2018年可锐考研英语阅读专项练习

2018年可锐考研英语经典阅读试题（五）[物理学]The use of heat pumps has been held back largely by skepticism about advertisers’claims that heat pumps can provide as many as two units of thermal energy for each unit of electrical energy used, thus apparently contradicting the principle of energy conservation.Heat pumps circulate a fluid refrigerant that cycles alternatively from its liquid phase to its vapor phase in a closed loop. The refrigerant, starting as a low-temperature, low-pressure vapor, enters a compressor driven by an electric motor. The refrigerant leaves the compressor as a hot, dense vapor and flows through a heat exchanger called the condenser, which transfers heat from the refrigerant to a body of air. Now the refrigerant, as a high-pressure, cooled liquid, confronts a flow restriction which causes the pressure to drop. As the pressure falls, the refrigerant expands and partially vaporizes, becoming chilled. It then passes through a second heat exchanger, the evaporator, which transfers heat from the air to the refrigerant, reducing the temperature of this second body of air. Of the two heat exchangers, one is located inside, and the other one outside the house, so each is in contact with a different body of air: room air and outside air, respectively.The flow direction of refrigerant through a heat pump is controlled by valves. When the refrigerant flow is reversed, the heat exchangers switch function. This flow-reversal capability allows heat pumps either to heat or cool room air.Now, if under certain conditions a heat pump puts out more thermal energy than it consumes in electrical energy, has the law of energy conservation been challenged? No, not even remotely: the additional input of thermal energy into the circulating refrigerant via the evaporator accounts for the difference in the energy equation.Unfortunately there is one real problem. The heating capacity of a heat pump decreases as the outdoor temperature falls. The drop in capacity is caused by the lessening amount of refrigerant mass moved through the compressor at one time. The heating capacity is proportional to this mass flow rate: the less the mass of refrigerant being compressed, the less the thermal load it can transfer through the heat-pump cycle. The volume flow rate of refrigerant vapor through the single-speed rotary compressor used in heat pumps is approximately constant. But cold refrigerant vapor entering a compressor is at lower pressure than warmer vapor. Therefore, the mass of cold refrigerant —and thus the thermal energy it carries —is less than if the refrigerant vapor were warmer before compression.Here, then, lies a genuine drawback of heat pumps: in extremely cold climates —where the most heat is needed —heat pumps are least able to supply enough heat.1. The primary purpose of the text is to[A] explain the differences in the working of a heat pump when the outdoor temperature changes.[B] contrast the heating and the cooling modes of heat pumps.[C] describe heat pumps, their use, and factors affecting their use.[D] advocate the more widespread use of heat pumps.2. The author resolves the question of whether heat pumps run counter to the principle of energy conservation by[A] carefully qualifying the meaning of that principle.[B] pointing out a factual effort in the statement that gives rise to this question.[C] supplying additional relevant facts.[D] denying the relevance of that principle to heat pumps.3. It can be inferred from the text that, in the course of a heating season, the heating capacity of a heat pump is greatest when[A] heating is least essential.[B] electricity rates are lowest.[C] its compressor runs the fastest.[D] outdoor temperatures hold steady.4. If the author’s assessment of the use of heat pumps is correct, which of the following best expresses the lesson that advertisers should learn from this case?[A] Do not make exaggerated claims about the products you are trying to promote.[B] Focus your advertising campaign on vague analogies and veiled implications instead of on facts.[C] Do not use facts in your advertising that will strain the prospective client’s ability to believe.[D] Do not assume in your advertising that the prospective clients know even the mostelementary scientific principles.5. The text suggests that heat pumps would be used more widely if[A] they could also be used as air conditioners.[B] they could be moved around to supply heat where it is most needed.[C] their heat output could be thermostatically controlled.[D] people appreciated the role of the evaporator in the energy equation.[历史学]Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries and focal points —periods, countries, dramatic events, and great leaders. It also has had clear and firm notions of scholarly procedure: how one inquires into a historical problem, how one presents and documents one’s findings, what constitutes admissible and adequate proof.Anyone who has followed recent historical literature can testify to the revolution that is taking place in historical studies. The currently fashionable subjects come directly from the sociology catalog: childhood, work, leisure. The new subjects are accompanied by new methods. Where history once was primarily narrative, it is now entirely analytic. The old questions “What happened?”and “How did it happen?”have given way to the question “Why did it happen?”Prominent among the methods used to answer the question “Why”is psychoanalysis, and its use has given rise to psychohistory.Psychohistory does not merely use psychological explanations in historical contexts. Historians have always used such explanations when they were appropriate and when there was sufficient evidence for them. But this pragmatic use of psychology is not what psychohistorians intend. They are committed, not just to psychology in general, but to Freudian psychoanalysis. This commitment precludes a commitment to history as historians have always understood it. Psychohistory derives its “facts”not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history. It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to, and therefore assessable by, all historians. And it violates the basic tenet of historical method: that historians be alert to the negative instances that would refute their theses. Psychohistorians, convinced of the absolute rightness of their own theories, are also convinced that theirs is the “deepest”explanation of any event, that other explanations fall short of the truth.Psychohistory is not content to violate the discipline of history ; it also violates the past itself. It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own, in which people acted out of a variety of motives and in which events had a multiplicity of causes and effects. It imposes upon the past the same determinism that it imposes upon the present, thus robbing people and events of their individuality and of their complexity. Instead of respecting the particularity of the past, it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.1. Which of the following best states the main point of the text?