考研阅读理解真题英语二

考研阅读理解真题英语二

考研阅读理解真题英语二1

Text1

Anewstudysuggeststhatcontrarytomostsurveys.

Peopleartactuallymorestressedathomethanat

work.Researchersmeasuredpeople'scortntlol.Which

isitatstressmarker.Whiletheywereatworkand

whiletheywereathomeandfoundithigheratwhat

issupposedtobeaplaceofrefuge.

"Furthercontradictingconventionalwisdom,we

foundthatwomenaswellasmenhavelowerlevelsof

stressatworkthanathome,"writesoneofthe

researchers.SarahDamaske,Infactwomensaythey

feelbetteratwork.Shenotes,“itismennotwomen.

Whoreportbeingbappicrathomethanatwork,n

Anothersurpriseisthatthefindingsholdtruefor

boththosewithchildrenandwithout,butmoresofor

nonparents.Thisiswhypeoplewhoworkoutsidethe

homehavebetterhealth.

Whatthestudydoesn*tmeasureiswhetherpeople

arestilldoingworkwhenthey'reathome,whether

itishouseholdworkorworkbroughthomefromthe

office.Formanymen,theendoftheworkdayisa

timetokickback.Forwomenwhostayhome,they

nevergettoleavetheoffice.Andforwomenwhowork

outsidethehome,theyoftenareplayingcatch-up-

with-householdtasks.Withtheblurringofroles,and

thefactthatthehomefrontlagswellbehindthe

workplaceinmakingadjustmentsforworkingwomen,

it'snotsurprisingthatwomenaremorestressedat

home.

Butit'snotjustagenderthing.Atwork,people

prettymuchknowwhatthey'resupposedtobedoing：

working,makingmoney,doingthetaskstheyhaveto

doinordertodrawanine.Thebargainisverypure：

Employeeputsinhoursofphysicalormentallabor

andemployeedrawsoutlife-sustainingmoola.

Onthehomefront,however,peoplehavenosuch

clarity.Rareisthehouseholdinwhichthedivision

oflaborissoclinicallyandmethodicallylaidout.

Therearealotoftaskstobedone,thereare

inadequaterewardsformostofthem.Yourhome

colleagues-yourfamily-havenoclearrewardsfor

theirlabor；theyneedtobetalkedintoit,orif

they'reteenagers,threatenedwithpleteremovalof

allelectronicdevices.Plus,they'reyourfamily.

Youcannotfireyourfamily.Youneverreallygetto

gohomefromhome.

Soit'snotsurprisingthatpeoplearemore

stressedathome.Notonlyarethetasksapparently

infinite,theco-workersaremuchhardertomotivate.

21.AccordingtoParagraph1,mostprevioussu

rveysfoundthathome

[A]wasanunrealisticplaceforrelaxation

[B]generatedmorestressthantheworkplace

[C]wasanidealplaceforstressmeasurement

[D]offeredgreaterrelaxationthantheworkplace

22.AccordingtoDamaske,whoarelikelytobethe

happiestathome?

[A]Workingmothers

[B]Childlesshusbands

EC]Childlesswives

[D]Workingfathers

23Theblurringofworkingwomen'srolesrefersto

thefactthay

[A]theyarebothbreadwinnersandhousewives

[B]theirhomeisalsoaplaceforkickingback

[C]thereisoftenmuchhouseworkleftbehind

[D]itisdifficultforthemtoleavetheiroffice

24.Thewordnmoola"(Line4,Para4)mostprobably

means

[A]energy

[B]skills

[C]earnings

[D]nutrition

25.Thehomefrontdiffersfromtheworkplacein

that_____________

[A]homeishardlyacozierworkingenvironment

[B]divisionoflaborathomeisseldomclear-cut

[C]householdtasksaregenerallymoremotivating

[D]familylaborisoftenadequatelyrewarded

考研阅读理解真题英语二2

Text1

Whatwouldyoudowith590m?Thisisnowa

questionforGloriaMackenzie,an84-year-oldwidow

whorecentlyemergedfromhersmall,tin-roofedhouse

inFloridatocollectthebiggestundividedlottery

jackpotinhistory.Ifshehopeshernew-foundfor

tunewillyieldlastingfeelingsoffulfillment,she

coulddoworsethanreadHappyMoneybyElizabeth

DumnandMichaelNorton.

