启航考研2014年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语试题解析(2014考研英语真题)

2014年全国硕士研究生入学考试英语(二)试题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 ANSWER SHEET. (10 points) Thinner isn’t always better. A number of studies have __1___ that normal-weight people are in fact at higher risk of some diseases compared to those who are overweight. And there are health conditions for which being overweight is actually ___2___. For example, heavier women are less likely to develop calcium deficiency than thin women. ___3___ among the elderly, being somewhat overweight is often an ___4___ of good health.Of even greater ___5___ is the fact that obesity turns out to be very difficult to define. It is often defined ___6___ body mass index, or BMI. BMI ___7__ body mass divided by the square of height. An adult with a BMI of 18 to 25 is often considered to be normal weight. Between 25 and 30 is overweight. And over 30 is considered obese. Obesity, ___8___,can be divided into moderately obese, severely obese, and very severely obese.While such numerical standards seem 9 , they are not. Obesity is probably less a matter of weight than body fat. Some people with a high BMI are in fact extremely fit, 10 others with a low BMI may be in poor11 .For example, many collegiate and professional football players 12 as obese, though their percentage body fat is low. Conversely, someone with a small frame may have high body fat but a 13 BMI.Today we have a(an) _14 _ to label obesity as a disgrace.The overweight are sometimes_15_in the media with their faces covered. Stereotypes _16_ with obesity include laziness, lack of will power,and lower prospects for success.Teachers,employers,and health professionals have been shown to harbor biases against the obese. _17_very young children tend to look down on the overweight, and teasing about body build has long been a problem in schools.1. [A] denied [B] conduced [C] doubled [D] ensured2. [A] protective [B] dangerous [C] sufficient [D]troublesome3. [A] Instead [B] However [C] Likewise [D] Therefore4. [A] indicator [B] objective [C] origin [D] example5. [A] impact [B] relevance [C] assistance [D] concern6. [A] in terms of [B] in case of [C] in favor of [D] in of7. [A] measures [B] determines [C] equals [D] modifies8. [A] in essence [B] in contrast [C] in turn [D] in part9. [A] complicated [B] conservative [C] variable [D] straightforward10. [A] so [B] unlike [C] since [D] unless11. [A] shape [B] spirit [C] balance [D] taste12. [A] start [B] quality [C] retire [D] stay13. [A] strange [B] changeable [C] normal [D] constant14. [A] option [B] reason [C] opportunity [D] tendency15. [A] employed [B] pictured [C] imitated [D] monitored16. [A] [B] combined [C] settled [D] associated17. [A] Even [B] Still [C] Yet [D] Only18. [A] despised [B] corrected [C] ignored [D] grounded19. [A] discussions [B] businesses [C] policies [D] studies20. [A] for [B] against [C] with [D] withoutSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)Text 1What would you do with $590m? This is now a question for Gloria Mackenzie, an 84-year-old widow who recently emerged from her small, tin-roofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history. If she hopes her new-found for tune will yield lasting feelings of fulfillment, she could do worse than read Happy Money by Elizabeth Dumn and Michael Norton.These two academics use an array of behavioral research to show that the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive. Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes. Yet satisfaction with these material purchases wears off fairly quickly what was once exciting and new becomes old-hat; regret creeps in. It is far better to spend money on experiences, say MsDumn and Mr Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the cinema. These purchases often become more valuable with time-as stories or memories-particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.This slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners get the most "happiness bang for your buck." It seems most people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work, spend more time with friends and family and less of it watching television (something the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing, and is hardly jollier for it).Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself, and luxuries are most enjoyable when they are consumed sparingly. This is apparently the reason MacDonald's restricts the availability of its popular McRib - a marketing trick that has turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession.Readers of “HappyMoney”are clearly a privileged lot, anxious about fulfillment, not hunger.Money may not quite buy happiness, but people in wealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones. Yet the link between feeling good and spending money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world, and scarcity enhances the pleasure of most things for most people. Not everyone will agree with the authors‟ policy ideas, which range from mandating more holiday time to reducing tax incentives for American homebuyers. But most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent。