[A] The approach of psychohistorians to historical study is currently in vogue even though it lacks the rigor and verifiability of traditional historical method.[B] Traditional historians can benefit from studying the techniques and findings of psychohistorians.[C] Areas of sociological study such as childhood and work are of little interest to traditional historians.[D] The psychological assessment of an individual’s behavior and attitudes is more informative than the details of his or her daily life.2. The author mentions which of the following as a characteristic of the practice of psychohistorians?[A] The lives of historical figures are presented in episodic rather than narrative form.[B] Archives used by psychohistorians to gather material are not accessible to other scholars.[C] Past and current events are all placed within the same deterministic diagram.[D] Events in the adult life of a historical figure are seen to be more consequential than are those in the childhood of the figure.3. The author of the text suggests that psychohistorians view history primarily as[A] a report of events, causes, and effects that is generally accepted by historians but which is, for the most part, unverifiable.[B] an episodic account that lacks cohesion because records of the role of childhood, work, and leisure in the lives of historical figures are rare.[C] an uncharted sea of seemingly unexplainable events that have meaning only when examined as discrete units.[D] a record the way in which a closed set of immutable psychological laws seems to have shaped events.4. The author of the text puts the word “deepest”in quotation marks most probably in order to[A] signal her reservations about the accuracy of psychohistorians’claims for their work.[B] draw attention to a contradiction in the psychohistorians’method.[C] emphasize the major difference between the traditional historians’method and that of psychohistorians.[D] disassociate her opinion of the psychohistorians’claims from her opinion of their method.5. In presenting her analysis, the author does all of the following EXCEPT.[A] Make general statements without reference to specific examples.[B] Describe some of the criteria employed by traditional historians.[C] Question the adequacy of the psychohistorians’interpretation of events.[D] Point out inconsistencies in the psychohistorians’application of their methods.。

2018年可锐考研英语经典阅读试题（一）[经济学类]Recent years have brought minority-owned businesses in the United States unprecedented opportunities —as well as new and significant risks. Civil rights activists have long argued that one of the principal reasons why Blacks, Hispanics, and other minority groups have difficulty establishing themselves in business is that they lack access to the sizable orders and subcontracts that are generated by large companies. Now Congress, in apparent agreement, has required by law that businesses awarded federal contracts of more than $500,000 do their best to find minority subcontractors and record their efforts to do so on forms filed with the government. Indeed, some federal and local agencies have gone so far as to set specific percentage goals for apportioning parts of public works contracts to minority enterprises.Corporate response appears to have been substantial. According to figures collected in 1977, the total of corporate contracts with minority businesses rose from $77 million in 1972 to $1.1 billion in 1977. The projected total of corporate contracts with minority businesses for the early 1980’s is estimated to be over 53 billion per year with no letup anticipated in the next decade.Promising as it is for minority businesses, this increased patronage poses dangers for them, too. First, minority firms risk expanding too fast and overextending themselves financially, since most are small concerns and, unlike large businesses, they often need to make substantial investments in new plants, staff, equipment, and the like in order to perform work subcontracted to them. If, thereafter, their subcontracts are for some reason reduced, such firms can face potentially crippling fixed expenses. The world of corporate purchasing can be frustrating for small entrepreneurs who get requests for elaborate formal estimates and bids. Both consume valuable time and resources, and a small company’s efforts must soon result in orders, or both the morale and the financial health of the business will suffer.A second risk is that White-owned companies may seek to cash in on the increasing apportionments through formation of joint ventures with minority-owned concerns. Of course, in many instances there are legitimate reasons for joint ventures; clearly, White and minority enterprises can team up to acquire business that neither could acquire alone. But civil rights groups and minority business owners have complained to Congress about minorities being set up as “fronts”with White backing, rather than being accepted as full partners in legitimate joint ventures.Third, a minority enterprise that secures the business of one large corporate customer often run the danger of becoming- and remaining-dependent. Even in the best of circumstances, fierce competition from larger, more established companies makes it difficult for small concerns to broaden their customer bases: when such firms have nearly guaranteed orders from a single corporate benefactor, they may truly have to struggle against complacency arising from their current success.1. The primary purpose of the text is to[A] present a commonplace idea and its inaccuracies.[B] describe a situation and its potential drawbacks.[C] propose a temporary solution to a problem.[D] analyze a frequent source of disagreement.2. The text suggests that the failure of a large business to have its bids for subcontracts result quickly in orders might causes it to[A] experience frustration but not serious financial harm.[B] face potentially crippling fixed expenses.[C] have to record its efforts on forms filed with the government.[D] increase its spending with minority subcontractors.3. It can be inferred from the text that, compared with the requirements of law, the percentage goals set by “some federal and local agencies”are[A] more popular with large corporations.[B] more concrete.[C] less controversial.[D] less expensive to enforce.4. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the author’s assertion that, in the 1970’s, corporate response to federal requirements was substantial?[A] Corporate contracts with minority-owned businesses totaled $2 billion in 1979.[B] Between 1970 and 1972, corporate contracts with minority-owned businesses declined by 25 percent.[C] The figures collected in 1977 underrepresented the extent of corporate contracts with minority-owned businesses.