Thesetwoacademicsuseanarrayofbehavioral

researchtoshowthatthemostrewardingwaysto

spendmoneycanbecounterintuitive.Fantasiesof

greatwealthofteninvolvevisionsoffancycarsand

extravaganthomes.Yetsatisfactionwiththese

materialpurchaseswearsofffairlyquicklywhatwas

onceexcitingandnewbeesold-hat；regretcreepsin.

Itisfarbettertospendmoneyonexperiences,say

MsDumnandMrNorton,likeinterestingtrips,unique

mealsorevengoingtothecinema.Thesepurchases

oftenbeemorevaluablewithtime-asstoriesor

memories-particularlyiftheyinvolvefeelingmore

connectedtoothers.

Thisslimvolumeispackedwithtipstohelpwage

slavesaswellaslotterywinnersgetthemost

"happinessbangforyourbuck."Itseemsmostpeople

wouldbebetteroffiftheycouldshortentheirmutes

towork,spendmoretimewithfriendsandfamilyand

lessofitwatchingtelevision(somethingtheaverage

Americanspendsawhoppingtwomonthsayeardoing,

andishardlyjollierforit).Buyinggiftsorgiving

tocharityisoftenmorepleasurablethanpurchasing

thingsforoneself,andluxuriesaremostenjoyable

whentheyareconsumedsparingly.Thisisapparently

thereasonMacDonald'srestrictstheavailabilityof

itspopularMcRib-amarketingtrickthathasturned

theporksandwichintoanobjectofobsession.

Readersof“HappyMoney“areclearlyaprivileged

lot,anxiousaboutfulfillment,nothunger.Moneymay

notquitebuyhappiness,butpeopleinwealthier

countriesaregenerallyhappierthanthoseinpoor

ones.Yetthelinkbetweenfeelinggoodandspending

moneyonotherscanbeseenamongrichandpoor

peoplearoundtheworld,andscarcityenhancesthe

pleasureofmostthingsformostpeople.Noteveryone

willagreewiththeauthors'policyideas,which

rangefrommandatingmoreholidaytimetoreducing

taxincentivesforAmericanhomebuyers.Butmost

peoplewilleawayfromthisbookbelievingitwas

moneywellspento

21.AccordingtoDumnandNorton,whichofthe

followingisthemostrewardingpurchase?

[A]Abighouse

[B]Aspecialtour

[C]Astylishcar

[D]Arichmeal

22.Theauthor'sattitudetowardAmericans?

watchingTVis

[A]critical

[B]supportive

[C]sympathetic

[D]ambiguous

23.Macribismentionedinparagraph3toshowthat

[A]consumersaresometimesirrational

[B]popularityusuallyesafterquality

[C]marketingtricksareaftereffective

[Diraritygenerallyincreasespleasure

24.Accordingtothelastparagraph,HappyMoney

[A]hasleftmuchroomforreaders1criticism

[B]mayprovetobeaworthwhilepurchase

[C]haspredictedawiderinegapintheus

[D]maygiveitsreadersasenseofachievement

25.Thistextmainlydiscusseshowto

[A]balancefeelinggoodandspendingmoney

[B]spendlargesumsofmoneywoninlotteries

[C]obtainlastingsatisfactionfrommoneyspent

[D]beemorereasonableinspendingonluxuries

考研阅读理解真题英语二3

Text1

Inanessayentitled“MakingItinAmericaw,the

authorAdamDavidsonrelatesajokefromcottonabout

justhowmuchamoderntextilemillhasbeen

automated：Theaveragemillonlytwoemployees

today,wamanandadog.Themanistheretofeed

thedogistheretokeepthemanawayfromthe

machines.”

Davidson'sarticleisoneofanumberofpieces

thathaverecentlyappearedmakingthepointthatthe

reasonwehavesuchstubbornlyhighunemploymentand

decliningmiddle-classinestodayisalsobecauseof

theadvancesinbothglobalizationandthe

informationtechnologyrevolution,whicharemore

rapidlythaneverreplacinglaborwithmachinesor

foreignworker.

Inthepast,workerswithaverageskills,doingan

averagejob,couldearnanaverage

lifestyle,But,today,averageisofficiallyover.

Beingaveragejustwon'tearnyouwhatitusedto.

Itcan,twhensomanymoreemployershavesomuch

moreaccesstosomuchmoreaboveaveragecheap

foreignlabor,cheaprobotics,cheapsoftware,cheap

automationandcheapgenius.Therefore,everyone

needstofindtheirextra-theiruniquevalue

contributionthatmakesthemstandoutinwhateveris

theirfieldofemployment.

