2012考研英语真题—英语二真题

Part A

Directions:

Read the following four texts. answer thequestion after each text by choosing A,B,C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWERSHEET 1.(40 points)

Text 1

Homeworkhas never been terribly popular with students and even many parents, but inrecent years it has been particularly scorned. School districts across thecountry, most recently Los Angeles Unified, are revising their thinking on hiseducational ritual. Unfortunately, L.A. Unified has produced an inflexiblepolicy which mandates that with the exception of some advanced courses,homework may no longer count for more than 10% of a student’s academic grade.

Thisrule is meant to address the difficulty that students from impoverished orchaotic homes might have in completing their homework. But the policy isunclear and contradictory. Certainly, no homework should be assigned thatstudents cannot do without expensive equipment. But if the district isessentially giving a pass to students who do not do their homework because ofcomplicated family lives, it is going riskily close to the implication thatstandards need to be lowered for poor children.

Districtadministrators say that homework will still be a pat of schooling: teachers areallowed to assign as much of it as they want. But with homework counting for nomore than 10% of their grades, students can easily skip half their homework andsee vey little difference on their report cards. Some students might do well onstate tests without completing their homework, but what about the students whoperformed well on the tests and did their homework? It is quite possible thatthe homework helped. Yet rather than empowering teachers to find what worksbest for their students, the policy imposes a flat, across-the-board rule.

Atthe same time, the policy addresses none of the truly thorny questions abouthomework. If the district finds homework to be unimportant to its students’academic achievement, it should move to reduce or eliminate the assignments,not make them count for almost nothing. Conversely, if homework does nothing toensure that the homework students are not assigning more than they are willingto review and correct.

Thehomework rules should be put on hold while the school board, which is responsiblefor setting educational policy, looks into the matter and conducts publichearings. It is not too late for L.A. Unified to do homework right.

21.Itis implied in paragraph 1 that  nowadayshomework_____.

[A]is receiving more criticism

[B]isno longer an educational ritual

[C]isnot required for advanced courses

[D]isgaining more preferences

22.L.A.Unifiedhas made the rule about homework mainly because poor students_____.

[A]tendto have moderate expectations for their education

[B]haveasked for a different educational standard

[C]mayhave problems finishing their homework

[D]havevoiced their complaints about homework

23.Accordingto Paragraph 3,one problem with the policy is that it may____.

[A]discouragestudents from doing homework

[B]resultin students' indifference to their report cards

[C]underminethe authority of state tests

[D]restrictteachers' power in education

24.As mentioned in Paragraph 4, a key question unanswered about homework iswhether______. [A] it should be eliminated

[B]itcounts much in schooling

[C]itplaces extra burdens on teachers

[D]itis important for grades

25.Asuitable title for this text could be______.

[A]WrongInterpretation of an Educational Policy

[B]AWelcomed Policy for Poor Students

[C]ThornyQuestions about Homework

[D]AFaulty Approach to Homework

Text2

Prettyin pink: adult women do not rememer being so obsessed with the colour, yet itis pervasive in our young girls’ lives. Tt is not that pink is intrinsicallybad, but it is such a tiny slice of the rainbow and, though it may celebrategirlhood in one way, it also repeatedly and firmly fuses girls’ identity toappearance. Then it presents that connection, even among two-year-olds, betweengirls as not only innocent but as evidence of innocence. Looking around, Idespaired at the singular lack of imagination about girls’ lives and interests.

Girls’attraction to pink may seem unavoidable, somehow encoded in their DNA, butaccording to Jo Paoletti, an associate professor of American Studies, it isnot. Children were not colour-coded at all until the early 20th century: in theera before domestic washing machines all babies wore white as a practicalmatter, since the only way of getting clothes clean was to boil them. What’smore, both boys and girls wore what were thought of as gender-neutraldresses.When nursery colours were introduced, pink was actually considered themore masculine colour, a pastel version of red, which was associated withstrength. Blue, with its intimations of the Virgin Mary, constancy andfaithfulness, symbolised femininity. It was not until the mid-1980s, whenamplifying age and sex differences became a dominant children’s marketingstrategy, that pink fully came into its own, when it began to seem inherentlyattractive to girls, part of what defined them as female, at least for thefirst few critical years.

I hadnot realised how profoundly marketing trends dictated our perception of what isnatural to kins, including our core beliefs about their psychologicaldevelopment. Take the toddler. I assumed that phase was something expertsdeveloped after years of research into children’s behaviour: wrong. Turns out,acdording to Daniel Cook, a historian of childhood consumerism, it waspopularised as a marketing trick by clothing manufacrurers in the 1930s.

Tradepublications counselled department stores that, in order to increase sales,they should create a “third stepping stone” between infant wear and older kids’clothes. Tt was only after “toddler”became a common shoppers’ term that itevolved into a broadly accepted developmental stage. Splitting kids, oradults,into ever-tinier categories has proved a sure-fire way to boost profits.And one of the easiest ways to segment a market is to magnify genderdifferences – or invent them where they did not previously exist.