[D] The $1.1 billion represented the same percentage of total corporate spending in 1977 asdid $77 million in 1972.5. The author would most likely agree with which of the following statements about corporate response to working with minority subcontractors?[A] Annoyed by the proliferation of “front”organizations, corporations are likely to reduce their efforts to work with minority-owned subcontractors in the near future.[B] Although corporations showed considerable interest in working with minority businesses in the 1970’s, their aversion to government paperwork made them reluctant to pursue many government contracts.[C] The significant response of corporations in the 1970’s is likely to be sustained and conceivably be increased throughout the 1980’s.[D] Although corporations are eager to cooperate with minority-owned businesses, a shortage of capital in the 1970’s made substantial response impossible.二．The fossil remains of the first flying vertebrates, the pterosaurs, have intrigued paleontologists for more than two centuries. How such large creatures, which weighed in some cases as much as a piloted hang-glider and had wingspans from 8 to 12 meters, solved the problems of powered flight, and exactly what these creatures were —reptiles or birds —are among the questions scientists have puzzled over.Perhaps the least controversial assertion about the pterosaurs is that they were reptiles. Their skulls, pelvises, and hind feet are reptilian. The anatomy of their wings suggests that they did not evolve into the class of birds. In pterosaurs a greatly elongated fourth finger of each forelimb supported a winglike membrane. The other fingers were short and reptilian, with sharpclaws. In birds the second finger is the principal strut of the wing, which consists primarily of feathers. If the pterosaurs walked on all fours, the three short fingers may have been employed for grasping. When a pterosaur walked or remained stationary, the fourth finger, and with it the wing, could only turn upward in an extended inverted V shape along each side of the animal’s body.The pterosaurs resembled both birds and bats in their overall structure and proportions. This is not surprising because the design of any flying vertebrate is subject to aerodynamic constraints. Both the pterosaurs and the birds have hollow bones, a feature that represents a savings in weight. In the birds, however, these bones are reinforced more massively by internal struts.Although scales typically cover reptiles, the pterosaurs probably had hairy coats. T. H. Huxley reasoned that flying vertebrates must have been warm-blooded because flying implies a high rate of metabolism, which in turn implies a high internal temperature. Huxley speculated that a coatof hair would insulate against loss of body heat and might streamline the body to reduce drag in flight. The recent discovery of a pterosaur specimen covered in long, dense, and relatively thick hairlike fossil material was the first clear evidence that his reasoning was correct.Efforts to explain how the pterosaurs became airborne have led to suggestions that they launched themselves by jumping from cliffs, by dropping from trees, or even by rising into light winds from the crests of waves. Each hypothesis has its difficulties. The first wrongly assumes that the pterosaurs’hind feet resembled a bat’s and could serve as hooks by which the animal could hang in preparation for flight. The second hypothesis seems unlikely because large pterosaurs could not have landed in trees without damaging their wings. The third calls for high waves to channel updrafts. The wind that made such waves however, might have been too strong for the pterosaurs to control their flight once airborne.1. It can be inferred from the text that scientist now generally agree that the[A] enormous wingspan of the pterosaurs enabled them to fly great distances.[B] structure of the skeleton of the pterosaurs suggests a close evolutionary relationship to bats.[C] fossil remains of the pterosaurs reveal how they solved the problem of powered flight.[D] pterosaurs were reptiles.2. The author views the idea that the pterosaurs became airborne by rising into light winds created by waves as[A] revolutionary.[B] unlikely.[C] unassailable.[D] probable.3. According to the text, the skeleton of a pterosaur can be distinguished from that of a bird by the[A] size of its wingspan.[B] presence of hollow spaces in its bones.[C] anatomic origin of its wing strut.[D] presence of hooklike projections on its hind feet.4. The ideas attributed to T. H. Huxley in the text suggest that he would most likely agree with which of the following statements?[A] An animal’s brain size has little bearing on its ability to master complex behaviors.[B] An animal’s appearance is often influenced by environmental requirements and physical capabilities.[C] Animals within a given family group are unlikely to change their appearance dramatically over a period of time.[D] The origin of flight in vertebrates was an accidental development rather than the outcome of specialization or adaptation.5. Which of the following best describes the organization of the last paragraph of the text?[A] New evidence is introduced to support a traditional point of view.[B] Three explanations for a phenomenon are presented and each is disputed by means of specific information.[C] Three hypotheses are outlined and evidence supporting each is given.[D] Recent discoveries are described and their implications for future study are projected.。

2018年可锐考研第一轮复习之英语阅读（一）Until about five years ago, the very idea that peptide hormonesmight be made anywhere in the brain besides the hypothalamus was astounding.Peptide hormones, scientists thought, were made by endocrine glands and thehypothalamus was thought to be the brains’only endocrinegland. What is more, because peptide hormones cannot cross the blood-brainbarrier, researchers believed that they never got to any part of the brainother than the hypothalamus, where they were simply produced and then releasedinto the bloodstream. But these beliefs about peptide hormones were questioned aslaboratory after laboratory found that antiserums to peptide hormones, wheninjected into the brain, bind in places other than the hypothalamus, indicatingthat either the hormones or substances that cross-react with the antiserums arepresent. The immunological method of detecting peptide hormones by means ofantiserums, however, is imprecise. Cross-reactions are possible and this methodcannot determine whether the substances detected by the antiserums really arethe hormones, or merely close relatives. Furthermore, this method cannot beused to determine the location in the body where the detected substances areactually produced. New techniques of molecular biology, however, provide a way toanswer these questions. It is possible to make specific complementary DNA’s that canserve