英语(二)历年翻译和阅读

考研英语（二）历年翻译真题

20xx年真题

Powering the great ongoing changes of our time is the rise of human creativity as the defining feature of economic life. Creativity has come to be valued, because new technologies, new industries and new wealth flow from it. And as a result, our lives and society have begun to echo with creative ideas. It is our commitment to creativity in its varied dimensions that forms the underlying spirit of our age.

Creativity is essential to the way we live and work today, and in many senses always has been. The big advances in standard of living—not to mention the big competitive advantages in the marketplace—always have come from “better recipes, not just more cooking.” One might argue that?s not strictly true. One might point out, for instance, that during the long period from the early days on the Industrial Revolution to modern times, much of the growth in productivity and material wealth in the industrial nations came not just from creative inventions like the steam engine, but from the widespread application of “cooking in quantity” business methods like massive division of labor, concentration of assets, vertical integration and economies of scale. But those methods themselves were creative developments.

20xx年真题

The term “business model” first came into widespread use with the invention of personal computer and the spreadsheet (空白表格程序). Before the spreadsheet, business planning usually meant producing a single forecast. At best, you did a little sensitivity analysis around the projection. The spreadsheet ushered in a much more analytic approach to planning because every major line item could be pulled apart, its components and subcomponents analyzed and tested. You could ask what if questions about the critical assumptions on which your business depended-for example, what if customers are more price-sensitive than we thought? -and with a few keystrokes, you could see how any change would play out on every aspect of the whole. In other words, you could model the behavior of a business. Before the computer changed the nature of business planning, most successful business models were created more by accident than by elaborate design. By enabling companies to tie their marketplace insights much more tightly to the resulting economics, spread sheet made it possible to model business before they were launched.

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20xx年真题

With the nation?s financial system teetering on a cliff, the compensation arrangements for executives of the big banks and other financial firms are coming under close examination again.

Bankers? excessive risk-taking is a significant cause of this financial crisis and has contributed to others in the past. In this case, it was fueled by low interest rates and kept going by a false sense of security created by a debt-fueled bubble in the economy.

Mortgage lenders gladly lent enormous sums to those who could not afford to pay them back, dividing the loans and selling them off to the next financial institution along the chain, which took advantage of the same high-tech securitization to load on more risky mortgage-based assets.

Financial regulation will have to catch up with the most irresponsible practices that led banks down in this road, in hopes of averting the next crisis, which is likely to involve different financial techniques and different sorts of assets. But it is worth examining the root problem of compensation schemes that are tied to short-term profits and revenues, and thus encourage bankers to take irresponsible level of risk.

20xx年真题

Sustainability has become a popular word these days, but to Ted Ning, the concept will always have personal meaning. Having endured a painful period of unsustainability in his own life made it clear to him that sustainability-oriented values must be expressed through everyday action and choice.

Ning recalls spending a confusing year in the late 1990s selling insurance. He?d been through the dot-com boom and bust and, desperate for a job, signed on with a Boulder agency.

It didn?t go well. “It was a really bad move because that?s not my passion,” says Ning, whose dilemma about the job translated, predictably, into a lack of sales. “I was miserable. I had so much anxiety that I would wake up in the middle of the night and stare at the ceiling. I had no money and needed the job. Everyone said, ?Just wait, you?ll turn the corner, give it some time?.” 20xx年真题

Who would have thought that, globally, the IT industry produces about the same volume of greenhouse gases as the world?s airlines do --- roughly 2 percent of all CO2 emissions?

Many everyday tasks take a surprising toll on the environment. A Google search can leak between 0.2 and 7.0 grams of CO2, depending on how many attempts are needed to get the “right” answer. To deliver results to its users quickly, then, Google has to maintain vast data centers around the world, packed with powerful computers. While producing large quantities of CO2, these computers emit a great deal of heat, so the centers need to be well air-conditioned, which uses even more energy.

However, Google and other big tech providers monitor their efficiency closely and make improvements. Monitoring is the first step on the road to reduction, but there is much more to be done, and not just by big companies.

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英语（二）历年翻译真题

参考答案

20xx年

人类创造力的不断进步已经成为我们经济生活中的突出特点，正是它在推动着我们时代中正在进行的各种变化。由于许多新的技术，新兴的工业以及新的财富都源自创造力，所以它的价值业已凸现出来。因此，各种创新的观念开始在我们的生活和社会中传播开来。正是人们在各个领域对创造力的认同才形成了我们这个时代的精神基础。

创造力对我们如今的生活和工作方式是至关重要的，并在很多方面早已是这样：生活水平的重大提高——更不用说在市场中的巨大竞争优势—都是来自“更好的菜谱，而不仅仅是更多的烹制品”。

有人认为这并不完全正确。比如，有人指出，从工业革命早期到现代化这一漫长时期在工业化国家，生产力和物质财富的很多增长不单单来自于像蒸汽机这样有创造力的发明，而来自于广泛使用“数量烹饪“的商业方法，比如大规模的劳动分工、资产的集中、纵向整合和规模经济。单那些方法本身都是具有创造力的发展。

20xx年

随着个人计算机和空白表格程序的发明，“商业模式“这个术语首次得到了大规模的使用。空白表格程序被发明前，商业计划通常意味着进行一次单一的预测，充其量，你也只能在此单一预测的基础上再做一些敏感性分析。空白表格程序开启了一种更具分析性的规划方法，其原因是空白表格程序中的每一行中都可以被拆分，其中的每一个部分及亚组成部分都可以被拆分和测试。你可以对商业所依赖的关键设想提出“如果??会怎么样？”的问题，例如，“如果顾客对价格的敏感度超过了我们的预期怎么办”，只需敲击几下键盘，你就可以看到某个变化对全局的各个方面可能产生怎么样的影响，换句话说，你可以对商业的行为建立模型。在计算机改变了商业规划本质之前，绝大部分成功的商业规划与其说是精心策划的，不如说是运气使然。空白表格程序将公司的市场洞察力与相应的经济结构更为紧密地联系起来，从而使公司在商业运营开始前建立商业模型变为可能。

20xx年

由于国家金融体制处于危机动荡的边缘，一些大银行和金融机构中的高级管理人员的补充金计划就受到密切关注。

银行家们过度冒险是导致金融危机至关重要的原因，在历史上也有类似情况。在这种情况下，一般是由低息引起并造成持续的错觉，其实是一种债务泡沫经济。

抵押贷款人很乐意把大量资金借给无力偿还的人，再将贷款分割，并沿这样的链条出售给下一个金融机构，这些做法都再利用高科技证券业，结果，却增加了抵押资产的风险。

金融管理规定必须能应对这种最不负责任的并导致银行损失惨重的做法，以期扭转下一个危机，而这下一个危机很可能包括有各种类型的金融技术和资产。但值得审视补偿金计

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划的根本问题，因为那是眼前问题，但却让银行家门不负责任地甘冒风险。

20xx年

最近，“承受力”成了一个流行词，但对宁泰德来说，他对该词的含义有自己的亲身体会。在经历了一段无法承受的痛苦生活后，他清楚地认识到，旨在提高承受力的价值观必须在日常的行为和抉择中才能得以体现。

宁泰德回忆起九十年代后期销售保险那困惑的一年。那一年，他经历了互联网泡沫的膨胀和破灭，他急需找到一份工作，因此就与博尔德公司签了约。

但情况并不顺利。“这的确是糟糕的一步，因为它激不起我的工作热情，”宁泰德说。不出所料，工作上的进退维谷造成他销售业绩不佳。“我很痛苦，愁肠百结，常常在半夜惊醒，望着天花板发愣。我身无分文，需要这份工作。每个人都在说，‘再等等吧，过一段时间情况会好转的。’”

20xx年

有谁能够想到，全世界信息技术行业产生的温室气体量与全球航空公司所产生的一样多，大约为二氧化碳总排量的2%。

很多日常工作对环境的损害是惊人的。根据人们得到“正确”答案所需查询次数的不同，在谷歌上搜索一次便会产生0.2到7.0克的二氧化碳。为了将搜索结果快速传递给用户，谷歌必须使用功能强大的计算机系统来维护全球各大数据库中心。这些计算机产生大量二氧化碳的同时，还释放出了许多热量，所以数据库中心又必须装备很好的散热设备，这样就会使用更多的能源。

不过，谷歌和其他大型技术提供商们严密监控他们的效率问题，并做了许多改善。但监控只是减排道路上的第一步，还有很多工作要做，而这也并非只是大公司的任务。

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考研英语（二）历年阅读真题

20xx年

Text 1

Office jobs are among the positions hardest hit by compumation (计算机自动化). Word processors and typists will lose about 93,000 jobs over the next few years, while 57,000 secretarial jobs will vanish. Blame the PC: Today, many executives type their own memos and carry their “secretaries” in the palms of their hands. Time is also hard for stock clerks, whose ranks are expected to decrease by 68,000. And employees in manufacturing firms and wholesalers are being replaced with computerized systems.

But not everyone who loses a job will end up in the unemployment line. Many will shift to growing positions within their own companies. When new technologies shook up the telecom business, telephone operator Judy Dougherty pursued retraining. She is now a communications technician, earning about 64,000 per year. Of course, if you?ve been a tollbooth collector for the past 30 years, and you find yourself replaced by an E-ZPass machine, it may be of little consolation (安慰) to know that the telecom field is booming.

And that?s just it: The service economy is fading; welcome to the expertise (专门知识) economy. To succeed in the new job market, you must be able to handle complex problems. Indeed, all but one of the 50 highest-paying occupations—air-traffic controller—demand at least a bachelor?s degree.

For those with just a high school diploma (毕业证书), It?s going to get tougher to find a well-paying job. Since fewer factory and clerical jobs will be available, what?s left will be the jobs that compumation can?t kill: Computers can?t clean offices, or care for Alzheimer?s patients (老年痴呆病人). But, since most people have the skills to fill those positions, the wages stay painfully low, meaning compumation could drive an even deeper wedge (楔子) between the rich and poor. The best advice now: Never stop learning, and keep up with new technology.

