2011年考研英语模拟测试题及参考答案七

• 2025考研英语全程班 早鸟3班
• 26考研全科上岸规划营「择校▪规划▪备考」
• 2025考研专业课复习资料「真题▪笔记▪讲义▪题库」

　

Section IUse of English

Directions：

Read the following text. Choose the best word（s） for each numbered blank and mark A， B， C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. （10 points）

Weak dollar or no， $46，000 — the price for a single year of undergraduate instruction amid the red brick of Harvard Yard — is 1. But nowadays cost is 2 barrier to entry at many of America‘s best universities. Formidable financial-assistance policies have 3 fees or slashed them deeply for needy students. And last month Harvard announced a new plan designed to 4 the sticker-shock for undergraduates from middle and even upper-income families too。

Since then， other rich American universities have unveiled 5 initiatives. Yale， Harvard’s bitterest 6， revealed its plans on January 14th. Students whose families make 7 than $60，000 a year will pay nothing at all. Families earning up to $200，000 a year will have to pay an average of 10% of their incomes. The university will 8 its financial-assistance budget by 43%， to over $80m。

Harvard will have a similar arrangement for families making up to $180，000. That makes the price of going to Harvard or Yale 9 to attending a state-run university for middle-and upper-income students. The universities will also not require any student to take out 10 to pay for their 11， a policy introduced by Princeton in 2001 and by the University of Pennsylvania just after Harvard‘s 12. No applicant who gains admission， officials say， should feel 13 to go elsewhere because he or she can’t afford the fees。

None of that is quite as altruistic as it sounds. Harvard and Yale are， after all， now likely to lure more students away from previously 14 options， particularly state-run universities， 15 their already impressive admissions figures and reputations。

The schemes also provide a 16 for structuring university fees in which high prices for rich students help offset modest prices for poorer ones and families are less 17 on federal grants and government-backed loans。

Less wealthy private colleges whose fees are high will not be able to 18 Harvard or Yale easily. But America‘s state-run universities， which have traditionally kept their fees low and stable， might well try a differentiated 19 scheme as they raise cash to compete academically with their private 20. Indeed， the University of California system has already started to implement a sliding-fee scale。

1. ［A］ cheap［B］ reasonable［C］ high［D］ expensive

2. ［A］ still［B］ no［C］ becoming［D］ certain

3. ［A］ eliminated［B］ increased［C］ doubled［D］ decreased

4. ［A］ relieve［B］ suspend［C］ enhance［D］ diminish

5. ［A］ different［B］ same［C］ similar［D］ encouraging

6. ［A］ counterpart［B］ coordinator［C］ rival［D］ cooperator

7. ［A］ less［B］ more［C］ richer［D］ poorer

8. ［A］ enhance［B］ expand［C］ increase［D］ elevate

9. ［A］ incomparable［B］ comparable［C］ distinguishable［D］ identical

10. ［A］ part-time job［B］ work［C］ loans［D］ savings

11. ［A］ charge［B］ fare［C］ payment［D］ tuition

12. ［A］ policy［B］ implementation［C］ adjustment［D］ announcement

13. ［A］ pressured［B］ ashamed［C］ insecure［D］ unhappy

14. ［A］ cheaper［B］ more reasonable［C］ public［D］ better

15. ［A］ expanding［B］ shrinking［C］ enhancing［D］ diminishing

16. ［A］ chance［B］ model［C］ disposition［D］ location

17. ［A］ independent［B］ thankful［C］ detached［D］ reliant

18. ［A］ beat［B］ win［C］ copy［D］ follow

19. ［A］ pricing［B］ tuition［C］ scholarship［D］ financial aiding

20. ［A］ rivals［B］ counterparts［C］ coordinators［D］ cooperators

Section IIReading Comprehension

Part A

Directions：

Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A， B， C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. （40 points）

Text 1

It is the world’s fourth-most-important food crop， after maize， wheat and rice. It provides more calories， more quickly， using less land and in a wider range of climates than any other plant. It is， of course， the potato。

The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato. It hopes that greater awareness of the merits of potatoes will contribute to the achievement of its Millennium Development Goals， by helping to alleviate poverty， improve food security and promote economic development. It is always the international year of this or month of that. But the potato‘s unusual history means it is well worth celebrating by readers of The Economist because the potato is intertwined with economic development， trade liberalisation and globalisation。

Unlikely though it seems， the potato promoted economic development by underpinning the industrial revolution in England in the 19th century. It provided a cheap source of calories and was easy to cultivate， so it liberated workers from the land. Potatoes became popular in the north of England， as people there specialised in livestock farming and domestic industry， while farmers in the south （where the soil was more suitable） concentrated on wheat production. By a happy accident， this concentrated industrial activity in the regions where coal was readily available， and a potato-driven population boom provided ample workers for the new factories. Friedrich Engels even declared that the potato was the equal of iron for its “historically revolutionary role”。

The potato promoted free trade by contributing to the abolition of Britain’s Corn Laws — the cause which prompted the founding of The Economist in 1843. The Corn Laws restricted imports of grain into the United Kingdom in order to protect domestic wheat producers. Landowners supported the laws， since cheap imported grain would reduce their income， but industrialists opposed them because imports would drive down the cost of food， allowing people to spend more on manufactured goods. Ultimately it was not the eloquence of the arguments against the Corn Laws that led to their abolition — and more‘s the pity. It was the tragedy of the Irish potato famine of 1845， in which 1million Irish perished when the potato crop on which they subsisted succumbed to blight. The need to import grain to relieve the situation in Ireland forced the government， which was dominated by landowners who backed the Corn Laws， to reverse its position。

This paved the way for liberalisation in other areas， and free trade became British policy. As the Duke of Wellington complained at the time， “rotten potatoes have done it all。”

In the form of French fries， served alongside burgers and Coca-Cola， potatoes are now an icon of globalisation. This is quite a turnaround given the scepticism which first greeted them on their arrival in the Old World in the 16th century. Spuds were variously thought to cause leprosy， to be fit only for animals， to be associated with the devil or to be poisonous. They took hold in 18th century Europe only when war and famine meant there was nothing else to eat; people then realised just how versatile and reliable they were. As Adam Smith， one of the potato’s many admirers， observed at the time， “The very general use which is made of potatoes in these kingdoms as food for man is a convincing proof that the prejudices of a nation， with regard to diet， however deeply rooted， are by no means unconquerable。” Mashed， fried， boiled and roast， a humble tuber changed the world， and free-trading globalisers everywhere should celebrate it。

21. According to the text， what are the features of potatoes？

［A］ Lower price， quicker growing speed， less land required， and wider range of climate。

［B］ More calories， quicker growing speed， less labor required in growing and processing， and wider range of climate。

［C］ More calories， quicker growing speed， less land required， and wider range of climate。

［D］ More calories， quicker growing speed， less land required， and wider range of products to be made of。

22. What is the ultimate purpose of establishing 2008 the International Year of the Potato？

［A］ Promote the sales volume of potatoes all over the globe。

［B］ Help the farmers that grow potatoes but are still in poverty。

［C］ Promote a greater awareness of the merits of potatoes among the public。

［D］ Alleviate poverty， improve food security and promote economic development。

23. Friedrich Engels declared that the potato was the equal of iron for its “historically revolutionary role”， then according to the text， what does this “historically revolutionary role” refer to？

［A］ Its high volume of production， and consequently lower price， greatly supported the workers in the factories then。

［B］ It liberated workers from the land， thus providing labour force for the industry。

［C］ It changed the agriculture structure of England， which ultimately resulted in a shift from an agricultural country to an industrial one。

［D］ It can provide more calories， thus saving land for cotton growing， and consequently boosting the textile industry。

24. According to the text， which of the following is NOT true about Britain‘s Corn Laws？

［A］ These laws were ultimately abolished after a fierce argument in the Parliament。

［B］ Landowners supported the laws because domestic products were more expensive， and then they could gain more。