as molecular probes seek out the messenger RNA’s of thepeptide hormones. If brain cells are making the hormones, the cells will containthese mRNA’s. If the products the brain cells make resemble the hormones butare not identical to them, then the c DNA’s should still bindto these mRNA’s, but should not bind as tightly as they would to m RNA’s for thetrue hormones. The cells containing these mRNA’s can then beisolated and their mRNA’s decoded to determine just what their protein products are and howclosely the products resemble the true peptide hormones. The molecular approach to detecting peptide hormones using cDNAprobes should also be much faster than the immunological method because it cantake years of tedious purifications to isolate peptide hormones and thendevelop antiserums to them. Roberts, expressing the sentiment of manyresearchers, states: “I was trained as an endocrinologist. But it became clear to me thatthe field of endocrinology needed molecular biology input. The process ofgrinding out protein purifications is just too slow.”If, as the initial tests with cDNA probes suggest, peptide hormonesreally are made in brain in areas other than the hypothalamus, a theory must bedeveloped that explains their function in the brain. Some have suggested thatthe hormones are all growth regulators, but Rosen’s work on rat brainsindicates that this cannot be true. A number of other researchers propose thatthey might be used for intercellular communication in the brain.1.Which of the following titles best summarizes the text?[A] Is Molecular Biology the Key to Understanding Intercellular Communicationin the Brain?[B] Molecular Biology: Can Researchers Exploit Its Techniques to SynthesizePeptide Hormones?[C] The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Immunological Approach to DetectingPeptide Hormones. [D] Peptide Hormones: How Scientists Are Attempting to Solve Problems of TheirDetection and to Understand Their Function?2.The text suggests that a substance detected in the brain by use of antiserumsto peptide hormones may [A] have been stored in the brain for a long period of time. [B]play no role in the functioning of the brain. [C] have been produced in some part of the body other than the brain. [D] have escaped detection by molecular methods.3.According to the text, confirmation of the belief that peptide hormones arecreated in the brain in areas other than the hypothalamus would forcescientists to [A] reject the theory that peptide hormones are made by endocrine glands. [B] revise their beliefs about the ability of antiserums to detect peptidehormones. [C] invent techniques that would allow them to locate accurately brain cellsthat produce peptide hormones. [D] develop a theory that account for the role played by peptide hormones inthe brain.4.Which of the following is mentioned in the text as a drawback of theimmunological method of detecting peptide hormones? [A] It cannot be used to detect the presence of growth regulators in the brain. [B] It cannot distinguish between the peptide hormones and substances that arevery similar to them. [C] It uses antiserums that are unable to cross the blood-brain barrier. [D] It involves a purification process that requires extensive training inendocrinology.5.The idea that the field of endocrinology can gain from developments inmolecular biology is regarded by Roberts with [A] incredulity. [B] derision. [C] indifference.[D] enthusiasm.[答案与考点解析]1.【答案】D 【考点解析】这是一道中心主旨题。

2018年可锐考研英语复习阅读练习题（五）The eradication of poverty is a shared responsibility for the international community—indeed，a moral imperative.This task has become no less urgent in the last decade，in spite of rapid economic growth in many parts of the world.While the percentage of the world‘s population living on less than $1 per day has fallen from 28.3%to 24.0%between 1987 and 1998，population growth has kept the absolute number of poor steady at some 1.2 billion.If we take a higher cutoff point of $2 per day，the poor have increased by 250 million over the same time period，encompassing 2.8 billion people，or almost half of the world’s population.Nor do World Bank projections lend undivided hope for the future.Under the“business as usual”scenario，the number of poor on the $1 per day scale will not change during the projection period up to 2008.However，should policy measures be taken to boost economic growth and make the growth process more inclusive to the poor，the World Bank reckons that 500 million people could be brought out of extreme poverty by 2008.Even under this more optimistic scenario，Latin America and the Caribbean，and especially Sub-Saharan Africa would see little，if any，progress.The same pattern emerges under the higher cutoff point of $2 per day. In the light of these dire statistics and projections，it is easy to appreciate the growing public concern that not enough is being done to address poverty and poverty-related social illnesses，such as poor work conditions，a lack of respect for human rights，and natural resource degradation.Indeed，such concerns have been vented with increasing frustration，including at the Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Seattle last year，and more recently at the joint spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank. One problem facing governments in poverty-stricken countries，civil society，and international organizations is that poverty is a multidimensional problem with no simple solution—not least because of its sheer scale.The causes and expressions of poverty are not the same everywhere，although some common terms can often be found，including a lack of access to education，basic health care，and unequal distribution of productive assets。

2018年可锐考研英语阅读真题范文（四）Microsoft brings instant chat to TV screen,through gamesMicrosoft planned to announce today that it will make its Windows Live Messenger service available on its Xbox 360 game consoles, bringing instant messaging from the computer to the television.The move was meant to help Microsoft stay ahead of Sony, its chief rival in the electronic games business, in delivering the richest online experience for game players. It is also an element of Microsofts overall strategy to connect people across PCs, televisions and mobile devices like cellphones.More than 200 million people use Windows Live Messenger to chat with friends, family members and colleagues. Separately, more than six million Xbox 360 owners are connected to the companys Xbox Live online community, an enhancement that lets people with broadband Internet connections communicate with one another.In the second week of May, those two worlds will begin to converge. Xbox Live members will be able to link their gamertag ,the online identity they use within the Xbox community, to an existing Windows Live Messenger account. Players will then be able to chat with their instant messaging contacts using a virtual on screen keyboard or a USB keyboard