For busy adults, of course, that can be tough. The good news is that the very technology that?s reducing so many jobs is also making it easier to go back to school—without having to sit in a classroom. So-called internet distance learning is hot, with more than three million students currently enrolled, and it?s gaining credibility with employers.

Are you at risk of losing your job to a computer? Check the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics? Occupational Outlook Handbook, which is available online at bls.gov.

41. From the first paragraph we can infer that all of the following persons are easily thrown into unemployment EXCEPT ___.

A. secretaries B. stock clerks C. managers D. wholesalers

42. In the second paragraph the author mentions the tollbooth collector to ___.

A. mean he will get benefits from the telecom field

B. show he is too old to shift to a new position

C. console him on having been replaced by a machine

D. blame the PC for his unemployment

43. By saying “…compumation could drive an even deeper wedge between the rich and poor”

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(Line 5, Para. 4), the author means ___.

A. people are getting richer and richer

B. there will be a small gap between rich and poor

C. the gap between rich and poor is getting larger and larger

D. it?s time to close up the gap between the rich and poor

44. What is the author?s attitude towards computers?

A. positive B. negative C. neutral D. prejudiced

45. Which of the following might serve as the best title of passage?

A. Blaming the PC

B. The Booming Telecom Field

C. Internet Distance Learning

D. Keeping up with Compumation

Text 2

Tens of thousands of 18-year-olds will graduate this year and be handed meaningless diplomas. These diplomas won?t look any different from those awarded their luckier classmates. Their validity will be questioned only when their employers discover that these graduates are semiliterate (半文盲).

Eventually a fortunate few will find their way into educational-repair shops—adult-literacy programs, such as the one where I teach basic grammar and writing. There, high-school graduates and high-school dropouts pursuing graduate-equivalency certificates will learn the skills they should have learned in school. They will also discover they have been cheated by our educational system.

I will never forget a teacher who got the attention of one of my children by revealing the trump card of failure. Our youngest, a world-class charmer, did little to develop his intellectual talents but always got by. Until Mrs. Stifter.

Our son was high-school senior when he had her for English. “He sits in the back of the room talking to his friends.” she told me, “Why don?t you move him to the front row?” I urged, believing the embarrassment would get him to settle down. Mrs. Stifter said, “I don?t move seniors. I flunk (使…不及格) them. “Our son?s academic life flashed before my eyes. No teacher had ever threatened him. By the time I got home I was feeling pretty good about this. It was a radical approach for these times, but, well, Why not? “She?s going to flunk you.” I told my son. I did not discuss it any further. Suddenly English became a priority (头等重要) in his life. He finished out the semester with an A.

I know one example doesn?t make a case, but at night I see a parade of students who are angry for having been passed along until they could no longer even pretend to keep up. Of average intelligence or better, they eventually quit school, concluding they were too dumb to finish. “I should have been held back,” is a comment I hear frequently. Even sadder are those students who are high-school graduates who say to me after a few weeks of class, “I don?t know how I ever got a high-school diploma.”

Passing students who have not mastered the work cheats them and the employers who expect graduates to have basic skills. We excuse this dishonest behavior by saying kids can?t learn if they come from terrible environments. No one seems to stop to think that most kids don?t put school

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first on their list unless they perceive something is at risk. They?d rather be sailing.

Many students I see at night have decided to make education a priority. They are motivated by the desire for a better job or the need to hang on to the one they?ve got. They have a healthy fear of failure.

People of all ages can rise above their problems, but they need to have a reason to do so. Young people generally don?t have the maturity to value education in the same way. My adult students value it. But fear of failure can motivate both.

46. What is the subject of this essay?

A. View point on learning.

B. A qualified teacher.

C. The importance of examination.

D. The generation gap.

47. How did Mrs. Sifter get the attention of one of the author?s children?

A. flunking him

B. moving his seat

C. blaming him

D. playing card with him

48. The author believes that the most effective way for a teacher is to ___.

A. purify the teaching environments

B. set up cooperation between teachers and parents

C. hold back student

D. motivate student

49. From the passage we can draw the conclusion that the author?s attitude toward flunking is ___.

A. negative B. positive C. biased D. indifferent

50. Judging from the content, this passage is probably written for ___.

A. administrators B. students C. teachers D. parents

Text 3

Names have gained increasing importance in the competitive world of higher education. As colleges strive for market share, they are looking for names that project the image they want or reflect the changes they hope to make. Trenton State College, for example, became the College of New Jersey nine years ago when it began raising admissions standards and appealing to students from throughout the state.

“All I hear in higher education is, brand, brand, brand,” said Tim Westerbeck, who specializes in branding and is managing director of Lipman Hearne, a marketing firm based in Chicago that works with universities and other nonprofit organizations. “There has been a sea change over the last 10 years. Marketing used to be almost a dirty word in higher education.”

Not all efforts at name changes are successful, of course. In 1997, the New School for Social Research became New School University to reflect its growth into a collection of eight colleges, offering a list of majors that includes psychology, music, urban studies and management. But New Yorkers continued to call it the New School.

Now, after spending an undisclosed sum on an online survey and a marketing consultant?s

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creation of “naming structures,” “brand architecture” and “identity systems,” the university has come up with a new name: the New School. Beginning Monday, it will adopt new logos (标识), banners, business cards and even new names for the individual colleges, all to include the words “the New School.”

Changes in names generally reveal significant shifts in how a college wants to be perceived. In altering its name from Cal State, Hayward, to Cal State, East Bay, the university hoped to project its expanding role in two mostly suburban countries east of San Francisco.

The University of Southern Colorado, a state institution, became Colorado State University at Pueblo two years ago, hoping to highlight many internal changes, including offering more graduate programs and setting higher admissions standards.

Beaver College turned itself into Arcadia University in 2001 for several reasons: to break the connection with its past as a women?s college, to promote its growth into a full-fledged (完全成熟 的) university and officials acknowledged, to eliminate some jokes about the college?s old name on late-night television and “morning zoo” radio shows.

Many college officials said changing a name and image could produce substantial results. At Arcadia, in addition to the rise in applications, the average student?s test score has increased by 60 points, Juli Roebeck, an Arcadia spokeswoman, said.

51. Which of the following is NOT the reason for colleges to change their names?

A. They prefer higher education competition.

B. They try to gain advantage in market share.

C. They want to project their image.

D. They hope to make some changes.

52. It is implied that one of the most significant changes in higher education in the past decade is ___.

A. the brand B. the college names

C. the concept of marketing D. list of majors

53. The phrase “come up with” (Line 3, Para. 4) probably means ___.

A. catch up with B. deal with

C. put forward D. come to the realization

54. The case of name changing from Cal State, Hayward, to Cal State, East Bay indicates that the university ___.

A. is perceived by the society B. hopes to expand its influence

C. prefers to reform its teaching programs D. expects to enlarge its campus

55. According to the spokeswoman, the name change of Beaver College ___.

A. turns out very successful B. fails to attain its goal

C. has eliminated some jokes D. has transformed its status

Text 4

It looked just like another aircraft from the outside. The pilot told his young passengers that it was built in 1964. But appearances were deceptive, and the 13 students from Europe and the USA who boarded the aircraft were in for the flight of their lives.

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Inside, the area that normally had seats had become a long white tunnel. Heavily padded (填塞) from floor to ceiling, it looked a bit strange. There were almost no windows, but lights along the padded walls illuminated it. Most of the seats had been taken out, apart from a few at the back where the young scientists quickly took their places with a look of fear.

For 12 months, science students from across the continents had competed to win a place on the flight at the invitation of the European Space Agency. The challenge had been to suggest imaginative experiments to be conducted in weightless conditions.

For the next two hours, the flight resembled that of an enormous bird which had lose its reason, shooting upwards towards the heavens before rushing towards Earth. The invention was to achieve weightlessness for a few seconds.

The aircraft took off smoothly enough, but any feelings that I and the young scientists had that we were on anything like a scheduled passenger service were quickly dismissed when the pilot put the plane into a 45-degree climb which lasted around 20 seconds. Then the engines cut our and we became weightless. Everything became confused and left or right, up or down no longer had any meaning. After ten seconds of free-fall descent the pilot pulled the aircraft out of its nosedive. The return of gravity was less immediate than its loss, but was still sudden enough to ensure that some students came down with a bump.

Each time the pilot cut the engines and we became weightless, a new team conducted its experiment. First it was the Dutch who wanted to discover how it is that cats always land on their feet. Then the German team who conducted a successful experiment on a traditional building method to see if it could be used for building a further space station. The Americans had an idea to create solar sails that could be used by satellites.

After two hours of going up and down in the lane doing their experiments, the predominant feeling was one of excitement rather than sickness. Most of the students thought it was an unforgettable experience and one they would be keen to repeat.

56. What did the writer say about the plane?

A. It had no seats. B. It was painted white.

C. It had no windows. D. The outside was misleading.

57. According to the writer, how did the young scientists feel before the flight?

A. Sick B. Keen C. Nervous D. Impatient

58. What did the pilot do with the plane after it took off?

A. He quickly climbed and then stopped the engines.

B. He climbed and then made the plane fall slowly.

C. He took off normally and then cut the engines for 20 seconds.

D. He climbed and then made the plane turn over.

59. According to the passage, the purpose of being weightless was to ___.

A. see what conditions are like in space

B. prepare the young scientists for future work in space

C. show the judges of the competition what they could do

D. make the teams try out their ideas

60. This passage was written to ___.

A. encourage young people to take up science

B. describe the process of a scientific competition

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C. show scientists what young people can do

D. report on a new scientific technique

20xx年

Text 1

Prior to the 20th century, many languages with small numbers of speakers survived for centuries. The increasingly interconnected modern world makes it much more difficult for small language communities to live in relative isolation, a key factor in language maintenance and preservation.