［C］ Industrialists opposed the laws because cheap imported grains would help them develop the market。

［D］ Irish potato famine of 1845 directly forced the government to reverse its position of sustaining these laws。

25. Why were potatoes at last accepted by Europeans？

［A］ They changed their diet to a more diversified trend。

［B］ French fries swept all over the world alongside burgers and Coca-Cola。

［C］ Potatoes saved them when war and famine stroke Europe in 18th century。

［D］ It became very important goods for Europe in trading with Asia。

Text 2

Twenty-seven years ago， Egypt revised its secular constitution to enshrine Muslim sharia as “the principal source of legislation”。 To most citizens， most of the time， that seeming contradiction — between secularism and religion — has not made much difference. Nine in ten Egyptians are Sunni Muslims and expect Islam to govern such things as marriage， divorce and inheritance. Nearly all the rest profess Christianity or Judaism， faiths recognised and protected in Islam. But to the small minority who embrace other faiths， or who have tried to leave Islam， it has， until lately， made an increasingly troubling difference。

Members of Egypt’s 2，000-strong Bahai community， for instance， have found they cannot state their religion on the national identity cards that all Egyptians are obliged to produce to secure such things as driver‘s licenses， bank accounts， social insurance and state schooling. Hundreds of Coptic Christians who have converted to Islam， often to escape the Orthodox sect’s ban on divorce， find they cannot revert to their original faith. In some cases， children raised as Christians have discovered that， because a divorced parent converted to Islam， they too have become officially Muslim， and cannot claim otherwise。

Such restrictions on religious freedom are not directly a product of sharia， say human-rights campaigners， but rather of rigid interpretations of Islamic law by over-zealous officials. In their strict view， Bahai belief cannot be recognised as a legitimate faith， since it arose in the 19th century， long after Islam staked its claim to be the final revelation in a chain of prophecies beginning with Adam. Likewise， they brand any attempt to leave Islam， whatever the circumstances， as a form of apostasy， punishable by death。

But such views have lately been challenged. Last year Ali Gomaa， the Grand Mufti， who is the government‘s highest religious adviser， declared that nowhere in Islam’s sacred texts did it say that apostasy need be punished in the present rather than by God in the afterlife. In the past month， Egyptian courts have issued two rulings that， while restricted in scope， should ease some bothersome strictures。

Bahais may now leave the space for religion on their identity cards blank. Twelve former Christians won a lawsuit and may now return to their original faith， on condition that their identity documents note their previous adherence to Islam。

Small steps， perhaps， but they point the way towards freedom of choice and citizenship based on equal rights rather than membership of a privileged religion。

26. According to the text， what impact did the revision of Egypt‘s secular constitution have on its citizens’ lives？

［A］ It did not make much difference to all the citizens。

［B］ Most of the Muslims felt that there was no much difference， but Christians， Judaists and people who embraced other religions felt increasing troubles。

［C］ Muslims， Christians and Judaists were protected in Islam， thus feeling no much difference， while other who embraced other faiths felt increasingly troubling difference。

［D］ Only Buddhists were specially treated， while others not。

27. What trouble may people who are neither Muslims nor Christians nor Judaists encounter according to the text？

［A］ They cannot preserve their own customs。

［B］ They cannot state their religion on the national identity cards。

［C］ They will not be able to divorce。

［D］ They cannot leave Egypt。

28. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text？

［A］ Bahai belief is a legitimate faith according to some Islamic officials。

［B］ Any attempt to leave Islam will be punishable by death， whatever the situation is。

［C］ Bahai belief is a religion that boasts a long history。

［D］ Islamic officials tend to employ strict interpretations of Islamic law when it comes to the issue of religious freedom。

29. What progress has now been made toward religious freedom？

［A］ They can revert to their original faith freely， as long as it is clearly stated on their ID cards that they used to be in Islam。

［B］ People may be freely reverted to their original faith， on condition that their children remain in Islam。

［C］ To those who converted to Islam， only their children can be reverted to their original faith。

［D］ The government has officially declared that such restriction on religious freedom would be abolished。

30. What is the main purpose of this text？

［A］ To introduce the status quo of religious freedom in Egypt。

［B］ To ask for help in alleviating the restricted religious freedom in Egypt。

［C］ To force the government into action of some changes。

［D］ To promote the idea that freedom of choice and citizenship shall be based on equal rights rather than membership of a privileged religion。

Text 3

Remember Second Life， the virtual world that was supposed to become almost as important as the first one？ Now populated by no more than 84，000 avatars at a time， it has turned out to be a prime example of how short-lived Internet fads can be. Yet if many adults seem to have given up on virtual worlds， those that cater to children and teenagers are thriving. Several have even found a way to make money。

In America， nearly 10 million children and teenagers visit virtual worlds regularly， estimates eMarketer， a market researcher — a number the firm expects to increase to 15 million by 2013. As in January， there were 112 virtual worlds designed for under-18s with another 81 in development， according to Engage Digital Media， a market research firm。

All cater to different age groups and tastes. In Club Penguin， the market leader， which was bought by Disney in 2007 for a whopping $700 million， primary-school children can take on a penguin persona， fit out their own igloo and play games. Habbo Hotel， a service run from Finland， is a global hangout for teenagers who want to customise their own rooms and meet in public places to attend events. Gaia Online， based in Silicon Valley， offers similar activities， but is visited mostly by older teens who are into Manga comics。

Not a hit with advertisers， these online worlds earn most of their money from the sale of virtual goods， such as items to spruce up an avatar or a private room. They are paid for in a private currency， which members earn by participating in various activities， trading items or buying them with real dollars。

This sort of stealth tax seems to work. At Gaia Online， users spend more than $1 million per month on virtual items， says Craig Sherman， the firm‘s chief executive. Running such a virtual economy is not easy， which is why Gaia has hired a full-time economist to grapple with problems that are well known in the real world， such as inflation and an unequal distribution of wealth。

There are other barriers that could limit the growth of virtual worlds for the young， but the main one is parents. Many do not want their offspring roaming virtual worlds， either because they are too commercial or are thought to be too dangerous. Keeping them safe is one of the biggest running costs， because their sponsors have to employ real people to police their realms。

Youngsters are also a fickle bunch， says Simon Levene of Accel Partners， a venture-capital firm. Just as children move from one toy to another， they readily switch worlds or social networks， often without saying goodbye。

Even so， Debra Aho Williamson， an analyst at eMarketer， believes “these worlds are a training ground for the three-dimensional web”。 If virtual worlds for adults， which so far have been able to retain only hardcore users， manage to hang on for a few years， they may yet have a second life。

31. In the first paragraph it says that “Several have even found a way to make money”。 Which of the following could possibly be the “way”？

［A］ Sales of the copies of the game。

［B］ Sales of virtual goods in the game。

［C］ Sales of game peripheral goods， such as dolls and OST CDs。

［D］ Development of different games towards gamers of different ages。

32. Why do online games not mean “a hit with advertisers”？

［A］ The advertisers do not have appropriate ways to advertise in the online world。

［B］ Online game companies do not want to cooperate with the advertisers。

［C］ The profit pattern of online games does not leave much space for them。

［D］ The advertisers deem that online games will not be a rising industry。

33. Which of the following may NOT be the barriers to limit the growth of virtual worlds？

［A］ Inflation and unequal distributions of wealth can also happen in the virtual world。

［B］ The virtual world could grow complicated enough to force employment of special staff to manage it。

［C］ Parents would keep their children from the online games in order to keep them safe。

［D］ The online game companies will have to keep the virtual world safe， at some rather high cost。

34. What can we infer from Simon Levene’s comments？

［A］ Young people will usually change games。

［B］ Young people are only attracted by the novelties in the games。

［C］ Game companies will have to use various measures to keep young people continuing playing their games。

［D］ Current prosperity of online games market may not last long due to the capriciousness of young people。

35. What may “stealth tax” in “This sort of stealth tax seems to work” refer to？

［A］ Online world promotes transaction without seeing the currencies， thus boosting the consumption。