plugged into the game machine.Microsoft executives said they hoped to offer voice chat between Xbox and Live Messenger users later this year.We feel this is a huge step in driving social networking further into the family room by allowing Xbox 360 users to IM directly from their couch, said John Rodman, Microsofts group manager for the Xbox 360, in a telephone interview last week. Now you dont have to manage two separate groups of friends online.Microsoft and Sony are battling to dominate the high end of the console gaming market. In years past, game consoles stood out from one another mostly by their game offerings. But now it appears that top game publishers like Electronic Arts will release most of their biggest games for both the Xbox 360 and Sonys PlayStation 3.As a result, Microsoft and Sony are attempting to differentiate their game machines with other features, like film playback capabilities and online services.Microsoft has been ahead of Sony in online console game playing, but last month Sony announced that it was developing a new Internet service called PlayStation Home that could surpass some elements of Xbox Live. The instant messaging feature appears to be one part of Microsofts response.二．From Genes to GMOsToday, genes can be isolated, identified, and cloned, then inserted into other organisms to alter their traits. The process is called genetic engineering. For this technology to develop, a few tools were necessary. In the 1970s, scientists isolated bacterial plasmids. These are hula hoop shaped double stranded units of DNA that can be moved easily from one cell to another. They also discovered scissors, called restriction enzymes for cutting the DNA into predictable, reproducible patterns. These enzymes are used to snip apart plasmids at very specific DNA sequences, leaving free ends that can be rejoined as the scientist chooses. Restriction enzymes occur in bacteria as part of a natural defense mechanism to guard against invading viruses. Many different types are now available, each cutting DNA at a different sequence of base pairs.Once a plasmid is snipped open, a foreign piece of DNA, cut by the same enzyme scissors, can be taped, end to end, into the plasmid using another enzyme, DNA ligase. This is the glue that sticks all the pieces together. The new plasmid is inserted back into a cell, where numerous copies can be made. Introduction of specific genetic material into rapidly reproducing target bacteria can turn the cells into miniature factories for production of useful substances. For example, when the Exxon Valdez oil freighter ran aground in 1989 and spilled thirty eight million liters of oil, oil eating bacteria, created in just this manner, were used in the cleanup operation. The oil was broken down five times faster with help from the genetically modified organisms .Plasmid technology has also been developed for moving targeted genetic material into plants. In this technique, scientists use the plasmid from a bacterium that causes tumors on plants. In nature, this bacterium transfers genetic material into plant tissues by releasing plasmids onto damaged plant cells. The plasmids enter the plant tissue and produce a swelling, or tumor. Because of this special ability to invade plant tissue, these tumor inducing plasmids are now used routinely as taxi cabs to carry target genes into a wide variety of plant cells, including, for example, corn. The European corn borer is a common pest in this economically valuable crop. When pesticides are used against them, timing is critical. If sprayed too late, the corn borer will already have made a home inside the corn stem and will not be killed. CIBA Research was the first company to develop what has become commonly known as Bt corn. It contains genes that allow it to resist infestation by the corn borer. The Bt genes came from a bacterium called Bacillus thuring ensis . It produces a protein called Bt protoxin. When an insect larva eats these bacteria, the toxin contained in the bacterium attaches to the insect s gut and makes holes in it, and the larva starves to death. Bt corn can be grown using less pesticide, and sometimes even no pesticide.三．Seychelles: A president in paradiseBEST known as a destination for honeymooners in search of perfect white beaches andswaying palms, the Seychelles islands rarely make any sort of headlines. Few tourists would even have noticed the presidential election on July 30th, in which James Michel, leader of the Seychelles Peoples Progressive Front, was returned with 54% of the ballot. For Mr. Michel, it was the first time he had faced the islands 62,000 odd voters, having been promoted from vice president two years ago by his predecessor, Albert René, who had ruled the islands for 27 years since taking power in a coup in 1977.To the casual eye, Seychelles seems both fortunate and well governed. The 115 islands, most of them uninhabited, cover a mere 445 square kilometers of the Indian Ocean, north of Madagascar, and enjoy several advantages over most of the rest of Africa. The weather is never extreme. There is no malaria. The islanders have free education and health care. Their multiracial society is pretty harmonious. With GDP at around $8,000 a head, there is almost no discernible poverty.But this standard of living has come at a cost: the IMF says its public debt is too high and may be unsustainable. Mr. Michels main opposition, the Seychelles National Party, which scored 46% in the elections, claims that Seychelles, per person, is the worlds most indebted country; with some $590m of external debt for just 82,000 people, it is certainly one of them. A black market in foreign currency already exists as speculation persists that the government, unable to meet its obligations, may be forced to devalue. Basic consumer goods sometimes run out. If, as the IMF predicts, GDP falls by over 1% this year, Mr. Michel may find his next five years in power more testing than he had hoped.The country needs more ways of making money. In the cold war, it was easy. The Seychelles played each side off against the other, remaining a member of the Commonwealth as well as the Non Aligned Movement and taking military aid from the Soviet Union while leasing a satellite tracking station to the Americans. Since those streams of revenue dried up, the main Seychellois streams of revenue have been from tourism-leasing land to foreign hoteliers-and from tuna: the government earns about $200m a year from selling tuna fishing licenses to Spain, France and South Korea.But conflict in the Middle East has brought Seychelles an unexpected bonus: Western warships stop off in the islands, which offer rest and recreation. The soldiers and sailors scuba dive, sail and drink Seybrew, the local beer-and pay for it all in hard currency.。

