2013年全国硕士研究生招生考试

英语（二）试题

Section I Use of English

Directions:

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

①Given the advantages of electronic money, you might think that we would move quickly to the cashless society in which all payments are made electronically. ② 1 , a true cashless society is probably not around the corner. ③Indeed, predictions have been 2 for two decades but have not yet come to fruition. ④For example, Business Week predicted in 1975 that electronic means of payment would soon “revolutionize the very 3 of money itself,” only to 4 itself several years later. ⑤Why has the movement to a cashless society been so 5 in coming?

①Although electronic means of payment may be more efficient than a payments system based on paper, several factors work 6 the disappearance of the paper system. ②First, it is very 7 to set up the computer, card reader, and telecommunications networks necessary to make electronic money the 8 form of payment. ③Second, paper checks have the advantage that they 9 receipts, something that many consumers are unwilling to 10 . ④Third, the use of paper checks gives consumers several days of “float”—it takes several days 11 a check is cashed and funds are 12 from the issuer’s account, which means that the writer of the check can earn interest on the funds in the meantime. ⑤ 13 electronic payments are immediate, they eliminate the float for the consumer.

①Fourth, electronic means of payment may 14 security and privacy concerns. ②We often hear media reports that an unauthorized hacker has been able to access a computer database and to alter information 15 there. ③The fact that this is not an 16 occurrence means that dishonest persons might be able to access bank accounts in electronic payments systems and 17 from someone else’s accounts. ④The 18 of this type of fraud is no easy task, and a new field of computer science is developing to 19 security issues. ⑤A further concern is that the use of electronic means of payment leaves an electronic 20 that contains a large amount of personal data. ⑥ There are concerns that government, employers, and marketers might be able to access these data, thereby violating our privacy.

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

2. [A] off [B] back [C] over [D] around

3. [A] power [B] concept [C] history [D] role

4. [A] reverse [B] resist [C] resume [D] reward

5. [A] silent [B] sudden [C] slow [D] steady

6. [A] for [B] against [C] with [D] on

7. [A] expensive [B] imaginative [C] sensitive [D] productive

8. [A] similar [B] original [C] temporary [D] dominant

9. [A] collect [B] copy [C] provide [D] print

10. [A] give up [B] take over [C] bring back [D] pass down

11. [A] before [B] after [C] since [D] when

12. [A] kept [B] borrowed [C] withdrawn [D] released

13. [A] Unless [B] Because [C] Until [D] Though

14. [A] hide [B] express [C] ease [D] raise

15. [A] analyzed [B] shared [C] stored [D] displayed

16. [A] unsafe [B] unnatural [C] unclear [D] uncommon

17. [A] steal [B] choose [C] benefit [D] return

18. [A] consideration [B] prevention [C] manipulation [D] justification

19. [A] call for [B] fight against [C] adapt to [D] cope with

20. [A] chunk [B] chip [C] trail [D] path

Section II Reading Comprehension

Part A

Directions:

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

Text 1

①In an essay entitled “Making It in America,” the author Adam Davidson relates a joke from cotton country about just how much a modern textile mill has been automated: The average mill has only two employees today, “a man and a dog. ②The man is there to feed the dog, and the dog is there to keep the man away from the machines.”

①Davidson’s article is one of a number of pieces that have recently appeared making the point that the reason we have such stubbornly high unemployment and declining middle-class incomes today is largely because of the big drop in demand because of the Great Recession, but it is also because of the advances in both globalization and the information technology revolution, which are more rapidly than ever replacing labor with machines or foreign workers.

①In the past, workers with average skills, doing an average job, could earn an average lifestyle. ②But, today, average is officially over. ③Being average just won’t earn you what it used to. ④It can’t when so many more employers have so much more access to so much more above average cheap foreign labor, cheap robotics, cheap software, cheap automation and cheap genius. ⑤Therefore, everyone needs to find their extra—their unique value contribution that makes them stand out in whatever is their field of employment.

①Yes, new technology has been eating jobs forever, and always will. ②But there’s been an acceleration. ③As Davidson notes, “In the 10 years ending in 2009, [U.S.] factories shed workers so fast that they erased almost all the gains of the previous 70 years; roughly one out of every three manufacturing jobs—about 6 million in total—disappeared.”