It remains to be seen whether the world can maintain its linguistic and cultural diversity in the centuries ahead. Many powerful forces appear to work against it: population growth, which pushes migrant populations into the world?s last isolated locations; mass tourism; global telecommunications and mass media; and the spread of gigantic global corporations. All of these forces appear to signify a future in which the language of advertising, popular culture, and consumer products become similar. Already English and a few other major tongues have emerged as global languages of commerce and communication. For many of the world?s peoples, learning one of these languages is viewed as the key to education, economic opportunity, and a better way of life.

Only about 3,000 languages now in use are expected to survive the coming century. Are most of the rest doomed in the century after that?

Whether most of these languages survive will probably depend on how strongly cultural groups wish to keep their identity alive through a native language. To do so will require an emphasis on bilingualism (mastery of two languages). Bilingual speakers could use their own language in smaller spheres—at home, among friends, in community settings—and a global language at work, in dealings with government, and in commercial spheres. In this way, many small languages could sustain their cultural and linguistic integrity alongside global languages, rather than yield to the homogenizing (同化的) forces of globalization.

Ironically, the trend of technological innovation that has threatened minority languages could also help save them. For example, some experts predict that computer software translation tools will one day permit minority language speakers to browse the Internet using their native tongues. Linguists are currently using computer-aided learning tools to teach a variety of threatened languages.

For many endangered languages, the line between revival and death is extremely thin. Language is remarkably resilient (有活力的), however. It is not just a tool for communicating, but also a powerful way of separating different groups, or of demonstrating group identity. Many indigenous (原生的，土著的) communities have shown that it is possible to live in the modern world while reclaiming their unique identities through language.

41. Minority languages can be best preserved in ___.

A. an increasingly interconnected world

B. maintaining small numbers of speakers

C. relatively isolated language communities

D. following the tradition of the 20th century

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42. According to Paragraph 2, that the world can maintain its linguistic diversity in the future is ___.

A. uncertain B. unrealistic

C. foreseeable D. definite

43. According to the author, bilingualism can help ___.

A. small languages become acceptable in work places

B. homogenize the world?s languages and cultures

C. global languages reach home and community settings

D. speakers maintain their linguistic and cultural identity

44. Computer technology is helpful for preserving minority languages in that it ___.

A. makes learning a global language unnecessary

B. facilitates the learning and using of those languages

C. raises public awareness of saving those languages

D. makes it easier for linguists to study those languages

45. In the author?s view, many endangered languages are ___.

A. remarkably well-kept in this modern world

B. exceptionally powerful tools of communication

C. quite possible to be revived instead of dying out

D. a unique way of bringing different groups together

Text 2

Everyone, it seems, has a health problem. After pouring billions into the National Health Service, British people moan about dirty hospitals, long waits and wasted money. In Germany the new chancellor, Angela Merkel, is under fire for suggesting changing the financing of its health system. Canada?s new Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, made a big fuss during the election about reducing the country?s lengthy medical queues. Across the rich world, affluence, ageing and advancing technology are driving up health spending faster than income.

But nowhere has a bigger health problem than America. Soaring medical bills are squeezing wages, swelling the ranks of the uninsured and pushing huge firms and perhaps even the government towards bankruptcy. Ford?s announcement this week that it would cut up to 30,000 jobs by 2012 was as much a sign of its “legacy” health -care costs as of the ills of the car industry. Pushed by polls that show health care is one of his main domestic problems and by forecasts showing that the retiring baby-boomers (生育高峰期出生的人) will crush the government?s finances, George Bush is to unveil a reform plan in next week?s state-of -the -union address.

America?s health system is unlike any other. The Unite States spends 16% of its GDP on health, around twice the rich-country average, equivalent to 6,280 for every American each year. Yet it is the only rich country that does not guarantee universal health coverage. Thanks to an accident of history, most Americans receive health insurance through their employer, with the government picking up the bill for the poor and the elderly.

This curious hybrid (混合物) certainly has its strengths. Americans have more choice than anybody else, and their health-care system is much more innovative. Europeans? bills could be much higher if American medicine were not doing much of their Research and Development (R&D) for them. But there are also huge weaknesses. The one most often cited—especially by

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foreigners—is the army of uninsured. Some 46 million Americans do not have cover. In many cases that is out of choice and, if they fall seriously ill, hospitals have to treat them. But it is still deeply unequal. And there are also shocking inefficiencies, by some measures, 30% of American health spending is wasted.

Then there is the question of state support. Many Americans disapprove of the “socialized medicine” of Canada and Europe. In fact, even if much of the administration is done privately, around 60% of America?s health-care bill ends up being met by the government. Proportionately, the American state already spends as much on health as the OECD (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development) average, and that share is set to grow as the baby-boomers run up their Medicare bills and ever more employers avoid providing health-care coverage. America is, in effect, heading towards a version of socialized medicine by default.

46. Health problems mentioned in the passage include all the following EXCEPT ___.

A. poor hospital conditions in U.K.

B. Angela Merkel under attack

C. health financing in Germany

D. long waiting lines in Canada

47. Ford?s announcement of cutting up to 30,000 jobs by 2012 indicates that Ford ___.

A. has the biggest health problem of the car industry

B. has made profits from its health-care legacy

C. has accumulated too heavy a health-care burden

D. owes a great deal of debt to its employees

48. In the author?s opinion, America?s health system is ___.

A. inefficient B. feasible

C. unpopular D. successful

49. It is implied in the passage that ___.

A. America?s health system has its strengths and weaknesses

B. the U.S. government pays medical bills for the poor and the elderly

C. some 46 million Americans do not have medical insurance

D. Europeans benefit a lot from America?s medical research

50. From the last paragraph we may learn that the “socialized medicine” is ___.

A. a practice of Canada and Europe

B. a policy adopted by the U.S. government

C. intended for the retiring baby-boomers

D. administered by private enterprises

Text 3

When Thomas Keller, one of America?s foremost chefs, announced that on Sept. 1st he would abolish the practice of tipping at Per Se, his luxury restaurant in New York City, and replace it with European-style service charge, I knew three groups would be opposed: customers, servers and restaurant owners. These three groups are all committed to tipping—as they quickly made clear on Web sites. To oppose tipping, it seems, is to be anticapitalist, and maybe even a little French.

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But Mr. Keller is right to move away from tipping—and it?s worth exploring why just about everyone else in the restaurant world is wrong to stick with the practice.

Customers believe in tipping because they think it makes economic sense. “Waiters know that they won?t get paid if they don?t do a good job” is how most advocates of the system would put it. To be sure, this is a tempting, apparently rational statement about economic theory, but it appears to have little applicability to the real world of restaurants.

Michael Lynn, an associate professor of consumer behavior and marketing at Cornell?s School of Hotel Administration, has conducted dozens of studies of tipping and has concluded that consumer?s assessments of the quality of service correlate weakly to the amount they tip.

Rather, customers are likely to tip more in response to servers touching them lightly and leaning forward next to the table to make conversation than to how often their water glass is refilled—in other words, customers tip more when they like the server, not when the service is good. Mr. Lynn?s studies also indicate that male customers increase their tips for female servers while female customers increase their tips for male servers.

What?s more, consumers seem to forget that the tip increases as the bill increases. Thus, the tipping system is an open invitation to what restaurant professionals call “upselling”: every bottle of imported water, every espresso and every cocktail is extra money in the server?s pocket. Aggressive upselling for tips is often rewarded while low-key, quality service often goes unrecognized.

In addition, the practice of tip pooling, which is the norm in fine-dining restaurants and is becoming more common in every kind of restaurant above the level of a greasy spoon, has ruined whatever effect voting with your tip might have had on an individual waiter. In an unreasonable outcome, you are punishing the good waiters in the restaurant by not tipping the bad one. Indeed, there appear to be little connection between tipping and good service.

51. It may be inferred that a European-style service ___.

A. is tipping-free B. charges little tip

C. is the author?s initiative D. is offered at Per Se

52. Which of the following is NOT true according to the author?

A. Tipping is a common practice in the restaurant world.

B. Waiters don?t care about tipping.

C. Customers generally believe in tipping.

D. Tipping has little connection with the quality of service.

53. According to Michael Lynn?s studies, waiters will likely get more tips if they ___.

A. have performed good service

B. frequently refill customers? water glass

C. win customers? favor

D. serve customers of the same sex

54. We may infer from the context that “upselling” (Line 2, Para. 6) probably means ___.

A. selling something up

B. selling something fancy

C. selling something unnecessary

D. selling something more expensive

55. This passage is mainly about ___.

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A. reasons to abolish the practice of tipping

B. economic sense of tipping

C. consumers? attitudes towards tipping

D. tipping for good service

Text 4

“I promise.” “I swear to you it?ll never happen again.” “I give you my word.” “Honestly. Believe me.” Sure, I trust. Why not? I teach English composition at a private college. With a certain excitement and intensity, I read my students? essays, hoping to find the person behind the pen. As each semester progresses, plagiarism (剽窃) appears. Not only is my intelligence insulted as one assumes I won?t detect a polished piece of prose from an otherwise-average writer, but I feel a sadness that a student has resorted to buying a paper from a peer. Writers have styles like fingerprints and after several assignments, I can match a student?s work with his or her name even if it?s missing from the upper left-hand corner.

Why is learning less important than a higher grade-point average (GPA)? When we?re threatened or sick, we make conditional promises. “If you let me pass math I will …” “Lord, if you get me over this before the big homecoming game I?ll…” Once the situation is behind us, so are the promises. Human nature? Perhaps, but we do use that cliché (陈词滥调) to get us out of uncomfortable bargains. Divine interference during distress is asked; gratitude is unpaid. After all, few fulfill the contract, so why should anyone be the exception. Why not?

