2014年考研英語一真題及答案

1、2014 年真題一Sectio n I Use of En glishDirecti ons:Read the follow ing text. Choose the best word(s) for each nu mbered bla nk and mark A,B,C or Don the ANSWER SHEET.(10 points)As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory andmen tal clarity are not what they used to be. We

2、 sudde nly can 1we put the keysjust a mome nt ago, or an old acqua intance n ame of an old band we used to love. As the brain2_, we refer to theseoccurre nces as se nior mome nts._ 3_ seem in gly innocent, this loss of men talfocus can pote ntially have a (n)_ 4_ impact on our professi on al, social

3、, andpers onal_ 5_ .Neuroscie ntists, experts who study the n ervous system, are in creas in gly showing that there syacHoaithat can be done. It_ 6_ out that the brainn eeds exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right men tal7can sig nificantly improve our basic cog nitive_ 8_ . Thin

4、king is esse ntially a 9ofmak ing connections in the brain. To a certa in exte nt, ourability to_ 10_ in maki ng the connections that drive in tellige nee is in herited._11_ , because these conn ecti ons are made through effort and practice, scie ntists believe that intellige nee can expa nd and flu

5、ctuate_12_ men taleffort.Now, a new Web-based compa ny has take n it a step_13_ and developedthe first brain training program designed to actually help people improve and rega in their men tal_ 14_.The Web-based program_15_ you to systematically improve yourmemory and atte nti on skills. The program

6、 keeps_ 16_ of your progress andprovides detailed feedback_ 17_ your performa nee and improveme nt. Mostimporta ntly, it_18_ modifies and enhan ces the games you play to_19_on the stre ngths you are develop ingmuch like a( n)_20_exercise routi nerequires you to in crease resista nee and vary your mu

7、scle use.1. Awhere Bwhen Cthat Dwhy2. Aimproves Bfades Crecovers Dcollapses3. AIf BU nl ess CO nee DWhile4. Auneven Blimited Cdamaging Dobscure5. Awellbei ng Be nviro nmen t Crelati on ship Doutlookt remembers n ame, ort6. Aturns Bfinds Cpoints Dfigures7. Aroundabouts Bresponses Cworkouts Dassociati

8、ons8. Agenre Bfunctions Ccircumstances Dcriterion9. Achannel Bcondition Csequence Dprocess10. Apersist Bbelieve Cexcel Dfeature11. A Therefore B Moreover C Otherwise D However12. Aaccordi ng to Bregardless of Capart from Di nstead of13. Aback Bfurther Caside Daround14. Asharpness Bstability Cframewo

9、rk Dflexibility15. Aforces B remi nds Churries Dallows16. Ahold Btrack Corder Dpace17. Ato Bwith CforDo n18. Airregularly BhabituallyCconstantly Dunusually19. Acarry Bput Cbuild Dtake20. Arisky Beffective Cidle DfamiliarSectionnReading ComprehensionPart ADirecti ons:Read the followi ng four texts. A

10、n swer the questi ons below each text by choosing A, B, C or D.Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)Text 1In order to change lives for the better and reduce dependency George Osbor ne, Chan cellorof the Exchequer, i ntroduced the upfr ont work search scheme. Only if the jobless arrive a

11、t thejobcentre with a CV, register for online job search, and start look ing for work will they be eligible forben efit and the n they should report weekly rather tha n fortni ghtly. What could be more reas on able?More appare nt reas on able ness followed. There will now be a seve n-day wait for th

12、e jobseekers allowance. Those first few days should be spent looking for work, not looking to sign on. heclaimed. Were doing these things because weknow they help people stay off ben efits and help those on ben efits get into work faster. Help? Really?On first hearing, this was the socially concerne

13、d chancellor, trying to change lives for the better,complete with reforms to an obviously in dulge nt system that dema nds too little effort from the n ewlyun employed to find work, and subsidises laz in ess. What motivated him, we were to un dersta nd, washis zeal for f un dame ntal fair ness prote

14、ct ing the taxpayer, con troll ing spe nding and en suri ngthat only the most deserv ing claima nts received their ben efits.Losing a job is hurting: you don t skip down to the jobcentre with a song in your heart, delightedat the prospect of doubli ng your in come from the gen erous state. It is fin

