05年英语考研真题阅读理解部分

2005年

passage1

Everybodylovesafatpayrise.Yetpleasureatyourowncanvanishifyoulearnthatacolleaguehasbeengivenabiggerone.Indeed,ifhehasareputationforslacking,youmightevenbeoutraged.Suchbehaviourisregardedas“alltoohuman”,withtheunderlyingassumptionthatotheranimalswouldnotbecapableofthisfinelydevelopedsenseofgrievance.ButastudybySarahBrosnanandFransdeWaalofEmoryUniversityinAtlanta,Georgia,whichhasjustbeenpublishedinNature,suggeststhatitalltoomonkey,aswell.

Theresearchersstudiedthebehaviouroffemalebrowncapuchinmonkeys.Theylookcute.Theyaregood-natured,co-operativecreatures,andtheysharetheirfoodtardily.Aboveall,liketheirfemalehumancounterparts,theytendtopaymuchcloserattentiontothevalueof“goodsandservices”thanmales.

SuchcharacteristicsmakethemperfectcandidatesforDr.Brosnan'sandDr.dewaal's;study.Theresearchersspenttwoyearsteachingtheirmonkeystoexchangetokensforfood.Normally,themonkeyswerehappyenoughtoexchangepiecesofrockforslicesofcucumber.However,whentwomonkeyswereplacedinseparatebutadjoiningchambers,sothateachcouldobservewhattheotherwasgettinginreturnforitsrock,theirbehaviourbecamemarkedlydifferent.

Intheworldofcapuchinsgrapesareluxurygoods(andmuchpreferabletocucumbers)Sowhenonemonkeywashandedagrapeinexchangeforhertoken,thesecondwasreluctanttohandhersoverforamerepieceofcucumber.Andifonereceivedagrapewithouthavingtoprovidehertokeninexchangeatall,theothereithertossedherowntokenattheresearcheroroutofthechamber,orrefusedto;acceptthesliceofcucumberIndeed,themerepresenceofagrapeintheotherchamber(withoutanactualmonkeytoeatit)wasenoughtoreduceresentmentinafemalecapuchin.

Theresearchessuggestthatcapuchinmonkeys,likehumans,areguidedbysocialemotions,inthewild,theyareaco-operative,grouplivingspecies,Suchco-operationislikelytobestableonlywheneachanimalfeelsitisnotbeingcheated.Feelingsofrighteousindignation,itseems,arenotthepreserveofpeoplealone,Refusingalesserrewardcompletelymakesthesefeelingsabundantlycleartoothermembersofthegroup.However,whethersuchasenseoffairnessevolvedindependentlyincapuchinsandhumans,orwhetheritstemsformthecommonancestorthatthespecieshad35millionyearsago,is,asyet,anunansweredquestion.

21.Intheopeningparagraph,theauthorintroduceshistopicby

[A].posingacontrast.

[B].justifyinganassumption.

[C].makingacomparison.

[D].explainingaphenomenon.

22.Thestatement“itisalltoomonkey”(Lastline,paragraphl)impliesthat

[A].monkeysarealsooutragedbyslackrivals.

[B].resentingunfairnessisalsomonkeys'nature.

[C].monkeys,likehumans,tendtobejealousofeachother.

[D].noanimalsotherthanmonkeyscandevelopsuchemotions.

23.Femalecapuchinmonkeyswerechosenfortheresearchmostprobablybecausetheyare

[A].moreinclinedtoweighwhattheyget.

[B].attentivetoresearchers'instructions.

[C].niceinbothappearanceandtemperament.

[D].moregenerousthantheirmalecompanions

24.Dr.BrosnanandDr.deWaalhaveeventuallyfoundintheirstudythatthemonkeys

[A].prefergrapestocucumbers.

[B].canbetaughttoexchangethings.

[C].willnotbeco-operativeiffeelingcheated.

[D].areunhappywhenseparatedfromothers.

25.Whatcanweinferfromthelastparagraph?

[A].Monkeyscanbetrainedtodevelopsocialemotions.

[B].Humanindignationevolvedfromanuncertainsource.