Six years ago, I took a student before the dean. He had turned in an essay with the vocabulary and sentence structure of PhD thesis. Up until that time, both his out-of-class and in-class work were borderline passing.

I questioned the person regarding his essay and he swore it was his own work. I gave him the identical assignment and told him to write it in class, and that I?d understand this copy would not have the time and attention an out-of-class paper is given, but he had already a finished piece so he understood what was asked. He sat one hour, then turned in part of a page of unskilled writing and faulty logic. I confronted him with both essays. “I promise…, I?m not lying. I swear to you that I wrote the essay. I?m just nervous today.”

The head of the English department agreed with my finding, and the meeting with the dean had the boy?s parents present. After an hour of discussion, touching on eight of the boy?s previous essays and his grade-point average, which indicated he was already on academic probation (留校察看), the dean agreed that the student had plagiarized. His parents protested, “He?s only a child” and we instructors are wiser and should be compassionate. College people are not really children and most times would resent being labeled as such… except in this uncomfortable circumstance.

56. According to the author, students commit plagiarism mainly for ___.

A. money B. degree C. higher GPA D. reputation

57. The sentence “Once the situation is behind us, so are the promises” implies that ___.

A. students usually keep their promises

B. some students tend to break their promises

C. the promises are always behind the situation

D. we cannot judge the situation in advance, as we do to the promises

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58.The phrase “borderline passing” (Line 3, Para.3)probably means ___.

A. fairly good B. extremely poor

C. above average D. below average

59. The boy?s parents thought their son should be excused mainly because ___.

A. teachers should be compassionate

B. he was only a child

C. instructors were wiser

D. he was threatened

60. Which of the following might serve as the title of this passage?

A. Human Nature B. Conditional Promises

C. How to Detect Cheating D. The Sadness of Plagiarism

20xx年

Text 1

Last weekend Kyle MacDonald in Montreal threw a party to celebrate the fact that he got his new home in exchange for a red paper clip. Starting a year ago, MacDonald bartered the clip for increasingly valuable staff, including a camp stove and free rent in a Phoenix flat. Having announced his aim (the house) in advance, MacDonald likely got a boost from techies eager to see the Internet pass this daring test of its networking power. “My whole motto (座右铭) was ?start small, think big, and have fun?,” says MacDonald, 26, “I really kept my effort on the creative side rather than the business side.”

Yet as odd as the MacDonald exchange was, barter is now big business on the Net. This year more than 400,000 companies worldwide will exchange some 10 billion worth of goods and services on a growing number of barter sites. These Web sites allow companies to trade products for a virtual currency, which they can use to buy goods from other members. In Iceland, garment-maker Kapusalan sells a third of its output on the booming Vidskiptanetid exchange, earning virtual money that it uses to buy machinery and pay part of employee salaries. The Troc-services exchange in France offers more than 4,600 services, from math lessons to ironing. This is not a primitive barter system. By creating currencies, the Internet removes a major barrier—what Bob Meyer, publisher of BarterNews, calls “the double coincidence of wants.” That is, two parties once not only had to find each other, but also an exchange of goods that both desired. Now, they can price the deal in virtual currency.

Barter also helps firms make use of idle capacity. For example, advertising is “hugely bartered” because many media, particularly on the Web can supply new ad space at little cost. Moreover, Internet ads don?t register in industry-growth statistics, because many exchanges are arranged outside the formal exchanges.

Like eBay, most barter sites allow members to “grade” trading partners for honesty, quality, and so on. Barter exchanges can allow firms in countries with hyperinflation or nontradable currencies to enter global trades. Next year, a nonprofit exchange called Quick Lift Two (QL2) plans to open in Nairobi, offering barter deals to 38,000 Kenyan farmers in remote areas. Two small planes will deliver the goods. QL2 director Gacii Waciuma says the farmers are excited to be “liberated from corrupt middlemen.” For them, barter evokes a bright future, not a precapitalist past.

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41. The word “techies” (Line 4, Para.1) probably refers to those who are ___.

A. afraid of technology

B. skilled in technology

C. ignorant of technology

D. incompetent in technology

42. Many people may have deliberately helped Kyle because they ___.

A. were impressed by his creativity

B. were eager to identify with his motto

C. liked his goal announced in advance

D. hoped to prove the power of the Internet

43. The Internet barter system relies heavily on ___.

A. the size of barter sites

B. the use of virtual currency

C. the quality of goods or services

D. the location of trading companies

44. It is implied that Internet advertisements can help ___.

A. companies make more profit

B. companies do formal exchanges

C. media register in statistics

D. media grade barter sites

45. Which of the following is true of QL2 according to the author?

A. It is criticized for doing business in a primitive way.

B. It aims to deal with hyperinflation in some countries.

C. It helps get rid of middlemen in trade and exchange.

D. It is intended to evaluate the performance of trading partners.

Text 2

The lives of very few Newark residents are untouched by violence: New Jersey?s biggest city has seen it all. Yet the murder of three young people, who were forced to kneel before being shot in the back of the head in a school playground on August 4th, has shaken the city. A fourth, who survived, was stabbed and shot in the face. The four victims were by all accounts good kids, all enrolled in college, all with a future. But the cruel murder, it seems, has at last forced Newarkers to say they have had enough.

Grassroots organizations, like Stop Shootin?, have been flooded with offers of help and support since the killings. Yusef Ismail, its co-founder, says the group has been going door-to-door asking people to sign a pledge of non-violence. They hope to get 50,000 to promise to “stop shootin?, start thinkin?, and keep livin?.” The Newark Community Foundation, which was launched last month, announced on August 14th that it will help pay for Community Eye, a surveillance (监视) system tailored towards gun crime.

Cory Booker who became mayor 13 months ago with a mission to revitalize the city, believes the surveillance program will be the largest camera and audio network in any American city. More than 30 cameras were installed earlier this summer and a further 50 will be installed soon in a

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seven-square-mile area where 80% of the city?s recent shootings have occurred. And more cameras are planned.

When a gunshot is detected, the surveillance camera zooms in on that spot. Similar technology in Chicago has increased arrests and decreased shootings. Mr. Booker plans to announce a comprehensive gun strategy later this week.

Mr. Booker, as well as church leaders and others, believes (or hopes) that after the murder the city will no longer stand by in coldness. For generations, Newark has been paralyzed by poverty—almost one in three people lives below the poverty line—and growing indifference to crime.

Some are skeptical. Steve Malanga of the conservative Manhattan Institute notes that Newark has deep social problems: over 60% of children are in homes without fathers. The school system, taken over by the state in 1995, is a mess. But there is also some cause for hope. Since Mr. Booker was elected, there has been a rise in investment and re-zoning for development. Only around 7% of nearby Newark airport workers used to come from Newark; now, a year, the figure is 30%. Mr. Booker has launched a New York-style war on crime. So far this year, crime has fallen 11% and shootings are down 30% (though the murder rate looks likely to match last year?s high).

46. What happened in Newark, New Jersey on August 4th?

A. The Newark residents witnessed a murder.

B. Four young people were killed in a school playground.

C. The new mayor of Newark took office.

D. Four college students fell victim to violence.

47. Judging from the context, the “Community Eye” (Line5, Para.2) is ___.

A. a watching system for gun crime

B. a neighborhood protection organization

C. an unprofitable community business

D. a grassroots organization

48. We learn from the passage that Newark has all the following problems EXCEPT ___.

A. violence

B. flood

C. poverty

D. indifference

49. Mayor Booker?s effort against crime seem to be ___.

A. idealistic

B. impractical

C. effective

D. fruitless

50. The best title for the passage may be ___.

A. Stop Shootin?, Start Thinkin?, and Keep Livin?

B. Efforts to Fight against Gun Crimes

C. A Mission to Revitalize the City

D. Violent Murders in Newark

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Text 3

According to a recent survey on money and relationships, 36 percent of people are keeping a bank account from their partner. While this financial unfaithfulness may appear as distrust in a relationship, in truth it may just be a form of financial protection.

With almost half of all marriages ending in divorce, men and women are realizing they need to be financially savvy, regardless of whether they are in a relationship.

The financial hardship on individuals after a divorce can be extremely difficult, even more so when children are involved. The lack of permanency in relationships, job and family life may be the cause of a growing trend to keep a secret bank account hidden from a partner; in other words, an “escape fund”.

Margaret?s story is far from unique. She is a representative of a growing number of women in long-term relationships who are becoming protective of their own earnings.

Every month on pay day, she banks hundreds of dollars into a savings account she keeps from her husband. She has been doing this throughout their six-year marriage and has built a nest egg worth an incredible 100,000 on top of her pension.

Margaret says if her husband found about her secret savings he?d hurt and would interpret this as a sign she wasn?t sure of the marriage. “He?d think it was my escape fund so that financially I could afford to get out of the relationship if it went wrong. I know you should approach marriage as being forever and I hope ours is, but you can never be sure.”

Like many of her fellow secret savers, Margaret was stung in a former relationship and has since been very guarded about her own money.

Coming clean to your partner about being a secret saver may not be all that bad. Take Colleen, for example, who had been saving secretly for a few years before she confessed to her partner. “I decided to open a savings account and start building a nest egg of my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I could put money in the bank and leave it there for a rainy day.”

“When John found out about my secret savings, he was a little suspicious of my motives. I reassured him that this was certainly not an escape fund that I feel very secure in our relationship. I have to admit that it does feel good to have my own money on reserve if ever there are rainy days in the future. It?s sensible to build and protect your personal financial security.”

51. The trend to keep a secret bank account is growing because ___.

A. “escape fund” helps one through rainy days

B. days are getting harder and harder

C. women are money sensitive

D. financial conflicts often occur

52. The word “savvy” (Line2, Para.2) probably means ___.

A. suspicious

B. secure

C. shrewd

D. simple

53. Which inference can we make about Margaret?

A. She is a unique woman.

B. She was once divorced.

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C. She is going to retire.