2014年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试管理类专业硕士学位联考英语试卷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 ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)Thinner isn’t always better. A number of studies have _1_ that normal-weight people are in fact at higher risk of some diseases compared to those who are overweight. And there are health conditions for which being overweight is actually _2_. For example, heavier women are less likely to develop calcium deficiency than thin women. _3_, among the elderly, being somewhat overweight is often an _4_ of good health.Of even greater _5_ is the fact that obesity turns out to be very difficult to define. It is often _6_body mass index, or BIMI _7_ body mass divided by the square of height. An adult with a BIMI of 18 to 25 is often considered to be normal weight. Between 25 to 30 is overweight. And over 30 is considered obese. Obesity, _8_ can be divided into moderately obese, severely obese, and very severely obese.While such numerical standards seem _9_, they are not. Obesity is probably less a matter of weight than body fat. Some people with a high BMI are in fact extremely fit. _10_ others with a low BMI may be in poor _11_. For example, many collegiate and professional football players _12_ as obese, though their percentage body fat is low. Conversely, someone with a small frame may have high body fat but a _13_ BMI.Today we have a(n) _14_ to label obesity as a disgrace. The overweight are sometimes _15_ in the media with their faces covered. Stereotypes _16_ with obesity include laziness, lack of will power, and lower prospects for success. Teachers, employers, and health professionals have been shown to harbor biases against the obese. _17_ very young children tend to look down on the overweight, and teasing about body build has long been a problem in schools.Negative attitudes toward obesity, _18_ in health concerns have stimulated a number of anti-obesity _19_, My own hospital system has banned sugary drinks from its facilities. Many employers have instituted weight loss and fitness initiatives, Michelle Obama has launched a high-visibility campaign _20_ childhood obesity, even claiming that it represents our greatest national security threat!1. [A] denied [B] conduced [C] doubled [D] ensured2. [A] protective [B] dangerous [C] sufficient [D]troublesome3. [A] Instead [B] However [C] Likewise [D] Therefore4. [A] indicator [B] objective [C] origin [D] example5. [A] impact [B] relevance [C] assistance [D] concern6. [A] in terms of [B] in case of [C] in favor of [D] in respects of7. [A] measures [B] determines [C] equals [D] modifies8. [A] in essence [B] in contrast [C] in turn [D] in part9. [A] complicated [B] conservative [C] variable [D] straightforward10. [A] so [B] unlike [C] since [D] unless11. [A] shape [B] spirit [C] balance [D] taste12. [A] start [B] quality [C] retire [D] stay13. [A] strange [B] changeable [C] normal [D] constant14. [A] option [B] reason [C] opportunity [D] tendency15. [A] employed [B] pictured [C] imitated [D] monitored16. [A] compared [B] combined [C] settled [D] associated17. [A] Even [B] Still [C] Yet [D] Only18. [A] despised [B] corrected [C] ignored [D] grounded19. [A] discussions [B] businesses [C] policies [D] studies20. [A] for [B] against [C] with [D] withoutSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four passages. Answer the questions below each passage by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)Text 1What would you do with $559m? This is now a question for Gloria Mackenzie, an 84-year-old widow who recently emerged from her small, un-roofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history. If she hopes her new-found fortune will yield lasting feelings or fulfillment. She could do worse than read Happy Money by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton.These two academics use an array of behavioral research to show that the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive. Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes. Yet satisfaction with these maternal purchases wears off fairly quickly. What was Once exciting and new becomes old hat; regret creeps in, It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms Dun and Mr. Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the cinema. These purchases often become more valuable with time–as stones or memories-particularly if they involve feeling more connected toothers.This slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners get the most “happiness bang for your buck.”It seems most people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work, spend more time with friends and family and less of it watching television (something the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing, and is hardly jollier for it). Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself, and luxuries are most enjoyable when they are consumed sparingly. This is apparently the reason McDonald’s restricts the availability of its popular McRib-a marketing trick that has turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession.Readers of Happy Money are clearly a privileged lot, anxious about fulfilment, not hunger. Money may not quite buy happiness, but people in wealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones. Yet the link between feeling good and spending money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world. and scarcity enhances the pleasure of most things for most people. Not everyone will agree with the authors’ policy ideas, which range from mandating more holiday time to reducing tax incentives for American homebuyers, But most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent.21. According to Dumn and Norton, which of the following is the most rewarding purchase?[A] A big house.[B] A special tour.[C] A stylish car.[D] A rich meal.22. The author’s attitude toward Americans’ watching TV is.[A] critical[B] supportive[C] sympathetic[D] ambiguous23. Macrib is mentioned in paragraph 3 to show that .[A] consumers are sometimes irrational[B] popularity usually comes after quality[C] marketing tricks are after effective[D] rarity generally increases pleasure24. According to the last paragraph, Happy Money .[A] has left much room for readers’ criticism[B] may prove to be a worthwhile purchase[C] has predicted a wider income gap in the us[D] may give its readers a sense of achievement25. This text mainly discusses how to .[A] balance feeling good and spending money[B] spend large sums of money won in lotteries[C] obtain lasting satisfaction from money spent[D] become more reasonable in spending on luxuriesText 2An article in Scientific American has pointed out that empirical research says that, actually, you think you're more beautiful than you are. We have a deep-seated need to feel good about ourselves and we naturally employ a number of self-enhancing (to use the psychological terminology) strategies to achieve this. Social psychologists have amassed oceans of research into what they call 70% of us rate ourselves as above average in leadership, 93% in driving (across the ages and genders ) and 85% at getting on well others-all obviously statistical impossibilities.We rose-tint our memories and put ourselves into self-affirming situations. We become defensive when criticized, and apply negative stereotypes to others to boost our own esteem. We strut around thinking we’re hot stuff.Psychologist and behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley oversaw a key study into self-enhancement and attractiveness. Rather than have people simply rate their beauty compared with others, he asked them to identify an original photograph of themselves from a lineup including versions that had been morphed to appear more and less attractive. Visual recognition, reads the study, is “an automatic psychological process, occurring rapidly and intuitively with little or no apparent conscious deliberation”.If the subjects quickly chose a falsely flattering image-which most did-they genuinely believed it was really how they looked.Epley found no significant gender difference in responses. Nor was there any evidence that those who self-enhanced the most (that is, the participants who thought the most positively doctored pictures were real) were doing so to make up for profound insecurities. In fact, those who thought that the images higher up the attractiveness scale were real directly corresponded with those who showed other markers for having higher self-esteem. “I don’t think the findings that we have are any evidence of personal delusion,”says Epley. “It’s a reflection simply of people generally thinking well of themselves.” If you are depressed, you won’t be self-enhancing.Knowing the results of Eplet’s study, it makes sense that manypeople hate photographs of themselves so viscerally — on one level, they don’t even recognize the person in the picture as themselves. Facebook, therefore, is a self-enhancer’s paradise, where people can share only the flukiest of flattering photos, the cream of their wit style Beauty, intellect and lifestyles. It’s not that people’s profiles are dishonest, says Catalina Toma of Wisconsin-Madison University, “but they portray an idealized version of themselves”. (People are much more likely to out-and-out lie on dating websites, to an audience of strangers.)26. According to the first paragraph, social psychologists have found that .[A] our self-ratings are unrealistically high[B] illusory superiority is baseless effect[C] our need for leadership is unnatural[D] self-enhancing strategies are ineffective27. Visual recognition is believed to be people’s .[A] rapid watching[B] conscious choice[C] intuitive response[D] automatic self-defense28. Epley found that people with higher self-esteem tended to .[A] underestimate their insecurities[B] believe in their attractiveness[C] cover up their depressions[D] oversimplify their illusions29. The word “viscerally” (Line 2, Para.6) is closest in meaning to .[A] instinctively[B] occasionally[C] particularly[D] aggressively30. It can be inferred that Facebook is self-enhancer’s paradise because people can .[A] present their dishonest profiles[B] define their traditional life styles[C] share their intellectual pursuits[D] withhold their unflattering sidesText 3The concept of man versus machine is at least as old as the industrial revolution, but this phenomenon tends to be most acutely felt during economic downturns and fragile recoveries. And yet, it would be a mistake to think we are right now simply experiencing the painful side ofa boom and bust cycle. Certain jobs have gone away for good, outmoded by machines. Since technology has such an insatiable appetite for eating up human jobs, this phenomenon will continue to restructure our economy in ways we can’t immediately foresee.When there is exponential improvement in the price and performance of technology, jobs that were once thought to be immune from automation suddenly become threatened. This argument has attracted a lot of attention, via the success of the book Race against the Machine, by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, who both hail from MIT’s Center for Digital Business.This is a powerful argument, and a scary one. And yet, John Hagel, author of The Power of Pull and other books, says Brynjolfsson and McAfee miss the reason why these jobs are so vulnerable to technology in the first place.Hagel says we have designed jobs in the U.S. that tend to be “tightly scripted”and “highly standardized”ones that leave no room for “individual initiative or creativity.” In short, these are the types of jobs that machines can perform much better at than human beings. That is how we have put a giant target sign on the backs of American workers, Hagel says.It’s time to reinvent the formula for how work is conducted, sincewe are still relying on a very 20th century notion of work, Hagel says. In our rapidly changing economy, we more than ever need people in the workplace who can take initiative and exercise their imagination “to respond to unexpected events.”That’s not something machines are good at. They are designed to perform very predictable activities.As Hagel notes, Brynjolfsson and McAfee indeed touched on this point in their book. We need to reframe race against the machine as race with the machine. In other words, we need to look at the ways in which machines can augment human labor rather than replace it. So then the problem is not really about technology, but rather, “how do we innovate our institutions and our work practices?”31. According to the first paragraph, economic downturns would .[A] ease the competition of man vs. machine[B] highlight machines’ threat to human jobs[C] provoke a painful technological revolution[D] outmode our current economic structure32. The authors of Race Against the Machine argue that .