26.Bysaying "it is...the rainbow"(Line 3, Para.1),the author meanspink______.

[A]shouldnot be the sole representation of girlhood

[B]shouldnot be associated with girls' innocence

[C]cannotexplain girls' lack of imagination

[D]cannotinfluence girls' lives and interests

27.Accordingto Paragraph 2, which of the following is true of colours？

[A]Coloursare encoded in girls' DNA.

[B]Blueused to be regarded as the colour for girls.

[C]Pinkused to be a neutral colour in symbolising genders.

[D]Whiteis prefered by babies.

28.Theauthor suggests that our perception of children's psychological development wasmuch influenced by_____.

[A]themarketing of products for children

[B]theobservation of children's nature

[C]researchesinto children's behavior

[D]studiesof childhood consumption

29.Wemay learn from Paragraph 4 that department stores were advised to_____.

[A]focuson infant wear and older kids' clothes

[B]attachequal importance to different genders

[C]classifyconsumers into smaller groups

[D]createsome common shoppers' terms

30.Itcan be concluded that girls' attraction to pink seems to be____.

[A]clearly explained by their inborn tendency

[B]fullyunderstood by clothing manufacturers

[C]mainly imposed by profit-driven businessmen

[D]wellinterpreted by psychological experts

Text 3

In 2010. a federal judge shook America's biotech industry to its core. Companies had won patents for isolated DNA for decades-

by 2005 some 20% of human genes were parented. But in March 2010 a judge ruled that genes were unpatentable. Executives were violently agitated. The Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO), a trade group, assured members that this was just a “preliminary step” in a longer battle.

On July 29th they were relieved, at least temporarily. A federal appeals court overturned the prior decision, ruling that Myriad Genetics could indeed holb patents to two genss that help forecast a woman's risk of breast cancer. The chief executive of Myriad, a company in Utah,said the ruling was a blessing to firms and patients alike.

But as companies continue their attempts at personalised medicine, the courts will remain rather busy. The Myriad case itself is probably not over Critics make three main arguments against gene patents: a gene is a product of nature, so it may not be patented; gene patents suppress innovation rather than reward it; and patents' monopolies restrict access to genetic tests such as Myriad's. A growing number seem to agree.Last year a federal task-force urged reform for patents related to genetic tests. In October the Department of Justice filed a brief in the Myriad case, arguing that an isolated DNA molecule “is no less a product of nature... than are cotton fibres that have been separated from cotton seeds. ”

Despite the appeals court's decision, big questions remain unanswered. For example, it is unclear whether the sequencing of a whole genome violates the patents of indivi dual genes within it. The case may yet reach the Supreme Court.

ASthe industry advances ,however,other suits may have an even greaterimpact.companies are unlikely to file many more patents for human DNAmolecules-most are already patented or in the public domain .firms are now studying how genes intcract,looking forcorrelations that might be used to determine the causes of disease or predict adrug’s efficacy,companies are eager to win patents for ‘connecting thedits’,expaains hans sauer,alawyer for the BIO.

Their success may be determined by a suitrelated to this issue, brought by the Mayo Clinic, which the Supreme Court willhear in its next term. The BIO rtcently held a convention which includedseddions to coach lawyers on the shifting landscape for patents. Each meetingwas packed.

31.itcanbe learned from paragraph I that the biotech companies would like-----

A.theirexecutives to be active

B.judgesto rule out gene patenting

C.genesto be patcntablc

D.theBIO to issue a warning

32.thosewho are against gene patents believe that----

A.genetictests are not reliable

B.onlyman-made products are patentable

C.patentson  genes depend much on innovatiaon

D.courtsshould restrict access to gene tic tests

33.accordingto hans sauer ,companies are eager to win patents for----

A.establishingdisease comelations

B.discoveringgene interactions

C.drawingpictures of genes

D.identifyinghuman DNA

34．By saying “each meeting waspacked”(line4,para6)the author means that -----

A.thesupreme court was authoritative

B.theBIO was a powerful organization

C.genepatenting was a great concern

D.lawyerswere keen to attend conventiongs

35.generallyspeaking ,the author’s attitude toward gene patenting is----

A.critical

B.supportive

C.scornful

D.objective

Text 4

The great recession may be over, but thisera of high joblessness is probably beginning. Before it ends,

itwill likely change the life course and character of a generation of youngadults. And ultimately, it is likely to reshape our politics,our culture, andthe character of our society for years.

Noone tries harder than the jobless to find silver linings in this nationaleconomic disaster. Many said that unemployment, while extremely painful, hadimproved them in some ways; they had become less materialistic and morefinancially prudent; they were more aware of the struggles of others. Inlimited respects, perhaps the recession will leave society better off. At thevery least, it has awoken us from our national fever dream of easy riches andbigger houses, and put a necessary end to an era of reckless personal spending.

Butfor the most part, these benefits seem thin, uncertain, and far off. In TheMoral Consequences of Economic Growth, the economic historian Benjamin Friedmanargues that both inside and outside the U.S. ,lengthy periods of economicstagnation or decline have almost always left society more mean-spirited andless inclusive, and have usually stopped or reversed the advance of rights andfreedoms. Anti-immigrant sentiment typically increases, as does conflictbetween races and classes.