2018年可锐考研英语阅读专项练习（三）It is often claimed that nuclear energy is something we cannot do without. We live in a consumer society, where there is an enormous demand for commercial products of all kinds. Moreover, an increase in industrial production is considered to be one solution to the problem of mass unemployment. Such an increase presumes an abundant and cheap energy supply many people believe that nuclear energy provides an inexhaustible and economical source of power and that it is therefore essential for an industrially developing society. There are a number of other advantages in the use of nuclear energy. Firstly, nuclear power, except for accidents, is clean. A further advantage is that a nuclear power station can be run and maintained by relatively few technical and administrative staff. The nuclear reactor represents an enormous step in our scientific evolution and, whatever the antinuclear group says, it is wrong to expect a return to more primitive sources of fuel. However, opponents of nuclear energy point out that nuclear power stations bring a direct threat not only to the environment but also to civil liberties.Furthermore, it is questionable whether ultimately unclear power is a cheap source of energy. There have, for example, been very costly accidents in America, in Britain and, of course, in Russia. The possibility of increases in the cost of uranium in addition to the cost of greater safety provisions could price nuclear power out of the market. In the long run, environmentalists argue, nuclear energy may bring about the destruction of the human race. Thus, if we wish to survive, we cannot afford nuclear energy. In spite of the case against nuclear energy outlined above, nuclear energy programmers are expanding. Such an expansion assumes a continual growth in industrial production and consumer demands. However, it is doubtful whether this growth will or can continue. Having weighed up the arguments on both sides, it seems there are good economic and ecological reasons for sources of energy other than nuclear power.The writer’s attitude toward nuclear energy is _____ .A.negativeB.favorableC.tolerantD.indifferentSome people claim that nuclear energy is essential because _____ .A.it can meet the growing demand of an industrially developing societyB.it represents an enormous step forward in our scientific evolutionC.it provides a perfect solution to mass unemploymentD.nuclear power stations can be run and maintained by relatively few technical and administrative staffWhich of the following statements does the writer support?A.Nuclear energy is something we cannot do without.B.The demand for commercial products will not necessarily keep increasing.C.Uranium is a good source of energy for economic and ecological reasons.D.Greater safety provisions can bring about the expansion of nuclear energy programs.The function of the last sentence is to _____ .A.advance the final argumentB.reverse previously expressed thoughtsC.reflect the writer’s attitudeD.show the disadvantages of nuclear powerThat an ecological crisis confronts humankind is now so central to our thinking that the notion that human beings adapt to their natural environment seems obvious. But ecological interpretations of world history are surprisingly recent. Sociologists, in attempting to classify societies, have looked increasingly to a people’s relationshipwith their natural environment and, provide food, clothing, and shelter. Human beings meet these needs in a wide variety of environments, including deserts, rain forests, grasslands, and so on. Such environments are part of ecosystem, acomplex web of interdependencies among organisms, communities of organisms, and the natural habital. Some societal variation derives from the different demands made by different ecosystems. Customs and ways of life that would be adaptive in one ecosystem would be maladaptive in another.We confront a habitat and evolve a mode of existence not so much as lone individuals, but cooperatively as larger social units. Social organization and technology are our chief adaptive mechanisms. Social organization develops as we create stable, ordered relationships and become infused with common cultural traits. Much depends on whether or not our values, norms, beliefs and institutions favor or foreclose new avenues of adaption. Likewise, technology-the applicationof knowledge for practical eds-allows us to harness and change aspects of our environment. In its broadest sense, technology entails the practical arts and skills of human society. As technology has become more advanced, we have gained access to greater amounts of non human energy. In turen, new sources of energy have allowed our cultures to expand and change. Other changes follow as well.The author points out that differences in peopls’s ways of life come from _____ .A.their cultural traditionsB.their adaptions to the environmentC.their demands for natural resourcesD.their notions about the environmentDifferent ways of life exist among different peoples because of _____ .A.their adaptive valueB.their distinctive valueck of better technologyD.mutual isolationSocial organizations and technology develop as a result of people’s _____ .A.adaptation to the environmentB.attempt to change natureC.efforts to create peaceful societiesD.desire to create bigger societiesThe ultimate goal in developing technology is for people to _____ .A.get practical skills and artsB.obtain greater amounts of energyC.effect social changesD.create new cultures。

2018年可锐考研英语阅读专练模拟题（一）Faces, like fingerprints, are unique. Did you ever wonder how it is possible for us to recognize people? Even a skilled writer probably could not describe all the features that make one face different from another. Yet a very young child-or even an animal, such as a pigeon-can learn to recognize faces. We all take this ability for granted.We also tell people apart by how they behave. When we talk about someone s personality, we mean the ways in which he or she acts, speaks, thinks and feels that make that individual different from others.Like the human face, human personality is very complex. But describing someone s personality in words is somewhat easier than describing his face. if you were asked to describe what anice facelooked like, you probably would have a difficult time doing so. But if you were asked to describe anice person,you might begin to think about someone who was kind, considerate, friendly, warm,and so forth.There are many words to describe how a person thinks, feels and acts. Gordon all ports, an American psychologist, found nearly 18 000 English words characterizing differences in people s behavior. And many of us use this information as a basis for describing, or typing, his personality. Bookworms, conservatives, military types-people are described with such terms.People have always tried totypeeach other. Actors in early Greek drama wore masks to show the audience whether they played the villain sor the hero s role. In fact, the wordspersonandpersonalitycome from the Latin