[A] technology is diminishing man’s job opportunities[B] automation is accelerating technological development[C] certain jobs will remain intact after automation[D] man will finally win the race against machine33. Hagel argues that jobs in the U.S. are often .[A] performed by innovative minds[B] scripted with an individual style[C] standardized without a clear target[D] designed against human creativity34. According to the last paragraph, Brynjolfsson and McAfee discussed .[A] the predictability of machine behavior in practice[B] the formula for how work is conducted efficiently[C] the ways machines replace human labor in modern times[D] the necessity of human involvement in the workplace35. Which of the following could be the most appropriate title for the text?[A] How to Innovate Our Work Practices[B] Machines will Replace Human Labor[C] Can We Win the Race Against Machines[D] Economic Downturns Stimulate InnovationsText 4When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy the focus is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy.Housing is seldom mentioned.Why is that? To some extent the housing sector must shoulder the blame. We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can contribute to economic growth. Then there is the scale of the typical housing project. It is hard to jostle for attention among multibillion-pound infrastructure projects, so it is inevitable that the attention is focused elsewhere. But perhaps the most significant reason is that the issue has always been so politically charged. This government does not want to see a return to large-scale provision of council housing, so it is naturally wary of measures that will lead us down that route.Nevertheless, the affordable housing situation is desperate. Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.The comprehensive spending review offers an opportunity for the government to help rectify this. It needs to put historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that. The communities minister, Don Foster, has hinted that George Osborne may introduce more flexibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt. The cap, introduced in 2012 as part of the Housing Revenue Account reform, hasbeen a major issue for the sector. Evidence shows that 60,000 extra new homes could be built over the next five years if the cap were lifted, increasing GDP by 0.6%.Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment, which would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund new developments from revenues.Finally, they should look at the way in which public sector land is released. Currently up-front payments are required, putting a financial burden on the housing provider. A more positive stimulus would be to encourage a system where the land is made available and maintained as a long-term equity stake in the project.But it is not just down to the government. While these measures would be welcome in the short term, we must face up to the fact that the existing £4.5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing, set to expire in 2015, is unlikely to be extended beyond then. The Labour party has recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition's spending plans if it returns to power. The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to the era of large-scale public grants. We need to adjust to this changing climate. This means that affordable housing specialists like Wates Living Space have to create a whole new way of working in partnership with registered providers. Wehave to be prepared to take on more of the risk during the development phase, driving down the cost to deliver high-quality affordable housing and, most importantly, developing alternative funding models to help achieve this.While the government's commitment to long-term funding may have changed, the very pressing need for more affordable housing is real and is not going away. The comprehensive spending review provides the opportunity to start moving us in the right direction - stimulating investment in new supply and quickly delivering tangible benefits to local economies. It also helps create the space to develop a long-term sustainable strategy for housing.36. The author believes that the housing sector .[A] has attracted much attention[B] has lost its real value in economy[C] shoulders too much responsibility[D] involves certain political factors37. It can be learned that affordable housing has .[A] suffered government biases[B] increased its home supply[C] offered spending opportunities[D] disappointed the government38. According to Paragraph 5, George Osborne may .[A] prepare to reduce housing stock debt[B] release a lifted GDP growth forecast[C] allow greater government debt for housing[D] stop local authorities from building homes39. It can be inferred that a stable rental environment would .[A] lower the costs of registered providers[B] relieve the minister of responsibilities[C] contribute to funding new developments[D] lessen the impact of government interference40. The author believes that after 2015, the government may .[A] implement more policies to support housing[B] stop generous funding to the housing sector[C] renew the affordable housing grants programme[D] review the need for large-scale public grantsPart BDirections:Read the following text and answer questions by finding information from the right column that corresponds to each of the marked detailsgiven in the left column. There are two extra choices in the left column. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)Emerging in the late Sixties and reaching a peak in the Seventies, Land Art was one of a range of new forms, including Body Art, Performance Art, Action Art and Installation Art, which pushed art beyond the traditional confines of the studio and gallery. Rather than portraying landscape, land artists used the physical substance of eland itself as their medium.The British land artist, typified by Richard Long’s piece, was not only more domestically scaled, but a lot quirkier than its American counterpart. Indeed, while you might assume that an exhibition of Land Art would consist only of records of works rather than the works themselves, Long’s photograph of his work is the work. Since his “action” is in the past the photograph is its sole embodiment.That might seem rather an obscure point, but it sets the tone for an exhibition that contains a lot of black-and-white photographs and relatively few natural objects.Long is Britain’s best-known Land Artist and his Stone Circle, a perfect ring of purplish rocks from Portishead beach laid out on the gallery floor, represents the elegant, rarefied side of the form. The BoyleFamily, on the other hand, stands for its dirty, urban aspect. Comprising artists Mark Boyle and Joan Hills and their children, they recreated random sections of the British landscape on gallery walls. Their Olaf Street Study, a square of brick-strewn waste ground, is one of the few works here to embrace the mundanity that characterizes most of our experience of the landscape most of the time.Parks feature, particularly in the earlier works, such as John Hilliard’s very funny. Across the Park, in which a long-haired stroller is variously smiled at by a pretty girl and unwittingly assaulted in a sequence of images that turn out to be different parts of the same photograph.Generally however British land artists preferred to get away from towns, gravitating towards landscapes that are traditionally considered beautiful such as the Lake District or the Wiltshire Downs. While it probably wasn’t apparent at the time, much of this work is permeated by a spirit of romantic escapism that the likes of Wordsworth would have readily understood. Derek Jarman’s yellow-tinted film Towards Avebury, a collection of long, mostly still shots of the Wiltshire landscape, evokes a tradition of English landscape painting stretching from Samuel Palmer to Paul Nash.In the case of Hamish Fulton, you can’t help feeling that the Scottishartist has simply found a way of making his love of walking pay. A typical work, such as Seven Days, consists of a single beautiful black-and-white photograph taken on an epic walk, with the mileage and number of days taken listed beneath. British Land Art as shown in this well selected, but relatively modestly scaled exhibition wasn’t about imposing on the landscape, more a kind of landscape-orientated light conceptual art created passing through. It had its origins in the great outdoors, but the results were as gallery-bound as the paintings of Turner and Constable.Section III Translation46. Directions:Translate the following text from English into Chinese. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)Most people would define optimism as being endlessly happy, with a glass that’s perpetually half full. But that’s exactly the kind of false cheerfulness that positive psychologists wouldn’t recommend. “Healthy optimism means being in touch with reality,”says Tal Ben-Shahar, a Harvard professor. According to Ben-Shahar, realistic optimists are those who make the best of things that happen, but not those who believe everything happens for the best.Ben-Shahar uses three optimistic exercises. When he feels down- say, after giving a bad lecturehe grants himself permission to be human. He reminds himself that not every lecture can be a Nobel winner; some will be less effective than others. Next is reconstruction. He analyzes the weak lecture, learning lessons for the future about what works and what doesn’t. Finally, there is perspective, which involves acknowledging that in the grand scheme of life, one lecture really doesn’t matter.Section IV WritingPart A47. Directions:Suppose you are going to study abroad and share an apartment with John,a local student. Write him an email to1) tell him about your living habits, and2) ask for advice about living there.You should write about 100 words on ANSWER SHEET 2.Do not sign your own name at the end of the letter. Use “Li Ming”instead.Do not write your address. (10 points)Part B48. Directions:Write an essay based on the following chart. In your essay, you should1) interpret the chart, and2) give your comments.You should write at least 150 words.Write your essay on ANSWER SHEET 2. (15 points)2014年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试管理类专业硕士学位联考英语试卷答案Section I Use of English1. [B] concluded2. [A] protective3. [C] Likewise4. [A] indicator5. [D] concern6. [A] in terms of7. [C] equals8. [C] in turn9. [D] straightforward10. [B] while11. [A] shape12.[B] quality13. [C] normal14. [D] tendency15. [B] pictured16. [D] associated17. [A] Even18. [D] grounded19. [C] policies20. [B] againstSection II Reading Comprehension21. According to Dumn and Norton, which of the following is the most rewarding purchase?[B]A special tour22. The author’s attitude toward Americans’ watching TV is[A]critical23. Macrib is mentioned in paragraph 3 to show that[D]rarity generally increases pleasure24. According to the last paragraph, Happy Money[B]may prove to be a worthwhile purchase25. This text mainly discusses how to26. According to the first paragraph, social psychologist have found that ______.[A] our self-ratings are unrealistically high27. Visual recognition is believed to be people’s______[C] intuitive response28. Epley found that people with higher self-esteem tended to______[B] believe in their attractiveness29. The word "Viscerally"(Line 2,para.5) is closest in meaning to_____.[A]instinctively30. It can be inferred that Facebook is self-enhancer’s paradise because people can _____.[D] withhold their unflattering sides31. According to the first paragraph, economic downturns would _____.[B]highlight machines’ threat to human jobs32. The authors of Race Against the Machine argue that _____.[A]technology is diminishing man’s job opportunities33. Hagel argues that jobs in the U.S. are often _____.[D]designed against human creativity34. According to the last paragraph, Brynjolfsson and McAfee discussed _____.[D] the formula for how work is conducted efficiently35. Which of the following could be the most appropriate title for the text?[C]Can We Win the Race Against Machines36. The author believes that the housing sector______.[D]involves certain political factors37. It can be learned that affordable housing has_____.[A]suffered government biases38. According to Paragraph 5, George Osborne may _____.[C]allow greater government debt for housing39. It can be inferred that a stable rental environment would _____.[C]contribute to funding new developments40. The author believes that after 2015, the government may _____.[B]stop generous funding to the housing sector41.Stone Cirele[D]represents the elegance of the British land art.42.Olaf Street Study[E]depicts the ordinary side of the British land art.43.Across the Park[G]contains images from different parts of the same photograph.44.Towards Avebury[C]reminds people of the English landscape painting tradition.45.Seven Days[A]originates from a long walk that the artist took.Section III Translation大多数人认为乐观主义就是无休止的开心，就像在看到一个装了一半水的杯子的时候，会认为还差半杯就满了，而非空了一半。