［B］ Things in the online world do not need to be taxed， and then is cheaper than actual ones。

［C］ Companies have already paid the tax for the players。

［D］ People buy things in the online world in a largely unnoticed way， either by himself or by others。

Text 4

Scores of workers from MTV Networks walked off the job yesterday afternoon， filling the sidewalk outside the headquarters of its corporate parent， Viacom， to protest recent changes in benefits. The walkout highlighted the concerns of a category of workers who are sometimes called permalancers： permanent freelancers who work like full-time employees but do not receive the same benefits。

Waving signs that read “Shame on Viacom，” the workers， most of them in their 20s， demanded that MTV Networks reverse a plan to reduce health and dental benefits for freelancers beginning On Jan. 1st. In a statement， MTV Networks noted that its benefits program for full-time employees had also undergone changes， and it emphasized that the plan for freelancers was still highly competitive within the industry. Many freelancers receive no corporate benefits. But some of the protesters asserted that corporations were competing to see which could provide the most mediocre health care coverage. Matthew Yonda， who works at Nickelodeon， held a sign that labeled the network “Sick-elodeon。” “I‘ve worked here every day for three years — I’m not a freelancer，” Mr. Yonda said. “They just call us freelancers in order to bar us from getting the same benefits as employees。”

The changes to the benefits package were announced last Tuesday. Freelancers were told that they would become eligible for benefits after 160 days of work， beginning in January. While that eased previous eligibility rules， which required freelancers to work for 52 weeks before becoming eligible， it would have required all freelancers not yet eligible for benefits to start the waiting period over again on Jan. 1st. The 401（k） plan was also removed. On Thursday， acknowledging the complaints， MTV Networks reinstated the 401（k） plan and said freelancers who had worked consistently since March would be eligible。

Fueled by a series of blog posts on the media Web site Gawker — the first post was headlined “The Viacom Permalance Slave System” — a loose cohort of freelancers created protest stickers and distributed walkout fliers last week. Caroline O‘Hare， a unit manager who has worked for MTV for more than two years， said the new health care plan — with higher deductibles and a $2，000 cap on hospital expenses each year — had provoked outrage. “They think they can treat us like children that don’t have families， mortgages or dreams of retirement，” she said。

Outside Viacom‘s headquarters， several workers held posters with the words， “There’s too many of us to ignore。” It was unclear how many freelancers are on the company‘s payroll; an MTV Networks’ spokeswoman said the figure was not known because it rises and falls throughout the year. The company has 5，500 full-time employees， excluding freelancers， around the world。

Two freelancers and one full-time employee， who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution， estimated that the percentage of freelancers in some departments exceeded 75 percent. Another labor action is expected to take place outside Viacom later this week. Members of the Writers Guild of America， who have been on strike for five weeks， are expected to picket there on Thursday。

36. Which of the following is NOT true on MTV Networks‘ new benefits plan for freelancers？

［A］ Its benefits plan for freelancers is highly competitive in the industry。

［B］ Its freelancers cannot get the same benefits as the full-time employees do。

［C］ The freelancers who are not eligible for benefits should start the waiting period over again on Jan. 1st。

［D］ The freelancers are against the new plan which substantially undermined their benefit。

37. What can we infer from the assertion that “corporations were competing to see which could provide the most mediocre health care coverage”？

［A］ Some benefits packages for full-time employees have already been a standard for freelancers。

［B］ Those who provide lesser health care coverage will be degraded in the industry evaluation。

［C］ Some companies use mediocre health care coverage as an edge in attracting freelancers。

［D］ It is a common practice for the companies not to provide adequate health care coverage for freelancers。

 

38. What does the word “reinstate” （Line 6， Paragraph 3） most probably mean？

［A］ redesign［B］ repair［C］ restore［D］ reset

39. Why did the MTV Networks’ spokeswoman say the number of freelancers was unclear？

［A］ The figure rises and falls all over the year。

［B］ The company wants to keep it as a secret so that they can better stand the protest。

［C］ As they are only freelancers， their payrolls are not included in the financial system of the company。

［D］ They do not want to treat freelancers the same as full-time employees。

40. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text？

［A］ Government may intervene in this dispute。

［B］ Strike will continue and labours union may intervene。

［C］ Companies decided to compromise with these freelancers。

［D］ Some freelancers have filed law suits against Viacom。

Part B

Directions：

In the following article， some sentences have been removed. For Questions 41-45， choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There are two extra choices， which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. （10 points）

Long before man lived on the Earth， there were fishes， reptiles， birds， insects， and some mammals. Although some of these animals were ancestors of kinds living today， others are now extinct， that is， they have no descendants alive now. Nevertheless， we know a great deal about many of them because their bones and shells have been preserved in the rocks as fossils. 41. That kind of rock in which the remains are found tells us much about the nature of the original land， often of the plants that grew on it， and even of its climate。

When an animal dies， the body， its bones， or shell， may often be carried away by streams into lakes or the sea and there get covered up by mud. If the animal lived in the sea its body would probably sink and be covered with mud. More and more mud would fall upon it until the bones or shell become embedded and preserved. 42. Thus it follows that there must be many kinds of mammals， birds， and insects of which we know nothing。

43. Later forms are more complex， and among these are the sea-lilies， relations of the star-fishes， which had long arms and were attached by a long stalk to the sea bed， or to rocks. There were also crab-like creatures， whose bodies were covered with a horny substance. The body segments each had two pairs of legs， one pair for walking on the sandy bottom， the other for swimming. The head was a kind of shield with a pair of compound eyes， often with thousands of lenses. They were usually an inch or two long but some were 2 feet。

The shellfish have a long history in the rock and many different kinds are known. Of these， the ammonites are very interesting and important. They have a shell composed of many chambers， each representing a temporary home of the animal. As the young grew larger it grew a new chamber and sealed off the previous one. Thousands of these can be seen in the rocks on the Dorset Coast。

The first animals with true backbones were fishes， first known in the rocks of 375 million years ago. About 300 million years ago the amphibians， the animals able to live both on land and in water， appeared. They were giant， sometimes 8 feet long， and many of them lived in the swampy pools in which our coal seam， or layer， formed. 44. About 75 million years ago the Age of Reptiles was over and most of the groups died out. The mammals quickly developed， and we can trace the evolution of many familiar animals such as the elephant and horse. 45.

［A］ The best index fossils tend to be marine creatures. These animals evolved rapidly and spread over large areas of the world。

［B］ The amphibians gave rise to the reptiles and for nearly 150 million years these were the principal forms of life on land， in the sea， and in the air。

［C］ Many of the later mammals， though now extinct， were known to primitive man and were featured by him in cave paintings and on bone carvings。

［D］ Nearly all of the fossils that we know were preserved in rocks formed by water action， and most of these are of animals that lived in or near water。

［E］ The earliest animals whose remains have been found were all very simple kinds and lived in the sea。

［F］ Many factors can influence how fossils are preserved in rocks. Remains of an organism may be replaced by minerals， dissolved by an acidic solution to leave only their impression， or simply reduced to a more stable form。

［G］ From them we can tell their size and shape， how they walked， the kind of food they ate. Very occasionally the rocks show impression of skin， so that， apart from color， we can build up a reasonably accurate picture of an animal that died millions of years ago。

Part C

Directions：

Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written clearly on ANSWER SHEET 2. （10 points）

It is hard to get a grip on food. The UN‘s World Health Organisation worries about diminishing supplies and increased prices in poor countries; recent riots and near-riots in Haiti， Bangladesh and Egypt were sparked by the growing cost of wheat and rice. But， as Paul Roberts observes in “The End of Food”， the developed world has lived through “a near miraculous period during which the things we ate seemed to grow only more plentiful， more secure， more nutritious， and simply better。” 46. In the second half of the 20th century， world output of corn， wheat and cereal crops more than tripled. Yet there is not enough to feed the rich， the aspirational and the poor in the world. A golden age has been transformed quite suddenly into a global crisis。

