2022年考研英语（一）真题及答案

2022年全国硕士研究生考试考研英语(一)试题及答

案

SectionIUseofEnglish

Directions:

TranslatethefollowingtextintoChinese.Writeyourtranslationonthe

ANSWERSHEET.(15points)

Theideathatplantshavesomedegreeofconsciousnessfirsttookrootinthe

early2000s;theterm"plantneurobiology"was____1____aroundthenotionthat

someaspectsofplantbehaviorcouldbe____2____tointelligenceinanimals.

____3____plantslackbrains,thefiringofelectricalsignalsintheirstemsandleaves

nonethelesstriggeredresponsesthat4consciousness,researchers

previouslyreported.

Butsuchanideaisuntrue,accordingtoanewopinionarticle.Plantbiologyis

complexandfascinating,butit____5____sogreatlyfromthatofanimalsthat

so-called____6____ofplants,intelligenceisinconclusive,theauthorswrote.

Beginningin2006,somescientistshave____7____thatplantspossess

neuron-likecellsthatinteractwithhormonesandneurotransmitters,____8____"a

plantnervoussystem,____9____tothatinanimals,“saidleadstudyauthorLincoln

Taiz,"They____10____claimedthatplantshave'brain-likecommandcenters*at

theirroottips.”

This____11____makessenseifyousimplifytheworkingsofacomplexbrain,

____12____ittoanarrayofelectricalpulses;cellsinplantsalsocommunicate

throughelectricalsignals.____13____,thesignalinginaplantisonly____14____

similartothefiringinacomplexanimalbrain,whichismorethan"amassofcells

thatcommunicatebyelectricity/*Taizsaid.

“Forconsciousnesstoevolve,abrainwithathreshold___15____of

complexityandcapacityisrequired,"he____16____Sinceplantsdon/thave

nervoussystems,the____17____thattheyhaveconsciousnessareeffectivelyzero.”

Andwhat'ssogreataboutconsciousness,anyway?Plantscan'trunaway

from____18____,soinvestingenergyinabodysystemwhich____19____athreatand

canfeelpainwouldbeavery____20____evolutionarystrategy,accordingtothe

article.

1.[A]coined[B]discovered[C]collected[D]issued

2.[A]attributed[B]directed[C]compared[D]confined

3.[A]Unless[B]When[C]Once[D]Though

4.[A]copedwith[B]consistedof[C]hintedat[D]extendedto

5.[A]suffers[B]benefits[C]develops[D]differs

6.[A]acceptance[B]evidence[C]cultivation[D]creation

7.[A]doubted[B]denied[C]argued[D]requested

8.[A]adapting[B]forming[C]repairing[D]testing

9.[A]analogous[B]essential[C]suitable[D]sensitive

10.[A]just[B]ever[C]still[D]even

11.[A]restriction[B]experiment[C]perspective[D]demand

12.[A]attaching[B]reducing[C]returning[D]exposing

13.[A]However[B]Moreover[C]Therefore[D]Otherwise

14.[A]temporarily[B]literally[C]superficially[D]imaginarily

15.[A]list[B]level[C]label[D]load

16.[A]recalled[B]agreed[C]questioned[D]added

17.[A]chances[B]risks[C]excuses[D]assumptions

18.[A]danger[B]failure[C]warning[D]control

19.[A]represents[B]includes[C]reveals[D]recognizes

20.[A]humble[B]poor[C]practical[D]easy

SectionIIReadingComprehension

PartA

Directions:

Readthefollowingfourtexts.Answerthequestionsaftereachtextby

choosingA,B,CorD.MarkyouranswersontheANSWERSHEET.(40points)

Text1

Peopleoftencomplainthatplasticsaretoodurable.Waterbottles,shopping

bags,andothertrashlittertheplanet,fromMountEveresttotheMarianaTrench,

becauseplasticsareeverywhereanddon*tbreakdowneasily.Butsomeplastic

materialschangeovertime.Theycrackandfrizzle.They"weep"outadditives.