2014年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语试题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 remember1 we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance’s name, or the name of an old ban d 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 .Neurosc ientists, 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]where2.[A]improves [B]when[B]fades[C]that[C]recovers[D]why[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 A ………………………………………………………………………………………………. Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)Text 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 fi rst 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 you r 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 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" is about redefining the unemployed as a "jobseeker" who had no fundamental 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 theEU.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]guarantee jobseekers’ legitimate right to benefits22.The phrase, "to sign on" (Line 2, 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 program23.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 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 tooconservative 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 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 rewards27.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 criticism29.The guild-like ownership structure is considered "restrictive" partly because it .[A]bans outsiders’ involvement 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 profits30.In this text, the author mainly discusses .[A]flawed ownership of America’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 educationText 3The U.S. $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 forresearchers have joined the Nobel Prizes in recent years. Many, like the Fundamental Physics Prize, are funded from the telephone-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 could cement 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 researchers32.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 findings34.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 new 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 Social 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 2½ 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 America'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 and 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 B……………………………………………………………………………………………….. Directions: 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 inAthens, 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]I n another case, American archaeologists Rene Million and George Cowgill spent yearssystematically 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 ornateceremonial 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 nothingvisible 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 researchersworking 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 avariety 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 lookfor 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 C………………………………………………………………………………………………Directions: 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 th e performers of Beethoven’s music. His compositions demand the performer 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 ⅢWritingPart A……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 51.Directions:Write a letter of about 100 words to the president of your university, suggesting how toimprove students’ physical condition.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 B………………………………………………………………………………………………..52.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 ANSWER SHEET (20 points)2014年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语试题参考答案Section I: Use of English (10 points)1-5: A-B-D-C-A6-10: A-C-B-D-C11-15: D-A-B-A-D16-20: B-D-C-C-BSection II: ReadingComprehension (60points) Part A (40points)21-25: B-C-D-A-D26-30: D-C-B-A-C31-35: D-B-B-A-A36-40: A-C-C-D-BPart B (10 points)41-45: C-F-G-D-BPart C (10 points)46.这也就是为什么当我们试图用语言描述音乐时，我们只能明确表达我们对音乐的感受，而不能完全理解音乐本身。