15、an cially terrifyi ng,psychologically embarrass ing and you know that support is mi nimal and extraord in arily hard to get.You are now not wan ted; you support is mi nimal and extraord in arily hard to get. You are now not wanted; you are now excluded from the work en vir onment that offers purpose

16、 and structure in your life.Worse, the crucial in come to feed yourself and your family and pay the bills has disappeared. Askanyone n ewly un employed what they want and the an swer is always: a job.But in Osbor nela nd, your first in st inct is to fall into depe ndency permanent dependency if you

17、can get it supported by a state only too ready to in dulge yourfalsehood. It is as though 20 years of ever-tougher reforms of the job search and ben efit admi nistration system n ever happe ned. The prin ciple of British welfare is no Ion ger that you can in sure yourselfaga inst the risk of un empl

18、oyme nt and receive unconditional payments if the disaster happens. Eventhe very phrase jobseeker s allowaneenvend in 1996 is about redefining the un employed asa jobseeker who had no man datory right to a ben efit he or she has earned through making n ati onalin sura nce con tributio ns. In stead,

19、the claima nt receives a time-limited allowance, conditional onactively seeking a job; no en titleme nt and no in sura nce, at 71.70 a week, one of the least gen erousin the EU.21. George Osborne cheme was intended toA provide the un employed with easier access to ben efits.B encourage jobseekers ac

20、tive engagement in job seeking.C motivate the un employed to report volun tarily.D guara ntee jobseekers legitimate right to ben efits.22. The phrase, to sig n on (Line 3, Para. 2) most probably meansA to check on the availability of jobs at the jobce ntre.B to accept the government s restrictions o

21、n the allowance.C to register for an allowa nce from the gover nment.D to atte nd a gover nmen tal job-trai ning program.23. What prompted the cha ncellor to develop his scheme?A A desire to secure a better life for all.B An eagerness to protect the unemployed.C A n urge to be gen erous to the claim

22、a nts.D A passi on to en sure fair ness for taxpayers.24. Accord ing to Paragraph 3, being un employed makes one feelA un easyB e nraged.C i nsulted.D guilty.25. To which of the followi ng would the author most probably agree?A The British welfare system in dulges jobseekerslaz in ess.B Osbornes ref

23、orms will reduce the risk of unemployment.C The jobseekersallowanee has met their actual needs.D U nemployme nt ben efits should not be made con diti on al.Text 2All around the world, lawyers gen erate more hostility tha n the members of any other professionwith the possible excepti on of journalism

24、. But there are few places where clie nts have moregrounds for compla int tha n America.During the decade before the econo mic crisis, spe nding on legal services in America grew twiceas fast as in flati on. The best lawyers made skyscrapers-full of mon ey, tempti ng ever more stude ntsto pile in to

25、 law schools. But most law graduates n ever get a big-firm job. Many of them in steadbecome the kind of nu isa nce-lawsuit filer that makes the tort system a costly ni ghtmare.There are many reas ons for this. One is the excessive costs of a legal education. There is justone path for a lawyer in mos

26、t American states: a four-year un dergraduate degree in some un relatedsubject, the n a three-year law degree at one of 200 law schools authorized by the America n BarAssociati on and an expe nsive preparati on for the bar exam. This leaves today -schoci averagelawgraduate with $100,000 of debt on t

27、op of un dergraduate debts. Law-school debt means that manycannot afford to go into gover nment or non-profit work, and that they have to work fearsomely hard.Reformi ng the system would help both lawyers and their customers. Sen sible ideas have bee naround for a long time, but the state-level bodi

28、es that gover n the professi on have bee n too conservative to impleme nt them. One idea is to allow people to study law as an un dergraduate degree.Ano ther is to let stude nts sit forthe bar after only two years of law school. If the bar exam is truly a ster n eno ugh test for a would-belawyer, th

29、ose who can sit it earlier should be allowed todo so. Stude nts who do not n eed the extra training could cut their debt moun tai n by a third.The other reason why costs are so high is the restrictive guild-like ownership structure of the busin ess. Except in the District of Columbia, non -lawyers m