D. She has many children.

54. The author mentions Colleen?s example to show ___.

A. any couple can avoid marriage conflicts

B. privacy within marriage should be respected

C. everyone can save a fortune with a happy marriage

D. financial disclosure is not necessarily bad

55. Which of the following best summarizes of this passage?

A. Secret Savers.

B. Love is What It?s Worth.

C. Banking Honesty.

D. Once Bitten, Twice Shy.

Text 4

“The word ?protection? is no longer taboo (禁忌语)”. This short sentence, uttered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy last month, may have launched a new era in economic history. Why? For decades, Western leaders have believed that lowering trade barriers and tariffs was natural good. Doing so, they reasoned, would lead to greater economic efficiency and productivity, which in turn would improve human welfare. Championing free trade thus became a moral, not just an economic, cause.

These leaders, of course, weren?t acting out of unselfishness. They knew their economies were the most competitive, so they?d profit most from liberalization. And developing countries feared that their economies would be swamped by superior Western productivity. Today, however, the tables have turned—though few acknowledge it. The West continues to preach free trade, but practices it less and less. Asian, meanwhile, continues to plead for special protection but practices more and more free trade.

That?s why Sarkozy?s words were so important: he finally injected some honesty into the trade debate. The truth is that large parts of the West are losing faith in tree trade, though few leaders admit it. Some economists are more honest. Paul Krugman is one of the few willing to acknowledge that protectionist arguments are returning. In the short run, there will be winners and losers under free trade. This, of course, is what capitalism is all about. But more and more of these losers will be in the West. Economists in the developed world used to love quoting Joseph Schumpeter, who said that “creative destruction” was an essential part of capitalist growth. But they always assumed that destruction would happen over there. When Western workers began losing jobs, suddenly their leaders began to lose faith in their principles. Things have yet to reverse completely. But there?s clearly a negative trend in a Western theory and practice.

A little hypocrisy is not in itself a serious problem. The real problem is that Western governments continue to insist that they retain control of the key global economic and financial institutions while drifting away from global liberalization. Look at what?s happening at the IMF (International Monetary Fund). The Europeans have demanded that they keep the post of managing director. But all too often, Western officials put their own interests above everyone else?s when they dominate these global institutions.

The time has therefore come for the Asians—who are clearly the new winners in today?s

19

global economy—to provide more intellectual leadership in supporting free trade: Sadly, they have yet to do so. Unless Asians speak out, however, there?s a real danger that Adam Smith?s principles, which have brought so much good to the world, could gradually die. And that would leave all of us, worse off, in one way or another.

56. It can be inferred that “protection” (Line1, Para.1) means ___

A. improving economic efficiency

B. ending the free-trade practice

C. lowering moral standard

D. raising trade tariffs

57. The Western leaders preach free trade because ___.

A. it is beneficial to their economies

B. it is supported by developing countries

C. it makes them keep faith in their principles

D. it is advocated by Joseph Schumpeter and Adam Smith

58. By “the tables have turned” (Line3-4,Para.2) the author implies that ___.

A. the Western leaders have turned self-centered

B. the Asian leaders have become advocates of free trade

C. the developed economies have turned less competitive

D. the developing economies have become more independent

59. The Western economies used to like the idea of “creative destruction” because it ___.

A. set a long-term rather than short-term goal

B. was an essential part of capitalist development

C. entailed a positive rather than negative mentality

D. was meant to be the destruction of developing economies

60. The author uses “IMF” an example to illustrate the point that ___.

A. European leaders are reluctant to admit they are hypocritical

B. there is an inconsistency between Western theory and practice

C. global institutions are not being led by true globalization advocates

D. European countries? interests are being ignored by economic leaders

20xx年

Text 1

Henric Ibsen, author of the play “A Doll?s House”, in which a pretty, helpless housewife abandons her husband and children to seek a more serious life, would surely have approved. From January 1st, 2008, all public companies in Norway are obliged to ensure that at least 40% of their board directors are women. Most firms have obeyed the law, which was passed in 2003.But about 75 out of the 480 or so companies it affects are still too male for the government?s liking. They will shortly receive a letter informing them that they have until the end of February to act , or face the legal consequences—which could include being dissolved.

Before the law was proposed, about 7% of board members in Norway were female, according to the Centre for Corporate Diversity .The number has since jumped to 36%. That is far higher

20

than the average of 9% for big companies across Europe or America?s 15% for the Fortune 500. Norway?s stock exchange and its main business lobby oppose the law, as do many businessmen. “ I am against quotas for women or men as a matter of principle,” says Sverre Munck, head of international operations at a media firm. “Board members of public companies should be chosen solely on the basis of merit and experience,” he says. Several firms have even given up their public status in order to escape the new law.

Companies have had to recruit about 1,000 women in four years. Many complain that it has been difficult to find experienced candidates. Because of this, some of the best women have collected as many as 25-35 directorships each, and are known in Norwegian business circles as the “golden skirts”. One reason for the scarcity is that there are fairly few women in management in Norwegian companies—they occupy around 15% of senior positions. It has been particularly hard for firms in the oil, technology and financial industries to find women with a enough experience.

Some people worry that their relative lack of experience may keep women quiet on boards, and that in turn could mean that boards might become less able to hold managers to account. Recent history in Norway, however, suggests that the right women can make strong directors. “Women feel more compelled than men to do their homework,” says Ms Reksten Skaugen , who was voted Norway?s chairman of the year for 2007, “and we can afford to ask the hard questions, because women are not always expected to know the answers.”

41. The author mentions Ibsen?s play in the first paragraph in order to ___.

A. depict women?s dilemma at work

B. explain the newly passed law

C. support Norwegian government

D. introduce the topic under discussion

42. A public company that fails to obey the new law could be forced to ___.

A. pay a heavy fine

B. close down its business

C. change to a private business

D. sign a document promising to act

43. To which of the following is Sverre Munck most likely to agree?

A. A set ratio of women in a board is unreasonable.

B. A reasonable quota for women at work needs to be set.

C. A common principle should be followed by all companies.

D. An inexperienced businessman is not subject to the new law.

44.The author attributes the phenomenon of “golden skirts” to ___.

A. the small number of qualified females in management

B. the over-recruitment of female managers in public companies

C. the advantage women enjoy when competing for senior positions

D. the discrimination toward women in Norwegian business circles

45. The main idea of the passage might be ___.

A. female power and liberation in Norway

B. the significance of Henric Ibsen?s play

C. women?s status in Norwegian firms

D. the constitution of board members in Norway

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Text 2

While there?s never a good age to get cancer, people in their 20s and 30s can feel particularly isolated. The average age of a cancer patient at diagnosis is 67. Children with cancer often are treated at pediatric (小儿科的) cancer centers, but young adults have a tough time finding peers, often sitting side-by-side during treatments with people who could be their grandparents.

In her new book Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips, writer Kris Carr looks at cancer from the perspective of a young adult who confronts death just as she?s discovering life. Ms. Carr was 31 when she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that had generated tumors on her liver and lungs.

Ms. Carr reacted with the normal feelings of shock and sadness. She called her parents and stocked up on organic food, determined to become a “full-time healing addict.” Then she picked up the phone and called everyone in her address book, asking if they knew other young women with cancer. The result was her own personal “cancer posse”: a rock concert tour manager, a model, a fashion magazine editor, a cartoonist and a MTV celebrity, to name a few. This club of “cancer babes” offered support, advice and fashion tips, among other things.

Ms. Carr put her cancer experience in a recent Learning Channel documentary, and she has written a practical guide about how she coped. Cancer isn?t funny, but Ms. Carr often is. She swears, she makes up names for the people who treat her (Dr. Fabulous and Dr. Guru ), and she even makes second sound fun (“cancer road trips”, she calls them).

She leaves the medical advice to doctors, instead offering insightful and practical tips that reflect the world view of a young adult. “I refused to let cancer ruin my party,” she writes. “ There are just too many cool things to do and plan and live for.”

Ms. Carr still has cancer, but it has stopped progressing. Her cancer tips include using time-saving mass e-mails to keep friends informed, sewing or buying fashionable hospital gowns so you?re not stuck with regulation blue or gray and playing Gloria Gaynor?s “I Will Survive” so loud you neighbors call the police. Ms. Carr also advises an eyebrow wax and a new outfit before you tell the important people in your illness. “People you tell are going to cautiously and not so cautiously try to see the cancer, so dazzle them instead with your miracle,” she writes.

While her advice may sound superficial, it gets to the heart of what every cancer patient wants: the chance to live life just as she always did, and maybe better.

46. Which of the following groups is more vulnerable to cancer?

A. Children.

B. People in their 20s and 30s.

C. Young adults.

D. Elderly people.

47. All of the following statements are true EXCEPT ___.

A. Kris Carr is a female writer

B. Kris Carr is more than 31-year-old

C. Kris Carr works in a cancer center

D. Kris Carr is very optimistic

48. The phrase “cancer posse” (Line 4, Para.3) probably refers to ___.

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A. a cancer research organization

B. a group of people who suffer from cancer

C. people who have recovered from cancer

D. people who cope with cancer

49. Kris Carr makes up names for the people who treat her because ___.

A. she is depressed and likes swearing

B. she is funny and likes playing jokes on doctor

C. she wants to leave the medical advice to doctor

D. she tries to leave a good impression on doctor

50. From Kris Carr?s cancer tips we may infer that ___.

A. she learned to use e-mails after she got cancer

B. she wears fashionable dress even after suffering from cancer

C. hospital gowns for cancer patients are usually not in bright colors

D. the neighbors are very friendly with cancer patients

Text 3

Should a leader strive to be loved or feared? This question, famously posed by Machiavelli, lies at the heart of Joseph Nye?s new book. Mr. Nye, a former dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and one-time chairman of America?s National Intelligence Council, is best known for promoting the idea of “soft power”, based on persuasion and influence, as a counterpoint to “hard power”, based on coercion (强迫) and force.