Theymeltintosludge.Allofwhichcreateshugeheadachesforinstitutions,suchas

museums,tryingtopreserveculturallyimportantobjects.Thevarietyofplastic

objectsatriskisdizzying:earlyradios,avant-gardesculptures,celluloidanimation

stillsfromDisneyfilms,thefirstartificialheart.

Certainartifactsareespeciallyvulnerablebecausesomepioneersinplasticart

didn'talwaysknowhowtomixingredientsproperly,saysTheavanOosten,a

polymerchemistwho,untilretiringafewyearsago,workedfordecadesatthe

CulturalHeritageAgencyoftheNetherlands."It'slikebakingacake:Ifyou

don'thaveexactamounts,itgoeswrong,“shesays."Theobjectyoumakeis

alreadyatimebomb.”

Andsometimes,it'snottheartist,sfault.Inthe1960s,theItalianartistPiero

Gilardibegantocreatehundredsofbright,colorfulfoampieces.Thosepieces

includedsmallbedsofrosesandotheritemsaswellasafewdozen°nature

carpets”—largerectanglesdecoratedwithfoampumpkins,cabbages,and

watermelons.Hewantedviewerstowalkaroundonthecarpets—whichmeantthey

hadtobedurable.

Unfortunately,thepolyurethanefoamheusedisinherentlyunstable.It1s

especiallyvulnerabletolightdamage,andbythemid-1990s,Gilardi'spumpkins,

roses,andotherfiguresweresplittingandcrumbling.Museumslockedsomeof

themawayinthedark.

SovanOostenandhercolleaguesworkedtopreserveGilardi*ssculptures.

Theyinfusedsomewithstabilizingandconsolidatingchemicals.VanOostencalls

thosechemicals^sunscreens"becausetheirgoalwastopreventfurtherlight

damageandrebuildwornpolymerfibers.Sheisproudthatseveralsculptureshave

evengoneondisplayagain,albeitsometimesbeneathprotectivecases.

DespitesuccessstorieslikevanOosten,s,preservationofplasticswilllikely

getharder.Oldobjectscontinuetodeteriorate.Worse,biodegradableplastics,

designedtodisintegrate,areincreasinglycommon.

Andmoreisatstakeherethanindividualobjects.JoanaLiaFerreira,an

assistantprofessorofconservationandrestorationattheNOVASchoolofScience

andTechnology,notesthatarchaeologistsfirstdefinedthegreatmaterialagesof

humanhistory——StoneAge,IronAge,andsoon—afterexaminingartifactsin

museums.Wenowliveinanageofplastic,shesays,“andwhatwedecideto

collecttoday,whatwedecidetopreserve...willhaveastrongimpactonhowinthe

futurewe'IIbeseen.”

21.AccordingtoParagraph1,museumsarefacedwithdifficultiesin

[A]maintainingtheirplasticitems

[B]obtainingdurableplasticartifacts

[C]handlingoutdatedplasticexhibits

[D]classifyingtheirplasticcollections

22.VanOostenbelievesthatcertainplasticobjectsare.

[A]immunetodecay

[B]improperlyshaped

[C]inherentlyflawed

[D]complexinstructure

23.MuseumsstoppedexhibitingsomeofGilardi'sartworksto

[A]keepthemfromhurtingvisitors

[B]duplicatethemforfuturedisplay

[C]havetheiringredientsanalyzed

[D]preventthemfromfurtherdamage

24.Theauthorthinksthatpreservationofplasticsis.

[A]costly

[B]unworthy

[C]unpopular

[D]challenging

25.InFerreira1sopinion,preservationofplasticartifacts.

[A]willinspirefuturescientificresearch

[B]hasprofoundhistoricalsignificance

[C]willhelpusseparatethematerialages

[D]hasanimpactontoday1sculturallife

SectionIIReadingComprehension

Text2

Asthelatestcropofstudentspentheirundergraduateapplicationformand

weighuptheiroptions,itmaybeworthconsideringjusthowthepoint,purpose

andvalueofadegreehaschangedandwhatGenerationZneedtoconsiderasthey

startthethirdstageoftheireducationaljourney.