Yes,newtechnologyhasbeeneatingjobsforever,

andalwayswill.Butthere'sbeenanacceleration.

AsDavidsonnotes,“Inthe10yearsendingin20XX,

[U.S.]factoriesshedworkerssofastthatthey

erasedalmostallthegainsoftheprevious70years；

roughlyoneoutofeverythreemanufacturingjobs-

about6millionintotal-disappeared.

Therewillalwaysbechanged-newjobs,new

products,newservices.Buttheonethingweknowfor

sureisthatwitheachadvanceinglobalizationand

theI.T.revolution,thebestjobswillrequire

workerstohavemoreandbettereducationtomake

themselvesaboveaverage.

Inaworldwhereaverageisofficiallyover,there

aremanythingsweneedtodotosupportemployment,

butnothingwouldbemoreimportantthanpassingsome

kindofG.I.Billforthe21stcenturythatensures

thateveryAmericanhasaccesstopoet-highschool

education.

21.ThejokeinParagraph1isusedto

i1lustrate

[A]theimpactoftechnologicaladvances

[B]thealleviationofjobpressure

[C]theshrinkageoftextilemills

[D]thedeclineofmiddle-classines

22.AccordingtoParagraph3,tobeasuccessful

employee,onehasto

[A]workoncheapsoftware

[B]askforamoderatesalary

[C]adoptanaveragelifestyle

[D]contributesomethingunique

23.ThequotationinParagraph4explainsthat

[A]gainsoftechnologyhavebeenerased

[B]jobopportunitiesaredisappearingatahigh

speed

[C]factoriesaremakingmuchlessmoneythan

before

[D]newjobsandserviceshavebeenoffered

24.Accordingtotheauthor,toreduce

unemployment,themostimportantis

[A]toacceleratetheI.T.revolution

[B]toensuremoreeducationforpeople

[C]roadvanceeconomicglobalization

[D]topassmorebillsinthe21stcentury

25.Whichofthefollowingwouldbethemost

appropriatetitleforthetext?

[A]NewLawTakesEffect

[B]TechnologyGoesCheap

[C]AverageIsOver

[D]RecessionIsBad

考研阅读理解真题英语二4

Text1

ThedecisionoftheNewYorkPhilharmonictohire

AlanGilbertasitsnextmusicdirectorhasbeenthe

talkoftheclassical-musicworldeversincethe

suddenannouncementofhisappointmentin20XX.For

themostpart,theresponsehasbeenfavorable,to

saytheleast."Hooray!Atlast!”wroteAnthony

Tommasini,asober-sidedclassical-musiccritic.

Oneofthereasonswhytheappointmentcameas

suchasurprise,however,isthatGilbertis

parativelylittleknown.EvenTommasini,whohad

advocatedGilbert'sappointmentintheTimes,calls

him“anunpretentiousmusicianwithnoairofthe

formidableconductorabouthim."Asadescriptionof

thenextmusicdirectorofanorchestrathathas

hithertobeenledbymusicianslikeGustavMahlerand

PierreBoulez,thatseemslikelytohavestruckat

leastsomeTimesreadersasfaintpraise.

Formypart,IhavenoideawhetherGilbertisa

greatconductororevenagoodone.Tobesure,he

performsanimpressivevarietyofinteresting

positions,butitisnotnecessaryformetovisit

AveryFisherHall,oranywhereelse,tohear

interestingorchestralmusic.AllIhavetodoisto

gotomyCDshelf,orbootupmyputeranddownload

stillmorerecordedmusicfromiTunes.

Devotedconcertgoerswhoreplythatrecordingsare

nosubstituteforliveperformancearemissingthe

point.Forthetime,attention,andmoneyofthe

art-lovingpublic,classicalinstrumentalistsmust

petenotonlywithoperahouses,dancetroupes,

theaterpanies,andmuseums,butalsowiththe

recordedperformancesofthegreatclassical

musiciansofthe20thcentury.Thererecordingsare

cheap,availableeverywhere,andveryoftenmuch

higherinartisticqualitythantoday，slive

performances；moreover,theycanbe“consumed”at

atimeandplaceofthelistener'schoosing.The

widespreadavailabilityofsuchrecordingshasthus

broughtaboutacrisisintheinstitutionofthe

traditionalclassicalconcert.

Onepossibleresponseisforclassicalperformers

toprogramattractivenewmusicthatisnotyet

availableonrecord.Gilbert'sowninterestinnew

musichasbeenwidelynoted：AlexRoss,a

classical-musiccritic,hasdescribedhimasaman