Mr Roberts insists that modern agribusiness is unsustainable and becoming more so. “Precisely at the moment in history when we need to shift our system of food production into overdrive， our agricultural engine is breaking down，” he says. The industry has taken cheap oil for granted. Oil fuels transportation and farm machinery， and natural gas is the basis of synthetic nitrogen production （prices have tripled since 2002）。 Agriculture accounts for three-quarters of freshwater use， and water is becoming an increasingly scarce and expensive resource. Climate change makes some old assumptions about farming redundant. 47. A combination of these factors， he says， will ultimately force a complete rethinking of the way we make food。

For years government subsidies held down grain prices， making food cheaper. 48. Water was also plentiful — it takes 1，000 tonnes of water to produce a tonne of grain — and an ingenious process known as Haber-Bosch makes synthetic nitrogen fertiliser easily available to grain farmers. Ruthless price-cutting at supermarkets means consumers have grown accustomed to eating too much. （In the late 19th century， Europeans already thought Americans ate three or four times more than was necessary。） The most damaging consequence is that by 2000 31% of American adults were obese， with another 16% defined as overweight. American airlines spend $275 million a year more on fuel simply to lift the heavier passengers. Mr Roberts claims that every year obesity causes 400，000 premature deaths in America. Food has become as deadly as tobacco。

A fruitful start would be to halve the size of portions in all American restaurants， but most consumers are reluctant rethinkers. 49. Eating organic product could be a partial solution， although one study suggests that the cost of avoiding intensive farm chemicals would mean a 31% increase in food prices. Government scientists believe that genetically modified crops might be the only way out of the crisis， but a majority of consumers are reluctant to listen。

Is there a model for the future？ 50. Fashionably， Mr. Roberts believes that a local system based on easily obtainable seasonal foods that do not need to be transported huge distances would form part of a solution. The economics and greenery of this are far from proven. Mr Roberts can find only one country that has made “serious efforts” in this direction： Cuba， hardly a comforting example. The coming food crisis， warns the author， is as intractable as global warming， and no less urgent。

Section III Writing

Part A

51. Directions：

One of your pen friends， John， will be visiting your city. However， for some reasons， you cannot meet him at the airport on time. Write a letter asking him to wait for you at the airport and tell him how to recognize you. Your letter should be no less than 100 words. You don’t need to write the address. Don‘t sign your own name at the end of the letter. Use Roger instead. （10 points）

Part B

52. Directions：

Study the following drawing carefully and write an essay in which you should

1） describe the drawing；

2） interpret its meaning；

3） support your view with examples。

You should write about 160-200 words neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2.（20 points）

考研2011考研英语最后点题第二套参考答案

Section IUse of English

【先睹为快】

1. D2. B3. A4. A5. C6. C7. A8. B9. B10. C

11. D12. D13. A14. A15. C16. B17. D18. C19. A20. B

【文章大意】

哈佛等私立大学虽然学费高昂，但是它们提出了一系列助学金政策来帮助中低收入家庭。哈佛宣布其政策之后，其他的私立学校也相继跟进，他们纷纷宣称学生不该因付不起学费而被迫往它处求学，并以此与公立学校竞争。他们还设立了一种大学收费模式——对富裕学生施行高收费，以此来帮助补贴较困难的以及不符合领取联邦津贴和政府贷款条件的家庭的学生。

【答案透析】

1. 【答案】 D。

形容词辨析，首先这里的主干部分是$46，000 is…，price是在破折号内的，因此可以把high排除掉。而再看后文里的奖助学金之类的政策，可以说这笔学费应该是很高的，而非合理的或便宜的，故选择expensive。

2. 【答案】 B。

既然前文提到这些学校的学费很贵，那么从逻辑上说进这些学校学费该是一个很大的障碍。而本句有一个转折，说明应当是没有障碍，因此选择no。

3. 【答案】 A。

首先本句的结构是一个让步的关系，即需要填入的这个动词的程度应当比or后面的成分更深。那么看or后面的slashed them deeply for needy students，为需要的学生大大降低了学费，那么可以推断出B项和C项不合适。而D项和A项相比，D项是普通意义上的减少，并不会比大大降低有多少程度上的递进，故选择A项。

4. 【答案】 A。

A项缓和，B项中止，C项加强，D项减少。结合这个动词的宾语sticker-shock，这是一个美国术语，直译是“标签震惊”，也就是看了标签上的价钱后震惊不已，形容定价太高。那么前述的减免学费政策自然应当是缓和这种震惊。C项在意思上肯定不对，B、D不适用于这种抽象性的对象。

5. 【答案】 C。

从后文看，耶鲁等大学也出台了相应的减免学费政策，那么应当是similar；前文并未提及哈佛的具体措施，所以same无从谈起。

6. 【答案】 C。

哈佛和耶鲁的关系，相提并论、相互竞争，乃至相互合作都是可以的。那么重点需要理解bitterest这个单词的修饰作用，bitter在这里是指显示出嫉妒、怨恨或失望的，因此结合选项，rival最为合适。

7. 【答案】 A。

结合文章主题是减免学费的高校财政支持政策，那么能够享受这些政策的应该是低收入家庭，所以是less than…。poorer than 后面的所比较对象不符合语法规范，故不选。

8. 【答案】 B。

根据后面的by 43%判断，expand和increase比较合适，enhance和elevate都不能在后面加上具体的百分比。而increase后面的宾语更多的是具体的数值，而不是仅仅一个budget，故expand最为合适。

9. 【答案】 B。

前文说哈佛也对年收入接近18万美元的家庭有相应的学费减免计划，如此一来，进入哈佛学习的学费将相应降低，那么这和州立大学的学费相比呢？一般来说哈佛等私立大学的学费会比公立大学的学费高，有了这个计划，则相应降低，故应当是comparable，可比较的，比得上的。

10. 【答案】 C。

take out是一个固定搭配，意为“获取，办理”。后文的动词为支付，则可以判断出是要通过借款或者打工来支付，take out part-time job不符合搭配，使用take part-time jobs即可。savings或work都不符合题意。

11. 【答案】 D。

A项charge一般指收费，B项一般指交通费，C项指付款、报酬，综合全文，都是在说学费，故选出D项。

12. 【答案】 D。

本文第一段说“And last month Harvard announced a new plan”，那么可以判断出这里指代前文哈佛的announcement；若选择implementation，由于本处并未提及该公告，故应当有 implementation of…之类。policy会造成语义残缺，而adjustment并未在文中提及。

13. 【答案】 A。

本句是说任何获得入学许可的同学都不会因为无力负担学费而觉得该去其他地方。A项有压力的，语义合适；B项羞愧的，这不符合常识，或者说并非常态；C项不安全和D项不高兴在文中都未曾提及。

14. 【答案】 A。

本题要抓住后面的particularly state-run universities，前文说到哈佛和耶鲁之类的大学经过学费减免计划之后学费同公立大学差不多，那么这里结合选项，cheaper最为合适，more reasonable未有提及，public则意思不对，即previously public说明之前是公立，现在是私立了；better也未有提及。

15. 【答案】 C。

首先根据句意判断，哈佛耶鲁与公立学校竞争以招来更多的学生，这肯定是有积极意义的，所以像shrink和diminish这样的含有消极意义的词汇不符合题意。同时这个动词的宾语是reputation和figure，expand无法与reputation搭配，故选择C。

16. 【答案】 B。

此处的scheme指代前面各大高校的资助政策，后面是说分别收费有助于减少对联邦贷款的依赖，那么结合选项，应当是model最为合适。文中并未提及有关高校学费区分的困难及机会，故A项不选。disposition和location都不符合文意。

17. 【答案】 D。

既然对于学生的学费进行了区分收取，那么中低收入家庭所要负担的学费就较之前少一些，故可以不用再大规模地向联邦借贷。“The universities will also not require any student to take out loans to pay for their tuition”从这句话可以推断。故应该是依赖程度更低，故选D。