Millennialsweretoldthatifyoudidwellinschool,gotadecentdegree,you

wouldbesetupforlife.Butthatpromisehasbeenfoundwanting.Asdegrees

becameuniversal,theybecamedevalued.Educationwasnolongerasecureroute

ofsocialmobility.Today,28percentofgraduatesintheUKareinnon-graduate

roles,apercentagewhichisdoubletheaverageamongOECDcountries.

Thisisnottosaythatthereisnopointingettingadegree,butratherstress

thatadegreeisnotforeveryone,thattheswitchfromclassroomtolecturehallis

notaninevitableoneandthatotheroptionsareavailable.

Thankfully,therearesignsthatthisisalreadyhappening,withGenerationZ

seekingtolearnfromtheirmillennialpredecessors,evenifparentsandteachers

tendtobestillsetinthedegreemindset.Employershavelongseentheadvantages

ofhiringschoolleaverswhooftenprovethemselvestobemorecommittedand

loyalemployeesthangraduates.Manytooareseeingtheadvantagesofscrapping

adegreerequirementforcertainroles.

Forthoseforwhomadegreeisthedesiredroute,considerthatthismaywell

bethefirstofmany.Inthisageofgeneralists,itpaystohavespecificknowledgeor

skills.Postgraduatesnowearn40percentmorethangraduates.Whenmoreand

moreofushaveadegree,itmakessensetohavetwo.

ItisunlikelythatGenerationZwillbedonewitheducationat18or21;theywill

needtobeconstantlyup-skillingthroughouttheircareertostayemployable.Ithas

beenestimatedthatthisgeneration,duetothepressuresoftechnology,thewish

forpersonalfulfilmentanddesirefordiversity,willworkfor17differentemployers

overthecourseoftheirworkinglifeandhavefivedifferentcareers.Education,and

notjustknowledgegainedoncampus,willbeacorepartofGenerationZ'scareer

trajectory.

Oldergenerationsoftentalkabouttheirdegreeinthepresentandpersonal

tense:'Iamageographer*or'Iamaclassist*.Theirsonsordaughterswould

neversaysuchathing;itsasiftheyalreadyknowthattheirdegreewon,tdefine

theminthesameway.

26.TheauthorsuggeststhatGenerationZshould.

[A]becarefulinchoosingacollege

[B]bediligentateacheducationalstage

[C]reassessthenecessityofcollegeeducation

[D]postponetheirundergraduateapplication

27.ThepercentageofUKgraduatesinnon-graduaterolesreflect.

[A]MillenniaTsopinionsaboutwork

[B]theshrinkingvalueofadegree

[C]publicdiscontentwitheducation

[D]thedesiredrouteofsocialmobility

28.Theauthorconsidersitagoodsignthat.

[A]GenerationZareseekingtoearnadecentdegree

[B]schoolleaversarewillingtobeskilledworkers

[C]employersaretakingarealisticattitudetodegrees

[D]parentsarechangingtheirmindsabouteducation

29.ItisadvisedinParagraph5thatthosewithonedegreeshould.

[A]makeanearlydecisionontheircareer

[B]attendonthejobtrainingprograms

[C]teamupwithhigh-paidpostgraduates

[D]furthertheirstudiesinaspecificfield

30.WhatcanbeconcludedaboutGenerationZfromthelasttwoparagraphs?

[A]Lifelonglearningwilldefinethem.

[B]Theywillmakequalifiededucators.

[C]Degreeswillnolongerappealthem.

[D]Theywillhavealimitedchoiceofjobs.

Text3

Enlightening,challenging,stimulating,fun.Theseweresomeofthewordsthat

Naturereadersusedtodescribetheirexperienceofart-sciencecollaborationsina

seriesofarticlesonpartnershipsbetweenartistsandresearchers.Nearly40%ofthe

roughly350peoplewhorespondedtoanaccompanyingpollsaidtheyhad

collaboratedwithartists;andalmostallsaidtheywouldconsiderdoingsoinfuture.