[C].Animalsusuallyshowtheirfeelingsopenlyashumansdo.

[D].Cooperationamongmonkeysremainsstableonlyinthewild.

passage2

Doyourememberallthoseyearswhenscientistsarguedthatsmokingwouldkillusbutthedoubtersinsistedthatwedidn'tknowforsure?Thattheevidencewasinconclusive,thescienceuncertain?Thattheantismokinglobbywasouttodestroyourwayoflifeandthegovernmentshouldstayoutoftheway?LotsofAmericansboughtthatnonsense,andoverthreedecades,some10millionsmokerswenttoearlygraves.

Thereareupsettingparallelstoday,asscientistsinonewaveafteranothertrytoawakenustothegrowingthreatofglobalwarming.ThelatestwasapanelfromtheNationalAcademyofSciences,enlistedbytheWhiteHouse,totellusthattheEarth'satmosphereisdefinitelywarmingandthattheproblemislargelyman-made.Theclearmessageisthatweshouldgetmovingtoprotectourselves.ThepresidentoftheNationalAcademy,BruceAlberts,addedthiskeypointintheprefacetothepanel'sreport“Scienceneverhasalltheanswers.Butsciencedoesprovideuswiththebestavailableguidetothefuture,anditiscriticalthatoutnationandtheworldbaseimportantpoliciesonthebestjudgmentsthatsciencecanprovideconcerningthefutureconsequencesofpresentactions.”

Justasonsmoking,voicesnowcomefrommanyquartersinsistingthatthescienceaboutglobalwarmingisincomplete,thatit'sOktokeeppouringfumesintotheairuntilweknowforsure.Thisisadangerousgame:bythe100percentoftheevidenceisin,itmaybetoolate.Withtherisksobviousandgrowing,aprudentpeoplewouldtakeoutaninsurancepolicynow.

Fortunately,theWhiteHouseisstartingtopayattention.Butit'sobviousthatamajorityofthepresident'sadvisersstilldon'ttakeglobalwarmingseriously.Insteadofaplanofaction,theycontinuetopressformoreresearch-aclassiccaseof“paralysisbyanalysis”.

Toserveasresponsiblestewardsoftheplanet,wemustpressforwardondeeperatmosphericandoceanicresearchButresearchaloneisinadequate.IftheAdministrationwon'ttakethelegislativeinitiative,Congressshouldhelptobeginfashioningconservationmeasures.AbillbyDemocraticSenatorRobertByrdofWestVirginia,whichwouldofferfinancialincentivesforprivateindustryisapromisingstartMany

ofthebrainareequallyinvolved,thelimbicsystem(the“emotionalbrain”)isespeciallyactive,whiletheprefrontalcortex(thecenterofintellectandreasoning)isrelativelyquiet.“Wewakeupfromdreamshappyofdepressed,andthosefeelingscanstaywithusallday”saysStanfordsleepresearcherDr,WilliamDement.

ThelinkbetweendreamsandemotionsshowsupamongthepatientsinCartwright’sclinic.Mostpeopleseemtohavemorebaddreamsearlyinthenight,progressingtowardhappieronesbeforeawakening,suggestingthattheyareworkingthroughnegativefeelingsgeneratedduringtheday.Becauseourconsciousmindisoccupiedwithdailylifewedon’talwaysthinkabouttheemotionalsignificanceoftheday’sevents-until,itappears,webegintodream.

Andthisprocessneednotbelefttotheunconscious.CartwrightbelievesonecanexerciseconsciouscontroloverrecurringbaddreamsAssoonasyouawaken,identifywhatisupsettingaboutthedream.Visualizehowyouwouldlikeittoendinstead,thenexttimeisoccurs,trytowakeupjustenoughtocontrolitscourse.Withmuchpracticepeoplecanlearnto,literally,doitintheirsleep.