Incomeinequality usually falls during a recession, but it has not shrunk in thisone,. Indeed, this period of economic weakness may reinforce class divides, anddecrease opportunities to cross them--- especially for young people. Theresearch of Till Von Wachter, the economist in Columbia University, suggeststhat not all people graduating into a recession see their life chances dimmed:those with degrees from elite universities catch up fairly quickly to wherethey otherwise would have been if they had graduated in better times; it is themasses beneath them that are left behind.

In the internet age, it is particularlyeasy to see the resentment that has always been hidden winthin Americansociety. More difficult, in the moment , is discerning precisely how these leantimes are affecting society’s character. In many respects, the U.S. was moresocially tolerant entering this resession than at any time in its history, anda variety of national polls on social conflict since then have shown mixedresults. We will have to wait and see exactly how these hard times will reshapeour social fabric. But they certainly it, and all the more so the longer theyextend.

36.Bysaying “to find silver linings”（Line 1,Para.2）the author suggest that thejobless try to___.

[A]seeksubsidies from the govemment

[B]explorereasons for the unermployment

[C]makeprofits from the troubled economy

[D]lookon the bright side of the recession

37.Accordingto Paragraph 2,the recession has made people_____.

[A]realizethe national dream

[B]struggleagainst each other

[C]challengetheir lifestyle

[D]reconsidertheir lifestyle

38.BenjaminFriedman believe that economic recessions may_____.

[A]imposea heavier burden on immigrants

[B]bringout more evils of human nature

[C]Promotethe advance of rights and freedoms

[D]easeconflicts between races and classes

39.Theresearch of Till Von Wachther suggests that in recession graduates from eliteuniversities tend to _____.

[A]lagbehind the others due to decreased opportunities

[B]catchup quickly with experienced employees

[C]seetheir life chances as dimmed as the others’

[D]recovermore quickly than the others

40.Theauthor thinks that the influence of hard times on society is____.

[A]certain

[B]positive

[C]trivial

[D]destructive

Part B

Directions:

Readthe following text and answer the questions by finding information from theleft column that corresponds to each of the marked details given in the rightcolumn. There are two extra choices in the right column. Mark your answers onANSWER SHEERT 1.(10 points)

“Universal history, the history of what man has accomplishedin this world, is at bottom the History of the Great Men who have worked here,”wrote the Victorian sage Thomas Carlyle. Well, not any more it is not.

Suddenly,Britain looks to have fallen out with its favourite historical form. This couldbe no more than a passing literary craze, but it also points to a broader truthabout how we now approach the past: less concerned with learning fromforefathers and more interested in feeling their pain. Today, we want empathy,not inspiration.

Fromthe earliest days of the Renaissance, the writing of history meant recountingthe exemplary lives of great men. In 1337, Petrarch began work on his ramblingwriting De Viris Illustribus – On Famous Men, highlighting the virtus (orvirtue) of classical heroes. Petrarch celebrated their greatness in conqueringfortune and rising to the top. This was the biographical tradition whichNiccolo Machiavelli turned on its head. In The Prince, the championed cunning,ruthlessness, and boldness, rather than virtue, mercy and justice, as theskills of successful leaders.

Over time, the attributes ofgreatness shifted. The Romantics commemorated the leading painters and authorsof their day, stressing the uniqueness of the artist's personal experiencerather than public glory. By contrast, the Victorian author Samual Smiles wroteSelf-Help as a catalogue of the worthy lives of engineers , industrialists andexplores . "The valuable examples which they furnish of the power ofself-help, if patient purpose, resolute working and steadfast integrity,issuing in the formulation of truly noble and many character,exhibit,"wrote Smiles."what it is in the power of each to accomplishfor himself"His biographies of James Walt, Richard Arkwright  and Josiah Wedgwood were held up as beaconsto guide the working man through his difficult life.

Thiswas all a bit bourgeois for Thomas Carlyle, who focused his biographies on thetruly heroic lives of Martin Luther, Oliver Cromwell and Napoleon Bonaparte.These epochal figures represented lives hard to imitate, but to be acknowledgedas possessing higher authority than mere mortals.

Communist Manifesto. For them,history did nothing, it possessed no immense wealth nor waged battles:“It isman, real, living man who does all that.” And history should be the story ofthe masses and their record of struggle. As such, it needed to appreciate theeconomic realities, the social contexts and power relations in which each epochstood. For:“Men make their own history, but they do not make it just as theyplease; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but undercircumstances directly found, given and transmitted from the past.”

Thiswas the tradition which revolutionized our appreciation of the past. In placeof Thomas Carlyle, Britain nurtured Christopher Hill, EP Thompson and EricHobsbawm. History from below stood alongside biographies of great men. Wholenew realms of understanding — from gender to race to cultural studies — wereopened up as scholars unpicked the multiplicity of lost societies. And ittransformed public history too: downstairs became just as fascinating asupstairs.