Suchanencouragingresultisnotsurprising.Scientistsareincreasingly

seekingoutvisualartiststohelpthemcommunicatetheirworktonewaudiences.

“Artistshelpscientistsreachabroaderaudienceandmakeemotionalconnections

thatenhancelearning//Onerespondentsaid.

Oneexampleofhowartistsandscientistshavetogetherrockedthesenses

camelastmonthwhentheSydneySymphonyOrchestraperformedareworked

versionofAntonioVivaldi1sTheFourSeasons.Theyreimaginedthe300-year-old

scorebyinjectingthelatestclimatepredictiondataforeachseason—providedby

MonashUniversity*sClimateChangeCommunicationResearchHub.The

performancewasacreativecaltoactionaheadofNovember,sUnitedNations

ClimateChangeConferenceinGlasgow,UK.

Butagenuinepartnershipmustbeatwo-waystreet.Fewerartiststhan

scientistsrespondedtotheNaturepoll;however,severalrespondentsnotedthat

artistsdonotsimplyassistscientistswiththeircommunicationrequirements.Nor

shouldtheirworkbeconsideredonlyasanobjectofstudy.Thealliancesaremost

valuablewhenscientistsandartistshaveasharedstakeinaproject,areableto

jointlydesignitandcancritiqueeachother*swork.Suchanapproachcanboth

promptnewresearchaswellasresultinpowerfulart.

Morethanhalfacenturyago,theMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology

openeditsCenterforAdvancedVisualStudies(CAVS)toexploretheroleof

technologyinculture.Thefoundersdeliberatelyfocusedtheirprojectsaround

light—hencethe“visualstudies0inthename.Lightwasasomethingthatboth

artistsandscientistshadaninterestin,andthereforecouldformthebasisof

collaboration.Asscienceandtechnologyprogressed,anddividedintomore

sub-disciplines,thecentrewassimultaneouslylookingtoatimewhenleading

researcherscouldalsobeartists,writersandpoets,andviceversa.

Nature1spollfindingssuggestthatthistrendisasstrongasever,but,to

makeacollaborationwork,bothsidesneedtoinvesttime,andembracesurprise

andchallenge.Thereachofart-sciencetie-upsneedtogobeyondthenecessary

purposeofresearchcommunication,andparticipantsmustnotfallintothetrapof

stereotypingeachother.Artistsandscientistsalikeareimmersedindiscoveryand

invention,andchallengeandcritiquearecoretoboth,too.

31.AccordingtoParagraph1,art-sciencecollaborationshave.

[A]caughttheattentionofcritics

[B]receivedfavorableresponses

[C]promotedacademicpublishing

[D]sparkedheatedpublicdisputes

32.ThereworkedversionofTheFourSeasonsismentionedtoshowthat

[A]artcanofferaudienceseasyaccesstoscience

[B]sciencecanhelpwiththeexpressionofemotions

[C]publicparticipationinsciencehasapromisingfuture

[D]artiseffectiveinfacilitatingscientificinnovations

33.Someartistsseemtoworryaboutintheart-sciencepartnership.

[A]theirrolemaybeunderestimated

[B]theirreputationmaybeimpaired

[C]theircreativitymaybeinhibited

[D]theirworkmaybemisguided

34.WhatdoestheauthorsayaboutCAVS?

[A]Itwasheadedalternatelybyartistsandscientists.

[B]Itexemplifiedvaluableart-sciencealliances.

[C]Itsprojectsaimedatadvancingvisualstudies.

[D]Itsfounderssoughttoraisethestatusofartists.

35.Inthelastparagraph,theauthorholdsthatart-sciencecollaborations

[A]arelikelytogobeyondpublicexpectations

[B]willintensifyinterdisciplinarycompetition

[C]shoulddomorethancommunicatingscience

[D]arebecomingmorepopularthanbefore

Text4

ThepersonalgrievanceprovisionsofNewZealand/sEmploymentRelations

Act2000(ERA)preventanemployerfromfiringanemployeewithoutgoodcause.