18. 【答案】 C。

A项打败，B项赢得，C项模仿，D项跟随。这里是说学费高昂但是财力并不雄厚的私立学校并不能轻松哈佛和耶鲁，文中并未提及相互竞争的内容，故 A、B项错误。从全文来看应当是说他们也想引入区分收费的政策，所以应当是copy，选项follow应当为follow one’s example方为合适，故选C。

19. 【答案】 A。

根据前文copy哈佛或耶鲁的表述，可以推断出他们也是要区分收费，那么便是pricing。

20. 【答案】 B。

这里前面是说公立大学，那么与之竞争的对应者应当是私立大学，那么应该是private counterparts，故选择B。

【难句聚焦】

1. Harvard and Yale are， after all， now likely to lure more students away from previously cheaper options， particularly state-run universities， enhancing their already impressive admissions figures and reputations。

【分析】主体结构是Harvard and Yale are now likely to lure…。After all作整句的状语。particularly后面这一部分作options的同位语，现在分词enhancing引导目的状语。

2. But America‘s state-run universities， which have traditionally kept their fees low and stable， might well try a differentiated pricing scheme as they raise cash to compete academically with their private counterparts。

【分析】主体结构是America’s state-run universities might well try…。which引导一个非限制性定语从句。as引导一个原因状语从句。

Section IIReading Comprehension

Part A

Text 1

【先睹为快】

21. C 22. D 23. B 24. A 25. C

【答案透析】

21. 【答案】 C。

本题需要仔细阅读第一段第二句“It provides more calories， more quickly， using less land and in a wider range of climates than any other plant”这便说的是马铃薯的特点。那么结合选项，A项的lower price文中没有提及，B项的less labor in processing未有提及，D项中的wider range of products to be made of也未有提及，故选C。

22. 【答案】 D。

求解本题需要找到“It hopes that greater awareness of the merits of potatoes will contribute to the achievement of its Millennium Development Goals， by helping to alleviate poverty， improve food security and promote economic development”。这一句有三层意思，一是让人们增进对马铃薯优点的了解，二是有助于减少贫困、提高食品安全性以及促进经济的发展，三是实现联合国的千年发展目标。第一层是活动本身的目的，第二层是手段，第三层是最终目标。而A、B项在文中都未有提及，故结合问题，D项最为合适。

23. 【答案】 B。

A项说马铃薯产量高，价格便宜，有力支持了工厂的工人，但文中并未有此表述，故不选。B项说使人们脱离了田地间的劳作，从而为工业提供了劳动力，这在第三段中可以找到对应的表述，故选。C项说改变了英国的农业结构，文中也没有表述。D项说提供更多的热量是正确的，但是提供更多的土地供棉花种植却并不正确。

24. 【答案】 A。

A项说是经过议会激烈辩论后被废除的，而在文中是说最终并不是口若悬河的辩论而是同情废止了《谷物法》，故答案选A项。B项说国内产品更贵，地主可以赚更多的钱，对应文中“廉价进口的谷物会降低他们的收益”。C项说进口谷物有助于他们开拓市场，这需要找到文中说的进口谷物“会降低食物价格，从而让人们在制造好的商品上花费更多”，这两者意思相同。D项则是第四段的最后两句的总结。

25. 【答案】 C。

本题求解在最后一段中的“They took hold in 18th-century Europe only when war and famine meant there was nothing else to eat; people then realised just how versatile and reliable they were”。A项文中没有提及，B项是马铃薯被欧洲人接受之后呈现的现象，C项则可以直接对应，D项文中也未有提及，故选择C。

【难句聚焦】

1. Unlikely though it seems， the potato promoted economic development by underpinning the industrial revolution in England in the 19th century。

【分析】本句主体结构是the potato promoted economic development。前面的unlikely though it seems调整容易理解的句序应当为unlikely it seems， though，…。

2. Ultimately it was not the eloquence of the arguments against the Corn Laws that led to their abolition — and more‘s the pity。

【分析】本句为强调句结构，it is （not） that…。And more’s the pity 还原成句子就是 it is more the pity that…。

【译海拾贝】

在世界的粮食作物中，它的重要性仅次于玉米、小麦和稻谷。与其它农作物相比，它能够提供更多的热量，生长速度更快，而所占土地面积却比它们要少，适宜它生长的气候条件也更广。它，当然就是马铃薯了。

联合国已经宣布2008年为“马铃薯国际年”。它希望人们了解马铃薯的优点后将有助于减少贫困、提高食品安全性以及促进经济的发展，从而实现联合国的千年发展目标。它不是这个的国际年就是那个的国际月。但是马铃薯不寻常的历史意味着它非常值得《经济学家》读者们赞美——因为马铃薯的历史与经济发展、贸易自由化及全球化是交织在一起的。

虽然马铃薯其貌不扬，但是它确实为英国19世纪的工业革命打下了基础，推动了其经济的发展。它是价廉的热量来源，也很容易栽种，因此使人脱离了田地间的劳作。马铃薯在英国北方种植广泛，因为北方的人专门从事牲畜农业和家庭产业，而南方的农场主（这里的土壤更适合种马铃薯）则种植小麦。完全巧合的是，这使得工业集中在这个煤炭资源丰富的地区，而马铃薯产业导致了人口的大量剩余，这又为新的工厂提供了充足的劳动力。弗里德·恩格斯甚至宣称马铃薯“历史性的革命作用”可以与铁相提并论。

马铃薯促进了自由贸易的发展，使英国的《谷物法》被废除——而这也促成了1843年《经济学家》的创立。《谷物法》限制粮食进口到英国以保护国内的小麦生产商。土地拥有者支持这项法律，因为便宜的进口粮食会让他们的收入减少，但工厂主则反对这项法律，因为进口会让食品价格降低，这样人们就会把更多的钱花在工业产品上。最终并不是口若悬河的辩论而是同情废止了《谷物法》。起因是1845年爱尔兰马铃薯歉收，由于他们所赖以生存的马铃薯得了枯萎病，导致了一百万爱尔兰人死亡。爱尔兰需要进口粮食来缓解灾情，这迫使由支持《谷物法》的土地拥有者所组成的政府不得不改弦易辙。

这就为其它领域的自由化铺平了道路，自由贸易也就成为了英国的政策。当时的惠灵顿公爵苦叹道：“腐烂的马铃薯实现了这所有的目标。”

马铃薯以炸薯条的形式跟夹饼和可乐一起出售，它现在已经是全球化的标志。这完全是个转变，考虑到在十六世纪它们传到旧大陆的时候人们心存疑虑。马铃薯当时被认为会引起麻风病，只适合动物吃，与恶魔有关，而且有毒。只有在十八世纪的欧洲，当战争和饥荒使人们无以为食的时候，它们才被接受；直到那时，人们才知道马铃薯的用途是多么的广，又是多么的可靠。正如众多的马铃薯的赞赏者之一亚当·斯密斯所言，“这些国家对于马铃薯作为食物的利用完全可以让人相信：一个民族对于饮食的偏见，不管是多么根深蒂固，也决不会不可改变。”通过捣碎、油炸、清煮和烘烤，小小的马铃薯改变了这个世界，每个自由贸易的全球化者都应该赞美它。

Text 2

【先睹为快】

26. C 27. B 28. D 29. A 30. D

【答案透析】

26. 【答案】 C。

A项，没有影响所有的公民，但是第一段中明确说明有一小部分所受影响严重，故A项错误。B项，只有穆斯林没觉得有变化，而其他宗教的信徒都觉得有区别，但是文中是说Nearly all the rest profess Christianity or Judaism， faiths recognised and protected in Islam，故B项也不对。C项，穆斯林，基督徒和犹太教徒都不会受太大影响，除了一小部分其他信仰者或是那些试图脱离伊斯兰教者，故此C正确。D项提到了佛教徒，但是文中并未提及，故D项不选。