30、ay not own any share of a law firm. This keepsfees high and innovation slow. There is pressure for cha nge from with in the professi on, but opponents of cha nge among the regulators insist that keeping outsiders out of a law firm isolates lawyersfrom the pressure to make money rather tha n serve cl

31、ie nts ethically.In fact, allowing non-lawyers to own shares in law firms would reduce costs andimprove services to customers, by en courag ing law firms to use tech no logy and to employ professional man agers to focus on improvi ng firms After all, other countries, such as Australia and Britain,ha

32、ve started liberalizing their legal professi ons. America should follow.26. a lot of stude nts take up law as their professi on due toA the grow ing dema nd from clie nts.B the increasing pressure of inflation.C the prospect of work ing in big firms.D the attractio n of finan cial rewards.27. Which

33、of the following adds to the costs of legal education in most America n states?A Higher tuiti on fees for un dergraduate studies.B Admissions approval from the bar association.C Pursuing a bachelor s degree in another major.D Receivi ng trai ning by professi onal associati ons.28. Hindrance to the r

34、eform of the legal system origi nates fromA lawyers and clie nts stro ng resista nee.B the rigid bodies gover ning the professi on.C the stem exam for would-be lawyers.D non- professionals sharp criticism.29. The guild-like own ership structure is con sidered restrictivepartly because itA ba ns outs

35、iders invo Iveme nt in the professi on.B keeps lawyers from holdi ng law-firm shares.C aggravates the ethical situation in the trade.D prevents lawyers from gaining due profits.3O.ln this text, the author mainly discussesA flawed ownership of America s law firms and its causes.B the factors that hel

36、p make a successful lawyer in America.efficie ncy.C a problem in America s legal profession and solutbns to it.D the role of undergraduate studies in America s legal education.Text 3The US$3-milli on Fun dame ntal physics prize is in deed an in terest ing experiment, asAlexander Polyakov said when h

37、e accepted this year s award inMarch. And it is far from the only one of its type. As a News Feature article in Nature discusses, a string of lucrative awards for researchers have joined the Nobel Prizes in rece nt years. Many, like the Fundame ntal Physics Prize, are fun ded from the teleph one-nu

38、mber-sized bank acco unts of Internet entrepre neurs. These ben efactors have succeeded in their chose n fields, they say, and they want touse their wealth to draw atte nti on to those who have succeeded in scie nee.What s not to like? Quite a lot, according to a handful of scientists quoted in the

39、News Feature.You cannot buy class, as the old say ing goes, and these upstart en trepre neurs cannot buy theirprizes the prestige of the Nobels, The new awards are an exercise in self-promotion for those behindthem, say scientists. They could distort the achieveme nt-based system of peer-review-led

40、research.They could ceme nt the status quo of peer-reviewed research. They do not fund peer-reviewedresearch. They perpetuate the myth of the lone geni us.The goals of the prize-givers seem as scattered as the criticism. Some want to shock, others todraw people into scie nee, or to better reward tho

41、se who have made their careers in research.As Nature has poin ted out before, there are some legitimate concerns about how scie neeprizes both new and old are distributed. The Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, launched thisyear, takes an unrepresentative view of what the life sciences include. Bu

42、t the Nobel Foundations limit of three recipients per prize,each of whom must still be living, has long been outgrown by the collaborative n ature of moder nresearch as will be dem on strated by the in evitable row over who is ignored whe n it comes to ackno wledg ing the discovery of the Higgs bos

43、on.The Nobels were, of course, themselves set up by a very rich in dividual who haddecided what he wan ted to do with his own mon ey. Time, rather tha n inten ti on, has give n themlegitimacy.As much as some scie ntists may compla in about the new awards, two thi ngs seem clear. First,most researche

44、rs would accept such a prize if they were offered one. Secon d, it is surely a good thi ngthat the money and atte nti on come to scie nee rather than go elsewhere, It is fair to criticize andquestion the mechanism that is the culture of research, after all but it is the prize- givers money to do wit