①There will always be change—new jobs, new products, new services. ②But the one thing we know for sure is that with each advance in globalization and the I. T. revolution, the best jobs will require workers to have more and better education to make themselves above average.

①In a world where average is officially over, there are many things we need to do to support employment, but nothing would be more important than passing some kind of G. I. Bill for the 21st century that ensures that every American has access to post-high school education.

21. The joke in Paragraph 1 is used to illustrate .

[A] the impact of technological advances

[B] the alleviation of job pressure

[C] the shrinkage of textile mills

[D] the decline of middle-class incomes

22. According to Paragraph 3, to be a successful employee, one has to .

[A] adopt an average lifestyle

[B] work on cheap software

[C] ask for a moderate salary

[D] contribute something unique

23. The quotation in Paragraph 4 explains that .

[A] gains of technology have been erased

[B] job opportunities are disappearing at a high speed

[C] factories are making much less money than before

[D] new jobs and services have been offered

24. According to the author, to reduce unemployment, the most important is .

[A] to accelerate the I. T. revolution

[B] to advance economic globalization

[C] to ensure more education for people

[D] to pass more bills in the 21st century

25. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the text?

[A] Technology Goes Cheap.

[B] New Law Takes Effect.

[C] Recession Is Bad.

[D] Average Is Over.

Text 2

①A century ago, the immigrants from across the Atlantic included settlers and sojourners. ②Along with the many folks looking to make a permanent home in the United States came those who had no intention to stay, and who would make some money and then go home. ③Between 1908 and 1915, about 7 million people arrived while about 2 million departed. ④About a quarter of all Italian immigrants, for example, eventually returned to Italy for good. ⑤They even had an affectionate nickname, “uccelli di passaggio,” birds of passage.

①Today, we are much more rigid about immigrants. ②We divide newcomers into two categories: legal or illegal, good or bad. ③We hail them as Americans in the making, or brand them as aliens to be kicked out. ④That framework has contributed mightily to our broken immigration system and the long political paralysis over how to fix it. ⑤We don’t need more categories, but we need to change the way we think about categories. ⑥We need to look beyond strict definitions of legal and illegal. ⑦To start, we can recognize the new birds of passage, those living and thriving in the gray areas. ⑧We might then begin to solve our immigration challenges.

①Crop pickers, violinists, construction workers, entrepreneurs, engineers, home health-care aides and physicists are among today’s birds of passage. ②They are energetic participants in a global economy driven by the flow of work, money and ideas. ③They prefer to come and go as opportunity calls them. ④They can manage to have a job in one place and a family in another.

①With or without permission, they straddle laws, jurisdictions and identities with ease. ② We need them to imagine the United States as a place where they can be productive for a while without committing themselves to staying forever. ③We need them to feel that home can be both here and there and that they can belong to two nations honorably.

①Accommodating this new world of people in motion will require new attitudes on both sides of the immigration battle. ②Looking beyond the culture war logic of right or wrong means opening up the middle ground and understanding that managing immigration today requires multiple paths and multiple outcomes, including some that are not easy to accomplish legally in the existing system.

26. “Birds of passage” refers to those who .

[A] stay in a foreign country temporarily

[B] leave their home countries for good

[C] immigrate across the Atlantic

[D] find permanent jobs overseas

27. It is implied in Paragraph 2 that the current immigration system in the US .

[A] needs new immigrant categories

[B] has loosened control over immigrants

[C] should be adapted to meet challenges

[D] has been fixed via political means

28. According to the author, today’s birds of passage want .

[A] financial incentives

[B] a global recognition

[C] the freedom to stay and leave

[D] opportunities to get regular jobs

29. The author suggests that the birds of passage today should be treated .

[A] as faithful partners

[B] with legal tolerance

[C] with economic favors

[D] as mighty rivals

30. The most appropriate title for this text would be .

[A] Come and Go: Big Mistake

[B] Living and Thriving: Great Risk

[C] With or Without: Great Risk

[D] Legal or Illegal: Big mistake

Text 3

①Scientists have found that although we are prone to snap overreactions, if we take a moment and think about how we are likely to react, we can reduce or even eliminate the negative effects of our quick, hard-wired responses.

①Snap decisions can be important defense mechanisms; if we are judging whether someone is dangerous, our brains and bodies are hard-wired to react very quickly, within milliseconds. ②But we need more time to assess other factors. ③To accurately tell whether someone is sociable, studies show, we need at least a minute, preferably five. ④It takes a while to judge complex aspects of personality, like neuroticism or open-mindedness.