27. 【答案】 B。

本题需要注意第二段。A项不能保持他们自己的习俗，文中并未提及，故不选。B项不能在身份证上表明他们的宗教信仰，这可以在第二段所举的例子中找到对应表述，故正确。C项说不能离婚，第二段中的表述是很多人因为不能离婚而从基督教转换到伊斯兰教，但并没有说明其他宗教的情况，故不选。D项不能离开埃及，文中也没有提及，故不选。

28. 【答案】 D。

A项一些伊斯兰官员认为巴哈教是合法宗教，但是第四段中说“他们认为，严格看来，巴哈教信仰不能被承认是一种合法的信仰”，故A项不正确。B项说任何试图离开伊斯兰教的行为，不管什么情况，都应被处以死刑，貌似和文中符合，但是原文是they brand，污蔑，因此事实并非如此，B不正确。C项巴哈教有很长的历史，但是文中说其仅产生于19世纪，故C不正确。D项伊斯兰官员总是倾向于采取严格的伊斯兰法律解释，这与文中所述符合，故选择D项。

29. 【答案】 A。

本题主要在倒数第二段，是说有些基督徒赢得了官司，可以返回原来的信仰，只是要在身份证上注明自己曾经信仰过伊斯兰教。那么回过头来看选项，A 项符合文意；B项说孩子仍需信仰伊斯兰教，这文中并未提及；C项说只有孩子能够返回原来的信仰，同样文中也没有提及；D项政府公开宣称不再限制宗教自由，这在文中也没有说明。故A项正确。

30. 【答案】 D。

全文的目的需要看一下最后一段，“这些公民权利应该是平等的而不能依据一个人的宗教身份而有什么特权”，然后再看选项。A项说是介绍埃及的宗教自由现状，文中有很大一部分着墨于此，但这只是手段，并非目的。B项说呼吁埃及拓宽宗教自由，这在文中并未看到。C项说迫使政府采取措施改善现状，一篇文章并不能产生迫使的作用，况且还是外国人写的文章。D项意思与最后一段的意思比较符合，是通过文章宣传平等的概念，借宗教自由之名呼吁平等的公民权利。

【难句聚焦】

1. But to the small minority who embrace other faiths， or who have tried to leave Islam， it has， until lately， made an increasingly troubling difference。

【分析】主体结构是it has made an increasingly troubling difference。to the small 一句引导的是状语，而until lately是插入的时间状语。

2. Such restrictions on religious freedom are not directly a product of sharia， say human-rights campaigners， but rather of rigid interpretations of Islamic law by over-zealous officials。

【分析】主体结构是such restrictions are not a product of… but rather of…。say human rights campaigners是插入语。rather在这里用以提出更为确切的说法，表示两者比较，正确的为后者。

【译海拾贝】

27年前，埃及修改了它的世俗宪法，强调要以伊斯兰教教法作为“立法之根本”。对大多数埃及公民来说，在大多数时候，这种看上去的矛盾——世俗和宗教之间——似乎并没有造成多少影响。十分之九的埃及人是逊尼派穆斯林，他们希望用伊斯兰教规来管理诸如结婚、离婚以及继承之类的事情。其他的埃及人几乎全都是基督徒或是信仰犹太教，这两种宗教在伊斯兰教中是得到认同和保护的宗教。但近来，对于一小部分其他信仰者或是那些试图脱离伊斯兰教者，这次修宪导致的差异使他们越来越觉得麻烦重重。

例如达到2000之多的巴哈教社区的成员们已经发现他们不能在身份证上表明他们的宗教信仰，而所有埃及人都有义务这样做来获得诸如驾照、银行帐户、社会保险以及享受公立教育等。数百名曾经因逃避正教在离婚上的禁令而皈依到伊斯兰教的基督徒（科普特教会：埃及的基督教会，信奉基督一性论的教义）发现他们无法恢复原来的信仰。在有些情况下，信仰基督长大的孩子们发现因其离婚父母皈依伊斯兰教，而使他们自己被列入正式穆斯林，并且丧失了信仰其他宗教的权利。

人权运动人士表示，这样一些对宗教信仰自由的限制约束并不是直接源自伊斯兰教法，而是狂热的官员通过伊斯兰法律进行的强行解释。他们认为，严格看来，巴哈教信仰不能被承认是一种合法的信仰，这是因为它产生于19世纪，不久之后，伊斯兰教宣称获得了始于亚当一系列预言中的最终启示。同样，这些官员诬蔑任何试图离开伊斯兰教的行为，不管什么情况，都属于背教并需要用死刑来进行惩处。

但是最近这样的观点受到了质疑。伊斯兰教大法学家Ali Gomaa作为政府最高宗教顾问，在去年宣布，在伊斯兰教那神圣的经文里没有哪里提到过背教必须像现在那样接受死刑的处罚，事实上，根据经文，这种惩罚应该是死后由真主作出。在过去的一个月，埃及法院已经作出两项规定，在保留限制范围的同时，放宽一些令人感到麻烦的约束。

也许现在巴哈教徒可以在他们的身份证上为其宗教信仰而留下空余。12名前基督徒赢得了一场诉讼，他们也许现在可以回到他们原来的信仰了，条件是他们的身份文件要注明他们以前曾经信仰伊斯兰教。

这也许只能算是一个小小的进步，但他们为选择自由和公民权利指明了前进的道路。这些公民权利应该是平等的而不能依据一个人的宗教身份而有特权之分。

Text 3

【先睹为快】

31. B 32. C 33. A 34. D 35. A

【答案透析】

31. 【答案】 B。

虽然这一句出现在第一段，但是答案需要到第四段中去找，第四段提到“这些虚拟世界的利润来源是虚拟物品的销售”。那么可以判断出既不是游戏拷贝，也不是游戏衍生品，更不是游戏产品细分年龄，故选择B项。

32. 【答案】 C。

本题的答案同样在第四段，because后面给出了原因，说主要利润来源是游戏里的虚拟物品的销售，这种盈利模式之下广告商很难从中获取分成，因为这是以虚拟货币完成的，虚拟货币的获得只有一部分通过实际货币获得，因此降低了广告商的盈利空间，因此C项符合文意。A项说没有合适的方式进行广告，大体上也是正确，但是和C项相比，C项更为具体。B项说有些公司并不愿意和广告商合作，这按常理判断应该不会，因为与广告商合作对于公司来说基本上是利大于弊。D项说广告商不认为网络游戏有前途，这无法从文中得到，因此综合来看C项最符合文意。

33. 【答案】 A。

阻碍网络游戏产业的发展的因素文中总共提到了三点，第五段后半部分提到运营过于复杂，第六段中提到的父母的压力和保证线上世界的安全。再结合选项，可以看出A项与原文不符，通货膨胀和财富分配不均都属于现实中的问题，故选择A项。

34. 【答案】 D。

本题需要掌握最后两段，看原文的这段话，是说年轻人玩网游并不意味着会从一而终，喜新厌旧是常事，言下之意是说虽然网络游戏市场现在一派繁荣，但是能持续多久却是个未知数。后面一段接着又说了这些公司应该吸引这些玩家更久一点。结合起来看，由此可以推断出D选项符合题意。A项就是原文的字面意思，B项也是字面意思，可以从儿童和玩具的例子中得出，C项并不能推断出来，因为原文并未有提及任何解决方案，只是说明了会存在的问题。

35. 【答案】 A。

本句为第五段的第一句，那么this sort of肯定是承前指代，即指代第四段的内容，也就是虚拟交易，虚拟物品，虚拟货币等内容，没有使用真实货币即进行了交易，结合选项可知A项最符合，B和C都没有提及，而D项说人们在网络世界里购物都是不为他人所知的，运用常识判断，可以得知其并不完全符合实际情况。

【难句聚焦】

1. Not a hit with advertisers， these online worlds earn most of their money from the sale of virtual goods， such as items to spruce up an avatar or a private room。

【分析】主体结构为these online worlds earn most of their money from the sale of virtual goods。Not a hit with advertisers为状语，such as作the sale of virtual goods的同位语。