Having analyzed the use of soft and hard power in politics and diplomacy in his previous books, Mr. Nye has now turned his attention to the relationship between power and leadership, in both the political and business spheres. Machiavelli, he notes, concluded that “one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved.” In short, hard power is preferable to soft power. But modem leadership theorists have come to the opposite conclusion.

The context of leadership is changing, they observe, and the historical emphasis on hard power is becoming outdated. In moden companies and democracies, power is increasingly diffused and traditional hierarchies (等级制) are being undermined, making soft power ever more important. But that does not mean coercion should now take a back seat to persuasion. Mr. Nye argues. Instead, he advocates a synthesis of these two views. The conclusion of The Powers to Lead, his survey of the theory of leadership, is that a combination of hard and soft power, which he calls “smart power”, is the best approach.

The dominant theoretical model of leadership at the moment is, apparently, the “transformational leadership pattern”. Anyone allergic (反感) to management term will already be running for the exit, but Mr. Nye has performed a valuable service in rounding up and summarizing the various academic studies and theories of leadership into a single, slim volume. He examines different approaches to leadership, the morality of leadership and how the wider context can determine the effectiveness of a particular leader. There are plenty of anecdotes and examples, both historical and contemporary, political and corporate.

Alas, leadership is a slippery subject, and as he depicts various theories, even Mr. Nye never quite nails the jelly to the wall. He is at his most interesting when discussing the moral aspects of

23

leadership—in particular, the question of whether it is sometimes necessary for good leaders to lie—and he provides a helpful 12-point summary of his conclusions. A recurring theme is that as circumstances change, different sorts of leaders are required; a leader who thrives in one environment may struggle in another, and vice versa. Ultimately that is just a fancy way of saying that leadership offers no easy answers.

51. From the first two paragraphs we may learn than Mr. Machiavelli?s idea of hard power is ___.

A. well accepted by Joseph Nye

B. very influential till nowadays

C. based on sound theories

D. contrary to that of moden leadership theorists

52. Which of the following makes soft power more important today according to Mr. Nye?

A. Coercion is widespread.

B. Morality is devalued.

C. Power is no longer concentrated.

D. Traditional hierarchies are strengthened

53. In his book The Powers to lead, Mr. Nye has examined all the following aspects of leadership EXCEPT ___.

A. authority

B. context

C. approaches

D. morality

54. Mr. Nye?s book is particularly valuable in that it ___.

A. makes little use of management terms

B. summarizes various studies concisely

C. serves as an exit for leadership researchers

D. sets a model for contemporary corporate leaders

55. According to the author, the most interesting part of Mr. Nye?s book lies in his ___.

A. view of changeable leadership

B. definition of good leadership

C. summary of leadership history

D. discussion of moral leadership

Text 4

Americans don?t like to lose wars. Of course, a lot depends on how you define just what a war is. There are shooting wars—the kind that test patriotism and courage—and those are the kind at which the U.S. excels. But other struggles test those qualities too. What else was the Great Depression or the space race or the construction of the railroads? If American indulge in a bit of flag-waving when the job is done, they earned it.

Now there is a similar challenge: global warming. The steady deterioration (恶化) of the very climate of this very planet is becoming a war of the first order, and by any measure, the U.S. is losing. Indeed, if America is fighting at all, it?s fighting on the wrong side. The U.S. produces

24

nearly a quarter of the world?s greenhouse gases each year and has stubbornly made it clear that it doesn?t intend to do a whole lot about it. Although 174 nations approved the admittedly flawed Kyoto accords to reduce carbon levels, the U.S. walked away from them. There are vague promises of manufacturing fuel from herbs or powering cars with hydrogen. But for a country that tightly cites patriotism as one of its core values, the U.S. is taking a pass on what might be the most patriotic struggle of all. It?s hard to imagine a bigger fight than one for the survival of a country?s coasts and farms, the health of its people and stability of its economy.

The rub is, if the vast majority of people increasingly agree that climate change is a global emergency, there?s far less agreement on how to fix it. Industry offers its plans, which too often would fix little. Environmentalists offer theirs, which too often amount to native wish lists that could weaken American?s growth. But let?s assume that those interested parties and others will always be at the table and will always demand that their voices be heard and that their needs be addressed. What would an aggressive, ambitious, effective plan look like—one that would leave the U.S. both environmentally safe and economically sound?

Halting climate change will be far harder. One of the more conservative plans for addressing the problem calls for a reduction of 25 billion tons of carbon emissions over the next 52 year. And yet by devising a consistent strategy that mixes short-term solutions with far-sighted goals, combines government activism with private-sector enterprise and blends pragmatism (实用主义) with ambition, the U.S. can, without major damage to the economy, help halt the worst effects of climate change and ensure the survival of its way of life for future generations. Money will do some of the work, but what?s needed most is will. “I?m not saying the challenge isn?t almost overwhelming,” says Fred Krupp. “But this is America, and America has risen to these challenges before.”

56. What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. Human wars.

B. Economic crisis.

C. America?s environmental policies.

D. Global environment in general.

57. From the last sentence of paragraph 2 we may learn that the survival of a country?s coasts and farms, the health of its people and the stability of its economy is ___.

A. of utmost importance

B. a fight no one can win

C. beyond people?s imagination

D. a less significant issue

58. Judging from the context, the word “rub” (Line 1, Para.3) probably means ___.

A. friction

B. contradiction

C. conflict

D. problem

59. What is the author?s attitude toward America?s policies on global warming?

A. Critical

B. Indifferent

C. Supportive

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D. Compromising

60. The paragraphs immediately following this passage would most probably deal with ___.

A. the new book written by Fred Krupp

B. how America can fight against global warming

C. the harmful effects of global warming

D. how America can tide over economic crisis

20xx年

Text 1

The longest bull run in a century of art-market history ended on a dramatic note with a sale of 56 works by Damien Hirst, Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, at Sotheby?s in London on September 15th 2008. All but two pieces sold, fetching more than ? 70m, a record for a sale by a single artist. It was a last victory. As the auctioneer called out bids, in New York one of the oldest banks on Wall Street, Lehman Brothers, filed for bankruptcy.

The world art market had already been losing momentum for a while after rising bewilderingly since 2003. At its peak in 2007 it was worth some $ 65 billion, reckons Clare McAndrew, founder of Arts Economics, a research firm—double the figure five years earlier. Since then it may have come down to $50 billion. But the market generates interest far beyond its size because it brings together great wealth, enormous egos, greed, passion and controversy in a way matched by few other industries.

In the weeks and months that followed Mr. Hirst?s sale, Sales of contemporary art fell by two-thirds, and in the most overheated sector, they were down by nearly 90% in the year to November 2008. Within weeks the world?s two biggest auction houses, Sotheby?s and Christie?s, had to pay out nearly $200m in guarantees to clients who had placed works for sale with them.

The current downturn in the art market is the worst since the Japanese stopped buying Impressionists at the end of 1989. This time experts reckon that prices are about 40% down on their peak on average, though some have been far more fluctuant. But Edward Dolman, Christie?s chief executive, says: “I?m pretty confident we?re at the bottom.”

What makes this slump different from the last, he says, is that there are still buyers in the market. Almost everyone who was interviewed for this special report said that the biggest problem at the moment is not a lack of demand but a lack of good work to sell. The three Ds—death, debt and divorce—still deliver works of art to the market. But anyone who does not have to sell is keeping away, waiting for confidence to return.

21. In the first paragraph, Damien Hirst?s sale was referred to as “a last victory” because ___.

[A] the art market had witnessed a succession of victories

[B] the auctioneer finally got the two pieces at the highest bids

[C] Beautiful Inside My Head Forever won over all masterpieces

[D] it was successfully made just before the world financial crisis

22. By saying “spending of any sort became deeply unfashionable” (Para.3), the author suggests

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that ___.

[A] collectors were no longer actively involved in art-market auctions

[B] people stopped every kind of spending and stayed away from galleries

[C] art collection as a fashion had lost its appeal to a great extent

[D] works of art in general had gone out of fashion so they were not worth buying

23. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

[A] Sales of contemporary art fell dramatically from 2007 to 2008.

[B] The art market surpassed many other industries in momentum.

[C] The art market generally went downward in various ways.

[D] Some art dealers were awaiting better chances to come.

24. The three Ds mentioned in the last paragraph are ___.

[A] auction houses? favorites

[B] contemporary trends

[C] factors promoting artwork circulation

[D] styles representing Impressionists

25. The most appropriate title for this text could be ___.

[A] Fluctuation of Art Prices

[B] Up-to-date Art Auctions

[C] Art Market in Decline

[D] Shifted Interest in Arts

Text 2

I was addressing a small gathering in a suburban Virginia living room — a women?s group that had invited men to join them. Throughout the evening, one man had been particularly talkative, frequently offering ideas and anecdotes, while his wife sat silently beside him on the couch. Toward the end of the evening, I commented that women frequently complain that their husbands don?t talk to them. This man quickly nodded in agreement. He gestured toward his wife and said, “She?s the talker in our family.” The room burst into laughter; the man looked puzzled and hurt. “It?s true,” he explained. “When I come home from work I have nothing to say. If she didn?t keep the conversation going, we?d spend the whole evening in silence.”

This episode crystallizes the irony that although American men tend to talk more than women in public situations, they often talk less at home. And this pattern is with marriage.

The pattern was observed by political scientist Andrew Hacker in the late 1970s. Sociologist Catherine Kohler Riessman reports in her new book Divorce Talk that most of the women she interviewed — but only a few of the men — gave lack of communication as the reason for their divorces. Given the current divorce rate of nearly 50 percent, that amounts to millions of cases in the United States every year — a virtual epidemic of failed conversation.