①But snap decisions in reaction to rapid stimuli aren’t exclusive to the interpersonal realm. ②Psychologists at the University of Toronto found that viewing a fast-food logo for just a few milliseconds primes us to read 20 percent faster, even though reading has little to do with eating. ③We unconsciously associate fast food with speed and impatience and carry those impulses into whatever else we’re doing. ④Subjects exposed to fast-food flashes also tend to think a musical piece lasts too long.

①Yet we can reverse such influences. ②If we know we will overreact to consumer products or housing options when we see a happy face (one reason good sales representatives and real estate agents are always smiling), we can take a moment before buying. ③If we know female job screeners are more likely to reject attractive female applicants, we can help screeners understand their biases—or hire outside screeners.

①John Gottman, the marriage expert, explains that we quickly “thin slice” information reliably only after we ground such snap reactions in “thick sliced” long-term study. ②When Dr. Gottman really wants to assess whether a couple will stay together, he invites them to his island retreat for a much longer evaluation: two days, not two seconds.

①Our ability to mute our hard-wired reactions by pausing is what differentiates us from animals: dogs can think about the future only intermittently or for a few minutes. ②But historically we have spent about 12 percent of our days contemplating the longer term. ③Although technology might change the way we react, it hasn’t changed our nature. ④We still have the imaginative capacity to rise above temptation and reverse the high-speed trend.

31. The time needed in making decisions may .

[A] predetermine the accuracy of our judgment

[B] prove the complexity of our brain reaction

[C] depend on the importance of the assessment

[D] vary according to the urgency of the situation

32. Our reaction to a fast-food logo shows that snap decisions .

[A] can be associative

[B] are not unconscious

[C] can be dangerous

[D] are not impulsive

33. To reverse the negative influences of snap decisions, we should .

[A] trust our first impression

[B] think before we act

[C] do as people usually do

[D] ask for expert advice

34. John Gottman says that reliable snap reactions are based on .

[A] critical assessment

[B] “thin sliced” study

[C] adequate information

[D] sensible explanation

35. The author’s attitude toward reversing the high-speed trend is .

[A] tolerant

[B] optimistic

[C] uncertain

[D] doubtful

Text 4

①Europe is not a gender-equality heaven. ②In particular, the corporate workplace will never be completely family-friendly until women are part of senior management decisions, and Europe’s top corporate-governance positions remain overwhelmingly male. ③Indeed, women hold only 14 per cent of positions on European corporate boards.

①The European Union is now considering legislation to compel corporate boards to maintain a certain proportion of women—up to 60 per cent. ②This proposed mandate was born of frustration. ③Last year, European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding issued a call to voluntary action. ④Reding invited corporations to sign up for gender balance goals of 40 per cent female board membership. ⑤But her appeal was considered a failure: only 24 companies took it up.

①Do we need quotas to ensure that women can continue to climb the corporate ladder fairly as they balance work and family?

①“Personally, I don’t like quotas,” Reding said recently. ②“But I like what the quotas do.” ③Quotas get action: they “open the way to equality and they break through the glass ceiling,” according to Reding, a result seen in France and other countries with legally binding provisions on placing women in top business positions.

①I understand Reding’s reluctance—and her frustration. ②I don’t like quotas either; they run counter to my belief in meritocracy, governance by the capable. ③But, when one considers the obstacles to achieving the meritocratic ideal, it does look as if a fairer world must be temporarily ordered.

①After all, four decades of evidence has now shown that corporations in Europe as well as the US are evading the meritocratic hiring and promotion of women to top positions—no matter how much “soft pressure” is put upon them. ②When women do break through to the summit of corporate power—as, for example, Sheryl Sandberg recently did at Facebook—they attract massive attention precisely because they remain the exception to the rule.

①If appropriate pubic policies were in place to help all women—whether CEOs or their children’s caregivers—and all families, Sandberg would be no more newsworthy than any other highly capable person living in a more just society.

