on the timing for the shift inmission Leon E. Panetta has already said that it will take place as early as mid-2013 —the administration must decide exactly when the remaining 68,000 troops will come home. Already, debate there has fallen along familiar lines, according to the officials.Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of allied forces in Afghanistan, is困难的questioning on the mission and the pacefor next week. “The campaign is sound,” General Allen said in an interview on Monday with Wolf Blitzer of CNN. “It is solid. It does not思熟虑,at this time, any form of an accelerated drawdown.”。

兴隆台2020年事业编招聘考试真题及答案解析1：吴官正说，大中小学生目前都在紧张地复习功课，迎接期终考试。

考试是必要的，但不要搞得太难，不要出偏题，难题，不能搞得大多数学生不及格。

如今的学生负担太重，一天到晚处于紧张的状态。

要呼吁全社会来关心学生，学校布置的作业不要太多，家长也不要打骂自己的孩子。

尤其是中小学生，学生积极性已经很高了，再也不要加码了。

没有考取大学的不一定都比考上大学的差。

有许多人没有读大学，但很有才干。

要让学生参加一些社会实践活动，参加一些劳动，做到德智体全面发展。

关于这段话以下说法不正确的选项是（）。

单项选择题全社会都已经就中小学生的负担达成共识考试的试题要把握得当不读大学不一定没有出路学生不应囿于书本和学校2：加速度反映了速度的变化程度，那么：（）单项选择题速度越大，加速度越大速度很大时，加速度可以为0速度变化越大，那么加速度越大速度为0时，加速度一定为03：从给出的几句话中选出没有语病的一句（）。

单项选择题家庭和学校教育将孩子的自主精神放在首位，才能让孩子长成有用之材想培养孩子长成有用之材，家庭和学校首先将教育孩子的自主精神放在首位假设想让孩子长成有用之材，家庭和学校应将培养孩子的自主精神放在首位假设想让孩子长成有用之材，家庭和学校教育首先应将培养孩子自主的精神放在首位4：国际收支平衡表中的资本项目的长期资本指期限在（）以上的投资。

单项选择题一年两年三年四年5：在市场经济发展中，既有市场在资源配置中起基础性作用，又有国家的宏观调控，这是由（）决定的单项选择题我国社会主义市场经济固有的特性所有市场经济本身的特点资本主义市场经济固有的特点计划经济与市场经济相结合产生的特点6：甲、乙、丙、丁是四位天资极高的艺术家，他们分别是舞蹈家、画家、歌唱家和作家，尚不能确定其中每个人所从事的专业领域。

已知：(1)有一天晚上，甲和丙出席了歌唱家的首次演出；(2)画家曾为乙和作家两个人画过肖像；(3)作家正准备写一本甲的传记，他所写的丁传遍是畅销书；(4)甲从来没有见过丙。