In my own research, complaints from women about their husbands most often focused not on tangible inequities such as having given up the chance for a career to accompany a husband to his, or doing far more than their share of daily life-support work like cleaning, cooking and social arrangements. Instead, they focused on communication: “He doesn?t listen to me.” “He doesn?t

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talk to me.” I found, as Hacker observed years before, that most wives want their husbands to be, first and foremost, conversational partners, but few husbands share this expectation of their wives.

In short, the image that best represents the current crisis is the stereotypical cartoon scene of a man sitting at the breakfast table with a newspaper held up in front of his face, while a woman glares at the back of it, wanting to talk.

26. What is most wives? main expectation of their husbands?

[A] Talking to them.

[B] Trusting them.

[C] Supporting their careers.

[D] Sharing housework.

27. Judging from the context, the phrase “wreaking havoc” (Para. 2) most probably means ___.

[A] generating motivation

[B] exerting influence

[C] causing damage

[D] creating pressure

28. All of the following are true EXCEPT ___.

[A] men tend to talk more in public than women

[B] nearly 50 percent of recent divorces are caused by failed conversation

[C] women attach much importance to communication between couples

[D] a female tends to be more talkative at home than her spouse

29. Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of this text?

[A] The moral decaying deserves more research by sociologists.

[B] Marriage break-up stems from sex inequalities.

[C] Husband and wife have different expectations from their marriage.

[D] Conversational patterns between man and wife are different.

30. In the following part immediately after this text, the author will most probably focus on ___.

[A] a vivid account of the new book Divorce Talk

[B] a detailed description of the stereotypical cartoon

[C] other possible reasons for a high divorce rate in the U.S.

[D] a brief introduction to the political scientist Andrew Hacker

Text 3

Over the past decade, many companies had perfected the art of creating automatic behaviors — habits — among consumers. These habits have helped companies earn billions of dollars when customers eat snacks or wipe counters almost without thinking, often in response to a carefully designed set of daily cues.

“There are fundamental public health problems, like dirty hands instead of a soap habit, that remain killers only because we can?t figure out how to change people?s habits,” said Dr. Curtis,

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the director of the Hygiene Center at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. “We wanted to learn from private industry how to create new behaviors that happen automatically.”

The companies that Dr. Curtis turned to — Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever — had invested hundreds of millions of dollars finding the subtle cues in consumers? lives that corporations could use to introduce new routines.

If you look hard enough, you?ll find that many of the products we use every day — chewing gums, skin moisturizers, disinfecting wipes, air fresheners, water purifiers, health snacks, teeth whiteners, fabric softeners, vitamins — are results of manufactured habits. A century ago, few people regularly brushed their teeth multiple times a day. Today, because of shrewd advertising and public health campaigns, many Americans habitually give their pearly whites a cavity-preventing scrub twice a day, often with Colgate, Crest or one of the other brands.

A few decades ago, many people didn?t drink water outside of a meal. Then beverage companies started bottling the production of far-off springs, and now office workers unthinkingly sip bottled water all day long. Chewing gum, once bought primarily by adolescent boys, is now featured in commercials as a breath freshener and teeth cleanser for use after a meal. Skin moisturizers are advertised as part of morning beauty rituals, slipped in between hair brushing and putting on makeup.

“Our products succeed when they become part of daily or weekly patterns,” said Carol Berning, a consumer psychologist who recently retired from Procter & Gamble, the company that sold $76 billion of Tide, Crest and other products last year. “Creating positive habits is a huge part of improving our consumers? lives, and it?s essential to making new products commercially viable.”

Through experiments and observation, social scientists like Dr. Berning have learned that there is power in tying certain behaviors to habitual cues through ruthless advertising. As this new science of habit has emerged, controversies have erupted when the tactics have been used to sell questionable beauty creams or unhealthy foods.

31. According to Dr. Curtis, habits like hand washing with soap ___.

[A] should be further cultivated

[B] should be changed gradually

[C] are deeply rooted in history

[D] are basically private concerns

32. Bottled water, chewing gum and skin moisturizers are mentioned in Paragraph 5 so as to ___.

[A] reveal their impact on people?s habits

[B] show the urgent need of daily necessities

[C] indicate their effect on people?s buying power

[D] manifest the significant role of good habits

33. Which of the following does NOT belong to products that help create people?s habits?

[A] Tide.

[B] Crest.

[C] Colgate.

[D] Unilever.

34. From the text we know that some of consumers? habits are developed due to ___.

[A] perfected art of products

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[B] automatic behavior creation

[C] commercial promotions

[D] scientific experiments

35. The author?s attitude toward the influence of advertisement on people?s habits is ___.

[A] indifferent

[B] negative

[C] positive

[D] biased

Text 4

Many Americans regard the jury system as a concrete expression of crucial democratic values, including the principles that all citizens who meet minimal qualifications of age and literacy are equally competent to serve on juries; that jurors should be selected randomly from a representative cross section of the community; that no citizen should be denied the right to serve on a jury on account of race, religion, sex, or national origin; that defendants are entitled to trial by their peers; and that verdicts should represent the conscience of the community and not just the letter of the law. The jury is also said to be the best surviving example of direct rather than representative democracy. In a direct democracy, citizens take turns governing themselves, rather than electing representatives to govern for them.

But as recently as in 1968, jury selection procedures conflicted with these democratic ideals. In some states, for example, jury duty was limited to persons of supposedly superior intelligence, education, and moral character. Although the Supreme Court of the United States had prohibited intentional racial discrimination in jury selection as early as the 1880 case of Strauder v. West Virginia, the practice of selecting so-called elite or blue-ribbon juries provided a convenient way around this and other antidiscrimination laws.

The system also failed to regularly include women on juries until the mid-20th century. Although women first served on state juries in Utah in 1898, it was not until the 1940s that a majority of states made women eligible for jury duty. Even then several states automatically exempted women from jury duty unless they personally asked to have their names included on the jury list. This practice was justified by the claim that women were needed at home, and it kept juries unrepresentative of women through the 1960s.

In 1968, the Congress of the United States passed the Jury Selection and Service Act, ushering in a new era of democratic reforms for the jury. This law abolished special educational requirements for federal jurors and required them to be selected at random from a cross section of the entire community. In the landmark 1975 decision Taylor v. Louisiana, the Supreme Court extended the requirement that juries be representative of all parts of the community to the state level. The Taylor decision also declared sex discrimination in jury selection to be unconstitutional and ordered states to use the same procedures for selecting male and female jurors.

36. From the principles of the US jury system, we learn that ___.

[A] both literate and illiterate people can serve on juries

[B] defendants are immune from trial by their peers

[C] no age limit should be imposed for jury service

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[D] judgment should consider the opinion of the public

37. The practice of selecting so-called elite jurors prior to 1968 showed ___.

[A] the inadequacy of antidiscrimination laws

[B] the prevalent discrimination against certain races

[C] the conflicting ideals in jury selection procedures

[D] the arrogance common among the Supreme Court judges

38. Even in the 1960s, women were seldom on the jury list in some states because ___.

[A] they were automatically banned by state laws

[B] they fell far short of the required qualifications

[C] they were supposed to perform domestic duties

[D] they tended to evade public engagement

39. After the Jury Selection and Service Act was passed, ___.

[A] sex discrimination in jury selection was unconstitutional and had to be abolished

[B] educational requirements became less rigid in the selection of federal jurors

[C] jurors at the state level ought to be representative of the entire community

[D] states ought to conform to the federal court in reforming the jury system

40. In discussing the U.S. jury system, the text centers on ___.

[A] its nature and problems

[B] its characteristics and tradition

[C] its problems and their solutions

[D] its tradition and development

20xx年

Text 1

Ruth Simmons joined Goldman Sachs?s board as an outside director in January 2000; a year later she became president of Brown University. For the rest of the decade she apparently managed both roles without attracting much criticism. But by the end of 2009 Ms. Simmons was under fire for having sat on Goldman?s compensation committee; how could she have let those enormous bonus payouts pass unremarked? By February the next year Ms. Simmons had left the board. The position was just taking up too much time, she said.

Outside directors are supposed to serve as helpful, yet less biased, advisers on a firm?s board. Having made their wealth and their reputations elsewhere, they presumably have enough independence to disagree with the chief executive?s proposals. If the sky, and the share price, is falling, outside directors should be able to give advice based on having weathered their own crises.

The researchers from Ohio University used a database that covered more than 10,000 firms and more than 64,000 different directors between 1989 and 2004. Then they simply checked which directors stayed from one proxy statement to the next. The most likely reason for departing a board was age, so the researchers concentrated on those “surprise” disappearances by directors under the age of 70. They found that after a surprise departure, the probability that the company will subsequently have to restate earnings increases by nearly 20%. The likelihood of being named in a federal class-action lawsuit also increases, and the stock is likely to perform worse. The effect

31

tended to be larger for larger firms. Although a correlation between them leaving and subsequent bad performance at the firm is suggestive, it does not mean that such directors are always jumping off a sinking ship. Often they “trade up,” leaving riskier, smaller firms for larger and more stable firms.

But the researchers believe that outside directors have an easier time of avoiding a blow to their reputations if they leave a firm before bad news breaks, even if a review of history shows they were on the board at the time any wrongdoing occurred. Firms who want to keep their outside directors through tough times may have to create incentives. Otherwise outside directors will follow the example of Ms. Simmons, once again very popular on campus.