persona, meaningmask.Today, most television and movie actors do not wear masks. But we can easily tell thegood guysfrom thebad guysbecause the two types differ in appearance as well as in actions.61. The main idea of this passage is .A)how to distinguish people s facesB)how to describe people s personalityC)how to distinguish people both inward and outwardD)how to differ good persons from bad persons62. The author is most probably a .A) behavioristB) psychologistC) writerD) sociologist63. Which of the following is NOT true?A) Different people may have different personalities.B) People differ from each in appearance.C) People can learn to recognize faces.D) People can describe all the features of others.64. The reason why it is easier to describe a person s personality in words than his face is that .A) a person s face is more complex than his personalityB) a person s personality is easily distinguishedC) people s personalities are very alikeD) many words are available when people try to describe one s personality65. We learn from the passage that people classify a person into certain type according to .A) his way of acting and thinkingB) his way of speaking and behavingC) his learning and behaviorD) his physical appearance and his personality答案：1.C 2.B 3.D 4.D 5.DMost young people enjoy some form of physical activity. It may be walking, cycling or swimming, or in winter, skating or skiing. it may be a game of some kind football, hockey, golf, of tennis, it may be mountaineering.Those who have a passion for climbing high and difficult mountains are often looked upon with astonishment. Why are men and women willing to suffer cold and hardship, and to take risks on high mountains? This astonishment is caused probably by the difference between mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their leisure.Mountaineering is a sport and not a game. There are no man-made rules, as there re for such games as golf and football. There are, of course, rules of a different kind which it would be dangerous to ignore, but it is this freedom from man-made rules that makes mountaineering attractive to many people. Those who climb mountains are free to use their own methods. If we compare mountaineering and other more familiar sports, we might think that one big difference is that mountaineering is not a team game . We should be mistaken in this. There are, it is true, no matches between teams of climbers, but when climbers are on a rock face linked by a rope on which their lives may depend, there is obviously teamwork.The mountain climber knows that he may have to fight forces that are stronger and more powerful than man. He has to fight the forces of nature. His sport requires high mental and physical qualities.A mountain climber continues to improve in skill year after year. A skier is probably past his best by the age of thirty, and most international tennis champions are in their early twenties. But it is no unusual for a man of fifty or sixty to climb the highest mountains in the Alps. They may take more time than younger men, but they probably climb with more skill and less waste of effort, and they certainly experience equal enjoyment.66. Mountaineering is a sport which involves .A) hardshipC) physical riskB) coldD) all of the above67. The main difference between a sport and a game lies in .A) uniformC) rulesB) activityD) skills68. Mountaineering is also a team sport because .A)it involves rulesB)it involves matches between teamsC)it requires mental and physical qualitiesD)mountaineers depend on each other while climbing69. Which of the following is NOT true?A) Mountaineers compete against each other.B) Mountaineers compete against other teams.C) Mountaineers compete against nature.D) Mountaineers compete against international standard.70. What is the best title for the passage?A) MountaineeringB) Mountain ClimbersC) Mountaineering is Different from Golf and FootballD) Mountaineering Is More Dangerous Than Other Sports 答案：1.D 2.C 3.D 4.C 5.A。

2018年可锐考研英语阅读实战练习题（一）The purpose of an interview is to find out if your goals and the goals of an organization are compatible.Other goals of the interview are：to answer questions successfully，obtain any additional information needed to make a decision，accent your special strengths，establish a positive relationship，show confidence，and to sell yourself.Based on these goals，place yourself in the role of the interviewer and develop anticipated questions and answers to three categories：company data，personal data，and specific job data.You also develop questions which you will ask to determine how well your career goals match the needs of the organization.These questions include both those you would ask before a job offer and those you would ask after a job offer. Prior to the interview，acquaint yourself with the laws pertaining to job discrimination.This knowledge will enhance your chances of being considered on an equal standing with other applicants. To develop confidence，adequately prepare for the interview.Focus on how you can best serve the organization to which you are applying.Then rehearse until the rough edges are smoothed and you sound convincing to those with whom you have practiced. Since the interview will center on you，proper self-management process is divided into four stages：the before stage，the greeting stage，the consultation stage，and the departure stage.The before stage includes writing a confirmation letter，concentrating on appearance and nonverbal communication，developing your portfolio，anticipating questions with positive responses，and arriving early.The greeting stage includes greeting everyone courteously，using waiting-room smarts，using your time wisely，and applying proper protocol when meeting the interviewer.The consultation stage includes responsiveness and enthusiasm，knowing when to interject key points，showing sincerity，highlighting your strengths，and listening intently.The departure stage includes leaving on a positive note，expressing appreciation，expressing interest，leaving promptly，and making notes immediately after departure. To save time and money and offer convenience to prospective employees and employers，video taping and satellite videophones may become a common method of interviewing.Being at ease in front of a camera would be important for these types of interviews.Following the interview，write thank-you letters to each person who interviewed you and to those who helped you get the interview.When invited for a second interview，go prepared by using your notes and feedback from the interview to zero in on what the company wants.If the company doesn‘t respond in two weeks，call back or write a follow-up letter.You may get turned down.If so，try to find out why as a means of self-improvement. Following a job offer，take a few days to consider all elements and then call or write a letter either accepting or declining the offer-—whichever is appropriate.If you accept