Instead,dismissalsmustbejustified.Employersmustbothshowcauseandactina

procedurallyfairway.

Personalgrievanceproceduresweredesignedtoguardthejobsofordinary

workersfrom^unjustifieddismissals**.Thepremisewasthatthecommonlawof

contractlackedsufficientsafeguardsforworkersagainstarbitraryconductby

management.Longgonearethedayswhenabosscouldsimplygiveanemployee

contractualnotice.

Buttheseprovisionscreatedifficultiesforbusinesseswhenappliedtohighly

paidmanagersandexecutives.Ascountlessboardsandbusinessownerswillattest,

constrainingfirmsfromfiringpoorlyperforming,high-earningmanagersisa

handbrakeonboostingproductivityandoverallperformance.Thedifference

betweenC-gradeandA-grademanagersmayverywellbethedifferencebetween

businesssuccessorfailure.Betweenpreservingthejobsofordinaryworkersor

losingthem.Yetmediocrityisnolongerenoughtojustifyadismissal.

Consequently—andparadoxically—lawsintroducedtoprotectthejobsof

ordinaryworkersmaybeplacingthosejobsatrisk.

Ifnotplacingjobsatrisk,totheextentemploymentprotectionlawsconstrain

businessownersfromdismissingunder-performingmanagers,thoselawsactasa

constraintonfirmproductivityandthereforeonworkers'wages.Indeed,in“An

InternationalPerspectiveonNewZealand'sProductivityParadox"(2014),the

ProductivityCommissionsingledoutthelowqualityofmanagerialcapabilitiesasa

causeofthecountry'spoorproductivitygrowthrecord.

Norarehighlypaidmanagersthemselvesimmunefromtheharmcausedby

theERA'sunjustifieddismissalprocedures.Becauseemploymentprotectionlaws

makeitcostliertofireanemployee,employersaremorecautiousabouthiringnew

staff.Thismakesitharderforthemarginalmanagertogainemployment.Andfirms

paystafflessbecausefirmscarrytheburdenoftheemploymentarrangement

goingwrong.

Societyalsosuffersfromexcessiveemploymentprotections.Stringentjob

dismissalregulationsadverselyaffectproductivitygrowthandhamperboth

prosperityandoverallwell-being.

AcrosstheTasmanSea,Australiadealswiththeunjustifieddismissalparadox

byexcludingemployeesearningaboveaspecified“high-incomethreshold"from

theprotectionofitsunfairdismissallaws.InNewZealand,a2016privatemembers,

Billtriedtopermitfirmsandhigh-incomeemployeestocontractoutofthe

unjustifieddismissalregime.However,themechanismsproposedwereunwieldy

andtheBillwasvoteddownfollowingthechangeingovernmentlaterthatyear.

36.ThepersonalgrievanceprovisionsoftheERAareintendedto.

[A]punishdubiouscorporatepractices

[B]improvetraditionalhiringprocedures

[C]exemptemployersfromcertainduties

[D]protecttherightsofordinaryworkers

37.Itcanbelearnedfromparagraph3thattheprovisionsmay.

[A]hinderbusinessdevelopment

[B]underminemanagers/authority

[C]affectthepublicimageofthefirms

[D]worsenlabor-managementrelations

38.WhichofthefollowingmeasureswouldtheProductivityCommission

support?

[A]Imposingreasonablewagerestraints.

[B]Enforcingemploymentprotectionlaws.

[C]Limitingthepowersofbusinessowners.

[D]Dismissingpoorlyperformingmanagers.

39.WhatmightbeaneffectofERA*sunjustifieddismissalprocedures?

[A]Highlypaidmanagerslosetheirjobs.

[B]Employeessufferfromsalarycuts.

[C]Societyseesariseinoverallwell-being.

[D]Employersneedtohirenewstaff.

40.Itcanbeinferredthatthe“high-incomethreshold"inAustralia.