21. According to Paragraph 1, Ms. Simmons was criticized for .

[A]gaining excessive profits

[B]failing to fulfill her duty

[C]refusing to make compromises

[D]leaving the board in tough times

22. We learn from Paragraph 2 that outside directors are supposed to be [A]generous investors

[B]unbiased executives

[C]share price forecasters

[D]independent advisers

23. According to the researchers from Ohio University, after an outside director?s surprise departure, the firm is likely to [A]become more stable

[B]report increased earnings

[C]do less well in the stock market

[D]perform worse in lawsuits

24. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that outside directors [A]may stay for the attractive offers from the firm

[B]have often had records of wrongdoings in the firm

[C]are accustomed to stress-free work in the firm

[D]will decline incentives from the firm

25. The author?s attitude toward the role of outside directors is [A]permissive

[B]positive

[C]scornful

[D]critical

Text 2

Whatever happened to the death of newspapers? A year ago the end seemed near. The recession threatened to remove the advertising and readers that had not already fled to the Internet. America?s Federal Trade Commission launched a round of talks about how to save newspapers. Should they

32

become charitable corporations? Should the state subsidize them? It will hold another meeting soon. But the discussions now seem out of date.

In much of the world there is the little sign of crisis. German and Brazilian papers have shrugged off the recession. Even American newspapers, which inhabit the most troubled corner of the global industry, have not only survived but often returned to profit. Not the 20% profit margins that were routine a few years ago, but profit all the same.

It has not been much fun. Many papers stayed afloat by pushing journalists overboard. The American Society of News Editors reckons that 13,500 newsroom jobs have gone since 2007. Readers are paying more for slimmer products. Some papers even had the nerve to refuse delivery to distant suburbs. Yet these desperate measures have proved the right ones and, sadly for many journalists, they can be pushed further.

Newspapers are becoming more balanced businesses, with a healthier mix of revenues from readers and advertisers. American papers have long been highly unusual in their reliance on ads. Fully 87% of their revenues came from advertising in 2008, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD). In Japan the proportion is 35%. Not surprisingly, Japanese newspapers are much more stable.

The whirlwind that swept through newsrooms harmed everybody, but much of the damage has been concentrated in areas where newspapers are least distinctive. Car and film reviewers have gone. So have science and general business reporters. Foreign bureaus have been savagely cut off. Newspapers are less complete as a result. But completeness is no longer a virtue in the newspaper business.

26. By saying “Newspapers like … their own doom” (Lines 2-3, Para. 1), the author indicates that newspapers .

[A] neglected the sign of crisis

[B] failed to get state subsidies

[C] were not charitable corporations

[D] were in a desperate situation

27. Some newspapers refused delivery to distant suburbs probably because .

[A] readers threatened to pay less

[B] newspapers wanted to reduce costs

[C] journalists reported little about these areas

[D] subscribers complained about slimmer products

28. Compared with their American counterparts, Japanese newspapers are much more stable because they [A] have more sources of revenue

[B] have more balanced newsrooms

[C] are less dependent on advertising

[D] are less affected by readership

29. What can be inferred from the last paragraph about the current newspaper business?

[A] Distinctiveness is an essential feature of newspapers.

[B] Completeness is to blame for the failure of newspapers.

[C] Foreign bureaus play a crucial role in the newspaper business.

[D] Readers have lost their interest in car and film reviews.

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30. The most appropriate title for this text would be .

[A] American Newspapers: Struggling for Survival

[B] American Newspapers: Gone with the Wind

[C] American Newspapers: A Thriving Business

[D] American Newspapers: A Hopeless Story

Text 3

We tend to think of the decades immediately following World War II as a time of prosperity and growth, with soldiers returning home by the millions, going off to college on the G. I. Bill and lining up at the marriage bureaus.

But when it came to their houses, it was a time of common sense and a belief that less could truly be more. During the Depression and the war, Americans had learned to live with less, and that restraint, in combination with the postwar confidence in the future, made small, efficient housing positively stylish.

Economic condition was only a stimulus for the trend toward efficient living. The phrase “less is more” was actually first popularized by a German, the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who like other people associated with the Bauhaus, a school of design, emigrated to the United States before World War II and took up posts at American architecture schools. These designers came to exert enormous influence on the course of American architecture, but none more so than Mies.

Mies?s signature phrase means that less decoration, properly organized, has more impact than a lot. Elegance, he believed, did not derive from abundance. Like other modern architects, he employed metal, glass and laminated wood — materials that we take for granted today but that in the 1940s symbolized the future. Mies?s sophisticated presentation masked the fact that the spaces he designed were small and efficient, rather than big and often empty.

The apartments in the elegant towers Mies built on Chicago?s Lake Shore Drive, for example, were smaller — two-bedroom units under 1,000 square feet — than those in their older neighbors along the city?s Gold Coast. But they were popular because of their airy glass walls, the views they afforded and the elegance of the buildings? details and proportions, the architectural equivalent of the abstract art so popular at the time.

The trend toward “less” was not entirely foreign. In the 1930s Frank Lloyd Wright started building more modest and efficient houses — usually around 1,200 square feet — than the spreading two-story ones he had designed in the 1890s and the early 20th century.

The “Case Study Houses” commissioned from talented modern architects by California Arts & Architecture magazine between 1945 and 1962 were yet another homegrown influence on the “less is more” trend. Aesthetic effect came from the landscape, new materials and forthright detailing. In his Case Study House, Ralph Rapson may have mispredicted just how the mechanical revolution would impact everyday life — few American families acquired helicopters, though most eventually got clothes dryers — but his belief that self-sufficiency was both desirable and inevitable was widely shared.

31. The postwar American housing style largely reflected the Americans? [A] prosperity and growth

34

[B] efficiency and practicality

[C] restraint and confidence

[D] pride and faithfulness

32. Which of the following can be inferred from Paragraph 3 about Bauhaus?

[A] It was founded by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

[B] Its designing concept was affected by World War II.

[C] Most American architects used to be associated with it.

[D] It had a great influence upon American architecture.

33. Mies held that elegance of architectural design .

[A] was related to large space

[B] was identified with emptiness

[C] was not reliant on abundant decoration

[D] was not associated with efficiency

34. What is true about the apartments Mies built on Chicago?s Lake Shore Drive?

[A] They ignored details and proportions.

[B] They were built with materials popular at that time.

[C] They were more spacious than neighboring buildings.

[D] They shared some characteristics of abstract art.

35. What can we learn about the design of the “Case Study House”?

[A] Mechanical devices were widely used.

[B] Natural scenes were taken into consideration.

[C] Details were sacrificed for the overall effect.

[D] Eco-friendly materials were employed.

Text 4

Will the European Union make it? The question would have sounded strange not long ago. Now even the project?s greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent facing a “Bermuda triangle” of debt, population decline and lower growth.

As well as those chronic problems, the EU faces an acute crisis in its economic core, the 16 countries that use the single currency. Markets have lost faith that the euro zone?s economies, weaker or stronger, will one day converge thanks to the discipline of sharing a single currency, which denies uncompetitive members the quick fix of devaluation.

Yet the debate about how to save Europe?s single currency from disintegration is stuck. It is stuck because the euro zone?s dominant powers, France and Germany, agree on the need for greater harmonisation within the euro zone, but disagree about what to harmonise.

Germany thinks the euro must be saved by stricter rules on borrowing, spending and competitiveness, backed by quasi-automatic sanctions for governments that do not obey. These might include threats to freeze EU funds for poorer regions and EU mega-projects, and even the suspension of a country?s voting rights in EU ministerial councils. It insists that economic co-ordination should involve all 27 members of the EU club, among whom there is a small majority for free-market liberalism and economic rigour; in the inner core alone, Germany fears, a small majority favour French interference.

A “southern” camp headed by France wants something different. “European economic government” within an inner core of euro-zone members. Translated, that means politicians

35

intervening in monetary policy and a system of redistribution from richer to poorer members, via cheaper borrowing for governments through common Eurobonds or complete fiscal transfers. Finally, figures close to the French government have murmured, euro-zone members should agree to some fiscal and social harmonization: e.g., curbing competition in corporate-tax rates or labour costs.

It is too soon to write off the EU. It remains the world?s largest trading block. At its best, the European project is remarkably liberal: built around a single market of 27 rich and poor countries, its internal borders are far more open to goods, capital and labour than any comparable trading area. It is an ambitious attempt to blunt the sharpest edges of globalisation, and make capitalism benign.

36. The EU is faced with so many problems that [A] it has more or less lost faith in markets

[B] even its supporters begin to feel concerned

[C] some of its member countries plan to abandon euro

[D] it intends to deny the possibility of devaluation

37. The debate over the EU?s single currency is stuck because the dominant powers .

[A] are competing for the leading position

[B] are busy handling their own crises

[C] fail to reach an agreement on harmonisation

[D] disagree on the steps towards disintegration

38. To solve the euro problem, Germany proposed that .

[A] EU funds for poor regions be increased

[B] stricter regulations be imposed

[C] only core members be involved in economic co-ordination

[D] voting rights of the EU members be guaranteed

39. The French proposal of handling the crisis implies that .

[A] poor countries are more likely to get funds

[B] strict monetary policy will be applied to poor countries

[C] loans will be readily available to rich countries

[D] rich countries will basically control Eurobonds

40. Regarding the future of the EU, the author seems to feel .

[A] pessimistic

[B] desperate

[C] conceited

[D] hopeful

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英语（二）历年阅读真题

参考答案

20xx年

41-45 CBCAD 46-50 AADBC 51-55 ACCBA 56-60 DCADB

20xx年

41-45 CADBC 46-50 BCADA 51-55 ABCDA 56-60 CBDBD

20xx年

41-45 BDBAC 46-50 DABCB 51-55 ACBDA 56-60 DACDC

20xx年

41-45 DBAAC 46-50 DCBBC 51-55 DCABD 56-60 CABAB

20xx年

21-25 DACCC 26-30 ACBDB 31-35 AADCB 36-40 DACBD

20xx年

21-25 BDCAB 26-30 DBCAA 31-35 CDCDB 36-40 BCBAD

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