Attheendoftheday,there'sprobablylittlereasontopayattentiontoourdreamsatallunlesstheykeepusfromsleepingof“wewakeuinapanic,”CartwrightsaysTerrorism,economicuncertaintiesandgeneralfeelingsofinsecurityhaveincreasedpeople'sanxiety.ThosesufferingfrompersistentnightmaresshouldseekhelpfromatherapistFortherestofus,thebrainhasitswaysofworkingthroughbadfeelings.Sleep-orratherdream-onitandyou'llfeelbetterinthemorning.

31.Researchershavecometobelievethatdreams

[A].canbemodifiedintheircourses.

[B].aresusceptibletoemotionalchanges.

[C].reflectourinnermostdesiresandfears.

[D].arearandomoutcomeofneuralrepairs.

32.Byreferringtothelimbicsystem,theauthorintendstoshow

[A].itsfunctioninourdreams.

[B].themechanismofREMsleep.

[C].therelationofdreamstoemotions.

[D].itsdifferencefromtheprefrontalcortex.

33.Thenegativefeelingsgeneratedduringthedaytendto

[A].aggravateinourunconsciousmind.

[B].developintohappydreams.

[C].persisttillthetimewefallasleep.

[D].showupindreamsearlyatnight.

34.Cartwrightseemstosuggestthat

[A].wakingupintimeisessentialtotheriddingofbaddreams.

[B].visualizingbaddreamshelpsbringthemundercontroll.

[C].dreamsshouldbelefttotheirnaturalprogression.

[D].dreamingmaynotentirelybelongtotheunconscious.

35.WhatadvicemightCartwrightgivetothosewhosometimeshavehaddreams?

[A].leadyourlifeasusual.

[B].Seekprofessionalhelp.

[C].Exerciseconsciouscontrol.

[D].Avoidanxietyinthedaytime.

passage4

Americannolongerexpectpublicfigures,whetherinspeechorinwriting,tocommandtheEnglishlanguagewithskillandgift.Nordotheyaspiretosuchcommandthemselves.Inhislatestbook,DoingOurOwnThing.TheDegradationoflanguageandMusicandwhyweshouldlike,care,JohnMcWhorter,alinguistandcontroversialistofmixedliberalandconservativeviews,seesthetriumphof1960scounter-cultureasresponsibleforthedeclineofformalEnglish.

Blamingthepermissive1960sisnothingnew,butthisisnotyetanothercriticismagainstthedeclineineducation.Mr.McWhorter’sacademicspecialityislanguagehistoryandchange,andheseesgradualdisappearanceof“whom”,forexample,tobenaturalandnomoreregranttablethanthelossofthecase-endingsofOldEnglish

Butthecultoftheauthenticandthepersonal,“doingourownthing”,hasspeltthedeathofformalspeech,writing,poetryandmusic.Whileeventhemodestlyeducatedsoughtanelevatedtonewhentheyputpentopaperbeforethe1960s,eventhemostwellregardedwritingsincethenhassoughttocapturespokenEnglishonthepage.Equally,inpoetry,thehighlypersonal,performativegenreistheonlyformthatcouldclaimrealliveliness.InbothoralandwrittenEnglish,talkingistriumphingoverspeaking,spontaneityovercraft.

Illustratedwithanentertainingarrayofexamplesfrombothhighandlowculture,thetrendthatMr.McWhorterdocumentsisunmistakable.Butitislessclear,totakethequestionofhissubtitle,whyweshould,likecare.Asalinguist,heacknowledgesthatallvarietiesofhumanlanguage,includingnon-standardoneslikeBlackEnglish,canbepowerfullyexpressive-thereexistsnolanguageordialectintheworldthatcannotconveycomplexideas.Heisnotarguing,asmanydo,thatwecannolongerthinkstraightbecausewedonottalkproper.

Russianshaveadeeplovefortheirownlanguageandcarrylargechunksofmemorizedpoetryintheirheads,whileItalianpoliticianstendtoelaboratespeechthatwouldseemold-fashionedtomostEnglish-speakers.Mr.McWhorteracknowledgesthatformallanguageisnotstrictlynecessary,andproposesnoradicaleducationreforms-heisreallygrievingoverthelossofsomethingbeautifulmorethanuseful.WenowtakeourEnglish“onpaperplatesinsteadofchina”.Ashame,perhaps,but