2014年考研英语一真题及参考答案Section I Use of LanguageDirections:Read the following text. Choose the best word(S) for each numbered blank and mark A, B ,C or D on 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(an) 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]familiar答案：1-5 ABDCA6-10 ACBDC11-15 DABAD16-20 BDCCB1. [标准答案] [A][考点分析] 上下文语义和连词辨析[选项分析] 本题考查连词。

2014年全国硕士研究生入学考试英语(二)试题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 ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)Thinner isn’t always better. A number of studies have __1___ that normal-weight people are in fact at higher risk of some diseases compared to those who are overweight. And there are health conditions for which being overweight is actually ___2___. For example, heavier women are less likely to develop calcium deficiency than thin women. ___3___ among the elderly, being somewhat overweight is often an ___4___ of good health.Of even greater ___5___ is the fact that obesity turns out to be very difficult to define. It is often defined ___6___ body mass index, or BMI. BMI ___7__ body mass divided by the square of height. An adult with a BMI of 18 to 25 is often considered to be normal weight. Between 25 and 30 is overweight. And over 30 is considered obese. Obesity, ___8___,can be divided into moderately obese, severely obese, and very severely obese.While such numerical standards seem 9 , they are not. Obesity is probably less a matter of weight than body fat. Some people with a high BMI are in fact extremely fit, 10 others with a low BMI may be in poor 11 .For example, many collegiate and professional football players 12 as obese, though their percentage body fat is low. Conversely, someone with a small frame may have high body fat but a 13 BMI.Today we have a(an) _14 _ to label obesity as a disgrace.The overweight are sometimes_15_in the media with their faces covered. Stereotypes _16_ with obesity include laziness, lack of will power,and lower prospects forsuccess.Teachers,employers,and health professionals have been shown to harbor biases against the obese. _17_very young children tend to look down on the overweight, and teasing about body build has long been a problem in schools.Negative attitudes toward obesity, _18_in health concerns, have stimulated a number of anti-obesity _19_.My own hospital system has banned sugary drinks from its facilities. Many employers have instituted weight loss and fitness initiatives. Michelle Obama launched a high-visibility campaign _20_ childhood obesity, even claiming that it represents our greatest national security threat.1. [A] denied [B] concluded [C] doubled [D] ensured2. [A] protective [B] dangerous [C] sufficient [D]troublesome3. [A] Instead [B] However [C] Likewise [D] Therefore4. [A] indicator [B] objective [C] origin [D] example5. [A] impact [B] relevance [C] assistance [D] concern6. [A] in terms of [B] in case of [C] in favor of [D] in of7. [A] measures [B] determines [C] equals [D] modifies8. [A] in essence [B] in contrast [C] in turn [D] in part9. [A] complicated [B] conservative [C] variable [D] straightforward10. [A] so [B] while[C] since [D] unless11. [A] shape [B] spirit [C] balance [D] taste12. [A] start [B] quality [C] retire [D] stay13. [A] strange [B] changeable [C] normal [D] constant14. [A] option [B] reason [C] opportunity [D] tendency15. [A] employed [B] pictured [C] imitated [D] monitored16. [A] computed [B] combined [C] settled [D] associated17. [A] Even [B] Still [C] Yet [D] Only18. [A] despised [B] corrected [C] ignored [D] grounded19. [A] discussions [B] businesses [C] policies [D] studies20. [A] for [B] against [C] with [D] withoutSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)Text 1What would you do with $590m? This is now a question for Gloria Mackenzie, an 84yearold widow who recently emerged from her small, tinroofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history. If she hopes her newfound fortune will yield lasting feelings of fulfillment, she could do worse than readHappy Money by Elizabeth Dumn and Michael Norton.These two academics use an array of behavioral research to show that the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive. Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes. Yet satisfaction with these material purchases wears off fairly quickly. What was once exciting and new becomes oldhat; regret creeps in. It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms. Dumn and Mr. Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the cinema. These purchases often become more valuable with time—as stories or memories—particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.This slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners get the most “happ iness bang for your buck.” It seems most people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work, spend more time withfriends and family and less of it watching television (something the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing, and is hardly jollier for it). Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself, and luxuries are most enjoyable when they areconsumed sparingly. This is apparently the reason MacDonald's restricts the availability of its popular McRib—a marketing trick that has turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession.Readers of Happy Money are clearly a privileged lot, anxious about fulfillment, not hunger. Money may not quite buy happiness, but people in wealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones. Yet the link between feeling good and spending money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world, and scarcity enhances the pleasure of most things for most people. No t everyone will agree with the authors’ policy ideas, which range from mandating more holiday time to reducing tax incentives for American homebuyers. But most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent.21. According to Dumn and Norton, which of the following is the most rewarding purchase?[A] A big house. [B] A special tour. [C] A stylish car. [D] A rich meal.22. The author's attitude toward Americans’ watching TV is ________.[A] critical [B] supportive [C] sympathetic [D] ambiguous23. McRib is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to show that ________.[A] consumers are sometimes irrational [B] popularity usually comes after quality[C] marketing tricks are after effective [D] rarity generally increases pleasure24. According to the last paragraph, Happy Money ________.[A] has left much room for readers’ criticism[B] may prove to be a worthwhile purchase[C] has predicted a wider income gap in the US [D] may give its readers a sense of achievement25. This text mainly discusses how to ________.[A] balance feeling good and spending money [B] spend large sums of money won in lotteries[C] obtain lasting satisfaction from money spent [D] become more reasonable in spending on luxuriesText 2An article in Scientific America has pointed out that empirical research says that, actually, you think you’re more beautiful than you are. We have a deepseated need to feel good about ourselves and we naturally employ a number of self-enhancing strategie s to researchinto what they call the “above average effect”, or “illusory superiority”, and shown that, for example, 70% of us rate ourselves as above average in leadership, 93% in driving and 85% at getting on well with others—all obviously statistical impossibilities.We rose tint our memories and put ourselves into selfaffirming situations. We become defensive when criticized, and apply negative stereotypes to others to boost our own esteem, we stalk around thinking we’re hot stuff.Psychologist and behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley oversaw a key studying into selfenhancement and attractiveness. Rather that have people simply rate their beauty compress with others, he asked them to identify an original photograph of themselves’ from a lineup includ ing versions that had been altered to appear more and less attractive. Visual recognition, reads the study, is “an automatic psychological process occurring rapidly and intuitively with little or no apparent consciou s deliberation”. If the subjects quickly chose a falsely flattering image—which must did—they genuinely believed it was really how they looked.Epley found no significant gender difference in responses. Nor wasthere any evidence that, those who selfenhance the must (that is, the participants who thought the most positively doctored picture were real) were doing so to make up for profound insecurities. In fact those who thought that the images higher up the attractiveness scale were real directly corresponded with those who showed other makers for having higher self esteem. “I don't think the findings that we having have are any evidence of personal delusion”, says Epley. “It's a reflection simply of people generally thinking well of themselves’. If you are depressed, you won't be self enhancing.Knowing the results of Epley's study, it makes sense that why people heat photographs of themselves viscerally—on one level, they don't even recognize the person in the picture as themselves. Facebook therefore, is a selfenhancer's paradise, where people can share only the most flattering photos, the cream of their wit, style, beauty, intellect and lifestyles. “It's not that people's profiles are dishonest”, says Catalina Toma of Wiscon—Madison university,” but they portray an idealized version of themselves.26. According to the first paragraph, social psychologists have found that ________.[A] our selfratings are unrealistically high [B] illusory superiority is a baseless effect[C] our need for leadership is unnatural [D] selfenhancing strategies are ineffective27. Visual recognition is believed to be people's ________.[A] rapid watching [B] conscious choice [C] intuitive response [D] automatic selfdefence28. Epley found that people with higher selfesteem tended to ________.[A] underestimate their insecurities [B] believe in their attractiveness[C] cover up their depressions [D] oversimplify their illusions29. The word “viscerally” (Line 2, Para. 5) is closest in meaning to ________.[A] instinctively [B] occasionally [C] particularly [D] aggressively30. It can be inferred that Facebook is selfenhancer's paradise because people can ________.