45、h as they please. It is wise to take such gifts with gratitude and grace.31. The Fun dame ntal Physics Prize is see n asA a symbol of the entrepreneurs wealth.B a possible replacement of the Nobel Prizes.C an example of bankers investments.D a han dsome reward for researchers.32. The critics think t

46、hat the new awards will most ben efitA the profit-oriented scientists.B the foun ders of the new awards.C the achieveme nt-based system.D peer-review-led research .33. The discovery of the Higgs bos on is a typical case which invo IvesA c on troversies over the recipie nts status.B the joint effort

47、of modern researchers.C legitimate concerns over the new prizes.D the dem on strati on of research findin gs.34. Accord ing to Paragraph 4,which of the followi ng is true of the Nobels?A Their en dura nee has done justice to them.B Their legitimacy has long bee n in dispute.C They are the most repre

48、se ntative honor.D History has n ever cast doubt on them.35. The author believes that the now awards areA acceptable despite the criticism.B harmful to the culture of research.C subject to un desirable cha nges.D un worthy of public atte nti on.Text 4The Heart of the Matter, the just-released report

49、 by the America n Academy of Arts andScien ces (AAAS), deserves praise for affirmi ng the importa nee of the huma nities and socialscie nces to the prosperity and security of liberal democracy in America. Regrettably, however,the rep ort s failure to address the true nature of the crisis facing libe

50、ral education may causemore harm than good.In 2010, leading congressional Democrats and Republicans sent letters to the AAAS askingthat it identify actions that could be taken by federal, state and local gover nmen ts, uni versities,foun dati ons, educators, in dividual ben efactors and others to ma

51、intain national excellence inhumanities and social scientific scholarship and educati on. In resp on se, the America nAcademy formed the Commissi on on the Huma nities and Social Scie nces. Among thecommissi on members are top-tier- uni versity preside nts, scholars, lawyers, judges, and busin ess e

52、xecutives, as well as prominent figures from diplomacy, filmmaking, music andjournalism.The goals ide ntified in the report are gen erally admirable. Because represe ntativegover nment presupposes an in formed citize nry, the report supports full literacy; stressesthe study of history and gover nmen

53、t, particularly America n history and America n government; and en courages the use of new digital tech no logies. To en courage inno vatio n andcompetiti on, the report calls for in creased in vestme nt in research, the crafting of cohere ntcurricula that improve stude nts ability to solve problems

54、 and com muni cate effectivyeilnthe 21st cen tury, in creased funding for teachers and the en courageme nt of scholars tobring their learning to bear on the great challenges of the day. The report also advocatesgreater study of foreig n Ian guages, intern atio nal affairs and the expa nsion of study

55、 abroadprograms.Un fortun ately, despite 2? years in the makin g, The Heart of the Matter never gets tothe heart of the matter: the illiberal nature of liberal education at our leadi ng colleges and universities. The commissi on ignores that for several decades Americas colleges and universities hav

56、e produced graduates who don content and character of liberal educati on andare thus deprived of its ben efits. Sadly, the spirit of inquiry once at home on campus has been replaced by the use of the huma nities and social scie nces as vehicles for publiciz ingprogressive, or left-liberal propaga nd

57、a.Today, professors routi nely treat the progressive in terpretati on of history and progressivepublic policy as the proper subject of study while portra yingcon servative or classical liberal ideas such as free markets and self-relia nee as fallingoutside the boundaries of routine, and sometimes le

58、gitimate, intellectual in vestigati on.s 51t know thThe AAAS displays great en thusiasm for liberal educatio n. Yet its report may well set backreform by obscuri ng the depth and breadth of the challe nge that Con gress asked it to illu minate.36. According to Paragraph 1, what is the author s attit

59、ude toward theAAAS s report?A CriticalB AppreciativeC Con temptuousD Tolera nt37. Influential figures in the Congress required that the AAAS report on how toA retain people s interest in liberal educationB define the government s role in educationC keep a leading position in liberal educationD safeg

60、uard in dividuals rights to educati on38. Accord ing to Paragraph 3, the report suggestsA an exclusive study of America n historyB a greater emphasis on theoretical subjectsC the applicati on of emerg ing tech no logiesD funding for the study of foreign Ianguages39. The author implies in Paragraph 5