36. In the European corporate workplace, generally .

[A] women take the lead

[B] men have the final say

[C] corporate governance is overwhelmed

[D] senior management is family-friendly

37. The European Union’s intended legislation is .

[A] a reflection of gender balance

[B] a response to Reding’s call

[C] a reluctant choice

[D] a voluntary action

38. According to Reding, quotas may help women .

[A] get top business positions

[B] see through the glass ceiling

[C] balance work and family

[D] anticipate legal results

39. The author’s attitude toward Reding’s appeal is one of .

[A] skepticism

[B] objectiveness

[C] indifference

[D] approval

40. Women entering top management become headlines due to the lack of .

[A] more social justice

[B] massive media attention

[C] suitable public policies

[D] greater “soft pressure”

Part B

Directions:

Read the following text and answer the questions by choosing the most suitable subtitle from the list A-G for each numbered paragraph (41-45). There are two extra subtitles which you do not need to use. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)

[A] Shopkeepers are your friends

[B] Remember to treat yourself

[C] Stick to what you need

[D] Live like a peasant

[E] Balance your diet

[F] Planning is everything

[G] Waste not, want not

The hugely popular blog the Skint Foodie chronicles how Tony balances his love of good food with living on benefits. After bills, Tony has £60 a week to spend, £40 of which goes on food, but 10 years ago he was earning £130, 000 a year working in corporate communications and eating at London’s best restaurants at least twice a week. Then his marriage failed, his career burned out and his drinking became serious. “The community mental health team saved my life. And I felt like that again, to a certain degree, when people responded to the blog so well. It gave me the validation and confidence that I’d lost. But it’s still a day-by-day thing.” Now he’s living in a council flat and fielding offers from literary agents. He’s feeling positive, but he’ll carry on blogging—not about eating as cheaply as you can—“there are so many people in a much worse state, with barely any money to spend on food”—but eating well on a budget. Here’s his advice for economical foodies.

41.

Impulsive spending isn’t an option, so plan your week’s menu in advance, making shopping lists for your ingredients in their exact quantities. I have an Excel template for a week of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Stop laughing: it’s not just cost effective but helps you balance your diet. It’s also a good idea to shop daily instead of weekly, because, being human, you’ll sometimes change your mind about what you fancy.

42.

This is where supermarkets and their anonymity come in handy. With them, there’s not the same embarrassment as when buying one carrot in a little greengrocer. And if you plan properly, you’ll know that you only need, say, 350g of shin of beef and six rashers of bacon, not whatever weight is pre-packed in the supermarket chiller.

43.

You may proudly claim to only have frozen peas in the freezer—that’s not good enough. Mine is filled with leftovers, bread, stock, meat and fish. Planning ahead should eliminate wastage, but if you have surplus vegetables you’ll do a vegetable soup, and all fruits threatening to “go off” will be cooked or juiced.

44.

Everyone says this, but it really is a top tip for frugal eaters. Shop at butchers, delis and fish-sellers regularly, even for small things, and be super friendly. Soon you’ll feel comfortable asking if they’ve any knuckles of ham for soups and stews, or beef bones, chicken carcasses and fish heads for stock which, more often than not, they’ll let you have for free.

45.

You won’t be eating out a lot, but save your pennies and once every few months treat yourself to a set lunch at a good restaurant—£1.75 a week for three months gives you £21—more than enough for a three-course lunch at Michelin-starred Arbutus. It’s £16.95 there—or £12.99 for a large pizza from Domino’s: I know which I’d rather eat.

Section III Translation

46. Directions:

Translate the following text into Chinese. Write your translation on the ANSWER SHEET. (15 points)

I can pick a date from the past 53 years and know instantly where I was, what happened in the news and even the day of the week. I’ve been able to do this since I was four.

I never feel overwhelmed with the amount of information my brain absorbs. My mind seems to be able to cope and the information is stored away neatly. When I think of a sad memory, I do what everybody does—try to put it to one side. I don’t think it’s harder for me just because my memory is clearer. Powerful memory doesn’t make my emotions any more acute or vivid. I can recall the day my grandfather died and the sadness I felt when we went to the hospital the day before. I also remember that the musical play Hair opened on Broadway on the same day—they both just pop into my mind in the same way.

Section IV Writing

Part A

47. Directions:

Suppose your class is to hold a charity sale for kids in need of help. Write your classmates an email to

1) inform them about the details, and

2) encourage them to participate.

You should write about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.

Do not use your own name. Use “Li Ming” instead.

Do not write your address. (10 points)

Part B

48. Directions:

Write an essay based on the following chart. In your writing, you should