2. Running such a virtual economy is not easy， which is why Gaia has hired a full-time economist to grapple with problems that are well known in the real world， such as inflation and an unequal distribution of wealth。

【分析】主体结构为Running such a virtual economy is not easy，动词ing形式作主语，后面跟一个非限制性定语从句。在这个定语从句里，why作关系副词，其后的that引导一个定语从句。

【译海拾贝】

还记得“第二人生”吗，那个曾经被认为将会与现实生活同样重要的虚拟世界？但现在，其同时在线人数最多不超过8万4千人，极好地证明了网络流行到底有多短命。如果说许多成年人看起来好像已经脱离了虚拟世界，那么那些能够迎合儿童和青少年的虚拟世界却正在兴盛起来。它们中的有些甚至已经找到了生财之道。

在美国，将近有一千万的儿童和青少年定期访问各种网络游戏，一个名为eMarketer的市场调查公司估计，到2013年该人数将上升至一千五百万人。根据EDM（Engage Digital Media，一个市场调研公司）的统计，截至今年1月，已经有112个虚拟社区是为18岁（含）以下青少年设计的，同时，另外81个正在开发中。

这些游戏合起来可以满足各种年龄层和各种不同口味的群体的偏好。在企鹅俱乐部（Club Penguin，游戏市场的领先者，于2007年被迪斯尼以7亿美元的高价收购）那款游戏里，小学生们能够扮演企鹅，装备他们自己的小冰屋，玩各种各样的游戏。哈伯旅馆（Habbo Hotel），来自于芬兰的线上服务，成为了全球青少年聚集的巢穴。利用这项服务，青少年们可以定制自己的房间，也能够参与到公共事件中去。诞生于硅谷的 Gaia Online也提供了相似的游戏，但是它的用户群集中在年龄稍大的青少年中，他们往往非常热爱动漫。

然而这些游戏并不需要广告宣传，主要靠销售虚拟的物品来盈利，比如用于装扮虚拟人物或个人房间的物品。它们往往用虚拟货币支付，这些货币可以通过参与丰富多彩的活动、虚拟交易和付出真实美元来获得。

这种隐匿负担的方式似乎很有效果。Gaia Online的总裁克雷格·谢尔曼表示，用户们每月在虚拟物品上的花费超过一百万美元。但经营这样一个虚拟经济并不容易，这也是为什么Gaia会聘请全职的经济学家来处理各种在现实世界中都会遇到的问题，比如通货膨胀和财富分配不均。

当然，许多制约因素都能够抑制青少年虚拟游戏的增长，但主要的压力来自父母。很多家长都不愿意他们的孩子游弋于虚拟世界中，一方面是因为这些游戏过于商业化，另一方面他们觉得太危险。让这些游戏环境变得安全是一件十分烧钱的事情，因为它们的运营商不得不雇佣真人来管理自己建立起来的王国。

风险资本公司Accel Partners的西门·莱文表示，年轻人是一群让人捉摸不定者，就像儿童对玩具喜新厌旧一般，他们常常不用告别就很容易变换自己主攻的游戏世界或者社交网络。

即使是这样，eMarketer公司的分析师Debra Aho Williamson认为“这些虚拟社区为三维网络奠定了基础”。如果那些迄今为止只能够抓住核心用户的成人虚拟游戏还能够再坚持几年的话，它们也许还能迎来自己的第二春吧。

隐匿负担：直译的词，是指利用不让人们接触纸币的方式来完成交易，从而鼓励多消费，典型的例子是信用卡。其心理学依据是，当人们进行交易时，如果手能够亲自接触通货，人们会产生惜买的情绪。

Text 4

【先睹为快】

36. C 37. D 38. C 39. B 40. A

【答案透析】

36. 【答案】 C。

题目要求找出和新福利方案不符合的一项，关于A在第二段有所提及，是MTV为自己辩护的证据；B在全文中都有体现，第一段工人罢工的原因就是自由职业者不能和正式员工享受一样的福利；选项C在文章的第三段提到，虽然一开始计划改变后是这样规定的，但因职员的抗议，公司又重新恢复了401方案，只要从三月份以来一直在工作的员工就可以享受新的福利方案。选项D，全文中各个段落都提到了这一点。因此，只有C是符合题意的。

37. 【答案】 D。

题目说从“公司在互相较劲看谁能提供最普通的医疗保健保险”这句我们可以得到什么信息，首先要注意mediocre是个贬义词，那么most mediocre，其意思也就是说看谁提供的医疗健康保险最少，覆盖范围最小，最能节省成本，也就是说大家都不提供适当的健康医疗保险。再来看选项，A说已经成为了标准，这显然是不正确的；B说提供医疗健康保险较低的在行业评分中会被降级，这在文中完全没有提及；C项说有些公司用基本的健康医疗保险作为招聘的一项优势，这并未提及；D项说公司大都不提供适当的健康医疗保险，这符合文意，故D项符合题意。

38. 【答案】 C。

首先看到reinstate这个词是由re开头的，因此这个单词应该有“重复”或者“重新”的意思。有了这个前提，再结合上下文来看，401方案取消后，员工进行了抗议，因此MTV对该方案采取了一定行动。可以推测，是一种公司缓和气氛而作的努力，那么应该是恢复了该方案。答案为C。选项 A，redesign重新设计，也即推翻重来，但文中是说恢复实施，故A不正确。B项repair，修理，与后面的宾语不搭配，故不选。D项reset，重新设置，也有推翻重来的意思，故也不符合文意。

39. 【答案】 B。

第五段中提到，目前工资薪水册上有多少自由职员还不清楚，一位MTV网络发言人声称是因为这个数字全年都来回波动，这很明显是一个托辞，因为每家公司都会有其各种人员的登记，要掌握具体的数据并不困难。只是公布该数据对公司不利，因为这会暴露公司自知其拥有大量的自由职员，因此公司不想让外人知道这些数据，以便于在这场罢工斗争中争取有利形势。因此B为正确答案。A项仅仅是其表面宣称的原因，并不如B项有说服力。C项无从得知，而D选项可能是其公司的一贯态度，因而也可以作为原因，但是与B项相比，D项只是一种手段，B项才是真正的原因。

40. 【答案】 A。

A项说政府部门会介入，而文中仅提及了美国作家协会，这并非政府部门，故不符合文意。B项说罢工仍会继续，而工会会介入，这在最后一段可以找到对应表述。C项说公司决定和自由职业者妥协，这可以从公司恢复401计划判断出来。D项说有些自由职业者已经告了Viacom，这在最后一段也有相关表述，故选择A。

【难句聚焦】

1. Waving signs that read“Shame on Viacom，” the workers， most of them in their 20s， demanded that MTV Networks reverse a plan to reduce health and dental benefits for freelancers beginning on Jan. 1st。

【分析】主体结构为The workers demanded that…。这是一个复合句，前面的现在分词短语作为主语的伴随状语；most of them in their 20s是主语的修饰语；谓语demand后是一个宾语从句，在该从句中，beginning on Jan 1st是一个现在分词短语作a plan的定语。

2. While that eased previous eligibility rules， which required freelancers to work for 52 weeks before becoming eligible， it would have required all freelancers not yet eligible for benefits to start the waiting period over again on Jan. 1st。

【分析】主体结构为While that eased… it would have…。这是一个并列句，前半分句中有一个which引导的非限定定语从句修饰previous eligibility rules，后半分句中not yet eligible for benefits是后置定语用来修饰all freelancers。

【译海拾贝】

昨天下午，MTV网络的许多工人进行罢工，他们站满了其上级公司Viacom总部外的人行道，抗议最近福利方面的变化。这次罢工突出反映了有时被称为永久的自由职业者的这么一类工人的忧虑：他们和全职员工一样工作，但是却得不到同样的福利。