[A] present their dishonest profiles [B] define their traditional life styles[C] share their intellectual pursuits [D] withhold their unflattering sidesText 3The concept of man versus machine is at least as old as the industrial revolution, but this phenomenon tends to be most acutely felt during economic downturns and fragile recoveries. And yet, it would be a mistake to think we are right now simply experiencing the painful side of a boom and bust cycle. Certain jobs have gone away for good, outmoded by machines. Since technology has such an insatiable appetite for eating up human jobs, this phenomenon will continue to restructure our economy in ways we can't immediately foresee.When there is rapid improvement in the price and performance of technology, jobs that were once thought to be immune from automation suddenly become threatened. This argument has attracted a lot of attention, via the success of the book Race Against the Machine, by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, who both hail from MIT's Center for Digital Business.This is a powerful argument, and a scary one. And yet, John Hagel, author of The Power of Pull and other books, says Brynjolfsson and McAfee miss the reason why these jobs are so vulnerable to technology in the first place.Hagel says we have designed jobs in the U. S. that tend to be “tightly scripted” and “highly standardized” ones that leave no room for “individual initiative or creativity.” In short, these are the types of jobs that machines can perform much better at than human beings. That is how we have put a giant target sign on the backs of American workers, Hagel says.It's time to reinvent the formula for how work is conducted, since we are still relying on a very 20th century notion of work, Hagel says. In our rapidly changing economy, we more than ever need people in the workplace who can take initiative and exercise their imagination “to respond to unexpected events.” That's not something machines are good at. They are designed to perform very predictable activities.As Hagel notes, Brynjolfsson and McAfee indeed touched on this point in their book. We need to reframe race against the machine as race with the machine. In other words, we need to look at the ways in which machines can augment human labor rather than replace it. So then the problem is not really about technology, but rather, “how do we innovate our institutions and our work practices?”31. According to the first paragraph, economic downturns would ________.[A] ease the competition of man vs. Machine [B] highlight machines' threat to human jobs[C] provoke a painful technological revolution [D] outmode our current economic structure32. The authors of Race Against the Machine argue that ________.[A] technology is diminishing man's job opportunities [B] automation is accelerating technological development[C] certain jobs will remain intact after automation [D] man will finally win the race against machine33. Hagel argues that jobs in the U. S. are often ________.[A] performed by innovative minds [B] scripted with an individual style[C] standardized without a clear target [D] designed against human creativity34. According to the last paragraph, Brynjolfsson and McAfee discussed ________.[A] the predictability of machine behavior in practice[B] the formula for how work is conducted efficiently[C] the ways machines replace human labor in modern times[D] the necessity of human involvement in the workplace35. Which of the following could be the most appropriate title for the text?[A] How to Innovate Our Work Practices? [B] Machines will Replace Human Labor[C] Can We Win the Race Against Machines? [D] Economic Downturns Stimulate InnovationsText 4When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy the focus is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy. Housing is seldom mentioned.Why is that? To some extent the housing sector must shoulder the blame. We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can contribute to economic growth. Then there is the scale of the typical housing project. It is hard to shove for attention among multibillionpound infrastructure project, so it is inevitable that the attention is focused elsewhere. But perhaps the most significant reason is that the issue has always been so politically charged.Nevertheless, the affordable housing situation is desperate. Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.The comprehensive spending review offers an opportunity for the government to help rectify this. It needs to put historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that. Thecommunities minister, Don Foster, has hinted that George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, may introduce more flexibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt. Evidence shows that 60, 000 extra new homes could be built over the next five years if the cap were lifted, increasing GDP by 0.6%.Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment, which would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund new developments from revenues.But it is not just down to the government. While these measures would be welcome in the short term, we must face up to the fact that the existing ￡4.5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing, set to expire in 2015，is unlikely to be extended beyond then. The Labour party has recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition's spending plans if returns to power. The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to era of largescale public grants. We need to adjust to this changing climate.While the government’s commitment to long-term funding mayhave changed, the very pressing need for more affordable housing is real and is not going away.36. The author believes that the housing sector ________.[A] has attracted much attention [B] involves certain political factors[C] shoulders too much responsibility [D] has lost its real value in economy37. It can be learned that affordable housing has ________.[A] increased its home supply [B] offered spending opportunities[C] suffered government biases [D] disappointed the government38. According to Paragraph 5, George Osborne may ________.[A] allow greater government debt for housing [B] stop local authorities from building homes[C] prepare to reduce housing stock debt [D] release a lifted GDP growth forecast39. It can be inferred that a stable rental environment would ________.[A] lower the costs of registered providers [B] lessen the impact of government interference[C] contribute to funding new developments [D] relieve the ministers of responsibilities40. The author believes that after 2015, the government may ________.[A] implement more policies to support housing [B] review the need for largescale public grants[C] renew the affordable housing grants programme [D] stop generous funding to the housing sectorPart BDirections:Read the following text and match each of the numbered items in the left column to its corresponding information in the right column. There are two extra choices in the right column. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)Emerging in the late Sixties and reaching a peak in the Seventies, Land Art was one of a range of new forms, including Body Art, Performance Art, Action Art and Installation Art, which pushed art beyond the traditional confines of the studio and gallery. Rather than portraying landscape, land artists used the physical substance of the land itself as their medium.The British Land Art, typified by Long's piece, was not only more domestically scaled, but a lot quirkier than its American counterpart.Indeed, while you might assume that an exhibition of Land Art would consist only of records of works rather than the works themselves, Long's photograph of his work is the work. Since his “action” is in the past, the photograph is its sole embodiment.That might seem rather an obscure point, but it sets the tone for an exhibition that contains a lot of blackandwhite photographs and relatively few natural objects.Long is Britain's bestknown Land Artist and his Stone Circle, a perfect ring of purplish rocks from Portishead beach laid out on the gallery floor, represents the elegant, rarefied side of the form. The Boyle Family, on the other hand, stands for its dirty, urban aspect. Comprising artists Mark Boyle and Joan Hills and their children, they recreated random sections of the British landscape on gallery walls. Their Olaf Street Study, a square of brickstrewn waste ground, is one of the few works here to embrace the commonplaceness that characterises most of our experience of the landscape most of the time.Parks feature, particularly in the earlier works, such as John Hilliard's very funny Across the Park, in which a long-haired stroller is variously smiled at by a pretty girl and unwittingly assaulted in asequence of images that turn out to be different parts of the same photograph.Generally however British land artists preferred to get away from towns, gravitating towards landscapes that are traditionally considered beautiful such as the Lake District or the Wiltshire Downs. While it probably wasn't apparent at the time, much of this work is permeated by a spirit of romantic escapism that the likes of Wordsworth would have readily understood. Derek Jarman's yellowtinted film Towards Avebury, a collection of long, mostly still shots of the Wiltshire landscape, evokes a tradition of English landscape painting stretching from Samuel Palmer to Paul Nash.In the case of Hamish Fulton, you can't help feeling that the Scottish artist has simply found a way of making his love of walking pay. A typical work, such as Seven Days, consists of a single beautiful blackandwhite photograph taken on an epic walk, with the mileage and number of days taken listed beneath. British Land Art as shown in this well selected, but relatively modestly scaled exhibition wasn't about imposing on the landscape, more a kind of landscapeorientated light conceptual art created passing through. It had its origins inthe great outdoors, but the results were as gallerybound as the paintings of Turner and Constable.[A] originates from a long walk that the artist took2014年全国硕士研究生招生考试英语(二)答案详解SectionⅠ Use of English文章分析本文是一篇关于肥胖与健康关系新说法的议论文。