and you are presently employed，write an effective letter of resignation，departing on a positive note.1.The word“compatible”in the first sentence probably means____. [A] in agreement [B] in conflict [C] complementary [D] practicable2.The writer advises you to familiarize yourself with the laws concerning job discrimination so that ____. [A] you can show your prospective employer you have a wide range of knowledge [B] you stand on equal chance of being hired with other applicants to the job [C] you will refuse to give answers to any questions against the current laws [D] you know how to behave within the limit of laws at the interview3.At which stage should you emphasize your qualifications for the job? [A] The before stage. [B] The greeting stage. [C] The consultation stage. [D] The departure stage.4.If you are given a secondinterview，it is most important for you to____. [A] write a thank-you letter to each person who interviewed you last time [B] find out exactly what the company wants of you [C] learn from the last interview and improve yourself [D] consider all the elements that are important for the job 5.The passage is mainly concerned with____. [A] how to manage an interview [B] how to apply for a job vacancy [C] how an applicant should behave during an interview [D] how to make your private goal compatible with those of an organization1.[A] 该词意为：相容的，相一致的。

2018年可锐考研英语复习阅读练习题（四）The existence of both racial and sexual discrimination in employment is well documented，and policymakers and responsible employers are particularly sensitive to the plight of the black female employee on the theory that she is doubly the victim of discrimination.That there exist differences in income between whites and blacks is clear，but it is not so clear that these differences are solely the result of racial discrimination in employment.The two groups differ in productivity，so basic economics dictates that their incomes will differ. To obtain a true measure of the effect of racial discrimination in employment it is necessary to adjust the gross black/white income ratio for these productivity factors.White women in urban areas have a higher educational level than black women and can be expected to receive larger incomes.Moreover，State distribution of residence is important because blacks are overrepresented in the South，where wage rates are typically lower than elsewhere and where racial differentials in income are greater.Also，blacks are over-represented in large cities，and incomes of blacks would be greater if blacks were distributed among cities of different sizes in the same manner as whites. After standardization for the productivity factors，the income of black urban women is estimated to be between 108 and 125 percent of the income of white women.This indicates that productivity factors more than account for the actual white/black income differential for women.Despite their greater education，white women’s actual average income is only 2 to 5 percent higher than that of black women in the North.Unlike the situation of men，the evidence indicates that the money income of black urban women was as great as，or greater than，that of whites of similar productivity in the North，and probably in the United States as a whole. At least two possible hypotheses may explain why the adjustment for productivity more than accounts for the observed income differential for women.First，there may be more discrimination against black men than against black women.The different occupational structures for men and women give some indication why this could be the case.Second，the data are consistent with the hypothesis that the intensity of discrimination against women differs little between whites and blacks.Therefore，racial discrimination adds little to effects of existing sex discrimination.These findings suggest that a black woman does not necessarily suffer relatively more discrimination in the labor market than does a white woman.Rather，for women，the effects of sexual discrimination are so pervasive that the effects of racial discrimination are negligible. 1.The primary purpose of the passage is to____.[A] explain the reasons for the existence of income differentials between men and women[B] show that racial discrimination against black women in employment is less important than sexual discrimination [C] explore the ways in which productivity factors influence the earning power of black workers [D] sketch a history of racial and sexual discrimination against black and female workers in the labor market 2.The difference between income levels for black and white women is____. [A] less than that for black and white men [B] greater than that for black and white men [C] greater since black women are subject to more discrimination [D] smaller since women can only do low-paying jobs 3.Which of the following best describes the logical relationship between the two hypotheses presented in the fourth paragraph? [A] They may both be true since each phenomenon could contribute to the observed differential. [B] They are contradictory，and if one is proved to be correct，the other is proved incorrect. [C] They are independent of eachother，and it is hard to establish any relationship between them. [D] The two hypotheses are logically connected so that it is impossible to prove either one to be true without also proving the other to be true. 4.If the second hypothesis mentioned by the author is correct，a general lessening of discrimination against women should lead to a ____. [A] higher white/black income ratio for women [B] lower white/black income ratio for women[C] lower female/male income ratio [D] increase in the productivity of women5.The author’s attitude toward racial and sexual discrimination in employment is one of____.[A] apology [B] concern [C] indifference [D] indignation 1.[B] 文章最后一段是作者的结论，这段提到两个假设，一是对男性黑人的歧视可能比对女性黑人的歧视更严重;二是对妇女的歧视在黑人和白人之间没有多大区别。

2018年可锐考研英语阅读模拟试题及名师解析第一篇：2018年可锐考研英语阅读模拟试题及名师解析2018年可锐考研英语阅读模拟试题及名师解析（七）Do you rememberall those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but thedoubters insisted that we didn’t know for sure? That the evidence was inconclusive, the scienceuncertain? That the antismoking lobby was out to destroy our way of life andthe government should stay out of the way? Lots of Americans bought thatnonsense, and over three decades, some 10 million smokers went to early graves。

There are upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one waveafter another try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming.Thelatest was a panel from the National Academy of Sciences, enlisted by the WhiteHouse, to tell us that the Earth’s atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem is largelyman-made.The clear message is that we should get moving to protest ourselves.The president of the National Academy, Bruce Alberts, added this key point inthe preface to the panel’s report: “Science never has all the answers。