这些工人大多数都是二十多岁，他们手中挥舞着写有“Viacom无耻”的标语，要求MTV网络收回于1月1日开始实施的减少自由职业者健康和牙齿医疗方面福利的计划。MTV网络提到其全职员工的福利计划也发生了一些变化，并且强调对自由职业者的福利计划在本行业来说还是有一定优势的。许多自由职业者没有任何的公司福利。但是一些抗议者声称公司在互相较劲看谁能提供最普通的医疗保健保险。在Nickelodeon工作的Matthew Yonda手持的标语将该网络叫做“恶心的elodeon”。“我三年来每天都在这里工作——我不是自由职业者”，Yonda说，“他们叫我们自由职业者，目的就是不让我们享受和正式员工一样的福利待遇。”

福利待遇变化是上周二公布的，自由职业者被告知他们将从1月起，工作160天后才能有资格享受福利。虽然这样一来放宽了以前的资格规定（该规定要求自由职业者在成为合格人员前必须工作52周），但却要求所有还未有资格享受福利的自由职业者从1月1日重新开始计算等待期。401（k）计划也被取消了。星期四，MTV网络在收到申诉后又恢复了401（k）计划，宣布从三月以来就一直工作的自由职业者将有资格享受福利。

媒体网Gawker上一系列的博客公告更是火上加油（第一篇公告标题为“Viacom的永久自由职业者奴隶体系”），一群组织松散的自由职业者上周做了抗议张贴物并散发罢工传单。Caroline O‘Hare 是曾在MTV工作过两年多的部门经理，她说这个新的健康保障计划——有更高的扣除条款，并设定了每年医疗花费2000美元的最高限额——已经引起了公愤。 “他们觉得可以对待我们像对待没有家庭、抵押和退休梦想的孩子一样。”她这样说。

在Viacom总部外，几个工人手中的条幅这样写着：“我们人数众多，不容忽视。”还不清楚到底有多少自由职业者划入该公司的薪水册中，MTV 网络一位女发言人声称由于一年中这个数字时高时低，所以现在这个数字还不能确定。该公司除自由职业者外，在全世界有5500名全职员工。

两个自由职业者和一个全职员工估计在某些部门自由职业者的比例超过75%，这三个人因害怕被公司报复而要求不公开他们身份。另外一项劳动诉讼可能将于本周晚些时候在Viacom外进行。已经罢工五周的美国作家协会的成员，有望于周四在此当纠察员。

Part B

【先睹为快】

41. G 42. D 43. E 44. B 45. C

【文章大意】

地球上曾经有过的动物中，有很多我们已无缘再见，只有通过化石我们才能对那些已消失的动物稍有了解。能够留下化石的动物一般都生活在水边，例如河、湖、海洋等。在化石中发现的最早的动物的结构都很简单，后来出现了结构较复杂的鱼类，它们长有脊椎骨，还有贝类等甲壳动物，再接着就是两栖动物和爬行动物，再后来是哺乳动物，其中一些比较后期的化石，在原始人的岩画上我们已经可以看到。

【答案透析】

41. 【答案】 G。

前面说人类出现之前很多动物生命形态都灭绝了，但是它们身体的骨骼等组成部分却保存在化石里。而后面则说此类岩石能告诉我们不少信息，那么可以判断中间这一部分应当也是在说明有关化石的内容，而且是我们从化石中可以获得什么内容，故可以选择出G。

42. 【答案】D。

前面说了水生动物化石的形成过程，后面说我们就会知道有很多类的哺乳动物和鸟类之类，因此中间应该继续化石形成的讨论，故可以选择D。

43. 【答案】 E。

后一句讲到了later forms are more complex，那么这必然是与前一句中所述内容进行比较，结合选项，可以判断出选项E正确，因为E中讲述了早期的一些化石。

44. 【答案】 B。

这一段在说动物的进化，鱼类——两栖动物，那么之后按照进化顺序，就应该是爬行动物，再是哺乳动物。结合选项，B最合适。

45. 【答案】 C。

接上文讲爬行动物的时代终结，之后便是哺乳动物，那么选项中讲哺乳动物的C便为正确选项。

Part C

46. In the second half of the 20th century， world output of corn， wheat and cereal crops more than tripled. Yet there is not enough to feed the rich， the aspirational and the poor in the world. A golden age has been transformed quite suddenly into a global crisis。

【分析】 more than在这里做副词。aspiration是指渴望，热切希望，那么句中包含在rich和poor之间，the aspirational则可以译为朝着中产阶级奋斗的人们。the poor译为穷苦的人。

【译文】20世纪下半叶，世界玉米、小麦以及谷物产量增长三倍多，可是仍不足以养活全世界人民，包括富人、穷人以及那些正努力朝着中产阶级奋斗的人们。黄金时代突然演变成了全球性危机。

47. A combination of these factors， he says， will ultimately force a complete rethinking of the way we make food。

【分析】主体结构是combination will force a rethinking。the way后面是一个定语从句。

【译文】这些因素合在一起，他说，将最终迫使我们重新思考我们的粮食生产方式。

48. Water was also plentiful — it takes 1，000 tonnes of water to produce a tonne of grain — and an ingenious process known as Haber-Bosch makes synthetic nitrogen fertiliser easily available to grain farmers。

【分析】 复合句。Water was plentiful 和 process makes fertiliser…。破折号中间的为插入语，known as 作定语修饰process，easily后面作补语。

【译文】水资源也比较充足——尽管生产一吨粮食就需要1000吨水——而且利用哈伯博施法的发明，使得农民们可以获得廉价的氮肥。

49. Eating organic product could be a partial solution， although one study suggests that the cost of avoiding intensive farm chemicals would mean a 31% increase in food prices。

【分析】复合句。although引导一个让步状语从句，其中that引导一个宾语从句。

【译文】进食有机食物或许能在一定程度上解决问题，可一项研究表明，如果要避免大量使用农业化学肥料，粮食价格将要上涨31%。

50. Fashionably， Mr. Roberts believes that a local system based on easily obtainable seasonal foods that do not need to be transported huge distances would form part of a solution。

【分析】第一个that后面整个句子是一个宾语从句，即Mr. Roberts believes that…，这个宾语从句的主体结构是a local system would form…，based on…为 system的定语，其中嵌套that引导的定语从句修饰seasonal foods。

【译文】按照普遍的观点，Roberts认为建立一种以容易获取的应季食物为基础的本地体系，以使食物不需要长距离运输，将会是解决方案的一部分。

Section IIIWriting

Part A

Dear John，

I am really happy that you can make this visit to our city. After all these years of correspondence， I cannot wait to see you， to hear your narration of your life in your city， and to discuss all those unfinished topics. However， I regret to inform you that I will not be able to meet you at the airport on time。

The reason is that your flight will arrive early in the morning， and the most probable time I can make to the airport will be around an hour after your scheduled landing. So would you please wait for me in the arrival lounge after you pick up your luggage？ You may have a cup of coffee in the café there。

By the way， as we have never met I must tell you how to identify me in the crowd： I will wear a blue and white stripes polo shirt， blue jeans， and a white baseball hat. Moreover I will have a piece of China Daily at hands。

Hope we can meet soon。

Sincerely yours，

Roger

Part B

Groups of bees work together to produce honey. Their great efforts are unselfish， as all the honey they have produced is for an entire group rather than a single individual. The drawing above suggests that people should selflessly dedicate themselves to their community as a whole. This spirit of dedication requires faith. Selfless hard work is the embodiment of responsibility and strength。

The health of nations requires a spirit of devotion. Chinese teachers， doctors and athletes who all work for the benefit of their country， for example， are devoting themselves regardless of fame or fortune. They are dedicated to the society they live in. No matter what type of job one holds， one should work hard and earnestly to improve one’s community。

The results of dedication， however， depend not only on one‘s willingness to give but also on one’s ability. If you are enthusiastic about devoting yourself to your country， but do not have the skills it takes to do so， you cannot effect many changes. The more competent one is， the greater one‘s contribution will be. Therefore， it is essential that students focus on their studies and enhance their skills in order to properly give back to society。