2014年全国硕士研究生入学考试英语(二)试题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 ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)Thinner isn’t always better. A number of studies have __1___ that normal-weight people are in fact at higher risk of some diseases compared to those who are overweight. And there are health conditions for which being overweight is actually ___2___. For example, heavier women are less likely to develop calcium deficiency than thin women. ___3___ among the elderly, being somewhat overweight is often an ___4___ of good health.Of even greater ___5___ is the fact that obesity turns out to be very difficult to define. It is often defined ___6___ body mass index, or BMI. BMI ___7__ body mass divided by the square of height. An adult with a BMI of 18 to 25 is often considered to be normal weight. Between 25 and 30 is overweight. And over 30 is considered obese. Obesity, ___8___,can be divided into moderately obese, severely obese, and very severely obese.While such numerical standards seem 9 , they are not. Obesity is probably less a matter of weight than body fat. Some people with a high BMI are in fact extremely fit, 10 others with a low BMI may be in poor 11 .For example, many collegiate and professional football players 12 as obese, though their percentage body fat is low. Conversely, someone with a small frame may have high body fat but a 13 BMI.Today we have a(an) _14 _ to label obesity as a disgrace.The overweight are sometimes_15_in the media with their faces covered. Stereotypes _16_ with obesity include laziness, lack of will power,and lower prospects for success.Teachers,employers,and health professionals have been shown to harbor biases against the obese. _17_very young children tend to look down on the overweight, and teasing about body build has long been a problem in schools.Negative attitudes toward obesity, _18_in health concerns, have stimulated a number of anti-obesity _19_.My own hospital system has banned sugary drinks from its facilities. Many employers have instituted weight loss and fitness initiatives. Michelle Obama launched a high-visibility campaign _20_ childhood obesity, even claiming that it represents our greatest national security threat.1. [A] denied [B] concluded [C] doubled [D] ensured2. [A] protective [B] dangerous [C] sufficient [D]troublesome3. [A] Instead [B] However [C] Likewise [D] Therefore4. [A] indicator [B] objective [C] origin [D] example5. [A] impact [B] relevance [C] assistance [D] concern6. [A] in terms of [B] in case of [C] in favor of [D] in of7. [A] measures [B] determines [C] equals [D] modifies8. [A] in essence [B] in contrast [C] in turn [D] in part9. [A] complicated [B] conservative [C] variable [D] straightforward10. [A] so [B] while[C] since [D] unless11. [A] shape [B] spirit [C] balance [D] taste12. [A] start [B] quality [C] retire [D] stay13. [A] strange [B] changeable [C] normal [D] constant14. [A] option [B] reason [C] opportunity [D] tendency15. [A] employed [B] pictured [C] imitated [D] monitored16. [A] computed [B] combined [C] settled [D] associated17. [A] Even [B] Still [C] Yet [D] Only18. [A] despised [B] corrected [C] ignored [D] grounded19. [A] discussions [B] businesses [C] policies [D] studies20. [A] for [B] against [C] with [D] withoutSection II Reading ComprehensionPart ADirections:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)Text 1What would you do with $590m? This is now a question for Gloria Mackenzie, an 84yearold widow who recently emerged from her small, tinroofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history. If she hopes her newfound fortune will yield lasting feelings of fulfillment, she could do worse than readHappy Money by Elizabeth Dumn and Michael Norton.These two academics use an array of behavioral research to show that the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive. Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes. Yet satisfaction with these material purchases wears off fairly quickly. What was once exciting and new becomes oldhat; regret creeps in. It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms. Dumn and Mr. Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the cinema. These purchasesoften become more valuable with time—as stories or memories—particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.This slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners get the most “happiness bang for your buck.” It seems most people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work, spend more time with friends and family and less of it watching television (something the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing, and is hardly jollier for it). Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself, and luxuries are most enjoyable when they areconsumed sparingly. This is apparently the reason MacDonald's restricts the availability of its popular McRib—a marketing trick that has turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession.Readers of Happy Money are clearly a privileged lot, anxious about fulfillment, not hunger. Money may not quite buy happiness, but people in wealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones. Yet the link between feeling good and spending money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world, and scarcity enhances the pleasure of most things for most people. Not everyone will agree with the authors’ policy ideas, which range from mandating more holiday time to reducing tax incentives for American homebuyers. But most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent.21. According to Dumn and Norton, which of the following is the most rewarding purchase?[A] A big house. [B] A special tour. [C] A stylish car. [D] A rich meal.22. The author's attitude toward Americans’ watching TV is ________.[A] critical [B] supportive [C] sympathetic [D] ambiguous23. McRib is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to show that ________.[A] consumers are sometimes irrational [B] popularity usually comes after quality[C] marketing tricks are after effective [D] rarity generally increases pleasure24. According to the last paragraph, Happy Money ________.[A] has left much room for readers’ criticism [B] may prove to be a worthwhile purchase[C] has predicted a wider income gap in the US [D] may give its readers a sense of achievement25. This text mainly discusses how to ________.[A] balance feeling good and spending money [B] spend large sums of money won in lotteries[C] obtain lasting satisfaction from money spent [D] become more reasonable in spending on luxuriesText 2An article in Scientific America has pointed out that empirical research says that, actually, you think you’re more beautiful than you are. We have a deepseated need to feel good about ourselves and we naturally employ a number of selfenhancing strategies to researchinto what they call the “above average effect”, or “illusory superiority”, and shown that, for example, 70% of us rate ourselves as above average in leadership, 93% in driving and 85% at getting on well with others—all obviously statistical impossibilities.We rose tint our memories and put ourselves into selfaffirming situations. We become defensive when criticized, and apply negative stereotypes to others to boost our own esteem, we stalk around thinking we’re hot stuff.Psychologist and behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley oversaw a key studying into selfenhancement and attractiveness. Rather that have people simply rate their beauty compress with others, he asked them to identify an original photograph of themselves’ from a lineup including versions that had been altered to appear more and less attractive. Visual recognition, reads the study, is “an automatic psychologicalprocess occurring rapidly and intuitively with little or no apparent conscious deliberation”. If the subjects quickly chose a falsely flattering image—which must did—they genuinely believed it was really how they looked.Epley found no significant gender difference in responses. Nor wasthere any evidence that, those who selfenhance the must (that is, the participants who thought the most positively doctored picture were real) were doing so to make up for profound insecurities. In fact those who thought that the images higher up the attractiveness scale were real directly corresponded with those who showed other makers for having higher selfesteem. “I don't think the findings that we having have are any evidence of personal delusion”, says Epley. “It's a reflection simply of people generally thinking well of themselves’. If you are depressed, you won't be selfenhancing.Knowing the results of Epley's study, it makes sense that why people heat photographs of themselves viscerally—on one level, they don't even recognize the person in the picture as themselves. Facebook therefore, is a selfenhancer's paradise, where people can share only the most flattering photos, the cream of their wit, style, beauty, intellect and lifestyles. “It's not that people's profiles are dishonest”, says Catalina Toma of Wiscon—Madison university,” but they portray an idealized version of themselves.26. According to the first paragraph, social psychologists have found that ________.[A] our selfratings are unrealistically high [B] illusory superiority is a baseless effect[C] our need for leadership is unnatural [D] selfenhancing strategies are ineffective27. Visual recognition is believed to be people's ________.[A] rapid watching [B] conscious choice [C] intuitive response [D] automatic self-defence28. Epley found that people with higher selfesteem tended to ________.[A] underestimate their insecurities [B] believe in their attractiveness[C] cover up their depressions [D] oversimplify their illusions29. The word “viscerally” (Line 2, Para. 5) is closest in meaning to ________.[A] instinctively [B] occasionally [C] particularly [D] aggressively30. It can be inferred that Facebook is selfenhancer's paradise because people can ________.[A] present their dishonest profiles [B] define their traditional life styles[C] share their intellectual pursuits [D] withhold their unflattering sidesText 3The concept of man versus machine is at least as old as the industrial revolution, but this phenomenon tends to be most acutely felt during economic downturns and fragile recoveries. And yet, it would be a mistake to think we are right now simply experiencing the painful side of a boom and bust cycle. Certain jobs have gone away for good, outmoded by machines. Since technology has such an insatiable appetite for eating up human jobs, this phenomenon will continue to restructure our economy in ways we can't immediately foresee.When there is rapid improvement in the price and performance of technology, jobs that were once thought to be immune from automation suddenly become threatened. This argument has attracted a lot of attention, via the success of the book Race Against the Machine, by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, who both hail from MIT's Center for Digital Business.This is a powerful argument, and a scary one. And yet, John Hagel, author of The Power of Pull and other books, says Brynjolfsson and McAfee miss the reason why these jobs are so vulnerable to technology in the first place.Hagel says we have designed jobs in the U. S. that tend to be “tightly scripted” and “highly standardized” ones that leave no room for “individual initiative or creativity.” In short, these are the types of jobs that machines can perform much better at than human beings. That is how we have put a giant target sign on the backs of American workers, Hagel says.It's time to reinvent the formula for how work is conducted, since we are still relying on a very 20th century notion of work, Hagel says. In our rapidly changing economy, we more than ever need people in the workplace who can take initiative and exercise their imagination “to respond to unexpected events.”That's not something machines are good at. They are designed to perform very predictable activities.As Hagel notes, Brynjolfsson and McAfee indeed touched on this point in their book. We need to reframe race against the machine as race with the machine. In other words, we need to look at the ways in which machines can augment human labor rather than replace it. So then the problem is not really about technology, but rather, “how do we innovate our institutions and our work practices?”31. According to the first paragraph, economic downturns would ________.[A] ease the competition of man vs. Machine [B] highlight machines' threat to human jobs[C] provoke a painful technological revolution [D] outmode our current economic structure32. The authors of Race Against the Machine argue that ________.[A] technology is diminishing man's job opportunities [B] automation is accelerating technological development[C] certain jobs will remain intact after automation [D] man will finally win the race against machine33. Hagel argues that jobs in the U. S. are often ________.[A] performed by innovative minds [B] scripted with an individual style[C] standardized without a clear target [D] designed against human creativity34. According to the last paragraph, Brynjolfsson and McAfee discussed ________.[A] the predictability of machine behavior in practice[B] the formula for how work is conducted efficiently[C] the ways machines replace human labor in modern times[D] the necessity of human involvement in the workplace35. Which of the following could be the most appropriate title for the text?[A] How to Innovate Our Work Practices? [B] Machines will Replace Human Labor[C] Can We Win the Race Against Machines? [D] Economic Downturns Stimulate InnovationsText 4When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy the focus is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy. Housing is seldom mentioned.Why is that? To some extent the housing sector must shoulder the blame. We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can contribute to economic growth. Then there is the scale of the typical housing project. It is hard to shove for attention among multibillionpound infrastructure project, so it is inevitable that the attention is focused elsewhere. But perhaps the most significant reason is that the issue has always been so politically charged.Nevertheless, the affordable housing situation is desperate. Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.The comprehensive spending review offers an opportunity for the government to help rectify this. It needs to put historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that. Thecommunities minister, Don Foster, has hinted that George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, may introduce more flexibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt. Evidence shows that 60, 000 extra new homes could be built over the next five years if the cap were lifted, increasing GDP by 0.6%.Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment, which would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund new developments from revenues.But it is not just down to the government. While these measures would be welcome in the short term, we must face up to the fact that the existing ￡4.5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing, set to expire in 2015，is unlikely to be extended beyond then. The Labour party has recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition's spending plans if returns to power. The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to era of largescale public grants. We need to adjust to this changing climate.While the government’s commitment to long-term funding mayhave changed, the very pressing need for more affordable housing is real and is not going away.36. The author believes that the housing sector ________.[A] has attracted much attention [B] involves certain political factors[C] shoulders too much responsibility [D] has lost its real value in economy37. It can be learned that affordable housing has ________.[A] increased its home supply [B] offered spending opportunities[C] suffered government biases [D] disappointed the government38. According to Paragraph 5, George Osborne may ________.[A] allow greater government debt for housing [B] stop local authorities from building homes[C] prepare to reduce housing stock debt [D] release a lifted GDP growth forecast39. It can be inferred that a stable rental environment would ________.[A] lower the costs of registered providers [B] lessen the impact of government interference[C] contribute to funding new developments [D] relieve the ministers of responsibilities40. The author believes that after 2015, the government may ________.[A] implement more policies to support housing [B] review the need for largescale public grants [C] renew the affordable housing grants programme [D] stop generous funding to the housing sector Part BDirections:Read the following text and match each of the numbered items in the left column to its corresponding information in the right column. There are two extra choices in the right column. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)Emerging in the late Sixties and reaching a peak in the Seventies, Land Art was one of a range of new forms, including Body Art, Performance Art, Action Art and Installation Art, which pushed art beyond the traditional confines of the studio and gallery. Rather than portraying landscape, land artists used the physical substance of the land itself as their medium.The British Land Art, typified by Long's piece, was not only more domestically scaled, but a lot quirkier than its American counterpart.Indeed, while you might assume that an exhibition of Land Art would consist only of records of works rather than the works themselves, Long's photograph of his work is the work. Since his “action” is in the past, the photograph is its sole embodiment.Translate the following text from English into Chinese. Write your translation on ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)Most people would define optimism as endlessly happy, with a glass that’s perpetually half full. But that’s exactly the kind of false cheerfulness that positive psychologists wouldn’t recommend. “Healthy optimism means being in touch with reality,” says Tal Ben-Shahar, a Harvard professor. According to Ben-Shahar, realistic optimists are those who make the best of things that happen, but not those who believe everything happens for the best.Ben-Shahar uses three optimistic exercisers. When he feels down --- say, after giving a bad lecture ——he grants himself permission to be human. He reminds himself that not every lecture can be a Nobel winner; some will be less effective than others. Next is reconstruction.He analyzes the weak lecture, leaning lessons for the future about what works and what doesn’t. Finally, there is perspective, which involves acknowledging that in the grand scheme of life, one lecture really doesn’t matter.Section IV WritingPart A47. Directions:Suppose you are going to study abroad and share an apartment with John, a local student. Write him to email to1) tell him about your living habits, and2) ask for advice about living there.You should write about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.Do not use your own name. Use “Li Ming” instead.Do not write your address. (10 points)Part B48. Directions:Write an essay based on the following chart. In your writing, You should1) interpret the chart, and2) give your comments.You should write about 150 words on the ANSWER SHEET. (15points)2014年全国硕士研究生招生考试英语(二)答案详解SectionⅠUse of English文章分析本文是一篇关于肥胖与健康关系新说法的议论文。