[A]hassecuredmanagers'earnings

[B]hasproducedundesiredresults

[C]isbeneficialtobusinessowners

[D]isdifficulttoputintopractice

PartB

题目要求暂无，需要考生总结人物观点然后选择正确选项，类似英语二信息匹配题。

(41)TeriByrd

Iamaveterinarianwhowasazooandwildlifeparkemployeeforyearsbefore

obtainingmyveterinarydegree.Boththewildlifeparkandzooclaimedtobe

operatingforthebenefitoftheanimalsandforconservationpurposes.Thisclaim

wasfalse.Neitheroneofthemactuallyparticipatedinanycontributionstoanimal

researchorconservation.Theyareprofitableinstitutionswhosebottomlineis

muchmoreimportantthantheconditionoftheanimals.

Animalsdespisebeingcaptivesinzoos.Nomatterhowyou“enhance”

enclosures,theydonotallowforfreedom,anaturaldietoradequateexercise.

Animalsendupstressedandunhealthyordead.Itspasttimefortransparency

withtheseinstitutions,anditspasttimetoeliminatezoosfromourculture.

(42)KarenR.Sime

Asazoologyprofessorand,thankstomykids,afrequentzoovisitor,Iagree

withEmmaMarristhatzoodisplayscanbesadandcruel.Butsheunderestimates

theeducationalvalueofzoos.

ThezoologyprogramatmyStateUniversityofNewYorkcampusattracts

studentsforwhomzoovisitswerethecrucialformativeexperiencethatledthemto

majorinbiologicalsciences.Thesearemostlystudentswhohadnoopportunityas

childrentotraveltowildernessareas,wildliferefugesornationalparks.Although

goodTVshowscanhelpstirchildren'sinterestinconservation,theycannot

replacetheexcitementofazoovisitasanintense,immersiveandinteractive

experience.Theyalsogettomeetadultswhohaveturnedtheirloveforanimals

intoacareer,andwithwhomtheycanidentify.Surelytheremustbesomemiddle

groundthatbalanceszoos'treatmentofanimalswiththeireducationalpotential.

(43)GregNewberry

EmmaMarris,articleisaninsultandadisservicetothethousandsof

passionate,dedicatedpeoplewhoworktirelesslytoimprovethelivesofanimals

andprotectourplanet.Ms.Marrisusesoutdatedresearchanddecades-old

examplestounderminethenoblemissionoforganizationscommittedto

connectingchildrentoaworldbeyondtheirown.

Zoosareattheforefrontofconservationandconstantlyevolvingtoimprove

howtheycareforanimalsandprotecteachspeciesinitsnaturalhabitat.Arethere

tragedies?Ofcourse.Buttheyaretheexception,notthenormthatMs.Marris

implies.Adistressedanimalinazoowillgetasgoodorbettertreatmentthanmost

ofusatourlocalhospital.

(44)DeanGallea

Asafellowenvironmentalist,animal-protectionadvocateandlongtime

vegetarian,IcouldproperlybeinthesamecampasEmmaMarrisontheissueof

zoos.ButIbelievethatwell-runzoos,andtheheroicanimalsthatsuffertheir

captivity,doserveahigherpurpose.Wereitnotforopportunitiestoobservethese

beautiful,wildcreaturesclosetohome,manymorepeoplewouldbedrivenbytheir

fascinationtotraveltowildareastoseekout,disturbandevenhuntthemdown.

Zoosare,inthatsense,similartonaturalhistoryandarchaeologymuseums,

servingtosatisfyourneedforcontactwiththeselivingcreatureswhileleavingthe

vastmajorityundisturbedintheirnaturalenvironments.

(45)JohnFraser

EmmaMarrisselectivelydescribesandmisrepresentsthefindingsofour

research.Ourstudiesfocusedontheimpactofzooexperiencesonhowpeople

thinkaboutthemselvesandnature,andthedatapointsextractedfromourstudies

donot,inanyway,discountwhatislearnedinazoovisit.