2014年考研英语真题及解析考研英语一直以来都是众多考生关注的重点科目，而研究历年真题对于备考有着至关重要的作用。

下面我们就来详细解析一下 2014 年的考研英语真题。

首先是英语一的部分。

在阅读理解方面，文章的题材广泛，涵盖了社会科学、自然科学等多个领域。

其中，有一篇关于经济发展与环境问题的文章，难度适中，需要考生在理解文章主旨的基础上，对一些细节问题进行准确判断。

比如，文中提到了某些国家在经济发展过程中对环境造成的影响，以及相应的解决措施。

考生需要仔细阅读，抓住关键信息，才能正确回答相关问题。

在翻译部分，句子结构较为复杂，涉及到一些长难句的理解和翻译。

这就要求考生具备扎实的语法知识和词汇量，能够准确分析句子成分，将其通顺地翻译成中文。

写作部分，小作文是关于建议信，要求考生就如何改善学生的身体素质给出建议。

大作文则是关于图片描述与主题探讨，图片展示了年轻人面对毕业选择时的不同态度。

这就需要考生具备清晰的逻辑思维和语言表达能力，能够有条理地阐述自己的观点。

再来看英语二的真题。

阅读理解的文章同样具有一定的难度和深度，涉及到了商业、文化等方面的内容。

其中一篇关于企业营销策略的文章，需要考生理解相关的专业术语和概念，才能更好地回答问题。

翻译部分相对英语一来说，难度稍低，但也需要考生准确理解原文的意思，用通顺的中文表达出来。

写作方面，小作文是关于一封投诉信，大作文是关于图表描述，要求考生对某一现象的变化趋势进行分析和描述。

总体来说，2014 年考研英语真题注重考查考生的综合语言运用能力，包括词汇、语法、阅读理解、翻译和写作等各个方面。

对于词汇的考查，不仅要求考生掌握常见词汇的基本含义，还需要了解其在不同语境中的用法。

语法方面，长难句的分析和理解是重点。

阅读理解需要考生具备快速阅读和准确理解文章的能力，能够从文章中提取关键信息，并进行推理和判断。

翻译部分则考查考生的语言转换能力，要求译文准确、通顺。

写作部分要求考生有清晰的思路和较好的语言组织能力，能够根据题目要求，用恰当的语言表达自己的观点。

2014考研英语[一]真题和参考答案解析2014考研英语[一]真题和参考答案解析2014年的考研英语[一]真题和参考答案解析，向我们展示了一场关于英语能力的严峻考验。

本文将详细分析这套题目的考点和解答技巧，帮助考生更好地备考。

Section I Use of English这一部分主要考查考生对英语语法和词汇的掌握能力。

从题目中我们可以看出，这部分题目主要分为三个小节：词汇选择、语法填空和改错。

词汇选择：在这一部分中，考生需要根据给出的句子或者短文，选择最合适的词汇。

这要求考生对于英语词汇的理解和词义辨析的能力。

需要注意的是，选词时要注意上下文的语境，将词汇与句子融入一体。

语法填空：这部分要求考生根据上下文和语法规则，填入合适的词汇。

通过这个小节的练习，可以帮助考生熟悉英语语法结构，并提升语法意识。

改错：在这一部分考生需要改正每个句子中的一个错误。

通过这部分的练习，考生不仅可以对自己的语法掌握程度进行评估，还可以提升对语法错误的敏感度。

Section II Reading Comprehension这一部分是考生阅读能力的考验，也是整个英语考试的重点。

题目一般分为四个小节，每个小节有两道题目。

阅读技巧：1. 快速浏览全文：在开始阅读前，快速浏览全文，抓住文章的主旨和结构，对全文有一个整体的把握。

2. 注重细节：在阅读每个段落时，要关注细节并做好标记。

细节对于回答题目非常重要。

3. 短小精悍：要迅速而准确地理解每个问题，在有限的时间内，短小精悍的回答能够提高回答正确率。

4. 联系上下文：针对问题和答案选项，要注意与文章的上下文联系，准确选择答案。

Section III Translation这一部分主要考察考生的英汉互译能力。

在考试中，要注重理解原文的含义，并准确地进行翻译。

同时，要注意语言的通顺和语法的正确性。

Section IV Writing这一部分是考试中的写作环节，也是考生综合运用语言能力的一个体现。

声明：近期网上流传多种版本的英语答案严重困扰考生，本答案为考研阅卷组英语（一）的标准答案，请考生勿随意轻信其他“某某版”答案。

2014年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试英语(一)试题解析Section I Use of English1、【答案】A where【解析】本句的句义是：我们突然不能回忆起刚才把钥匙放在哪里了，或者一个老熟人的姓名，或者是一个老乐队的名称。

这根据句义，这里是表示忘记了钥匙所放在的地点，where作为宾语从句的引导词，和后面的部分一起，作为remember的宾语，因此正确答案为A。

B、when引导表示时间的状语从句，C、that放在这里不合适，DWhy引导表示原因的状语从句。

B、C、D均不符合题意。

2、【答案】B fades【解析】本句的句义是：本句的句义是关于大脑的退化，我们婉转地把它称作"老年时分"(老年人的瞬间记忆丧失)。

从前文可以看出，文章讲的是随着年龄增长，记忆力的衰退。

由语境确定B。

fade away是一个固定搭配，表示消失、衰弱、消退、消歇。

A.Improve表示提高;C.recover表示恢复、D.collapse表示崩塌。

A、C、D均不符合题意。

3、【答案】B while【解析】本句的句义是：这看起来问题不大，但精神集中能力的丧失，对于我们的职业生涯，社会交往以及个人生活都能产生有害影响。

这个空在句首，需要填一个连接词，看起来问题不大和后面的内容之间存在转折关系，因此正确答案为B。

A选项unless表示让步关系;C选项Once作为连词表示条件关系，表示一……就;D选项也是条件关系。

A、C、D均不符合题意。

4、【答案】A damaging【解析】本句的句义同第3题。

通过整篇文章语境，我们可以看出注意力的丧失会对我们造成不好的影响，造成损害，因此正确答案是damaging，表示损害。

B选项limited表示有限，局限性;C选项uneven表示不均匀，奇数;D选项obscure表示晦涩的不清楚的。