Zoosaretoolsforthinking.Ourresearchprovidesstrongsupportforthevalue

ofzoosinconnectingpeoplewithanimalsandwithnature.Zoosprovideacritical

voiceforconservationandenvironmentalprotection.Theyaffordanopportunity

forpeoplefromallbackgroundstoencounterarangeofanimals,fromdronebees

tospringbokorsalmon,tobetterunderstandthenaturalworldwelivein.

41._______

42._______

43._______

44._______

45.

[A]Zoos,whichsparenoefforttotakecareofanimals,shouldnotbe

subjectedtounfaircriticism.

[B]Topressurezoostospendlessontheiranimalswouldleadtoinhumane

outcomesforthepreciouscreaturesintheircare.

[C]Whileanimalsincaptivitydeservesympathy,zoosplaysignificantrolein

startingyoungpeopledownthepathofrelatedsciences.

[D]Zoossavepeopletripstowildernessareasandthuscontributetowildlife

conservation.

[E]Forwildanimalsthatcannotbereturnedtotheirnaturalhabitats,zoos

offerthebestalternative.

[F]Zoosshouldhavebeencloseddownastheyprioritizemoneymakingover

animals1well-being.

[G]Marrisdistortsourfindingswhichactuallyprovethatzoosserveasan

indispensablelinkbetweenmanandnature.

SectionIIReadingComprehension

PartC

Directions:

Readthefollowingtextcarefullyandthentranslatetheunderlinedsegments

intoChinese.YourtranslationshouldbewrittenneatlyontheANSWERSHEET.(10

points)

Between1807and1814theIberianPeninsula(comprisingSpainandPortugal)

wasthesceneofatitanicandmercilessstruggle.Ittookplaceonmanydifferent

planes:betweenNapoleon1sFrencharmyandtheangryinhabitants;betweenthe

British,everkeentoexacerbatetheemperor*sdifficulties,andthemarshalssent

fromParistotrytokeepthemincheck;betweennewforcesofscienceand

meritocracyandoldonesofconservatismandbirth.(46)Itwasalso,andthisis

unknowneventomanypeoplewellreadabouttheperiod,abattlebetweenthose

whomadecodesandthosewhobrokethem.

IfirstdiscoveredtheNapoleoniccryptographicbattleafewyearsagowhenI

wasreadingSirCharlesOman*sepicHistoryofthePeninsularWar.InvolumeVhe

hadattachedanappendix,"TheScovellCiphers.”(47)Itlistedmanydocuments

ircodethathadbeencapturedfromtheFrencharmyofSpain,andwhosesecrets

hadbeenrevealedbytheworkofoneGeorgeScovell,arofficerinBritish

headquartersOmanratedScovelTssignificancehighly,butatthesametime,the

generalnatureofhisHistorymeantthat(48)hecouldnotanalyzecarefullywhat

thisobscureofficermayormaynothavecontributedtothatgreatstruggle

betweennationsorindeedtellusanythingmuchaboutthemanhimself.Iwaskeen

toreadmore,butwassurprisedtofindthatOman,sappendix,publishedin1914,

wastheonlyconsideredthingthathadbeenwrittenaboutthissecretwar.

Ibecameconvincedthatthisstorywaseverybitasexcitingandsignificantas

thatofEnigmaandthebreakingofGermancodesintheSecondWorldWar.The

questionwas,coulditbetold?

StudyingScovelTspapersatthePublicRecordOffice,London,Ifoundthat

hehadleftanextensivejournalandcopiousnotesabouthisworkinthepeninsula.

Whatwasmore,manyoriginalFrenchdispatcheshadbeenpreservedinthis

collection.Irealizedatoncethatthiswaspriceless.(49)Theremayhavebeenmany

spiesandintelligenceofficersduringtheNapoleonicWars,butitisusually

extremelydifficulttofindthematerialtheyactuallyprovidedorworkedon.

Furthermore,ScovelTsstoryinvolvedmuchmorethanjustintelligencework.His

statusinLordWellington*sheadquartersandtherecognitiongiventohimforhis

workwereallboundupwiththeclasspoliticsofthearmyatthetime.Histaleof

self-improvementandhar